Current Affairs 11/7/13 to 19/7/13
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 8:17 am1.Latvia gets approval to join Eurozone
The small Baltic nation of Latvia has been given approval from its European partners to become the 18th member of the eurozone from 2014.
The ECOFIN council which is composed of the Economics and Finance Ministers of the European Union’s 28 member states has given nod to the country’s euro membership. It had been a long journey for the former Soviet state since it entered the EU in 2004.
2.Hazem el-Beblawi is Egypt interim Premier
Liberal economist Hazem el-Beblawi has been appointed as Egypt’s interim Prime Minister by Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour. The President has also appointed Nobel-laureate Mohamed ElBaradei as Deputy President with responsibility for foreign affairs.
3.India clarifies views to Sri Lanka on 13th Amendment
Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon has clearly voiced India’s view on the 13th Amendment of Sri Lanka’s Constitution emphasizing on the need for Colombo to fulfill its commitment to India and the international community regarding the same.
What is the 13th Amendment of Sri Lanka’s Constitution?
The Thirteenth Amendment (13A) to the Constitution of Sri Lanka is amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka which created Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka.This also made Sinhala and Tamil as the official language of the country and English as link language.
Background:
Signed on July 29, 1987 b/w India and Sri Lanka.
The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord is also known as the Rajiv-Jayewardene Accord, after its architects — Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and President J.R. Jayewardene.
On November 14, 1987 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Provincial Councils Act No 42 of 1987 to establish provincial councils.
4.EC mulls over to deploy EVMs with VVPAT
The Election Commission (EC) is cogitating on the option of deploying Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in some constituencies as it will deal with the herculean task of conducting Legislative Assembly polls in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram before the end of 2013. To implement this, the EC will have to amend the rules relating to EVMs and this has to be done by the Law and Justice Ministry based on the recommendations of the Commission.
5.TAPI project: Countries agree on setting up a Company for its execution
Countries involved in the TAPI pipeline project- India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to establish a company for execution of the proposed project. They are expected to give it shape to by September 2013.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been appointed as legal-technical consultant, and it will soon identify a company which will drive the project. The company will be from a neutral country.
6.Tagore Award to be conferred on Zubin Mehta
ZubinZubin Mehta, western classical music conductor of Indian-Parsi origin, will be honored with the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony 2013 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cultural harmony. He has been unanimously chosen for this by a four-member jury — led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and comprising Chief Justice of India Justice Altamas Kabir, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and former Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
7.Membership of MPs, MLAs to be disqualified on date of criminal conviction: Supreme Court
In a major ruling the Supreme Court held that charge-sheeted Members of Parliament and MLAs, on conviction for the offences, will be immediately disqualified from holding membership of the House without being given three months time for appeal, as was the case before.
The court struck down as ultra vires Section 8 (4) of the Representation of the People Act that allows convicted law makers a three-month period for filing their appeal to the higher court and to get a stay of the conviction and the sentence. However, the court clarified, the ruling will be prospective and those who had already filed appeals in various High Courts or the Supreme Court against their convictions would be exempt from it.
What does “Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act” say?
Section 8 of the RP Act deals with disqualification on conviction for certain offence: A person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for varying terms under Sections 8 (1) (2) and (3) shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of 6 years since his release. But Section 8 (4) of the RP Act gives protection to MPs and MLAs as they can continue in office even after conviction if an appeal is filed within 3 months.
Why this ruling?
The order is a result of three PILs filed by Lily Thomas, the organization Lok Prahari and SN Shukla, saying Section 8(4) of RPA was leading to criminalization of politics.
8.Incheon was named as the World Book Capital for the Year 2015
Incheon: named as the World Book Capital for the year 2015. Incheon is in South Korea.
UNESCO announced on 19 July 2013 that the committee in charge of international book industry named South Korean city of Incheon as the World Book Capital for the year 2015.
9.Maharashtra state government on 19 July 2013 announced a ban extension on nicotine-laced gutkha and paan masala for another year considering health hazards of these products.
10.Reserve Bank of India on 20 July 2013 stated that India’s foreign exchange reserves increased by 21.1 million US dollars to 280.19 billion US dollars, the. The total forex reserves had decreased by 4.48 billion US dollars to 280.16 billion US dollars in the previous reporting week.
Foreign currency assets, a major component of the forex reserves, increased by 33.5 million US dollars to 252.14 billion US dollars for the week ended 12 July 2013.
Foreign currency assets expressed in US dollar terms comprise the effect of appreciation or depreciation of the non-US currencies, such as the euro, pound and yen, held in the reserves. The gold reserves were unchanged at 21.55 billion US dollars.
For the week under review, the special drawing rights (SDRs) decreased by 1.5 million US dollars to 4.334 billion US dollars, while India’s reserve position with the IMF was also down by 19.1 million US dollars to 2.162 billion US dollars.
11.The measurements by Curiosity rover of NASA, the most advanced spacecraft to land on Mars, the Red Planet, re-instated the fact, in the month of July 2013, that the planet was composed of mostly carbon dioxide and a few other gases. These measurements match very closely with the findings of the Viking which had revealed about this in late 1970s. Apart from this, the scientists had also revealed the same earlier with clues from the Martian meteorites that fell on Earth.
12.India in the month of July 2013 has come into view as the second largest investor in the city of London with Indian companies led by software major Infosys encouraged by the investment fervour generated by the 2012 Olympic Games in the British capital. Software services firm Infosys leads the charge of inner foreign direct investment (FDI) made by a total of 28 Indian companies, which has created 429 additional jobs for the British economy in the in year 2012 alone.
13.UK and China in Month of June 2013 signed a three-year deal to swap their currencies when needed in order to boost the Chinese Yuan outside Asia.
