WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS BULLETIN

6TH AUGUST TO 12TH AUGUST 2012

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NATIONAL
Conceptually Minor Forest Products refers to all biological materials other than timber extracted from natural forests for human and animal use. It includes plant tissues used for fibre, building material, medicine, edible leaves, roots, flower, fruit, seed, nuts, honey, resin, glue, lac etc. and has both consumptive and exchange value. They have income potentials and provide employment opportunities. The MFP economy is fragile but an estimated 100 million people derive their source of livelihood from the collection and marketing of MFPs (Report of the National Committee on Forest Rights Act, 2011) which includes large tribal population. Thus Ministry of Tribal Affairs is introducing a Central Sector Scheme to provide Minimum Support Price for Minor Forest Produces. With the introduction of Scheme of Minimum Support Price for MFPs, the tribals and other forest dwellers would be in a better position to sell their MFPs with assured return.

Provide better health care for Bhopal Victims : SC

A Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar gave directive to computerize all medical records of patients and health booklets and issue smart cards to each victim to ensure proper implementation of the relief and rehabilitation programme and regular health care facilities for the Bhopal gas leak victims.

The Empowered Monitoring Committee will be set up that will undertake projects to operationalise medical surveillance, computerisation of medical information, publication of 'health booklets,' etc. It shall also ensure that 'health booklets' and 'smart cards' are provided to each victim irrespective of where such victim is being treated. The Empowered Monitoring Committee shall have complete jurisdiction to oversee the proper

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y
CBSE ties up with Pearson

Central scheme to Provide Minimum Support Price for Minor Forest Produces to be Introduced

functioning of the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC) as well as other government hospitals dealing with the gas victims. This jurisdiction shall be limited to the problems relatable to the gas victims or the problems arising directly from the incident [which occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984 at Union Carbide's plant] or even the problems allied thereto. The Monitoring Committee shall have no jurisdiction over the private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics in Bhopal. However, it does not absolve the State of Madhya Pradesh and the Medical Council of India of discharging its responsibilities towards the victims who are being treated in private hospitals, nursing homes or clinics. The Bench directed the State government and the Monitoring Committee to evolve a methodology for a common referral system among the various medical units under the erstwhile BMHRC and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department to ensure that the victims are referred to appropriate centres for proper diagnosis and treatment. The Monitoring Committee shall issue a standardised protocol for treating each category of ailment.

The Central Board of Secondary Education has entered into a partnership with a private foreign education company, Pearson, to form a Centre for Assessment, Evaluation and Research which will evaluate CBSE's examination system, carry out research on implementation of its schemes and develop research resources to help teachers. The main purpose of the centre will be to develop research and assessment capabilities and resources for CBSE, its schools and teachers and focus on International best practices in school-based assessment, teaching techniques and high stake examinations. The entire project will be funded for the initial two years by the company's philanthropic arm, Pearson Foundation, but the centre will start to generate its own financial revenues through different projects and activities within three years. Another
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objective of the centre would be to evaluate exam results, analyse them and help decide on the type of questions to be set. Initially it will focus on the impact of the recent CBSE innovations such as continuous comprehensive evaluation programme in classrooms and life skills curriculum.

poor children under three years of age were found to be stunted and only one out of four urban poor neonates is breastfed within one hour of birth. Besides malnourishment, substance and physical abuse of these small children, what is most worrying is their mental abuse. There is no system within the existing government policies to look into the mental health of these groups of children. Most children display symptoms of depression and other behavioural problems which in the long run do not allow them to grow in an all round manner and are often maladjusted in the society.

Delhi has become the city with the highest crime rate against children (19.8 per cent as per National Crime Records Bureau, 2010). Street children below 18 years constitute one per cent of the national Capital's total children. Among them one in five is a rag picker who leads a very vulnerable life. Several others become part of gangs that use children for begging or are herded into prostitution. Worse they are pushed into organ trade, lured into illegal adoption network used as couriers for illegal trade by gangs and used for petty crime. Street kids are malnourished and vulnerable to physical, mental, social abuse.

Nearly half (47 per cent) of the urban poor population in Delhi are under 15 (according to State of Urban Health Delhi Report). Central Delhi has the highest percentage of child labour followed by North, West, South, North-West, South-West, NorthEast and New Delhi (according to Census 2001). They often have no record of their birth, death or status as an individual and since they don't vote and are in an unorganised sector they slip down to being nobodies for the politician. Despite various Government schemes and work by non-government organisations for Delhi's street children the condition is still very poor. Health remains one of the major casualties among children living on the streets. More than four out of five children (82.7 per cent) in urban poor habitations of Delhi suffer from anaemia. Only 20.8 per cent urban poor children aged 20-35 months had received at least one dose of vitamin A as against the urban average of 32.1 per cent. Forty seven per cent urban

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CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y
Bharat Nirman Volunteers scheme

Delhi the country's Capital for crime against street children

A unique "lab to land" initiative of the Union Rural Development Ministry which involves thousands of rural youths in the task of carrying the benefits of Government's schemes to the masses by appointing them as Bharat Nirman Volunteers. The number of these volunteers, working without any remuneration, is set to touch 4.50 lakh by this year-end. "Lab to Land" approach would not only help improve the rural infrastructure but would also facilitate the extension of facilities available in cities to the far-off villages. The newly-appointed volunteers could make the revenue officers, para-medical staff and school teachers more responsible and generate confidence among the villagers. A web portal, Rural Diksha, had been opened recently to register all Bharat Nirman Volunteers with their relevant data. The number of registered volunteers has reached 99,158, and it is constantly increasing. The factors responsible for a huge gap between the Government's scheme and the people included the absence of people's participation in the formulation of schemes, inadequate number of officials implementing the schemes and lack of training and orientation of staff. The initiative would help various Government departments in serving the identified target groups.

