India successfully test-fired BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile

India successfully test-fired BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile India on 11 March 2017 successfully test-fired the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile. The purpose of the test was to validate the capabilities of the missile. Features of BrahMos Missile
• It is the first supersonic cruise missile system known to be in service.
• The missile is capable of carrying a conventional as well as nuclear warhead of 300 kilograms.
• The BrahMos is a multi-stage missile having a solid propellant in the first stage and the ramjet liquid propellant in the second stage.
• It can be launched from land, sea, sub-seas and air.
• It operates on ‘Fire and Forget Principle’ by adopting varieties of flights on its way to the target.
• It approaches the enemy target with a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the US subsonic Tomahawk Cruise Missile System.
• The missile has been developed by the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.
• It is a joint venture between the Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroeyenia and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). • The missile derives its name from the names of two rivers, namely the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.
• While the navy and army versions of the missile were inducted in 2005 and 2007 respectively, the air version is still in the testing stage.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye removed from office South Korea’s Constitutional Court

South Korean President Park Geun-hye removed from office South Korea’s Constitutional Court on 10 March 2017 voted unanimously to remove the country’s President, Park Geun-hye, from office. With the impeachment, Park becomes the first South Korean President to be removed from office. As per the law of the country, Park’s successor must be elected within 60 days. At present, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is serving as the acting President of the country. Reasons behind the impeachment
• Park was accused of colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-il, who allegedly pressured companies to donate money in return for government favours.
• After the allegations, she was suspended from official duties in December 2016. However, both Park and her friend denied the accusations.
• By far the biggest corporate head on the block in the scandal is Samsung chief and heir to its USD 316 billion empire, Jay Y Lee.
• Up to USD 50 million from Samsung was allegedly paid into entities overseen by Choi in return for help cementing Lee’s control of Samsung.
• Lee has been in a jail since February 2017. About Park Geun-hye
• Born on 2 February 1952, Park Geun-hye served as the 11th President of South Korea. She was the first woman to be elected as President of the country. She is also the first president to be impeached.
• She was the first female president of a Northeast Asian nation and the first female elected as head of state in East Asia.
• Prior to her presidency, she served as the chairwoman of the conservative Grand National Party (now Saenuri Party) from 2004 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2012.
• In 2013 and 2014, she was ranked 11th on the Forbes list of the world's 100 most powerful women and the most powerful woman in East Asia.
• In 2014, she was ranked 46th on the Forbes list of the world's most powerful people.
• On 9 December 2016, she was impeached by the National Assembly on charges related to influence peddling by a top aide. The impeachment was upheld by the Constitutional Court on 10 March 2017, ending her presidency and forcing her out of office.

Odisha Government launches 181 helpline for distressed women

Odisha Government launches 181 helpline for distressed women Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on 8 March 2017 launched a helpline number 181 for women in distress on the occasion of International Women's Day 2017. This toll free helpline number will be available for 24 hours in all the 30 districts of the state.The helpline will extend prompt response to women affected by violence.  It will provide information about women-related government schemes and programmes and a range of other services. Women of Odisha
• Around 50 lakh women have been able to raise their socio-economic condition by becoming part of the women self help groups in Odisha. • More than 25 lakh women have also been benefited by about Rs 1100 crore by availing incentive through Mamata Yojana, a pregnancy related welfare scheme of the state government.
• Odisha government has instituted 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and government jobs to encourage their better participation.
• Odisha's Biju Kanya Ratna and Mission Shakti have also been instrumental for welfare of women and girls in the state. Background The Union Government launched the 181 helpline number in 2013 after the brutal gang-rape of Nirbhaya in December 2012 and asked all states to start the helpline. Besides, 1091 helpline number by the police and 10920 helpline number by the State Commission for Women were also launched.

INS Tillanchang commissioned at Karwar

INS Tillanchang commissioned at Karwar INS Tillanchang, a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) was commissioned into the Indian Navy, at Karwar on 9 March 2017. It was commissioned by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.    INS Tillanchang is the third ship of four follow-on WJFAC built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata. The ship has been indigenously designed and built and is an upgrade from the Chetlat class of Fast Attack Craft that the Indian Navy possesses. The first two ships of the class, INS Tihayu and INS Tarmugli, were commissioned in 2016 and are based at Visakhapatnam. During the speed trail, INS Tillanchang was able to achieve the fastest speeds among all WJFACs. INS Tillanchang
• INS Tillanchang is about 50m long.
• It is powered by three water jet propulsion system, which gives it speeds of over 35 knots.
• The ship is armed with 30-mm main gun and a number of light, medium and heavy machine guns to undertake operations at sea. World’s oldest serving aircraft carrier INS Viraat retires
• Manned by 50 personnel, at present, the ship is commanded by Commander Adit Patnaik.
• Tillanchang is an ideal platform for a number of missions like Coastal and Off-shore Surveillance, Law Enforcement, EEZ Control as well as non-military missions such as Humanitarian, Search and Rescue Assistance and Disaster Relief.
• INS Tillanchang will be based at Karwar under the operational control of the Flag Officer Commanding, Karnataka Naval Area.

Commonwealth trade meet begins in the UK

Commonwealth trade meet begins in the UK The inaugural commonwealth summit focused on stimulating trade within the group kicked off in London on 9 March 2017. The two-day summit, which was planned before last year’s Brexit referendum has gained new significance following the result, especially since Britain is pushing for trade deals beyond European Union borders.  Key Highlights • The event will involve a series of roundtable discussions between ministers from over 30 countries and chief executives. • It would be followed by a ministerial roundtable, which is hoped to kick start work towards strengthening trade within the commonwealth block before the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit, which is scheduled to be held in the UK in 2018. • The Commonwealth Heads of Government summit is expected to bring together leaders as well as over 2000 businesses from across the commonwealth nations.
• The leadership of the commonwealth nations is targeting to increase the intra-Commonwealth trade to $1 trillion by 2020, from the existing $750 billion. The organisers of the trade summit are hopeful that the event would result in a commonwealth agreement that would not only recognise the benefits of trade within the block but would also provide a framework for potential trade initiatives between the groupings that would be achievable in the next few years. India at the summit
• The Commerce Secretary, Rita A Teotia is the Indian representative at the event.
• She took part in the panel discussion held on 9 March on the ease of doing business and creating an export economy.
• India along with the UK is one of the few commonwealth nations that have established good trade relations with countries across the globe. Other commonwealth nations are mostly regionally focused.
• Hence, India is considered to be well placed when it comes to taking a lead role in driving forward the growth of the commonwealth bloc.
• The summit would also provide India with the opportunity to discuss trade with long-standing partners like Africa and also with smaller island states.

India-Israel Relationship: What Next?

