1. Qatar’s Cabinet has approved a draft law making permanent residency available to some non-citizens. It marks a partial shift from Qatar’s heavy reliance on its longstanding visa-sponsorship system. With this the energy-rich Qatar becomes first Gulf Arab state to make permanent residency available to some non-citizens. Key Facts: Under the new law, residency permits will be granted to children of Qatari women married to foreigners. Moreover it will be also granted to people who offered valuable services to the country and those with special skills. The residency permit will give holders similar rights as Qataris in terms of property ownership and run some businesses without needing a Qatari partner. It will also entitle them free state education and healthcare services. The interior ministry of Qatar will establish committee to review requests of granting permanent residency ID in line with the provisions of the law. Background: Gulf Arab countries have a high number of expatriate workers but do not allow naturalization of foreigners except in rare cases and under strict conditions. Qatar which is world’s wealthiest country per capita has population of 2.7 million including some 300,000 citizens. Qatar’s native population is far surpassed by foreigners, so the energy-rich Arab state is reluctant to extend residency rights out of concern for the demographic balance.Continue Reading WBCS Current Affairs 29th July to 4th August 2017 (Part 1).

2. Maharashtra Government has launched two online portals MahaDBT and MahaVASTU to streamline the process of direct benefit transfer (DBT) and to bring in more transparency in construction sector. With this, Maharashtra became first state in the country to launch such a system that will provide direct benefits with Aadhaar authentication. Key Facts: MahaDBT portal: It is an Aadhaar-authenticated electronic mechanism that will enable direct transfer of benefits for over 40 schemes currently implemented by state’s various departments. It is based on Union Government’s DBT scheme and Aadhaar will be mandatory to claim benefits through this portal. It will help to speed up transfer of benefits and ensure transparency by minimising human intervention. MahaVASTU portal: It is an online building permission management system, through which construction approvals will be sanctioned with full transparency. It will bring all building permissions online in all municipal councils of the state.

3. A team of researchers have discovered solar seismic waves which revealed that Sun’s core is rotating four times faster than its surface. Earlier it was assumed that sun’s core rotate at same speed as the surface. The discovery was made using 16 years of observations from GOLF (Global Oscillations at Low Frequency) instrument on Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, a joint project of ESA and NASA. Key Facts: Researchers had use ‘Helioseismology’ to probe the solar interior by studying sound waves reverberating through it. They had studied surface acoustic waves in the Sun’s atmosphere, some of which penetrate to the Sun’s core, where they interact with low frequency gravity waves (g-waves) known as g-modes that have a sloshing motion. From those observations, they detected the sloshing motions of the solar core. By carefully measuring the acoustic waves, the researchers precisely determined the time it takes an acoustic wave to travel from the surface to the centre of the Sun and back again. On the basis of the signature of the g-waves, researchers determined that the g-waves are shaking the structure of the sun’s core. The signature of the imprinted g-waves suggested that the inner core of the Sun is rotating once every week, nearly four times faster than the observed surface and intermediate layers. Significance of Discovery: The rotation of the Sun’s core may give a clue to how the Sun formed. It may also help to find linkages between the Sun’s core rotation and sunspots.

4. The Lok Sabha has passed the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017 by voice vote. The Bill seeks to amend the NABARD Act, 1981. NABARD is responsible for providing and regulating facilities like credit for agricultural and industrial development in the rural areas. Key Features of the Bill Increase in capital of NABARD: The Bill allows Union Government to increase capital of NABARD to Rs 30,000 crore from Rs. 5000 crore. Further, it allows Union Government to increase it to more than Rs 30,000 crore in consultation with the RBI, if necessary. Transfer of the RBI’s share to Union government: The Bill provides that the Union Government alone must hold at least 51% capital share of NABARD. Further, it transfers share capital held by the RBI valued at Rs 20 crore to the Union Government. Currently RBI holds 0.4% of the paid-up capital of NABARD and the remaining 99.6% is held by the Union government and this causes conflict in the RBI’s role as banking regulator and shareholder in NABARD. Adds Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) terms: The Bill replaces the terms ‘small-scale industry’ and ‘industry in the tiny and decentralised sector’ with the terms ‘micro enterprise’, ‘small enterprise’ and ‘medium enterprise’ as defined in MSME Development Act, 2006. Further, it allows NABARD to provide financial assistance to banks if they provide loans to the MSMEs. Consistency with the Companies Act, 2013: The Bill substitutes references to provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 with references to the Companies Act, 2013. It includes provisions dealing with definition of a government company and qualifications of auditors.

5. The Lok Sabha has passed the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 by voice vote. It will replace the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017. The bill seeks to amend the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to insert provisions for handling cases related to stressed assets or non-performing assets (NPAs) of banks. Stressed assets (NPAs) are loans defaulted by borrower in repayment or the loan which has been restructured by changing the repayment schedule. Key Features of the Bill Initiating insolvency proceedings: It will enable the Central government to authorize the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct banking companies to resolve specific stressed assets by initiating insolvency resolution process. These proceedings will be under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. Issuing directions on stressed assets: It empowers RBI to issue directions to banks for resolution of stressed assets from time to time. Committee to advise banks: It enables RBI to specify committees or authorities to advise banks on resolution of stressed assets. RBI will appoint or approve members on such committees. Applicability to State Bank of India (SBI): It inserts provision to make above provisions applicable to the SBI and its subsidiaries and also Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). Need for Amendment Non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans of banks have risen to over Rs. 9 lakh crore resulting in choking the banking system. So it had become necessary for the RBI to intervene in order to take urgent measures for their speedy resolution.

