IAS / IPS STUDIES - 11

RAPID GK SERIES

QUESTIONS

1 The first Prime minister of Bangladesh was
2 The longest river in the world is the
3 The longest highway in the world is the
4 The longest highway in the world has a length of About
5 The highest mountain in the world is the
6 The country that accounts for nearly one third of the total teak production of the world is
7 The biggest desert in the world is the
8 The largest coffee growing country in the world is
9 The country also known as “country of Copper” is
10 The name given to the border which separates Pakistan and Afghanistan is

ANSWERS:

1. Mujibur Rehman
2. Nile
3. Trans-Canada
4. 8000 km
5. Everest
6. Myanmar
7. Sahara desert
8. Brazil
9. Zambia
10. Durand line

India pushes for increased collaboration with Vietnam in various sectors

India keen on expanding oil, gas explorations in Vietnam.
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, who is on a two-day visit to the South-East Asian nation, pushed for increased collaboration with Vietnam in energy, mining and infrastructure sectors. The minister said that both onshore and offshore drilling in Vietnam can become a win-win situation for both the economies.
State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp's overseas arm ONGC Videsh accounts for much of India's investment in Vietnam. It has 45 per cent stake in one gas field Block 06.1 in the Nam Con Son basin off Vietnam's south coast.
It won a contact in 2006 to jointly explore with PetroVietnam in Blocks 127 and 128 in the Phu Khanh basin further north.
At present, the bilateral trade between the nations stood at USD 3.7 billion.
Indian exports to Vietnam includes pharmaceuticals, cotton and electrical machinery, while imports iron and steel and mineral fuels.

Doctors with unrecognized foreign degrees cannot practice: SC

The Supreme Court has ruled that Doctors possessing medical degrees from an off-shore overseas campus cannot practice in India if the certificate awarded to them is not recognised by the country in which the college is located.
A bench of justices R M Lodha and H L Gokhale passed the ruling dismissing a bunch of appeals by students of Tamil Nadu-based Vinayaka Medical Research Foundation , VMRF challenging refusal of the Medical Council of India to recognise their degree from the varsity's off-shore campus in Thailand.
The MCI had refused to recognise the degree on the ground that the same was not recognised by Thailand and, hence, did not constitute a primary degree for the purpose of according recognition in India.
A division bench of the Madras High Court had earlier upheld the MCI's appeal against a single judge's order who had directed the regulatory body to permit the students to write the screening test.

India’s NGO chosen for America's 1st Innovation Award for Empowerment of Women and Girls

An Indian NGO has been chosen for America's first Innovation Award for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. The Award funded by the Rockefeller Foundation through the Secretary's International Fund for Women and Girls, would be formally announced by the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and the Rockefeller Foundation President Dr Judith Rodin. The awardees were chosen by a panel of experts including.
Mohammed Yunus (Grameen Bank), Cherie Blair (Cherie Blair Foundation), Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook), Beth Brook (Ernst and Young) and Noeleen Heyzer (United Nations).
In a statement in Washington, the State Department said the Secretary's Innovation Award is given to 'Chintan' in support of its work to reduce ecological footprints and increase environmental justice amongst the informal sector through green jobs, advocacy and community organising. Chintan has been selected for the award along with NGOs from Kenya and Tanzania.

Govt should impose regulations on social media

IT major Infosys Executive Co-Chairman Krish Gopalakrishnan said government should impose regulations to check media players like Google, Yahoo and Facebook from hosting objectionable contents on their websites.
"The government should regulate social media websites from hosting objectionable contents. It is vital to establish jurisdiction over citizens' data for security reasons," he said at the Knowledge Summit organised by All India Management Association here.
Gopalakrishnan noted that this was a global problem and it was being dealt differently by different countries. "The European Union is trying to set up its own guidelines, while the US is doing it in its own style," he said.
He said social media had become powerful in terms of opinion making and publishing positive and negative stories.
“Sometimes, deliberately or by mistake, such stories could be twisted to create needless problems," he added.
Facebook, Google, Yahoo India and Microsoft have been accused of hosting anti-religious or anti-social contents on their websites.
The controversy over monitoring social networking websites arose after Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal had asked them to 'screen' their contents.
A Delhi court had recently directed several social media players including Facebook India, Google India Pvt Ltd and Youtube to remove objectionable contents from their websites.

India-US true partners in strategic, economic & development : Nirupama Rao

Indian Ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao said that India and the US are true partners in strategic, economic and development context.
In her address to the Emory University on India-US Strategic Relations in Washigton, Ms. Rao said, both the governments realise the critical importance of innovation to address new challenges and generate economic growth.
She said, energy security and the supply of clean and sustainable sources of energy are a common challenge for both the countries. Ms. Rao informed that the third India-US Strategic dialogue would be held in Washington in the next few months.

Sudan, South Sudan talks continue over border issues

Talks between Sudan and South Sudan are continuing in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa as the two countries try to resolve simmering disputes over oil, borders, and citizenship issues.
Reports said the talks are focusing on border issues, while the African Union mediation team seeks common ground on the more contentious issues of citizenship and oil revenues. South Sudan has accused Sudan of charging excessive fees for the use of oil pipelines that run north to the Red Sea.

The two sides met late to discuss whether it was worth continuing the dialogue, which was scheduled to last 10 days, but devolved into a shouting match. Earlier South Sudan said it is considering building a temporary pipeline along the Nile river to the capital, Juba. The oil would then be transported on trucks to ports in Kenya and Djibouti.
This dispute over fees has prompted South Sudan to shut down all oil production, a move analysts say is likely to financially hurt both countries.The south took over most Sudanese oil production when it became independent last July, but relies on pipelines through the north to get the oil to market. The two sides also disagree on borders of the oil-producing Abyei region, and accuse each other of supporting the other's rebel groups.

IAS / IPS STUDIES - 10

RAPID GK SERIES

QUESTIONS

1. The Indian to beat the computers in mathematical wizardry is
2. The great Victoria Desert is located in
3. Which scientist discovered the radioactive element radium?
4. Who has been awarded the first lifetime Achievement Award for his/her contribution in the field of Cinema?
5. Who is the author of the book 'Forbidden Verses'?
6. The year 1995 is the Golden Jubilee year of which of the following international organisations?
7. Tripitakas are sacred books of
8. The members of the panchayat are
9. Devaluation of a currency means
10. The pass located at the southern end of the Nilgiri Hills in south India is called
11. Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology is located at
12. The words 'Satyameva Jayate' inscribed below the base plate of the emblem of India are taken from
13. January 15 is celebrated as the
14. Which of the following is used in pencils?
15. The absorption of ink by blotting paper involves
16. The most electronegative element among the following is
17. Pine, fir, spruce, cedar, larch and cypress are the famous timber-yielding plants of which several also occur widely in the hilly regions of India. All these belong to
18. 'OS' computer abbreviation usually means ?
19. Track and field star Carl Lewis won how many gold medals at the 1984 Olympic games?

ANSWERS

1. Shakunthala Devi
2. Australia
3. Marie Curie
4. Ashok Kumar
5. Abu Nuwas
6. UNO
7. Buddhists
8. The electorates of the respective territorial constituencies
9. Reduction in the value of a currency vis-a-vis major internationally traded currencies
10. The Palghat gap
11. Dehradun
12. Mundak Upanishad
13. Army Day
14. Graphite
15. Capillary Action Phenomenon
16. Fluorine
17. gymnosperms
18. Operating System
19. Four



RAPID GK SERIES 66
Posted: 05 Mar 2012 07:14 PM PST





1. The Indian to beat the computers in mathematical wizardry is
2. The great Victoria Desert is located in
3. Which scientist discovered the radioactive element radium?
4. Who has been awarded the first lifetime Achievement Award for his/her contribution in the field of Cinema?
5. Who is the author of the book 'Forbidden Verses'?
6. The year 1995 is the Golden Jubilee year of which of the following international organisations?
7. Tripitakas are sacred books of
8. The members of the panchayat are
9. Devaluation of a currency means
10. The pass located at the southern end of the Nilgiri Hills in south India is called
11. Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology is located at
12. The words 'Satyameva Jayate' inscribed below the base plate of the emblem of India are taken from
13. January 15 is celebrated as the
14. Which of the following is used in pencils?
15. The absorption of ink by blotting paper involves
16. The most electronegative element among the following is
17. Pine, fir, spruce, cedar, larch and cypress are the famous timber-yielding plants of which several also occur widely in the hilly regions of India. All these belong to
18. 'OS' computer abbreviation usually means ?
19. Track and field star Carl Lewis won how many gold medals at the 1984 Olympic games?

