Civilsdaily digest August 2015

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Civilsdaily Newsdigest
August 2015

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Economics | August 1, 2015
Centre to pump Rs. 70,000 cr. into PSU banks
1. In a bid to boost investments, Centre will over the
next four years infuse Rs.70,000 crore out of
budgetary allocations into PSU banks – Rs. 25,000 in
this year and the next, Rs.10,000 crore in 2017‐18
and 2018‐19.
2. NIIF will make equity investments of Rs. 20,000 crore
every year in commercially viable long gestation
projects.
3. Reason for the capital infusion is global and domestic
slowdown in demand, menace of NPAs and lowered
profitability of PSU banks.
Discuss: NIIF is owned 49% by the govt. outside the
purview of the Parliament and CAG, and is run by
commercial managers.
Enviro & Biodiversity | August 1, 2015
Should we put a price on ground water, asks
SC
1. Showing a concern to the wastage of groundwater,
SC asked the Centre and the Delhi Govt. if limiting its
use by metering it and charging can help to check the
shortage.
2. The petitioner had argued that water is an important
natural resource and it is the responsibility of the govt.
to ensure its judicious and sustainable use.
3. Besides checking the groundwater wastage, the
suggested move will also generate revenue for the
govt. which can be used to safeguard the
underground water table.

Polity | August 1, 2015
Centre ruled out Special Category Status (SCS)
for Bihar
1. Reason given is that the 14 Fin Commission had not
made any difference between general states and SCS
for the horizontal distribution among them.
2. However, special assistance on lines of what was
provided to Andhra Pradesh post bifurcation has
already been allotted to Bihar and West Bengal in this
year’s budget.
Discuss: The concept of SCS was first introduced in 1969
when the 5th Fin Commission sought to provide certain
disadvantaged states with preferential treatment in the
form of central assistance and tax breaks.
Science & Tech | August 1, 2015
Vaccine developed to fight Ebola
1. The vaccine has been developed by the Public Health
Agency of Canada and the trials were conducted in
Guinea which showed 100% efficacy.
2. A dummy virus (vesicular stomatitis virus, or VSV) was
designed with diluted elements of Ebola.
3. This risk‐free virus when injected into the human
body alarms the immune system, which kills the VSV
as well as the deadly ebola virus.
th

NSSO survey reveals 67.3% rural households
use firewood for cooking
1. In contrast, only 14% of urban households use
firewood and the remaining rely of LPG.
2. In North Indian States, cow‐dung cake is used by a
third of rural households in UP and Punjab, a quarter
in Haryana and a fifth in Bihar.
3. The use of firewood drops steadily with rising incomes
in rural and urban areas, and LPG use is highest
among the richest classes.
4. 87% of ST households and 70% of SC households in
rural India use firewood, compared with 57% of
others.
5. Over 25% of rural households still rely on kerosene
for lighting.
World Gold Council releases report on Indian
hallmarking
1. The World Gold Council’s (WGC) report explores
India’s export potential, if gold jewellery are
hallmarked.
2. It says that India’s gold jewellery export can increase
from $8 billion to $40 billion by 2020, if hallmarking is
adopted fully.
3. Currently, less than a third of Indian jewellery is
hallmarked.
4. There is a widespread differences in purity of gold,
because of poor quality control methods and only
about 30 % of Indian jewellery is hallmarked.
5. Another problem is concentration of India’s 400
hallmarking centres around specific cities.

[op‐ed snap] A basic right is in danger
1. The Attorney General’s argument questioning right to
privacy is against the interests of the people, and also
seems to be politically motivated.
2. India has ratified the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights, which unequivocally supports the
existence of the right to privacy.
3. It is inconsistent for the govt. to argue that US has
violated Indian citizen’s right to privacy and denying
the same right domestically.
World | August 1, 2015
Russia, China set to counter US‐led ‘Asia Pivot’
in the Pacific
1. Russia’s new naval doctrine singles out China as its
core partner in the Pacific,
2. The new policy appear towards countering the Japan
backed “Asia Pivot” of the United States.
3. US’ “Asia Pivot” doctrine envisages that 60 per cent of
the total US armed forces would be deployed under
the Pacific Command, with China as its focal point.
4. Tokyo’s policy shift allows it to deploy its armed
forces overseas even without an imminent threat to
Japanese territory or citizens.
5. Japan is using ‘China Threat’ as an excuse to
pass controversial security bills.

[cd explains] Minimum Alternate Tax
[Correction] – MAT is a form of Direct Tax. Why? Read
the explanation after the infograph. Explained by Vijay –
MAT came into the picture because companies were not
paying taxes by the exemptions and deductions under the
Income Tax Act. So they haven’t paid their INCOME TAX
during an assessment year. In order … Continue reading
(http://www.civilsdaily.com/cd‐explains‐minimum‐
alternate‐tax/)
Centre to counter terror dogmas
1. Govt. will rope in moderate Muslims and learned
people from the community to propagate ‘counter
narrative’ on cyber‐space.
2. Idea is to deter youngsters from accepting extremist
ideologies espoused by the IS.
3. National Technical Research Organisation will prepare
a module for training the constabulary of the state
police in tracking the social media.
4. NGOs and civil society will be involved to curb stigma
of alienation among the minority communities.

FSSAI gets 3 months to finalise guidelines
controlling sale of junk food around schools
1. Acting on a public interest writ petition, the Delhi HC
had earlier directed FSSAI to regulate sale of foods
high in salt, fats and sugar in and around 50 metres of
schools.
2. Court also directed CBSE to consider including the
adherence to these guidelines while giving affiliation
to the schools.
3. The draft guidelines suggested creation of a canteen
policy and education program to inform students and
parents of link between ‘High in fats, salt & sugar’
(HFSS) foods and non‐communicable diseases like
obesity, hypertension, diabetes etc.
Spike in elephant attacks linked to Kogadu
power project
1. An analysis has shown that increase in man‐elephant
conflict has risen because of construction activities in
the forests of Kogadu.
2. A brief halt in the construction of power lines has
been suggested to take appropriate mitigating actions.
3. Proposal has also been made to create trenches and
other barriers in gaps between forests and villages
from where elephants enter the human habitation.

Differences over offset clause delays Rafale
deal
1. India insists that France should invest 50% of the
$4Billion deal in the Indian defence industry in form of
offset obligations.
2. But France is ready to invest only 30% to cover
infrastructure costs, maintenance, training and storage
facilities.
3. Also, the 2 year timeline of procuring the jets seems
doubtful as Dassault (manufacturer of Rafale jets) has
capacity of manufacturing 11 jets a year and it already
has an order of 24 jets each from Qatar and Egypt.
Discuss: Countries importing military equipment often
require obligations from the exporter to invest in the
importer's defense industry. This is called the ‘offset
clause’.
No security at non‐major ports
1. In a report on the coastal security, the IB told Centre
that as many as 75 of 203 non‐major ports literally
lacked any kind of security.
2. Most of these ports are presently non‐operational.
One such port was used by the terrorists to enter the
mainland during 26/11 attack.
Discuss: While major ports are administered by the
Centre’s Shipping Ministry, non‐major ports are
administered by the govt. of respective coastal states.

India aiming to be among top 30 in ‘ease of
doing business’
1. Currently, India is ranked 142 out of 189 countries
ranked by the WB.
2. Contributions are expected from initiatives like e‐biz
portal, GST, mobile platform for setting up business
and closer cooperation with states.
3. Initiatives like Skill India, Make in India, Mudra Bank
etc. will further provide an impetus to achieve the
target.
FICCI moots measures to boost textile sector
1. Suggesting that India could capitalize on China’s
decision to decrease export driven model of economy,
FICCI suggested Fin Min to invest in textile sector.
2. FICCI batted for an increase in funds under
Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) and
interest subvention for exporters.
3. They also suggested a reduction in taxes and duties
for exports in textile sector believing that revenue loss
on this account will be compensated by an increase in
consumption.
nd

Lenders yet to find comfort in special debt
revamp scheme
1. Some banks have shown the concern that in such
conversions of loans into equity, mostly the banks are
the major stakeholders and are apprehensive of their
abilities to either scout for a new promoter or to
turnaround the company.
2. But if executed well, this scheme can instill a sense of
fear among the defaulting corporates and reduce
NPAs.
Discuss: Strategic Debt Restructuring Scheme envisages
lenders to consider change in management controls of a
defaulted company or to transfer its equity to lenders
India wins patent war on hair loss formula
1. TKDL of CSIR successfully refuted the claim of a UK
based company to patent a medicinal composition
containing turmeric, pine bark and green tea for
treating hair loss.
2. TKDL proved that the above ingredients find mention
in the ancient Ayurveda and Unani texts for treatment
of hair loss and are in use since then.
3. TKDL had also earlier blocked Colgate‐Palmolive’s
attempt to patent a mouthwash formula containing
herbal extracts of ‘Jayaphal’ (Nutmeg) extract.
Discuss: The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library
(TKDL) is a pioneering initiative to prevent
misappropriation of country's traditional medicinal
knowledge at international patent offices.

Pak becomes 1st non‐European associate
member of CERN
1. The status marks recognition of Pakistan’s impressive
credentials in field of science and technology.
2. Pakistan made significant contribution to CERN’s
flagship experimental project – Large Hadron Collider
(LHC).
3. It will open a new era long term partnership between
CERN & Pakistan’s scientific community.

[op‐ed snap] Monetary policy committee: vote
or veto?
1. Govt. and RBI have been on the same page in most of
the monetary policy actions, except few.
2. The expression of ‘high growth with moderate
inflation‘ suffice the balance in a developing country.
3. A veto is the antithesis of a vote. A vote and a veto
co‐exist uneasily and with unhappy consequences
only in the UN Security Council.
4. It would be unwise to say that govt. cannot be trusted
to nominate qualified or independent members for
MPC, in fact RBI governor is also appointed by them.

China’s telescope could listen to sounds from
the universe
1. China’s radio telescope could become world’s largest
“Big sensitive ear” to listen to subtle signals from
universe, decoding cosmic messages.
2. The telescope’s reflector has a diameter of 500
meters and made up of 4450 panels.
3. It is named FAST, i.e. Five‐hundred‐metre‐Aperture
Spherical radio Telescope
4. It could be used to survey hydrogen in distant galaxies
and defect in faint pulsars and looking for first star
shining.
Discuss: Pulsars are the highly magnetised, rotating
neutron stars that emit a beam of electromagnetic
radiation.
Trivia | August 3, 2015
India foils U.K. firm’s bid to patent Ayurvedic
mix
1. India successfully protected its traditional knowledge
by preventing an attempt made by European
laboratory.
2. Company tried to take patent on a medicinal
composition containing turmeric, pine bark and green
tea for treating hair loss.
3. Traditional Knowledge Digital Library served as an
evidence.
4. The composition is in use since long time in Ayurveda
and Unani.

India to host meeting of 14 Pacific island
nations
1. India will host the heads of 14 island nations at the
Forum for India‐Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)
2. Most of economies in the region are based
on agriculture, fisheries and small‐scale industries
where India has considerable strength.
3. India tries to check China which has significantly
expanded its foothold in the region in terms of
business, trade and diplomacy.
4. India’s strong relations with Fiji, which has
considerable influence in the region, could help
counter the growing Chinese influence.
India to produce dozen billionaires by 2020 –
Assocham
1. India will be among the top Asian start‐ups along with
China and South‐east countries.
2. This value creation will happen at e‐commerce,
entertainment, payment gateways and city transport
aggregators.
3. The untapped areas for online business include e‐
coaching, medical consultations and social networking
in the cities.
4. There could be a high rate of mortality as well, if no
proper strategies are followed.
5. There is not much interest among the budding
entrepreneurs in the area of hardcore manufacturing.

Obama to unveil strongest climate plan in U.S.
history
1. Obama will unveil a set of environmental regulations
to sharply cut greenhouse gas emissions from the
nation’s power plants and ultimately transform
America’s electricity industry.
2. These rules are tougher versions of regulations
announced by Environmental Protection Agency in
2012 and 2014.
3. It could lead to closing of many coal‐fired power
plants, freeze construction of new ones and create a
boom in the renewable energy sources.
4. These regulations require the nation’s power plants to
cut the emissions by 32 % by 2030 from 2005 levels.
Discuss: US is building motion for the Paris Climate talks
later this year.
India set to be most populous nation
1. UN has released the 2015 revision to the U.N.’s
World Population Projections.
2. In 7 years, India will surpass China to become the
world’s most populous country and will have 1.7
billion residents by 2050.
3. Experts argue that U.N.’s projections does not factor
in country’s sharper fall in fertility rate.
4. China’s population will start declining by the 2030s,
while India’s is projected to decline only after 2069
when its population is around 1.75 billion.
Discuss: The world population is growing at slower pace
@ 1.18 % as compared 1.24% a dedade ago.

Sugar woes – PM pitches for more ethanol
blending
1. To implement ethanol blending with petrol from 2 to
5% which could eventually be raised to 10% and
exploring the possibility of exporting sugar to liquidate
sugar stock.
2. Sugar industry owes about Rs 14,398 crore to cane
farmers and is unable to make payment.
3. It is facing severe liquidity crunch on account of
surplus production that has resulted in low prices of
sugar in the domestic market.
First river info system in August
1. India is set to deploy its first world‐class river
information system (RIS) by the end of August in the
Sagar‐Farakka section of National Waterway (NW)
1, the stretch with the highest traffic.
2. The RIS will function like air traffic control to ensure
smooth flow of vessels and cargo on the waterway.
3. How is this going to help the Indian Economy in a
longer/ shorter run?

Govt plans to convert 101 rivers into national
waterways
Interview with Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of
India. How do you plan to develop 101 waterways when
even the 5 declared so far are yet to be fully developed?
what’s different now? Reasons – delays in pre‐feasibility
and techno‐economic feasibility status, difficulties in land
acquisition and coordination with state government.
What now – 101 water bodies with … Continue reading
(http://www.civilsdaily.com/govt‐plans‐to‐convert‐101‐
rivers‐into‐national‐waterways/)
Govt plans to close down Mahila Bank
1. The finance ministry is expected to approach the
Cabinet with a proposal to close Bharatiya Mahila
Bank, (BMB) established in 2013.
2. There were speculations of a merger between SBI &
BMB but let’s wait and watch.

History | August 3, 2015
What connects Christopher Nolan and Rao
Jodha?
1. Link the images on the poster (at the civilsdaily
website).
2. We are looking for a formidable piece of
architecture here – what are we talking about?
3. Christopher Nolan finds a connect! That’s a big hint!
Centre inks peace accord with Naga insurgent
group
1. Govt. has signed a peace accord with the Nationalist
Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak‐Muviah) – one of
the largest insurgent outfits in the North East.
2. They have been demanding a unified Naga identity
and a separate state of Nagalism for past six decades.
3. However, there is no clarity on the Sovereignty clause
and the details of accord have not yet been made
public.

