Current News Analysis 25 -12-2016 A. GS1 Related B. GS2 ...€¦ · Lucky Grahak Yojana - The first draw of the Lucky Grahak Yojana to provide a cashback of Rs.1000 to 15,000 consumers

Current News Analysis

25-12-2016

A. GS1 Related

B. GS2 Related

1. Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=155827

Category: Centre programs and policies

Topic: Digital transactions

Key Points:

NITI Aayog and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) jointly launched

two major schemes - Lucky Grahak Yojana for consumers and Digi-Dhan Vyapar

Yojana for merchants. By providing monetary rewards for undertaking Digital

Transactions made with Rupay cards, AEPS, UPI Apps and USSD, these schemes

attempt to attract general public and facilitate significant behavioural change among

public.

Lucky Grahak Yojana - The first draw of the Lucky Grahak Yojana to provide a

cashback of Rs.1000 to 15,000 consumers every day for the next 100 days.

Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana - The draws for these events will be taken out in 100

different cities around the country, in an event at each of these cities, where

DigiDhan Mela would also be organised. Presence of various stakeholders of the

digital payment ecosystem, like banks, wallets, telecom service providers, other

financial service providers, UIDAI at these Digidhan Melas would provide the

opportunity to the citizens – both consumers and merchants – to get educated about

digital payment options available, the ease of use and also benefit from hand holding

provided by the service providers which would encourage wide-scale adoption of

digital payments methods.

Thus it is expected that large sections of the population would be able to shift from

cash based to a digital platform. In the long term such a mass movement is expected

to shift large sections of the consumer and producer sections which were hitherto in

the informal sector to the formal fold of the economy.

Reasons for the introduction of the 2 schemes:

Promoting digital payment options is an integral part of Government’s overall strategy to weed out black money and corruption from public life. NITI Aayog

has been tasked to undertake a comprehensive campaign on advocacy, awareness

and co-ordinate handholding efforts among general public, micro enterprises and

other stakeholders for digital payments.

With the goal to ensure that easy and user-friendly methods of digital payments

become a mass movement in India, Government also announced a slew of

incentives to encourage general public to move from cash to a digital platform.

Thus discounts will now be given for payments made on a digital platform at

petrol stations, for insurance premium, tolls at national highways and for railway

tickets. To reduce transaction costs of digital payments several fees and charges

being levied so far by banks and on various government portals have either been

reduced or done away with. Scheme has also been launched to improve supply of

cards and POS machines in rural areas.

Digidhan Melas, where all stakeholders of digital payment ecosystem exhibit and

provide actual hand holding to general public in adopting digital payments have

also been held to popularise the digital payments amongst the general public.

2. UN vote censures Israeli settlements

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/UN-vote-censures-

Israeli-settlements/article16940529.ece

Category: International issues

Topic: Israel-Palestine conflict

Key Points:

Israel scrambled to contain the fallout from the UN Security Council vote to halt

settlements in Palestinian territory after lashing out at U.S. President Barack Obama

over the shameful resolution.

The UNSC passed the measure after the United States abstained, enabling the

adoption of the first UN resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement

policy. By deciding not to veto the move, the U.S. took a rare step that deeply

angered Israel, which accused Obama of abandoning its closest West Asia ally in the

waning days of his administration.

The text was passed with support from all remaining members of the 15-member

UN Security Council, with applause. The landmark vote came despite intense

lobbying efforts by Israel and calls from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to block

the text.

While the resolution contains no sanctions, Israel is concerned since the UNSC move

could widen the possibility of prosecution at the International Criminal Court

(ICC). They are also worried it could encourage some countries to impose sanctions

against Israeli settlers and products produced in the settlements.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the resolution and criticised Mr.

Obama in especially harsh language.

The U.S. has traditionally served as Israel’s diplomatic shield, protecting it from

resolutions it opposes. But the Obama administration has grown increasingly

frustrated with settlement-building in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied for

nearly 50 years. Settlements are built on land the Palestinians view as part of their

future state and seen as illegal under international law.

The resolution demands that “Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem”. It states

that Israeli settlements have no legal validity and are dangerously imperilling the

viability of the two-state solution.

C.GS3 Related

1. Demonetisation may impact real estate sector in short-term

www.thehi du. o / usi ess/ De o etisatio -may-impact-real-estate-sector-

in-short-ter /arti le 939 .e e

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Demonetization

Key Points:

According to an Edelweiss Securities report, the demonetisation drive is expected to

significantly impact the real estate sector in the short-term; in the medium to long

term demand will rise.

The report also said the impact would be more pronounced in the unorganised

sector and the implementation of the Real Estate Regulatory Act should result in

demand shifting to the organised sector. Prices would come down mostly for the

luxury sector.

Payment services to be next game changer –

The demonetization move of the government has come as a boon for telecom

company’s who want more and more customers to get used to digital platforms for

availing services and paying for them.

Already, a sizeable numbers of payments for telecom recharges and bills are being

paid online and digitally. In the next wave of the digital transition, we will see more

and more people getting on the digital bandwagon.

Mobile wallet and Payment solutions: The epoch-making revolution unleashed in

India by the recent announcement of demonetization and the replacement of high-

value notes by the government is being perceived by telecom companies as the next

wave of growth. With over 800 million users already being served and over 200

million of them using mobile wallets, the current drive of the government to push the

use of digital and cashless payments is turning out to be a very big fillip to new

growth.

While this space has seen hyper-competition with over 25 active wallet service

providers, the biggest sweet spot for telcos has been cross-selling financial services.

The government’s move of demonetisation has pushed the financial services agenda within the telcos’ ambit and top telcos are well-placed to play a significant

role in making India a ‘less cash’ society with nearly 100 per cent of adult population in India having a relationship with one of the telcos as a customer.

For telcos, the biggest challenge in recent times has been to control churn and add

value to existing relationship with the customer.

2. Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon - SAAW

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=155827

Category: S&T

Topic: Defense - DRDO

Key Points:

The Defence and Research Development Organization – DRDO successfully flight

tested the Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon - SAAW, from an Indian Air Force (IAF)

aircraft.

SAAW – It is an indigenously designed and developed 120 kg class smart weapon,

developed by DRDO, is capable of engaging ground targets with high precision up

to a range of 100 kms. The light weight high precision guided bomb is one of the

world class weapons systems.

D. GS4 Related

E. Important Editorials

The Hindu

F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:

1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn

UNSC

Israel-Palestine issue

Digital literacy and online payments

Mobile wallets

NITI Aayog

2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS

BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS

IN NEWS

Links to Refer

Demonetization http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=155829

3. Tags

Lucky Grahak Yojana

Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana

Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon

Practice Questions

Date: 25

th December, 2016

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Cashless Economy

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

1. Which of the following committees dealt with digital payments?

a. Urjit Patel committee

b. Bimal Jalan committee

c. Ratan Watal committee

d. Nachiket Mor committee

Ans (c)

Date: 25

th December, 2016

Category: International Organizations

Topic: International Judiciary

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

2. Which of the following International Courts/Tribunals work under UN? a) International Court of Justice - ICJ

b) International Criminal Court

c) Permanent Court of Arbitration

d) Both a and b

Ans (a)

Date: 24th December, 2016

Category: Diseases in news - Ebola

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Conceptual

3. Which of the following statements are correct regarding the ‘National Payments Corporation of India’?

(i) It is the umbrella organisation for all retail payment systems in India

(ii) It is a not-for-profit organisation registered under section 25 of the Companies

Act 1956

(iii) It aims to allow all Indian citizens to have unrestricted access to e-payment

services.

a) (i) only

b) (i) and (ii) only

c) (ii) and (iii) only

d) All 3 are correctly matched

Ans (d)

Date: 25th December, 2016

Category: Defense

Topic: DRDO

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Conceptual

4. Which of the following statements are correct regarding the Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon

– SAAW?

(1) It is capable of engaging ground targets with high precision up to a range of 100 kms.

(2) It is indigenously developed by DRDO

(a) (1) only

(b) (2) only

(c) Both (1) & (2)

(d) Neither (1) nor (2)

Ans (c)

Date: 25th November, 2016

Category: National organizations

Difficulty level: Easy

Type: Factual

5. ‘NITI Aayog’ works on the principle of

a) Cooperative Federalism

b) Administrative decentralization

c) Financial decentralization

d) Top-down approach

Ans (a)

Current News Analysis

26-12-2016

A. GS1 Related

1. 6,117 Kuchipudi dancers put A.P. in Guinness book

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/6117-Kuchipudi-dancers-put-A.P.-in-

Guinness-book/article16943005.ece

Category: Indian Heritage and Culture

Topic: Dance Forms

Key Points:

With a spe ta ula Maha i da Nat a sho , a dizz i g a a of , performers

created a new Guinness World Record.

The performance lasted 13 minutes. The Guinness requirement is a minimum of 5

minutes to attempt an entry into the records.

Kuchipudi:

Kuchipudi is one of the classical dance forms of the South India. Kuchipudi derives its

name from the Kuchipudi village of Andhra Pradesh.

Kuchipudi exhibits scenes from the Hindu Epics, legends and mythological tales through

a combination of music, dance and acting.

Like other classical dances, Kuchipudi also comprises pure dance, mime and histrionics

ut it is the use of spee h that disti guishes Ku hipudi s p ese tatio as da e d a a. In its early form, the female roles were played by boys and young men of beautiful

looks. The director (called Sutradhar) played the most important role. He combined the

role of conductor, dancer, singer, musician, comedian, all in one. In modern times the

Kuchipudi dance is considerably different than it originally used to be. Most of the

performances are solo, done by female dancers.

B. GS2 Related

1. Need to li k Aadhaar ith details of oters

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/%E2%80%98Need-to-link-Aadhaar-with-details-of-

voters%E2%80%99/article16942770.ece

Category: Constitutional Bodies

Topic: Election Commission

Key Points:

The Supreme Court had asked the Election Commission to study the possibility on the

basis of an application by an UAE-based doctor for electoral reforms to allow inter-State

migrants voting privileges like postal ballot available to government servants.

The top poll body had last year set up a committee to study the possibility of amending

the electoral law to empower voters who have migrated to other States within the

country.

The Election Commission of India has given a mixed response to the Supreme Court on

providing absentee voting rights

Observations made by the Committee:

There is an emergent need to link Aadhaar with the electoral details of voters , saying

there is no foolproof mechanism to verify their identity and block duplicity.

A p o isio of a se tee oti g ights to the loosely defined term domestic

migrants ould e o e a logistical nightmare for the Commission

Enforcement of Model Code of Conduct would suffer and the concept of level playing

field would get defeated with national parties having an advantage over State parties.

Multiple vernacular data a d a i g patte s of spelli g a d diffi ult i as e tai i g the date of birth of voters had given rise to multiple entries of voters.

Several thousands of voters keep on changing their places of ordinary residence

frequently making this task even more complex

The Commission, however said that it might be extended only to a small subset of

migrants who formed an identifiable and countable class of electors not delinked from

their present place of registration and only te porarily a se t from their place of

ordinary residence.

2. “oft order approa h a ri g I dia i to CPEC

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/%E2%80%98Soft-border-approach-can-bring-

India-into-CPEC%E2%80%99/article16943237.ece

Category: Bilateral Relations

Topic: India – China

Key Points:

A top Chinese academic Prof.Li has opined that a focus on esta lishi g soft borders between India and Pakistan, rather than a final settlement of boundaries in Kashmir,

a lead to Ne Delhi s apid i teg atio i to a e pa ded Chi a-Pakistan Economic

Corridor (CPEC).

The o ept of soft o de s is o e that a oids a hard settle e t of disputed boundaries, offers a way forward for regional cooperation.

In 2005, shortly after a bus service from Srinagar and Muzaffarabad had started,

Pakista s former President Pervez Musharraf had called the opening of cross-border

transport routes as the fi st step to a ds o e ti g [the Li e of Co t ol] i to a soft o de .

