Vaid s ICS Lucknow B-36, Sector C, Aliganj, Lucknow Ph: / Mob: /93 website:

Transcription

1 OCTOBER Vaid s ICS Lucknow B-36, Sector C, Aliganj, Lucknow Ph: / Mob: /93 website: 1

2 Content Pages 1. National Events 3 2. International Events 7 3. Science & Technology Economy Environment Sports Awards Appointments 22 2

3 NATIONAL EVENTS Nitin Gadkari launches Indian Bridge Management System To make sure that the bridges across India remains safe, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari on 4 October 2016 launched the Indian Bridge Management System (IBMS) in New Delhi. IBMS is being developed to create an inventory of all bridges in the country and rate their structural condition so that timely repair and rehabilitation work can be carried out based on the criticality of the structure. Major Highlights of Indian Bridge Management System (IBMS)- IBMS is the largest platform in the world owned by a single owner, with database that could exceed one lakh fifty thousand bridge structures. So far one lakh and fifteen thousand bridges have been intventorized, of which eighty five thousands are culverts and the rest are bridges. At the time of creation, each bridge was assigned with a unique identification number or National Identity Number based on the state, RTO zone and whether it is situated on a National Highway, State Highway or is a district road. The precise location of the bridge in terms of latitude-longitude was collected through GPS and based on the same the bridge was assigned a Bridge Location Number. It also noted the engineering characteristics like the design, materials, type of bridge, its age, loading, traffic lane, length, width of carriage way and others, which will be used to assign a Bridge Classification Number to the structure. These bridges are provided a structural rating for each component of the structure on the scale of 0 to 9. In addition to the structural rating, the bridges are also being assigned Socio-Economic Bridge Rating Number which will decide the importance of the structure in relation to its contribution to daily socio-economic activity of the area in its vicinity. Every bridge is also assigned a Structural Rating Number. Why IBMS is required? Lack of any data on the bridges across India has led to a situation in which there is no clarity about the exact number, location and condition of bridge. Bridges in poor conditions hampers efficient transport and also leads to accidents and loss of lives on several occasions. IBMS aims to fill this gap by preparing a data base of all bridges in the country. It will also detail their structural condition, which will help the government to take a decision on repairing the existing bridge or build new ones in their place. Union Cabinet approves amendments to HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014 The Union Cabinet on 5 October 2016 approved the amendments to the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, The HIV and AIDS Bill, 2014 was drafted to safeguard the rights of people living with HIV and affected by HIV. Provisions of the Bill- It seeks to address HIV-related discrimination, strengthen the existing programme by bringing in legal accountability and establish formal mechanisms for inquiring into complaints and redressing grievances. It seeks to prevent and control the spread of HIV and AIDS, prohibits discrimination against persons with HIV and AIDS. It seeks to provide for informed consent and confidentiality with regard to their treatment, places obligations on establishments to safeguard rights of persons living with HIV. It aims to enhance access to health care services by ensuring informed consent and confidentiality for HIV-related testing, treatment and clinical research. It lists various grounds on which discrimination against HIV positive persons and those living with them is prohibited. These include the denial, termination, discontinuation 3

4 or unfair treatment with regard to employment, educational establishments, health care services, provision of insurance, etc. It prohibits any individual from publishing information or advocating feelings of hatred against HIV positive persons and those living with them. It provides for Guardianship for minors. It 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 also asks Central and State governments to take measures to prevent the spread of HIV or AIDS, provide anti-retroviral therapy, facilitate their access to welfare schemes, lay guidelines for the care and treatment of children with HIV or AIDS. It makes provision for appointment of an ombudsman by State Governments to inquire into complaints related to the violation of the Act and penal actions in case of noncompliance. There are no financial implications of the Bill. Union Cabinet approves setting up of India's first Medipark in Tamil Nadu The Union Cabinet on 5 October 2016 approved setting up of a Medical Devices Manufacturing Park (Medipark) at Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu through a special purpose Vehicle. For this purpose, HLL Lifecare Ltd, a Mini Ratna PSU under Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, will sub-lease acres of land at Chengalpattu. The shareholding of HLL in the project will be above 50 percent. Highlights of the Medipark- The Medipark project will boost the local manufacturing of hi-end products at a significantly lower cost, resulting in affordable healthcare delivery to a large section of people. It will contribute to the development of medical devices and technology sector and allied disciplines in the country. HLL will sublease the land to investors, through a transparent bidding process to investors desirous to set up manufacturing units for Medical equipment and devices. It will be developed in phases, spread over seven years for completion. In the first phase, physical infrastructure will be developed and plots will be leased from third year onwards. In the initial phase, the land cost to the qualifying entrepreneurs from Medical Device and Equipment, Manufacturing Industry will be at a subsidized rate. Knowledge management center will be developed in the second phase, with grants and assistance from departments, which funds similar initiatives. It will reduce the dependence on imports and create a strong base for the growth of indigenous and domestic industry by providing access to state of art infrastructure and technology. Union Cabinet approves setting up of IIM at Jammu The Union Cabinet on 13 October 2016 approved the establishment of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Jammu. The institute will from a temporary campus at Old Government College of Engineering and Technology from academic year The project will involve a cost of nearly 62 crore rupees for initial four years from 2016 to Key highlights- The student strength intake for this year in the Post Graduate Diploma Programme (PGDP) in Management is 54 which will progressively go up to cumulative student strength of 120 in the 4 th year. The detailed project report for the permanent campuses is under preparation and thereafter the process for setting up the campuses will start. Meanwhile, steps would also be taken up for setting up campus at Jammu and an out-campus in Kashmir region. Besides, the Union Cabinet also approved the formation of an IIM Jammu Society under the Societies Registration Act, IIM Jammu will be run and managed by the Society with a Board of Governors (BOGs) to be constituted by the Government of India, which will administer 4

