WBCS Current Affairs 07/08/2016 to 13/08/2016

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1. The Union Government has launched the first phase of Smart Ganga City programme in 10 cities located along River Ganga. The first phase of programme was jointly launched by the Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti. Key Facts 10 Cities/Towns are Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura, Varanasi, Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Patna, Sahibganj and Barrackpore. Under this programme, Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and improve drainage network will be set up on hybrid annuity mode on public private partnership basis. In the hybrid annuity model, a part of capital investment (up to 40%) will be paid by Union Government through construction linked milestones. The balance amount will come through an annuity over the contract duration up to 20 years to ensure operational longevity of STPs.

2. Sri Lanka and China have signed a tripartite agreement to proceed with the construction of a Financial City Centre in Colombo. The agreement was signed between Sri Lanka’s Urban Development Authority, Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development and China Harbour Engineering Company. Key Facts The Colombo International Financial City project aims to transform Sri Lanka into an international financial hub in the Indian Ocean region (IOR). It will be the centre of the maritime city which be one of the key phenomenon that will decide the future development of Sri Lanka. The project will include central parks and beaches for the public and is expected to create thousands of jobs in the island country. The $1.4 billion Port City project initially started construction in September 2014. But it was suspended in March 2015 due to environmental concerns.

3. Researchers from United States have developed a mechanism to convert greenhouse gas (GHG) Carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO) that can be recycled into usable fuel. This mechanism was developed by US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and University of Illinois at Chicago. Key Facts This mechanism is based on the natural photosynthesis process that take place in green plants in which CO2 is converted into sugars. However, in it this scientific conversion process of converting CO2 into CO is different from natural photosynthesis. In this scientific conversion process, metal compound called tungsten diselenide has been used in the form nanosized flakes to maximize the surface area and to expose its reactive edges for converting CO2 into CO. In natural photosynthesis process plants use an organic catalyst called an enzyme to convert CO2 from the atmosphere into a sugar. In this case, green plants need energy from light, water and CO2 from atmosphere in order to make their fuel. The obtained CO which is also a greenhouse gas can be converted into usable fuel, such as methanol.

4. Chinese scientists are going to perform the world’s first genetic editing trial on humans in an attempt to find a cure for lung cancer. It will be performed as the trial phase by injecting cells that have been modified using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique into the patients. Key Facts In this trial, scientists will extract T cells, a type of immune cell, from the patient’s blood. Then they will put the gene that encodes the PD-1 protein, which normally limits the cell’s capacity to launch an immune response. The edited cells will be allowed to multiply in the lab before being reintroduced to the patients. This process will kick-start the T cells to launch an attack on the tumour cells. This method is like building a cancer-fighting army outside the patient body. However the only concern is that T cells might also attack normal tissue. What is CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique? CRISPR short form of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. It allows scientists to selectively edit genome parts and replace them with new DNA stretches. Cas9 is an enzyme that can edit DNA, allowing the alteration of genetic patterns by genome modification. CRISPR is a collection of DNA sequences that direct Cas9 where to cut and paste. CRISPR-Cas9 technology has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of blood diseases, tumours and other genetic diseases.

5. Researchers from the Pune-based National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) have successfully isolated cancer stem cells that cause skin cancer. They have successfully demonstrated that Andrographolide (a compound) isolated and purified from Andrographis paniculata (a herb) found in India is effective in inhibiting tumour growth both in skin cancer and lung metastasis in mice. How did they undertake research? In order to establish that CD133 positive cancer stem cells cause cancer, the researchers had injected these cells subcutaneously into mice. The CD133 positive cancer stem cells that develops tumour faster than non-cancer stem cells. It also produces lung metastasis in a different set of mice that received the cells through intravenous injection. The research showed that all the animals injected with CD133 positive cancer stem cells developed skin cancer (melanoma). When the compound Andrographolide was injected in the mice, it inhibiting tumour growth both in skin cancer and lung metastasis. Significance of Research The study indicates that the compound Andrographolide has therapeutic potential for the management of cancer stem-cell mediated melanoma growth and lung metastasis. The compound has ability to inhibit CD133 positive cancer stem cells growth which mediates tumour growth and lung metastasis. It also shows enhanced ability to flush out cancer drugs from inside the cells thereby increasing the probability of tumour relapse.

6. The northern east state of Assam became first state in India to ratify The Constitution (122nd Amendment) (GST) Bill, 2014. In this regard, the Assam Assembly passed a resolution ratifying The Constitution (122nd Amendment) (GST) Bill, 2014 with simple majority. The Bill was passed by the Parliament in August 2016 and was forwarded to states for approval as per Article 368 of Constitution. The approval of half of the states (15 out of 29) in mandated as per Article 368 of Constitution as it deals with changes in the features of fiscal federalism. Article 368: Special Majority plus State ratification This type of special majority plus state ratification is required when a constitutional amendment bill try to change the federal structure. As per article 368, the bill must be passed by a special majority requiring a majority of 2/3rd members present and voting in both houses of Parliament. Besides, it must be ratified by more than half of the state legislatures (15 out of 29 states) by a simple majority. Key Provisions of the Bill Keeping in mind the federal structure of India, the GST has two components viz. Central GST (CGST) and the State GST (SGST). Besides, Centre will only levy the Integrated GST (IGST) on interstate supply of goods and services or imports. Parliament and state legislatures have concurrent powers to make laws on GST. Parliament will not override state law on GST. GST council will recommend rates of tax, period of levy, principles of supply, special provisions to certain states etc. GST council will comprise of Union Minister of Finance (Chairman), Union Minister of State (MoS) for Revenue and state finance Ministers as members. Alcoholic liquor for human consumption has been keep away from preview of GST. Initially, GST will not apply to (i) petroleum crude, (ii) high speed diesel, (iii) motor spirit (petrol), (iv) natural gas and (v) aviation turbine fuel. The GST Council will decide when GST will be levied on them.

