The last hurdle in the operationalisation of the 123 Agreement
• Three steps that need to be concluded.
• One is an assurance from India on non-proliferation in the form of a letter.
• The second is the conclusion of the reprocessing agreement between the two countries.
• The third step is a civil liability law.
• Before Mr Singh's departure for the US the Cabinet on Thursday had cleared the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill, which will allow India to join the international convention on civilian liability in case of nuclear damage.
Climate change: India satisfied with joint statement
• India on Wednesday expressed satisfaction with the joint Indo-U.S. statement, particularly the portion on climate change, which "represents an increased degree of congruence" in the way the two countries approach the challenge.
• the Prime Minister's visit to the U.S. also laid the foundation for a significant and focussed collaborative effort both on clean energy and climate change. On the Copenhagen process, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Bali Action Plan as the basis for deliberations at the Conference of Parties next month.
• The statement recognises the key principle of common and differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities enshrined in the UNFCCC. In accordance with that principle, the joint statement commits developed countries such as the U.S. to take on economy-wide emission reduction targets, while developing countries should take mitigation actions which are specific in nature such as India's renewal energy plan or afforestation target.
• Sunita Narain, Director of the Centre for Science and Environment, said the statement was in line with the Indian position. There was a lot of pressure from the U.S. on India, China, Brazil and South Africa to change their position on climate change, but India seems to have made its position clear which is reflected in the statement, she told Hindu
PM leaves for Port of Spain
• Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago, where he will attend the two-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) beginning on Friday.
• India and the U.S. signed a Memorandum of Understanding on counter-terrorism and five other agreements during the visit.
• Dr. Singh held talks with Mr. Obama on the entire gamut of bilateral ties, the situation in the region and global challenges such as terrorism, climate change and the economic crisis. "I am satisfied with the visit," Dr. Singh said hours before wrapping up the trip. Describing his tour as very productive, he said, "I am confident that we cannot only continue but also strengthen the momentum of our relations built up in the last few years."
On the Brahmaputra dam issue
• The UN International Convention of 1997 on Non-Navigational Uses of International Water Courses mentions that the lower-reparian country should be consulted and its cooperation should be sought. India abstained in the vote in the UN and China had opposed this Convention of 1997.
• Because of this, India and China will have to enter into a political dialogue and negotiations on the issue of construction of a dam on Brahmaputra from the Tibetan side.
Leiberhan Commission's report leakage rocks Parliament
• Ahead of the 17th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, the issue was pitchforked back into the centrestage of the country's political discourse, with the Liberahan Commission report "indicting" the BJP's top leadership for its failure to protect the disputed structure, being leaked. The Commission also found fault with the so-called second generation of BJP which enthusiastically backed the demolition job.
• It took 17 years and 48 extensions for the Liberhan Commission probing the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya to submit its report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in June this year. One of the country's longest running inquiry commissions, which has cost the government nearly Rs 7 crore, the Liberhan Commission was set up to probe the sequence of events leading to the razing of the Babri mosque by Hindu mobs on December 6, 1992.
• The commission's lawyer, Anupam Gupta, dissociated himself from the one-man panel after eight years because of differences with Liberhan.
Analysis of the NREGP functioning
• First, the promise of 100-day employment to one member of every household that seeks employment is largely unfulfilled.
• Second, there are several in-built biases in the execution of NREGP. The poor are inadequately represented in those selected for participation. The duration of employment is systematically lower for poor households.
• Third, whereas few participants admit to paying bribes, several reported that personal acquaintance was necessary to secure employment under NREGP.
• Lastly, notwithstanding the unfulfilled employment promise of the NREGA, many participants indicated that they wanted to continue to work on NREGP. This is less of an indicator of the efficacy of the NREGP than of the fragility of their livelihoods.
RAPS' fifth nuclear reactor attains criticality
• The fifth nuclear reactor of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS-5) at Rawatbhatta, with a capacity of 220 MWe, reached criticality at 12.51 p.m. on Tuesday.
