NATIONAL NOVEMBER 2014

NATIONAL NOVEMBER 2014

• Indian women pilots soar past global average
  Almost 600 of the 5,050 pilots in Indian airlines are women, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). At 11.6%, this is way above the 3% global average estimated by the International Society of Women Airline Pilots. India is also seeing a steady rise in women pilots annually. The last five years saw 4,267 commercial pilots' licences being issued, of which 628 or 14.7% went to women. 
  
  A direct outcome of this trend is that Indian carriers are employing more women pilots. The Jet Group, for instance, had 152 women pilots in October 2011; today it has 194 — the highest in India. 
  
  Overall, 43% of the airline's 8,200-strong workforce is women. SpiceJet and GoAir also reported that the number of women pilots is on the rise. The merged Air India-Indian Airlines has the second largest number of women pilots at 171, and often has an all-women crew operating its longest non-stop flights to the US. A company source says they fall short of the highest number because they haven't hired new pilots in a while. 
  
• Andhra Pradesh and Japan to make 6 MoUs
  Six MoUs will be signed by Andhra Pradesh Government during the six-day visit to Japan by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu beginning on 23rd November. Seeking Japanese financial assistance and technical expertise in different fields, including building of the new capital city
  • While four of the MoUs would be with Sumitomo Corporation, one would be signed with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Commerce.
  • The sixth MoU would be with NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development) on promoting new types of clean energy. The MoUs with Sumitomo Corporation include agreement to set up a 4,000 MW thermal plant in Srikakulam District.
  
  
• 11% of neonatal deaths in Bihar
  Though Bihar has witnessed a steady decline in neonatal mortality rate (NMR) in recent years, it accounts for second highest total number of neonatal deaths in India. With NMR at 28, the state accounts for 11 per cent neonatal deaths in the country. NMR is defined as death of infants (within one month of birth) per 1,000 live births. Incidentally, every year around 30 lakh live births take place in Bihar and about 90,000 newborns die before completing one month. 
  
  The inter-district variation in NMR is also one of the highest in Bihar. Patna district has the lowest NMR (21), while the highest is in Madhepura (45). In fact, neonatal deaths account for 60 per cent of total infant mortality rate (no of deaths per 1,000 births till one year). 
  
  National guidelines say every district must have one Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU), but Bihar has only 15. Against the requirement of 1,700 Newborn Care Corner (NBCC), only 500 NBCC are available, while there are 19 Newborn Stabilization Units (NBSU) against the requirement of 157. Going by the national norm based on population, there is 50-80 per cent shortage of medical colleges, referral hospitals, primary health centres and additional primary health centres in the state. 
  
• Global groups sign pact to end open defecation in India
  Three global organisations on 24th November signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to share best practices in the sanitation sector and help millions of Indians gain access to basic sanitation facilities. 
  
  The organisations are
  • The World Toilet Organisation (WTO),
  • WASTE and
  • The Financial Inclusion Improves Sanitation and Health (FINISH)
  These three share the common goal of making sanitation accessible and affordable to all citizens. The objective of the agreement is to support the Central government in making the country free of open defecation and promoting sustained usage of sanitation systems. 
  
• Rajasthan to adopt self-attestation system
  Rajasthan government will introduce a system of self-attestation of documents from January 1 next year. The government said the system of self certification of documents was being introduced to make dealing with government agencies simpler. Rajasthan would be the sixth State after Gujarat, Goa, Kerala, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh to adopt self-attestation system 
  
  With this now candidates seeking admission or job in government departments shall be permitted to submit self-attested copies of documents needed to be attached with application. 
  
• Telangana moots Board to clear mega project proposals
  The Telangana Government has proposed to amend the law to introduce a single-window to give approvals to industries. State Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao introduced the Amendment Bill in the Assembly on 25th November. 
  
  The amendment (Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self-certification System) seeks to set up State and district-level nodal agencies to scrutinize and approve the proposals to set up industries. While District Collectors would head the district-level committees, the Secretary (Industries) would head the State-level body. 
  
  A Special Board to facilitate infrastructure projects would be set up under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to clear Mega projects. The board would give preliminary projects within 15 days. 
  
• Court asked CBI about not questioning Manmohan
  A special court dealing with the coal block allocation cases on 25th November queried the Central Bureau of Investigation over non-examination of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a prosecution witness in a coal block case involving erstwhile Coal Secretary P.C. Parakh and chairman of Adiyta Birla Group’s Kumar Mangalam Birla. Dr. Singh was then holding the additional charge of the Coal Ministry. 
  
  The probe officer further said that though he had examined certain officers of the PMO, the then Minister of Coal was not questioned. He also stated that the accused persons were also questioned but their statements were kept only in the case diary and the crime file. Later, Mr. Parashar asked the investigating officer to produce the ‘case diary and the crime file’ for his perusal. 
  
• Sulawesi bird named after Indian-origin scientist
  A new bird species discovered more than 15 years after it was first seen on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has been named after late ecologist and ornithologist Navjot Sodhi. A mottled throat and short wings distinguish Muscicapa sodhii , the newly named Sulawesi streaked flycatcher. 
  
  The Latin name the team gave the bird pays homage to the late Mr. Sodhi, who was Mr. Harris’ former mentor and professor at the National University of Singapore. Several animal species have been named after Mr. Sodhi, including a snail, a fish and a new genus and species of crab. 
  
• CBI chief: selection panel to include leader of largest opposition party
  A bill to amend a law on appointment of CBI chief was passed in the Lok Sabha on 26th November amid stiff resistance with Congress alleging that it was aimed at keeping the largest opposition party out of the selection process, a charge denied by the government. 
  
  The bill provides for inclusion of leader of the single largest opposition party in the three-member committee that selects the CBI Director since there is no recognised Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The Committee has Prime Minister and Chief Justice of India as other members. 
  
  The amendment bill also provides that "No appointment of a Director shall be invalid merely by reason of any vacancy or absence of a member in the committee." The bill was passed by voice vote. 
  
• IIM-A, WGC set up gold think-tank
  The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) and the World Gold Council (WGC) on 26th November announced the setting up of the India Gold Policy Centre, a first-of-its-kind initiative, to conduct cutting-edge research on all aspects of the country’s gold industry. The objective of the Centre is to develop insights into how significant stocks of gold that India owns can be used to advance growth, employment, social inclusion and the economic wealth of the nation, said Ashish Nanda, Director, IIM-A. 
  
  The Centre aims to conduct research, having practical applications the industry and stakeholders can use, leading to the development of an effective gold ecosystem in the country. 
  
• Attorney-General not in favour of appeal in Vodafone tax case
  Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi has asked the income-tax department to desist from appealing against the Bombay High Court’s October 10 order that British telecom major Vodafone would not have to pay the Rs 3,200-crore additional tax demanded by Indian authorities. 
  
  The tax department, believed to be in favour of challenging the high court order, was awaiting advice from the Attorney-General after receiving CBDT’s views on the case. Ideally, an appeal against a court order is filed within a month of the order. In the event of a delay, the petitioner is required to give a delay condonation petition with the appeal. 
  
  The case relates to the tax authorities’ claim that Vodafone India had underpriced its shares in a rights issue to its British parent. This claim was for the two financial years ended March 2011, and the amount covered tax and interest on the demand for assessment year 2009-10. After a few days of the first order on October 10, the Bombay HC again ruled in favour of Vodafone and waived Rs 1,400 crore of tax for a different assessment year. Vodafone India had issued shares at Rs 8,000 apiece for an overall investment of Rs 246 crore. 
  
• Apprentices Bill passed
  A Bill seeking to remove imprisonment as punishment for violating the provisions of the Apprentices Act, 1961 and allowing employers to fix the hours of work and leave as per their discretion or policy was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 26th November. 
  
  The Apprentices (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was passed by voice vote with a majority of speakers favouring the legislation, saying it is aimed at enhancing the skills of youth and makes them employable. It had been passed by the Lok Sabha in the last session. 
  
• E-visa facility for 43 countries
  The Indian Government on 27th November launched electronic visa facilities for tourists from 43 countries. According to Anil Goswami, Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, the tourist visa-on-arrival (TVoA) by electronic travel authorisation (ETA) will be introduced in a phased manner at nine airports: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Goa. As many as 76 counters have been created for this at these airports 
  
  At present, visitors from 43 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Russia and the US, can avail themselves of this facility. More countries will be added in a phased manner. 
  
