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PORTFOLIOS AFTER RECENT CABINET RESHUFFLE:
President of India : Pranab Mukherjee
Vice President of India : Mohd. Hamid Ansari
Manmohan Singh :
Prime Minister of India
Ministry of Planning
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Atomic Energy
Department of Space
Sushilkumar Shinde
Minister of Home Affairs
P Chidambaram :
Minister of Finance
Salman Khurshid
Minister of External Affairs
A K Antony :
Ministry of Defense
Jairam Ramesh
Minister of Rural Development
Sharad Pawar :
Minister of Food Processing Industries
Minister of Agriculture
Ghulam Nabi Azad
Minister of Health and Family Welfare
Farooq Abdullah
Minister of New and Renewable Energy
Kamal Nath
Minister of Urban Development
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
Vayalar Ravi
Minister of Overseas Indian Affair
S. Jaipal Reddy
Minister of Science and Technology
Minister of Earth Sciences
Ajit Singh
Minister of Civil Aviation
Kapil Sibal
Minister of Communications and Information Technology
M.M. Pallam Raju
Minister of Human Resource Development
M. Veerappa Moily
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Mallikarjun Kharge
Minister of Labour and Employment
C. P. Joshi
Minister of Road Transport and Highways
Anand Sharma
Minister of Commerce and Industry
Minister of Textiles
Praful Patel
Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
Chandresh Kumari Katoch
Minister of Culture
Ajay Maken
Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
K Rahman Khan
Minister of Minority Affairs
G K Vasan
Minister of Shipping
Pavan Kumar Bansal
Minister of Railways
Harish Rawat
Minister of Water Resources
Kumari Selja
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment
V. Kishore Chandra Deo
Minister of Tribal Affairs
Minister of Panchayati Raj
M. K. Alagiri
Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Beni Prasad Verma
Minister of Steel
Ashwin Kumar
Minister of Law and Justice
Shriprakash Jaiswal
Minister of Coal
Dinsha Patel
Ministry of Mines
=== Ministers of State with Independent Charge ===
Krishna Tirath
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Jitendra Singh
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Srikant Kumar Jena
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
Jayanthi Natarajan
Ministry of Environment and Forests
Manish Tewari
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
Jayanthi Natarajan
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
K. Chiranjeevi
Minister of Tourism
Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki
Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
Jyotiraditya Scindia
Minister of Power
K.H. Muniyappa
Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Sachin Pilot
Minister of Corporate Affairs
=============================================
Montek Singh Ahluwalia
Planning Commission
Nandan Nilekani
Unique Identification Authority of India
>>The 4 percent target for growth in agriculture, which will be missed in the Eleventh Plan (3.28% achieved in
11th FYP), must be achieved in the Twelfth Plan as it is critical for inclusiveness. (Ministry Of Rural
Development).
>>NEDFi was declared Winner of the NABARD Rural Innovation Award -2012 in the Category of Public/ CoOperative Sector / Government for its contribution towards promoting handicraft products made from water
hyacinth.
>>UPA GOVT. SWABHIMAN SWAVALAMBAN scheme.
SIKKIM first NIRMAL STATE IN THE COUNTRY,UNDER TOTAL SANITATION PROGRAM.
National rural livelihood mission launched in BANSWADA district ,Rajasthan in 2011.
KUNWAR BAINU MAMERU (GUJRAT GOVT SCHEME FOR WOMAN)
BHARAT NIRMAN -SIX COMPONENTS IRRIGATION,HOUSING,ROADS,WATER SUPPLY ELECTRIFICATION AND
RURAL COMMUNICATION.
KAUSHIKI BASU WORLD BANK CHIEF ECONOMIST.
ICICI TO EXTEND NET BANKING VIA FACEBOOK.
TATA CONSULTANCY SIGNS 103 CRORE DEAL WITH MGNREGA IN WEST BENGAL.
Onnu Ruhl country director for india,world bank.
PUNJAB GOVT. DOOR TO DOOR CANCER CAMPAIGN.
21 ST SEPT WORLD PEACE DAY.
Union Ministry for women and child development launched SAKSHAM to empower boys on gender sensitivity.
Web portaL TRACH CHILD LAUNCHED........
>>KULENDEI FRANCIS---RAMON MAGSAYSAY 2012 COMMUNITY SERVICE
>>UTI LAUNCHES MICRO PENSION SCHEME FOR UNORGANISED POOR INDIAN WORKERS
>>MRINAL GORE - ASSOCIATED WITH WATER RIGHTS, PRICE RISE AND WOMENS EMPOWERMENT
>>VILASRAO SALUNKHE- ASSOCIATED WITH PAANI PANCHAYATS
>>RAJENDRA SINGH-- WATER CONSERVATION
>>GOI SWAJAL DHARA SCHEME
>>CARBON SEQUESTRATION---TECHNIQUE USED TO REMOVE CARBON FROM ATMOS AND DEPOSITING IT IN
THE RESERVOIR
>>DELHI--IST TO GET CARBON CREDIT AWARD FROM UN
>>CHIEF CROP --RICE FOR 2ND GREEN REVOLUTION IN EASTERN INDIA
>>5 JUNE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
>>PURA SCHEME BRAINCHILD OF APJ KALAM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providing_Urban_Amenities_to_Rural_Areas_(PURA)
Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA) is a strategy for rural development in India. Concept
given by former president Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.and framed by Prof.Emerson.
PURA proposes that urban infrastructure and services be provided in rural hubs to create economic opportunities
outside of cities. Physical connectivity by providing roads electronic connectivity by providing communication
network and knowledge connectivity by establishing professional and Technical institutions will have to be done
in an integrated way so that economic connectivity will emanate. The Indian central government has been
running pilot PURA programs in several states since 2004.
>>RASHTRIYA AAROGYA NIDHI SCHEME---ITANAGAR ARUNACHALPRADESH PROVIDES FINANCE UPTO 1.5
LAKH
>>UP GOVERNMENT LAUNCHED SAMAJWADI SWASTHYA SEWA (BIGGEST EMMERGENCY TRANSPORT SERVICE
IN INDIA)
>>VERGHESE KURIEN--MILKMAN AND WHITE REVOLUTIONARY OF INDIA PASSES AWAY.
6TH MEKONG GANGA COOPERATION MEET HELD IN DELHI
>>Bharat Nirman Objectives: 1) provide safe drinking water to all uncovered habitations by 2012.Cover
approximately 55 thousand uncovered habitations and provide safe drinking water to approximately 2.16 lakh
villages affected by poor water quality.
2) Target of 60 lakh houses for the poor already achieved in 2009. New target of 1.2 crore houses by 2014
adopted. Provide additional 1.2 crore houses at the rate of 24 lakh houses each year to be built by funds
allocated to the homeless through Panchayats.
3)Achieve 40% rural teledensity by 2014,assure broadband coverage to all 2.5 Lakh Panchayats and setup
Bharat NIrman Seva Kendra at Panchayat level by 2012.
4) Connect all villages that have a population of 1000(500 in Hilly and tribal areas by all weather roads by
2012.Provide road connections to remaining 23,000 villages approximately with population of 1000 or 500 in
case of hilly or tribal areas.
5) Reach electricity to all villages and offer electricity connection to 1.75 crore poor households by end of 2012.
Provide electricity to remaining 40,000 villages approximately and connections to about 1.75 crore poor
households.
6) Bring additional one crore hectare of land under assured irrigation by 2012.(1.85 Million Hectare achieved
during 2009-10 and 1.56 Million Hectare achieved during 2010-11.6.5 million hectares brought under assured
irrigation till 2009. Remaining 3.5 million hectares to be completed by 2012.
>>HIMAYAT SCHEME: LAUNCHED UNDER NRLM
Himayat is a placement linked skill development scheme for youth from Jammu and Kashmir. Himayat scheme
will cover 1 lakh youth from J&K; in the next 5 years and will be implemented through competent training
providers, from the private sector and non-profit organisations. The training providers for placement linked skill
training will give a 75 percent placement guarantee for the trained youth. Placement for youth will be provided
all over the country, within J&K; and outside. Under SEE J&K; Scheme, different training strategies will be used
for diverse groups of youth – school dropouts, dropouts of XII class level, and those who have had college
education.
>>Aajeevika - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) was launched by the Ministry of Rural
Development (MoRD), Government of India in June 2011. Aided in part through investment support by the World
Bank, the Mission aims at creating efficient and effective institutional platforms of the rural poor enabling them
to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial
services.
NRLM has set out with an agenda to cover 7 Crore BPL households, across 600 districts, 6000 blocks, 2.5 lakh
Gram Panchayats and 6 lakh villages in the country through self-managed Self Help Groups (SHGs) and
federated institutions and support them for livelihoods collectives in a period of 8-10 years. In addition, the poor
would be facilitated to achieve increased access to their rights, entitlements and public services, diversified risk
and better social indicators of empowerment. NRLM believes in harnessing the innate capabilities of the poor and
complements them with capacities (information, knowledge, skills, tools, finance and collectivization) to
participate in the growing economy of the country.
>>NRLM initiated livelihood enhancement and vulnerability reduction interventions through a special program
"Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana". MKSP was launched in 2010-11. The programme envisages
empowering women in agriculture by making systematic investments to enhance their participation and
productivity, as also create and sustain agriculture based livelihoods of rural women. The program is being
implemented by NRLM in partnership with State Departments/CSOs as implementing partners (PIAs) across the
country. The central to state share in funding for MKSP stands at 75:25 ratio.
Under NRLM, the core agenda of MKSP is to (i) create sustainable livelihood institutions around agriculture and
allied activities (ii) create sector-specific geography-specific best package of practices and (iii) create a wide pool
of community resource persons for scaling up livelihood interventions in the entire country.
The mission has narrowed down to four major themes, to work with partners in MKSP programme. They are:
(a) Sustainable agriculture
(b) Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFP)
NRLM SPECIAL SCHEMES:
Special Projects have been developed to bridge the skill gap and entry level barriers for the rural BPL youth and
facilitate their entry into relatively high level wage employment in the growing sectors of the economy. The
initiative was piloted in 2005-06 as a special project under SGSY in partnership with Dr. Reddy's Foundation. The
project sanctioned for training of 35,000 youth was spread in seven states: Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Jammu
and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh .The success of this pilot catalysed progressive growth of
innovative attempts by different private sector and civil society organizations to train and place rural BPL youth.
SGSY skill development is an outcome based programme with funding linked to placement – 75% of trainees
should be placed by an agency to avail any payment of training and placement services under this program. It
primary objective is to train rural BPL youth in the age group of 18-35 years in marketable skills and place them
in suitable jobs.
>>PARVAAZ PROGRAMME
One of the initiatives of Special Projects being implemented by the Project Implementing Agency IL&FS;
is Parvaaz - a pilot program on "Comprehensive Skills and Education Program for Rural BPL Minority Youth. The
main objective of this programme is to mainstream the minority BPL youth of the country by empowering them
with education, skills & employment.
>>OMKAR NATH SHARMA ---KNOWN AS MEDICINE BABA. ESTABLISHED A MEDICINE BANK FOR THE POOR
>>EIGHT Millenium Development Goals :-eradicate poverty and hunger,universal primary education,promote
gender equality andn empower women,reduce child mortality,improve maternal health,combat HIV.AIDS,malaria
and other diseases,ensure environmental sustainability,develop a global partnership for development
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act aims at enhancing the
livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing 100 days of wage
employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to
do unskilled manual work.
MGNREGA- enacted on 5th sep,2005, came into force w.e.f. 2nd feb,2006 and named as MGNREGA on 31st dec
,2009
>>INDIA -- 2.4%-world surface area
>>16.7%-world population-1.28billion people -28 states-7 union territories
population mix80.5%-Hindu
13.43-muslims
Christians-2.3%
others-3.7%
social inclusion - sarwa shikshan abhiyan (2001)-education to all children
universalisation of secondry education- 11 th plan
national literary mission-80% 11 th plan
public expenditure on education-3.6%of gdp
>>the right to children for free and compulsory education bill 2008 (up to age of 14%) is a constitutional
commitment in india
kasturaba ghandhi balika vidhyalaya scheme subsidized under sarwa shiksah abhiyan is specially designed
for under privileged girls
->>mid day may scheme (originated tamilnadu - followed by central laterally - 100% center sponsored) launched
aug 1995 - revised sep 2004 - minimum 300 calories, 8-12 gms protein
11plan target- achieve 80% - reduce gender gap in literacy to 10%
IMS ISSUES OF SOCIAL CONCERN FOR IRMA----------------------------------- 2012
1.According to central plan outlay 2011-2012 RS 11075 Crore has been allocated for rural housing
2.NOVOD a statutory body was constituted in 1984
3.World Ozone day 16th September
4.Rabi crop is the spring harvest also known as winter harvest
5.Maternal Mortality ratio means number of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births.
6. The live stock census is done every 5 years. Last was done in 2008
7.Country programe action plan 2008-2012 signed between GOI and UNDP
8.City of locks Aligarh
9.India is the largest MILK producer in the world
10.Saboni west Bengal is the location of an RBI Currency printing press
11.The world’d largest foreign exchange market is London market
12.RBI has 100% equity on National Housing
13.Economic survey is an annual commentary on the state of economy in india which is put together by the
Finance ministry of India.
14.The dairy cooperative network operates in over 346 districts
15. As per the economic survey of 2011-2012 the area coverage under total food grains during Kharif season
2010 compared to Kharif season 2009 shows a marginal decline of 2.71 lakh ha.
16.UREA is NOT a bio fertilizer but a chemical fertilizer.
17.Macro economics is often called Aggregative economics as it is the study of aggregates
18.National Income calculated at constant price is according to the base price year
19.The input method is NOT a method to estimate national income
20.Barter economy was replaced my money economy
21.RBI has the power of issuing currency notes in India
22.The banyan tree is National Tree of India
23.All landless labourers living BPL in rural areas come under the coverage Aam Admi Bima Yojana
24.GREEN HIKER CAMPAIGN is the name of the campaign by WWF for Nature India launched on june
4,2012.The idea is to encourage the tour operators to adopt better practices for disposal of waste in the
Himalayas and protect the fragile eco system.
25. For the year 2011-2012 India’s economy grew by 5.3% in fourth quarter ending March 2012
26.The National Literacy Mission was set up by GOI on 5th may 1998 with the aim to irradicate illiteracy in the
country by imparting functional literacy to non illiterates
27.ITC Ltd plans to scale up 20000 E Choupals by 2012 covering 100000 villagers in 15 states servicing 15
million farmers
28. The main objective of Mill Gate Price Scheme is to provide all types of yarns to the handloom weavers
organizations at the mill gate price
29. The publication titled Data Base on Indian Economy is realeased from time to time by the RBI
30. The full form of PFRDA is Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority
31. Services sector of Indian Economy is most dependent on economic developments in advanced nations
32. Yeshaswini Health Insurance Scheme was introduced in 2003 in Karnataka for rural farmers and peseants in
Karnataka
33. About 65% of Indian population is mainly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood
34.The 9th five year plan was from 1997-2002
35. About 70 million new work opportunities will be created as per 11 th Five year plan
36.Carbamide is a fertilizer, another name for UREA
37. World forestry day March 21st
38. Asia’s FIRST ECONOMIC PROCESSING ZONE was set up in KANDLA,india
39. The R K Talwar Committee deals with enactments having bearing on agro lendings by commercial banks
IMS MATERIALS
1.The Indian institute of crop processing technology is situated at tanjavur
2.Girish wagh is associated with TATA motors
3.In order to achieve 11th five year plan target of average growth of 4% per year the agriculture sector needs to
grow at 8.5% during 2011-2012 as per economic survey of 2010-2011
4.The national project on management of soil health fertility (NPMSF) was introduced in 2008-2009
5.Per capita income at current prices during 2011-2012 is estimated to have attained a lever of Rs 60603 as per
advanced estimates of national income 2011-2012 released by Central statistics office
6.Currently there are 15 state seed corporations operational in india
7.KUDUMBASHREE is the woman oriented community based state poverty eradication mission of GOI
8.The country expects to lower its infant mortality rate to below 30 per 1000 live births by year 2012 according
to economic survey 2010-2011
9.The handicrafts development wing of the union textile ministry has started organizing BAMBOO BAZAARS in
various parts of the country from june 2010. The first was launched in CHENNAI
10.Indias main import is petroleum and crude oil
11.The NRLM was launched for the first time in state of ORRISSA IN april 2011
12.The SABLA scheme caters to the health needs of adolescent girls
13.The SANJHA CHULHA YOJANA has been launched in 2009 in Madhya Pradesh .it provides nutritious food to
children between age of 3 to 6 years under integrated child development scheme in rural areas
14.The Maharashtra state buget has fixed of rs 438 crores for the MIHAN PROJECT 2012-2013
15.IN APRIL 2011 The GOI has started full scale survey of the families living BPL
16.PROJECT GREEN HANDS is a MOVEMENT to raise GREEN COVER IN TAMIL NADU BY 10%
17.KNIDS GREEN INITIATIVE is marketed under the brand name of SAMRIDDHI
18.RAJIV GANDHI JEEVAMDAYI YOJANA has been launched in 6 districts of MAHARASHTRA. The objective is to
provide mediclaim insurance worth rs one lakh to people living BPL
19.NABARD came into existence on 12th july 1982
20.IFFCO one of the largest co operatives produces fertilizers
21.The first CREDA(CENTRE FOR RURAL EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT ACTION) was set up in UTTAR
PRADESH
22.The rate of GDP growth to be maintained in the 12th five year plan is 10%
23.According to 11th five year plan 4% is the required percentage of increase in agricultural GDP growth rate to
ensure a broader spread of benefits
24.According to the 11th five year plan by 2012 the GOI will provide broadband connectivity to all villages
25.The main target of MAHILA SAMAKHYA PROGRAMME is education and empowerment of women in rural areas
26.38 rivers have been brought under the National River conservation plan (NRCP) till date
27.24TH APRIL IS OBSERVED AS PANCHAYATI RAJ DAY
28.Service sector in the Indian economy received maximum equity inflow in 2012
29.GRAM SUMANGAL a 100% central sector scheme is associated with RURAL POSTAL LIFE INSURANCE
30.NABARD has been releasing money of recapitalizing assistance to Primary agricultural credit societies (PACS)
in various states to introduce cooperative reforms. PROF. A VAIDYANATHAN COMMITTEE provides
recommendation for this purpose
31.According to prime ministers National council Skill Development under 11th five year plan by year 2022 India
will have 500 million skilled people
32.5 Communities in india come under the category of minorities as prescribed by section 2 (a) of the National
commission for Minorities act 1992
33.The percentage of central government expenditure in IAY is 75%.it is a flagship scheme of ministry of rural
development to provide houses to rural poor
34.The ministry of Rural development has identified 35 districts for RURAL BUSINESS HUB INTERVENTION
PROGRAMME
35.AGRICOLA MEDAL--------------- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (please see latest awardees)
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) is awarded the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s Agricola Medal by
FAO's General Director Jose Graziano da Silva at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Oct 2, 2012.[Photo/Xinhua]
36.Rs 9271 crore is the provision made for Rashtriya Krishi Vikas yojana (RKVY) in the UNION BUDGET 20122012
>>11th 5 year plan targetsGDP growth rate-9%
Agriculture growth rate- 4%
Industrial growth rate - 9% to 11%
Manufacturing growth rate- 12%
Revised GDP growth rate- 8.1%
Vision- Inclusive growth and improve quality life
Total layout of 11th year plan 120% of 10th 5 year plan
Reduce Infant mortality rate to 1 out of 1000.
Reduce Maternal mortality Rate to 28 out of 1000
Reduce poverty by 10 percentage points.
>>The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international
trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing
the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which commenced in 1948.[5]The organization deals with
regulation of trade between participating countries; it provides a framework for negotiating and formalizing trade
agreements, and a dispute resolution process aimed at enforcing participants' adherence to WTO agreements
which are signed by representatives of member governments [6]:fol.9-10 and ratified by their parliaments.[7] Most of
the issues that the WTO focuses on derive from previous trade negotiations, especially from the Uruguay
Round (1986–1994).
WTO's current Director-General is Pascal Lamy, who leads a staff of over 600 people in Geneva, Switzerland.
IMS
1.RICE is the most cultivated crop in india.india is the worlds second largest producer of rice behind china and
more than 33% of cropland in india is under rice cultivation
2.LULANDEI FRANCIS whose integrated village development project in krishnagiri has helped change the lives of
the many TAMIL NADU workers has won the RAYMON MAGSAYSAY AWARD 2012 Community leadership
3.India ranks second in the world in the production of sugar
4.DDT was first synthetic pesticide of the modern age.it ultimately created widespread concern as an
environmental hazard
5.Slash and Burn is an agricultural technique which involves cutting and burning of forests or woodlands to
create fields
6.Crop stubble helps to hold soil in place and thus reduce erosion
7.Wetlands don’t serve as landfill sites
8.PUSA HYBRID 4 is TOMATO HYBRID
9.In between rabi and kharif season there is a period during the summer months known as ZAID season---crops
grown in ZAID are watermelon pumpkin etc
10.India is the worlds largest cattle population
11.The commission for agriculture submits its recommendations on price policy for 23 crops
12.The swarnjayanti gram swarozgar yojana was launched as an integrated programme for self
employment for the rural poor with effect from 1999.
13.Antyaoday anna yojana launched in 2000 for food security
14.1980’s has been best phase of agricultural development and growth in india
15.The SARVODAY PROGRAMME WAS LAUNCHED BY VINOBA BHAVE IN 1948-49
16.AGMARK is an acronym for agricultural marketing.agmark is a qualifiy certification mark provided by GOI
17.Kasturba Gandhi balika vidayalay (KGBV) is a scheme launched in 2004 for setting up residential
schools at upper primary lever for girls belonging to SC ST OBC and MINORITRY communities
18.The 6th five year plan marked the beginning of economic liberalization
19.Rashtriya swasthya bima yojana is a central government scheme announced by PM Manmohan scheme
on 15 august 2007 .
20.Brazil is the largest producer of sugar in the world
21.THE KISAN CREDIT CARD is a pioneering credit delivery innovation for providing adequate and timely
credit to farmers under single window with flexible and simplified procedure adopting whole farm approach
22.AMMONIUM SULPHATE is used largely as an artificial fertilizer for alkaline soils.
23.THE B HORIZON is commonly refered to as SUBSIOL
24.Chickens as succeptable to at least 11 species of COCCIDIAA
25.Red data book consists lists of endangered species published by international union for conservation of nature
26.KERELA has the highest number of children delivered in hospitals
27.The new symbol of Indian rupee is designed by IIT postgraduate D UDAI KUMAR
28.The union territory of PUDDU CHERI leads the country in EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INDEX
29.RAJIV GANDHI EQUITY SCHEME aims at boosting retail investments in the capital market
30.NIRMAN BHARAT ABHIYAN YOJANA is a SLUM SANITATION INITIATIVE aimed at constructing
community toilets in SLUMS
31.The term “EVERGREEN REVOLUTION “ is coined by MS SWAMINATHAN .The green revolution was
coined in 1968 to indicate revolutionary improvements in crop yield in several asian countries .many of these
improvements came at a cost of adverse environmental effects in areas subjected to intensive farming. However
where population pressure is high there is no option except to produce more food. Productivity must increase but
in ways which are environmentally safe , economically viable and socially sustainable. This has been rechristened
as “EVERGREEN REVOLUTION”
32.The MICRO IRRIGATION PLAN is not restricted to western indiaa
33.The MINISTRY OF RURAL AREAS AND EMPLOYMENT was renamed as MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
IN 1999
34.KERELA IS KNOWN AS INDIAN SPICE GARDEN because of the variety of spices that are grown there
India - Some Basic Information
Land – 32,87,263 sq km; 7th largest in the world
Pop – 102 cr. (2001 Census); 2nd most populous
28 states, 7 UTs including 1 NCR (Delhi)
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, & Uttarakhand - 3 new states in that order
Land Frontier – 15,200 km
Total length of coast line – 7,516.6 km
Population Density – 324 / sq km
Sex ratio – 933
Literacy rate – 65.38
2.4% of the world’s surface area & 16.7% of the world’s population
India has a heritage of democratic republics (Janapadas)
National Symbols
Jana Gana Mana: adopted January 24, 1950, 1st sung on December 27, 1911, at INC,
Calcutta, originally in Bengali…..written by Rabinder Nath Tagore
Vande Mataram: 1st sung at 1896 INC session, originally in Sanskrit by Bankim C Chatterji
Saka Era (AD 78), adopted on March 22, 1957
Tiger ( national animal) , Peacock ( national bird) , Lotus (national flower)
National Flag adopted on July 22, 1947
State emblem is an adaptation of Sarnath lion capital of Asokha adopted on January 26, 1950
Flag code adopted in 2002
Dolphin – National Aquatic Creature
Satyameva Jayate – from Upanishads
Traditional Indian calendar starts with Chaitra
Major Sectors of the Economy
[1] Primary – Agriculture & allied - 20-22%
[1] Secondary – Industrial, which includes mining & quarrying; manufacturing; electricity, gas &
water supply, and construction - 22-24%
[1] Tertiary – Services, which includes trade, hotels, IT, transport & communication; financial
services, and community, social & personal services - 57.2%
[1] Micro finance hub of India is Andhra Pradesh
[1] IT and Biotechnology hub is Bangalore
[1] Automobile hub is Tamil Nadu
[1]Hyderabad pharma hub
[1] Mumbai financial capital
[1] GDP - $1.25 trillion (2009), world’s 11th largest economy
[1] At $3.13 trillion, 4th largest by PPP, after U.S., Japan, & China
[1] 2nd fastest GDP growth among large economies
[1]India a services led economy. GDP growth rate was 7.5% in
2004-05, 9.5% in 2005-06, 9.7% in 2006-07, 9.2% in 2007-08, 6.7% in 2008-09, 7.4% in 2009-10
[1]India’s share in world trade has increased from 0.7% in 2003 to 1.1% in 2008. Export target
$200 billion by March 2011.
[1] Latest poverty estimate of Tendulkar Panel is 8.3 crore households and 37.2%
[1] Principal commodities exported are ores and minerals, gems and jewelry chemical and allied
products engineering goods petroleum products, agriculture and allied products
[1] Principal commodities imported are pearls, fertilizers, cereals, edible oils, newsprint and
petroleum products
[1] Infrastructure and building up of social infrastructure - top priorities
[1]India was the second largest economy in the world before British era
[1] Shameful record of famines in British India – 1947 famine in Bengal
Agriculture
[1] About 64% of the population dependent on agriculture
[1] Contributes 20-22% to GDP
[1] 2008-09 – 4th Advance estimate 233.88 MT
[1] Net sown area – 1,412 lakh hectares (2000)
[1] Area under forests – 695.5 lakh hectares (2003-04)
[1] 60% of area sown is dependent upon rainfall
[1] Agriculture, Animal husbandry and Fisheries contributed 5.3% to GDP in 2005-06
[1] 3 harvesting seasons – Rabi, Kharif, & Zaid
[1] Major Rabi crops: wheat, barley, mustard
[1] Major Kharif crops: rice, jowar, bajra, cotton
[1] Foodgrain cropping share comes down to 65 per cent of gross cropped area (2000)
[1] Estimated production of Rice in 2008-09 is 99.37 mt
[1] Estimated production of Wheat in 2008-09 is 77.63 mt
[1]India third largest producer and consumer of fertilizers
[1]India second largest producer of fruits and vegetables
[1] Land area under marginal holdings (less than 1 hectare) is 20% of Total Cultivated Area
(2001-2002)
[1] High level of disguised unemployment
[1] 33% ideal forest cover
[1] Need for improved irrigation, better seeds & fertilizers, consolidation of land holdings,
land reforms, better access to credit, extension of marketing facilities, etc.