UK wishes to become a centre for the Chinese currency which known by renminbi. It is important here to note that the British banks hold 35bn yuan worth of deposits in the Chinese currency. With the signing of agreement Bank of England could draw on the line with the PBOC when there is a sudden shortage of yuan funds in the U.K. market—and make the yuan.Currency-swap agreements basically allow central banks to swap currencies which can be used by firms to settle trade in local currencies rather than in US dollars.The deal was signed in its effort to promote the yuan in global trade and finance. The Prospective deal was first signed in February 2013.
14.Bengaluru International Airport Renamed as Kempegowda International Airport
15.An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions authored by Amartya Sen & Jean Dreze
An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions authored by Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen was released in the third week of July 2013. The book has been published by Penguin Books India.
16.82 Years old Veteran Tamil film lyricist Vaali died at a private hospital in Chennai on 18 July 2013.
17.The Ministry of Environment and Forests on 19 July 2013 gave green clearance for an international airport in north Kerala's Kannur district. Kannur airport would be the fourth international airport in the state after Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.
18.Nelson Mandela International Day was observed across the world on 18 July 2013 to earmark freedom, justice and democracy. The overarching objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere. “Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day.” (67 minutes serving).
19.The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 19 July 2013 administered the oath of the office of Chief Justice of India (CJI) to Justice Palanisamy Sathasivam. Justice Sathasivam, 64, is first CJI from Tamil Nadu and the 40th CJI of India. The term of his office will be till 26 April 2014. Justice Palanisamy Sathasivam succeeded CJI Altamas Kabir who left the office on 18 July 2013.
20.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 17 July 2013 opened a special liquidity window for commercial banks to meet the cash requirements of mutual funds (MFs).
The special liquidity window was opened taken into concern the Mutual Funds which faced heavy redemption pressure in debt-oriented MF schemes following a series of steps taken by the RBI to shore up the faltering currency.Keeping all this into consideration the RBI opened a special three-day repo window that will allow banks to borrow a total of 25000 crore Rupees at a rate of 10.25%. Banks can borrow this money to lend onwards to MFs.
21.CCS approved the proposal of creation of Mountain Strike Corps along the entire LAC with China. This strike corps will be headquartered at Panagarh, WB.
22.Union Cabinet on 17 July 2013 approved amendments to the marriage law enabling a married woman to get a share of her husband's ancestral property as reparation in case of a divorce. The Bill is now expected to come up for channel in the Monsoon Session of Parliament in August 2013. The decision was taken to make marriage law more women friendly and to decide how sufficient compensation can be given to a woman from her husband's ancestral property in case of divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage.
23. EGoM constituted under the Chairmanship of P Chidambaram to implement major projects related to the North-Eastern region.
24.The second International Crimes Tribunal on 17 July 2013 sentenced war crime indicted Ali Mohammed Mujaheed, General Secretary of Jamaat e Islami to death. Mujaheed who was a leader of Jamaat's student wing Islammi Chattra Sangha in 1971 Bangladesh war was indicted of 7 war crimes including murder, genocide and conspiracy to kill intellectuals during the Bangladesh War for Liberation. The Jamaat e Islami is enforcing a day-long country hartal protesting against the verdicts of the ICT on the third day in succession. The two war crimes tribunals have so far delivered 5 verdicts since their establishment.
Who is Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed?
Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed is a Bangladeshi politician and presently the Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. He was accused of helping to form the militant groups Al-Badr (the moon) and the Al-Shams (the sun) and committing crimes against humanity during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He is currently held prisoner and standing trial at the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh. He was Minister of Social Welfare from 2001 to 2007 in the four-party alliance Bangladesh government.
25.The Supreme Court of India on 17 July 2013 refused to reduce the age of juvenile from 18 to 16 years.
26.To honour V.K. Krishna Menon, British Government placed a Blue Plaque at the house, where he lived during his first visit to London from 1929-31.
27.Bhim Sain Bassi was appointed as the next Commissioner of Delhi Police. He will succeed to Neeraj Kumar who will retire on 31 July 2013.
28.The Union Government of India on 16 July 2013 raised the FDI limit in Telecom Sector from 74 percent to 100 percent. Government also cleared that the FDI in the Insurance and Telecom sectors will be up to 49 per cent through automatic route.
The Union Government also mentioned that FDI the single brand retail would be up to 49 percent through automatic route and remaining investments would be directed through Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) route. FDI in asset reconstruction companies will be up to 49 per cent through automatic route. FDI in Credit Information Companies has been raised to 74 per cent from 49 per cent.
The Government also confirmed that the FDI in Defence Production will continue to be 26 percent. However, it will be directed through FIPB route for state of art technologies, and investment beyond that will go to Cabinet Committee on Security.
The decision was taken in a meet chaired by Prime Minister and attended by the Cabinet Ministers. The decisions were made to boost the Foreign Direct Investment in the country.
There was agreement on the following proposals
Sector
Cap
Route
Petroleum and Natural Gas and Refining
49percent
Automatic
Commodity Exchanges
49percent
Automatic
Power Exchanges
49percent
Automatic
Stock Exchanges, Depositories, Corporation
49percent
Automatic
Asset Reconstruction companies
Upto 49percent
49percent to 100percent
Automatic
FIPB
Credit Information companies
74percent
Automatic
Single Brand Retail trading
Upto 49percent
49percent to 100percent
Automatic
FIPB
Basic and Cellular Services, etc.
Upto 49percent
49percent to 100percent
Automatic
FIPB
Courier Services
100percent
Automatic
Defence Production
CCS may approve proposals on case to case basis beyond 26percent which are likely to result in access to modern and state of the art technology in the country.
29.Two of the sport’s biggest names Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell had failed drugs tests and tested positive for an Unidentified Substance at an out-of-competition test on 16 May 2013.30 years old Gay is the second fastest man of all time and has run the three quickest 100m times of 2013, but tested positive for an unnamed substance.
