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INDEXArt and Culture, Society, Social and National Issues

1. Bodo Issue

2. Climate Change Impact on Women

3. Learning Poverty (special editorial coverage)

Polity & Governance, Social Justice, Social Development

4. Bill to Protect media persons

5. Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli

6. Discriminatory Activities

7. Private Member Bill

8. Review Petition

International Relations, India & the World and International Affairs

9. Neighbourhood First Policy

10. NATO

Indian Economy and Economic Development

11. Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR)

12. Agriculture

13. Coal Bed Methane

14. Electricity Consumption

15. GST Council

16. Ken Betwa

17. Mediation

18. Microfinance

19. NSO Survey

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Environment and Ecology, Geography, Disaster Managment

20. Emission Gap Report

Science and Technology, Defense, Health, Education

21. Defence Acquisition Council

22. FSSAI Data on Enforcement of Norms

23. Global Hunger Index

24. Golden Rice

25. Primary Health Care

26. QS World University Rankings

More News

27. Hulimayu Lake

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Art and Culture, Society, Social and National Issues

1. Bodo IssueWhy in News? The central government extended the ban on the Assam-based insurgent group National Democratic Front

of Bodoland (NDFB) by five more years for its involvement in a series of violent activities includingkillings and extortion, and for joining hands with anti-India forces.

The Home Ministry has declared the NDFB along with all its groups, factions, and front organisations asan “unlawful association” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Bodoland Dispute Bodos are the single largest tribal community in Assam, making up over 5-6 per cent of the state’s

population. They have controlled large parts of Assam in the past. The four districts in Assam — Kokrajhar, Baksa, Udalguri and Chirang — that constitute the Bodo

Territorial Area District (BTAD), are home to several ethnic groups. In 1966-67, the demand for a separate state called Bodoland was raised under the banner of the Plains

Tribals Council of Assam (PTCA), a political out fit. In 1987, the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) renewed the demand. “Divide Assam fifty-fifty”, was a call

given by the ABSU’s then leader, Upendra Nath Brahma. The unrest was a fallout of the Assam Movement (1979-85), whose culmination — the Assam Accord —

addressed the demands of protection and safeguards for the “Assamese people”, leading the Bodos tolaunch a movement to protect their own identity.

In December 2014, separatists killed more than 30 people in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur. In the 2012 Bodo-Muslim riots, hundreds were killed and almost 5 lakh were displaced.

Who are the NDFB?

  Alongside political movements, armed groups have also sought to create a separate Bodo state.  In October 1986, the prominent group Bodo Security Force (BdSF) was formed by Ranjan Daimary. The

BdSF subsequently renamed itself as the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), an organisationthat is known to be involved in attacks, killings, and extortions.

In the 1990s, Indian security forces launched extensive operations against the group, causing the latter toflee to bordering Bhutan. In Bhutan, the group faced stiff counter-insurgency operations by the IndianArmy and the Royal Bhutan Army in the early 2000s.

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NDFB factions and their activities

In October 2008, bomb attacks in Assam carried out by the NDFB killed 90 people. In January this year,

10 operatives, including founder Ranjan Daimary, were convicted for their role in the attacks.

After the blasts, the NDFB was divided into two factions — the NDFB (P), led by GobindaBasumatary,

and the NDFB (R), led by Ranjan Daimary.

The NDFB (P) started talks with the central government in 2009. In 2010, Daimary was arrested andhanded over to India by Bangladesh, and was granted bail in 2013. His faction too then began peace talks

with the government.

In 2012, Ingti KatharSongbijit broke away from the NDFB (R) and formed his own faction, the NDFB(S). His faction is believed to be behind the killing of 66 Adivasis in Assam in December 2014. The NDFB

(S) is against holding talks.

In 2015, Songbijit was removed as the chief of the group and B Saoraigwra took over. This faction of theNDFB is still active, while Songbijit, himself a Karbi and not a Bodo, is said to have started his ownmilitant group.

2. Climate Change Impact on Women

Issue

Climate change is taking an especially high toll on women from weak socio-economic backgrounds.