5 the Institute and would be responsible for establishment and operationalisation of the Institute. The decision is a part of Prime Minister s development package for Jammu and Kashmir. The Institute coupled with opening of IIT at Jammu, modernization of NIT Srinagar and opening of two new AIIMS institutions, one each in Kashmir and Jammu region will go a long way in meeting the requirement of high quality living and education in the state. Background- Indian Institutes of Management are the country s premier institutions imparting best quality education in management on globally benchmarked processes of education and training in management education and allied area of knowledge. At present, there are nineteen IIMs. Out of these, thirteen IIMs are located at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, Shillong, Ranchi, Raipur, Rohtak, Kashipur, Trichy, and Udaipur. Another six IIMs which have been start PM Modi launches National SC/ST hub and Zero Defect Zero Effect scheme in Ludhiana For the welfare of SC/ST entrepreneurs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 October 2016 launched national SC/ST (Schedule Castes/Schedule Tribes) hub in Ludhiana. He also launched the Zero Defect, Zero Effect (ZED) scheme for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Besides, he also gave away national awards to MSME entrepreneurs. He distributed 500 spinning wheels (spinning wheels) to women of weaker sections of Punjab to make them able to earn their livelihood. National SC/ST hub- This hub has been set up under Prime Minister's Employment Generation scheme to provide support to entrepreneurs from the SC/ST community. It was started with an objective to provide professional support to entrepreneurs from the SC/ST sections. It aims at promoting entrepreneurship among the SC/ST population. The hub with an initial outlay of 490 crore rupees will work towards strengthening market access/linkage, monitoring, capacity building, leveraging financial support schemes and sharing industry-best practices. It will also enable central public sector enterprises to fulfill the procurement target set by the government. Setting of the national SC/ST Hub under the MSME Ministry was announced by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech. The Public Procurement Policy This procurement policy specifies that 4 percent of procurement done by ministries, departments and CPSEs should be done from enterprises owned by SC/ST entrepreneurs. Zero Defect, Zero Effect (ZED) scheme- The scheme was first mentioned by PM Modi in his Independence Day speech in ZED scheme denotes high quality manufacturing with a minimal negative impact on environment. It aims at raising quality levels in unregulated MSME sector. It will support MSMEs across the nation in all Make in India sectors through quality control cells constituted by government. These cells will rate them after carrying out annual assessment of their products. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister visited Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, where he dedicated to the nation three hydropower projects namely, Koldam, Parbati and Rampur. Union Government to establish Krishi Vigyan Kendra in each district Union Government in October 2016 decided to establish at least one Krishi Vigyan Kendra in each of the districts in country. These Kendra s will be developed to provide technical assistance to farmers. The decision was announced by the Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh while interacting via video conference with all the Krishi Vigyan Kendra experts, district level 5

6 officers associated with agriculture development and progressive farmers of 12 States. Besides, Singh also called upon the farmers to use the residual husk after paddy farming to make organic fertilizer, in paper making and card-board industry and as animal feed. The Minister said this will prevent the adverse effect of husk burning on the environment. 6

