‘One Life is Not Enough’: Autobiography of Natwar Singh released
An autobiography of the former External Affairs Minister and veteran Congress Party leader Natwar Singh was released. The book titled “One Life is Not Enough” is penned by Kunwar Natwar Singh.
This book has been in news and controversy since past few days because it discloses much information about Sonia Gandhi, the President of the Congress Party.
The most debated information revealed in the book includes
the truth behind the fact that forced Sonia Gandhi to not opt for the post of Prime Minister in 2004 General Elections. As per the book, it was not the inner soul of Sonia Gandhi that forced her to withdraw her name from the position of Prime Minister, but it was her son Rahul Gandhi, who feared that his mother’s fate would end up like his grandmother and father.
The book holds Sonia Gandhi responsible for the drubbing of Congress in the 16th General Elections.
An autobiography of the former External Affairs Minister and veteran Congress Party leader Natwar Singh was released. The book titled “One Life is Not Enough” is penned by Kunwar Natwar Singh.
This book has been in news and controversy since past few days because it discloses much information about Sonia Gandhi, the President of the Congress Party.
The most debated information revealed in the book includes
the truth behind the fact that forced Sonia Gandhi to not opt for the post of Prime Minister in 2004 General Elections. As per the book, it was not the inner soul of Sonia Gandhi that forced her to withdraw her name from the position of Prime Minister, but it was her son Rahul Gandhi, who feared that his mother’s fate would end up like his grandmother and father.
the truth behind the fact that forced Sonia Gandhi to not opt for the post of Prime Minister in 2004 General Elections. As per the book, it was not the inner soul of Sonia Gandhi that forced her to withdraw her name from the position of Prime Minister, but it was her son Rahul Gandhi, who feared that his mother’s fate would end up like his grandmother and father.
The book holds Sonia Gandhi responsible for the drubbing of Congress in the 16th General Elections.
S S Mundra assumes office as RBI deputy governor
S S Mundra (60) has taken charge as deputy governor Reserve Bank of India. As a deputy governor of the central bank, he will be responsible for banking supervision, currency management, financial stability and rural credit. The government has notified his appointment for a period of 3 years.
The veteran banker had begun his career as a probationary officer, and served for a short time at Union Bank of India, where he was executive director. In a rare move, he returned as the CMD of his parent bank (Bank of Baroda) and was seen as a surprise choice for the prestigous regulatory job. In fact, Mundra would have never been offered this post had it not been for K C Chakrabarty’s decision to resign before the end of his tenure as RBI deputy governor.
Now, RBI has four deputy governors– H R Khan, Urijit Patel, R Gandhi and S S Mundra.
RBI is planning to have one more deputy governor, but this will require a change in the rules of RBI. Till the time the changes in rules are made, the RBI has suggested the Government to appoint an Officer on Special Duty or Chief Operating Officer (COO) with the rank of a deputy governor. Government is yet to take a call on any of these proposals put forward by the RBI. Normally, an RBI deputy governor can be appointed for 5 years or till the age of 62, whichever is earlier. To be eligible for the post, a candidate needs to be less than 60 years of age while assuming charge.
S S Mundra (60) has taken charge as deputy governor Reserve Bank of India. As a deputy governor of the central bank, he will be responsible for banking supervision, currency management, financial stability and rural credit. The government has notified his appointment for a period of 3 years.
The veteran banker had begun his career as a probationary officer, and served for a short time at Union Bank of India, where he was executive director. In a rare move, he returned as the CMD of his parent bank (Bank of Baroda) and was seen as a surprise choice for the prestigous regulatory job. In fact, Mundra would have never been offered this post had it not been for K C Chakrabarty’s decision to resign before the end of his tenure as RBI deputy governor.
Now, RBI has four deputy governors– H R Khan, Urijit Patel, R Gandhi and S S Mundra.