About Research

Research led by the University of East Anglia in England used 25 case studies across three “climatechange hotspots” in Africa and Asia to conclude that environmental degradation is reducing further theability of women to make choices and take decisions that can impact their lives positively, including inadapting to climate change.

The Asian “hotspots” were in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Tajikistan, while the African oneswere in Kenya, Ghana, Namibia, Mali, Ethiopia, and Senegal.

Of the 25 case studies, 14 were in semi-arid regions, six in mountains and glacier-fed river basins, and fivein deltas. These areas face a range of environmental risks such as droughts, floods, rainfall variability, landerosion and landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods. The predominant livelihoods include agriculture,livestock pastoralism, and fishing, supplemented by wage labour, petty trade, and income from remittances.

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Holistic Picture As men migrate in search of better work, and since farming can’t be totally abandoned, the women stay

back, putting in extra labour into an activity that is no longer that productive economically i.e. ‘Feminisation’of agriculture

They do this in addition to their duties of looking after the household and their families, with no malepartner to help them — at the cost of compromising with their health, nutrition, and leisure time, whichadversely impacts various aspects of their well-being.

And yet, the study says, the women have little control over how the money they earn is spent, or overwhat kind of crop is planted on the farm. In semi-arid Kenya, for example, when men move away withlivestock in search of better pastures, women lose “control over milk for consumption and sale, and haveto work harder to provide nutritious food to their children”.

With the men gone, more women are entering the workforce. But their income is going into ensuringbasic survival, and not helping their ability to take significant decisions, and to adapt to climate change.

“Household poverty and environmental stress seem to combine to suppress women’s agency even whenfavourable household norms are leading to improved participation of women in the workforce and voicein household decision-making,”

Kenyan women are working to supplement household income, but in risky jobs such as narcotics tradeand sex work. In Mali and Ghana, women work on arid land that is often borrowed, without putting ininvestment that would make it sufficiently productive, and their labour more worthwhile.

While more women are working in farms, farmer associations and markets are controlled by men. Innatural disasters, aid-distribution and local governance units are dominated by men, and women have torely on male relatives. In India, the study says, several rural local body posts are reserved for women, buttheir decisions are largely driven by men.

In the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta in Bangladesh, state interventions in terms of planned relocation“negatively impacted women’s agency”, with available jobs, such as those in export processing zones,being preferentially accessed by men.

Women self-help groups (SHGs) “are often limited in number and lack the needed capacity, skills andopportunities to be effective and sustainable, especially where individual women and groups are dependenton natural resource systems for livelihood.

Though membership of an SHG often acts positively for women’s agency, it does not necessarilytranslate into decision-making authority outside the SHGs and within their homes. This (suggests)… thatwomen’s agency in one institutional site may not necessarily transfer uncontested to another — it iscontextual and socially embeddedHowever, the study says some government measures, such as thepublic distribution system (PDS) for foodgrains in India, or pensions and social grants in Namibia, dogrant women more agency, by taking care of basic survival and giving them more spending power.

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3. Learning Poverty (special editorial coverage)

What ?

Percentage of children who cannot read and understand a simple story by age 10.

Target by World Bank by 2030, cut, by at least half, the global level of learning poverty.

Significance key to eliminating poverty in general and boosting shared prosperity

key to helping children achieve their potential.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) — ensuring quality education for all.

The learning crisis not only wastes the children’s potential, it hurts entire economies.

It will negatively impact future workforces and economic competitiveness — as the World Bank’s HumanCapital Index shows that, globally, the productivity of the average child born today is expected to be only56% of what it would be if countries invested enough in health and education.

Status Globally between 2000 and 2017, there has only been a 10% improvement in learning outcomes

for primary school-aged children. If this pace continues, 43% of 10-year-olds will not be able toread in 2030. 

Potential The good news is, the children who will turn 10 in 2030 will be born next year. If we work urgently, there

is an opportunity to reverse this trend.

India

In India, the Right-to-Education Act has been successful in increasing coverage and access to schooleducation but now there is an urgent need to shift the focus to quality. The decision of India to join theProgramme for International Student Assessment and the merger of schemes under Samagra Shiksha areencouraging signs that India is moving in this direction.

