As
many as 100 lakh adolescent girls per annum are expected to be
benefitted under the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent
Girls (RGSEAG)–‘Sabla’ scheme- of the Government. The
centrally-sponsored scheme was introduced in 2010-11 on a pilot basis in
200 districts in all States and UTs.
Against the allocation of Rs. 340 crore for the year 2010-11, a sum of
Rs. 330 crore (approx.) were released to States/UTs. The year 2011-12
was the first complete year of implementation of the scheme, against the
allocation of Rs. 750 crore in 2011-12, Rs. 561.11 crore have been
released to States/UTs for implementation of the scheme. As reported by
States/UTs, coverage for nutrition under Sabla in 2011-12 was 84.82 lakh
adolescent girls. An allocation of Rs. 750 crore is made for the scheme
for 2012-13.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Distribution of Water by Private Companies
The
revised draft National Water Policy (2012) inter-alia
recommends that the “Service Provider” role of the State has to be gradually
shifted to that of a regulator of services and facilitator for strengthening
the institutions responsible for planning, implementation and management of
water resources. The water related
services should be managed with community participation or brought under
appropriate “Public Private Partnership” model under close superintendence of
the regulatory authorities including the stakeholders.
The Draft National Water Policy (2012) has been prepared
after a series of consultation meeting with different stakeholders. Details of the Consultation Meetings for
review of National Water Policy held in this regard are given below:-
·
A
consultation meeting with
Members of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources,
Members of the Consultative Committee for Ministry of Water Resources and Members of the Parliamentary Forum on Water
Conservation and Management was held on 28.07.2010.
· A Brainstorming Session with Academia, Professionals and Experts was held on 26th October, 2010 regarding review of National Water Policy.
· Consultation meeting with Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) was held on 11-12 January 2011.
· Consultation meeting with Corporate Sector for Review of National Water Policy was held on 21st March 2011.
· Consultation meeting held with Panchayati Raj Institutions from
Southern States at Hyderabad: 16th June 2011,
North Eastern States at Shillong : 30th June 2011,
Northern States at Jaipur : 14th
July 2011, and
Western States at Pune : 2nd
November, 2011
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Aryavarta Gramin Bank Clerk Exam Solved Paper
General Knowledge
(Exam Held on 20-11-2011)
1. Who is a famous author of Indian origin and writes in English ?
(A) Shobha De
(B) M. S. Dhoni
(C) Shahid Kapoor
(D) Shreya Ghosal
(E) Milind Deora
Ans : (A)
2. Which of the following services is not provided by a bank ?
(A) Transfer of money
(B) Corporate loans
(C) Help in getting passports
(D) Sale of Demand Drafts
(E) Savings Bank Account
Ans : (C)
3. Which of the following is the currency of China ?
(A) Yen
(B) Taka
(C) Dollar
(D) Pesso
(E) Yuan
Ans : (E)
4. Which organization is called Bankers’ Bank ?
(A) Ministry of Finance
(B) Reserve Bank of India
(C) Securities and Exchange Board of India
(D) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(E) All Nationalised Banks
Ans : (B)
5. Which of the following is not an agricultural product ?
(A) Tea
(B) Jowar
(C) Urad
(D) Apple
(E) Calcium
Ans : (E)
6. Which of the following is the capital of Manipur ?
(A) Shillong
(B) Guwahati
(C) Tejpur
(D) Darjeeling
(E) Imphal
Ans : (E)
7. Which of the following terms is used in the field of banking & finance ?
(A) Surface Tension
(B) Know Your Customer
(C) Resistance
(D) Friction
(E) Bohr Theory
Ans : (B)
8. Which of the following is a very popular name in the field of literature ?
(A) Shahrukh Khan
(B) Abhishek Bachchan
(C) Anjali Bhagat
(D) Sania Mirza
(E) Chetan Bhagat
Ans : (E)
9. Who among the following is a famous cine actor/actress ?
(A) Kiran Desai
(B) Vikram Chandra
(C) Sonam Kapoor
(D) V. V. S. Laxman
(E) Pankaj Advani
Ans : (C)
10. Who was the first Prime Minister of India ?
(A) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
(B) Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru
(C) Smt. Indira Gandhi
(D) Smt. Sarojini Naidu
(E) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Ans : (B)
11. Which of the following is a foreign bank having branches in India ?
(A) Axis Bank
(B) ICICI Bank
(C) IDBI Bank
(D) Standard Chartered Bank
(E) Syndicate Bank
Ans : (D)
12. Who among the following is the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Union Cabinet at present ?
(A) Shri S. M. Krishna
(B) Shri P. Chidambaram
(C) Shri Pranab Mukherjee
(D) Shri Kamal Nath
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)
13. Which of the following is the host city of Olympic 2012 ?
(A) Dhaka
(B) Moscow
(C) Paris
(D) Athens
(E) London
Ans : (E)
14. Which is the capital of Nepal ?
(A) Birat Nagar
(B) Kathmandu
(C) Pokhara
(D) Gorakhpur
(E) Siwan
Ans : (B)
15. Which of the following is not the name of a country ?
(A) Bahrain
(B) Chile
(C) Denmark
(D) Fiji
(E) Euro
Ans : (E)
16. Which scheme is launched by the Govt. of India to make Indian Metros/Cities Slum free ?
(A) Indira Awas Yojana
(B) Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana
(C) Kutir Jyoti
(D) ASHA
(E) Bharat Nirman
Ans : (B)
17. Which of the following is a method of irrigation used in many countries ?
(A) Sprinkler
(B) Budding
(C) Cropping
(D) Fatterning
(E) Bubbling
Ans : (A)
18. Who among the following is the Chief Minister of Rajasthan at present ?
(A) Shri Ashok Gehlot
(B) Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia
(C) Shri Hari Dev Joshi
(D) Shri Kamal Nath
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)
19. Which of the following rivers does not flow in India ?
(A) Beas
(B) Satluj
(C) Ganga
(D) Narmada
(E) Amazon
Ans : (E)
20. Which of the following is also used to make sugar/jaggery ?
(A) Date palm
(B) Apple
(C) Mango
(D) Banana
(E) Sapota
Ans : (A)
21. Which of the following is not the name of a game played at international level ?
(A) Billiards
(B) Golf
(C) Hanball
(D) Judo
(E) Tofu
Ans : (E)
22. What does the letter ‘A’ denote in the term ‘VAT’, the name of a tax levied by the Govt. of India ?
(A) Added
(B) Applied
(C) Attached
(D) Attracted
(E) Allocated
Ans : (A)
23. Islamabad is the capital of—
(A) Pakistan
(B) Afghanistan
(C) Bangladesh
(D) Iraq
(E) Iran
Ans : (A)
24. Which of the following is a major Tea producing state in India ?
(A) Uttar Pradesh
(B) Bihar
(C) Chhattisgarh
(D) Assam
(E) Punjab
Ans : (D)
25. Who among the following is the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India at present ?
(A) Dr. K. C. Chakraborty
(B) Mr. U. K. Sinha
(C) Dr. D. Subbarao
(D) Shri Anand Sinha
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)
26. Which is a Nationalised Bank ?
(A) Yes Bank
(B) Axis Bank
(C) South Indian Bank
(D) Bank of Maharashtra
(E) Karnataka Bank
Ans : (D)
27. Which of the following is not grown as a vegetable ?
(A) Spinach
(B) Cauliflower
(C) Carrot
(D) Mango
(E) Cabbage
Ans : (D)
28. Which of the following books is written by V. S. Naipaul ?
(A) My Story
(B) My Life
(C) Sunny Days
(D) A House for Mr. Bishwas
(E) A Himalayan Love Story
Ans : (D)
29. Who among the following is a famous cartoonist ?
(A) Barkha Dutt
(B) Saeed Naqvi
(C) Prabhu Chawla
(D) R. K. Laxman
(E) M. F. Hussain
Ans : (D)
30. Which of the following terms is associated with the game of cricket ?
(A) Love
(B) Capture
(C) Follow-on
(D) Kick
(E) Punch
Ans : (C)
31. Who is the President of USA at present ?
(A) Hillary Clinton
(B) Barack Obama
(C) George W. Bush
(D) Bill Clinton
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)
32. ‘Wimbledon Trophy’ is associated with the game of—
(A) Football
(B) Hockey
(C) Cricket
(D) Lawn Tennis
(E) Badminton
Ans : (D)
33. Which of the following is a Union Territory ?
(A) Assam
(B) Meghalaya
(C) Himachal Pradesh
(D) Uttarakhand
(E) Pudduchery
Ans : (E)