[1] The first Green Revolution achieved breakthrough in the production of wheat and rice
[1] No significant breakthrough in production of oil seeds & pulses
[1] M.S. Swaminathan, C. Subramaniam and Norman Borlaug key figures in Green Revolution
[1] National Food Security Mission
[1] Rotting foodgrains and malnutrition
[1] Contract farming and regulated markets - key areas of reforms
[1] Controversy over GM crops - GM cotton and Brinjal
[1] Organic farming a necessity not a fad (latest controversy of antibiotics in honey)
Dairy, Poultry and Fisheries
[1] NDDB ( National Dairy Development Board) – chairperson Dr. Amrita Patel
[1] AMUL started by Dr. Verghese Kurien, who also launched Operation Flood (White Revolution)
[1] 105 MT of milk production (2008-09)
[1] UP – largest milk producer, also largest milch bovine pop
[1] 485 million livestock population, World No.1
[1] Total egg production reached 50.7 billion in 2006-07
[1]India ranked sixth in poultry
[1]India 3rd largest producer of Fish
[1] Fisheries sector major contributor to exports
[1] Rs.8,357 crore valuation in 2008-09 of fisheries exports
[1] National Fisheries Development Board set up in Hyderabad
[1] Allied activities give good scope for income generation and employment
Agri & related institutes
Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Lucknow
International Crop Research Institute for Semi-arid Tropics - Hyderabad
National Fisheries Development Board - Hyderabad
National Dairy Research Institute - Karnal
Indian Council of Agricultural Research - Delhi
Central Sheep Breeding Farm - Hissar
National Institute of Agricultural Marketing - Jaipur
National Institute of Rural Development - Hyderabad
National Institute of Agriculture Research Management – Hyderabad
PANCHAYATI RAJ
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act
The idea that produced the 73rd Amendment was not a response to pressure from the
grassroots, but to an increasing recognition that the institutional initiatives of the preceding
decade had not delivered, that the extent of rural poverty was still much too large and thus the
existing structure of government needed to be reformed. It is interesting to note that this idea
evolved from the Centre and the state governments. It was a political drive to see PRIs as a
solution to the governmental crises that India was experiencing. The Constitutional (73rd
Amendment) Act, passed in 1992 by the Narasimha Rao government, came into force on April
24, 1993. It was meant to provide constitutional sanction to establish "democracy at the
grassroots level as it is at the state level or national level". Its main features are as follows :
• The Gram Sabha or village assembly as a deliberative body to decentralised governance has been
envisaged as the foundation of the Panchayati Raj System.
• A uniform three-tier structure of panchayats at village (Gram Panchayat — GP), intermediate or
block (Panchayat Samiti — PS) and district (Zilla Parishad — ZP) levels.
• All the seats in a panchayat at every level are to be filled by elections from respective territorial
constituencies.
• Not less than one-third of the total seats for membership as well as office of chairpersons of each
tier have to be reserved for women.
• Reservation for weaker castes and tribes (SCs and STs) have to be provided at all levels in
proportion to their population in the panchayats.
• To supervise, direct and control the regular and smooth elections to panchayats, a State Election
Commission has to be constituted in every State and UT.
• The Act has ensured constitution of a State Finance Commission in every State/UT, for every five
years, to suggest measures to strengthen finances of PRIs.
• To promote bottom-up-planning, the District Planning Committee fDPC} in every district has been
accorded constitutional status.
• An indicative list of 29 items has been given in Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution. Panchayats
are expected to play an effective role in planning and implementation of works related to these 29
items.
74 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT RELATED TO MUNICIPAL COMMITTEES
EDUCATION AS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT (86th CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT )
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
Launched in 2001, 75:25 exp sharing during 10th Plan between Centre & States
All children in 6-14 yrs bracket in school
Bridge all gender & social category gaps at primary stage by 2007 & elementary stage by
2010
Universal retention by 2010
Before 1976 education was the exclusive responsibility of the states
Central Advisory Board for Education was first established in 1920
National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education was launched in 1995
NCERT set up in 1961
National Literacy Mission was launched in 1988
Navodaya Schools launched in 1985
Mid-Day Meal Scheme – Launched 1995, aims to increase enrolment & retention in schools
Operation Blackboard – Launched 1987-88, 2 large classrooms, 2 teachers, essential
teaching material
Lok Jumbish – Launched in Rajasthan with assistance from Sweden, aims for edu for all
Shiksha Karmi Project – aims at universalisation & qualitative improvement of primary edu
in remote places of Rajasthan, special emphasis on girl child
National Curriculum Framework was launched in 2005
UGC set up in 1953
IGNOU set up in 1985
National Book Trust set up in 1957
Environment
[1] 20.55% area under forest cover ( Ideal forest cover is 33.33%)
[1] Forest Survey of India – HO at Dehra Dun
[1] 15 Biosphere Reserves, 4 recognized by UNESCO viz., Nilgiri, Sunderbans, Gulf of Mannar and
Nanda Devi
[1]Forest Policy – 1894, revised 1952 & 1988
[1] Project Tiger – 1973; 281 Tiger Reserves in 17 states
[1] Project Elephant – 1992; 14 reserves
[1] Eco-mark – to label environment-friendly consumer products
[1] Sunderlal Bahuguna of Chipko Movement awarded Padma Vibushan
[1] Sunita Narain Centre for Science and Environment Delhi
[1] Vandana Shiva, Maneka Gandhi and Amala – Blue Cross, Navadhanya
[1] Mining license of Vedanta revoked
[1] Many projects in Uttarakhand on Ganga put on hold
[1] Development vs Environment
[1]India’s good record in carbon emissions
[1] Low development responsible for low emissions?
[1] Is environment clearance becoming politicized? Ex: Vedanta and Polavaram
[1] Bishnois – highly eco friendly community – Haryana, Rajasthan
Welfare Schemes –
[1] Annapurna Scheme (2000-01) – Poor over 65 yrs of age with no pension are eligible, 10 kg
of rice per month
[1] Antyodaya Anna Yojana (2000) – Poorest of the poor, 35 kg of foodgrain at highly subsidised
rates (Rs.2 - rice, Rs.3 - wheat)
[1] Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (2001) – Universal Food for Work scheme in all UTs /
states, who are supplied with 50 lakh tonne food grain free of cost by MoRD
[1] MGNREGS – Food for Work programme in 200 most backward districts; 100 days employment
guarantee for ONE member of a poor household or else compensation provided; Minimum
Wage at Rs.60 per day
[1] Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for scheduled caste and students launched in 2006. For
higher studies like M.phil and P.hd
[1] Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers launched in 2007
[1] A central scheme for Primitive Tribal Groups launched in 1998-99
[1] National Policy for older persons launched in 1999
[1] Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act enacted in 2006
[1]India ratified the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 1993
[1] Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) launched in 1975
[1] SABLA scheme for adolescent girls
[1] Basic services for urban poor
Employment Scenario
[1] Total labour force – Estimated 457.50 million. More than 86% in informal sector
[1] Services – 23 per cent; Industry – 17-19 per cent
[1] Unemployment for males in 2004 – Increases to 9% in rural areas (5.6% in 1993-94) and 8.1%
in urban areas (6.7% in 1993-94)
[1] Unemployment for females in 2004 – Increases to 9.3% in rural areas (5.6% in 1993-94) and
11.7% in urban areas (10.5% in 1993-94)
[1] Disguised unemployment and underemployment feature of India. More than 50% of the
workforce in Agriculture
[1]India’s first Rural Employment Guarantee Programme in Maharashtra
[1] 61st round of NSSO 2004-05 informal sector workers 395 million out of total of 457.50 million
[1] About 62% of unemployment in rural areas and 38% unemployment in urban areas
[1] Demographic dividend – 15 to 64 years age group was 62.9% in 2006 – to be 68.4% in 2026
Health ( INDIAN DEMOGRAPHY)
[1] Population growth – 1.93% (annual)
[1] Decadal growth – 21.34 (1991-2001)
[1] Crude Birth Rate (CBR) – 25; CDR – 8.1
[1] IMR – 64 (2002); MMR – 487
[1] Total Fertility Rate (TFR) – 3.2
[1] Life Expectancy at Birth – 63.8 yrs (M); 66.9 yrs (F)
[1] Highest TFR – Bihar with 4.5
[1]India first country to officially adopt family planning programme
[1]Sale of non-iodated salt banned in 2006 to control Goitre
[1] AYUSH programme for alternate medical systems (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and
Homeopathy)
[1]India has the largest number of Homeo practitioners
[1]India has digitalized traditional knowledge of healing systems like Ayurveda Yoga and Siddha
and registered with European patent office to prevent frivolous grant of patents
[1] Small-pox officially “eliminated” in 1975
[1] New disease - SARS / Dengue and Swine flu
[1] Nation Rural Health Mission launched in 2005
[1] Acute need for Health Insurance
[1] Malnutrition acute problem
[1] Fluoride ‘belts’ in the country
[1] Recurrence of Brain Fever
National Health Policy 2002
Eliminate
[1] Malaria, Yaws, & Leprosy - 2005
[1] Kala Azar - 2010; Filariasis - 2015
[1] Achieve zero level growth of HIV / AIDS - 2007
Reduce
[1] IMR to 30 / 100 & MMR 100 / lakh by 2010
[1] Prevalence of Blindness to 0.5% by 2010
[1] Mortality by 50% on a/c of vector diseases like TB / Malaria
India is home to
[1] As per revised estimates carried out in 2006, the number of persons living with HIV in India is
2 to 3.1 million
[1] Highest blind population
[1] Highest polio-afflicted population specially in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
[1] Highest TB population (1/3rd of global TB pop)
[1] Highest diabetic population (nearly 15%)
[1] Highest projected population with cardiovascular diseases
[1] Lifestyle diseases in urban, semi-urban areas
Health - National Programmes
[1] National Malaria Control Programme (1953)
[1] National Filaria Control Programme (1955)
[1] National TB Control Programme (1962)
[1] National Leprosy Control Programme (1955)
[1] National Programme for Control of Blindness (1953)
[1] National AIDS Control Programme (1987)
[1] National Goitre Control Programme (1962)
[1] National Mental Health Programme (1955)
[1] National Surveillance Programme for Communicable Diseases (1997-98)
[1] The Universal Immumisation Programme aims at preventing TB, Diphtheria, Pertusis, Tetanus
Polio and Measles
[1] The pulse polio programme was launched in 1995-96
TRANSPORT
[1] Railways modest beginning in 1853
[1] 6909 stations over total track kms of 1,09,996; 41% of total track electrified
[1] 16 Railway Zones; 11 InternationalAirports
[1] 12 Major Ports incl. one at Ennore (TN) – India’s first coporatised port
[1] 200 non-major ports
[1] 219 National Highways; longest NH 7 between Kanya Kumari & Varanasi; shortest is NH 47A
between WillingdonIsland & Kochi (Kerala)
[1]Cochin largest shipyard in country
[1] Golden Quadrilateral – 5,486 km (D-M-C-K)
[1] North-South Corridor & East-West Corridor – 7,300 km
[1]Hyderabad and BangaloreInternationalAirports are greenfield airports
[1]India 33 lakh kms of roads
[1] NHDP largest highway project in the country
[1]India has largest merchant shipping fleet in developing countries
[1] Railways largest employer
[1] Railway still a monopoly of public sector
[1] Dedicated Railway freight corridor proposed
SOME OTHER FACTS
[1] Biggest constituent of UPA after Congress is Trinamool Congress
[1] Agatha Sangma aged 28 is the youngest Cabinet Minister
[1] Pranab Mukherjee is Finance Minster – heads many GOMs
[1] Hamidullah Syed Basheer, age 27 is the youngest Member of Parliament from Lakshwadweep
[1] The chairman of the National Identification Authority is Nandan Nilekani
[1] The chairman of the PMEAC is C. Rangarajan
[1] Bindeswari Pathak receives the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize
[1] Vandana Shiva awarded Sydney Peace Prize
[1] Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley – leaders of opposition
Five Year Plans –
1. First plan – 1951-56 Highest Priority to agriculture, irrigation and power
2. Second plan – 1956 to 1961 Highest Priority to Heavy Industries
3. Third plan – 1961-1966 Self sustaining growth
4. 1967 to 1969 plan Holiday three annual plans
5. Fourth plan – 1969-74 Equality and Social Justice
6. Fifth plan – 1974-79 Self Reliance
7. Sixth plan – 1980-85 Removal of Poverty
8. Seventh plan – 1985-90 Increased employment
9. 1991, 1992 – Annual plans
10. Eighth plan – 1992-97 Faster economic growth
11. Ninth plan – 1997-2002 accelerating growth rate with stable prices
12. Tenth plan – 2002-07 Growth with enhanced quality of life
13. Eleventh plan – 2007-2012 Faster and inclusive growth
14. NDC approves plans
15. Planning Commission is advisory body
Important Government Programmes
SGSY Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)launched in 1999
PURA ( Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Area) is a concept of Abdul Kalam
Maharashtra first state to launch Food for Work Programme
NREGA rechristened as Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Act
Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana launched in 2000
Indira Awaas Yojana launched in 1985
National Drinking Water
Missionlaunched in 1986
Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana launched in 2001
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) aims at urban development
VAMBAY( Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojna) is a programme aimed at rehabilitation of slum
households
Integrated Child Development Services launched in 1975
Some important Statutory and Autonomous Organisations
1. National Commission for Minorities, 1993
2. National Commission for Women, 1992
3. National Commission for Protection of Rights of Children, 2007
4. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, 1993 to facilitate credit support to poor women
5. National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation
6. Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) Kanpur a public sector unit
7. Rehabilitation Council of India, 1992
8. National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism Cereberal Palsy Mental Retardation and
Multiple Disabilities
9. National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation
10. National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, 2005
11. National Commission for Scheduled Castes
12. National Commission for Safai Karamchari’s
13. National Commission for Backward Classes, 1993
14. National Commission for Human Rights
15. Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA), 1990
16. National Commission on Population, 2000
17. National Knowledge Commission
18. Council for Advancement of People Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), 1986
19. Unique Identification Authority
20. National Innovation Council
21. Investment Commission
MAHATAM GANDHI JI
BOOK : A WEEK WITH GANDHI …………LOUIS FISCHER
MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH…………..AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MAHATAMA GANDHI
MOVIE “ GANDHI”…….DIRECTOR : Richard Attenborough
WRITER : JOHN BRILEY
IMPORTANT DAYS
Important Days in World History Timeline
Jan 10 World Laughter Day
Jan 11 Death anniversary of Lai Bahadur Shastri
Jan 12 National Youth Day (Birth day of Swami Vivekanand)
Jan 23 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's birth anniversary
Jan 25 International Customs Duty Day, India Tourism Day
Jan 26 Republic Day
Jan 30 (Martyr's day) Mahatma Gandhi's Martyrdom Day; World Leprosy Eradication Day
Feb 2 World Wetlands Day
Feb 13 Sarojini Naidu's Birth Anniversary
Feb 14 St. Valentine's Day
Feb 24 Central Excise Day
Feb 28 National Science Day
Mar 8 International Women's Day
Mar 15 World Consumer Day
Mar 16 National Vaccination Day
Mar 19 World Disabled Day
Mar 21 World Forestry Day
Mar 22 World Day for Water
Mar 23 World Meteorological Day
Mar 24 World TB Day
April 7 World Health Day
April 13 Jallianwallah Bagh Massacre Day (1919)
April 22 World Earth Day
April 23 World Books Day
May 1 International Labour Day (May Day)
May 3 International Energy Day
May 8 International Red Cross Day (It is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary
of the founder of the Red Cross Organisation Jean Henry Dunant)
May 11 National Technology Day
May 15 International Family Day
May 24 Commonwealth Day
May 31 World No Tobacco Day
Jun 5 World Environment Day
Jun 27 World Diabetes Day
Jul 1 Doctor's Day
Jul 11 World Population Day
Aug 29 Sports Day (Dhyanchand's birthday)
Aug 30 Small Industry Day
Sep 5 Teacher's Day
Sep 7 Forgiveness Day
Sep 8 International Literacy Day
Sep 14 Hindi Day, World First Aid Day
Sep 15 International Day of Democracy
Sep 16 Weld Ozone Day
Sep 21 Word Alzheimer's Day
Sep 25 Social Justice Day
Sep 27 World Tourism Day
Oct 1 International Day for the Elderly (UN)
Oct 2 Gandhi Jayanti, International Non-violence Day
Oct 3 World Nature Day
Oct 4 World Animal Day
Oct 5 World Habitat Day; World Teacher's Day
Oct 6 World Wildlife Day
Oct 8 Indian Air force Day
Oct 9 World Postal Day
Oct 10 World Mental Health Day; National Post Day
Oct 12 World Sight Day
Oct 13 World Calamity Control Day (UN)
Oct 14 World Standards Day
Oct 15 World White cane day (guiding the blind)
Oct 17 International Poverty Eradication Day
Oct 20 National Solidarity Day (China attacked India on that day)
Oct 24 United Nations Day
Nov 7 Infant Protection Day; World Cancer Awareness Day
Nov 14 Children's Day/World Diabetics day
Nov 26 Law Day
Dec 1 World AIDS Day
Dec 10 Human Rights Day
Dec 11 UNICEF Day
Dec 14 National Energy Conservation Day
Dec 23 Kisan Divas (Farmer's day)
UNIQE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
- Tembhali: India’s most ambitious project to issue an unique identification number to all its
citizens got off to a start with the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh handing over the first
UID Number ‘782474317884’ to Rajana Sonawane, a tribal lady 's in Tembhali village in
Nandurbar, Maharashtra on September 29, 2010. This marks the national launch of the
Aadhaar Project under Unique Identification Authority of India.
Ranjna received the Aadhaar letter from the Prime Minister. Ranjna’s letter marks the point
where the Aadhaar initiative transforms from a technology concept to an on the ground
reality. Ranjna had enrolled with her five year old son Hitesh, who was the second person to
receive the Aadhaar letter. For Hitesh, Aadhaar will be his first proof of identity.
The launch of Aadhaar in Tembhali was also attended by the UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi.
During a public function marking the launch, the Prime Minister acknowledged the
significance of the number and dedicated Aadhaar to the service of the nation.
Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) & Ex Infosys
CEO, mentioned the significance of the Aadhaar number for the millions of residents who
still do not have any form of identification, “Today many people in this country do not
possess any form of identification. The Aadhaar number will be able to fill this void”.
Ranjna and Hitesh were among ten people from Tembhali who received letters containing
their Aadhaar number from the Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson. Tembhali thus becomes
India’s first ‘Aadhaar-gram’.
The Aadhaar (UID) project will be rolled out across the country in the next four years. The
12-digit UID number will be stored in a centralised database and linked to the basic
demographics and biometric information - photograph, ten fingerprints and iris - of each
individual. In Kerala, Akshaya, IT@School and Keltron have been identified as enrolment
agencies.
MAHATAM GANDHI NATIONAL RURAL EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEME
- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is an Indian job
guarantee scheme, enacted by legislation on August 25, 2005. The scheme provides a legal
guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of
any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory
minimum wage of Rs.100 per day. The Central government outlay for scheme is Rs. 40,100
crores in FY 2010-11.It was initially called the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(NREGA) but was renamed on 2 October 2009.
The act was brought about by the UPA coalition government supported by the left
parties. The promise of this project is considered by many to be one of the major reasons for
the re-election of the UPA in the Indian general election, 2004.
- Dr. Jean Drèze, a Belgian born economist, at the Delhi School of Economics, has been a
major influence on this project The act directs state governments to implement MNREGA
"schemes". Under the MGNREGA the Central Government meets the cost towards the
payment of wage, 3/4 of material cost and some percentage of administrative cost. State
Governments meet the cost of unemployment allowance, 1/4 of material cost and
administrative cost of State council. Since the State Governments pay the unemployment
allowance, they are heavily incentivized to offer employment to workers.
However, it is up to the State Government to decide the amount of unemployment
allowance, subject to the stipulation that it not be less than 1/4th the minimum wage for
the first 30 days, and not less than 1/2 the minimum wage thereafter. 100 days of
employment (or unemployment allowance) per household must be provided to able and
willing workers every financial year.
- The scheme commenced on February 2, 2006 in 200 districts, was expanded to cover another
130 districts in 2007-2008 and eventually covered all 593 districts in India by April 1, 2008.
The outlay was Rs. 110 billion in 2006-2007, and rose steeply to Rs. 391 billion (140%
increase in amount with respect to previous 2008-2009 budget) in 2009-2010. First a proposal
is given by the Panchayat to the Block Office and then the Block Office decides whether the
work should be sanctioned. The MGNREGA achieves twin objectives of rural development
and employment.
Human Development Index
- INDIAN RANK 134 OUT OF 182 IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX
- The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite statistic used to rank countries by level
of "human development" and separate developed (high development), developing (middle
development), and underdeveloped (low development) countries. The statistic is composed
from data on life expectancy, education and per-capita GDP (as an indicator of standard of
living) collected at the national level .
The HDI combines three dimensions:
* Life expectancy at birth, as an index of population health and longevity
* Knowledge and education, as measured by the adult literacy rate (with two-thirds
weighting) and the combined primary, secondary, and tertiary gross enrollment ratio (with
one-third weighting).
* Standard of living, as indicated by the natural logarithm of gross domestic product per
capita at purchasing power parity.
Poverty:
- Poverty in India is widespread with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor.
According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 42% of India falls below the international poverty
line of US$ 1.25 a day (PPP, in nominal terms 21.6 a day in urban areas and 14.3 in rural
areas); having reduced from 60% in 1981. According to the criterion used by the Planning
Commission of India 27.5% of the population was living below the poverty line in 2004–2005,
down from 51.3% in 1977–1978, and 36% in 1993-1994. As per the 2001 census, 35.5% of
Indian households availed of banking services, 35.1% owned a radio or transistor, 31.6% a
television, 9.1% a phone, 43.7% a bicycle, 11.7% a scooter, motorcycle or a moped, and 2.5%
a car, jeep or van; 34.5% of the households had none of these assets
MID DAY MEAL SCHEME
The Mid-day Meal Scheme is the popular name for school meal programme in India. It
involves provision of lunch free of cost to school-children on all working days. The key
objectives of the programme are: protecting children from classroom hunger, increasing
school enrolment and attendance, improved socialisation among children belonging to all
castes, addressing malnutrition, and social empowerment through provision of employment
to women. The scheme has a long history especially in Tamil Nadu introduced statewide by
K. Kamaraj government in 1960s and expanded by M. G. Ramachandran in 1982 has been
adopted by most of the states in India after a landmark direction by the Supreme Court of
India on November 28, 2001. 12 crore (120 million) children are so far covered under the
Mid-day Meal Scheme, which is the largest school lunch programme in the world. Allocation
for this programme has been enhanced from Rs 3010 crore to Rs 4813 crore (Rs 48 billion1.2
billion) in 2006-2007.
In April 2001 People’s Union for Civil Liberties (Rajasthan) initiated the now famous right to
food litigation. This public interest litigation has covered a large range of issues relating to
right to food, but the best known intervention by the court is on mid-day meals. In one of its
many direction in the litigation the Supreme Court directed the government to fully
implement its scheme of providing cooked meals to all children in primary schools. This
landmark direction converted the mid-day meal scheme into a legal entitlement, the
violation of which can be taken up in the court of law. The direction and further follow-up
by the Supreme Court has been a major instrument in universalising the scheme
The State of Karnataka introduced the provision of cooked meals in June 2002. Since then it
has successfully involved private sector participation in the programme. One of the
successful of the ventures is Akshaya Patra, which started with leadership from ISKCON in
the Bangalore community. The Foundation gets a corpus from the State government but
meets a major share of its costs with donations from private corporations and individuals in
the city.
Despite the success of the program, child hunger as a problem persists in India. According to
current statistics, 42.5% of the children under 5 are underweight. This is due to simple
reasons such as not using iodized salt. “India is home to the world’s largest food insecure
population, with more than 200 million people who are hungry,” India State Hunger Index
(ISHI) said, adding that the country’s poor performance is driven by its high levels of child
under-nutrition and poor calorie count. “Its rates of child malnutrition is higher than most
countries in Sub-Saharan Africa,” it noted.
A report released as part of the 2009 Global Hunger Index ranks India at 65 out of 84
countries.
LOOK EAST POLICY :
Look East policy is an attempt to forge closer and deeper economic integration with its
eastern neighbours as a part of the new realpolitik in evidence in India’s foreign policy, and
the engagement with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a part of the
recognition on the part of India’s elite of the strategic and economic importance of the
region to the country’s national interests
Members: BruneiDarussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAAN
The 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' (Hindi: The 'Education for All' Movement, is a flagship
programme of the Government of India pioneered by Atal Bihari Vajpayee for achievement
of universalization of elementary education in a time bound manner, as mandated by the
86th amendment to the Constitution of India making free and compulsory education to
children of ages 6–14 (estimated to be 205 million in number in 2001) a fundamental right.
The programme aims to achieve the goal of universalization of elementary education of
satisfactory quality by 2010. There are 8 main programs in SSA.It includes ICDS,AANGANWADI
etc. It also Includes KGBVY. Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidalaya Yojana was started in 2004 with
a view to give primary education to all girls. later on it was merged with SSA.
Goals
1. All in school by 2005.
2. Complete 5 years of primary education by 2005 and 8 years of schooling by 2010.
3. Satisfactory Quality with emphasis on education for life.
4. Bridge all gender and social gaps at primary level by 2007 and elementary level by 2010.
5. Universal retention by 2010.
The program seeks to open new schools in those habitations which do not have schooling
facilities and strengthen existing school infrastructure through provision of additional class
rooms, toilets, drinking water, maintenance grant and school improvement grants.
KUTIR JYOTI SCHEME
In order to boost electrification of households that are below the poverty line (BPL), the
Power Ministry wants to revitalise the Kutir Jyoti programme.
Originally launched by the Congress Government in the late 80s, the Kutir Jyoti programme
envisaged extending single point light connections to households of rural BPL families. These
were to include Harijan and tribal families. The programme had come under criticism as it
was seen as one of the factors responsible for rampant increase in transmission &
distribution (T&D
losses and even inflating supplies to the agriculture sector over the years.
PMGSY PRADHAN MANTRI GRAMEEN SADAK YOJNA :
Rural Road Connectivity is not only a key component of Rural Development by promoting
access to economic and social services and thereby generating increased agricultural
incomes and productive employment opportunities in India, it is also as a result, a key
ingredient in ensuring sustainable poverty reduction. Notwithstanding the efforts made, over
the years, at the State and Central levels, through different Programmes, about 40% of the
Habitations in the country are still not connected by All-weather roads. It is well known that
even where connectivity has been provided, the roads constructed are of such quality (due
to poor construction or maintenance) that they cannot always be categorised as All-weather
roads.
With a view to redressing the situation, Government have launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram
Sadak Yojana on 25th December, 2000 to provide all-weather access to unconnected
habitations. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is a 100% Centrally Sponsored
Scheme. 50% of the Cess on High Speed Diesel (HSD) is earmarked for this Programme.
SWARNJAYANTI GRAM SWAROZGAR YOJANA
Swarnajayanthi Gram Sswarozgar Yojana Scheme is a holistic approach towards
poverty eradication in rural India through creation of self-employment
opportunities to the rural Swarozgaries. This scheme is implemented in the
country through District Rural Development Agencies. The Centre and State fund
this program in the ratio of 75:25. It is designed to help poor rural families cross
the poverty line. This is achieved through providing income generating assets and
inputs to the target groups through a package of assistance consisting of subsidy
and bank loan.
Objectives
SGSY came into existence in 1999-2000 duly merging the schemes of Integrated
Rural Development Program (IRDP), Training for Rural Youth under Self
Employment (TRYSEM) Development of Women & Children in Rural Areas
(DWCRA) and Supply of Improved Toolkits to Rural Artisans (SITRA).
The scheme aims to bring every assisted poor family above the poverty line by
ensuring appreciably sustainable level of income over a period of time. This
objective is to be achieved by organizing the rural poor in to Self Help Groups
(SHG) through the process of social mobilization, their training and capacity
building,and provision of income generating assets.
INDIRA AWAS YOJNA ( IAY) FOR RURAL HOUSING
With a view to meeting the housing needs of the rural poor, Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY)
was launched in May 1985 as a sub-scheme of Jawahar Rozgar Yojana. It is being
implemented as an independent scheme since 1 January 1996. The Indira Awaas Yojana aims
at helping rural people below the poverty-line belonging to SCs/STs, freed bonded labourers
and non-SC/ST categories in construction of dwelling units and up gradation of existing
unserviceable kutcha houses by providing grant-in-aid. From 1995-96, the IAY benefits have
been extended to widows or next-of-kin of defence personnel killed in action. Benefits have
also been extended to ex-servicemen and retired members of the paramilitary forces as long
as they fulfill the normal eligibility conditions of Indira Awaas Yojana.