Kenya the government’s national reading programme has more than tripled the percentage of grade two students

reading at an appropriate level. This was accomplished through technology-enabled teacher coaching,teacher guides, and delivering one book per child.

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Vietnam

a lean, effective curriculum ensures that the basics are covered, there is deep learning of fundamentalskills, and all children have reading materials. Learning outcomes of Vietnamese students in the bottom40% of the income ladder are as high, or higher, than the average student in high-income countries.

Challenges

differ between countries and regions. In some countries, access to school remains an enormous problem— 258 million young people were out of school globally, in 2018. In other countries, children are inclassrooms but are not learning. Initiatives

By setting a global target, the World Bank can work with countries to define their own national learningtargets.

Cutting learning poverty in half by 2030 is only an intermediate goal. Our ambition is to work withgovernments and development partners to bring that number to zero.

As the largest financier of education in low-and middle-income countries, the World Bank will work withcountries to promote reading proficiency in primary schools. Policies include providing detailed guidanceand practical training for teachers, ensuring access to more and better age-appropriate texts, and teachingchildren in the language they use at home.

The World Bank is also working with governments and development partners to improve entire educationsystems, so advancements in literacy can be sustained and scaled up. That means making sure childrencome to school prepared and motivated to learn; teachers are effective and valued and have access totechnology; classrooms provide a well-equipped space for learning; schools are safe and inclusive andeducation systems are well-managed.

An ambitious measurement and research agenda supports these efforts and includes measurement ofboth learning outcomes and their drivers, continued research and innovation, and the smart use of newtechnologies on how to build foundation skills.

Way Ahead

Eliminating learning poverty must be a priority, just like ending hunger and extreme poverty.It will not beeasy, but we cannot back down from the challenge. We owe it to the children all over the world to set oursights high, so they can too.

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Polity & Governance, Social Justice, Social Development

4. Bill to Protect media persons

Why in News?

President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to a legislation passed by the Maharashtra Assembly in 2017that makes violent attacks on media persons a non-bailable offence.

The Maharashtra Media Persons and Media Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss toProperty) Act, 2017

has a provision of imprisonment and a fine of ¹ 50,000. It was passed by the Assembly in 2017, butreceived the President’s assent in October after the Union Home Ministry scrutinised the legislation andconsulted all concerned Ministries. The MHA had returned the Bill to the Maharashtra government lastyear to seek clarification.

The Bill has a provision that any offence against a mediaperson will be investigated by a police officerabove the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police. The statement of objects and reasons of the Billsaid, “On account of the rampant instances of violence and attacks against mediapersons and damage orloss to the property of media institutions, there is strong demand to prevent such violence againstmediapersons or damage or loss to the property belonging to mediapersons or media institutions and checkthe recurrence of such incidents in the State.”

Maharashtra is the first State to pass such a legislation.

In 2017, the MHA also issued an advisory to all States to ensure the “safety and security ofjournalists”. The advisory was issued days after Bengaluru-based journalist Gauri Lankesh wasshot dead near her home.

5. Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli

Why in News?

a Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha to merge two Union Territories, Daman and Diu and Dadra and NagarHaveli, into one. Both the UTs are located on India’s western coast near Gujarat, and were colonialpossessions of Portugal before they became part of independent India.

How did Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli come under Portuguese rule, and how didthey join independent India?

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Daman & Diu

• Before the arrival of the Portuguese, both Daman and Diu (which are separated by the Gulf of

Khambhat) were part of the Sultanate of Gujarat — an independent kingdom comprising present-day

Gujarat and neighbouring areas during the 15th and 16th centuries.

• Early in the 16th century, the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, came under immense pressure when

his kingdom was invaded by the second Mughal Emperor Humayun.

• At that juncture, he decided to remain on conciliatory terms with the Portuguese, who had arrived in

India at the end of the 15th century, and were at the time an energetic and ambitious maritime power.

• In 1534, the Shah signed the Treaty of Bassein with the Portuguese, ceding Diu to the latter, as well

as other territories of his empire such as Vasai and the islands that today form Mumbai. The Portuguese

obtained Daman from the Shah in 1559.

• Diu became an important port for the Portuguese, who built a large fortress there, as well as other

buildings. Within a few years of acquiring the island, Gujarati ships using the port of Diu were

required to pay duties to the Portuguese.