7. The Supreme Court of India has lifted the ban on registration of high-end diesel cars and SUVs having engine capacity of 2000 cc and above in Delhi and NCR. Ruling in this regard was given by SC bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur on record the affidavits filed by some car makers and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. The petitioners had offered to deposit one per cent of the price of the vehicles as Environment Protection Charge (EPC) before the registration of such vehicles. SC ruled that The one per cent amount, charged as EPC shall be paid to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) which will open a separate account with a scheduled public sector bank. The registration of the vehicle will be done by Regional Transport Officer on the satisfaction that one per cent of the cost of the vehicle has been deposited. The question whether the rate of ECC should be increased has been left open and may be increased in future, but such increase would not be done retrospectively. Comment SC’s this verdict modifies its December 2015 order on complete ban fresh registration of high-end diesel cars with 2000 CC and above engine capacity in Delhi and NCR. Earlier in July 2016 SC also had reserved its verdict on pleas seeking modification its order banning registration of high-end diesel cars.

8. The Rajya Sabha 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. The Bill seeks to amend the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. The law protects the employment of women during the time of her maternity and entitles her of a ‘maternity benefit’ Key Facts The Bill aims at increasing women’s participation in the workforce which is “decreasing day-by-day.” The provisions of bill apply to every establishment employing ten or more persons and include mines and factories. No employer can remove any woman employee on the ground of pregnancy. It is a mandatory for every establishment having 50 or more employees to have a creche. There is also a provision in the bill to provide 12 weeks maternity benefit to a commissioning mother and adopting mother (adopting a newborn aged below three). In this case commissioning mother is defined as a biological mother who uses her egg to create an embryo implanted in another woman. However, a woman who has two or more children will continue to get only 12 weeks maternity leave. With this India will be in third position in the world in terms of the number of weeks allowed for maternity leave behind Norway (44) and Canada (50).

9. The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a social media campaign to mark the Daughters Day on 9th August. It was launched by Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi in New Delhi. Key Facts The social media campaign seeks to engage citizens to celebrate the young women and girls in their lives and spread the message of valuing the girl child. Besides, this campaign government is going to celebrate as Daughters’ Week from 14 to 21 August 2016 as part of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme. The ministry has also invited people to tweet their pictures with their daughters-in-law and grand-daughters with #BBPDaughtersWeek. The Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ programme to check female foeticide, improve sex ratio and educate girls across India.

10.The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed MOU with IIT-Kharagpur for research project to develop technology to construct long lasting maintenance free highways. Under this MoU, IIT-Kharagpur will develop ‘Paneled Cement Concrete Pavements’ for highways. The duration of the research project is 3 years. Background Traditionally in India, the highways are paved with bituminous material produced from refineries. However, these highways are prone to damage and need frequent maintenance due to adverse climatic conditions such as rain and hot weather prevailing in the country. Therefore, to overcome this problem, the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry recently had announced a policy for the construction of concrete pavements for all major highways due to their longevity and maintenance free life. Paneled Concrete Pavement The paneled concrete pavement can facilitate faster construction of highways at much cheaper cost by consuming fewer natural resources and thus promote Green Highways in the country. This concrete will be laid on a lean concrete base which can provide long lasting maintenance free pavement at a cost on par with those of bituminous pavements.

11. The International Youth Day (IYD) is observed every year on August 12 to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth. 2016 Theme: “The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production”. The focus of theme is on the leading role of young people in ensuring poverty eradication and achieving sustainable development through sustainable consumption and production. Sustainable consumption entails the use of services and products that meet the basic needs of communities while safeguarding the needs of future generations. Background The International Youth Day (IYD) was instituted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by passing resolution 54/120 on 17 December 1999. It first was observed on 12 August, 2000. The day was instituted by UNHA on the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth held in Lisbon (Portugal) from 8 to 12 August 1998.

12. The Union Cabinet has approved liberalization of foreign investment norms for the non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) to improve the ease of doing business. Decision in this regard, Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Cabinet has approved Foreign investment in NBFCs can now come under the automatic route provided they are regulated by any of the financial sector regulators. Entities not regulated by any of the regulators (RBI, SEBI, PFRDA etc.)/government agencies will need approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). Minimum capitalisation norms as mandated under FDI policy have been eliminated as most of the regulators have already fixed minimum capitalisation norms. What is a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)? A NBFC is a financial institution that provides banking services without meeting the legal definition of a bank, i.e. one that does not hold a banking license. It is established as a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 but its operations are often still covered under a country’s banking regulations. NBFCs may be engaged in the business of loans and credit facilities, savings products, investments and money transfer services. What is difference between banks and NBFCs? NBFCs business activities are akin to that of banks as they can lend and make investments; however there are a few differences between them. NBFCs cannot accept demand deposits. They cannot issue cheques as they do not form part of the payment and settlement system. Deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike in case of banks.