Govt. ready to make a U‐turn on land bill
1. The 6 amendments to the LARR Act, 2013 may be
taken back by the Govt.
2. The controversial amendments include – consent
clause, SIA requirements, replacing ‘public company’
with ‘public entity’, restoring clause on action against
defaulting officers, dropping special category projects
proposed to be free of SIA and consent clause.
3. The move might end the logjam in the Parliament.
Only 8.15% of Indians are graduates
1. As of 2011, one out of every 10 Indians in a graduate
or above.
2. The numbers were released by the Census
Commissioner and Registrar General of India.
3. The rate of increase in graduates was more in rural
India and the fastest of all among the rural women.
4. Over 60% of the graduates have non‐technical
degrees.

Plan to divert rivulets that flow into Kolleru
Lake
1. AP Govt. is planning to divert most of the rivulets and
~70 major and minor drains from Kolleru Lake to
Polavaram Right Main Canal (PRMC) for irrigation
purposes.
2. Environmentalists see this as a move to reduce the
size of Kolleru Lake and will have a negative ecological
impact.
3. Kolleru Lake was given the status of Ramasar Site in
2002 and as per convention, inflows to the protected
wetland cannot be diverted for other purposes.
4. Kolleru Lake is a roosting spot for grey pelican and
houses many water fowls, many of which are
migratory.
Discuss: Lake Kolleru is one of the largest freshwater
lakes of India.
Divided opinion on India’s active role in fight
against IS
1. The discussion comes in the backdrop of IS call for a
joint Afghan‐Pak jihadi coalition against India.
2. India is under a constant pressure of US to join the
coalition against IS.
3. Any active role in the fight against IS must factor in
the geopolitical, economic and domestic sensitivities.
4. Some experts believe that offense is the best form of
defense while some believe that any active action
might be detrimental to the safety of 39 Indian
construction workers in the captivity of IS in Iraq.

A major step by US to tackle climate change
1. The final rules propose to reduce carbon emissions
from power plants by 32% (against previous target of
30%) of 2005 level by 2030.
2. The states will have to submit final plans by 2018
(instead of 2017) and comply by 2022 (instead of
2020).
3. Until now there were no federal limits on the amount
of pollution coal fired plants could produce.
4. These plants provide 37% of power supply and 40%
of emissions.
5. The move has got mixed response with Republicans
voicing opposition, saying they would be economically
damaging.
Discuss: US is the second largest carbon emitter after
China.
Isro to put US satellite in space for the first
time
1. ISRO will launch an American satellite using the PSLV.
2. India has so far launched 45 satellites for 19 nations
and another 28 foreign satellites will be launched in
the next two years.
3. Presently, ISRO is preparing to launch communication
satellite from GSLV‐Mark II and testing
the indigenously developed cryogenic engine for
GSLV‐Mark‐III.

[op‐ed snap] Indo:Bangla – Freedom after
many midnights
1. The resolution of maritime dispute with Bangladesh in
2014 and land accord recently, are one of the
important diplomatic achievements of India’s foreign
policy.
2. The settlement of inter‐country dispute involving
territorial issues are always remarkable achievements.
3. The enclave issue, which had its roots in partition led
to denial of right to freedom and justice to many.
4. Now, the ball is in govt.’s court to step up
infrastructure and development initiatives to mitigate
the trauma of citizens.
[op‐ed snap] Suspension of MPs – Abdication
of responsibility
1. The suspension of 25 Congress MPs will only escalate
the confrontation between govt. and opposition.
2. Though the speaker exercised her authority to
suspend members for causing gross disorder, she
failed to do justice to her role as a facilitator of free
and open debate in the LS.
3. Govt. has been utterly dismissive of the allegations
against its ministers, rather than ensuring
accountability of public office.

How close were the Mauryans with Cave
architecture?
1. Mauryan age witnessed the first phase in the history
of cave architecture.
2. The caves found in the Barabar hills (4 caves) &
Nagarjunakonda hills (3 caves) are a testimony to that!
3. Why were these caves built?
4. Well, from what it appears – they were gifted to the
monks of the Ajivika Sect. They used it for residential
purpose.
Discuss: Read the connected story at the web. Click on
the orange tree.
What happened to the cave architecture after
Mauryans?
1. Cave architecture witnessed some remarkable
progress in the post Mauryan era.
2. Caves were cut in both western and eastern part of
India.
3. Western – Ajanta [covered earlier], Kanheri, Junnar
etc.
4. Eastern – Khandagiri‐Udayagiri (Odisha), Haathi
gumpha, Ganesh Gumpha & Rani Gumpha.

Who was King Kharavela?
  King Kharavela rose to power in Kalinga when India was
passing through a phase of political disintegration. After
the fall of the Maurya Empire, the theory of Chakravarti
Rajya was fast losing ground as disunity overtook the
land. It was Kharavela who in his brief period of power
effectively revived that political tendency, and tried …
Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/who‐was‐
king‐kharavela/)
King Ashoka and his approach to
administration
  Humanitarian & Paternal Administration – No ruler
thought of himself like Asoka as the father of his subjects,
and no king is known to have proclaimed “All men are my
children”. Thoughts on Spiritual Welfare – The prime
objective of Asoka –  to achieve both material and
spiritual welfare of men. He made it a principle …
Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/king‐
ashoka‐and‐his‐approach‐to‐administration/)

An Estimate of Kanishka – One of the Greatest
Monarchs of Ancient India
As a conqueror, an empire‐builder, a patron of Buddhism,
and a promoter of culture, Kanishka played an important
role to earn that distinction. How do we place him in
context? He was a ruler of the Kushana Dynasty. The
Kushana Empire in fact was the largest empire in India
after the fall of … Continue reading
(http://www.civilsdaily.com/an‐estimate‐of‐kanishka‐one‐
of‐the‐greatest‐monarchs‐of‐ancient‐india/)
[op‐ed snap] Taliban after Mullah Omar
1. The two decade long intimate relationship between
Taliban and Pakistan, makes it an important external
player in Afghanistan.
2. The rise of new leader Mansour has given rise to
dissent within Taliban, and Pakistan is making all
efforts to curb that.
3. A Haqqani leader has been appointed deputy
commander by Taliban. Actually, Haqqani is a true arm
of Pakistan’s ISI.
4. Pakistan wants to continue its dominance over
internal affairs of Afghanistan, which are further
facilitated by its geographical position.

[cd explains] APJ Kalam on Neutrino Science

Nitin Gadkari’s 5 big‐ticket projects to
modernise inland waterways
101 National Waterways India has numerous rivers,
canals, creeks, lakes that can be developed as inland
waterways, but only five waterways have been declared
as national waterways (NWs) Integrated National
Waterways Transportation Grid All the 5 declared NWs
cannot be joined to create a national waterway grid, but
at least three can form a grid in … Continue reading
(http://www.civilsdaily.com/nitin‐gadkaris‐5‐big‐ticket‐
projects‐to‐modernise‐inland‐waterways/)

Citizenship for those who fled for religious
persecution
1. Union Home Ministry will amend Citizenship Act,
1955 to give citizenship to religious persecution
victims in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
2. Migrants include Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Zoroastrians,
Christians and Buddhists.
3. These migrants do not have any valid documents or
have expired visas leading them to be categorized as
illegal migrants.
4. Changes in Foreigners Act, 1946, Passport (Entry into
India) Act, 1950 and Passport (Entry into India) Act,
1920 will be made to give them long term visas while
their case for citizenship is being considered.
Autonomous councils for Nagas key to deal
success
1. Autonomous councils for Nagas outside Nagaland is
under consideration although redrawing of state
boundaries is not on cards.
2. A similar peace accord failed in 2011 when States
with a sizeable Naga population of Assam, Manipur
and Arunachal Pradesh opposed such councils.
3. Autonomous councils are locally appointed Govts.
that operate in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram,
West Bengal and J&K.

Metro installs 9 Solar Power generation
facilities
1. Delhi Metro has installed nine new solar power
generation facilities in Badarpur‐Faridabad section for
partial fulfilment of energy requirements.
2. These power facilities have capacity of 1,660 kWp
while total solar capacity installed as of now is 2,800
kWp.
3. DMRC has a plan of creating solar power capacity of
20MWp out of which work has already been awarded
for 11MWp.
Discuss: Kilowatt peak (kWp) stands for peak power. This
value specifies the output power achieved by a Solar
module under full solar radiation.
Rare Chera, Chola coins found in Thanjavur
1. 10 rare coins have been found at Thanjavur. These
include – a Sangam age Chera coin datable to second
century BCE, eight Chola period coins and a
Vijayanagara period coin.
2. Of the 8 Chola coins, one belongs to the Raja Raja
Chola and another to his son, Rajendra Chola.
3. The miniscule Vijayanagara silver coin was issued by
emperor Krishnadevaraya.
4. Excavation also yielded a heap of beads made out of
glass, terracotta and semi‐precious stones, terracotta
pipes and big pots.
Discuss: What makes these coins special? Read full story
on web. Click the tree below!

Rs. 120 Crore for urban renewal plan
1. As a part of AMRUT, the money, for the first time, will
be directly transferred to Municipal Councils
nationwide.
2. The present funds will cover 482 cities with Rs. 25
lakh for each.
3. Unlike JNNURM where state was the deciding
authority, AMRUT empowers city councils.
4. All city‐level plans will be aggregated into State
Annual Action Plans and sent to the Ministry for
approval.
[op‐ed snap] Breakthrough in Nagaland
1. The landmark deal leaves some smaller groups such as
Khole‐Kitovi and the reformation factions, out of
decisive phases of the peace process.
2. NSCN(K) is already hostile about engagement and is
building alliance with other small insurgent groups.
3. Govt. needs to take into account that several players
of insurgency are not yet taken on board.
4. The agreements should be built upon by involving all
the stakeholders viz. other groups, Naga civil society
and representatives of neighbouring states.
5. The challenge for the govt. is to provide Naga sense
of identity without acceding the claims on territories
of other states.

ISRO to launch 9 nano/micro American
1. ISRO’s commercial vehicle Antrix will launch 9 micro
and nano US satellites as small co‐passengers using
PSLV.
2. A micro satellite weighs between 10 to 100 kgs while
a nano satellite weighs between 1 to 10 kgs.
3. ISRO‐NASA are also co‐developing a Synthetic
Aperture Radar – a radar imaging satellite and will be
launched from India in 2019‐20.
[op‐ed snap] Victory over Ebola
1. The research communities eagerness to find a safe
and efficacious vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus
has borne fruit.
2. WHO sponsored vaccine has shown 100% efficacy
after 10 days of vaccination.
3. The clinical trial used “Ring methodology” to provide
vaccination to high risk population.
4. The ebola virus killed many, devastated economies
and caused the health‐care systems to collapse in the
3 countries.
Discuss: Under "Ring" vaccination, people at high risk of
infection owing to direct contact with an index patient or
who had been exposed to the primary contacts are
chosen.

[op‐ed snap] Taliban Conundrum –
Afghanistan on edge again
1. Mullah Mansour, the new Taliban chief would find it
tough to follow Mullah Omar as he is yet to convince
Taliban cadres and Afghan Shura.
2. The hardcore insurgents will lose motivation to fight, if
they come to know about any external links of Taliban
leader.
3. The new Taliban chief’s main obstacles are to maintain
unity among its cadres, win support of Afghan Shura
and shed its image of being too close to Pakistan.
4. The Pakistan govt. should rethink its policy and invest
in the people of Afghanistan and institution‐building in
the country.
Tulsi – Genome sequencing completed
1. CSIR along with Central Institute for Medicinal &
Aromatic Plants carried complete genome sequencing
of tulsi, also known as ‘Holy Basil’.
2. The complete genome sequence of a traditional plant
carried out for first time.
3. Tulsi is full of organic compounds and can cure large
number of ailments.
Discuss: We are doing a news round up for S&T so that it
helps in the last minute revision for Pre 2015!

“Cancer not beyond us”‐ World Cancer Day
Theme
1. The theme highlights that solutions for cancer do exist
and they are not beyond our reach and very much
accessible.
2. In 2011, UN adopted a world cancer declaration,
which seeked to dispel the damaging myths and
misconceptions about the disease.
3. The campaign intends to implement known areas of
cancer prevention, early detection , treatment and
care to ease global cancer burden.
India celebrated 1st National Deworming Day
1. The first national deworming day was celebrated on
10 Feb, 2015.
2. Agency – Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
3. It aims to protect more than 24 crore children in the
ages of 1‐19 years from intestinal worms by providing
Albendazole tablets.
4. India is now targeting intestinal worms among the
children to achieve the status of being “Worm‐free”

ROTOVAC – Desi Rotaviral vaccine
1. Rotovac will boost efforts to combat infant mortality
due to diarrhoea.
2. It is an oral vaccine, administered to infants at the
ages of 6,10 and 14 weeks.
3. Rotovirus affects populations in all socio‐economic
groups, which makes it equally prevalent in
industrialized and developing countries.
4. It is an infection of stomach and bowel and spreads by
contact/airborne route.
5. The first infection tends to be mostly severe as later
body develops immunity to the virus.
ASTROSAT on cards of ISRO launch
1. ISRO is planning to launch its first ever dedicated
astronomy mission called ASTROSAT.
2. It is meant for studying the distant celestial objects.
3. It will be India’s first observatory set up in space by
ISRO, similar to NASA’s Hubble telescope.
4. The satellite will record observations in UV, optical,
low and high energy X‐ray wavebands.

Rosetta mission : Exploring Comets
1. Rosetta is a robotic space probe built by European
Space Agency to study comet Chury.
2. It is the first man‐made object to land on a comet to
trace the origins of life on earth and explore the
formation of solar system.
3. The probe is named after a Rosetta stone, a slab of
volcanic basalt found in Egypt in 1799, which
revolutionized the understanding of past.
4. International Astronomical Union divides the bodies
into – plants, dwarf planets and small solar system.
5. Small solar system bodies include comets, asteroids
and meteoroids.
Discuss: Comets are clusters of primordial dust and ice
that orbit our star in elliptical circuits.
LASER: Revolutionary technology
1. Laser light has very different properties from normal
light.
2. It releases monochromatic light, i.e. it contains one
specific wavelength of light. This makes laser light
highly directional.
3. The uni‐directional nature of light makes the laser
beam travel long distances.
4. Today, laser is used in variety of tasks – bar code
reader, DVD player, cancer diagnosis and treatment,
ophthalmology, etc.
Discuss: The co‐inventor of Laser, Charles Townes
passed in January, 2015.

Citizenship soon for those who fled religious
persecution
1. The Union Home Ministry is going to amend the
Citizenship Act, 1955
2. We will extend citizenship to undocumented migrants
who fled religious persecution in Pakistan and
Bangladesh (Hindus,Buddhists, Christians,
Zoroastrians, Sikhs and Jains).
3. This could affect our relations with those two
neighbours.
Autonomous councils key to Naga deal
success
1. The creation of autonomous councils for Naga people
outside Nagaland is under consideration by the Union
govt.
2. These are locally appointed governments that already
function in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Tripura, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.
3. Their creation is likely to be met with stiff resistance
from the neighbouring states, where the migrant Naga
population lives.
Discuss: Evaluate the usefulness of this policy maneuver
[Creation of autonomous councils] in India's political and
governance history.

