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  • WBCS Current Affairs 05/03/2017 to 12/03/2017 WBCSMadeEasy
    Posted on March 13th, 2017 in Weekly Current Affairs
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    WBCS Current Affairs 05/03/2017 to 12/03/2017 WBCSMadeEasy

    1. For the first time in India, four states Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have decided to conduct a synchronised elephant census in May 2017. These four together have the maximum number of human-elephant conflict-prone regions in India. This decision was taken by senior Forest Department officials of the four States during a regional workshop. Key Facts These states will conduct the census based on an identical set of rules using the direct and indirect counting methods The direct counting method is based on sighting of elephants while the indirect method uses the elephant ‘dung decay’ formula, in which the analysis of dung is used to estimate the population. The indirect method has already been used by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Direct method can be used alone because it is not possible to cover entire area during the census As per the 2015 census, Odisha has 1,954 elephants while Jharkhand has 700, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal had approximately 275 and 130 elephants, respectively.Continue Reading WBCS Current Affairs 05/03/2017 to 12/03/2017 WBCSMadeEasy
    2. Great Barrier Reef in Australia’s eastern coast is experiencing an unprecedented second straight year of mass coral bleaching. This is for the first time Great Barrier Reef has bleached two years in sequence. Earlier in March and April 2016, 2,300-km reef suffered had its most severe bleaching on record due to warming sea temperatures. Key Facts Coral Bleaching occurs when abnormal environmental conditions, such as warmer sea temperatures, cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, draining them of their colour. The 2016 bleaching was more severe in the northern areas of the bio-diverse site. But now more bleaching was being observed in the central part of the reef, which earlier had escaped widespread severe bleaching. The back-to-back occurrence of widespread bleaching is resulting in decrease in stress tolerance of these corals, which means that they may not fully recover. About the Great Barrier Reef It is the biggest coral reef system in the world composed of over 2,900 individual reefs. It was recorded as a World Heritage site in 1981. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, north east of Australia and covers an area of approximately 348,000 sq km. It is credited as the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms and is visible from the outer space.
    3. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras has won the 2017 IEEE Spectrum Technology in the Service of Society Award for its solar-direct current (DC) inverter system. The system was developed by Centre for Decentralised Power Systems at IIT-M using micro grid technology. Key Facts The system converts in-home power distribution from 230V Analog Current (AC) to 48V DC to directly power appliances and devices. It is equipped to tap rooftop solar power, making it most energy efficient solution for homes and offices. It also consists of DC solar generation, DC power-line, DC appliances and battery. It has been currently deployed in 4,000 off-grid homes in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and also deployed in around 7,200 homes in Assam. It also has been installed in villages in Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. IEEE Spectrum Technology in the Service of Society Award: It is presented to the company/institution voted by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Spectrum editors as having developed the technology that has the potential to benefit mankind.
    4. Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have found India’s first lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1 which was considered lost, is still orbiting the moon. They also have found NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The ISRO lost communication with Chandrayaan-1 on August 29, 2009, almost a year after it was launched on October 22, 2008. The unmanned spacecraft is still circling some 200 km in the polar orbit around the moon How these probes were discovered? Both space probes were discovered using JPL’s new ground-based radar technique by sending out a powerful beam of microwaves towards the moon. The beams were produced using 70-metre antenna at NASA’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California. The radar echoes bounced back from lunar orbit were received by the 100-metre Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. Key facts The LRO was easily discovered as scientists were working with the mission’s navigators had precise orbit data. But finding of Chandrayaan-1, very small and cuboid in shape, about 1.5 metres in length on each side was little bit difficult as ISRO had last contact with it. Even finding a derelict spacecraft at lunar distance that has not been tracked for years is tricky because the moon is riddled with Mascons are regions with higher-than-average gravitational pull. It is believed that they may had dramatically affected spacecraft’s orbit over time, and even cause it to crashed into the moon. Background Chandrayaan 1 after its launch in October 2008 had operated for 312 days, as against the intended two years, but the mission achieved 95% of its planned objectives. It had sent more than 70,000 images of the lunar surface which provided breathtaking views of lunar mountains and craters, especially craters in the permanently shadowed areas of the Moon’s polar region.