30.The U.S. space agency in July 2013 announced the discovery of Neptune’s 14th moon. The Hubble Space Telescope captured the moon as a white dot in photos of the planet on the periphery of our solar system.The new moon, Neptune’s tiniest at just 19.3 km across, and is designated as S/2004 N 1.
31.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 15 July 2013 announced measures to deal with rupee volatility which includes lifting of two interest rates by 200 basis points each and a planned sale of 120 billion rupees (2 billion dollars) of government bonds on July 2013.
RBI has also adjusted the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) and the Bank Rate to 10.25% each which were 8.25% previously. The repo rate, was kept unchanged at 7.25%. It is worth mentioning here that the rupee in second week of July 2013 hit a record low of 61.21 to the dollars.
The RBI also hiked the lending rates for banks and had absorbed 12000 crore Rupees in order to make the currency more high-priced.
What is Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)?
The Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) which was introduced during the 2011-12 period, is the rate at which banks can borrow from the central bank at an increased rate against government securities during times of tight cash. The bank rate is a linked to the MSF.
32.Satyam on 15 July 2013 formally merged with Tech Mahindra. After debuting on the stock market in 1995, Satyam soon went on to become one of the country's top five IT companies and its share price was trading 250 rupees level in late 2008. It came to be known by January 2009 that Satyam was home to India's biggest ever corporate scam. Satyam is a Sanskrit word that means truth.
33.Grandmaster and former world junior champion Abhijeet Gupta on 14 July 2013 won the Commonwealth Chess Championship.
34.Iran on 15 July 2013 agreed to take payments for oil it sells to India entirely in rupees after US and western sanctions blocked all other payment routes. India has been, since July 2011, paying in euros to clear 55 percent of its purchases of Iranian oil through Ankara- based Halkbank. The remaining 45 percent due amount was remitted in rupees in accounts Iranian oil company opened in Kolkata-based UCO Bank.
35.Bhutan’s Election Commission on 14 July 2013 formally announced that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won the National Assembly elections by having secured a majority of thirty two seats. The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) won fifteen seats and was elected as the opposition party. Over 66 per cent turnout was recorded in the elections. The foremost election issues were rising fuel prices and credit crunch.
The second parliamentary elections saw a keen voter turnout. While nineteen international media personnel from India, Netherlands, South Korea covered the elections while 279 media personnel from Bhutan cover the Second Parliamentary Elections this year.
In 2008, the DPT had won the election by a landslide and won the first round of this year's polls with 45 percent of the vote. Bhutan's king had given up the monarchy's centuries-old absolute power in 2008 and allowed the introduction of democracy to the Himalayan kingdom.
36.India's back-to-back title wins helped the world champion team retain its top position in the ICC ODI rankings.
37.Controversial Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi on 13 July 2013 died in Milan, Italy following a stroke.
38.The Union Cabinet of India on 11 July 2013 gave its approval to the proposal for setting up of a National Aviation University (NAU) in the name of Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University at the District of Rae Bareli in the State of U.P. as a Central University.
39.The Koodankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu on 13 July 2013 went critical.
40.Maharaj Krishan Kaushik appointed Coach of Indian Men’s Hockey Team
41.Following provision of Article 356 (Section 2), President revoked his rule from Jharkhand. The decision will pave way for Hemant Soren to assume office of CM.Hemant Soren, leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and son of party Chief Shibu Soren, on 13 July 2013 sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of Jharkhand. Syed Ahmed, the Governor of Jharkhand administered the oath of the office to Hemant Soren in the premises of Raj Bhavan in a swearing-in ceremony. During the same swearing-in ceremony, Rajendra Prasad Singh from Congress and Annapurna Devi from RJD, were also sworn in as ministers.
42.World observed Malala Day on 12 July. Indian girl, Razia Sultana won United Nations' Special Envoy for Global Education's Youth Courage Award for Education.
43.Pran, the legendary actor died on 12 July 2013. He was a proud recipient of Dada Saheb Phalke Award and Padma Bhushan Award.
44.Ban-Ki-Moon appealed Myanmar to end Buddhist attacks on Rohingya Muslims. He also asked Myanmar to grant them citizenship.
45.India won the West Indies Tri-Nation Series by one wicket. The final was played between India and Sri Lanka at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain.
46.India and Tanzania signed several agreements on bilateral cooperation in sectors like health, agriculture, education, mines and minerals at Dar es Salaam.
47.World Population Day observed across the World on 11 July
48.Lajja Goswami on 9 July 2013 won silver medal in women's 50-metre Rifle 3 Position event at the ISSF World Cup in Granada, Spain.
49.Lt Gen (Retd) AK Singh, on 8 July 2013 took over as the new Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
50.Dr. H.A.B. Parpia, an acknowledged food scientist and the former Director of the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) died.
51.Chinese troops intruded in Chumar Sector of Ladakh.
52.The eight major Goals set by United Nations under the Millennium Development Program were: Eradication of Extreme Poverty and Hunger, Achieve Universal Primary Education, Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, Reduce Child Mortality, Improve Maternal Health, Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases, Ensure Environmental Sustainability, Develop Global Partnership for Development. These goals were set for the first time at the time of Project inception in July 2002.