• For over four centuries, both Daman and Diu remained part of the Portuguese dominions in India,

and were ruled from Goa.

Dadra & Nagar Haveli

• Nagar Haveli passed from its Rajput rulers to the Marathas in the mid-18th century. It was transferred

to the Portuguese in 1783 as compensation for a ship that the Marathas had destroyed. The Portuguese

then acquired Dadra in 1785.

Operation Vijay

• After India’s independence from Britain, Lisbon refused to hand over its territories in India, and

claimed that they were an integral part of Portugal. On a diplomatic level, India tried to persuade

Portugal to transfer its territories peacefully.

  • Locally, Indian nationalists organised resistance against Portuguese occupation. In 1954, they were

able to seize Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and an economic blockade was imposed over the rest of the

Portuguese-held territories. The loss of Dadra and Nagar Haveli sent alarm bells ringing for the

Portuguese, and security was beefed up in their remaining Indian possessions.

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  • According to the 2018 book ‘Independent India’s All the Seven Wars’ by Col Y Udaya Chandar

(retd.), additional troops were brought in from Portugal, Angola, and Mozambique (the latter two

were Portuguese colonies until 1975), and around 8,000 European, African, and Indian troops were

split between the districts of Goa, Daman and Diu.

  • In December 1961, as attempts at conciliation failed, India launched Operation Vijay against Portuguese

India. While most of the hostilities took place in Goa, the Daman and Diu territories also witnessed action.

  • At Daman, the Portuguese had a garrison and an air tower, and they had secured the region with

small minefields. The ground advance on Daman was carried out by the 1 Maratha Light Infantry on

December 18, which suffered four casualties.

  • The air attack was carried out by Mystere fighters of the IAF, which attacked Portuguese mortar

positions inside the Moti Daman Fort.

• Ten Portuguese soldiers were killed, and around 600 were taken prisoner after their side surrendered.

A Portuguese naval ship, fearing capture, sailed to Karachi in Pakistan.

  • At Diu, the ground offensive was undertaken by the 20 Rajput and 4 Madras, also on December 18.

The INS Delhi bombarded targets on the shore. The IAF inflicted heavy damage, ultimately forcing

the Portuguese to surrender.

After the Portuguese left

• Immediately in December 1961, Goa, Daman and Diu were constituted into the Union Territory of

Goa, Daman and Diu.

  • In 1967, a referendum called the ‘Goa Opinion Poll’ was held, where voters were asked to decide

whether the UT should be merged with Maharashtra or should remain separate.

• The mandate was against a merger, and the UT continued as before. In 1987, Goa achieved statehood,

and Daman and Diu became a separate UT.

  • Between 1954 to 1961, Dadra and Nagar Haveli was administered by a citizen’s council called the

Varishta Panchayat of Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli. In 1961, it became a Union Territory.

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6. Private Member Bill

Why in News?

28 private member’s Bills introduced in Lok Sabha.

Who is a Private Member?

Any MP who is not a Minister is referred to as a private member.

Admissibility of a private member’s Bill:

The admissibility is decided by the Chairman for Rajya Sabha and Speaker in the case of Lok Sabha.

The procedure is roughly the same for both Houses:

The Member must give at least a month’s notice before the Bill can be listed for introduction.

The House secretariat examines it for compliance with constitutional provisions and rules on legislation

before listing.

Is there any exception?

While government Bills can be introduced and discussed on any day, private member’s Bills can beintroduced and discussed only on Fridays.

7. Review PetitionWhy in News?

Petitioners plan to seek review of the recently delivered Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi and telecomrevenue verdicts, while the Supreme Court this month agreed to review its Sabarimala verdict but refused

to do so in the Rafale case.

What it is?

A judgment of the Supreme Court becomes the law of the land, according to the Constitution. It is finalbecause it provides certainty for deciding future cases. However, the Constitution itself gives, underArticle 137, the Supreme Court the power to review any of its judgments or orders. This departure fromthe Supreme Court’s final authority is entertained under specific, narrow grounds. So, when a reviewtakes place, the law is that it is allowed not to take fresh stock of the case but to correct grave errors that

have resulted in the miscarriage of justice.