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

INTERNATIONAL
Maoist army integration process remains stalled with complications
Almost 10 months after a peace deal generated hopes of a successful integration and rehabilitation of former Maoist combatants, the process remains incomplete and riddled with complications. Over 3,100 former fighters remain in cantonments, awaiting integration into the Nepal Army (NA). Only half-a-dozen combatants out of 19,602 verified fighters opted for rehabilitation packages. Around 14,000 individuals opted for voluntary retirement and walked away with cash packages. A seven-point agreement between political parties on November 1, 2011 had stipulated that a maximum of 6500 combatants could be integrated in a specially created directorate under the Nepal Army. It provided for a degree of flexibility on age and educational qualifications needed for entry at different levels into the NA. During the subsequent regrouping process, disputes emerged between the combatants and the Secretariat of the Special Committee (SC) for Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of Maoist Combatants. The secretariat planned to use the date of birth, rank, and educational qualifications of the former fighters at the time of their verification by UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) in 2007. The core of the problem is that combatants have used separate dates of birth in the U.N. records and their citizenship certificates.

The combatants have objected to the criteria used by the Army as they insisted on using current educational record, and revised age as provided in the citizenship certificates acquired after their entry into the peace process with the result that the process has been stalled.

Libya's NTC Handed Power to Newly Elected Assembly

In a ceremony Libya's first elected assembly took over power from the transitional council that has ruled the country since last year's uprising against longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The ceremony marked the first peaceful power transfer in Libya's modern history.

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y

The handover comes as Libya faces daunting challenges. The transitional government failed to unite powerful militias under a national army. Instead, the militias and rival tribes often clash from their power bases in different parts of the country. Also, eastern Libya complains it is still underrepresented in the new government, as it was under Gaddafi, and there is talk of setting up a semiautonomous government there. The 200-member assembly will later appoint a government, which will rule until new elections following the drafting of a new constitution. The assembly was elected on 7 July in the country's first free and fair polls in decades and is a mixture of independent candidates and political parties. Out of the 80 seats reserved for parties, the broadly secular National Forces Alliance, led by ex-interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril - gained 39 seats, more than any other grouping. The timetable calls for the new assembly to name a president within a day and then form a government within 30 days of its first session late on Wednesday. There are three main blocks in the new assembly: Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood and ultraconservative Salafis; liberals and moderates led by wartime prime minister Mahmoud Jibril; and a bloc of independents. The nation will have to build its institutions from scratch, as Gaddafi ruled for four decades by himself, without a legislature.

Sudan signed a Deal with South Sudan over Oil Payments

Sudan has struck a deal with South Sudan over oil payments in a dispute that brought the two countries to the brink of war. South Sudan has agreed to pay Sudan just over $9 (5.7) per barrel to transport oil to its ports. In 2005, the country's opposing political parties signed a peace accord that ended Africa's longestrunning civil war, which killed an estimated 2.2 million people. According to the accord revenues from oil produced in South Sudan were to be shared with Sudan as 50:50 ratio. But the referendum of 2011 seized the continuation of this accord due to which dispute over revenues from oil increases.
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As about 75% of the oil lies in South Sudan but the pipelines and refineries are in the north. Thus after independence of South Sudan, to cover up the losses related to oil revenue Sudan has imposed transit fee of 32-36$ a barrel which accelerated the dispute further. South Sudan wants it to be low as $1. The oil dispute escalated into violence, with the two nations clashing militarily around the border.

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution demanding all parties in Syria stop all forms of violence. The resolution, penned by Saudi Arabia with the support of other Arab nations, received 133 votes in favor, 12 against and 31 abstained.

Unlike those adopted by the Security Council, which is the most powerful body at the UN, resolutions adopted by the General Assembly are not legally binding. The voting requires a simple majority, and there is no veto.

The resolution condemned the Syrian authorities' increasing use of heavy weapons as

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CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y
United Nations Resolution on Syria

well as continued widespread and systematic gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It demanded all parties "immediately and visibly" implement relevant Security Council resolutions in order to "achieve a cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties, thereby creating an atmosphere conducive to a sustained cessation of violence and a Syrian-led political transition that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people. The Syrian government acknowledged that it had chemical and biological weapons thus the General Assembly asked the Syrian government to strictly observe their obligations under the international law with respect to chemical and biological weapons. This is the second resolution the General Assembly has adopted concerning the situation in Syria, which has plunged into a political crisis since March 2011. The first resolution, endorsed on February voiced support for political transition in Syria, which was accused by some member states of pushing for a "regime change" in the conflictplagued country.

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

ECONOMY
Crisil predicted GDP growth of 5.5 %
Rating agency Crisil Research has cut India's real gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for 2012-13 to 5.5 per cent from its earlier forecast of 6.5 per cent. The revised forecast of Crisil is one percentage point down from the Reserve Bank of India's forecast of GDP for the same period whereas Crisil raised the average WPI (wholesale price index) inflation forecast to 8 per cent from 7 per cent earlier. The downward revision in India's growth forecast factors in the adverse impact of rainfall deficiency (an expected deficiency of 15 per cent for June-September 2012, as per Indian Meteorological Department) and worsening of the eurozone growth outlook.

It further predicted the fiscal deficit to worsen to 6.2 per cent of GDP in 2012-13 from earlier estimate of 5.8 per cent. The increase in the fiscal deficit to GDP ratio largely reflects lower revenue growth as a result of slowing GDP growth. Further, the rupee is now expected to settle around 53 per U.S. dollar by March 2013 compared to its earlier forecast of 50 per U.S. dollar. According to it, Swift policy action to solve issues related to mining, land acquisition and speedy clearance of projects can create upside to the growth projection.