34. Who among the following is not a member of the Parliament at present ?
(A) Smt. Sushma Swaraj
(B) Shri Rahul Gandhi
(C) Shri Sachin Piolet
(D) Shri Anna Hazare
(E) Shri Sharad Pawar
Ans : (D)
35. In India we do not see a currency note of—
(A) Rs. 10,000
(B) Rs. 1,000
(C) Rs. 500
(D) Rs. 50
(E) Rs. 20
Ans : (A)
36. Famous Hawa Mahal is located in—
(A) Lucknow
(B) Udaipur
(C) Jaipur
(D) Bangalore
(E) Hyderabad
Ans : (C)
37. Ritcher Scale is used for measuring which of the following ?
(A) Electric current
(B) Intensity of Earthquakes
(C) Temperature
(D) Velocity of Sound
(E) Volume
Ans : (B)
38. Which is not an electronic company ?
(A) Samsung
(B) Ambuja
(C) LG
(D) Voltas
(E) BPL
Ans : (B)
39. Which of the following is a Member of G-8 ?
(A) India
(B) Pakistan
(C) Afghanistan
(D) Nepal
(E) Italy
Ans : (E)
40. Which is not a member of OPEC ?
(A) Libya
(B) Iraq
(C) Pakistan
(D) Iran
(E) Kuwait
Ans : (C)
41. Which of the following is a gas ?
(A) Methane
(B) Sodium
(C) Lead
(D) Phosphorous
(E) Potassium
Ans : (A)
42. Famous Ajanta Caves are in which state ?
(A) Maharashtra
(B) Gujarat
(C) Rajasthan
(D) Orissa
(E) Uttar Pradesh
Ans : (A)
43. ‘Sensex’ is the Sensitive Index of—
(A) Kolkata Stock Exchange
(B) Bombay Stock Exchange
(C) Beijing Stock Exchange
(D) London Stock Exchange
(E) Tokyo Stock Exchange
Ans : (B)
44. Which of the following is not the capital of a state ?
(A) Lucknow
(B) Chandigarh
(C) Shimla
(D) Samastipur
(E) Hyderabad
Ans : (D)
45. Which cup/trophy is associated with the game of cricket ?
(A) DCM Cup
(B) Ranji Trophy
(C) Nehru Gold Cup
(D) Merdeka Cup
(E) Davis Cup
Ans : (B)
46. Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy is the present President of—
(A) Italy
(B) Germany
(C) France
(D) Russia
(E) Greece
Ans : (C)
47. Which o f the following is an alloy ?
(A) Gold
(B) Copper
(C) Brass
(D) Thorium
(E) Zinc
Ans : (C)
48. Which of the following terms is used in the field of Economics ?
(A) Atomic Number
(B) Lenz’s Law
(C) Conservation of Energy
(D) Devaluation
(E) Radiation
Ans : (D)
49. Which of the following is a Horticulture product ?
(A) Sugarcane
(B) Wheat
(C) Rose
(D) Cotton
(E) Jatropha
Ans : (E)
50. Which of the following is not a member of BRICS ?
(A) Brazil
(B) Russia
(C) Iran
(D) China
(E) South Africa
Ans : (C)
Justice Dalveer Bhandari elected to the International Court of Justice
Justice Dalveer Bhandari, the judge of the Indian Supreme Court, was elected to the position of Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
in the elections held in New York, United States on 27 April 2012. He
secured 122 out of 197 votes in the General Assembly and 13 out of 15
votes in the Security Council.
Justice Dalveer Bhandari defeated the 84-year-old Justice Florentino Feliciano of the Philippines in the elections held to fill the casual vacancy following the resignation of Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh from Jordan in October 2011. He will have six-year tenure. He is eligible for re-election for a second term of nine years at the end of the present term.
Justice Bhandari will be the third Asian representative in the 15-member ICJ. As per Article 8 of the ICJ statute the General Assembly and the Security Council elect a judge for the ICJ. Hisashi Owada from Japan, who is also the president, and Xue Hanqin from China are two other Asians in the ICJ bench.
Justice Bhandari was unanimously elected as President of the India International Law Foundation in 2007. He is continuing in that position. Due to retire in September 2012, he will have to step down as a judge of the Supreme Court to assume the new charge.
ICJ, which is more often referred to as the World Court, is comprised of 15 Judges who serve for nine years. In the bench of 15 Judges, 3 hails from Africa; 2 from Latin America; 3 from Asia; 5 from Western Europe and other States and 2 from Eastern Europe.
Justice Dalveer Bhandari defeated the 84-year-old Justice Florentino Feliciano of the Philippines in the elections held to fill the casual vacancy following the resignation of Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh from Jordan in October 2011. He will have six-year tenure. He is eligible for re-election for a second term of nine years at the end of the present term.
Justice Bhandari will be the third Asian representative in the 15-member ICJ. As per Article 8 of the ICJ statute the General Assembly and the Security Council elect a judge for the ICJ. Hisashi Owada from Japan, who is also the president, and Xue Hanqin from China are two other Asians in the ICJ bench.
Justice Bhandari was unanimously elected as President of the India International Law Foundation in 2007. He is continuing in that position. Due to retire in September 2012, he will have to step down as a judge of the Supreme Court to assume the new charge.
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
The ICJ, the principal judicial body of the United Nations is based
in the in the Hague in Netherland. Established in 1945 by the UN
charter, the Court commenced work in 1946. The basic functions of ICJ
include settlement of legal disputes submitted to it by member states
and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by
duly authorized international organs, agencies, and the UN General
Assembly.ICJ, which is more often referred to as the World Court, is comprised of 15 Judges who serve for nine years. In the bench of 15 Judges, 3 hails from Africa; 2 from Latin America; 3 from Asia; 5 from Western Europe and other States and 2 from Eastern Europe.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Anand Sharma Inaugurates International Business Lounge at Pragati Maidan
International Business Lounge –a new facility
developed by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) to cater
the rising demand for bilateral trade negotiations and business
meets, was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Commerce &
Industry and Textiles, Shri Anand Sharma on April 27. The facility is
located adjacent to Gate No.2, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Interacting with the media, Shri Anand Sharma complimented ITPO for setting -up the International Business Lounge as an additional facility for hosting bilateral trade conferences as well as formal and informal business meetings on the sidelines of trade fairs at Pragati Maidan. He pointed out that there is tremendous global interest in Indian market and such upgraded facilities are important for meaningful business exchanges. He hoped that the lounge would enhance the appeal of the exhibition complex as an ideal centre for holding ancillary events alongwith the specialized trade exhibitions for an increasing number of business visitors from India and overseas.
Among other dignitaries present on the occasion were Ambassador of Brazil , H. E. Mr. Carlos Duarte, High Commissioner of Pakistan, H. E. Mr. Shahid Malik, Chairperson and Managing Director, ITPO, Mrs. Rita Menon and several other senior officers of Government of India .
With a dedicated conference room supported by quality LED audio-visual system, the lounge offers dining space, pantry services and break out room etc. It also offers three ethnically furnished chambers and VIP rooms for hosting exclusive business meetings on the sidelines of the main Conferences. Equipped with wi-fi enabled internet connectivity, it is ideally suited for day-long bilateral or special business meets and conclaves involving main sessions and breakaway roundtable meetings.
Interacting with the media, Shri Anand Sharma complimented ITPO for setting -up the International Business Lounge as an additional facility for hosting bilateral trade conferences as well as formal and informal business meetings on the sidelines of trade fairs at Pragati Maidan. He pointed out that there is tremendous global interest in Indian market and such upgraded facilities are important for meaningful business exchanges. He hoped that the lounge would enhance the appeal of the exhibition complex as an ideal centre for holding ancillary events alongwith the specialized trade exhibitions for an increasing number of business visitors from India and overseas.
Among other dignitaries present on the occasion were Ambassador of Brazil , H. E. Mr. Carlos Duarte, High Commissioner of Pakistan, H. E. Mr. Shahid Malik, Chairperson and Managing Director, ITPO, Mrs. Rita Menon and several other senior officers of Government of India .
With a dedicated conference room supported by quality LED audio-visual system, the lounge offers dining space, pantry services and break out room etc. It also offers three ethnically furnished chambers and VIP rooms for hosting exclusive business meetings on the sidelines of the main Conferences. Equipped with wi-fi enabled internet connectivity, it is ideally suited for day-long bilateral or special business meets and conclaves involving main sessions and breakaway roundtable meetings.