Progress Report of the major Eight Goals:
• Goal 1: Eradication of Extreme Poverty and Hunger – Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day. Some of the quick facts about improvement:
a) With about less than 700 million people, who live in extreme poverty conditions in 2010 than in 1990, the Poverty rates have been halved
b) Widening of the global jobs gap by 67 million people due to the economic and financial crisis One in eight people still go to bed hungry, despite major progress
c) Globally, nearly one in six children under age five are underweight; one in four are stunted
d) An estimated 7 per cent of children under age five worldwide are now overweight, another aspect of malnutrition; one quarter of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa
MDG
• Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education – If current trends continue, the world will not meet the goal of universal primary education by 2015. Quick Facts:
a) By 2011, 57 million children of primary school age were out of school, down from 102 million in 2000
b) More than half of these out-of-school children live in sub-Saharan Africa
c) Globally, 123 million youth (aged 15 to 24) lack basic reading and writing skills; 61 per cent of them are young women
Goal 2
• Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women – Steady progress has been made towards equal access of girls and boys to education, but more targeted action is needed in many regions. The quick Overview:
a) Gender parity is closest to being achieved at the primary level; however, only 2 out of 130 countries have achieved that target at all levels of education
b) Globally, 40 out of 100 wage-earning jobs in the non-agricultural sector are held by women
c) As of 31 January 2013, the average share of women members in parliaments worldwide was just over 20 per cent
Goal 3
• Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality – Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate. The Quick Overview:
a) Since 1990, the child mortality rate has dropped by 41 per cent; 14,000 fewer children are dying each day
b) Still, 6.9 million children under age five died in 2011—mostly from preventable diseases
c) In sub-Saharan Africa, one in nine children die before age five, more than 16 times the average for developed regionsGoal 4
• Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health – Maternal mortality has declined by nearly half since 1990, but falls far short of the MDG target. Quick Overview:
a) In Eastern Asia, Northern Africa and Southern Asia, maternal mortality has declined by around two thirds.
b) Only half of pregnant women in developing regions receive the recommended minimum of four antenatal care visits.
c) Some 140 million women worldwide who are married or in union say they would like to delay or avoid pregnancy, but are not using contraception
Goal 5
• Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases – The incidence of HIV is declining steadily in most regions; still, 2.5 million people are newly infected each year. The Quick Overview of the Facts:
a) In 2011, 230,000 fewer children under age 15 were infected with HIV than in 2001.
b) Eight million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV at the end of 2011.
c) In the decade since 2000, 1.1 million deaths from malaria were averted.
d) Treatment for tuberculosis has saved some 20 million lives between 1995 and 2011
Goal 6
• Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability – Forests are a safety net for the poor, but they continue to disappear at an alarming rate. The Quick Overview of the Facts:
a) Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have increased by more than 46 per cent since 1990.
b) Nearly one third of marine fish stocks have been overexploited.
c) Many species are at risk of extinction, despite an increase in protected areas.
d) More than 2.1 billion people and almost 1.9 billon people, respectively, have gained access to improved water sources and sanitation facilities since 1990.
e) An estimated 863 million people reside in slums in the developing world
Goal 7
• Goal 8: Develop Global Partnership for Development – The global financial crisis and euro zone turmoil continue to take a toll on official development assistance. The Overview of the Facts:
a) Official development assistance stood at $126 billion in 2012.
b) Eighty-three per cent of least developed country exports enter developed countries duty free.
c) The debt service of developing countries consumes only 3 per cent of their export revenues.
d) In the developing world, 31 percent of the population uses the Internet, compared to 77 percent of the developed world
Goal 8
MDG targets have already been met or are within close reach
• The proportion of people living in extreme poverty has been halved at the global level
• Over 2 billion people gained access to improved sources of drinking water
• Remarkable gains have been made in the fight against malaria and tuberculosis
• The proportion of slum dwellers in the cities and metropolises of the developing world is declining
• A low debt burden and an improved climate for trade are levelling the playing field for developing countries
• The hunger reduction target is within reach
MDG targets, for which accelerated Progress and bolder actions needs to be taken
• Environmental sustainability is under severe threat, demanding a new level of global cooperation
• Big gains have been made in child survival, but more must be done to meet our obligations to the youngest generation
• Most maternal deaths are preventable, but progress in this area is falling short
• Access to antiretroviral therapy and knowledge about HIV prevention must expand
• Too many children are still denied their right to primary education
• Gains in sanitation are impressive—but not good enough
• There is less aid money overall, with the poorest countries most adversely affected
Areas with disparities, where attention needs to be focused as these often stand in the way of further improvements:
Rural-urban gaps persist—access to reproductive health services and to clean drinking water is only two examples: In 2011, only 53 per cent of deliveries in rural areas were attended by skilled health personnel, versus 84 per cent of them in urban areas. Eighty-three percent of the population without access to an improved drinking water source lives in rural communities.
The poorest children are most likely to be out of School: Children and adolescents from the poorest households are at least three times more likely to be out of school than children from the richest households. Girls are more likely to be out of school than boys among both primary and lower secondary age groups, even for girls living in the richest households Gender-based inequalities in decision-making power persist: Whether in the public or private sphere, from the highest levels of government decision-making to households, women continue to be denied equal opportunity with men to participate in decisions that affect their lives
Measuring progress towards the MDGs: Progress towards the eight Millennium Development Goals is measured through 21 targets and 60 official indicators. This report presents an accounting to date of how far the world has come in meeting the goals using data available as of June 2013. Most of the MDG targets have a deadline of 2015, using 1990 as the baseline against which progress is gauged.
The basis for this Analysis: Regional and sub-regional figures presented in this report are compiled by members of the United Nations Inter-Agency and Expert Group on MDG Indicators (IAEG). In general, the figures are weighted averages of country data, using the population of reference as a weight. For each indicator, individual agencies were designated as official providers of data and as leaders in developing methodologies for data collection and analysis. The team that prepared the report was headed by the Department of Economic and Social affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, in response to the wishes of the General Assembly for periodic assessment of progress towards the MDGs.
UN Millennium Project: The Millennium Project was commissioned by the United Nations Secretary-General in 2002 to develop a concrete action plan for the world to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and to reverse the grinding poverty, hunger and disease affecting billions of people. In 2005, the independent advisory body headed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, presented its final recommendations to the Secretary-General in a synthesis volume investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
UN Millennium Campaign: The United Nations Millennium Campaign, started in 2002, supports and inspires people from around the world to take action in support of the Millennium Development Goals.