Banks to replaces 'No-Frills' with Basic Savings A/c

The Reserve Bank of India has ordered banks to drop the 'no-frills' tag from the basic saving accounts and asked banks to provide the zero balance facility in the basic banking accounts along with ATM-cumdebit cards without any extra charge i.e. to convert the existing 'no-frills' accounts into 'Basic savings bank deposit accounts'. The central bank had introduced 'no-frills' accounts in 2005 to provide basic banking facilities to poor and promote financial inclusion. According to the new guidelines there will be no limit on the number of deposits that can be made in a month, basic savings bank deposit account holders will be allowed a maximum of four withdrawals in a month, including through ATMs.

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y
The cotton market in India

Further the services available in these accounts will include receipt of money through electronic payment channels or by cheques issued by government agencies. This would also help those covered under the welfare schemes such as MNREGA in receiving payments. Financial Inclusion is the process of ensuring access to appropriate financial products and services needed by all sections of the society in general and vulnerable groups such as weaker sections and low income groups in particular at an affordable cost in a fair and transparent manner by mainstream institutional players.

MCX-SX gets nod to start currency options

MCX Stock Exchange (MCX-SX) has received the approval from the market regulator SEBI and RBI to launch currency options on its platform. The SEBI-RBI approval came nearly four years after MCX-SX started its currency derivatives trading platform, the only one that it offers currently. At July-end, it had a turnover of about Rs 13,500 crore in the currency derivatives segment, and a market share of 43.6%. The two other exchanges which offer currency derivatives trading platform are NSE and United Stock Exchange (USE). This regulatory nod would enable MCX-SX to expand its offerings in the currency derivatives segment (CDS) by introducing currency options in the Dollar-Indian Rupee (USD-INR) currency pair. This will allow the bourse to offer its members a product which, for large number currency traders, is a complementary as well as a hedging product for their foreign currency positions. Currency options are contracts that grant the buyer of the option the right, without any obligation, to buy or sell the underlying currency at a specified exchange rate during a specified period. For this right, the buyer pays premium to the seller of the option. The seller, on the other hand, has an obligation to deliver the pre-specified currency but has not right.

It is a strange thing for a country that is the second largest producer of cotton in the world to do. Yet, India is now importing a large quantity of cotton
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using precious foreign exchange. In the ongoing cotton season (October 2011- September 2012), India exported 120 lakh bales, significantly higher than the Cotton Advisory Board's (CAB) estimated exportable surplus of 80-85 lakh bales. And now, together, the mills are likely to import more than 15 lakh bales. Incidentally, the current season's exports and imports are the highest in the last seven years. The textile industry mainly imported the extra long staple variety used to make fine counts of yarn as it is not available in India in large quantities.

cotton prices shoot up and it has a cascading effect on different segments of the textile sector - spinning, weaving and garment. The value-adding segment, especially the smallscale spinners, weavers and garment-makers, is hit if it is unable to pass on the increasing cost to the next stage. It will be difficult for the government not to interfere in such situations. China, which is the largest producer, consumer and importer of cotton, has a strong data monitoring system. Hence, at any point of time it has data on the stocks with farmers, traders, ginners and warehouses. It also has a huge reserve of raw material. India first needs to strengthen its data collection and monitoring system. The Ministry of Textiles is working on a National Fibre Policy targeting 6-8 per cent increase in cotton production a year, and has circulated a draft Cabinet note on Cotton Distribution Bill and mooted a Cotton Distribution Policy. However, what is imperative is a comprehensive policy at the earliest that will help all stakeholders. It should also focus on schemes that will encourage efficient operations and avoid speculation rather than controlling the prices. Meanwhile, the industry needs to improve its efficiency so that raw material price fluctuations do not affect its cost-competitiveness. The product made by one value-adding segment is the raw material for another - the yarn made by the mills is the raw material for the weaving and knitting units. Each segment faces cost pressure as prices of all inputs, such as power and labour, have increased manifold. The government should, therefore, refrain from controlling or monitoring prices in any one segment alone.

With production going up steadily in the country during the last decade, cotton exports also increased from 2005-06. Cotton is the source of livelihood for thousands of farmers; more than half of Indian textile industry is cotton-based; the domestic textile mills consume over 60 per cent of the Indian cotton; and, globally, India is the second largest cotton exporter.

The CAB regularly provides guidance on the crop size, domestic consumption, potential for exports and imports, and these help the government take key decisions. But, the decisions are mostly based on the demand and supply situation through the season and that interferes with market dynamics. As the season comes to an end, arrival of kapas has reduced significantly and there is a squeeze in availability. Domestic prices have firmed up and are currently higher than international prices. With deficit monsoon in many of the cotton growing areas, arrival of cotton is expected to be delayed next season that starts in October. Hence, the textile mills are entering into contracts for imports to ensure availability of cotton at a relatively lower price for the next two to three months. The textile chain includes a sizable number of unorganised, smallscale units which cannot afford sudden rise in raw material costs. If there is a shortage or huge demand,

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CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

INDIA AND THE WORLD

Germany seeks India's help in providing Social Benefits
Germany has sought India's help to provide social benefits to needy schoolchildren in a cost-effective way on the lines of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). RSBY has implemented a smart-card based health insurance system that covers over 30 million poor households. The four-year-old RSBY has been hailed by the World Bank, the UN and the International Labour Office as one of the world's best health insurance schemes. India is helping several developing economies evolve similar schemes. This is the first time its assistance has been sought by a developed country.