ANSWERS

1. Shakunthala Devi
2. Australia
3. Marie Curie
4. Ashok Kumar
5. Abu Nuwas
6. UNO
7. Buddhists
8. The electorates of the respective territorial constituencies
9. Reduction in the value of a currency vis-a-vis major internationally traded currencies
10. The Palghat gap
11. Dehradun
12. Mundak Upanishad
13. Army Day
14. Graphite
15. Capillary Action Phenomenon
16. Fluorine
17. gymnosperms
18. Operating System
19. Four


India launches infrastructure debt fund

The Union Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee said that setting up of Infrastructure Debt Fund (IDF) through public private partnership would meet the long term need of infrastructure sector funding.
Mr. Mukherjee said this after presiding over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in New Delhi this evening between the ICICI Bank, Bank of Baroda, CITI Bank and Life Insurance Corporation of India to Set-Up India’s First Infrastructure Debt Fund. He expressed confidence that the establishment of IDF through Public Private Partnership model would be a guiding principle for future activities.
The Finance Minister said funds to the tune of 1 Trillion US Dollars would be required for Infrastructure Sector funding in next five years and fifty percent of which would come from private sector through PPP model. Our correspondent reports that, India’s First Infrastructure Debt Fund is structured as a Non-Banking Finance Company (IDF-NBFC).
Speaking to All India Radio, Ms. Chanda Kochar, Managing Director, of ICICI Bank said the IDF size will total about 2 billion dollars, and equity is to be contributed by the ICICI Group 31 %, Bank of Baroda 30 %, Citi Bank 29 % and LIC 10 %. She said the total equities would amount to 300 crores, and the rest will be geared through capital and borrowed funds.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in his Budget Speech for 2011-12 had announced setting-up of Infrastructure Debt Funds to accelerate and enhance the flow of long term debt in infrastructure projects for funding the government’s ambitious programme of infrastructure development.

Mild tremors hit parts of North India

Mild tremors measuring 4.9 on Richter scale hit parts of North India today on march 5. The tremors were felt at around 1.10 pm in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and some areas in Delhi.
Reports of tremors are coming in from other parts of North India. No immediate report of any damage has been recieved so far.
In Indonesia, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake today hit Northern Sumatra. The quake hit the region around 1226 hrs.

Haryana Govt presents tax free budget for 2012-2013

Haryana Finance Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha presented the tax free state budget for 2012-2013 projecting Fiscal deficit of 7596.82 crore rupees in the Vidhansabha.
In the budget estimates total receipts are projected at 44708.47 crore rupees whereas the total projected expenditure is 45318.93 crore rupees. As per budget proposals the government will spend 100 crore rupees for improvement of water supply in Shivalik area, southern Haryana as well as Mewat area.
Minister has proposed 2807.74 crore rupees for scheduled caste sub plan. Minister has allocated 1653.03 crore rupees for the health sector. There is a proposal of enhancing the maintenance allowance for the mentally disabled children from 300 rupees per month to 700 per month.
The government has proposed to extend the benefits of Indira Gandhi Priyadarshani Vivah Shagun Yojna to the girls from all families whose land holding is less than 2.5 acres or have a income of less than 1 lakh rupees per annum. A grant of 10000 rupees will be given to girls from these families at the time of their marriage.

Mirage 2000 crashes in Rajasthan, pilot safe

A Mirage 2000 fighter plane of the Indian Air Force (IAF) today crashed near a village in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district, soon after taking off from an airbase in Gwalior, in a second mishap involving the aircraft type in 11 days.
The pilot managed to eject safely, IAF officials said. This is the second crash involving a Mirage-2000 aircraft since February 24.
"The crash took place 100 kilometres south-west of Jaipur near Baman Baas village in Sawai Madhopur district. Soon after taking off from Gwalior, the plane crashed at 1245 hours. The pilot managed to bail out safely," the officials said.
IAF and Army teams have reached the site of the accident and the pilot is being attended to for his injuries, they said, adding that the aircraft was on a routine sortie.
A court of inquiry (CoI) has been ordered to ascertain the reason for the crash.
Superintendent of Police, Sawai Madhopur, Anshuman Singh said a police party had been dispatched to the crash spot which was located in a hilly area.
This is the third crash involving an IAF aircraft this year. A Kiran MK II trainer plane had crashed in Chennai on January 30.
The second crash involving a Mirage-2000 aircraft took place on February 24 near Bhind in Madhya Pradesh.
The aircraft was being flown by Air Marshal Anil Chopra and Wing Commander Ram Kumar who had got airborne from Gwalior airbase for a routine flying sortie at 1201 hours. Within five minutes of taking off, the plane developed a technical snag and crashed in a forested area.

Pak test-fires Hatf-II ballistic missile

Pakistan test-fired the nuclear-capable Hatf-II short range surface-to-surface ballistic missile that can hit targets in India as part of the process of validating its land-based missile systems.
The test was conducted successfully, a military statement said.
The Hatf-II or Abdali has a range of 180 km and can carry nuclear and conventional warheads with "high accuracy".
The Hatf-II "provides an operational level capability to Pakistan's Strategic Forces, additional to the strategic and tactical level capability which Pakistan already possesses", the statement said. The authorities did not say where the test was carried out.
The test was witnessed by Strategic Plans Division chief Lt Gen (retired) Khalid Kidwai, Army Strategic Force Command chief Lt Gen Tariq Nadeem Gilani, senior officers of the armed forces, scientists and engineers of strategic organisations.

India, Indonesia agree to fast track FTA talks

India and Indonesia agreed to fast track the ongoing negotiations for early conclusion of the proposed comprehensive market opening pact, aimed at enhancing bilateral economic engagement between the countries.
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, who is in Indonesia for a three-day visit, met Indonesian Economy Minister Hatta Rajasa and discussed about the progress of the free-trade agreement.
In October last year, both the sides started negotiations for CECA, which would cover trade in goods, services and investment.
The bilateral trade stood at over USD 20 billion in 2010-11.
He said that the bilateral trade target of USD 25 billion by 2015 would be achieved well before the time so both sides have felt the need to revise it.
Both the sides also deliberated on the widening the scope of free trade agreement between India-Asean, which would include services and investments. Indonesia is a member of Asean.
India and the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) has already implemented free trade pact in goods and are engaged in intense negotiations to widen the scope of the pact.
Sharma also met his Indonesian commerce counterpart Gita Irawan Wirjawanand and Industry Minister Mohamad S Hidayat.
Both the sides emphasised on increasing economic cooperation in sectors like mining, energy and infrastructure building.
India and Indonesia have identified five areas - manufacturing and skill training; healthcare and pharmaceuticals; mining, agro and food proc ssing; R&D – where joint working groups will be set up.

MRPL, HPCL to cut Iranian crude oil imports

Mangalore Refinery and Hindustan Petroleum are likely to cut crude oil imports from Iran next fiscal as western sanctions against the Persian Gulf nation forces them to diversify their oil sourcing basket.
MRPL, which is India's largest buyer of Iranian crude oil at 142,000 barrels per day, is likely to trim down its imports from Tehran to just about 100,000 bpd next fiscal, industry sources said.
India has already made pleas with Saudi Arabia and Iraq to supply more crude next fiscal to help MRPL and other cut their Iranian purchases.
Oil Minister S Jaipal Reddy last month made a passionate plea for up to 5 million tons a year or 100,000 bpd of oil over and above the current purchase of 27.361 million tons from Saudi Arabia. Last week he sought 3-4 million tons additional oil from Iraq, which currently supplies 17.158 million tons a year.
Sources said Essar Oil, the nation's second largest buyer of Iranian oil, is renewing its contract to buy 100,000 bpd of oil and the same is the case with Indian Oil Corp (IOC) for its 30,000 bpd of purchases.
IOC would cut Iranian imports if Saudi Arabia were to increases exports.
HPCL plans to double crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia next fiscal and cut purchases from Iran by over 14 percent. HPCL in 2012-13 has proposed to buy 3.5 million tons of crude oil from Saudi Aramco of Saudi Arabia against 1.75 million tons of oil bought in current year.
It will cut down purchase from Iran to 3 million tons from 3.5 million tons in the current year.
Indian refiners fear problems in paying for crude oil they buy from Iran after the US and European Union imposed fresh sanctions to deter the Islamic regime for its nuclear programme.
Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) is not renewing its 20,000 bpd contract with Iran as it has not been able to open an account with a Turkish bank that currently routes payments made by Indian refiners to Iran.
MRPL, they said, may end up purchasing about 120,000 bpd of crude from Iran this fiscal as against 142,000 bpd contracted volumes.
Iran is India's second largest supplier of crude oil behind Saudi Arabia. It in 2010-11 supplied 18.499 million tons of oil or about 11.3 percent of the nation's total import of 163.594 million tons.
This fiscal, these imports are likely to fall by at least 10 percent. The decline would be more drastic next year, they said.

J& K Govt presents zero-deficit budget for 2012-13

Jammu and Kashmir government presented a zero-deficit budget for 2012-13, with emphasis on strengthening the backbone of its economy-- tourism and agriculture.
It also proposed multi-sectoral concessions like VAT,service Tax and stamp duty exemptions but hiked tax on cigarettes and liquor for additional resource mobilisation.
Presenting a 33,853 crore rupees budget, the fanance minister imposed tax on security and placement services, pandal and shamiana services and annual maintenance contracts. State Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather told reporters after presenting the budget in J&K Assembly in Jammu that it aimed at serving the interest of the common man.
He said the current financial year has been witness to the consolidation of peace and order in our state, which increased the state's revenue from 3,400 crore rupees to 4,600 crore rupees. So, government wants to share the dividends of peace with people in J&K so that they get a feel of it .

