WBCS Current Affairs 16/02/2014 to 21/02/2014

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1.To cure blindness of eye due to glaucoma, Professor Harminder Singh Dua from the Nottingham University discovered an ultra-thin layer hidden deep in the human cornea that can help treat glaucoma. (He is an Indian origin UK doctor).
About the new layer discovered by Mr. Dua
This 15 microns thick new layer also known as Dua’s layer.
Located at the back of the cornea between the corneal stroma and Descemet’s membrane.
Plays a vital role in the structure of the tissue that controls the flow of fluid from the eye.
Makes an important contribution to the sieve-like trabecular meshwork called the Trabecular Meshwork (TM) in the periphery of the cornea.
Benefit of this discovery: It will offer new clues on why the drainage system malfunctions in the eyes of some people, leading to high pressure.
The study was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

2.The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mr. Arun Jaitley launched a book titled “ModiNomics: Inclusive Economics, Inclusive Governance”, by Sameer Kocchar, in New Delhi.

3.The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) or Vizag Zoo will be the first zoo in India to have a conservation breeding centre for the endangered wild dog or ‘Dhole.’ The Central Zoo Authority selected IGZP to have a breeding centre for Dholes.
Project: will be completed in two to three months.
Cost: Rs. 50 lakh.
In India, the Dholes are protected under Schedule 2 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. (As per the schedule 2 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, permission is required to kill any individual unless in self-defense or if an individual is a man killer.
About Dhole
Also called the Asiatic wild dog or Indian wild dog.
Scientific Name: Cuon alpinus. Order: Carnivora.

4.The Lok Sabha Speaker, Ms. Meira Kumar referred the pepper spray incident in the Parliament to the Committee of Privileges, which has powers to recommend punitive measures. The senior Congress leader Mr. PC Chacko is the head of the privilege committee.

About the P.C. Chacko committee
Consists of 15 members
Chairman of the Committee of Privileges of Lok Sabha: Mr. P C Chacko
Function: To examine every question involving breach of privilege or contempt of the House or of the members of any Committee thereof referred to it by the House or by the Speaker.
Enjoys power to take punitive measures which include recommending imprisonment and even expulsion among others.
Would also consider whether Members of Parliament should be frisked for security purposes before entering the two Houses.
What is the issue behind the forming of the privilege committee?
On the issue of the introduction of Telangana Bill in the Parliament, a pepper spray was used by some MPs in the Parliament, which resulted in the hospitalization of three MPs (Member of Parliamentarians) and plunged the House into extreme confusion and disorder.
Later congress member Mr. L Rajagopal was expelled and 16 Seemandhra MPs were suspended.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat stated that the decision to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee has been done under Rule 227 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, where a question of privilege is referred to the Committee by the Speaker.
About Committee of Privileges
Examines the cases of breach of privileges of the House and its members and recommends appropriate action.
Function: Semi judicial in nature.
The Lok Sabha committee has 15 members while the Rajya Sabha committee has 10 members.

5.Purushottam Express (Train Number 12801/12802) will become the first train in India to be attached with a Braille-embedded AC coach for visually challenged passengers by the end of February 2014. Purushottam Express is a super-fast train running between Delhi and Puri.
Purushottam Express (Train Number 12801 UP/12802 DOWN)is a daily train which runs between Puri in Odisha and New Delhi

6.Mr. Avinash Arun’s directorial debut, the Marathi feature film “Killa” won the Crystal Bear (Glasernen Bar) for the Best Film awarded by the Children’s Jury in Generation Kplus section at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival (also known as the Berlinale).
About Marathi film Killa
First Indian feature film to win Crystal Bear award.

7.The President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee presented the International Gandhi Award for the year 2013 to Dr. Vijaykumar Vinayak Dongre and Prof. Guocheng Zhang for making outstanding contributions in the field of leprosy to eradicate the disease through treatment, training and research at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.
International Gandhi Award
Instituted by the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation (GMLF) that was established in 1950 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s service and scientific approach towards leprosy.
GMLF introduced the International Gandhi Award in 1986.
Recognizes the commendable contributions of individuals and institutions in ameliorating the quality of life of people afflicted with leprosy.
The two awards are given every alternate year to individuals/institutions for making outstanding contribution in the field of leprosy.