The small Baltic nation of Latvia has been given approval from its European partners to become the 18th member of the eurozone from 2014.
The ECOFIN council which is composed of the Economics and Finance Ministers of the European Union’s 28 member states has given nod to the country’s euro membership. It had been a long journey for the former Soviet state since it entered the EU in 2004.
2.Hazem el-Beblawi is Egypt interim Premier
Liberal economist Hazem el-Beblawi has been appointed as Egypt’s interim Prime Minister by Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour. The President has also appointed Nobel-laureate Mohamed ElBaradei as Deputy President with responsibility for foreign affairs.
3.India clarifies views to Sri Lanka on 13th Amendment
Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon has clearly voiced India’s view on the 13th Amendment of Sri Lanka’s Constitution emphasizing on the need for Colombo to fulfill its commitment to India and the international community regarding the same.
What is the 13th Amendment of Sri Lanka’s Constitution?
The Thirteenth Amendment (13A) to the Constitution of Sri Lanka is amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka which created Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka.This also made Sinhala and Tamil as the official language of the country and English as link language.
Background:
Signed on July 29, 1987 b/w India and Sri Lanka.
The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord is also known as the Rajiv-Jayewardene Accord, after its architects — Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and President J.R. Jayewardene.
On November 14, 1987 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Provincial Councils Act No 42 of 1987 to establish provincial councils.
4.EC mulls over to deploy EVMs with VVPAT
The Election Commission (EC) is cogitating on the option of deploying Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in some constituencies as it will deal with the herculean task of conducting Legislative Assembly polls in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram before the end of 2013. To implement this, the EC will have to amend the rules relating to EVMs and this has to be done by the Law and Justice Ministry based on the recommendations of the Commission.
5.TAPI project: Countries agree on setting up a Company for its execution
Countries involved in the TAPI pipeline project- India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to establish a company for execution of the proposed project. They are expected to give it shape to by September 2013.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been appointed as legal-technical consultant, and it will soon identify a company which will drive the project. The company will be from a neutral country.
6.Tagore Award to be conferred on Zubin Mehta
ZubinZubin Mehta, western classical music conductor of Indian-Parsi origin, will be honored with the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony 2013 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cultural harmony. He has been unanimously chosen for this by a four-member jury — led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and comprising Chief Justice of India Justice Altamas Kabir, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and former Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
7.Membership of MPs, MLAs to be disqualified on date of criminal conviction: Supreme Court
In a major ruling the Supreme Court held that charge-sheeted Members of Parliament and MLAs, on conviction for the offences, will be immediately disqualified from holding membership of the House without being given three months time for appeal, as was the case before.
The court struck down as ultra vires Section 8 (4) of the Representation of the People Act that allows convicted law makers a three-month period for filing their appeal to the higher court and to get a stay of the conviction and the sentence. However, the court clarified, the ruling will be prospective and those who had already filed appeals in various High Courts or the Supreme Court against their convictions would be exempt from it.
What does “Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act” say?
Section 8 of the RP Act deals with disqualification on conviction for certain offence: A person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for varying terms under Sections 8 (1) (2) and (3) shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of 6 years since his release. But Section 8 (4) of the RP Act gives protection to MPs and MLAs as they can continue in office even after conviction if an appeal is filed within 3 months.
Why this ruling?
The order is a result of three PILs filed by Lily Thomas, the organization Lok Prahari and SN Shukla, saying Section 8(4) of RPA was leading to criminalization of politics.
8.Incheon was named as the World Book Capital for the Year 2015
Incheon: named as the World Book Capital for the year 2015. Incheon is in South Korea.
UNESCO announced on 19 July 2013 that the committee in charge of international book industry named South Korean city of Incheon as the World Book Capital for the year 2015.
9.Maharashtra state government on 19 July 2013 announced a ban extension on nicotine-laced gutkha and paan masala for another year considering health hazards of these products.
10.Reserve Bank of India on 20 July 2013 stated that India’s foreign exchange reserves increased by 21.1 million US dollars to 280.19 billion US dollars, the. The total forex reserves had decreased by 4.48 billion US dollars to 280.16 billion US dollars in the previous reporting week.
Foreign currency assets, a major component of the forex reserves, increased by 33.5 million US dollars to 252.14 billion US dollars for the week ended 12 July 2013.
Foreign currency assets expressed in US dollar terms comprise the effect of appreciation or depreciation of the non-US currencies, such as the euro, pound and yen, held in the reserves. The gold reserves were unchanged at 21.55 billion US dollars.
For the week under review, the special drawing rights (SDRs) decreased by 1.5 million US dollars to 4.334 billion US dollars, while India’s reserve position with the IMF was also down by 19.1 million US dollars to 2.162 billion US dollars.
11.The measurements by Curiosity rover of NASA, the most advanced spacecraft to land on Mars, the Red Planet, re-instated the fact, in the month of July 2013, that the planet was composed of mostly carbon dioxide and a few other gases. These measurements match very closely with the findings of the Viking which had revealed about this in late 1970s. Apart from this, the scientists had also revealed the same earlier with clues from the Martian meteorites that fell on Earth.
12.India in the month of July 2013 has come into view as the second largest investor in the city of London with Indian companies led by software major Infosys encouraged by the investment fervour generated by the 2012 Olympic Games in the British capital. Software services firm Infosys leads the charge of inner foreign direct investment (FDI) made by a total of 28 Indian companies, which has created 429 additional jobs for the British economy in the in year 2012 alone.
13.UK and China in Month of June 2013 signed a three-year deal to swap their currencies when needed in order to boost the Chinese Yuan outside Asia.