    5. Parliament has passed the Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to raise maternity leave for working women from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for two surviving children. It was passed in the Lok Sabha and already has been passed in the Rajya Sabha. India will be in third position in terms of the number of weeks allowed for maternity leave in the world after Norway (44 weeks) and Canada (50). Key Features of the bill The Bill seeks to amend the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 which protects the employment of women during the time of her maternity and entitles her of a ‘maternity benefit’ Maternity leave: Increased to 26 weeks for the working women for the first two children. Woman with two or more children will be entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave. Woman who adopts a child below the age of three months and also commissioning mothers are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave. In this case, commissioning mother is defined as biological mother who uses her egg to create an embryo planted in any other woman. Crèche facilities: Every establishment with more than 50 employees must provide for crèche facilities for working mothers. Such mothers will be permitted to make four visits during working hours to look after and feed the child in the crèche. Work from home: Employer may permit a woman to work from home, if the nature of work assigned permits her to do so. This must be mutually agreed upon by the woman and employer. Information about benefits: Establishment must inform a working woman of all benefits available under this law at the time of her appointment. Such information must be given in electronically or writing. Applicability: The provisions of this law will apply to every establishment employing ten or more persons and include mines and factories. No employer can remove any woman employee on ground of pregnancy.
    6. India and Belgium have signed a Protocol to amend the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between the two countries. The Protocol was signed by Sushil Chandra, Chairman Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Jan Luykx, Ambassador of Belgium to India. Key Facts The amendment of DTAA will broaden the scope of the existing framework of exchange of tax related information between the two countries. It will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance between the two countries and also enable mutual assistance in collection of taxes. It also revises the scope of existing treaty provisions on mutual assistance in collection of taxes and further help to curb tax evasion and tax avoidance. Background The Union Government has set a key priority area for dighting the menace of Black Money stashed in offshore accounts. To further this goal, India has either signed or amended international agreements, declarations or conventions for the DTAA and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and for the Exchange of Information with Mauritius, Switzerland, Cyprus, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Kazakhstan, and Austria during the financial year 2016-17.
    7. Scientists for the first time have discovered three new canyons close to Kovvada in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. This discovery was made by team of scientists from CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Visakhapatnam. These three canyons together form a major canyon system in the depths of the Bay of Bengal. Key Facts This discovery was made by clearly mapping the ocean floor between Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam by sending over 32 high density beams to the depths of the sea. Canyon systems are generally formed by the flow of river water into the sea and they could be as old as the river system, which is close to 23 million years. The new canyon system was probably formed by river Kandivalasa. It is very huge and its depth varies from about 90 metres at the starting point to about 2,500 metres at the deepest point. It extends to about 50 to 70 km deep into the sea. The last canyon systems off the Visakhapatnam coast were discovered in 1963 by American geologist E.C. LaFond of the US Navy Electronics Laboratory. The data was collected on board research ship Anton Bruun. Most of the canyons in the ocean system across the world act as channels for depositing sediments from the river in the shelf region. There are more chances of finding hydro-carbons if the deposits are more.