8.The Union Finance Minister Mr. P Chidambaram presented an Interim Budget for 2014-15. For the period up to June 30, 2014, Mr. Chidambaram reduced excise duty on:
(a) Capital goods and consumer non-durables (falling under Chapter 84 and 85 of the Schedule to the Central Excise Tariff Act): from 12 to 10 %.
(b) Small cars, motors cycles, scooters and commercial vehicles: from12% to 8%.
(c) Sports Utility Vehicles, SUVs: from 12% to 8%
(d) Large & Mid-segment Cars: from 27/24% to 24/20%.
Other Key highlights of Budget 2014-2015 Tax proposal
No change in income tax rates.
Proposed to make appropriate reductions in the excise duty on chassis and trailers.
Excise duty on mobile hand set to be 6% on CENVAT credit to encourage domestic production.
The custom duty structure on non-edible grade industrial oils and its fractions, fatty acids and fatty alcohols is reduce to 7.5% to encourage domestic production of soaps and oleo chemicals.
To encourage domestic production of specified road construction machinery, the exemption from Counter Vailing Duty (CVD) on similar imported machinery is withdrawn.
A concessional custom duty 5 % on capital goods imported by the Bank Note Paper Mill India Private Limited is provided to encourage domestic production of security paper for printing currency notes.
The loading and un-loading, packing, storage and warehousing of rice are exempted from Service Tax.
Interim Union Budget 2014-15
The Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented the Interim Budget 2014-15 in the Lok Sabha with an estimated plan expenditure of Rs. 5,55,322 crore and non-plan expenditure of Rs. 12,07,892 crore. Excise duty on cars, two-wheelers, SUVs and capital goods and consumer durables has been slashed to boost the manufacturing and growth. There is no change in income tax rates.
Important points of the Union Budget 2014-15
Focus: On manufacturing and manufacturing exports.
Fiscal deficit for FY14 to be contained at 4.6% of GDP; FY15 target at 4.1 %
FY14 Current Account Deficit seen at $45 bn.
FY14 Q3 & Q4 GDP growth to be at least 5.2%.
Agriculture credit will cross $ 45 billion against $41 billion in 2012-13.
Food grain production estimated at 263 million tons in 2013-14
Proposed a venture capital fund with an initial capital of Rs. 200 crore to promote entrepreneurship among scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
No change has been introduced under the tax laws but a change has been introduced for the indirect taxes.
Budgetary support to railways increased from Rs 26,000 crore to Rs 29,000 crore 2014-15.
Ministry-wise allocations for flagship schemes:
Rs.82, 200 crore rural development, Rs.67, 398 crore for human resource development, Rs.33, 725 crore for health and family welfare, Rs.21, 000 crore for women and child development, Rs.15, 260 crore drinking water and sanitation.
Food subsidy will be Rs 1, 15,000 crore for implementation of National Food Security Act.
One -rank-one-pension scheme for defense personnel from 2015.
Defense allocation increased by 10% to Rs 2.24 lakh crore.
To strengthen the capacity of Central Armed Police Forces by modernization and providing state-of-the-art equipment and technology, the government has allocated Rs. 11009 crore.
To formulate and promote the scheme of community radio station, the government sanctioned a fund of Rs.100 crore.
For the Social Justice Ministry, Rs. 6730 crore has been sanctioned.
For the Panchayati Raj Ministry, Rs.7000 crore has been sanctioned.
For food, fertilizer and fuel subsidy, Rs. 246397 crore has been allocated.
To stimulate growth, the government has slashed excise duty to 10% from 12%.
Foreign exchange reserves up by $15 billion.
Rs 2,600 crore for education loan moratorium, to benefit 9 lakh borrowers for loans taken before March 31, 2009.
A ten point agenda has been created by Mr. Chidambaram to make India the third largest economy after US and China.
Two projects sanctioned under Nirbhaya Fund of which the original was of Rs.1000 crore that was non-lapsable and another Rs. 1000 crore has been granted.
3 more industrial corridors – Chennai-Bangalore, Bangalore-Mumbai, Amritsar-Kolkata – under various stages of implementation.
Govt. committed to Aadhaar-based LPG transfer but scheme on hold temporarily.

9.For the first time, India will host the World Bridge Championship for Bermuda Bowl (men) and Venice Cup (women) in 2015. About 550 players from 66 countries are expected to be seen in action in this world meet.
Cities short-listed to host the World Bridge Championship: Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Panaji, Goa.

10.Former Preston and England winger, Sir Tom Finney (91) passed away. Mr. Finney was one of the England’s greatest footballers and the ultimate one-club man. He was famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End for which he made 569 first-class appearances.

11.The 67th BritishAcademy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) held at the Royal Opera House in London.