This collaboration is taking place under the IndoGerman Social Security Programme, which was created as part of an economic co-operation pact between the two nations. Germany has the world's oldest social security system set up in the 1880s. It hopes to use the RSBY application to replace its present system of giving out social benefits to 2.5 million schoolchildren through paper vouchers, which entails high administrative costs.

Apart from eliminating paperwork, the RSBY system would also make the process transparent and efficient so that every eligible child gets the benefits.

India-CELAC Meet

The First Meeting of the India-CELAC Troika Foreign Ministers was held in New Delhi. The External Affairs Minister of India Shri S.M. Krishna led the Indian delegation. The CELAC Troika was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile Mr. Alfredo Moreno Charme, the pro-tempore President of CELAC. The Foreign Minister of Venezuela Mr. Nicolas Maduro and the Vice Foreign Minister of Cuba, Mr. Rogelio Sierra participated in the meeting as members of the Troika.

During the discussions, both sides undertook a comprehensive review of India-CELAC relations. They also discussed regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest. The discussions were aimed at, inter alia, strengthening the multifaceted bilateral cooperation between India and CELAC, coordinating

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y

responses to regional issues and addressing international challenges including UN reforms, the international financial crisis, climate change and international terrorism. The Ministers expressed satisfaction over the growth of commercial, economic and investment relations between India and CELAC. They recognised that although trade between India and the region had crossed US$ 25 billion in 2012, it was still far below potential. The Ministers underscored the need to tap the available potential through diversification of trade, participation in each other's trade fairs, exchange of business delegations, construction of regulatory frameworks, relaxation in movement of goods, services and people and through strengthening air connectivity and shipping links. In this regard, they agreed to set up a India-CELAC Business Council and a India-CELAC CEOs Forum. These businesses related institutional mechanisms are expected to meet regularly and submit recommendations towards further enhancement of such links between India and CELAC.

Both sides recognised that energy security holds the key to economic development. Considering the importance attached by both sides to bilateral cooperation in the sphere of energy security including that in renewable energy, both sides agreed to set up an Energy Forum to address this important issue. The Indian side recognised that Latin America is endowed with abundant and diverse mineral resources which could help to sustain India's growth rate. Both sides agreed to work towards providing for value addition in the exchange of commodities through direct trading and by setting up of manufacturing units. The Indian side offered to provide technical know-how to the CELAC countries in mapping of their geological resources by using India's remote sensing satellites. Both sides agreed to work towards providing for food security for their people. In this regard, they expressed their desire to deepen cooperation through the setting up of a mutually beneficial partnership in the agriculture farming and food processing sector. They discussed the need to work together on agricultural research through institutional linkages and by exchanging ideas on their agriculture
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practices. In this regard, they agreed to set up an Agricultural Expert Group which is expected to submit recommendations to Ministers. Further recognising that cooperation in science and technology is crucial for addressing poverty and developmental challenges that confront them, the Ministers reiterated their commitment to work together by synergising their technological strength and capabilities. They agreed to set up a Science Forum that will consider a programme of action for joint research in the areas relating to medicine, agriculture, astronomy, information technology and renewable energy, in particular bio-fuels, solar, wind and hydro energy. India offered to assist CELAC countries in the launch of low-cost satellites for communications as well as for weather forecasting. They agreed to strengthen cultural and academic linkages, including between the Diplomatic Institutes in India and CELAC countries. They underscored the need to conclude bilateral Air Services Agreements to enhance direct air links between India and CELAC in order to promote tourism and business. They agreed to work together on common global challenges in the interest of developing countries by maintaining coordinated approach on UN reforms, financial crisis, climate change and international terrorism. Both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and agreed to cooperate in the joint endeavour of the international community in eliminating the menace of international terrorism. They urged the international community to adopt a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the earliest.

Both sides recognised that climate change is a global challenge with strong economic, environmental and social dimensions. They acknowledged the efforts of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) for a renewed political commitment towards Sustainable Development to achieve poverty eradication through a balanced integration of economic, social and environmental aspects.

India Cuba Meet

On the sidelines of the First India-CELAC Foreign Ministers Troika Meeting in New Delhi His Excellency Mr. Rogelio Sierra Diaz, Vice Foreign Minister of Cuba met with Shri S.M. Krishna, Hon'ble Minister of External Affairs of India. During the meeting, both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction that bilateral interaction between India and Cuba encompassing the areas dealing with political; commercial and economic; energy; sports; science and technology; education and culture was progressing well. Both sides reiterated their desire to sustain and consolidate these relations. Both sides noted that the total bilateral trade of US$ 40 million between India and Cuba did not correspond to the excellent bilateral ties. They emphasised that the trade turnover should be enhanced through concerted efforts and underlined that new opportunities for cooperation existed in the area of trade and investment. India and Cuba agreed on the need for the reform of the United Nations Organisation. The Indian side appreciated Cuba's expression of support to India's candidature for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.

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Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

A new oxidant in the atmosphere identified
Scientists have for the first time found unequivocal evidence of another oxidant playing a vital role in the formation of gaseous sulphuric acid in the atmosphere. Until now, it was thought that the combination of OH (hydroxyl radical) oxidant with sulphur dioxide (SO-2) was the dominant way by which gaseous sulphuric acid is formed in the atmosphere. R.L. Mauldin from the University of Helsinki and other co-authors has named it as 'X' which has the "significant capacity" to oxidise sulphur dioxide. Measurements showed that the concentration of 'X' also does not remain constant during the day. But its levels are much higher than the hydroxyl radical (OH) during evenings and nights. The IFL and FAC modalities would be carried out under the supervision of AERB officials. The KKNPP design has several advanced safety features, including for ensuring safety against external events of a natural origin, and for management of 'design basis' and 'beyond design basis' accidents. In the wake of the Fukushima accident, the AERB carried out safety reassessment to test the KKNPP's capability to withstand extreme external events. The next stage is phase-wise increase of the reactor power level, for which the AERB's clearance would be granted only after a multitier safety review process.

