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INDEX

1. National news

1.1 Agitation continues in Manipur for passage of three ILP bills

1.2 Daily fixation of petrol, diesel prices on pilot basis from May

1.3 BHIM-Aadhaar Application

1.4 Equal pay to paramilitary officers: SC

1.5 Govt approves funds for VVPAT

1.6 Indian Railways Draft Policy 2017

1.7 New data safety regime from TRAI

1.8 Hindi may soon be compulsory till Class X

1.9 PHFI loses FCRA license for lobbying

2. International News

2.1 China-Nepal exercise don’t worry us: India

2.2 Turkish referendum

3. Polity and Governance

3.1 Right to know a fundamental right, cannot be curtailed: SC

3.2 Case Study on Court cases backlog

3.3 Judicial opinion on personal laws needs review: FM

3.4 SC to hear Anti-defection case

4. Bills and Acts

4.1 HIV law promises equality

4.2 Motor Vehicles Bill

5. Economy 5.1 GSTN CEO promises data in network will be secure

5.2 FRBM recommends to maintain fiscal deficit at 3% of GDP till 2020

5.3 Govt to study on digital currency regulations

5.4 RBI regulatory norms to Banks

5.5 Centre to promote use of technical textiles

5.6 Energy Sector - Wind Power

6. Science and Tech

6.1 "Brabo" - An indigenously developed industrial robot

6.2 Global interest in PSLV increases post 104 satellite launch

6.3 Mother Of All Bomb

6.4 Japan’s Belle-II experiment

6.5 Indian firms Zika virus vaccine 100% efficient

7. Environment / Geography 7.1 New Plant species identified in Nilgiris

8. Security


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8.1 Government filed curative petition on AFSPA

9. India and World

9.1 Madhesi Crisis - India-Nepal Relations

9.2 Brexit and India-UK trade

9.3 India-UK defense deal

9.4 India-France Defense Deals

9.5 Teesta Water Issue - India Bangladesh Relations

10. Short News

10.1 Common Duct Policy soon

10.2 A frog's mucus could treat flu

10.3 Video games to be part of 2022 Asian games

10.4 One part of women bags sahitya Akademi


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Current Affairs (12-April to 20 April, 2017)

1. National News

1.1 Agitation continues in Manipur for passage of three ILP bills

• There have been protracted agitations in Manipur demanding implementation of the (Inner Line

Permit) ILP system.

• Discussion between the activist and government has failed, where the activist demand the

extension of the sixth schedule in the hill areas.

• The President had refused to sign one Bill and returned the other two. The previous Congress

government too had failed to resolve the crisis.

What is ILP?

• It is an official travel document issued by the Government of India to grant inward travel of an

Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.

• It is a British era document. But it is still used in independent India to protect tribal cultures of

the North East.

• At present, the ILP is in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland.

Why people of Manipur want ILP?

• In 2012, the Manipur state assembly passed a resolution urging the Government of India, to

implement the ILP system in Manipur.

• It also introduced the Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers Bill in 2015,

but it was later withdrawn because the Joint Committee on ILPs (JCILPS).

• There is no ILP in Manipur because Manipur was never under British rule.

• The argument of JCILPS is that since Manipur can no longer protect its indigenous culture and

distinctiveness after the 1949 merger.

• The free entry of 'outsiders' both from within and outside the Indian state is a central cause for

the demand for ILP.

1.2 Daily fixation of petrol, diesel prices on pilot basis from May

• From May 1 onwards, Centre has decided to fix petrol prices every day based on international

rates on pilot basis in selected 5 cities.

• The pilot scheme will be first implemented in Puducherry, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh,

Udaipur in Rajasthan, Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and Chandigarh.

• State fuel retailers currently revise rates on the 1st and 16th of every month, based on average

international price in the preceding fortnight and the currency exchange rate.

• Daily price change will remove the big leaps in rates that need to be effected at the end of the

fortnight, and consumers will be more aligned to market dynamics.


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• While petrol price was freed from government control in June 2010, diesel rates were

deregulated only in October 2014.

• State-owned fuel retailers IOC, BPCL and HPCL, which own over 95% of the nearly 58,000 fuel

outlets in the country, are likely to launch daily price fixing from May 1.

1.3 BHIM-Aadhaar Application

Recently, PM launched BHIM Aadhaar application on 126th birth anniversary of Ambedkar that will

change the payment sector in India.

BHIM App (Bharat Interface for Money)

• It was developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the Aadhaar-linked BHIM

mobile app is based on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI).

• It will facilitate the process of digital payments by using

Aadhaar numbers linked to bank accounts.

• It will allow every Indian citizen to transact digitally using

their thumb imprint on a merchants’ biometric-enabled

device.

Significance of BHIM App

• It will directly cater to about 40 crore bank account customers spread across the country whose

account is linked with Aadhaar.

• There will be no need for users to have access to smart phones, internet, debit or credit cards to

make digital payment to a merchant.