Ban only on sites promoting child porn, says
Centre
1. Following massive uproar over its move to ban 857
pornography sites, the Union government on Tuesday
said the ban would be lifted.
2. However, sites that promoted child porn would
continue to be prohibited.
3. How would the govt. do so!
It’s time to be more assertive: Ajit Doval
1. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has said that
deterrence was the credibility that a nation could
show its strength when required.
2. But the lack of a will to exercise power is as good as
not having any power.
3. So, we should not be afraid of demonstrating our
power where we should.

Mandatory exports likely
1. In a bid to tackle the problem of low domestic sugar
prices, Govt. may make it mandatory for the sugar
mills to export the surplus.
2. The global market is flooded with sugar supplies and
the prices are at a 6 year low, but the move is
expected to bring respite to the sugar mills in terms of
higher domestic prices.
3. The mandatory export will come into play only when
production is more than domestic demand.
Discuss: India is the largest consumer of sugar and the
biggest producer after Brazil.
India‐EU FTA talks deferred. Why?
1. Reason is the EU ban on 700 generic medicines for
alleged manipulation of clinical trials conducted by
Hyderabad‐based GVK Biosciences.
2. Other reason for slow progress on the FTA talks is
India and EU have not been able to find a middle
ground on each other’s demands.
3. EU wants duty cuts in automobiles and tax reduction
in wines, spirits, dairy products and a strong IPR
regime.
4. India wants data secure nation status and liberal visa
regime from the EU.

India set to shed the image of a global
dumpyard
1. The MoEFCC banned import of all used plastic or PET
bottles scrap by recycling plants in India and asked
these units to rely on similar waste generated within
the country.
2. All kinds of household waste, non‐exportable electrical
equipment and computers & accessories that don’t
have a clearly preset residual life have also been
banned.
3. The drive is to push for better waste management in
India and prevent the country from turning into a
dumpyard for global waste.
4. State pollution control boards will be the direct
interface for imports of all permitted items.
Discuss: Did you know? PET bottle means bottle made
from 'polyethylene terephthalate'.
70th anniversary of Hiroshima atomic
bombing
1. An American B‐29 bomber named Enola Gay dropped
an atomic bomb, dubbed “Little Boy”, on Hiroshima on
August 6, 1945, in one of the final chapters of World
War II.
2. The ground level was hit by heat up to 4,000 degrees
Celsius – hot enough to melt steel.
3. About 140,000 were killed and many more affected
by the radiations.
4. On August 9, the port city of Nagasaki was also
attacked with an atomic bomb, killing more than
70,000 people.
5. Japan had finally surrendered on August 15, 1945.

Cabinet approves direct release of wages to
MNREGA workers
1. Delayed payments has been a major problem in
MNREGS implementation.
2. Direct benefit transfer ensures that scheme funds do
not get indefinitely parked with the state finance
departments.
3. In 2014‐15, only 28 per cent of the payments could
be made on time to the workers under the scheme.
Discuss: The average number of days of employment per
household under the scheme fell to 40.14 in 2014‐15
from 45.97 in the previous year.
[Download] The Newsdigest – July 2015 is
LIVE
1. All pumped up for the D‐Day?
2. We just released the July 2015 Digest.
3. Go to the Downloads page at civilsdaily.com and get
your FREE copy.
Discuss: Guys, spread the word of the app and rate us at
the playstore! Kind words & 5 stars drive us best :)

E‐Cigarettes: Risks that they hold
1. In recent years the global electronic cigarette industry
has evolved into a $3‐billion business with 466
brands.
2. There was only one manufacturer in 2005!
3. E‐Cigarette is the most common prototype
of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).
4. It is a battery‐powered device with a replaceable
cartridge; the cartridge contains nicotine and variety
of flavors.
5. As it is tobacco and smoke free, therefore no toxic by‐
products are released.
6. Though, it is considered less harmful but, it emits
areosols.
Discuss: It was first developed in China and projected as
alternative to traditional cigarettes, thereby attracting
even non‐smokers.
LEDs: Greatest benefit to mankind. Why?
1. The invention of blue light‐emitting diode will create a
new energy efficient and environment‐friendly light
source.
2. As, red and green LEDs were available, blue LED was
required to produce white light.
3. LED is highly efficient as it converts electric energy
fully into light energy, unlike other light source where
some proportion is wasted in heat.
4. It is environment friendly as no mercury is used to
make them.
Discuss: Last year's Nobel prize for Physics were given to
3 scientists for inventing blue light emitting diode.

What’s a Bombay Blood Group?
1. It is a special type of blood group called hh, which has
the H antigen missing in it.
2. Actually, H antigen is present in all the blood group,
except this Bombay blood group.
3. It can accept blood only from another Bombay blood
type individual.
4. This rare blood group ( 1 in 10000) is formed largely
due to extensive in‐breeding within same lineage or
close community marriages.
Discuss: What are antigens?
Boosting digital footprint in rural areas
1. IIT Bombay has set up India’s first pilot test‐bed which
uses unused TV spectrum to provide broadband
Internet connectivity.
2. The project tries to create an alternative to optic fiber
cables, which is a very difficult as well as an expensive
option to connect villages.
3. This technology is capable of providing coverage
within the radius of 1‐10 km from the access network
much like WiFi zones and access points.
4. The Department of Telecom has also granted an
experimental licence to IIT‐B to conduct tests in TV’s
UHF band.
Discuss: What are these different band types? Do you
know any interesting trivia information on them?

Delhi offers free treatment for acid attack
victims
1. Will provide free treatment to these victims in private
hospitals.
2. A task force will be set up to monitor their treatment.
3. Govt. will arrange best prosecutors to take up their
trial and will also find suitable jobs in govt.
department.
4. Recently, S.C. had given directions to all hospitals to
provide free treatment to acid attack survivors.
India to counter Italy’s claim in marines case
1. An Indian team will challenge the Italy’s contentions in
the Italian Marines case before the International
Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
2. The Indian government will challenge Italy’s decision
to take the issue to the international tribunal. How?
3. Italy has not exhausted all remedies, which is a
requirement before invoking the jurisdiction of
ITLOS.
4. In Feb 2012, two Italian Marines killed two Indian
fishermen from Kerala in Indian waters.
Discuss: Explore how the zones are divided in the sea
and the law governing international waters.

A repository of avifauna (Grey Pelican) under
threat. Why?
1. The Kolleru Lake is a habitat to the Grey Pelicans, a
large magnificent bird, which nest and breed there.
2. The Grey Pelican is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife
Protection Act and in the Red Data Book, under
“Vulnerable” category.
3. It seems to be under threat with the State
Govt. proposing diversion of water from feeder
rivulets and drains for irrigation.
4. The Union Government is even examining a proposal
to reduce the size of the wildlife sanctuary.
Assam, Manipur, Arunachal CMs still in the
dark on Naga accord
1. Union govt. did not keep the CMs of the neighbouring
states in loop and neither informed them about
framework agreement.
2. Centre was ready to give autonomous councils to the
Naga‐dominated population in Assam, Arunachal
Pradesh and Manipur.
3. The CMs opposed the idea of creating autonomous
councils in their states and refused to accept any kind
of law imposed from outside.

Lok Sabha Passes SC & ST Amendment Bill.
What’s at stake?
1. The bill aims to prohibit the commission of offences
against members of the SCs & STs and provides for
establishing special courts for the trial of such
offences and the rehabilitation of victims.
2. Adds certain new categories of actions to be treated
as offences like forcing an SC or ST individual to vote
or not vote for a particular candidate.
3. Assaulting or sexual exploiting an SC or ST woman is
an offence under a specific category.
Discuss: Keep an eye on this bill when it passes through
the RS. See if there are any changes or major objections.
[op‐ed snap] Cross‐border terrorism: Jihadist‐
military project at work
1. The recent back‐to‐back strikes indicate the presence
of stray elements in Pakistan, who are against
the Indo‐Pak engagement.
2. Though, it can be argued that Pakistan is not involved
in these cases, but there is lack of systemic response
from their govt.’s side.
3. Often, Pakistan projects itself as a victim of terror in
the hands of TTP and other sectarian group.
4. But, it is also deeply involved in supporting Afghan
Taliban, the Haqqani network, and anti‐jihadist
elements.
5. There are instances of Pakistani military engaging with
Jihadist elements for strategic gains.

[op‐ed snap] Ban on Pornography: Between
prurience and pragmatism
1. The definition of what constitutes pornography is
open to misinterpretation, unless it is drawn from
various legal provisions.
2. There is a flip‐flop by the govt. on the issue of
banning porn websites due to policy confusion and
the difficulty involved in it.
3. Even the enforcement becomes farce and is often
counter‐productive due to the lack of technical
know‐how to bypass the restriction.
4. There are legal provisions available in IPC, IT Act and
POCSO Act to prohibit such content.
5. Experts argue that any ban on pornography is an
encroachment on right to privacy.
6. Therefore, govt. should be vigilant mostly against child
pornography.
Porn websites ban effectively in place as ISPs
seek clarity
ISPAI has written to DoT saying its members will
continue to block the 857 URLs mentioned in a govt
note, till they receive clearer directions. Internet Service
Providers Association (ISPAI) is the main lobby group for
the country’s Internet Service Providers (ISPs). What do
they seek clarity on? This. The ISPs don’t … Continue
reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/porn‐websites‐ban‐
effectively‐in‐place‐as‐isps‐seek‐clarity/)

Do you prefer democracy?
1. “Democracy in India: A Citizens’ Perspective” is part of
a global survey on attitudes to democracy.
2. With less than 50% respondents choosing democracy
over other forms of Govt., India ranks below
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
3. As in 2005, political parties were the least trusted
political institutions, and the police the least trusted
unelected institution.
4. The civil service was perceived as the most corrupt
while the Army continued to be the most trusted
institution.
Tripura assembly passes resolution against
death penalty
1. Tripura Assembly has passed a resolution to request
the Union Government to amend Section 302 of the
IPC to abolish capital punishment and replace it with
life sentence unto death.
2. The resolution was adopted unanimously and would
be sent to union government and the Law
Commission for consideration.

Mumbai gets a flamingo sanctuary
1. Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary is set to become a
wildlife sanctuary under Section 18 of the Wildlife
(Protection Act), 1972.
2. The Thane creek has been attracting flamingos in
large numbers since 1994.
3. These birds descend here around November and
migrate to Bhuj, Gujarat in May for breeding.
4. Its eco‐sensitive zone will be the adjoining mangrove
areas on either side of the creek, which are already
notified as reserve forests.
5. The ecosystem will be closely monitored and shielded
from serious threats such as discharge of effluents,
dumping of sewage and other biotic interferences.
Discuss: The area is also a refuge for many resident and
migratory birds such as the greater spotted eagle – a
globally threatened species.
AADHAR enrollment for NRIs, PIOs and OCIs
1. Govt. has decided that Aadhar enrollment for NRIs,
PIOs and OCIs should be allowed to help them
authenticate their identity digitally.
2. Presently, all residents including Indian nationals and
foreigners holding valid visas can be enrolled for
Aadhar number by UIDAI.
3. UIDAI is working on framing a policy to bring NRIs,
PIOs and OCIs under the Aadhar ambit.

One‐third of coal blocks up for auction in
wildlife habitats
1. A GIS survey conducted by Greenpeace India has
revealed that of 101 coal blocks that are up for
auction, 35 are in the habitats of tigers, leopards and
elephants.
2. Many village boundaries overlap with the areas of
listed blocks necessitating approvals from the gram
sabhas under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
3. NGO has advised the Govt. to withdraw such blocks
from auction, failing which the unwary bid winners are
likely to face legal challenges.
4. Pointing out a recent decline in mining ‘No Go’ areas,
the NGO has reiterated the need to transparently
define ‘No Go’ mining areas.
India follows global trends in taking on cyber
attacks
1. The trend in increase in cyber attacks on Indian
computer networks is similar to that worldwide.
2. Most of these attacks originate from countries such as
the U.S., Pakistan, China and Bangladesh.
3. In case of an attack, CERT‐In notifies the organisation
concerned regarding the cyber attacks and requests
for logs of network devices, servers and other related
components for analysing the attacks and identifying
sources of attack.
Discuss: CERT‐In (the Indian Computer Emergency
Response Team) is a govt. mandated IT security
organization to promote effective IT security practices
throughout the country.

Weave new designs: Modi
1. Promoting handlooms, PM stressed on new designs,
branding and e‐commerce to launch the rich, colourful
heritage on a global scale.
2. Handlooms constitute 15 % of the total cloth
consumption in the country.
Discuss: Did you know? 7th August, celebrated as the
first National Handloom Day this year, is also the day on
which Swadeshi Movement was launched in 1905!
North Korea turns its clocks back to
‘Pyongyang Time’
1. Come 15 August and North Korea will turn back its
clocks by 30 mins to the same time‐zone as that of
unified Korea of 1908.
2. The Korean peninsula was brought into the same time
zone as Japan in 1912 during its colonial rule over the
country.
3. Marking 70 years of its liberation from the Japanese
rule, N. Korea has decided to drop the imperialistic
relic and move back to GMT +8:30 hrs time‐zone.
th

Traditional fervour marks Nongkrem Dance
1. Nongkrem Dance Festival is performed to appease
the all‐ powerful Goddess, ‘Ka Blei Synshar’ for a rich
bumper harvest & general prosperity.
2. The festival is celebrated during autumn at Smit, the
cultural centre of the Khasi Hills.
3. The Khasis are a tribe of Meghalaya, who also
celebrate the ripening of paddy for threshing, by
dances and songs.
4. The folk dances capture the movements of everyday
life as well as animals and birds.
[op‐ed snap] The meaning of cheaper oil
1. The current fall in the prices of oil is an outcome of
simple demand and supply mechanics.
2. The rise in supply of oil owing to Iran nuclear deal,
growing output from shale resources and Saudi’s
increased refinery capacity.
3. These factors contributed to maximum output by
OPEC countries in month of July.
4. However, decrease in demand of oil is due to
recessionary pressure on industrialized countries.
especially slow growth in EU and China.
5. These low prices are going to have worst impact on
Russia, as 70 per cent of its export income comes
from oil and gas.
Discuss: The economics circumscribing oil prices will have
a impact on diplomacy around the world.

How to Manage the Food‐Forest Nexus:
Lessons from Dongria Kondh
Scattered across 240 sq km on the remote Niyamgiri hill
range in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, an ancient
tribal group known as the Dongria Kondh have earned
themselves a reputation as trailblazers. Why? The
Dongria Kondh set an example in 2013 to millions of
tribal people around the world when they fought and …
Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/how‐to‐
manage‐the‐food‐forest‐nexus‐lessons‐from‐dongria‐
kondh/)
[Discuss] Health as a Fundamental Right
1. Should India make health a fundamental right?
Impediments and Opportunities.
2. The draft National Health Policy 2015 (NPH) released
by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
government on 31 December 2014 seems to have its
heart in the right place.
3. Let’s discuss pros and cons over at the website.