Govt bans cotton exports to increase domestic supply

Amid fears of shortfall in domestic market and apprehensions of hoarding in warehouses abroad, the government imposed a ban on cotton exports -- a move that took the textile industry by surprise.
The Textile Ministry said the ban on further cotton exports was imposed after taking into account "the trend of domestic consumption and depletion of domestic availability".
Explaining the reasons behind export ban, the ministry said the country has already shipped 10 lakh bales more than the exportable surplus, reducing the domestic availability.
Pointing out that there was sudden rush for registration of export contract after the figure of 84 lakh bales was reached, the ministry found that "in some cases L/Cs have been registered where the name of exporting and importing party is same. This is indicative of a tendency of hoarding in bonded warehouses abroad".
Asked about the government's decision to ban exports, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said: "I have not heard about it and I am coming to know about it from you."
Reacting on the ban, the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry said that it was surprised by the government's decision as there is slowdown in demand in both domestic and global markets.

Country to record highest ever production of Rice, Wheat and cotton

India is going to record highest ever production of Rice, Wheat and cotton during 2011-12. Foodgrain is likely to reach a record level of 250.42 million tonnes.
Addressing a two-day Kharif Conference in New Delhi today, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said, it happened due to tremendous efforts of the farming community supported by government initiatives and participation of stakeholders.
The minister said several new initiatives to increase agricultural production from existing cultivated area especially from high potential rainfed agriculture have been taken. The minister informed that his ministry is proposing a large programme for agricultural mechanisation during the 12th five year plan to increase farm production.
The Minister informed that 2012 is being launched as the year of Horticulture for bringing horticulture development in the country to centre stage. More focus and attention for successful implementation of various horticulture programme in the country is required in this direction.
Mr. Pawar said that soil health is crucial for ensuring farm productivity high priorty is needed towards soil health and nutrient management.

IAS / IPS STUDIES - 9

RAPID GK SERIES

QUESTIONS

1. Who was known as Iron man of India?
2. The higher the wind speed and the longer the fetch or distance of open water across which the wind blows and waves travel, the ____ waves and the ____ enerty they processes.
3. What J. B. Dunlop invented?
4. Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2000 was awarded to the former President of South Africa along with?
5. Which of the following is NOT written by Munshi Premchand?
6. The Indian delegation to the first World Conference on Human Rights was led by
7. Under Akbar, the Mir Bakshi was required to look after
8. The members of the Rajya Sabha are elected by
9. In the last one decade, which one among the following sectors has attracted the highest foreign direct investment inflows into India?
10. The southernmost point of peninsular India, that is, Kanyakumari, is
11. The famous Dilwara Temples are situated in
12. 'Dandia' is a popular dance of
13. When is the World Population Day observed?
14. Chlorophyll is a naturally occurring chelate compound in which central metal is
15. It is easier to roll a stone up a sloping road than to lift it vertical upwards because
16. The number of moles of solute present in 1 kg of a solvent is called its
17. Ozone hole refers to
18. What is part of a database that holds only one type of information?
19. Which was the 1st non Test playing country to beat India in an international match?

ANSWERS

1. Sardar Vallabai Patel
2. Larger, More
3. Pneumatic Rubber Rire
4. Grameen Bank of Bangladesh
5. Guide
6. Dr. Manmohan Singh
7. Military Affairs
8. Elected Members of The Legislative Assembly
9. Telecommunication
10. North of The Equator
11 Rajasthan
12. Gujarat
13. July 11
14. Magnesium
15. Work done in rolling a stone is less than in lifting it
16. Molality
17. Decrease in thickness of ozone layer in stratosphere
18. Field
19. Sri Lanka



States ask centre to hike CST to 4% or compensate adequately

States have asked centre for adequate compensation for their revenue loss due reduction in the Central Sales Tax -CST. Otherwise, the levy should be increased to the earlier rate of 4 per cent. Empowered Committee of the State Finance Minister in New Delhi also finalised a negative list of 35 services, which will notbe taxed under proposed Goods and Services Tax - GST regime.
Bihar Deputy CM and Finance Minister Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters later that if the government does not release compensation then Center should revert to the CST levy of 4 per cent from the present 2 per cent level.
The Centre is trying to phase-out the CST to usher in the new GST regime with a single tax merging excise, service tax and states tax, like value-added tax, entry tax and purchase tax.

Uttarakhand became the Ninth Indian State to introduce E-stamping

Uttarakhand government on 2 March 2012 introduced e-stamping in the state, which would ensure a secure way of paying non-judicial stamp duty to the government.
Uttarakhand is the ninth state in the country to implement the e-stamping service. In the first phase, e-stamping is set to be introduced in the four districts of Dehra Dun, Haridwar, Udhamsingh Nagar and Nainital.
E-stamps would be sold through the branches of Punjab National Bank (PNB) in these districts. The state government has roped in 45 branches of PNB to carry the sale of e-stamps.
E-stamping is a part of the e-governance initiative of the state which has been introduced by the state finance department in association with the Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited.


Lt General Bikram Singh to be next Army Chief

Lt General Bikram Singh will be the next Army Chief. An official press statement says that Lt Gen Bikram Singh will succeed Gen V. K. Singh, who retires on May 31st of this year. Lt General Bikram Singh was commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment on March 31st 1972.
During his long and distinguished career, spanning nearly 40 years, Lt Gen Singh had served in a variety of command and staff appointments.
He has also served as Deputy Force Commander of a multi-nation UN Peace Keeping Mission in Congo and as UN Observer in Nicaragua and El Salvador during the early 90s.


Bilateral ties between India and Egypt reach new level

India and Egypt have agreed to carry forward their relations to a new level. The External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna met the top Egyptian leaders in Cairo and said India will provide all possible assistance to Egypt in its rebuilding efforts.
Information Technology has been identified as the first key sector where India will contribute with its expertise and guidance. Addressing a Joint Press Conference with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, he said focus will be on strengthening the age old trade, economic ,cultural and scientific linkages between the two countries.
Giving a push to the bilateral ties, four Memorandum of Understanding, MoUs on environment protection, agricultural co-operation, cultural exchanges and standardisation were signed at the sixth Joint Commission Meeting in Cairo. Mr. Krishna told his meetings with top leaders have been fruitful and productive.
The External Affairs Minister called on the military ruler and the Supreme Commander of armed forces in Egypt, Field Marshal Mohammad Hussein Tanatawi who underlined the need to take the relations to the original level as in the 60s and 70s and further build upon it. S M Krishna thanked him for the support in evacuating over 3000 Indians from eastern Libya through Egypt and protecting the major Indian investment projects in Egypt during the transition period in the country. Sri Krishna also called on the Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal El Ganzouri who said Egypt is keen to enhance trade co-operation with India.
The External Affairs Minister’s visit to Egypt, warmth in the ties and a forthcoming response is a reflection of the desire on the part of two major civilizations to join hands in the times to come.

India successfully launches BrahMos Missile

The Indian Army on March 4 successfully launched BrahMos missile and destroyed the preselected target in the field firing ranges in Rajasthan.
Army Spokesperson Colonel Jagdeep Dahiya said in New Delhi, the second BrahMos unit of Indian Army has been operationalised at an undisclosed location in the western sector. He said, this is in conformity and pursuit of operational and strategic surface to surface missile capability development.
BrahMos has the capability of attacking surface targets by flying as low as 10 metres in altitude. It can gain a speed of Mach 2.8, and has a maximum range of 290 km.
The BrahMos has been developed as a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organization of India and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPO Mashinostroyenia of Russia under BrahMos Aerospace. The missile is named after two rivers, the Brahmaputra and the Moskva.


21 tonnes of illegal drugs discovered in Afghanistan

Afghan and the NATO-coalition forces discovered more than 21 tonnes of illegal drugs in the southern Helmand province. A press release issued by the Joint Command of NATO troops in Kabul says the haul included 2,151 kilograms of opium and approximately 24 kilograms of heroin.
It is one of the largest contraband yet discovered in what remains one of the nation's largest opium-producing regions. Security forces detained several suspects in this connection and destroyed the confiscated drugs immediately.
Afghanistan supplies 90 percent of the world's opium despite the efforts of the government and its international allies to curb production. The money earned from the opium is reportedly used to provide weapons for the insurgents. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recently said that revenues from opium production in Afghanistan rose by 133 per cent in 2011.
Efforts are continuing in Helmand and other areas of Afghanistan to wean poor farmers away the cash crop and to encourage them to grow agricultural produce instead. There is a nexus between opium cultivators and the insurgency and until this nexus is broken, it will be difficult to maintain peace and normalcy in the country.


India wins first Women‘s World Cup Kabaddi crown

Host India lifted the first Women‘s World Cup Kabaddi crown defeating Iran. India defeated Iran 25-19 in a keenly contested final match.
The final match held at Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna.India and Iran entered the finals defeating Japan and Thailand respectively.
In the first semi final match Iran defeated Thailand 46-26. India thrashed Japan 59-20 in the second semi final match. 16 countries participated in this International sports meet .