7 INTERNATIONAL EVENTS China blocks tributary of Brahmaputra in Tibet China on 30 September 2016 blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra River in Tibet. According to Chinese state run Xinhua news agency, China is constructing a hydro project on Xiabuqu River, a tributary of Brahmaputra in Xigaze in Tibet, closely located to Sikkim. The blockade of the Brahmaputra river tributary may impact water flows into the lower riparian countries like India and Bangladesh. This blockade of the tributary comes at a time when India has decided to suspend talks with Pakistan under Indus Water Treaty as part of its efforts to hit back at Pakistan in the aftermath of the Uri attack. Like the Brahmaputra, the Indus also originates in the Tibetan plateau in China. The most important fact is that India and China have no water treaty similar to Indus water treaty between India and Pakistan. But they have established an Expert Level Mechanism on the trans-border Rivers. In October 2013, the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation on trans-border Rivers and as per the agreement, Beijing will provide data on water flows to India. How Chinese dams on Brahmaputra will affect India? Chinese ambitious efforts to redraw its water map will have its affect on India because the vast densely populated region of North-east India depends on water from Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The river is a lifeline of the region and blockade of water due to any cause will adversely affect the environment as well as the economy of the region. If in any situation, China blocks the water of Brahmaputra from flowing into India, then it may lead to feminine in North-East states of India. China will have its control on the water of the River after it completes its work of the dams on River Brahmaputra. This means that this is direct attack on India by China, which is also a violation of International norms of sharing river waters. India, Russia signs 16 MoUs including procurement of the S-400 air defence system India and Russia on 15 October 2016 signed 16 agreements during India-Russia Annual Summit across multiple sectors. The MoUs were signed in Goa during India- Russia Annual Summit co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Putin is on a visit to India to attend 2016 Goa BRICS summit. List of agreements/mous exchanged- Memorandum of Understanding proposed to be executed between EDB, Joint Stock Company Аlexeev s Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau, Joint Stock Company Radar Mms, Joint Stock Company Morinsis-AGAT and Elcom Systems Private Limited for developing the following: (i) A single integrated Transport Logistics System (ii) Concept of Smart city (iii) Intellectual monitoring system for the areas of high responsibility, in the State of Andhra Pradesh. MoU on studying perspectives for cooperation in shipbuilding, implementation of infrastructure projects, transfer of technologies and training foreign specialists: It was inked between JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation and the Council for Economic Cooperation of Andhra Pradesh. MoU on Cooperation in the implementation of smart cities program in India with the use of IT solutions of the Russian companies: It was inked between JSC "Rusinformexport and the Ministry of Urban Development of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, State Company National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd., Government of Haryana. MoU on the joint study of a gas pipeline to India and the other possible areas of Cooperation: It was inked between Gazprom and Engineers India Limited. 7

8 Rosneft to purchase 98% Essar Oil: as per the decision a Russian consortium comprising energy giant Rosneft Oil Company, commodities trader Trafigura and private investment group United Capital Partners agreed to purchase 98 percent of Essar Oil for 10.9 billion dollars. Cooperation Agreement in the area of Education and Training: It was inked between Rosneft Oil Company and ONGC Videsh Limited. MoU on setting up of Investment Fund: It was inked between NIIF and RDIF. Signing of MoU for Cooperation in increasing the speed of trains between Nagpur- Secundrabad / Hyderabad: It was inked between Indian and Russian railways. Signing of the shareholder agreement for establishing a Joint Venture to manufacture Ka- 226T helicopter in India. MoU on Mutual Allocation of Ground Measurement Gathering Stations for GLONASS AND NAvIC: It was inked between ISRO and ROSCOSMOS. MoU on expansion of Bilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation: it was inked between Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. MoU between Department of Science & Technology (India) and FASO (Russia) Programme of Cooperation in Oil and Gas Sector for the period Protocol for consultations between the Ministry of External Affairs & Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia for the period Agreement on cooperation in International Information Security Signing of IGA to purchase/construct four additional frigates though partnership between Russian and Indian shipyard Signing of IGA for the procurement of S-400 Air Defence System. They also decided to adopt a Roadmap of Events' to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Russian in They also released a joint statement partnership for global peace and stability. India, Myanmar signed 3 MoUs including Cooperation in the field of Power Sector India and Myanmar on 19 October 2016 signed three agreements to boost the bilateral relations between the two nations. Keeping in view the sensitivity of each other s strategic interests, the two nations also agreed for close security coordination in border areas. The MoUs were inked in New Delhi after delegation level talks with the visiting State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi was on a three day visit to India. Agreements inked includes- MoU for designing an academic and professional building programme for insurance industry of Myanmar. The MoU was signed between Financial Regulatory Department of Myanmar and Insurance Institute of India. MoU on Cooperation in the field of Power Sector: India has also offered to enhance power supply from Moreh in Manipur to Tamu in Myanmar. MoU on Banking Supervision between RBI and Central Bank of Myanmar. Besides, the two countries also agreed to enhance engagement in several areas like to develop a mutually beneficial arrangement for trade in pulses. India also said that the Archaeological Survey of India will soon begin work on restoring two old temples and inscriptions of King Mindon and King Baygyidaw in Bodh Gaya. India, New Zealand sign three pacts including avoidance of double taxation India and New Zealand on 26 October 2016 signed three agreements in the areas of double taxation avoidance, food security and sports. The agreements were inked in New Delhi in presence of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. John Key was on a three-day (25 October to 27 October 2016) visit to India. 8

9 List of agreements inked were- Arrangement regarding Food Safety Cooperation: It was inked between the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the Ministry for Primary Industries of New Zealand. MoU for cooperation in the field of Youth Affairs and Sports: It was inked between Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Sport New Zealand of the Government of New Zealand. Third Protocol to the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income: It was inked between the Union Government and the Government of New Zealand. Apart from this, the two nations also agreed to establish a Bilateral Ministerial Dialogue between two Foreign Ministries. They also agreed for establishment of Annual Foreign Ministry Consultations at Senior Officials Level and cooperation and Dialogue on Cyber Issues. Besides, the two nations also held delegation level talks. Subjects discussed during the delegation level talks were Ways to further boost trade and investments between the two countries. The two sides agreed to continue to work closely towards an early conclusion of a balanced and mutually beneficial Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). The two sides discussed and also agreed to strengthen the security and intelligence cooperation against terrorism and radicalization. 9