The Apatani tribe from Arunachal Pradesh
1. A small tribe in Arunachal Pradesh has been able to
defeat modern technological advancements in terms
of environment conservation.
2. The Apatanis from Ziro have a unique lifestyle that
focuses on living in harmony with nature.
3. Ziro is home to the tribal group called the Apatanis
which is one amongst the very few tribes in the world
that worship nature (Sun & Moon).
4. In April 2014, Apatani Cultural Landscape has also
been added to the tentative list of UNESCO World
Heritage Sites for “extremely high productivity” and
“unique” ways of preserving ecology.
[op‐ed snap] Trading in body parts
1. To prevent organ trade, many countries provide
incentives to organ donors so that they are helped
economically while donating organs (like spare
kidneys).
2. This helps in legalising the process and eliminates
exploitative middlemen.
3. Maybe we should also consider such legislation.
Discuss: What could be the argument against?

P‐Notes require more stringent monitoring
1. Participatory notes are highly regulated products and
their beneficiaries are known on a monthly basis to
SEBI and daily basis to FPI.
2. Still there is a need to have a daily monitoring of the
end‐user by the regulator.
3. Because the Know‐Your‐Client (KYC) norms are
applicable for all foreign funds coming in to India, FIIs
had switched to using P‐Notes.
4. This move allows the beneficiary (end‐user) to remain
anonymous.
5. The issue is trending because black money generated
is being pumped back into the country via this
method.
Discuss: What are P Notes?
ISRO hopes soar for another indigenous GSLV
launch success
1. ISRO is planning to launch indigenous GSLV launcher
boosted by its Indian cryogenic third stage.
2. GSLV‐D6 is the ninth in the series of the indigenous
medium‐lift satellite launch vehicle and will carry
2,140‐kg communication satellite GSAT‐6.
3. GSLV will enable India to launch satellites upto 2
tonnes, for which we currently rely on costly Western
launchers.
Discuss: Some of the planned GSLV launches for
domestic use: INSAT‐3DR, a spare to replace the
meteorology satellite INSAT‐3D, GISAT, GSAT‐6 which
will in future be replaced by GSAT‐6A.

Will the United Nations see a woman chief in
2016?
1. Irina Bokova has been nominated as the Bulgarian
official candidate for UN Secretary General post to be
filled in 2016.
2. She is currently the Director General of UNESCO.
3. The UN has just adopted a strong commitment to
gender equality and making a woman its chief will
further give an impetus to this campaign.
4. Generally, UNSC forwards a unanimously chosen
name to the UNGA and no elections take place in
such scenario. However, in 2016, China & Russia are
expected to veto any choice of UK, US and France
which can lead to elections in UNGA.
24% of India’s population under medical cover
1. IRDA has stated that 28.87 crore Indians have been
covered under any health insurance policy in 2014‐
15.
2. In public sector, National Insurance tops the list
followed by United Insurance.
3. Reliance is the leader in private sector insurance
companies, followed by Iffco Tokia and ICICI
Lombard.
4. PMJDY has an in‐built health insurance of Rs. 30,000
and has manifold increased the rural insurance
penetration.

Govt capital infusion plan not game changing:
Moody’s
1. Govt. plan to recapitalize PSU banks to the tune of Rs.
70,000 crores is only a fraction of overall capital
requirements.
2. Discarding the previous rule of certain profitability
thresholds for banks to receive government capital,
the govt. is aiming to improve the Tier‐1 capital ratios
for all PSU banks to at least 7.5% by March.
3. The government’s plan is to provide Rs.25,000 crore
each in the first two years, and Rs.10,000 crore each
in the next two.
4. PSU banks need a total of Rs.1.8 lakh crore in
additional capital for the next four years up to FY2019
and the equity market can help them raise the
remaining Rs.1.1 lakh crore.
Which is a bigger per hectare carbon sink –
dense forests or mangroves?
1. Counting carbon stored in soils, mangrove forests
store the most carbon per hectare. They are tough,
versatile and productive.
2. Owing to our unsustainable practices, the current rate
of loss would see most of the world’s mangroves gone
by the end of this century.
3. Major reasons are conversion to agriculture,
aquaculture, tourism and urban development.
4. Most of the failed restoration attempts simply jab
seedlings of a mangrove genus (Rhizophora) into
inappropriate habitats where mangroves do not grow.
Discuss: Local communities should be involved in
restoring hydrological connectivity and allowing the
natural tidal processes to assist mangrove propagules to
establish and spread.

Peace pact only a formula to a final accord,
says Nagaland CM
1. The agreement evoked serious responses from CM’s
of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh about their
territorial integrity.
2. Nagaland CM promised to meet the neighbouring
CMs to remove their apprehensions.
3. A 16‐member Naga delegation would visit Myanmar
to meet S.S. Khaplang, the chief of the NSCN(K) to
discuss the agreement.
4. Naga customary system and landholding system needs
to be respected based on the unique history of Nagas
across Naga‐inhabited areas of the Northeast.
India on top in exporting beef
1. The recent data released by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture shows India leading over the next highest
exporter, Brazil.
2. However, the U.S. government classifies even buffalo
meat as beef.
3. India accounts for 23.5 % of global beef exports, up
from a 20.8 % share last year.
4. According to ‘Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy’,
most of India’s buffalo meat exports go to Asian
countries.

Jaitley for efficient expenditure management
1. The public finance on revenue side requires attention
to achieve revenue deficit target under the new
FRBM regime.
2. This necessitates structural changes in the Plan
spending and ensuring Non‐Plan spending within
sustainable limits.
3. This strategy will ensure efficient targeting of
subsidies to the poor and needy.
4. It also requires saving scarce financial resources for
investment in infrastructure and pursuit of new
development programmes.
Discuss: Govt. needs accounting officers to upgrade their
skills to achieve the highest level of cost efficiency in its
projects, schemes and operations.
Godrej for smooth passage of GST Bill
1. Business community asks political parties to act with a
sense of purpose in Parliament.
2. He said that, though the current draft of the GST Bill
was not perfect, it was very important to pass it.
3. The trading community hopes to get a simplified
cohesive business environment.
4. The GST will support ease of doing business in the
country and hopes to abolish colonial working of tax
administration system.

Economy shifting gears, results of CII survey
show
1. There is an increase in the no. of sectors clock
‘excellent’ growth( more than 20%) during first
quarter.
2. Some of the important constraints are stiff
competition, shortage of power & of labour, lack of
domestic and export demand and high tax burden.
3. It suggested revival of stalled projects, de‐
bottlenecking of supply side linkages and the easing of
interest rates as the most significant steps to bolster
growth.
4. The capital goods industry was the worst off — with
moderate or negative growth rates.
India plans to barter surplus sugar for pulses
from abroad
1. Ministries of External Affairs and Commerce working
on proposal.
2. The quantum of sugar annually getting accumulated
in the last four years has been quite substantial.
3. India is the largest producer as well as largest importer
of the pulses.
4. Pulses being rich in proteins act as a main source of
protein for the large vegetarian population of the
country.
Discuss: Pulses being legumes have environmental
significance owing to capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen
into the soil.

[op‐ed snap] Capital infusion in public sector
banks a band‐aid solution
1. In the past 15 years, the govt has infused more than
Rs.81,000 crore capital in PSU banks but this capital is
eroding due to rising bad assets.
2. The decision to infuse such large amounts in state‐
owned banks is a signal that the government cares for
them.
3. But how bad are these bad loans? For quite a few
public sector banks, bad loans account for close to
one‐fifth of their loan assets!
4. The government must address some of the
fundamental issues and infuse right skills and
expertise in these banks.
5. In their absence, capital infusion alone is a band‐aid
solution to the problems.
[op‐ed snap] Reading Raghuram Rajan
Pay close attention to what the RBI governor says about
rural wage growth. He considers that a proxy for
underlying pressures. Rajan was worried two months
ago about an uptick in inflation. Oil prices had hardened.
The first official forecast on the monsoon was grim. Since
then, oil prices have retreated. A poor monsoon …
Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/op‐ed‐
snap‐reading‐raghuram‐rajan/)

Udaipur Is Now Home to India’s Largest Solar
Telescope
1. India will now be able to capture high resolution three
dimensional images of the sun.
2. The Udaipur Solar Observatory witnessed the
inauguration of India’s biggest multi‐application solar
telescope (MAST).
3. Udaipur is the second place in the world, after China,
to have the unique telescope.
4. MAST will also capture high resolution 3D images of
solar activities like solar blast and flares which will
now be easier to understand.
SAI Sanctuary – The only private wildlife
sanctuary in India
1. SAI = Save Animals Initiative Sanctuary Trust
2. Pamela and Anil Malhotra bought 55 acres of land 23
years ago, and today they have converted it into a
beautiful forest of over 300 acres.
3. The sanctuary also won the “Wildlife and Tourism
Initiative Of The Year” award by Sanctuary Asia in
conjunction with Tour Operators for Tigers in 2014.

3 Cheers For The Launch Of India’s First CNG
Powered Train
1. In an environment friendly move, railway minister
Suresh Prabhu has just flagged off the very first CNG
train in India.
2. Experts say that the CNG engine emits fewer toxic,
carcinogenic pollutants and zero particulate matter.
3. In addition to this, the use of CNG can bring down the
operating cost of the locomotive by a whopping 50%!
4. The route selected for this landmark move is the
Rewari‐Rohtak section of the Northern zone.
Discuss: Manufactured by Chennai‐based Integral Coach
Factory (ICF) through fumigation technology.
Chewang Norphel: The Ice Man of India
The Man Who Creates Artificial Glaciers To Meet The
Water Needs Of Ladakh. He has created 10 artificial
glaciers in Ladakh to help people deal with water scarcity
in this cold, mountainous region. “Almost all the villages in
Ladakh have roads, culverts, bridges, buildings or
irrigation systems made by me,” says Norphel. But his …
Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/chewang‐
norphel‐the‐ice‐man‐of‐india/)

How Technology developed for Outer Space
was saving lives in Nepal
1. A unique suitcase‐sized device that can detect human
heartbeats and breathing patterns of survivors buried
even 30 feet below crushed rock, is set to
revolutionize search and rescue operations around the
world.
2. The prototype device, soon to be commercialized, is
named FINDER (Finding Individuals for Disaster and
Emergency Response).
3. Just like a RADAR that tracks airplanes, FINDER emits
a signal and waits for that signal to bounce back. So,
what’s the difference?
Discuss: Look up at civilsdaily.com story page for the
infograph!
Not for moral policing, says Centre
1. Clarifying its stand on porn ban, Attorney General told
the SC that the Centre does not intend to intrude into
the private lives of citizens or act in an authoritative
way.
2. However, he defended the banning of child porn sites
indicating that India is no exception from the
developed world in banning child pornography.
3. He also mentioned that banning other forms of porn
is a matter of debate, probably in the Parliament. It
would be interesting to see what logic our lawmakers
put forward should such a debate happen in the
Parliament.

Centre to take up Yamuna project
1. Currently, JICA assisted Yamuna Action Plan (YAP)
phase‐III project has been approved at an estimated
cost of Rs 1,656 crore, shared between Centre and
Delhi Govt. in 85:15 ratio.
2. In the first two phases of Yamuna Action Plan (YAP), a
treatment capacity of 942 MLD was created and
Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) of 328.20 MLD were
renovated.
3. Centre is also planning to take up projects in addition
to those under the scope of Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) project.
Newly‐formed Panchayats get HC Axe
1. Kerala High Court quashed the notifications creating
new panchayats by carving out parts of existing
villages without notification by the Governor.
2. According to Article 243 (g) of the Constitution, a
village can come into existence only after a
notification by the Governor.
3. No panchayat can be formed without first conferring
the status of a village to an area where the panchayat
is to be formed.

PM to visit UAE; first PM visit in 34 years
1. The last visit was made by Indira Gandhi in 1981, 8
years after formation of OPEC.
2. Agenda of the visit is to boost cultural, economic and
social ties between the two countries.
3. UAE is home to a significant Indian population and is
India’s third largest trading partner after China and the
US.
4. India was UAE’s largest non‐oil trading partner in
2014 and both countries signed a Bilateral Investment
Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPA) in 2013.
Individuals will join terror ban list soon
1. Presently, only organisations can be banned under
Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
2. There are 38 groups banned under this Act, the latest
one being IS.
3. The government is all set to amend this Act to add a
clause that will pave way to “designate individuals”
along with terror organisations under “banned list of
entities”.
4. The move will enable India to tag a criminal as a
terrorist who is not linked with any terror organization
but has committed an offence outside India.
5. Anti‐UAPA votaries opine that the law can be misused
by the police.

Bio‐diesel sold in retail outlets
1. Marking the ‘World Bio Fuel Day’, biofuel‐blended
diesel was sold in retail outlets for the first time on
Aug 10.
2. Recently, the sale of bio‐diesel to bulk consumers
such as railways, shipping and road corporations etc.
was permitted.
3. Bio‐diesel can be made from biomass material which is
considered waste by the farmers.
4. Besides reducing carbon emissions, it can also provide
an additional source of income to the farmers.
[op‐ed snap] Stifling democratic debate
1. The show‐cause notice issued by govt. to 3
channels for alleged defamation against the integrity
of the President and the judiciary, have little legal
basis.
2. Criticism of the President’s actions and of court
judgments are an integral part of the freedom of
expression guaranteed under Art. 19 of the
Constitution.
3. Govt. has invoked the broad provisions of Cable
Television Networks Rules, 1994 which governs
broadcasters.
4. Broadcast channels do not enjoy the wide degree of
freedom enjoyed by print media, as govt feels audio‐
visual medium have an immediate impact.
5. Restrictions on media curbs the purpose of informing
and promoting public discussions of issues in a
democracy.

[op‐ed snap] Turkey’s complicated war
1. Turkey’s decision to join the war against IS is based on
the realization of IS threat on the backdrop of IS
bombing of Turkish city, last month.
2. IS had almost reached Turkish border, a region
occupied by Kurdish militias. But, Kurds posed a
strong resistance to IS driving them away from the
region.
3. Kurds were provided cover fire by US’ Air Force,
which was a major cause of worry for Turkey.
4. However, Ankara’s strategy seems a little misdirected
as it started bombing the areas occupied by both
Kurdish militants and IS.
5. This will lead to weakening of of Kurds, the major
force on ground to tackle IS, thereby strengthening IS.
6. Turkey should work on sustainable peace plan by
taking forward its ceasefire with Kurds and focusing
on military operation against IS.
AADHAR not mandatory, says SC
1. In an interim order, SC ruled that Aadhar was neither
mandatory nor a condition for accessing benefits one
was already entitled to and asked the Govt to inform
this to the citizens.
2. Court also directed that the information obtained by
UIDAI should not be used for any purpose except on
an order of a court for criminal investigation.
3. The larger issue the Constitution Bench is hearing is –
whether the Aadhar scheme and its bio‐metric mode
of registration is an intrusion into citizens’ privacy.
4. And whether right to privacy was a guaranteed right
under the Constitution.