Railways set to manufacture 2,500 'odourless' bio-toilets

Passengers travelling in long-distance trains will soon get respite from the stench of toilets with Railways set to replace them with "odourless" bio-toilets.
With a view to provide more hygienic conditions, Railways is firming up a green initiative to manufacture 2,500 bio-toilets in the upcoming fiscal.
Unlike traditional toilets in trains where the waste is discharged on tracks, the new system will treat the same inside a tank with the help of a bacterium, which will convert it into harmless gas and water.
Two expert panels appointed by Railways to suggest ways for upgradation of rail infrastructure and safety measures, have strongly recommended introducing "green toilets" in trains.
Manufacturing of these bio-toilets is likely to be mentioned in the Rail Budget 2012-13 as part of the green initiatives being undertaken by the nation's largest transporter to improve the cleanliness in rail premises.
This will not only improve the environment but also help in preventing corrosion of rail tracks, a senior Railway Ministry official said.
Estimated to cost about Rs one lakh per bio-toilet, these new age toilets will be manufactured at Kapurthala coach factory and fitted in long-route trains.
While about 50 bio-toilets will be fitted in LHB (Linke Holfmann Bush) coaches, the rest will be used in conventional coaches.


SBI launches new auto loan schemes

SBI Cards and Payment Services on March 4 said its auto loan customers will not have to produce income documents at the time of applying for a new card.
"The customer has to simply sign a declaration and provide the KYC (Know Your Customer) documents for enrolment. The customer does not need to provide any kind of income document to acquire the SBI Card," the company said in a statement.
Another initiative called 'Link', a customer referral programme, aims at providing a platform for existing SBI Card customers to refer their friends thereby becoming a SBI Card Link, it said.


India to expand science, tech cooperation with Africa

Building upon growing political and economic ties, India and the 54-nation African continent are now poised to expand their cooperation in frontier areas of research, capacity building and knowledge industries.
Empowerment through knowledge and technology was the buzzword at a two-day science and technology conclave here that brought together more than 100 scientists, diplomats and 31 science and technology (S&T) ministers from African countries.
The March 1-2 conclave, at the Vigyan Bhavan convention centre, focussed on building capacities in research and development, social entrepreneurship and innovation technologies.
Among the key areas the two sides agreed to work on are all people-related sectors to provide the over two billion population living in India and Africa better living conditions, quality food and water, affordable healthcare and meeting energy needs of two fast-growing economies.

The African Union, which represents 54 nations of the African continent, expressed its keenness to have a long-term strategic partnership with India in science and technology (S&T), given India's "remarkable progress" in this area in the last decade.


India to have Emigration Authority: Vayalar Ravi

India will soon have an authority to monitor and facilitate migration of its citizens to other countries, with a comprehensive database of Indians working abroad, Minister for Oversees Indian Affairs, Vayalar Ravi has said.
Speaking in Qatar's capital Doha, he said the government plans to bring a legislation in this regard in the next parliamentary session.
He said the Emigration Authority would facilitate regular, and legal migration of its citizens to other countries, and once such an authority comes into force, the government will have all details of its citizens migrating to other countries for a variety of reasons including work.


World's largest Hindu temple to come up in Bihar

Bihar would soon have the world's largest Hindu temple to be built on the lines of Combodia's Angkor Wat, that currently holds the feat.
The Bihar Mahavir Mandir Trust (BMMT) on March 4 said "they will build a bigger temple in Bihar's Vaishali district than the 12th century Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia."
To be built at a cost of Rs 100 crores, the five-storied and 222-feet tall temple will come up at a sprawling campus spread over 15 acres at a place near Ismailpur village on Hajipur-Bidupur road, which will be christened as Angkor Nagar, BMMT's secretary and ex-IPS officer, Acharya Kishore Kunal said.
Land worth around Rs 30 crore has already been acquired for the purpose from locals, he said.
The proposed temple will be named 'Virat Angkor Wat Ram Mandir' and will house the statues of Lord Radha-Krishna, Shiva-Parvati, Ganesh, Surya, Vishnu, along with the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

Govt proposes Cyber eye to monitor Internet traffic

The Government is mulling setting up of a National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) for assessing cyber security threat on a real time basis and monitoring of Internet traffic.
Recently a high-level meeting was called at the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) during which establishment of NCCC was deliberated upon.
The meeting, which was attended by officers from the IB, RAW, DRDO, Home Ministry and Army, was given a presentation of the proposal for NCCC and other cyber security related issues.
"Establishment of a multi-agency NCCC for real time assessment of cyber security threat in the country and generation of an actionable report or alerts for proactive actions...," was the purpose according to minutes of the meeting.
"The NCCC would scan traffic within the country, flowing at the point of entry and exit, including international gateway," the meeting was informed.
The proposed NCCC would be the first layer for threat monitoring and all communication with government and private service providers would be through this body only.
"NCCC would be in virtual contact with the Control room of Internet service providers," the meeting was told.
The manpower required for the proposed NCCC would be finalised by NSCS on a fast-track basis, it said.

IAS / IPS STUDIES - 8

RAPID GK SERIES

QUESTIONS

1. The Largest Bay of the World is
2. The Chinese Revolution was happened in this year
3. According to the 2011 Census, the All India Male Literacy Rate is
4. A defect of Eye in which near Objects are not distinctly visible.
5. This is a line joining all the Points on a Graph that correspond to the same temperature
6. Onges is the tribal people who lives in this Indian Union Territory
7. In 2009, the Bank of Rajasthan was merged with this bank
8. The famous Character ADAM was created by this author
9. The famous author Kabir belongs to this language
10. The last Governor General of India’s Pre-Independence era was

ANSWERS

1. Hudson Bay (Northern Canada)
2. 1911
3. 82.14 percent
4. Hypermetropia or Long Sightedness
5. Isothermal
6. Andaman & Nicobar Islands
7. ICICI (Industrial Credit & Investment Corporation of India)
8. John Milton
9. Hindi
10. Lord Canning


India’s Unemployment rate falls to 6.6%

Unemployment rate in India has fallen by 1.7 percent in 5 years despite global slowdown. It was 8.3 per cent in 2004-05 but came down to 6.6 in 2009-10.
Disclosing this in New Delhi Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge attributed the achievement to the employment measures including MNREGA Scheme initiated by the government to stimulate job creation. He was addressing a conference on 'Innovation in Public Employment Programmes' in New Delhi.
Later Kharge told news persons that public employment programmes and skill development initiatives are some of the areas where India, Brazil, South Africa and other developing countries can share their expertise.
Kharge said that delegates were highly appreciative of the merits of successful implementation of employment progammmes of the government like MGNREGA.


Akash missile to be inducted to counter China

India will achieve a major milestone in the development of indigenous military technology when Defence Minister AK Antony hands over the first batch of Akash surface-to-air missiles to the Indian Air Force in Hyderabad, ahead of its deployment in the northeast against possible Chinese threats.
Antony will also hand over TAL, an advanced indigenously developed lightweight torpedo, to the Indian Navy.
"The defence minister will hand over Akash and TAL to the air force and the navy on March 3 in Hyderabad," a defence ministry official.
The two weapon systems that will greatly enhance the air force and navy's strike capabilities, have been indigenously and manufactured by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Dynamics Limited, a defence public sector undertaking.
Akash and TAL were developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
India plans to deploy two squadrons of the Akash missile in the northeastern region as a counter to threats from China.


Cabinet committee on Infrastructure approved multi modal transport

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) approved the upgradation of Railway infrastructure for introduction of multi-modal transport system in twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
Petroleum Minister Jaipal Reddy said the upgradation will be able to serve the habited areas of the rapidly expanding twin cities. He said the total expenditure involved will be over 632 crore rupees. Mr. Reddy said the project will be completed in three years during the 12th plan period.
The Minister also said the CCI approved the project of deepening and widening of Mumbai Harbour channel and Jawaharlal Nehru port channel at an estimated cost of over 1570 crore rupees.
Mr. Reddy informed that CCI has also approved four laning of Chandikhole-Duburi and Talcher section on National Highway 200 in Odisha with a cost of over 1470 crore rupees. He also said four laning of Vikkravandi and Thanjavur section of National Highway 45 in Tamil Nadu will be done with a cost of 1402 crore rupees.
The Minister said four laning of Gomati Chauraha Udaipur section of National Highway 8 in Rajasthan will be implemented with a total cost of 1114 crore rupees. Apart from this, CCI also approved the proposal of the four and two laning of Vikkravandi - Meensuruti - Thanjavur section of National Highway 45 in Tamilnadu.
The total project cost will be over 14 hundred crore rupees. Out of the total cost more than 312 crore rupees will be spent on land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement.
The project will be implemented under Design, Built, Finance, Operate and Transfer, DBFOT basis. It will cover four districts of Tamilnadu.



Top banks protest US resolution against Sri Lanka

Top commercial banks in Sri Lanka have joined protests against a U.S.-backed resolution to investigate alleged war crimes in a unique move. In a statement, the bank association said its members were highly disturbed by the attempts made by some countries to pass the resolution against Sri Lanka and interfere with the progress that has been and is being made by Sri Lankan government in achieving ethnic harmony and reconciliation among all communities.
The association said they believe that such interference would bring in new tensions and disrupt the process which has already begun and said the reconciliation should be achieved by home grown policies. Sri Lanka is campaigning heavily to defeat a move by the U.S. to initiate an international investigation into alleged war crimes, which is to be presented to the UN Human Rights Commission on March 1.



Land Ports Authority of India Becomes Operational

The government today on March 1 notified the establishment of the Land Ports Authority of India under the Land Ports Authority of India Act, 2010. The authority has been tasked with the responsibility of putting in place systems which address security imperatives relating to the cross border movement of passengers, vehicles and goods.
It will also help to develop Integrated Check Posts at designated points along the international borders of the country. According to an official release, the authority comprises a Chairman and two whole-time Members and will have representation of officials concerned from the centre and the states.