India-Israel Relationship: What Next? The relationship between India and Israel has been steadily strengthening since the two countries established diplomatic relations in1992. Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s foresight that laid the foundation of the Indo-Israeli partnership deserves tribute for this development. The back-channel security talks existed before the normalization of bilateral relations between India and Israel. Afterward, in recent years, India has been more willing to establish a mutually beneficial bilateral relationship with Israel which includes liaising on countering the terrorism and deepening military ties. The Shift in Policy after 2014 Post 2014, with NDA government’s rise to power in 2014, Israel seems to have gained greater priority over other West Asian countries in India’s diplomatic agenda. This very clear that India and Israel have been deepening their ties in counterterrorism, defense, science and technology, space exploration, agriculture, and several other areas. The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close ties with Israel which can be traced to the period when he was the chief minister of Gujarat when Israel emerged as a key player in helping Gujarat achieve impressive economic growth. On 29 January, India and Israel marked 25 years of diplomatic ties. By keeping this in view, the two countries have planned a series of events which include the exchange of prime ministerial visits before the close of the anniversary year in January 2018. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be visiting Israel in June this year. It would be the first- ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Israel. The first meeting between Modi and Netanyahu happened in September 2014 in the backdrop of the UN General Assembly session in New York. It turned out to be the first meeting between prime ministers of the two countries in a decade. President’s Visits Indian President Pranab Mukherjee visited Israel in October 2015 which was the first visit by an Indian president to Israel. Normally, the Indian president’s foreign visits do not attract much attention. But Pranab Mukherjee’s visits of Palestine, Jordan, and Israel were seen as a precursor to the much-expected visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in June. Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj also made her visit to Israel in January 2016. Her visit was part of the continuation of the effort by New Delhi not only to strengthen India’s relationship with Israel, but also to make it more public. India’s Shift on Palestine Issue In past, important visits made by top Indian leaders to Israel were combined with Palestine in a single tour. The visits of External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and Union Home Minister L. K. Advani in 2000, and S. M. Krishna’s visit as an external affairs minister in 2012 were all described as regional visits because the ministers held meetings with both Israeli and Palestinian government during their tour. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Israel in November 2014 which was a landmark visit in the sense that it was confined to Israel only. Indian government’s omission of the Palestinian Authority from Home Minister’s visit was seen as an Indian government’s intent to shift the tradition of collaborating high-level official visits to Israel with visits to Jordan and Palestine. Now, at this time, the Indian government has decided to do away with the previous era’s tradition with Israel. Earlier, India always put restrictions on rapprochement with Israel, based on progress in the Israel-Palestine dispute. Evidence of India’s shift on Palestine issue can be found in the recent actions of the India government, one of them is India’s abstention during a UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) vote criticizing Israel’s “alleged war crimes” in Gaza last year. The vote in UNHRC was on the basis of a report by the UNHRC, which concluded that both Israel and Palestinian armed forces may have committed war crimes during the 50-day Gaza war that killed about 1,500 people. India was among the five countries that abstained voting. The other countries who abstained were Macedonia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Paraguay. The US, Israel’s biggest ally, voted against the resolution. Deals between India and Israel At present, Israel is one of India’s top defence partners with India. India has been importing unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance, surface-to-air missile systems, and radars and anti-tank missiles from Israel between 1992 and 2016. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) which analyses global defence sales, India has been the world’s biggest importer of major arms from 2012 through 2016. India’s arms imports account for 13% of the global total. The SIPRI data also shows that the last five years, defence trade between India and Israel has averaged more than $1billion annually. India is also seeking to buy a medium-range surface-to-air missile defence system from Israel. This deal would be worth of $2.5 billion. Apart from Defence, counter-terrorism constitutes the most high profile part of the India-Israel relationship. The relationship also constitutes food security, energy, water, agriculture and academia, education and health. Impacts
1. Indo-Israel strong relationship would directly impact the Indo-US relation which is seen as a new formed axis between India, Israel and the U.S.
2. It would also impact India’s long fought war against terrorism. It will help India to corner Pakistan in international State.
3. Strong bilateral relationship might boost India’s defence strategy.
4. India is also expecting to get a support from Israel in UNSE permanent membership.
5. It would also give India a special recognition in other international front like NATO, ASEAN, BRICS etc. 6. Farmers of India will benefit from Israeli expertise in drip irrigation. Many Start-ups in Hyderabad and Bangalore see Israeli agricultural firms as role models. Challenges India has historically supported the independence cause of Palestinian state. Some experts have argued that a solo visit could seriously jeopardize India’s traditional stance. Till now, India has managed to preserve a pragmatic balancing act between regional players in the West Asian region. It would be difficult for India to ignore its crucial energy ties with Iran and the Gulf states. And one could also wonder that whether Indian Prime Minister’s solo visit would be able to achieve new tangible results. Another challenge in front of India is New Delhi’s bid for permanent membership in the UN Security Council. India requires a firm endorsement of its candidature from the Arab countries. Those Arab countries form a large group in the UN General Assembly and they might not like to see India distancing itself from the Palestinian cause. Conclusion Israeli diplomats and politicians have been very candid about Israel’s close friendship with India. This favourable public reference to Israel makes present Indian government different from its predecessors in dealing with Israel. Positive signs appear with these developments between Israel and India. It is also visible in India’s discernible shift in Israel policy. Given this, it can be anticipated that India will succeed in delinking Indo-Israeli relations from domestic and international political concerns, and India’s relations with the Arab world.

Donald Tusk re-elected as President of European Council

Donald Tusk re-elected as President of European Council Donald Tusk on 9 March 2017 was appointed to a second term as President of the European Council, one of the European Union’s governing bodies. Tusk won the elections despite objections from the government of his own country, Poland. Poland had argued that the decision should be delayed because of its displeasure with Tusk. However, Poland was overruled by leaders of the 27 other European Union member countries as they gathered for their spring summit meeting. It is the first time that such a decision was made without unanimity since the position was created in 2009. Who is Donald Tusk?
• Born on 22 April 1957, Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician and historian.
• He has been serving as the President of the European Council since 1 December 2014.
• Before that, he served as the Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014. He was the first Prime Minister to be re-elected since the fall of Communism in Poland.
• He is also a co-founder and chairman of the Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) party. About European Council
• The European Council is the institution of the European Union (EU). • It is charged with defining the EU's overall political direction and priorities.
• The Council comprises the heads of state or government of the member states, along with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.
• It was established as an informal summit in 1975. However, it was formalised as an institution in 2009 upon the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon.

Centre to Launch Pilot Project on Ornamental Fisheries

Centre to Launch Pilot Project on Ornamental Fisheries The Department of Animal Husbandry along with Dairying and Fisheries and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare would be launching a pilot scheme for the development of ornamental fisheries with a total outlay of Rs 61.89 crore. The scheme would mainly focus on creating an environment that would enable sustainable development of Ornamental Fisheries for the socio-economic development of the people attached to the activity as well as for exports.  Following are the major objectives of the project: • To promote ornamental fish culture in India through cluster-based approach.
• To expand ornamental fisheries trade and export earnings
• To create employment opportunities for the rural & peri-urban population
• To use modern technology and innovation to make ornamental fisheries a thriving activity. Odisha Government launches 181 helpline for distressed women The pilot project would be implemented in eight states at first, which include Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Odisha. It would be implemented by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) through the Fisheries departments of the states. Overall, ornamental fisheries, which is counted as a sub-sector of the fisheries sector dealing with breeding and rearing of coloured fish of both freshwater and marine water has the potential for tremendous growth in India. Though it does not directly contribute to India’s food and nutritional security, it helps generate livelihood and income for the rural and peri-urban population, especially for women and the unemployed youth who take it up as a part-time activity. Besides this, the major attraction in the sector is the low production cost backed by high returns within a short span of time and the ever-growing demand in both Indian and International markets. Currently, there are about 400 species of marine ornamental fishes and 375 freshwater ornamental varieties in India. Manish Sisodia presents Delhi state Budget 2017-18