SEBI notifies ‘fast track’ route for share sales
1. Firms in which public shareholders own stocks worth
Rs 1,000 crore will now be able to access this route
through a follow‐on public offer (FPO).
2. Currently, the minimum requirement is Rs 3,000
crore.
3. The minimum public holding requirement for a rights
offer is Rs 250 crore but the listed companies can tap
the ‘fast‐track’ route even without complying to this
minimum, provided they meet other conditions.
4. This new route would also give a boost to the
government’s disinvestment drive.
China devalues Yuan by 1.9%
1. China, which runs a ‘managed float’‐ i.e, an exchange
rate that is managed against other currencies, pegs
the yuan against the dollar each day.
2. China announced that its daily fix will now be based
on the closing rate of the interbank forex market from
the previous day.
3. The move is likely to be viewed as the govt
intervention to boost the economy as a reaction to
the slump in exports, and a recent stock market
decline.
4. Besides worsening the already declining Indian
exports, the Chinese move is also expected to widen
the trade deficit with India.

Three cheers for Suhasini Haider
1. Suhasini Haider, a well known journalist, was
felicitated with the Prem Bhatia Award.
2. She is the Diplomatic and Strategic Affairs Editor with
the Hindu newspaper.
Discuss: Wondering why is this an important news?
UPSC board tries to destabilize you in the interview by
asking three important contributors of the newspaper you
read!
BIMARU states – The abbreviation is still
relevant
1. The term BIMARU — an abbreviation for Bihar,
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh — was
coined by demographer Ashish Bose in 1980s.
2. Based on a range of demographic indicators these
States lagged significantly behind the southern States,
and were contributing the most to India’s population
explosion.
3. As per 2011 census, although these states have made
significant individual improvement but they still lag
behind in indicators like Total Fertility Rate and Per
Capita Income.

A bird, a dam and a belief
1. The Nyamjang Chhu dam is being planned in
Zemithang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, the winter
home of the black‐necked crane that is sacred to
Buddhists.
2. The bird is supposed to be the companion of monks
and found only in cold high altitude regions of China,
India and Bhutan.
3. There is an ongoing case in the NGT against the
project with the defenders of hydroelectric project
saying that number of the endangered bird is too
small to stall it.
4. Major issue to be pondered upon – Should the
number of endangered species or spiritual/religious
beliefs be taken into account during environmental
clearances.
Discuss: In a similar situation, an Australian court had
denied permission to Adani group to mine coal in
Queensland to protect a skink and a snake species found
in the area.
India bid for permanent seat suffers blow
1. US, Russia, China oppose UNSC reform talks which
could have set a dialogue in motion.
2. US remains opposed to “any alteration or expansion of
the veto”.
3. India received support from France and the UK, the
two remaining permanent members of Security
Council.

Not enough manpower to probe scam bigger
than Vyapam: CBI to SC
1. Why would CBI say so?
2. Investigations were normally conducted by officers
ranging from the rank of inspector to additional SP,
“whose total sanctioned strength is 1,264 only”.
3. Of the sanctioned strength, the CBI said 348 posts —
23 additional SP, 42 deputy SP and 283 inspectors —
were currently vacant.
4. Apart from the Vyapam cases, the CBI is already
investigating more than 1,000 cases related to the chit
fund scam in several states.
SC tells CBI: Don’t arrest people for political
vendetta
The CBI had sought cancellation of bail, complaining that
Maran was not co‐operating. “It is a case of telephone
misuse. Why do you want to arrest him? Why do you
want him in jail? We are not saying anybody should get
away after a misuse, but why do you want his custody? Is
there … Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/sc‐
tells‐cbi‐dont‐arrest‐people‐for‐political‐vendetta/)

Govt. study says currency notes carry disease‐
causing micro‐organisms
1. Scientists found DNA footprints of 78 disease‐causing
micro‐organisms on notes.
2. Most of them were fungi, but there were also bacteria
that can cause dysentery, tuberculosis and ulcers.
3. A technology called Ribosomal RNA typing has been
used to identify the taxonomy of organisms on objects
like clothes, furniture, soaps, even computers.
4. This study used a different technology – high‐
throughput DNA sequencing.
Discuss: What's the difference between DNA & RNA?
[op‐ed snap] Why India doesn’t need to worry
about the falling rupee
1. The Indian rupee has breached the level of 65 to a
dollar. But we need not worry too much right now.
Why?
2. First, inflation is trending down. It now seems quite
certain that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is on
course to meet its January 2016 inflation target.
3. The forex hoard has grown. The RBI has been buying
dollars in the spot and forward markets to build a
buffer.
4. Corporate hedging has improved.
Discuss: What is Corporate Hedging?

[op‐ed snap] Aadhar Crisis: Choice, identity
and privacy
1. SC has made it clear that Aadhar cannot be insisted by
any authority as a pre‐ condition for citizens to avail
any benefit. Why?
2. Making Aadhaar a mandatory would cause hardship to
various sections as people stand to lose benefits or be
denied routine services.
3. Govt. can continue linking Aadhar cards for PDS and
PAHAL scheme by linking Aadhar cards.
4. However, there is a need for an effective
identification mechanism to authenticate beneficiaries
for delivery of services.
5. But, any mechanism with no legal backing and without
clear norms endangers misuse of the personal
information and biometric data.
Discuss: There are recent incidents of Aadhar being
asked for FIRs, admission in educational institutions and it
is growing as more and more entities link their services
with Aadhar.
India steels itself to face impact of yuan
devaluation
1. Chinese decision to devalue Yuan will hurt Indian
exports as it makes Chinese exports cheaper.
2. In wake of this, India increased the import duty on
certain steel products by 2.5 per cent.
3. Reason being that prices of imported steel are up to
20 per cent lower than those of domestic products.
4. Experts believe that the Chinese move could be to
satisfy the conditions the IMF had spelt out for
granting it reserve currency status and inclusion in the
special drawing right (SDR) basket.

Natural gas supply growing faster than the
demand
1. The shortfall of natural gas in the country is set to
widen over the next couple of years and then stabilise
by 2017‐18.
2. However, if supply and demand both maintain their
current annual growth rates, it will take till 2062 for
India to become self‐sufficient in natural gas.
3. Measures taken to increase the supply are enhancing
production in existing fields by using the latest
technology and bringing into production new
discoveries as soon as possible.
4. There are also extensive shale gas reserves in India –
pegged between 8,500‐60,000 BCM.
French fighter talks deadlocked
1. Reason for the deadlock is enhanced costs and
differences on offset requirements.
2. The negotiations were stuck for three years as the
cost shot up to over $20 billion from $10 billion.
3. The Defence Ministry has made it clear that offsets
apply to the deal which is 50% for the Medium Multi‐
Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA)
4. The Air Force has also sought some changes in the
configuration which will further add to the cost and
time overruns.
Discuss: As per the Defence Procurement Procedure,
offset applies to all deals worth over Rs.300 crore under
which companies have to invest 30 per cent of the value
of the contract back in the country.

Indian sailors get international identity
1. Union government has ratified the International
Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention, 2003.
2. The biometric data of Indian seafarers will be
collected and the identity document will be issued in
the form of a globally recognised smart card within
the next six months.
3. This ratification by India will increase the employability
of Indian sailors by allowing them to cross into foreign
waters unhindered.
4. India has over 1.8 lakh seafarers, just around 7 per
cent of the global share of sailors.
Discuss: The Convention, under the International Labour
Organisation, has been ratified by 30 other countries.
Union govt. staff can expect good news
1. The implementation of the 7th Pay Commission award
would result in a 15.79 per cent increase in the salary
outgo for 2016‐17.
2. The commission was set up last year with the
mandate to recommend revision of salaries of over 50
lakh Central govt. employees and remuneration of 30
lakh pensioners.
3. The impact of the commission award on the
exchequer posed a risk in containing fiscal deficit.
4. The fiscal consolidation strategy of the govt. on
reclaiming high growth in gross tax revenues and
gradually reducing expenditure on subsidy through
reforms.

[op‐ed snap] Italian Marines Case: Needless
escalation
1. India’s delayed progress in consideration of stringent
measures had led to Italy moving ITLOS –
International Tribunal on Law of sea.
2. It has questioned the jurisdiction of NIA to prosecute
their marines.
3. Italy has moved to international forum citing excessive
delay from Indian side, to restrict India taking any
judicial or administrative action.
4. Italy appears to have returned to its original position
of questioning India’s jurisdiction altogether.
5. India had contended that incident took place 20.5
nautical miles off Indian territory, in the Contiguous
Zone.
MGNREGS reduced poverty, empowered
women
1. A survey found that MNREGS reduced poverty overall
by up to 32% and prevented 14 million people from
falling into poverty.
2. MGNREGS has helped many women earn cash
income, thereby, enabling them to make independent
decisions.
3. Children from MGNREGS households were likely to
obtain higher levels of educational attainment than
their non‐MGNREGS peers.
4. It increased financial inclusion and declined reliance
on moneylenders, saving huge interest payments that
is to be paid to moneylenders.

What is SITA?
1. The SITA (Supporting India’s Trade and Investment
Preferences for Africa) is a project to explore the
untapped potential of Indo‐African trade.
2. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is the
implementation partner for the project in India.
3. The CII has received proposals for five projects in East
African countries under the SITA.
India rejects Italy’s 4.4‐crore offer to free
marines
1. India has rejected Italy’s offer to secure protection
from any legal action against the two Italian marines.
2. India said it would help expedite the trial at a Special
Court within 4 months.
3. There is no bilateral agreement between India and
Italy for granting diplomatic immunity to armed forces
personnel of Italy.
4. India also rebutted Italy’s claim before the tribunal
that New Delhi has shut the door for a diplomatic
solution.

Iran Minister eyes trade beyond oil
1. The negotiations will focus on turning the India‐Iran
buyer‐seller relationship into a real partnership.
2. Investment in infrastructure, oil imports and
the planned Chabahar port development project will
be core issues.
3. India and Iran will look to discuss investment in each
other’s countries after all U.N. and Western sanctions
are lifted.
4. Iran is keen on Indian expertise and investment in
rebuilding railways, as part of a total of $8 billion in
infrastructure projects.
5. India was also keen for Iran to invest in India’s
proposed $1 trillion infrastructure development.
Maggi ban: High Court lifts ban, orders fresh
tests within 6 weeks
1. Maggi could soon be back on sale after the Bombay
High Court lifted the nation‐wide ban on Maggi
noodles, subject to fresh tests.
2. Court observed FSSAI acted in an arbitrary manner
and not followed the principles of natural justice while
banning the product.
3. The food labs engaged by the FSSAI, which found
excessive lead in Maggi noodles, were not authorised
under the FSS Act and Regulations.

As U.S. changes tack, India redraws UNSC bid
1. India is planning to continue with its candidature for
permanent seat in UNSC, despite the unexpected
opposition from US.
2. If it comes to a vote, India will need the support of at
least 129 of the 193 states of General Assembly.
3. The U.S. has joined Russia and China in their blocking
of any large‐scale reforms of the council and rejection
of veto power to new members.
4. President Obama reaffirmed his support for a
reformed UNSC with India as a permanent member,
during his visit in Jan,2015.
Community Radio can Change Lives. How?
1. Community Radio empowers rural people to discuss
rights, freedoms, policies, laws, accountability,
governance, and a host of other things.
2. Ideosync Media Combine is a communication for
social change (C4SC) organization based in the
National Capital Region.
3. In 2012, community radio in India completed a decade
of existence. Currently, there are 183 operational
stations in the country.
Discuss: Read more to know more.

[op‐ed snap] Circumventing the Rajya Sabha
1. The govt is in policy paralysis right now because of
the Opposition’s obstructionist approach in the Rajya
Sabha.
2. Govt does not have a majority in RS.
3. So, the Finance Minister has indicated that most of
the crucial bills which go to the Rajya Sabha be
branded as money bills.
4. Why? Rajya Sabha has little authority to prevent
money bills from being rejected.
5. But the Rajya Sabha should not be deprived of its
legitimate rights through legislative stratagems.
Discuss: What do you think?
Clamour for bringing back Amaravati relics
from U.K.
1. What are the “Amravati relics”?
2. They are a collection of over 120 masterpieces and
artefacts of Buddhist sculptures on display in the
British Museum in London.
3. They were excavated by the British and shipped to
the UK from Madras in the 1850s.
4. Why the clamour?
5. Andhra Pradesh government wants to attract world
tourists to Amaravati, its new capital area, by
showcasing its Buddhist heritage.

India steels itself to face impact of yuan
devaluation
1. China’s central bank has followed up on Tuesday’s
devaluation of the yuan by 1.9% with another 1% cut
on Wednesday.
2. This is so that Chinese manufactured products
become cheaper in the world, and that demand for
them increases compared to products from other
countries.
3. India has responded to this by increasing the import
duty on certain steel products (that are imported from
China) by 2.5%
Discuss: Raising this duty means these Chinese‐
manufactured steel products will no longer become very
cheap compared to steel products from Indian
manufacturers.
[op‐ed snap] Parliament Disruptions – Stasis in
the House
1. The monsoon session of Parliament ended with
virtually no work done.
2. Govt. failed to respond in a credible manner to serious
allegations of conflict of interest, impropriety and
corruption involving its ministers.
3. The session awaited a statesmen‐like intervention
from PM, after govt.’s parliamentary managers failed
to break the deadlock.
4. There was a need for a leader who could use both his
personality and charm to reach out and win the
cooperation and admiration of the Opposition to a
great extent.

[op‐ed snap] Calculated devaluation by China
1. The People’s Bank of China’ consecutive double cuts
with 1.9% and 1.6% has sent shock waves around the
world.
2. This double dose had a sharp negative impact on
many Asian currencies.
3. Rupee too slipped down to its 2‐ year low level, but
relatively less affected as compared to its Asian peers.
4. IMF is optimistic that the Chinese move will help
achieve market determined exchange rates.
5. However, the context of cut is based on the premise
of their decelerating economy, due to its excessive
dependence on exports.
6. This step can also be read in light of making Yuan a
global reserve currency at IMF.
SEBI notifies start‐up listing norms
1. SEBI notified a new set of listing norms for start‐ups,
including e‐commerce ventures, on a separate
platform of domestic stock exchanges – the
institutional trading platform (ITP).
2. The new norms provide significant relaxations in the
disclosure requirements.
3. SEBI has also relaxed its delisting, takeover and
Alternative Investment Fund regulations for entities
engaged in IT, data analytics, intellectual property etc.
4. However, the new platform would be open to only
institutional investors and HNIs in order to protect
small retail investors from the risks involved with the
star‐ups.