10 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ISRO s communication satellite GSAT-18 successfully launched from French Guiana India on 6 October 2016 successfully launched the communication satellite GSAT-18. The satellite was launched by a heavy duty rocket of Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana. The European launcher Ariane-5 VA-231 injected GSAT-18 into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) shortly after orbiting copassenger Sky Muster II satellite for Australian operator, National Broadband Network. After its injection into GTO, ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan took control of GSAT-18 and performed the initial orbit raising maneuvers using the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of the satellite, placing it in circular Geostationary Orbit. GSAT-18- GSAT-18 is designed to provide continuity of services on operational satellites in C-band, Extended C-band and Ku-bands. Weighing 3404 kilograms at lift-off and having a mission life of about 15 years, GSAT- 18 will strengthen ISRO's current fleet of 14 operational telecommunication satellites. It carries 48 communication transponders to provide services in Normal C-band, Upper Extended C-band and Ku-bands of the frequency spectrum. GSAT-18 carries Ku-band beacon as well to help in accurately pointing ground antennas towards the satellite. It will enable the continuity of the vital communication services in the country by replacing the currently ageing satellites. GSAT-18 is the 20th satellite from ISRO to be launched by the European space agency and the mission is the 280th for Arianespace launcher family. ISRO, which has been dependent on Ariane-5 rocket for carrying its heavier satellites, is developing GSLV Mk III for this purpose. GSAT-18's co-passenger Sky Muster II, built by Space Systems Loral in California, is aimed at bridging the digital divide, especially in the rural and isolated regions of Australia. Kourou is a French territory located in northeastern coast of South America. The launch, which was originally scheduled for 5 October 2016, was deferred by 24 hours due to unfavourable weather conditions at Kourou. Scientists at Delhi produce electricity from water without using energy Scientists at the Delhi s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) successfully devised a procedure to produces electricity from water at room temperature without using any external energy. Materials used for creation of electricity included Nanoparous magnesium ferrite, Silver and Zinc. In the process, nanoparous magnesium ferrite was used to split water into hydronium (H3O) and hydroxide (OH) ions. Silver and Zinc were used as electrodes to make a cell that produces electricity. The team that devised the procedure was led by Dr. RK Kotnala. The hydroelectric cell that uses magnesium ferrite of 1 sq. inch size produces 8 ma current and 0.98 volt. Dr, Kotnala said that on connecting four cells of 2-inch diameter in series the voltage increases to 3.70 volts and can operate a small plastic fan and a LED light of 1 Watt. How it works? Magnesium s high affinity for hydroxide allows it to split water into hydronium and hydroxide ions. Then, the hydronium ions get trapped inside the nanopores of magnesium ferrite and generate an electric field that helps in further dissociation of water. Magnesium ferrite is made as an oxygen-deficient material and has plenty of oxygen vacancies. To enhance the activity of magnesium ferrite, about 20 per cent of magnesium is replaced with lithium, which will help in enhancing the sensitivity of magnesium ferrite. This is helpful 10

11 in dissociating water at room temperature as the electrons get trapped in the oxygen deficient sites. According to a paper published in the International Journal of Energy Research, magnesium ferrite of 2-inch diameter produces 82 ma current and 0.9 volt. Now, the hydroelectric cell material design has been improved and a 2-inch diameter material generates 150 ma current and 0.9 V. China successfully launches longest Manned Space Mission China on 17 October 2016 successfully launched a manned spacecraft Shenzhou-11 carrying two astronauts. This was China s longest-ever manned space mission. The 'Shenzhou-11' spacecraft was put into orbit by a Long March-2F carrier rocket after the launch. It was launched into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre near the Gobi Desert in northwest China. Wu Ping, Deputy Director of China's manned space engineering office said that the spacecraft will dock with orbiting space lab Tiangong-2 in two days and the astronauts, namely Jing Haipeng (50) and Chen Dong (38), will stay in the lab for 30 days. Jing Haipeng had participated in the Shenzhou-7 and Shenzhou-9 missions, while this is the first space mission for Chen Dong. Tiangong-2, launched into space on 15 September 2016, orbits about 393 kilometers above Earth. The space lab was launched in September 2016 as part of China's efforts to set up its own manned space station by 2022, which will make it the only the country to have such a facility in service as the present in-service International Space Station retires by Till date, China had sent six manned spacecraft in the space. China's space lab launches microsatellite, Banxing-2 Tiangong-2, the experimental space lab of China, on 23 October 2016 successfully launched a micro-satellite, Banxing-2 (the word means Companion Satellite). The micro-satellite is roughly the size of a desktop printer. At present, Tiangong-2 is orbiting the Earth with two astronauts on board. About Banxing-2 Weighing 47 kilograms, the micro satellite has a series of visible light cameras, including a 25 megapixel camera and wide-angle imagers. Its mission is to take photographs of Tiangong- 2 and the Shenzhou 11 spacecraft, which docked with the lab on 19 October The satellite, which the media has nicknamed "Selfie Stick", also has an infrared camera that is temperature - sensitive. With three solar panels, the satellite can also generate enough power to adjust its orbit to shoot pictures of the lab and spacecraft. The Shenzhou-11 spacecraft carried two astronauts into space on the 17 October It docked with Tiangong-2 two days later. In 2008, its predecessor, Banxing-1, did the same work for Shenzhou 7. 11