• Already, 27 major banks are on board along with 7.15 lakh merchants who will start accepting

payments using Bhim-Aadhaar.

Post-demonetisation cashless transactions have icreased: NITI Aayog

• About 15,000 institutions have become cashless, following its digi dhan mela initiative held

across 100 cities in the country.

• Volume of all digital transactions increased by about 23 times with 63,80,000 digital

transactions for a value of Rs. 2,425 crores in March 2017 (since demonetization) compared to

2,80,000 digital transactions worth Rs. 101 crores till November 2016.

• BHIM App has already created a new world record by registering 1.9 crore downloads in just

four months since its launch in December, 2016

1.4 Equal pay to paramilitary officers: SC

• Supreme Court has asked the Centre to re-think on the issue whether paramilitary forces can

be given monetary benefits like the "organized services".

• SC heard appeals including one filed by the Centre against the Delhi High Court's September

2015 verdict asking the government to consider all paramilitary forces as "organized services".


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• Earlier high court had said officers of paramilitary forces should be given the benefits including

non-functional financial upgradation (NFU), earlier available to 'Group A organized services',

from 2006 in terms of the 6th Pay Commission.

Paramilitary Forces

• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) • Border Security Force (BSF) • Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) • Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) • Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) • Railway Protection Force (RPF)

1.5 Govt approves funds for VVPAT

Government approved fund to procurement of 16.15 lakh VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail)

machines for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Why Election commission wants VVPAT?

• Opposition parties protest against Electronic Voting machines (EVMs) without paper trail units.

• Deploying VVPATs along with EVMs in all future elections so that transparency of the electoral

process is enhanced, integrity of the voting preserved, and the voters’ confidence in the process

is further strengthened.

About VVPAT

• The voter-verified paper audit is a method that

provides feedback to voters.

• It is an independent verification printer machine

and is attached to EVMs.

• It allows users to verify their vote has gone to the

intended candidate.

• When a voter presses EVM button, a paper slip is

printed through VVPAT.

• The slip contains the poll symbol and name of the candidate. It allows the voter to verify his

choice.

• After the voter views the slip, it drops inside a sealed box linked to the EVM seven seconds later.

It can only access by authorized persons.

1.6 Indian Railways Draft Policy 2017

Indian Railways (IR) is formulating policy to promote tourism through rail connectivity and special train

services ranging from luxury to budget.


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Highlights of Draft Railway Policy

• IR to introduce dedicated train services for domestic and international tourists, catering to

customers at all income levels.

• It is part of the draft tourism policy which IR is bringing out for the first time in a bid to increase

private partnership in running tourist trains.

• Railways also proposes to reserve special coaches for tourists on trains running through tourist

spots across the country.

• The IR will look to increase the frequency of hill tourist trains during peak season and has

proposed reviving steam trains to be operated in hill stations.

• It plans to unveil ‘Bharat Darshan Trains’ catering “for the masses” with sleeper class coaches.

“The fare for this train will be fixed broadly on the basis of normal fare of mail or express trains

with telescopic benefit for the entire trip.

• For promoting religious tourism, the IR proposed introducing Astha Circuit Trains and State

Tirth Trains. While the former will be operated by the IR at its own expense, the latter will be

run on request from state governments at their cost.

1.7 New data safety regime from TRAI

• Recently, Centre informed a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court that the Telecom

Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is working on a new regulatory regime to ensure online

data protection.

• Data protection and privacy is all the more important now because the less literate use apps

like BHIM and PayTM for cash transactions.

Why this issue arises?

• The debate was part of a Constitution Bench hearing for a declaration that a 2016 policy of

instant messaging app – WhatsApp – to give Facebook access to information and personal

details shared by millions of its users was a violation of their privacy and free speech.

Right to be forgotten

• There is a need for online privacy in the light of 'right to be forgotten' of an individual.

• It, also called the 'right to be erased', is one of the major casualties in the Internet age.

• It deals with the person's right to wipe out his past demeanors for which he has already suffered

punishment.

1.8 Hindi may soon be compulsory till Class X

• Students of schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Kendriya

Vidyalyas (KVs) may have to compulsorily study Hindi till Class X with recommendations of a

parliamentary panel in this regard getting the President’s nod.

• The CBSE had last year recommended a three-language formula — English and any two Indian

languages — to be expanded to Classes IX and X.


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• There are 1,117 KVs, 2,685 government/aided schools, 14,141 independent schools, 589

Jawahar Novodaya Vidyalayas and 14 Central Tibetan Schools, as per the board’s website.

1.9 PHFI loses FCRA license for lobbying

• Government cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license of the Public

Health Foundation of India (PHFI), the country’s largest public health advocacy group.

• The NGO has been barred from receiving foreign funds on the ground, among others, that it

used foreign contributions to lobby parliamentarians, the media and the government on

tobacco control issues, which “is prohibited under the FCRA.

• It was further alleged that PHFI had opened bank accounts which were not disclosed to the

ministry and had “misreported” foreign donations received over the past three years.