Under the scheme allotment of the house is done in the name of the female
member of the households or in the joint names of husband and wife. A minimum of 60 % of
funds are to be utilized for construction of houses for the SC/ST people. Further, 60% of the
IAY allocation is meant for benefiting SC/ST families, 3% for physically handicapped and 15%
for minorities. 5% of the central allocation can be utilized for meeting exigencies arising out
of natural calamities and other emergent situations like riot, arson, fire, rehabilitation etc.
NATIONAL SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME :
The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) then comprised of National Old Age
Pension Scheme (NOAPS), National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) and National Maternity
Benefit Scheme (NMBS). These programmes were meant for providing social assistance
benefit to the aged, the BPL households in the case of death of the primary breadwinner
and for maternity. These programmes were aimed to ensure minimum national standards in
addition to the benefits that the States were then providing or would provide in future.
Council for Advancement of People’s Action & Rural Technology
(CAPART)
Recognising the need for an organisation that would coordinate and catalyse the
development work of voluntary agencies in the country, particularly to ensure smooth flow
of benefits to the underprivileged and socio-economically weaker sections of society,
Government of India, in September, 1986 set up the Council for Advancement of People’s
Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), a registered society under the aegis of the
Department of Rural Development, by merging two autonomous bodies, namely, People’s
Action for Development of India (PADI) and Council for Advancement of Rural Technology
(CAPART).
DRDA( DISTRICT RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY)
The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has traditionally been the principal
organ at the District level to oversee the implementation of different anti-poverty
programmes. Since its inception, the administrative costs of the DRDAs were met by
way of setting apart a share of the allocations for each programme.
However, of late, the number of the programmes had increased and while some of
the programmes provided for administrative costs of the DRDAs, others did not. There
was no uniformity among the different programmes with reference to administrative
costs. Keeping in view the need for an effective agency at the district level to
coordinate the anti-poverty effort, a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme for
strengthening the DRDAs has been introduced with effect from 1st April, 1999.
Accordingly, the administrative costs are met by providing a separate budget
provisions. This scheme which is funded on a 75:25 basis between Centre and States,
aims at strengthening and professionalsing the DRDAs.
PURA ( PROVISION FOR URBAN AMENITIES IN RURAL AREAS)
ELEVENTH FIVE YEAR PLAN MAJOR OBJECTIVES
Eleventh plan (2007-2012)
The eleventh plan has the following objectives:
1. Income & Poverty
o Accelerate GDP growth from 8% to 10% and then maintain at 10% in the 12th Plan in
order to double per capita income by 2016-17
o Increase agricultural GDP growth rate to 4% per year to ensure a broader spread of
benefits
o Create 70 million new work opportunities.
o Reduce educated unemployment to below 5%.
o Raise real wage rate of unskilled workers by 20 percent.
o Reduce the headcount ratio of consumption poverty by 10 percentage points.
2. Education
o Reduce dropout rates of children from elementary school from 52.2% in 2003-04 to
20% by 2011-12
o Develop minimum standards of educational attainment in elementary school, and by
regular testing monitor effectiveness of education to ensure quality
o Increase literacy rate for persons of age 7 years or above to 85%
o Lower gender gap in literacy to 10 percentage point
o Increase the percentage of each cohort going to higher education from the present
10% to 15% by the end of the plan
3. Health
o Reduce infant mortality rate to 28 and maternal mortality ratio to 1 per 1000 live
births
o Reduce Total Fertility Rate to 2.1
o Provide clean drinking water for all by 2009 and ensure that there are no slip-backs
o Reduce malnutrition among children of age group 0-3 to half its present level
o Reduce anaemia among women and girls by 50% by the end of the plan
4. Women and Children
o Raise the sex ratio for age group 0-6 to 935 by 2011-12 and to 950 by 2016-17
o Ensure that at least 33 percent of the direct and indirect beneficiaries of all
government schemes are women and girl children
o Ensure that all children enjoy a safe childhood, without any compulsion to work
5. Infrastructure
o Ensure electricity connection to all villages and BPL households by 2009 and roundtheclock power.
o Ensure all-weather road connection to all habitation with population 1000 and above
(500 in hilly and tribal areas) by 2009, and ensure coverage of all significant
habitation by 2015
o Connect every village by telephone by November 2007 and provide broadband
connectivity to all villages by 2012
o Provide homestead sites to all by 2012 and step up the pace of house construction for
rural poor to cover all the poor by 2016-17
6. Environment
o Increase forest and tree cover by 5 percentage points.
o Attain WHO standards of air quality in all major cities by 2011-12.
o Treat all urban waste water by 2011-12 to clean river waters.
o Increase energy efficiency by 20 percentage points by 2016-17.
CREDIT RATING AGENCIES IN INDIA
- ONICRA Credit Rating Agency of India Ltd.
- Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL)
- Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India (ICRA)
- Credit Analysis & Research Limited (CARE)
- Duff & Phelps Credit Rating India Private Ltd. (DCR India)
Ratings awarded by major credit rating agencies:
- AAA - : Highest Safety
- AA - : High Safety
- A - : Adequate Safety
- BBB - : Moderate Safety
- BB - : Sub -moderate Safety
- B - : Inadequate Safety
- C - : Substantial Risk
- D - : Default
- Under Pulse Polio Programme children in which group are given two doses of oral polio
vaccines at an interval of six weeks ………………0 to 5 years
- Vaidyanathan Committee : corporate credit institutions
- The last live stock census was done in the year 1992.
- NATIONAL FISHRIES DEVELOPMENT BOARD IS LOCATED AT…………HYDERABAD
LATEST CENSUS IN INDIA :
- 15th Indian National census began on April 1, 2010. Census has been conducted in India
since 1872 and this is the first time biometric information will be collected.
- The census will cover all 1.2 billion Indians, involve 25 lakh (2.5 millions) officials. It is
estimated to cost Rs 2,209 crore (1.3 billion US dollars).
- Information such as name, age, sex, date of birth, caste, ownership of mobile phones,
computers and Internet will be collected during this massive undertaking.
- Information on castes initially not intended to be collected was later included after demand
from almost all opposition parties. Opposition to not including the caste was spearheaded by
Lalu Prasad Yadav, Sharad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav and supported by opposition
parties Bharatiya Janata Party, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Anna
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.[1] Information on caste was last collected during British Raj in
1931. During the early census, people often exaggerated their caste status to garner social
status and it is expected that people downgrade it now in the expectation of gaining
government benefits
- Once the information will be collected and digitalised, fingerprints and photos will be
collected. Unique Identification Authority of India will issue a 16-digit identification number
to all individuals and the first ID is expected to be issued in 2011
NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH MISSION
• The National Rural Health Mission (2005-12) seeks to provide effective
healthcare to rural population throughout the country with special focus
on 18 states, which have weak public health indicators and/or weak
infrastructure.
• These 18 States are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,
Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram,
Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim,
Tripura, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh.
• The Mission is an articulation of the commitment of the Government to raise public
spending on Health from 0.9% of GDP to 2-3% of GDP.
It has as its key components provision of a female health activist in each
village; a village health plan prepared through a local team headed by the
Health & Sanitation Committee of the Panchayat; strengthening of the
rural hospital for effective curative care and made measurable and
accountable to the community through Indian Public Health Standards
(IPHS); and integration of vertical Health & Family Welfare Programmes
and Funds for optimal utilization of funds and infrastructure and
strengthening delivery of primary healthcare.
• It seeks to revitalize local health traditions and mainstream AYUSH into
the public health system.
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality
- Ratio (MMR)
- Revitalize local health traditions and mainstream AYUSH
Every village/large habitat will have a female Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)
Now Surfing – Rural India @ 5.4 Million Users
If you are talking about an Internet revolution in India, you will, now, have some very impressive
numbers to aid you. The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and the Indian Market
Research Bureau (IMRB), jointly, carried out a research recently and concluded that the number of
active Internet users in rural India is expected to rise to 5.4 million in 2010 – a staggering 30%
increase since 2008. The numbers are of users who have logged in atleast once over the last 30
days which adds considerable weight to the figures.
e-Choupal: ITC Scaled Down Commodities, Launched Tamil Portal In FY09
its annual report, BSE listed ITC Ltd has noted that with Government intervention over the past
year – like a ban on exports, stock controls and subsidization of prices, ITC had to exit trading in
several commodities, and consequently, restructure its e-Choupal network.
ITC launched 50 e-Choupals during the year in Tamil Nadu, supported by the Tamil version of
echoupal.com... “with over 250 web pages”, looking to target crops such as paddy. ITC also set up
three more Choupal Sagar malls during the year, and now has 24 Choupal Sagars in three states.
e-Choupals are outlets for sourcing raw materials and selling FMCG products, set up in Rural India
by ITC, in partnership with local entrepreneuts. These are backed by a digital infrastructure, and
offer farmers value added services such as crop advisories, advance weather forecasts, output
price discovery, direct communication tools etc.
Reuters Market Light also has a service for daily updates via SMS, and powers Nokia Life Tools with
similar inputs. eChoupals claim to cover over 40,000 villages, but I wonder if all villagers have
access to them. Access to information is power, and given the societal complexities of our country,
I feel that personal access to such information via the mobile would be more powerful than having
a “Sanchalak” in control of information. According to a press release in July, e-Choupals reached
out to 1 million farmers, which isn’t much.
Pranab launches pension scheme for unorganised sector workers
JANGIPUR (WEST BENGAL): Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday launched a pension
scheme for workers in the unorganised sector who do not have access to the social security net.
“I launched the scheme to coincide with the 78th birthday of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. This
scheme will help those who are not covered under any social security scheme,” Mr. Mukherjee said
after unveiling the programme at a function here in Murshidabad district.
Validity period
Under the scheme — which is named ‘Swavalamban' — subscribers would get Rs.1,000 from the
government each year for a subscription amount of Rs.12,000 per year. The scheme will remain
valid for this financial year and for the next three consecutive fiscals.
Mr. Mukherjee has already allocated Rs. 100 crore for the scheme in the budget for 2010-11. It will
be managed by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority of India.
A subscriber can enter the scheme at the age of 18 years and will be eligible for pension after
turning 60.
Mr. Mukherjee said 87 per cent of the country's workforce would benefit from the ‘Swavalamban'
scheme, adding that there were eight crore people above 60 who were not getting pension.
This figure will rise to 20 crore over the next 17-18 years.
On turning 60, the pensioner can withdraw 60 per cent of his contribution, while the balance will
be given as a monthly annuity by the LIC. The LIC has been appointed one of the many aggregators
who will collect subscription amounts from subscribers.
Higher pension amount
Mr. Mukherjee said that while announcing the scheme in the budget, he had asked the State
governments to join the programme so that pensioners could benefit by getting a higher pension
amount.
Responses
“However, only two states — Haryana and Karnataka — have responded to the scheme,” he said.
Minister of State for Finance N.N. Meena, LIC chairman T.S. Vijayan and other senior Finance
Ministry officials were present at the event.
MAHATAMA GANDHI TANTA MUKTI GAON MOHIM
Pune: The United Nations has decided to recognise the Mahatma Gandhi Tanta Mukti Gaon Mohim
(Dispute-freeVillage Scheme) of the Maharashtra government. The scheme was introduced as a
way to get rid of small disputes in the village and thus bring about harmony. It was also seen as a
measure to reduce the work pressure on policemen. Pune Rural SP Pratap Dighavkar will present
the model to the U.N. at their New York headquarters on August 11.
Speaking to journalists here, he said that he was really happy to be representing India at the global
level. “The credit goes to the local police officers and constables. I am just representing them,” he
said. The presentation will be given to the officials of the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organisation (ILO),
the U.N. General Assembly and the Security Council.
The Maharashtra model is likely to be replicated in other developing countries, where logistics and
infrastructure of the judicial machinery were weak, Mr. Dighavkar said. He will also spend time
with social scientists, reformers and peace makers in various universities and share the model and
his experiences with them.
Speaking of the achievements of the scheme, he cited figures in Pune district where 790 out of
1,134 villages have become ‘dispute-free' in the last two and a half years and hence the district
received Rs. 19,31,000,00 ($4.4 million), as the prize money from the State government. Since
October 2009, 36,294 conflicts at the village-level were resolved and now, 28,084 cases were
awaiting resolution, he said.
Mr. Dighavkar said the scheme helped the government save Rs. 20 crore and also 15 tonnes of
paper. The government did not have to spend a single rupee for the implementation of the
scheme.
In April 2010, Khairlanji was recognised by the scheme as a dispute-free village. The award and the
money came to the village three years after four from a family of Dalits were brutally massacred
there. The case will now be heard in the Supreme Court after the death sentence of six of the
accused was commuted to life term. Calling Khairlanji dispute-free, some would argue, was an
irony. The committee members of the village defended themselves saying that murder, as a
cognizable offence, was out of the ambit of the scheme and hence, the committee could not do
anything about it.
Mr. Dighavkar refused to comment on Khairlanji and said he would do the same if the question
came up in the U.N. presentation.
“I cannot say anything about a matter that is in the courts. But I agree, sometimes political and
communal biases may play a role at the village level.”
Khairlanji was not the only village facing such issues over the scheme being implemented in the
State since 2007, when Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Home Minster R.R. Patil introduced
it.
Gender issues surrounding the scheme came to light when Kiran Moghe, State president of the All
India Women's Democratic Association (AIDWA) studied its implementation in Pune district in
association with the Department of Women's Studies, University of Pune.
“In Pune, there are not many sharp distinctions in caste. But there are serious gender problems. In
a society that is mostly male-dominated, it is already difficult for women, especially in the rural
areas, to express themselves. To add to it, the committee members are in most cases, men. This
puts more pressure on the women and cases of domestic violence are covered up,” she said.
Five-eggs-a-week scheme inaugurated in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri
KRISHNAGIRI/DHARMAPURI: Collector V. Arun Roy inaugurated the five-eggs-a-week scheme at the
PanchayatUnionPrimary School, Kaveripattinam, near Krishnagiri, on Tuesday in the presence of
Public Relations Officer N. Monoharan and other officials.
Inaugurating the scheme, the Collector said that during the birth anniversary celebrations of
former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had announced the scheme to
increase the number of eggs from three to five a week at all the noon meal centres.
Accordingly, a total of 1,99,833 students would get the extra nutrition through the 1,585 rural noon
meal centres and 12 urban centres across the Krishnagiri district.
For 4,401 students who do not consume eggs, bananas would be supplied for all the five days.
The Collector called upon the noon meal centre workers to maintain hygiene in the centres, check
the quality of eggs and boil them to the required temperature.
He also called up on the Block Development Officers, Assistant Project Officers and elected
representatives to visit the noon meal centres on regular basis and verify whether the scheme is
implemented properly.
The serving of boiled channa (20 grams) on Tuesdays and boiled potato (20 grams) on Fridays would
continue, the Collector added.
In Dharmapuri, Collector P. Amutha inaugurated the scheme at the Illakkiampatti Government Girls
Higher Secondary School in Dharmapuri on Monday. After inaugurating the scheme, she said that
under the scheme, a total number of 1,92,335 students will be benefited from this scheme. She
also said that 7,075 students who do not consume eggs will be provided banana in all the five days.
Pranab to launch LIC's Swavalamban scheme today
NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to formally launch the ‘Swavalamban
Scheme' of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) on Sunday at Murshidabad in West Bengal.
The Centre has already approved the operational guidelines for the scheme which was announced
by Mr. Mukherjee in his budget speech for 2010-11. The scheme is applicable to all citizens in the
unorganised sector who join the New Pension Scheme (NPS), subject to their meeting the eligibility
criteria, an official statement said here. The scheme is to be funded by grants from the Centre.
Under the scheme, the Central government will contribute Rs.1,000 a year to each NPS account
opened in 2010-11 and for the next three years. To be eligible, a person will have to make a
minimum contribution of Rs.1,000 and a maximum contribution of Rs.12,000 annually .
In recognition of their faith in the NPS, all NPS accounts opened in 2009-10 will also be entitled to
the benefit of ‘Swavalamban', subject to fulfilment of the eligibility criteria. A person will have the
option to join the NPS as an individual as per the existing scheme or through the CRA Lite approved
by the Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA).
Akrama-Sakrama scheme approved by Cabinet
Bangalore: The State Cabinet has given approval to the Akrama-Sakrama scheme for regularisation
of unauthorised housing layouts and violations in building bylaws across the State.
The scheme will come into effect immediately (after it is notified in the State gazette) and
building bylaw violations up to 25 per cent for commercial structures and up to 50 per cent for
residential structures will be regularised. The penalty for various categories and varieties of
violations has also been slashed by 50 per cent. All violations, with December 3, 2009, being the
cut-off date, will be eligible under the regulation scheme, and those who pay the fine within a
specified period (likely to be a month) will be eligible for a 5 per cent discount.
Further, the declaration and the fine to be paid will also be similar to the self-assessment scheme
(SAS) in payment of the property taxes. All building owners will be given three months’ time to
submit their application and the applications received will be processed within a period of three
months. In other words, violations can be regularised within a period of six months after the
notification is gazetted.
Exit from the ‘Swavalamban scheme' would be on the same terms and conditions on which exit
from Tier-I account of NPS is permitted and will be subject to the condition that the minimum
pension out of the accumulated pension wealth would be Rs.1,000 a month, in accordance with the
provisions of operational guidelines.
Sabla scheme likely to be launched on November 14
NEW DELHI: The Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls - Sabla - is likely to be
launched in 200 select districts on November 14, celebrated as Children's Day in the country.
The Scheme is aimed at addressing the multi-dimensional problems of adolescent girls between 11
and 18 years and would be implemented through the platform of Integrated Child Development
Scheme (ICDS) projects and anganwadi centres. Over one crore girls are expected to benefit from
the scheme annually.
Upgrading skills
The girls would be empowered by improvement in their nutritional and health status and upgrading
home, life and vocational skills. It also aims at equipping the girls on family welfare, health,
hygiene and information and guidance on existing public services, along with mainstreaming out of
school girls into formal or non-formal education.
Nutrition would be provided to all girls of 11 to 15 years who are out of school and those of 15 to
18 years. The scheme is expected to tackle the inter-generational cycle of malnutrition,
effectively, to prepare young girls for future motherhood. It would eventually result in the
reduction of high levels of anaemia, maternal mortality rate and child marriages.
Launch on pilot-basis
The Centre is in the process of identifying the 200 select districts where the scheme would be
launched on a pilot basis. The government has allocated Rs. 1,000 crore for the purpose for the
current financial year. Sabla would be a Centrally-sponsored scheme except for the nutrition
component for which the State would have to shell out 50 per cent of the cost. As per the
estimates, the cost of nutrition would be Rs. 5 per day per girl.
Health problems
Adolescent girls in general, and those out of school in particular, have considerable unmet needs in
terms of health including reproductive health, education, nutrition and skill development. Given
the high levels of under-nutrition and anaemia in adolescent girls and women, compounded by
early marriage, early child bearing and inadequate spacing between births, adolescent girls
perpetuate an inter-generational cycle of under-nutrition, gender discrimination and poverty.
‘Laadli' scheme making its mark
NEW DELHI: Over 6,900 girls registered under the Delhi Government's ‘Laadli' girl child welfare
scheme have passed their Class X examination.
As per information provided by the Delhi Government, the flagship scheme launched in 2008 has
come a long way as Rs.3.7 crore has already been released as final claim in respect of these girls
who have attained 18 years of age.
The scheme has received a good response so far with 290,655 girls registered under it till July this
year. It has helped improve the gender ratio in Delhi and enrolment of girls in schools. Girls who
are keen to pursue their studies after passing Class X would be helped in securing admission to
higher secondary classes.
INDIAN AGRICULTURE
[1]India is the largest producer of wheat in the worl
[1]India is the largest producer of Rice in the world
[1]India is among the largest vegetable oil economies in the world
[1]India is the largest producer of Tea in the world
[1]India is the second largest producer of Fruits in the world
[1]India is the largest producer of Milk in the world
[1]India is the largest producer of Coffee in the world
[1]India is the largest producer of Cotton in the world
Indian Agriculture by its sheer size can dictate global markets directly and indirectly. Majority of
rural population still is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood and over 600 million farmers
involved in agriculture related activities.
Agriculture in India has a long history dating back to ten thousand years.
Today, India ranks second worldwide in farm output. Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry and
logging accounted for 16.6% of the GDP in 2007, employed 52% of the total workforce and despite a
steady decline of its share in the GDP, is still the largest economic sector and plays a significant
role in the overall socio-economic development of India.
India is the largest producer in the world of milk, cashew nuts, coconuts, tea, ginger, turmeric and
black pepper.It also has the world's largest cattle population (281 million). It is the second largest
producer of wheat, rice, sugar, groundnut and inland fish. It is the third largest producer of
tobacco.India accounts for 10% of the world fruit production with first rank in the production of
banana and sapota.
India's population is growing faster than its ability to produce rice and wheat.
INDIAN ECONOMY AT AGLANCE
• Illiteracy (Literacy – 64.8% - 75.3% male and 53.7% female literates)
• Low HDI – 134 (Calculated using Life expectancy at birth, primary education, Per capita income)
• Low level of technology and productivity
• Poverty
• 46% of children suffer from malnutrition.
• High savings and low capital formation
• Low per capita income
• Over sized population (1.38% growth)
• Dependence on primary production
• 72.25% live in villages
• High density of population – 324/sq.km
Agriculture Sector Overview
• Growth rate of 2% approximately
• Green Revolution helped to achieve self sufficiency in food.
• Blue, White, Yellow Revolutions increased the production of marine products, milk and oil seeds.
• 43% land arable
• 60% of arable land - monsoon dependent
• Minimum Support Price, (MSP) on pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane to help farmers
Cropping season
The Indian crops can be divided into three groups in which two are major namely Kharif
& RabiKharif crop- The Kharif season is during the southwest monsoon (July-October). During this
season,
agricultural activities take place both in rain-fed areas and irrigated areas. Kharif crop includes
Rice (Paddy), Jowar, Bajra, Maize, Cotton, Sugarcane, Seasamum, Soyabean, and Groundnut.
Rabi crops- The Rabi season is during the winter months, when agricultural activities
take place only in the irrigated areas. This crop is sown in October last and harvested in
March/April every year. These crops include Wheat, Jowar, Barley, Gram, Tur,
Rapeseed, and Mustard.
Zayad Crop- In some parts of the country a crop is sown during March to June every year. Zayad
crops include Melon, watermelon, Vegetables, Cucumber, Moong, Urad etc.
Irrigation
India is a monsoon dependent country for its water resources. Irrigation sector has been
fundamental to India’s economic development and poverty alleviation since 25% of India’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) and 65% of employment is based on agriculture. During the post
independence period, the country has invested a huge amount of capital in the major and the
medium irrigation projects. Among the states, three have already achieved 70% or more of the
ultimate irrigation potential with Tamilnadu recording 100% achievement, followed by Punjab and
Rajasthan at 84% and 74% respectively. Six states, i.e., Haryana, Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, and
West Bengal are in the range of 63% to 71%, whereas in U.P. and Maharashtra, the achievement
would be 56% each. The states of Bihar, Gujarat, Orissa, M.P. and Assam have achieved less than
50% of the ultimate potential.
Revolutions
Revolutions in Indian Economy
Revolutions Area Key Person
Green Agriculture Dr. Norman Borlaug and Dr. M.S.Swaminathan.
Yellow Oil Seeds Sam Pitroda
White Milk Varghese Kurien
Blue
Fish Pink Shrimp Brown Masaaley -Spices
Grey Wool & Poultry –
Black Crude Oil
Agriculture: At A Glance
- Agriculture growth rate target for Tenth Plan (2002-2007) is 4%,but achived was merely
1.8%. target for 11th plan is again 4%.
- Agriculture sector provides employment to 58.4% of country’s workforce and is
the single largest private sector occupation.
- India holds first position in the world in the production of sugarcane and sugar,
Brazil closely follow us and many times its production is more than ours. Brazil is also largest
producer of Ethanol.
- Cashew nuts assume an important place in the Indian Economy. India produces
45% of the global production of cashew. India is the largest producer,processor,
consumer & exporter of cashew in the world.
- India contributes about 13% to the world vegetable production and occupies first rank in the
production of Cauliflower, second in onion and third in cabbage in the world.
- India’s share in the world production of mango is about 54%.
- India occupies the first rank in banana production of 1.16 Million tones.
- Animal husbandry output constitutes about 30% of the country’s agriculture
output.
- U.P. is the highest wheat producing state, Punjab and Haryana hold 2nd & 3rd
positions respectively.
- Rice is the main food crop in India. The highest rice producing State is West
Bengal, U.P & Punjab are 2nd& 3rd respectively.
- The highest pulses & Soyabean producing state is Madhya Pradesh.
- The highest cereals producing state is Maharashtra.
- India is the largest producer & consumer of tea in the world and accounts for
around 27% of world production and 13% of world trade.
- Karnataka, which is the largest producer of coffee in the country, accounts for
56.5% of total coffee production in India. India ranks sixth in the world coffee production.
- Kerela is the main rubber producing state, which produces 90% of the rubber in
the country and accounts for over 85% of the area under cultivation.
- India is the largest Milk producing country in the world.
- India is the third highest tobacco producing country in the world.
- India ranked first in production of vegetable in the world. Besides India is the
second largest producer of fruits in the world.
- The Horticulture sector contributed 28% of GDP in agriculture.
Agriculture finance
Agricultural production in this country depends upon millions of small farmers. It is the intensity of
their effort and the efficiency of their technique that will help in raising yields per acre. Because
of inadequate financial resources and absence of timely credit facilities at reasonable rates, many
of the farmers, even though otherwise willing, are unable to go in for improved seeds and manures
or to introduce better methods or techniques. Works of minor irrigation like wells owned by the
cultivators either get into disuse or are not fully utilized for want of capital.
Types of Financing: Finance required for production can be divided broadly into :
(a) short-term (for periods up to 15 months) ;
(b) medium-term (from 15 months up to 5 years) and
(c) long-term (above 5 years). Short-term loans are required for purchasing
seeds, manures and fertilizers or for meeting labour charges, etc. These are expected
to berepaid after the harvest. Medium-term loans are granted for purposes such as
sinking of wells, purchase of bullocks, pumping plants and other improved
implements, etc. Loans repayable over a longer period (i.e. above 5 years) are
classified as long-term loans.
These are utilised for payment of old debts, purchase of the heavier machines, making permanent
improvements and increasing the size of the holding17.
Primary sources of agricultural credit are:
The following agencies provide finance to the cultivators :—
1. Private agencies:
(a) Money lenders and landlords ;
(b) Commercial banks.
2. Public or semi-public agencies:
(a) The State
(b) Co-operative societies
(c) Regional Rural banks
Co-operatives: Commercial and regional rural banks are institutional lenders whereas
moneylenders which operate in the villages and talukas are non-institutional lenders.
Moneylenders have exploited the farmers and small landowners. With increased
institutional intervention in the rural finance sector, this exploitation has reduced
considerably and the farmers are no longer at the mercy of the whimsical moneylenders for the
satisfaction of their financial requirements.
NABARD: NABARD, which is considered to be the leading institution in the agricultural sector, was
set up on July1, 1982. Since its inception, NABARD has taken over the functions of the Agricultural
finance department of RBI and the Agricultural
Refinance and Development Corporation (ARDC). NABARD is responsible for the
development, planning, operational matters, coordination, monitoring, research, training and
consultancy in relation to rural credit.
NABARD maintains two funds, viz National Rural Credit (Long term operations) and the
National Rural Credit (Stabilization) Fund. Both the Central and the State governments contribute
to these funds. It operates throughout the country through its 16 regional offices and 3 Sub-offices.
Crop Insurance Scheme: the United Front government on an experimental basis in
selected districts during the Rabi 1997-98 season introduced The Crop Insurance scheme.
The limit of insurance cover was fixed at Rs. 10000 irrespective of the losses incurred by them.
Under the new scheme, the farmers will themselves deal with the insurance
provider directly and the government will not provide any subsidiary directly to the
farmers. Both premium and claims were shared between the central and the state governments in
the ratio of 4:1.
National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS): The National Agricultural Insurance
Scheme (NAIS) was introduced in the country from the1999-2000 Rabi season, replacing the
Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme (CCIS), which was in operation in the country since1985.