Since the new oxidant was found to be particularly abundant during the evenings and nights, the scientists postulate that it must be related to "reaction of surface emission, such as naturally produced hydrocarbons, with ozone."

AERB approval for fuel loading at Kudankulam

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) provided approval for 'Initial Fuel Loading' (IFL) and 'First Approach to Criticality' (FAC) of Reactor I at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP).

The loading of enriched uranium fuel assemblies into the first of the 2 X 1,000 MWe Russian-designed Light Water Reactors will enable Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) engineers to conduct the controlled nuclear fission process, for the first time in Unit-1. The IFL is a full-core loading of the reactor and the quantity of fuel in the core is 79-80 tonnes of low enriched uranium fuel (LEU) bundles contained in 163 fuel assemblies.

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y

C-DOT Commemorate 25 Years of Induction of C-DOT RAX in Indian Telecom Network

RAX was the first product developed by C-DOT to go into India's telecom network at the historic city of Kittur, Karnataka, on 21st July 1986. RAX appeared on the scene at a time when country's telecom network was way under-developed. The teledensity languished at one, that is, one telephone for one hundred inhabitants and rural teledensity was zero for all practical purposes. The greatest advantage of RAX was that it was designed for Indian conditions of high ambient temperatures, dust and unreliable power. It required no air- conditioning. It was based on contemporary digital switching technology with microprocessor based controllers and had no moving parts, which gave it immunity against dust, the bane of electromechanical Strowger and Crossbar exchanges in India. Named 128 P RAX, it was a tiny 128 ports switch. It had only analog trunks to connect it to a larger exchange in a nearby city. It could cater to a total of 80 subscribers and had 24 analog trunks to connect to the city exchange. It extended connectivity, including STD, ISD to rural areas.

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2 - MARKERS
Dr. Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi
Dr. Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi has assumed the charge as Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India. He fills the vacancy in the Election Commission caused by the assumption of charge by Sh. V.S. Sampath as the 18th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) succeeding Dr. S.Y. Quraishi. Dr. Zaidi had earlier worked as Director-General of Civil Aviation, and was India's representative in the International Civil Aviation Organisation. He was also the Joint Secretary in the Civil Aviation Ministry, and Commissioner of Bareilly Development Authority. been selected for the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award. In 1975, Mehta set up the Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, a charitable organization based in Jaipur that provides artificial legs to the poor. The Jaipur Foot is a household name among people who live in the world's war zones. From Afghanistan to Angola, it is famous for transforming the lives of thousands of land mine amputees. Former recipients include Mother Teresa, Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar.

Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter widely regarded as the fastest person. He is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since fully automatic time measurements became mandatory in 1977. He was the first to achieve a "double double" by winning 100 m and 200 m titles at consecutive Olympics (2008 and 2012).

D. R. Mehta, founder and chief patron of the organization that popularized the Jaipur Foot, has

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CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y
Nishan e Imtiaz Usain Bolt Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award

The Nishan-i-Imtiaz is one of the state organized civil decorations of State of Pakistan. It is the highest honor - along with comparable to optimum award Nishan-e-Pakistan - given to any civilian in Pakistan based on their achievements that caused the world recognition for Pakistan or/ done a outstanding service for the country. The award is not limited to citizens of Pakistan and, while it is a civilian award, it can also be awarded to military personnel and worn on the uniform. Saadat Hasan Manto, Pakistani author and ghazal king Mehdi Hasan has been awarded the highest civilian award the Nishan-e-Imtiaz.

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

EDITORIALS
Tourism in tiger reserves must reinvent itself
The temporary halt to tourism in core zones of tiger reserves is a wake-up call to an industry that has grown rapidly and become disruptive in some places. Rather than view the Supreme Court's interim order as a setback, tourism operators should see it as an opportunity to set things right. While there is no question that commercial tourism must be strictly regulated, a total ban on public access to wildlife reserves would be extremely harmful, as it will negatively impact conservation education, monitoring and other conservation activities by nongovernmental organisations. Sensible tourism has an important role to play in conservation, and if government and tourism stakeholders work together, it is possible to craft solutions that benefit local communities, nature lovers, tourism operators and, most importantly, wildlife itself. While all of us may feel that we have a right to enjoy nature and the great outdoors, it is imperative that we understand that natural habitats are fragile, and ought to be trod on softly, observed quietly and enjoyed responsibly. Many developing countries, particularly in Africa and South America, have succeeded in establishing tourism practices that are low on impact and high on educational value. Many of their features can be emulated with appropriate adaptations. In India, Kerala's Parambikulam Tiger Reserve has developed an enlightened model of wildlife tourism that is praiseworthy. Two Problems; The Way Out Two fundamental problems have led to the mayhem that prevails in some of our most popular reserves: first, a majority of tourism operators have little or no regard for nature, lack any sort of longterm vision and operate only for profit - tigers and their habitats be damned. The second problem is that most domestic tourists have very little interest in nature or the quiet wilderness experience, and come almost exclusively for the thrill of seeing charismatic mega fauna, mainly tigers. Consequently, wildlife tourism in many of our tiger reserves is more akin to a visit to an amusement park, with screaming tourists, harassment of animals and traffic jams being the norm. Most resorts provide no orientation to visitors, and most jeep drivers and guides - who receive little or no training - are usually only