    8. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched the web portal for obtaining Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances. The portal is a web-based system for obtaining clearances required from the Ministry under the (CRZ) by the Project proponents for ease of doing business. Key Facts The objectives of the web portal are (i) Enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability in the process of CRZ clearances (ii) Enhance responsiveness through workflows and availability of real-time information on the status of CRZ clearance proposals (iii) ease of business and convenience of citizens in accessing information and services; standardised procedures and processes across Central and State levels. The user-friendly portal enables submission of applications for CRZ clearance in a single-window interface and facilitates quick flow of information related to CRZ clearances. It will enable the project proponents and the concerned State/UT bodies like the State Coastal Zone Management Authorities (SCZMAs) and Town/ Municipal Planning agencies to track status of their proposals. The system is based on web architecture, similar to the existing systems of the ministry for environmental and forest clearances. About Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) CRZ is the zone along the coastal stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers and backwaters along the coastline specially demarcated for regulated development activity. The demarcated zone consists of coastal stretches influenced by tidal action (in the landward side) upto 500 metres from the High Tide Line (HTL) and the land between the Low Tide Line (LTL) and the HTL. The regulations in this zone are governed by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 2011 issued under the under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. In this zone, Government imposes restrictions on setting up and expansion of industries or other projects. It is mandatory for getting clearances from ministry and local authorities to start any development project in CRZ.
    9. The Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has announced new Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) for oil and gas exploration. The new policy will allow bidders to carve out areas where they want to drill. It will help energy hungry India and world’s third-largest oil consumer to attract greater foreign investment to boost output. Key Facts The objective of OLAP is to increase India’s indigenous oil and gas production by maximising the potential of already discovered hydrocarbon resources in the country. OALP offers single license to explore conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources to propel investment in and provide operational flexibility to the investors. It provides operational flexibility to the investors. It is departure from the current licensing policy of government identifying the oil and gas blocks and then putting them on auction. Under it, Government will conduct auction of oil and gas blocks twice a year, with the first round being held in July 2017. The selection of oil blocks will be based on seismic and well data provided by Directorate-General of Hydrocarbons in National Data Repository which offers total of 160TB data of India’s 26 sedimentary basins The OALP auction will be held under the overhauled exploration licensing policy, allowing pricing and marketing freedom to operators and shifts to a revenue sharing model. Comment OALP is part of the strategy to make India a business and investor friendly destination and cut import dependence by 10% and achieve the plan to double existing oil production from current 80 million metric tons to about 150-155 million metric tons by 2022. In this new model, government will not micromanage, micro monitor with producers rather only share revenue. Thus, it gives an option to a company looking for exploring hydrocarbons to select the exploration areas on its own. The July 2017 auction under this new policy will be India’s first major exploration licensing round since 2010.
    10. The eleventh edition of joint military exercise ‘Surya Kiran 2017‘ between India and Nepal began in Pithoragarh area of Uttarakhand. It is two-week long battalion level joint exercise between armies of both countries. It will focus on skills required for natural disaster management, counter-insurgency and jungle warfare. Key Facts The Surya Kiran XI aims at training of both the troops in the area of various counter insurgency operations over a prolonged period. It will focus on other important aspects such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations and environmental conservation. In this exercise, Indian Army is represented by the officers and troops of Ekta Shakti Battalion of the Punjab Regiment. While, Nepali Army is being represented by Durga Baksh Battalion. Both the armies will mutually benefit from the varied experiences gained during the exercise and strengthen the friendly relation between Nepal and India. Background The Surya Kiran series of military exercises are being conducted bi-annually, alternatively in India and Nepal. It is largest exercise in terms of troop’s participation in series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries. It aims at promoting military relations while increasing interoperability in conducting joint counter insurgency operations in mountainous terrain. The 10 edition of the exercise was held at Army Battle School, Saljhandi in Nepal in November 2016.
    11. The Commonwealth of Nations has launched “Peace in the home” programme to help member states tackle domestic violence which still remains a “stubborn stain” on communities, disproportionately impacting women. The programme was launched on Women’s Day (March 8) and will continue through till 2018 when there is expected to be an accord on ending domestic violence in the Commonwealth. Key features of the home programme It will build a coalition of governments, businesses, human rights institutions, civil society and individual citizens to choral our efforts to address domestic violence. It will include toolkits to help governments across Commonwealth involve multiple agencies such as schools, hospitals and doctors as well as government and law enforcement agencies to work together effectively It will help countries highlight and share details of initiatives that had been particularly successful at dealing with domestic violence. It will also be a mentoring programme for women and an initiative to address the issue of violence around elections and politics. About Commonwealth of Nations It is an international intergovernmental organisation of countries that were mostly former territories of the British Empire and dependencies. It was established by the London Declaration in 1949. Many countries from Africa, Asia, Americas, Europe and the Pacific have joined the Commonwealth. Current membership includes 52 counties (including India). Membership is based on free and equal voluntary co-operation. Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the Commonwealth. She is also the monarch of 16 members of the Commonwealth, known as Commonwealth realms.
