ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

92 percent of world’s population is breathing unhealthy air: WHO World Health Organization (WHO) on 27 September 2016 released its report on pollution, which is extremely worrying. The report claims that 92 percent of the world’s population lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO limits. This mean, 9 out of 10 people globally are breathing poor quality air. Maria Neira, head of the WHO's department of public health and environment, termed the report as a 'public health emergency'. She also urged governments to take up measures like cutting the number of vehicles on the road, improving waste management and promotion of clean cooking fuel. The WHO report is based on data collected from more than 3000 sites across the globe. According to the report, poorer countries have much dirtier air than the developed world. Green Peace India released report on National Air Quality Index of 17 cities How the report was made? The report is based on WHO’s new air quality model that is based on data derived from satellite measurements, air transport models and ground station monitors. The model was developed by WHO in collaboration with the University of Bath, United Kingdom. Air pollution’s toll on human health Some 3 million deaths a year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution can be just as deadly. In 2012, an estimated 6.5 million deaths (11.6% of all global deaths) were associated with indoor and outdoor air pollution together. Nearly 90 percent of air-pollution-related deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, with nearly 2 out of 3 occurring in WHO’s South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. WHO says that 94 percent are due to non-communicable diseases – notably cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Air pollution also increases the risks for acute respiratory infections. Sources of air pollution Major sources of air pollution include inefficient modes of transport, household fuel and waste burning, coal-fired power plants, and industrial activities. However, not all air pollution originates from human activity. For example, air quality can also be influenced by dust storms, particularly in regions close to deserts.

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

Tamil Nadu tops list of endemic flowering plants Botanical Survey of India (BSI) in the last week of September 2016 announced that almost one of every four species of flowering plants found in India is endemic to the country. Of these, Tamil Nadu garners the highest number of species with 410. Tamil Nadu is followed by Kerala with 357 and Maharashtra with 278. Key highlights • As per scientific data in a recently released book, Endemic Vascular Plants of India, of the 18259 flowering plants reported in the country, 4303 are found only in India. • When it comes to the geographical distribution of endemic plants, the Western Ghats tops the list with about 2116 species, followed by the Eastern Himalayas with 466 species. • At least 37 species of Black plum Syzyguim (Jamun), 10 varieties of Musa (banana), along with 274 species of orchids are found only in India. • Four different varieties of roses, two herbs and two climbers and 12 species of jasmines are exclusively found in India. • When it comes to spices, 45 species belong to the common black pepper family, 19 species of ginger and 13 different kinds of large cardamom. • There are also 40 species of bamboos, which are endemic to India. • Further some of these endemic species are restricted to only certain areas of the country, like Nepenthes khasiana, an insectivorous plant only found in the Khasi hills of Meghalaya. • A total of 58 generea of flowering plants have been found to be endemic to India. • As far as endemism regarding vascular plants in India is concerned, the publication reveals that of the 19635 vascular plants found in the country, 4381 are endemic. This includes 4303 angiosperms or flowering plants, 12 gymnosperms and 66 ferns and fern allies which come under the group Pteridophytes. • Among the most widely exploited endemic plants in country is Pterocarpus santalinus, commonly known as red sandal wood, which is found only in the southern parts of the Eastern Ghats. This plant is classified as critically endangered under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) category. About Botanical Survey of India • The Botanical Survey of India is an institution set up by the Government of India in 1890 to survey the plant resources of the Indian empire. • The Botanical Survey was formally instituted on 13 February 1890 under the direction of Sir George King, who had been superintendent of Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta since 1871. • King was the first ex-officio Director of BSI.