The General Insurance Corporation (GIC) on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture implements this
scheme.
The main objective of the scheme is to protect the farmers against losses suffered by
them due to crop failure on account of natural calamities, such as, drought, flood,
hailstorm, cyclone, fire, pest/diseases etc.
Forest
The overall forest cover in India is around 19.3% in the year 1999. The estimate is done by the
planning commission of India. One would find different figure from different sources precisely
because different agencies have different definition of what constitute a forest. The latest
assessment on forest cover (FSI 1999) indicates that 11.48 per cent of the total geographical area is
dense forest (over 40 per cent crown density) and 7.76 per cent is the open forest (10-40per cent
crown density).
Dense forest 37.73 m ha 11.48%
Open forest 25.51 m ha 7.76 %
Mangroves 0.49 m ha 0.15%
SOME IMPORTANT KEY POINTS:
- The Tehri Dam is a rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the BhagirathiRiver near Tehri
in Uttarakhand, India. It is the primary dam of theTehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd.
and the Tehri hydroelectric complex. Completed in 2006, the Tehri Dam withholds a
reservoir of 2.6 billion cubic meters for irrigation, municipal water supply and the
generation of 1,000 MW of hydroelectricity along with an additional 1,000 MW of pumped
storage hydroelectricity
- Watershed Development Fund (NABARD)
A Watershed Development Fund (WDF) has been established at NABARD with the objective of
integrated watershed development in 100 priority districts of 18 States through participatory
approach. The total corpus of WDF is Rs.200 crore. Under WDF, two-thirds of amount is
given for loan based project and one-third of amount is given for grant based project in the
State. A number of externally aided projects are also under implementation on watershed
approach, which covers an area of about 1.5 lakh hectares annually.
Various Watershed Development Programmes namely:
• National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA)
• Soil Conservation in the Catchments of RiverValley Project & Flood Prone River (RVP & FPR)
• Reclamation & Development of Alkali & Acid Soil (RADAS)
• Watershed Development Project in Shifting Cultivation Areas (WDPSCA) are being
implemented.
- Treasury Information Management System In Kerala
- The Group of Eight (G8, and formerly the G6 or Group of Six and also the G7 or Group of
Seven) is a forum, created by France in 1975, for governments of six countries in the world:
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1976, Canada
joined the group (thus creating the G7). In becoming the G8, the group added Russia in 1997
- The Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G-20, G20, Group of
Twenty) is a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 20 economies: 19
countries plus the European Union, which is represented by the President of the European
Council and by the European Central Bank
- 97th Indian Science Congress held at Trivantpuram ( Kerala) in Janurary 2010
- Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Biocon- related to biotechnology
- Un accoustomed Earth – Jumpha Lahiri
- Republic Day Guests : 2008 President Nicolas Sarkozy France
o 2009 President Nursultan Nazarbayev Kazakhstan
o 2010 PresidentLeeMyungbakRepublic of Korea
- Inflation is checked from Whole sale Price Index ( WPI)
- The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an organization that intends to supervise and
liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995
under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT), which commenced in 1948. The WTO has 153 members, representing more than 97%
of total world trade. The WTO's headquarters is at the Centre William Rappard, Geneva,
Switzerland.
- BRIC COUNTRIES : BRIC (typically rendered as "the BRICs" or "the BRIC countries" or known as
the "Big Four") is a grouping acronym that refers to the countries of Brazil, Russia, India, and
China that are deemed to all be at a similar stage of newly advanced economic
development.
- OPEC ( ORGANISATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES) The Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) was created in 1960 to unify and protect the interests
of oil-producing countries. OPEC allows oil-producing countries to guarantee their income by
coordinating policies and prices among them. This unified front was created primarily in
response to the efforts of Western oil companies to drive oil prices down. The original
members of OPEC included Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. OPEC has since
expanded to include seven more countries (Algeria, Angola, Indonesia, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar,
and United Arab Emerates) making a total membership of 12.
- Competition Bill 2002 replaced MRTP Act………… ( Monopoly restrictive Trade practices Act)
- Narmada Bachao Andolan …………..Megha Patkar
- Bhoo Daan …………Vinoba Bhave
INDIAN ECONOMY : SOME IMPORTANT DATA
According to the estimates by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the Indian
economy has registered a growth of 7.4 per cent in 2009-10, with 8.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y)
growth in its fourth quarter. The growth is driven by robust performance of the manufacturing
sector on the back of government and consumer spending. GDP growth rate of 7.4 per cent in 200910 has exceeded the government forecast of 7.2 per cent for the full year. According to
government data, the manufacturing sector witnessed a growth of 16.3 per cent in January-March
2010, from a year earlier.
Economic activities which showed significant growth rates in 2009-10 over the corresponding period
last year were mining and quarrying (10.6 per cent), manufacturing (10.8 per cent), electricity, gas
and water supply (6.5 per cent), construction (6.5 per cent), trade, hotels, transport and
communications (9.3 per cent), financing, insurance, real estate and business services (9.7 per
cent), community, social and personal services (5.6 per cent). The Gross National Income is
estimated to rise by 7.3 per cent in 2009-10 as compared to 6.8 per cent in 2008-09. The per capita
income is estimated to grow at 5.6 per cent in 2009-10.
India’s industrial output grew by 17.6 per cent in April 2010. The manufacturing sector that
accounts for 80 per cent of the index of industrial production (IIP) grew 19.4 per cent in April 2010,
as against 0.4 per cent a year-ago.
Capital goods production grew by 72.8 per cent against a contraction of 5.9 per cent a yearago.
Consumer durables output continued to grow at a fast pace of 37 per cent, mirroring higher
purchase of goods such as televisions and refrigerators.
The Economic scenario
The number of registered foreign institutional investors (FIIs) was 1710 as on May 31, 2010 and the
total FII inflow in equity during January to May 2010 was US$ 4606.50 million while it was US$
5931.80 million in debt.
Net investment made by FIIs in equity between June 1, 2010 and June 14, 2010 was US$ 530.05
million while it was US$ 875.73 million in debt.
As on June 4, 2010, India's foreign exchange reserves totalled US$ 271.09 billion, an increase of US$
9.88 billion over the same period last year, according to the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Weekly
Statistical Supplement.
Moreover, India received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth US$ 25,888 million during AprilMarch, 2009-10, taking the cumulative amount of FDI inflows during August 1991 - March 2010 to
US$ 1, 32,428 million, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
The services sector comprising financial and non-financial services attracted 21 per cent of the
total FDI equity inflow into India, with FDI worth US$ 4,392 million during April-March 2009-10,
while construction activities including roadways and highways attracted second largest amount of
FDI worth US$ 2,868 million during the same period. Housing and real estate was the third highest
sector attracting FDI worth US$ 2,844 million followed by telecommunications which garnered US$
2,554 million during the financial year 2009-10.
• Exports from India were worth US$ 16,887 million in April 2010, 36.2 per cent higher than
the level in April 2009, which touched US$ 12,397 million, according to the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry. India's imports during April 2010 were valued at US$ 27,307 million
representing a growth of 43.3 per cent over April 2009.
• India's logistics sector is witnessing increased activity—the country's major ports handled
560,968 metric tonnes (MT) of cargo during April-March 2009-10, an increase of 5.74 per
cent over previous year traffic, according to revised estimates released by the Ministry of
Shipping.
• Foreign tourist arrivals in India during the month of May 2010 were 345,000, an increase of
15.5 per cent over May 2009. Foreign tourist arrivals during January-May 2010 were 2.263
million, an increase of 11.3 per cent over the corresponding period last year. Foreign
exchange earnings during May 2010 were US$ 951 million, an increase of 42.2 per cent over
May 2009. Foreign exchange earnings during January-May 2010 were US$ 5822 million, an
increase of 38.3 per cent over the corresponding period last year, according to data released
by the Ministry of Tourism.
• The total telephone subscriber base in the country reached 638.05 million in April 2010,
taking the overall tele-density to 54.10, according to the figures released by the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Also the wireless subscriber base increased to 601.22
million.
• According to the latest statistics from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), the
assets under management (AUM) of mutual funds were worth US$ 170.46 billion in May 2010
as compared to US$ 135.58 billion in May 2009.
• As per NASSCOM’s Strategic Review 2010, the BPO sector continues to be the fastest growing
segment of the industry and is expected to reach US$ 12.4 billion in 2009-10, growing at 6
per cent.
• According to data released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the total
number of vehicles including passenger cars, commercial vehicles, two wheelers and three
wheelers produced in 2009-10 was 14,049,830, as compared to 11,172,275 produced in 200809.
• According to the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, the exports of gems and
jewellery from India including rough diamonds, rose by 57.08 per cent during April-May 2010
to touch US$ 5551.24 million.
• According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, domestic airlines carried 211,380 passengers
between January-May 2010, an increase of 21.95 per cent over 173,340 passengers carried in
the same period last year.
• The number of corporate merger & acquisitions (M&As
and private equity (PE) transactions,
have more than doubled during January-May 2010. 439 M&A; and PE deals valuing over US$ 30
billion took place between January-May 2010 as compared to 179 deals worth US$ 8.1 billion
in the corresponding period in 2009.
• The HSBC Market Business Activity Index, which measures business activity among Indian
services companies, based on a survey of 400 firms, rose to 62.1 in April 2010, its highest
since July 2008, and compared with 58.1 in March 2010.
Agriculture
Agriculture is one of the strongholds of the Indian economy and accounted for 15.7 per cent of the
country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2008-09, and 10.23 per cent of the total exports.
Moreover, it provided employment to 58.2 per cent of the work force.
Production of foodgrains during 2009-10 is estimated at 216.85 million as per second Advance
Estimates.
In the Union Budget 2010-11, the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee made the following
announcements for the agriculture sector.
• US$ 86.89 million is provided to increase the Green Revolution to the eastern region of the
country comprising Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Eastern up, West Bengal and Orissa.
• US$ 65.17 million has been provided to organise 60,000 pulses and oil-seed villages in rainfed
areas in 2010-11 and provide an integrated intervention for water harvesting, watershed
management and soil health to improve productivitiy of the dry land farming areas.
• Banks have been consistently meeting the targets set for agricultural credit flow in the past
few years. For the year 2010-11, the target has been set at US$ 81.47 billion.
• In addition to the 10 mega food park projects already being set up, the government has
decided to set up five more such parks.
• External commercial borrowings are available for cold storage for preservation or storage of
agricultural and allied products, marine products and meat.
Growth potential story
• The data centre services market in the country is forecast to grow at a compound annual
growth rate (CAGR) of 22.7 per cent between 2009 and 2011, to touch close to US$ 2.2
billion by the end of 2011, according to research firm IDC India’s report published in March
2010. The report further stated that the overall India data centre services market in 2009
was estimated at US$ 1.39 billion.
• According to a report by research and advisory firm Gartner published in March 2010, the
domestic BPO market is expected to grow at 25 per cent in 2010 to touch US$ 1.2 billion by
2011. Further, the BPO market in India is estimated to grow 19 per cent through 2013 and
grow to US$ 1.8 billion by 2013. According to the report, the domestic India BPO services
market grew by 7.3 per cent year-on-year in 2009.
• The BMI India Retail Report Quarter 3, 2010 released in May 2010, forecasts that total retail
sales will grow from US$ 353.0 billion in 2010 to US$ 543.2 billion by 2014.
• According to a report titled 'India 2020: Seeing, Beyond', published by domestic broking
major, Edelweiss Capital in March 2010, stated that India's GDP is set to quadruple over the
next ten years and the country is likely to become an over US$ 4 trillion economy by 2020.
• India will overtake China to become the world's fastest growing economy by 2018, according
to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research arm of London-based Economist
magazine.
Exchange rate used: 1 USD = 47.14 INR (as on June 2010)
IMPORTANT READING ON ENERGY SECTOR
Sustainable Development Last Updated: August 2010
Sustainable development in India now encompasses a variety of development schemes in social,
cleantech (clean energy, clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments,
having caught the attention of both the Central and State governments and also public and private
sectors.
In fact, India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting, making depletion
in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP).
As per a report by UN Environment Program (UNEP), 'Global Trends in Sustainable Energy
Investment 2010', released on July 2010, India was ranked eighth in the world in terms of
investment in sustainable energy. The report further stated that India invested around US$ 2.7
billion in sustainable energy in 2009.
Wind energy attracted 59 per cent of financial investment in clean energy in India. India was
placed fifth in the world for installed wind power during the year.
Biomass and waste was the second largest sector recipient of investment, generating US$ 0.6
billion of new financial investment or 22 per cent of the total.
India's sustained effort towards reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) will ensure that the country's per
capita emission of GHG will continue to be low until 2030-31, and it is estimated that the per
capita emission in 2031 will be lower than per capita global emission of GHG in 2005, according to
a new study. Even in 2031, India's per capita GHG emissions would stay under four tonnes of CO2,
which is lower than the global per capita emission of 4.22 tonnes of CO2 in 2005.
India has been ranked ninth in the tree planting roll of honour in 2009 in a campaign to plant a
billion trees, which was launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in
November 2006.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Mr. Vijay Sharma, announced that India
has joined the United Nations Environment Programme's Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign
(BTC) by planting two billion trees since 2007.
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple over
the next three years to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009, according
to a CRISIL Research study.
This will cement India's second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called
Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs). The growth in CER issuance will be driven by capacity
additions in the renewable energy sector and by the eligibility of more renewable energy projects
to issue CERs. Consequently, the share of renewable energy projects in Indian CERs will increase to
31 per cent.
CRISIL Research expects India's renewable energy capacity to increase to 20,000 mega watt (MW)
by December 2012, from the current 15,542 MW.
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent,
compared to 10 per cent in 2000, in terms of project numbers and dollar value, according to Anita
George, Director, Infrastructure, International Finance Corporation (IFC).
As per industry estimates, private equity and global venture capital companies will invest up to US$
1 billion in high-growth, incentive-driven renewable energy companies by the end of the current
fiscal. Companies such as Moser Baer and Caparo Energy along with state-owned companies are
planning to raise funds for clean energy projects. Recently, the International Finance Corporation
(IFC), a World Bank arm, committed US$ 10 million in Azure Power India, a solar energy producer.
India's first-ever 3 MW solar photovoltaic power plant, developed by the Karnataka Power
Corporation Limited (KPCL), the state-owned power generating company, was dedicated to the
nation at Yalesandra village in Kolar district on June 17, 2010. The plant, which uses modular
crystalline technology to generate solar energy, has been set up at a cost of US$ 1.29 million.
India is the fifth largest wind energy producer in the world, with installed capacity of nearly 10,500
MW and a target to scale up capacity to 14,000 MW by the end of 2011.
Corporate Initiatives
According to a study released in May 2010 by leading Swiss lender, Bank Sarasin, Indian information
technology (IT) giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), telecom major Bharti Airtel and windturbine
maker, Suzlon are among the global firms having high sustainable development standards.
Other Indian firms, which have high level of sustainability standards mentioned in the report
include India's largest manufacturer of irrigation plants, Jain Irrigation and leading IT-firm Infosys.
The study, which was conducted among 360 emerging market companies, found that a third of
these firms have high rating in terms of sustainability.
Further, Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) commercial arm Antrix Corporation was
awarded the Globe Sustainability Research Award 2010, set up by Stockholm-based Global Forum,
for fostering sustainable development. The prestigious award has been conferred on Antrix for its
contribution to improve sustainable livelihood of the rural poor while reducing their vulnerability to
climate risks.
• Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS), an organisation involved in the steel major's
community building initiatives, embarked on an initiative to empower communities by
creating awareness on the Right to Information (RTI) Act at the grassroot level, in October
2009.
• Wipro Infotech, provider of IT and business transformation services, has unveiled its new
eco-friendly and toxin-free desktops, manufactured with materials completely free of deadly
chemicals like polyvinyl chloride and brominated flame retardants.
• Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd and GE Power & Water have signed an agreement, to work
together and offer environment management solutions, including waste-water treatment
and recycling.
Public sector major the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited's (BHEL) two units—Tiruchi and Ranipet—
have collaborated Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM) for joint research and the focus
would be sea water desalination and pollutant control systems.
National Solar Mission
According to Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah, the government
targets to set up 1,100 MW grid-connected solar plants, including 100 MW capacity plants as
rooftop and smaller solar power plants for the first phase of the National Solar Mission till March
2013.
In addition, the government plans to generate 20,000 MW solar power by 2022 under the threephase
National Solar Mission, with 2000 MW capacity equivalent off-grid solar applications,
including 20 million solar lights, also planned to be installed during this period.
The new and renewable energy ministry has signed power purchase agreements for solar capacity
of as much as 100 MW to speed up solar power capacity addition in the country.
Seven projects from Tamil Nadu have been selected under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar
Mission programme. Each of these seven companies is to set up a 1 MW solar photovoltaic power
generation facility connected to the state grid.
Clean Energy and Technology
Investment levels in energy efficiency have remained strong despite the global recession according
to the Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) survey conducted by Johnson Controls in June 2010. Across
all regions surveyed, energy management is considered an important priority among commercial
decision-makers (92 per cent). Notably, respondents from India (85 per cent) and China (80 per
cent) were more likely to consider energy management very or extremely important as compared
to those in Europe (55 per cent) and North America (53 per cent).
Green Industry Bio Energy Private Limited, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed by Emergent
Ventures and US-based Indus Terra is aiming to use poultry litter in Haryana to generate power for
the state power grid.
The power project, costing US$ 13.23 million, will convert poultry manure into electricity and
slurry into fertiliser by the process of anaerobic digestion at a high temperature through a process
called thermophilic digestion.
The 5.6 MW power project would be built in two phases; phase one with a capacity of 1.4 MW and
the second with 4.2 MW capacity.
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is looking to create a demand for energy efficient, products,
goods and services awareness. The Bureau has set up an energy efficiency financing platform
(EEFP), which aims at ensuring availability of finance at reasonable rates for energy efficiency
project implementation and its expansion.
USAID through its clean-tech energy initiatives is stepping up its presence in India by partnering
stakeholders and mentoring and working with the policy makers. Through the Environmental
Cooperation-Asia Clean Development and Climate Programme (ECO-Asia), a programme of the US
Agency for International Development's Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA), it
aims to catalyse policy and finance solutions for clean energy.
Corporate Investments
• Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica, a Spanish company specialising in sustainable energy
technologies, especially fabrication of wind turbines and setting up of wind farms, has set up
a 500 MW per year capacity facility in Chennai at an investment of US$ 54.7 million.
• CLP India aims to add around 200 MW of wind power installations every year to its portfolio
and has committed an investment of over US$ 2.2 billion towards this. It recently opened its
99 MW Theni Wind Farm in Tamil Nadu taking its total wind power portfolio in India to 446
MW.
• Power and automation technology major ABB has launched its fourth global wind power
generator factory at Vadodara. The factory will supply wind power generators for Indian and
global markets.
• US-based private equity (PE) fund Blackstone has invested US$ 300 million in Moser Baer
Projects Private Ltd (MBPPL), a subsidiary of Moser Baer India. It is considered to be the
largest investment by a single PE investor in power sector. The investment will fund MBPPL's
plans of commissioning 5,000 MW of power generation capacity—4,000 MW of thermal power,
500 MW of solar power and 500 MW of hydro power—over the next six years in India and
Germany.
• Orient Green Power Company Ltd (OGPL), a part of the Chennai-based Shriram Group, has
tied up with Nishi-Nippon Environmental Energy Co of Japan to set up a 7.5 MW biomass
power project.
• The Mumbai-based Apar Group has announced partnership with Neat Energy, Inc, US, to set
up a solar power generation facility of up to 40 MW near Bhuj in Kutch district, at an
investment of up to US$ 130.3 million.
• The Cleantech division of the diversified Mahindra & Mahindra Group plans to install 50 MW
of solar power generation capacity across five States at an outlay of US$ 161.12 million.
Government Initiatives
In the Union Budget 2010-11, the government announced the setting up of the National Clean
Energy Fund (NCEF) for funding research and innovative projects in clean technologies. To build the
corpus of the NCEF, clean energy cess on coal produced in India at a nominal rate of US$ 1.08 per
tonne has been levied. This cess is also applied on imported coal. The clean energy cess imposed
on coal, lignite and peat came into effect from July 1, 2010.
Moreover, the plan outlay for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has been increased by 61
per cent, from US$ 134.7 million in 2009-10 to US$ 217.2 million in 2010-11.
The Urban Development Ministry has launched a US$ 300 million green urban transport project
called the Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP). Under the project, green urban transport
will be introduced in select cities to overcome pollution and other hazards of the existing urban
transport system, including traffic impediments for pedestrians.
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has announced renewable energy certificate
(REC) norms in a bid to promote power generation from clean sources in the country.
The Orissa government has come out with a draft Action Plan on Climate Change entailing an
investment of around US$ 3.6 billion in 11 key sectors over the next five years. It has proposed to
put in place a Climate Change Agency to ensure effective implementation of the plan. Orissa has
become the first state to have formulated the Climate Change Action Plan.
During 2009, the Indian government approved its national biofuels policy, targeting 20 per cent
biodiesel and ethanol blends in diesel and petrol respectively by 2017. Under the plan, the
government proposes a minimum support price for non-edible oilseeds.
UNITED NATIONS
- The United Nations Organization (UNO)……….. There are currently 192 member states,
- the General Assembly (the main deliberative assembly); the Security Council (for deciding certain
resolutions for peace and security); the Economic and Social Council (for assisting in promoting
international economic and social cooperation and development); the Secretariat (for providing
studies, information, and facilities needed by the UN); the International Court of Justice (the
primary judicial organ); and the United Nations Trusteeship Council (which is currently inactive).
Other prominent UN System agencies include the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food
Programme (WFP) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The UN's most visible public figure is
the Secretary-General, currently Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, who attained the post in 2007. The
organization is financed from assessed and voluntary contributions from its member states, and has
six official languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Russian, and Spanish
- International Court of Justice is located in The Hague, while other major agencies are based in the
UN offices at Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi. Other UN institutions are located throughout the world.
Irman until cut off do us apart
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parasharv
Reply #856 08:05 PM, 23 Oct '12
GK Capsule - 1
1) Name the president of World Bank?
Robert Zoellick
Ban – Ki – Moon
Jerzy Buzek
Dr. Abdul Wahhed
2) When is World Environment Day celebrated?
05th June
05th May
10th Jan
26th Feb
3) Who is presently the Secretary General of United Nations Organisation?
Robert Zoellick
Michael Griffin
Ban Ki – Moon
Pascal Lamy
4) As on date 4th June 2010, what is the CRR?
6%
6.25%
7%
None of these
5) What is the present Reverse Repo rate (as on 4th June 2010)?
3.75%
6%
3.25%
5.25%
6) During an official visit to China, which among the following ministers recently plunged himself into controversy
and criticism for critic sing the working of Union home ministry ?
Anand Sharma
Jai Ram Ramesh
S M Krishna
Sharad Pawar
7) Who among the following was not among the9 gems (Navratna)of the Vikramaditya's court ?
Vetalbhatt
Amar Simha
Kaalidasa
Aryabhatta
8) As per recent data released by Reserve bank of India, what was the number of online frauds in India in 2009?
more than 1000
more than 750
more than 350
more than 250
9) What is the maximum limit, the Telecom regulator TRAI has fixed for mobile operators to charge from
customers for switching to another operator under the proposed Mobile Number Portability scheme?
Rs.
Rs.
Rs.
Rs.
10
15
19
26
10) Walk the Worldis an awareness campaign of which of the following UN agencies?
United nations Environment programme
United Nations Institute for Training and Research
World Food Programme
United Nations Children's Fund
11) Who among the following Indians is the winner of United Nations Environment Programme established
Champions of the Earth award for 2009?
Tulsi Tanti
Bindeshwar Pathak
Meera Kosambi
Sunderlal Bahuguna
12) Sports footwear maker Reebok is a subsidiary of ...?
a.Adidas
b.Nike
c.HUL
d.Bata
13) Which company’s mobile phone are marketed with the slogan - Big inside. Small Outside
a.Samsug
b.Nokia
c.Sony
d.Motorola
14) Which newspaper says You needn't read us to understand us?
Times of India
The Hindu
Indian Express
Malyalam Manorama
15) Which network marketing company sells with the slogan - Better Ideas- Better Life
Amway
SkyBiz
HUL
Nirma
16) Power is the name of oil from which of the following Oil gaints?
IOCL
HP
BPCL
Shell
17) Cerelac is the brand of which companies baby foods?
Kellogs
Nestle
Johnson n Johnson
HLL
18) This company is - Applying Thought
Infosys
Wipro
Sun
Ernest & Young
19) In which year was National Rural Health Mission launched?
2009
2008
2005
2000
20) In February 2010, India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP), registered a growth rate of
16%
15.1%
17.6%
8%
21) World Health Day is celebrated every year on
7th April
13th April
13th March
7th March
22) Who amongst the following is not a Brand Ambassador of Whirlpool India?
Kajol
Ajay Devgan
Amitabh Bachaan
None of these
23) Which is the first Indian company to be listed on NASDAQ?
Infosys
TCS
HCL
Reliance
24) “Love What you Do. Do What You Love” is the punch line of
Nokia
Samsung
BlackBerry
LG
25)As per the latest guidelines of Reserve bank of India, the banks have been mandated to calculate interest
paid on money kept in the savings bank account in the banks on the which of the following basis?
Daily
Weekly
10 days
monthly
26) The line “Rishtaaon ki jaama poonji” is associated with which of the following banks:
Bank of India
Corporation Bank
Indian Bank
HDFC Bank
27) "The God of Small Things" was the tile of the novel for which Arundhati Roy won a Booker Prize. She was
the first Indian to win a booker prize. In which year she won this prize?
1996
1997
1998
1999
28) Expand SIM
Subscriber Ideal Module
Subscriber in Mobile
Subscriber Identity Module
Subscriber Immediate Memory
29) The new name of UID project is :
Aadhaar
Pehchaan
Universal Pehchaan
None of these
30) .Which of the following company is coordinating with Government of India in Passport Seva Project?
Ernst & Young
Tata Consultancy Services
Wipro
Patni Computer System
31) Which among the following is world's largest mobile operator having largest subscriber base in the world ?
ChinaMobile
Vodafone
Orange
Telenor
32) Which of the following bollywood star pair recently became India's first to ring the
opening bell of NASDAQ, the world's biggest stock exchange in the United states?
Sharukh Khan - Aishwarya Bachchan
Shahrukh Khan – Kajol
Ajay Devgan – Kajol
Abhishek Bachchan - Aishwarya Bachchan
33) On which date recently International Women’s Day was observed?
March 8
March 11
March 14
March 17
34) Who is the brand ambassador of BSNL?
Kajol
Katrina Kaif
Kareena Kapoor
Deepika Padukone
35) “The power of Knowledge : is the punchline of
Hindustan Times
Times of India
The Hindu
The Economic Times
36) The Future group has launched a toothpaste brand called?
White
Sach
True
Always clear
37) ‘Building India’ whose baseline?
MRF
First Flight
DLF
Binani Cement
38) If it's Corby, which company's mobile phone are we talking about?
Nokia
Samsung
LG
Sony
39) Who is the brand ambassador of Big TV?
Sharukh Khan
Amitabh Bhachan
Hrithik Roshan
None of these
40) “ Jeetey Raho” is the punchline of
HDFC Standard
Aegon Religare
ICICI Prudential
SBI Life
41) CEAT – the tyre company gives cricket ratings. To which group does this company belong?
Tata group
RPG Group
Essar
Apollo
42) Which among the following substances can be used as a Food preservative?
Borax
Vinegar
Sodium Benzoate
Sodium Hydroxide
43) Which of the following country is the host of 2014 FIFA World Cup?
Mexico
Argentina
Brazil
France
44) Which Softdrinks group launched Montain Dew in Indian market?
Coca – Cola
Pepsi
Parle
Dukes
45) Philip Kotler is a widely known personality in the field of:
Fine Arts
Music
Management
Agriculture
46) Who among the following is the current chief Justice of United States of America?
John G. Roberts
William Rehnquist.
Warren E Burger
Earl Warren
47) Apart from UN General Assembly, which among the following is not among five principal active organs of
United Nations?
UN Security Council
UN Economic and Social Council
UN Secretariat
UN Trusteeship Council
48) Who among the following was chairman of Union Carbide when Bhopal tragedy occurred on 3 December
1984?