6. Israel has launched its first environmental research satellite named as Venus (Vegetation and Environment Monitoring New Micro-Satellite). It is a joint venture between the Israel Space Agency (ISA) and its French counterpart CNES. It was launched on board of Arianespace Vega launcher from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Key facts The Venus satellite is an earth-observation micro-satellite. It is considered the smallest satellite of its kind in the world. It weighs only 265 kilogram. It will be placed in sun-synchronized orbit at an altitude of 720 kilometers. It will circle the earth 29 times in each 48-hour period and will stay in commission for 4.5 years. The mini-satellite is equipped with a special camera that can visualize details on Earth that are not visible to the naked eye. Venus Satellite has a dual mission-scientific and technological. The scientific mission will monitor Earth’s vegetation using a camera capable of recording 12 narrow spectral bands. The technological mission will test the operation of an innovative electric propulsion system based on the Israeli-designed Hall Effect Thrusters (HET). HET is a relatively low power device used to propel a spacecraft after entering orbit or farther out into space. Applications: Venus satellite will be used to survey and monitor large areas to study soil, vegetation, forests, agriculture, water and air quality and other aspects of the environment. It will help to obtain high-resolution photographs of specific sites to track environmental issues such as erosion, desertification, pollution, natural disasters, and other phenomena linked to climate change.

7. India and other four other members of the BRICS grouping members (Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa) have pledged to fight protectionism. Decision in this regard was taken at the two-day meeting of the trade ministers from BRICS nations held at Shanghai, China. They released joint statement highlighting various issues and need to address them collectively. Highlights of Joint statement BRICS countries should jointly tackle the challenges of economic globalisation, promote open and equitable world economy. They should uphold the common interests of the emerging markets and developing countries with a view to promoting strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. BRICS agreed to firmly oppose protectionism and pledged to annul any protective measures, calling on other countries to follow the same suit. They also encouraged more countries to participate in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), urging the institution to show more commitment to receiving the least developed countries (LDCs). They also agreed to play a major part in global economic governance. About BRICS: BRICS is the acronym for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It was established in 2009 as BRIC. In 2011, South Africa joined this informal group and BRIC became BRICS. The first formal BRICS summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia in 2009. So far, eight such summits have taken place. The BRICS members are distinguished by their large, fast-growing economies and significant influence on regional and global affairs. The BRICS countries are home to 42% of the world’s population. Their total share in the global economy has risen from 12% to 23% in the past decade and collectively contribute they more than half of global growth. They all developing or newly industrialised countries and all five are G-20 members.

8. The Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal to extend proxy voting to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and overseas Indians. Currently, only service personnel are permitted to vote through proxy. To make proxy voting for NRIs a reality, government is going to introduce bill to amend the Representation of People Act. Key Facts This decision will enable nearly 16 million NRIs to cast vote their in Indian elections (assembly and Lok Sabha elections) by appointing proxies residing in their constituencies. Overseas electors will have to appoint a nominee afresh for each election — one person can act as proxy for only one overseas voter. Government (Election Commission) will frame suitable rules and guidelines to make this move effective soon. Need for Proxy Voting Currently, Indian voters residing abroad can only cast their votes in their respective constituencies where they are registered. This regulation is seen as restrictive as only a few thousand Indians living overseas have registered themselves as voters (maximum from Kerala). Of these, barely anyone has travelled to the country to exercise his or her franchise during the elections. Expert committee Recommendation An expert committee in the Election Commission of India (ECI) working on the issue in 2015 had forwarded the legal framework to the Union Law ministry to amend electoral laws to allow overseas Indians use proxy voting. Comment: According to rough estimates, there are about 1 crore Indians settled abroad, of which 60 lakh may be within eligible voting age. By granting them proxy voting rights, NRIs will be able to exercise franchise during elections and also need not to spend foreign currency to come to India during elections. Moreover, this decision will also enable NRIS and overseas Indian to considerably sway in election results, especially in states such as Punjab, Kerala and Gujarat where a number of expats hail from.

9. Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has set up a committee on ‘fair market conduct’. It will be headed former law secretary T K Viswanathan. The committee will suggest measures for improving surveillance of the markets and strengthen rules for algorithm trades, among other norms. Its members include representatives from law firms, mutual funds, retail and institutional brokers, forensic auditing firms, foreign portfolio investors, stock exchanges, chambers of commerce, data analytics companies and the markets regulator. Need: The securities market environment is dynamic, so there is need for periodic review of regulations and surveillance mechanisms in order to effectively discharge the objectives of SEBI. Terms and Reference of Committee: The committee will suggest measures for improvement in PFTUP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) regulations, PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) norms and norms mainly related to ‘trading plans’ and handling of ‘unpublished price sensitive information’ during takeovers. It will suggest short term and medium term measures for improved surveillance of the markets as well as issues of high frequency trades, harnessing of technology and analytics in surveillance. It will suggest evidentiary issues in anti-fraud enforcement. It will be also responsible for recommending steps to align insider trading regulations with Companies Act provisions. About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI): SEBI is the statutory regulator for the securities market in India established in 1988. It was given statutory powers through the SEBI Act, 1992. Its mandate is to protect the interests of investors in securities, promote the development of securities market and to regulate the securities market. SEBI is responsive to needs of three groups, which constitute the market, issuers of securities, investors and market intermediaries. It has three functions quasi-legislative (drafts regulations in its legislative capacity), quasi-judicial (passes rulings and orders in its judicial capacity) and quasi-executive (conducts investigation and enforcement action in its executive function).
10. The Union Cabinet has approved for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed among India and various BRICs countries for establishment of the BRICS Agriculture Research Platform (BRICS-ARP). The BRICS-ARP will promote sustainable agricultural development and poverty alleviation through strategic cooperation in agriculture to provide food security in the BRICS member countries. BRICS Agriculture Research Platform (BRICS-ARP): BRICS-ARP will serve as a global platform for science-led agriculture-based sustainable development for addressing the issues of world hunger, under-nutrition, poverty and inequality (between farmers’ and non-farmers’ income) and enhancing agricultural trade, climate resilient agriculture and bio-security. It will further intensify cooperation among BRICS countries in agricultural research policy, science and technology, innovation and capacity building, including technologies for small-holder farming in the BRICS countries. Background: The establishment of BRICS-ARP was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 7th BRICS Summit held in July 2015 at Ufa, Russia. MoU on establishment of this platform was signed by the foreign Ministers of BRICS countries in the 8th BRICS Summit held in October, 2016 at Goa, India.

11. The Lok Sabha has passed the Central Goods and Services Tax (Extension to Jammu and Kashmir) Bill, 2017 and the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Extension to Jammu and Kashmir) Bill, 2017. The two bills will replace the ordinances promulgated earlier in this regard to complete rolling out GST regime the Himalayan State. The first bill provides for the extension of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act, 2017 to J&K and the other also provides for the extension of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Act, 2017 to J&K. Background: The Central government earlier had promulgated ordinances to make the Central GST and Integrated GST (IGST), which deals with inter-state commerce, applicable to all states. However, provisions of these Central laws were not applicable to J&K unlike the rest of India, as the state is having a special constitutional status. Under this different constitution procedure, President Pranab Mukherjee had promulgated two ordinances regarding the introduction of the GST in J&K.

12. The Union Cabinet has approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Spain on India-Spain Cooperation in renewable energy. The MoU was signed in May 2017 at Spain. The MoU aims at strengthening bilateral cooperation between both countries with the exchange of expertise and networking of information in field of in renewable energy. Key Facts: Under the MoU, both sides will establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote bilateral cooperation on new and renewable energy issues on the basis of mutual benefit equality and reciprocity. The MoU also envisages establishing a Joint Working Committee (JWG) to review, monitor and discuss matters relation to areas of cooperation.

13. The Indian Army has developed Humraaz mobile application through which serving soldiers can track details like postings and promotions. The app will also enable soldiers to view their monthly salary slips, Form 16 and also download them. Key Facts: The Humraaz mobile app has been developed in-house by the Army. For security reasons, its installation has been linked to verification of Aadhar details. On installing the app, serving soldiers will be verified with the Army database over National Information Centre (NIC) cloud and they will get a one-time-password (OTP) on their registered mobile number. For accessing the app, soldiers have to link their latest mobile number to their Aadhar number.

14. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reduced short-term lending rate, or repo rate, by 25 basis points to 6%. It was RBI’s third bimonthly policy review for the financial year 2017-18. The decision of the MPC was consistent with a neutral stance of monetary policy in consonance with the objective of achieving the medium-term inflation target of 4% within a band of +/- 2%, while supporting growth. Policy Rates: Repo rate: It is the rate at which RBI lends to its clients generally against government securities. It was reduced by 25 basis points to 6%. The rate cut comes after a slump in food prices in consumer inflation to a record low of 1.54%. Reverse Repo Rate: It is the rate at which banks lend funds to the RBI. It was reduced by 25 bps to 5.75%. Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate: It is rate at which the scheduled banks can borrow funds overnight from RBI against government securities. It is a very short term borrowing scheme for scheduled banks. It adjusted to 6.25%. Bank Rate: It is rate charged by the central bank for lending funds to commercial banks. It was set to 6.25%. It influences lending rates of commercial banks. Higher bank rate will translate to higher lending rates by the banks. Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): It is the amount of funds that the banks have to keep with the RBI. It was unchanged at 4%. The RBI uses the CRR to drain out excessive money from the system. Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): It was unchanged 20%. It is amount that banks have to maintain a stipulated proportion of their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) in the form of liquid assets like cash, gold and unencumbered securities, treasury bills, dated securities etc. About Monetary Policy Committee (MPC): MPC is a committee of the central bank — Reserve Bank of India, headed by its Governor. It was set up by amending the RBI Act to provide for a statutory and institutionalised framework for MPC. The 6 member MPC is entrusted with the task of fixing the benchmark policy interest rate (repo rate) to contain inflation within the target level. The majority voice of the committee will be final in deciding the interest rates. Composition of MPC includes Governor of RBI (ex officio Chairperson), Deputy Governor of RBI, in charge of Monetary Policy (Member), one officer of RBI (Member) and three members appointed by Central Government as members. Each member has one vote and governor has casting vote in case of tie.