12 ECONOMY Union Government decides to raise EPFO Investment in ETF from 5 to 10 per cent The Union Government on 30 September 2016 decided to raise the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) investment in Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) from existing 5 per cent to 10 per cent. The decision has been taken considering the good returns in ETF investment. An official release said, in the last one year, the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has invested 6577 crore rupees. The investment has yielded a good return of per cent. The past performance of the last six months from April, 2016 to August, 2016 also showed gradual appreciation in the returns from 0.37 per cent in March 2016 to per cent in August Five per cent EPF has been invested in NIFTY 50 and SENSEX. The pattern of investment prescribed by the Ministry of Finance has given guidelines for investment in equity from 5 per cent to 15 per cent. RBI releases fourth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 4 October 2016 released the fourth Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement The key announcement under the policy was the interest cut of 25 basis points. This move may lead to banks in lowering EMIs for housing, car loan and corporate borrowers. This policy decision was not only RBI Governor Urjit Patel s maiden policy announcement but was also the first to be announced by the newly constituted Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). All the six members of MPC unanimously decided to cut repo rate by 0.25 per cent; bring in to a nearly six-year low of 6.25 per cent. This was also the first interest rate cut in last six months. According to the monetary policy statement, the decision to cut interest rates is consistent with the aim of achieving a midterm inflation target of 4 percent within a band of plus or minus 2 percent. Based on the assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to: Repo Rate: The policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) was reduced by 25 basis points from 6.5 per cent to 6.25 per cent with immediate effect. Reverse Repo Rate: The reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 5.75 per cent. Marginal standing facility (MSF) Rate: The MSF rate was fixed at 6.75 per cent. Bank Rate: The Bank Rate also stands at 6.75 per cent. The decision of the MPC is consistent with an accommodative stance of monetary policy in consonance with the objective of achieving consumer price index (CPI) inflation at 5 per cent by Q4 of and the medium-term target of 4 per cent within a band of +/- 2 per cent, while supporting growth. The main considerations underlying the decision are set out in the statement below. CCEA approves revision of ethanol prices for supply to Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 13 October 2016 approved the mechanism for revision of ethanol price for supply to Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to carry out the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme. The administered price of ethanol for the Programme will be 39 rupees per litre for the next sugar season from 1 December 2016 to 30 November Key Highlights- Charges will be paid to the ethanol suppliers as per actuals in case of Excise Duty and VAT or GST and transportation charges as decided by the oil marketing companies. The prices of ethanol will be reviewed and suitably revised by Government at any time 12

13 during the ethanol supply period depending upon the prevailing economic situation and other relevant factors. The revision in ethanol prices will facilitate Government in providing price stability and remunerative prices for ethanol suppliers. Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme- Union Government in 2003 launched the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme to promote the use of alternative and environment friendly fuels. The programme also sought to reduce import dependency for energy requirements. However, since 2006, OMCs were not able to receive offers for the required quantity of ethanol against the tenders floated by them due to various constraints like State Specific issues, Supplier related issues including Pricing issues of ethanol. Decision to augment the supply of ethanol- To end constraints and augment the supply of ethanol, government on 10 December 2014 placed a mechanism for pricing of ethanol under which the delivered price of ethanol at OMC depots was fixed in the range of rupees per litre to rupees per litre including Central/State Government taxes and transportation charges. Effect of the Decision- The decision helped in improving the supply of ethanol. Ethanol supplies increased to 67.4 crore litres in and the projected supplies for ethanol supply year are around 120 crore litres. 13