  The 30-day permit will cover visits for the purpose of sightseeing, visiting friends and family, recreation, short-duration medical treatment, among others, and also include casual business visits. The facility can be used only twice in a calendar year. 
  
• Telangana Assembly passes industry bill
  Repealing the existing Andhra Pradesh State Industrial Single Window Clearance Act of 2002, the Telangana Assembly on 27th November unanimously passed its own industrial Bill --Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self Certification System (TS-iPASS) --for timely clearances to industrial units proposed to be set up in the new State. 
  
  The legislation aimed at speeding up processing for issue of various licences, clearances and certificates required by industries and also provide for an investor-friendly environment in the State. 
  
  According to the Bill…… 
  • Telangana State-wide investment facilitation board headed by the Chief Secretary giving provisional approvals to mega industrial projects within 15 days of receiving self-certified applications.
  • A separate State committee with industries secretary as chairman will give clearances for all other projects in 30 days.
  • To qualify as a mega project, there should be an investment of over Rs. 200 crore and employ more than 1,000 people.
  • The Government has introduced the policy amidst fears in the State that the Centre might assign special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
  • The Government will establish Pharma and Chemical Cities with well-developed infrastructure.
  • While developing Hyderabad-Warangal Industrial Corridor, the Government will set up a venture capital angel fund to drive innovation. It identified 14 thrust areas, encompassing various sectors. These included aviation, IT hardware, life sciences, pharma, automobiles, textiles, renewable energy and engineering and capital goods.
  • The policy will introduce TS-PRIDE (Telangana State Programme for Rapid Incubation of Dalit Entrepreneurs), promising direct financial help to entrepreneurs and TS-HART for the development of handicrafts in the State.
  • While seeking cooperation of the Opposition parties in clearing the policy, the Chief Minister said the Government will establish a Grievance Redressal Mechanism.
  • The policy also promises rationalisation of inter-State Value-Added Tax (VAT) in order to remove anomalies.
  
  
• Improvement in child nutrition
  According to official data, except a few states, most of the states in India have seen improvements in child nutrition over the last five years but have a patchy record on immunization. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has begun releasing data for the fourth round of the District Level Health Survey (DLHS), which covers all of the country, except the eight backward northern States known as the Empowered Action Group (EAG) States and Assam. 
  
  The new numbers deal with nutritional and health coverage for 2012-13 based on a large sample survey conducted by the Mumbai-based International Institute for Population Studies. 
  
  In all five southern States, child stunting has declined to between 20 and 30 percentage of all children. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana and Punjab have seen the largest declines in child stunting. 
  
  India’s more developed States also show large increase in breastfeeding and in institutional deliveries. The mean age at marriage has risen to 20 in the Southern States, and indices show that fertility will continue to fall in India. The proportion of women aged 20-25 with more than two children has declined, most sharply in Maharashtra and Karnataka. 
  
  However, on several other health indicators, the picture is more mixed. Female sterilization remains by far the most common method of family planning, with over 95 per cent of all contraception in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh being female sterilization. In several developed States — Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab — the proportion of children between one and two years of age who are fully immunized has actually fallen. 
  
• Parliament clears Bill to amend Labour laws
  Parliament on 28th November cleared the Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) (LLE) Amendment Bill, 2014, with the Lok Sabha giving its nod for the draft legislation that reduces small establishments’ obligations to file returns. 
  
  The 2014 Bill stipulates “small” establishments would cover those employing between 10 and 40 workers as against 19 in the Principal Act, and increases the number of laws under which small establishments enjoy exemptions from nine to 16. 
  
• Campaign for girl’s education
  Priyanka Chopra and Freida Pinto on 29th November launched a multi-level global campaign, ‘Girl Rising’, which includes a documentary film featuring the two stars and seven other Bollywood actors, to spread awareness about importance of girls’ education. 
  
• First women commandos’ team deployed Naxal-hit Jungles
  For the first time in the country’s history, a special squad of women troops has been deployed deep inside jungles to undertake active and prolonged operations against Naxalites. 
  
  With the induction of these CRPF commandos in their trademark camouflaged ‘Khaki’ uniform, India has become one of those few countries to deploy women personnel in live combat situations in one of the most violent and high threat theatres of conflict. 
  
  While one contingent is undertaking operations in the worst Naxal-affected area of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, the other has been based at an undisclosed location in Jharkhand. 
  
  Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployed these two women contingents, of‘platoon’ (about 35 women in each) strength, after creating basic living facilities for them at its locations in these two Maoist violence affected states. The exact location of these women squads is only known to a handful of commanders and personnel keeping in mind the early days of their induction. 
  
• UP set to get world’s tallest Krishna shrine
  President of India Pranab Mukherjee has laid foundation for the world’s tallest Krishna shrine in the holy town of Vrindavan. The "Chandrodaya Mandir", an architectural marvel seeking to restore the glory and the times of Lord Shri Krishna, is planned to be three-times the height of the 72.5m Qutub Minar in Delhi. The building authorities are ISKCON. The Chandrodaya Temple site is strategically located on Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg, which was formerly called Chhatikara road. The temple has main access to Vrindavan on the Delhi-Agra highway. 
  
  The skyscraper temple project will be spread across 5 acres, surrounded by the recreated forests of Braj, conceived by the devotees of ISKCON-Bengaluru. The temple will be 210 meters or 700 ft in height (70 storeys). A capsule elevator will takes visitors from the ground level to the 700-foot tall viewing gallery giving an immersive 3D sound and light experience of the different planetary systems described in the Vedic literatures. The temple authorities have also planned to create forests of Vrindavan around the temple based on descriptions in the Srimad Bhagavatam. A sprawling 26 acres will consist of the 12 forests (dvadashakanana) of Braj. 
  
  Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir is under-construction at Vrindavan, Mathura, at cost of 300 crore(US$49 million) it will be one of the most expensively built temple in world by ISKCON. 
  
• India-world’s largest youth population: World Population Report
  India has the world’s largest population of 10-24 year-olds, but this demographic dividend is nearing its end, new data shows. With 356 million 10-24 year-olds, India has the world’s largest youth population despite having a smaller population than China, the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) State of the World’s Population Report, released on 17th November said. China follows with 269 million young people, followed by Indonesia (67 million), the United States (65 million) and Pakistan (59 million). 
  • While Africa is younger, northern Europe is substantially older — the United Kingdom’s youth population is 10 percentage point lower than that of India’s.
  • India is aging faster than the global average and by 2050, the world will have a larger proportion of youth population than India.
  • It said that developing countries with large youth populations could see their economies soar, provided they invest heavily in young people's education and health and protect their rights.
  • Within this generation are 600 million adolescent girls with specific needs, challenges and aspirations for the future, the report said.
  • The report titled 'The power of 1.8 billion', said 28 per cent of India's population is 10 to 24 year-olds, adding that the youth population is growing fastest in the poorest nations. Global number of youths is highest ever.
  • As the world is home to 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 year, 9 in 10 of the world's young population live in less developed countries.
  • In order to maximize the dividend, countries must ensure their young working-age populations are equipped to seize opportunities for jobs and other income-earning possibilities, the UN agency said.
  
  
• Mudgal report on IPL scam
  N. Srinivasan was not involved in match-fixing or illegal betting and did not attempt to scuttle the probe into corruption in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Justice Mukul Mudgal panel's inquiry report has said. Portions of the 35-page report were made public by the Supreme Court on 17th November. The report took note, however, of the fact that Srinivasan and the IPL governing council - including CEO Sundar Raman - were aware of betting in the tournament, but failed to take action. 
  
• Modernisation of Army by 2020
  The Army will be network-enabled by 2017 and fully network-centric by 2020 in spite of the delays in the modernization process, Lt. Gen. Philip Campose, Vice-Chief of Army Staff said on 17th November. Expressing concern that more and more State agencies of other countries were getting involved in espionage and hacking, Lt. Gen. Campose said the Army would fast-track critical communication infrastructure projects in collaboration with industry. 
  