15. World Bank has allowed India to construct Kishanganga, Ratle hydroelectric power facilities on tributaries of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers with certain restrictions under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The World Bank’s comments came as officials from India and Pakistan concluded the secretary-level talks on the technical issues of the IWT in Washington, US. Key Facts: Pakistan had opposed the construction of the Kishanganga (Jhelum River) and Ratle (Chenab River) hydroelectric power plants built by India in Jammu and Kashmir. Both countries had disagreed over the technical design features of the two hydroelectric plants, as these two rivers are part of “Western Rivers” along with Indus River under. IWT has given Pakistan full control over these three western rivers for unrestricted use. Besides, it also allows India to construct hydroelectric power facilities on these rivers along with other uses, subject to constraints specified in annexures to the treaty. Background: Due differences over these projects, Pakistan had asked World Bank to facilitate the setting up of a Court of Arbitration to look into its concerns. On the other hand, India had asked for the appointment of a neutral expert to look into the issues, citing that concerns raised by Pakistan were “technical” ones. After that, representatives of the World Bank had held talks with India and Pakistan to find a way out separately. About Indus Waters Treaty (IWT): IWT is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan which was brokered by the World Bank (then the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development). It deals with sharing of water of Indus water system having six rivers — Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum between the two countries. It was signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President of Pakistan Ayub Khan in Karachi on September 19, 1960. It is most successful water treaty in world. Even, it has survived India-Pakistan wars of 1965, 1971 and the 1999 Kargil standoff besides Kashmir insurgency since 1990. As per treaty, control over three eastern rivers Ravi, Beas and Sutlej was given to India. While control over three western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab was given to Pakistan. It allows India to use only 20% of the water of Indus river, which flows through it first, for irrigation, power generation and transport. Most disagreements and disputes have been settled via legal procedures, provided for within the framework of the treaty. Under it, Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was set up as a bilateral commission to implement and manage the Treaty. The Commission solves disputes arising over water sharing. Besides, treaty also provides arbitration mechanism to solve disputes amicably. The World Bank’s role in relation to “disputes” and “differences” with respect of IWT is limited to the designation of people to fulfil certain roles when requested by either or both of the parties.

16. According research report from the University of California, US, climate change may have led to over 59,000 farmer suicides over the last 30 years in India. The study was carried out using data for all States and Union Territories. It tested the link between climate change, crop yields and suicide by comparing the number of suicides across India between 1967 and 2013 with crop yield and climate data. Data on suicides were collected from the National Crime Records Bureau. Key Highlights of Study: The increase in temperature during the cropping season reduces crop yields, resulting in increased suicides. Even a 1°C increase in temperature above 20° C in a single day during the crop growing season results in about 70 suicides on average. Similar increase in temperature during other seasons did not result in a rise in suicides. Crop losses due to heat damage causes additional burden on farming households leading to suicides. Moreover, increase in rainfall by 1 cm during the growing season decreases about 0.8 deaths per 100,000, thus lowering the suicide rate by 7% on average. The effect of climate variation has revealed that past growing season temperature strongly influences suicide rates in the following years up to five years. For instance, abundant rainfall during one growing season leads to dip in the suicide rates for the next two or three years. Drought does not have any effect on suicide rates. South India, which is generally hotter, has higher farmer suicide rates. States where the yields are more affected by high temperatures are also the States which report higher suicide rates. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have severe suicide rates in responses to temperature and crop yield is also more negatively affected by higher temperature. Limitations of Study: The study has not looked at other factors that could have contributed to suicides. It did not find any adaptive behaviour to prevent suicides in response to climate change.