भारत में दवाओं के मूल्य पर नियंत्रण

भारत में दवाओं के मूल्य पर नियंत्रण भारतीय संविधान में स्वास्थ्य के अधिकार का उल्लेख नहीं किया गया है लेकिन स्वास्थ्य मानव जीवन का सबसे महत्वपूर्ण पहलू बना हुआ है. भारत के सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने अनुच्छेद 21 जो, "जीवन के अधिकार" की बात कहता है, के दायरे पर दिए अपने एक फैसले में कहा है कि यह "अच्छे स्वास्थ्य के अधिकार" को कवर करता है. हाल के वर्षों में सरकार ने भारत में दवाओं और चिकित्सीय औजारों के मूल्य नियंत्रण के लिए कई कदम उठाएं हैं ताकि सभी को किफायती दरों पर चिकित्सीय लाभ दिए जा सकें. यहां हम, भारत में दवा के मूल्य नियंत्रण के इतिहास के बारे में, दवाओं की कीमतों को कम करने के लिए सरकार द्वारा हाल में उठाए गए कदमों और लोगों एवं उद्योग पर इसके प्रभावों को संक्षेप में प्रस्तुत कर रहे हैं. भारत में दवा के मूल्यों के नियंत्रण का संक्षिप्त इतिहास दवा मूल्य नियंत्रण आदेश (डीपीसीओ) आवश्यक वस्तु अधिनियम, 1955 की धारा 3 के तहत जारी किया गया है. इसका उद्देश्य यह सुनिश्चित करना है कि किफायती दरों पर अनिवार्य दवाएं सभी को उपलब्ध हों. पहली बार, दवा मूल्य नियंत्रण आदेश 1962 में हुए भारत–चीन युद्ध के बाद जारी किए गए थे क्योंकि दवा कंपनियों ने मुनाफाखोरी शुरु कर दी थी और जनता के हित में दवा के मूल्यों पर लगाम लगाना अनिवार्य हो गया था. प्रत्येक बीतते वर्षों के साथ इसमें पांच बार संशोधन किया गया है. दवा मूल्य नियंत्रण आदेश (डीपीसीओ) 1995 की भारत में शुरुआत की गई और इसमें 74 बल्क ड्रग्स और उनके सूत्र को कवर किया गया था. इसके नतीजे उम्मीद के अनुसार नहीं मिले क्योंकि कई दवाओं के उत्पादकों ने अपनी विनिर्माण इकाई दूसरे देशों में स्थांतरित कर दी. नतीजा यह हुआ कि उत्पादकों के बाहर चले जाने से आधे उत्पाद का उत्पादन बंद हो गया. किसी चीज का भारतीय उत्पादन काफी महत्वपूर्ण हो गया था क्योंकि पेनिसिलिन का उत्पादन चीन में स्थांतरित कर दिया गया था. वर्ष 1997 में सरकार ने राष्ट्रीय औषधि मूल्य निर्धारण प्राधिकरण (एनपीपीए) बनाया, इसे डीपीसीओ के प्रावधानों को लागू करने, फार्मा उत्पादों के मूल्यों का निर्धारण/संशोधन करने और नियंत्रित एवं अनियंत्रित दवाओं के मूल्यों की निगरानी करने का काम दिया गया था. राष्ट्रीय औषधि मूल्य निर्धारण नीति– 2012 की स्थापना 07.12.2012 को की गई थी. एनपीपीपी– 2012 की मुख्य विशेषताएं हैं– दवाओं के मूल्यों का विनियमन राष्ट्रीय अनिवार्य दवा सूची (एनएलईएम)– 2011 के तहत निर्धारित दवाओं की अनिवार्यता के आधार पर करना, सिर्फ सूत्रीकरण के मूल्यों का विनियमन और बाजार– आधारित मूल्य निर्धारण (एमबीपी) के जरिए सूत्रीकरण का अधिकतम मूल्य निर्धारित करना. डीपीसीओ की नई नीति 2013 में बनाई गई. डीपीसीओ 2013 में भारत के अनिवार्य दवाओं की राष्ट्रीय सूची (एनएलईएम) में बढ़ोतरी की गई और इसके दायरे को 74 दवाओं से बढ़ाकर 799 दवाओं का कर दिया गया. इसकी शुरुआत के बाद से कोई नया निवेश नहीं देखा गया है. गैर– नियंत्रित उत्पादों की तरफ रुख देखा गया है. नतीजतन, डीपीसीओ 2013  की सूची में नई दवाओं और आश्रित ब्रांडों एवं नई दवाओं का औसत गैर–डीपीसीओ 2013 सूची की तुलना में कम हो गया है. वर्ष 2015 में स्वास्थ्य मंत्रालय ने नई एनएलईएम 2015  सूची में 376 दवाओं को शामिल करने के लिए अनिवार्य दवाओं की राष्ट्रीय सूची (एनएलईएम), 2011 में संशोधन किया था. नई सूची बनाने के लिए कुल 106 दवाओं को शामिल किया गया और  70 दवाओं को सूची से बाहर निकाल दिया गया. भारत में दवाओं के मूल्य पर नियंत्रण हेतु सरकार द्वारा उठाए गए कदम 1. दवाओं की कीमतों में कमी सितंबर 2016 में दवा मूल्य नियामक नेशनल फार्मास्युटिकल प्राइसिंग अथॉरिटी (एनपीपीए) ने करीब 33 अनिवार्य दवाओं का मूल्य कम कर दिया, जिसकी वजह से उनके खुदरा मूल्यों  30-50% तक की कमी हो गई. इन दवाओं में शामिल थीं– एंटीबायोटिक्स और अल्सरेटिव कोलाइटिस, सामान्य सर्दी– जुकाम में इस्तेमाल किए जाने वाले एंटी– एलर्जिक, गठिया, गैस्ट्रो–एसोफेगल रिफल्क्स रोग (गर्ड), सोरैसिस और तपेदिक के इलाज में इस्तेमाल की जाने वाली दवाएं. इस कदम का उद्देश्य नई दवाओं को दायरे में लाने के लिए मूल्य विनियमन के दायरे में विस्तार कर गंभीर बीमारियों के लिए इस्तेमाल की जाने वाली सामान्य दवाओं के मूल्यों में कमी करना था. इससे पहले (एनपीपीए) ने 14 सितंबर 2016 को आयोजित अपनी  36वीं बैठक में एक अधिसूचना जारी की जिसमें 18 और दवाओं का अधिकतम मूल्य दिया गया था. एनएलईएम, 2015 में अब मूल्य नियंत्रण के तहत कुल 467 दवाएं आती हैं. " सरकार फिलहाल अनिवार्य दवाओं का मूल्य विशेष चिकित्सा खंड की सभी दवाओं जिनकी बिक्री 1 फीसदी से अधिक है के सामान्य औसत के आधार पर निर्धारित करती है. एनपीपीए ने एक और अधिसूचना जारी की है जिसके