A e do se e t of soft o de s by New Delhi and Islamabad ould add ess I dia s core objection to the CPEC — its passage through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

If Kash i has a soft o de , CPEC ould unlock Kashmir and make it a part of a much

grander regional transportation network, with Srinagar as one of its important nodes.

Pakistan and Afghanistan should a ept soft o de s as the tou hsto e fo esol i g their differences along the Durand Line.

Instead of developing as rival hubs, the Iranian port of Chabahar, and Gwadar could be

de eloped as sister-po ts .

3. 2016 saw judiciary-govt. hostility

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/2016-saw-judiciary-govt.-

hostility/article16942757.ece

Category: Judiciary

Topic: Judicial Activism

Key Points:

The year 2016 has been marked by the hostile interface between the

judiciary and the government like never before over delay in judicial

appointments.

The interventions made by the court crossed all sections of the society, from

banning liquor vends on highways; to ordering people to stand up for the

National Anthem at cinema halls to show respect; to whether online jokes

about Sikhs as a slu o the o u it ; to uestio i g the go e e t s resolve to bring the Kohinoor diamond.

The friction between the two constitutional branches of governance in the

o ld s la gest de o a sta ted to a ds the fag e d of ith the Supreme Court striki g do the NDA go er e t s NJAC la and raged on

throughout the year 2016 in matters of appointment of judges to the higher

judiciary.

On Constitution Day recently, the tensions between the two flared up when

the government accused the Supreme Court of failing the nation during the

Emergency period and blamed the judiciary of indulging in judicial activism.

The SC compelled the Centre to conduct a floor test in the Uttarakhand

Legislative Assembly following the declaration of Preside t s rule in the

State.

Constitution Bench decision upholding the independence of the Legislative

Speaker by quashing the Aru a hal Pradesh Go er or s de isio to advance

the Assembly hearing.

A Constitution Bench, in a majority 7-2 verdict, also upheld the validity of

States to tax goods entering their territories, saying State governments are

ell ithi thei ights to desig thei fiscal legislation.

The ou t stood up fo the fa e s of West Be gal he it held the “tate s acquisition of land for Tata s Na o ar factory under the emergency clause

as unconstitutional.

It constituted the Lodha Committee to recommend reforms in cricket

administration in India.

It upheld the right to clean environment by imposing a blanket ban on the

sale and manufacture of firecrackers in the National Capital Region.

The Supreme Court stood firm by its resolve to ban Jallikattu

The court intervened in the Cauvery river water dispute between Karnataka

a d Ta il Nadu dis issi g the Ce t e s plea that the ape ou t has o jurisdiction over the dispute.

The court stood up for victims of encounters with the police and the security

forces by holding that every death in a disturbed area, be it of a common

man or a militant, should be thoroughly enquired into by the CID at the

instance of the National Human Rights Commission.

4. Government celebrates Good Governance Day with Launch of New Initiatives

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=155812

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=155812

Category: E-governance

Topic: Applications

Key Points:

On the ocassion of Good Governance Day, 2016, Union Minister of Textiles Smt.

Smriti Zubin Irani launched following initiatives of the Ministry of Textiles in New

Delhi today.

'JUTE-“MA‘T an online portal to facilitate purchase of Jute bags from the Jute

Industry by the State Procurement Agencies;

Dashboard for Integrated Skill Development Scheme hosted on the NIC Cloud

with access to public;

Bunkar Mitra – a Helpline for handholding of Handloom weavers.

Six major initiatives of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT),

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions were launched by Dr.

Jitendra Singh on the occasion of Good Governance Day.

The initiatives are: Recruitment Rules Formation, Amendment Monitoring

System (RRFAMS), Immovable Property Return through Property Related

Information System (PRISM), announcement of E-Service Book, Mandatory

online filing of APA‘ y all AI“ a d Ce tral Group A “er i e Offi ers, EO App

on iPhone Operating System (iOS) and launching of redesigned website of DoPT.

C.GS3 Related

1. No intention of govt. to impose long-term capital gains tax: Jaitley

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/No-intention-of-govt.-to-impose-long-term-

capital-gains-tax-Jaitley/article16941875.ece

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Mobilisation of resources

Key Points:

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday went to great lengths clarifying that

there is no intention of the government to impose tax on long-term capital gains

from share transactions.

Referring to the speech made by Mr. Modi, he said the interpretation being

given to the speech is not correct.

A capital gains tax (CGT) is levied on the profit realized on the sale of a capital asset

that was purchased at a cost amount that was lower than the amount realized on the

sale. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds,

precious metals and property.

2. Russia offers technology to keep hackers at bay

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/Russia-offers-technology-to-keep-hackers-

at-bay/article16942015.ece

Category: S&T

Topic: Applications

Key Points:

Russian Quantum Center (RQC) is planning to offe ' ua tu ptog aph that could propel India to the forefront of hack proof communication in

sectors such as banking and national and homeland security.

RQC conducts scientific research in developing 'unbreakable cryptography'

for the banks and the government organisations. It also involves research in

areas such as materials with superior properties and new systems for

ultrasensitive imaging of the brain.

'Quantum cryptography' is relevant at a time when hacking targets are

multiplying in India as the country goes digital.

Company FireEye recently discovered phishing websites created by

cybercriminals that spoof 26 Indian banks in order to steal personal

information from customers.

In another incident, the security of about 3.2 million debit cards got

compromised in the country.

Technology company Yahoo too faced a huge data breach

As 'quantum computers' get sufficiently powerful they would be able to

easily decrypt today's internet communication.

Quantum cryptography:

The 'Quantum cryptography' depends more on physics, rather than

mathematics.

It is based on the usage of individual particles or waves of light (photon) and

their intrinsic quantum properties to develop an unbreakable cryptosystem.

It is impossible to measure the quantum state of any system without

disturbing that system.

It employs Quantum key distribution (QKD) in which two users can establish

QKD session, that allows them to obtain a random private key. QKD is

distinct as it encrypts this key on light particles called photons.

A hacker trying to clone or read such a key would automatically change its

state, due to fundamental principle of quantum mechanics. It would also

leave a hacker fingerprint. This means the recipient and the transmitter can

easily detect the attempts to read or intercept the information.

D. GS4 Related

E. Important Editorials

The Hindu

F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:

1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn

GST and Karnataka Government’s new reservation policy

Sabarimala stampede – Crowd Management.

One belt – One Road initiative

China Pak Economic Corridor

2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS

BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS

IN NEWS

Links to Refer

The Aadhaar

(Targeted Delivery

of Financial and

http://www.prsindia.org/billtrack/the-aadhaar-targeted-

delivery-of-financial-and-other-subsidies-benefits-and-

services-bill-2016-4202/

Other Subsidies,

Benefits and

Services) Act,

2016

3. Tags

Kuchipudi Dance

Capital Gains Tax

Quantum Cryptography

Practice Questions

Date: 26

th December, 2016

Category: Art and Culture

Topic: Dance forms

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Easy

Type: Factual

1. Which of the following is not a classical dance?

a) Kathak

b) Dollukunitha

c) Odissi

d) Sattriya

Ans (b)

Date: 26

th December, 2016

Category: Economy

Topic: Taxation

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Moderate

Type: Factual

2. Capital gains tax is not applicable on sale of which of the following?

a) Stocks.

b) Bonds

c) Jewelry

d) Agricultural land

Ans (d)

Date: 26th December, 2016

Category: Science and Technology

Topic: Physics

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Moderate

Type: Factual

3. A discrete quantity of energy proportional in magnitude to the frequency of the radiation

it represents is known as?

a) Photon.

b) Quantum.

c) Ion.

d) Neutrino.

Ans (b)

Date: 26th December, 2016

Category: Governance

Topic: IT initiatives

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Tough

Type: Factual

4. The recently launched ‘Bunkar Mitra’ initiative of the textile ministry is-

a) An online portal to facilitate purchase of Jute bags

b) Dashboard for Integrated Skill Development Scheme

c) A Helpline for handholding of Handloom weavers.

d) Grievance redressal mechanism for pensioners

Ans (c)

Date: 26th December, 2016

Category: Legislations,Acts and laws

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Moderate

Type: Factual

5. Which of the following statements is true with respect to Aadhaar?

i. Every resident of India shall be entitled to obtain an Aadhaar number.

ii. Unauthorised use of Aadhaar attracts a penalty with imprisonment.

iii. Aadhaar number cannot be a proof of citizenship or domicile.

a) Only 1

b) Only 1 and 2

c) Only 1 and 3

d) All of the above

Ans (d)

Current News Analysis

27-12-2016

A. GS1 Related

B. GS Related 1. Remission power lies with State: SC

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Remission-power-lies-with-State-

SC/article16947439.ece

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Union and State Executive

Key Points:

The Supreme Court has held that the power to grant remission is exclusively that of the

State government and not the judiciary,

The judgment is also i s ith the Ta il Nadu go e e t s e ie petitio o the question of who has the actual authority — the Centre or the State — in granting

remission for seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

TN government has sought a review of the Constitution Bench verdict, arguing that the

State government is the most competent in deciding whether a life term convict

deserves to be granted remission.

The Constitution Bench had earlier held that the Centre and not the State enjoys

p i a i de idi g hethe the life convicts in the former PM s assassi atio ase should be granted remission.

2. China tests prototype of fifth-generation fighter jet

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/China-tests-new-stealth-

fighter/article16947031.ece

Category: International Relations

Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Key Points:

China has tested an improved version of its fifth generation stealth fighter which

was previously known as the J-31, the twin engine, radar evading aircraft under

development by Shenyang Aircraft Corp.

The Chinese stealth fighter has strategic significance for India as besides China,

Pakistan - which is already producing JF-17 Thunder fighter jet along with Beijing

- has already shown a lot of interest in acquiring the stealth fighter.

The new FC-31 is equipped with state-of-the-art instruments such as electro-

optical targeting system and helmet-mounted display and sight system. It seems

to have better stealth capabilities, improved electronic equipment and a larger

payload capacity.

China intends to use the FC-31 to capture market share at home and as well as

abroad and the company is giving a big push to attract potential foreign buyers

with its medium-sized stealth fighter planes.

China also plans to use the FC-31 to the western monopoly on the fifth-

generation fighter jet technology.

C.GS3 Related

1. India needs lower taxes, higher compliance

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/India-needs-lower-taxes-higher-

compliance-Jaitley/article16945366.ece

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Taxation

Key Points:

India needs lower taxation to compete globally and that voluntary compliance of

tax by citizens should be encouraged by a citizen friendly administration.

Payment of legitimate taxes to the government is pa t of a itize s dut , a d non-payment of due taxes invites severe consequences.

I I dia, e t ao di a il high ta atio ates i the past ha e e ou aged people to evade payment of taxes. A lower level of taxation is required, to provide

services that are more competitive in nature.

The government foresees an India where voluntary tax compliance increases.

Tax authorities are generally judged by the quality of what they write or decide.

The quantum of fairness followed by authorities will define the quality of

interpretation of tax laws by the authorities. The voluntary compliance by

citizens via payment of due taxes need must be reciprocated by authorities

through a citizen-friendly administration.

2. Agni-V test-fired again from mobile-launcher

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/Agni-V-test-fired-again-from-mobile-

launcher/article16947714.ece

Category: Science & Technology

Topic: Defence

Key Points:

The test-launch of I dia s ost fo ida le allisti issile, Ag i-V, from the Abdul

Kalam Island, off the Odisha coast, was a remarkable success, and clearly signaled that

I dia s u lea dete e e apa ilit has indeed come of age.

This is the 4th consecutive success for Agni-V, which can deliver a nuclear payload

weighing about 1.5 tonnes over a distance of 5,000 km and beyond.

It was the 2nd time that Agni-V was fired from a canister mounted on a TATRA truck

parked on the Island. A gas generator located at the bottom of the canister kicked out

the long-range, 3-stage, surface-to-surface ballistic missile that weighs around 50

tonnes, is 17 mts long and is 2-mts in diameter.