17. According to recently released report-ICT Facts and Figures 2017, India and China are home to 39% of the 830 million young people worldwide who use the Internet. The report was released by International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Key Highlights of Report: Great strides are being made in expanding Internet access through the increased availability of broadband networks. Digital connectivity plays a critical role in bettering lives, as it opens the door to unprecedented knowledge, financial and employment opportunities for billions of people worldwide. There has been significant increase in broadband access and subscriptions, with China leading the way. Youths (15-24 years old) are at the forefront of Internet adoption. Least Developed Countries (LDCs): Up to 35% of individuals in LDCs are using the Internet are aged 15-24, compared with 13% in developed countries and 23% globally. LDCs saw the highest growth-rate of mobile broadband subscriptions between 2012 and 2017. Despite this, the number of mobile subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in LDCs is the lowest globally at 23%. Fixed-broadband subscriptions: It has increased by 9% annually in the last five years with up to 330 million subscriptions added. There has been an increase in high-speed fixed broadband subscriptions parallel to the growth in the number of fibre connections. Most of these subscriptions were in developing countries accounting for 80 % of all fixed-broadband subscriptions. Mobile broadband subscriptions: It has grown more than 20% annually in the last five years and is expected to reach 4.3 billion globally by the end of 2017. Internet user gender gap: It has narrowed in most regions since 2013. The proportion of men using the Internet remains slightly higher than the proportion of women using the Internet in two-thirds of countries worldwide. In 2017, the global Internet penetration rate for men stands at 50.9% compared to 44.9% for women. International Internet bandwidth: It grew by 32% between 2015 and 2016, with Africa registering an increase of 72% during this period, the highest of all regions. Global telecommunication revenues: It declined by 4% from US $2.0 trillion in 2014 to $1.9 trillion in 2015. Developing countries, which are home to 83% of the global population, generate 39% of the world’s telecommunication revenues. About International Telecommunication Union (ITU): ITU is the UN specialised agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs). It has 193 countries as its members and also 800 private-sector entities and academic institutions. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ITU is responsible for allocating global radio spectrum and satellite orbits. It also develops the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies to seamlessly interconnect. It also strives to improve access to ICTs among the underserved communities worldwide.

18. The Union Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITY) has constituted an expert Committee to study and identify key data protection issues and recommend methods for addressing them. The ten-member committee will be headed by Supreme Court Judge (retired) Justice B N Srikrishna and comprise of members from government, academia and Industry. Terms of Reference of Committee. The committee will study and identify key data protection issues and recommend methods for addressing them. It will also suggest a draft Data Protection Bill. Background: It is seen that protection of data and keeping personal data of citizens secure and protected is expected to provide big boost to Digital economy of the country. The government’s decision to focus on data protection comes on the back of a wave of privacy and data breaches– from corporates such as McDonalds, Reliance Jio and Zomato to government agencies that have leaked the personal data and Aadhaar of over 100 million citizens.

19. The Union Government has launched e-Rashtriya Kisan Agri Mandi (e-RaKAM) portal to provide a platform for farmers to sell agricultural produce. e-RaKAM is a first of its kind initiative that leverages technology to connect farmers from the smallest villages to the biggest markets of the world through internet. About e-RaKAM: e-RaKAM is a digital initiative that aims to bring together the farmers, PSUs, civil supplies and buyers on a single platform to ease the selling and buying process of agricultural products. It has been developed by state-run-auctioneer MSTC Limited and CRWC (Central Railside Warehouse Company) Limited. Under this initiative, e-RaKAM centres are being developed throughout the country in a phased manner to facilitate farmers for online sale of their produce. The farmers will be paid through e-Payment directly into their bank accounts under the e-RaKAM initiative.

20. Parliament has passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017 with Rajya Sabha approving it. Lok Sabha had passed it earlier. The Bill amends the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2009 by extending the deadline for teachers to acquire the prescribed minimum qualifications for appointment. Key Facts: In the parent Act, provision to possess minimum qualifications by teachers was relaxed for a period not exceeding five years (till March 2015) in case state does not have adequate teacher training institutions or sufficient number of qualified teachers. The amendment bill gives last chance to inadequately qualified teachers as on March 31, 2015, working after enactment of the RTE Act, 2009 to acquire minimum qualifications within a period of four years (till March 31, 2019) to hold their jobs as teachers. Comment: The RTE Act, 2009 envisages free and compulsory elementary education to every child in the age group of 6-14 years. The amendments to RTE Act, 2009 will enable the in-service untrained elementary teachers to complete their training and ensure that all teachers at the elementary level have certain minimum standard of qualifications in order to maintain the standard of teaching quality.

21. India and Somalia have signed an agreement for transfer of sentenced prisoners in each other’s country. The agreement was signed in New Delhi during the ongoing visit of the Somalia’s Foreign Minister to India. During the visit, both countries discussed entire gamut of bilateral relations, including the issue of piracy and maritime security. They also discussed regional issues pertaining to developments in the Gulf region and India’s neighbourhood. The agreement opens a new front for collaboration in anti-piracy operation in Eastern Africa as the incidents of piracy originating from Somalia have affected Indian interests in the Indian Ocean region near the Horn of Africa. Background: Somalia is situated near the Horn of Africa with the Gulf of Aden to its north. It is among the partner countries of India’s Pan African e-Network project. India-Somalia bilateral trade stood at $391.05 million in 2014-15, a more than 51% increase over the figure of $257.27 million in 2013-14. Diplomatic contacts between India and Somalia have been infrequent, however, Somalia had participated in the 2015 India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi. Somalia plays important role in containing China’s presence in Indian Ocean region. China opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti. Somalia shares border with Djibouti on the west. India also offers Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) training scholarships and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships to Somalia. In recent years, India also has extended development assistance which included mini buses to the war-battered country.