RBI is planning to have one more deputy governor, but this will require a change in the rules of RBI. Till the time the changes in rules are made, the RBI has suggested the Government to appoint an Officer on Special Duty or Chief Operating Officer (COO) with the rank of a deputy governor. Government is yet to take a call on any of these proposals put forward by the RBI. Normally, an RBI deputy governor can be appointed for 5 years or till the age of 62, whichever is earlier. To be eligible for the post, a candidate needs to be less than 60 years of age while assuming charge.
Ghana’s proposal of land to Punjab farmers accepted by Punjab Government
The Punjab Government has agreed to the Ghana Government’s proposal offering land to Punjab farmers. As per the proposal, the government of Ghana would provide fertile farmland on a long-term lease to Punjab farmers for farm activities.Ghana has made this proposal to promote agriculture as a tool of progress in Ghana and if possible then by Punjab’s expertise in farming.
Punjab Government has assured Ghana that a high-level delegation of officers as well as an expert from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, would be sent to Ghana to study the suitability of the entire project.
Ghana also offered Punjab to export finished goods to Ghana. It has invited Punjabi entrepreneurs to visit Ghana to start manufacturing facilities in the country and take advantage of Ghana’s natural resources like various minerals, timber, oil, cocoa, palm oil fish and cotton.
The Punjab Government has agreed to the Ghana Government’s proposal offering land to Punjab farmers. As per the proposal, the government of Ghana would provide fertile farmland on a long-term lease to Punjab farmers for farm activities.Ghana has made this proposal to promote agriculture as a tool of progress in Ghana and if possible then by Punjab’s expertise in farming.
Punjab Government has assured Ghana that a high-level delegation of officers as well as an expert from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, would be sent to Ghana to study the suitability of the entire project.
Ghana also offered Punjab to export finished goods to Ghana. It has invited Punjabi entrepreneurs to visit Ghana to start manufacturing facilities in the country and take advantage of Ghana’s natural resources like various minerals, timber, oil, cocoa, palm oil fish and cotton.
Excessive healthcare is a problem on the rise in India: World Bank
The World Bank has warned that excessive healthcare is emerging as a serious problem in India. As per the bank, people with private health insurance are two to three times more likely to be hospitalized than the national average.
The bank is of the view that many of these medical protection policies result in only marginal benefits and can actually harm the patients, leading to unnecessary suffering, especially among the weak and elderly. The situation may aggravate as many more people will be able to afford healthcare as the government steps up medical coverage for the poor. It suggested India to urgently build in checks against this hazard, especially as it sets aside an increasing share of limited public resources for medical insurance.
The warning from the bank comes amid concern expressed by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan over “corruption” in regulatory institution Medical Council of India (MCI) and the “nexus” of doctors and diagnostic centres, resulting in patients being prescribed unnecessary tests.
The World Bank has warned that excessive healthcare is emerging as a serious problem in India. As per the bank, people with private health insurance are two to three times more likely to be hospitalized than the national average.
The bank is of the view that many of these medical protection policies result in only marginal benefits and can actually harm the patients, leading to unnecessary suffering, especially among the weak and elderly. The situation may aggravate as many more people will be able to afford healthcare as the government steps up medical coverage for the poor. It suggested India to urgently build in checks against this hazard, especially as it sets aside an increasing share of limited public resources for medical insurance.
The warning from the bank comes amid concern expressed by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan over “corruption” in regulatory institution Medical Council of India (MCI) and the “nexus” of doctors and diagnostic centres, resulting in patients being prescribed unnecessary tests.
Bees choose best flowers even before landing just from the color of petals
As per a scientific study, Bumblebees select most nutritious flowers for providing best food for their young simply by looking at the colour of the petals even before landing on the flower. As bees do not ingest pollen unlike nectar while foraging on flowers, it has been unclear whether they are able to form associative relationships between what a flower looks like and the quality of its pollen. The study used bumblebee foragers housed under controlled conditions to test whether they do learn about flowers during pollen collection.