13. China has successfully launched a new high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) dubbed as Gaofen-3. It was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province on the back of a Long March 4C rocket. It was 233rd flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket. The Gaofen-3 satellite was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) and Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), under guidance of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CATC).

14. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CEEA) has given its approval for the development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) technology for thermal power plants. In this regard, CCEA has approved a one-time grant of 900 crore rupees spread over three years for an R&D project for the development of AUSC technology for thermal power plants. The project was proposed by a consortium of three government entities to reduce coal consumption as well as Carbon di-oxide (CO2) emission. They are Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), Indira Gandhi Centre of Atomic Research (IGCAR) National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). Key Facts AUSC technology will enable Indian industries to design, manufacture and commission higher efficiency coal-fired power plants with indigenously developed technology. This will be the first time large power plant equipment will be manufactured without any technological collaboration or licensing agreement with foreign companies. Use of this technology in all future large coal-fired power plants will ensure energy security for the country for a longer period as well as greener environment. Significance Power generation from coal-fired power plants contributes to about 38% of CO2 pollution in the atmosphere. AUSC technology which is still in research stage will help in 20% reduction in CO2 emission at source combined with 20% saving in coal consumption compared to sub-critical plants.

15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin dedicated the first unit of the ambitious Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) in Tamil Nadu to the nation. KKNPP was dedicated by the leaders through video conferencing from Delhi and Moscow. It has India’s single largest nuclear generation unit with capacity of 1000 megawatt (MW) Key Facts The KKNPP is located in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, around 650 km from Chennai. It is built under India-Russian Nuclear agreement of 1988. KKNPP is India’s nuclear power plant to use imported PWR technology. It has VVER (Water-Water Energetic Reactor) type light water reactors. The reactors are built by the NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India) and Russia’s Atomstroyexport Company, a subsidiary of Rosatom. The Unit I of the KKNPP is already in service since December 2014 and was connected to the southern grid in October 2013. The first unit till now more than 10,800 million units of power and the plant had attained criticality in July 2013 The Unit II (1000 MW capactity) of the KKNPP had achieved criticality in July 2016 will begin power production by end of August 2016. Besides, preliminary works are also going on for the construction of third and fourth reactors with Russian technical expertise. KKNPP has enhanced safety features which were incorporated in the water cooled, water moderated reactor complex after the Fukushima nuclear incident in Japan. India-Russian Nuclear agreement of 1988: It was signed between the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Soviet leader Mikahil Gorbachev in November 1988. The agreement was revived in 1998 with Russia and construction works started in March 2002 due to the political and economic upheaval in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Note: The allocation power generated from KKNPP-I & II (2000 MW) include Tamil Nadu (925 MW), Karnataka (442 MW), Kerala (266 MW), Puducherry (67 MW). While 300 MW remains unallocated.

16. The Lok Sabha has passed the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill 2016 to pave the way for employers in the textile sector to avail of the income tax benefit. The Bill seeks to amends the Income Tax Act (IT), 1961 and the Customs Tariff Act, 1975. These changes are explained below. It will provide income tax benefit to employers in the textile sector on additional employment provided the employee has worked for 150 days and not 240 days as mandated earlier. Key Features Amendments to IT Act, 1961 Demerger of public sector companies: In case a public sector company demerges (split) into multiple companies under The Companies Act, 1956 the resultant company will be no longer a public sector company. Deduction in respect of employment of new employees: The limit of employing employee for minimum of 240 days in the previous year to obtain a deduction on taxable income has been reduced to 150 days for businesses which manufacture apparel. Amendments Customs Tariff Act, 1975 Customs duty on marble and granite blocks and slabs: Proposes to increase in customs duty on imports of granite and marble to 40% from earlier 10%.

17. The Union Government has decided to set up a committee to look at easing the policy regime for e-commerce players, including the rules for foreign direct investment (FDI). The committee will be headed by Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog. The other members in the panel will include officials from Union Commerce Ministry and Industry and Department of electronics and IT among others. Representatives from four states including Maharashtra and Karnataka will also be the members of the committee.

18. The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and South Africa for cooperation in the field of Tourism. Decision in this regard was taken by the Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The MoU was signed in July 2016. Objectives of the MoU Expand bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector. Encourage cooperation between tourism stakeholders, including hotels and tour operators. Exchange information and data related to tourism Establish exchange programmes for cooperation in Human Resource Development. Encourage visits of Tour Operators/Opinion Makers/ Media and tourists from both countries for promotion of two way tourism. Investing in the tourism and hospitality sector. Exchange experiences in the areas of education, promotion, marketing, destination development and management. Participate in travel exhibitions/fairs in each other’s country Promote safe, honourable and sustainable tourism. Background South Africa and India share and enjoy warm and friendly bilateral relations. South Africa is an emerging tourism source markets for India. In 2015, India had received approximately 51922 tourists from South Africa. India has extended the Electronic Tourist Visa (eTV) facility for the South African Nationals. The eTV facility has elicited good response from travel trade. The MoU will be instrumental in increasing arrival from South Africa.