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

New species of Pika discovered in the Sikkim Himalayas Researchers at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru have recently identified a new species of Pika named Ochotona sikimaria high up in the Sikkim Himalayas. The Findings were published in the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution as a paper titled Genetics, morphology and ecology reveal a cryptic Pika lineage in the Sikkim Himalaya on 15 September 2016. The team of researchers including Dr Uma Ramakrishnan and her collaborators probed the genetic origins of the little mammal Pika to discover an entirely new lineage, with a unique evolutionary past. Highlights of the Study • Researchers used genetic tools in order to understand the origin and evolution of the Pika species commonly found in the Sikkim Himalayas and worked with Pika droppings to obtain DNA samples. • By comparing DNA sequences from these samples with those of commonly known Pika sequences from across the world, they concluded that there were clear differences. • Gaining a deeper understanding of the evolutionary history of this species, the researchers chose to compare the Sikkim Pika to its close relatives in China. • This analysis confirmed the fact that the new species is indeed distinct and not merely a subspecies of the Moupin Pika, as was previously believed. • Multiple lines of evidence, including genetics, ecology and morphometrics, were used clarify the origins of the Sikkim Pika and to establish that it is indeed a distinct species. About Pikas • Pikas are members of the rabbit family and live either high up in the mountains or in cold (temperate) places as they are highly cold-adapted. • This feature of their biology makes them sensitive to habitat loss from increasing global temperature. • The majority of Pika species described to date are of Asian origin. • Pikas are particularly important because they are considered indicators of climate change based on studies in North America. • Unlike other mammalian species inhabiting such harsh environments, Pikas do not hibernate. • They prepare for winter by collecting and storing hay piles for their winter food.

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

India ratifies historic Paris Climate Agreement India on 2 October 2016 ratified historic Paris Agreement on climate change, giving a significant push for the deal to enter into force by the end 2016. The agreement is expected to give momentum to implementation of measures at international level to control global warming. India, the world's fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounts for 4.1 per cent of the emissions. China and the US is the biggest carbon emitter and are jointly responsible for around 40 per cent of the global carbon emissions. COP 21 under UNFCCC adopted Paris Agreement on Climate Change With India's move, a total of 62 countries accounting for almost 52 per cent of emissions, have ratified the accord. The pact will come into force after it has been ratified by at least 55 countries which account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin handed over the Instrument of Ratification signed by President Pranab Mukherjee, to Santiago Villalpando, the Head of the Treaties Division at the UN in a special ceremony in New York. The ceremony was attended by top UN officials and senior diplomats to commemorate the 147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi’s birth anniversary is observed as an International Day of Non-violence. Union Cabinet approves ratification of Paris Agreement In total, the 62 countries that have ratified the Paris Agreement account for about 51.89 per cent of the global gas emissions. This means for adoption, the agreement needs slightly more than 3 percent to reach the 55 per cent threshold. UN says that at least 14 other countries that together contribute about 12 per cent of global emissions have committed to ratify the pact before end of 2016. Earlier in September 2016, the US and China had formally ratified the Paris agreement, which was adopted by 195 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change last December in Paris. On the other hand, it is expected that the European Union and Russia, the other two among the top five emitters, will ratify the agreement soon. Paris Agreement • It was adopted by more than 190 countries at the 21st Conference of Parties of UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) held in Paris in December 2015. • It seeks to encourage global action to reduce greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. This would help in preventing catastrophic effects of climate change. • It seeks to give a momentum to actions being taken to adapt to the impacts of climate change, and raise financial and technological resources to do so. • Initially, the Paris Agreement supposed to come into operation by 2020, the year when the existing Kyoto Protocol, the international arrangement to deal with climate change, expires. But later, the deadline was dropped and it will come into force after 30-days after the minimum ratifications are over. • For few years, the Paris Agreement as well as the Kyoto Protocol would exist side by side.

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

New frog species named Litoria Bella discovered in Australia A new frog species named Cape York graceful tree frog, scientifically known as Litoria Bella, was discovered recently in Australia’s largest virgin forest in Queensland. The study was published in the journal Zootaxa on 27 September 2016. The newly discovered species closely resembles the Graceful tree frog (Litoria Gracilenta). The research and discovery was done by Dr Jodi Rowley, a curator of amphibian and reptile conservation biology at the Australian Museum, along with scientists Keith McDonald, Stephen Richards and Greta Frankham. Highlights of the Cape York graceful tree frog or Litoria Bella • The Cape York Graceful Treefrog is known from between Moa Island in the Torres Strait in the north, to about 20 km south of Coen on the Cape York Peninsula in the south. • The southern-most location of the new species is separated by 220 km from the most northern record of the Graceful Treefrog in the Endeavour Valley near Cooktown. • The Cape York Graceful frogs have a near-immaculate green dorsum, bright orange digits, bluish purple thighs and white bones. • They also measure about four centimetres long, which is considered big for the species. • They spend most of their time in the tree canopy and come down to ponds when it rains or during breeding season. • The species was thought to occur all the way from north-eastern New South Wales to northern Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. The Study • One of the researchers from the team Keith McDonald from the Queensland museum had first laid eyes on this Cape York tree frog in 2000 during one of his field-work outings. • However, the frog was determined to be a new species on 27 September 2016 after undergoing rigorous tests for a year. • By looking at differences in its appearance, as well as its advertisement call and DNA, it was concluded that the Cape York Graceful Tree frog is a distinct species, bringing the number of known frog species in Australia to 239.