  He was delivering the inaugural address at Defcom India-2014, jointly organized by the Corps of Signals and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). To improve network centricity, technologies such as the Army Static Communication Network and the Army Wide Area Network are already in place. 
  
• Nanavati panel submitted report
  The Nanavati panel, probing the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002, gave its final report on the matter on 18th November, after 12 years of investigations. The panel is headed by retired Supreme Court judge G T Nanavati and has retired Judge Akshay Mehta. 
  
  Nanavati handed over the report to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel. In the report, the panel has stated its findings on the role played in the 2002 riots by the police, the government, political leaders and local administration. The panel probed about 4,000 cases of violence during the riots. 
  
  On May 8, 2000, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government tasked Nanavati with inquiring into certain matters related to the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and other parts of the country on and after October 31, 1984, following the assassination of the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi. He had submitted a report on matter in February 2005. 
  
  On the delay in completion of the report on the 2002 riots, Nanavati said this was primarily due to refusal by the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team (SIT) to give it access to investigation papers, as well as affidavits filed by suspended Indian Police Service officer Sanjeev Bhatt. 
  
  The retired judge said the number of police personnel stationed to tackle the riots was low. On former president K R Narayanan’s letters to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee after the 2002 riots, Nanavati said if the Centre had given the panel access to those letters, it would have helped in the probe. The panel was set up by Modi on March 3, 2002, under the Commissions of Inquiry Act. The initial terms of reference of the panel, headed by K G Shah, was to probe a February 27, 2002, incident in which 59 persons, mostly Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers, were burnt alive by a mob near the Godhra railway station. 
  
  In June 2002, the state government widened the commission’s scope of inquiry to include the post-Godhra communal riots and appointed Nanavati as its chairman. After Shah’s death, the government appointed retired judge Akshay Mehta as a member of the panel. 
  
  About 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were allegedly killed during the widespread religious violence that followed the Godhra incident. In June 2005, the state government further widened the commission’s scope to questioning political leaders and ministers, including Modi. 
  
  In September 2008, the panel gave a part of its findings pertaining to the Godhra train-burning incident. It said the incident of setting afire the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express near the Godhra railway station was a pre-planned conspiracy. A court convicted 31 persons for criminal conspiracy and murder in connection with the incident. 
  
  Through the past 12 years, the Nanavati panel has been given 24 extensions. It probed 4,145 cases related to communal violence, reported between February 27 and May 31, 2002. The commission hasn’t questioned Modi. The Supreme Court-appointed SIT has given a clean chit to Modi and other office bearers of his government in connection with the 2002 riots. A magisterial court has also upheld this exoneration. 
  
• CREDAI to launch campaign for zero garbage in housing complexes
  Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations’ of India (CREDAI), the apex body of housing and habitat providers with over 9,000 members spread across 23 states and 151 city chapters, is set to launch a campaign for ‘zero garbage in the housing complexes’ being developed by its members. 
  
  Meanwhile, CREDAI also reiterated its commitment to skill development. As part of its commitment, CREDAI has pledged to provide vocational and technical training to labour on-site through a special initiative named 'KUSHAL', a joint venture by CREDAI and NSDC which will look to increase the skilled manpower for construction industry and reduce the existing gap between the demand and supply of skilled manpower. 
  
• Symbols of Telangana declared
  The Telangana government has declared state symbols. 
  • Official State Bird- Palapitta (Indian Roller)
  • Official State Tree- Jammi (Prosopis cineraria)
  • Official State Flower- Tangedu (Cassia auriculata)
  • Official State Animal- Deer
  
  
• Lokpal selection process to be amended
  Union Law Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda on 19th November confirmed the government’s decision to amend the provisions of the Lokpal Act and the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act to do away with the requirement of quorum in the high-profile committees to select the anti-corruption ombudsman and the CBI Director, respectively. 
  
  The inclusion of a clause in the statutory provisions dealing with the selection panels would provide a legal safeguard against any challenges on the validity of an appointment. 
  
  Minister said necessary amendments would also be made in the statutes to include the leader of the single largest group in the Opposition as a member of the selection committee in the absence of a recognised Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. 
  
  This would bring these statutes in line with the Central Vigilance Act, 2003 and Right to Information Act, 2005. On the ratification process of the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, the Minister said he has written to Chief Ministers to ratify the Bill at the earliest. 
  
  At least 15 States have to ratify the Bill for it to be made law. Noting that three States have so far ratified the Bill, he referred to reports in the media that the Gujarat Assembly has also followed suit. Dismissing apprehensions that the Bill threatens judicial independence, he said. 
  
• U.P. Khap leaders ban jeans, mobiles for girls
  A panchayat attended by former khap heads in the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh issued a diktat instructing girls not to wear jeans and to avoid using mobile phones. A declaration asking people in general to not use social media platforms like Face book and Whatsapp was also made. 
  
  The declaration issued by the Mahapanchayat, organized in the Shoram village of Muzaffarnagar to discuss social reform, will be implemented in 46 villages of the district. 
  
• Juvenile law too liberal: SC
  The Supreme Court has described a juvenile law that prescribes “admonition” and “group counseling” as punishment for even grave and heinous offences as “far too liberal.” Accepting that juvenile offenders require the protection of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, a Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U.U. Lalit, however, said law must “satisfy the desire of society” and prescribe a punishment befitting the gravity of the crime. 
  
  The Bench asked Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi to suggest to the government to take a relook at the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. 
  
• RGIA domestic terminal named after NTR
  The civil aviation ministry on 20th November restored the name of the domestic terminal after N.T. Rama Rao. The Civil aviation minister, Lok Sabha MP from Vizianagaram, Ashok Gajapathi Raju issued an official order in this regard on 20th November, nearly six months after he took over the ministry after joining the Narendra Modi Cabinet. 
  
  The domestic terminal of the Old Airport at Begumpet had earlier been named after NTR, but when the airport was shifted to Shamshabad during YSR’s tenure in 2008, both domestic and international terminals were called Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. 
  
• SC removed CBI Director from telecom case
  Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Ranjit Sinha was on 20th November removed by the Supreme Court from the telecom scam cases, saying the allegations against him of protecting some accused appear to be "prima facie credible".
  
  "Prima facie, the allegations made in the application (by non-governmental organization Centre for Public Interest Litigation against Sinha of scuttling a probe) are credible and required to be accepted," the court said. In an unprecedented order, it also handed over the telecom cases to the senior-most officer after Sinha in the probe team. A Bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu, however, refused to pass an elaborate order on the issue, saying it would "tarnish" the "image and reputation" of the premier agency. 
  
• SC nod for new board for Wild Life
  The Supreme Court on 21st November approved the Centre’s reconstituted National Board for Wildlife, paving the way for the clearance of over 140 big infrastructure projects. 
  
  Expressing satisfaction with the Centre’s submission that recent defects in the constitution of the board has been “cured,” a Bench led by Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu rejected a plea that the board’s re-constitution by the NDA government was not done in consonance with the statutory mandate of Wildlife Act, 1972. On August 28, the apex court had restrained the newly-constituted standing committee under the National Board for Wildlife from clearing any project falling in and around national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves. 
  
• Biometric system of attendance introduced
  The Centre on 21st November introduced Aadhar-enabled biometric attendance system in its offices across the country. The system will be installed at all the offices in Delhi by December 31. At other places it may be installed by the Republic Day, January 26, next year. The manual system of attendance would be phased out accordingly. 
  
  The expenditure for installation would also be met by the Ministries/departments concerned. The rules relating to working hours will remain the same, as per which half day's casual leave is debited for each day of late attendance. However, late attendance up to an hour, on not more than two occasions in a month, for justifiable reasons may be condoned by the competent authority. 
  
  In addition to debiting casual leave or earned leave, when no casual leave is available, disciplinary action may also be taken against government servants who are habitually late. “Early leaving is also to be treated in the same manner as late coming. 
  
• Mangalyan on Time’s first
  Mangalyaan has been named among the best inventions of 2014 by Time magazine which described it as a technological feat that will allow India to flex its “interplanetary muscles.” 
  
  Time said about Mangalyaan as Supersmart Spacecraft. Mangalyaan is among the 25 ‘Best Inventions of 2014' listed by Time magazine that are “making the world better, smarter and—in some cases—a little more fun.” 
  
  Developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation, the Mars spacecraft cost India just USD 74 million, less than the budget for the multi-Acacdemy Award winning science fiction thriller film Gravity. Time said at that price, the Mangalyaan is equipped with just five onboard instruments that allow it to do simple tasks like measure Martian methane and surface composition. 
  
  The list also includes inventions by two Indians for developing an exercise space for prisoners in solitary confinement and a tablet toy for kids. 
  
  Nalini Nadkarni, forest ecologist and college professor helped develop the ‘Blue Room’ with Snake River Correctional Institution in Oregon for inmates in solitary confinement, who for 23 hours a day see nothing but a tiny, white-walled cell, an experience some research suggests heightens mental illness and makes prisoners prone to suicide attempts and violence. 
  
  The toy, which debuted in October, has helped Osmo raise USD 14.5 million in capital and is now being sold in the Apple Store. 
  
  The other inventions are a reactor developed by aerospace company Lockheed Martin that could realize nuclear fusion, Apple’s smart watch that besides telling time, can send messages, give directions, track fitness and make wireless payments and Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3, a “hybrid” that bundles laptop into a 12-inch tablet and can run desktop apps. 
  
• Terror activities rise in India by 70%: Global terrorism index
  Terror activities in India have increased by 70 per cent during 2012-2013 with the number of deaths rising from 238 to 404, most of which were caused by Naxals. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2014, prepared by Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the number of attacks also increased with 55 more incidents in 2013 than in 2012. However, the majority of terrorist attacks in India have low casualties. 
  
  Communist terrorist groups (Naxals) are by far the most frequent perpetrators and the main cause of deaths in India. Police are overwhelmingly the biggest targets of Maoists, accounting for half of all deaths and injuries. This is mainly through armed assaults, which killed 85, and bombings and explosions, which killed 43. 
  
  IEP, which has offices in Sydney, New York, and Oxford, works with a wide range of partners internationally and collaborates with intergovernmental organisations on measuring and communicating the economic value of peace. 
  
• AP inks MoU with UK firm to set up entertainment city
  The Andhra Pradesh government on 22nd November announced that it had entered into an agreement with the UK-based Eros Investments Limited (EIL), a subsidiary of NYSE-listed Eros International Plc, to set up an Entertainment City in the state. 
  
  The entertainment city will comprise a media city, an amusement park, commercial and residential spaces, hotels and leisure and healthcare facilities. This apart, the integrated media city will have pre-production and post-production facilities for film, TV and advertising industries 
  
  However, the AP government did not specify the location where the Entertainment City is slated to come up. AP tourism officials said it was too early to comment on the specifics as they are yet to zero in on an ideal location. The deal was signed by AP special chief secretary (tourism) Chandana Khan and EIL official Subodh Agarwal in presence of the chief minister. 
  
• Modi expands cabinet inducted 21 ministers
  In a major cabinet reshuffle on 9th November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed 21 ministers, including four cabinet ministers, three minister of state (independent charge) and 14 ministers of state. Former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar was made defence minister, Suresh Prabhu has been given the railway ministry. Finance minister Arun Jaitley has been given the charge of information and broadcasting ministry, which was previously held by Prakash Javadekar. Former Karnataka chief minister D.V. Sadanand Gowda is the new law and justice minister. Gowda was earlier handling the railway ministry, and the law and justice ministry was with Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is now handling communications and information technology. Jagat Prakash Nadda is the new health minister while Harsh Vardhan is now minister of science and technology, and earth Sciences. Birender Singh is the new rural development, panchayati raj, drinking water and sanitation minister. Bandaru Dattatreya, is the new labour and employment minister with independent charge, while Rajiv Pratap Rudy has been given charge of skill development and entrepreneurship independent charge, parliamentary affairs. Jayant Sinha is now minister of state for finance, while Olympian Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is minister of state for information and broadcasting, and Babul Supriyo Baral is now minister of state for urban development, housing and urban poverty alleviation. 
  • Arun Jaitley: Finance, corporate affairs, information and broadcasting
  • Manohar Parrikar: Defence
  • Suresh Prabhu: Railways
  • D.V. Sadananda Gowda: Law and justice
  • Jagat Prakash Nadda: Health and family welfare
  • Chaudhary Birender Singh: Rural development, panchayati raj, drinking water and sanitation
  • Harsh Vardhan: Science and technology, earth sciences
  • Bandaru Dattatreya: Labour and employment (independent charge)
  • Rajiv Pratap Rudy: Skill development and entrepreneurship (independent charge), parliamentary affairs
  • Mahesh Sharma: Culture (independent charge), tourism (independent charge), civil aviation
  • Sanwar Lal Jat: Water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation
  • Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya: Agriculture
  • Giriraj Singh: Micro, small and medium enterprises
  • Hansraj Gangaram Ahir: Chemicals and fertilizers
  • Ram Shankar Katheria: Human resource development
  • Y.S. Chowdary: Science and technology, earth sciences (minister of state)
  • Jayant Sinha: Finance
  • Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: Information and broadcasting Babul
  • Supriyo Baral: Urban development, housing and urban poverty alleviation
  • Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti: Food processing industries
  • Vijay Sampla: Social justice and empowerment
  
  
• Digital certificates for pensioners
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10th November launched "Jeevan Pramaan" - an "Aadhar-based Digital Life Certificate" for pensioners in a move that could eventually benefit over a crore pensioners. The proposed digital certification will do away with the requirement of pensioners having to submit a physical "Life Certificate" in November each year, in order to ensure continuity of pension being credited into their accounts. 
  
  The department of electronics and IT has developed a software application which will enable the recording of the pensioner's Aadhar number and biometric details from a mobile device or computer, by plugging in a biometric reading device. 
  
  Key details of the pensioner, including date, time, and biometric information will be uploaded to a central database on real-time basis, ultimately enabling the pension disbursing agency to access a digital life certificate. 
  
  The earlier requirement entailed that a pensioner should be personally present before the pension disbursing agency or submits the life certificate issued by authorities specified by the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO). The release said that 50 lakh individuals draw pension from the central government alone and a similar number draw pension from state and union territory governments. Several PSUs also provide pension benefits, while over 25 lakh retired personnel draw pension from the armed forces. 
  
  It said the software application system will be made available to pensioners and other stakeholders on a large scale at no extra cost and can be operated on a personal computer or a Smartphone, along with an inexpensive biometric reading device. 
  
  This facility will also be made available at common service centres being operated under the National e-Governance Plan, for the benefit of pensioners residing in remote and inaccessible areas. 
  
• Voting in local body polls compulsory in Gujarat
  Gujarat has become the first State to make voting compulsory in local bodies after Governor O.P. Kohli recently gave his sanction by signing the controversial Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009. The Bill also makes a provision for 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies, raising the quota from 33 per cent. 
  
• New modified e-rickshaw launched
  The ministry of road transport and highways on 10th November launched a modified e-rickshaw based on the new rules notified through amendments in the Motor Vehicles Act. The ministry cleared plying of e-rickshaws on city roads through a notification last month. It notified the Central Motor Vehicles (Sixteenth Amendment) Rules, 2014, which paves the way for plying of “special purpose battery operated vehicles”. 
  
• World Bank agrees to consider Assam Agri-project
  Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on 10th November said the World Bank has agreed in principle to consider a mega project in the state under Assam Agricultural Competitiveness Project (AACP) proposed by the state. The new project, 'Assam Agricultural Commercialization and Rural Transformation Project', worth Rs. 12,000 crore, was submitted to the Centre on June 4 World Bank's country director for South Asia Region Rajni Khanna appreciated the progress in all sectors under AACP with particular reference to successful innovative activities including the establishment of a statewide groundwater monitoring system, farmer producer organization and a pilot program of using solar power for running irrigation pump sets
  
• LPG subsidy to be cap at Rs.20/kg
  The Union government has frozen the Budget subsidy for cooking gas at Rs. 20 a kg, raising the prospect of an increase in its price. If the market price of LPG goes up, as it normally does in the winter months, the government has the option of either passing on the increase to the consumer or making oil companies bear a greater burden of the subsidy. 
  
  The Centre will provide the fixed Budget subsidy irrespective of the size of the cylinder that LPG is sold in. The decision to go in for a fixed per-kg subsidy instead of per-cylinder is aimed at ensuring that the benefit of the subsidy reaches users of cylinders smaller than the standard 14.2 kg — typically migrants, students and labour and so on. 
  