अनुसार दवा (मूल्य नियंत्रण) संशोधन आदेश, 2016 की अनुसूची–। के 55 अनुसूचित दवाओं का अधिकतम मूल्य और डीपीसीओ, 2013 के तहत 29 दवाओं का खुदरा मूल्य एनपीपीए निर्धारित/ संशोधित करता है. संबंधित अधिसूचना/आदेश 23.12.2016 को जारी किया गया था. वैसी दवाएं जो मूल्य निर्धारण के तहत नहीं आतीं, निर्माताओं को उनकी खुदरा कीमतों में सालाना 10 फीसदी की अधिकतम बढ़ोतरी करने की अनुमति है. अनिवार्य दवाओं के मूल्य की गणना विशेष चिकित्सा खंड की सभी दवाओं जिनकी बिक्री 1 फीसदी से अधिक है के सामान्य औसत के आधार पर की जाती है. घरेलू सामान्य दवा निर्माताओं के दबाव के बावजूद एनपीपीए चरणबद्ध तरीके से एनएलईएम की कीमतों में लगातार कमी और संशोधन कर रहा है. अब तक एनपीपीए ने 799 दवाओं में से 330 के मूल्य में संशोधन कर दिया है. 2. कोरोनरी स्टेंट की कीमतों में कमी जुलाई 2016 में स्वास्थ्य एवं परिवार कल्याण मंत्रालय ने अनिवार्य दवाओं की राष्ट्रीय सूची, 2015 (एनएलईएम, 2015) में कोरोनरी स्टेंट को शामिल कर लिया. इसके बाद 21 दिसंबर 2016 को औषधि विभाग ने दवा मूल्य नियंत्रण आदेश, 2013 की अनुसूची । में कोरोनरी स्टेंट को 31वें स्थान पर शामिल किया. इस समावेशन ने इसे दवा मूल्य नियंत्रण आदेश 2013 में परिभाषित "अनुसूचित दवा" का दर्जा दे दिया. 13 फरवरी 2017 को नेशनल फार्मास्युटिकल प्राइसिंग अथॉरिटी (एनपीपीए) ने एक आदेश जारी किया जिसने कोरोनरी स्टेंट के मौजूदा बाजार मूल्यों को 40 फीसदी तक कम कर दिया. इसने जुलाई 2016 में अनिवार्य दवाओं की राष्ट्रीय सूची में इन्हें शामिल किए जाने से शुरु हुई बहस को समाप्त कर दिया. अधिसूचना ने स्टेंट को दो प्रकार की श्रेणी में रखा है. एक है बेर मेटल स्टेंट (बीएमएस) और दूसरा है ड्रग– इल्युटिंग स्टेंट. स्टेंट एक ट्यूब के आकार का उपकरण होता है. इसे अवरुद्ध रक्त वाहिका में डाला जाता है जो अवरोध को, कभी– कभी भौतिक साधनों द्वारा लेकिन अक्सर धीमी दर पर दी जाने वाली दवाओं के जरिए, दूर करने में मदद करता है. बेर मेटल स्टेंट का प्राइस कैप 7,260रु. है और ड्रग इल्युटिंग स्टेंट का 29,600/–रु. यह प्राइस कैप मौजूदा कीमतों, 25,000-रु. से लेकर 1,50,000 रु. के बीच  में है, के मुकाबले 40 फीसदी कम है. उद्योग जगत के सूत्रों का कहना है कि स्टेंट उत्पादों का 35 फीसदी स्पेक्ट्रम के नीचले स्तर पर उपलब्ध है. अधिसूचना स्टेंट के ब्रांडेड या बिना ब्रांड के होने, स्थानीय या विदेश में बने होने पर कोई बात नहीं कहता. लेकिन अधिसूचना में यह स्पष्ट कर दिया गया है कि काफी समय से देश में इसे बेचा जा रहा था लेकिन अब कोई भी स्टेंट 29,600 रु./– से अधिक की कीमत पर नहीं बेचा जा सकता हालांकि इसमें वैट, स्थानीय करों आदि को जोड़ने की गुंजाइश है. अधिसूचना में यह बात स्पष्ट रूप से कही गई है कि एक स्टेंट अस्पताल द्वारा लगाया जाता है और आमतौर पर उत्पाद का बिल उसे बेचने वाले लोगों की बजाय संस्थानों द्वारा प्रस्तुत किया जाएगा. अधिसूचना में यह भी कहा गया है नर्सिंग होम्स, अस्पताल और हृदय संबंधी प्रक्रियाओं को करने वाले क्लिनिकों, जो कोरोनरी स्टेंट का प्रयोग करते हैं, उन्हें अधिकतम मूल्य सीमा का अनुपालन करना होगा. उद्योग पर प्रभाव उद्योग के अनुमानों के अनुसार भारत में दवा का कुल बाजार करीब 50 मिलियन डॉलर का है. भविष्य में इसके कई गुना अधिक बढ़ने की संभावना है क्योंकि भारतीय आबादी में मधुमेह और उच्च रक्तचाप की समस्या काफी अधिक है. कोरोनरी स्टेंट को मूल्य नियंत्रण के तहत लाने के फायदे और नुकसान का विश्लेषण करने वाली प्रमुख समिति ने पिछले वर्ष सरकार को भेजी अपनी रिपोर्ट में भारत में कोरोनरी आर्टरी डिजिज (सीएडी) के काफी अधिक होने की बात का उल्लेख किया था और उसे "प्रमुख सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य समस्या" बताया था. इसलिए सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य के लिए स्टेंट को "अनिवार्य", मूल्य नियंत्रण सिद्धांत की मुख्य कसौटी, बताया गया है. उद्योग स्टेंट को प्राइस कैप में लाने से खुश नहीं है. कई भविष्यवाणियों में यह दावा किया गया है कि मरीजों को उद्योग में होने वाले नवीनतम तकनीकी प्रगति से वंचित किया जा रहा है. लेकिन कई स्वास्थ्य कार्यकर्ताओं ने इस कदम का स्वागत किया है. कार्यकर्ताओं ने कहा है कि वे जनता के हितों में संतुलन बनाने के लिए डीपीसीओ के अनुच्छेद 19 के प्रयोग का समर्थन करते हैं. लोगों पर प्रभाव कुछ शोधों के अनुसार चिकित्सा खर्च एक व्यक्ति की आमदनी का लगभग 60 फीसदी हिस्सा ले लेते हैं. यह भारत में स्वास्थ्य की दुखद कहानी और क्यों लोग स्वास्थ्य, भोजन और आवास के पैमाने पर खरे  नहीं उतरते, को बयां करता है.भारत अपेक्षाकृत एक गरीब देश है. इसलिए जीवन–रक्षक दवाओं और चिकित्सा उपकणों के मूल्यों में कमी हमेशा भारत के लोगों के बीच स्वागत योग्य कदम माना जाएगा.