Marc Galanter
Warren Anderson
Mike Ciresi
None of them
49) .How many digits of Pincode in India are assigned to the Individual Post Offices?
last 1 digit
last 2 digits
last 3 digits
first 3 digits
50) Who among the following is known as the first tomeasure the distance round the earth and also known as
Father of Geometry?
Eratosthenes
Euclid
Happarchus
Galileo
I
GK Capsule - 2
1)-The ruler who introduced the Salivahana Saka era, now being followed by the Indian Government was
A)Kanishka
B)Ashoka
C)Salivahana
D)Sathavahana
2)-Where did Buddha penance for 40 days?
A)Kapila Vasthu
B)Prayaga
C)Varanasi
D)Gaya
3)-On the basis of certain events Indian history has been divided into _____periods
A)3
B)4
C)2
D)5
4)-The book Harshacharitha is a biography of _________ emperor
A)Ashoka
B)Chanakya
C)Harsha
D)None
5)-Where was the Indus Valley Civilization was first discovered?
A)Kashmir
B)Punjab
C)Kushinagar
D)Harrappa and Mohenjodaro
6)-In which period Indus Valley Civilization was flourished?
A)1900 AD
B)1800BC
C)1800AD
D)500BC
7)-Who was the author of Mahabharatha?
A)Valmiki
B)Kalidas
C)Vedvyasa
D)Pothana
8)-Which was the epic Adi Kavya?
A)MahaBharatha
B)Ramayana
C)VishnuPuram
D)Sivapuran
9)-In whose court Kautilya worked as the minster?
A)Samudragupt
B)Vikramaditya
C)Ashoka
D)Chandragupt Maurya
10)-Which of the following country is priviously called as Siam?
A)Japan
B)S.Korea
C)N.Korea
D)Thailand
11)-Who invented Xeroxe machine in 1935?
A)Chester F Karlson
B)Alexander
C)Chester f kennedy
D)Miche J Jhonson
12)-Who was the founder of Indian National Congress?
A)Motilal Nehru
B)A.O Hume
C)AnneBeaseant
D)Mahatma Gandhi
13)-Maximum number of Members of Rajya Sabha is
A)232
B)540
C)244
D)250
14)-Emperor Ashoka was belong to which of the following dynasty?
A)Maurya
B)Gupta
C)Ikshvak
D)Kushan
15)-How many languages recognised by Indian Constitution as National Languages?
A)12
B)13
C)14
D)15
16)-Which of the following bird is a symbol of peace?
A)Peacock
B)Parrot
C)Pigeon
D)Pea Hen
17)-In which language bible was first written?
A)English
B)Greek
C)Hibru
D)Urdu
18)-Which group of blood is known as universal donor?
A)A+
B)B+
C)AB+
D)O+
19)-The country who first enacted the Right of Information
A)India
B)UK
C)USA
D)Sweden
20)-Who will preside over the combined meetings of both houses?
A)President
B)Vice President
C)Speaker
D)Prime minister
21)-The largest revenue in India is obtained from
A)Railways
B)Excise duty
C)Sales tax
D)Direct tax
22)-The tax levied by Central Government and collected by State Government is
A)Stamp Duty
B)Excise duty
C)Income Tax
D)Gift Tax
23)-The period for Call Money is (days)
A)1-14
B)10-15
C)15-30
D)0ne month
24)-Who regulates the money circulation in India?
A)RBI
B)SBI
C)NABARD
D)Commercial banks
25)-Which of the following is not an organized sector in India?
A)Nationalised banks
B)Cooperative banks
C)Chits and Money lenders
D)Regional rural banks
26)-Who will settle the grievances of customers of banks?
A)RBI
B)Local Courts
C)Ombudsmen
D)SBI
27)-When was Reserve Bank of India established?
A)1920
B)1925
C)1935
D)1948
28)-How many banks were first nationalised?
A)10
B)12
C)14
D)16
29)-When was Reserve Bank of India Nationalised?
A)1947
B)1948
C)1949
D)1950
30)-When was Indian Banking Act come into force?
A)1951
B)1948
C)1949
D)1950
31)-What is the maximum number of judges in Supreme Court of India as per the new policy? (Excluding Chief
Justice)
A)30
B)31
C)25
D)28
32)-Who was the first non congress prime minister of India?
A)Lal Bahadur Sastry
B)Morarji Desai
C)Chandra Shekhar
D)Charan Singh
33)-Who is the present Attorney General of India?
A)GE Vahanvati
B)Vinod Rai
C)Soli Sorabji
D)Bala Krishnan
34)-In which muslim festival the goat is sacrificed?
A)Ramjan
B)Moharram
C)Bakrid
D)None
35)-Who was the first Home Minister of India?
A)Sardar Vallabhai Patel
B)S. Radha Krishnan
C)Jawahar lal Nehru
D)None
36)-Earth Day is observed on
A)April 22
B)May 21
C)May 22
D)April 21
37)-Who discovered that the plants have life and also exhibits feelings?
A)C.V. Raman
B)J.C. Bose
C)Arya Bhatt
D)M.S. Swaminathan
38)-Which of the following is the birth place of Jesus Christ?
A)Jerusalam
B)Bethelam
C)Egypt
D)Vatican City
39)-What is the maximum limit for members of Lok Sabha?
A)544
B)542
C)545
D)552
40)-What was the name of inaugural stadium at Beijing for Olympics?
A)Bird Nest National Stadium
B)Beijing Central Stadium
C)Olympics Village
D)Tiazine National Stadium
41)-Who won 8 Gold medals in one Olympics and created record?
A)Mark Spitz
B)Michael Phelps
C)Walter Diks
D)Richard Thompson
42)-Which country won highest number of Gold Medals in Beijing Olympics?
A)USA
B)Russia
C)China
D)Italy
43)-Which country won the highest number of Medals in Beijing Olympics?
A)USA
B)Russia
C)China
D)Italy
44)-Who made the hat trick winning 100M, 200M and 4X100M running in Beijing Olympics?
A)Usain Bolt
B)Karluis
C)Churandi Martina
D)Croford
45)-Which of the following chemical was used in rockets to avoid rainfall on inauguration day of Olympics on
Beijing Stadium?
A)Silver Iodide
B)Silver Bromide
C)Silver Chloride
D)Silver oxide
46)-What are the colors on Olympics flag?
A)Blue, Yellow, Black, Green and Red on White Back Ground
B)Blue, Yellow, Black, Orange and Red on White Back Ground
C)Pink, Yellow, Black, Green and Red on White Back Ground
D)Brown, Yellow, Black, Green and Red on White Back Ground
47)-How many countries( olympic committee) were participated in Beijing Olympics?
A)201
B)204
C)203
D)202
48)-Which of the following famous country was not qualified for Hockey in Beijing Olympics?
A)India
B)Australia
C)Germany
D)Canada
49)-Rings in Olympics Logo are represents
A)Oceans
B)Mountains
C)Continents
D)Famous Cities
50)-What is Khap Panchayat?
A)local Panchayat’s in Haryana villages
B)local Panchayat’s in Punjab villages
C)local Panchayat’s in Bihar villages
D)local Panchayat’s in Uttar Pradesh villages
Answers to previous GK Capsule
a
a
c
a
a
b
d
d
c
c
a
a
a
d
a
b
b
b
c
b
a
c
a
c
a
a
b
c
a
b
a
b
a
d
d
b
c
b
c
c
b
c
c
b
c
a
d
b
.c
b
GK Capsule - 3
1). Which of the follwoing is the sweetest sugar?
a. Sucrose
b. Glucose
c. Fructose
d. Maltose
2). The first indian to win Nobel prize was
a. C.V. Raman
b. Rabindra Nath Tagore
c. Hargovind Khurana
d. Amartya Sen
3). The Governments stake in Indian airlines is
a. 50%
b. 51%
c. 49%
d. 26%
4). The first General Elections to the Lok Sabha were held in
a. 1949
b. 1952
c. 1950
d. 1954
5). Which country won the Thomas Cup 2008?
a. Spain
b. Australia
c. France
d. China
6). Asia Cricket Cup 2010 was started on
a. June 15, 2010
b. May 10, 2010
c. Jan 15, 2010
d. March 14, 2010
7). Whose death took place on the opening day of the World Cup (June 11, 2010) ?
a. Nadia Joelle Torrado
b. Zenani Mandela
c. Mickky Pacheco
d. None of these
8). Which country won the Thomas Cup title for Badminton in 2010?
a. Indonesia
b. Malaysia
c. China
d. India
9). Who is the recipient of Lokmanya Tilak Award for 2009?
a. Amartya Sen
b. Pranab Mukherjee
c. L.K. Advani
d. Somnath Chatterjee
10). Which Indian IT company is associated with FIFA World Cup 2010 as one of the sponsors?
a. TCS
b. Infosys
c. CTS
d. Mahindra Satyam
11). Which country won the World Twenty-20 cricket final?
a. England b. Australia c. India d. None of These
12). The length of night on Venus is a. 180 earth days b. 135 earth days c. 118 earth days d. 50 earth days
13). Which place India has got in HDI ranking in Human Development Report 2009? a. 126 b. 134 c. 128 d. 135
14). The UN Census Bureau has projected world population in 2050 to be around a. 8850 million b. 9346 million
c. 8246 million d. 7590 million
15). Which country will host the World Cup Football Tournament in 2014? a. New Zealand b. West Indies c.
Brazil d. South Africa
16). Which is the oldest type of organisation? a. Line b. Line and Staff c.Functional d. Matrix
17). Which of economy system occurred first?
a. Laizes-fare b. Socialism c. Communism d. Capitalism
18). Which of the following is not the method of forecasting demand?
a.Collective opinion method b. Total out line method c. Expert opinion method d. Controlled experiment method
19). Which of the following elements is not present in stainless steel? a. Iron b. Tungsten c. Chromium d. Nickel
20). Select the one which is not a mixture. a. Air b. Gasoline c. LPG d. Distilled water
21). The most abundant element in the earth's crust is a. O b. Al c. Si d. N
22). In an economy, the sectors are classified into public and private on the basis of a. emloyment conditions b.
nature of economic activities c. ownership of enterprises d. use of raw materials
23). In March 2010, the World Bank approved two education projects for India which are worth a. $95 million b.
$98 million c. $1.05 million d. $1.08 million
24). Which one of the following business magnates has been adjudged the 'Business Person of the Year 2008' by
The Times of India Survey? a. Ratan Tata b. Rahul Bajaj c. Aditya Birla d. Laxmi Mittal
25). Which one of the following longitudes determines the Indian Standard Time? a. 85.5° E b. 86.5° E c. 84.5°
E d.82.5° E
26). As per the Census 2001 data released in March 2010, how many Indians speak at least two languages?
a. 255 million b. 260 million c. 262 million d. 265 million
27). How much percentage of income comes from animals, out of India's total income? a. 20% b. 25% c. 15%
d. 10%
28). What is the average temperature of cow and buffalo? a. -98.4°F b. 100°F c. 101.5°F d. 102°F
29). The relationship between the value of money the price level in an economy is a. Direct b. Inverse c.
Propotional d. Stable
30). The "Emerging Player of the Year 2008" award was given by ICC to which Sri Lankan cricketer?
a. Ajantha Mendis b. Muttiah Mulitharan c. C. Kapugedera d. M. Mahroof
31). Who is the author of 'Ageless Body, Timeless Mind'? a. V. S. Najpaul b. Deepak Chopra c. Dom Moraes d.
Tony Kusher
32) Name the author of the ‘Communitisation: The Third Way of Governance’. The book was released by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh.
a. RS Pandey
b. Murli Deora
c. Gurucharan Das
d. CK Prahlad
33). Name this Indian beauty who has featured in the top ten list of most stylish women in the ‘Vogue’.
a. Aishwarya Rai
b. Preity Zinta
c. Freida Pinto
d. Katrina Kaif
34). Which among these radio broadcast services will be terminated for all customers who are serviced from
India?
a. Radio Mirchi
b. Red FM
c. WorldSpace
d. Fever 104
35). Name this person who has been awarded with the title ‘Indian of the Year’ by CNN-IBN.
a. Rahul Gandhi
b. AR Rehman
c. Pandit Ravi Shankar
d. Kamal Hassan
36). US President Barack Obama has nominated 36-year-old doctor Rajiv Shah as the head of
a. UNDP
b. USAID
c. UNHCR
d. None of the above
37). Which among these is the co-writer of ‘3 Idiots’ along with Raju Hirani?
a. Aamir Khan
b. Shimit Amin
c. Jugal Hansraj
d. Abhijat Joshi
38). Which of these has been charged of corruption by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a case of collecting
assets worth Rs 80 crore along with his brother?
a. Om Prakash Chautala
b. Justice Dinakaran
c. Ajay Singh Chautala
d. Bhupinder Singh Hooda
39). Out of 27 members of the European Union, which country is India's biggest trade partner?
a. UK
b. France
c. Germany d. None of these
40). The new service tax rate as per the Union Budget of 2010-2011 is...
a. 10 per cent
b. 10.5 per cent
c. 10.8 per cent
d. 11.2 per cent
41).As per the domestic passenger vehicles sales in January 2010 , which of the following was the market
leader?
a. Tata Motors
b. Hyundai Motors India Ltd
c. Maruti Suzuki Ltd
d. Honda Motors India Ltd
42). ‘Obsessed with quality since 1895’, is the punch line of … a. Volkswagen AG b. TAG Heuer c. Skoda
Automobiles d. Swarovski
43). Recently Bharti Airtel bided for the Kuwait based Zain Telecom’s Affrican assets. What was the amount of
the bid?
a. $ 9.8 billion
b. $10.7 billion
c. $12.2 billion
d. $ 14.9 billion
44). The first city in the world where metro started is?
a. New York
b. London
c. Tokyo
d. Hong Kong
45). The oldest printed work in the world that dates back to 868 AD is- a. The Bible b. The Hirake Sutra c. The
Ramayana d. The Mahabharata
46). “Golden Quadrilateral”, is the name of the project that is linked with… a. Waterways b. airways
c. roadways d. None of these
47). Which of the following represents the year in which the Regional Rural Banks came into existence?
a. 1973 b. 1975 c. 1977 d. 1979
48). As per the Macroeconomic and Monetary Development Report by RBI - what is the latest growth rate for
Agriculture in 2010-11?
a. .7%
b. 3.5%
c. -1.2% d. None of these
49). How many Indian women corporate leaders have made it to the Forbes' list of Asia Pacific's 48 "Heroes Of
Philanthropy" released recently
a. 1
b. 4
c. 3 d. 5
50). Which one of the following newspaper was launched by Motilal Nehru?
a. Leader
b. The Independent
c. Hindustan Times
d. National Herald
Answers to previous GK Capsule
1a
11a
21b
31a
41b
2d
12b
22a
32b
42c
3d
13d
23a
33a
43a
4c
14a
24a
34c
44a
5d
15d
25c
35a
45a
6b
16c
26c
36a
46a
7c
17c
27c
37b
47b
8b
18d
28c
38b
48a
9d
19d
29c
39c
49c
10d
20c
30c
40a
50a
>>Hilary Mintel won womens booker prize 2012 for her novel "Bring Up the Bodies"
>>AShish chauhan is appointed as new MD and CEO of BSE.
>>Current Chief Justice of India -- Altmas Kabir
>>He was the president of the US during the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- Harry Truman
>>Famous Books :
Shashi Tharoor
a)Savitri: Sri Aurobindo B)The hungry tide: Amitav ghosh
C)The Great Indian Novel:
>>who was the opponent for Saina nehwal(Bronze medalist) in London olympics 2012. -- Xin Wang
>>Sariska Tiger Reserve is located in: Aravalli Range ,Rajastan
>>2009: man booker prize : WOLF HALL
2012 : man booker prize : Bringing up the bodies:
>>The Casual Vacancy - J.K. Rowling
>>Who won the Gold Medal in Tennis Mens Singles Event at London 2012?
Andy Murray
silver - federer
bronze - juan martin delpo
>>USA won a total of 46 Gold Medals
>> TOTAL MEDAL TALLY -- USA -> 104 China -> 88
>>The Director General of AADHAR ?
GBR -> 65
Ram Sewak Sharma
>>When did the London 2012 Olympics officially Start and End??? July 27 to August 12
>>INDIA F1 Buddha International Circuit 1 Vettel 2 Fernando Alonso 3 Webber 4 Hemilton Katrhikayen: 21st
>>The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organisation of south asian
nations, which was established on 8 December 1985 when the government ofBangladesh , Bhutan, India,
Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka formally adopted its charter providing for the promotion of economic
and social progress, cultural development within the South Asia region and also for friendship and cooperation
with other developing countries.
OSCAR AWRDS
Best cinematography
Robert Richardson, Hugo
Best art direction
Hugo
Best costume design
The Artist
Best make up
The Iron Lady
Best foreign language film
A Separation
Best actress in a supporting role
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Best film editing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best sound editing
Hugo
Best sound mixing
Hugo
Best documentary feature
Undefeated
Best animated film
Rango
Best visual effects
Hugo
Best actor in a supporting role
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best original score
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Best song
Man or Muppet, The Muppets
Best adapted screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, The Descendants
Best original screenplay
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Best live action short
The Shore
Best documentary short
Saving Face
Best animated short
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore
Best director
Michel Hazavanicius, The Artist
Best actor in a leading role
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Best actress in a leading role
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Best picture
The Artist
Martin Scorsese's 3D film Hugo and silent movie The Artisttopped the night with five wins apiece. The
Artist took home several of the top awards, including best picture, director (Michel Hazanavicius) and actor
(Jean Dujardin). The Iron Lady was the only other film to take home multiple awards with two honors,
including Meryl Streep's third Oscar.
Other films represented with wins include The Descendants, The Help, A Separation, The Girl With the Dragon
Tattoo, Undefeated, Beginners, The Muppets, Midnight in Paris and the short films The Shore, Saving
Face and The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.
Who among the following won Nobel Prize 2012 in physics???
Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland
2012
THE NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS
Serge Haroche, David J. Wineland
THE NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY
Robert J. Lefkowitz, Brian K. Kobilka
THE NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE
Sir John B. Gurdon, Shinya Yamanaka
THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE
Mo Yan --- who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary
THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
European Union (EU)
THE PRIZE IN ECONOMIC SCIENCES
Alvin E. Roth, Lloyd S. Shapley
TOP 10 Mergers and Acusation
Top 10 Mergers & Acquisitions in India for 2010
Tata Chemicals buys British salt
Tata Chemicals bought British Salt; a UK based white salt producing company for about US $ 13 billion. The
acquisition gives Tata access to very strong brine supplies and also access to British Salts facilities as it produces
about 800,000 tons of pure white salt every year
Reliance Power and Reliance Natural Resources merger
This deal was valued at US $11 billion and turned out to be one of the biggest deals of the year. It eased out the
path for Reliance power to get natural gas for its power projects
Airtels acquisition of Zain in Africa
Airtel acquired Zain at about US $ 10.7 billion to become the third biggest telecom major in the world. Since Zain
is one of the biggest players in Africa covering over 15 countries, Airtels acquisition gave it the opportunity to
establish its base in one of the most important markets in the coming decade
Abbotts acquisition of Piramal healthcare solutions
Abbott acquired Piramal healthcare solutions at US $ 3.72 billion which was 9 times its sales. Though the
valuation of this deal made Piramals take this move, Abbott benefited greatly by moving to leadership position in
the Indian market
GTL Infrastructure acquisition of Aircel towers
This acquisition was worth about US $ 1.8 billion and brought GTL Infrastructure to the third position in terms of
number of mobile towers 33000. The money generated gave Aircel the funds for expansion throughout the
country and also for rolling out its 3G services
ICICI Bank buys Bank of Rajasthan
This merger between the two for a price of Rs 3000 cr would help ICICI improve its market share in northern as
well as western India
JSW and Ispat Ki Kahani
Jindal Steel Works acquired 41% stake at Rs 2,157 cr in Ispat Industries to make it the largest steel producer in
the country. This move would also help Ispat return to profitability with time
Reckitt Benckiser goes shopping
Reckitt acquired Paras Pharma at a price of US $ 726 million to basically strengthen its healthcare business in the
country. This was Reckitts move to establish itself as a strong consumer healthcare player in the fast growing
Indian market
Mahindra goes international
Mahindra acquired a 70% controlling stake in troubled South Korea auto major Ssang Yong at US $ 463 million.
Along with the edge it would give Mahindra in terms of the R & D capabilities, this deal would also help them
utilise the 98 country strong dealer network of Ssang Yong
Fortis Healthcare acquisitions
Fortis Healthcare, the unlisted company owned by Malvinder and Shivinder Singh looks set to make it two in two
in terms of acquisitions. After acquiring Hong Kongs Quality Healthcare Asia Ltd for around Rs 882 cr last month,
they are planning on acquiring Dental Corp, the largest dental services provider in Australia at Rs 450 cr
As you see in the list, the M & As have happened across industries and sectors like banking, automotive,
healthcare, FMCG, telecom etc. This shows that this really has been the dream year of Indian industry.
RBI POLICY
"Under Section 22 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, the RBI has the sole right to issue bank notes of all
denominations. The distribution of one rupee notes and coins and small coins all over the country is undertaken
by the Reserve Bank as agent of the Government."
"Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): Every commercial bank has to keep certain minimum cash reserves with RBI. RBI
can vary this rate between 3% and 15%. RBI uses this tool to increase or decrease the reserve requirement
depending on whether it wants to affect a decrease or an increase in the money supply. An increase in Cash
Reserve Ratio (CRR) will make it mandatory on the part of the banks to hold a large proportion of their deposits
in the form of deposits with the RBI. This will reduce the size of their deposits and they will lend less. This will in
turn decrease the money supply. The current rate is 6%. "
This is an important mechanism through which RBI controls liquidity in market and inturn the inflation.
"Bank Rate: RBI lends to the commercial banks through its discount window to help the banks meet depositors
demands and reserve requirements. The interest rate the RBI charges the banks for this purpose is called bank
rate. If the RBI wants to increase the liquidity and money supply in the market, it will decrease the bank rate and
if it wants to reduce the liquidity and money supply in the system, it will increase the bank rate. As of 5 May,
2011 the bank rate was 6%."
"Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): Apart from the CRR, banks are required to maintain liquid assets in the form of
gold, cash and approved securities. Higher liquidity ratio forces commercial banks to maintain a larger proportion
of their resources in liquid form and thus reduces their capacity to grant loans and advances, thus it is an antiinflationary impact. A higher liquidity ratio diverts the bank funds from loans and advances to investment in
government and approved securities."
Repo Rate and Reverse Repo Rate in simple terms:
Repo (Repurchase) rate is the rate at which the RBI lends shot-term money to the banks against securities.
When the repo rate increases borrowing from RBI becomes more expensive. Therefore, we can say that in case,
RBI wants to make it more expensive for the banks to borrow money, it increases the repo rate; similarly, if it
wants to make it cheaper for banks to borrow money, it reduces the repo rate.
Reverse Repo rate is the rate at which banks park their short-term excess liquidity with the RBI.The banks use
this tool when they feel that they are stuck with excess funds and are not able to invest anywhere for reasonable
returns. An increase in the reverse repo rate means that the RBI is ready to borrow money from the banks at a
higher rate of interest. As a result, banks would prefer to keep more and more surplus funds with RBI.
More comprehensive explanation:
Repo rate or repurchase rate is the rate at which banks borrow money from the central bank (read RBI for India)
for short period by selling their securities (financial assets) to the central bank with an agreement to repurchase
it at a future date at predetermined price. It is similar to borrowing money from a money-lender by selling him
something, and later buying it back at a pre-fixed price.
Bank rate is the rate at which banks borrow money from the central bank without any sale of securities. It is
generally for a longer period of time. This is similar to borrowing money from someone and paying interest on
that amount.
Both these rates are determined by the central bank of the country based on the demand and supply of money
in the economy.
1.According to a UN study what is India's rank among a total of 187 countries in terms of Human Development
Index?
a.95
b.134
c.119
2.Goa State Assembly Unanimously Passed Goa Lokayukta Bill 2011. The bill is a modified version of Goa
Lakayukta Bill of which yr?
a.2002
b.2004
c.2003
3.Which one of the following launched the social auditing programme of gram Panchayats?
a.Goa
b.Assam
c.Uttar pradesh
4. The largest ever water supply scheme in Himachal Pradesh was inaugurated in __ district.
a. Kangra
b. Kullu
c.Kinnaur
5.Name the legendary Bollywood playback singer who entered the Guinness World Records for the most number
of single studio recordings.
a.Suchitra Krisnamurthy
b.Lata Mangeshkar
c.Asha Bhosle
6.Rajasthan government on 19 October 2011 launched a web based Social Security Pension system. At which
one of the following places the system was launched?
a.Jaipur
b.Jodhpur
c.Bikaner
7.UP state government increased the age limit for recruitment of Primary school teachers from 35 to __ years.
a.40
b.38
c.45
8.Nabum Tuki was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh on 1 November 2011. He is the__ Chief
Minister of Arunachal Pradesh?
a.Seventh
b.Sixth
c.Fifth
9.The Save Sharmila Campaign was flagged off by Magsaysay award winner Sandeep Pandey on 16 October
2011. In which of the following Indian cities was the campaign launched?
a.Imphal
b.Guwahati
c.Srinagar
10.Who was honoured with the Swiss Ambassador's award for exceptional leadership and his contribution to
strengthening bilateral ties between India and Switzerland on 16 October 2011?
a.Anil Ambani
b.Narayan Murthy
c.Ratan Tata
OAs
1. 134
2. 2003
3. Assam
4. Kangra
5. Asha Bhosle
6. Jaipur
7. 40
8. Seventh
9. Srinagar
10. Ratan Tata
Important facts about India:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Seventh largest in area
Made up of 28 states
UP is largest population wise and Sikkim smallest
6 union territories, and 1 national capital territory
77pc population lives in rural areas(this is according to 2001 census)
India has largest number of persons on Electoral roll.
Area wise Rajasthan is biggest and Goa smallest.
Shares political border with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Bhutan and Nepal.
9) Seperated with Sri Lanka by Palk Straits and Gulf of Mannar.
10) The national song has been taken from Bankim Chandra Chatterjees novel Ananda Math.
11) National aquatic animal: Dolphin
12) National heritage animal : Elephant
13) National Tree: Banyan Tree
14) National River: Ganges
FDI IN INDIA
films:100%
Coal & Lignite :74%
Tourism :100%
Electricity :100%
Private Sector Banking
Non-Banking Financial Com-panies (NBFC)
Insurance
Telecom-munications
Drugs & Pharmaceuticals
Road and highways, Ports and harbours
Hotel & Tourism
Airports
49%
100%
26%
49%
100%
100%
100%
74%
The United Nations
Origin: The United Nations Organization is an association of states which have pledged themselves to maintain
international peace and security and cooperate in solving international political, economic, social, cultural and
humanitarian problems towards achieving this end.
The United Nations officially came into existence on Oct. 24,1945, with the deposit of the requisite number of
ratifications of the Charter, the constituting instrument of the UN with the US Department.
United Nations Day is celebrated on 24 Oct. each year. The headquarters of the UNO is in New York.
Flag : White UN Emblem (two bent olive branches open at the top and in between them in world map) on a light
blue background.
Official Languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
The United Nations has six principal organs according to the Charter which are indicated as below :





The General Assembly
It consists of all 193 member nations and functions as the main deliberative body. It meets once a year on the
third Tuesday of the month of September and session lasts for two weeks.
At each session the Assembly elects a new President, 21 Vice-Presidents and Chairmen of the six main
committees. For proper geographical representation, the Presidency of the Assembly rotates every year among
the five geographical groups–Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, and Western Europe
and other stares.
The Security Council
The UN Charter has entrusted the primary responsibility for maintenance of international peace and security. The
Security Council is made up of 15 member states, consisting of 5 permanent members–China, France, Russia,
the United Kingdom and the United States–and 10 non-permanent members, currently Azerbaijan, India, South
Africa, Colombia, Morocco, Togo, Germany, Pakistan, Guatemala, and Portugal.
The Economic and Social Council (ECO-SOC)
The Trusteeship Council
The International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), located in The Hague, Netherlands, is the primary judicial organ of the
United Nations.
