AIRSEWA-: Union Government launches AirSewa website and app to track flights, register complaints November 26, 2016-:
-:The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation launched AirSewa website and app to track flights, register complaints to offer people a convenient and hassle-free air travel experience. Both include a mechanism for grievance redressal, back-office operations for grievance handling, flight status and airport information.
-:Key facts-: Passengers can register their grievances through this new service by uploading voice or video along with an elaborate description about their grievances.
-:On reporting grievances passengers will be given a unique reference number for each of their reported grievances via an email and SMS.
-: The users can track the status and response to these grievances through the web portal as well as mobile app based on the reference number provided.
-:Once the grievance is closed the user has an option to provide his feedback and rate the overall experience and satisfaction
NABI – CIAB-: Inauguration of National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute – Center of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (NABI-CIAB) Campus by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science & Technology & Earth Sciences, Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
-:Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science & Technology & Earth Sciences, Environment, Forest & Climate Change inaugurated the new Administrative and Research Buildings of two national institutes under the administrative control of Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India namely National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) and Center of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB) in Sector 81, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali), Punjab today.
-:Dr. K. Vijay Raghavan, Secretary, DBT, Prof. Arun Kumar Grover, Vice Chancellor, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Dr. T.R. Sharma, Executive Director, NABI, Dr. Rajender Singh Sangwan, Chief Executive Officer, CIAB and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
JAL-SWAVALAMBAN ABHIYAN-: The Rajasthan government has recently launched the Mukhyamantri Jal Swavalamban Abhiyan scheme to ensure effective implementation of water harvesting and water conservation related activities in the rural areas using a holistic approach, informed by the values of leadership, moral responsibility, excellence, innovation, partnership and purity.
Cabinet approves MoU on India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund August 30, 2017 -:The Union Cabinet approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up US $40 million India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F).
-:The MoU was signed in July, 2017 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel. India and Israel will make contribution of US $4 million (Rs.25 crore) each for Fund, both equivalent amount, annually for 5 years.
-:The fund will be governed by joint Board which will consist of 4 members from each country.
Key Facts-: The MoU envisages promotion of bilateral Industrial R&D and Innovation cooperation between both countries in fields of science and technology by extending support to joint projects for innovative or technology-driven new or improved products, processes or services. Such collaborative projects will lead to affordable technological innovations in focus areas of mutual interest such as agriculture, water, energy and digital technologies.
-:These projects will also provide institutional support in building up consortia including private industry, enterprises and R&D institutions from India and Israel. The activities supported by the Joint I4F Fund will increase the techno-economic collaboration between both countries by investing in jointly developed technology projects and collaborations based on technological innovation.
-: It will encourage Israel-Indian joint projects that capitalize on both the national and global marketplace. It will provide a comprehensive set of support tools to encourage joint projects. It will foster and strengthen ecosystem of innovation and techno-entrepreneurship in India and will contribute directly to the Start-up India programme.
DOKLAM STAND- OFF ENDS-: The present standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Doklam (located at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan) has highlighted India’s very special relationship with Bhutan, including military responsibilities.
Background In June 2017 Chinese Army (People’s Liberation Army) construction party had entered the Doklam area and attempted to construct a road. Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) patrol had attempted to dissuade them from this unilateral activity. -:Later Bhutan underlinined that the construction of the road inside Bhutanese territory was a direct violation of the 1988 and 1998 agreements between Bhutan and China and affected the process of demarcating the boundary between these two countries.
-:Since these developments, India and Bhutan have been in continuous contact, giving a view of India’s role in Bhutan’s security and matters of mutual interest. India’s defence commitment to Bhutan Under the 2007 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, both countries have agreed to cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests.
-:It provides that, neither Government will allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other. Under the previous treaty, India was to guide Bhutan on foreign and defence policies. The 2007 treaty is meant to respect the sensitivities of Bhutan regarding its sovereignty. In reality, it gives India virtual responsibility to protect Bhutan from the kind of external threat including threat from Chinese military.
-:Moreover, the Eastern Army Command and the Eastern Air Command of India have integrated protection of Bhutan into their role. The Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT), headed by a Major General also plays a critical role in training Bhutanese security person
Draft National water framework bill, 2016
Background –
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The ministry of water resources released the draft national water framework bill, 2016 in June 2016,, which was based on the recommendation of Mihir shah committee.
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The bill was subsequently circulated to all the states /UTS for obtaining their comments and in march 2017,the ministry requested Chief ministers of all states/UTs to pass suitable resolutions in their state assemblies in support of the draft national water framework bill, 2016.
Salient features of the bill
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Objective : to provide a national legal framework for protection, conservation, regulation and management of water.