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)

• FCRA, 2010 Act is to regulate the acceptance and utilization of foreign contribution or foreign

hospitality by certain individuals or associations or companies and to prohibit acceptance and

utilization of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality for any activities detrimental to national

interest and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.


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2. International News

2.1 China-Nepal exercise don’t worry us: India

Recently, China-Nepal held a joint naval exercise "Sagarmatha Friendship – 2017" in Nepal Army’s

paratraining school in Maharajganj.

Why Nepal held joint exercise with China?

• It enhances Sino-Nepalese bilateral relations in security and political co-operation.

• The exercise is meant to help Nepal with counter-terror operations.

India's stand on joint exercise

• India is not concerned with the ongoing military exercises between China and Nepal, it has its

"own logic".

• India was not concerned with the military exercise, it concerned about long-term peace, stability

and the amendments to the Nepal Constitution of 2015.

The Sino-Nepalese relationship can set a good example for surrounding countries, thus further

enhancing China's cooperation with countries in South Asia, which is a worry for India in Asian region.

2.2 Turkish referendum

Recently, a new draft constitution that significantly increases the powers of Turkish President Recep

Tayyip Erdogan has been approved by voters in a referendum.

Why Turkey went for referendum?

• Modernizing Turkey's constitution that was drawn up at the behest of the once-omnipotent

military after the coup of 1980.

• But instead it's arguably the most controversial political change in a generation, giving sweeping

powers to the country's powerful but divisive President Erdogan.

Changes introduced in Turkey constitution

• The role of prime minister will be scrapped. The new post of vice president, possibly two or

three, will be created.

• The president becomes the head of the executive, as well as the head of state, and retains ties

to a political party.

• He or she will be given sweeping new powers to appoint ministers, prepare the budget, choose

the majority of senior judges and enact certain laws by decree.

• The president alone will be able to announce a state of emergency and dismiss parliament.


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• Parliament will lose its right to scrutinize ministers or propose an enquiry. However, it will be

able to begin impeachment proceedings or investigate the president with a majority vote by

MPs. Putting the president on trial would require a two-thirds majority.

• The number of MPs will increase from 550 to 600.

• Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on the same day every five years. The

president will be limited to two terms.

Significance of Turkey Referendum

Turkey today faces myriad problems, many stemming from the civil war in Syria. But the greatly

empowered Mr. Erdogan would do well to design his future policies not only as a reaction to these

forces but also as the means to enhance Turkey’s unique effort in reconciling pluralist democracy with

political Islam, and Western-style liberalism with populist nationalism.


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3. Polity and Governance

3.1 Right to know a fundamental right, cannot be curtailed: SC

• Supreme Court held that the right to know is a fundamental right and it cannot be curtailed by

banning information on the Internet on a case related to banning of pre-natal sex determination

advertisements and contents on the Internet.

• SC also stated that section 22 of the PNDT Act does not go against the Article 19(1)(a) of

Constitution which guarantees the freedom of speech and expression.

• Section 22 of the Act pertains to prohibition of advertisements relating to pre-natal

determination of sex and punishment for its contravention.

• The three Internet search engines — Microsoft, Google India and Yahoo! India — gave their

assurances to the Supreme Court that they would neither advertise nor sponsor advertisements

violate PNPCDT Act.

About Article 19(1)(a)

• It provides right to freedom of speech and expression.

• Every citizen can express his belief and opinions by almost any means possible.

• Broad interpretation and includes: Propagate other’s view, press, commercial advertisements,

telecast, RTI, printing, silence, etc.

• Reasonable restriction can be imposed in interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the

security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, etc.

About PCPNDT Act

• The PC-PNDT Act was enacted on 20 September 1994 with the intent to prohibit prenatal

diagnostic techniques for determination of the sex of the fetus leading to female feticide. That is

to say the preliminary object was to put a check on female feticide.

3.2 Case Study on Court cases backlog

SC has chosen Allahabad HC as 'pilot project' to study about case backlog in order to address the gross

human rights violations to under trials.

Supreme Court Study in Allahabad HC

• SC decided to put the Allahabad HC under the microscope as a “pilot project” to investigate

how High Courts deal with pendency.

• It was a “target-specific” exercise to study how criminal appeals face years of delay as

appellants face “inhuman compulsions” inside jails.


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• It will study the disposal statistics of last 10 years, average disposal time of the appeals,

identified causes for the delay, steps already taken and in contemplation for tackling and

accelerating disposals, mechanism in place to oversee the process and progress recorded.

Facts on Indian Judiciary

• With about 30 million cases pending in various courts

across the country.

• India has a total of 21,598 judges (sanctioned strength till

December 31, 2015). This figure includes 20,502 judges

in lower courts, 1,065 high court judges and 31 Supreme

Court judges.

• Vacancies: SC is short of five judges, 24 HCs have 464

vacant judges post and 4,166 at the subordinate courts.

• The judge-population ratio in India was only 12 judges per million populations.