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When it is reviewed?

The court has the power to review its rulings to correct a “patent error” and not “minor mistakes of

inconsequential import”. In a 1975 ruling, Justice Krishna Iyer said a review can be accepted “only where

a glaring omission or patent mistake or like grave error has crept in earlier by judicial fallibility”.

It is rare for the Supreme Court to admit reviews.

In a 2013 ruling, the Supreme Court itself laid down three grounds for seeking a review of a verdict it has

delivered — the discovery of new and important matter or evidence which, after the exercise of due

diligence, was not within the knowledge of the petitioner or could not be produced by him; mistake orerror apparent on the face of the record; or any other sufficient reason. In subsequent rulings, the court

specified that “any sufficient reason” means a reason that is analogous to the other two grounds.

In another 2013 ruling (Union of India v. Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores Ltd), the court laid down nine

principles on when a review is maintainable. “A review is by no means an appeal in disguise whereby an

erroneous decision is reheard and corrected but lies only for patent error,”

mere possibility of two views on the subject cannot be a ground for review.

Procedure

As per 1996 rules framed by the Supreme Court, a review petition must be filed within 30 days of the

date of judgment or order. While a judgment is the final decision in a case, an order is an interim ruling that

is subject to its final verdict. In certain circumstances, the court can condone a delay in filing the review

petition if the petitioner can establish strong reasons that justify the delay.

The rules state that review petitions would ordinarily be entertained without oral arguments by lawyers. It is

heard “through circulation” by the judges in their chambers. Review petitions are also heard, as far as practicable,

by the same combination of judges who delivered the order or judgment that is sought to be reviewed. If a judge

has retired or is unavailable, a replacement is made keeping in mind the seniority of judges.

  In exceptional cases, the court allows an oral hearing. In a 2014 case, the Supreme Court held that review

petitions in all death penalty cases will be heard in open court by a Bench of three judges.

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International Relations, India & the World andInternational Affairs

8. NATO

Why in News?

The U.S. is to cut its contribution to NATO’s operating budget

About

NATO is an alliance of 28 countries bordering the North Atlantic Ocean. It includes the United

States, most European Union members, Canada, and Turkey. NATO is an acronym for the North

Atlantic Treaty Organization.

NATO’s mission is to protect the freedom of its members. Its targets include weapons of mass destruction,

terrorism, and cyber attacks.

NATO’s 28 members are: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark,

Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg,

Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom,

and the United States.

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Indian Economy and Economic Development

9. Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR)

Why in News? Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have filed a petition in the Supreme Court to review its October 24

judgment on the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) issue. The petitions challenge the inclusion of notional incomes in the AGR. Last month, the Supreme Court upheld the definition of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) calculation as

stipulated by the Department of Telecommunications. This means that telecom companies will have to pay up as much as Rs 92,642 crore to the government.

 What is AGR? Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) is the usage and licensing fee that telecom operators are charged by

the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It is divided into spectrum usage charges and licensing fees, pegged between 3-5 percent and 8

percent respectively.

How is it calculated and what’s the contention? As per DoT, the charges are calculated based on all revenues earned by a telco – including non-

telecom related sources such as deposit interests and asset sales. Telcos, on their part, insist that AGRshould comprise only the revenues generated from telecom services.

What’s the issue now?1. In 2005, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) challenged the government’s definition for

AGR calculation.2. Later in 2015, the TDSAT said AGR included all receipts except capital receipts and revenue from

non-core sources such as rent, profit on the sale of fixed assets, dividend, interest and miscellaneousincome, etc.

3. The regulator has also included forex adjustment under AGR apart from ruling that licenses fee will notbe charged twice on the same income. It, however, exempted bad debt, foreign exchange fluctuations,and sale of scrap to be calculated for AGR.

4. The government has also raised the issue of under-reporting of revenues to duck charges. TheComptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) called out telcos for understating revenues to thetune of Rs 61,064.5 crore.

5. Later, the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) upheld the DoT’s definition ofAGR (factors against which the license fee is payable) with certain exemptions.

