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.