    12. The joint military exercise Al-Nagah-II 2017 between India and Oman began in the Dhauladhar Ranges in Bakloh belt of Himachal Pradesh to strengthen the military ties between the two countries. This is the second edition of the exercise in continuation of a series of joint exercises between the armies of the two countries. The first edition of the exercise was held at Muscat, Oman in 2015. Key Facts The 14-day joint exercise aims to acquaint both forces with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of counter insurgency, counter terrorism environment. The troops have been drawn from one infantry battalion each from the two armies. Approximately sixty troops from both countries are participating in the exercise. The exercise will also enhance the interoperability between the two armed forces in conducting joint military operations.
    13. European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched Sentinel-2B satellite, fifth of its Sentinel Earth observation satellites part of its multi-billion-euro Copernicus observation program. The optical imaging satellite was launched on board of a Vega rocket from ESA’s spaceport in French Guiana. It marks overall ninth successful launch of the Vega launcher since its debut in 2012. Key Facts The Sentinel-2B satellite is part of satellites system that monitors Earth. It will join its twin Sentinel-2A, which has been in orbit since 2015. The two satellites will orbit 786 km above Earth, on opposite sides of planet. They will take high-resolution, colour and infrared images for a wide array of environmental initiatives, including crop forecasting and monitoring natural disasters. Together, they will cover all of Earth’s land surfaces, large islands, inland and coastal waterways every five days, providing more up-to-date images and at higher resolution than have been available. It will help track pollution of lakes and coastal waters, monitor land changes and produce disaster maps by providing information on floods, landslide and volcanic eruptions. About Copernicus observation program Copernicus observation program is the world’s largest single earth observation programme. It is directed by the European Commission in partnership with ESA. It consists of constellation of seven Sentinel Earth observation satellites. The first satellite of the series was launched in April 2014. It aims at achieving a global, continuous, autonomous, high quality, wide range Earth observation capacity by providing accurate, timely and easily accessible information. It also aims at improving the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change, and ensure civil security. Copernicus observation program is successor of previous European Envisat program which operated from 2002 to 2012.
    14. According to recent survey released by Transparency International (TI), India had highest bribery rate among the 16 Asia-Pacific countries surveyed between July 2015 and January 2017. The survey was conducted among more than 21,000 people in the region. It revealed that more than one in four people, when accessing basic services like medicine, education or water. Key Highlights of the Survey Countries having highest incidence of bribery: 69% of the study group in India said that they have paid a bribe, done a favour or given a gift to receive services. Vietnam follows this suit with 65%, Thailand 41% and Pakistan 40%. China reported a much lower 26%. Countries having lowest incidence of bribery: Japan had the lowest incidence of bribery at 0.2% followed by South Korea and Australia recorded 3% each, Hong Kong 2% and Taiwan 6%. India related facts: Nearly seven in 10 people who had accessed public services in the country have payed bribe. 46% to 60% of Indians said they have paid bribes for various public services, including in public schools and hospitals, getting IDs, voter cards and permits and accessing utilities and police and court services as well. Institution wise facts: Police, a key law and order institution suffer most from corruption. Nearly two in five people in the region mentioned the police were mostly or entirely corrupt (39%). They also perceived political decision-makers at both the national and local level to be highly corrupt. Legislative representatives, officials and local councillors were also highly corrupt (from 35 to 37%). Religious leaders were seen as far cleaner, with fewer than one in five were highly corrupt (18%). About Transparency International (TI) TI is an international non-governmental organization based in Berlin, Germany. Its purpose is to take action to combat corruption and prevent criminal activities arising from corruption. It publishes annually Corruption Perceptions Index and Global Corruption Barometer