UK wishes to become a centre for the Chinese currency which known by renminbi. It is important here to note that the British banks hold 35bn yuan worth of deposits in the Chinese currency. With the signing of agreement Bank of England could draw on the line with the PBOC when there is a sudden shortage of yuan funds in the U.K. market—and make the yuan.Currency-swap agreements basically allow central banks to swap currencies which can be used by firms to settle trade in local currencies rather than in US dollars.The deal was signed in its effort to promote the yuan in global trade and finance. The Prospective deal was first signed in February 2013.
14.Bengaluru International Airport Renamed as Kempegowda International Airport
15.An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions authored by Amartya Sen & Jean Dreze
An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions authored by Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen was released in the third week of July 2013. The book has been published by Penguin Books India.
16.82 Years old Veteran Tamil film lyricist Vaali died at a private hospital in Chennai on 18 July 2013.
17.The Ministry of Environment and Forests on 19 July 2013 gave green clearance for an international airport in north Kerala's Kannur district. Kannur airport would be the fourth international airport in the state after Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.
18.Nelson Mandela International Day was observed across the world on 18 July 2013 to earmark freedom, justice and democracy. The overarching objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere. “Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day.” (67 minutes serving).
19.The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 19 July 2013 administered the oath of the office of Chief Justice of India (CJI) to Justice Palanisamy Sathasivam. Justice Sathasivam, 64, is first CJI from Tamil Nadu and the 40th CJI of India. The term of his office will be till 26 April 2014. Justice Palanisamy Sathasivam succeeded CJI Altamas Kabir who left the office on 18 July 2013.
20.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 17 July 2013 opened a special liquidity window for commercial banks to meet the cash requirements of mutual funds (MFs).
The special liquidity window was opened taken into concern the Mutual Funds which faced heavy redemption pressure in debt-oriented MF schemes following a series of steps taken by the RBI to shore up the faltering currency.Keeping all this into consideration the RBI opened a special three-day repo window that will allow banks to borrow a total of 25000 crore Rupees at a rate of 10.25%. Banks can borrow this money to lend onwards to MFs.
21.CCS approved the proposal of creation of Mountain Strike Corps along the entire LAC with China. This strike corps will be headquartered at Panagarh, WB.
22.Union Cabinet on 17 July 2013 approved amendments to the marriage law enabling a married woman to get a share of her husband's ancestral property as reparation in case of a divorce. The Bill is now expected to come up for channel in the Monsoon Session of Parliament in August 2013. The decision was taken to make marriage law more women friendly and to decide how sufficient compensation can be given to a woman from her husband's ancestral property in case of divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage.
23. EGoM constituted under the Chairmanship of P Chidambaram to implement major projects related to the North-Eastern region.
24.The second International Crimes Tribunal on 17 July 2013 sentenced war crime indicted Ali Mohammed Mujaheed, General Secretary of Jamaat e Islami to death. Mujaheed who was a leader of Jamaat's student wing Islammi Chattra Sangha in 1971 Bangladesh war was indicted of 7 war crimes including murder, genocide and conspiracy to kill intellectuals during the Bangladesh War for Liberation. The Jamaat e Islami is enforcing a day-long country hartal protesting against the verdicts of the ICT on the third day in succession. The two war crimes tribunals have so far delivered 5 verdicts since their establishment.
Who is Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed?
Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed is a Bangladeshi politician and presently the Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. He was accused of helping to form the militant groups Al-Badr (the moon) and the Al-Shams (the sun) and committing crimes against humanity during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He is currently held prisoner and standing trial at the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh. He was Minister of Social Welfare from 2001 to 2007 in the four-party alliance Bangladesh government.
25.The Supreme Court of India on 17 July 2013 refused to reduce the age of juvenile from 18 to 16 years.
26.To honour V.K. Krishna Menon, British Government placed a Blue Plaque at the house, where he lived during his first visit to London from 1929-31.
27.Bhim Sain Bassi was appointed as the next Commissioner of Delhi Police. He will succeed to Neeraj Kumar who will retire on 31 July 2013.
28.The Union Government of India on 16 July 2013 raised the FDI limit in Telecom Sector from 74 percent to 100 percent. Government also cleared that the FDI in the Insurance and Telecom sectors will be up to 49 per cent through automatic route.
The Union Government also mentioned that FDI the single brand retail would be up to 49 percent through automatic route and remaining investments would be directed through Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) route. FDI in asset reconstruction companies will be up to 49 per cent through automatic route. FDI in Credit Information Companies has been raised to 74 per cent from 49 per cent.
The Government also confirmed that the FDI in Defence Production will continue to be 26 percent. However, it will be directed through FIPB route for state of art technologies, and investment beyond that will go to Cabinet Committee on Security.
The decision was taken in a meet chaired by Prime Minister and attended by the Cabinet Ministers. The decisions were made to boost the Foreign Direct Investment in the country.
There was agreement on the following proposals
Sector
Cap
Route
Petroleum and Natural Gas and Refining
49percent
Automatic
Commodity Exchanges
49percent
Automatic
Power Exchanges
49percent
Automatic
Stock Exchanges, Depositories, Corporation
49percent
Automatic
Asset Reconstruction companies
Upto 49percent
49percent to 100percent
Automatic
FIPB
Credit Information companies
74percent
Automatic
Single Brand Retail trading
Upto 49percent
49percent to 100percent
Automatic
FIPB
Basic and Cellular Services, etc.
Upto 49percent
49percent to 100percent
Automatic
FIPB
Courier Services
100percent
Automatic
Defence Production
CCS may approve proposals on case to case basis beyond 26percent which are likely to result in access to modern and state of the art technology in the country.
29.Two of the sport’s biggest names Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell had failed drugs tests and tested positive for an Unidentified Substance at an out-of-competition test on 16 May 2013.30 years old Gay is the second fastest man of all time and has run the three quickest 100m times of 2013, but tested positive for an unnamed substance.