  The decision has the added advantage of introducing transparency and predictability to the calculation of the fuel subsidy element of the fiscal deficit. So far, the burden of the difference between the market price and the subsidised price of cooking gas was borne by the Budget and the State-owned oil companies. How much of the cooking gas subsidy was billed to the Budget and how much did the oil companies have to bear it was negotiated between the Finance Ministry and the Oil Ministry. 
  
  The Budget subsidy has been fixed at Rs. 20 a kg till March-end after which it will be reviewed on the basis of the market price. Against the current market price of Rs. 810 in Delhi for a 14.2-kg cylinder, the subsidised price is Rs. 417. At Rs. 20 a kg, the subsidy works out to Rs. 284 while the under-recovery for the oil companies will be Rs. 109. 
  
• 60 p.c. epileptic women face divorce, finds study
  Epilepsy in India is highly stereotyped in terms of gender with 60 per cent married epileptic women facing divorce and the rest having to suffer through adversely affected relationships. This was found in a nation-wide study conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences released on 11th November. The study showed that women with epilepsy suffer from under or no employment, higher anxiety, difficulty in finding partners, and increased risk of divorce compared with men with epilepsy. 
  
  The study also found that women with epilepsy in India become object of prejudice and are discriminated against, thereby leading to poorer quality of life. 
  
  AIIMS survey report: 
  Epilepsy in India is highly stereotyped in terms of gender with 60 per cent married epileptic women facing divorce and the rest having to suffer through adversely affected relationships. This was found in a nation-wide study conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences released on 11th November. The study showed that women with epilepsy suffer from under or no employment, higher anxiety, difficulty in finding partners, and increased risk of divorce compared with men with epilepsy. The study also found that women with epilepsy in India become object of prejudice and are discriminated against, thereby leading to poorer quality of life. 
  
• Fadnavis won trust vote
  Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ minority Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on 12th November won the confidence motion in the Maharashtra Assembly through a voice vote. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which had extended its support to the BJP government, remained silent to abstain from the vote
  
• NCAER survey on inter-caste marriages
  According to the Survey of National Council for Applied Economic Research only 5% of Indians said they had married a person from different caste. It is the first direct estimate of inter-caste marriages in India. 
  
  The India Human Development Survey (IHDS), conducted by the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and the University of Maryland, also reported that 30 per cent of rural and 20 per cent of urban households said they practised untouchability. The IHDS is the largest non-government, pan-Indian household survey. It covers over 42,000 households, representative by class and social group. 
  
  There was no change in this proportion from the previous round of the IHDS (2004-05). Inter-caste marriages were rarest in Madhya Pradesh (under 1 per cent) and most common in Gujarat and Bihar (over 11 per cent). 
  
  The Survey said what female respondents interpreted as a “different caste” is likely to have been subjective, but ultimately closer to the lived reality of an inter-caste marriage.A third of rural respondents and a fifth of urban respondents admitted to practising untouchability. The practice was most common among Brahmins (62 per cent in rural India, 39 per cent in urban), followed by Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and then non-Brahmin forward castes. 
  
• India showing progress in solving malnutrition: WHO
  India is making rapid strides in overcoming the problem of malnutrition, with the number of stunted children under the age of five declining by over 10 million, says a ‘Global Nutrition Report’. The “first-ever comprehensive narrative on global health and country-level progress toward reducing malnutrition”, brought out by a consortium of nations, organizations, researchers, and academics, covers each of the United Nations’ 192 member states, and will be a “centerpiece” of the Second International Conference on Nutrition in Rome from November 19-21. The conference is being organized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. 
  
  Stunting declines in Maharashtra resulted from a combination of nutrition-specific interventions, improved access to food and education, and reductions in poverty and fertility, says the report. 
  
  However, it notes that the world as a whole is currently not on course to meet global nutrition targets set by the WHA, and calls for extending coverage of nutrition-specific programmes, and recruiting more nutrition workers, among other recommendations. 
  
  World Bank report
  • Under-nutrition among infants in India is not a poverty or food insecurity issue alone, says a new World Bank report, adding that child care, feeding and awareness play an important role even among the wealthy.
  • According to the report, Nutrition in India, even among the wealthy only about 7 per cent children between 6 and 24 months receive adequate feeding, healthcare and environmental health.
  • The report says three critical things — adequate feeding, healthcare and environmental health — can dramatically reduce stunting in Indian infants, aged 6 to 24 months.
  • The stunting rate with children who are provided with adequate feeding, care and proper environment is half when compared to children who live without these provisions. Stunting in children not only affects physical growth but is also associated with poor brain and cognitive development.
  • The report, which analyses data from the National Family Health Survey 2005-06 and the HUMGaMA Survey 2011, says this trend is evident even in States with poor nutrition outcome, such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Focusing on 11 policy briefs covering various aspects of nutrition, the World Bank report says there is only a narrow window of opportunity from conception to two years of age to improve stunting. India loses over $12 billion in GDP to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, the report says, commending the flagship Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, which made “significant improvement” in the nutritional status of children.
  
  
• Centre aid to Andhra Pradesh
  The Union Power Ministry is set to sanction Rs. 1,350 crore for developing a Green Energy Corridor in Andhra Pradesh to strengthen the network for renewable projects—particularly solar and wind units. As a part of the Centre’s move to support the Power for All schemes in Andhra Pradesh, it would provide additional funding for setting up of solar energy powered pumps. 
  
  According to a statement from the Energy conservation cell, apart from funds for Green Corridor, it was decided to increase the number of solar pumps from 4000 to 8000 with the Central Government providing 30 per cent of the cost of these pump sets as grant. 
  
  Further, the Centre has directed Western Coal Fields (WCL) Limited to supply additional 1 million tons of coal to AP, which is beneficial to bring up the coal stock position for comfortable operation of the thermal plants. 
  
• Life term for 5 army men
  The Army on 13th November sentenced five of its personnel, including two officers, to life imprisonment for staging the killing of three Kashmiri civilians in the Macchil area of Kupwara district in 2010 and branding them as foreign militants for rewards and remunerations. 
  
  Those sentenced by the Army’s summary general court martial are the then Commanding Officer of 4 Rajput regiment, Col. Dinesh Pathania, Captain Upendra Singh, havildar Davender, lance naik Lakhmi and lance naik Arun Kumar. 
  
• SC named Srinivasan, 3 others in IPL-6
  The Supreme Court on 14th November named ICC Chairman and BCCI president-in-exile N Srinivasan, his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra and cricket administrator Sundar Raman as having been probed by the Justice Mudgal committee which had found “some misdemeanour by certain persons” and indicted them in the IPL-6 scam. Reading out from the report, a Bench headed by Justice TS Thakur disclosed these names but said the identity of the players should not be made public at this stage. While reading out the names in the open court out, the Bench inadvertently disclosed the identity of three players. But realizing that they were cricketers, the Bench said that their names should not come out at this stage. 
  
  In the meantime, the BCCI said that it has decided to postpone the scheduled November 20 annual general meeting of the Board in view of pendency of this case by four weeks. 
  
• Sterilization deaths in Tamil Nadu highest in the county
  Tamil Nadu recorded an overwhelming number of deaths post-sterilization. Between 2008 and 2012 the deaths are more than 130 women. The fatality count in the State is the highest in the country, according to data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 
  
  One reason for Tamil Nadu’s poor performance is that the Union Ministry counts a death only after compensation is disbursed. Perhaps, a few States do not release any money or under-report deaths. Or, the death takes years to be recorded because of the delay in giving compensation to the family. This is why Tamil Nadu’s death count drops to 5 during 2012-13, as reported in 2014. 
  
  The District Level Health Survey for 2012-13 shows that little more than half of the State’s population use family planning methods. An overwhelming proportion is attributed to female sterilization. 
  
• Two schemes announced by PM
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new scheme for specially abled students, while speaking in ‘Maan ki baath”. He announced a special scholarship scheme for specially-abled students, wanting to go for technical education. It has also been decided to give Rs. 1 lakh to each of Kendriya Vidyalaya and Central Universities to create necessary infrastructure for specially-abled students. 
  