The UN Secretariat
The United Nations Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, assisted by a staff of international civil
servants worldwide. It provides studies, information, and facilities needed by United Nations bodies for their
meetings. It also carries out tasks as directed by the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the UN
Economic and Social Council, and other UN bodies. The current Secretary-General is Ban Ki-moon, who took over
from Kofi Annan in 2007 and has been elected for a second term to conclude at the end of 2016.
Important Years Observed by UNO
2005 Year of Physics
2006 International Year of Desert and Desertification
2008 International Year of the Potato
2009 International Year of Reconciliation
2010 International Year of Biodiversity
2011 International Year of Forests
2012 International Year of Cooperatives
2013 International Year of Water Cooperation
2014 International Year of Family Farming
Organizations and specialized agencies of the United Nations
FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization
Rome, Italy
1945
IAEA
International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna, Austria
1957
ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization
Montreal, Canada
1947
IFAD
International Fund for Agricultural Development
Rome, Italy
1977
ILO
International Labour Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
1946 (1919)
IMO
International Maritime Organization
London, United Kingdom
1948
IMF
International Monetary Fund
Washington, D.C., USA
1945 (1944)
ITU
International Telecommunication Union
Geneva, Switzerland
1947 (1865)
UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Paris, France
1946
UNIDO
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
Vienna, Austria
1967
UPU
Universal Postal Union
Bern, Switzerland
1947 (1874)
WB
World Bank
Washington, .C., USA
1945 (1944)
WFP
World Food Programme
Rome, Italy
1963
WHO
World Health Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
1948
WIPO
World Intellectual Property Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
1974
WMO
World Meteorological Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
1950 (1873)
UNWTO
World Tourism Organization
Madrid, Spain
1974
Q1. which economist has written an article about 100 million missing women in S-E asia?
A. Amartya Sen
Q2. who has written the book- ‘towards a hunger-free world’?
A. M.S. Swaminathan
Q3. Punjab national bank has launched a reverse mortgage scheme for senior citizens under what name?
A. Baghban
Q4. India’s first weather satellite ‘Megha-tropiques’ is built in collaboration with which country?
A. France
Q5. What is the name of the time tracking delivery project created by Indian railways?
A. Simran
Q6. which disease was officially eradicated in 1975?
A. Small pox
Q7. which state in India is touted as India’s first banking state as it has got 100% financial inclusion?
A. kerela
Q8. ILO and govt. of India have collaborated for eradication of child labor, what is the name of that project?
A. Project Indus
Q9.’ sayani rani’ is the mascot of which popular campaign?
A. jaago grahak jaago.
Q10. what is the other name given to GM foods?
A. Frankenstein food.
1. Total population of the country : 1.21billion
2. Most populated state : Uttar Pradesh (19.96 crore)
3. Most populated district : Thane (Maharashtra)(1.11 crore)
4. Most populated city : Mumbai (Maharashtra)(1.25 crore)
5. Least populated state : Sikkim (6,07,688)
6. Least populated district : Dilbang valley (Arunachal Pradesh)(7,948)
7. Least populated city : Nagda (Uttar Pradesh)(1,00,036)
The combined population of which 2 states in India is bigger than that of USA
A)UP and Maharashtra
In 2011 , the ___ census was conducted?
A)15th
CDR and CBR stand for?
Crude Death Rate and Crude Birth Rate.
CDR and CBR in 2008?
7.8 and 22.8 respectively.
Rural population?
83.3 crore
Chairman of National Commision on Populn(NCP)?
PM of Ind.
No. of Members of NCP?
44
The National Popultn Stabilisation Fund was renamed?
Janasankhya Stithrata Kosh
3 objectives of Population Policy 2000?
i)meet the needs of contraception, health infrastructr, manpower,integrated service delivery of reproductive n child health care
ii) bring TOTAL FERTILITY RATE(TFR) to replacement level.
iii)achieve stable populn by 2045
goals to achieve populn policy?
i)Compulsory school edu
ii)Reduce infant mortality rate to 30 per 1000
iii)reduce maternal mortality to blow 100 per 1000
iv)promote delayed marrg of girls
v)achieve 80% institutional deliveries
vi)prevent communicable diseases
vii)promote small family norm
Occupational classification 58.4% of the total workers are either cultivators or agricultural laborers.
Highest % of workers engaged as cultivators is in Himachal Pradesh
Lowest in- Kerala
Highest % of agricultural workers- Bihar
Lowest- Arunachal Pradesh
The % of workers in Bihar engaged directly in agriculture?- 77.35
Facts about UP- Most populous state. 16.4% of India's populn orOne sixth of India's populn
Most populous city in Up: Lucknow and Kanpur
The GDI and GEI stand for?
Gender Development Index and Gender Empowerment Index. The 2 key parameters of women's development.
The GDI is the human development index. GEI is the participation in politics and decision making, power over economic resources, etc.
They were analysed from 1996-2006. The figures for 06 - GDI = 0.590 and GEI = 0.497
Least GDI- Bihar (only state with a score of less than 0.5)
The Global Gender Gap report???
total countries in the assessment- 134
Rank 1- Iceland (the best)
Rank 134- Yemen
India- Rank 112
The TFR(Total fertility rate) in 2006- 2.7
The TFR in 2012- 2.5 (outside the magazine)
TFR- average number of children expected to be born per woman during her reproductive years
THE NHRM- launched in 2005
Among other major innovations of NHRM the creation of ASHA is of prime importance.
ASHA- Accredited Social Health Activists.
13th finance commission chairman - vijay kelkar
13th finance commission has become operational from 2010-14
nabard was established in sixth paln
outlines of the second five year plan was made by P.C. Mahalanobis
planning commission has lowered the poverty line from 32 rs to 28 rs per day
indian planning commission was constitued in 1950
national development council was constitued in 1952
the 12th plan proposes country's average growth rate at 9.0 %
rolling plan was made for the period 1978-83
recently planning commission has released a document presenting pre-estimated a progress
of the economy.it is named as india vision 2020
chairman of planning commission is dr.Manmohan Singh
vice-chairman of planning commission is montek singh ahluwaliah
he Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international developmentgoals that were officially established following
theMillennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration. All 193
United Nationsmember states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve these goals by the year 2015. The
goals are:
eradicating extreme poverty and hunger,
achieving universal primary education,
promoting gender equality and empowering women
reducing child mortality rates,
improving maternal health,
combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases,
ensuring environmental sustainability, and
developing a global partnership for development.
India may miss infant, maternal health goals said Nata Menabde, World Health Organization (WHO) representative to
India.The Millennium Development Goals-India Country Report 2011released by the statistics ministry, forecast that by 2015, infant
mortality rate at 44 per 1,000 live births and maternal mortality at 139 per 100,000 live births will continue to remain higher than MDG
targets, which are 27 and 109, respectively.
Revolution
Associated with + some details
Green
The Introduction of High-yielding varieties of seeds and the increased use
of fertilizers and irrigation
White
Milk production (Operation flood : India->Milk-deficient to Largest milkproducer)
Prawns
Non-conventional Energy ( For making country self-dependent in crude oil)
Pink
Black
/Brown
Blue
Grey
Red
Golden
Silver
Yellow
Evergreen
Fisheries
Fertilizers
Meat /Tomato
Apple (fruits)
Eggs/ Poultry
Oilseeds/ Oil
Doubling the present production of foodgrains (Agri-scientist Dr.Swamninathan
has given a call for this)
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme
Launched on 2nd October 1975, today, ICDS Scheme represents one of the
world’s largest and most unique programmes for early childhood
development. ICDS is the foremost symbol of India’s commitment to her
children – India’s response to the challenge of providing pre-school
education on one hand and breaking the vicious cycle of malnutrition,
morbidity, reduced learning capacity and mortality, on the other.
1. Objectives: The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme
was launched in 1975 with the following objectives:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
to improve the nutritional and health status of children in the agegroup 0-6 years;
to lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social
development of the child;
to reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and
school dropout;
to achieve effective co-ordination of policy and implementation
amongst the various departments to promote child development; and
v.
to enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health
and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health
education.
2. Services: The above objectives are sought to be achieved through a
package of services comprising:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
supplementary nutrition,
immunization,
health check-up,
referral services,
pre-school non-formal education and
nutrition & health education.
·Delhi Police launched a Drive named Katkth to make Sex workers Independent
·The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development decided to launch a scheme calledSaksham to empower
adolescent boys by educating them on gender sensitivity and moral behavior
·The NCR Planning Board approved the Controversial Greater Noida Master Plan 2021
·The state government of Delhi launched a Kishori Scheme under which sanitary napkins would be distributed to
adolescent girls
·The Centre Launched an Ambitious Programme Called Himayat for Unemployed Kashmiri Youth
·The Sanchar Shakti project of the Department of Telecommunications was launched by President Pratibha Patil on 7
March 2011 to empower women.
·SABLA was launched by the Indian Women and Child Development Ministry for empowerment of adolescent girls
MONTREAL PROTOCOL:
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer(a protocol to theVienna Convention for the Protection of
the Ozone Layer) is an international treatydesigned to protect theozone layerby phasing out the production of numerous substances
believed to be responsible for ozone depletion.
It is believed that if the international agreement is adhered to, the ozone layer is expected to recover by 2050.
KYOTO PROTOCOL
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC) that set binding
obligations on the industrialised countries to reduce their emissions ofgreenhouse gases.
The Protocol was initially adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, and entered into force on 16 February 2005. As of September
2011, 191 states have signed and ratified the protocol.
The only remaining signatory not to have ratified the protocol is the United States.
OtherUnited Nations member states which did not ratify the protocol are Afghanistan, Andorra and South Sudan. In December
2011, Canadawithdrew from the Protocol.
STOCKHOLM CONVENTION
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an internationalenvironmentaltreaty, signed in 2001 and effective
from May 2004, that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
POPs, which are defined as "chemical substances that persist in the environment,bio-accumulatethrough the food web, and pose a risk
of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment".
BASEL CONVENTION
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually
known simply as the Basel Convention, is an international treatythat was designed to reduce the movements ofhazardous
waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste fromdeveloped to less developed countries (LDCs).
It does not, however, address the movement of radioactive waste. The Convention is also intended to minimize the amount
and toxicity of wastes generated, to ensure their environmentally sound management as closely as possible to the source of generation,
and to assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and other wastes they generate.
BAMAKO CONVENTION
The Bamako Convention (in full: Bamako Convention on the ban on the Import into Africa and the Control of
Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa) is a treaty of African nations prohibiting the
import of any hazardous(including radioactive)waste. The Convention was negotiated by twelve nations of theOrganization of African
Unity atBamako, Mali in January, 1991, and came into force in 1998.
Impetus for the Bamako Convention arose from the failure of the Basel Convention to prohibit trade of hazardous waste to less
developed countries(LDCs), and from the realization that many developed nations were exporting toxic wastes to Africa.
ROTTERDAM CONVENTION
The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in
International Trade, more commonly known simply as the Rotterdam Convention, is a multilateral treaty to promote shared
responsibilities in relation to importation of hazardous chemicals.
The convention promotes open exchange of information and calls on exporters of hazardous chemicals to use proper labeling, include
directions on safe handling, and inform purchasers of any known restrictions or bans. Signatory nations can decide whether to allow or
ban the importation of chemicals listed in the treaty, and exporting countries are obliged make sure that producers within their
jurisdiction comply.
Chief of army - Vikrim singh
Chief of Navy - D.K. joshi
Air chief - N.A. Brown
some important info:
2012- international year of sustainable energy,international year of cooperatives
2011- international year of forests
2011-2020- united nations decade of biodiversity
5 th Year Plan
The economy of India is based in part on planning through its five-year plans, which are developed, executed and monitored by
thePlanning Commission. The eleventh plan completed its term in March 2012 and the twelfth plan is currently underway.[1] Prior to
the fourth plan, the allocation of state resources was based on schematic patterns rather than a transparent and objective mechanism,
which led to the adoption of the Gadgil formula in 1969. Revised versions of the formula have been used since then to determine the
allocation of central assistance for state plans.[2]
Contents
[hide] 1First Five-Year Plan (1951–1956)
2Second Five-Year Plan (1956–1961)
3Third Five-Year Plan (1961–1966)
4Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969–1974)
5Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974–1979)
6Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980–1985)
7Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985–1990)
8Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992–1997)
9Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997–2002)
10Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002–2007)
11Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007–2012)
12References
13External links
[edit]First Five-Year Plan (1951–1956)
The first Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru presented the first five-year plan to theParliament of India on December 8, 1951.This
plan was based on the Harrod-Domar model. The plan addressed, mainly, the agrarian sector, including investments in dams and
irrigation. The agricultural sector was hit hardest by the partition of India and needed urgent attention.[3]The total planned budget of
2069 crore was allocated to seven broad areas: irrigation andenergy (27.2 percent), agriculture and community development (17.4
percent), transport andcommunications (24 percent),
industry (8.4 percent), social services (16.64 percent), land
rehabilitation (4.1 percent), and for other sectors and services (2.5 percent).[4] The most important feature of this phase was
active role of state in all economic sectors. Such a role was justified at that time because immediately after independence, India was
facing basic problems—deficiency of capital and low capacity to save.
The target growth rate was 2.1% annual
gross domestic product (GDP) growth; the achieved growth rate was
3.6%[5] The net
domestic product went up by 15%. The monsoon was good and there were relatively high crop yields,
boosting exchange reserves and the per capita income, which increased by 8%. National income increased more than the per
capita income due to rapid population growth. Many irrigation projects were initiated during this period, including the Bhakra
Dam and Hirakud Dam. The World Health Organization, with the Indian government, addressed children's health and
reduced infant mortality, indirectly contributing to population growth.
At the end of the plan period in 1956, five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) were started as major technical institutions.
TheUniversity Grant Commission was set up to take care of funding and take measures to strengthen the higher education in
the country.[6]Contracts were signed to start five steel plants, which came into existence in the middle of the second five-year plan.
The plan was successful.
Target Growth: 2.1% Actual Growth: 3.6%[5]
[edit]Second Five-Year Plan (1956–1961)
The second five-year plan focused on industry, especially
heavy industry. Unlike the First plan, which focused mainly on
agriculture, domestic production of industrial products was encouraged in the Second plan, particularly in the development of
public sector. The plan followed the Mahalanobis model, an economic development model developed by the
IndianstatisticianPrasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in 1953. The plan attempted to determine the optimal allocation of
the
investment between productive sectors in order to maximise long-run economic growth . It used the prevalent state of art techniques
of operations research and optimization as well as the novel applications of statistical models developed at the
Indian Statistical
Institute. The plan assumed a closed economy in which the main trading activity would be centered on importing capital
goods.[7][8]
Hydroelectric power projects and five steel mills at Bhilai, Durgapur, and Rourkela were established. Coal production
was increased. More railway lines were added in the north east.
The Atomic Energy Commission was formed in 1958 with Homi J. Bhabha as the first chairman. The Tata Institute
of Fundamental Research was established as a research institute. In 1957 a talent search and scholarship program was begun
to find talented young students to train for work in nuclear power.
The total amount allocated under the second five-year plan in India was Rs. 4,600 crore. This amount was allocated among various
sectors:
Power and irrigation
Social services
Communications and transport
Miscellaneous
Target Growth:4.5% Growth achieved:4.0%[5]
[edit]Third Five-Year Plan (1961–1966)
The third plan stressed on agriculture and improvement in the production of wheat, but the brief
Sino-Indian War of
1962 exposed weaknesses in the economy and shifted the focus towards the [Defence industry]. In 1965–1966, India fought a [IndoPak] War with Pakistan. Due to this there was a severe drought in 1965. The war led to inflation and the priority was shifted to price
stabilisation. The construction of dams continued. Many cement and fertilizerplants were also built. Punjab began
producing an abundance of wheat.
Many primary schools have been started in rural areas. In an effort to bring democracy to the grassroot
level, Panchayat elections have been started and the states have been given more development responsibilities.
State electricity boards and state secondary education boards were formed. States were made responsible
for
secondary and higher education. State road transportation corporations were formed and local road building became a
state responsibility.
Target Growth: 5.6% Actual Growth: 2.4%[5]
[edit]Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969–1974)
Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. The Indira Gandhi government nationalised14 major Indian banks and
the Green Revolution in India advanced agriculture. In addition, the situation in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was
becoming dire as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and Bangladesh Liberation War took Funds earmarked for the
industrial development had to be diverted for the war effort. India also performed the Smiling Buddhaunderground nuclear
test in 1974, partially in response to the United Statesdeployment of the Seventh Fleet in theBay of Bengal. The fleet
At this time
had been deployed to warn India against attacking
West Pakistan and extending the war.
Target Growth: 5.7% Actual Growth: 3.3%[5]
[edit]Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974–1979)
employment, poverty alleviation, and justice. The plan also focused onself-reliance in agricultural
production and defence. In 1978 the newly elected Morarji Desaigovernment rejected the plan. Electricity Supply Act was enacted
Stress was by laid on
in 1975, which enabled the Central Government to enter into power generation and transmission.[citation needed]
Indian national highway system was introduced and many roads were widened to accommodate the
increasing traffic. Tourism also expanded.
Target Growth: 4.4% Actual Growth: 5.0[5]
[edit]Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980–1985)
The sixth plan also marked the beginning of economic liberalization. Price controls were eliminated and ration shops were
closed. This led to an increase in food prices and an increase in the cost of living. This was the end of Nehruvian
Plan and Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister during this period.
Family planning was also expanded in order to prevent overpopulation. In contrast to China's strict and binding one-child
policy, Indian policy did not rely on the threat of force[citation needed]. More prosperous areas of India adopted family planning
more rapidly than less prosperous areas, which continued to have a high birth rate.
Target Growth: 5.2% Actual Growth: 5.4%[5]
[edit]Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985–1990)
The Seventh Plan marked the comeback of the Congress Party to power. The plan laid stress on improving the productivity level of
The
industries by upgrading of technology.
The main objectives of the 7th five-year plans were to establish growth in areas of increasing economic productivity, production of food
grains, and generating employment.
As an outcome of the sixth five-year plan, there had been steady growth in agriculture, control on rate of Inflation, and favourable
balance of payments which had provided a strong base for the seventh five Year plan to build on the need for further economic growth.
The 7th Plan had strived towards socialism and energy production at large. The thrust areas of the 7th Five year plan have been
enlisted below:
Social Justice
Removal of oppression of the weak
Using modern technology
Agricultural development
Anti-poverty programs
Full supply of food, clothing, and shelter
Increasing productivity of small- and large-scale farmers
Making India an Independent Economy
Based on a 15-year period of striving towards steady growth, the 7th Plan was focused on achieving the pre-requisites of self-sustaining
growth by the year 2000. The Plan expected a growth in labour force of 39 million people and employment was expected to grow at
the rate of 4 percent per year.
Some of the expected outcomes of the Seventh Five Year Plan India are given below:
crore (US$6.2 billion), Imports – (-)54,000crore (US$10.2 billion), Trade
crore (US$4 billion)
Merchandise exports (estimates): 60,653 crore (US$11.5 billion)
Merchandise imports (estimates): 95,437 crore (US$18 billion)
Projections for Balance of Payments: Export – 60,700 crore (US$11.5 billion), Imports – (-) 95,400 crore (US$18 billion), Trade
Balance- (-) 34,700 crore (US$6.6 billion)
Balance of Payments (estimates): Export – 33,000
Balance – (-)21,000
Under the Seventh Five Year Plan, India strove to bring about a self-sustained economy in the country with valuable contributions from
voluntary agencies and the general populace.
Target Growth: 5.0% Actual Growth: 5.7%[5]
[edit]Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992–1997)
1989–91 was a period of economic instability in India and hence no five-year plan was implemented. Between 1990 and 1992, there
Foreign Exchange (Forex) reserves, left with reserves of only about US$1
billion. Thus, under pressure, the country took the risk of reforming the socialist economy. P.V. Narasimha Rao was the twelfth
Prime Minister of the Republic of India and head of Congress Party, and led one of the most important administrations in India's
were only Annual Plans. In 1991, India faced a crisis in
modern history overseeing a major economic transformation and several incidents affecting national security. At that time
Dr.Manmohan
Singh(currently, Prime Minister of India) launched India's free market reforms that brought the nearly bankrupt
nation back from the edge. It was the beginning of privatisationand liberalisation in India.
Modernization of industries was a major highlight of the Eighth Plan. Under this plan, the gradual opening of the Indian economy
was undertaken to correct the burgeoning deficit and foreign debt. Meanwhile India became a member of the World Trade
Organization on 1 January 1995.This plan can be termed as Rao and Manmohan model of Economic development. The major
objectives included, controlling population growth, poverty reduction, employment generation, strengthening the infrastructure,
Institutional building, tourism management, Human Resource development, Involvement of Panchayat raj, Nagar Palikas, N.G.O'S and
Decentralisation and people's participation. Energy was given priority with 26.6% of the outlay. An average annual growth rate of
6.78% against the target 5.6%[5] was achieved.
To achieve the target of an average of 5.6% per annum, investment of 23.2% of the gross domestic product was required. The
incremental capital ratio is 4.1.The saving for invetsment was to come from domestic sources and foreign sources, with the rate of
domestic saving at 21.6% of gross domestic production and of foreign saving at 1.6% of gross domestic production.
[9]
[edit]Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997–2002)
Ninth Five Year Plan India runs through the period from 1997 to 2002 with the main aim of attaining objectives like speedy
industrialization, human development, full-scale employment, poverty reduction, and self-reliance on domestic resources.
Background of Ninth Five Year Plan India: Ninth Five Year Plan was formulated amidst the backdrop of India's Golden jubilee of
Independence.
The main objectives of the Ninth Five Year Plan of India are:
to prioritize agricultural sector and emphasize on the rural development
to generate adequate employment opportunities and promote poverty reduction
to stabilize the prices in order to accelerate the growth rate of the economy
to ensure food and nutritional security.
to provide for the basic infrastructural facilities like education for all, safe drinking water, primary health care, transport, energy
to check the growing population increase
to encourage social issues like women empowerment, conservation of certain benefits for the Special Groups of the society
to create a liberal market for increase in private investments
During the Ninth Plan period, the growth rate was 5.35 per cent, a percentage point lower than the target GDP growth of 6.5 per
cent.[10]
[edit]Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002–2007)
Attain 8% GDP growth per year.
Reduction of
poverty ratio by 5 percentage points by 2007.
Providing gainful and high-quality employment at least to the addition to the labour force.
Reduction in gender gaps in literacy and wage rates by at least 50% by 2007.
20 point program was introduced.
Target growth:8.1% Growth achieved:7.7%
[edit]Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007–2012)
The eleventh plan has the following objectives:
Income & Poverty
Accelerate
GDP growth from 8% to 10% and then maintain at 10% in the 12th Plan in order to double per capita income by 2016–17
Increase agricultural GDP growth rate to 4% per year to ensure a broader spread of benefits
Create 70 million new work opportunities.
Reduce educated unemployment to below 5%.
Raise real wage rate of unskilled workers by 20 percent.
Reduce the headcount ratio of consumption poverty by 10 percentage points.
Education
Reduce dropout rates of children from elementary school from 52.2% in 2003–04 to 20% by 2011–12
Develop minimum standards of educational attainment in elementary school, and by regular testing monitor effectiveness of education
to ensure quality
Increase
literacy rate for persons of age 7 years or above to 85%
Lower gender gap in literacy to 10 percentage point
Increase the percentage of each cohort going to higher education from the present 10% to 15% by the end of the plan
Health
Reduce infant
mortality rate to 28 and maternal mortality ratio to 1 per 1000 live births
Reduce Total Fertility Rate to 2.1
Provide clean drinking water for all by 2009 and ensure that there are no slip-backs
Reduce malnutrition among children of age group 0–3 to half its present level
Reduce anaemia among women and girls by 50% by the end of the plan
Women and Children
Raise the sex ratio for age group 0–6 to 935 by 2011–12 and to 950 by 2016–17
Ensure that at least 33 percent of the direct and indirect beneficiaries of all government schemes are women and girl children
Ensure that all children enjoy a safe childhood, without any compulsion to work
Infrastructure
Ensure electricity connection to all villages and
BPL households by 2009 and round-the-clock power.
Ensure all-weather road connection to all habitation with population 1000 and above (500 in hilly and tribal areas) by 2009, and ensure
coverage of all significant habitation by 2015
Connect every village by telephone by November 2007 and provide broadband connectivity to all villages by 2012
Provide homestead sites to all by 2012 and step up the pace of house construction for rural poor to cover all the poor by 2016–17
Environment
Increase forest and tree cover by 5 percentage points.
Attain
WHO standards of air quality in all major cities by 2011–12.
Treat all urban waste water by 2011–12 to clean river waters.
Increase energy efficiency by 20%
Target growth:8.33% Growth achieved:7.9%
Which is the Biggest Museum in the World ? British Museum (London)Which is the Longest Railway Bridge in the World ? Huey P. Long
Bridge, Louisiana (U.S.A.)Which is the Tallest Building in the World ? Burj, Dubai (UAE)Which is the Costliest City in the World ?
TokyoWhich is the Highest Dam in the World ? Hoover Dam (U.S.A.)Which is the Largest Dam in the World ? Grand Coulee Dam
(U.S.A.)
Which is the Largest Desert in the World ? Sahara (Africa)
Which is the Largest Epic in the World ? Mahabharat
Which is the Deepest Lake in the World ? Baikal (Siberia)
Which is the Largest Democracy in the World ? India
Which is the Lightest Gas ? Hydrogen
Which is the Lightest Metal ? Lithium
Which is the Largest Sea in the World ? Mediterranean sea
Which is the Longest Road Tunnel in the World ? Mont Blanc Tunnel between France and Italy
Which is the Longest river in the World ? Nile
Which is the The longest tributary river of India ? Yamuna
Which is the Largest Mosque in India ? Jama Masjid, Delhi
Which is the Largest Museum in India ? National Museum, Kolkata
Which is the Largest Delta in India ? Sunderban Delta, West Bengal
Which is the Highest Waterfall in India ? Gersoppa Waterfall, Karnataka
Q 1. What is the objective of Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism?
Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism is a market based instrument to promote renewable energy and
facilitate compliance of renewable purchase obligations (RPO). It is aimed at addressing the mismatch between
availability of RE resources in state and the requirement of the obligated entities to meet the renewable purchase
obligation (RPO).
Q 2. What is the denomination of each REC issued?
One Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is treated as equivalent to 1 MWh.
Q 3. How many types of RECs are there?
There
are
two
categories
of
RECs,
viz.,
solar
RECs
and
non-solar
RECs.
Solar RECs are issued to eligible entities for generation of electricity based on solar as renewable energy source,
and non-solar RECs are issued to eligible entities for generation of electricity based on renewable energy
sources other than solar.
Q 4. What would be the sources of revenue under REC mechanism?
Revenue for a RE generator under REC scheme includes revenue from the sale of electricity component of RE
generation and the revenue from the sale of environmental attributes in the form of RECs.
Q 5. Who is eligible for REC?
A generating company engaged in generation of electricity from renewable energy sources shall be eligible for
participation under REC scheme if it fulfils the following conditions:
a.
it does not have any power purchase agreement to sell electricity at a preferential tariff determined by
the Appropriate Commission; and
b.
it sells the electricity generated either
i.
to the distribution licensee of the area in which the eligible entity is located, at a price not
exceeding the pooled cost of power purchase of such distribution licensee, or
ii.
to any other licensee or to an open access consumer at a mutually agreed price, or through
power exchange at market determined price.
Q 6. Whether Captive Power Plants(CPPs) would be eligible for REC?
A Captive Power Producer (CPP) based on renewable energy sources shall be eligible for the entire energy
generated from such plant including self consumption for participating in the REC scheme subject to the condition
that such CPP has not availed or does not propose to avail any benefit in the form of concessional/promotional
transmission or wheeling charges, banking facility benefit and waiver of electricity duty.
Provided also that if such a CPP forgoes the benefits of concessional transmission or wheeling charges, banking
facility benefit and waiver of electricity duty, it shall become eligible for participating in the REC scheme only after
a period of three years has elapsed from the date of forgoing such benefits.
Provided also that, the abovementioned condition for CPPs for participating in the REC scheme shall not apply if
the benefits given to such CPPs in the form of concessional transmission or wheeling charges, banking facility
benefit and waiver of electricity duty are withdrawn by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission and/or the
State Government.