After Mission Indradhanush, it is economic
Indradhanush
1. Govt. has announced a seven‐point action plan,
Indradhanush to infuse professionalism and fresh
capital into public sector banks.
2. It announced the setting up of Bank Board Bureau
(BBB) that will give way to holding company to which
the Centre will transfer its ownership of all these
banks.
3. The BBB will be headed by a Chairman and will
comprise six other members — three government
officials and three experts, two of which will be from
the private sector.
Discuss: Govt is also working on addressing the problems
of stress causing sectors like power, steel, highways,
discoms and sugar.
Experts divided on impact of Yuan’s
devaluation on Indian exports
1. Some believe that the export competitiveness factors
are beyond currency movements.
2. While others are of the opinion that India can
maintain its competitiveness if rupee also declines.
3. The risk for India comes from two ways: one cheaper
imports from China affecting domestic companies and
second it would affect India’s exports to other
countries.
4. There have been increased imports from China
despite a significant appreciation of the Yuan versus
the rupee in the past and experts believe that India
should focus on policy related efforts in boosting
competitiveness.

1 year of Modi’s first Red Fort speech – the
misses
1. Swachh Vidyalaya campaign showed that the
corporates did not participate actively.
2. Only 16 corporates, big and small, showed some
interest in the campaign.
3. “Make in India” campaign, which was later launched
with considerable fanfare has been a slow starter.
4. Major reason for this slow start is uncertainty on
passage of Land Acquisition and GST Bills.
5. Recent washout of the Monsoon session of the
Parliament has only made it worse for the Union Govt.
1 year of Modi’s first Red Fort speech – the
hits
1. Exceeding the target of covering 7.5 crore households
under PMJDY, the banks have opened 16.73 crore
accounts after surveying 21.02 crore households.
2. By July this year, the zero balance accounts in PMJDY
fell by 30 per cent from 76 per cent in September
2014.
3. With a new deadline of 2017‐end, the National
Optical Fibre Network project was renamed
BharatNet and an estimated 30,000 village
panchayats have been covered.
4. HRD ministry announced that now every school in
the country has a toilet.

Happy Independence Day
Civilsdaily wishes all its readers a very happy
Independence Day. Let us all remember the heroes who
sacrificed their lives to bring this glorious day to India.
Jai Hind.
Santhara: The Law and the Religion
1. What is ‘Santhara’ ? The centuries‐old Jain Practice of
starving to death.
2. Underlying Philosophy: Considered to be the truest
form of ‘ahimsa’ or nonviolence, the fundamental
tenet of Jainism.
3. The issue: Rajasthan High Court ruled it to be
henceforth treated as “suicide” punishable under law.
Discuss: Should IPC be refurbished to be in consonance
with Indian ethos?

[cd explains] Palaces, Forts & Stupas
Here is a cheat sheet of sorts. Handy for quick revision.
More to come. In case we missed some *strategic* info –
feel free to add in the comments.
A few lesser known World Heritage sites in
India
1. UNESCO identifies World Heritage Sites as places
that belong to all the peoples of the world.
2. With the latest entry of The Great Himalayan
National Park and Rani ki Vav, India now has 32 of
these!
3. Read over at the website to find a few lesser known.

[cd explains] All about caves
1. You already know about Ajanta & Ellora – Let’s list a
few others from the party!
2. Badami, Barabar, Edakkal & Jogimara.
3. Sounds amazing? We don’t think so
4. Not unless you go to the story and see the cheat
sheet for yourself.
[Announcement] Are you nervous? Shitting
bricks, saaar!
1. Dear readers, hope all’s awesome at your end.
2. The 2015 cohort would be gearing up for the 23rd of
this month and pray that UPSC has no more surprises
to offer!
3. For the next few days, we will take things slow.
4. You will read less from the current affairs and more
from static portions.
Discuss: Enjoy the ride!

National e‐market for agricultural
commodities
1. The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation
(DAC) has mandated Small Farmers’ Agri Business
Consortium (SFAC) to act as the lead promoter of
National Agriculture Market (NAM).
2. NAM is envisaged as a pan‐India electronic trading
portal.
3. It will primarily network 585 Agriculture Produce
Market Committee (APMC) market yards to create a
national e‐market for agricultural commodities.
4. Big private markets will also be allowed access to the
software to enable better price discovery.
5. It will provide the software free of cost to the states
for setting up of NAM.
India, Bangladesh to fight fake currency
1. The security agencies of both the countries will
closely coordinate to curb the smuggling of
counterfeit currency notes.
2. Both countries agreed to share intelligence on a real‐
time basis
3. A secure channel will be established for information
exchange for better implementation.
4. A MoU was signed by Joint Task Force on Fake
Currency Notes to effectively target fake currency.

Saikanth Varma (AIR 18) on Prelims Strategy
1. If you are appearing for the 2015 marathon, feel free
to skip!
2. But if you are looking forward to nailing the CSE
@2016 – Read what Saikanth has to say about how
his prelims preparation.
3. Go to civilsdaily.com OR click the link below to be
directed to the Toppers Speak tab.
Geography | August 18, 2015
Organic Farming: Countering the
Unsustainable
1. The Committee on Estimates recommends
formulation of national policy on organic farming and
establishment of Organic Finance and Development
Corporation.
2. Chemical based farming has lead to soil degradation,
toxic farm products, groundwater contamination,
adverse health effects and has precipitated agrarian
distress.
3. Organic farming can countermand the fallout of
chemical farming and can generate employment and
reduce farm subsidy.

NALSAR goes the Oxford way!
1. The National Academy of Legal Studies and Research
(NALSAR) has become the first in the country to
drop the gender honorifics from its grade sheets
following the tradition of Oxford University.
2. The move is an acknowledgement of struggles for
gender fluidity.
3. Gender cannot be a measure to assess one’s abilities
asserted the NALSAR convener terming the decision
to be a progressive step towards inclusion.
Lobsters are marching North. Why?
1. Climate change is driving many US lobstermen out of
business as the lobster population has crashed to
record levels.
2. Responding to the warming oceans, the species is
moving towards the poles.
3. It is a clear indication of how climate change may be
altering the natural range of many animals and plants.

Pankhida – The folk song from Rajasthan
1. Sung by the peasants of Rajasthan while doing work in
the fields.
2. The peasants sing and speak while playing algoza and
manjira.
3. The literal meaning of the word ‘Pankhida’ is lover.
Discuss: Follow the story link and help us make
mnemonics for the ease of learning!
Lotia – For the month of chaitra
1. ‘Lotia’ is sung in the chaitra month during the festival
– ‘Lotia’.
2. Women bring lotas (a vessel to fill water) and kalash (a
vessel considered to be auspicious to fill water during
worship) filled with water from ponds and wells.
3. They decorate them with flowers and come home.
4. That’s it!

A ballad on the Pandavas – Pandavani
1. In Pandavani, tales from Mahabharata are sung as a
ballad and one or two episodes are chosen for the
night’s performance.
2. The main singer continuously sits throughout the
performance.
3. With powerful singing and symbolic gestures, he
assumes all the characters of the episode one after
another.
4. That’s a one man show!
Discuss: Akahvani for AIR & Pandavani for Pandavas
Barhamasa from Kumaon – For the 12
months!
1. This regional music from Kumaon is describing the
twelve months of an year, each with its specific
qualities.
2. In one of the songs the Ghughuti bird symbolizes the
onset of chaitra month.
3. A girl in her in laws place asks this bird not to speak
because she is disturbed with the memories of her
mother (Ija) and she is feeling sad.
Discuss: The song has a very catchy tune ‐ if you would
just look it up on youtube. You sure as hell won't forget a
question this.

Alha – A typical ballad from Bundelkhand
1. The folk song narrates the heroic deeds of Alha and
Udal, the two warrior brothers who served Raja
Parmal of Majoba.
2. This is the most popular regional music of
Bundelkhand which is popular elsewhere in the
country as well.
3. The Alha is full of tales of feudal chivalry, which have
appeal to common men.
4. It highlights the high principles of morality, chivalry
and nobility prevalent in those times.
Laman from Himachal Pradesh – Exchange of
wits
1. In Laman a group of girls sing a stanza and a group of
boys give reply in the song.
2. This continues for hours.
3. Interesting is that the girls singing on one of the peaks
of the hill seldom see the faces of the boys singing on
another peak.
4. In between is the hill which echoes their love song.
5. Most of these songs are sung especially in Kullu
Valley.

Tappa from Punjab & Powada from
Maharashtra
Tappa (for camel riders) – Tappa is a form of semi
classical vocal music inspired by the folk songs of camel
riders in the Punjab area. Tappa, in Punjabi and Pashto
language, is set in ragas generally used for the semi
classical forms. It is characterized by jumpy and flashy
tonal movements with rhythmic and … Continue reading
(http://www.civilsdaily.com/tappa‐from‐punjab‐powada‐
from‐rajasthan/)
The songs of the North East
Bihu songs, Assam – Bihu songs (bihu geet) are the
most distinctive type of folk songs of Assam, both for
their literary content and for their musical mode. It is Bihu
time when an opportunity is there for marriageable young
men and women to exchange their feelings and even to
choose their partners. Sana … Continue reading
(http://www.civilsdaily.com/the‐songs‐of‐the‐north‐
east/)

3 forms of theatre that you must see in Kerala
1. Kutiyattam, is a form of Sanskrit theatre traditionally
performed in the state of Kerala, India.
2. Krishnattam – The episodes are based on the theme
of Lord Krishna – his birth, childhood pranks and
various deeds depicting victory of good over evil.
3. Mudiyettu – It is usually performed only in the Kali
temples of Kerala, as an oblation to the Goddess.
4. It depicts the triumph of goddess Bhadrakali over the
asura Darika.
Licence to payment banks
1. RBI gave in‐principle nod to eleven entities including
Reliance Industries Ltd, Tech Mahindra Ltd and The
Department of Posts to launch a payments bank.
2. Payments banks will not lend money but will provide
basic savings, deposit, payment, and remittance
services.
3. They will play a key role in reaching the unbanked half
of India’s population.

India’s Growing E‐waste: A Fact Sheet
1. As Indians grow richer and spend more on electronic
items, more outmoded gadgets are being thrown away
leading to a 20% increase in e‐waste every year.
2. India is home to 900 million mobile phone users and is
the fastest growing smart phone market in the world.
The sale of other electronic items is rising 15% every
year.
3. In 2011 India created rules for its safe recycling still
90% of it is being dealt by unorganised industry
operating from slums and shanty towns in major cities.
Thailand’s turbulence: What happened?
1. There was a bomb blast near a Hindu temple in
Bangkok.
2. Thailand has seen 2 coups in past 10 years. There are
several political actors in the monarchy.
3. There is the military junta, the king and the red shirts
(political supporters of deposed PM Shinawatra and
now supporting Yingluck Shinawatra).
4. In deep south, they are fighting Muslim separatists
since 2004.
5. Thailand says the bombs are targeted at derailing
economy and tourism, but isn’t clear on who has done
it yet.

The sprouting of the ‘Look West’ policy
1. PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE this week has
the potential to be remembered like Prime Minister
P.V. Narasimha Rao’s visit to Singapore in September
1994.
2. Through his famous Singapore Lecture, Narasimha
Rao unveiled India’s “Look East” Policy.
3. Through the joint statement that he signed with UAE’s
leadership, Mr. Modi has unveiled India’s “Look West”
Policy.
Discuss: Mr Baru is also the author of the infamous book
– The accidental Prime Minister based on the rise of
guess who?
Introducing the CD Hub
1. We have re‐christened the ToppersSpeak tab to CD
Hub. Why?
2. CD Hub seeks to be a meeting point of aspirants,
rankers, mentors & CD Core.
3. Over the time – News engagements evolved to
healthy discussions around the stories and we found
the seeds of a healthy community building up at our
end.
4. We would want to up‐level this engagement for
you guys.
5. Buck up for the Prelims ahead – take some time off
post that and come back for the next round
Discuss: For 2016 and beyond ‐ do read up the articles
on the Hub ‐ We have got toppers to give you personal
advice :)

India’s Patent Performance
1. Of the total patent applications filed annually in India
only 28% are by Indians and only 3% of the patents
granted are actually commercialised.
2. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Delhi top the
chart.
3. Year‐on‐Year increase in filing patents is a paltry 15%.
4. Complex process and commercialisation aspects hold
back even the foreign firms from filing the patents in
India.
The making of modern theatre
Sanskrit drama after the 10th century lost its tenor. It
strove no more through symbol and gesture to realize the
truth behind human experience. Medieval Indian
literature was glorious, but it was an era of devotional
poetry, which was a little indifferent to secular
representation of life on stage. The Islamic taboo against
such forms … Continue reading
(http://www.civilsdaily.com/the‐making‐of‐modern‐
theatre/)

What importance do Vedas give to Yajnas?
1. Devatas of the vedic poetry symbolise the
manifestations of the divine force of the One
Supreme.
2. Vedas give prime importance to yajna (sacrifice).
3. Purusa sukta of the Rigveda (10.90) describes the
whole creation as a yajna extended by the divine
forces of nature.
4. Etymologically yajna means the worship of the divine,
coordination and giving (sacrifice).
What do the four Vedas deal with?
1. The Rig Veda is a collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns
counted among the four Hindu religious texts known
as the Vedas.
2. The Yajur Veda is related to yajna, which is not just
sacrifice, but also means creative reality.
3. The mantras (verse with archetypal meanings) of the
Rig Veda are adapted to certain melodies and this
collection is named Sama Veda.
4. The Atharva Veda deals with the peace and
prosperity of human society and is concerned with the
daily life of man.

Puranas: That which renews the old
The Puranas were written to illustrate and expound the
truth of the Vedas. The fundamental abstruse
philosophical and religious truths are expounded through
popular legends or mythological stories. The main
Puranas are 18 encyclopaedic collections of legend and
myth. They are called Mahapuranas. The Mahapuranas
have 5 subjects – Sarga, the original creation of the
universe, … Continue reading
(http://www.civilsdaily.com/puranas‐that‐which‐renews‐
the‐old/)
What is Jayadeva remembered for?
This. Jayadeva (12 century A.D.) is the last great name in
Sanskrit poetry, who wrote the lyric poetry Gita Govinda
(the song of Govinda) to describe every phase of love
between Krishna and Radha – longing, jealousy, hope,
disappointment, anger, reconciliation and fruition – in
picturesque lyrical language. The songs describe the
beauty of nature, … Continue reading
(http://www.civilsdaily.com/what‐is‐jayadeva‐
remembered‐for/)

What are Vishnu Sharma & Narayan Pandit are
famous for?
1. The didactic fable Panchatantra (five chapters),
dealing with politics and practical wisdom was written
by Vishnu Sharma.
2. The Hitopadesha – the bird, animal‐human and non‐
human stories of advice for the benefit of the listeners
was written by Narayan Pandit.
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft arrives at Ceres
1. The Dawn probe is in a low‐altitude orbit around the
dwarf planet Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid
belt.
2. Asteroid belt?
3. The asteroid belt is the region of the Solar System
located roughly between the orbits of the planets
Mars and Jupiter.
4. About half the mass of the belt is contained in the
four largest asteroids, the three intact protoplanets
Ceres, Vesta, and Pallas, and Hygiea.