6. The DoT, however, filed an appeal before the Supreme Court, citing that the TDSAT had no jurisdictionon the validity of terms and conditions of licenses.

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Impact of the ruling:

1. Clearly this judgment has significantly damaging implications for India’s telecom industry, which is alreadyreeling under huge financial stress and is left with only four operators.

2. Significant investment of several billion dollars has been made in creating world class networks. Thisorder has huge impact on two private operators while most of the other impacted operators have exited thesector.

10. Agriculture

Issues

1. The average farm size is reduced to almost 1.13 hectares, and almost 80% of farming households

consist of marginal and small farmers.

2. Low capital formation

3. Starved of credit & investments

4. Depressed prices and fragmented holdings

5. India is fast running out of water

1.1 As has been pointed out by the Mihir Shah Committee in its report, India is on the verge ofexhausting its groundwater due to over-exploitation of aquifers. Unless we fundamentallyrethink our policy of managing surface and groundwater, along with the rejuvenation of

our rivers, we are now looking at the point of no return.

1.2 The key to the issue, as the Mihir Shah’s report points out, is in sustainable and effective watermanagement. This, in turn, would depend on how effectively water will be used in the agrarian

system, and for such a use, what the cropping pattern should be.

Way Ahead

Sustainable Cropping Pattern India now can’t afford the luxury of an unsustainable cropping pattern, which is in direct conflict with

its agro-climatic zones.

India simply doesn’t have the luxury of sowing water-intensive crops in water-scarce areas, andregions that are being irrigated by stored water in dams. Such a practice is, in the longer run,

counter productive.

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Farming, as mandated by the nature of agro-climatic zones, would also mean that an effective pricemechanism and market support structure will have to be erected; dependence on rice and wheat inour public distribution system (PDS) will have to end; and procurement will have to be local forPDS, the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and midday meal programmes. Only suchprocurement will sustain the change in the cropping system in the medium run, stabilising the farming

system.

India has a complex web of agro-climatic zones. Each zone has its subclimate and precipitation level.This complexity has to be taken on board when a cropping pattern is planned, with the cultivators as

its primary stakeholders and adequate support system in prices guaranteed.

In the longer time frame, agro-based processing industries will have to come up in its diversity,which will create enough employment opportunities for the throw back that is going to come back onland, due to the global lack of demand for manufactured goods.

11. Coal Bed MethaneWhy in News?

Ministry of Coal asked the state-run coal miner Coal India Limited (CIL) to produce 2 MMSCB (million

metric standard cubic metres) per day of coalbed methane (CBM) gas in the next 2 to 3 years

India has the fifth-largest coal reserves in the world, and CBM has been looked at as a clean alternative

fuel with significant prospects.

What is coalbed methane (CBM)?

  CBM, like shale gas, is extracted from what are known as unconventional gas reservoirs — wheregas is extracted directly from the rock that is the source of the gas (shale in case of shale gas and coal

in case of CBM).

The methane is held underground within the coal and is extracted by drilling into the coal seam and removing

the groundwater. The resulting drop in pressure causes the methane to be released from the coal.

  According to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, India’s

CBM resources are estimated at around 92 trillion cubic feet (TCF), or 2,600 billion cubic metres (BCM).

  The country’s coal and CBM reserves are found in 12 states of India, with the Gondwana sediments of

eastern India holding the bulk.

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  The Damodar Koel valley and Son valley are prospective areas for CBM development, with CBM

projects existing in Raniganj South, Raniganj East and Raniganj North areas in the Raniganj coalfield, the

Parbatpur block in Jharia coalfield and the East and West Bokaro coalfields.

  The Son valley includes the Sonhat North and Sohagpur East and West blocks.

What are the uses of CBM?

  According to the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI), CBM can be used for power

generation, as compressed natural gas (CNG) auto fuel, as feedstock for fertilisers, industrial uses such as

in cement production, rolling mills, steel plants, and for methanol production.

  According to the Directorate, CBM production in March 2015 was around 0.77 MMSCMD from 5

CBM blocks.

  In 2018, the Union Cabinet relaxed the rules for Coal India Limited (CIL) to extract natural gas lying

below coal seams to boost production. CIL accounts for over 80 per cent of India’s domestic coal output.