Special Programme to Boost Productivity in Eastern India
Government of India launched a special programme of
“Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India (BGREI)” – a sub scheme of
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) from 2010-11 in the eastern States
comprising of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar
Pradesh (East) and West Bengal with an objective to increase the
productivity of rice based cropping system by promotion of recommended
agricultural technologies and addressing the underlying key constraints
of different agro climatic sub regions. Under this scheme, a bouquet of
activities have been taken up that include block demonstrations of rice
& wheat technologies in cluster mode approach; promoting resource
conservation technology (zero tillage under wheat); creation of asset
building activities for water management (shallow tube wells/dug
wells/bore wells, distribution of pump sets); promotion of farm
implements and need based site specific activities etc.
The total production of rice during 2011-12 in seven States of the eastern region (as per 3rd Advance estimates) is 5.54 million tonnes, which is about 21 percent and 18 percent more than the production of 2009-10 and 2010-11, respectively.
The total production of rice during 2011-12 in seven States of the eastern region (as per 3rd Advance estimates) is 5.54 million tonnes, which is about 21 percent and 18 percent more than the production of 2009-10 and 2010-11, respectively.
Farm Schemes Emphasize on Availability of Quality Seed, Other Inputs
With a view to increase the production, productivity
and income of the farming sector, Government is implementing through
State Governments the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National
Food Security Mission (NFSM), National Horticulture Mission (NHM),
Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses and Maize (ISOPOM), besides
others.
Under these schemes emphasis is given to easy and reliable access to inputs such as quality seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, suitable technology, extension services, support infrastructure and innovative marketing system. Further, to ensure remunerative price, Government announces Minimum Support Price (MSP) for agricultural commodities every year. National Policy for Farmers, 2007 also has provisions to improve economic viability of farming.
In order to improve credit flow to agriculture sector, Government decided in June, 2004 to double flow of agriculture credit in three years with reference to base year 2003-04. Flow of agriculture credit has consistently exceeded the targets since 2003-04. To facilitate flow of credit to farmers and increase financial inclusion, Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) are being provided to farmers. From Kharif 2006-07, farmers are receiving crop loan up to principal amount of Rs. 3 lakh at 7% rate of interest. In addition, since 2009-10, Government has been providing 1% interest subvention to farmers who repay loans on time. This subvention was increased to 2% in 2010-11 and 3% in 2011-12. Thus, effective rate of interest on crop loan up to Rs.3 lakh for farmers who repay on time has come down to 4% per annum.
Under these schemes emphasis is given to easy and reliable access to inputs such as quality seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, suitable technology, extension services, support infrastructure and innovative marketing system. Further, to ensure remunerative price, Government announces Minimum Support Price (MSP) for agricultural commodities every year. National Policy for Farmers, 2007 also has provisions to improve economic viability of farming.
In order to improve credit flow to agriculture sector, Government decided in June, 2004 to double flow of agriculture credit in three years with reference to base year 2003-04. Flow of agriculture credit has consistently exceeded the targets since 2003-04. To facilitate flow of credit to farmers and increase financial inclusion, Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) are being provided to farmers. From Kharif 2006-07, farmers are receiving crop loan up to principal amount of Rs. 3 lakh at 7% rate of interest. In addition, since 2009-10, Government has been providing 1% interest subvention to farmers who repay loans on time. This subvention was increased to 2% in 2010-11 and 3% in 2011-12. Thus, effective rate of interest on crop loan up to Rs.3 lakh for farmers who repay on time has come down to 4% per annum.
Election Commission hosts third Conference of Heads of Election Management Bodies of SAARC Countries
Election Commission of India is hosting the Third
Conference of Heads of Election Management Bodies of SAARC Countries
here from 30 April to 2 May, 2012. The Conference brings together the
Chief Election Commissioners and senior election officials of the region
on a common platform to share experience of best practices in election
administration and management. The Conference will build on the
initiatives and exchanges discussed at the previous Conferences.
Discussions will also focus on the final shape of the Forum of SAARC
Election Management Bodies, which has been approved in principle at the
last Conference held in Islamabad. The conference will be inaugurated by
Dr S Y Quraishi, Chief Election Commissioner of India.
Some of the important topics to be discussed are: Empowerment of Election Management Bodies; Inclusive elections (gender issues, marginalized sections, minorities etc.), Voters Education, Controlling Money Power in Elections, Technology for cost-effective elections etc.
The idea of holding such Conferences took concrete shape at the 37th Session of the Standing Committee of SAARC, held at Thimphu, in April, 2010. Bangladesh hosted the first Conference in May 2010, where initial discussions on creating a Forum of SAARC EMBs were also held.
The second Conference was held in Islamabad by the Election Commission of Pakistan. It focussed on experience sharing, and also discussed the draft charter of the proposed Forum. It adopted a resolution to establish the Forum. A number of initiatives on mutual exchanges and training activities were discussed, and bilateral arrangements were tied up between member Commissions. During the Conference, Chief Election Commissioner of India offered to host the 3rd Conference in New Delhi, which was accepted.
Election Commission of India works in close collaboration with the Election Management Bodies of South Asian Countries. In the recent weeks officials for the Election Commission of Afghanistan, Maldives and Bhutan received training at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election management IIIDEM.
Laying the Foundation Stone of the IIIDEM new Campus in Dwarka
Coinciding with the SAARC Heads of EMBs conference, Foundation Stone of new campus of India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) will be laid by Dr. S.Y. Quraishi, Chief Election Commissioner of India, on Monday, at Dwarka, New Delhi in the presence of Election Commissioners Shri V. S. Sampath and Shri H.S. Brahma and Heads of Election Management Bodies of SAARC countries. They include Mr.Fazel Ahmad Manawi, Chairman, Independent Election Commission, Afghanistan, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, Chief Election Commissioner, Bangladesh, Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, Chief Election Commissioner, Bhutan, Mr. Neel Kantha Upreti, Chief Election Commissioner, Nepal, Mr.Ibrahim Waheed, Commissioner, Election Commission, Maldives, Mr. Justice (R ) Muhammad R. Essani, Member, Election Commission Pakistan and Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya, Commissioner of Elections, Sri Lanka. Shri Tejendra Khanna, Hon. Lt. Governor of Delhi will be the Chief Guest at the event.
ECI plans to develop IIIDEM as an advanced resource centre of learning, research, training and extension of participatory democracy and election management. Presently, IIIDEM operates from the premises of the election Commission of India in New Delhi.
The funds to the tune of Rs 48 crores have been approved for 2011-12 and 2012-13 for construction of the new campus.
At present, training courses of IIIDEM are being conducted in the interim premises of this Institute at Election Commission of India. IIIDEM, since its launch in June 2011 has hosted 32 courses for more than 500 election officials and other stakeholders in all aspects of Election management. Training courses are already lined up at IIIDEM in the coming weeks for the upcoming Summary Revision and General Elections in some of the states.
Besides the national training programmes, IIIDEM has also conducted five courses for Kenyan, Maldivian, Bhutanese and Afghanistan election officials and Nigerian Election Commissioners. There are requests for such courses from Nepal and Fiji. Over the ten months of its existence, IIIDEM has become a hub for national and international training courses, seminars and workshops. Standard training modules for international participants have already been developed by a renowned team of Indian and International experts.
Some of the important topics to be discussed are: Empowerment of Election Management Bodies; Inclusive elections (gender issues, marginalized sections, minorities etc.), Voters Education, Controlling Money Power in Elections, Technology for cost-effective elections etc.
The idea of holding such Conferences took concrete shape at the 37th Session of the Standing Committee of SAARC, held at Thimphu, in April, 2010. Bangladesh hosted the first Conference in May 2010, where initial discussions on creating a Forum of SAARC EMBs were also held.
The second Conference was held in Islamabad by the Election Commission of Pakistan. It focussed on experience sharing, and also discussed the draft charter of the proposed Forum. It adopted a resolution to establish the Forum. A number of initiatives on mutual exchanges and training activities were discussed, and bilateral arrangements were tied up between member Commissions. During the Conference, Chief Election Commissioner of India offered to host the 3rd Conference in New Delhi, which was accepted.
Election Commission of India works in close collaboration with the Election Management Bodies of South Asian Countries. In the recent weeks officials for the Election Commission of Afghanistan, Maldives and Bhutan received training at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election management IIIDEM.