A missile launched from a canister mounted on a road-mobile launcher gives it a great

degree of operational flexibility. This means it can be launched literally from a road in a

city, after stopping the traffic, giving it a very quick reaction time. The missile can be

made vertical in 3 minutes and the actual launch takes a few more minutes. After lift-

off, the truck can speed away.

During the launch, the 2 stages jettisoned and the missile accelerated as it plunged back

towards the earth. All re-entry systems worked perfectly. The heat-shield made up of

carbon-carbon composites and encasing the dummy warhead, withstood a temperature

of about 4,000 degrees Celsius. The on-board computer guided the missile towards its

impact point in the southern Indian Ocean. After a 20-minute flight, it fell near the

Australian waters.

The set of five Agni s fo the ul a k of I dia s u lea dete e e and second strike

capability. While Agni-I has a range of 700 km, Agni-II 2,000 km, and Agni-III 3,000 km,

Agni-IV can take out targets 4,000 km away.

D. GS4 Related

E. Important Editorials

The Hindu

1. Time to repeal the The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/Time-to-repeal-the-FCRA/article16946222.ece

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Bills, NGO’s

Key Points:

The Union Home Ministry recently rejected the license renewal applications, under the

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 of 25 NGO s. Most of the affected organizations are rights-based advocacy groups, with some

involved in human rights field.

The government has defended its actions by claiming that these NGOs had violated the

norms of FCRA by engaging in activities detrimental to public interest. But its decision

has invited criticism from different quarters.

Civil society members have condemned the move and accused the government with

a use of legal p o edu es . The Natio al Hu a ‘ights Co issio has issued a oti e to MHA

The original FCRA was enacted in 1976 by the Indira Gandhi-led government during the

Emergency phase. It prohibits electoral candidates, political parties, judges, MPs and

even cartoonists from accepting contributions from foreign sources. Its intent was

clearly to clamp down on political dissent.

The justification given for the law was to prevent foreign interference in domestic

politics. It was the Cold War era, when both the Soviets and the Americans meddled in

the internal politics of post-colonial nations to further their strategic interests. Amidst

suspi io s of the u i uitous fo eig ha d i stoki g do esti tu oil, the FCRA was

aimed at preventing political parties from receiving funding from foreign sources.

But India embraced foreign funding by opening up its economy in 1991. The Indian state

had no issues in accepting contributions from foreign sources such as the World Bank or

the IMF. With the state itself wooing foreign investment, Indian businesses and political

parties too, helped themselves to foreign funds.

There are 3 major changes that make the new Act more stringent than the old one.

Firstly, FCRA registration under the earlier law was permanent, but now under the new

one, it expires after 5 years, and has to be renewed afresh. This instantly hands the

government with a whip to bring errant NGOs to its heels.

Second, the new law puts a restriction (50%) on the proportion of foreign funds that

could be used for administrative purposes, thus allowing the government to control how

a civil society organisation (CSO) spends its funds.

The third and the most important distinction is that while the 1976 law was largely

aimed at political parties, the new law shifts the fo us to organizations of a political

atu e . The FC‘A ‘ules, has enabled the government to target inconvenient

NGOs, especially those working on governance accountability.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of

Association undertook a legal analysis of the FCRA, 2010 and it has stated in its report

that the FC‘A p o isio s a d ules a e ot i o fo it ith i te atio al la ,

principles a d sta da ds . Right to freedom of association is part of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights (article 20), a violation of this right clearly constitutes a

human rights violation.

NGO funding has to be regulated. One cannot deny the fact that corrupt NGOs exist, or

that unscrupulous NGOs that access foreign funds may serve as conduits for money

laundering purposes. But there are much better ways to address these concerns than an

act that i stitutes a I spe to ‘aj fo the NGO do ai .

It is high time to repeal the FCRA and revive the idea of an autonomous, self-regulatory

body for CSOs.

BusinessLine

1. 7 and beyond, let’s get digital http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/another-kneejerk-

move/article9440926.ece

Category: Science & Technology

Topic: Artificial Intelligence

Key Points:

The rise of AI: A tifi ial i tellige e AI is t o i g — it s al ead he e. 6 saw many consumer-facing autonomous services hit a tipping point — self-

driving cars, AI-powered chatbots, etc. AI is all set to move from consumer-

focused used cases to the real enterprise world in 2017 and hit us hard. Over the

next few years, every aspect of our commercial world will be affected by the new

machines.

AI will be the number one driver of business change in 2017 and beyond. AI-led

automation will accelerate the pace of modernisation in middle- and back-office

operations, thereby truly digitising the fundamental operational blocks. Big data

is an enabler for AI because it provides the necessary capacity for learning

algorithms to consume data and use it to make strategic decisions.

Internet of Things (IoT) in Asia Pacific is set to explode to 8.6 billion devices by

2020, growing from a current annual market of $250 billion to $583 billion in

2020.

The IoT is still evolving when it comes to standardisation, and presents data

privacy and security risks. More connected devices mean exponential growth in

the amount of personal and sensitive data generated. A single security breach on

one device could infect an entire network, considering that multiple devices are

interconnected on a home or business network.

Cyber-attacks are estimated to cost businesses as much as $400 billion annually

— larger than the GDP of roughly 160 of the 196 countries in the world. Alarm

bells are already ringing with recent reports of cyber-attacks launched through

connected refrigerators and malicious e-mails sent via household appliances. IT

departments and CIOs/CISOs who have not kept up with security standards in

the region will fall behind in ways that will be nearly impossible to make up in

the dynamic digital security landscape. The IoT security role within IT

depa t e ts ill e a ealit soo , if it is t al ead

PIB:

1. Achievements & Initiatives taken by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs,

Food & Public Distribution during 2016

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=155855

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Government Initiatives

Key Points:

Following are the main highlights of the activities of the Department of Food & Public

Distribution during the year 2016:

1. National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013:

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) was enacted in 2013 and was being

implemented in only 11 States/UTs in May, 2014. During 2016, special attention was

given for its implementation wherein remaining States/UTs were constantly pursued

through meetings, conferences, video conferences (VCs), correspondence, visits etc. to

expedite implementation of the Act. As a result, 13 more States/UTs joined NFSA

during the year and the Act is now being implemented in all the States/UTs and covers

about 80 crore persons under the Act.

For the first time under the NFSA, Rs.2200 crore has been released to State

Governments as Central assistance to meet the expenditure incurred on intra-State

o e e t of food g ai s a d fai p i e shop deale s a gi s. Under erstwhile TPDS,

State Governments were required to either meet this expenditure on their own or pass

it on to beneficiaries.

2. Major Reforms in TPDS:

Sustained efforts have resulted in significant reforms in TPDS making it more

transparent and leak proof and better targeting of food subsidy. Cash Transfer for food

grains under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme has been implemented in 3 UTs.

3. Improving Food grain Management:

FCI has developed a software for Online Procurement Management System

(OPMS) which is being used for procurement

Under Riverine movement of foodgrains, FCI moved 2267 MT foodgrains to

Tripura via Bangladesh during August, 2016 to September, 2016 from Kolkata.

A quantity of 20,000 metric tonnes of par-boiled rice has been exported to

Egyptian Government on Government to Government basis out of Central Pool

Stock. The export was done in the interest of diplomatic gain for India.

4. Improving Storage:

A road map for creation of 100 Lakh MT storage capacity in the form of Steel Silos by FCI

and other agencies including State Governments on PPP mode for wheat and rice has

been approved.

5. Reforms in Sugar Sector:

Sustained surplus production over domestic consumption in the past 5 sugar

seasons had led to subdued sugar prices, which had stressed the liquidity

position of the industry throughout the country leading to build up cane price

arrears.

To mitigate the situation, Government has taken the following measures:

1) Extended financial assistance of Rs.4305 crore directly credited to farmers

account on behalf of sugar mills through banks. About 32 lakh farmers have

been benefited.

2) Facilitated supply of ethanol under EBP programme by fixing remunerative

price and waiving off excise duty on supply of ethanol during sugar season

2015-16.

3) A comprehensive performance based production subsidy has been extended

to farmers against their cane dues contingent on mills undertaking export

and supplying of ethanol.

Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) has achieved historical success as supplies of ethanol

during the current year have reached record level of more than 110 crore litres which

has never been achieved earlier.

6. Policy Changes:

Fortification of Staple Food

To address acute malnutrition in the population, a strategy of Fortification in Food has

been adopted. As a consequence of inputs and proactive initiatives taken by DFPD in

consultation with all Stakeholders, FSSAI has operationalized the standards for

fortification of Wheat Flour, and Oil w.e.f. 16th October, 2016. Technology & cost for rice

fortification are under review.

Wheat-Rice Policy

Government of India formulated a wheat-rice policy in June 2016 with an objective that

the States, which annually procure more wheat or rice than their present annual

entitlement/demand for wheat and rice respectively, will be allocated the preferred

food grains as per their requirement in the normal NFSA allocation i.e. AAY and Priority

category. The allocation in the tide over category will be at the discretion of the

Department and subject to availability of food grains in the Central Pool and impact on

food subsidy.

F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:

1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn

Agni V

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010

Remission

2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS

BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGANISATIONS

IN NEWS

Links to Refer

Foreign Contribution (Regulation)

Act, 2010

National Food Security Act

http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Acts/The%20For

eign%20Contribution%20(Regulation)%20Act,%202010.pd

f

http://www.prsindia.org/theprsblog/?tag=national-food-

security-bill

3. Tags

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010

Agni V

Tax Compliance

Practice Questions

Date: 27

th December, 2016

Category: Centre’s schemes and programmes

Topic: Food-security

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

1. Which of the following committees dealt with Public Distribution Security - PDS

reforms?

a. Madhav Chitale committee

b. Shantha Kumar committee

c. Ratan Watal committee

d. Santhanam committee

Ans (b)

Date: 27

th December, 2016

Category: S&T

Topic: Recent innovations

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

2. ‘Internet of things’ (IoT) appears in news. It is related to? a) Inter-networking of connected/smart systems

b) Virtual Private Network

c) Cloud Computing

d) Artifical Intelligence

Ans (a)

Date: 27th December, 2016

Category: Defense - Army

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Conceptual

3. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the ‘Agni-V’ missile?

(i) It is developed by DRDO (ii) It is an inter-continental missile with an operational range of 5000-7000 kms

(iii) It uses both solid and liquid propellants

a) (i) only

b) (i) and (ii) only

c) (ii) and (iii) only

d) All 3 are correctly matched

Ans (b)

Date: 27th December, 2016

Category: Indian Polity

Topic: Powers of Indian President Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Conceptual

4. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Pardoning powers of the

President of India?

(1) The President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions

of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted

of any offence.

(2) The President shall have the power to suspend, remit or commute a sentence of

death.

(a) (1) only

(b) (2) only

(c) Both (1) & (2)

(d) Neither (1) nor (2)

Ans (c)

Date: 27th November, 2016

Category: Nuclear policy of India

Difficulty level: Easy

Type: Factual

5. Which of the following statements are true?

(i) India ratified the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage

(CSC)

(ii) India has passed its own domestic nuclear liability law, the Civil Law for Nuclear

Damage (CLND) Act in 2010

a. (i) only

b. (ii) only

c. Both (i) and (ii)

d. Neither (i) nor (ii)

Ans (c)

Current News Analysis

28-12-2016

A. GS1 Related

B. GS2 Related

1. Our position in equity ladder is dismal, says Ansari

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/Our-position-in-equity-ladder-is-

dismal-says-Ansari/article16951308.ece

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Government Policy

Key Points:

After nearly 70 years of legislating welfare laws and measures to deliver social justice,

The ground reality is dismal and we remain fragmented, said Vice-President Hamid

A sa i i his add ess o “o ial justi e, Co stitutio a d the “up e e Cou t at the i th national conference of the Indian Association of Lawyers

Reason was India ranked 130th out of 188 countries in the Human Development Index,

and a recent New World Wealth report ranked India as the 12th most inequitable

economy in the world.