12. Electricity Consumption

Why in News?

  data released by the Ministry of Power during the Winter Session of Parliament.

Highlights

India’s per capita consumption of electricity is 1,181 kWh as of 2018-19

global per capita consumption was 3,130 kWh in 2014, according to data listed by the World Bank, which

puts India’s consumption that year at 805 kWh per capita.

In India, the highest per capita consumption in 2018-19 is in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, at 15,179 kWh.

The Union Territory is followed by the states of Gujarat (2,378), Goa (2,274), Haryana (2,082) andPunjab (2,046). The state with the lowest per capita consumption of electricity is Bihar, at 311 kWh,

followed by the Northeastern states of Assam (341), Nagaland (356), Manipur (371) and Tripura (514).

5,251 previously un-electrified households in villages were electrified between 2017-18 and 2028-19

under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana scheme. Arunachal Pradesh accounts for the

highest number of such households at 1,134, followed by Odisha (925), Jharkhand (729), Bihar (596)

and Assam (572).

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as of April 28, 2018 all inhabited Census villages stand electrified, with the exception of seven stateswhere over 19 lakh households were unwilling to be electrified earlier. These households are now willingto get electricity connections and out of these 19 lakh households, over 5 lakh have been electrified as ofOctober 31.

Most of these previously unwilling households are in Uttar Pradesh, at 12 lakh, followed by Rajasthan(2,28,403), Assam (2,00,000) and Jharkhand (2,00,000). Manipur,

13. GST Council

Why in News? Chairman of the 15th finance commission N.K. Singh has called for symmetry in the working of the GST

council and the finance commission.

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Need for symmetry? While the finance commission looks at the projections of expenditure and revenue, the issue of GST rates

exemptions, changes and implementation of the indirect taxes are within the domain of the GST council.

This leads to unsettled questions on the ways to monitor, scrutinise and optimise revenue out comes.

Therefore, coordination among the two is necessary.

Why do we need a GST Council? The GST council is the key decision-making body that will take all important decisions regarding

the GST.

The GST Council dictates tax rate, tax exemption, the due date of forms, tax laws, and tax deadlines,

keeping in mind special rates and provisions for some states.

The predominant responsibility of the GST Council is to ensure to have one uniform tax rate for goodsand services across the nation.

How is the GST Council structured?

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is governed by the GST Council. Article 279 (1) of the amendedIndian Constitution states that the GST Council has to be constituted by the President within 60 days ofthe commencement of the Article 279A.

Composition:

According to the article, GST Council will be a joint forum for the Centre and the States. It consists of

the following members:

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a. The Union Finance Minister will be the Chairpersonb. As a member, the Union Minister of State will be in charge of Revenue of Financec. The Minister in charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated by each State

government, as members.

GST Council recommendations : Article 279A (4) specifies that the Council will make recommendations to the Union and the States on the

important issues related to GST, such as, the goods and services will be subject or exempted from theGoods and Services Tax.

14. Ken Betwa

Why in News?

The government has said it is pushing Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to make progress on the Ken-Betwa river interlinking project, according to a response to a question in the Rajya Sabha last week.

Ken Betwa Conceived as a two-part project, this is the country’s first river interlinking project. It is perceived as a

model plan for similar interstate river transfer missions. The project aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken river in MP to Betwa in UP to irrigate the

drought-prone Bundelkhand region spread across the districts of two states mainly Jhansi, Banda,Lalitpurand Mahoba districts of UP and Tikamgarh, Panna and Chhatarpur districts of MP.

Key facts:

Ken and Betwa rivers originate in MP and are the tributaries of Yamuna.

Ken meets with Yamuna in Banda district of UP and with Betwa in Hamirpur district of UP.

Rajghat, Paricha and Matatila dams are over Betwa river.

Ken River passes through Panna tiger reserve.

Benefits of interlinking :1. Enhances water and food security.2. Proper utilisation of water.3. Boost to agriculture.4. Disaster mitigation.5. Boost to transportation.

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15. MediationWhy in News?

With the number of pending litigations before it touching 2.29 lakh, the Calcutta High Court is stressingon alternative dispute redressal mechanism like mediation to reduce the backlog.