Laying the Foundation Stone of the IIIDEM new Campus in Dwarka
Coinciding with the SAARC Heads of EMBs conference, Foundation Stone of new campus of India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) will be laid by Dr. S.Y. Quraishi, Chief Election Commissioner of India, on Monday, at Dwarka, New Delhi in the presence of Election Commissioners Shri V. S. Sampath and Shri H.S. Brahma and Heads of Election Management Bodies of SAARC countries. They include Mr.Fazel Ahmad Manawi, Chairman, Independent Election Commission, Afghanistan, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, Chief Election Commissioner, Bangladesh, Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, Chief Election Commissioner, Bhutan, Mr. Neel Kantha Upreti, Chief Election Commissioner, Nepal, Mr.Ibrahim Waheed, Commissioner, Election Commission, Maldives, Mr. Justice (R ) Muhammad R. Essani, Member, Election Commission Pakistan and Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya, Commissioner of Elections, Sri Lanka. Shri Tejendra Khanna, Hon. Lt. Governor of Delhi will be the Chief Guest at the event.
ECI plans to develop IIIDEM as an advanced resource centre of learning, research, training and extension of participatory democracy and election management. Presently, IIIDEM operates from the premises of the election Commission of India in New Delhi.
The funds to the tune of Rs 48 crores have been approved for 2011-12 and 2012-13 for construction of the new campus.
At present, training courses of IIIDEM are being conducted in the interim premises of this Institute at Election Commission of India. IIIDEM, since its launch in June 2011 has hosted 32 courses for more than 500 election officials and other stakeholders in all aspects of Election management. Training courses are already lined up at IIIDEM in the coming weeks for the upcoming Summary Revision and General Elections in some of the states.
Besides the national training programmes, IIIDEM has also conducted five courses for Kenyan, Maldivian, Bhutanese and Afghanistan election officials and Nigerian Election Commissioners. There are requests for such courses from Nepal and Fiji. Over the ten months of its existence, IIIDEM has become a hub for national and international training courses, seminars and workshops. Standard training modules for international participants have already been developed by a renowned team of Indian and International experts.
Sachin Tendulkar, Rekha nominated to Rajya Sabha
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood actor Rekha are among four
eminent persons who have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the UPA
government.
Tendulkar, 39, who has 100 international centuries to his credit, and
Rekha, 57, who made a name for herself in the 1980s in the Hindi filmdom
through a variety of roles she played with ease and brilliance, will
become members under Article 80 of the Constitution, which allows the
President to nominate to the Rajya Sabha 12 members having special
knowledge of, or practical experience in, literature, science, art and
social service.
One of the top heroines of yesteryear, Rekha has won many prestigious awards during her career.
She won accolades and the national award for her portrayal of ‘Umrao Jaan' in Muzaffar Ali's film of the same name.
Highly placed government sources said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had
written to the Home Ministry. There was no official word on the other
two names recommended for nomination.
There has been a long-standing demand from several quarters for
conferring the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna on
Tendulkar for his contribution to cricket. He enjoys a phenomenal fan
following in not only India but also many other countries. He scored the
historic 100th international hundred against Bangladesh in Dhaka last
month.
In the recent past, well-known film personalities, including Shyam
Benegal, Mrinal Sen and Lata Mangeshkar, have been nominated to the
Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha now has seven nominated members.
Bachat Lamp Yojana
Till now 259.16 lakh Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)
have been distributed under the Bachat Lamp Yojana (BLY) scheme. In
the 11th Plan total funds allocated for the scheme were Rs.18.32 crores.
The BLY scheme has been designed on Public Private Partnership mode. The Umbrella Framework for BLY has been registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Programme of Activities (PoA). The private investors can participate in the BLY scheme and develop the CDM projects and distribute CFLs in co-ordination with the State Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOMs). The private investor invests into the BLY project and earns the carbon credits for the same. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) acts as an overall coordinator for the BLY projects.
Under the BLY Scheme, no exemption/tax holiday/subsidy is provided to the CFL manufacturers. The scheme was approved for the 11th Plan and is proposed with modifications in the 12th Plan also.
The BLY scheme has been designed on Public Private Partnership mode. The Umbrella Framework for BLY has been registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Programme of Activities (PoA). The private investors can participate in the BLY scheme and develop the CDM projects and distribute CFLs in co-ordination with the State Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOMs). The private investor invests into the BLY project and earns the carbon credits for the same. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) acts as an overall coordinator for the BLY projects.
Under the BLY Scheme, no exemption/tax holiday/subsidy is provided to the CFL manufacturers. The scheme was approved for the 11th Plan and is proposed with modifications in the 12th Plan also.
Panchayat Empowerment and Accountability Incentive Scheme
Panchayat Empowerment and
Accountability Incentive Scheme (PEAIS) is a Central Sector Plan Scheme being
implemented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj since 2005-06. PEAIS aims to (i) incentivize
States to devolve 3Fs (functions, funds and functionaries) to Panchayats and (ii) incentivize Panchayats
to put in place accountability systems to make their functioning transparent
and efficient. Performance of States is
measured through a Devolution Index (DI) prepared through an independent
agency. Awards are given to best
performing States/UTs based on their rank on DI annually. From 2011-2012, Panchayats
have been incentivized for their performance during the year 2010-2011. The
State/UT Governments have been advised to utilise the amount released for the
development of Panchayati Raj in the State.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
LIST OF ISRO SATELLITES
Satellite
|
Launch
Date
|
Launch
Vehicle
|
Type of
Satellite
|
| RISAT-1 |
26.04.2012
|
PSLV-C19
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| Jugnu |
12.10.2011
|
PSLV-C18
|
Experimental / Small Satellite |
| SRMSat |
12.10.2011
|
PSLV-C18
|
Experimental / Small Satellite |
| Megha-Tropiques |
12.10.2011
|
PSLV-C18
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| GSAT-12 |
15.07.2011
|
PSLV-C17
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| GSAT-8 |
21.05.2011
|
Ariane-5
VA-202 |
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| RESOURCESAT-2 |
20.04.2011
|
PSLV-C16
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| YOUTHSAT |
20.04.2011
|
PSLV-C16
|
Experimental / Small Satellite |
| GSAT-5P |
25.12.2010
|
GSLV-F06
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| STUDSAT |
12.07.2010
|
PSLV-C15
|
Experimental / Small Satellite |
| CARTOSAT-2B |
12.07.2010
|
PSLV-C15
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| GSAT-4 |
15.04.2010
|
GSLV-D3
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| Oceansat-2 |
23.09.2009
|
PSLV-C14
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| ANUSAT |
20.04.2009
|
PSLV-C12
|
Experimental / Small Satellite |
| RISAT-2 | 20.04.2009 |
PSLV-C12
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| Chandrayaan-1 |
22.10.2008
|
PSLV-C11
|
Space Mission |
| CARTOSAT - 2A |
28.04.2008
|
PSLV-C9
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| IMS-1 |
28.04.2008
|
PSLV-C9
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| INSAT-4B |
12.03.2007
|
Ariane-5ECA
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| CARTOSAT - 2 |
10.01.2007
|
PSLV-C7
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| SRE - 1 |
10.01.2007
|
PSLV-C7
|
Experimental / Small Satellite |
| INSAT-4CR |
02.09.2007
|
GSLV-F04
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| INSAT-4C |
10.07.2006
|
GSLV-F02
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| INSAT-4A |
22.12.2005
|
Ariane-5GS
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| HAMSAT |
05.05.2005
|
PSLV-C6
|
Experimental / Small Satellite |
| CARTOSAT-1 |
05.05.2005
|
PSLV-C6
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| EDUSAT (GSAT-3) |
20.09.2004
|
GSLV-F01
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| Resourcesat-1(IRS-P6) |
17.10.2003
|
PSLV-C5
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| INSAT-3A |
10.04.2003
|
Ariane-5G
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| INSAT-3E |
28.09.2003
|
Ariane-5G
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| GSAT-2 |
08.05.2003
|
GSLV-D2
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| KALPANA-1(METSAT) |
12.09.2002
|
PSLV-C4
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| INSAT-3C |
24.01.2002
|
Ariane-42L H10-3
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| Technology Experiment Satellite (TES) |
22.10.2001
|
PSLV-C3
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| GSAT-1 |
18.04.2001
|
GSLV-D1
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| INSAT-3B |
22.03.2000
|
Ariane-5G
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| Oceansat(IRS-P4) |
26.05.1999
|
PSLV-C2
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| INSAT-2E |
03.04.1999
|
Ariane-42P H10-3
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| INSAT-2DT |
January 1998
|
Ariane-44L H10
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| IRS-1D |
29.09.1997
|
PSLV-C1
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| INSAT-2D |
04.06.1997
|
Ariane-44L H10-3
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| IRS-P3 |
21.03.1996
|
PSLV-D3
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| IRS-1C |
28.12.1995
|
Molniya
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| INSAT-2C |
07.12.1995
|
Ariane-44L H10-3
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| IRS-P2 |
15.10.1994
|
PSLV-D2
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| Stretched Rohini Satellite Series (SROSS-C2) |
04.05.1994
|
ASLV
|
Space Mission |
| IRS-1E |
20.09.1993
|
PSLV-D1
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| INSAT-2B |
23.07.1993
|
Ariane-44L H10+
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| INSAT-2A |
10.07.1992
|
Ariane-44L H10
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| Stretched Rohini Satellite Series (SROSS-C) |
20.05.1992
|
ASLV
|
Space Mission |
| IRS-1B |
29.08.1991
|
Vostok
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| INSAT-1D |
12.06.1990
|
Delta 4925
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| INSAT-1C |
21.07.1988
|
Ariane-3
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| Stretched Rohini Satellite
Series (SROSS-2) |
13.07.1988
|
ASLV
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| IRS-1A |
17.03.1988
|
Vostok
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| Stretched Rohini Satellite
Series
(SROSS-1) |
24.03.1987
|
ASLV
|
Space Mission |
| INSAT-1B |
30.08.1983
|
Shuttle [PAM-D]
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| Rohini (RS-D2) |
17.04.1983
|
SLV-3
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| INSAT-1A |
10.04.1982
|
Delta 3910 PAM-D
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| Bhaskara-II |
20.11.1981
|
C-1 Intercosmos
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE) |
19.06.1981
|
Ariane-1(V-3)
|
Geo-Stationary Satellite |
| Rohini (RS-D1) |
31.05.1981
|
SLV-3
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| Rohini (RS-1) |
18.07.1980
|
SLV-3
|
Experimental / Small Satellite |
| Rohini Technology Payload (RTP) |
10.08.1979
|
SLV-3
|
Experimental / Small Satellite |
| Bhaskara-I |
07.06.1979
|
C-1 Intercosmos
|
Earth Observation Satellite |
| Aryabhata |
19.04.1975
|
C-1 Intercosmos
|
Experimental / Small Satellite |
India & the sex selection conundrum
What was our immediate response to further decline in
the child sex ratio in India? Within days of the provisional 2011 Census
results (March-April 2011), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
reconstituted the Central Supervisory Board for the Pre-conception and
Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex selection) Act 1994 ,
which had not met for 3 years, and on November 30, 2011 the Ministry of
Women and Child Development formed a Sectoral Innovation Council for
Child Sex Ratio. But we are busy dousing flames in haste without looking
to dampen the source. This fire-fighting approach is unlikely to
succeed, because putting out fires in one district virtually ensures its
spread to another. That is what has happened.