The findings showed that bumblebees can individually evaluate pollen samples and differentiate between them during collection, quickly forming preferences for a particular type of pollen. They are able to detect differences in pollen, even before landing, which means they may be able to discriminate, just from the colour of the petals, which flowers are richer in nutritious content.
As per a scientific study, Bumblebees select most nutritious flowers for providing best food for their young simply by looking at the colour of the petals even before landing on the flower. As bees do not ingest pollen unlike nectar while foraging on flowers, it has been unclear whether they are able to form associative relationships between what a flower looks like and the quality of its pollen. The study used bumblebee foragers housed under controlled conditions to test whether they do learn about flowers during pollen collection.
The findings showed that bumblebees can individually evaluate pollen samples and differentiate between them during collection, quickly forming preferences for a particular type of pollen. They are able to detect differences in pollen, even before landing, which means they may be able to discriminate, just from the colour of the petals, which flowers are richer in nutritious content.
Japanese women are world’s longest-lived females; Hong Kong men longest-lived males
The average life expectancy of Japanese women increased to 86.61 years in 2013, up from 86.41 the previous year, making them the world’s longest-lived females for the second consecutive year. Japanese men’s lifespan rose above 80 for the first time in 2013.
A Japanese infant born in 2013 can be expected to live 80.21 years, up from 79.94 years in 2012. Women in Hong Kong held the second spot on the longevity list, whose life expectancy rose to 86.57 in 2013. Japanese men positioned 4th fourth on the longevity list of the world’s 50 major countries and regions behind Hong Kong, Iceland and Switzerland. Hong Kong’s average male life expectancy was 80.87. However, Japan’s ageing population is a serious issue for policymakers who have to find solutions to ensure that the declining pool of workers can pay for the increasing number of pensioners.
Japan’s population contracted for the third consecutive year, with the aged comprising around 1/4th of the total population for the first time. The proportion of people aged 65 or over is estimated to reach nearly 40% of the population in 2060.
The average life expectancy of Japanese women increased to 86.61 years in 2013, up from 86.41 the previous year, making them the world’s longest-lived females for the second consecutive year. Japanese men’s lifespan rose above 80 for the first time in 2013.
A Japanese infant born in 2013 can be expected to live 80.21 years, up from 79.94 years in 2012. Women in Hong Kong held the second spot on the longevity list, whose life expectancy rose to 86.57 in 2013. Japanese men positioned 4th fourth on the longevity list of the world’s 50 major countries and regions behind Hong Kong, Iceland and Switzerland. Hong Kong’s average male life expectancy was 80.87. However, Japan’s ageing population is a serious issue for policymakers who have to find solutions to ensure that the declining pool of workers can pay for the increasing number of pensioners.
Japan’s population contracted for the third consecutive year, with the aged comprising around 1/4th of the total population for the first time. The proportion of people aged 65 or over is estimated to reach nearly 40% of the population in 2060.
General Dalbir Singh Suhag assumes charge as new Chief of Indian Army
General Dalbir Singh Suhag (59) took charge as the new Chief of the Army Staff of 1.3-million strong Indian Army. He succeeded out going General Bikram Singh whose tenure ended.
The decision to appoint Gen. Suhag, who was the army vice chief, as the next chief was taken by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government during the April-May Lok Sabha polls.
The move was objected by the BJP at that time. However, after the party came to power, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, made it clear that there “shall be no controversy” over Gen. Suhag’s appointment. Gen. Suhag’s tenure as Chief of Army Staff will be of 30 months.
General Dalbir Singh Suhag:
- Belongs to a family of soldiers from a village in Jhajjar, Haryana.
- He served as a Company Commander during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, led the 53 Infantry Brigade that was involved in counter-insurgency operations in the Kashmir Valley, and commanded the 8 Mountain Division in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Second officer from the Gorkha Rifles to rise to the position of army chief after the late Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.
Controversies surrounding him:
- In 2012, the then outgoing army chief Gen. V.K. Singh had put him under a Discipline and Vigilance ban for a failed intelligence operation at Jorhat in Assam.