19. K M Hanumantharayappa has assumed charge as the new Chairman of Central Silk Board (CSB), for a period of three years. He is the 25th Chairman of the Central Silk Board and succeeds N S Bissegowda.

20. The International Biodiesel Day (or World Bio-fuel Day) is observed every year on August 10 to create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels. Significance of the day: To create awareness about non fossil-fuels (Green Fuels or Bio-fuels). Bio-fuels are renewable, bio-degradable, sustainable and environment friendly fuel. It can be seen as alternative to conventional fossil fuels. Background On this day in 1893, Sir Rudalph Diesel (inventor of the diesel engine) for the first time successfully ran mechanical engine with Peanut Oil. His research experiment had predicted that vegetable oil is going to replace the fossil fuels in the next century to fuel different mechanical engines. Thus to mark this extraordinary achievement, World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th August.

21. The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval Lokayuktas (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The Bill seeks to amend Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 which provides for establishment of the Lokpal at the centre and Lokayuktas in the states for inquiring into complaints of corruption against certain public servants. Key Facts The approved amendments will amend Section 44 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. These amendments will address concerns and apprehensions expressed by different categories of public servants. They will also address the difficulties being faced in implementing the provision of section 44 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. These amendments are in line with one of the recommendations of the Standing Committee.

22. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing and ratification of an Agreement between India and Croatia on Economic Cooperation. Decision in this regard was taken by the Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Key Facts India and Croatia had signed an Agreement on trade and economic cooperation earlier in September, 1994 with an aim to promote and develop bilateral trade and economic relations. The new Agreement between both countries is a step in continuity as the earlier Agreement expired in November 2009. India’s bilateral trade with Croatia was US$ 152.01million (2012-13), US$ 148.86 million (2013-14) and US$ 205.04 million (2014-15). The average bilateral trade growth was 17.44% during these three years.

23. The Iron Lady of Manipur Irom Chanu Sharmila (44) ended her 16-year-long hunger strike for repealing of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) of 1958 from Manipur. After ending her16-year-long hunger strike, she announced that she wants bring some positive changes in the state by actively participating in politics and contesting elections. About Irom Chanu Sharmila Born on 14 March 1972 in Imphal, Manipur. She is a civil rights activist, political activist, and poet. She is famously known as the Iron Lady of Manipur and also as Mengoubi (the fair one). She had started hunger-strike at the age of 28 following a massacre in Malom, Imphal in which innocent 10 persons were killed by the Assam Rifles in November 2000. Her main demand was for repealing Armed AFSPA, 1958 from her state which provided immunity to armed forces with regard to their actions. Since November 2000, Sharmila was forcefully fed through nasal tube. She is the world’s longest hunger striker, as she had refused food and water for more than 500 weeks. Awards and Honours: Gwangju Prize for Human Rights (2007), Mayillama Award (2009), lifetime achievement award (2010) from the Asian Human Rights Commission, Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize (2010) etc.

24. There are 909 entries of taxa (including species, families, genus, orders and classes) of animals, birds and plants in the various Schedules of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Various steps have taken by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to protect these species. This information was given by Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Anil Madhav Dave, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha. Steps taken by MoEFCC The names of protected species of animals, birds and plants have been mentioned at Schedule I of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The Union Government has established a country-wide protected area network for protection of these species and their habitats of threatened flora and fauna under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The network includes 730 Protected Areas including 103 National Parks, 535 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 26 Community Reserves and 66 Conservation Reserves in different bio-geographic regions. Legal protection has been provided to wild animals under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 against hunting and commercial exploitation. Special programmes like Project Elephant’ and ‘Project Tiger’ have been launched for conservation of these endangered species and their habitats. In Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSC) of ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’ a specific component of “Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats’ is provided for focused conservation action on selected critically endangered species. Financial and technical assistance is provided to the State/ UTs under the CSCs for providing better protection to wildlife including endangered species and improvement of its habitat. Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been empowered to apprehend and prosecute wildlife offenders. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has been set up to ensure co-ordination among various officers and State Governments for the enforcement of law for control of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its products. National Biological Diversity Act (NBA), 2002 has been enacted to ensure protection of threatened species and their habitats. Under the Section 38 of the NBA, 2002 the species which are on the verge of extinction or likely to become extinct in near future as threatened species, are notified. Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has brought a number of endemic/threatened plants under cultivation (ex-situ conservation) in its and associated botanic gardens.

25. Dinesh Kumar Khara was appointed Managing Director (MD) of State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest lender. His appointment was confirmed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has been appointed for the period of three years. Prior to this appointment he was working as MD and chief executive of SBI Funds Management Pvt. Ltd.