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y

interested in the tips they can earn. The result is a mad scramble to spot the tiger so that each resort's visitors can feel that they got their "money's worth" out of the visit. This type of tourism does not build a constituency for conservation. There are other negative aspects of mass tourism. Due to a lack of land use planning or regulation, tourist resorts of all kinds have proliferated around the edges of some of the most popular reserves, creating a plethora of problems - from curtailing the traditional movement of animals towards water sources or other forests nearby, to excessive groundwater extraction and firewood use. Add garbage, sewage and noise pollution, and you have a mess that is as far from eco-tourism as it can get. There are a few sensitive resort operators who try to do the right things, and attract guests who come for the entire nature experience and not just for tigers. But like an organic farmer surrounded by pesticide-happy neighbours, the efforts of these operators and the aspirations of their nature-loving guests come to naught. While it may require the wisdom of Solomon to mitigate tourist pressure in and around reserves where tourism has already grown too large, all is not lost. So far, the chaos described earlier is largely restricted to a dozen places, whereas India has over 650 wildlife reserves, of which about 40 are tiger reserves. So, straightaway, we have a golden opportunity to ensure that the mistakes committed in a few places are not repeated elsewhere. As a first step towards ensuring sustainable and meaningful wildlife tourism, the National Tiger Conservation Authority has formulated Eco Tourism Guidelines. With appropriate consultation and implementation, these could finally help create a win-win formula for all stakeholders. Meanwhile, tourism operators would do well to move away from an obsessive tiger-centric focus and promote themselves as offering a broader nature experience, with the tiger as a tantalising possibility. For instance, tiger reserves like Corbett and Ranthambhore also have an excellent diversity of birds and other species. But, at the moment, one cannot watch other wildlife in peace in these reserves, with thrill-seekers whizzing past in clouds of dust. While it may initially seem financially foolish to look
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beyond the tiger, this strategy will ultimately pay off by attracting the right kind of visitors - people who are more interested in experiencing nature rather than creature comforts. This would not only usher in more peaceful tourism in wildlife habitats, but also enable lodges to cut down on unnecessary luxuries and optimise their profits. To survive and justify its existence, the wildlife tourism sector has no choice but to reinvent itself and get creative. The government must nurture the right atmosphere so that new ideas and initiatives have a chance to flower. Source: The Hindu

productivity in the rural economy and especially in agriculture. This is borne out by the Planning Commission numbers, which show that the government's focus on the rural sector in recent years has helped to sharply push up investments in agriculture. Thus we see that the investment rate in agriculture, which barely crept by just 4.2 percentage points over almost a quarter of a century to 13.9% of the agriculture GDP by 2002-07, has suddenly surged ahead by 4.8 percentage points to 18.7% in the threeyear period 2007-10. This sudden surge of investment in agriculture implies a surge in mechanisation and energy use in agriculture which, in turn, would boost both productivity and output. This surge in productivity is vindicated by the numbers on productivity of agriculture investments that economists call the incremental capital output ratio or ICOR, which is measured as the growth in output for every additional unit increase in investments. Numbers compiled by the Planning Commission show that while the investment productivity for the overall economy has fluctuated and declined since the late 1990s with the ICOR going down from 4.5 during 1997-2002 to 3.5 in the 200207 period and then only improved marginally to 4.4 during the 2007-12 period, the ICOR for the agriculture sector has soared up sharply from 4.2 in the 1997-2002 period to a record 6.6 in the 2007-12 period, an all-time high and more than double the levels achieved in the early 1990s. And this substantial improvement in productivity of agriculture investments was accompanied by an even more significant development, namely the sharp fall in the number of people employed in agriculture by as much as 157 lakh from 259 million in 2004-05 to just 243 million in 2009-10. This clearly shows that the UPA government's policy of boosting rural development has finally paid off by not only increasing investments and productivity in agriculture but also by accelerating the transition out of agriculture and reducing the number of people employed in agriculture for the first time since Independence. Thus the sharp boost to rural consumption, highlighted in the NSS for 2011-12, is no freak accident but a validation of the success of the rural development programmes implemented by the UPA government. And numbers on wages and consumption show that it is not just the rural rich which benefited by these strategies but also the very poor. In fact, the NSS numbers show that both salaries and wages of casual labour of male workers had gone up in the 70-80% range during the second

Surge in agriculture investments and productivity spurs inclusive growth in the rural economy

The UPA government, finally, has some reason to cheer. It seems to have pulled off a pleasant surprise by delivering on its promise of greater inclusive growth. The best evidence of the greater inclusive growth comes from the numbers on consumption provided by the National Sample Survey (NSS) for 2011-12, released late last week. After pumping in around Rs 4,04,807 crore in the rural sector over the last five years under various programmes for delivering road, power, drinking water, health and irrigation facilities and also employment opportunities under the MGNREGA, the UPA government has been able to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Not only has it reversed the declining fortunes of the rural sector but has even been able to provide fresh buoyancy to the efforts to shift people out of agriculture. And also improve the welfare of the poorest groups. The NSS numbers show that the spending of the rural population has picked up at a much faster pace than that of the urban segment over the last two years. This is striking in its reversal of the trend of decades, during which the disparities between the rural and urban areas had steadily widened with consumption spending in the latter moving close to double that of the former. So the ratio of urban to rural consumption, which steadily deteriorated by moving up from 1.58 in 1987-88 to 1.92 in 2009-10 has now finally been reversed and brought down to 1.87 for the first time in 2011-12, following the UPA government's concerted efforts in this direction.