• Special teams to check source of pollution of Ganga
  For the cleaning of Ganga, Centre will constitute 25 special teams to check the sources of pollution. The teams will be drawn from different wings of the Ministry of Water Resources. The team will inspect various drains of the river during winters as there is no flow from the glaciers then, which will give ample scope to them to locate the source of discharge released by industries and other polluting factors. 
  • The exercise is expected to be completed before the commencement of summer
  • It will also help in quantifying the volume of effluents discharged by the industries for initiating appropriate action in the future.
  A glimpse of pollution of Ganga River: 
  The Ganges suffers from extreme pollution levels, which affect the 400 million people who live close to the river. Sewage from many cities along the river's course, industrial waste and religious offerings wrapped in non-degradable plastics add large amounts of pollutants to the river as it flows through densely populated areas. 
  
  The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many poorer people rely on the river on a daily basis for bathing, washing, and cooking. 
  
  The World Bank estimates that the health costs of water pollution in India equal three percent of India's GDP. It has also been suggested that eighty percent of all illnesses in India and one-third of deaths can be attributed to water-borne diseases. 
  
  Varanasi, a city of one million people that many pilgrims visit to take a "holy dip" in the Ganges, releases around 200 million litres of untreated human sewage into the river each day, leading to large concentrations of faecal coliform bacteria. 
  
  According to official standards, water safe for bathing should not contain more than 500 faecal coliforms per 100ml, yet upstream of Varanasi's ghats the river water already contains 120 times as much, 60,000 faecal coliform bacteria per 100 ml. 
  
  Actions initiated: 
  Between 1985 and 2000, Rs. 10 billion, around US$226 million, or less than 4 cents per person per year]) were spent on the Ganga Action Plan, an environmental initiative that was "the largest single attempt to clean up a polluted river anywhere in the world." The Ganga Action Plan has been described variously as a "failure," a "major failure".
  
  According to one study, The Ganga Action Plan, which was taken on priority and with much enthusiasm, was delayed for two years. The expenditure was almost doubled. But the result was not very appreciable. 
  
  The failure of the Ganga Action Plan, has also been variously attributed to "environmental planning without proper understanding of the human–environment interactions,"Indian "traditions and beliefs," "corruption and a lack of technical knowledge" and "lack of support from religious authorities." 
  
  In December 2009 the World Bank agreed to loan India US$1 billion over the next five years to help save the river. 
  
  According to 2010 Planning Commission estimates, an investment of almost Rs. 70 billion (Rs. 70 billion, approximately US$1.5 billion) is needed to clean up the river. In November 2008, the Ganges, alone among India's rivers, was declared a "National River", facilitating the formation of a National Ganga River Basin Authority that would have greater powers to plan, implement and monitor measures aimed at protecting the river. In July 2014, the Government of India announced an integrated Ganga development project titled Namami Ganga and allocated Rs. 2,037 crore for this purpose. 
  
  Namami Ganga: 
  In its maiden budget, the Modi government announced a Rs 6,300-plus crore 'Namami Gange' scheme. While Rs. 2037 crore will go into rejuvenating the river, another Rs 4200 crore will be spent on developing a navigation corridor in the next six years. Then there is a Rs. 100 crore project dedicated to ghat development and waterfront beautification. The government also announced a 'NRI Ganga fund' to help drive fund collection, the money from which will be spent on 'special projects'. 
  
• Aadhar in service book
  The unique identity number ‘Aadhaar’ will be included in the service book of every Government servant. According to an office memorandum of the Department of Personnel & Training of the Central Government, “The e-Service Book format already provides fields for Aadhaar number of the Government servant. All Ministries and Departments of the Government of India are requested to ensure that the Service Books of all employees have an entry of the employees’ Aadhaar number. 
  
  The attached and subordinate offices under their control may also be suitably instructed for compliance.” Although, no reason has been given for this decision, the Government seems to be aiming to curb the number of ghost employees in various departments as also ensuring that benefits reach the right person. Aadhaar is a 12-digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on behalf of the Government. 
  
  It contains various biometrics, such as iris or finger prints and serves as proof of identity and address anywhere in India. However, it does not confer citizenship. So far, 70 crore Aadhaar numbers have been issued in the country. 
  
  The system, part of the Digital India campaign and developed by the National Informatics Centre, ensures that the attendance of all Government employees is visible real-time on the common attendance portal, ensuring transparency and accountability and usher in efficiency. 
  
• Telangana and Chhattisgarh ink power pact 
  Telangana and Chhattisgarh have inked a pact for purchase of 1,000 MW power. A MoU was signed for the purchase of power, and exchanged between the respective Energy secretaries of both States – S.K. Joshi and Aman Singh. As per the MoU, Chhattisgarh will supply 1,000 MW of power from the State-owned generation company to Telangana on a long-term basis. 
  
  The Memorandum of Understanding signed between the governments of Telangana and Chhattisgarh on 3rd November will pave way for booking grid corridor towards evacuation of power, but does not ensure immediate supply. 
  
  It is to be followed up by power purchase agreements (PPAs) between power utilities of both States and their approval by the respective electricity regulatory commissions. The PPAs will have to be submitted to the Power Grid Corporation, along with the application for allotment of grid corridor. 
  
  Grid corridor is not available as of now, as all the existing lines are already overbooked. Laying of fresh lines between Wardha and Dichpally for evacuation of power could take roughly 18 months, as per official estimates. Tenders for the same will be called next month, and awarding of contract could take a few more months. 
  
  According to power experts, at least three years would be required for realising the 1,000 MW supply in full. After awarding the contract, time required for completion of works, as per the Power Grid standards, is 27 months, they say. 
  
  As of now, much of the available grid corridor has been booked by Tamil Nadu, mainly through the recently laid Sholapur-Raichur line. 
  
• Cabinet clears dissolution of Delhi assembly
  The Union Cabinet on 4th November recommended dissolution of the Delhi Assembly. The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its nod to Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung’s recommendation to dissolve the 70-member House. 
  
  In his report to President Pranab Mukherjee, the L-G is reported to have mentioned that all three major parties — the BJP, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party — had expressed their inability to form the government because of lack of numbers. 
  
  The Cabinet’s decision will now be referred to the President, who will dissolve the Assembly. Following the dissolution, the Election Commission is expected to scrap the November 25 by-elections to three Assembly seats in Delhi and order fresh elections. Polls will have to be held before February when President’s rule ends. 
  
• Harappan drawings found near Hampi
  Pictographs of the Sindu (Harappan) culture have been discovered on rocks at the world famous Hampi.As many as 20 drawings were found on a boulder on top of a hill near Talwarghatta, adjacent to river Tungabhadra. Experts in Gondi script, including Dr. Moti Ravan Kangale and Sri Prakash Salame of Nagpur, have identified them as Sindu (Harappan) culture-based script in Gondi dialect. 
  
  They also pointed out that such drawings are found in Chhattisgarh and also in interior structures of Gotuls (learning centres for youths) in Bastar region 
  
• Surat to be mapped
  The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has roped in players like Antrix Corporation (the marketing arm of ISRO) and Scanpoint Geomatics for geo-mapping of the city.Earlier this year, Microsoft Corp had selected Surat to develop it as a ‘smart city’ under the initiative, wherein the company aims to use a combination of cloud technology, mobile applications, data analytics and social networks to provide real-time data of all civic services. Systems will also be developed to tackle natural disasters more effectively with the use of information technology. 
  
  While Microsoft is likely to submit a report next week on eight areas of utilities and services that would be digitized, the other two are assisting SMC in mapping the whole city that will soon provide details such as town planning schemes, vector-borne diseases prone areas and emergency services, among others. 
  
  The geo-mapping, known as geographic information system (GIS) mapping, will look to enhance present systems where digital world is integrated with real world in all aspects wherein accurate data on virtually anything and everything about Surat will be made available. 
  
  Post the geo-mapping, citizens of the diamond city will be able to access important information online about the city such as civic locations, town planning schemes, last mile connectivity of utilities as well as information on vector-borne diseases prone city areas. 
  