National Human Rights Commission data indicates that in 2012, 37 per cent Dalits lived

below the poverty line, 54 per cent were undernourished, 83 per 1,000 children born in

Dalit households died before their first birthday, and 45 per cent remained illiterate.

In regard to children of the largest religious minority, the 2006 Sachar Committee

Report had observed that only 17 per cent of them above the age of 17 were found to

ha e o pleted at i ulatio as o pa ed ith the ge e al a e age of 26 pe e t,

2.India journeys from multilateral to bilateral in 2016

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article16950810.ece

Category: International relations

Topic: Foreign policy

Key Points:

Indian foreign policy took a decided step away from multilateral platforms to focus on

bilateral relations to secure and shore up its place in the world.

Glo al lo s a d allia es a e less ele a t toda a d the o ld is o i g to a ds a loosely arranged o de , said Fo eig “e eta “. Jaisha ka .

Lows of 2016-With the U.N, the go e e t has felt f ust ated at its i a ilit to o e on issues important for India. No significant head a as ade o I dia s id fo a permanent Security Council seat, on the Comprehensive Convention on International

Terrorism, or on specific requests to ban Pakistan-based terror group chief Masood

Azhar. Also, I dia s id to joi the Nu lea “upplie s G oup as halted not once but

t i e i the ea , due to Chi a s o je tions.

Highs of 2016-relation with the US- the P i e Mi iste s add ess to the U.“. Co g ess, the sig i g of the Logisti s Ag ee e t, a d I dia s ag ee e t to joi the Cli ate Cha ge o e tio . P eside t O a a sig ed the Defe e Bill that a es I dia a ajor

defe e pa t e — a designation that seems most akin to a strategic ally without being

one.

Another leap forward came from Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the

UAE, which are forging closer ties with India despite their OIC reservations, and from

Iran and Afghanistan

3 Nepal rejects India's open sky offer

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Nepal-rejects-India%E2%80%99s-

%E2%80%98open-sky%E2%80%99-offer/article16950811.ece

Category: international relations

Topic: Foreign policy

Key Points:

Nepal has eje ted I dia s ope sk offe to allo u li ited flights et ee the t o countries.

I dia has ee kee o ou te i g Nepal s e e t e gage e t ith Chi a o the oad, railways and port connectivity. However, India and Nepal signed a memorandum of

u de sta di g to set up a joi t te h i al o ittee to e a i e Nepal s e uest fo developing new air routes and air entry points at Janakpur, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj.

Recently India signed an agreement with Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Guyana, Czech Republic,

Finland and Spain to allow airlines to operate unlimited flights to Delhi, Mumbai,

Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

Under the new National Civil Aviation Policy, approved by the Union Cabinet, India

i te ds to e te i to ope -sk ag ee e ts ith “AA‘C ou t ies a d ith those beyond the 5,000-km radius from Delhi.

Among SAARC countries, I dia does t ha e a ope sk ag ee e t ith Pakista , Nepal and Afghanistan. It allows unlimited flights from Bangladesh and Maldives at 18

domestic airports, from Sri Lanka at 23 airports, and from Bhutan at all its airports.

Open sky policy- is an international policy concept that calls for the liberalization of the

rules and regulations of the international aviation industry—especially commercial

aviation—in order to create a free-market environment for the airline industry.

Its primary objectives are:

To liberalize the rules for international aviation markets and minimize

government intervention as it applies to passenger, all-cargo, and

combination air transportation as well as scheduled and charter

services; and

To adjust the regime under which military and other state-based flights

may be permitted.

For open skies to become effective, a bilateral (and sometimes multilateral) Air

Transport Agreement must be concluded between two or more nations. . Under the

ope -sk ag ee e t, the e is o est i tio o flights o seats.

C.GS3 Related

D. GS4 Related

1. Watel panel for law to protect digital payers

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/New-law-needed-to-protect-cashless-

customers-Expert-panel-on-digital-payments/article16950150.ece

Category: Indian economy

Topic: digital payments

Key Points:

Committee on digital payments headed by the finance secretary Ratan P Watal,proposed

number of key measures to protect digital payers.

Key measures proposed are- legislative steps to protect customers and their data, allow open

access payment systems, independent working of payment regulatory board from RBI, cut in the

threshold of quoting PAN numbers for cash transactions from 50000 and 2000000

Panel also stated that the drawbacks in the existing Payment and Settlement Systems Act of

2007 compel most of India to rely on cash transactions by restricting the reach of digital

payments. Therefore, the panel is of the opinion that a Bill must be introduced to amend the

law within a month, in the coming Budget session of Parliament.

Though a sub-committee of the Reserve Bank of India regulates payments, the Watal committee

has said that banking requires micro-prudential regulation from RBI, while payments is a

separate, more technology-business driven activity, so both need to be viewed separately.

A new Payments Regulatory Board should be backed by law as independent of RBI and if there is

any conflict between its policies and the central bank s poli ies o egulatio s, the ‘BI s de isio shall prevail, the committee suggested.

Other recommendations-

The panel also recommended that when government acts as a merchant, it should bear the cost

of electronic payments and not pass them on to consumers.

Digital payments for low value transactions, such as parking charges, toll charges or health

services at government hospitals and health centres, also need to be promoted.

Panel also proposed that utility bills and payments to government above a certain threshold be

made only in digital mode.

convenience or service charge levied by utility service providers, petrol pumps, railways, airlines

on electronic payments should be withdrawn.

A recommendation has also been made to make Aadhaar numbers compulsory in Income Tax

returns

Why digital payment reforms?-

India is a cash heavy economy, with almost 78 per cent of all consumer payments being

effected in cash. This imposes an estimated cost of Rs. 21,000 crore, without factoring in other

effects of cash reliance, such as counterfeit currency and black money.

Transitioning to digital payments was estimated to bring about a significant reduction in costs

incurred on account of inefficiencies associated with cash and other paper based payments.

2. FPI on the edge as investments via P-notes may face more tax

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/policy/fpis-on-the-edge-as-

investments-via-p-notes-may-face-more-tax/articleshow/56210137.cms

Category: Foreign portfolio Investments

Topic: P-notes

Key Points:

Many Foreign portfolio Investors (FPIs),who are having P-notes as ultimate beneficiaries

may face more tax.

The taxability applies to situations of transfer of any interest exceeding 5%in the overseas

entity. However the applicability of these provisions are made on a case to case basis.

Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) consists of securities and other financial assets passively

held by foreign investors. It does not provide the investor with direct ownership of

financial assets and is relatively liquid depending on the volatility of the market.

Foreign portfolio investment differs from foreign direct investment (FDI), in which a

domestic company runs a foreign firm, because although FDI allows a company to maintain

better control over the firm held abroad, it may face more difficulty selling the firm at a

premium price in the future.

Participatory Notes commonly known as P-Notes or PNs are instruments issued by

registered foreign institutional investors (FII) to overseas investors, who wish to invest in

the Indian stock markets without registering themselves with the market regulator, the

Securities and Exchange Board of India - SEBI.

SEBI permitted foreign institutional investors to register and participate in the Indian stock

market in 1992.Investing through P-Notes is very simple and hence very popular amongst

foreign institutional investors

E. Important Editorials

The Hindu

1.Chronicle of a conflict foretold

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/Chronicle-of-a-conflict-

foretold/article16950462.ece

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: ethnic tensions

Key Points:

Crisis in Manipur- main reason is the primeval notion of an exclusive ethnic homeland.The

belief is that such homelands are a given and have existed since time immemorial.

Communities who claim to be natural heirs and custodians of these homelands think of

others as aliens. The trouble is, those excluded, have their own notions of homeland, and

their notion of homeland overlap, and sometimes completely, with the ones in which they

are supposed to be aliens.

For example- For instance, settle agriculturists, shift cultivators and hunter gatherers will

have different relationships with land. Nagas, Kukis, Meiteis and many other smaller ethnic

groups in Manipur are thus in a web of overlapped homelands.

The immediate cause for the heightened ethnic tension — that of the indefinite blockade

alo g Ma ipu s t o ajo lifeli es, the I phal-Dimapur road and the Imphal-Silchar road,

imposed by the United Naga Council (UNC) since November 1.

The UNC was demanding an assurance from the Manipur government that what they

deem as their ancient homeland — or Nagalim,— will not be divided into districts without

their consent. In particular, they did not want the Kuki-dominated Sadar Hills given this

status, as they consider Kukis as migrants who settled in their land and who can only be

their tenants.

The Manipur government, which was expected to create this district together with Jiribam,

a small enclave of predominantly non-tribal population, deferred the decision in the wake

of the UNC protest, but later a cabinet meet, decided to go ahead and create not just these

two districts but five more by splitting altogether seven existing districts, thereby stiffening

the UNC s lo kade sta e.

Way forward- conflict resolution in such a scenario cannot be a bilateral matter between

the Central government and any single party, as it seems to be the case in the ongoing

Naga peace talks. A chain can be as strong as the weakest link, and the Centre will have to

look for a broader and more inclusive solution to suit what essentially is a multilateral

issue. Second, everyone will ha e to ag ee to a sha ed ho ela d. The loft goal of sha ed so e eig t a d o pete ies ei g egotiated et ee the N“CN IM a d the Ce t e cannot be the solution to the problem of the region unless this sharing extends to all other

stake holders.

2.Behind Pakistans CPEC offer

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/Behind-Pakistan%E2%80%99s-CPEC-

offer/article16950512.ece

Category: international relations

Topic: economic corridor

Key Points:

Pakista i Ge e al suggested that I dia should shu its e it ith Pakista a d joi the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, the Chinese foreign ministry

has called the offer a good ill gestu e , e ho ti g I dia to take it up.

Ea lie I dia has opposed the p oje t, ilate all ith Chi a at the highest le el as ell as at the UN

The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor also known as CPEC and North-South economic

corridor) is an economic corridor comprising a collection of projects currently under

construction at a cost of $51 billion. CPEC aims to facilitate trade along an overland

route that connects Kashgar and Gwadar, through the construction of a network of

highways, railways, and pipelines.

Iran wants Gwadar to e a siste po t to Cha aha , a d Tu k e ista a d othe Central Asian republics have shown interest in the warm-water port that will be a nodal

point for goods through Pakistan to the Chinese city of Kashgar. Further north, despite

its problems on te o f o Pakista , Afgha ista is e o i g a odal poi t fo Chi a s connectivity projects to Iran.

PIB

1. Building Safe Highways

http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=155892

Category: infrastructure

Topic: roadways

Key Points:

As a signatory to Brasilia Declaration, India is committed to reducing the number of road

accidents and fatalities by 50 % by 2020 .

The major steps taken by the Ministry towards ensuring safety on roads are as follows:

A National Road Safety Policy had been approved earlier, outlining various policy

measures like promoting awareness, establishing road safety information data base,

encouraging safer road infrastructure, enforcement of safety laws etc.

The Ministry has evolved a multi-pronged strateg to ta kle the p o le ased o the 4 E s viz Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles) Enforcement and Emergency Care.

A National Road Safety Council had also been constituted as the apex body to take policy

decisions in the matter of road safety.

Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016 - The Bill addresses road safety issues by providing

for stiffer penalties, permitting electronic enforcement, improving fitness certification and

licensing regime, statutory provisions for protection of good Samaritans and recognition of

IT enabled enforcement systems. The Bill also paves way for reforms in public transport

which in turn will help in improving road safety.

Ministry has requested the States to send proposals for correction of black spots and

10% of the Central Road Fund (CRF) have been permitted to be used for undertaking

road safety measures. As Short-term measures rumble strips, reflective stickers at

junctions, fixing signboard/ cautionary board, providing signage and speed restrictions are

being used. As long-term measures construction of vehicular under-pass, By-pass, flyover

and 4-laning are being taken up.

State Road Safety Councils-formulate an action plan for improving road safety, implement

it in a concerted manner, fix a definite, time bound target for fatality reduction and identify

and allocate adequate manpower, financial and other resources for implementing the

strategy to achieve the targets set.