But what is more important is that the improvements in the fortunes of the rural economy is not just because of the growing subsidy doles, like the fertiliser subsidies and spending on employment creation, or social welfare schemes. It is mainly because of the improvements in investments and [14]

CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y
A Big Boost To The Government

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

half of the last decade. And this is borne out by the more recent consumption figures which also show that while the 33.5% increase in the consumption of the poorest 10% of the rural population in the last two years was about 10 percentage points lower than of the richest 10% of the rural population, it was just a percentage point or two lower than that of both the poorest and richest urban groups. So it is to the government's credit that the rural poor have gained substantially in recent years. But this is a record that it will find hard to sustain in the current year with large parts of the rural economy already damaged by a severe drought. Source: Times of India

about boats laden with guns and bombs being sent from Bangladesh to arm the illegal migrants in their alleged bit to take over Kokrajhar district. It cannot be simply assumed that the BTAD leadership and the mainstream Assamese society are innocently mistaken in believing that all Muslims inhabiting this area are illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Rather it is a conscious "mistake" laced with communal undertones. The rhetoric of "illegal" migrants flooding the region that appears to be fuelling the attacks is backed largely by what seems to be paranoia about the perceived growing numbers of Muslims in the area, all of whom are assumed to be "illegal" migrants. It is a well documented historical fact that a large number of peasants from erstwhile East Bengal migrated and settled in Assam in the early decades of the 20th century. However, in the prevailing atmosphere of jingoism and xenophobia, it is not enough to just state that migration of East Bengali Muslim peasants in the early decades of the 20th century is a well documented historical fact. This historical fact needs to be reiterated today, especially when a constitutional authority like the Election Commissioner of India, Harishankar Brahma, in his overzealous attempt to prove that illegal Bangladeshis are behind the violence, claims that this stream of migration into Assam started during the late 1960s and early 1970s ("How to share Assam," Indian Express , 28th July, 2012). However, if one looks at the census data, his claims appear unsubstantiated and historically flawed. One wishes that a constitutional authority like him would be careful about and be aware of the country's official demographic records. Hypothetically, if we take the entire population of 33 lakhs in Assam in 1901 to be "indigenous", and we apply the all-India rate of population increase of 74.82 per cent between 1901 and 1941, then the population of Assam in 1941 should have been 57.69 lakhs instead of 67 lakhs. That means approximately 9.31 lakh people had migrated into Assam in this period. Applying the same all-India rate of population increase during this period, the Muslim population in 1941 should have been 8.8 lakhs, instead of the 16.9 lakhs it actually was. From this, it can be inferred that the increase was due to the settling of migrants in the State and that the majority of these Muslim peasant migrants who settled in Assam during this period were East Bengali Muslim peasants. It is worth mentioning that Muslim East Bengali peasants first settled in undivided Goalpara district (which included Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Chirang and Dhubri till the 1980s), before they spanned out to other parts of
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Riots & The Bogey of Bangladeshis

During the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded in Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Chirang districts of the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) and the adjoining Dhubri district, we have witnessed the tragedy of nearly 400,000 people belonging to the Bodo and Muslim communities being forced to move to 273 temporary refugee camps. These people will stand internally displaced, scarred and traumatised for months to come, if not years. So far, it is estimated that 65 persons have lost their lives and around 500 villages have been torched to the ground. The magnitude of this human tragedy is overwhelming considering the short span of two weeks in which it occurred. It poses a serious threat to the already fragile state of secularism in the region whose demography has always been so diverse. It urgently calls for a restoration of trust and confidence amongst all the people affected by the riots. Polarisation

What is surprising is that rather than focussing on the immediate need for a humanitarian call to stop the killings and the violence on the part of community leaders and the administration, an atmosphere of extreme polarisation has been brought about, with leaders of both the Bodo and the Muslim communities hurling allegations and counter allegations at each other.

To make matters worse, leaders of the Bodo community, large sections of mainstream Assamese society, and a section of the media and the political class took it upon themselves to allege and prove that the responsibility for this human tragedy lies squarely on "illegal Bangladeshi migrants" and that the undifferentiated Muslim masses inhabiting western Assam are "Bangladeshis". The social media was also chock-a-block with rumours - like the one

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y

lower and central Assam. From 1901 to 1931, 4.98 lakh East Bengali Muslim peasants are recorded in Goalpara district alone. If one is to believe the assertions of the Election Commissioner, then the question that immediately arises is - where are the descendants of the lakhs of East Bengali Muslim peasants who settled in this area before Partition? In all probability, many of them today are languishing in the relief camps with the imminent threat of being identified as Bangladeshis. False claim It has also been claimed by various people, including the Bodo leadership, that the Bangladeshi population in Kokrajhar district where the violence erupted first and which is also the political seat of power in BTAD - has increased by leaps and bounds in the last decades. Contrary to what popular perception might hold, even a cursory glance at the census data gives a different picture. There has been no alarming increase in Kokrajhar district of the Muslim population in decades. In 1971, the Muslim population in Kokrajhar (then it was a subdivision of undivided Goalpara district) stood at 17 per cent, with no census being conducted in 1981. It stood at 19.3 per cent in 1991 and, in 2001, it stood at 20.4 per cent. Even though the religion-wise census figures for 2011 are not yet available, provisional results from the 2011 census show that the decadal growth rate of population between 2001-2011 for Kokrajhar district is 5.19 per cent, interestingly, marking a decline of 9 per cent as compared to the decadal growth rate of 14.49 per cent between 1991 to 2001. (The decadal growth rate for Assam between 1991 to 2001 was 18.92 per cent and 16.93 per cent between 2001-2011.)