New Horizons spacecraft flies by Pluto
1. Nasa spacecraft makes history as the first spacecraft
to reach distant dwarf planet, the last unexplored
world in solar system.
2. Images beamed back from New Horizons have shown
Pluto in shades of red and orange, with hints of
valleys, mountains and craters.
3. Pluto lies in a region of space at the edge of the solar
system called the Kuiper belt.
Discuss: What is Kuiper Belt?
MESSENGER mission at Mercury ends
MESSENGER (short for MErcury Surface, Space
ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging) has helped
scientists snap pictures and craft the best map ever made
of the planet.

The 2 schools of Sangam literature
Early classical Tamil literature is known as Sangam
literature meaning ‘fraternity’, indicating mainly 2 schools
of poets, aham (subjective love poems), and puram
(objective, public poetry and heroic). Aham deals purely
with the subjective emotions of the lover. Puram deals
with all kinds of emotions, mainly the valour and glory of
kings, and about good and … Continue reading
(http://www.civilsdaily.com/the‐2‐schools‐of‐sangam‐
literature/)
Done with Prelims? Take a kitkat break!
1. We are in the process of uploading the answer keys at
the website.
2. Visit http://www.civilsdaily.com/blog/ for more
updates.
3. We are getting in mentors and rankers to help you
prepare for the next mile.
4. For the 2016+ folks – we will have a blog at the Hub
for you in a few days from now.
5. We are sure that you would attest to the fact that
“following CD made current affairs easy”.
6. A good chunk of questions were sitters!
Discuss: More on the overlap of CD with Prelims later.
Chill maadi!

What is Brent Crude?
1. Brent Crude is a major trading classification of sweet
light crude oil that serves as a major benchmark price
for purchases of oil worldwide.
2. This grade is described as light because of its relatively
low density, and sweet because of its low sulfur
content.
3. Roughly two‐thirds of all crude contracts around the
world reference Brent Blend, making it the most
widely used marker of all.
[op‐ed snap] Payments banks can change the
future. How?
1. With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s in‐principle
approval to 11 payments banks, India has taken one
big step forward on the road laid out seven years ago.
2. Rajan and Nachiket Mor have delivered on their
promises of a well diversified, differentiated banking
structure for India.
3. A recent Consultative Group to Assist the Poor report
titled Doing Digital Finance Right concluded that low‐
income consumers are hesitant. Why?

ISIS reported to have blown up ancient temple
in Palmyra
1. The antiquities chief confirm 2,000‐year‐old temple of
Baal Shamin in world heritage city blown up.
2. Baal Shamin was built in 17 AD and was expanded
under the reign of Roman emperor Hadrian in 130
AD.
3. It is one of the most important sites in Palmyra, known
as the “Pearl of the Desert”.
4. Palmyra used to be a stopping point for caravans
travelling on the Silk Road and between the Gulf and
the Mediterranean.
Rajan will not hesitate to use forex reserves to
curb rupee volatility
1. India has $380 billion in forex reserves to be used as
and when the need arises, says RBI Governor
Raghuram Rajan.
2. The RBI, however, is looking to calm investors with
Rajan saying that India is in a far better position to
weather the volatility given the strength in
macroeconomic fundamentals.
3. Rajan also said that instead of focusing on the rupee’s
fall against the dollar, the currency’s real effective
exchange rate has to be looked.
Discuss: What is REER? Elaborate with an example.

Anoop Singh to be conferred with
Dronacharya Award
1. The Dronacharya Award, instituted in 1985, are given
to honour eminent coaches across the nation.
2. Three‐time national champion and international
wrestler, Anoop has guided top grapplers.
3. Dronacharya Awardees and Dhyan Chand Awardees
will receive statuettes, certificates and award money
of Rs 5 lakh each.
Discuss: What is Dhyan Chand Award?
Typhoon lashes Japan
1. Japanese authorities advised 280,000 people to
evacuate their homes as a typhoon lashed southern
Kyushu island and western Japan.
2. More than 20 people were injured as a result of the
typhoon, and some flights and train services were
suspended.
Discuss: Have they named the typhoon yet?

Can’t bring political parties under RTI, Centre
tells SC
1. Union govt. has argued that political parties cannot
disclose their internal functioning and financial
information under the Right to Information Act.
2. The disclosure will hamper their smooth functioning
and create a weak spot for rivals with malicious
intentions to take advantage of.
3. SC had earlier issued notice to 6 national parties,
asking their inability to come clean and explain their
hesitation to disclose complete details.
4. The details will include their income, expenditure,
donations, funding, including donor details, to the
public under the RTI Act.
[op‐ed snap] The crash of the markets
1. Sensex’ free fall was driven by over 9% fall in the
Chinese stocks, which had impact in capital and
currency markets worldwide.
2. SEBI would take measures to ensure that there are no
major settlement defaults, which can be a further
dangerous for our economy.
3. RBI has assured that it has sufficient foreign currency
reserves to silent any major volatility of rupee.
4. However, all these efforts can only flatten the
trajectory of any fall, but it will be difficult to reverse
the trend.

U.N. court for status quo in Italian marines
case
1. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
(ITLOS) has put a “status quo” in the Italian marines
case.
2. The tribunal has asked both countries to “suspend” all
court proceedings and refrain from initiating new ones
that might “aggravate or extend” the dispute.
3. Both countries will submit the initial report on the
entire incident by September 24.
4. Govt. official claim it was a partial victory for India as
the court did not allow one of the accused marines to
go home from Indian custody despite Italy’s plea.
Five‐pronged strategy to check Naxalism
1. The new strategy will involve both armed forces as
well as taking up development programmes in the
naxal‐affected areas.
2. The will also create awareness among the
communities against the path of violence being
adopted by the LWE groups.
3. The Centre would utilise modern technologies such as
drones and UAVs as part of its strategy to contain the
LWE.
4. Centre is procuring 6 modern helicopters for the use
of armed forces, in order to combat Naxal groups
effectively.

[Announcement] Check your promotions tab
@gmail
1. Hello, we have been trying to reach you at
your registered Email.
2. But chances are that Google has pushed them all
under the Promotion Tab.
3. Would be great if you could manually drag them onto
your Primary Inbox.
4. Do keep a tab on civilsdaily.com for upcoming mains
strategy.
Rs.1‐lakh cr. highway projects to be awarded
this year
1. The Union govt. has set a target of awarding highway
projects estimated at Rs. 1 lakh crore this year and Rs.
5 lakh crore in the next 4 years.
2. Minister emphasized on the magnitude scaling in
highway construction from 2 km/day to 14 km/day.
3. Out of estimated Rs. 3.8 lakh crore stalled road
projects, Govt. has resolved around 60% of them.
4. There was a good response from the private sector
and funding issues have been resolved, which is
visible in increase in no. of PPP projects.
Discuss: Govt. is targeting 30km/day by Mar,2016.

Muslim population growth slows
1. There is a sharp drop in the growth of Muslim
population compared to previous decades.
2. Its growth rate has slowed more sharply than that of
the Hindu population.
3. The Muslim population still grows at a faster rate than
the Hindu population, but the gap between the two
growth rates is narrowing fast.
4. Minorities form 20.4% of the population in
which Muslims make up 14.23%, Christians 2.3% and
Sikhs 2.16 %.
5. The Registrar‐General and Census Commissioner
released the data on Population by Religious
Communities of Census 2011.
Discuss: The data on religion comes after a significant
delay, 2001 Census data on religion was released in
2004.
Land ordinance to go; States to frame law
1. Govt. has indicated that Land Ordinance will be
allowed to lapse on August 31.
2. Although, govt. will wait for the report of the joint
committee in Parliament on the ordinance before
winter session.
3. But, PM has almost decided to allow States to put in
place their own laws on land acquisition.
4. At NITI Aayog’s meeting, which was violated by
Congress minister’s, some states were interested to
add these features to their land acquisition laws.

No word on special status for A.P.
1. Niti Aayog has been entrusted the task of taking a
final view on the issue of granting Special Category
status to Andhra Pradesh.
2. Niti Aayog vice‐chairman will discuss with State
Government officials to reconcile it with the Finance
Commission’s recommendations.
3. Centre was making all attempts to find a solution as
there are similar demands from other States too.
4. Home Ministry is the nodal ministry for implementing
the AP Reorganisation Act.
Rani Gaidinliu – The legendary freedom fighter
from North‐East
1. Occasion? The inaugural function of the birth
centenary of Rani Gaidinliu.
2. PM Narendra Modi has instructed all his ministers to
visit North‐East at least twice every year and take up
issues related to their ministries.
3. PM also issued commemorative coin of hundred
rupees and circulation coin of five rupees on Rani
Gaidinliu.
4. Rani Gaidinliu was a Naga spiritual leader of the
Heraka faith who led a revolt against British colonial
rule in India.
Discuss: Keep a stock on such crucial figures of our
Indian Freedom movement.

India to implement Sendai framework for
disaster reduction
1. The framework was adopted during the third UN
World Conference on disaster risk reduction held in
Sendai, Japan on March 14‐18, 2015.
2. How would we go about it?
3. This involves adopting integrated and inclusive
institutional measures so as to work towards
preventing vulnerability to disaster.
4. More focus on increasing preparedness for response
and recovery and strengthen resilience.
[op‐ed snap] Time to act on FTII
1. Ministry of I&B has appointed 3 member committee
to resolve the FTII impasse.
2. NDA govt. should use the opportunity to ensure that
it does not intend to subjugate cultural institutions.
3. The govt. should chart a road map to make FTII, a
center of excellence, where merit and capability will
be given due priority.
4. A panel of eminent film makers could be set up to
frame a transparent structure for future appointments
of FTII chairman.
5. FTII has a good legacy of producing fine film talent
and govt.’s focus should be on making it a world‐class
centre.
Discuss: There is a need to protect institutions from
ideological or political inferences, otherwise they may
lose their relevance.

5G: The Internet of Everything
1. 5G would have ultra high data speeds(>20GBPs),
ultra low latency and new devices.
2. The 5G network will be intelligent enough to
understand how to allocate its resources, a capacity
which is absent at the moment.
3. It cannot afford to be neutral when it comes to data,
as that could again lead to wastage.
4. The 5G will not be just about internet speed, but it
will also have to be content‐aware, user‐aware and
location‐aware.
5. Base station might shift from towers to drones or
balloons to ensure that Internet of Everything is also
the Internet of Everywhere.
Discuss: For middle‐income countries like India, who are
struggling with 4G, the world of 5G is atleast a few years
away, as it will require concerted efforts from all tech
companies, ISPs and govts.
Special Status vs. Special Category Status –
What’s the difference?
1. Special Status is guaranteed by the Constitution of
India through an Act passed by the two‐third majority
in both houses of the Parliament (example – J&K).
2. Special Category Status is granted by the National
Development Council, an administrative body of the
government.
3. While Special Status empowers legislative and political
rights, Special Category Status deals only with
economic, administrative and financial aspects.

Nothing special about Special Category States
any longer
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been demanding
Special Category Status (SCS) for his state for at least
three years now. But with the recommendations of the
Fourteenth Finance Commission having been accepted,
the SCS has been reduced, at best, to a political rallying
point — not just for Bihar, but also for Odisha … Continue
reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/nothing‐special‐
about‐special‐category‐states‐any‐longer/)
[Discuss] Hollow promise of ‘special status’
1. Demand for Special Category Status is being used to
pursue political goals instead of furthering the
development goals. Discuss.
2. The discussion will be summarised and updated the
next day.

Decks cleared for India’s role in Iranian port
1. Iran has cleared roadblocks for India to lease and
develop the strategically important Iranian port of
Chabahar.
2. The port will be used to ship crude oil and urea,
greatly reducing transportation costs for importing
these two commodities.
3. The port will provide an alternative route for India to
trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing
Pakistan.
4. The port is to be developed via a SPV, which will be
owned by the two sides with an investment of around
$85 million.
5. The port will link with Intl. North‐South Transport
Corridor that will connect India to most Central Asian
trading partners.
Discuss: India’s presence in Chabahar will offset the
Chinese presence in the Pakistani port of Gwadar.
Media facing curbs on freedom
1. Freedom of speech and expression were applied to
the media as a whole, but in practice, did not seem to
reach the broadcast media.
2. The recent case of show‐cause notices being sent to
3 pvt. TV channels for alleged violations was
a challenge to editorial expression.
3. The SC has held that the powers of legislature could
override freedom of speech but cannot override
personal liberties guaranteed in Article 21 of the
Constitution.
4. Courts have consistently protected journalists who are
sought to be punished by legislatures.

Telangana knocks on SC door for rightful share
of Krishna water
1. Telangana govt. has sought fresh allocation of the
disputed waters of the Krishna river, claiming
that right to access water is a human rights issue
2. State has requested to keep aside the previous order
of Krishna Water Tribunal, in the light of the
bifurcation of State.
3. The state has requested for setting up of a fresh
tribunal under the Inter‐State River Water Disputes
Act of 1956.
4. The water of Krishna river is shared among the
4 neighbouring States of Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Discuss: The Inter‐State River Water Disputes Act of
1956, the Union has to refer the case to a tribunal
formed under the statute, if it gets a complaint or a
reference in relation to the sharing of water between two
States,
GSAT‐6 will be a game changer
1. The GSLV‐D6 satellite launcher is powered by the
indigenously developed upper cryogenic stage to send
the GSAT‐6 communication satellite.
2. GSAT‐6 is a predominantly S‐band communication
satellite that enables multimedia applications.
3. It will be used purely for ‘strategic’ purposes by the
Armed Forces and for societal uses during a disaster
or an emergency.
4. It would function the same way as other
INSAT/GSATs, but in hardware terms, it would be a
game changer.

India‐Seychelles pact to curb black money
1. India inked a taxation agreement with the Seychelles
on Wednesday for allowing exchange of information
to curb tax evasion and avoidance.
2. India is looking at strengthening maritime security ties
and cooperation on blue economy with the island
nation.
3. Seychelles is considered one of the preferred
offshore havens for routing of funds.
4. An air services agreement will enable more and easier
connections between the two countries.
5. India is a partner in providing aircraft, naval vessels
and coastal radar systems for strengthening
surveillance capacities in the Indian Ocean region.
Govt. may refer OROP to seventh pay
commission
1. The govt. is planning to refer the issue of One Rank
One Pension (OROP) to the 7th Pay Commission.
2. Though the deliberations continued between govt.
and representatives of ex‐servicemen, but failed to
sort out differences.
3. Recently, the Pay Commission was given a 4‐month
extension, its recommendations could include the
long‐pending OROP scheme.