The expression 'banking facility benefit' means only such banking facility whereby the CPP gets the benefit of
utilizing the banked energy at any time (including peak hours) even when it has injected into grid during off-peak
hours.
Q 7. Does early termination of PPA by an RE generator make it eligible for REC?
A generating company having entered into a power purchase agreement for sale of electricity at a preferential
tariff shall not, in case of premature termination of the agreement, be eligible for participating in the REC scheme
for a period of three years from the date of termination of such agreement or till the scheduled date of expiry of
power purchase agreement whichever is earlier ,if any order or ruling is found to have been passed by an
Appropriate Commission or a competent court against the generating company for material breach of the terms
and conditions of the said power purchase agreement.
Q 8. To whom REC would be issued? Whether Distribution licensee, Open Access
consumer, Conventional captive power consumer are eligible for issuance of REC?
REC would be issued to RE generators only.
Q 9. How long one REC would be valid?
The REC once issued shall remain valid for three hundred and sixty five days from the date of issuance of such
Certificate.
Q 10. Which RE technologies are eligible for REC?
Grid connected RE Technologies approved by MNRE would be eligible under this scheme.
Q 11. What are the options available for RE generators to sell renewable energy
generated?
RE generators will have two options i) either to sell the renewable energy at preferential tariff or ii) to sell
electricity generation and environmental attributes associated with RE generations separately.
Q 12. What is the procedure for getting REC?
The RE generators who fulfil the eligibility criteria can apply for the accreditation to concerned State Agency.
After successful accreditation the eligible entity (RE generator) may apply for registration to the Central Agency.
After successful registration the eligible entity may obtain REC through the 'process of issuance of REC' by
Central Agency. The detailed procedures for Accreditation, Registration, Issuance and Redemption of REC can
be
downloaded
from
CERC/NLDC
(POSOCO)
websites: www.cercind.gov.in, www.nldc.in, www.recregistryindia.in
Q 13. Who could buy REC? Can REC be used to fulfil Renewable Purchase
Obligation?
REC could be purchased by the obligated entities. REC could also be purchased by entities other than obligated
entities on voluntary basis
Q 14. Where would RECs be traded?
REC would be exchanged only in the CERC approved power exchanges.
Q 15. What would be the price of one REC?
The price of REC would be determined in power exchange. REC would be traded in power exchange within the
forbearance price and floor price determined by CERC from time to time. The floor and forbearance price as
determined by the Commission vide Order dated 1.6.2010 (Petition No. 99/2010 - Suo-Motu) are as under:
Non solar REC (
/ MWh)
Solar REC (
/ MWh)
Forbearance Price
3,900
17,000
Floor Price
1,500
12,000
CERC has determined floor price and forbearance price on 23rd Aug, 2011 applicable from, 2012 valid till FY
2016-17.
Non solar REC (
/ MWh)
Solar REC (
/ MWh)
Forbearance Price
3,300
13,400
Floor Price
1,500
9,300
Q 16. What are the Fees and Charges for Accreditation, Registration, Issuance and
Redemption?
The details of fees and charges for different procedures of REC are as under:
Fee and Charges towards Accreditation
Amount in
Processing Fees (One Time)
5,000
Accreditation Charges (One Time)
30,000
Annual Charges
10,000
Revalidation Charge at the end of five (5) years 15,000
Fee and Charges towards Registration
Amount in
Processing Fees (One Time)
1,000
Registration Charges (One Time)
5,000
Annual Charges
1,000
Revalidation Charge at the end of five (5) years 5,000
Fee and Charges towards Issuance of REC
Fees per Certificate
Amount in
10
Q 17. What happens if Renewable Purchase Obligation is not met by the Obligated
Entities?
As per the Model Regulation evolved by FOR, in case of default the concerned SERC may direct obligated entity
to deposit into a separate fund to purchase the shortfall of REC at forbearance price. However, in case of
genuine difficulty in complying with the renewable purchase obligation because of non-availability of certificates,
the obligated entity can approach the Commission for carry forward of compliance requirement to the next year.
Q 18. Whether a RE CPP is eligible under REC frame work if the self (captive)
consumption from such RE CPP is exempted from the levy of Electricity Duty by the
State Government and not availing the benefits of concessional transmission or
wheeling charges and banking facility benefit?
Since such RE CPP is availing the benefit of waiver of electricity duty, it will not be eligible under REC frame
work. If such a CPP forgoes on its own, the benefit of waiver of electricity duty, it shall become eligible for
participating in the REC scheme only after a period of three years has elapsed from the date of forgoing such
benefits. Provided that the abovementioned condition for CPPs for participating in the REC scheme will not be
applicable if the benefits given to such CPPs in the form of concessional transmission or wheeling charges,
banking facility benefit and waiver of electricity duty are withdrawn by the State Electricity Regulatory
Commission and/or the State Government.
Q 19. Whether an RE generator eligible under REC Mechanism, if it terminates its PPA
(which is at preferential tariff) with obligated entities at mutual consent?
Yes, such RE projects are eligible under REC Mechanism. In such cases the bar, under the proviso added at the
end of the Sub?clause (c) of Clause (1) of Regulation 5, for participating in the Renewable Energy Certificate
(REC) scheme for a period of three years from the date of termination of such agreement or till the scheduled
date of expiry of power purchase agreement whichever is earlier, would not be applicable as the termination
would be with mutual consent.
Q 20. Whether Auxiliary consumption of the any RE generator (including RE CPP or
Bagasse based cogeneration power plants) is entitled for issuance of REC?
No, only net generation of any RE generation project will be entitled for the issuance of REC.
Q 21. Whether a captive RE generator which banks electricity generated during any
period of time and utilizes such banked energy at peak hours would be eligible under
the REC mechanism?
When a captive RE generator banks electricity generated during any period of time and utilizes such banked
energy at peak hours would not be eligible under the REC mechanism. The banking facility wherein the CPP is
entitled to draw power from the utility based on and corresponding to the time period (peak or off?peak period) of
injection of power by such CPP will not be considered as concessional / promotional benefit.
Q 22. Whether self (captive) consumption of any Bagasse based co-generation
projects or any other renewable energy based Captive Power project is qualified for
REC if they are not meeting criteria for qualifying as captive Power Plant as specified
in the Electricity Rules, 2005?
In case a Captive Power Plant based on renewable energy sources (including the non-fossil fuel based cogeneration) does not meet the criteria for qualifying as Captive Power Plant as specified in the Electricity Rules,
2005, such a CPP/co-generation plant would be treated as any other generator and would be eligible for the
entire energy generated from such plant including self consumption for participating in the REC scheme subject
to the condition that such a generator meets the REC eligibility requirements applicable for a generating
company.
Q 23. If a plant is connected to grid as consumer (it is drawing power from the grid)
and it has a RE Generating facility within its premises which is not connected to the
grid. Whether this generating facility is eligible under REC Mechanism?
As per CERC REC Regulations, only grid connected RE Technologies are eligible under REC Mechanism. Since,
the RE Generating unit for which REC benefits are sought is not connected to the grid, it is not eligible to
participate under REC Mechanism.
Q 24. What is the date from which an RE Generator becomes eligible for issuance of
RECs?
The energy injection for issuance of REC by Registered RE Generator shall be applicable from the next day of
registration to last day of the same month for the first month. However for the subsequent months, period of
energy injection shall be from the first day of the month to last day of the same month.
For different billing cycles of RE Generators, the format of Energy Injection Report submitted by SLDC to Central
Agency shall be for the complete calendar month in accordance with approved REC procedures. In order to do
accounting for the calendar month, SLDCs may calculate on pro-rata basis or any other method deemed suitable
by the SLDC.
Q 25. Can a RE Generator apply for Accreditation and Registration under REC
Mechanism prior to Commissioning ?
Eligible RE Generating Projects can apply for Accreditation under REC Mechanism six months prior to proposed
date of Commissioning.Eligible RE Generating Projects can apply for Registration under REC Mechanism three
months prior to proposed date of Commissioning.
Q 26. What may be the probable cases of DEFAULT which may lead to REVOCATION
of Registration?
If the Central Agency, after making an enquiry or based on the report of the Compliance Auditors, is satisfied that
public interests so require, it may revoke registration of the eligible entity in any of the following cases, namely :-
(a) where the eligible entity, in the opinion of the Central Agency, makes willful and prolonged default in doing
anything required of him by or under these regulations;
(b) where the eligible entity breaks any of the terms and conditions of its accreditation or registration, the breach
of which is expressly declared by such accreditation or registration to render it liable to revocation;
(c) where the eligible entity fails within the period required in this behalf by the Central Agency - (i) to show, to the
satisfaction of the Central Agency, that it is in a position fully and efficiently to discharge the duties and
obligations imposed on it by its accreditation or registration; or (ii) to make the deposit or furnish the security, or
pay the fees or other charges required by its accreditation or registration.
Q 27. Within how many days of generation, an eligible entity may apply for issuance
of RECs?
The eligible entities shall apply to the Central Agency for Certificates within three months after corresponding
generation from eligible renewable energy projects provided that the application for issuance of certificates may
be made on fortnightly basis, that is, on the first day of the month or on the fifteenth day of the month.
Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007–2012)
The eleventh plan has the following objectives:
Income & Poverty
Accelerate GDP growth from 8% to 10% and then maintain at 10% in the 12th Plan in order to double per capita income by 2016–17
Increase agricultural GDP growth rate to 4% per year to ensure a broader spread of benefits
Create 70 million new work opportunities.
Reduce educated unemployment to below 5%.
Raise real wage rate of unskilled workers by 20 percent.
Reduce the headcount ratio of consumption poverty by 10 percentage points.
Education
Reduce dropout rates of children from elementary school from 52.2% in 2003–04 to 20% by 2011–12
Develop minimum standards of educational attainment in elementary school, and by regular testing monitor effectiveness of education
to ensure quality
Increase literacy rate for persons of age 7 years or above to 85%
Lower gender gap in literacy to 10 percentage point
Increase the percentage of each cohort going to higher education from the present 10% to 15% by the end of the plan
Health
Reduce infant mortality rate to 28 and maternal mortality ratio to 1 per 1000 live births
Reduce Total Fertility Rate to 2.1
Provide clean drinking water for all by 2009 and ensure that there are no slip-backs
Reduce malnutrition among children of age group 0–3 to half its present level
Reduce anaemia among women and girls by 50% by the end of the plan
Women and Children
Raise the sex ratio for age group 0–6 to 935 by 2011–12 and to 950 by 2016–17
Ensure that at least 33 percent of the direct and indirect beneficiaries of all government schemes are women and girl children
Ensure that all children enjoy a safe childhood, without any compulsion to work
Infrastructure
Ensure electricity connection to all villages and BPL households by 2009 and round-the-clock power.
Ensure all-weather road connection to all habitation with population 1000 and above (500 in hilly and tribal areas) by 2009, and ensure
coverage of all significant habitation by 2015
Connect every village by telephone by November 2007 and provide broadband connectivity to all villages by 2012
Provide homestead sites to all by 2012 and step up the pace of house construction for rural poor to cover all the poor by 2016–17
Environment
Increase forest and tree cover by 5 percentage points.
Attain WHO standards of air quality in all major cities by 2011–12.
Treat all urban waste water by 2011–12 to clean river waters.
Increase energy efficiency by 20%
Target growth:8.33% Growth achieved:7.9%
Indian Economy 2012
Government of India announced Minimum Support Price for Cotton
The Union Government on 2 October 2012 announced a revised Minimum Support Price (MSP)for cotton and this would help in inducing
stabilisation in cotton price. Cotton has witnessed a sharp decline in the past and remained operational round about its minimum
support price.
After the review meet conducted on 2 October 2012, by the Union Textiles Minister, Anand Sharma the revisions were done. The
decided minimum support price of medium staple cotton has gone up to 3600 rupees per quintal from initial rate of 2800 rupees.
Similarly, the MSP for long staple cotton has gone up to 3900 per quintal from 3300 rupees. This rate is fixed for the fiscal year 201213.
The Cotton Advisory Board has declared that the estimated production of cotton in the country for this year would be about 334
lakh bales, out of which the national consumption would record to 260 lakh bales. The surplous 70 lakh bales would be available for
exports purposes.
The government has formulated a contingency plan to procure 90 lakh bales of cotton under MSP operations in the season of cotton
production in the year 2012-13. To carry on with this procurement process, it has also operationlised 288 procurement centers across
all the nine cotton growing states of the nation. The working capital requirement was raised to 15000 crore rupees by the Cotton
Corporation of India (CCI) for operationlisation of the MSP fixed.
To control the MSP plan a special MSP cell has also been created at the CCI’s corporate office and it is headed by the A. Chokalingam,
Director Marketing. To alleviate the distress of farmers from NAFED and CCI, the government would be taking serious steps for price
stabilization and operationlisation of the MSP decided.
Criteria of Selection of Procurement Centers
• Centers that would cross the expected arrivals of 50000 quintals of cotton
• It should have an existence of market yard that is functional
• Weighbridge should be available in the market
• Ginning and pressing factories must be available in proximity to the center, with availability of facilities for fire fighting
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RBI kept Repo Rate unchanged at 8 Percent with cutting of CRR by 0.25 Per cent
The RBI on 30 October 2012 left interest rates unchanged but had cut the cash reserve ratio for banks and indicated that it is going to
cut monetary policy further in the January-March 2013 quarter, with inflation remaining a near-term concern.
The decision of leaving the policy repo rate unchanged at 8.00 percent, which is at the same level for the past six months was in line
with forecasts in a recent review of macroeconomic and monetary developments by Reuters.
Also, the reverse repo, at which RBI absorbs excess liquidity through borrowings from banks, remained at 7 percent.The new rates will
be effective 3 November 2012.
The expectations for a rate cut had grown after India's finance minister P. Chidambaram on 29 October 2012 outlined a plan to trim the
country's hefty fiscal deficit.
D. Subbarao mentioned in his quarterly policy review that with the reduction in inflation, there is an opportunity for monetary policy to
act in conjunction with fiscal and other measures to mitigate the growth risks and take the economy to a sustained higher growth
trajectory.
The RBI, however, cut the Cash Reserve Ratio (the amount parked by banks with the RBI) by 25 basis points from 4.5 per cent to 4.25
per cent. This measure is expected to infuse Rs 17,500 crore liquidity into the banking system.
The RBI cut its GDP growth forecast for Asia's third-largest economy to 5.8 per cent for the current fiscal year, from 6.5 per cent
previously, and increased its projection for headline inflation in March to 7.5 per cent, from 7 per cent earlier.
Repo rate - The rate at which banks borrow f from RBI. It is an instrument of monetary policy. Whenever banks have any shortage of
funds they can borrow from the RBI.
Reverse Repo rate -The rate at which the RBI borrows money from commercial banks.
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) - the amount of total deposits that banks are required to keep with the central bank. If the central bank
decides to increase the CRR, the available amount with the banks comes down. The RBI uses the CRR to drain out excessive money
from the system.
Highlights of the RBI Quarterly Monetary Policy Review:
•
•
•
•
Repo rate remain unchanged at 8 percent
CRR decreased by 0.5 Percent, coming down to 4.5 to 4.25 percent
Reverse repo rate remain unchanged at 7 Percent
GDP growth forecast cut down to 5.8 per cent for the current fiscal year 2012-13 from 6.5 percent.
2012- International year of sustainable energy, international year of cooperatives
2011- international year of forests
2011-2020- united nation’s decade of biodiversity
The following are some of the Government Schemes and Projects that have been named after the Nehru-Gandhi family.
Central Government Schemes :
1. Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana, Ministry of Power – A scheme “Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana” for
Rural Electricity Infrastructure and Household Electrification was …launched for the attainment of the National Common Minimum
Programme of providing access to electricity to all Rural Household by 2009. Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) is the nodal agency
for the scheme. Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana to be continued during the Eleventh Plan period with a capital subsidy of
Rs. 28000 Crore; allocation of Rs 5500 crore for FY09.
2. Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission (RGNDWM), Ministry of Rural Development, Annual allocation plan 2007-08
was Rs.6,400 crore and Annual allocation plan 2008-09 is Rs.7,300 crore.
3. Rajiv Gandhi National Crèche Scheme for the Children of Working Mothers, Department of Women & Child
Development, Ministry of HRD, New Delhi,
Budgetary allocation 2008-09 – 91.88 crore.
Budgetary allocation 2009-10 – 91.52 crore
4. Rajiv Gandhi Udyami Mitra Yojana for benefit of NE entrepreneurs, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises, Government of India,
Budgetary allocation 2008-9 – Rs. 2.70 crore
Budgetary allocation 2009-10 – Rs.1.12 crore
5. Indira Awas Yojana, Ministry of Rural Areas and Environment – IAY is a CSS funded on cost-sharing basis between the
Centre and the States in the ratio of 75:25. In the case of UTs, the entire funds are provided by Centre. The target groups for housing
under IAY are households below poverty line living in rural areas, particularly those belonging to SC/ST and freed bonded labourers.
Budgetary allocation 2008-09 – Rs. 7919.00 crores
Budgetary allocation 2009-10 – Rs.7914.70 crores
6. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme – objective to provide social security to workers in the unorganized sector in a
phased manner. Budgetary allocation in 2008-09 is Rs. 3,443 crore
7. Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, Ministry of Urban Development,
Govt. of India – 7 years time frame, 50,000 cr.
Budgetary allocation for 2008 – 9 – 10447.98 crore
Budgetary allocation for 2009-10 – 10713.84 crore
8. Jawaharlal Nehru Rojgar Yojna – Ministry of Labour and Employment – A Self- employment programme for urban poor
9. Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojna, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation
10. Indira Gandhi Canal Project, Funded by World Bank
11. Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Bima Yojana, Union Ministry of Textiles, in association with ICICI Lombard General Insurance
Company Limited
12. Indira Vikas Patra
CRR - Cash reserve Ratio
SLR Statuary Liquidity Ratio
Nabard - National bank for agriculture and rural development
Exim bank - Export Import bank
NATIONAL PARKS IN INDIAN
National Park of Uttrakhand - Raja ji National Park , Carbbet National Park , NAnda ki devi ,Govind National Park .
titasdebnath National Parks in Uttrakhand - GOvind national park , Raja ji National Park , CarbetNational Park
National Park in Rajasthan - Rantham bore , Sariska national PArk , Koiladeo national park , Desert national park .
National park in Assam - Nameri national park , Manas national park , Orang National Park , Kanziranga National Park
Karnatark - Bandipur
CORPS AND ITS SEASON
kharif crops |July –October | sown in monsoon | harvested in winter | Rice , pulses
Rabi crops |October-March |sown in winter | harvested in summer |Wheat , barley
Summer crops| March- June | sown in summer |
11th Five Year Plan of India (2007 - 2012)
On the eve of the 11th Plan, our economy is in a much stronger position than it was a few Years ago. After slowing down to an average
growth rate of about 5.5% in the 9th Plan period (1997 - 98 to 2001 - 02), it has accelerated significantly in recent Years.
The average growth rate in the last four Years of 10th Plan period (2003 - 04 to 2006 - 07) is likely to be a little over 8%, making the
growth rate 7.2% for the entire 10th Plan period. Though, this is below the 10th Plan target of 8%, it is the highest growth rate
achieved in any plan period.
This performance reflects the strength of our economy and the dynamism of the private sector in many areas. Yet, it is also true that
economic growth has failed to be sufficiently inclusive, particularly after the mid - 1990s.
Agriculture lost its growth momentum from that point on and subsequently entered a near crisis situation. Jobs in the organized sector
have not increased despite faster growth. The percentage of our population below the poverty line is declining but only at a modest
pace.
Malnutrition levels also appear to be declining, but the magnitude of the problem continues to be very high. Far too many people still
lack access to basic services such as health, education, clean drinking water and sanitation facilities without which they cannot claim
their share in the benefits of growth.
Women have increased their participation in the labor force as individuals, but continue to face discrimination and are subject to
increasing violence, one stark example of which is the declining child sex ratio.
India's Vision for the 11th Five Year Plan :
The 11th Plan provides an opportunity to restructure policies to achieve a new vision based on faster, more broad - based and inclusive
growth. It is designed to reduce poverty and focus on bridging the various divides that continue to fragment our society.
The 11th Plan must aim at putting the economy on a sustainable growth trajectory with a growth rate of approximately 10 per cent by
the end of the Plan period. It will create productive employment at a faster pace than before, and target robust agriculture growth at
4% per Year.
It must seek to reduce disparities across regions and communities by ensuring access to basic physical infrastructure as well as health
and education services to all. It must recognize gender as a cross - cutting theme across all sectors and commit to respect and promote
the rights of the common person.
Rapid growth is an essential part of our strategy for two reasons. Firstly, it is only in a rapidly growing economy that we can expect to
sufficiently raise the incomes of the mass of our population to bring about a general improvement in living conditions. Secondly, rapid
growth is necessary to generate the resources needed to provide basic services to all.
Work done within the Planning Commission and elsewhere suggests that the economy can accelerate from 8 per cent per Year to an
average of around 9% over the 11th Plan period, provided appropriate policies are put in place.
With population growing at 1.5% per Year, 9% growth in GDP would double the real per capita income in 10 Years. This must be
combined with policies that will ensure that this per capita income growth is broad based, benefiting all sections of the population,
especially those who have thus far remained deprived.
A key element of the strategy for inclusive growth must be an all out effort to provide the mass of our people the access to basic
facilities such as health, education, clean drinking water etc. While in the short run these essential public services impact directly on
welfare, in the longer run they determine economic opportunities for the future.
The private sector, including farming, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the corporate sector, has a critical role to play
in achieving the objective of faster and more inclusive growth.
This sector accounts for 76% of the total investment in the economy and an even larger share in employment and output. MSMEs, in
particular, have a vital role in expanding production in a regionally balanced manner and generating widely dispersed off - farm
employment. Our policies must aim at creating an environment in which entrepreneurship can flourish at all levels, not just at the top.
All this is feasible but it is by no means an easy task. Converting potential into reality is a formidable Endeavour and will not be
achieved if we simply continue on a business - as - usual basis. There is need for both the Centre and the States to be self critical and
evaluate programmes and policies to see what is working and what is not.
Macroeconomic Indicators for the 11th Five Year Plan
SI. No.Macroeconomic Indicators10th Plan (Actual)*11th Plan (Average)
1. Growth rate of GDP (%); of which; 7.2 9.0
a. Agriculture 1.7 4.1
b. Industry 8.3 10.5
c. Services 9.0 9.9
2. Investment rate (% of GDP) 27.8 35.1
a. Public 6.7 10.2
b. Private 21.1 24.9
3.Domestic Savings rate (% of GDP) of which
28.232.3 a. Household 22.8 22.0
b. Corporate 4.5 6.1
c. PSEs 4.2 3.0
d. Government -3.2 1.2
4. Current account balance (% of GDP) 0.2 -2.8
5. Government revenue balance (% of GDP) -4.4 -0.2
6. Government Fiscal balance (% of GDP) -8.0 -6.0
*1. GDP growth rate is actual up to 2005 - 06 and as estimated by the EAC to PM for 2006 - 07. Savings rate, investment rate and CAB
are actual up to 2004 - 05.
2. Government Fiscal Balance and Revenue Balance are Based on Actuals (3 Years for Centre and 2 Years for states) and for remaining
Years RE / BE / Projected.
Monitorable Socio - Economic Targets of the 11th Plan
Income & Poverty in India :
Accelerate growth rate of GDP from 8% to 10% and then maintain at 10% in the 12th Plan in order to double per capita income by
2016 - 17.
Increase agricultural GDP growth rate to 4% per Year to ensure a broader spread of benefits
Create 70 million new work opportunities.
Reduce educated unemployment to below 5%.
Raise real wage rate of unskilled workers by 20 percent.
Reduce the headcount ratio of consumption poverty by 10 percentage points.
11th Five Year Plan Education
Reduce dropout rates of children from elementary school from 52.2% in 2003 - 04 to 20% by 2011 - 12.
Develop minimum standards of educational attainment in elementary school, and by regular testing monitor effectiveness of education
to ensure quality.
Increase literacy rate for persons of age 7 Years or more to 85%.
Lower gender gap in literacy to 10 percentage points.
Increase the percentage of each cohort going t6 higher education from the present 10% to 15% by the end of the 11th Plan.
11th Five Year Plan Health
Reduce infant mortality rate (IMR) to 28 and maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to 1 per 1000 live births.
Reduce Total Fertility Rate to 2.1.
Provide clean drinking water for all by 2009 and ensure that there are no slip - backs by the end of the 11th Plan.
Reduce malnutrition among children of age group 0 - 3 to half its present level.
Reduce anemia among women and girls by 50% by the end of the 11th Plan.
Women and Children
Raise the sex ratio for age group 0 - 6 to 935 by 2011 - 12 and to 950 by 2016 - 17.
Ensure that at least 33 percent of the direct and indirect beneficiaries of all government schemes are Women and Girl Children.
Ensure that all children enjoy a safe childhood, without any compulsion to work.
11th Five Year Plan Infrastructure :
Ensure Electricity connection to all villages and BPL households by 2009 and round - the - clock power by the end of the Plan.
Ensure all - weather road connection to all habitation with population 1000 and above (500 in hilly and tribal areas) by 2009, and
ensure coverage of all significant habitation by 2015.
Connect every village by telephone by November 2007 and provide broadband connectivity to all villages by 2012.
Provide homestead sites to all by 2012 and step up the pace of house construction for rural poor to cover all the poor by 2016 - 17.
Environment in India
Increase forest and tree cover by 5 percentage points.
Attain WHO standards of air quality in all major cities by 2011 - 12.
Treat all urban waste water by 2011 - 12 to clean river waters.
Increase energy efficiency by 20 percentage points by 2016 - 17.
Growth During Five Year Plans
It was developed in the context of four important dimensions: Quality of life, generation of productive employment, regional balance
and self-reliance.
Appraisal of the Ninth Plan in India
Growth rate of GDP during the plan was 5.4% per annum as against the target of 6.5%.
Agriculture grew by 2.1% as against the target of 4.2% p.a.
Industrial growth was 4.5% as against the target of 3% p.a.
Exports grew by 7.4% (target was 14.55%) and imports grew by 6.6% (target was 12.2% p.a.).
Statutory Liquidity Ratio refers to the amount that the commercial banks require to maintain in the form gold or govt. approved securities
before providing credit to the customers. Here by approved securities we mean, bond and shares of different companies. Statutory
Liquidity Ratio is determined and maintained by the Reserve Bank of India in order to control the expansion of bank credit. It is
determined as percentage of total demand and percentage of time liabilities.
The maximum limit of SLR is 40% and minimum limit of SLR is 23%.In India, Reserve Bank of India always determines the percentage
of Statutory Liquidity Ratio.
At present, the minimum limit of Statutory Liquidity Ratio that can be set by the Reserve Bank is 23% AS ON AUGUST
2012 Objectives of SLR:
If any Indian Bank fails to maintain the required level of Statutory Liquidity Ratio, then it becomes liable to pay penalty to Reserve Bank
of India. The defaulter bank pays penal interest at the rate of 3% per annum above the Bank Rate, on the shortfall amount for that
particular day.
The objectives of SLR are to restrict the expansion of bank credit.
1.
To augment the investment of the banks in government securities.
2.
To ensure solvency of banks. A reduction of SLR rates looks eminent to support the credit growth in India.
Diff between SLR and CRR
SLR restricts the bank’s leverage in pumping more money into the economy. On the other hand, CRR, or cash reserve ratio, is the
portion of deposits that the banks have to maintain with the Central Bank to reduce liquidity in economy. Thus CRR controls liquidity in
economy while SLR regulates credit growth in the country
The other difference is that to meet SLR, banks can use cash, gold or approved securities whereas with CRR it has to be only cash.
CRR is maintained in cash form with central bank, whereas SLR is money deposited in govt. securities.CRR is used to control inflation.
FCI CMD is Dr. Amar singh
Raghu Ram Rajan is Chief Economic Advisor of Govt. of India Finance Ministry and Chakravarthy Rangarajan is Chairman of PRIME
MINISTERS ECONOMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL (PMEAC) ....
A detrimental effect of the green revolution is...
(1) Neglect of low input agricultural practices.