China prepares for manned space docking this year

A leading Chinese space engineer today on March 1 said China's first unmanned space module, the Tiangong-1, is now capable of accommodating astronauts, making it possible to carry out its first manned space docking mission ahead of schedule.
Qi Faren, the former chief designer of the Shenzhou spaceships series and now a member of country's top political advisory body, said China will launch its manned Shenzhou-9 spacecraft between June and August this year, and conduct a space rendezvous and docking mission with the orbiting Tiangong-1 space lab module.
He said authorities have picked three astronauts for the manned docking, a mission that the astronauts will have to manually conduct, and they have already completed their training.


Govt approves new subsidy rates for Nutrient based fertilizers

The Cabinet has approved the proposals of fertilizers Department for fixation of rates of Nutrient Based Subisdy, NBS for next fiscal. It has approved per Kilogram NBS rates of fertilizer nutrients - Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potash and Sulphur for the next financial year 2012-13.
At the announced rate, total subsidy outgo for Potash and Phosphate fertilizers for the financial year 2012-13 will be reduced by more than 20 percent. An official press release said that the total subsidy outgo for Potash and Phosphate will depend on the overall consumption of fertilizers in next financial year. All farmers in the country will be the beneficiaries.
The new rates will be effective from April 1. AIR correspondent reports that the decision is to make Phosphate and Potash fertilizers available at a price lower than the delivered cost. These subsidised fertilizers will be available to all the farmers of the country. It is expected that farmers will make optimum use of fertilizers in order to increase the productivity of soil.
In another decision, the Cabinet approved the proposal of Ministry of Agriculture for extension of closing date of National Agricultural Innovation Project, NAIP upto 30th June, 2014.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has approved the proposal of The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) sanctioned the acquisition of two 500 passenger cum 150 ton cargo vessels for inter island sector for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
It will meet the increased passenger traffic requirements of people of the islands. The cost of vessel will be around 391 crore rupees.

IAS / IPS STUDIES - 7

RAPID GK SERIES

QUESTIONS
1. The Planning Commission was set up in this year
2. In Banking Sector, the Y V Reddy Committee is associated with this
3. The abbreviation of the Bombay Stock Exchange’s SENSEX is
4. In India by this year, the Railway Budget Presentation was separated from the General Budget
5. The Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana (VAMBAY) Scheme is the development for this People
6. In India, the ‘India Corporate Week’, is celebrated every time by this month
7. In this year, the Microsoft Corporation launched its Operating System ‘WINDOWS 7’
8. The abbreviation of ASSOCHAM is
9. Dr. Joseph Stiglitz is the American Nobel Laureate of this field
10. Lepidopterology is a branch of biology, which deals with

ANSWERS

1. March 1950
2. Reforms in Small Savings
3. Sensitive Index
4. 1924
5. Urban Slum Dwellers
6. Third Week of December
7. 2009
8. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India
9. Economics
10. Study of Butterflies & Moths

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Japan cabinet approves bills to enhance coast guard powers

Japan's cabinet has approved bills to enhance the law enforcement powers of the coast guard in territorial waters. Reports say the coast guard will be able to investigate illegal landings on islands and have more powers to eject ships.
Officials hope to have the bills passed in the current parliament session. The move comes amid growing Chinese assertiveness over its maritime claims, which have sparked tensions with a number of countries.
Under the bills, the coast guard will be able to arrest suspects and examine the destruction of property on remote islands. Another bill will empower the coast guard to ask foreign ships to leave Japan's territorial waters, without requiring it to inspect the ships


India to step up engagement with the Arab League

Having cast its lot with the Arab League on the Syria question, India will step up its multilateral engagement with the Arab world in the coming months with a series of events that will include a visit to Cairo by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna to confabulate with the Arab League and to re-engage Egypt, which is stepping out of the rigid policy confines of the Mubarak era.
During his three-day visit, starting on March 2, Mr. Krishna will hold talks with the Foreign Ministers of the Arab League.
India will be stepping up its engagements at a time when the unfolding situation in Syria might tally with the current strategy of casting its lot with the Arab League by calling for early elections in the violence-wracked country.
Trade between the Arab countries and India in the last few years has exceeded $120 billion and over 60 lakh Indians live and work in the Arab world.
In order to maintain its pro-Palestinian credentials after two high-level interactions with Israel in Tel Aviv and New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs officials will also ascertain the possibility of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian leadership. On the Afghan question, too, the Arab countries are trying to facilitate talks between Kabul and the Taliban.
But the bottom-line during the visit would be an exploration of new venues of interest and cooperation.



India, Italy discuss easing of business visa regime

India and Italy discussed easing of the business visa regime, with Rome stating that it has already started working towards streamlining the process.
The issue of putting in place an effective visa regime for businessmen and professionals was raised during a meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi in New Delhi. Mr Giulio, who is on a visit to India, is heading a business delegation mainly representing the construction sector.
Both the countries had agreed last year to explore the possibility of using the certification from industry chambers to endorse the credentials for issuing business visa.
Mr Sharma, during his visit to Rome in February 2011, had raised concerns over grant of visa to which Italy had assured that flexibilities will be explored for granting long-term multiple entry visas under the new Schengen visa regime.



Loan agreements with ADB to aid MP,Guj, Assam projects

The government has signed three loan agreements amounting to 350 million US dollars with multilateral funding agency Asian Development Bank, ADB.
A memorandum of Understanding was signed between Ministry of Finance and ADB in New Delhi. Under the first loan agreement, a 200 million US dollar loan will help the Madhya Pradesh government provide 24-hour electricity to rural households in the state.
An official release in New Delhi said that another 100-million US dollar loan agreement was also signed to develop a solar power transmission system in Gujarat. The loan will help develop a transmission system that will distribute 500 megawatts of solar power from the Charanka Solar Park in Gujarat. The project will create job opportunities, improve social services and contribute to poverty reduction locally. It will also support power distribution companies in Gujarat and other Indian power utilities to meet part of their clean energy procurement obligations through solar energy.
The release further said that under the third loan agreement a 50 million US dollar loan will help the Assam government enhance electricity transmission and distribution capacity in the state.



Centre in favour of decriminalisation of gay sex

The Centre today on Feb 28 favoured decriminalisation of gay sex in Supreme Court, contradicting its earlier stand.
As the proceedings began in the case, Additional Solicitor General Mohan Jain told a division bench that as per the government decision there is no legal error in the Delhi High Court verdict which had decriminalised gay sex in 2009.
The Supreme Court pulled up the Centre for shifting stand on the issue and asked the government not to make mockery of the system.
The stand taken by Jain, who appeared for the Union Health Ministry, was contrary to the argument by Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra, who had appeared for the Ministry of Home Affairs and had opposed decriminalisation of gay sex.



Navy to induct Russian-origin nuclear submarine

In a major boost to its underwater strike capabilities, India will receive its Russian-origin nuclear-powered Akula II class submarine next month.
The nuclear submarine 'Nerpa' will arrive Vishakhapatnam next month on a ten-year lease, Defence Ministry sources said here.
The submarine is scheduled to arrive at its home base Vishakhapatnam in the second half of March, they said, adding the deal is worth USD 920 million.
An Indian crew had set sail with the the Akula II class rechristened as INS Chakra to India at the end of January.
After the 'INS Chakra' joins the naval fleet, it would be for the first time in more than two decades that the Indian Navy would have a nuclear attack submarine. This will also propel India in the elite league of six nations operating nuclear submarines.
India is also working on developing indigenous nuclear submarines of the Arihant class. The first submarine named INS Arihant was launched for sea trials recently and is expected to start operational patrols by the end of this year.
The Navy will have three submarines of this class by the end of this decade.
India already possesses or is in the process of developing a family of nuclear-capable missiles including the Agni series, Prithvi variants, naval missile Dhanush, and submarine-launched Sagarika.



Nationwide trade unions' strike hits key services

Public sector banking operations remained paralysed throughout the country while transport services were hit in some states as the nation-wide 24-hour strike called by 11 major trade unions evoked a mixed response.
Life in major cities, including capital Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, was normal though it was affected in states like Kerala, Odisha and Tripura while the strike had a mixed response in West Bengal where the Trinamool Congress government pulled all stops to neutralise the strike.
Reason for strike
Employees of public sector banks have gone on a one-day strike opposing outsourcing of non core activities to the private sector among other things.
Central trade unions have sponsored the strike demanding guarantee of labour rights, end to the contract labour system, bringing workers in the unorganised sector under the social security net and pension benefit for all workers.


S Korea passes resolution; Demands China to stop N Koreans’ deportation

South Korea's Parliament passed a resolution demanding that China stop the repatriation of North Korean refugees. The move follows a string of protests over the fate of some 30 North Koreans who are reportedly facing deportation from China and harsh repercussions.
The resolution was backed by 154 lawmakers. They also called on the United Nations and other bodies to put pressure on Beijing to follow international law. It is estimated that more than 20,000 North Koreans have fled to the South since the 1950s. The majority of them escape via China.