    15. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for India’s accession to the Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention) and necessary procedures for ratification. By joining the convention, Indian traders will get access to fast, easy, reliable and hassle free international system for movement of goods by road or multi-modal means across the territories of other contracting parties. Key Facts The need for inspection of goods at intermediate borders as well as physical escorts en route shall be obviated by joining the TIR Convention, due to reciprocal recognition of Customs controls. It will avoid clearances at Border Crossing Points and ports that may often be congested, as under the convention customs clearance can take place at internal Customs locations. Movement under the TIR is allowed by only checking the seals and the external conditions of the load compartment or the container. Thus, it will play important role in reducing border delays, transport and transaction costs thereby leading to increased competitiveness and growth for the trade and transport sectors. Compliance with the Convention will ensure enhanced security in the supply chain as only approved transporters and vehicles are allowed to operate under it. It also represents a guarantee for Customs duties and taxes and traffic in transit, so there is no need for payment of such taxes and duties en route. It can serve as an instrument for movement of goods along the International “North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) particularly using ports in Iran like the Chabahar port. It will be helpful in boosting trade with the Central Asian Republics and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). About TIR Convention TIR Carnets, 1975 (TIR Convention) is an international transit system under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It facilitates the seamless movement of goods within and amongst the Parties to the Convention. At present there are 70 parties to the Convention, including 69 states and the European Union. It covers customs transit by road and other modes of transport (e.g., rail, inland waterway, maritime transport), as long as at least one part of the total transport is made by road. It also serves as a Customs declaration, and hence it precludes the need to file multiple declarations satisfying national laws of the different transiting countries.
    16. Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the United Nations Entity of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women). Under this MoU, Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and UN-Women will work in collaboration with each other to promote participation of women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). Key Facts The MoU seeks to provide technical support to MoPR in strengthening capacities of governance institutions including PRIs to better leverage opportunities created for gender equality. MoPR and UN-Women will now work together towards participatory design of governance processes and effective implementation of laws, policies and programmes to promote gender responsive governance. It will focus on building capacities of Elected Women Representatives to empower them and enhance their effectiveness. It will facilitate the achievement of time-bound results in the implementation of specific activities identified jointly by MoPR and UN Women within the broader framework for cooperation under the UNDAF. Activities under this MoU will be implemented at the district and sub-district level in six States i.e. Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Comment It will engendering the initiatives of MoPR, including capacity development efforts, which further their shared mission of good governance, gender equality and women’s empowerment. In the long run, it will enable an improvement in the status of rural women in India, as well as contribute to meeting India’s commitment to the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
    17. The Union Cabinet has approved signing of the Definitive Agreement on Oil Storage and Management between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd (ISPRL) and UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Government’s this move aims at boosting India’s energy security by ensuring a strategic storage flow in for crude oil, from a government firm in Abu Dhabi for meeting unexpected future exigencies. According to the Agreement ADNOC will fill up 0.81 MMT or 5,860,000 million barrels of crude oil at ISPRL storage facility at Mangalore, Karnataka. Out of the crude stored, some part will be used for commercial purpose of ADNOC, while a major part will be purely for strategic purposes. The investment by ADNOC is a major investment from UAE under the High Level Task Force on Investment (HLTFI). It is also first investment by UAE in India in the energy sector. Background India being fastest growing economies and world’s third-biggest oil consumer, is building emergency storage in underground caverns to hold 36.87 million barrels of crude. It is equivalent to about 10 days of its average daily oil demand. This move aims to hedge against energy security risks as it imports most of its oil needs.