14 ENVIRONMENT 92 percent of world s population is breathing unhealthy air: WHO World Health Organization (WHO) on 27 September 2016 released its report on pollution, which is extremely worrying. The report claims that 92 percent of the world s population lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO limits. This mean, 9 out of 10 people globally are breathing poor quality air. Maria Neira, head of the WHO's department of public health and environment, termed the report as a 'public health emergency'. She also urged governments to take up measures like cutting the number of vehicles on the road, improving waste management and promotion of clean cooking fuel. The WHO report is based on data collected from more than 3000 sites across the globe. According to the report, poorer countries have much dirtier air than the developed world. Green Peace India released report on National Air Quality Index of 17 cities How the report was made? The report is based on WHO s new air quality model that is based on data derived from satellite measurements, air transport models and ground station monitors. The model was developed by WHO in collaboration with the University of Bath, United Kingdom. Air pollution s toll on human health- Some 3 million deaths a year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution can be just as deadly. In 2012, an estimated 6.5 million deaths (11.6% of all global deaths) were associated with indoor and outdoor air pollution together. Nearly 90 percent of air-pollution-related deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, with nearly 2 out of 3 occurring in WHO s South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. WHO says that 94 percent are due to noncommunicable diseases notably cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Air pollution also increases the risks for acute respiratory infections. Sources of air pollution- Major sources of air pollution include inefficient modes of transport, household fuel and waste burning, coal-fired power plants, and industrial activities. However, not all air pollution originates from human activity. For example, air quality can also be influenced by dust storms, particularly in regions close to deserts. New termite species named Chiraharitae discovered A new termite species, Glyptotermes Chiraharitae, was discovered at Kakkayam in the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala. The species has been named Chiraharitae after the tropical evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, where it was discovered. The research paper describing the new species was published last week in Zoosystema, the journal of Natural History Museum, Paris. About the newly discovered species- Termites are of three types: damp wood, dry wood and subterranean. Glyptotermes Chiraharitae species are of the damp wood category. Chiraharitae infest parts of woods with high moisture content, the decaying or rotting areas in particular. They are exclusively wood dwelling and do not require any contact with soil. The flying adults of this species are approximately 10 mm long, while the soldiers are around 9.5 mm long. Its relatives are known to attack mango, sal, Rhododendron, banyan trees, Artocarpus, silver oak, and jamun trees. In India, there 285 species of termites and among them 61 are documented from Kerala. 14

15 HIMANSH, India s remote and highaltitude station opened in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) established a high altitude research station in Himalaya called HIMANSH. The station is situated above feet at a remote region in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. The station was unveiled by M. Rajeevan, Secretary to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, on 9 October The ongoing initiatives by NCAOR will contribute to the integrated study the glaciers in the upper Indus basin (Chandra basin) in Himachal Pradesh and their contribution to discharge. Key highlights of HIMANSH- The station houses many instruments to quantify the glacier melting and its relation to changing climate. Some of the instruments that are available at the research facility include, Automatic Weather Stations for weather monitoring, water level recorder for quantifying the glacier melt, ground penetrating radar to know the thickness of glaciers, geodetic GPS systems to study the glacier movements, etc. The researchers will use the station as a base for undertaking surveys using Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). About National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research is an Indian research and development institution, situated in Vasco, Goa. It was established on 25 May 1998, with Dr. P C Pandey as its founding director. It is an autonomous Institution of the Department of Ocean Development (DOD), Government of India. It is responsible for administering the Indian Antarctic Program and maintains the Indian Government's Antarctic research station, Maitri. At present, NCAOR is an agency working under Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India since 2006, by the notification of the President of India. NCAOR complex is a home to a special lowtemperature laboratory and is setting up a National Antarctic Data Centre and a Polar Museum. India decided to eliminate potent greenhouse gas HFC-23 by 2030 India on 13 October 2016 announced its decision to eliminate the HCF-23 gas. The decision was made in line to its commitment to combat the threat emanating from climatedamaging HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons). The announcement was made by Minister of State Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Anil Dave at Kigali, Rwanda, at a meeting of parties to the Montreal Protocol, where final negotiations are taking place to substantially reduce the use of HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) by HFC 23 gas, a potent greenhouse gas, with Global Warming Potential of 14800, is produced during the manufacture of a common refrigerant gas, HCFC-22. If vented out in environment, is a threat to the environment. HCFC stands for hydrochloroflurocarbon. Key Highlights- Companies have to internalise the cost of this environmental externality and create sufficient storage facility to take care of down time and run the incinerators to ensure and not release of HFC 23 in the atmosphere. The move will potentially check emissions of HFC-23 equivalent to 100 million tonnes of CO2 over the next 15 years, Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment. Montreal Protocol- The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was designed to reduce the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances in order to reduce their abundance in the atmosphere, and thereby protect the earth s fragile ozone Layer. The original Montreal Protocol was agreed on 16 September 1987 and entered into force on 1 January The Montreal Protocol includes a unique adjustment provision that enables the Parties to the Protocol to respond quickly to new scientific 15

16 information and agree to accelerate the reductions required on chemicals already covered by the Protocol. These adjustments are then automatically applicable to all countries that ratified the Protocol. It has been ratified by 197 parties. Kashmir's Red Stag to get IUCN's Critically Endangered status The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is all set to declare the Kashmiri Red Stag, also known as Hangul, a Critically Endangered species. As per Bombay Natural History Society, nearly 3000 to 5000 Hanguls existed around the 1940s. At present, only about 150 of them survive in the Greater Dachigam Landscape of 1000 square kilometeres. Even then, IUCN had categorised it as that of Least Concern by clubbing with European and other 'red deer' species of the world. About Kashmir's Red Stag- The Kashmir Stag is a subspecies of elk native to India. It is found in dense riverine forests in the high valleys and mountains of the Kashmir Valley and northern Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. In Kashmir, it's found in the Dachigam National Park where it receives protection but elsewhere it is more at risk. In the 1940s, the population was between 3000 and 5000 individuals. However, since then, the habitat destruction, over-grazing by domestic livestock and poaching have greatly reduced that dramatically. Earlier believed to be a subspecies of red deer, a number of mitochondrial DNA genetic studies have revealed that the Hangul is part of the Asian clade of the elk and has not been evaluated by IUCN. 16