• US team reaches Gorakhpur in UP to study about encephalitis
  A team of scientists from the United States arrived in Gorakhpur on 4th November to gather information about encephalitis that has claimed several lives in different districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The team would lay special emphasis on the district hospital in Kushinagar and its laboratory as the district is the worst hit along with Gorakhpur. The team, which would be in the state till November 6, would study case history of patients and other details. It will also visit different villages 
  
• Law Panel recommended axing 73 obsolete laws
  The law commission has submitted its third report to the government recommending repeal of 73 outdated laws. This takes the total to 258 laws that the panel has advised the government either fully or partially repeals. In its earlier two reports, the law panel had recommended repeal of 160 outdated laws. In its first report, the panel proposed repeal of 72 laws, in its second it recommended complete repeal of 88 laws and 25 for partial repeal. 
  
  The government had asked the law panel to study all the laws and recommend what could be deleted from the statute books and suggest simplification and streamlining of others. The panel's reports would be used by the government to prepare a comprehensive bill which it wishes to table in the forthcoming session of Parliament seeking their repeal. 
  
• Climate change panel revived 
  The Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change, which was defunct for the last three years, has been reconstituted by the Government on 5th November. This comes ahead of key climate change talks set to take place in Lima, Peru, in December and in Paris, France in 2015. 
  
  India is also expected to announce its voluntary targets for reducing greenhouse gases emissions by June 2015, when a new pact will be signed at the Conference of Parties meet at Paris. Besides, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the new Council would include several key ministers — Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Minister for Environment Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti, Minister for Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh, Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu, MoS (Power, Coal and NRE) Piyush Goyal and Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh. 
  
  However, of the independent experts, the Director General of Centre for Science and Environment Sunita Narain and industrialist Ratan Tata have been dropped from the Council. They were part of the panel constituted under the previous UPA regime in 2007. 
  
  Chairman of The Energy and Resources Institute, RK Pachauri, along with economist Nitin Desai and retired diplomat Chandrasekar Dasgupta have been retained in the Council. 
  
  Ajay Mathur, Chairperson, BEE, J.M. Mouskar and Principal Secretary to Prime Minister will be the other members of the high-level panel. 
  
• WHO report NCDs major threat 
  An estimated 60 per cent of all deaths in India in 2012 were owing to Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) shows the World Health Organisation’s data, but India’s response to these preventable diseases has been “largely underfunded” says a report released by the World Economic Forum and the Harvard School of Public Health.The report ‘The Economics of Non-Communicable Diseases in India’ says India stands to incur a cost of $4.58 trillion between 2012 and 2030 due to NCDs and mental health conditions. “Of this amount, CVDs ($2.17 trillion) and mental health conditions ($1.03 trillion) will account for the majority of the economic loss,” it says. 
  
  Urging the government to push for the control of NCDs — cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer — the report describes them as major threat to human health, economic growth and national development. 
  
  Non communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, are not passed from person to person. They are of long duration and generally slow progression. The four main types of non communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructed pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes. 
  
  According to WHO: 
  • Non communicable diseases (NCDs) kill more than 36 million people each year.
  • Nearly 80% of NCD deaths - 29 million - occur in low- and middle-income countries.
  • More than nine million of all deaths attributed to NCDs occur before the age of 60; 90% of these "premature" deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries.
  • Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or 17.3 million people annually, followed by cancers (7.6 million), respiratory diseases (4.2 million), and diabetes (1.3 million1).
  • These four groups of diseases account for around 80% of all NCD deaths.
  • They share four risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets.
  
  
• 181… TS help desk
  Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has ordered a 24-hour helpdesk for the security of women with a toll free helpline number ‘181’. Also CM asked officials to install closed circuit cameras at the three places identified by them and other crowded areas. The front door in RTC buses should be restricted to women. A slider should be installed for the conductors to move back and forth in the buses. 
  
• Modi adopted Jayapur village
  As a part of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana programme, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted Jayapur village, in his Parliamentary Constituency of Varanasi. Mr. Modi also announced a package of Rs. 2,375 crore to revive 16 banks in eastern Uttar Pradesh. He played the role of local MP to the hilt. He met a group of 15 residents of his constituency, selected by lottery, to listen to their grievances at a ‘Janta Milan’ at his local office. 
  
  About SAGYP: 
  Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana is a rural development and cleanliness programme broadly focusing upon the development in the villages which includes social development, cultural development and spread motivation among the people on social mobilization of the village community. 
  • The programme was launched by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi on the birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan, on October 11, 2014
  • Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana was initiated to bring the member of parliament of all the political parties under the same umbrella while taking the responsibility of developing physical and institutional infrastructure in villages and turn them into model villages.
  • Under this scheme, each Member of Parliament needs to choose one village each from the constituency that they represent, fix parameters and make it a model village by 2016.
  • Thereafter, they can take on two or three more villages and do the same by the time the next general elections come along in 2019, and thereafter, set themselves ten-year-long village or rural improvement projects.
  • Villages will be offered smart schools, universal access to basic health facilities and Pucca housing to homeless villagers
• ‘Aasara’ launched
  Telangana Government on 8th November launched Aasara, a massive initiative of the government to provide financial assistance to the aged and the physically handicapped persons.The government is to spend nearly Rs. 4,000 crore annually under this scheme. The social security scheme, which enables old aged persons and widows to get Rs. 1,000 a month and physically challenged people Rs. 1,500 a month, was launched in all districts by ministers and legislators. Nearly 44 lakh people had applied for these pensions and the government machinery is now busy in screening the applications to identify the genuine beneficiaries by this month end. 
  
• Bangalore name changed as Bengaluru
  From November 1, Bangalore will officially be known as Bengaluru. On the eve of Kannada Rajyotsava (State Formation Day), the State government has issued a notification effecting change of names to Bangalore and 11 other cities in the State. 
  
  As per the government gazette notification, henceforth Bangalore will be known as Bengaluru; Mangalore as Mangaluru; Bellary as Ballari; Bijapur as Vijapura; Belgaum as Belagavi; Chikmagalur as Chikkamagaluru; Gulbarga as Kalaburagi; Mysore as Mysuru; Hospet as Hosapete; Shimoga as Shivamogga; Hubli as Hubballi, and Tumkur as Tumakuru. 
  
• Krishna Board allow use of 3 tmc of water by Telangana
  The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) on 31st October allowed Telangana to use three TMC (thousand million cubic) feet water to generate electricity till Nov 2 to tide over the acute shortage in the state. The board announced its decision after hearing governments of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh at its two-day meeting which concluded on 30th October
  
  The decision was conveyed to water resources secretaries of both the states. The board believes that the demand for electricity may come down after Nov 2. 
  
  Andhra Pradesh was demanding Telangana to stop hydel generating electricity at Srisailam to maintain Minimum Draw down Level (MDDL) in Srisailam reservoir across Krishna River. Telangana had refused to do so, on the ground that it needs to generate electricity to maintain minimum supply to save standing crops. Farmers in Telangana depend on electric pump sets for irrigation and the shortage of electricity has badly affected them. 
  
  The Andhra government had written to the board, seeking its intervention to stop Telangana from generating electricity to prevent water going below 854 feet level in Srisailam as this may deprive Rayalaseema region of water for drinking purpose. 
  
  After hearing the arguments from both sides, KRMB chairman S.K.G. Pandit had reserved his decision. The board felt that all precautions be taken in using the water to avert drinking and irrigation water crisis. It also made it clear that existing protocols with regard to rules for operating Srisailam reservoir will continue as any updating of existing protocols need careful study and analysis of data regarding crop water management and other water uses in consultation with both the states.The government of erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh had issued orders with regard to operational rules but Telangana government is seeking modifications in view of the bifurcation of the state. 
  
• Allocations for road realignment
  The Telangana government has decided to rectify the alignment of ‘Rajiv Rahadari’ – Hyderabad-Karimnagar-Mancherial road – by constructing by-pass roads in 10 villages, flyovers at three places and bus-bays and shelters at 68 places at an estimated cost of Rs. 750 crore. 
  
  CM KCR asked the authorities to plan flyovers at Shamirpet, Siddipet and Elkaturthi and creation of road-side amenities including cafeteria, fuel, toilets, parking place in 15 acres land each at Siddipet and between Sultanabad and Peddapalli. Further, he told the officials to extend the state highway till Chandara in Adilabad district . 
  