Parliament passes Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Parliament passes Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 Parliament on 9 March 2017 passed the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The Bill seeks to amends the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha during the parliament session. The Bill had already been passed by the Rajya Sabha in August 2016 during the Winter Session. With this, the Bill stands passed in the Parliament. The Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Act, 2016 will come into the force only after the President’s assent to the Bill. Provisions of the Bill
• It seeks to increase maternity leave available to working women from the current 12 weeks to 26 weeks for the first two children
• Maternity leave for children beyond the first two will continue to be 12 weeks.
• Maternity leave of 12 weeks to be available to mothers who adopt a child below the age of three months.
• It also provides maternity leave of 12 weeks to the commissioning mothers. The commissioning mother is defined as biological mother who uses her egg to create an embryo planted in any other woman.
• Every establishment with more than 50 employees to provide for crèche facilities for working mothers and such mothers will be permitted to make four visits during working hours to look after and feed the child in the crèche.
• The employer may permit a woman to work from home if it is possible to do so.
• Every establishment will be required to make these benefits available to the women from the time of her appointment. Background The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 2016 by the Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya. The amendment bill is applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more persons. The amendments will help around 18 lakh women workforce in organised sector.

India, Belgium signed Protocol amending Double Taxation

India, Belgium signed Protocol amending Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and Protocol India and Belgium on 9 March 2017 signed a protocol that amends the existing agreement and protocol between the two countries for Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income. The protocol was signed in New Delhi. The signed protocol will help the Union Government in its fight against the black money that is stashed in the offshore accounts. Fight against the black money has been a key priority area of the Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India, Kazakhstan signed protocol to amend Double Taxation Avoidance Convention Key Highlights of the Protocol • It broadens the scope of the existing framework for the exchange of tax-related information. • It will help the government to curb tax evasion and tax avoidance between the two nations.
• It will also enable mutual assistance in collection of taxes. Signatories on behalf of the India and Belgium
• India: Sushil Chandra, Chairman Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) • Belgium: Jan Luykx, Ambassador of Belgium to India Steps taken in the financial year 2016-17 by Government to support its fight against Black Money stashed in offshore accounts include
• During the financial year 2016-17, India has either signed or amended international agreements, declarations or conventions for the Avoidance of Double Taxation & Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and for the Exchange of Information with several nations like Switzerland, Japan, Mauritius, Cyprus, Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, Singapore and Austria.

SC sets deadline for long-pending criminal cases in HC's & Trial Courts across country

SC sets deadline for long-pending criminal cases in HC's & Trial Courts across country The Supreme Court on 10 March 2017 fixed deadlines for deciding long-pending criminal cases in high courts and trial courts across the country. The two-judge bench of the apex court comprising of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice UU Lalit said denial of speedy justice is a threat to public confidence in the administration of justice. It said the fundamental right to speedy trial cannot be denied even on the plea of non-availability of financial resources. Issuing a slew of directions to all high courts, the apex court asked them to issue directions to subordinate courts to decide bail pleas normally within one week. Besides, it asked the high courts’ to ask magistrates to conclude trial in petty offences, where undertrials are in jails, within six months. Highlights of Supreme Court’s direction
• It said that the session’s court will have to conclude trials in serious offences within two years if the accused are in jail. It added that strict adherence to the timeline is ensured by making it a part of Annual Confidential Reports of judicial officers.
• It said efforts be made to dispose of all cases which are five years old by the end of the year.
• The bench also asked the high court’s to prepare and issue as well as monitor appropriate action plans for subordinate courts.
• The apex court said appropriate monitoring mechanism on the administrative side as well as on the judicial side be set up by high courts for speedy disposal of cases of undertrials pending in subordinate courts and appeals pending in high courts.

Researchers find evidence confirming existence of Ostrich in ancient India

Researchers find evidence confirming existence of Ostrich in ancient India Indian researchers have found molecular evidence that confirms the presence of ostrich in India more than 25000 years ago. The evidence was founding during a DNA analysis of a fossilised eggshell fragment of ostrich. In the study, the researchers found 92% genetic similarity between the fossil eggshell samples and Struthio camelus, species of ostrich found in Africa. The results were published in a journal called PLOS ONE.
Key Highlights
• This is the first time that molecular evidence indicating the presence of ostrich in India was found in the eggshell fragments. The fragments have been studied previously as well using morphological features but no sufficient proof could be obtained then that confirmed the existence of the birds in the country.
• The analysed samples have close similarities with the African ostrich species, which indicates the movement of these birds between the two regions before the Indian landmass drifted away from Africa. • In total 11 fossilised eggshell samples from 8 archaeological sites in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat were studied.
• The DNA was isolated from five samples and a tiny portion of a highly conserved mitochondrial region was enlarged and then sequenced from one of the samples.
• The other four samples had less than 30 base pairs and so, were not included in the study. Centre to Launch Pilot Project on Ornamental Fisheries Commenting on the whole process, one of the authors of the paper -Kumarasamy Thangara from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad stated that they could only amplify a small portion of the DNA as the sample was highly degraded. He further explained that it is very challenging to isolate DNA from ancient samples and it was more so in this case as the samples were exposed to the hostile environment. This is the first time that a long-term DNA preservation in fossil eggshell collected from tropical environments has been studied in India.

Mohan Bhagwat awarded honorary Doctor of Science degree

Mohan Bhagwat awarded honorary Doctor of Science degree Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat on 9 March 2017 was conferred honorary degree of Doctor of Science (DSc) by the city-based Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University. Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra, handed over the honorary degree to Bhagwat at the convocation of the varsity. Bhagwat is a veterinary doctor by training. The RSS chief was honoured with the degree for his contribution in the field of veterinary sciences and social work. About Mohan Bhagwat
• Born on 11 September 1950, Mohan Bhagawat is the current Chief of the Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
• In March 2009, he was chosen as the successor to K. S. Sudarshan.
• He is one of the youngest leaders to head the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh after Dr. K. B. Hedgewar and M.S.Golwalkar.
• He completed his schooling from Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya.
• He graduated in Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry from Government Veterinary College, Nagpur.
• Towards the end of 1975, he dropped out of his postgraduate course in Veterinary Sciences and became a pracharak of the RSS.
• From 1991 to 1999, he became Akhil Bharatiya Sharirik Pramukh for India.
• Later, he was promoted as Akhil Bharatiya Pracharak Pramukh.
• At Z+ VVIP security cover, he is one of the most protected Indians today.

Railways Ministry and UNEP sign Letters of Intent on Environment

Railways Ministry and UNEP sign Letters of Intent on Environment Initiatives The Ministry of Railways on 9 March 2017 signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to formalise the joint cooperation in the area of environmental conservation. The agreement will help in exploring the opportunity and developing a joint cooperation mechanism in the field of Environment & Sustainability. Focussed areas of Letter of Intent
• Collaborate in formulating specific roadmap for achieving 20 per cent reduction in water consumption at railway establishments.
• Collaborate in the development of a draft action plan for establishing waste management centres at major stations on Indian railways.
• Collaborate in the development of a draft action plan for Indian railways on sustainable public procurement for green technology. This joint co-operation will help Indian Railways in achieving its green objectives. Railway is already taking several green initiatives and is going to produce 1000MW solar energy. Background Indian Railways, that carries 23 million passengers every day, is the largest consumer of water as well as electricity in the country. It is also the major contributor to green environment due to reduced GHG emissions. Indian Railways have been taking a number of steps towards Water Management, Energy Conservation, Solid Waste Management and Green buildings. On the other hand, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading organization within the United Nations in the field of environment and majorly focuses on the conservation, protection, enhancement and support of nature and natural resources worldwide. Hence, both the organisations collaborated to further these common goals and objectives within their respective mandates and governing rules and regulations.