The
decline in child sex ratio (0-6 years) from 945 in 1991 to 927 in 2001
and further to 914 females per 1,000 males in 2011 — the lowest since
independence — is cause for alarm, but also occasion for serious policy
re-think. Over the last two decades, the rate of decline appears
to have slowed but what began as an urban phenomenon has spread to rural
areas. This is despite legal provisions, incentive-based schemes, and
media messages. Indians across the country, bridging class and caste
divides, are deliberately ensuring that girls are simply not born. This
artificial alteration of our demographic landscape has implications for
not only gender justice and equality but also social violence, human
development and democracy.
What is wrong?
So
what are we doing wrong — both in the discourse we have created and in
the policy route we have chosen to walk? To start with, we have chosen
to target one symptom (practice of sex selection), instead of evolving a
comprehensive national policy response to a deeply resistant ailment
(son preference/daughter aversion and low status of women in India).
State policy has, in the main, consisted of seeking to stem the supply
of technology that enables sex selection through application of the law —
the PCPNDT Act bans the use of diagnostic techniques for determining
the sex of a foetus. The rationale (framed within an inverted
demand-supply paradigm) is that stopping supply of the technology will
reduce the demand — for determining the sex of the foetus and aborting
if it is female. So far (not withstanding wide publicity about the
PCPNDT Act, including signboards in every clinic, hospital and nursing
home), this hasn't panned out as planned.
Meanwhile,
this singular focus on PCPNDT has triggered an unhealthy discourse
beyond what the law actually bans (using medical diagnostics to
determine the sex of the foetus) to the next step, i.e. the act of
abortion. Over the last few years, the hunt for aborted female foetuses
appears to have become legitimate media pastime and reportage consists
chiefly of stories about “foetuses' foeticide” and “foetal remains.”
Clearly, the goriness of the phenomenon meets the media's need for just a
tad bit of sensation (foetal remains found in gunny bags outside quack
clinics, in the fields, in the dark depths of deep wells, etc.).
While
national attention on this issue is welcome, this is complex terrain.
On the one hand is the right of females to be born, and of society to
protect and preserve a gender balance. On the other hand lies a woman's
right under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (enacted in 1971,
revised in 1975) to have a safe and legal abortion as part of a whole
gamut of reproductive rights. In our zeal to create an environment
against one type of abortion (of a foetus only because it is
female), we end up stigmatising all abortions. Access to safe and legal
abortion for Indian women is already severely limited, and this
environment will not improve things. Indeed the very word ‘foeticide'
i.e. ‘killing' of the foetus (used often without the qualifying ‘female foeticide') dents abortion rights.
Tackling the demand side
As
for tackling the demand side — i.e. addressing the complex reasons that
son preference-daughter aversion is so prevalent — our policy response
has included marking the National Girl Child Day (declared in 2009) on
January 24, sporadically putting up billboards at major intersections
telling us to ‘love the girl child,' ‘beti bachao', ‘stop killing
girls', and a slew of ill-conceived conditional cash transfer schemes
to incentivise the birth of girls at both the Centre and the State
level.
A 2010 desk review of 15 conditional cash
transfer schemes (Dhan Lakshmi, Ladli, Beti Hai Anmol, Kanyadan, and
others) conducted by TV Sekher of IIPS for UNFPA is revealing. Most of
them promised relatively small amounts at maturity, had complex
conditions (immunisation, school enrolment, institutional delivery,
sterilisation, among others), gave cash amounts at the age of 18 (for
dowry?), and were aimed at poor or BPL families. Quite apart from the
objectionable attempt to arm twist every imaginable kind of ‘desired'
behaviour (immunise, educate, sterilise) in return for small sums of
money, the big problem is that these schemes are targeted largely at
poor families. This is not a poor or BPL-only phenomenon. Small cash
amounts are unlikely to make an iota of difference to families who have
resources to pay for sex selective technology. On this issue, Indian
policymakers, accustomed to ‘targeting' the poor (i.e. BPL) need to
bravely enter the unfamiliar terrain of targeting the not-so-poor, the
upwardly mobile, the wealthy.
The advocacy and
communications around this issue, by both the government and NGOs, has
taken the ‘love the girl child' route. It is unexceptionable,
politically correct, and ensconced comfortably in a language of
patriarchal protectiveness (ladki ko bachao). Of course, everyone
likes to ‘love little girls in pigtails,' including MPs who will defeat
the Women's Reservation Bill time and again in Parliament.
Cultural attitudes
The
problem of ‘demand' goes far deeper than our communication or policy
solutions seem to suggest. Sex selection is located at the complex
interface of cultural attitudes, patriarchal prejudice, socioeconomic
pressures, the changes wrought by modernity, and the commercialisation
and misuse of modern medical technology. The impact of modernity and
materialism on the decreased valuation of females i.e. enhanced daughter
aversion, the lack of old-age social security i.e. son preference,
increasing violence against women, property rights, inheritance laws —
each of these and more play a role. We must demand of ourselves an
equally comprehensive national policy on the sex ratio, capable of
addressing each contributory factor.
South Korea & China
South
Korea has beaten the problem by adopting a comprehensive national
response. China, whether or not we agree with its particular national
framework, at least has one. The Chinese government adopted a series of
concurrent policies, strategic actions and laws to promote gender
equality, increase female workforce participation, ensure old age social
security, in addition to banning the use of sex selective diagnostics. The country's sex ratio is showing small signs of improvement.
Finally,
a national communication strategy is key to a national policy response,
and this must rest on acknowledging two things — one, behaviour change
communication is a specialised field whose expertise must be harnessed,
and two, the nature of reproductive decision-making in India is changing
along with immense changes in the Indian family structure. A
communication strategy needs to identify primary targets (decision-makers) and secondary targets (decision supporters),
and reach them through strategic media platforms — traditional,
conventional and new media. As for the core content of messages, a lot
can be said, but for now let us agree to go beyond billboard
exhortations to ‘love the girl child.' And recognise that the girl will
grow up to be a woman one day.
PSLV-C19 SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES RISAT-1
The PSLV-C19, the newest in the series of polar satellite launch
vehicles of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), burst off the
launch-pads of Sriharikota in the wee hours of April 26 on its space
mission of placing indigenously developed Radar Imaging Satellite the RISAT-1 in a polar circular orbit.