Winners of the 67th Annual BAFTA Awards
Best Film: 12 Years a Slave
Outstanding British Film: Gravity.
Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity).
Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave).
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine).
Best Supporting Actor: Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips).
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle).
Best Original Screenplay: American Hustle.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Philomena.
Best Editing: Rush.
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity).
Best Production Design: The Great Gatsby.
Best Costume Design: The Great Gatsby.
Best Original Music: Gravity.
Best Makeup and Hair: American Hustle.
Best Sound: Gravity.
Best Visual Effects: Gravity.
Best Film Not in the English Language: The Great Beauty.
Best Animated Film: Frozen.
Best Documentary: The Act of Killing.
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer: Kieran Evans.
Best British Short Film: Room 8.
Best British Short Animation: Sleeping with the Fishes.
The EE Rising Star Award: Will Poulter.
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: Peter Greenaway.
Most awards: Gravity (6).

12.The Catholic country, Belgium became the first country to allow euthanasia for terminally ill children of any age. This action of legalizing death for the children came 12 years after the country legalized euthanasia for adults. The Parliament of Belgium took the decision in spite of opposition from the Church and some paediatricians.

Belgium became the second country after Netherlands to allow mercy-killing for children and the first to lift all age restrictions.
Under the approved legislation by the Parliament, a young child will be allowed to end their life with the help of a doctor. The legislation has not fixed any age limit for minors suffering from a terminal illness to opt for the death by use of a lethal injection.
Other European countries that allows active euthanasia are:-
Luxembourg: Permits active euthanasia for over 18 years in age.
Switzerland: Doctors help adult patients to commit suicide.
About Euthanasia
Refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.
Forms of euthanasia: Active and passive euthanasia
Active euthanasia: when the medical professionals, or another person, deliberately do something that causes the patient to die.
Passive euthanasia: when the patient dies because the medical professionals either don’t do something necessary to keep the patient alive, or when they stop doing something that is keeping the patient alive.
Jurisdictions where euthanasia or assisted suicide is legal: the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Estonia, Albania, and the US states of Washington, Oregon and Montana.

13.Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declared a state of emergency on the main island of Java because of a major volcanic eruption. Mount Kelud in the east Java erupted and sends a cloud of ash 30 km into the sky and blanketed villages up to 500 km away.
Ashfall occurred in large portion of JavaIsland, from Malang to the east, as well as Central Java and Yogyakarta.
Around 200,000 people have been affected and there is widespread disruption to flights as several airports have been closed due to poor visibility.
The 1,731-meter Mount Kelud is home to more than a half of Indonesia’s 240 million people. Kelud is among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia.
Kelud’s last major eruption was in 1990, when it spewed out searing fumes and lava that killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds.

14.The Market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved the new corporate governance norms that restrict the number of independent directors on a company board, spell out whistleblower policies and institute checks on salaries of key managerial persons, among other things

15.Delhi Police launched a new helpline number 1093 for North Eastern people living in Delhi. This helpline number has 5 direct lines and all calls are received at the Central Police Control Room (CPCR) situated at Delhi Police headquarters.

16.The third World Congress on Agro-forestry 2014 (WCA14) held in New Delhi, India and was inaugurated by President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. This was the First ever World Agro-forestry Congress in Asia Pacific Region.

Theme: “Trees for Life: Accelerating the Impact of Agro-forestry”.
Co-host: the World Agro-forestry Centre, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Indian Society of Agro-forestry and Global Initiatives.
Objective: To boost awareness, engagement and investments in agro-forestry,
Benefit: Would shape the next steps in the field of integrative science, transformative change in landscapes, tree improvement, innovative tree-based value chains, and debates on global and local sustainability, reform of land and tree tenure and holistic education.
The third edition of World Agroforestry Congress organized to-

Expand global awareness and understanding of agro-forestry.
Share the current status of knowledge and practice of agro-forestry and consolidate its research base.
Build support for agro-forestry within governments, companies, academia, NGOs and the media.
Increase the engagement of the private sector.
About World Agroforestry Centre (or ICRAF i.e International Centre For Research On Agriculture And Forestry)
Mission: To generate science-based knowledge about the diverse roles that trees play in agricultural landscapes, and to use its research to advance policies and practices, and their implementation, that benefit the poor and the environment.
To improve food security, nutrition, income, health, shelter, social cohesion, energy resources and environmental sustainability of rural area in developing countries.
Objective: poverty alleviation which requires enhanced food security and health, improved productivity with lower environmental and social costs, and resilience in the face of climate change and other external shocks.
Headquarters:Nairobi, Kenya.
Regional offices: Cameroon, India, Indonesia, Kenya and Peru.
Role of Agro-forestry: (a) produces food, fuel and fibre, (b) major source of livelihoods and also help in preventing deforestation and (c) protect water resources and fighting off soil-erosion.
Note: First two World Congresses on Agro-forestry held in :Florida,USA (2004) and Nairobi, Kenya (2009).