3.3 Judicial opinion on personal laws needs review: FM

• Finance Minister expressed hope that the vintage judicial view that personal laws need not

conform to Constitutional rights would be reviewed in the near future.

• He expressed his opinion at a time when a Constitution Bench of the SC is scheduled to hear a

batch of petitions challenging whether personal law practices like triple talaq and polygamy

violate the constitutional rights of Muslim women.

Constitutional Provisions and Questions

• Whether personal laws can be brought under the ambit of Article 13 (laws inconsistent with or

in derogation of the fundamental rights) of the Constitution?

• If the SC agrees that personal laws are to be included in the definition of laws under Article 13,

the door would be opened wide for an aggrieved person to challenge in court a particular

personal law of a religion as violate the fundamental rights.

• The Centre has also asked the SC to determine whether the triple talaq, nikah halala and

polygamy are protected under the freedom of religion under Article 25.

Cases before SC

• The batch of petitions includes a suo motu PIL instituted by the Supreme Court itself on whether

personal law practices like triple talaq (talaq-e-bidat), niqah halala and polygamy violate dignity

of Muslim women and promote gender bias.

Earlier judgements on personal law

• The Bombay High Court in State of Bombay vs Narasu Appa Mali had held that personal law is

not ‘law’ under Article 13.


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• In Ahmedabad Women Action Group vs Union of India, SC was asked to consider if unilateral

divorce by talaq and polygamy were violative of Articles 14 and 15. The court rejected the claim,

saying it was for the legislature to determine.

• In December 2016, the Allahabad High Court had observed in a case that triple talaq was “cruel”

and judicial conscience was “disturbed.”

3.4 SC to hear Anti-defection case

Recently, Supreme Court referred plea related to anti-defection law to larger bench.

Question raised before SC

Will the anti-defection law apply to expelled members of either Houses of Parliament or Legislative

Assemblies?

Earlier judgment on anti-defection law

• Supreme Court held that in G. Viswanathan vs Hon’ble Speaker, Tamil Nadu Legislative

Assembly that a legislator expelled from his party shall be deemed to have “voluntarily given

up” his membership of that party who got him elected and nominated him to the House.

• This legal fiction of deeming him to continue in the party post-election as an “unattached

member” makes him therefore vulnerable to disqualification from the House on the ground of

defection under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law) of the Constitution.

Problems in Viswanathan judgment

• The expelled legislator would still be susceptible to the “whims and fancies” of the leaders of

the party which threw him out despite the fact that subsequently, after his expulsion, he had

gone ahead and formed his own political party.

Disqualification under anti-defection (10th Schedule)

• A member of parliament or state legislature was deemed to have defected if he either

voluntarily resigned from his party or disobeyed the directives of the party leadership on a vote.

• Independent members would be disqualified if they joined a political party.

• Nominated members who were not members of a party could choose to join a party within six

months; after that period, they were treated as a party member or independent member.


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4. Bills and Acts

4.1 HIV law promises equality

• Parliament passes the Human Immunodeficiency

Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency

Syndrome (AIDS) (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2017

• The proposed Bill address people living with HIV and

AIDS are guaranteed equal rights in medical

treatment, admission to educational institutions and jobs.

Highlights of HIV and AIDS Bill

• The Bill seeks to prevent and control the spread of HIV and AIDS.

• It prohibits discrimination against persons with HIV and AIDS including employment, education,

housing and health care, as well as with regard to the holding of public or private office, access

to insurance and freedom of movement.

• It provides for informed consent and confidentiality with regard to their treatment, places

obligations on establishments to safeguard their rights, and creates mechanisms for redressing

their complaints.

• It prohibits any individual from publishing information or advocating feelings of hatred against

HIV positive persons and those living with them.

• It also bans unfair treatment of people living with and affected by HIV with regard to accessing

public facilities, such as shops, restaurants, hotels, public entertainment venues, public facilities

and burial grounds.

4.2 Motor Vehicles Bill

Recently, Lok Sabha passed an amendment bill on Motor Vehicle Act of 1988 to address issues such as

third party insurance, regulation of taxi aggregators, and road safety.

Major Provision of amendment bill

• Under the Act, the liability of the third party insurer for motor vehicle accidents is unlimited.

(Max 10 lakh for death and 5 lakh for grievous injury).

• The Bill provides for a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund which would provide compulsory insurance

cover to all road users in India for certain types of accidents.

• The Bill defines taxi aggregators, guidelines for which will be determined by the central

government.

• It links driving licence and vehicle registration with Aadhaar-based platform. The move comes

in the wake of de-duplication of licenses and registration of stolen vehicles.


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• It proposes to create a National Register for Driving Licence and a National Register for Vehicle

registration through “Vahan” and “Sarathi” platforms. This is in order to smoothen the process

of registration and licensing.

• It proposes alterations in vehicles, in order to make them suitable for specially-abled people

• It has further introduced penalty of ₹10,000 for ‘not providing way for emergency vehicles’.

Bill Analysis

• The Bill caps the maximum liability for third party insurance, but does not cap the

compensation amount that courts can award.