- After General Bikram Singh took over as the army chief the ban was revoked that paved the way for Gen. Suhag’s elevation as the Eastern Army Commander in June 2012.
General Dalbir Singh Suhag (59) took charge as the new Chief of the Army Staff of 1.3-million strong Indian Army. He succeeded out going General Bikram Singh whose tenure ended.
The decision to appoint Gen. Suhag, who was the army vice chief, as the next chief was taken by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government during the April-May Lok Sabha polls.
The move was objected by the BJP at that time. However, after the party came to power, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, made it clear that there “shall be no controversy” over Gen. Suhag’s appointment. Gen. Suhag’s tenure as Chief of Army Staff will be of 30 months.
General Dalbir Singh Suhag:
- Belongs to a family of soldiers from a village in Jhajjar, Haryana.
- He served as a Company Commander during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, led the 53 Infantry Brigade that was involved in counter-insurgency operations in the Kashmir Valley, and commanded the 8 Mountain Division in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Second officer from the Gorkha Rifles to rise to the position of army chief after the late Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.
Controversies surrounding him:
- In 2012, the then outgoing army chief Gen. V.K. Singh had put him under a Discipline and Vigilance ban for a failed intelligence operation at Jorhat in Assam.
- After General Bikram Singh took over as the army chief the ban was revoked that paved the way for Gen. Suhag’s elevation as the Eastern Army Commander in June 2012.
‘Gaia’ satellite ready to operate 1.5 million kms from Earth
European Space Agency (ESA) satellite ‘Gaia’, the billion star surveyor, launched in 2013, has reached its intended location 1.5 million kilometers from Earth and is ready to start operation.
Gaia’s work will include:
- Surveying a billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy to develop the most precise 3-D map ever.
- To track thousands of exoplanets, comets, asteroids, failed stars, exploding stars and even quasars.
- Scanning each of the billion stars for an average of 70 times each over five years which means 40 million observations per day.
- Measuring key physical properties of each star, including its brightness, temperature and chemical composition.
- By the end of its five-year mission, Gaia would have gathered 1 Petabyte (1 million Gigabytes).
European Space Agency (ESA) satellite ‘Gaia’, the billion star surveyor, launched in 2013, has reached its intended location 1.5 million kilometers from Earth and is ready to start operation.
Gaia’s work will include:
- Surveying a billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy to develop the most precise 3-D map ever.
- To track thousands of exoplanets, comets, asteroids, failed stars, exploding stars and even quasars.
- Scanning each of the billion stars for an average of 70 times each over five years which means 40 million observations per day.
- Measuring key physical properties of each star, including its brightness, temperature and chemical composition.
- By the end of its five-year mission, Gaia would have gathered 1 Petabyte (1 million Gigabytes).
Dipa Karmakar: First Indian woman gymnast to win a medal in Commonwealth Games
Dipa Karmakar (20) scripted history as she clinched bronze in the vault event in the Commonwealth Games 2014 at Glasgow, Scotland, by becoming the first Indian woman gymnast and second person of the country to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Karmakar, who belongs to Tripura, secured 14.366 points to finish third in the women’s vault final at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow.
First Indian male gymnast to win a medal at CWG was Ashish Kumar. He won a silver in vault and bronze in floor events in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.
Urbanization activities impacted a few wetlands: Government
The government has said that a few wetlands in the country have reportedly been impacted due to various developmental activities and urbanization.
As per Environment Ministry, for conservation and management of wetlands, the centrally sponsored scheme – “National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP)” was implemented till 2012-13. However, for better synchronization and to avoid overlap the NWCP has been merged with another scheme “National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA)” for holistic conservation of lakes and wetlands. Under NWCP, 115 wetlands in 24 states and two UTs have been identified for conservation and management. So far, the central government has released an amount of Rs 133.64 to the concerned states for undertaking various conservation programmes.