• This is the 18th nuclear power reactor to be commissioned in the country. With its commissioning, the total nuclear power-generation capacity now stands at 4,340 MWe.
• Although RAPS-5 is an indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR), built by the NPCIL,
• it uses natural uranium fuel imported from Russia. Hence it will come under the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) safeguards as per the Separation Plan, under which India has agreed to put a total of 14 reactors under the safeguards. A few months earlier, RAPS-2 started using natural fuel from Russia.
• The PHWRS use natural uranium as fuel, and heavy water as both coolant and moderator.
• "Commissioning of the sixth reactor at RAPS is in the final stage. We will be ready for loading the fuel into the reactor in the first week of December. Ten days after the fuel is loaded, RAPS-6 will go critical." It would also use fuel from Russia as part of the Separation Plan and, hence come under the IAEA safeguards. RAPS-6 would start generating its entire 220 MWe in February 2010.
• The fourth reactor at the Kaiga Atomic Power Station in Karnataka would be commissioned before the end of this financial year, that is, before March 31, 2010.However, Kaiga-4, with a capacity of 220 MWe, will use indigenous natural uranium fuel from Jaduguda in Jharkhand.
• Chairman and Managing Director of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) S.K. Jain.
• Recommending a reduction in the number of parliamentary committees, a research paper has called for induction of experts from academia and civil society into these forums in an advisory capacity. It has also called for frequent meetings of presiding officers of Parliament, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and chief whips of different parties to review the committee affairs.
• by National Social Watch Coalition
• Similarly it has called for making the committee sphere public."Like Britain, the committee proceedings should be thrown open to the public, though the decision-making stage can be made in-camera," it added.
• It has also suggested that the parliamentary committees' reports should be discussed at dedicated sittings with a non-voting proviso.
• The research paper notes that there has been a geometric growth in the number of parliamentary committees over the years – from just 11 in 1953-54 to well over 100 now.
India, Finland sign three agreements
• India and Finland on Thursday signed three agreements to boost cooperation in science and technology. Both the countries also decided to set up a Joint Business Council and address climate change.
• The agreements were signed during the India-Finland Technology Partnership Forum meeting
Coordination problems in revamped coastal security
• After 26/11, the country suddenly realised it has the sea on two sides.
• The concept of coastal security was defined with the Navy being asked to assume overall responsibility. While the Navy is essentially meant to guard the territorial waters, in the new scenario it has an additional job of drawing and implementing a plan to secure the 7,500-km long coastline against ingress.
• At present there are some 13 agencies, controlled by different Ministries, engaged coastal security activity. The Navy's suggestion to have a Maritime Security Advisor remains unfulfilled.
• The Navy has to seek a response from the Coast Guard that is responsible for protection of up to 200 nautical miles from the shoreline, known as the Exclusive Economic Zone, while the coastal police have to manage the areas in and around the coast.
World Bank team inspects water projects in Rajasthan
• An eight-member team of the World Bank assessed the progress of the Water Sector Reform Project and Swajaldhara Project funded by the global financial institution during a visit to Kothun village near here earlier this week. The team interacted with the villagers to assess the success of the projects.
• Led by World Bank country director for India Roberto Zagha, the team evinced a keen interest in monitoring the benefits of the Moti Sagar, Galwa and Masi dam schemes being operated under the projects and sought suggestions from the villagers for making improvements.
• The projects, initiated in 2001, have solved the problem of water scarcity and purportedly led to happy results such as more girls going to school and the villagers living peacefully without any altercation over their share of water.
First secretariat of COMOSA to be set up in Noida
• The first secretariat of the Commonwealth Open Schooling Association (COMOSA) will be located at the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) in neighbouring Noida.
• COMOSA will support the efforts of open schooling institutions in development and promotion of innovative, relevant, equitable, gender-sensitive and cost-effective school education programmes.