After a customarily tense countdown at the ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space
Centre in Sriharikota, at precisely 5.47 a.m., the launch vehicle’s core
stage igniters and set of six strap-on motors ignited within seconds of
each to signal the successful lift-off of the PSLV-C19 with the RISAT
-1 firmly docked inside its metal frames.
The RISAT-1 with a payload of 1858 kg, the heaviest satellite being
launched yet by the PSLV, is a state-of-the-art Active Microwave Remote
Sensing Satellite carrying a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload that
will operate in the C-band. In simpler terms, the RISAT-1 can beam back
imaging of the earth surface features during day and night and under
all imagined weather conditions. The SAR which gives the RISAT-1 its
magic lens also makes it superior to the generation of optical remote
sensing satellites in terms of clearer imaging at all times and under
any condition.
Once the PSLV-C19 successfully completed each of the four stages of its
flight in a span of 18 minutes and reported normal parameters,
congratulatory scenes broke out at the Mission Directorate at
Sriharikota.
According to ISRO scientists, once the satellite onboard propulsion
system will raise the orbital altitude to 536 km with orbital
inclination of approximately 97 degrees to place the RISAT-1 into a
polar sun-synchronous orbit, the satellite will begin its daily routine
of 14 orbits with a of 25 days. During its mission life of five years,
RISAT-1 will use its active microwave remote sensing capability for
cloud penetration and day-night imaging of the earth surface and provide
critical data inputs for a range of applications.
The satellite’s applications will range across agriculture — paddy
monitoring in the kharif season — and management of natural disasters
like flood and cyclone and could greatly assist food security planning
in India.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its 21st flight (PSLV-C19),
launches India’s first Radar Imaging Satellite – RISAT-1 into a Polar
Circular Orbit with an altitude of 480 km (+ 40.5 km) and orbital inclination of 97.552 (+ 0.2). RISAT-1 weighing 1858 kg is the heaviest satellite being launched by PSLV.
This is the third flight of the high end version (PSLV-XL) with six extended strap-on motors, each carrying 12 tonnes of solid propellant. (The two earlier flights of PSLV-XL were used to launch Chandrayaan-1 and GSAT-12 Communication Satellite)
This is the third flight of the high end version (PSLV-XL) with six extended strap-on motors, each carrying 12 tonnes of solid propellant. (The two earlier flights of PSLV-XL were used to launch Chandrayaan-1 and GSAT-12 Communication Satellite)
RISAT-1
Radar Satellite-1 (RISAT-1) is a state of the art Microwave Remote
Sensing Satellite carrying a Synthetic Aperture Reader (SAR) Payload
operating in C-band (5.35 GHz), which enables imaging of the surface
features during both day and night under all weather conditions.
| Lift-off Mass | 1858 kg |
| Orbit | Circular Polar Sun Synchronous |
| Orbit Altitude | 536 km |
| Orbit Inclination | 97.552o |
| Orbit Period | 95.49 min |
| Number of Orbits per day | 14 |
| Local Time of Equator Crossing | 6:00 am / 6:00 pm |
| Power | Solar Array generating 2200 W and one 70 AH Ni-H2 battery |
| Repetivity | 25 days |
| Attitude and Orbit Control | 3-axis body stabilised using Reaction Wheels, Magnetic Torquers and Hydrazine Thrusters |
| Nominal Mission Life | 5 years |
| Launch date | April 26, 2012 |
| Launch site | SDSC SHAR Centre, Sriharikota, India |
| Launch vehicle | PSLV- C19 |
Native anti-malaria drug launched
India on April 25 launched its first indigenously
launched anti-malaria new-age drug ‘Synriam'. The drug, produced by
Ranbaxy Laboratories, was formally introduced for marketing here.
The
drug, launched by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in the presence of
Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, has been developed by
the company in collaboration with the Department of Science and
Technology and supported by the Indian Council for Medical Research.
Malaria
claims half a million lives every year globally and India contributes
to 77 per cent malaria cases of the 2.5 million cases of malaria
reported annually from South East Asia.
The
dual-molecule combination drug conforms to the recommendations of World
Health Organisation (WHO) and will be required to be taken only once a
day for three days.
The drug Synriam is to be used
to treat uncomplicated “Plasmodium falciparum” malaria in adults. It
provides relief from most malaria-related symptoms, including fever, and
has a high cure rate of over 95 per cent.
“Today,
India joins the elite club of the countries to have developed a new drug
indigenously for malaria on the occasion of World Malaria Day,” Ranbaxy
Laboratories CEO and MD Arun Sawhney said.
Speaking
on the occasion, Mr. Azad said the drug should be made accessible and
affordable so that poor and needy can purchase it as they are the ones
who are most exposed to malaria.
After commencing
research on the drug in 2003, the company received the Drug Controller
General of India's (DCGI) approval in 2011 to manufacture and market it
in India.
The drug is efficacious and has the
advantage of “compliance and convenience” as it can be taken at any time
before or after meals. The course is one tablet a day for three days.
Unlike artemisinin-based drugs, it has a synthetic source, the
production of which can be scaled up whenever required and a consistent
supply of the drug can be maintained at low cost.
The
company has spent close to $ 30 million on research and development of
the drug, of which the Government of India contributed a total of Rs. 5
crore.
The company also plans to introduce the drug
in African countries once the clinical trials are completed and the
necessary regulatory approvals are received.
Company's
President (R&D) Sudershan Arora said the clinical trials in Africa
will be over by the first quarter of 2013 and the drug could be
introduced in the same year after getting the necessary approvals there.
Allahabad Bank P.O. Exam Solved Paper
GENERAL AWARENESS
(Exam Held on 17-04-2011)
1. Who is the author of the novel “A Bend in the River “?
a) Chetan Baghat
b) Amitav Ghosh
c) V. S. Naipaul
d) Arundhati Roy
e) None of these
2. Who is the author of book “Darkness at Noon”?
a) Salman Rushdi
b) Arun Nayyar
c) Aravind Adiga
d) Arthur Koestler
e) None of these
3. Which of the following terms is associated with the game of Cricket?
a) Center Forward
b) Love
c) LBW
d) Deuce
e) None of these
4. Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi is associated with the country -
a) Egypt
b) Ghana
c) Tunisia
d) Iran
e) Libya
5. Which of the following is currency of UAE?
a) Dirham
b) Dolloar
c) Pound
d) EURO
e) Dinar
6. Who is Kapil Sibal?
a) Agriculture Minister
b) Telecom Minister
c) Finance Minister
d) Sports Minister
e) None of these
7. Well known Late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi has excelled himself in -
a) Arts
b) Music
c) Literature
d) Jounalism
e) Sports
8. What is the name of Central Bank of USA?
a) Central Bank U.S.A
b) Reserve Bank of USA
c) Federal Reserve System
d) United States International Bank
e) None of these
9. Vikram Pandit is associated with which of the following banks?
a) United Bank
b) Citigroup Bank
c) HSBC
d) ICICI
e) HDFC
10. Which of the following metal is used in Nuclear Power production plant?
a) Copper
b) Zinc
c) Iron
d) Uranium
e) Barium
11. Which among the following is a renewable energy source?
A) Solar
B) Wind
C) Thermal
a) Only (A)
b) Only (B)
c) Only (C)
d) Both (A) & (B)
e) All (A), (B) & (C)
12. Which of the following states government proposes to setup India’s first Islamic bank in the country?
a) Kerala
b) Gujarat
c) Tamilnadu
d) Utar Pradesh
e) Odisha
13.As per the latest survey of indian economy, which among the following sectors is likely account for maximum share in country’s GDP?
a) Agriculture
b) Services
c) Industries
d) Automobiles
e) None of these
14. Which of the following organisations will distribute UIDAI cards among the citizens of country?
a) LIC
b) RBI
b) CSO
d) Ministry of Foreign Affairs
e) None of these
15. Which of the following organisation has announced to setup a core banking facilities in rural areas and rural infrastucture?