26. Parliament has passed Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws Amendment Bill, 2016. It was first passed in Lok Sabha and later in Rajya Sabha. The Bill seeks to strengthen the debt recovery laws, improve financial health of the banks and lead to ease of doing business. Key Features The Bill seeks to amend four laws: (i) Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002 (ii) Recovery of Debts due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act (RDDBFI), 1993 (iii) Depositories Act, 1996 and (iv) Indian Stamp Act, 1899. Amendments to SARFAESI Act: It allows District Magistrate (DM) to take possession over collateral within 30 days for securing the creditors. It empowers DM to assist banks to take over the management of a company, in case the company is unable to repay loans. It creates a central database to integrate records of property registered under various registration systems with central registry meant for maintaining records of transactions related to secured assets. Unless collateral is registered with the central registry, secured creditors will not be able to take possession over it. Empowers the RBI to carry out audit and inspection of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) and penalize them if they fail to comply with any directions issued by it. Stamp duty will not be charged on transactions undertaken for transfer of financial assets (loans and collaterals) in favour of asset reconstruction companies. Amendments to the RDDBFI Act: Increases the retirement age of Presiding Officers (PO) of Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) to 65 years from 62 years. Increases the retirement age of Chairpersons of Appellate Tribunals to 67 years from 65 years. Allows PO and Chairpersons eligible for reappointment to their positions. Allows banks to file cases in tribunals having jurisdiction over the area of bank branch where the debt is pending.

27. The Lok Sabha has unanimously passed the Employee’s Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to reduce litigation in cases of disputes arising over compensation to workers. The Bill seeks to amend the Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923. This law provides payment of compensation to employees and their dependents in the case of injury by industrial accidents, including occupational diseases. Key Features of Bill Duty to inform employee of right to compensation: Mandatory for employer to inform the employee of his right to compensation under the parent Act. Such information must be given in writing in Hindi, English, or the relevant official language at the time of employing him. Penalty for failure to inform: If employer fails to inform his employee of his right to compensation he will be fined penalty between Rs. 50, 000 to Rs. 1 lakh. Appeals from the Commissioner’s order: Any dispute related to an employee’s compensation will be heard by a Commissioner (with powers of a civil court) only if the amount in dispute is ten thousand rupees. It allows Union Government to further raise this amount. In parent Act, appeals related to a substantial question of law from the Commissioner’s order will lie before the High Court. Deletion of withholding payments pending appeal provision: Earlier in the parent Act, any payments towards the employee can be temporarily withheld if an employer has appealed against a Commissioner’s order in High Court. This provision has been deleted.

28. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Yaad Karo Kurbani (remember the sacrifices) celebrations at birthplace of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad at Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh. The Yaad Karo Kurbani is 15-day programme aimed to commemorate 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement (QIM) and 70 years of Independence. Key Facts The 70 saal Azaadi, Yaad karo Qurbani campaign is aimed at developing a feeling in every person that nation is first and individual is secondary. It seeks to provide an opportunity for the people to recall the supreme sacrifices made by freedom fighters during freedom struggle. Central ministers will visit various historic locations associated with freedom movement to rekindle the patriotism fervour in the country and ensure a festive atmosphere. The focus of the campaign is to reach out to youngsters and inform them of the unsung heroes and the history of the freedom struggle. Commemoration events for freedom struggle heroes will also be organised at their hometowns and villages. Quit India Movement QIM is also known as Civil Disobedience or August Kranti movement. The mass movement was launched on 8th August 1942 at the Bombay session of All India Congress Committee (AICC). It launched after Mahatma Gandhi made a call to Do or Die in his Quit India speech delivered at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai on 8th August 1942 after the Cripps Mission had failed. The movement was started during the World War II demanding an end to the British rule in India. It demanded an orderly British withdrawal from India. Many Congressmen and other participating in the movement even Mahatma Gandhi were jailed and most remained in jail till the end of World war.

29. Veteran film producer, screenplay and script writer Panchu Arunachalam passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu following brief illness. He was 75. He had mostly worked in Tamil cinema and had introduced Ilayaraja (renowned film composer) as music director in his film Annakili. He had made most of films starring Kamal Hassan and Rajinikanth.

30. Maharashtra Government has launched Quit India 2 Swaraaj to Suraaj Movement against various social ills during commemoration of Platinum Jubilee anniversary of the Quit India Movement. It was launched by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu at the historic August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai, Maharashtra. On 8th August 1942, Mahatma Gandhi had given the clarion call of Quit India at the historic August Kranti Maidan (then called as Gowalia Tank Maidan), Bomabay (now Mumbai). Quit India 2 Swaraaj to Suraaj Movement The awareness movement is an apparent attempt to link contemporary politics to pre-Independence history to rid itself of various social evils and convert ‘swaraj’ into ‘su-raj’. It would emphasize on freedom from social evils farmer suicide, illiteracy, wastage of water, malnutrition, addiction among youth and corruption in order to achieve faster all-inclusive progress on all fronts. Besides, state government will commemorate the leaders who fought for freedom and pledge for holistic development of the nation. During his speech Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu asserted that providing education to all, creating employment, combining development with welfare measures are all part of the larger ‘Quit Poverty” campaign.

31. India has approached United States (US) and select European countries part of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to crack terror fund trail details of the Al Rehmat Trust from Pakistan. Al Rehmat Trust is financer of terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) which had carried out the attack at the Pathankot airbase (in Punjab) in January 2016. India has alleged that Al Rehmat Trust, founded by JeM chief, Maulana Masood Azhar, uses its money for funding and training terrorist modules against India. What is Financial Action Task Force (FATF)? FATF is an inter‐governmental policy making body with ministerial mandate to establish international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. It was established in 1989 during the G7 Summit in Paris (France) to combat the growing problem of money laundering. It comprises over 36 countries including India. FATF Secretariat is housed at the headquarters of the OECD in Paris. Initially it was only dealing with developing policies to combat money laundering. But in 2001 its purpose was expanded to act against terrorism financing. Objectives: Set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. Functions: (i) ­Set international standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. (ii) ­Assess and monitor compliance with the FATF standards. (iii) ­Conduct studies of money laundering and terrorist financing methods, trends and techniques. (iv) Respond to new and emerging threats, such as proliferation financing (used for promoting proliferation of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons).