• It also aims at sustainable development in Commonwealth countries through the open and distance learning mode. To this end, it promotes building of networks and capacities, sharing resources, developing advocacy programmes and undertaking research and development.
Row over water treatment at tributary of Pampa
• The direct treatment of water in the Njunangar stream, a tributary of the Pampa, using ferrous chloride has kicked up a controversy.
• Experts and environmentalists say the system will pose a health hazard as the downstream of the river has several drinking water schemes. The chemical used is from a private company in Aluva which produces it as a byproduct, or rather a waste material. It used to discharge the chemical into the Periyar and had to stop it following protests.
Five NGOs get Japanese assistance
• Chennai
• Five NGOs engaged in social uplift work, including three from the State
• provided financial aid under the Japanese government's "Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects" (GGP) scheme.
• The beneficiary NGOs were the Community Action for Rural Development, Socio Economic Development Association and the Rural Development Organisation in Tamil Nadu and the Pragathi Charities and Integrated Rural Development Services in Andhra Pradesh.
Scrapping of the Silent Valley Project
• Many of you might not have been born when Silent Valley Project was a raging issu
We are really proud of our President
• It is really a matter of pride not just for the country's C-in-C but for the entire country. In the process she created history. Bravo President. By flying a Sukhoi at 74, you have sent us all a clear message.
National Law Day
• November 26 is celebrated as National Law Day because it was on this day in 1949 that the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution, which then came into effect on January 26, 1950.
Promote docket inclusion: K.G. Balakrishnan
• About 1.7 crore cases were disposed of in 2008 by 14,000 judges in the country
• "About 1.8 crore fresh cases had been filed in courts in 2008,
• "In all, Indian courts processed some 4.8 crore cases in 2008, which is one of the largest volume faced by any national judicial system.
From Father of the Nation to emperor
• Ben Kingsley, famous for his Oscar-winning portrayal of Mohandas Gandhi will star as Shah Jahan in Taj, 27 years after his award-winning performance in Gandhi.
• Indian actor and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will play Mumtaz Mahal in the $25-30 million production, the British actor's production company, SBK Pictures, said in a statement sent on Wednesday.
Vallur Thermal Power Project's first unit likely to go on stream in 2010-11
• The first unit of the Vallur Thermal Power Project is expected to go on stream in 2010-2011, according to an official.
• The NTPC Tamil Nadu Energy Company Ltd (NTECL), a joint venture of the NTPC and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB), is setting up the project near Chennai. The partners have equal share in the project, which will have three units of 500 MW each.
Agni-II night trial ends in failure
• The first night trial of the nuclear weapon capable Agni-II on Monday failed, with the missile not achieving the mission objectives.
• The 2,000 km range Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) fired from a mobile platform at 7.55 p.m. from the Wheeler Island, off the Orissa Coast, tumbled into the sea after the first stage. The operation was carried out by the personnel of the Strategic Forces Command of the Army.
Vinita Kamte writes a book in search of truth behind her husband's death
• For Vinita Kamte, wife of 26/11 martyr Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte,
• She has chronicled her findings in a book titled To The Last Bullet, co-authored by senior journalist Vinita Deshmukh.
Special pay for police in Maoist-infested areas
• The West Bengal government will pay a special allowance to police personnel who operate in Maoist-infested areas, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said on Tuesday.
Taslima hopeful of returning to Kolkata
• Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has said from Paris that although she cannot see herself return to her homeland in the near future, she is still hopeful of returning to Kolkata – her "second homeland."
Wildlife Protection Act to be amended to curb tiger poaching
• To prevent incidents of poaching and poisoning and to save the remaining population of tigers, the Ministry of Environment and Forests proposes to bring in amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) (Coimbatore)here, forest and environment minister said that of the 37 tiger reserves, nine were in good condition, 12 satisfactory and 16 in a precarious condition. As on date, the country had 1,200 to 1,400 tigers.