a) SBI
b) RBI
c) ICICI
d) Rural Co-operative Banks
e) NABARD
16. What does the letter M stands for in SME, a commonly used abbriviation in financial parlance?
a) Millionaire
b) Miles
c) Medium
d) Mid-term
e) Monetary
17. What is the full form of SWIFT used in finance/banking sector?
a) Society for Worldwide International Financial Telecommunication
b) Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication
c) Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Taxation
d) Society for Worldwide International Financial Taxation
e) None of these
18. RBI appointed a committee under the chairmanship of D. Mohanty to look into -
a) 2G spectrum scam
b) Implementation of Base Rate
c) Bank’s Saving Interest rate
d) Inflation
e) None of these
19. The government has proposed to setup Megha Food Parks in the country in order to-
a) control food prices
b) reduce wastage of farm produce
c) improve health facilities in urban areas
c) improve the food supply chain
e) None of these
20. What does the term IRR stands for in banking/financial parlance?
a) Interest Rate Risk
b) Interest Rate of Return
c) Internal Rate of Return
d) Internal Recovery Risk
e) None of these
21. Which of the following organizations provide credit history of the borrowers?
a) RBI
b) AMFI
c) CRISIL
d) SEBI
e) CIBIL
22. Which among the following rates is likely to effect the bank’s loan interest rate?
a) Repo rate / Bank Rate
b) CRR / SLR
c) Inflation rate
d) Reverse Repo Rate
e) None of these
23. At which of the following rates a bank borrows money from RBI?
a) Reverse Repo Rate
b) Cash Reserve Ratio
c) Repo Rate
d) SLR
e) None of these
24. The Indian economy has registered a growth of _________ in Fiscal Year 2009-10.
a) 7.2%
b) 7.4%
c) 6.7%
d) 8.1%
e) None of these
25. What is the expansion of the term FIMMDA?
a) Fixed Income Money Market and Development Association of India.
b) Floating Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India.
c) Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India
d) Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Agency of India.
e) None of these
26. Which among the following countries was second largest importer of services and goods in 2009-10 ?
a) USA
b) China
c) India
d) Germany
e) Japan
27. Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus is bleong to which of following countires?
a) Pakistan
b) Irak
c) UAE
d) Bangladesh
e) Afghanistan
28. Pipavav Port is situated in which of following states?
a) Gujarat
b) Tamilnadu
c) Kerala
d) Andhra Pradesh
e) Odisha
* Pipavav Port is India’s first port in the private sector
29. Niyamgiri bauxite mining project is to be carried out in which of the following states?
a) West Bengal
b) Orissa
c) Jharkhand
d) Andhra Pradesh
e) None of these
30. Which of the following schemes has been launched by government of india for school childrens?
a) MNREGA ( Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act)
b) SEWA ( Self Employed Women’s Association )
c) Mid Day Meal
d) UIDAI ( Unique Identification Authority of India)
e) None of these
31. The precautionary limit of the Lok-Adalat has been fixed up to Rs._______
a) 5 lakh
b) 10 lakh
c) 15 lakh
d) 20 lakh
e) None of these
32. Which of the following theories is used in economic parlance?
a) Keynesian theory
b) Pascal’s Theory
c) Gravity Theory
d) Affinity matrix
e) None of these
33. Which of the following terms is not used in banking/finance parlance?
a) Credit
b) Debit
c) Discount
d) Absolute Zero
e) None of these
34. Which of the following terms is not used in banking/finance parlance?
a) Balance sheet
b) Commercial paper
c) HIV virus
d) Hedge fund
e) None of these
35. What is CARTOSAT-2B?
a) a fighter jet developed by DRDO
b) an advanced Remote Sensing Satellite built by ISRO
c) an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed by India’s ADE
d) a type of supercomputer developed by IIT, Khadagpur
e) None of these
36. Which among the following european countries is facing debt crisis?
a) Ireland
b) Netherland
c) France
d) Portugal
e) None of these
37. Which of the following acts was introduced to prevent the utilisation of money derived from crime?
a) Banking Regulation Act, 1949
b) Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
c) Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002
d) Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961
e) None of these
38. ASHA scheme aims at which of the following areas?
a) Health
b) Food
c) Education
d) Employment
e) None of these
39. Which of the following document show the balance of cash of an individual in banking/finanancial institutions on a particular date?
a) Annual Trade Report
b) Reconciliation Statement
c) Balance Sheet
d) Quarterly return statement submitted to RBI
e) None of these
40. Which among the following terms is not related to banking/finance sector?
a) Amortization
b) Breakeven Point
c) Acid Test Ratio
d) ELISA test
e) None of these
41. As per National Advisory Council (NAC) recommendations for National Food Security Bill (NFSB) which one of following is true in context of priority sector households?
a) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 20 kg of rice or wheat per month
b) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 25 kg of rice or wheat per month
c) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 30 kg of rice or wheat per month
d) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 35 kg of rice or wheat per month
e) None of these
42. As per the union budget fiscal deficit pegged at ______.
a) 3.2% of GDP
b) 4.6% of GDP
c) 3.6% of total costs
d) 4.2% of total costs
e) None of these
(Note : no financial year was given in the question so some confusion there, but for FY 2011-12 it is 4.6% of GDP and for current FY 2010-11 it is 5.1% of GDP).
43. Which among the following terms is not related to banking/finance sector?
a) Prime rate
b) Line of Credit
c) Centrifugal force
d) Solvency
e) None of these
44. Which of the following institutions/banks is the primary monetary authority of India?
a) SBI
b) RBI
c) SEBI
d) Finance Ministry
e) None of these
45. How much initial amount will subsidised by the government to get new LPG connection for a single poor person?
a) Rs. 500
b) Rs. 700
c) Rs. 1200
d) Rs. 1400
e) None of these
46. Which of the following is/are key industries in india?
a) oil/petroleum refining
b) steel / electricity
c) cement / coal
a) Only (A)
b) Only (B)
c) Only (C)
d) Both (B) & (C)
e) All (A), (B) & (C)
47. Which of the following rates is long term Interest rate measure?
a) Repo rate
b) Bank rate
c) Reverse Repo Rate
d) Fixed Interest rate
e) None of these
48. The design of new product and improving the old product by adding new features to it is called
a) Product enrichment
b) Product enhancement
c) High-valued product
d) Improved product
e) None of these
49. A group of big industrialists and businessmen of India wrote an open letter addressed to Indian government on which of follwoing issues?
a) Corporate governance
b) Government deficit
c) Inflation
d) Petrol prices
e) None of these
50. Which among the following sectors receiving the maximum FDI equity inflow into India during FY 2009–10 ?
a) Services sector
b) Housing and real estate
c) Construction activities
d) Education business
e) None of these
(Exam Held on 17-04-2011)
1. Who is the author of the novel “A Bend in the River “?
a) Chetan Baghat
b) Amitav Ghosh
c) V. S. Naipaul
d) Arundhati Roy
e) None of these
2. Who is the author of book “Darkness at Noon”?
a) Salman Rushdi
b) Arun Nayyar
c) Aravind Adiga
d) Arthur Koestler
e) None of these
3. Which of the following terms is associated with the game of Cricket?
a) Center Forward
b) Love
c) LBW
d) Deuce
e) None of these
4. Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi is associated with the country -
a) Egypt
b) Ghana
c) Tunisia
d) Iran
e) Libya
5. Which of the following is currency of UAE?
a) Dirham
b) Dolloar
c) Pound
d) EURO
e) Dinar
6. Who is Kapil Sibal?
a) Agriculture Minister
b) Telecom Minister
c) Finance Minister
d) Sports Minister
e) None of these
7. Well known Late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi has excelled himself in -
a) Arts
b) Music
c) Literature
d) Jounalism
e) Sports
8. What is the name of Central Bank of USA?
a) Central Bank U.S.A
b) Reserve Bank of USA
c) Federal Reserve System
d) United States International Bank
e) None of these
9. Vikram Pandit is associated with which of the following banks?
a) United Bank
b) Citigroup Bank
c) HSBC
d) ICICI
e) HDFC
10. Which of the following metal is used in Nuclear Power production plant?
a) Copper
b) Zinc
c) Iron
d) Uranium
e) Barium
11. Which among the following is a renewable energy source?
A) Solar
B) Wind
C) Thermal
a) Only (A)
b) Only (B)
c) Only (C)
d) Both (A) & (B)
e) All (A), (B) & (C)
12. Which of the following states government proposes to setup India’s first Islamic bank in the country?
a) Kerala
b) Gujarat
c) Tamilnadu
d) Utar Pradesh
e) Odisha
13.As per the latest survey of indian economy, which among the following sectors is likely account for maximum share in country’s GDP?
a) Agriculture
b) Services
c) Industries
d) Automobiles
e) None of these
14. Which of the following organisations will distribute UIDAI cards among the citizens of country?
a) LIC
b) RBI
b) CSO
d) Ministry of Foreign Affairs
e) None of these
15. Which of the following organisation has announced to setup a core banking facilities in rural areas and rural infrastucture?