[op‐ed snap] The fractious demand for ILP in
Manipur
1. Manipur is demanding the implementation of Inner
Line Permit(ILP) in the state.
2. If ILP bill is passed and enacted into law, it will require
outsiders to obtain a special pass or permit to enter
the state.
3. System is already in force in the state of Nagaland,
Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.
4. Since Manipur is not officially a tribal State there are
constitutional challenges to implement the ILP
System.
5. Among 3 major communities of Manipur – Meities,
Kukis, Nagas, the ILP System is demanded by Meties.
6. The govt. could implement the 6th Schedule in the hill
areas which would ensure autonomy for the Kukis and
Nagas in their respective regions within Manipur.
Discuss: British colonial government had introduced this
system to protect its commercial interest particularly in oil
and tea.
Export Performance: India likely to miss target
1. India is likely to miss the exports target for the
4th year in succession, unless corrective measures are
taken by Centre.
2. Federation of Indian Export Organization(FIEO) has
set the target of export at $310 billion as compared
to last year’s $340 billion.
3. Poor global demand and devaluation of Chinese yuan
led to low shipments in the first 4 months.
4. FIEO want the govt. to conclude FTA and CEPA with
Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada
immediately.

ISRO‐NASA mission to use GSLV‐D6 rocket
1. NASA ISRO SAR Mission (NISAR) is expected to be
launched on board GSLV‐D6 in 2020‐21.
2. NISAR would be optimised for studying hazards and
global environment change.
3. By using India’s GSLV for launching satellites weighing
up to 2 tonne, it would help save on foreign
exchange.
4. GSLV will cost just one third of the cost we have to
spend on foreign agencies.
5. ISRO has lined up 10 Indian satellites to be launched
on board GSLV‐D6.
RBI asks Govt to speed up reforms in banking
system
1. RBI warned govt. that any delay in reform of the
banking system would lead to greater risk in the
economy.
2. He emphasized the need to increase efficiency
through greater entry and competition.
3. He stressed on the need for more govt. participation
in the country’s financial markets to increase their
size, depth, and liquidity.
4. Govt. can create supporting frameworks that improve
transparency, contract enforcement, and protections
for market participants against abusive practices.
5. For a country as big and populous as India, reforms
cannot be shots in the dark, subjecting the economy
to great uncertainty and risk.

Government asks varsities, IITs to adopt
villages
1. The HRD Ministry wants all higher educational
institutions(HEI) to adopt backward villages in their
vicinity.
2. It is a part of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan launched last
year, to improve the infrastructure by using their
knowledge and expertise.
3. However, there are no takers primarily because no
additional resources have been earmarked by
ministry.
4. Ministry envisages HEIs to take up basic amenities
such as sanitation, drinking water supply, energy,
irrigation, affordable housing, educational and health
facilities, etc.
Region and religion both matter for better
population indicators
1. The 2011 and 2001 decadal Censuses suggest that
both region and religion matter for better population
indicators.
2. It suggest that all communities do better in the more
developed southern States than in the more
backward northern States.
3. Sikhs as a community had the worst sex
ratio, followed by non‐SC/ ST Hindus, while
Christians had the best sex ratio followed by STs.
4. The states with higher than average Hindu growth
rates have higher than average Muslim growth rates
too.
5. In Assam and Uttarakhand, Muslim growth rate is
significantly higher than the national average.
Discuss: When the demographic transition is occurring,
the better off communities first reduce their fertility,
which is then followed by poorer communities.

Centre unveils list of 98 smart cities
1. The largest share of developing 13 smart cities is with
UP, followed by Tamil Nadu, which qualified to
develop 12.
2. The Smart City Mission promotes integrated city
planning with an aim to achieve inclusive growth.
3. The Ministry will impose fines on States that violate
the timeline of 60 days of finalising the projects.
4. The smart city mission will attract both national and
international investors who are looking for
opportunities.
5. The mission will see govt. schemes re‐enforcing each
other, such as Swachh Bharat Mission and Atal
Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.
WTO Ruling against India
1. WTO ruled against India’s imposition of local content
requirements in its solar power programme.
2. India will appeal against this ruling in the dispute
which was raised by the US.
3. WTO members are not supposed to insist on national
content requirements and provide “national”
treatment under which imports must be treated at
par with domestic products.
4. India maintains the ruling shall not affect its solar
power programme or ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Discuss: Compare CAPEX and RESCO business models.

[Discuss] The big NJAC debate
The NJAC Conundrum – A tacit attempt to subvert the
independence
of Judiciary or a panacea for Judicial Accountability?
Discuss.
Discuss: Go over to the web story and discuss.
HAM model attracts Malaysian developers
1. The newly conceived Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) is
designed to make investments in road projects more
attractive for private player.
2. In the new model, govt. takes all the risk including the
traffic.
3. As the model assures developers getting back their
investment, it is bound to attract bids from private
player.
4. The govt. would provide 40% of the project cost to
the developer to start work.
5. NHAI will collect toll and refund the amount in
installments over a period of 15‐20 years.

Centre Offers to introduce new law to ensure
minimum wages
1. Centre is trying to woo trade unions who have
threatened to go on strike, in order to take forward its
agenda for labour reforms.
2. Govt. proposed to introduce sector‐specific minimum
wages for industrial workers.
3. Govt. assured that wage eligibility limit and calculation
ceiling, which are used to calculate the bonus will be
doubled.
4. The Centre assured the unions that all labour law
reforms would be done with due discussions and
tripartite consultations.
India should assume a more assertive role
1. The Paris climate talks will take steps to limit the
global rise in temperature to 2 degree Celsius, for
which countries have agreed to submit their
‘intended nationally determined contributions‘ or
INDCs.
2. India is 4th largest emitter and despite our $2 trillion
GDP, over 30% of our population does not have
electricity.
3. India need a lot of “headroom emissions” to
grow before, we can think of slowing down.
4. There are several initiatives from Indian side, viz.
energy conservation measures in railways, 175 GW
renewable energy.
5. Urban metro transport is being contemplated as part
of smart city project and adopting Bharat‐IV emisson
standards.
Discuss: INDCs are bottom‐up commitments from
nations defining the extent of their emissions reduction
contribution towards this global goal.

India, U.S. set to ink pact on terror database
1. India and US are likely to sign a pact on exchange of
information on terrorists on a real time basis.
2. The agreement is likely to be signed during the US‐
India Counter‐terrorism and Homeland Security
Cooperation dialogue.
3. Indian agency will sign agreement with Terrorist
Screening Centre, an agency which
consolidates single terrorist data base on terror
suspects.
4. India is insisting that privacy issues be taken care of,
and the agreement should not serve the interests of
the U.S. alone.
5. In return, India wants access to Internet‐related data
from U.S.‐based service providers like Google, Yahoo,
Bing, etc.
External debt up 6.6% in 2014‐15
1. The 2014‐15 status report shows that the country’s
external debt has grown faster than its GDP.
2. There is a rise in external debt‐GDP ratio to 23.8 per
cent at end‐March 2015 from 23.6 per cent at end‐
March 2014.
3. Lower short‐term external debt is mainly due to
decline in FII investment in Government treasury bills.
4. The increase in long‐term external debt during the
year was primarily on account of rise in commercial
borrowings and NRI deposits.
5. According to a World Bank report‐ the ratio of India’s
external debt stock to gross national income was the
6th lowest.
Discuss: The report is release by Department of
Economic Affairs. Explore the impact of changes in
external debt‐GDP ratio in the economy.

India rebuffs Afghanistan on strategic meet
1. India has rejected an invitation from Kabul to revive
the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA).
2. India and Afghanistan have held only one meeting of
the SPC (in 2012) since both countires signed the
historic agreement in 2011.
3. India was the first country Afghanistan chose to sign
a strategic partnership agreement.
4. The relationship saw trust‐deficit, since Ashraf
Ghani’s inclination towards Pakistan Army and ISI.
5. A series of attacks from the Taliban supported by
Pakistan have forced India to reconsider its strategic
and military assistance there.
Discuss: There is a little clarity on what constitutes the
Strategic Partnership Agreement at International level.
Indian scientist awarded first Sunhak Peace
Prize
1. Modadugu Vijay Gupta is a noted agricultural scientist,
who has done pioneering work in aquaculture in India
and several other countries.
2. He shared the USD 1 million prize with President of
Kiribati Islands Anote Tong.
3. Tong was chosen for his fight to end the carbon
emissions which are spelling doom for small island
nations.
4. The awards were instituted to recognise and highlight
the work of individuals making big efforts for the
betterment of the people.
5. He was also the recipient of the World Food Prize in
2005 for development of low‐cost techniques for
freshwater fish farming.

More children in school, but very few enter
college
1. The new numbers from Census shows that over a
third of the population in 2011, had never attended
any school or educational institution.
2. Although, the enrolment in school is now over
80% for school‐age children, higher education
enrolment remains low.
3. The proportion is lower for SC and ST students as
well as for girls in rural areas
4. There is also wide inter‐State variation, with Odisha
and Gujarat lagging far behind the states of Kerala and
H.P.
5. The enrolment in vocational education also remains
extremely low.
Law Commission: End death penalty, keep it
for terror only
1. India is one of 59 countries where the death penalty
is still awarded by courts.
2. More recently, the issue was debated in the run‐up to
the July 30 hanging of Mumbai blasts convict Yakub
Memon.
3. In 1962, the Law Commission, in its 35th report, had
recommended retention of death penalty.

[op‐ed snap] Secure haven for a terrorist
1. Pakistan would have cooperated in the extradition of
Dawood Ibrahim, if the rule of law had mattered and
geopolitics did not dominate the conduct of
international relations.
2. Pakistan has continued its long‐pursued policy of
plausible deniability, refusing to acknowledge the
presence of the underworld.
3. Pakistan is now suffering the wounds which were
inflicted by its own strategy of terror.
4. However, there is some degree of realization among
its civilian establishment about it.
5. But, there has been little reorientation in Pakistan’s
overall foreign policy towards India.
Let’s discuss the case for Death Penalties
1. What Judicial Responsibility Must Mean in the Age
of the Death Penalty?
2. Judicial responsibility means not just the responsibility
to uphold the law; it means the overarching
responsibility to do justice.

Patidar Quota Agitation: Hardik’s show now in
Delhi
1. Hardik Patel has warned the BJP that “lotus would not
bloom” in the next Assembly elections if their demand
is not met.
2. His Delhi visit is ostensibly to meet Jat and Gujjar
leaders spearheading agitations for quota for their
communities.
3. Long live the reservations!
PM to release AIR copy of ‘Ramcharitmanas’
1. But why only Ramcharitmanas? Prasar Bharati had
earlier red‐flagged such selective release.
2. Officials said they were flummoxed by the decision to
release only Ramcharitmanas, which many see as a
political decision.
3. For the uninitiated – Tulsidas had written this epic
text.

Pallava‐Chola Nageswaran temple being
renovated
1. What’s so amazing about this temple?
2. The temple represents the transition from Pallava to
Chola period.
3. Known as Kudanthai Keezh Kottam — the temple on
the eastern side of Kumbakonam.
4. It is one of the temples being renovated ahead of
Mahamaham festival.
5. The entire Ramayana had been depicted on the
athirstanam (the base) of the temple.
‘Zero Accident Mission’ on the anvil: Railway
Minister
1. ‘Zero Accident Mission’ would require the railways to
adopt an integrated approach involving use of cost‐
effective advanced technology and trained manpower.
2. New advances in command, control and
communication systems can play a very vital role.
3. We should try to develop indigenous, cost‐effective
systems having global standards suitable for Indian
Railways.

India is the brain bank of the world
1. FM emphasized on India now serving as a brain bank
for the world.
2. India has a surplus of human resources, while the
developed world is suffering from shortage of skilled
manpower.
3. But, there is a need for huge manpower in legal
academics, which are needed to draft legislation in
tune with modern trends.
4. There is a shift from traditional areas of litigation like
family and land disputes to international trade,
taxation, and intellectual property.
UNGA president‐elect sounds ‘positive’ in
talks with Sushma
1. The next fortnight will see vote for U.N. Security
Council expansion process.
2. UNGA will take decision whether to roll over the text
that contains positions of all countries on the U.N.
reform.
3. The text for the U.N. reform will lapse on September
15, and diplomats working hard to push the decision
before that.
4. India also discussed its greater role in planning U.N.
Peacekeeping operations, given its large contribution
to the forces

Land ordinance gets a burial
1. The land acquisition ordinance would be allowed to
lapse, without any re‐promulgation.
2. But, the govt. will include 13 points to reform the land
acquisition law to benefit farmers.
3. These 13 points will be brought under the rules, so
that farmers do not face financial loss.
4. Earlier, govt. failed to create consensus in Parliament
to get its amendments to the contentious land
acquisition Act cleared.
NIA for softer cases against youth saved from
terror path
1. NIA has asked the Home Ministry to invoke lighter
sections of the law against the youth stopped from
joining IS.
2. The Bureau of Immigration will study immigration
patterns of Indians in a systematic manner and
generate red flags.
3. As Gulf is a job haven for Indians, so it is tough
for Bureau of Immigration to randomly raise any
suspicion.
4. NIA has emphasized on community policing,
strengthening beat constabulary and gathering
information for suspects through research.

Key Points: Simhastha Kumbh Mela – Nashik
1. Shahi snan– Royal bath of the saints and the sadhus.
2. Kumbh mela at Nashik is different from Prayag,Ujjain,
and Haridwar as Vaishnavites and Shaivites take their
holy dip separately.
3. Vaishnavites will take dip in Nashik and Shaivites will
take dip in Trimbakeshwar.
4. The Kumbh mela happens at Ramkund in Nashik into
the holy waters of the river Godavari.
5. Note: Godavari is also known as Dakshin Ganga
6. Kumbh mela is held every third year at one of the four
places by rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad(Prayag),
Nashik, Ujjain.
Key Points: Dengue‐ The breakbone fever
1. It is a mosquito borne tropical disease caused by
dengue virus.
2. Aedes mosquito (Aedes aegypti) is responsible for the
Dengue fever.
3. These mosquitoes live between 35°N and 35°S
latitudes below an elevation of 1000 metres.
4. Aedes mosquito bites during daytime,especially in
morning and evening.
5. Dengue fever virus(DENV) is an RNA virus of the
family Flaviviridae;genus Flavivirus.
6. International anti‐dengue day is observed on June
15th since 2010.

Sania receives Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
1. Sania Mirza became the second tennis player to
receive the country’s highest sporting honour after
Leander Paes.
2. It is India’s highest honour given for achievement in
sports, given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and
Sports, government of India.
[Discuss] Growing Middle Class: Aspirational
for development & intolerant to inequality and
injustice?
1. We had taken up this topic sometime back but it
seems like a good time to revive it now.
2. Given the tumultuous situation in the country
regarding reservations/ representations/ inequalities,
this question becomes relevant still.

Roadblocks to Make in India drive
1. Free trade pacts have made import cheaper for
various segment of industry, thereby becoming
impediment in make in India initiative.
2. The reduction of import duties under various regional
FTAs such as ASEAN, makes the domestic paper
industry challenging.
3. As FTAs are beneficial as a whole, therefore the
requirement is to make policy changes.
4. Allowing commercial forestry on dry and wastelands
and giving incentives to industry to develop forestry
mechanisms are the need of the hour.
5. There is no danger to paper industry from digitisation
because it won’ be able to reach all.

Civilsdaily digest August 2015

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Civilsdaily digest August 2015