17 SPORTS Kochi becomes first Indian city to host FIFA U-17 World Cup Kochi on 19 October 2016 became the first Indian city to be officially declared as one of the venues for hosting the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The tournament will be hosted in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium of the city. A 23-member high-level delegation comprising experts from FIFA and Local Organising Committee (LOC) ratified Kochi as the venue for next year's mega event. Earlier, the delegation visited the Jawarharlal Nehru International Stadium. With this, the event also became the first FIFA event to be held in the subcontinent. Tournament Director of the LOC, Javier Ceppi said that besides Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the team also visited the prospective training grounds in Kochi -- Parade Ground, Fort Kochi Veli Football Ground, Maharajas College Ground and Government Boys High School Panampilly Nagar FIFA U-17 World Cup- The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 will be held in India. This will be first time that the planet s second most populous country will host a FIFA event. Till date, India has successfully hosted a wide range of sporting events like from the Asian Games to the Commonwealth Games and world championships in sports like cricket and field hockey. The tournament is slated to be held from September to October India in Football- Indian football team took part on the 1948 London Olympics, their first major international tournament. The nation qualified regularly for the Olympics until The 1956 Melbourne Olympics saw the national football team finish a very respectable fourth. The main success for Indian football came in that era with gold medals at the Asian Games in New Delhi 1951 and Jakarta in India was invited to participate in the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Indian Wrestlers bagged four medals at 2016 TAFISA World Games Indian grapplers in October 2016 clinched four medals, including a gold medal, at the sixth edition of the TAFISA World Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. Wrestler Dalmiya bagged the yellow metal in 60kg category after outplaying Muhammad Sahan of Azerbaijan 4-1 in the summit clash. Other grapplers to win medal were- Luv Singh He clinched silver medal in the 80 kg category. In the summit clash, Luv Singh faced a 1-5 defeat by Muhammad Alim of Azerbaijan. Naveen Kumar He clinched bronze medal in 90 Kg category. He defeated Oleg of Lithuania 5-2 to claim the bronze medal. Josil He clinched bronze medal in the in the super heavyweight section. He defeated Mustafa Sultani of Afghanistan 3-1 to win the bronze medal for the country. Few other medals won by India are Three gold medals were won by three women martial arts players from Thane. Aarti Chaudhari (29), Vishruti Waghmare (16) and Siddhi Jadhav (10) won the gold medals in Jeet Kune-do, a form of martial arts. Aarti Chaudhari won her second gold in Kabaddi, while Vishruti Waghmare bagged a bronze in the same event. About TAFISA- The Association for International Sport for All (TAFISA) is the leading international Sport for All organisation. Its vision and mission is to achieve an Active World by globally promoting and facilitating access for every person to Sport for All and physical activity. TAFISA s primary focus is on: Lobbying internationally for Sport for All Providing and coordinating programs and events Providing networking and experience transfer platforms 17

18 India wins 2016 Kabaddi World Cup India on 22 October 2016 lifted the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. Team India, under the captaincy of Anup Kumar, defeated Iran in the final held at the Arena By TransStadia in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This was India's 3rd World Cup in the Standard Style version of Kabaddi. About 2016 Kabaddi World Cup- The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup was an international kabaddi tournament governed by the International Kabaddi Federation. It was contested from 7 to 22 October 2016 in Ahmedabad, India. Twelve countries had competed in the tournament. The tournament was hosted at The Arena by TransStadia, a newly-constructed convertible stadium in Ahmedabad. The official emblem of the tournament was unveiled on 14 September 2016 by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Vijay Goel. It incorporated a stylized lion, representing the Asiatic lions of Girnar. Russia was awarded the hosting rights on 2 December This will be the first World Cup ever held in Eastern Europe, and the first held in Europe since The final tournament will involve 32 national teams, which include 31 teams determined through qualifying competitions and the automatically qualified host team. A total of 64 matches will be played in 12 venues located in 11 cities. The final is expected to take place in Moscow at the Luzhniki Stadium. The winners will qualify for the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup. FIFA unveils Official Mascot for 2018 World Cup Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on 21 October 2016 unveiled the Official Mascot for the 2018 World Cup. The Official Mascot for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia is named Zabivaka, which means the one who scores in Russian. The mascot is the wolf developed by student designer Ekaterina Bocharova. The selected mascot had received 53 per cent of the votes, followed by the tiger (27 per cent) and the cat (20 per cent). About 2018 World Cup- The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be the 21st FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July