After NCTC, CMs oppose RPF Amendment Act

After National Counter-Terrorism Centre proposal some of the Chief Ministers are now gearing up to block another initiative of the Union government, the RPF Amendment Act.
In what can be another headache for the UPA, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying that the latest proposal goes “against the federal structure of the constitution.”
This was exactly the same argument put forward by a group of CMs when they had made their apprehensions clear on the NCTC. Chief Ministers of states like Orissa, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Tripura had opposed the creation of NCTC which was expected to be operational on March 1.
The proposal to empower RPF with police powers has come under attack from Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi too.
The provisions being inserted by the proposed amendment of the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957 is not in consonance with the schemes provided under article 246 of the Constitution of India, Modi said.
"Public order" and "police" are state subjects and proposing an amendment on these subjects under entry 22, 30 and 93 of Union List with entry 2 of the concurrent list in schedule VII of the Constitution of India is, not only a step to infringe upon powers of the state but also a serious blow to the federal structure of the Country, he said.


Panel submits Kudankulam report to Jayalalithaa

The four-member committee set up by the Tamil Nadu Government on the safety aspects of Kudankulam nuclear power plant submitted its report to Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa amid indication that it has given a clean chit to the project stalled by protests.
Committee Convenor Prof. S. Iniyan handed over the report to Ms. Jayalalithaa but declined to divulge details, saying the government would take follow up action.
The committee, set up by Ms. Jayalalithaa to break the impasse caused by the over five-month-long protests, was given two tasks -- reviewing safety features and allaying concerns of the local people.
The commissioning of the first reactor of the Indo-Russian joint venture, originally scheduled for December last, has been delayed following the continuing protests by the local people who have raised safety concerns.

IAS / IPS STUDIES - 6

RAPID GK SERIES

1. Who is the father of Geometry?
2. The Homolographic projection has the correct representation of
3. Who invented the BALLPOINT PEN?
4. B. C. Roy Award is given in the field of
5. Who wrote the famous book - 'We the people'?
6. Which of the following is not a chief organ of the United Nations Organisations?
7. The Battle of Plassey was fought in
8. The name of the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi islands was changed to Lakshadweep by an Act of Parliament in
9. Development expenditure of the Central government does not include
10. The Paithan (Jayakwadi) Hydro-electric project, completed with the help of Japan, is on the river
11. The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology is situated at
12. Rabindranath Tagore's 'Jana Gana Mana' has been adopted as India's National Anthem. How many stanzas of the said song were adopted?
13. The first death anniversary day of Sri Rajiv Gandhi was observed as the
14. Brass gets discoloured in air because of the presence of which of the following gases in air?

ANSWERS

1. Euclid
2. Area
3. Biro Brothers
4. Medicine
5. Nani Palkhivala
6. International Labour Organisation
7. 1757
8. 1973
9. Defence expenditure
10. Godavari
11. Hyderabad
12. Only the first stanza
13. Anti-Terrorism Day
14. Hydrogen sulphide


CURRENT AFFAIRS

Antony calls for global efforts to uproot threat of piracy

The Defence Minister A K Antony has called for global efforts to uproot the threat of piracy. Inaugurating the Annual National Maritime Foundation Conference in New Delhi , Mr. Antony said, India has already submitted certain proposals at the United Nations. He said, if ever there was a need for consensual and cooperative effort, it is in relation to piracy and India has put forward certain proposals at the United Nations.
The Defence Minister pointed out that the Indian Navy has made significant contribution to the global anti-piracy efforts in the Indian Ocean Region, IOR, since 2008. Mr. Antony said that the challenge of piracy is yet to be effectively quarantined.
The Defence Minister also voiced concern at the military presence of world’s major powers in the IOR despite the waters being far from their shores.



DERC decides to introduce smart metering system

Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission, DERC, has decided to introduce a smart metering system in the national capital to bringing next-generation reforms in the power sector. Through the initiative, consumers can make informed choices about electricity use based on varying cost and availability during the course of a day.
Informing this in New Delhi, the Chairman of the Commission, P D Sudhakar said that under this service consumers will get real-time information about price of power depending on availability and procurement cost.
He said for this service Advanced Metering Infrastructure which is widely used in US and European countries, will be installed. Mr. Sudhakar said the advanced metering system will empower the consumers to voluntarily decided on their power consumption.



Indian men's Hockey team qualifies for London Olympics

India beat France 8-1 in the final of Olympics Qualifier at the Major Dhyanchand National Stadium in New Delhi.
With this spectacular win India qualified for Olympics men's hockey after eight years. India's ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh slammed five goals, including a hat-trick. He was the highest scorer with the sixteen goals in the tournament.
Both India and France earned seven penalty corners each, but the visitors failed to utilise a single one while the hosts converted six.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has congratulated Indian Men's Hockey team for qualifying for London Olympics, and announced the bonanza of cash rewards included five lakh rupees per goal scored by each player of Haryana.
In addition, 11 lakh rupees per player would be given to each player hailing from Haryana. Mr Hooda also announced to give 2.51 lakh rupees to each player of Indian team.
The Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has congratulated Indian Hockey Team and announced that the Madhya Pradesh government will give reward of one lakh rupees each to every player of the winning Indian team.



WikiLeaks begin release of e-mails from Stratfor Global Intelligence

The whistle-blower website WikiLeaks says, it has begun releasing more than 5 million e-mails from Stratfor Global Intelligence, a private U.S.-based firm providing strategic analysis.
WikiLeaks said on its website that the e-mails reveal the company's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment-laundering techniques and psychological methods. It said the e-mails also contain privileged information about the U.S. government's attacks on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Stratfor's own attempts to subvert WikiLeaks.
The WikiLeaks said, the e-mails date from July 2004 to December 2011 and include more than 4,000 e-mails mentioning WikiLeaks or Assange, who is currently fighting extradition from Britain to Sweden on sexual assault charges.



Various projects to be undertaken by Railways in next five years

High Speed trains, Dedicated Freight Corridors and modernisation of 19000 kilometres of track, are among the ambitious projects to be undertaken by the Indian Railways in the next five years at a cost of over 8.2 lakh crore rupees. These are the recommendations of the Expert Group Chaired by Sam Pitroda, submitted to Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi in New Delhi. These also include a High speed railway line between Ahmedabad and Mumbai with 300 kilometers per hour speed.
Modernisation of 100 major stations and Radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking systems for wagons, coaches and locomotives are also on the anvil. Speaking on the occasion, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said, to ensure safety, modernisation is a requirement and the roadmap laid out by the Expert Group looks at a future where the Indian Railways contributes to two per cent of the country's GDP.
Mr. Trivedi said, for various ambitious plans of the government including the Food Security Bill, fast movement of goods is a necessity. The Expert group has also recommended to develop Public-Private Partnership models to attract private investment to augment core capabilities including High speed railway lines, elevated rail corridors, private freight terminals and Loco and coach manufacturing.
Mr. Sam Pitroda, the Chairman of the Expert Group who attended through video conferencing from Chicago, said the Railways would strengthen 11,250 bridges to sustain higher load at higher speed, eliminate level crossings and implement automatic signalling system. He said, 15 focus areas of the Railways have been identified for revamping. He further said, the recommendations include that the Railway Board be reorganized along business discipline and reflect the Chairman as CEO.



The European Union slaps new sanctions on Syria

The European Union has slapped new and stricter sanctions on Syria. These include sanctions on the Iran’s Central bank, cargo flights, precious metal trade and seven ministers.
Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal said in Brussels that EU foreign ministers may also consider a peacekeeping mision to Syria. However the EU Ministers have insisted that military intervention is ruled out.
EU's new round of sanctions slaps travel bans and asset freezes on the ministers of health, education, presidential affairs, communications and technology, oil and mineral resources, industry, and transport.
The Syrian Central Bank will also no longer have access to any funds it may hold in the EU. Syrian-operated flights carrying only cargo will not be allowed to land in the 27 member bloc. EU businesses will be banned from trading in gold, precious metals and diamonds with Syrian public bodies.



Tourism Ministry introduces three new categories of awards

The Ministry of Tourism has introduced three new categories of awards from this year as part of National Tourism Awards.
A new award called the Best State for Campaign Clean-India has been introduced to encourage states to put into place effective mechanisms for maintaining cleanliness at tourist destinations. Apart form this, two new categories of awards are introduced for Best Heritage City and Best Heritage Walk.
According to an official release, the President Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil will give away these awards on Wednesday in New Delhi. AIR Correspondent reports that the Ministry presents these national awards to various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry in the country.



Italian vessel not to be let off until 27th :Kerala HC

The Kerala High Court on Feb 27 directed that the Italian vessel Enrica Lexie should not be allowed to leave the Cochin coast till 5 pm on Feb 28. The Court was considering the Admiralty petitions moved by the relatives of the two deceased fishermen, who were shot dead by the armed naval personnel on board the vessel on the 15th of this month. The Court also ordered that the petitions be heard by an appropriate Bench of the High Court.
Meanwhile, the Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi President Charles George petitioned the High Court that the Captain of the Italian vessel be made an accused in the case. He also demanded that a Special Investigation Team should be formed comprising Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Police and officials of the Mercantile Marine Department to probe the case.
On Feb 28 the Kerala High Court will consider a petition moved by the Marines accused of killing the fishermen and the Italian Consul General in Mumbai, seeking to quash the FIR registered in connection with the case.