• While the penalties for contravening provisions of the proposed scheme on interim relief to

accident victims are specified in the Bill, the offences that would warrant such penalties have

not been specified.

• The Bill does not address several issues around road safety that have been highlighted by other

committees such as: (i) creating road safety agencies, and (ii) improving road design and

engineering.


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5. Economy

5.1 GSTN CEO promises data in network will be secure

• Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) CEO Prakash

Kumar stated that GSTN will have a completely

foolproof security protection of its data and tax-related

information with total stability and backup facility.

• Only the tax payer and the concerned assessing officer

would have access to information submitted to the GSTN

portal.

• GSTN would not have any access to tax-related information of tax payers after GST is enforced

and that tax payers should rest assured on the front of data protection.

5.2 FRBM recommends to maintain fiscal deficit at 3% of GDP till 2020

• Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) review committee headed by former

Revenue Secretary N.K. Singh recommended to maintain FD to GDP till 2019-20.

• Committee gave recommendations on the FRBM roadmap for future, the panel has advocated

reaching a fiscal deficit to GDP ratio of 2.8% in 2020-21, 2.6% the subsequent year and 2.5% in

2022-23.

• To put that in context, the government has set a fiscal deficit target of 3.2% of GDP in 2017-18,

marginally better than the 3.5% clocked last year.

Major recommendations of FRBM committee:

• The panel has introduced an escape clause that allows the government to skip the fiscal deficit

target for a particular year, in situations that include national security concerns, acts of war,

national calamities, a collapse of the agriculture sector and far-reaching structural reforms with

unanticipated fiscal implications.

• It recommended that deviations from the stipulated fiscal targets should not be more than

0.5%.

• It combined debt-to-GDP of 60 per cent by 2023, 40 per cent for the central government and 20

per cent for state governments

• It recommended constituting a three-member Fiscal Council to prepare multi-year fiscal

forecasts and a debt and fiscal sustainability analysis that makes projections on key fiscal

indicators.


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• It also suggested lowering revenue deficit to GDP ratio by 0.25 percentage points each year by

bringing it down to 0.8 per cent in FY2023 from 2.3 per cent in FY2017.

About FRBM Act

• The FRBM Act 2003 enacted to ensure fiscal discipline for the centre by setting targets including

reduction of fiscal deficits and elimination of revenue deficit.

• The targets set under the Act was postponed several times in later years though some other

goals of the Act including phasing out of government borrowing from the RBI were

implemented.

• It was enacted in 2003 as rising government borrowing and the resultant government debts

have seriously eroded the financial health of the government.

5.3 Govt to Study on Digital Currency Regulations

• The government has decided to close the regulatory gaps to

keep a check on virtual currencies, including Bitcoins.

• It has set up an inter-disciplinary committee to recommend

an action plan for dealing with such currencies within three

months.

• RBI had also cautioned users, holders and traders of virtual

currencies (VCs), including Bitcoins, about the potential financial, operational, legal, customer

protection and security related risks that they are exposing themselves.

• The committee will also include experts from the RBI, the central government’s think tank NITI

Aayog and State Bank of India.

5.4 RBI regulatory norms to Banks

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened the rules that trigger regulatory action on banks when they fall

short of capital or exceed bad loan limits

RBI’s prompt corrective action (PCA)

Under prompt corrective action (PCA) framework, banks are

assessed on three parameters:

• Capital ratios

• Asset quality

• Profitability

Failure to meet any of these norms could invite RBI action on these lenders, which could include

strictures on lending and branch expansion, change in management and reduction in assets.


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RBI’s Risk Parameters to take action

• The first risk threshold under PCA would be triggered if the capital-to-risk assets ratio falls below

the minimum mandated 10.25%. (earlier in 2002 it was 9%)

• Two more risk thresholds—when the capital adequacy ratio falls below 7.75% and below 6.25%.

• Apart from these mandatory actions, RBI has armed itself with discretionary powers such as

winding up the bank or merging it, which it would use when the highest risk threshold is

breached.

Why RBI introduced PCA norms?

• In the backdrop of Basel (capital adequacy) norms incrementally going to be tighter, RBI is using

this tool to finally intervene in the banks.

• This tool will assist in guiding banks to faster NPA (non-performing asset) resolution.

5.5 Centre to promote use of technical textiles

• Technical textiles or functional textiles, considered a

sunrise sector in the country, is all set for demand

taking off for products such as geo and agro textiles.

• It is a thrust area for the Government because of the

value addition involved. It can be used in

infrastructure projects, including ports, roads, and

railways, and in sectors such as agriculture.

About technical textiles

• Geo Textiles: They are permeable fabrics that are used in association with soil and which have

the ability to separate and filter.

• Agro Textiles: They are used in shading and in weed and insect control.

Prospects of technical textiles

• The technical textiles sector had a compounded annual growth rate of 12% for the last three

years.

• It is expected to grow by 20 % the next five years.