22. Veteran molecular biologist Pushpa Mittra Bhargava passed away in Hyderabad. He was 89. Bhargava was the founding director of Hyderabad based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). About Pushpa Mittra Bhargava: Born in Ajmer on February 22, 1928. He had earned his Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from Lucknow University. He had started his career with Central Laboratories for Scientific and Industrial Research. His pioneering vision and efforts led to the founding of CCMB in 1977 as an institution for research in basic biology and for seeking its application for benefit of society. Under his leadership, CCMB had done pioneering research in cell, DNA and molecular biology with close industry linkages. He was strident critic of introduction of genetically modified crops in India. He was actively engaged with issues in science and policy and served vice chairman of National Knowledge Commission constituted in 2005. He was chairman of the Drafting Committee for the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Regulation) Bill 2013. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1986.

23. Scientists from United States have found that curcumin, the bioactive component of turmeric that is widely used in Indian cuisine can treat cancer in children. They have found that nanoparticles loaded with curcumin can target and destroy neuroblastoma tumour cells, which commonly affects children aged five or less. Key Facts: In their study, scientist had attached curcumin to cerium oxide nanoparticles and tested the formulation in cell lines of a high-risk form of neuroblastoma. It was found that curcumin-cerium formulation induced substantial cell death in neuroblastoma cells while producing no or only minor toxicity in healthy cells. Significance: The study demonstrates cancer treatment method without the toxicity of agressive therapy. It also shows that nanoparticles can be an effective delivery vehicle for cancer drugs. The use of cerium oxide nanoparticles also help to remove curcumin’s low solubility and poor stability which had earlier restricted its use in therapeutic applications. Neuroblastoma (NB): NB is a type of cancer that forms in certain types of nerve tissue. It most frequently starts from one of the adrenal glands normally near the kidneys. But it can also develop in the neck, abdomen, chest or spine. Its symptoms may include bone pain, lump in the abdomen, neck or chest, or painless bluish lump under the skin. It is mostly resistant to anti-cancer drugs, and is known to cause health problems, such as hearing loss and disabilities, even after successful treatment.

24. Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was elected the 18th Prime Minister of Pakistan by the National Assembly. Abbasi, nominee of ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) secured 221 votes in the House of 342. Abbasi succeeds Nawaz Sharif who was disqualified by the Supreme Court over the Panama Papers scandal. He will be interim PM of Pakistan. He will vacate the position for Nawaz Sharif’s brother Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister gets elected to the National Assembly. About Shahid Khaqan Abbasi: He was born 27 December 1958 in Karachi, Sindh and comes from a military family. Prior to entering politics, he was an electrical engineer and businessman owning Pakistan’s most successful private airline Airblue. He had started his political career after the death of his father in 1988, and since then he has been an elected Member of the National Assembly six times from Rawalpindi District. He is member of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) in the National Assembly. He had served as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources (2013 to 2017) in the third Nawaz Sharif Government. He had briefly held the cabinet portfolio of Minister for Commerce in the Gillani Government in 2008. He also had served as Chairman of Pakistan International Airlines (1997 to 1999) during the second Sharif Government.

25. Arvind Panagariya (64) has resigned as Vice Chairman of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and announced to return to academics in US. He resigned after his public service leave for two years from the Columbia university, where he is professor of Indian Political Economy did not receive extension. He was appointed as the as Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog in January 2015 and held cabinet minister rank. About Arvind Panagariya: Before joining Niti Aayog, he was a professor at Columbia University and chief economist at the Asian Development Bank (ABD). He has also worked for the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organisation (WTP), and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTD) in various capacities. He has earned PhD in economics from prestigious Princeton University. He has written around 10 books and the latest was India: The Emerging Giant published in 2008. He was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2102. About NITI Aayog: NITI Aayog was formed on January 1, 2015. NITI Aayog via a resolution of the Union Cabinet. It is the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Union Government, providing both directional and policy inputs. It had replaced the 65-year old Planning Commission established in 1950. Prime Minister is ex-officio Chairperson of the Aayog. NITI Aayog plays important role in designing strategic and long term policies and programmes for the Government. It also provides relevant technical advice to the Centre and States. It also acts as the quintessential platform of Union Government to bring States to act together in national interest, and thereby fosters Cooperative Federalism.

26. Ustad Hussain Sayeeduddin Dagar, one of the foremost exponents and custodian of the venerable Dhrupad tradition of Hindustani classical music passed away in a Pune. He was 78. About Sayeeduddin Dagar: Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar was born on April 29, 1939 in Alwar, Rajasthan. He was member of the illustrious Dagar family of musicians and was the youngest of the famous seven ‘Dagar Bandhus (Brothers)’, all exponents of the ancient, complex and elaborate Dhrupad tradition. He had dedicated his life to keeping the Dhrupad tradition alive. He had performed at some of the most prestigious venues and festivals in India and abroad, including the Tansen Savai Gandharva, Samaroh, Dhrupad Samaroh, Dagar Saptak, Dhrupad Mela, Dhamar Samaroh etc. He also travelled abroad extensively and enthralled audiences with his Dhrupad performances. He was also President of Dhrupad Society Jaipur and Pune. He also had conducted workshops and interactive lecture demonstrations on Dhrupad in India and twice a year in Holland, Germany, France and Belgium. About Dhrupad: Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music. It is one of oldest forms of compositions in classical Indian music. Dhrupad is a Sanskrit name, derived from words dhruva (permanent) and pad (verse) and in combination it means “pillar”. The roots of Dhrupad are ancient and it is mentioned in Natyashastra (200 BCE – 200 CE). It is also described in other ancient and medieval Sanskrit texts, such as Bhagavata Purana (~800–1000 CE). The nature of Dhrupad music is spiritual and does not seek to entertain, but to induce feelings of peace and spirituality in the listener. It is primarily a form of worship, in which offerings are made to the divine through sound or Nada. Dhrupad was initially sung only in the temples, the singer facing the Lord. From this early chanting, it evolved into a sophisticated classical form of music. One significant characteristic of Dhrupad is the emphasis on maintaining purity of the Raga.