Current Affairs One liners of the Week: 5 March to 11 March 2017

Current Affairs One liners of the Week: 5 March to 11 March 2017 The one liner of the week is a recap of the important happenings that occurred between 5 March to 11 March 2017. The important happenings of the week covered in this segment include HCFC Phase Out Management Plan, Saraswati Samman 2016 and World Kidney Day .
•    India's 1st lunar probe spacecraft that was found by the NASA scientists by using a new ground-based radar technique is - Chandrayaan-1
•    The Uttarakhand High Court has directed this state government to admit children who lost their parents during a flood in the Navodaya Vidyalayas and bear the expenses for it - 2013 Kedarnath tragedy
•    Pakistan government today introduced a constitutional amendment bill in Parliament to revive the controversial special military courts for - Trying hardcore militants
•    Companies that have apologised for using Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph in their advertisements, without permission are - Reliance Jio and Paytm
•    The World Kidney Day was observed on 9 March 2017 with the theme - Kidney Disease and Obesity: Healthy Lifestyle for Healthy Kidneys
•    This Konkani writer was selected for the Saraswati Samman 2016 - Mahabaleshwar Sail
•    The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) signed a MoU with this Central Armed Police Force for execution of skill development programmes - Sashastra Seema Bal
•    It is for this period the Union Government recently launched the Stage II of India’s HCFC Phase Out Management Plan - 2017-2023
•    India successfully test-fired this supersonic cruise missile recently - BrahMos
• This country is hosting the inaugural commonwealth summit 2017, which is largely focused on stimulating trade within the group – The United Kingdom
• Researchers have found molecular evidence confirming the presence of this bird species in India more than 25000 years ago- Ostrich
• This sector has been allocated the highest funds in the Delhi budget for the fiscal year 2017-18- Education
• Sentinel-2B satellite in the series of Sentinel satellite was launched by - European Union
• The Swachh Shakti 2017 – A Convention of Women Sarpanches was held in - Gujarat
• The 11th edition of North-East Business Summit (NEBS) started in - New Delhi
• The university that recently conferred honorary degree of Doctor of Science on RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat is - Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University
• The South Korean President whose impeachment was upheld by the Constitutional Court ending his/her presidency is - Park Geun-hye
• The person recently re-elected as the President of the European Council is - Donald Tusk
• The sportsperson named as the new ambassador of the Chinese Super League is - Diego Maradona • Number of un-served airports and airstrips of the state governments, Airports Authority of India and Civil enclaves that will be revived after the approval by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affair (CCEA) is – 50
• The Trade Mark (TM) Rules, 2017 came into effect from 6 March 2017 will replace the erstwhile Trade Mark Rules, 2002 brings down the number of TM forms from existing 74 to – 8
• In Sri Lanka, an opposition party has demanded to appoint a special presidential commission (SPC) to review - the Hambantota Port Agreement with a Chinese company
• Institute/College of India that was ranked at 8th among top 10 in Times Higher Education 2017 list of world's best small universities is - Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
• The anti-missile system that is being deployed by the US in South Korea after defiant North’s latest test is - THAAD
• The Indian pacers that are currently sharing the Number One spot in the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers are - Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin
• Indian women hockey team recently clinched a five-match Test series against – Belarus
• The person recently named as the Regional Director of Ford Foundation for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka is - Pradeep Nair
• This country is hosting the fifth edition of the mega cultural festival ‘India by the Nile’ – Egypt
• This state among the United States of America is seeking to challenge Trump’s new immigration order – Hawaii
• The citizens of this country gained permission to travel to the European Union nations without having a visa- Georgia
• Noted Bengali folk music singer who passed away recently - Kalika Prasad Bhattacharya
• Online web platform launched by Karnataka to report the performance and achievements of the government to the citizen - Pratibimba
• India’s first biometric-based payment system Aadhaar Pay was launched by - IDFC Bank
• The Advanced S-300 Missile Defence System of Iran which became operational was manufactured by - Russia
• BSE Institute will organise a two-day 'Dalal Street Lit Fest 2017' at its premises in from 10 March 2017 in – Mumbai
• In US, former Utah Republican Governor who has accepted President Donald Trump's offer to be Ambassador to Russia is - Jon Huntsman
• State Bank of India has decided to reintroduce penalty on non-maintenance of minimum balance in accounts from – 1 April 2017
• The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, the retirement fund body of India, has extended the last date of submission of digital life certificate through Jeevan Pramaan Patra (JPP) under Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) to - 31 March 2017  
• Veteran journalist Arvind Padmanabhan passed away recently. He worked with – IANS
• CCEA approved the proposal for revival of 50 un-served airports and airstrips of - the state governments, Airports Authority of India and Civil enclaves
• The Trade Mark Rules, 2017 that came into effect from 6 March 2017 to streamline and simplify the processing of Trade Mark applications replaces - the erstwhile Trade Mark Rules, 2002
• This Padma Bhushan awardee was appointed as the adviser to the Odisha government for its ongoing public health programmes - K Srinath Reddy
• The foreign ministry of North Korea has temporarily banned citizens of this country from leaving the Democratic People's Republic of Korea – Malaysia
• This country has violated UN’s ban on developing missile technology, prompting UN Security Council to call for an emergency meeting – North Korea
• US President Donald Trump’s new executive order spared this Muslim majority country from the immigration ban – Iraq
• The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation organised a national conference in New Delhi on - Jal Kranti Abhiyan
• The socialist politician and former Lok Sabha speaker who passed away recently is - Rabi Ray
• The Union Cabinet recently approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between India and the United Nations Entity of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women). The headquarters of the UN-Women are located in - New York City
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently released a special commemorative postage stamp on 100 years of Yogoda Satsang Math, which is located at - Dakshineswar, Kolkata, West Bengal
• Rene Preval, who passed away recently, had served as the President of - Haiti
• The book The Rise of Sivagami : Book 1 of Baahubali - Before the Beginning was written by - Anand Neelakanthan
• The Union Cabinet gave its approval for India’s accession to the TIR Convention, which is related to - International transportation of goods
• The Union Cabinet approved the signing of a MoU on renewable energy with this country - Portugal • The Union Cabinet approved the signing of a MoU on Energy Efficiency Services with this country – The UAE
• The Dahej Petrochemicals Complex that was dedicated to the nation located in – Gujarat
• The government of this State proposed a Smart Mosquito Density System to fight vector-borne diseases – Andhra Pradesh
• The women’s singles title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2017 was won by - Elina Svitolina • Identify the country that pegged its GDP growth target for 2017 at a 25-year low - China • The men’s singles title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2017 was won by – Andy Murray
• Scientists of this country developed the first all-solid-state battery cells recently – The USA
• The Union government has launched the first-ever across-the-river survey to determine the population of aquatic life in – Ganga
• This city is going to host the three-day event, Destination North East 2017 – Chandigarh
• This historic ship, known as the world’s oldest aircraft carrier was decommissioned on 6 March 2017 – INS Viraat
• The Wildlife Institute of India is planning to use drones to monitor the habitat of – Tigers   
• The famous liver surgeon, who also performed first successful liver transplant on a human patient, passed away recently. His name is - Thomas E Starzl
• The West Bengal Government recently granted official language status to tribal language Kurukh. The language is – a Dravidian language
• The winner of the 2017 ATP Mexican Open Men’s Singles title is - Sam Querrey
• The w inners of the 2017 Dubai Tennis Championships Men’s Doubles title are - Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau
• West Bengal Clinical Establishments Bill, 2017 passed by state assembly will replace - West Bengal Clinical Establishments Bill, 2010
• Syed Shahabuddin, who died recently, was a - politician
• Country that fired several banned ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast recently - North Korea
• The two states that in March 2017 agreed to resume works on Shahpur Kandi Dam project are - Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir

won the 2017 Assembly Elections of Uttar Pradesh

won the 2017 Assembly Elections of Uttar Pradesh Election Commission of India on 11 March 2017 announced the results of the 2017 Assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh. The elections were held in 7 phases between 7 February and 8 March 2017 for 403 assembly seats. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which fought the state election without declaring its Chief Ministerial candidate, is all set for a two-third majority in Uttar Pradesh. To win the state, the party was successful by winning 322 seats, which also makes it the largest party in the state. On the other hand, the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was voted out of the power in the state. The party that fought the elections in alliance with India’s oldest Party, Indian National Congress (INC), after seeing a month long family feud was decimated to 55 seats. Besides, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Mayawati that ruled the state under her for five times was able to win 21 seats. Mayawati ruled the states from 3 June 1995 to 18 October 1995 (for five months), 21 March 1997 to 21 September 1997 (for 6 months), 3 May 2002 to 29 August 2003 and 13 May 2007 to 7 March 2012. Uttar Pradesh Results 2017 – Party wise Seats Party Won Leading SP+ 55 0 BSP 18 2 NDA 317 6 OTHERS 5 5 Election in Alapur Assembly constituency in Ambedkar Nagar of Uttar Pradesh was postponed due to the death of a Samajwadi Party candidate. Polling was held on 9 March 2017.

Kidney Day 2017 observed with theme Kidney Disease and Obesity 9 March 2017

Kidney Day 2017 observed with theme Kidney Disease and Obesity 9 March 2017: World Kidney Day (WKD) The World Kidney Day 2017 was observed on 9 March 2017 with the theme Kidney Disease and Obesity: Healthy Lifestyle for Healthy Kidneys. The WKD 2017 sought to promote education about the harmful consequences of obesity and its association with kidney diseases. About World Kidney Day
• The WKD is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).
• The day is a global health awareness campaign with a focus on the importance of the kidneys.
• The day was launched to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
• The themes of the World Kidney Day since its beginning in 2006  are – 2017: Kidney Disease and Obesity: Healthy Lifestyle for Healthy Kidneys. 2016: Kidney Disease & Children. Act Early to Prevent It! 2015: Kidney Health for All 2014: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and aging 2013: Kidneys for Life – Stop Kidney Attack! 2012: Donate – Kidneys for Life – Receive 2011: Protect your kidneys: Save your heart 2010: Protect your kidneys: Control diabetes 2009: Protect your kidneys: Keep your pressure down 2008: Your amazing kidneys! 2007: CKD: Common, harmful and treatable 2006: Are your kidneys OK? The International Society of Nephrology (ISN)
• The ISN is a not-for-profit society dedicated to advancing the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of kidney diseases.
• The society, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010, is active in over 126 countries across the world. The International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF)
• The IFKF, a not-for-profit federation, was established in 1999. • At present, it has a membership of 63 kidney foundations and patient groups in more than 41 countries.
• The foundation seeks to improve the health, well-being and quality of life of individuals with kidney disease.

Union Government launched Stage II of India’s HCFC Phase Out Management Plan

Union Government launched Stage II of India’s HCFC Phase Out Management Plan The Union Government launched the Stage II of India’s HCFC Phase Out Management Plan (HPMP) for the 2017-23 period. The plan was launched by the Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge) Anil Madhav Dave in March 2017 in New Delhi.
Features of HPMP II
• It seeks to phase out the use of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and harmful ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
• It also promotes the usage of non-ozone depleting and low global warming potential technologies.
• Under the HPMP-II, India secured USD 44.1 million from the Multilateral Fund for Implementation of Montreal Protocol of the United Nations for phasing out 8,190 MT of HCFC consumption from 2017 to 2023.
• The plan will cover more than 400 enterprises, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the foam manufacturing sector.
• And, 6 large air-conditioning manufacturing enterprises will be supported for conversion to non-HCFC technologies from HCFCs.
• The plan will promote energy efficiency, adoption of green building norms and cold chain development with non-HCFC alternatives.
• The plan gives adequate attention to synergize the Refrigeration and Servicing (RAC) servicing sector trainings under the Skill India Mission. As per the plan, nearly 16,000 service technicians will be trained under HPMP-II.
• The plan is expected to result in net direct CO2-equivalent emission reductions of about 8.5 million metric tonnes annually from 2023. Background
• The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion including HCFCs.
• Under the Montreal Protocol, various initiatives to phase out Hydrochlorofluorcarbons (HCFCs) were taken up with an aim to complete phase out by 2030 of these chemicals.
• At present, HCFCs are used in various sectors like refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) and polyurethane foam manufacturing. • As a signatory to the Montreal Protocol, The HPMP Stage-I has been already implemented in the country, which has successfully met all the ODS phase-out targets.

Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail honoured with Saraswati Samman

Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail honoured with Saraswati Samman 2016 Prominent Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail was on 9 March 2017 selected for the Saraswati Samman 2016 for his novel Hawthan. The 74-year-old writer's novel, published in 2009, was shortlisted from 22 books written in as many languages. The selection for the award was made by a jury presided by the 29th Chief Justice of India (CJI) AS Anand. Who is Mahabaleshwar Sail?
• Mahabaleshwar Sail is Goa-based renowned bi-lingual writer. So far, he wrote 4 Marathi dramas and 7 Konkani novels.
• Sail also written 5 short stories and a novel in Marathi.
• The novel 'Hawthan' is a well-researched work of fiction. The book presents the cultural map of the traditional potter community of Goa.Mohan Bhagwat awarded honorary Doctor of Science degree About Saraswati Samman
• It is named after Goddess Saraswati, Indian goddess of learning. The award was instituted in 1991 by the KK Birla Foundation. • The award consists of 15 lakh rupees, a citation and a plaque.
• The inaugural award was given to Harivanshrai Bachchan for his four volume autobiography - Kya Bhooloon Kya Yaad Karoon, Needa Ka Nirman Phir, Basere Se Door and Dashdwar Se Sopan Tak.
• The Saraswati Samman for 2015 was given to Padma Sachdev for her autobiography titled Chitt-Chete, which was written in Dogri language.