    18. According to recently released World Health Organisation (WHO) report titled “Inheriting a sustainable world: Atlas on children’s health and the environment”, polluted environment kills around 1.7 million children a year. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the environment’s impact especially air pollution on children’s health, illustrating the scale of the challenge. Key Highlights from Report Every year, environmental risks such as outdoor and indoor air pollution, unsafe water, second-hand smoke, lack of sanitation and inadequate hygiene results in quarter of all global deaths of children under five. Large portion of the most common causes of death among children are diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia due to pollution. Harmful exposures also increase the risk of premature birth. When infants and pre-schoolers are exposed to air pollution they have an increased lifelong risk of chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma. Exposure to air pollution may also increase their lifelong risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer. Children’s developing organs and immune systems, and smaller bodies and airways, make them vulnerable pollution.
    19. The Trade Mark Rules, 2017 have come into effect, streamlining and simplifying the processing of Trade Mark applications. The new rules were released by Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry and will replace the erstwhile Trade Mark Rules, 2002. Salient features of revamped Rules Number of Trade Mark (TM) Forms have been reduced to 8 from 74. For the first time, the rules have laid out, modalities for determination of well-known trademarks. The TM applications fee for online filing has been kept at 10% lower than that for physical filing to promote e-filing. The provisions related to expedited processing of an application for registration of a trade mark extended upto registration stage. Earlier, it was only upto examination stage). Modalities for service of documents from applicants to the Registry and vice-versa through electronic means have been introduced to expedite the process. e-mail has been made an essential part of address for service to be provided by the applicant or any party to the proceedings so that the office communication may be sent through email. Hearing through video conferencing has been introduced. Number of adjournments in opposition proceedings has been restricted to a maximum of two by each party to dispose off matters in time. Procedures relating to registration as Registered User of trademarks have also been simplified. Over all fees have been rationalized by reducing the number of entries in Schedule I from 88 to just 23.
    20. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved proposal for revival of 50 under-served/un-served airports or airstrips of the State Governments, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Civil enclaves. The announcement for making adequate provisions for revival of under-served/un-served airports was made by the Union Finance Minister in Union Budget 2016-17. Key Facts The total cost of the revival project is estimated to be Rs. 4500 crore and will be undertaken in three financial years starting from 2017-18. 15 airports/airstrips each would be revived during 2017-18 and 2018-19 each. During 2019-20, 20 airports/airstrips will be revived. The airports will be developed without insisting on financial viability. The Revival of airports will be ‘demand driven’, depending upon firm commitment from airline operators as well as from the State Governments for providing various concessions as Airports. It will help in connecting small cities/towns on commencement of operation of flights to under-served and un-served airports. It will further boost the economic development in these areas as well as surrounding areas in terms of job creation and related infrastructure development.
    21. The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) to provide various services in the field of energy management and conservation. The MoU was signed between the National Productivity Council (NPC), an autonomous body under the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Al Etihad Energy Services UAE. Key Facts Under the MoU, the NPC will provide the following services: (i) Energy Assessment Services (ii) Training & Certification of Energy Auditors (iii) Demand Side Management. Meanwhile, Al Etihad ES will provide (i) Customer Support with UAE Government and Private owned organizations in the UAE (ii) Local support for Field Auditing Professionals (iii) local support for Training & Certification of Energy Auditors (iv) Support related to Demand Side Management of industries. The MoU will enable NPC avail high value opportunities such as energy building and develop institutional mechanism in area of energy efficiency in Dubai and other GCC member countries. It will provide recognition and exposure to further build NPC’s capacities and competencies in rapidly changing international business scenario. The MoU will be precedent for NPC’s engagements with other International collaboration partners and will enhance its visibility in arena.