27. The Supreme Court has imposed ban on use of five harmful heavy metals like lithium, antimony, mercury, arsenic and lead in the manufacturing of firecrackers as they cause air pollution. The SC order came on a 2015 petition filed by three Delhi children who had requested the apex court to intervene to regulate the use of crackers and fireworks during festivals like Diwali. SC order: The apex court held that it is the responsibility of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) to ensure compliance of ban order particularly in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu where there are large number of firecracker manufacturers. It also asked CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) and PESO to make collaborative efforts for setting up of standards with regard to air pollution caused by the bursting of fire-crackers. Heavy metals in firecrackers: Lithium is a metal used to impart red colour to fireworks. Antimony is used to create glitter effects. Lead oxide provides a special crackling effect which, if inhaled, in high concentration can cause damage to the nervous system. About Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO): PESO is the apex department to control and administer manufacture, storage, transport and handling of explosives, petroleum, compressed gases and other hazardous substances in India. It functions under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It is headed by Chief Controller of Explosives and is headquartered at Nagpur, Maharashtra.

28. The 19th round of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) meetings and other related meetings were held in Hyderabad, Telangana. Besides, the 19th round of TNC, parallel meetings were also held by the three main Working Groups on Trade in goods, services and investment. Working Groups in other areas like electronic commerce, Intellectual Property, Legal and Institutional Issues etc. also had held their meetings. Key takeaways of 19th round. All RCEP Participating Countries (RPCs) agreed that RCEP agreement has immense potential to deliver on new economic opportunities including job creation that are much needed in today’s uncertain world. India held that RCEP can offer a forward looking alternative in face of growing protectionism in world. RPCs also expressed shared commitment to work collectively and in cooperative manner to progress the negotiations in an accelerated way and achieve a comprehensive, modern, high-quality and mutually beneficial agreement that balances and addresses sensitivities and aspirations of participating countries. About Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP): RCEP is a proposed comprehensive regional economic integration agreement (mega Free Trade Agreement) amongst the 10-ASEAN countries (Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam) and its six Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) partners, viz. Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Japan and Korea. RCEP negotiations were formally launched at 2012 ASEAN Summit in Cambodia. RCEP is viewed as an alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed trade agreement that includes several Asian and American nations but excludes China and India. Till 2017, RCEP member states accounted for a population of 3.4 billion people with a total GDP (in terms of PPP) of $49.5 trillion, approximately 39% of the world’s GDP (combined GDPs of China and India makes up more than half that amount).

29. The new bilateral Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between India and Bhutan came into force from July 2017. The new agreement aims to further strengthen the bilateral trade relations between both countries. The new agreement signed in November 2016 provides for a free trade regime between the territories of India and Bhutan. It also provides for duty-free transit of Bhutanese merchandise for trade with third countries. Bilateral trade between both countries will continue to be transacted in Bhutanese Ngultrums and Indian Rupees. Moreover, the new agreement removes requirement of having an annual consultation between India and Bhutan for the transit of goods of both countries along with the goods originating in third country. Background: The bilateral trade relations between India and Bhutan are governed by the Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit. The agreement provides for a free trade regime between the territories of India and Bhutan. The last agreement was renewed on July 29, 2006 for ten years. The validity of this agreement was extended (from July 29, 2016) for one year or till new agreement comes into force.

30. The Border Security Force (BSF) signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The MoU will enable NSDC to provide skill training to retired and retiring BSF personnel, as well as to the population residing in the border areas. Key Facts: The collaboration between BSF and NSDC aims to train and provide gainful employment to retired BSF personnel and their families, school students, youth, differently abled for five years (April 2017 to April 2022). The programme will be appropriately named keeping in view the objectives and will have BSF co-branding with Skill India and NSDC. It will contribute to Skill Development Agenda of the country by ensuring the successful roll out of NSQF (National Skill Qualification Framework) based skill training to the retiring or retired BSF personnel and local population. The skill training will be based NSQF compliant training programmes at multi-skill development centres run by BSF. This will help in meeting the aspirations of the stakeholders for training and employment. The skill training project will be of a limited to 5 years period in mission mode. Moreover, the curriculum development and capacity building under the programme will be encouraged to enable the model to be self-sustaining over time. About National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC): The NSDC is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship. Its overall objective of NSDC is to create training capacity in the country; fund vocational training initiatives and create a market ecosystem for skill development. Its mandate is to train 150 million people by 2022.

31. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has entered into 9 Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (UAPAs) with Indian taxpayers in July, 2017. With this, total number of APAs signed till date stands at 171 (Bilateral-12 and Unilateral-159). The nine APAs signed pertain to diverse sectors of the economy including Oil & Gas exploration, education, banking, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and IT. They also cover international transactions and provision of software development services, ITES , engineering design services, distribution, contract manufacturing, etc. About Advance Pricing Agreements (APA): The APA Scheme was introduced in the Income-tax (IT) Act. It endeavours to provide certainty to taxpayers in the domain of transfer pricing by specifying the methods of pricing and determining the Arm’s Length Price of international transactions in advance. It aims to strengthen the Government’s commitment to foster a non-adversarial tax regime. Further, the taxpayer has the option to roll back the APA. The roll back provisions under the scheme were introduced in 2014. APA provides total of nine years of tax certainty including four year term of rollback. About Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT): CBDT is nodal policy-making body of the Income Tax (IT) department under the Union Finance Ministry. It is a statutory authority established under The Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963. It is supreme body in India for framing policies related to direct taxes. The composition of CBDT includes Chairman and six members.

32. The Executive Committee of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in its 4th meeting has approved seven projects in the sector of sewage infrastructure, ghat development and research. Three projects each were approved in sewage sector in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Central Government will provide operation and maintenance cost for 15 years to all these six projects along with 100% central assistance. Besides, a research study to understand the non-putrefying properties of river Ganga in both water and sediment was also approved. The study will be an extension of a research carried out by National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to identify the special properties of river’s waters. About National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): NMCG is the implementation wing of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council). It was established in 2011 as a registered society under Societies Registration Act, 1860. It has a two tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee. Both of them are headed by Director General (DG), NMCG. Executive Committee is authorized to approve projects under mission up to Rs.1000 crore. Similar to structure at national level, State Programme Management Groups (SPMGs) acts as implementing arm of State Ganga Committees. This structure attempts to bring all stakeholders on one platform to take a holistic approach towards the task of Ganga cleaning and rejuvenation. Note: In October 2016, National Ganga Council has replaced National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986.

33. The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has launched Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2 in Mumbai, Maharashtra under the Jiyo Parsi scheme. The Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2 aims at containing the declining trend of population of the Parsi community and reverses it to bring their population above the threshold level. About Jiyo Parsi scheme: Jiyo Parsi scheme is a Central Sector Scheme for containing population decline of Parsis in India. Its main objective is to reverse the declining trend of Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol and structured interventions. It aims to stabilize and increase the population of Parsis in India. It has two components: Medical Assistance and Advocacy (Counselling). The first phase of the scheme was launched initiated in 2013.

34. Scientists have announced that the world’s smallest spacecrafts dubbed as Sprites ever launched are successfully travelling in low Earth orbit and communicating with systems on Earth. The six prototypes of Sprites were launched in June 2017 as part of the Breakthrough Starshot project designed to test technologies that would eventually be used for interstellar missions. They are smallest spacecraft that have managed to establish contact with ground stations. Sprites: Sprites have been developed by researchers at Cornell University. Each of the mini Sprite spacecrafts are built on a single 3.5*3.5 centimeter circuit board. They weigh just four grams each. They are equipped with tiny solar panels and two antennas, plus a tiny radio, computer, magnetometer (to orient to Earth’s magnetic field) and gyroscope (to move and stabilize the craft). Mission Purpose: The mission was designed to test the performance of the Sprites’ electronics when in orbit. It will also demonstrates their novel radio communication architecture. It will also explore the concept of solar sail propulsion in which spacecraft can be powered using only the sun’s radiation. These tiny satellites also mark the next step in the field of spacecraft miniaturization that can contribute to the development of centimetre and gram-scale StarChips envisioned under the Breakthrough Starshot project. About Breakthrough Starshot. Breakthrough Starshot is a comprehensive space program launched under the US $100 million Breakthrough Initiatives, announced by Yuri Milner and Stephen Hawking to develop and launch practical interstellar space missions. The program aims to demonstrate proof of concept for light-propelled spacecraft that could fly at 20 per cent of light speed. Its main objective is to send one-gram chips to star systems beyond the solar system in search of extraterrestrial intelligence.

35. Scientists have developed a super strong, flexible Bio-glue for wound healing without causing toxicity. It has been inspired by an adhesive material (glue) secreted by slugs that sticks to biological tissues. Slugs naturally secrete a special kind of mucus (adhesive material) in its place when threatened, making it difficult for a predator to pry it off its surface. Key Facts: The bio-glue is double-layered hydrogel consisting of an alginate-polyacrylamide matrix supporting an adhesive layer that has positively-charged polymers protruding from its surface. It bonds to biological tissues via three mechanisms – electrostatic attraction to covalent bonds between neighbouring atoms, negatively charged cell surfaces and physical interpenetration. This bond makes the adhesive super strong. It is the combination of a very strong adhesive force and has ability to transfer and dissipate stress. It can bind to tissues with strength comparable to the body’s own resilient cartilage. Applications: The bio-glue has numerous potential applications in the medical field, either as a patch that can be cut to desired sizes and applied to tissue surfaces or can be also used as an injectable solution for deeper injuries.

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