SC directs centre to implement rivers-interlinking project

The Supreme Court directed the centre to implement the ambitious interlinking of rivers project in a time-bound manner. Observing that the project has already been delayed resulting in an increase in its cost, a three judge bench, headed by S H Kapadia, appointed a high-powered committee to chart out and execute the project.
The committee will comprise of Union Minister of Water Resources, its Secretary, Secretary of Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and four expert members appointed by Water Resources Ministry, Finance Ministry, Planning Commission and MoEF.
Representatives from state governments, two social activists and senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, who has been assisting the court in the case, will also be members of the committee.



Indian special envoy holds talks with Norway’s Foreign Minister

India's special envoy M. Ganpathy had positive discussions with Norwegian Foreign Minister in Oslo regarding early return of the children, taken away from an NRI couple there.
Mr. Ganpathy was rushed to Norway as a special envoy and met Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store to find an expeditious and amicable solution to the custody row of Aishwarya and Abhigyan who were taken away by child welfare officials in Norway and placed in foster care.
An official spokesperson in the MEA, Syed Akbaruddin, said in a tweet that the Indian special envoy has had positive discussions with the Norwegian Foreign Minister in Oslo. He also tweeted that Special Envoy will meet Norway's Minister of Children, Equality And Social Inclusion, Audun Lysbakken later.
Meanwhile, BJP and CPI-M joined the grandparents of the two children and held a sit-in near the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi, launching a four-day protest demanding Norwegian government to send the kids back to India immediately.

IAS / IPS STUDIES - 5

RAPID GK SERIES

QUESTIONS

1. This King built the Sanchi Stupa
2. In 1994, the Malhotra Committee recommended the Privatization of this Sector
3. India is this much of largest in terms of area-wise
4. The chairmanship/presidency of the UN Security Council rotates among the Council Members
5. Chakiarkoothu is the dance which believed to be originated from this Indian State
6. The Kalhari Desert is situated in this Place
7. The Study of Algae is called
8. Knot is the measure to know the speed of this
9. Glauber’s Salt is also known as
10. The Highest Indian Peak is

ANSWERS

1. King Ashoka
2. Insurance
3. Seventh
4. Every Month
5. Kerala
6. Botswana (Africa)
7. Phycology
8. Ship
9. Sodium Sulphate
10. K 2 (Godwin Austen, 8611 meters)



IMF approves plan to distribute gold sale profits

The International Monetary Fund on Feb 24 2012 approved a plan to distribute about $1.1 billion in profits from past gold sales to IMF member countries, with the expectation they would return the money to fund an anti-poverty loan programme.
Under theIMF board’s decision, the $1.1 billion in gold sales profits would be distributed once member countries have provided “satisfactory assurances” that they will return at least 90 percent, or $978 million, for the currently zero-interestloan program for low-income countries.
The IMF board approved a limited sale of the Fund’s gold reserves in 2008 to diversify income soures.
The sales carried out between October 2009 and December 2010 generated total revenue of about $14.8 billion, of which $10.6 billion was profit.
The Fund has already decided to place at least $6.8 billion of the profits in an endowment to diversify the IMF‘s income away from the money it earns on loans.
It still has not decided how to distribute another $2.7 billion in profits from the gold sales.



India reiterates Arunachal is ours

Highly-placed government sources have reacted sharply to Chinese remarks that India should refrain from taking any action that could "complicate" the border issue.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei had "asked India to work with China to maintain peace and stability in border areas" after Defence Minister AK Antony visited Arunachal Pradesh for its statehood celebrations.
Reacting to the remarks, government sources reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is a part of India and that it was not the first time Antony had visited the northeastern state.
China routinely takes exception to any high level visits of Indian officials to Arunachal Pradesh which it claims is a part of Southern Tibet. It was part of the discussion of the past 15 rounds of border talks by the Special Representatives by the two countries.
China also denies visa to people of Arunachal Pradesh as part of its claim to the area.
In a recent case, visa was denied to a senior Indian Air Force officer to visit China as part of defence delegation prompting New Delhi to scale down the size of the delegation.



CBEC to issue Bio-metric cards soon to check fraud

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) will soon issue bio-metric cards to custom house agents to check fraud and misuse of services.
CBEC chairman SK Goel said Bio-metric smart cards will be issued first in Mumbai in all the three Customs zones.
He gave information that a fraudulent person will not be able to file documents anywhere in the city as his fingerprints would not match and his photo would be flashed across all zones.


Rhino census starts from March 15 in Assam

In Assam, forest department will start rhino census from 15 March. State Wildlife’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Suresh Chand says that census will be conducted in Kaziranga and Orang National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.
It may be noted that Assam is the home of the highest number of one -horn rhinoceros in the world. As per 2009 survey, a total of 2 thousand 301 rhinos were found in Assam.
The census will be categorized in male, female, calf and adult section. The exact number of rhino will be traced through camera mapping.



'Give freedom to states in use of rural funds'

Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has made a strong pitch for flexibility in use of funds under his ministry and suggested to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that 50 percent of his ministry's annual allocation be given to states as flexi-funds by the end of 12th Plan.
The minister, who was in Kerala on a three-day visit, called for a change in architecture of rural development programmes so that better developed states reap as much benefit as those lower on the development parameters.
Ramesh said that rural development programmes did not have "built-in flexibility" and were "too rigid". He said that rural development schemes were focused more on states that were backward and did not reflect the needs of states like Kerala which has high literacy and effective grassroots organisations.
The rural development ministry, which monitors some key flagship schemes of United Progressive Alliance Government (UPA), pumps in around Rs 90,000 crore every year in rural development schemes.
The demand for greater flexibility in rural schemes also came from Kerala Rural Development Minister KC Joseph who met Ramesh and participated with him at a Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) meet in Alapuezha district.
Joseph demanded that coir industry in the state should be included in MGNREGA and working hours under the scheme should be 9 am to 4 pm as there is high participation of women.



Indian Railways fall under CCI's ambit:

The Delhi High Court has held that the Indian Railways is an 'enterprise' and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) is empowered to hear complaints against it for alleged abuse of its dominant position in goods transport sector.
Holding that there is a "commercial angle" to the services rendered by the railways, Justice Vipin Sanghi dismissed the railway ministry's plea challenging the CCI jurisdiction to decide cases related to it.
The railways had taken a plea that it was not an "enterprise" as defined under the Competition Act and the CCI lacked jurisdiction to hear a complaint that it was allegedly abusing its dominant position in the trade of goods transport.
The judgement, which broadened the ambit of the panel by bringing railways' commercial activities under it, came on the plea of the public carrier against a CCI verdict.



SBI to slash interest rate on education loans

The State Bank of India, SBI, has taken in-principle decision to slash interest on education loans by up to one percentage point. SBI Managing Director and Chief Finance Officer Diwakar Gupta said, the bank will issue the notification shortly.
At present, interest rates on education loans range from 12.25 per cent to 14.50 per cent, depending on their quantum and the duration. SBI is also offering a concession of 0.5 per cent on interest rates for loans given to female students.
About the possible slashing of home loan rates, Mr. Gupta said, the possibility is less.



Budget: CII urges FM to retain current tax rates on excise

Confederation of Indian Industry, CII today asked Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to retain the current rates of excise and service tax in the Budget to boost investments.
CII said in its pre-Budget memorandum that there is a strong need for retaining the current rates of excise and service tax to spur investment by the industry.
As the government is faced with widening fiscal deficit, there are apprehensions in the industry that excise duty may be hiked in the Budget.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will present the Budget for 2012-13 on March 16.



Incidence of cancer highest in North-East

The incidence of cancer in North-East is the highest in India. According to Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, it is well over the national cancer incidence of approximately 10 to 13 thousand individuals per crore of population.
The Cachar Cancer Hospital & Research Centre is the only hope for the cancer patients of the one crore population of the three districts of Barak valley of Assam, where more than 15 thousand patients are being treated annually.
The hospital and research centre was started in 1996 by a voluntary organization at Silchar. Today it has become one of the three specialized hospitals for cancer patients available in the entire north east India. Most of the patients are daily wage laborers and agricultural workers.
The hospital has got facilities for chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. It has divisions of pathology, preventive oncology, and pain and palliative care.
Not only treatment and cure, they also work for awareness creation for prevention of cancer. Patients from the neighboring states of Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and even Arunachal Pradesh have started coming to this hospital for their treatment.



Govt takes initiative to launch white revolution in Assam

In Assam, Governor J B Patnaik has taken initiative to launch a white revolution. It will cover Tinsukia in the first phase as a few places of the district have already achieved success in milk production.
Upper Assam Division Commissioner Ifitkar Hussain said, in a bid to improve the social and economic condition of the people of insurgency affected Sadia, Kakopathar and Tinsukia areas, the Governor have initiated the scheme. He further said, Bharat Integrated Social Welfare Agency has already submitted the detailed project report on it.
Tinsukia district administration has involved various government departments, Self Help Groups (SHGs), dairy development societies and local banks to implement the scheme. There are 200 dairy development societies and 15 SHGs being involved in this process.
Assam government is likely to extend the scheme to Majuli in the next phase.