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

Hurricane Matthew Death toll mounts to 300 in Haiti Hurricane Matthew after claiming lives of at least 300 people in the Caribbean nation Haiti lashed Florida with winds of 125 mph on 7 October 2016. More than two million people were evacuated from the coastal areas of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. North Carolina could also be affected as the storm moves north. President Barack Obama on 6 October 2016 declared a federal state of emergency in Florida as Hurricane Matthew's powerful winds began to be felt along the state's southeast coast. Hurricane Matthew that made its landfall in Haiti on 4 October 2016 with raging winds and storm leveled 80 percent of buildings in the peninsula’s main city, Jeremie. In Sud province 30000 homes were destroyed. The region's strongest storm in almost a decade made landfall on Haiti's Tiburon Peninsula as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 145 mph. Haiti Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is already struggling to regain its footing almost seven years after an earthquake and ensuing cholera epidemic ravaged the nation. It is one of the most deforested countries in the world. The country is located on the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. With an estimated 10.6 million people, Haiti is the most populous country in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the second-most populous country in the Caribbean as a whole.

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

ASI protected historical monuments and archaeological sites declared polythene free zones All Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected historical monuments and archaeological sites on 6 October 2016 were declared Polythene Free Zones. An advisory has been issued to all State Governments/UTs to support ASI in keeping Monuments Polythene Free up to 300 meters from the protected boundaries of the monuments. In addition, Ministry of Culture sanctioned 350 crores rupees to provide facilities like Protected Boundaries, Toilets and Disabled Friendly Access in all ASI Protected Monuments.   The ASI has ranked top 25 Adarsh Monuments on the basis of cleanliness parameters such as amenities like toilets, green lawns, Polythene Free Zone, signage for awareness, disabilities access, drinking water and provision for garbage bins and more. A World Heritage site Rani ki Vav in Gujarat has been declared as the cleanest iconic place in India. About Rani ki Vav • Rani ki vav is an intricately constructed stepwell situated in the town of Patan in Gujarat. • It is located on the banks of Saraswati River. • It was built as a memorial to an 11th century AD king. • It was added to the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites on 22 June 2014. • It was built in the complex Maru-Gurjara architectural style with an inverted temple and seven levels of stairs and holds more than 500 principle sculptures.

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

New termite species named Chiraharitae discovered A new termite species, Glyptotermes Chiraharitae, was discovered at Kakkayam in the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala. The species has been named Chiraharitae after the tropical evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, where it was discovered. The research paper describing the new species was published last week in Zoosystema, the journal of Natural History Museum, Paris. About the newly discovered species • Termites are of three types: damp wood, dry wood and subterranean. Glyptotermes Chiraharitae species are of the damp wood category. • Chiraharitae infest parts of woods with high moisture content, the decaying or rotting areas in particular. • They are exclusively wood dwelling and do not require any contact with soil. • The flying adults of this species are approximately 10 mm long, while the soldiers are around 9.5 mm long. • Its relatives are known to attack mango, sal, Rhododendron, banyan trees, Artocarpus, silver oak, and jamun trees. • In India, there 285 species of termites and among them 61 are documented from Kerala.