30.The U.S. space agency in July 2013 announced the discovery of Neptune’s 14th moon. The Hubble Space Telescope captured the moon as a white dot in photos of the planet on the periphery of our solar system.The new moon, Neptune’s tiniest at just 19.3 km across, and is designated as S/2004 N 1.
31.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 15 July 2013 announced measures to deal with rupee volatility which includes lifting of two interest rates by 200 basis points each and a planned sale of 120 billion rupees (2 billion dollars) of government bonds on July 2013.
RBI has also adjusted the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) and the Bank Rate to 10.25% each which were 8.25% previously. The repo rate, was kept unchanged at 7.25%. It is worth mentioning here that the rupee in second week of July 2013 hit a record low of 61.21 to the dollars.
The RBI also hiked the lending rates for banks and had absorbed 12000 crore Rupees in order to make the currency more high-priced.
What is Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)?
The Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) which was introduced during the 2011-12 period, is the rate at which banks can borrow from the central bank at an increased rate against government securities during times of tight cash. The bank rate is a linked to the MSF.
32.Satyam on 15 July 2013 formally merged with Tech Mahindra. After debuting on the stock market in 1995, Satyam soon went on to become one of the country's top five IT companies and its share price was trading 250 rupees level in late 2008. It came to be known by January 2009 that Satyam was home to India's biggest ever corporate scam. Satyam is a Sanskrit word that means truth.
33.Grandmaster and former world junior champion Abhijeet Gupta on 14 July 2013 won the Commonwealth Chess Championship.
34.Iran on 15 July 2013 agreed to take payments for oil it sells to India entirely in rupees after US and western sanctions blocked all other payment routes. India has been, since July 2011, paying in euros to clear 55 percent of its purchases of Iranian oil through Ankara- based Halkbank. The remaining 45 percent due amount was remitted in rupees in accounts Iranian oil company opened in Kolkata-based UCO Bank.
35.Bhutan’s Election Commission on 14 July 2013 formally announced that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won the National Assembly elections by having secured a majority of thirty two seats. The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) won fifteen seats and was elected as the opposition party. Over 66 per cent turnout was recorded in the elections. The foremost election issues were rising fuel prices and credit crunch.
The second parliamentary elections saw a keen voter turnout. While nineteen international media personnel from India, Netherlands, South Korea covered the elections while 279 media personnel from Bhutan cover the Second Parliamentary Elections this year.
In 2008, the DPT had won the election by a landslide and won the first round of this year's polls with 45 percent of the vote. Bhutan's king had given up the monarchy's centuries-old absolute power in 2008 and allowed the introduction of democracy to the Himalayan kingdom.
36.India's back-to-back title wins helped the world champion team retain its top position in the ICC ODI rankings.
37.Controversial Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi on 13 July 2013 died in Milan, Italy following a stroke.
38.The Union Cabinet of India on 11 July 2013 gave its approval to the proposal for setting up of a National Aviation University (NAU) in the name of Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University at the District of Rae Bareli in the State of U.P. as a Central University.
39.The Koodankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu on 13 July 2013 went critical.
40.Maharaj Krishan Kaushik appointed Coach of Indian Men’s Hockey Team
41.Following provision of Article 356 (Section 2), President revoked his rule from Jharkhand. The decision will pave way for Hemant Soren to assume office of CM.Hemant Soren, leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and son of party Chief Shibu Soren, on 13 July 2013 sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of Jharkhand. Syed Ahmed, the Governor of Jharkhand administered the oath of the office to Hemant Soren in the premises of Raj Bhavan in a swearing-in ceremony. During the same swearing-in ceremony, Rajendra Prasad Singh from Congress and Annapurna Devi from RJD, were also sworn in as ministers.
42.World observed Malala Day on 12 July. Indian girl, Razia Sultana won United Nations' Special Envoy for Global Education's Youth Courage Award for Education.
43.Pran, the legendary actor died on 12 July 2013. He was a proud recipient of Dada Saheb Phalke Award and Padma Bhushan Award.
44.Ban-Ki-Moon appealed Myanmar to end Buddhist attacks on Rohingya Muslims. He also asked Myanmar to grant them citizenship.
45.India won the West Indies Tri-Nation Series by one wicket. The final was played between India and Sri Lanka at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain.
46.India and Tanzania signed several agreements on bilateral cooperation in sectors like health, agriculture, education, mines and minerals at Dar es Salaam.
47.World Population Day observed across the World on 11 July
48.Lajja Goswami on 9 July 2013 won silver medal in women's 50-metre Rifle 3 Position event at the ISSF World Cup in Granada, Spain.
49.Lt Gen (Retd) AK Singh, on 8 July 2013 took over as the new Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
50.Dr. H.A.B. Parpia, an acknowledged food scientist and the former Director of the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) died.
51.Chinese troops intruded in Chumar Sector of Ladakh.
52.The eight major Goals set by United Nations under the Millennium Development Program were: Eradication of Extreme Poverty and Hunger, Achieve Universal Primary Education, Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, Reduce Child Mortality, Improve Maternal Health, Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases, Ensure Environmental Sustainability, Develop Global Partnership for Development. These goals were set for the first time at the time of Project inception in July 2002.