Quizzes for the week 06 March to 12 March 2017

Quizzes for the week 06 March to 12 March 2017 covers the most important happenings of the week. These quizzes will help you in revising the week at an ease, as it hosts the most important occurrences or happenings of the week that may be asked in the nearest competitive exam that will be faced by you. The quizzes covered in this weekly segment include President of the European Council, 2017-18 Budgets of Delhi and Rajasthan and book The Rise of Sivagami: Book 1 of Baahubali - Before the Beginning among others.
1. The Trade Mark Rules, 2017 came into effect from 6 March 2017. Consider the following statements in context to the Rules I. It replaces the erstwhile Trade Mark Rules, 2002
II. It will streamline and simplify the processing of Trade Mark applications.
III. It reduces the number of Trade Mark (TM) forms has been brought down to eight from existing 74. Which is/are correct?
a) Only II
b) Only II
c) Only I and III
d) I, II and III

2. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on 8 March 2017 presented the state budget for the financial year 2017-18. Consider the following statements in context to the Rajasthan
I. The budget proposes to develop seven grid sub-stations (GSS) in the financial year 2017-18.
II. It says that the subsidy and incentive amount under the Sahyog and Uphar Yojana would be doubled for the marriage of daughter.
III. For Economic Backward Classes (EBC) of Rajasthan, the budget announces slew of incentives for communities that fall under the bracket of EBC. Which is/are correct?
a) Only I
b) Only II
c) Only II and III
d) I, II and III

3. Manish Sisodia presented the state annual budget for the period 2017-18 on 8 March 2017 in the state’s legislative assembly. Consider the following statements in context to the Delhi budget
I. The 2017 budget also brought out an initiative in the form of a comprehensive ‘Outcome Budget’ that would monitor the outcome of the projects initiated under the new budget.
II. The allocation is 34 per cent of the total budget estimate, which is the highest education budget among all the states.
III. The 2017 budget also brought out an initiative in the form of a comprehensive ‘Outcome Budget’ that would monitor the outcome of the projects initiated under the new budget.   Which is/are correct? a) Only II
b) Only II
c) Only I and III
d) I, II and III

4. Name the Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) that was commission in Indian Navy at Karwar in March 2017.
a) INS Tillanchang
b) INS Tihayu
c) INS Tarmugli
d) None of the above

5. Who authored the book The Rise of Sivagami: Book 1 of Baahubali - Before the Beginning?
a) Ram Kamal Mukherjee
b) Anand Neelakanthan
c) Yasser Usman
d) K Vijay Kumar

6. Who of the following was recently re-elected as the President of the European Council? a) Jean-Claude Juncker
b) Tony Blair
c) Donald Tusk
d) José Manuel Barroso

7. Sentinel-2B satellite in the series of Sentinel satellite was launched by whom?
a) The United States
b) European Union
c) North America
d) Middle East

8. India’s first biometric-based payment system Aadhaar Pay was launched by which bank?
a) ICICI Bank
b) IDFC Bank
c) HDFC Bank
d) IDBI Bank

9. The citizens of which country have gained permission to travel to the European Union nations without a visa?
a) Ukraine
b) Georgia
c) Moldova
d) Turkey

10. Which country is hosting the fifth edition of the mega cultural festival ‘India by the Nile’?
a) Ethiopia
b) Egypt
c) Burundi
d) Uganda

11. The West Bengal Clinical Establishments Bill, 2017 passed by state assembly will replace which bill?
a) West Bengal Clinical Establishments Bill, 2010
b) Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2001
c) West Bengal Clinical Care Commission Bill, 1999
d) Clinical Research & Education Bill, 2007

12. US President Donald Trump’s new executive order spared which Muslim majority country from the immigration ban?
a) Iran
b) Iraq
c) Sudan
d) Yemen

13. Name the two states that in March 2017 agreed to resume works on Shahpur Kandi Dam project.
a) Punjab and Haryana
b) Punjab and Rajasthan
c) Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir d) Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh

14. The West Bengal Government recently granted official language status to tribal language Kurukh. The language belongs to which of the following language family?
a) Austro-Asiatic
b) Dravidian
c) Tibeto-Barman
d) Munda

15. Which historic ship, known as the world’s oldest aircraft carrier was decommissioned on 6 March 2017?
a) INS Vikrant
b) INS Arihant
c) INS Viraat
d) INS Chakra

ANSWER 1. (d) I, II and III This newly notified trade mark rules will replace the erstwhile Trade Mark Rules, 2002 and streamline and simplify the processing of Trade Mark applications. The best part of the revamped trade mark rules is that the number of Trade Mark (TM) forms has been brought down to eight from existing 74.
2. (c) Only II and III The budget proposes to develop several grid sub-stations (GSS) in the financial year 2017-18 and they are 2 GSS of 400 KV, 6 GSS of 220 KV, 15 GSS of 132 KV and 200 GSS of 33 KV.
3. (c) Only I and III The allocation is 24 per cent of the total budget estimate, which is the highest education budget among all the states. Total budget: Rs 11300 crore.
4. (a) INS Tillanchang INS Tillanchang, a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) was commissioned into the Indian Navy, at Karwar on 9 March 2017. It was commissioned by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.
5. (b) Anand Neelakanthan The book titled The Rise of Sivagami : Book 1 of Baahubali - Before the Beginning was written by Anand Neelakanthan. He has authored three fiction books based on the Indian epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
6. (c) Donald Tusk European Union president Donald Tusk won a second term on 9 March 2017 despite opposition from his native Poland, vowing he would try make the bloc “better” in the wake of Brexit.
7. (b) European Union Sentinel-2B satellite developed by European Space Agency (ESA) was launched as a part of European Union Copernicus environmental monitoring system. The satellite weighing 1.1 tonne was lifted into the orbit from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
8. (b) IDFC Bank IDFC Bank launched India’s first biometric-based payment system Aadhaar Pay App that has been developed by IDFC Bank under the guidance of the Ministry of IT, NITI Aayog, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
9.(b) Georgia Des: On 27 February 2017, the Council of the European Union adopted the regulation on visa liberalization for Georgia, thereby allowing Georgian nations to visit European Union nations for a period of 90 days without a visa from 28 March 2017.
10. (b) Egypt The fifth edition of the mega cultural festival ‘India by the Nile’ began in Cairo, Egypt on 8 March 2017. The festival aims to showcase the diversity in India’s culture, art and cuisine and also to strengthen India’s partnership with Egypt.
11. (a) West Bengal Clinical Establishments Bill, 2010 The West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Bill, 2017 was passed by the state legislative assembly with full support. The Bill aims to regulate the private hospitals and bring transparency and take necessary steps to stop medical negligence in health institutes.
12. (b) Iraq US President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on 6 March 2017, reinstating an immigration ban on six Muslim majority countries. Iraq was spared from the ban in order to enhance US-Iraqi cooperation in the fight against Islamic State terrorists.
13. (c) Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab on 3 March 2017 agreed to resume works on Shahpur Kandi Dam project in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. The agreement was reached due to the meditation efforts of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
14. (b) Dravidian The West Bengal Government granted official language status to endangered tribal language Kurukh. The official language status was given to the endangered language by the state government in February 2017. However, the announcement was recently made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.  Kurukh is a Dravidian language.
15. (c) INS Viraat The world’s oldest aircraft carrier in active service, INS Viraat will be decommissioned on 6 March 2017. The iconic carrier will receive a ceremonial send off in Mumbai. Similar to the decommissioning of INS Vikrant, India’s first aircraft carrier in January 1997, INS Viraat’s send off would also be an emotional moment for the naval officers and other personnel who were deployed on the ship