homeland - Kamtapur - which territorially overlaps the BTAD, thus making it unlikely that they would out-migrate, abdicating their political claim over the territory. In all probability, the out-migration involves other non-Bodo communities, including Muslims. By now it should be clear that simplistic propositions like 'Bangladeshi illegal migrants are the root cause of the violence' not only prevent us from understanding the complex reality of the situation but also reek of communal propaganda. The demographic reality of western Assam is a mosaic of different ethnicities with their own claims of identity and territorial aspirations. In the light of this, some glaring questions stare us in the face. What informs this fear of the growing number of Muslims? How are these fears of the swamping of the ethnic and cultural identity of the Bodos being fuelled, and by whom? How and when did all Muslims in the area get classified in the public mind as "illegal migrants from Bangladesh?" Looking for answers to questions like these, rather than raising the bogey of numbers and formulaic xenophobic explanations might make the difference, literally, between life and death in this region today. Source: The Hindu

There can only be two plausible reasons for this 9 per cent decline in population growth between 2001-2011. One possibility, though highly unlikely, is that the population growth rate has remained more or less the same as it was between 1991 and 2001, but the death rate has shot up by 9 per cent. The other possibility, which seems more plausible, is that there has been a considerable out-migration from Kokrajhar, especially after the formation of the BTAD in 2003. Since the Bodos (who constitute 20 per cent of the population in the BTAD area) hold a monopoly over political power in the area, it is unlikely that there has been any significant out-migration of the Bodo population from Kokrajhar district. The Koch Rajbangsis, who constitute roughly 17 per cent of the total population of the BTAD, have been campaigning for and demanding a separate [16]

CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y
No Rationale

Railways must offer accident insurance cover

Last week, the Centre announced an ex-gratia sum of Rs 5 lakh for the kith and kin of the 37 people who died after a compartment of the Tamil Nadu Express caught fire on July 30. Announcement of an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh has become the norm for governments after every major rail accident whether caused by collision, derailment or fire. Add to this another Rs 4 lakh that the bereaved are entitled to, provided they knock at the doors of the Railways Claim Tribunal. The maximum the dependents can get in the event of loss of life in a rail accident is Rs 9 lakh. If they are further lucky, the tribunal can order for an interest payment to account for the time between its accident and the actual disbursal of relief. As against this, take the case of the bereaved in the May 2010 Mangalore air crash, who petitioned the Supreme Court for a compensation of Rs 75 lakh, an equivalent of the international norm of Rs 1 lakh SDRs. How can human life be so differently valued, depending on the mode of travel? There ought to be a more just way of valuing loss of life and limb. The present norms, under the Railways Accidents and Untoward Incidents (Compensation) Amendment Rules, 1997, are unconvincing. For 34 categories of injuries, the compensation ranges from Rs 32,000 to Rs 3.6 lakh.

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

How is a life valued at Rs 4 lakh under Railway rules, and not, say, Rs 3 lakh or Rs 40 lakh? Fortunately, the sum does not depend on the class of travel. Perhaps, the best way to arrive at the right compensation is to provide for a minimum of, say, Rs 5 lakh, and thereafter take into account the age of the deceased. Therefore, the death of a 25 year old should perhaps lead to a compensation of at least Rs 30 lakh to the dependents, taking into account the sheer fact of loss of life, and the loss of future earning capacity. (This issue comes up in motor accident insurance claims.) If an entire family has been killed in an accident, each member should get compensation.

Railways for death and disability was as per the meagre sums laid down in the Railway Accident and Untoward Incidents (Compensation) Rules, 1990. These levels were upgraded to the prevailing maximum of Rs 4 lakh compensation, laid down in the Railways Accidents and Untoward Incidents (Compensation) Amendment Rules, 1997. In 2008, ICICI Lombard entered the picture, providing a cover of Rs 4 lakh on a premium of some five paise per ticket. Why cannot this Rs 4 lakh cover be raised under an insurance framework is hard to fathom. The arrangement did not continue, as the insurers wanted to double the premium, while the Railways was not agreeable. There was also the unresolved issue of how the corpus should be used. So, it was back to square one. The Railways could have floated an insurance company, raising the life and disability cover by several times over the current levels. The current laws and rules can be replaced by an enabling legislation. Safety Fund

Grevious injury, leading to loss of earning capacity in a young person, must be compensated to the extent of 80 per cent of the life cover. However, the death of a 70-year-old need not entail a payout beyond the minimum. To avoid implementation hassles and fraud, categories for compensation should be kept to the minimum, such as 'elders' and the rest in the case of death. For injuries, however, more categories would be necessary - but certainly not 34. The amounts should be periodically revised to adjust for inflation, unlike in the present case where 1997 levels prevail. They should not be linked to the class of travel. Potential of Insurance

How can the Railways cope with such sums, one may well ask.

The answer lies in insurance. It is inexplicable that rail insurance has never been on the policy radar; this is despite the fact that the Railways carries 2 crore passengers daily, whereas the number of deaths and injuries in a day due to accidents is barely three (or under 900 in a year). A generous insurance cover can be generated out of a modest premium. The Rail Budget 1993-94 announced the introduction of insurance, but nothing even remotely resembling insurance arrived on the scene till at least a decade later. The compensation to be paid by the

Weekly Current Affairs 6th August to 12th August 2012

CH IA R S O AC NI CL AD E EM Y
Source: Business Line

The premiums collected can be used for Railways' safety and modernisation. The report of the Anil Kakodkar committee on rail safety, submitted to the Government in February, suggests that Rs 20,000 crore be raised each year for upgrading safety infrastructure. While it relies on the levy of a safety cess and contributions from the government to raise this sum, it has missed out on the insurance idea. By charging a premium of just Re 1 from all classes of passengers, as well as platform ticket holders, it can raise about Rs 1,000 crore each year. It is hard to imagine an outgo of over Rs 135 crore under the proposed model, assuming an average payment of Rs 15 lakh for about 900 accident and casualty cases. This includes accident cases at unmanned level crossings, which account for over half the accident deaths in a year. Why, then, has rail insurance never been taken seriously?

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