19 AWARDS David Thouless, F Duncan M Haldane And Michael Kosterlitz won 2016 Nobel Prize In Physics The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics was on 4 October 2016 one half awarded to David J Thouless and the other half jointly to F Duncan M Haldane and J Michael Kosterlitz for theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter. David J Thouless is a Emeritus Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. While, F. Duncan M. Haldane is the Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics at Princeton University, USA and J Michael Kosterlitz is the Harrison E. Farnsworth Professor of Physics at Brown University, USA. All three will jointly share the 8 million Swedish kronor prize. Discoveries of all three Laureates- All three Laureates used topological concepts in physics for their discoveries. In the early 1970s, Michael Kosterlitz and David Thouless overturned the then current theory that superconductivity or suprafluidity could not occur in thin layers. They demonstrated that superconductivity could occur at low temperatures and also explained the mechanism, phase transition, that makes superconductivity disappear at higher temperatures. In the 1980s, Thouless was able to explain a previous experiment with very thin electrically conducting layers in which conductance was precisely measured as integer steps. At around the same time, Duncan Haldane discovered how topological concepts can be used to understand the properties of chains of small magnets found in some materials. Nobel Prize in Medicine 2016 awarded to Yoshinori Ohsumi The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet on 3 October 2016 decided to award the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Yoshinori Ohsumi. Ohsumi is bestowed with the prize for his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy. He discovered and elucidated mechanisms underlying autophagy, a fundamental process for degrading and recycling cellular components. What is autophagy? Autophagy is the natural, destructive mechanism that disassembles, through a regulated process, unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components. It allows the orderly degradation and recycling of cellular components. During this process, targeted cytoplasmic constituents are isolated from the rest of the cell within a double-membraned vesicle known as an autophagosome. The autophagosome then fuses with a lysosome and the contents are degraded and recycled. Three different forms of autophagy are commonly described as macroautophagy, microautophagy and chaperone-mediated autophagy. The name autophagy was coined by Belgian biochemist Christian de Duve in Who is Yoshinori Ohsumi? Yoshinori Ohsumi is a Japanese cell biologist specializing in autophagy. He is a professor in Tokyo Institute of Technology's Frontier Research Center. He received the Kyoto Prize for Basic Science in Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos wins 2016 Nobel Peace Prize The 2016 Nobel Peace Prize was on 7 October 2016 awarded to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his resolute efforts to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end, a war that took away the lives of at least Colombians and displaced nearly six million people. The civil war in Colombia is one of the longest civil wars in modern times and the sole remaining armed conflict in the Americas. 19

20 President Juan Manuel Santos's role in Columbian War- President Santos initiated the negotiations that culminated in the peace accord between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas as he consistently sought to move the peace process forward. The accord was controversial, however he was instrumental in ensuring that Colombian voters were able to voice their opinion concerning the peace accord in a referendum. The outcome of the vote was not what President Santos wanted as a narrow majority of the over 13 million Colombians voted against the accord. Despite the "No" majority vote in the referendum, President Santos brought the bloody conflict significantly closer to a peaceful solution. His endeavours to promote peace thus fulfil the criteria and spirit of prize. Jean-Pierre Sauvage, J Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L Feringa won 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry The 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on 5 October 2016 was awarded to Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir James Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L Feringa. The trio were bestowed with the prestigious award for the design and synthesis of molecular machines. Jean-Pierre Sauvage is a French coordination chemist. Sir James Fraser Stoddart is a Scottish chemist. He works in the area of supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology. Bernard L Feringa is a synthetic organic chemist, specializing in molecular nanotechnology and homogenous catalysis. Development of world's smallest machines- Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir James Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L Feringa have developed molecules with controllable movements, which can perform a task when energy is added. The first step towards a molecular machine was taken by Jean-Pierre Sauvage in 1983, when he succeeded in linking two ring-shaped molecules together to form a chain, called a catenane. The second step was taken by Fraser Stoddart in 1991, when he developed a rotaxane. He threaded a molecular ring onto a thin molecular axle and demonstrated that the ring was able to move along the axle. Bernard Feringa was the first person to develop a molecular motor. In 1999, he got a molecular rotor blade to spin continually in the same direction. Using molecular motors, he has rotated a glass cylinder that is times bigger than the motor and also designed a nanocar. The 2016's Nobel Laureates in Chemistry have taken molecular systems out of equilibrium's stalemate and into energy-filled states in which their movements can be controlled. Bob Dylan wins 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature Bob Dylan on 13 October 2016 won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. Dylan was bestowed with the precious award for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition. Who is Bob Dylan? Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, artist and writer. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when his songs chronicled social unrest, although he repudiated suggestions from journalists that he was a spokesman for his generation. His early songs such as Blowin' in the Wind and The Times They Are a- Changin became anthems for the American civil rights and anti-war movements. His lyrics have incorporated various political, social, philosophical and literary influences. Oliver Hart, Bengt Holmstrom win 2016 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmstrom were on 10 October 2016 awarded the 2016 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in 20