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

HIMANSH, India’s remote and high-altitude station opened in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) established a high altitude research station in Himalaya called HIMANSH. The station is situated above 13500 feet at a remote region in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. The station was unveiled by M. Rajeevan, Secretary to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, on 9 October 2016. The ongoing initiatives by NCAOR will contribute to the integrated study the glaciers in the upper Indus basin (Chandra basin) in Himachal Pradesh and their contribution to discharge. Key highlights of HIMANSH • The station houses many instruments to quantify the glacier melting and its relation to changing climate. • Some of the instruments that are available at the research facility include, Automatic Weather Stations for weather monitoring, water level recorder for quantifying the glacier melt, ground penetrating radar to know the thickness of glaciers, geodetic GPS systems to study the glacier movements, etc. • The researchers will use the station as a base for undertaking surveys using Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). About National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research • The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research is an Indian research and development institution, situated in Vasco, Goa. • It was established on 25 May 1998, with Dr. P C Pandey as its founding director. • It is an autonomous Institution of the Department of Ocean Development (DOD), Government of India. • It is responsible for administering the Indian Antarctic Program and maintains the Indian Government's Antarctic research station, Maitri. • At present, NCAOR is an agency working under Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India since 2006, by the notification of the President of India. • NCAOR complex is a home to a special low-temperature laboratory and is setting up a National Antarctic Data Centre and a Polar Museum.

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

India decided to eliminate potent greenhouse gas HFC-23 by 2030 India on 13 October 2016 announced its decision to eliminate the HCF-23 gas. The decision was made in line to its commitment to combat the threat emanating from climate-damaging HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons). The announcement was made by Minister of State Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Anil Dave at Kigali, Rwanda, at a meeting of parties to the Montreal Protocol, where final negotiations are taking place to substantially reduce the use of HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) by 2030.  HFC–23 gas, a potent greenhouse gas, with Global Warming Potential of 14800, is produced during the manufacture of a common refrigerant gas, HCFC-22. If vented out in environment, is a threat to the environment. HCFC stands for hydrochloroflurocarbon. Key Highlights • Companies have to internalise the cost of this environmental externality and create sufficient storage facility to take care of down time and run the incinerators to ensure and not release of HFC–23 in the atmosphere. • The move will potentially check emissions of HFC-23 equivalent to 100 million tonnes of CO2 over the next 15 years, Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment. Montreal Protocol The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was designed to reduce the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances in order to reduce their abundance in the atmosphere, and thereby protect the earth’s fragile ozone Layer. The original Montreal Protocol was agreed on 16 September 1987 and entered into force on 1 January 1989. The Montreal Protocol includes a unique adjustment provision that enables the Parties to the Protocol to respond quickly to new scientific information and agree to accelerate the reductions required on chemicals already covered by the Protocol. These adjustments are then automatically applicable to all countries that ratified the Protocol. It has been ratified by 197 parties.

SCIENCE &TECH

World's first baby born from new procedure using DNA of three people The world’s first baby was born from a new procedure that combines the DNA of three people. The baby was born in Mexico. The baby was born on 6 April 2016 after his Jordanian parents travelled to Mexico where they were cared for by US fertility specialists. The baby was born using the new and controversial technology, called mitochondrial donation, which incorporates DNA from three persons. The five-month-old boy has the usual DNA from his parents, and a small amount of genetic code from a donor. How the treatment was done? • The baby’s mother carried genes for the fatal Leigh Syndrome, which harms the developing nervous system. • The faults affect the DNA in mitochondria, the tiny battery-like structures that provide cells with energy, and are passed down from mother to child. • A team of doctors, led by John Zhang, decided to attempt the controversial procedure of mitochondrial transfer in the hope that it would give the couple a healthy child. • The doctors took the nucleus from one of the woman’s eggs and inserted it into a healthy donor’s egg that had had its own nucleus removed. Then, the egg was fertilised with the husband’s sperm. • The team created five embryos but only one developed normally. This was implanted into the mother and the baby was born nine months later. What is Mitochondrial Donation? • Mitochondrial donation is a special form of in vitro fertilization in which the future baby's mitochondrial DNA comes from a third party. • The two most common techniques in mitochondrial donation are pronuclear transfer and maternal spindle transfer. • Due to the uncharted nature of producing a child with 3 sources of DNA, this subject is currently quite contentious in the field of bioethics, as is the case with many other gene therapies. • The treatment was legalised in the UK in 2015 but so far no other country has introduced laws to permit the technique. • In February 2016, a report was issued by the U.S. Food and Drug administration declaring that further research into mitochondrial donation is ethically permissible