Twenty two States have notified a road safety policy. The states of Assam, Chhattisgarh,

Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Rajasthan and Tripura are in the process

of notifying.

Highway Advisory System (HAS) - HAS was launched as a pilot project on Delhi-Jaipur

highway. It is a free-to-air information distribution system that uses radio to make the

travelling experience on National Highways safer, faster and hassle-free. HAS control

centre collects data, processes and analyzes it, generates alerts and sends it to be

broadcast by All India Radio.

Other measures-

Good Samaritans Guidelines - Guidelines have been issued by the Ministry to prevent the

ha ass e t of Good “a a ita s ho help oad a ide t i ti s. The “up e e Cou t has accepted these guidelines and has asked states for implementation.

Ministry has notified National Ambulance Code for road ambulance Type L and M.

Pilot Projects for Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims were done on Gurgaon-

Jaipur, Vadodara – Mumbai stretch of NH 8 and Ranchi-Rargaon-Mahulia stretch of NH 33.

Now it is proposed to implement this scheme along the Golden Quadrilateral, North South

and East West Corridors (about 13500 km) at an estimated cost of about Rs. 250 Crore

Model Automated Centers for checking fitness of the vehicles.

Buses with IT enabled safety measures under NIRBHAYA SCHEME

Vehicular Safety Standards are being set for all classes of vehicles. Trucks are prohibited

from carrying protruding rods; Anti-locking Brake System (ABS) made mandatory on Heavy

Vehicles; Cars to have provision for fitment of at-least one child seat. Car Crash Standards

to be made mandatory w.e.f. 1st April, 2018; ABS/CBS for Two Wheelers mandated w.e.f.

1st April, 2018etc

Adopt a Gree Highway Progra was launched in July, 2016. It seeks to engage

corporates, Public Sector units, Government organizations and other institutions for

developing green corridor along National Highways through plantation and allied activity

on avenue, median and other available nearby land patches.

Kisa Harit ‘aj arg Yoja a is a pilot scheme to extend green belt beyond the existing

Right of Way of high a s e gagi g fa e s and providing alternative livelihood option

to the nearby communities.

Roadside Amenities- the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has decided to

develop Wayside Amenities along the National Highways. Such Wayside Amenities (WSA)

shall be branded as High a Haat . The o ple es ill p o ide fa ilities fo a a d us passengers and truckers to relax, revive and refresh, thus helping to reduce driver fatigue,

resulting in making roads travel safe and comfortable.

All the 370 Toll Plazas of NHAI would be covered with toilets, hoardings and litter bins

under Swachhta action plan for MoRTH.

F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:

1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn

Foreign portfolio investments and P-notes

Cashless payments

Changing Indias foreign policy

Infrastructure-roadways.

2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS

BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGANISATIONS

IN NEWS

Links to Refer

Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016 -

http://www.prsindia.org/billtrack/the-motor-

vehicles-amendment-bill-2016-4366/

3. Tags

P-notes

Foreign portfolio investments

Cashless payments

Practice Questions

Date: 28th December, 2016

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Ethnic tension

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

1) Recent crisis in Manipur is due to

a) Economic blockade and ethnic tension.

b) Water dispute

c) Tribal rights.

d) Hung assembly

Answer- a

Date: 28th December, 2016

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Aviation sector

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

2.) Among SAARC countries, India doesn’t have any ‘open sky’ agreement with -

a) Bangladesh

b) Nepal

c) Maldives

d) Srilanka

Answer-b

Date: 28th December, 2016

Category: Indian economy

Topic: infrastructure

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

3.) Which among the following states have not notified road safety policy?

a) Karnataka

b) Kerala

c) Tamilnadu

d) Rajasthan

Answer-d

Date: 28th December, 2016

Category: Indian economy

Topic: digital payments

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

4.) Which of the following committees dealt with digital payments ?

a) Urjit Patel committee

b) Ratan Watal committee

c) Bhimal Jalan committee

d) Nachiket mor committee

Answer-b

Date: 28th December, 2016

Category: Indian economy

Topic: infrastructure

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

5) Consider the following statements

a) Brasilia Declaration-India is committed to reducing the number of road accidents and

fatalities by 50 % by 2020

b) Highway advisory system is a free-to-air information distribution system that uses radio to

make the travelling experience on National Highways safer, faster and hassle-free.

c) ‘Adopt a Green Highway’ Program seeks to engage corporates, Public Sector units,

Government organizations and other institutions for developing green corridor along National

Highways.

d) Good Samaritans Guidelines - to prevent the harassment of “Good Samaritans” who help road accident victims. The Supreme Court has accepted these guidelines and has asked states for

implementation.

Which of the above statements is/are true

A. a only.

B. a,b only.

C. a,b,c only.

D. a,b,c,d only.

Answer-D.

Current News Analysis

29-12-2016

A. GS1 Related

B. GS2 Related

1. Groundswell of ire against Norway move

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Groundswell-of-ire-against-Norway-

move/article16955937.ece

Category: International Relations

Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Key Points:

Recently, Sushma Swaraj stressed, in a series of tweets that a five-year-old Indian boy

who had been taken away from his parents in Norway over suspected abuse must be

given back to his family.

The boy, Aryan, who is the son of Anil Kumar and Gurvinderjit Kaur, was placed in foster

care on December 13 by the Norwegian government.

Officials took him away from his kindergarten school in Oslo, saying there had been

complaints about the child being beaten up.

Pursuant to these developments, an international movement cutting across ideological

lines emerged on 28th

Dec, 2016, suppo ti g I dia s lai seeki g the etu of a hild to his Indo-Norwegian parents.

A ti ists f o No ay, U.“., Aust alia la ed No ay s hild elfa e age y, Barnevernet, of violating human rights and came out in support of External Affairs

Minister Sushma Swaraj.

2. Abe offers condolences at Pearl Harbor

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/Abe-offers-condolences-

at-Pearl-Harbor/article16956698.ece

Category: International Relations

Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Key Points:

Mr. Abe is the first sitting PM to pay his respects at the USS Arizona Memorial, which

was built in the 1960s.

Th ee Japa ese P i e Mi iste s, i ludi g M . A e s g a dfathe , isited Ha aii i the 1950s.

C.GS3 Related

1. 2017 may ring curtains on many mines

http://www.thehindu.com/business/2017-may-ring-curtains-on-many-

mines/article16955172.ece

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Industry- Mining, Government Policy

Key Points:

There are two difficult deadlines set for the mining sector in India. These deadlines have been

set u de la s go e i g fo est o se atio , fo est d elle s ights a d the i es a d i e al development and regulation (MMDR) law of 2015.

Hundreds of existing and proposed mines would need to comply with these deadlines.

Recently, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) wrote to the

Mines Ministry to request an extension of the December 31, 2016 (for forest clearances in

mineral-rich Odisha) and January 11, 2017 (for converting letters of intent issued by states for

mining operations before January 12, 2015, when the new MMDR law kicked in) deadlines to

p o ide a lease of life to these i es.

D. GS4 Related

E. Important Editorials

The Hindu

1. Statesmanship at Pearl Harbour

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/Statesmanship-at-Pearl-

Harbour/article16955070.ece

Category: World History, International Relations

Topic: World War 2

Key Points:

Through his visit to Pearl Harbour this week, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,

and U.S. President Barack Obama, have undertaken a bold and difficult journey on

behalf of their peoples more than 70 years after atrocities were committed against

each other during World War II.

In Japan, conservative sections have long regarded any attempt to own up the

slaughter of hundreds of U.S. marines at Pearl Harbour in 1941 as nothing but a

betrayal of national interest.

While in the U.S., veterans of the war have seen little justification in the claim that

the devastation caused by the twin nuclear bombings had to be condoled. They

believe that the horror in Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought the war to a close sooner

than it might otherwise have been.

It is important to note that the favourable public opinion in both countries towards

each other will possibly prove critical in consolidating upon the current strengths in

the economic partnership and weathering the uncertainties of the future.

BusinessLine

1. Trou le’s rewing

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/troubles-

brewing/article9448179.ece

Category: Environment and Ecology

Topic: Climate Change

Key Points: I dia s offee a d tea g o e s a e ei g i pa ted y li ate ha ge. Long spells of exceptionally warm weather, and rain concentrated over short rather

than long periods, and extreme weather events are taking its toll.

It is important to note that India registered a record tea output in 2015-16 despite a 7

pe e t de li e i south I dia s ga de s. It is believed that this decline could worsen this year, due to the failure of both the

southwest and northeast monsoons.

Tea uality has ee a o e i Assa , hi h a ou ts fo half of I dia s tea output. Harsh temperatures in the middle of the year and a tendency for the southwest

monsoon to set in late have robbed Assam tea of some of its flavour.

The absence of well distributed rain, along with the rise in dry spells and temperatures,

has led to more pest attacks.

This has contributed to higher costs both to contain pests and to keep irrigation going in

the drier months, squeezing margins in an increasingly competitive global market where

India is losing ground to Sri Lanka and Kenya.

To keep Indian teas going both at home and overseas, it is important to adjust cropping

practices. Micro-application of nutrients and rainwater harvesting can help beat back

vagaries of the weather. However, both State and Central Governments need to play an

active role in pushing this change by providing capital and know-how.

Creating shade conditions for tea will help, but beyond a point can trigger fungal

attacks.

Even coffee needs well distributed rain. Unfortunately, this crop too is under stress.

The Way Forward

Climate change threatens to ramp up costs for agriculture as a whole, for which the

Government needs to adopt a well thought-out response.

This includes promoting research on drought and flood-resistant varieties, shorter

duration crops and crop diversification.

Ecology and economics must go hand in hand in the plantation sector and elsewhere.

PIB

1. PM atte ds NITI Aayog’s i tera tio with e o o ists o E o o i Poli y – The Road Ahead

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155894

Category: Polity and Governance, Indian Economy

Topic: Government Initiatives

Key Points:

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on 27th Dec, 2016 attended an interactive

session with economists and other experts, organized by NITI Aayog, on the theme

E o o i Poli y – The ‘oad Ahead.

During the session, participants shared their views on various economic themes such as

agriculture, skill development and job creation, taxation and tariff related matters,

education, digital technology, housing, tourism, banking, governance reform, data

driven policy, and future steps for growth.

2. Cabinet approves International Solar Alliance (ISA): Signing

of the Framework Agreement

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155917

Category: Polity and Governance, Environment and Ecology

Topic: Government Initiatives, Climate Change

Key Points:

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-

post facto approval to the proposal of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) for

atifi atio of I“A s F a e o k Ag ee e t y I dia. I“A as lau hed joi tly y the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30th November, 2015 at Paris on

the side-lines of the 21st CoP meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change.

The ISA will strive to bring together more than 121 solar resource rich nations for

coordinated research, low cost financing and rapid deployment. The foundation stone of

the ISA Headquarters was laid at Gwal Pahari, Guragaon in Haryana. India has already

committed the required support of operationalization of ISA. ISA will put India globally

in a leadership role in climate and renewable energy issues. It will also give a platform to

showcase its solar programmes.

3. Fresh guidelines on Sexual Harassment of Women at

Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act,

2013 issued by DoPT

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155918

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Government Initiatives

Key Points:

The Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, had held

a review meeting on implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace

(Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 on 26.10.2016. During the meeting,

some cases of sexual harassment pending with certain ministries/ departments were

also examined. On the basis of the discussions, it was decided that DoPT will issue fresh

instructions so that some of the issues can be suitably addressed.

Guidelines issued:

1) Brief details of the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace

Act including the number of cases received and disposed shall form a part of the Annual

Report of all ministries/ departments and authorities there under.

2) The enquiry of cases must be completed within 30 days and under any circumstances

within 90 days from the date of the complaint. 3) The ministries/ departments etc. have to keep a watch on the complainant so as to ensure

that she is not victimized in any manner because of her having filed the complaint. The

aggrieved woman has been given further option to send representation to the Secretary or

head of the organization in case she feels that she is being victimized because of her

complaint. The concerned authority will be required to dispose of this complaint within

15 days. 4) All ministries/ departments etc. are now required to submit a monthly progress report to

the Ministry of Women and Child Development so that the progress can be monitored.

Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, while appreciating DoPT for having quickly issued the guidelines,

stated that the WCD Ministry shall continue to work on issues related to sexual harassment of

women at workplace and she will be holding further consultations to see if there are any other

areas which need to be looked into.

F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:

1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn

Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation (MMDR) Law

Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act

2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS

BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGANISATIONS

IN NEWS

Links to Refer

Sexual Harassment of Women at

Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and

Redressal) Act, 2013

http://www.prsindia.org/billtrack/the-

protection-of-women-against-sexual-

harassment-at-work-place-bill-2010-1402/

3. Tags

Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation (MMDR) Law

Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act

Practice Questions

Date: 29th

December, 2016

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Legislations

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

1. Consider the following statements,

1.) The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016 amends the Mines and

Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

2.) The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 regulates the mining sector in India and

specifies the requirement for obtaining and granting leases for mining operations.

Which of the above statements are true?

a.) Only 1

b.) Only 2

c.) Both 1 and 2

d.) None

Answer- c

Date: 29th

December, 2016

Category: Geography

Topic: Various Parts of the World

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

2. Consider the following statements,

1.) Norway has land borders with Sweden, Finland, Russia.

2.) A fjord is a deep, narrow and elongated sea or lakedrain, with steep land on three sides.

Which of the above statements are incorrect?

a.) Only 1

b.) Only 2

c.) Both 1 and 2

d.) None

Answer- d

Date: 29th

December, 2016

Category: Geography

Topic: Agriculture

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

3. Consider the following statements,

1) Assam a ou ts fo half of I dia s tea output.

2) With reference to coffee and tea plantations, it has been suggested that micro-application of

nutrients and rainwater harvesting can help beat back vagaries of the weather.

Which of the above statements are correct?

a.) Only 1

b.) Only 2

c.) Both 1 and 2

d.) None

Answer- c

Date: 29th

December, 2016

Category: Geography

Topic: Various Parts of the World

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

3. Consider the following statements,

1) The Hawaiian islands consist of 2 active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa.

2) Measured from its sea floor base to its highest peak, Mauna Kea is the world's tallest mountain, taller

than Mount Everest is, since the base of Mount Everest is above sea level.

Which of the above statements are incorrect?

a.) Only 1

b.) Only 2

c.) Both 1 and 2

d.) None

Answer- d

Date: 29th December, 2016

Category: Modern Indian History

Topic: Modern India

Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

5) The first statute for the governance of India, under the direct rule of the British Government, was the

a) Government of India Act, 1858

b) Government of India Act, 1861

c) Government of India Act, 1892

d) Government of India Act, 1915

Answer- a

Current News Analysis

30-12-2016

A. GS1 Related

B. GS2 Related

1. Syria truce deal signed, says Putin http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/Syria-truce-deal-signed-

says-Putin/article16961348.ece

Category: International Relations

Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Key Points:

Russia President Vladimir Putin on 29th Dec, 2016 announced a nationwide ceasefire

deal to come into effect across Syria from midnight.

This deal that has been brokered by Russia and Turkey may represent a major

breakthrough in nearly six years of war in Syria.

It is important to note that although Turkey and Russia are on opposing sides in the

conflict, they have been working intensively to find a ceasefire after the fall of Aleppo.

C.GS3 Related

1. Lanba to chair committee of Chiefs

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Chief-of-the-Naval-Staff-Admiral-Sunil-Lanba-

to-chair-committee-of-Chiefs/article16960390.ece

Category: Security

Topic: Defence, Developments

Key Points:

Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba, is all set to assume chairmanship of the Chiefs of

Staff Committee (COSC), on December 31.

It is important to note that speculation had been rife that the government might create a

permanent position of Chairman, COSC, which has been in the works for a while.

This post would act as a single-point military adviser to the political class on procurement and

strategic issues.

At prese t, the Chair a s post is held on rotation basis by the senior-most of the three service

Chiefs.

2. Govt meets PMUY target of 1.5 crore LPG connection additions this financial

year

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Govt-meets-PMUY-target-of-1.5-crore-LPG-

connection-additions-this-financial-year/article16960147.ece

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Government Policy, Government Schemes

Key Points:

In a landmark development, the government on 29th

Dec, 2016 said that it has met the 1.5 crore

target for LPG connections to be added in this financial year under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala

Yojana (PMUY) and so has increased LPG coverage across the country to 70 per cent as of

December 1.

The government in a statement said that the target of 1.5 crore connections fixed for the

current financial year for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has been achieved within a

span of less than eight months and the scheme is being implemented now across 35 States/UTs.

D. GS4 Related

E. Important Editorials

The Hindu

1. Peace on track in Colombia

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/Peace-on-track-in-

Colombia/article16960217.ece

Category: International Relations

Topic: Developments

Key Points:

A brief note on the FARC

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is Colombia's largest rebel group.

This group is a guerrilla group which has been fighting a long running armed insurgency.

This group was founded in 1964 as the armed wing of the Communist Party and follows a

Marxist-Leninist ideology.

While the FARC have some urban groups, they have always been an overwhelmingly rural

guerrilla organisation.

Recent Developments

In October this year, a referendum to ratify a painstakingly negotiated peace deal the

Columbian Government had signed with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia

(FARC), was narrowly defeated.

Further, Colo ia s Co gress has u a i ously appro ed a amnesty law granting

immunity to FARC fighters from prosecution for committing minor crimes.

Those accused of major crimes will be tried by a special tribunal.

If thi gs go as per the go er e t s pla , the re els should e o e i ilia s y May , culminating in the end of a process that began with negotiations four years ago.

BusinessLine

1. A German model for our MSMEs?

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/a-german-model-for-

our-msmes/article9449852.ece

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Government Policy

Key Points: In the context of the contraction expected in the wake of demonetization, job-

creating growth is likely to be a priority of the Government.

The Government will be presenting the budget on February 1 this coming year, and

this presents a unique opportunity for redefining our entire approach towards

medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs).

It is important to note that a million people are getting added to the list of job-

seekers every month.

The Government or the public sector cannot be the source of employment for all

these job aspirants.

A solution to this demand can be the spawning of MSME units on a large scale, in

mission mode, in 2017 and beyond.

One fundamental aspect in our approach that needs to change has been our

obsession with investments in plant and machinery for the definition of MSME units

under the relevant Act of 2006.

From an international perspective, two major countries/regions from the developed

world follow the number of employees as the basis for the categorisation of firms as

MSMEs.

Almost the entire European Union and the Americas, including the US, base their

categorisation of firms for this sector only on the basis of the number of people

employed and their turnover.

Germany, one of the few growth engines of the world today, is a shining example of

the difference that such a great thrust for MSMEs can make.

Indian Express

1. Lethal neglect

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/uri-nagrota-attack-pathankot-

surgical-strikes-indian-soldiers-killed-security-4450964/

Category: Internal Security

Topic: Challenges to Internal Security

Key Points: The year 2016 has inflicted a grim toll on Indian soldiers and police personnel in

Kashmir.

Almost half of the 87 fatalities, the worst since 2009, can be attributed to events like

the Uri and Nagrota attacks, which involved flaws in basic training or poor perimeter

security at bases.

In the wake of the Pathankot attack, the ministry of defence had tasked former army

Vice-Chief Lieutenant-General Philip Campose with studying the problem.

General Campose’s report recommended rectification of the training of base security

teams, as well as acquisition of technologies like night-vision devices and movement

sensors.

These technologies were not purchased when the Uri attack took place; they were not

available at Nagrota either.

PIB

1. Year End review: Department of Space

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155958

Category: Science and Technology

Topic: Space

Key Points:

Note to students: This is a very important article and should be read in its entirety from the PIB website.

Kindly refer to the URL above to read the complete article.

PSLV-C31/IRNSS-1E Mission: In this flight, the workhorse launch vehicle PSLV

launched IRNSS-1E, the fifth satellite of the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite

System (IRNSS) constellation, on January 20, 2016.

PSLV-C32/IRNSS-1F Mission: In this flight, which was its 34th, PSLV launched

IRNSS-1F, the sixth satellite of the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System

(IRNSS) constellation, on March 10, 2016.

PSLV-C33/IRNSS-1G Mission: In this flight, PSLV launched the seventh and the last

satellite IRNSS-1G of the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS)

constellation on April 28, 2016. With this, the space segment of the IRNSS was fully

deployed. IRNSS signals are now available and trials with the receiver system are in

progress. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated IRNSS to the nation as

‘NavIC’ (Navigation Indian Constellation). This is an independent regional navigation

satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and

1500 km around the Indian mainland. IRNSS provides two types of services, namely,

Standard Positioning Services (SPS) - provided to all users and Restricted Services

(RS) - provided to authorised users only.

Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD): India’s first winged body aerospace vehicle, RLV-TD i.e. Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology

Demonstrator (RLV-TD), was successfully flight tested on May 23, 2016.

PSLV-C34/Cartosat-2 Series Mission: On June 22, 2016, PSLV-C34 successfully

launched 20 satellites in a single mission. It included India’s CARTOSAT-2 series of

satellite (weighing 727 kg) as primary payload and two academic institutes’ satellites, namely, SWAYAM and SATHYABAMASAT and 17 satellites (total weighing 555 kg)

of foreign customers from Canada, Germany, Indonesia and USA as co-passengers.

GSLV-F05/ INSAT-3DR Mission: On September 08, 2016, GSLV-F05, India's

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, equipped with the indigenous Cryogenic

Upper Stage (CUS), successfully launched the country's weather satellite INSAT-

3DR. INSAT-3DR is a follow-on meteorological satellite to INSAT-3D. This launch is

significant, considering that fact that this is the third consecutive success of the

indigenous CUS, which signified the country’s successful assimilation of the complex cryogenic rocket propulsion.

Successful Flight Testing of ISRO's Scramjet Engine Technology Demonstrator: The

first experimental mission of ISRO’s Scramjet Engine towards the realisation of an Air Breathing Propulsion System was successfully conducted on August 28, 2016

from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. The Scramjet engine designed

by ISRO uses Hydrogen as fuel and the Oxygen from the atmospheric air as the

oxidiser.

2. 1.5 crore LPG connections issued to BPL households

under PM Ujjwala Yojana

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155969

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Government Policy

Key Points:

Target of 1.5 crore connections fixed for the current financial year for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala

Yojana (PMUY) has been achieved within a span of less than 8 months and the scheme is being

implemented now across 35 States/UTs.

The vision of Prime Minister Modi to provide clean cooking fuel to poor households in the

country has been taken forward through implementation of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

(PMUY).

An adult woman member of BPL family identified through Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC)

data is given a deposit free LPG connection with financial assistance of Rs. 1600/- per

connection by Government of India. The announcement of releasing 5 crore LPG connections to

BPL families over a period of three years was made with allocation of Rs 8000 crore in the Union

Budget on 29.2.2016.

3. S achhS asthSar atra - Joint Initiative of

HealthMinistry and Ministry of Drinking Water &

Sanitation launched http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155953

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Government Policy, Government Initiatives

Key Points:

SwachhSwasthSarvatra is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry

of Drinking Water and Sanitation to achieve better health outcomes through improved sanitation and

increased awareness and healthy lifestyles.

Union Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javadekar said that the Prime Minister

has successfully amplified the need for clean India and today this is the most popular programme that

resonates with citizens across India.

Advancing from Swachh Bharat to Swastha Bharat is a natural step. Open Defecation Free (ODF) should

not be limited to creation of infrastructure alone but it should also bring the positive change in the

habits and mindset of people.

“ a hh“ astha“ar atra is a u h eeded progra e to a hie e ope defe atio -free India by 2019.