• The schemes by the Government, better awareness, interface initiatives with other ministries

are all expected to create demand.

Challenges in technical textiles

• The main challenges for technical textiles in the country are awareness among consumers.

• It also need for technology and knowledge about it among entrepreneurs


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• The investments and time needed to be innovative and develop applications, and raw material

availability.

5.6 Energy Sector - Wind Power

Wind power industry is in the news. Why?

• For the first time, wind power installations (windmills) crossed the 5 Gigawatt mark, to reach

5,400 MW in 2016-17. The earlier record was 3,472 MW of 2015-16.

Why Wind sector optimistic?

• The Indian wind industry has been around since the late

1980s. For many years, it existed only in T.N., the windiest

State.

• In the last decade, it spread to eight other States that have

any wind potential — four other southern states, M.P., Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

• But now, the Centre wants to buy electricity from wind power producers and sell it to

electricity supply companies in other states, which are bound by law to buy a portion of their

needs from wind and solar sources.

Auctioning of wind prices makes sector excited?

• Following the Centre’s example, all states want to determine prices through competitive

bidding, and competition hammers down prices, as we saw in February. So, while the market

expands, the prices also drop.

• Besides, the government has let expire last month the ‘generation-based incentive’, a scheme

which paid wind power companies 50 paise for every kWhr they produced, subject to certain

caps.

• Also, the tax-saving ‘accelerated depreciation’ benefit, which engendered the industry in the

late ‘80s, is now halved. So, it is a mixed bag for the wind industry.

How important is the sector?

• India, with 32,280 MW, has the fourth biggest capacity in the world, after China, the U.S. and

Germany.

• The national target is 60 GW by 2022. Wind accounts for 10% of India’s total power capacity of

3.2 lakh MW; and 4% in terms of electricity produced.


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6. Science and Tech

6.1 "Brabo" - An indigenously developed industrial robot

• Designed and manufactured by TAL, a Tata Motors

subsidiary

• Developed for micro, small and medium enterprises

• It was part of the Make in India drive.

• The manufacturer has released two variants for

payloads of 2 kg and 10 kg.

About Brabo

• It can handle payloads of up to 10 kg, mapping it to

human lifting potential.

• Its arm length was also chosen to compare well with

that of a human.

• It can manage raw material as well as product packaging in the final stage.

Expected outcome through Brabo

• It will help small and medium enterprise in India to grow.

• It’s cheaper (Rs 5 to 7 lakh) than the imported robots with high work efficiency.(Except for the

driver and motor, all other components are made in India)

6.2 Global interest in PSLV increases post 104 satellite launch

• Indian PSLV space vehicle has received more than double its normal share of inquiries from

prospective customers ever since it launched a record 104 satellites in a single flight in February.

• ISRO is also ramping up availability of the PSLVs. Antrix has asked for two dedicated PSLVs a year

for doing fully commercial launches. They can mostly cater to the 5 kg to 100 kg small satellites.

• Antrix has launch orders worth around ₹ 600 crore.

• Presently, PSLV is in an interesting position in the market. It has a strong technical track record

and is an attractive vehicle for smallsat operators - especially if the launch frequency increases.

About Antrix

• Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix) is a wholly owned Government of India Company under the

administrative control of Department of Space (DOS).

• Antrix is the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

• Antrix promotes and commercially markets the products and services emanating from the

Indian Space Programme.


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6.3 Mother Of All Bomb

Recently, US dropped Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), the largest non-nuclear bomb on a network

of Islamic State targets in Afghanistan.

What is the 'Mother Of All Bombs'?

• The MOAB is a large-yield conventional (non-

nuclear) GPS-guided munition weapon first

designed in 2002 by Air Force Research

Laboratory for the US military.

• It weighs in at roughly 10,000 kilograms, is 10

metres long and one metre wide and packs 8,000 kilograms of explosives — in comparison, the

average weight of most deployed conventional bombs is roughly 250 kilograms.

How does it differ to other bombs?

• Unlike most conventional bombs, the MOAB is designed to take out field-fortified targets —

like caves, canyons and tunnels — that are not easily reachable.

• It is known as a thermobaric weapon which is a type of explosive that uses oxygen from

surrounding air to generate an intense, high-temperature blast wave that packs an incredible

amount of energy into a small, localised location.

Why has it never been used before?

• The MOAB's massive size, in addition to its powerful thermobaric qualities that cause

devastating surface destruction.

Why US used now?

• Analysts have speculated the reason the US may have decided to use it now, is that the network

of Islamic State tunnels and caves targeted were located in Afghanistan's desolate Achin district

of Nangarhar, near the Pakistani border.

• The US military has said the targets consisted primarily of a large number of Islamic State

militants, both on the surface and in underground tunnels, making the target unusually suitable

for a MOAB.

6.4 Japan’s Belle-II experiment

• The High Energy Accelerator Research Organisation (KEK) in Japan is getting ready to launch the

Belle-II experiment, a massive collaboration of 700 scientists from across the globe.