SCIENCE &TECH

ISRO’s communication satellite GSAT-18 successfully launched from French Guiana India on 6 October 2016 successfully launched the communication satellite GSAT-18. The satellite was launched by a heavy duty rocket of Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana. The European launcher Ariane-5 VA-231 injected GSAT-18 into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) shortly after orbiting co-passenger Sky Muster II satellite for Australian operator, National Broadband Network. After its injection into GTO, ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan took control of GSAT-18 and performed the initial orbit raising maneuvers using the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of the satellite, placing it in circular Geostationary Orbit. GSAT-18  • GSAT-18 is designed to provide continuity of services on operational satellites in C-band, Extended C-band and Ku-bands. • Weighing 3404 kilograms at lift-off and having a mission life of about 15 years, GSAT-18 will strengthen ISRO's current fleet of 14 operational telecommunication satellites. • It carries 48 communication transponders to provide services in Normal C-band, Upper Extended C-band and Ku-bands of the frequency spectrum. • GSAT-18 carries Ku-band beacon as well to help in accurately pointing ground antennas towards the satellite. • It will enable the continuity of the vital communication services in the country by replacing the currently ageing satellites. GSAT-18 is the 20th satellite from ISRO to be launched by the European space agency and the mission is the 280th for Arianespace launcher family. ISRO, which has been dependent on Ariane-5 rocket for carrying its heavier satellites, is developing GSLV Mk III for this purpose. GSAT-18's co-passenger Sky Muster II, built by Space Systems Loral in California, is aimed at bridging the digital divide, especially in the rural and isolated regions of Australia. Kourou is a French territory located in northeastern coast of South America. The launch, which was originally scheduled for 5 October 2016, was deferred by 24 hours due to unfavourable weather conditions at Kourou.

SCIENCE &TECH

Apes can think like humans: Study A new study suggests that apes have a human-like ability to guess what others are thinking, even in cases when someone holds a mistaken belief. The findings were published on 6 October 2016 in the journal Science. The study • The study was led by Krupenye and Fumihiro Kano, a comparative psychologist at Kyoto University. • The apes were shown the videos of a capering actor dressed in a King Kong suit. • The video featured an actor dressed as King Kong, who hits a man holding a long pole before darting under one of two haystacks while the human looks on. In some scenarios, the King Kong character switches haystack while the human disappears out of view behind a door. The man then reappears and smacks the haystack he thinks his assailant is hidden under. • By using eye-tracking technology, the scientists showed that 17 out of 22 apes tested switched their gaze to show they had correctly anticipated when the man would target the wrong haystack. What are the findings? • The findings, in chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans, are the first to clearly demonstrate that apes can predict another’s beliefs, even when they know that presumption is false. • On a psychology experiment, the apes were able to correctly anticipate that someone would look for a hidden item in a specific location, even if the apes knew that the item was no longer there. • The ability to predict that someone holds a mistaken belief, which psychologists refer to as a theory of mind, is seen as a landmark in cognitive development that children normally acquire by the age of five.

SCIENCE &TECH

Hubble Space Telescope detects Great Balls of Fire NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in the first week of October 2016 detected Great Balls of Fire. These superhot blobs of gas, each twice as big as the planet Mars, were being ejected near a dying star. These plasma balls are moving so fast through space that it would take only 30 minutes for them to travel from Earth to the moon. The observations suggest that these balls of fire have been appearing every 8.5 years for at least the last four centuries. The gas balls were observed near a red giant called V Hydrae that is about 1200 light-years away from Earth. Significance If scientists can discover where these balls come from, it could also explain other weird shapes seen in the cloud of gas around dying stars, some of which have been difficult for scientists to explain. About Hubble Space Telescope • The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990. It remains in operation. It could last until 2030–2040. • It is one of the largest and most versatile vital research tool and a public relations boon for astronomy. • It is named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble, and is one of NASA's Great Observatories, along with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope. • With a 2.4-meter mirror, its four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible and near infrared spectra. • It was built by the United States space agency NASA, with contributions from the European Space Agency. • The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) selects Hubble's targets and processes the resulting data, while the Goddard Space Flight Center controls the spacecraft. • It is the only telescope designed to be serviced in space by astronauts. • Its scientific successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is scheduled for launch in 2018.