The three key components of SwachhSwasthSarvatra are:

· Community Health Centres (CHCs) in ODF blocks supported to achieve Kayakalp certification

· Gram Panchayat of Kayakalp Primary Health Centres (PHCs) prioritized to become ODF

· Training in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ) of CHC/PHC nominees

4. Year End Review :Ministry of Women & Child

Development http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155963

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Government Policy, Government Initiatives

Key Points:

The Ministry of Women & Child Development has launched the Scheme for setting up One Stop

Centres to facilitate access to an integrated range of services including medical, legal, and

psychological support to women affected by violence to be funded through NirbhayaFund.

The WCD Ministry has been working along with the Ministry of Home Affairs to improve overall

police responsiveness to gender sensitive cases and to bring visibility to more women and

strengthen gender sensitivity in police force.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development had taken up the issue of installation of physical

panic button on mobile phones as one of the initiatives since June 2014. Based on extensive

stakeholder o sultatio s i itiated y WCD Mi istry, the Pa i Butto a d Glo al Positio i g “yste i Mo ile Pho e Ha dsets ‘ules ha e ee otified y the Depart e t of

Telecommunications.

Under these rules, all new feature phones will have the facility of panic button configured to the

numeric key 5 or 9 and all smart phones will have the panic button configured to three times

short pressing of the On-off button from the new year onwards. Further, all new mobile phones

will be required to have the facility of identifying the location through satellite based GPS

In view of the increasing number of crimes committed against women on account of

information shared on the matrimonial websites, it was decided in consultation with

Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeITY), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)

and service providers to look into the issue and to put in place a regulatory framework in order

to check this misuse.

A schematic proposal to enable the universalization of a Helpline specifically for women with a

common number across the country has been approved. This Helpline will be linked with One

Stop Centres being established by the Ministry of Women & Child Development. The

Department of Telecommunication, Government of India, has allocated short code 181 to all

States/UTs which is already being used by some States/UTs such as Delhi, Chandigarh,

Chhattisgarh as Women Helpline. So far, Women Helplines have been operational in 18

States/UTs.

The draft National Policy for Women, 2016, has been released by the Minister, WCD and is

under finalization.

Draft National Policy for Women 2016 prescribes the operational strategies for implementation

of the policy. These include, framing of Action Plans at the national, State and local level;

strengthening gender institutional architecture, enacting new legislations and reviewing/

harmonizing legislations, engaging with stakeholders for advocacy and awareness generation,

strengthening institutionalization of gender budgeting and creating an effective gender based

data base. The policy looks into the entire life- y le o ti uu of o e s issues a d

encompasses a wide spectrum ranging from discrimination against women to the expectations

of new emerging inspirational woman.

The Ministry of Women & Child Development launched Mahila e-Haat (http://mahilaehaat-

rmk.gov.in/), a unique direct online digital marketing platform for women

entrepreneurs/SHGs/NGOs in March 2016. It also aims at financial inclusion and economic

empowerment of women. Mahila e-Haat facilitates direct contact between the vendor and

buyer. The unique features of Mahila E-haat not available on other e-commerce portals are (a)

Sharing of contact details of vendors b) E-learning services (c) Pitara (Hamari Baat) conversations

(d) Services.

F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:

1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn

Draft National Policy for Women 2016

Mahila e-Haat

“ a hh“ asth“ar atra

2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS

BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGANISATIONS

IN NEWS

Links to Refer

The Right of Persons with Disabilities

Bill, 2014

http://www.prsindia.org/billtrack/the-right-of-

persons-with-disabilities-bill-2014-3122/

3. Tags

Draft National Policy for Women 2016

Mahila e-Haat

“ a hh“ asth“ar atra

Practice Questions

Date: 30

th December, 2016

Category: Science and Technology

Topic: Space, Developments Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

1] Consider the following statements,

1] The Scramjet engine designed by ISRO uses Hydrogen as fuel and the Oxygen from the

atmospheric air as the oxidiser.

2] INSAT-3DR is a follow-on meteorological satellite to INSAT-3D.

Which of the following is/are incorrect? A. 1 Only B. 2 Only C. Both 1 and 2 D. Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: d)

Date: 30

th December, 2016

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Government Schemes Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

2] Consider the following statements,

1] The Ministry of Women & Child Development launched the Mahila e-Haat s he e hi h is a unique

direct online digital marketing platform for women entrepreneurs/SHGs/NGOs.

2] It also aims at financial inclusion and economic empowerment of women.

] Ho e er, Mahila e-Haat does not facilitate direct contact between the vendor and buyer.

Which of the following is/are correct? a) 1 and 2 only b) 2 and 3 only c) All, 1, 2 and 3 d) 1 and 3 Only

Answer: a)

Mahila e-Haat facilitates direct contact between the vendor and buyer.

Date: 30th December, 2016

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Government Schemes Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

3] Consider the following statements,

1] “ a hh“ asth“ar atra is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the

Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to achieve better health outcomes through improved

sanitation and increased awareness and healthy lifestyles.

2] The three key components of SwachhSwasthSarvatra are a) Community Health Centres (CHCs) in ODF

blocks supported to achieve Kayakalp certification b) Gram Panchayat of Kayakalp Primary Health

Centres (PHCs) prioritized to become ODF c) Training in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) of

CHC/PHC nominees.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

a) 1 Only

b) 2 Only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans (c)

Date: 30th December, 2016

Category: Science and Technology

Topic: Space Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

4] Consider the following statements,

1) IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position

information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland.

2) IRNSS provides two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Services (SPS) -

provided to all users and Restricted Services (RS) - provided to authorised users only.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans c)

Date: 30th December, 2016

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Government Schemes Source: The Hindu

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

5] Consider the following statements,

1) BBBP (Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao) is one of the flagship programmes of the Government to

address the declining Child Sex Ratio and related issues of disempowerment of women on a

life- cycle continuum.

2) The Ministry of Women & Child Development has launched the scheme for setting up One

Stop Centres to facilitate access to an integrated range of services including medical, legal,

and psychological support to women affected by violence to be funded through Nirbhaya

Fund.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans c)

Current News Analysis

31-12-2016

A. GS1 Related

B. GS2 Related

1. China to build $1.5 billion power line across

Pakistan http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/China-to-build-1.5-billion-power-line-

across-Pakistan/article16966792.ece

Category: International Relations

Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Key Points:

It is reported that Chi a s “tate G id Co po atio is set to uild a $ . -billion power line

across Pakistan to enable the transmission of 4,000 megawatts of electricity from the

ou t s o th to south. The power transmission line would link the national grid between the southern Pakistani

town of Matiari and easternmost city of Lahore, some 1,000 km apart.

C.GS3 Related

D. GS4 Related

E. Important Editorials

The Hindu

1. Managing risk in banks

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/Managing-risk-in-

banks/article16965567.ece

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Money and Banking

Key Points:

It is important to note that in its biannual Financial Stability Report, the Reserve Bank of

India has once again flagged the fact that risks to the banking sector remain worryingly

high . Any systemic risk to the banking industry has the potential to ripple across the entire

economy.

Unfortunately, there has been no perceptible improvement in the health of domestic

banks, even six months afte the ‘BI s p e ious epo t, he ei , it had highlighted the

se to s high ul e a ilit o a ou t of the i ease i apital e ui e ent and worsening

asset quality.

These observations had put the spotlight on the need for urgent policy interventions.

Measures Taken and Way Forward

In order to address bankruptcy situations in banks and other financial entities, some

measures have been initiated and others are in the pipeline, including a draft Financial

Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill.

In conclusion, with the RBI pointing out that banks saddled with bad loans were likely to

e ai isk-a e se a d fi d the sel es la ki g the apital eeded to le d o e to eet credit demand in the economy, the regulator and the government will need to work in

close concert to expeditiously resolve this vital legacy issue.

2. A new dawn for Syria?

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/A-new-dawn-for-Syria/article16965570.ece

Category: International Relations

Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Key Points:

Russia President Vladimir Putin on 29th Dec, 2016 announced a nationwide ceasefire

deal to come into effect across Syria from midnight.

This deal that has been brokered by Russia and Turkey may represent a major

breakthrough in nearly six years of war in Syria.

The easefi e ea hed ould e a tu i g poi t i the ou t s i il a . It is important to note that although Turkey and Russia are on opposing sides in the

conflict, they have been working intensively to find a ceasefire after the fall of Aleppo.

Further, unlike the two previous failed ceasefires this year — the latest one is sponsored

by countries directly involved in the conflict.

For the Syrian government, this is an opportunity to announce it is ready for a peaceful

settlement.

It is important to note that there is a convergence of interests for Turkey and Russia in

finding a peaceful solution.

Further, ha i g see the U.“. i te e tio s i I a a d Afgha ista , ‘ussia does t a t to get stuck in Syria. In fact, by promoting a negotiated deal, Russia could retain its core

interests in Syria while at the same time projecting itself as a power broker in West

Asia.

BusinessLine

1. We shall see a rejuvenated India in 2017

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/we-shall-see-a-

rejuvenated-india-in-2017/article9451983.ece

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Government Policy

Key Points:

The year 2016 turned out to be fast paced and eventful- and often had significant and unpredictable

political and economic changes. There were two key global shifts that managed to define how 2016

shaped up.

They were: a) the rise of populism in the globalised world economy. This was highlighted by events

such as Brexit, the US Presidential election, and the recent referendum on reforms in Italy.

b) With the global economic recovery still remaining subdued, the popular discourse over relentless use of unconventional monetary policy support has now started to pave way for a prudent fiscal policy role in countries like US, UK, and Japan.

It is important to note that these global undercurrents will continue to dominate economic and financial outcomes in 2017.

Indian Context

It is important to note that India’s ranking in the Global Competitiveness Index for 2016-17, released by the World Economic Forum, improved 16 places to 39, the fastest improvement up the ranks among 138 countries surveyed.

Also, the year 2016 saw the foundation for three structural institutional pillars. These included a) GST b) MPC c) Bankruptcy Code

It is believed that the advent of the JAM Trinity is a silent revolution that will transform India. As

gateways like the recently launched UPI platform gathers mass in 2017, it will generate basic digital

intelligence, with the market for e-finance providing one of the biggest opportunity for the banking

and financial system.

India is at the cusp of transformational shifts with the banking and finance sector being an important change agent.

Indian Express

1. Losing Battle

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/delhi-pollution-smog-assocham-

4452327/

Category: Environment and Ecology

Topic: Pollution

Key Points: As 2016 draws to a close, the Delhi police made an announcement by saying that

Pollutio asks ill o e a a dato a esso fo the it s t affi ops. This decision was taken after several complaints from traffic personnel of ill-health and

espi ato p o le s due to lo g e posu e to Delhi s u health ai . It is important to note that earlier, Health minister Satyendar Jain of the Delhi

government ruled out the resumption of the odd-even plan in the immediate future.

Important Observations and Statistics I No e e , the U“ E i o e tal P ote tio Age des i ed Delhi as the o ld s

most polluted city.

A study by the Central Pollution Control Board shows that 41 Indian cities with a

population of more than one million faced bad air quality on 60 per cent of the days

monitored by the agency.

Allahabad, Varanasi and Gwalior did not have a single day with good quality air.

PIB

1. Insertion of LEAP SECOND in the Indian Standard Time

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=156013

Category: Geography, Science and Technology

Topic: Concepts, Movements of the Earth

Key Points:

Note to students: This is a very important article and should be read in its entirety from the PIB website.

Kindly refer to the URL above to read the complete article.

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) -National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-

NPL) is the custodian of Indian Standard Time (IST) and has the responsibility for

realization, establishment, maintenance and dissemination of IST through an act of

Parliament.

A Leap “e o d is added e e o a d the to Coo di ated U i e sal Ti e UTC i order to synchronize clocks worldwide with the Earth's ever slowing rotation. UTC

consists of a time scale that combines the output of more than 300 highly precise

Atomic clocks worldwide, including the one at CSIR-NPL. Atomic clocks are very accurate

and are stable within 1 second over a period of millions of years. On the other hand, the

Astronomical Time known as Universal Time (UT1) refers to the Earth's rotation around

its own axis and determines the length of a day. However, the Earth's rotation around

its own axis is not regular, as sometimes it speeds up and sometimes it slows down, due

to a ious fa to s i ludi g the oo s g a itatio al Ea th-braking forces that often

results in ocean tides. As a result, Astronomical Time (UT1) gradually falls out of synch

with Atomic time (UTC), and as and when the difference between UTC and UT1

app oa hes .9 se o ds, a Leap “e o d is added to UTC th ough Ato i lo ks worldwide.