a) SBI
b) RBI
c) ICICI
d) Rural Co-operative Banks
e) NABARD
16. What does the letter M stands for in SME, a commonly used abbriviation in financial parlance?
a) Millionaire
b) Miles
c) Medium
d) Mid-term
e) Monetary
17. What is the full form of SWIFT used in finance/banking sector?
a) Society for Worldwide International Financial Telecommunication
b) Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication
c) Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Taxation
d) Society for Worldwide International Financial Taxation
e) None of these
18. RBI appointed a committee under the chairmanship of D. Mohanty to look into -
a) 2G spectrum scam
b) Implementation of Base Rate
c) Bank’s Saving Interest rate
d) Inflation
e) None of these
19. The government has proposed to setup Megha Food Parks in the country in order to-
a) control food prices
b) reduce wastage of farm produce
c) improve health facilities in urban areas
c) improve the food supply chain
e) None of these
20. What does the term IRR stands for in banking/financial parlance?
a) Interest Rate Risk
b) Interest Rate of Return
c) Internal Rate of Return
d) Internal Recovery Risk
e) None of these
21. Which of the following organizations provide credit history of the borrowers?
a) RBI
b) AMFI
c) CRISIL
d) SEBI
e) CIBIL
22. Which among the following rates is likely to effect the bank’s loan interest rate?
a) Repo rate / Bank Rate
b) CRR / SLR
c) Inflation rate
d) Reverse Repo Rate
e) None of these
23. At which of the following rates a bank borrows money from RBI?
a) Reverse Repo Rate
b) Cash Reserve Ratio
c) Repo Rate
d) SLR
e) None of these
24. The Indian economy has registered a growth of _________ in Fiscal Year 2009-10.
a) 7.2%
b) 7.4%
c) 6.7%
d) 8.1%
e) None of these
25. What is the expansion of the term FIMMDA?
a) Fixed Income Money Market and Development Association of India.
b) Floating Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India.
c) Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India
d) Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Agency of India.
e) None of these
26. Which among the following countries was second largest importer of services and goods in 2009-10 ?
a) USA
b) China
c) India
d) Germany
e) Japan
27. Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus is bleong to which of following countires?
a) Pakistan
b) Irak
c) UAE
d) Bangladesh
e) Afghanistan
28. Pipavav Port is situated in which of following states?
a) Gujarat
b) Tamilnadu
c) Kerala
d) Andhra Pradesh
e) Odisha
* Pipavav Port is India’s first port in the private sector
29. Niyamgiri bauxite mining project is to be carried out in which of the following states?
a) West Bengal
b) Orissa
c) Jharkhand
d) Andhra Pradesh
e) None of these
30. Which of the following schemes has been launched by government of india for school childrens?
a) MNREGA ( Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act)
b) SEWA ( Self Employed Women’s Association )
c) Mid Day Meal
d) UIDAI ( Unique Identification Authority of India)
e) None of these
31. The precautionary limit of the Lok-Adalat has been fixed up to Rs._______
a) 5 lakh
b) 10 lakh
c) 15 lakh
d) 20 lakh
e) None of these
32. Which of the following theories is used in economic parlance?
a) Keynesian theory
b) Pascal’s Theory
c) Gravity Theory
d) Affinity matrix
e) None of these
33. Which of the following terms is not used in banking/finance parlance?
a) Credit
b) Debit
c) Discount
d) Absolute Zero
e) None of these
34. Which of the following terms is not used in banking/finance parlance?
a) Balance sheet
b) Commercial paper
c) HIV virus
d) Hedge fund
e) None of these
35. What is CARTOSAT-2B?
a) a fighter jet developed by DRDO
b) an advanced Remote Sensing Satellite built by ISRO
c) an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed by India’s ADE
d) a type of supercomputer developed by IIT, Khadagpur
e) None of these
36. Which among the following european countries is facing debt crisis?
a) Ireland
b) Netherland
c) France
d) Portugal
e) None of these
37. Which of the following acts was introduced to prevent the utilisation of money derived from crime?
a) Banking Regulation Act, 1949
b) Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
c) Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002
d) Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961
e) None of these
38. ASHA scheme aims at which of the following areas?
a) Health
b) Food
c) Education
d) Employment
e) None of these
39. Which of the following document show the balance of cash of an individual in banking/finanancial institutions on a particular date?
a) Annual Trade Report
b) Reconciliation Statement
c) Balance Sheet
d) Quarterly return statement submitted to RBI
e) None of these
40. Which among the following terms is not related to banking/finance sector?
a) Amortization
b) Breakeven Point
c) Acid Test Ratio
d) ELISA test
e) None of these
41. As per National Advisory Council (NAC) recommendations for National Food Security Bill (NFSB) which one of following is true in context of priority sector households?
a) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 20 kg of rice or wheat per month
b) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 25 kg of rice or wheat per month
c) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 30 kg of rice or wheat per month
d) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 35 kg of rice or wheat per month
e) None of these
42. As per the union budget fiscal deficit pegged at ______.
a) 3.2% of GDP
b) 4.6% of GDP
c) 3.6% of total costs
d) 4.2% of total costs
e) None of these
(Note : no financial year was given in the question so some confusion there, but for FY 2011-12 it is 4.6% of GDP and for current FY 2010-11 it is 5.1% of GDP).
43. Which among the following terms is not related to banking/finance sector?
a) Prime rate
b) Line of Credit
c) Centrifugal force
d) Solvency
e) None of these
44. Which of the following institutions/banks is the primary monetary authority of India?
a) SBI
b) RBI
c) SEBI
d) Finance Ministry
e) None of these
45. How much initial amount will subsidised by the government to get new LPG connection for a single poor person?
a) Rs. 500
b) Rs. 700
c) Rs. 1200
d) Rs. 1400
e) None of these
46. Which of the following is/are key industries in india?
a) oil/petroleum refining
b) steel / electricity
c) cement / coal
a) Only (A)
b) Only (B)
c) Only (C)
d) Both (B) & (C)
e) All (A), (B) & (C)
47. Which of the following rates is long term Interest rate measure?
a) Repo rate
b) Bank rate
c) Reverse Repo Rate
d) Fixed Interest rate
e) None of these
48. The design of new product and improving the old product by adding new features to it is called
a) Product enrichment
b) Product enhancement
c) High-valued product
d) Improved product
e) None of these
49. A group of big industrialists and businessmen of India wrote an open letter addressed to Indian government on which of follwoing issues?
a) Corporate governance
b) Government deficit
c) Inflation
d) Petrol prices
e) None of these
50. Which among the following sectors receiving the maximum FDI equity inflow into India during FY 2009–10 ?
a) Services sector
b) Housing and real estate
c) Construction activities
d) Education business
e) None of these
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Nalanda University ACT to be Ammended
Planning Commission has constituted a Committee to
suggest Amendments in the Nalanda University Act, 2010.
Prof.N.R.MadhavaMenon, Former Vice-Chancellor, West Bengal National
University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata will be the Chairman of the 10
member committee, other members include are Prof.Pankaj Chandra,
Director, IIM Bangalore, Dr.GopaSabharwal, Vice Chancellor, Nalanda
University, Prof. G. Mohan Gopal, Director Rajiv Gandhi Institute for
Contemporary Studies, New Delhi, Prof. K. Rajiv Saxena, Vice President,
South Asia University, Dr.MeenakshiGopinath , Principal,LSR, New Delhi,
Dr.JitendraNath Mishra, Joint Secretary, MEA , and the committee will
also have representatives of Department of Legislative Affairs &
Department of Expenditure will be as members.
The Committee would examine the Nalanda University Act, 2010 particularly provisions relating to academic, administrative and financial autonomy and suggest amendments to provide for full autonomy in matters relating to making appointments, determining salaries and emoluments and auditing. The Committee would also suggest amendments in the Act to ensure that the university acquires international stature and excellence through representative and flexible governance and forward looking legislation. It would first examine Statutes, existing Ordinances and Regulation and suggest changes so that these are consistent with the Act and lay down broad principles for making Statutes, existing Ordinances and future Regulations in the interest of consistency and clarity and would suggest amendments / insertions in the Act to take care of existing gaps with a view to see that the University functions smoothly.
The Committee would examine the Nalanda University Act, 2010 particularly provisions relating to academic, administrative and financial autonomy and suggest amendments to provide for full autonomy in matters relating to making appointments, determining salaries and emoluments and auditing. The Committee would also suggest amendments in the Act to ensure that the university acquires international stature and excellence through representative and flexible governance and forward looking legislation. It would first examine Statutes, existing Ordinances and Regulation and suggest changes so that these are consistent with the Act and lay down broad principles for making Statutes, existing Ordinances and future Regulations in the interest of consistency and clarity and would suggest amendments / insertions in the Act to take care of existing gaps with a view to see that the University functions smoothly.
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