    22. The world’s longest serving warship INS Viraat was decommissioned by the Indian Navy at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra after nearly six decades of service. This marks the end of an era of Viraat being the flagship of the Indian Navy as it had provided utmost protection to the country during many tense situations. The decision on the warship’s future has not been taken yet. Key Facts INS Viraat holds Guinness Books of record of being the longest serving warship in the world. It was also the last British-built ship serving with the Indian Navy. It was built in 1943 during the Second World War and was first commissioned as the HMS Hermes into the British Royal Navy in November 1959. During the Falklands War in 1982, the aircraft carrier had served as the flagship of the Royal Navy’s task force. British navy had decommissioned in 1985 after 27 years of service. It had sailed nearly 11 lakh km, enough to cover the globe 27 times. It had spent 30 years in the Indian Navy and 27 years in the Royal Navy. It was commissioned into the Indian Navy on May 12, 1987. It had played a major role in Operation Jupiter in 1989 in the Sri Lankan peace keeping operation. It also had participated in the standoff Operation Parakram in 2001-20012 when India and Pakistan were engaged in a standoff post the Parliament terror attack. Its last operational deployment was for participation in International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh in February 2016.
    23. The GST Council meeting headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley approved the final draft of Central GST (CGST) and Inter-State GST (IGST) laws. The approval of CGST and IGST laws is considered as significant step towards meeting the July 1, 2017 deadline for rolling out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Key Facts The UT-GST and SGST laws will be approved in the next GST Council meeting. It already has approved compensation bill. Once all the bills are approved by the council, the Union government will collectively take the bills to the Union cabinet for its approval. Subsequently, the CGST, IGST and UTGST laws and Compensation law to compensate states for revenue losses arising from a transition to GST will require the approval of Parliament. SGST law will require the nod of state legislative assemblies. There will be no change in the tax rates approved by the Council. However, there will be a cap of 40% in the legislation. Agriculturists will be exempted from registering under GST regime. Business entities with an annual turnover of up to 20 lakhs rupees will also not be required registration under the new tax regime. About Goods and Services Tax (GST) GST is proposed uniform indirect taxation regime throughout the country. It will merge most of the existing indirect taxes into single system of taxation. It is consumption based tax levied on the supply of Goods and Services which will be levied and collected at each stage of sale or purchase of goods or services based on the input tax credit method. GST will be a comprehensive indirect tax on manufacture, sale and consumption of goods and services throughout India. It was approved by The Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016. It seeks to enhance fiscal federalism by removing indirect tax barriers across states and integrate the country into a common market, boosting government revenue and reducing business costs.
    24. The Union Government has launched the first ever across-the-river survey in River Ganga to determine the population of aquatic life, including that of the endangered Gangetic doplhin. The survey will create a baseline scientific data for the government to take suitable measures to improve quality of the Ganga’s water. Key Facts The first of its kind survey is being conducted by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) through Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under Namami Gange programme. The first leg of the census was launched on March 1, 2017 from Narora in Uttar Pradesh to Bijnor (covering nearly 165 km distance) to establish the number of the Gangetic dolphin, national aquatic animal. In next phase it will be launched in the Allahabad to Varanasi stretch (close to 250 km in length) in Uttar Pradesh. It will find out stretches where dolphin is habitating, what are the conditions there and the level of threat the long-snouted species is facing in a particular belt, The study to figure out fish species composition in the in the 2525 km-long stretch of River Ganga also been started from Harshil in Uttarakhand. Besides populace count, it will help know distribution pattern of aquatic life in river, extent of threat level faced by them and their habitat conditions. It will also ascertain number of ghariyals and turtles. Significance This will be for the first time a comprehensive and scientific study will be conducted to determine the population of aquatic life in River Ganga. Earlier all the surveys carried out were conducted in bits and pieces or were rapid.
    25. Scientists have claimed that they have discovered oldest fossils on Earth in rocks from Quebec, Canada. Carbon dating techniques suggest that these rocks are at least 3.8 billion years old and might even be 4.3 billion years old.
    26. Haryana Government has announced Tirtha Darshan Scheme under which senior citizens above 60 years of age in the state will be able to go on a pilgrimage within the country at government expense Announcement in this regard was made by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while replying to the discussion on the Governor’s address during the budget session of the Haryana Assembly.
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