Since 1972, Leap “e o ds ha e ee added at i te als a i g f o si o ths to se e ea s. th Leap “e o d ill e added to UTC at the id ight of De e e ,

i the ou t ies ithi this ti e zo e. The Leap “e o d adjust e t is ot so relevant for normal everyday life; however this shift is critical for applications requiring

of time accuracies in the nanosecond e.g. astronomy, satellite navigation,

communication networks etc.

2. Year End review: Ministry of Tourism

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155985

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Government Policy, Tourism

Key Points:

Note to students: This is a very important article and should be read in its entirety from the PIB website.

Kindly refer to the URL above to read the complete article.

LAUNCH OF INCREDIBLE INDIA HELPLINE: The Ministry of Tourism has launched the 24x7 Toll Free

Multi-Lingual Tourist Helpline in 12 International Languages including Hindi & English on 8.2.2016. This

service is available on the toll free number 1800111363 or on a short code 1363 and operational 24x7

all da s i a ea offe i g a ulti-lingual helpdesk i the desig ated la guages to p o ide suppo t service in terms of providing information relating to Travel & Tourism in India to the domestic and

International tourists and to assist the callers with advice on action to be taken during times of distress

while travelling in India and if need be alert the concerned authorities. The languages handled by the

Tourist Helpline include ten International languages besides English and Hindi, namely, Arabic, French,

German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. The calls made by tourists

(both international and domestic) while in India will be free of charge.

SWACHH PARYATAN APP: The Ministry of Tourism has launched a Mobile App “ a hh Pa ata . To start with, 25 Adarsh Smarak Monuments protected by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have been

identified for inclusion in the app. The application would be scaled up to include more monuments as

the campaign expands. The general public can lodge their complaints about any unclean area/garbage

piles, if any, in and around identified ASI monuments by uploading the same along with remarks.

3. Year End Review: Ministry of Culture

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155983

Category: Art and Culture

Topic: Art forms, Government Initiatives

Key Points:

Note to students: This is a very important article and should be read in its entirety from the PIB website.

Kindly refer to the URL above to read the complete article.

Mi ist of Cultu e s a date e ol es around the functions like preservation and conservation

of Ancient Cultural Heritage and promotion of Art and Culture both Tangible and Intangible in

the country.

The Ministry through its organizations is engaged in recognizing excellence in the field of art and

culture by way of awards given by institutions like Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi.

1. E-ticketing- A cashless tool for tourists at all ticketed monuments:

There are 116 ticketed monuments and 32 museums under the protection of ASI(Archaeological Survey

of India). E-ticketing facility has been launched in coordination with Canara Bank with the aim of

providing online booking facility for visitors. Process is underway to procure hardware to have

computerized facility for the sale of e-tickets at the Point of Sale. Also process has been initiated to set

up card swipe/PoS machines at the ticketed monument sites.

2. Nearly Mo u e ts Ide tified for Portal o Must-See Monuments and Archaeological Sites

of I dia

Archaeological Survey of I dia A“I has eated a Po tal fo the Must-See Monuments and

A haeologi al “ites of I dia , u de its p ote tio . The pu pose of the po tal is to highlight outstanding monuments and sites in India, comprising world heritage properties, sites under

UNE“CO s Te tati e List, A“I s ti keted a d othe o -ticketed prominent monuments.

The portal carries brief history of each monument and information such as connectivity and

access, weather conditions, timings of opening and closing, facilities available at site, 360

Degree/panoramic views (in collaboration with Google) and other Must-See monuments in the

vicinity.

Portal :- http://asimustsee.nic.in/

3. National Virtual Library of India: Under the aegis of the National Mission on Libraries, the National

Virtual Library of India (NVLI) has been envisaged as the platform which would bring together all

information generated in India and about India and make such information accessible to the citizens

through user friendly search interfaces.

4. Excavation at the site near Saser La Pass in Ladakh at an altitude of about 13500-14000 feet:

An ancient camping site dating 9245 BC (11195 BP) has been discovered by the Archaeological Survey of

India (ASI), on the way to Saser La which leads to the Karakoram Pass in Ladakh.

Proper archaeological excavation is in progress which has so far revealed microlithic and bone artefacts.

The discovery is the earliest known evidence of highest known camping site in India, at about 13500 -

14000 feet above mean sea level.

4. Indian Railways Measures to Promote Digital Payments

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=156010

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Infrastructure- Railways

Key Points:

1. Ministry of Railways has decided to instruct Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendras (YTSKs) to install POS

machines and accept payments through all banks debit/credit cards for issuing both reserved and

unreserved tickets. They are encouraged to accept payments through other modes also like UPI, USSD,

e-wallet, Aadhar enabled payments system.

2. Ministry of Railways has decided to instruct Jan Sadharan Ticket Booking Seva (JTBs) are also

instructed to accept payments through other modes like UPI, USSD, e-wallets, Aadhar enabled payments

system to issue unreserved tickets.

3. Ministry Of Railways have decided to allow 5% Discount for booking of Retiring Room through

digital means like using debit/credit cards.

4. Ministry of Railways have decided that 0.5% discount in the base fare of season tickets (Monthly,

quarterly, Half yearly, yearly) over suburban section shall be granted in case the payment is made

through digital means through debit card, credit card etc.. Other charges like MUTP surcharge, Mela

surcharge, service tax etc., if applicable shall be levied separately on the base fare arrived at after giving

the 0.5% concession.

5. India and Singapore Sign a Third Protocol for Amending

the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA)

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=156015

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Taxation

Key Points: India and Singapore have amended the DTAA for the avoidance of double taxation and

prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, by signing a Third Protocol on 30th

Dec, 2016.

This is i li e ith I dia s t eat poli to p e e t dou le o -taxation, curb revenue loss and

check the menace of black money through automatic exchange of information, as reflected in

I dia s e e tl e ised t eaties ith Mau itius a d C p us a d the joi t de la atio sig ed ith Switzerland.

The India-Singapore DTAA at present provides for residence based taxation of capital gains of

shares in a company.

The Third Protocol amends the DTAA with effect from 1st April, 2017 to provide for source

based taxation of capital gains arising on transfer of shares in a company. This will curb revenue

loss, prevent double non-taxation and streamline the flow of investments.

In order to provide certainty to investors, investments in shares made before 1st April, 2017

have been grandfathered subject to fulfillment of conditions in Limitation of Benefits clause as

per 2005 Protocol.

Further, a two year transition period from 1st April, 2017 to 31st March, 2019 has been

provided during which capital gains on shares will be taxed in source country at half of normal

tax rate, subject to fulfillment of conditions in Limitation of Benefits clause.

The Third Protocol also inserts provisions to facilitate relieving of economic double taxation in

t a sfe p i i g ases. This is a ta pa e f ie dl easu e a d is i li e ith I dia s o it e ts under Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan to meet the minimum standard of

providing Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) access in transfer pricing cases. The Third

Protocol also enables application of domestic law and measures concerning prevention of tax

avoidance or tax evasion.

6. Major Developments/Achievements of Ministry of Earth

Sciences during 2016

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155996

Category: Indian Economy

Topic: Industry, Government Policy

Key Points: On 27

th Jul , D . Ha sh Va dha , Ho le Mi iste of “ ie e & Te h olog a d Ea th

Sciences dedicated the Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT) to the Nation during the XV

National Maritime Search and Rescue (NMSAR) Board. In addition, an experimental version of

SARAT was used to provide Search And Rescue support to all the concerned in connection with

the missing AN 32 aircraft, which was reportedly missing off Chennai on 22 July 2016.

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth

Sciences established a high altitude research station in Himalaya called HIMANSH (literally

meaning, a slice of ice), situated above 13,500 ft (> 4000 m) at a remote region in Spiti, Himachal

Pradesh. This station is equipped with instruments such as Automatic Weather Station, Water

Level Recorder, Steam Drill, Snow/Ice Corer, Ground Penetrating Radar, Differential Global

positioning System, Snow Fork, Flow Tracker, Thermister string, Radiometer etc. Water Level

Recorders were installed at five locations along with a stretch of 130 km of Chandra River in

Western Himalaya for hydrological balance/modeling. Glaciers were monitored for mass

balance, dynamics, energy balance and hydrology.

F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:

1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR)

Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT)

National Maritime Search and Rescue (NMSAR) Board

Jan Sadharan Ticket Booking Seva (JTBs)

Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendras (YTSKs)

2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS

BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGANISATIONS

IN NEWS

Links to Refer

The Right of Persons with Disabilities

Bill, 2014

http://www.prsindia.org/billtrack/the-right-of-

persons-with-disabilities-bill-2014-3122/

3. Tags

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR)

Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT)

National Maritime Search and Rescue (NMSAR) Board

Jan Sadharan Ticket Booking Seva (JTBs)

Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendras (YTSKs)

Practice Questions

Date: 31

st December, 2016

Category: Ancient History

Topic: Stone Age Source: PIB

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

1] Consider the following statements,

1] Recently, an ancient camping site dating 9245 BC (11195 BP) has been discovered by the

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), on the way to Saser La which leads to the Karakoram Pass in

Ladakh.

2] The discovery is the earliest known evidence of highest known camping site in India, at about 13500 -

14000 feet above mean sea level.

Which of the following is/are incorrect? A. 1 Only B. 2 Only C. Both 1 and 2 D. Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: d)

Date: 31

st December, 2016

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Government Schemes Source: PIB

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

2] Consider the following statements,

1] The Ministry of Tourism has launched a Mobile App “ a hh Pa ata .

2] This App will facilitate the general public to communicate their complaints about any unclean

area/garbage piles in and around tourist destinations.

Which of the following is/are incorrect? a) 1 Only b) 2 Only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: d)

Date: 31st December, 2016

Category: Science and Technology

Topic: Government Schemes, Initiatives Source: PIB

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

3] Consider the following statements,

1] National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences

established a high altitude research station in Himalaya called HIMANSH (literally meaning, a slice of

ice), situated above 13,500 ft (> 4000 m) at a remote region in Jammu and Kashmir.

2] This station is equipped with instruments such as Automatic Weather Station, Water Level Recorder,

Steam Drill, Snow/Ice Corer, Ground Penetrating Radar, Differential Global positioning System, Snow

Fork, Flow Tracker, Thermister string, Radiometer etc.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

a) 1 Only

b) 2 Only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans (b)

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences

established a high altitude research station in Himalaya called HIMANSH (literally meaning, a slice of

ice), situated above 13,500 ft (> 4000 m) at a remote region in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.

Date: 31st December, 2016

Category: Polity and Governance

Topic: Government Schemes, Initiatives Source: PIB

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

4] Consider the following statements,

1) A haeologi al “u e of I dia A“I has eated a Po tal fo the Must-See Monuments and

Archaeological Sites of I dia . The purpose of the portal is to highlight outstanding monuments

and sites in India, comprising world heritage properties, sites under UNE“CO s Te tati e List, A“I s ti keted a d othe o -ticketed prominent monuments.

2) The portal carries brief history of each monument and information such as connectivity and

access, weather conditions, timings of opening and closing, facilities available at site, 360

Degree/panoramic views (in collaboration with Google) and other Must-See monuments in the

vicinity.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans c)

Date: 31st December, 2016

Category: Geography

Topic: Agriculture Source: PIB

Difficulty level: Medium

Type: Factual

5] Consider the following statements,

1) Wheat, Rice and Pulses are examples of Rabi crops.

2) Coarse Cereals and Oilseeds are examples of Kharif crops.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans a)

Coarse Cereals and Oilseeds are examples of Rabi crops.