In order to regulate certain activities within the identified wetlands, the government notified the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules in December 2010. At the behest of Environment Ministry, the Space Applications Centre (SAC) Ahmedabad has prepared a National Wetland Inventory Atlas on 1:50,000 scale using Indian Remote Sensing Satellite III data of pre- and post-monsoon seasons during 2006-11.
In order to regulate certain activities within the identified wetlands, the government notified the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules in December 2010. At the behest of Environment Ministry, the Space Applications Centre (SAC) Ahmedabad has prepared a National Wetland Inventory Atlas on 1:50,000 scale using Indian Remote Sensing Satellite III data of pre- and post-monsoon seasons during 2006-11.
As per the atlas, there are a total of 7, 57,060 wetlands covering an estimated area of 15.26 million hectare, that is around 4.63% of the geographic area of India.
MyGov: Financial Inclusion Plan gets impetus from ‘Creative Corner’
The new Narendra Modi led Government has taken up the task of Comprehensive Financial Inclusion. It is projected to be achieved by August 2018 with basic bankingaccounts for everyone by August 2015. Comprehensive Financial Inclusion intends to make banking services accessible to every household in the country.
The objective is to empower the weaker strata of the society with primary focus on farmers and marginalized laborers. Notwithstanding the fact that almost 70% of Indians living in rural areas, even after 67 years of independence only 38.2% of total bank branches and 14.58% of ATMs are there in rural areas. Due to the absence of banks, money lenders in rural areas continue to exploit the poor by charging extortionate interest rates.
‘Creative Corner’:
The recently launched web portal MyGov has Creative Corner through which variousMinistries can invite creative inputs on issues relating to their departments. In a first, the Finance Ministry has invited designs for logo, name and tagline for their financial inclusion programme. To encourage wider participation there is an open competition with a winning prize of Rs 50,000. The last date of submission isAugust 7, 2014.
The Creative Corner also has another invitation — Designs and a concept plan for mobile app of PMOs website.
Sierra Leone President declared public health emergency to curb Ebola disease
President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma proclaimed a public health emergency in Sierra Leone to control the deadly Ebola outbreak. Ebola has so far caused death of around 233 in Sierra Leone.
According to the UN data, 729 people in West Africa have died of Ebola since February 2014. The spread of the virus is now the largest recorded in world history, and has infected three African capitals of Monrovia (Liberia), Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Conakry (Guinea) with international airports. The head of the WHO and leaders of West African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak decided to announce a new $100 million response plan.
The seriousness of the Ebola and the continuous threat it poses, required WHO and Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to take up the response plan. The plan will necessitate increased resources, in-country medical expertise, regional preparedness and coordination.
About deadly Ebola virus (EBOV)
- Order: Mononega virales.
- Family: Filoviridae.
- Genus: Ebola virus.
- Causes an extremely severe disease in humans and in nonhuman primates in the form of viral hemorrhagic fever.
- Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever and one of the most virulent viral diseases known to humankind.
- Distinct strains of the Ebola virus: Bundibugyo, Ivory Coast, Reston, Sudan and Zaire
- Fruit bats are considered to be virus’ natural host. Transmission to humans can come from wild animals or from direct contact from infected human blood, feces or sweat, or by sexual contact and the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses
- Signs and symptoms: Severe fever and muscle pain, weakness, vomiting and diarrhea. Then, organs shut down, causing unstoppable bleeding.
- Between two and 21 days after becoming infected, patients begin to feel weak and experience headaches, muscle aches and chills. They lose their appetite and feel lethargic, suffering from stomach cramps, diarrhea and nausea. A so-called hemorrhagic fever sets in, accompanied by severe internal bleeding. This condition affects the gastrointestinal tract, spleen and lungs, eventually leading to the death.
- The virus is called ‘a molecular shark’ in health publications.
- According to the World Health Organization, the deadly fever has a fatality rate of up to 90 %.
- No cure or vaccine for the virus.
- Occurs mostly in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rain forests.
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