Progress Report of the major Eight Goals:
• Goal 1: Eradication of Extreme Poverty and Hunger – Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day. Some of the quick facts about improvement:
a) With about less than 700 million people, who live in extreme poverty conditions in 2010 than in 1990, the Poverty rates have been halved
b) Widening of the global jobs gap by 67 million people due to the economic and financial crisis One in eight people still go to bed hungry, despite major progress
c) Globally, nearly one in six children under age five are underweight; one in four are stunted
d) An estimated 7 per cent of children under age five worldwide are now overweight, another aspect of malnutrition; one quarter of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa
MDG
• Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education – If current trends continue, the world will not meet the goal of universal primary education by 2015. Quick Facts:
a) By 2011, 57 million children of primary school age were out of school, down from 102 million in 2000
b) More than half of these out-of-school children live in sub-Saharan Africa
c) Globally, 123 million youth (aged 15 to 24) lack basic reading and writing skills; 61 per cent of them are young women
Goal 2
• Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women – Steady progress has been made towards equal access of girls and boys to education, but more targeted action is needed in many regions. The quick Overview:
a) Gender parity is closest to being achieved at the primary level; however, only 2 out of 130 countries have achieved that target at all levels of education
b) Globally, 40 out of 100 wage-earning jobs in the non-agricultural sector are held by women
c) As of 31 January 2013, the average share of women members in parliaments worldwide was just over 20 per cent
Goal 3
• Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality – Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate. The Quick Overview:
a) Since 1990, the child mortality rate has dropped by 41 per cent; 14,000 fewer children are dying each day
b) Still, 6.9 million children under age five died in 2011—mostly from preventable diseases
c) In sub-Saharan Africa, one in nine children die before age five, more than 16 times the average for developed regionsGoal 4
• Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health – Maternal mortality has declined by nearly half since 1990, but falls far short of the MDG target. Quick Overview:
a) In Eastern Asia, Northern Africa and Southern Asia, maternal mortality has declined by around two thirds.
b) Only half of pregnant women in developing regions receive the recommended minimum of four antenatal care visits.
c) Some 140 million women worldwide who are married or in union say they would like to delay or avoid pregnancy, but are not using contraception
Goal 5
• Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases – The incidence of HIV is declining steadily in most regions; still, 2.5 million people are newly infected each year. The Quick Overview of the Facts:
a) In 2011, 230,000 fewer children under age 15 were infected with HIV than in 2001.
b) Eight million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV at the end of 2011.
c) In the decade since 2000, 1.1 million deaths from malaria were averted.
d) Treatment for tuberculosis has saved some 20 million lives between 1995 and 2011
Goal 6
• Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability – Forests are a safety net for the poor, but they continue to disappear at an alarming rate. The Quick Overview of the Facts:
a) Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have increased by more than 46 per cent since 1990.
b) Nearly one third of marine fish stocks have been overexploited.
c) Many species are at risk of extinction, despite an increase in protected areas.
d) More than 2.1 billion people and almost 1.9 billon people, respectively, have gained access to improved water sources and sanitation facilities since 1990.
e) An estimated 863 million people reside in slums in the developing world
Goal 7
• Goal 8: Develop Global Partnership for Development – The global financial crisis and euro zone turmoil continue to take a toll on official development assistance. The Overview of the Facts:
a) Official development assistance stood at $126 billion in 2012.
b) Eighty-three per cent of least developed country exports enter developed countries duty free.
c) The debt service of developing countries consumes only 3 per cent of their export revenues.
d) In the developing world, 31 percent of the population uses the Internet, compared to 77 percent of the developed world
Goal 8
MDG targets have already been met or are within close reach
• The proportion of people living in extreme poverty has been halved at the global level
• Over 2 billion people gained access to improved sources of drinking water
• Remarkable gains have been made in the fight against malaria and tuberculosis
• The proportion of slum dwellers in the cities and metropolises of the developing world is declining
• A low debt burden and an improved climate for trade are levelling the playing field for developing countries
• The hunger reduction target is within reach
MDG targets, for which accelerated Progress and bolder actions needs to be taken
• Environmental sustainability is under severe threat, demanding a new level of global cooperation
• Big gains have been made in child survival, but more must be done to meet our obligations to the youngest generation
• Most maternal deaths are preventable, but progress in this area is falling short
• Access to antiretroviral therapy and knowledge about HIV prevention must expand
• Too many children are still denied their right to primary education
• Gains in sanitation are impressive—but not good enough
• There is less aid money overall, with the poorest countries most adversely affected
Areas with disparities, where attention needs to be focused as these often stand in the way of further improvements:
Rural-urban gaps persist—access to reproductive health services and to clean drinking water is only two examples: In 2011, only 53 per cent of deliveries in rural areas were attended by skilled health personnel, versus 84 per cent of them in urban areas. Eighty-three percent of the population without access to an improved drinking water source lives in rural communities.
The poorest children are most likely to be out of School: Children and adolescents from the poorest households are at least three times more likely to be out of school than children from the richest households. Girls are more likely to be out of school than boys among both primary and lower secondary age groups, even for girls living in the richest households Gender-based inequalities in decision-making power persist: Whether in the public or private sphere, from the highest levels of government decision-making to households, women continue to be denied equal opportunity with men to participate in decisions that affect their lives
Measuring progress towards the MDGs: Progress towards the eight Millennium Development Goals is measured through 21 targets and 60 official indicators. This report presents an accounting to date of how far the world has come in meeting the goals using data available as of June 2013. Most of the MDG targets have a deadline of 2015, using 1990 as the baseline against which progress is gauged.
The basis for this Analysis: Regional and sub-regional figures presented in this report are compiled by members of the United Nations Inter-Agency and Expert Group on MDG Indicators (IAEG). In general, the figures are weighted averages of country data, using the population of reference as a weight. For each indicator, individual agencies were designated as official providers of data and as leaders in developing methodologies for data collection and analysis. The team that prepared the report was headed by the Department of Economic and Social affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, in response to the wishes of the General Assembly for periodic assessment of progress towards the MDGs.
UN Millennium Project: The Millennium Project was commissioned by the United Nations Secretary-General in 2002 to develop a concrete action plan for the world to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and to reverse the grinding poverty, hunger and disease affecting billions of people. In 2005, the independent advisory body headed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, presented its final recommendations to the Secretary-General in a synthesis volume investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
UN Millennium Campaign: The United Nations Millennium Campaign, started in 2002, supports and inspires people from around the world to take action in support of the Millennium Development Goals.