• To control poaching, a Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, with field offices, had been set up.
Sikh to become first non-white BNP member
• A retired Sikh schoolteacher, with extreme views on Islam, is set to become the first non-white member of the far-right British National Party (BNP) which is in the process of changing its "white-only" membership policy following a court order.
• Rajinder Singh (78), who moved to Britain from Punjab in 1967, said he would be "honoured" to join BNP hailing it as the only party which had the "guts" to attack Muslims publicly. However, he hastened to add that he didn't "hate" Muslims because Sikhism preached "love for all".
India Trade Promotion Organisation Chairman and Managing Director Subas Pani.
Stop illegal mining activities in A.P.
• The Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court has recommended to the court that illegal mining be stopped in six mines.
• alleged illegal mining in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act
China can play a role in resolution of Kashmir issue, says Mirwaiz
• The Mirwaiz hailed Tuesday's joint statement of the United States and China that made a reference to India and Pakistan. It said the two countries could work together to promote peace and stability in South Asia.
• The Hurriyat chairman sought the joint role of the U.S., China and the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in pushing for a resolution of the Kashmir issue.
Tendulkar first to reach 30,000 international runs
• Sachin Tendulkar conquered yet another peak when he became the first batsman to complete 30,000 runs in international cricket.
• The maestro reached the landmark when he clipped left-arm-paceman Chanaka Welegedara to square-leg for his 35th run after lunch on the fifth day.
• This is his 160th Test; ahead of the match, the 36-year-old Tendulkar had made 12,773 runs in 159 Tests at 54.58. The master batsman has 17,178 runs at 44.50 from 436 ODIs and 10 runs from his lone Twenty20 International for India.
• The legendary cricketer, who completed 20 years in international cricket, is the highest run-maker in both Tests and ODIs. And no batsman has notched up more hundreds than his 43 in Tests and 45 in the ODIs.
Constitution Bench to hear dam case afresh
• A five-Judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will hear afresh from January 19, 2010 Tamil Nadu's suit questioning an enactment made by Kerala that seeks to prevent raising of the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam beyond 136 ft as against 142 ft allowed by the Supreme Court in February 2006.
Mirwaiz scraps Hurriyat posts, assumes full control
• Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is heading a faction of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, has dissolved all its positions and administrative structure, taking complete "administrative control."The development came at an extraordinary meeting of the Hurriyat executive council, which was supposed to deliberate on New Delhi's offer of quiet dialogue.
• Apparently irked by the anti-dialogue statements issued by some members, the Mirwaiz said these created confusion in the minds of the people.
Take IFFI to Cannes scale: Ambika
• The inauguration of the 40th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) provided a platform for Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni to pitch for greater global recognition of the event.
• Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said: "It is the sixth edition of the film festival here. We want to tell the world that Goa has a film culture. The number of films being produced or shot in Goa has increased significantly. Our aim is to make IFFI one of the best international festivals."
Journalist Rajkhowa passes away
• Veteran journalist Naresh Chandra Rajkhowa, who broke the news about the Dalai Lama's flight from Tibet through Tawang in March 1959 and his seeking asylum in India, passed away at his Chandmari residence here on Monday.
• Mr. Rajkhowa was also the first Indian journalist to have interviewed the Tibetan religious leader. The Dalai Lama's request letter for asylum had reached Mr. Rajkhowa by mistake in Shillong, where he was based as the correspondent of the The Assam Tribune, a local English daily published from Guwahati.
--
with warm regards
Harish Sati
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
Maidan Garhi, New Delhi-110068
(M) + 91 - 9990646343 | (E-mail) Harish.sati@gmail.com
--
You have subscribed to the Groups "Sarkari-naukri" of http://sarkari-naukri.blogspot.com at Google.com.
Send email to Sarkari-naukri@googlegroups.com for posting.
Send email to
Sarkari-naukri-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com to unsubscribe.
Visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/Sarkari-naukri?hl=en
Post a Comment