• At Belle-II, highly intense electron-positron beams will be made to collide and a huge number of

B-mesons (a boson containing the B, or beauty, quark) produced.


22


India's contribution in Belle-II

• Building a detector to observe the resultant decay products is a challenging task and that is one

area where Indians have contributed significantly.

• Indians built the fourth layer of the six-layer silicon vertex detector and developing the analysis

and theory.

• The highly miniaturised sensor engineering and the “origami chip-on sensor” design of the

readout chip, which improves the signal to noise ratio, are novel and highly complex aspects.

Importance of Belle-II experiment

• This experiment has the same aim as the Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) experiment at

CERN to study the decay of the short-lived B-mesons, and unearth clues to “new physics”.

• It also provides a unified description of all the forces in the universe except gravitation.

• It accounts for various particles and how they get their masses with the help of the Higgs boson.

6.5 Indian firms Zika virus vaccine 100% efficient

• The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s ‘killed Zika virus vaccine’ using an African strain has

shown 100% efficacy against mortality and disease in animal studies, a study has shown.

• A ‘killed virus vaccine’ or ‘inactivated vaccine’ contains virus that has been grown in culture and

then killed using physical or chemical processes.

• The vaccine was found to confer 100% protection against infection caused by an Asian Zika virus

strain as well as by the African Zika virus strain.

About Zika virus

• Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys

through a network that monitored yellow fever.

• Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes.

• People with Zika virus disease can have symptoms including mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis,

muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache.


23


7. Environment / Geography

7.1 New Plant species identified in Nilgiris

Three new species of plants belonging to the Balsaminaceae family were identified in the Mukurthi

National Park in the Nilgiris.

• Impatiens kawttyana: It is identifiable by its large, white flowers, glandular hairs followed by

white hairs at the throat, and has been named after a Toda deity hill

• Impatienstaihmushkulni: It is named after the Toda deity hill, ‘Taihmushkuln’. Like the halls of

Valhalla in Norse mythology

• Impatiens nilgirica: It is a variant of nawttyana, differs slightly from a previously identified

species, with the newly found variety having “longer scape (part of a stalk bearing flowers) and

petioles (the stalk that joins the leaf to the stem), with white flowers

There are more than 135 endemic species of plants in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, of which the Nilgiris

in Tamil Nadu forms the core, with over 90 endemics


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8. Security

8.1 Government filed curative petition on AFSPA

• The government asked the Supreme Court to urgently reconsider its July 2016 verdict which

ripped open the cloak of immunity and secrecy provided by the Armed Forces (Special Powers)

Act of 1958 (AFSPA) to security forces for deaths caused during encounters in disturbed areas.

• SC had held that “there is no concept of absolute immunity from trial by a criminal court” if an

Army man has committed an offence.

• SC had held that every death caused by security forces in a disturbed area, even if the victim

was a dreaded criminal or a militant or a terrorist or an insurgent, should be thoroughly inquired

into to address any allegation of use of excessive or retaliatory force.

About AFSPA

• The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act was enacted in 1958 to bring under control what the

government of India considered ‘disturbed’ areas.

• States under AFSPA: Assam, Nagaland, Manipur (except the Imphal municipal area), Arunachal

Pradesh (only the Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts plus a 20-km belt bordering Assam),

Meghalaya (confined to a 20-km belt bordering Assam) and Jammu and Kashmir.

• The government considers those areas to be ‘disturbed’ “by reason of differences or disputes

between members of different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or

communities.”


25


9. India and World

9.1 Madhesi Crisis - India-Nepal Relations

Recently, Madhesi parties deciding to boycott local polls until demands of constitution amendment met

that leads to another political crisis in Nepal.

Why Madhesi boycott local polls?

• United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) leaders, claimed that the new proposal has not

addressed their key demand—revision of provincial boundary.

• Madhesi parties have been demanding a redrawing of federal boundaries to reflect the fact

that the community, residents of the Terai area, and other minority groups are in a majority in

some new provinces.

• The government had also initiated amendments that went some way in addressing Madhesi

concerns, such as the formation of a federal commission to look into a redrawing of federal

boundaries, and the recognition of local languages as national ones.

These amendments were, however, rejected by Madhesi parties, which stuck to a maximalist position.

9.2 Brexit and India-UK trade

Recently, commonwealth conducted on analysis of how brexit would benefit boost India-UK trade

Why India-UK had low trade before Brexit?

• European Union's failure to agree a free trade deal as there is high tariffs involved in exports

(British 14.8% and India 8.4% average tariffs).

• European Union regulations on intellectual property and data protection, with which India is

refusing to comply

How trade increases after Brexit?

• UK will be able to show more "flexibility" than the EU on red tape and increase trade between

the two nations as a result.

• Proposed India–UK FTA may be easier to negotiate than the India-EU FTA.

Expected results in trade growth

• Britain will be able to increase its exports to India by more than £2 billion per year

• British exports to India rise from £4.2bn to £6.3bn, an increase of £2.1bn, or 33 per cent.