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Right to water for life – every person has a right to sufficient quantity of safe water. The responsibility for ensuring this right is of the concerned state government even if water is being provided through a private agency.
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Water security ; to ensure sufficient water quantity even in times of emergency, every state government will prepare and implement a water security plan which will include incentives for
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Switching away from water intensive crops
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Adopting water conserving methods
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Setting up groundwater recharge structures etc.
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Water quality : national water quality standards shall be binding on all types of water use.
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Water pricing : there will be differential water pricing based on its use :
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For commercial agriculture and industry, there may not be any subsidy.
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For domestic water supply, there may be subsidy depending on different category of user.
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Integrated river basin development and management :
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A river basin should be considered as the basic hydrological unit for planning, development and management of water.
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For every inter state river basin, a river basin authority should be established which will be responsible to prepare master plans for river basin under its jurisdiction.
G-20 HAMBURG SUMMIT 2016
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The theme of this year’s was ‘shaping an interconnected world’.
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Regarding energy and climate, leaders took note of the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. The leaders of the other G-20 members stated that the Paris agreement is irreversible and they endorsed the G-20 Hamburg climate and energy action plan for growth.
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Regarding G-20 Africa partnership, Africa’s development remained a high priority for the G-20.
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In this summit too G-20 has seen protest by left wing organisations on the side lines of the summit, ‘G-20 Welcome to Hell’. Reason behind this protest with citizens believing the the international organisation has largely failed to find solutions to many of the international issues.
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Background:
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It is not an international organisation. It neither has any administrative board nor a permanent secretariat. Thus it does not adopt decisions that have a direct legal impact.
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It is an informal forum for international cooperation on financial issues to ensure international “financial stability”.
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The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors had been meeting regularly since 1999. However , since 2008 (when the finance crisis broke out) G20 has met annually at head of state and government level.
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It rotates its presidency on an annual basis. Germany tool over G20 presidency in December 2016. In December 2017, Argentina will take over.
TRADEMARK FOR MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY SARI
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The famous blue bordered sari of Mother Teresa has been recognised as an intellectual property the Missionaries of Charity by the trade Marks registry, Government of India .
About this sari
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It is a white sari with 3 blue borders .The outer border is wider than the two inner ones.
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Since 1948, Mother Teresa wore a white sari with 3 blue borders.
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The sari are women at the missionaries of charity-run Ghandhi ji Prem Niwas at Titagarh in north 24 parganas.
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Around 4,000 such sari are woven annually and are distributed among nuns all over the world.
Intellectual property right (IPR)
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What is meant by intellectual Property right (IPR)?
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Intellectual property right (IPR)are about creation of the mind. They are granted to creators of IP for ideas which are new and original by the respective governments.
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No one cane use other IPR without their permission . these right come with limited monopoly and exclusivity.
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What are the different types of IPR?
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There are different types of IPR namely; patents, copyright, trademarks, industrial designs, protection of geographical indication (GIs), IC lay- out designs , trade secrets and new plant varieties.
Trademark:
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What is a trademark?
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Trademark is a sign help distinguish the product from a particular producer or enterprise from those those of its competitors.
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By providing a distinctive sign to goods or services produced b y an enterprise, trademarks create an enduring image in the customer’s mind.
B.N.SRIKRISHNA COMMITTEE ON ARBITRATION
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Recently , High level Committee on Arbitration (under the Chairmanship of Justice B.N.Srikrishna, Retired Supreme Court Judge submitted its report in August ,2017
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About it:
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It was constituted in January 2017 by the union Government to recommend measures for :
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Ensuring speedy resolution of commercial disputes and
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To make India an international hub of Arbitration.
ICDAR in an autonomous organization , headquartered at New Delhi working under the Ministry of Law and Justice Department of Legal Affairs.
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It was setup to promote ADR method and to provide requisite facilities for the same.
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NTFAP: Earlier, a National Committee on Trade facilitation (NCTF) headed by the cabinet secretary was constituted . It has adopted the NTFAP, which has been released by Union Minister.
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Objective: It gives a time bound map, not only for implementing TFA but also for implementing activities beyond requirement of TFA which have been defined as TFA Plus category.
Spices Industry in India :
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India is the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices.
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The country produces about 75 of the 109 varieties listed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and accounts for half of the global trading in spices.
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Today India spices are most sought-after globally, given their exquisite aroma, texture ,taste and medicinal value. Indian spices were exported to ancient civilizations of Rome and China.
BHARAT 22
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Union Finance Ministry announced a New Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) by the Name “BHARAT22”.
About it ;
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Bharat 22 consists of 22 stocks of CPSE’s PSB’s & strategic holding of SUUTI. This index will be rebalanced annually.
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ICICI Prudential AMC will be the ETF Manager and Asia Index Private Limited (JV BSE and S&P Global) will be the Index Provider.