32. The Union Government has announced that the Non-Performing Assets (NPA) of commercial banks have increased by around 4% in the last one year (March 2015 to March 2016). It was announced by Union Minister of State for Finance (MoS) Santosh Gangwar in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. Key facts The NPA of banks was 5.43 percent in March 2015 which has risen to 9.32 percent in March 2016. The high incidences of NPAs are mainly related to power, road, steel, textiles and other sectors. NPA amounts are related to 417 stalled infrastructure projects where public sector banks have invested is over 66478 crore rupees. Union Government has taken several steps to revive these stalled projects. Besides, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also issued guidelines for restructuring of loans. What are Non-Performing Assets (NPA’s)? NPAs (also called non-performing loans) are loans made by a bank or finance company on which repayments or interest payments are not being made on time. The loan is considered to be a NPA once the borrower fails to make interest or principal payments for 90 days. In case of Agriculture/Farm Loans, the NPA varies for of Short duration crop loan (interest not paid for 2 crop seasons), Long Duration Crops (interest not paid for 1 Crop season). Thus, NPA is any asset of a bank which is not producing any income. It affects the profitability & liquidity of the banks. It adversely affects the value of bank in terms of market credit and widens assets and liability mismatch. It results in inflating the cost of capital for economic activities and banks may charge higher interest rates on some products to compensate NPAs.

33. The Parliament passed The Constitution (122nd Amendment) (GST) Bill, 2014 after it was unanimously passed by the Lok Sabha by approving all the amendments made by Rajya Sabha earlier. The bill now will go states (15 out of total 29 states) for approval as per Article 368 of Constitution as it constitutional amendment bill dealing with changes in the features of fiscal federalism. The passage of bill will pave the way for the roll out of Goods and Services Tax (GST) i.e. uniform taxation regime across the country. Comment GST is considered as great step towards transformation and transparency in tax regime. It will bring freedom from tax terrorism as it will be levied on consumption rather than production. GST will also benefit states which are considered backward states and also address the problem of imbalanced development. It will help to curtail black money as traders will be compelled to give proper bills. Long term effects GST Eliminate multiple taxes on firms, thus help in ease of doing business. Lead to uniform, seamless market across the country. The uniform rate GST rate will check evasion and boost growth rates. Reduce logistic costs for firms due to elimination of centre-states taxes. Reduce the prices of capital goods and also boost economic (GDP) growth. The need for financial documentation will increase and thus reduce black money. It will also work as a catalyst to strengthen federal structure of the country. Short term negative impacts First one or two years of implementation will see a negative impact of higher inflation. There will be also a temporary dip in growth before the economic fruits of a common national market kick in.

34. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its third bi-monthly monetary policy review for year 2016-17 has maintained status quo in key policy interest rate. It was last bi-monthly monetary policy review of RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan who will step down in September 2016 after completing his term. Policy Rates Repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF): unchanged at 6.50 per cent. Reverse repo rate under the LAF: unchanged at 6.0 per cent. Marginal standing facility (MSF) rate: 7 per cent. Reserve Ratios Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks: Unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liability (NDTL). Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): Unchanged at 21 per cent. Comment The policy interest rates were kept unchanged while maintaining an accommodative policy stance on basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation in country. Other highlights RBI said risks to the inflation target of 5% for March 2017 continue to be on the upside. The passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill augurs well for the growing political consensus for economic reforms. Timely implementation of GST will be challenging but it will raise returns to investment across much of the economy. It will also even while strengthening government finances over the medium-term. This should boost business sentiment and eventually investment.

35. The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed every year on 9 August to promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population. Significance of the Day: It recognizes the contributions and achievements of the indigenous people to improve world issues such as environmental protection. 2016 Theme: “Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Education”. The theme is devoted to the right to education of indigenous people as a critical education gap exists between indigenous peoples and the general population. The right of indigenous peoples to education is also protected by a number of other international instruments including Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development also calls for ensuring equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including indigenous peoples. Background The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was pronounced by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with adoption of resolution 49/214 on 23 December 1994. The date marks the day of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in 1982.

36. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) told the Supreme Court that banned Ponzi schemes do not fall under its regulatory purview. This announcement was made after the apex court had asked government and SEBI, the stock market regulator about measures undertaken by them to check the menace of ponzi schemes. SC had asked for their response while hearing on PIL filed against menace of ponzi scheme running across the country in various forms which robbed the poor and small investors of their hard-earned money. The PIL was filed by NGO ‘Humanity Salt Lake’ alleging inaction on the part of the government in regulating chit funds (Ponzi schemes) which has resulted in multiple scams across country. SEBI’s Response Ponzi schemes do not fall under the regulatory purview of SEBI and the state government concerned is the enforcement agency. They are banned under the Prize Chit and Money Circulation (Banning) Act, 1978. Though it is a Central Act but the respective State governments are the enforcement agency of this law. SEBI also mentioned that only Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) are under its jurisdiction and these too can be stopped if not registered. What is Ponzi scheme? A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud where clients are promised a large profit in short term at little or no risk at all. Companies engaged in a Ponzi schemes mainly focus all of their energies into attracting new clients to make investments. This new investments (income) are used to pay original investors their returns, marked as a profit from a legitimate transaction. Ponzi schemes working mainly rely on a constant flow of new investments to continue to provide returns to older investors. When this flow runs out, the scheme falls apart.

37. The Rajya Sabha has passed the Mental Health Care Bill to provide better healthcare for people suffering from mental illness and also to decriminalise suicide. The progressive legislation and is patient centric Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha by the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda. Key Features The Bill provides, every person has right to access mental health care and treatment from services run or funded by the government. Under it, these also have right to equality of treatment, protection from inhuman and degrading treatment, access to their medical records free legal services etc. It also has a provision to protect, promote and fulfill the rights of such persons during delivery of mental health care and services. The Bill focuses on community based treatment and special provisions for women and health have also been provided. In case of person who attempts to commit suicide shall be presumedto be suffering from mental illness at the time of attempting suicide unless proved otherwise. Such person shall not be liable to punishment under section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of Indian Penal Code (IPC). It also provides for establishment of Central and State Mental Health Authority. It also establishes Mental Health Review Commission and Board (MHRCB) as a quasi-judicial body. Background The Bill was proposed as per the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to which India is signatory. It requires the countries to align their laws with the Convention. In India, around 6 to 7 per cent of the population suffers from some kind of mental illnesses, while 1 to 2 per cent suffers from acute mental disease.

38. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a theme song for Tiranga Yatra to be organised to mark 70 years of Independence Day. The theme song 70 Saal Azadi Yaad Karo Kurbani has been composed by Dr. Ghazal Srinivas. Tiranga Yatra will be organised from 16 to 23 August 2016 across the country to mark 70 years of Independence. It will be the symbol of social harmony and unity in the country. The Yatra will spread the message of harmony and also highlight the contributions of freedom fighters and martyrs among the school children during the celebration.

39. Renowned Yoga Guru TKV Desikachar passed away following a brief illness in Chennai. He was 78. He was known for transforming the way of practising yoga. He had turned it into both a wellness concept and a therapy.

40. Gymnast Dipa Karmakar (22) created history by becoming the first Indian gymnast to qualify for the apparatus finals of artistic Gymnastics at the Rio 2016 Olympics. She qualified after finishing eighth on the standings in the final round in the Individual vault final of artistic gymnastics In this qualifying event Dipa was competing in the third sub-division. She had an average score of 51.665 after scoring 14.850 by performing her much-vaunted ‘Produnova’ vault cleanly on the vault, 12.866 in balance beam, 11.666 on the uneven bars and 12.033 in floor exercises. The three-time world all-round champion Simone Biles from US topped the charts with a score of 16.050. Besides, Jong Un Hong from North Korea stood at the second position after securing 15.683 and was followed by Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland. About Dipa Karmakar Born on 9 August 1993 in Agartala, Tripura. At 2014 Commonwealth Games held at Glasgow she had created history becoming the first Indian female gymnast to win medal (bronze) in history of the games. he also had won a bronze medal at the Asian Gymnastics Championships and had finished fifth at the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She is also one of the five women who have successfully landed on very difficult Produnova vault in competition.

41. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Mission Bhagiratha with an objective to provide safe drinking water to all. The scheme is the brain child of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. It was launched by state Government at Komatibanda Village, Gajwel in Medak District of Telangana. Key Facts Mission Bhagiratha is a water grid project that aims to provide safe drinking water to all even to remotest places in Telangana. Its objective is to provide 100 litres of clean drinking water per person in rural households and 150 litres per person in urban households. Under it safe drinking water will be provided to about 25000 rural habitations and 67 urban habitations. Apart from providing a sustainable and permanent solution to the drinking water woes, it also aims to rejuvenate more than 45000 water tanks. Besides, Prime Minister also laid foundation stones for other important development projects in Telangana. It includes 1600 MW Thermal Power station of NTPC at Ramagundam, 1200 MW Thermal Power Station of Singareni Collieries in Adilabad district.

42. Researchers in India for the first time have found that mice and rats exposed to endosulphan suffer from DNA damage and genomic instability, and impaired DNA damage response. This breakthrough discovery was discovered team of researchers led by Prof. Sathees Raghavan from the Bengaluru based IISc (Department of Biochemistry). Key Highlights of Research When animals get exposed endosulphan, it generates reactive oxygen species in their body which is a potent DNA damaging agent. These reactive oxygen species in turn cause DNA damage in the form of breaks in DNA strands. These broken DNA strands generally tend to repair themselves by rejoining. But Endosulfan further causes extensive processing of broken DNA leading to increased and long deletion in the strands. Endosulfan also increases the damage by altering DNA repair levels by promoting erroneous repair of the broken DNA strands. Erroneous repair by rejoining would lead to undesirable genome level changes that may further lead to genomic instability causing cancer and other genetic abnormalities. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) of the broken ends of broken DNA strands is one of the major mechanism. However, in animals exposed to Endosulfan, micro homology mediated end joining (MMEJ) is seen which is enhanced activity of an error-prone and harmful repair mechanism. What is Endosulfan? Endosulfan is an organ chlorine pesticide that induces breaks in DNA strands and disturbs the damage response mechanism found in cells thus leading to compromised DNA strand repair. If people who have occupational exposure (mostly related to agriculture) of 2-70 microgram/litre of Endosulfan in blood then genetic abnormality and increased cancer occurrences have been witnessed in them. In case of environment, open spraying of Endosulfan causes a disaster on the biodiversity of the area. It leads to decline in plant diversity particularly for native species. Fishes are worst hit.

