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.