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Significance:
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Compared to energy heavy CPSE ETF ,it is a diversified portfolio with 6 sector (basic Materials, Energy, Finance ,FMCG ,Industrial &utilities)
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It will be used as a vehicle for further disinvestment of shares
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Large Investors prefer investing in ETFs due to it being :low cost & less risky ; Highly Liquid assets ; Transparent Investment and traded at real Time Market Price.
AAJEEVIKA GRAMEEN EXPRESS YOJANA (AGEY)
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The Government of India has decided to launch a new named “Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)”
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About it :
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It will be a sub-scheme of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (Day-NRLM)
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In this, the self help Groups Under DAY-NRLM will operate road transport service in backward areas which will serve the following objectives:
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Providing rural transport services to connect remote village with basic amenities (such as market, education and health.
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Providing an additional avenue of livelihood for SHGs
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The community Investment Fund (CIF) provided to Community Based Organization (CBOs)under Day-NRLM will be used to support the SHG members in this new livelihood initiative.
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It will be initially implemented in 250 Blocks in the country on pilot basis.
OPERATION CLEAN MONEY (OCM) IN
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In the second phase of “operation Clean money” (OCM), the income Tax Department (ITD) has identified 5.5 lakh new persons (Their tax profiles have been found to be inconsistent with the cash deposits made by them during the demonetization period).
About it;
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OCM was launched in January 20117 to create a tax compliant society.
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Key strategies under it are ; increase awareness about tax obligation ; promote voluntary compliance by e-delivery of services. Collect timely and accurate third party information from Reporting Entities; Increase collaboration among government agencies and effective deterrence for habitual offenders.
TEXTILES INDIA 2017
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Building on the success of Textiles India 2017 ,Ministry Textiles has set up institutional mechanisms to promote growth in textiles sector.
About it ;
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Textiles Indian 2017 ,which was held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat July 2017 was the largest ever international trade event in textile Sector in the country
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To implement the recommendation which emerged from deliberation ,Government has set up the following institution mechanism:
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Task force on Textiles India : it has been up to steer follow up action on various outcome of textiles India 2017
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Knowledge Network Management System (KNMS) : It has been set up to recommend measures on product Diversification
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Inter-Ministerial Synergy Group on Man – made Fiber (MMF): It has been setup to suggest measures to enhance competitiveness of MMF industry in India.
TAX BREAK FOR INDUSTRIES IN NORTH-EASTERN AND HILLY STATES TILL 2027
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Union cabinet has approved the scheme of providing Budgetary Support under Goods and services Tax Regime for the eligible industrial units located in north –eastern and hilly states from 1.7.2017 till 31.03.2027
Background:
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To promote industrialization in north-eastern and hilly states, the government of India is implementing the following schemes;
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North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP), 2007 for North Eastern States including Sikkim and
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Package for special Category States for Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
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Under this , industrial unit are granted excise duty exemption for the first 10 years after commencement of commercial production.
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But with the coming of GST, Central Excise duty laws have been repealed . In this background, Government has approved the about scheme.
NIFTY-50
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RECENTLY , NIFTY-50 breached the 10,000 –mark fir the first time ever.
About it;
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It is National Stock Exchange of India’s benchmark stock market index.
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It was launched in 1996.
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It is owned and managed by India Index Services and Products (IISL)- a wholly owned subsidiary of the NSE Strategic Investment Corporation Limited
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About National Stock Exchange (NSE):
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It is an Indian Stock exchange, located in Mumbai.
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It was established in 1992 as the first electronic exchange in the country.
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It also created the National Securities Depository limited (NSDL)
PANT-MIRZAAGRREEMENT
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In Lok Sabha, minister of state for External Affairs stated that Government of India is implementing the pant- Mirza agreement of 1955.
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About the agreement :
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It was signed by the two sides in 1955, with India being represented by Govind Ballabh Pant (Minister for Home Affairs during that time ) and Pakistan being represented by (Major General Iskander Mirza (Minister for the Interior during that time )
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The twin objectives of the agreement to :
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Prevent Border Incidents.
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Protect Places of worship.
RAISE ACT
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Recently , Raised( Reforming American Immigration for strong Employment )Act has received the support of president Donald Trump.
About It:
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RAISE Act is a bill introduced in the United States Senate in 2017.
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The bill seeks to
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Reduce levels of legal immigration to the United States by 50%by halving the number of green cards issued.
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Impose aa cap of 50,000 refugee admissions a year and
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End the visa diversity lottery system (which aims to diversify the immigrant population in the United States ).
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Those promoting the legislation, argue that the bill would increase economic growth and increase wages. On the other hand economists “overwhelmingly predict” that cuts in immigration would have a negative impact on GDP growth.