  On Hyderabad-Warangal road, the Chief Minister directed the officials to extend the four-lane road constructed till Yadagirigutta now till Warangal including construction of by-pass roads at Warangal, Jangaon and Alair. He also asked the officials to take up up-gradation of state highways of Jagitial-Karimnagar-Warangal, Kuravi-Khammam-Kodad and Nizampet-Narayanakhed-Bidar as national highways. In all, the State Government was planning to spent Rs. 12,000 crore on improvement of roads in Telangana over the next two years, the Chief Minister said. 
  
• Rebel MLA’s membership terminated
  In a major decision, the Bihar Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhury on 1st November terminated membership of four rebel ruling party Janata Dal (United) legislators for their anti-party activities. The disqualified MLAs would also lose all their facilities of being former legislators. 
  
  The rebel JD (U) members whose membership has been terminated after months of hearing in the court of Assembly Speaker are Gyanendra Singh Gyanoo [Barh], Rahul Sharma [Ghosi], Ravindra Rai [Mahua] and Neeraj Kumar Babloo [Chattapur]. 
  
  Earlier this year all the four rebel legislators were suspended from the party for six years. Altogether 18 JD (U) MLAs, including these four, had voted against two official party candidates in the last Rajya Sabha by-poll. However, what has baffled one and all in the State political corridor was that these four “disqualified MLAs” were even bereft of the facilities of a former legislator. 
  
  Meanwhile, the Speaker who has refused to make any comment on his decision has called four other rebel party MLAs Poonam Devi, Ajit Kumar, Suresh Chanchal and Raju Kumar Singh on November 22 for hearing in the similar charges against them. 
  
• Jodhpur to house audio-visual archive
  The Union Culture Ministry will set up a National Cultural Audio-Visual Archives in Jodhpur to identify and preserve the cultural heritage of India. A memorandum of agreement for a pilot project was signed on 31st October between the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) under the Ministry of Culture and Rupayan Sansthan. 
  
  It is envisaged to achieve the targets of digitising and making 10,000 hours of digital audio and video accessible by March 31, 2017. The Project Management Unit at the IGNCA is being guided by a committee of experts from the field of audio-visual archiving. 
  
  According to Kuldeep Kothari, secretary of Rupayan Sansthan, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts has identified the Sansthan as a partnering institution to achieve the ambitious task of creation of a state-of-the-art digital audio-visual repository and dissemination of content sourced from multiple partnering institutions. 
  
  The objective of this project is to create digital archives of international standards through IGNCA and its partnering and collaborating institutions. The current phase of the project is up to March 31, 2017 and it is envisaged to devise a scheme of standards (digitisation and metadata), carry out digitisation, provide access to an estimated 10,000 hours of audio-visual material and build capacity in the domain of audio-visual archiving. 
  
  Under the project, main focus would be on identifying and preserving the cultural heritage of India available in audio-visual form in governmental and non-governmental institutions across the country through digitisation and making the material accessible in the public domain. 
  
  A large volume of Indian’s cultural wealth created in the last six decades is stored in audio-visual form with various government and non-governmental institutions and private collection. The content of these holdings enshrines the creativity of some of India’s greatest artistic talents. This invaluable national heritage needs to be preserved for all time and made accessible to the citizens of the country. In the absence of systematic preservation technologies, lack of awareness and proper upkeep as well as the fragility of the medium they are stored in, these materials are in imminent danger of being lost forever. 
  
  Rupayan Sansthan was established in 1960 by ethno-musicologist and folk artist late Komal Kothari and his friend, folk storyteller and writer Vijaydan Detha with the idea of collecting folk tales and folk songs to bring out the richness of Rajasthan. 
  
  About Jodhpur
  Jodhpur is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. After its population crossed a million, it has been declared as the second 'Metropolitan City' of Rajasthan. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar. Jodhpur is a popular tourist destination, featuring many palaces, forts and temples, set in the stark landscape of the Thar desert. The city is known as the "Sun City" for the bright, sunny weather it enjoys all the year round. It is also referred to as the "Blue City" due to the vivid blue-painted houses around the Mehrangarh Fort. 
  
• CAG find fault in vadra deals
  The comptroller and auditor general has faulted Robert Vadra's land deals in Haryana, saying he reaped nearly Rs 44 crore in windfall gains because an indulgent Congress government allowed him to do so in breach of law, and did not insist on recovering Rs 41.51 crore of the profit he made by quickly selling the land to DLF Universal. 
  
  In its first draft report on land deals in Haryana under the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government, the auditor has said that Vadra's Skylight Hospitality Private Limited was allowed to develop a commercial colony when it had just Rs 1 lakh in its kitty. 
  
  The land was soon sold to DLF Universal for Rs 58 crore, with Skylight Hospitality making a neat profit of Rs 43.66 crore. The CAG draft report underlines that the bilateral agreement between the state government and Skylight Hospitality required Vadra's company to retain only Rs 2.15 crore, and pass on the rest to the government account. Since Vadra's company had altogether spent Rs 14.3 crore — Rs 7.5 crore towards land purchase and another Rs 6.84 crore on security and licence fees and conversion charges — the draft report says the Hooda government should have realized Rs 41.5 crore from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law. 
  
• Rice quota enhanced
  In a major policy decision benefiting the below poverty line (BPL) households drawing rice under the public distribution system (PDS) in Telangana, the State government has announced that it will continue to supply the staple commodity at Re. 1a kg at the enhanced rate of 6 kg per head per month. 
  
  The decision was among several recommendations made by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on ration cards which submitted its report to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on 1st November. 
  
  Other significant recommendations which were given consent by the Chief Minister for implementation include lifting of ceiling on the monthly drawal of rice per household, which is at 20 kg now. In comparison, the Food Security Act (FSA) passed by the Centre proposes supply of 5 kg rice per head without any ceiling on the monthly drawal by a household at Rs. 3 a kg. 
  
  The State government has also increased the income limit of a household to be eligible for getting ration card to Rs. 1 lakh from the existing Rs. 60,000 in rural areas and to Rs. 2 lakh from the present Rs. 75,000 in urban areas. The income criteria would also be applicable to pensioners Setting aside several speculations on the issuance of new ration cards, the Minister said they had not made any recommendation limiting the number of cards covering only 60 per cent population in rural areas and 40 per cent in urban areas. Besides, the criteria would not include denial of ration cards to households with three-room houses and those having 5 acres dry or 2 acres wetland, he noted. However, the committee had recommended that the households holding beyond 7.5 acres dry or 3.75 acres wetland should be treated ineligible for ration cards, Mr. Rajender stated. 
  
  Even the students staying in government hostels or getting mid-day meal in schools, who are denied rice quota under PDS now, would be issued rice on the new ration cards likely to be issued in December/January, the Minister said. 
  
• Rural road Development Corporation in TS 
  Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has ordered the setting up of a Telangana rural road development corporation to improve the condition of rural roads in the State. He gave the instructions shortly after the Cabinet sub-committee to go into road development took a serious view of the pathetic condition of roads in the State at a meeting Meeting the committee members after they concluded their deliberations at the Secretariat, Mr. Rao told them that the government would spend Rs. 5,000 crore for the repair and construction of rural roads maintained by Panchayat Raj Department. 
  
  An amount of Rs. 200 crore would be spent on development of 20,000 km of highways under the jurisdiction of Panchayat Raj 
  
  Another Rs. 2,400 crore would be spent on repairs to blacktop roads in the next two years. The arrears to contractors amounting to Rs. 700 crore would be released. Repairs to water bound macadam (WBM) roads over 4,146 km would entail an expenditure of Rs. 1,450 crore and improvement to culverts and bridges would require another Rs. 250 crore. 
  
  Mr. Rao noted that road network was lacking for 1,614 habitations in the State. Tenders would be invited for rural roads within a week of sanctioning works and work order given on the 15th day. All works would commence by November end, the required money released and arrears cleared. 
  
• ‘Amma hastam’ to be ‘Aapanna hastam’
  The 'NTR Aapanna Hastam', a new scheme to provide food security to poor people in Andhra Pradesh, is all set to replace the Indira Gandhi Amma Hastam (IGAH). Sources in the civil supplies department said that the TDP government was not happy with IGAH on the grounds that it has become unpopular due to sub-standard ingredients provided to people.