17.Odisha Legislative Assembly passed the Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014, with provision of keeping Chief Minister, ex-Chief Ministers, other ministers and public servants under the purview of a six-member anti-corruption panel.Odisha became the first state to enact the law after the Central Act was passed in Parliament in December 2013.
18.In a bid to give boost to local production of electronics, the Union Government approved the setting up of two plants to manufacture semiconductor chips in India.
The two electronic chip manufacturing units will be set up by:
India’s Jaiprakash Associates, IBM and Tower Jazz at a cost of Rs 34,399 crore near the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh.
France-based ST Microelectronics, HSMC Technologies (Hindustan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation) and Malaysia’s Silterra at Prantij, Gujarat at a cost of Rs 29,013 crore.

19.Chinese scientists invented a new kind of fire resistant paper. The paper is first of its own kind and can be use for long time purpose to save the important documents.
About fire resistant paper
Will not catch fire even at 1000 degrees Celsius
Formed by calcium phosphate compound.
This inorganic paper is flexible and incombustible, but still feels like ordinary paper. It can be torn, folded, and destroyed by strong acid.
Useful for important documents to preserve for long periods of time.

20.Vijayawada-based airline, Air Costa signed an agreement with Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer to buy 50 E-Jets E2 aircraft worth $2.94 billion.
The acquisition of aircrafts is a mix of 25 E190-E2s and 25 E195-E2s with an additional purchase rights for 50 aircrafts to bring the total potential order to up to 100 aircraft and can reach $5.88 billion if all are exercised.
Air Costa will be the first customer of the E-Jet E2 in the Indian market when it takes the first delivery in 2018. The E195-E2 is scheduled to enter service in 2019.
Note: Embraer S.A. is the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial jets up to 130 seats and is one of Brazil’s leading exporters.

21.New Zealand won the two match Test Series against India by 1-0 after the second test at the Basin Reserve, Wellington ended in a draw.
Man of the Match: Brendon McCullum.
Outcome of the series:
Brendon McCullum became New Zealand’s first triple-centurion in 84 years of Test cricket in the second test match against India in Wellington. He scored 302 runs in the second innings.
India retained their second position in the ICC Test team rankings, after losing the series by 1-0.
A two-Test series loss has resulted in India slipping from 117 ratings points to 112 that means that they are ahead of Australia by just one rating point.
Here, Australia has a chance to go ahead of India on the table before the April 1, 2014 cut-off date.
Note: At present, South Africa is at the number-one position in the ICC Test team rankings and if they remain at the top in the list till the cut-off date, they will also collect a cheque of $450,000. The side that finishes second will pocket $ 350,000, while $250,000 will go to the third-ranked team.

22.On the advice of Union cabinet, the President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee imposed President’s rule in Delhi and accepted the resignation of Chief Minister Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, along with his council of ministers.
Though, assembly has not been dissolved and the house has been kept under suspended animation.
In reference to the provision of Article 239 and Article 239AA of the Constitution, the National Capital Territory of Delhi will be administered by President through Lt. Governor.
With President’s rule imposed in Delhi, Lt-Governor Najeeb Jung has become the direct administrator of the NationalCapitalTerritory.
President’s Rule (Article 356 of the Constitution of India)
Note:About Article 239 and Article 239AA
Article 239 (Administration of Union territories)
Every UnionTerritory shall be administered by the President acting through an administrator to be appointed by him with such designation as he may specify.
Notwithstanding anything contained in Part VI, the President may appoint the Governor of a State as the administrator of an adjoining Union territory, and where a Governor is so appointed, he shall exercise his functions as such administrator independently of his Council of Ministers.
Article 239AA (Special provisions with respect to Delhi) – deal with the Legislative and executive jurisdiction of Delhi. Entries 1, 2 and 18 of the State List under the Seventh Schedule are not applicable to Delhi. Entry 1 deals with public order, entry 2 with police and entry 18 with land.
Note: Here, in Delhi, the President’s rule imposed due to the resignation of Aam Aadmi Party led Government and no party or coalition came forward with required majority to form Government. (The resignation of the AAP government came after it failed to introduce the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill for the consideration of the Legislative Assembly).