IAS / IPS STUDIES -4

RAPID GK SERIES

QUESTIONS

1. The World Red Cross Day is observed on
2. This National Leader has composed the National Patriotic Song ‘Vande Mataram’
3. This American Nobel Laureate Leader (1964) who fought for the Black People in the non-violent way
4. The National Game of Spain is
5. This Personality was the First Deputy Prime Minister of India
6. Akbar established Mansab System in the year
7. Article 14 to 18 in the Constitution of India cover
8. The Protection of Civil Rights in India was passed in this year
9. The Raghavan Committee is associated with this
10. The Tourism Phrase ‘Paradise Unexplored’ is associated with this Indian Part

ANSWERS

1. 8th October
2. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
3. Jr Martin Luther King
4. Bull Fighting
5. Sardar Vallabhai Patel
6. 1565
7. Right to Equality
8. 1955
9. Anti-ragging Measures
10. North East India


India, US discuss ways to expand their strategic partnership

Strengthening their military ties further, India and the US have discussed ways of expanding their growing strategic partnership and cooperation at the 12th Defence Policy Group meeting held in New Delhi.
The meeting was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma and US Acting Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Jim Miller. Miller also called on Defence Minister A K Antony and Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma to discuss bilateral defence issues. He also held meetings with National Security Advisor
Shivshankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai addressing a range of regional and global issues. In a statement, Miller said, the US sees India as a partner in advancing stability and security in the region and globally. He said, the US looks forward to continuing to strengthen its partnership on defence and security with India.
The next meeting of the Defence Policy Group will be held in the US next year.
India and the US have enhanced their cooperation in defence and have held a series of exercises involving their defence forces in the last decade. India has also emerged as one of the major importers of US defence equipment and has spent close to 10 billion US Dollar in procuring systems such as C-130J Hercules and C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft for the Navy.
It is also in negotiations with the US Government for the procurement of 145 ultra light howitzers and Javelin anti-tank guided missiles.



NSG will become country's premier force to fight terrorism: Chidambaram

The Home Minister Mr. P. Chidambaram asserted that National Security Guards will become country's premier force to fight terrorism and hijacking activities. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the NSG regional hub in Mumbai this evening, the Home Minister said that setting up of four NSG regional hubs will boost people's confidence and allay their concerns about security.
Mr. Chidambaram informed 1266 crore rupees have been earmarked for NSG to improve infrastructure facilities in the 12th five year plan. Our Mumbai correspondent reports that this is the first permanent NSG hub set up after the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008. About 21 acres of land have been allocated by the Maharashtra government for setting up of the hub.



Over 25 agri activities included in new MGNREGA

More than 25 agriculture and allied activities have been included in the new version of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gaurantee Act, MGNREGA, which will be implemented from 1 st of April this year.
Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh said that new version of MGNREGA will lead to better farm output. Rebutting the claims that MGNREGA is leading to fall in agricultural productivity, he said, on the contrary the studies done by independent bodies suggest the rural job scheme has led to better farm output.
After recieving a report on revised Operational Guidelines for MGNREGA, Mr. Ramesh said the new guidelines will also respond to demands of the states for location specific flexibility in permissible works as valuable suggestions from the states are incorporated in the guidelines. The Report was prepared by a committee headed by Planning Commission member Mihir Shah.



BSE launches 1st environment friendly equity index

The first environment friendly equity index 'BSE-Greenex' was launched in Mumbai. Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily inaugurated the Bombay Stock Exchange’s new initiative by striking the gong.
The BSE-Greenex is a first of its kind benchmark index, which includes top 20 companies based on Green House Gas Numbers, Free Float Market capitalization and turnover.
This index has been developed by BSE in association with ‘gTrade’ so as to promote green investing, with emphasis on financial performance and long-term viability of companies.


India seeks 5 million tons more crude from Saudi Arabia

India on Feb 23 sought 5 million tons of more crude oil from Saudi Arabia next fiscal as its refiners look at replacing at least 10 per cent crude oil imported from Iran.
Minister of state for petroleum and Natural Gas R P N Singh said he sought 5 million tons of more crude oil from Saudi Arabia in 2012-13.
India currently buys 27 million tons of crude oil per annum from Saudi Arabia while its annual imports from Iran is about 17 million tons.
The Saudi Minister said his country has a spare production capacity of 2.5 million barrels per day beyond current output of 9.8 million barrels a day.
India also sought more LPG from Saudi Arabia to meet growing energy needs.



Vice President releases book titled "Sufism and Indian Mysticism"

Vice President Md. Hamid Ansari today on Feb 23 released a book titled "Sufism and Indian Mysticism" at his residence in New Delhi this evening. Speaking on the ocassion he said, Sufism in Islamic tradition has for centuries been a source of inner peace, spiritual awakening and enlightenment for millions.
Mr. Ansari hoped the book would prove as a source of knowledge for students to understand Sufism and the Indian contribution in this regard. The volume having 29 well researched papers presents a wide spectrum of perspectives and in depth studies on different aspects of Islamic Sufism and Indian Mysticism.


Delhi Metro installs AEDs to handle cardiac arrests

The Delhi Metro installed Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at two stations to provide emergency treatment if a passenger suffers a cardiac arrest.
The AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses a potentially life-threatening cardiac arrest in a patient. The medical equipment treats patients through defibrillation -the application of electrical shock to allow the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.
To start with, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) along with Opto Circuits (India) Ltd, a manufacturer of medical equipment and interventional devices, has installed AEDs at the two biggest interchange stations - Central Secretariat and Kashmere Gate.This will be followed by training for a group of DMRC staff.
The AED`s have already been installed at all the six stations on the Delhi Airport Metro Express line.
As per medical experts, an estimated 40 million Indians suffer from at least one cardiovascular disease or disorder, making them susceptible to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
"If cardiac arrest patients are not attended to immediately, they can lead to irreversible brain damage within three to five minutes. Defibrillation systems such as AEDs enable the detection and identification of life-threatening arrhythmias and when appropriate, deliver a shock to restore the normal heartbeat," Vanita Arora, senior consultant cardio electro physiologist, Max hospital added.



India concerned over piracy menace from Somalia

India on Feb 23 pledged to help Somalia in its economic development as New Delhi underlined the need for stability in the war-torn nation which has become a breeding ground for pirates.
Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said India desired stability in the Horn of Africa state which has been hit by protracted crisis.
He said piracy was the "most obvious example of the lack" of stability there, and hoped the Conference will reflect India's concerns on the issue.
Indians constitute 7 per cent of all the world's seafarers and a manifestation of the Somali predicament has been the tremendous human cost that these seafarers pay.
The conference is being attended by British Prime Minister David Cameron, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN chief Ban Ki-moon among officials from about 50 countries and organisations to discuss a roadmap for Somalia.



National competition policy will lower prices: Minister

A National Competition Policy will be ready by March 31 with several positive benefits for the country's economy, including lowering of food prices, says Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily.
"It has lots of benefits, because all the monopolies and anti-competitive forces will have to be dismantled," Moily said, after a Corporate & Investor Meet.
He said monetary policy alone would not be able to rein in inflation.
"The National Competition Policy, by targeting cartelization, will go a long way in moderating prices, especially the food prices," Moily said, referring to the US, where such a policy had resulted a cut of petroleum products prices.
"The forthcoming National Competition Policy is an instrument capable of triggering second-generation of economic reforms," Moily said.



CERN to re-run Einstein tests in May after cable

Physicists are to run new tests in May after the CERN research institute said that its startling findings appearing to show that one of Einstein's fundamental theories was wrong could have been caused by a loose cable.
The CERN lab near Geneva appeared to contradict Albert Einstein's 1905 Special Theory of Relativity last year when they reported that sub-atomic particles called neutrinos could travel fractionally faster than light.
Einstein's theory, which underpins the current view of how the universe works, says that nothing can travel faster than light, and doing so would be like traveling back in time.
CERN said two possible effects had been identified that could have an influence on its neutrino timing measurement during its OPERA experiment. "New measurements with short pulsed beams are scheduled for May," it said in a statement.
One effect concerned an oscillator used to provide the time stamps for GPS (Global Positioning System) synchronizations, which could have led scientists to overestimate the neutrino's time of flight.
However, the other effect appeared to be more significant in the faster-than-light finding of the original OPERA experiment.
The second concerns the optical fiber connector that brings the external GPS signal to the OPERA master clock, which may not have been functioning correctly when the measurements were taken. If this is the case, it could have led to an underestimate of the time of flight of the neutrinos.
The faster-than-light finding was recorded when 15,000 neutrino beams were pumped over three years from CERN to an underground Italian laboratory at Gran Sasso near Rome.
Physicists on the experiment said when they reported it last September that they had checked and rechecked over many months anything that could have produced a misreading before announcing what they had found.
Edward Blucher, chairman of the Department of Physics at the University of Chicago, said the original finding would have been breathtaking if it had been true. As it was, the research inspired many spirited discussions, if few believers.



Men's hockey Qualifiers: India beat Canada

India rode on Sandeep Singh’s brilliance to virtually seal its place in the final of the men’s hockey Olympic Qualifying tournament after defeating Canada 3-2 at the Major Dhyanchand Stadium in New Delhi on Feb 22.
Sandeep converted two penalty corners to not only see India through in the pulsating encounter, but also increase his goal-tally to nine in the tournament. With four wins out of four matches, India more or less are through to the summit clash of the tournament.
In another match Poland defeated Singapore 11-3 while France beat Italy 3-0. In Women's section South Africa beat India 5-2.