43. Mr Vijay Rupani (60) has sworn in as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat after Anandiben Patel had resigned from the post on August 3, 2016. He was administered the oath of post and secrecy by the Gujarat governor O.P. Kohli at the ceremony held at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhi Nagar. Besides, senior most cabinet minister in Anandiben Government Nitin Patel took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister. Along with them, new council of ministers consisting of 25 ministers also took oath. Out of them 9 Ministers are cabinet Ministers, while 16 ministers are Minister of state (MoS).

44. Telangana Government has inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for setting up Telangana Water Resources Information System (TRIS). The MoU was signed between ISRO and the Telangana Irrigation Department. Under it, ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre will set up the system and also share satellite data. Key Facts The TRIS will assess the accurate reserves of water in thousands of Tanks and reservoirs across the state. The system will keep eye on state’s water resources from sky. Besides, ISRO will update the system with new satellite imagery of all water bodies every fortnight. It will help the government authorities in the state to plan for new irrigation projects. Besides, it will also pave way for other states to explore possibilities to utilize technology.

45. The National Handloom Day is being observed annually on 7 August to honour the handloom weavers in the country and also carter an impetus to India’s handloom industry. Significance of the Day: It seeks to highlight the contribution of handloom to the socioeconomic development of the country and promote handlooms to increase income of weavers and also enhance their pride. This year it was second edition of the National Handloom Day after it was instituted. The main function of celebrate this day was held at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Besides, Sant Kabir Awards and National Handloom Awards were presented on this occasion. Background The Union Government had declared 7 August as the National Handloom Day in July 2015 with the objective to generate awareness about importance of India’s handloom industry. The date August 7 was chosen to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement which was launched on this date in 1905 in the Calcutta Town hall to protest against partition of Bengal by the British Government. The movement had aimed at reviving domestic products and production processes. The first National Handloom Day was inaugurated on 7 August 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centenary Hall of Madras University in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He also had unveiled ‘India Handloom’ brand.

46. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will house the India’s first repository on tigers, under its new Tiger Cell. The repository will consist of huge database on tiger conservation and population estimation which has been prepared with collaborated effort with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). India’s first tiger cell was set up at the WII campus in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the NTCA and WII. The cell will house a database of tigers as well as DNA and stripes samples of the big cats from over 50 tiger reserves. It will aid conservation efforts by preventing poaching and providing an update on tiger numbers. About Wildlife Institute of India (WII) WII is an autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change. It is based in Chandrabani, Dehradun. Functions: It conducts specialised research in areas of study like Endangered Species, Biodiversity, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Forensics, Habitat Ecology, Spatial Modelling, Ecodevelopment, and Climate Change. Research facilities: WII’s research facility includes Remote Sensing, Forensics and Geographic Information System (GIS) etc. It has contributed in studying and protecting wildlife in India and also has popularized wildlife studies and careers. About National Tiger Conservation Authority (NCTA) NTCA is a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change. It was provided statutory status by the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006 which had amended Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. It addresses the administrative as well as ecological concerns for conserving tigers, by providing a statutory basis for protection of tiger reserves. It also provides strengthened institutional mechanisms for the protection of ecologically sensitive areas and endangered species. It ensures enforcing of guidelines for tiger conservation and monitoring compliance of the same. It also places motivated and trained officers having good track record as Field Directors of tiger reserves.

47. Grandmaster and former world junior champion Abhijeet Gupta has won the 20th Commonwealth Chess championship crown 2016 held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. With this victory he has retained the Commonwealth Chess championship crown which was won earlier by him in 19th edition. Besides, International Master Tania Sachdev also finished with a gold medal. In this edition all the medals were won by the Indians players in the senior category. Grandmasters S L Narayanan and Deep Chakkravarthy got the silver and bronze medals respectively in the open section.

48. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted Dr. Tarun Ramadorai committee to study various facets of household finance in India. The committee will be chaired by Tarun Ramadorai, Professor of Financial Economics at University of Oxford. It will also have representation from all financial sector regulators in India. Terms of References of Committee Study various facets of household finance in India and benchmark India’s position against both the peer countries and advanced countries. Study the reasons behind the deviation of financial allocations of Indian households like the large household allocation to gold. Evaluate the design of new systems and the redesign of existing systems of incentives and regulations to encourage. Evaluate households’ demands in financial markets for assets such as pensions as well as liabilities such as home loans over the coming decade. Assess the role of new financial technologies and products such as robo-advising, automatically refinancing mortgages.