SCIENCE &TECH

NASA develops electroactive bandages for wound healing The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed a high-tech electroactive bandage. The bandage creates an electric charge to help promote the healing process of wounds. Electroactive material is so sensitive that a push or even a blow on it can create an electric charge. Key features of the electroactive bandages • The fibres of the guaze are made of electroactive material Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF). • The bandage is stimulated by the heat of the body and the pressure of cell growth. Therefore, no external power source is required in order for the bandage to promote wound healing. • The device uses electrical activity to facilitate the wound healing process while protecting the wound. • The bandage also minimises infection and related complications such as illness or amputation. • The bandage could be used by military personnel wounded in the field, patients who have undergone surgery or who have suffered a serious wound and astronauts in space.

SCIENCE &TECH

Researchers at IISER used human hair to produce cathodes for solar cells Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Kolkata have found a new way to produce cathodes for solar cell. The IISER researchers have used human hair to produce cost-effective, metal-free cathodes for use in solar cells. The results have been published in the journal Carbon. This is the first time where a bio-waste-derived electrode has been used as cathode in a quantum dot sensitised solar cell device. Key highlights • The graphitic porous carbon cathode shows an impressive performance to help converting visible sunlight to electricity, which is much higher than commercially available activated carbon cathodes. • It offers higher efficiency to convert visible sunlight to electricity. • The cathode was found to generate high open-circuit voltage, which is at par with conventional platinum and activated carbon cathodes. • Producing graphitic porous carbon cathode using human hair is also simple, quick and inexpensive. • Unlike in the case of other synthetic porous carbons, no physical or chemical activation process or templates were required to produce the pores of 2-50 nanometres diameter. • The porosity, along with high surface area to volume ratio, plays an important role in adsorption-desorption of electrolyte. • The cleaned and dry human hair was first treated with sulphuric acid at 165 degrees C for 25 minutes to achieve precarbonisation. • It was then heated to different temperatures in the presence of an inert gas for six hours to carbonise and bring better electrical conductivity for efficient charge transfer.

ECONOMY

CCEA approves implementation of Project SAKSHAM The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 28 September 2016 approved ‘Project SAKSHAM’. It is a New Indirect Tax Network (Systems Integration) of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). It will help in integrating system of Central Board of Excise and Customs with the GST network before the roll out in April 2017. The total project cost involved is 2256 crore rupees which will be incurred over a period of seven years. The project SAKSHAM will help in • Implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) • Extension of the Indian Customs Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT) • Other taxpayer-friendly initiatives under Digital India and Ease of Doing Business of Central Board of Excise and Customs The implementation strategy for the project will be to ensure readiness of CBEC's IT systems by 1 April 2017, when GST is to be introduced. The upgrade of the IT systems will be carried out while keeping the existing Tax-payer services running. As predicted, all taxpayers/importers/exporters/dealers under various indirect tax laws administered by CBEC, presently about 36 lakhs, are likely to go up to over 65 lakhs after introduction of GST. CBEC's IT systems need to integrate with the Goods & Services Tax Network (GSTN) for processing of registration, payment and returns data sent by GSTN systems to CBEC, as well as act as a front-end for other modules like Audit, Appeal, Investigation. There is no overlap in the GST-related systems of CBEC and GSTN. This IT infrastructure is also urgently required for continuation of CBEC's e-Services in Customs, Central Excise & Service Tax, implementation of tax¬payer services such as scanned document upload facility, extension of Indian Customs Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT) initiative and integration with Government initiatives such as E-Nivesh, E-Taal, e-Sign. Background Introduction of GST will result in a several-fold increase in the number of taxpayers and resultant document load on the system. CBEC's current IT system was set up in 2008. It cannot cater to the increased load under GST without an immediate upgrade of its IT Infrastructure. Further, CBEC has implemented the Indian Customs Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT) and is integrating other partner agencies involved in Customs clearance in order to make the process simple and fast. The Customs EDI system which is currently operational at about 140 locations in India has to be extended to many more locations with improved response time and better service delivery. Taxpayers have to be given a facility for Upload of Digitally Signed Scanned Documents in order to reduce the physical interface with tax authorities and to increase the speed of clearance. CBEC also aims to introduce mobile services for taxpayers and departmental users to increase the outreach of its services.