• Imports from India to the UK will rise by around £1 billion, meaning the UK’s balance of trade

will be improved.


26


9.3 India-UK defense deal

Britain’s engineering major Rolls Royce and DRDO have been working on developing an engine for

military jets and the UK is keen on many such joint projects.

Significance of the deal

• Engine cooperation is a significant development given India’s troubled history in developing an

aircraft engine.

• UK would extend defense equipment cooperation to enable Indian defense companies in

developing of new technologies such as gas turbine engines and air defense missile systems.

• India and the US have joint working groups on jet engine technology and carrier technology

under the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).

9.4 India-France Defense Deals

• India and France will step up negotiations to expand the Scorpene submarine contract after

the presidential elections in France in May.

• Mazgaon Docks Ltd. (MDL), Mumbai, is manufacturing six Scorpene conventional submarines

with technology transfer from DCNS under a $3.75-billion deal signed in October 2005.

Earlier Deals

• The first submarine Kalvari is now in advanced stages of sea trials and expected to be

commissioned in a few months.

• The second submarine Khanderi was launched in January and is undergoing sea trials.

9.5 Teesta Water Issue - India Bangladesh Relations

Recently, West Bengal chief minister insisted that instead of Teesta, the Centre should look at other

river systems to share water with Bangladesh (Torsa River).

Why West Bengal proposes new initiatives?

• Teesta completely dried up in Bangladesh because the natural flow of water was blocked

artificially.

• CM proposed sharing the waters of other rivers, like the Torsa river. As north Bengal is

completely dependent on the Teesta, rivers like the Torsa, which are closer to the border of

India and Bangladesh, are good options.

• The Torsa, in fact, has connectivity with Bangladesh's Padma river.

• CM proposed that the two countries set up a commission to ascertain the level of water

flowing through the Torsa and the quantum of water that can be shared.


27


Teesta Dispute

• The Teesta river originates in Sikkim and flows through West Bengal as well as Bangladesh.

India claims a share of 55 percent of the river's water.

• Bangladesh wants a higher share than it gets now. Currently, its share is lower than that of

India's.

• A 2011 interim deal - that was supposed to last 15 years - gave India 42.5 percent of the

Teesta's waters and gave Bangladesh 37.5 percent.

Teesta River

• The river is Bangladesh's fourth largest transboundary river for irrigation and fishing.

• The Teesta's floodplain covers 2,750sq km in Bangladesh.

• Of the river's catchment - an area of land where water collects - 83 percent is in India and 17

percent is in Bangladesh.


28


10. Short News

10.1 Common Duct Policy Soon

• The Centre is likely to soon come out with a new policy under which a common duct will be laid

across a city and service providers such as telcos and digital TV players can lease these ducts to

pass their fibre through it to offer services to consumers.

• The ‘common duct policy,’ for which Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is carrying out pilots

in Deoghar in Jharkhand, could reduce operational cost of firms.

10.2 A frog's mucus could treat flu

• According to new study, Skin mucus secreted by a colorful, tennis ball-sized frog species found

in Kerala can be used to develop an anti-viral drug that can treat various strains of flu.

• Frog mucus is loaded with molecules that kill bacteria and viruses and researchers are

beginning to investigate it as a potential source for new anti-microbial drugs.

10.3 Video Games to be part of 2022 Asian Games

• Video gaming will be featured as a full sport at the 2022 Asian Games, with competitors in

electronic sports set to receive medals for their digital prowess.

• The Olympic Council of Asia says it will introduce e-sports to the official programme of the Asian

Games at Hangzhou, China.

• The Asian Games are billed as the world’s second largest multi-sport event after the Olympics.

10.4 One part of women bags Sahitya Akademi

• The English translation of writer Perumal Murugan’s novel Mathorubhagan (One Part Woman)

has won the Sahitya Akademi’s award for translation in English.

• The translation was done by Aniruddhan Vasudevan and the book was published by Penguin.

• The prize in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cash component

of ₹50,000 would be presented at a ceremony in June.


29


PREFACE

Current Affairs plays a crucial role in UPSC civil service examination. Most of

the UPSC Prelims and Mains questions are asked based on current events.

Last year (2016 prelims) UPSC asked as many as 45+ direct current affairs

based questions.

We at NeoStencil.com, have taken an initiative to provide current affairs

thrice a month (1st, 11thand 21st of every month) to supplement and enrich

the UPSC civil service and other competitive exam preparation.

NeoStencil Current Affairs material will consist of news information with

some additional background information related to news and analysis of

some important issues, keeping in mind – How UPSC analyses and asks

questions for Prelims and Mains examination.

This is our first edition of current affairs magazine. We are trying to give our

best for the benefit of UPSC IAS preparing aspirants.

We welcome your valuable feedback for better content development to

enrich our Current Affairs Material. Please provide your feedback on

[email protected].

This is just the beginning of our long journey to help and support IAS, SSC,

Bank PO and other competitive preparing aspirants.

Thanking You.

All the Best.


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