(2) More emphasis on hybrid varieties and thus destroying
the local seed varieties
(3) Indiscriminate use of pesticides and fertilizers thus
pushing up the cost of farming.
(4) Destroying the local seed varieties
(5) Eliminating the native animal breeds
Hydrabad Biodiversity Summit
Hyderabad will play host to the 18-day International Biodiversity Conference of Parties slated from October 1.
The next round of the conference will be held in Korea.
R. Hampaiah, Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Bio Diversity Board, said over 8,000 delegates from 193 countries were expected
to participate in the summit.
“It will discuss a wide-range of bio-diversity issues. At the end, the outcome of the conference will be named as the Hyderabad Protocol
or something to that effect,” he told media persons here today.
To mark the occasion, an Rs 100-crore biodiversity museum will be set up in Hyderabad. While the Union Government will provide the
finance, the State Government will contribute 15-acre land for the project, he said, adding that it would take about two years for
completion.
The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, pledged around $50 million (Rs. 264 crore) for domestic biodiversity protection,
reports the Hindu. The pledge came this week at theConvention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting in Hyderabad, India. The CBD
has set bold goals on stemming the rate of extinction worldwide, but these have suffered from a lack of funding. India also said it had
set aside another $10 million (Rs. 50 crore) for biodiversity projects abroad. Still, such funds are far below what scientists say is
necessary to stem ongoing extinctions. Read more at news.mongabay.com/2012/1018-ha...
the British government has also pledged $1.6 million (one million pounds) for the effort.
STOCKHOLM CONVENTION
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective
from May 2004, that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
POPs, which are defined as "chemical substances that persist in the environment, bio-accumulate through the food web, and pose a
risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment".
BASEL CONVENTION
The Basel Convention on the Control of Trans boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually
known simply as the Basel Convention, is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous
waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs).
It does not, however, address the movement of radioactive waste. The Convention is also intended to minimize the amount
and toxicity of wastes generated, to ensure their environmentally sound management as closely as possible to the source of generation,
and to assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and other wastes they generate.
BAMAKO CONVENTION
The Bamako Convention (in full: Bamako Convention on the ban on the Import into Africa and the Control of
Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa) is a treaty of African nations prohibiting the
import of any hazardous(including radioactive)waste. The Convention was negotiated by twelve nations of theOrganization of African
Unity at Bamako, Mali in January, 1991, and came into force in 1998.
Impetus for the Bamako Convention arose from the failure of the Basel Convention to prohibit trade of hazardous waste to less
developed countries(LDCs), and from the realization that many developed nations were exporting toxic wastes to Africa.
ROTTERDAM CONVENTION
The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in
International Trade, more commonly known simply as the Rotterdam Convention, is a multilateral treaty to promote shared
responsibilities in relation to importation of hazardous chemicals.
The convention promotes open exchange of information and calls on exporters of hazardous chemicals to use proper labeling, include
directions on safe handling, and inform purchasers of any known restrictions or bans. Signatory nations can decide whether to allow or
ban the importation of chemicals listed in the treaty, and exporting countries are obliged make sure that producers within their
jurisdiction comply
The boxes :In WTO terminology, subsidies in general are identified by “boxes” which are given the colours of traffic lights: green
(permitted), amber (slow down — i.e. be reduced), red (forbidden). In agriculture, things are, as usual, more complicated. The
Agriculture Agreement has no red box, although domestic support exceeding the reduction commitment levels in the amber box is
prohibited; and there is a blue box for subsidies that are tied to programmes that limit production.
Amber box :All domestic support measures considered to distort production and trade (with some exceptions) fall into the amber box.
Blue box :
This is the “amber box with conditions” — conditions designed to reduce distortion. Any support that would normally be in the amber
box, is placed in the blue box if the support also requires farmers to limit production.
Green box :
In order to qualify, green box subsidies must not distort trade, or at most cause minimal distortion. They have to be governmentfunded (not by charging consumers higher prices) and must not involve price support.
Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls
(RGSEAG)
This scheme was launched on 19 November 2010 with the objective of empowering adolescent girls in
the age group 11-18 years by bringing improvement in their nutritional and health status and upgrading
various skills like home skills, life skills, and vocational skills. To start with, it will be implemented in 200
selected districts across the country on a pilot basis. RGSEAG would be implemented through State
Governments / UT Administrations with 100 per cent financial assistance from the Central Government for
all inputs other than nutrition provision for which 50 per cent Central assistance to states/UTs would be
provided. Anganwadi centres will be the focal points for delivery of services. Nearly 100 lakh adolescent
girls in 200 districts are expected to be benefited per annum under the scheme. In these 200 districts,
Kishori Shakti Yojna (KSY) and the Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG) have been merged
in the RGSEAG. In the remaining districts, the KSY will continue as before.
The Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme for Children of Working
Mothers
This scheme provides for day-care facilities to 0-6 year-old children of working mothers by opening
crèches and development services, i.e., supplementary nutrition, health-care inputs like immunization,
polio drops, basic health monitoring, and recreation. The combined monthly income of both the parents
should not exceed ` 12000 for availing of the facilities. The scheme is presently being implemented
through the Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) and Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW). As of
now 22,599 crèches are functional and the number of beneficiary children is 5,64,975. Under the revised
scheme, an amount of ` 1.70 lakh per annum per crèche has been proposed against ` 42,384 per annum
per crèche in the existing scheme. This will provide for better nutritional support as well as better services
for children.
Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS)
This scheme was launched in 2009-10 with the objective of providing a safe and secure environment for
comprehensive development of children in the country who are in need of care and protection as well as
children in conflict with the law. The ICPS provides preventive and statutory care and rehabilitation
services to any vulnerable child including, but not limited to, children of potentially vulnerable families and
families at risk, children of socially excluded groups like migrant families, families living in extreme
poverty, families subjected to or affected by discrimination and minorities, children infected and / or
affected by HIV / AIDS, orphans, child drug abusers, children of substance abusers, child beggars,
trafficked or sexually exploited children, children of prisoners, and street and working children. The
allocation of funds under this scheme for 2010-11 is ` 300 crore. The Scheme is Centrally Sponsored and
is being mainly implemented through State Governments / UT Administrations from 2009-10 and 33
states/UTs have signed the MOUs for implementation of this scheme. During 2010-11, ` 82.37 crore have
been released under the scheme upto 11 February, 2011. Thirteen more States/ UTs have agreed to
implement this it and are at various stage of preparation of plans including financial proposals.
Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP)
Scheme
This scheme seeks to provide updated skills and new knowledge to poor women in 10 traditional sectors
for enhancing their productivity and income generation. It is being implemented through public-sector
organizations, State corporations, cooperatives, federations, and registered voluntary organizations with
minimum existence of three years. With a view to expanding the reach of the programme and furtherstrengthening implementation and
monitoring, the norms and parameters of this scheme have been
revised in November 2009. The major changes in the norms relate to the number of beneficiaries to be
covered, project duration, and per capita cost and the scheme now provides for introduction of locally
appropriate sectors in consultation with State governments. The number of beneficiaries in each project
may now vary from 200 to 10,000 with the funding ceiling at ` 16,000 per beneficiary up to a period of five
years. During 2010-11, a total number of 91 STEP projects were ongoing and 196 more were under
consideration at various stages as on 30 November 2010. A sum of ` 25 crore has been allocated in the
financial year 2010-11 to achieve a target of 35,000 beneficiaries.
Some of the other schemes implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development,
include:
(i) Dhanlakshmi, which is a conditional cash transfer scheme for the girl child which was launched as a
pilot project in March 2008. The objective is to encourage families to educate girl children and to prevent
child marriage. The scheme provides for cash transfers to the family of a girl child on fulfilling certain
specific conditionalities relating to birth and registration, immunization, and enrolment and retention in
school up to Class VIII. The Scheme is being implemented in 11 blocks of seven States on pilot basis.
(ii) Scheme for the Welfare of Working Children in Need of Care and Protection providing for
nonformal education, vocational training, etc. to working children to facilitate their entry/re-entry into
mainstream education. There are 120 projects of 100 children each currently being funded under the
Scheme.
(iii) Bal Bandhu Scheme for protection of children in areas of civil unrest is being implemented through
the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) with the grant sanctioned from the
Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
(iv) Swadhar scheme for providing temporary accommodation, maintenance, and rehabilitative services
to women and girls rendered homeless and women in difficult circumstances
(v) Short Stay Home (SSH) scheme being implemented by the Central Social Welfare Board with similar
objectives/target group as in case of the Swadhar scheme.
(vi) Ujjawala, a comprehensive scheme for prevention of trafficking with five specific components–
prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration, and repatriation of victims–was launched on 4 December
2007. Under this scheme, 134 projects including 73 rehabilitation homes, spread over 16 States, have
been sanctioned.
Scheme for Gender Budgeting : This Scheme for Gender Budgeting has been included in the Eleventh
Plan. At present, 56 Ministries / Departments have set up gender budget cells and a number of Ministries
/ Departments have reflected allocation for women in the Gender Budget Statement of the Union Budget.
National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW)
This has been set up with a view to empowering women socially, economically, and educationally. The
Mission aims to achieve empowerment of women on all these fronts by securing convergence of
schemes / programmes of different Ministries / Departments of the Government of India as well as State
Governments. Alongside, the Mission shall monitor and review gender budgeting by Ministries /
Departments as well as effective implementation of various laws concerning women.
Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK)
This was created in 1993 with a corpus fund of ` 31crore. Since, its creation, the RMK has established
itself as a premier micro-credit agency of the country, with its focus on poor women and their
empowerment through the provision of credit for livelihood-related activities. The RMK provides microcredit
in a quasi-informal manner, lending to intermediate micro-credit organizations (IMOs) (for example
NGOs/voluntary organizations, women development corporations, women's cooperative societies, and
suitable Government / local bodies). The IMOs in turn lend to self-help groups (SHGs), which, in turn,
lend to individual members at a rate not above the ceiling prescribed by the RMK, i.e. 18 per cent per
annum on reducing balance method.
M V Rao was the father of yellow revolution...
also india is the highest producer and consumer of yellow oil..
Kundankulam Nuclear Protest
Thousands of protesters, belonging to the vicinity of the plant, have used various means to protest against the plant fearing
a Fukushima like disaster.[17] The protesters base their objection on the "more than 1 million people live within the 30 km radius of the
KKNPP which far exceeds the AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) stipulations. It is quite impossible to evacuate this many people
quickly and efficiently in case of a nuclear disaster at Koodankulam", etc.[18] According to S P Udayakumar, of the voluntary People's
Movement Against Nuclear Energy, "the nuclear plant is unsafe". No public hearing was held. It's an authoritarian project that has been
imposed on the people." A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has also been filed against the government’s civil nuclear programme at
the Supreme Court. The PIL specifically asks for the "staying of all proposed nuclear power plants till satisfactory safety measures and
cost-benefit analyses are completed by independent agencies".[19][20] Protesters said that even advanced countries like Germany
have decided to shutdown all its 17 Nuclear reactors through which the country gets 23% of its energy.[21][22]Gopal Gandhi, grandson
of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, former West Bengal governor also said that an "Indian Fukushima cannot be ruled out and
government needs to convince people about safety aspects of the project".[23]
In March 2012, police said they had arrested nearly 200 anti-nuclear protesters objecting resumption of work of building one of two 1
GW reactors, a day after the local government restarted work on the project.[24]
There have also been rallies and protests in favour of commissioning this nuclear power plant.[25][26]
On, February 24, 2012, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singhblamed American and Scandivanian
NGOsfor fuelling protests at the power plant. Three of the NGOs were later found to have used foreign funds received for social and
religious purposes to fuel the protests, violating foreign exchange regulatory rules.
[27]The PM also blamed these NGOs for opposing genetically modified foods and the use of biotechnology to increase food production
in the country.
----------------
list of major sea ports in india
Kandla Port - Gujarat
Visakhapatanam - Andhra Pradesh
Chennai Port - Tamil Nadu
Jawaharlal Nehru Port - Maharashtra
Paradip - Odhisa
Mumbai - Maharashtra
Mormugoa - Goa
Kolkata & Haldia - West Bengal
New Mangalore Port - Karnataka
Tuticorin - Tamilnadu
Cochin - Kerala
Ennore - Tamilnadu
Port Blair--Port Blair
Out of these 12 are controlled by Govt and 1 Ennore in controlled by private players..
issue of internal security...naxals
background-Several Left Wing Extremist groups have been operating in certain parts of the country for a few decades now. In a significant
development in 2004, the People’s War (PW), then operating in Andhra Pradesh, and the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI),
then operating in Bihar and adjoining areas, merged to form the CPI (Maoist). The CPI (Maoist), is the major Left Wing Extremist outfit
responsible for most incidents of violence and killing of civilians and security forces and has been included in the Schedule of Terrorist
Organisations along with all its formations and front organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The CPI
(Maoist) philosophy of armed struggle to overthrow the Indian State is not acceptable in a Parliamentary Democracy. The Government
has given a call to the Left Wing Extremists to abjure violence and come for talks. This plea has been rejected by them, since they
believe in violence as a means to achieve their objective. This has resulted in a spiralling cycle of violence in many parts of India. The
poor and the marginalised sections like the tribals are bearing the brunt of this violence. Many well-meaning liberal intellectuals fall prey
to Maoist propaganda without understanding the true nature of Maoist insurgency doctrine which glorifies violence and believes in
annihilation of the so called class enemies. Since, 2001, more than 5661 civilians and 2036 security force personel (till 30-07-2012)
have been killed by the Maoists in different parts of India. A majority of the civilians killed are tribals, often branded as ‘Police
informers’ before being brutally tortured and killed. In fact, tribals and the economically underprivileged sections have been the biggest
victims of the so called ‘protracted peoples war’ of the CPI (Maoist) against the Indian state.
Dynamics Of Naxal mission-Many sections of society, especially the younger generation, have romantic illusions about the Maoists, arising out of an incomplete
understanding of their ideology. The central theme of Maoist ideology is violence. The Maoist insurgency doctrine glorifies violence as
the primary means to overwhelm the existing socio-economic and political structures. The Peoples Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA), the
armed wing of CPI (Maoist), has been created with this purpose in mind. In the first stage of the insurgency, the PLGA resorts to
guerrilla warfare, which primarily aims at creating a vacuum at the grass-roots level of the existing governance structures. They achieve
this by killing lower-level government officials, police-personnel of the local police stations, the workers of mainstream political parties
and the peoples representatives of the Panchayati Raj system. After creating a vacuum, they coerce the local population to join the
movement. A strident propaganda is also carried out against the purported and real inadequacies of the existing state structure.
Plans to cater naxalism
Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme : Under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, funds are provided for
meeting the recurring expenditure relating to insurance, training and operational needs of the security forces, rehabilitation of Left
Wing Extremist cadres who surrender in accordance with the surrender and rehabilitation policy of the State Government concerned,
community policing, security related infrastructure for village defence committees and publicity material.
Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) : The Scheme for Special Infrastructure in Leftwing Extremism affected States was approved
in the Eleventh Plan, with an allocation of Rs. 500 crore, to cater to critical infrastructure gaps, which cannot be covered under the
existing schemes. These relate to requirements of mobility for the police / security forces by upgrading existing roads / tracks in
inaccessible areas, providing secure camping grounds and helipads at strategic locations in remote and interior areas, measures to
enhance security in respect of police stations / outposts located in vulnerable areas etc.
Central Scheme for assistance to civilian victims/family of victims of Terrorist, Communal and Naxal violence : The
broad aim of the Scheme is to assist families of victims of Terrorist, Communal and Naxal violence. An amount of Rs. 3 lakh is given to
the affected family under the scheme. The assistance given to those who are adversely affected by naxal violence under this scheme is
in addition to the ex-gratia payment of Rs. 1 lakh paid under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme.
Integrated Action Plan : The Planning Commission is implementing the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) for 82 Selected Tribal and
Backward Districts for accelerated development. The aim of this initiative is to provide public infrastructure and services in 82 affected /
contiguous Districts. Originally, a sum of Rs. 25 crores and Rs. 30 crores was released to 60 Districts during the financial years 2010-11
and 2011-12 respectively. This Scheme has now been extended to 22 more LWE affected Districts, taking the total coverage to 82
Districts. The nature of major works/projects taken up by the districts under the IAP include construction of School Buildings / School
Furniture, Anganwadi Centres, Drinking Water Facilities, Rural Roads, Panchayats Bhawan / Community Halls, Godowns / PDS shops,
livelihood activities, skill development/ trainings, Minor Irrigation Works, Electric Lighting, Health Centres/Facilities, Ashram Schools,
construction of Toilets, construction of multi-purpose chabutra, construction of passenger waiting hall, special coaching classes for
students, construction of ANM Centres, development of play grounds etc. Out of 81180 projects taken up by the states under the IAP,
61677 projects have been completed till 21.8.2012.
Road Requirement Plan for LWE areas : The Road Requirement Plan (RRP) Phase-I was approved in February, 2009 for
improvement of road connectivity in 34 extremely LWE affected districts in 8 States viz. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh. The RRP-I envisages development of 1126 kms of National
Highways and 4351 kms of State Roads (total 5477 kms), at a cost of Rs. 7300 crore. A length of 848 kms has been built at an
expenditure of Rs 1363 crores till 31st December, 2011. The stretches for Phase-II of the Road Requirement Plan have been finalised
by the Ministry of Home Affairs in August, 2011, based on the priority indicated by the State Governments and is under consideration
with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
Scheme of Fortified Police Stations : The Ministry has sanctioned 400 police stations in 9 LWE affected States at a unit cost Rs. 2
crores under this scheme.
Civic Action Programme : Under this scheme financial grants are sanctioned to CAPFs to undertake civic action in the affected
states. This is a successful scheme which aims to build bridges between the local population and the security forces.
LIST OF NATIONAL PARKS IN INDIA:
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Kaziranga, manas –assam
Indravati- chattisgarh
Gir, Nal Sarovar- Gujarat
Sultanpur- Haryana
Great Himalayan- Himachal Pradesh
Bandipur, Bhadra , Billigiri –Karnataka
Periyar, silent valley – Kerala
Bandhavgarh , Kanha , panmarhi, Sanjay – M.P
Melghat ,Tadoba – Maharashtra
Kaldeo, Kumbhalgarh ,Ranthambore , Sariska – Rajasthan
Indra Gandhi WLS , Kallakad ,Mudumalai- Tamil Nadu
Jim Corbett , Kedarnath, Govind ,Rajaji , valley of flowers -Uttarakhand
Dudhwa ,Kaimur – U.P
Jaldapara, Sunderbans- W. Bengal
Kavery river dispute:
The sharing of waters of the river Kaveri has been the source of a serious conflict between the Indian states of
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.The 802 km Kaveri river has 32,000 sq km basin area in Karnataka and 44,000 sq km basin
area in Tamil Nadu.
The state of Karnataka contends that it does not receive its due share of water from the river as does Tamil Nadu. Karnataka
claims that these agreements were skewed heavily in favour of the Madras Presidency, and has demanded a renegotiated
settlement based on "equitable sharing of the waters". Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, pleads that it has already developed
almost 3,000,000 acres (12,000 km2) of land and as a result has come to depend very heavily on the existing pattern of
usage. Any change in this pattern, it says, will adversely affect the livelihood of millions of farmers in the state.
On 19th Sep 2012, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh , who is also the Chairman of Cauvery River Authority (CRA),
directed Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu at Biligundlu (the border) daily
from September 21
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Manthan-1977 National Filmfare award winner
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Based on Operation Flood
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Directed by Shyam Benegal
Government on 11 September 2012 reduced interest rates on rescheduled crop loans from 12 to 7 per cent in drought-affected areas
for this fiscal. It also increased the number of guaranteed work days under the MGNREGA to 150 days from 100 days.Four Indian states
namely Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan have declared drought in more than 390 taluks.
During agrarian crisis, crop loans get converted into term loans for a longer period of three years but at a higher interest rate of 12 per
cent.
The Empowered Group of Ministers also approved 846 crore rupees to Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana under the
National Rural Drinking Water Programme, and relaxed some norms.
Millennium Development Goals
Eight Millennium Development Goals, as set by UN in September 2000, for target year 2015-
1.
2.
3.
4.
Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger,
Achieving universal primary education,
Promoting gender equality and empowering women
Reducing child mortality rates,
5.
6.
7.
8.
Improving maternal health,
Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases,
Ensuring environmental sustainability, and
Developing a global partnership for development
Millennium Development Goals [Targets]-
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
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Target 1A: Halve the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day
Target 1B: Achieve Decent Employment for Women, Men, and Young People
Target 1C: Halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
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Target 2A: By 2015, all children can complete a full course of primary schooling,
girls and boys
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
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Target 3A: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably
by 2005, and at all levels by 2015
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality rates
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Target 4A: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2060, the under-five mortality
rate
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
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Target 5A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality
ratio
Target 5B: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
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Target 6A: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
Target 6B: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all
those who need it
Target 6C: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and
other major diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
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Target 7A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies
and programs; reverse loss of environmental resources
Target 7B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the
rate of loss
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Target 7C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable
access to safe drinking
Target 7D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at
least 100 million slum-dwellers
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development
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Target 8A: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory
trading and financial system
Target 8B: Address the Special Needs of the Least Developed Countries (LDC)
Target 8C: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small
island developing States
Target 8D: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries
through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the
long term
Target 8E: In co-operation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to
affordable, essential drugs in developing countries
Target 8F: In co-operation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new
technologies, especially information and communications
Demographics of India
As per 2011 census, population of India is 1.21 Billion, making it second most populous country in
world. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world’s most
populous country by 2025, surpassing China, its population reaching 1.6 billion by 2050. Its
population growth rate is 1.41%, ranking 102nd in the world in 2010. India has more than 50% of its
population below the age of 25 and more than 65% below the age of 35. It is expected that, in 2020,
the average age of an Indian will be 29 years, compared to 37 for China and 48 for Japan; and, by
2030, India's dependency ratio should be just over 0.4. India has more than two thousand ethnic
groups, with Hindus consisting 80% of population and Muslims as 13%, followed by Christians, Sikhs
and Buddhists. States U.P., Maharashtra, Bihar tops the population counts, while Arunachal Pradesh,
Mizoram and Sikkim are on the bottom in the list.
Eleventh Five Year Plan of India
The eleventh plan has the following objectives:
Income & Poverty
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Accelerate GDP growth from 8% to 10% and then maintain at 10% in the 12th Plan in
order to double per capita income by 2016–17
Increase agricultural GDP growth rate to 4% per year to ensure a broader spread of
benefits
Create 70 million new work opportunities.
Reduce educated unemployment to below 5%.
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Raise real wage rate of unskilled workers by 20 percent.
Reduce the headcount ratio of consumption poverty by 10 percentage points.
Education
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Reduce dropout rates of children from elementary school from 52.2% in 2003–04 to 20%
by 2011–12
Develop minimum standards of educational attainment in elementary school, and by
regular testing monitor effectiveness of education to ensure quality
Increase literacy rate for persons of age 7 years or above to 85%
Lower gender gap in literacy to 10 percentage point Five-Year plans of India 114
Increase the percentage of each cohort going to higher education from the present 10% to
15% by the end of the plan
Health
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Reduce infant mortality rate to 28 and maternal mortality ratio to 1 per 1000 live births
Reduce Total Fertility Rate to 2.1
Provide clean drinking water for all by 2009 and ensure that there are no slip-backs
Reduce malnutrition among children of age group 0–3 to half its present level
Reduce anaemia among women and girls by 50% by the end of the plan
Women and Children
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Raise the sex ratio for age group 0–6 to 935 by 2011–12 and to 950 by 2016–17
Ensure that at least 33 percent of the direct and indirect beneficiaries of all government
schemes are women and girl children
Ensure that all children enjoy a safe childhood, without any compulsion to work
Infrastructure
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Ensure electricity connection to all villages and BPL households by 2009 and round-theclock power.
Ensure all-weather road connection to all habitation with population 1000 and above (500
in hilly and tribal areas) by 2009, and ensure coverage of all significant habitation by
2015
Connect every village by telephone by November 2007 and provide broadband
connectivity to all villages by 2012
Provide homestead sites to all by 2012 and step up the pace of house construction for
rural poor to cover all the poor by 2016–17
Environment
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Increase forest and tree cover by 5 percentage points.
Attain WHO standards of air quality in all major cities by 2011–12.
Treat all urban waste water by 2011–12 to clean river waters.
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Increase energy efficiency by 20%
Target growth:8.33% Growth achieved:7.9%
CAPART
Council for Advancement of Peoples Action and Rural Technology
PURA
Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas
NSAP
NATIONAL SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME
PMRDF
Prime Minister's Rural Development Fellows Scheme
SGSY
Swarna Jayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana
SECC
Socio Economic and Caste Census
BRGF
Backward Regions Grant Fund
IAP
Integrated Action Plan
Triple(555) Five scheme:
The Union Government set up a directorate, under Tea Board, which will serve small tea growers,Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union
Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.
The initiative is now only for the tea sector. This could be extended to other plantation sectors, if needed, Scindia said.
He added that some of the areas of importance for the tea sector were re-plantation and rejuvenation, increase in exports, and tackling
challenges such as labour shortage and higher mechanisation.
The government had come out with the Triple Five (555) scheme to increase Indian tea exports.
It is 555 scheme because, the focus would be on five markets with five major measures for five years. For the first phase, the
government had sanctioned Rs.6.5 crore for this scheme.
Sugarcane : India
Sugar: Brazil
Norman Borlaug, the "Father of the Green Revolution"
Onion – Maharastra
Maize,tomato,bt cotton - APCotton, potato , groundnut- GujaratRice - WBWheat, sugercane –
UP soyabean – MP flowers, coffee – Karnataka tea – assam
Highlights of 11th Five Year Plan of India:
Income and Poverty
● GDP growth target of 9% p.a.
● Increase agricultural GDP growth rate to 4% per year.
● To enhance domestic investment from 35•9% of GDP in 2006-07 to an average of 36•7% of GDP in plan period.
● To raise industrial growth rate from 9•2% in the 10th plan to between 10% and 11%.
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Manufacturing sector is targeted to grow at 12% p.a.
Create 58 million new work opportunities.
Reduce educated unemployment to below 5%.
Raise real wage rate of unskilled workers by 20 per cent.
Reduce the headcount ratio of consumption poverty by 10 percentage points.
Education
● Reduce dropout rates of children from elementary school from 52•2% in 2003-04 to 20% by 2011-12.
● Develop minimum standards of educational attainment in elementary school, and by regular testing monitor effectiveness of
education to ensure quality.
● Increase literacy rate for persons of age 7 years or more to 85%.
● Lower gender gap in literacy to 10 percentage points.
● Increase the percentage of each cohort going to higher education from the present 10% to 15% by the end of the 11th Plan.
Health
● To raise public health spending to 2% of GDP during plan period.
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Reduce infant mortality rate (IMR) to 28 and maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to 1 per 1000 live births.
Reduce total fertility rate to 2.1 by the end of the plan.
Provide clean drinking water for all by 2009 and ensure that there are no slip-backs by the end of the 11th Plan.
Reduce malnutrition among children of age group 0-3 to half its present level.
Reduce anemia among women and girls by 50% by the end of the 11th Plan.
Women and Children
● Raise the sex ratio for age group 0-6 to 935 by 2011-12 and to 950 by 2016-17.
● Ensure that at least 33 per cent of the direct and indirect beneficiaries of all government schemes are women and girl children.
● Ensure that all children enjoy a safe childhood, without any compulsion to work.
Infrastructure
● To achieve telecom subscriber base of 600 million and a rural teledensity of 25%.
● Ensure electricity connection to all villages and BPL households by 2009 and round-the-clock power by the end of the Plan.
● Ensure all weather road connection to all habitation with population 1000 and above (500 in hilly and tribal areas) by 2009, and
ensure coverage of all significant habitation by 2015.
● Connect every village by telephone by November, 2007 and provide broadband connectivity to all village by 2012.
● Provide homestead sites to all by 2012 and step up the pace of house construction for rural poor to cover all the poor by 2016-17.
Environment
● Increase forest and tree cover by 5 percentage points.
● Attain WHO standards of air quality in all major cities by 2011-12.
● Treat all urban waste water by 2011-12 to clean river waters.
● Increase energy efficiency by 20 percentage points by 2016-17.