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Impact on Indian IT sector ;
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It implemented , it can also potentially increase the cost of employing an Indian software engineer in the Us.
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But experts also feel that it could favour Indian and global IT firms, as it focuses on higher skills.
SAMVAD
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Recently , the second edition of “Samvad” was organised in Yangon, Myanmar.
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About it :
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Samvad literally meaning dialogue in another name for “Global Initiative on Conflict Avoidance and Environment Consciousness”
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It is unique conference representing various religions & traditions to ensure “dialogue” between them to remove deep rooted religious prejudices that divide communities across the world and sow seeds of conflict between nation and societies.
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In 2015, the Vivekananda Kendra hosted its first edition in new Delhi.
UNITED NATIONS OCEAN CONFERENCE,2017
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THE 2017 UN Ocean Conference Took place in June 2017.
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About It :
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In was the first ever such summit convened by the Un, which was held at UNHQ, New York, United States.
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It’s objective is to act as a platform or mobilizing actions for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources.
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Its theme was “ Our oceans, our future : partnering for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 “
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It coincided with the World Oceans Day which is annually observed on “8 June 2017”
EU-INDIA IFM
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European Union (EU) and India have established an Investment Facilitation Mechanism (IIFM) for its investments in India.
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European Union (EU) and India have established an Investment Facilitation Mechanism (IFM) for its investment in India
About it :
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Objective : to identify and solve problem faced by EU companies & investors with respect to their operations in India.
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Invest India, the official Investment Promotion Agency of the Government of India , will be part of the Mechanism.
Defence procurement procedure (DPP)-2016 policy
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Its objectives is too simplify defence procurement procedure to give a boost to “Make in India “ initiative . this objective will be achieved by promoting indigenous design, development and manufacturing of defence equipment , platforms , systems and sun- system
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It introduce a new category of procurement buy 9indian –IDDM (Indigenously Designed , Development and manufactured ))] which has been accorded top most priority for procurement of capital equipment.
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Preference has been accorded to buy 9Indian)9 and buy and make (Indian 0 categories of capital acquisition over buy (Global) & Buy & make (Global) categories
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Requirement of Indigenous content has been enhanced/ rationalized for various categories of capital acquisition.
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The make procedure has been simplified with provisions
PRIVATE SECTOR IN DEFENCE
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According To Experts , Government Policy To Boost Proivate Sector Participantion In The Defense Sector Is Uunlikely To B Ring In Constreuctive Contracts.
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Needs Of Privae Sectors In Defence
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Defence Is A Capital Intensiove Industry In The Coming Decade. India Defence Sectors Requires $130-150 Billonfor Modernisation To Become Self- Reliant Of Defence Psus And Huge Import Bills.
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All This Calls For Private Sector Participation In Defence Production Sectors
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The Defecence Sectors Was Opened To One Hundered Percent Participation By The India Private Sector In 2001. But It Astill Continues To Play A Peripheral Role In Defence Manufacturing
AFSPA
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Centre has decided to give up its power to impose armed forces (special power) act *AFSPA) in Assam and Manipur . now it will be the prerogative of State government to either continue or revoke it in the 2 state .
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Recent Development
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According to Union Government, the government in two states are competent to decide whether to continue it in entire state or impose it in a few pocket where disturbance in expected.
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AFSPA was first invoked in Assam in 1990 . Since then it would be the first time that the Centre would give power to continue or discontinue it
About AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Power Act):
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AFSPA is imposed in area declared as disturbed under section 2 of the act
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Power to use force , including open fire at an individual if he violates laws which prohibit (a) the assembly of five or more persons or B) carrying of weapons
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Power to arrest without a warrant ; (under section 5 the armed forces have to hard over the arrested person to the nearest police station “with the least Possible delay”
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Power to seize and search without any warrant any premise
INNER LINE PERMIT
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Recently Arunachal Pradesh (AP) has launched the e-inner line permit (eILP) programme as a digital step for hassle free entry of domestic visitors to the frontier state.
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About the recent development:
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What was the system in AP before it ? initially, inner Line Permit was issued at Entry gates or at designed placed after payment of fees . that used to take and create hassle for visitor and travelers.
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What are the benefits of e-ILP ? now , visitors can upload document , photographs and fee online , ILP will now have bar and QR codes for verification
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This system is hassle free and paperless. Thus , making it convenient for travelers.
PENTA ERYTHRITOL TETRA NITRATE (PETN)
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Penta Erythritol Tetra Nitrate (PETN) , an explosive power, was recently found in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly
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PETN is the nitrate ester of penta-erythritol.
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Properties :
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It is an odourless white crystalline solid.
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PETN, like TNT(Trinitrotoluene), has extremely low vapor pressures in its purest form.
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