About Alternative Dispute Redressal Mechanism

• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a settlement out of Court settlement can be discussed byany party at any time during litigation and is often a cost-effective alternative to trial. They are beingpromoted in a big way in view of the huge arrears of the cases and delay in justice delivery. Asignificant aspect of ADRs is preserving the important social relationships for disputants, which ajudicial process/outcome is never able to maintain. Usually the Court does not require the parties todiscuss or attempt settlement, but most courts have Procedures by which a party can request theCourt’s assistance in Settlement

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It is now made obligatory for the Court to refer the dispute after issues are framed for settlement with theconcurrence of the parties either by way of: Arbitration, Conciliation, Judicial settlement including settlement through Lok Adalat, or Mediation

Where the parties fail to get their disputes settled through any of the Alternative Dispute Resolutionmethods, the suit would come back to proceed further in the Court it was filed.

Justice Malimath Committee Report (1989-90)

The Malimath Committee undertook a comprehensive review of the working of the court system, particularlyall aspects of arrears and Law's delay and made various useful recommendations for reducing litigationand making justice readily accessible to the people at the minimum cost o time and money. It underlinedthe need for alternative dispute resolution mechanism such as mediation, conciliation, arbitration, LokAdalats etc. as a viable alternative to the conventional court litigation.

Various Kinds of ADR Mechanism

Arbitration:

Arbitration is the process of hearing and determining of a dispute between parties by persons chosen oragreed to by them. The object of arbitration is to obtain the fair resolution of disputes by an impartialtribunal without unnecessary delay and expense.

Conciliation:

Conciliation is the process of facilitating an amicable settlement between the parties. Unlike the Arbitrationthere is no determination of a dispute. There need not be a prior agreement and it cannot be forced on aparty not intending for conciliation. The proceedings relating to Conciliation are dealt under sections 61 to81 of Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.

Mediation:

Mediation aims to assist two (or more) disputants in reaching an agreement. The parties themselvesdetern-une the conditions of any settlements reached — rather than accepting something imposed by athird party. The disputes may involve (as parties) states, organizations, communities, individuals or otherrepresentatives with a vested interest in the outcome. Mediators use appropriate techniques and/or skillsto open and/or improve dialogue between disputants, aiming to help the parties reach an agreement(with concrete effects) on the disputed matter.

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16. Microfinance

Why in News?

Microfinance institutions network (MFIN) witnessed a 47.05% growth in its gross loan portfolio (GLP) is

He second quauter.

About

Microfinance, also called microcredit , is a type of banking service provided to unemployed or low-income individuals or groups who otherwise would have no other access to financial services. Whileinstitutions participating in the area of microfinance most often provide lending—microloans canrange from as small as $100 to as large as $25,000—many banks offer additional services such aschecking and savings accounts as well as micro-insurance products, and some even provide financialand business education. The goal of microfinance is to ultimately give impoverished people an

opportunity to become self-sufficient.

Microfinance is a banking service provided to unemployed or low-income individuals or groups who

otherwise would have no other access to financial services.

it allows people to take on reasonable small business loans safely, and in a manner that is consistent withethical lending practices.

The majority of microfinancing operations occur in developing nations, such as Uganda, Indonesia, Serbia,

and Honduras.

Like conventional lenders, microfinanciers charge interest on loans and institute specific repayment plans.

The World Bank estimates that more than 500 million people have benefited from microfinance-related operations.

Microfinance sector has grown rapidly over the past few decades. Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunusiscredited with laying the foundation of the modern MFIs with establishment of Grameen Bank, Bangladeshin 1976. Today it has evolved into a vibrant industry exhibiting a variety of business models.

Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in India exist as NGOs (registered as societies or trusts), Section25 companies and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). Commercial Banks, Regional RuralBanks (RRBs), cooperative societies and other large lenders have played an important role in providingrefinance facility to MFIs. Banks have also leveraged the Self-Help Group (SHGs) channel to providedirect credit to group borrowers.

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Salient Features of Microfinance Borrowers are from the low income group

Loans are of small amount – micro loans

Short duration loans

Loans are offered without collaterals

High frequency of repayment

Loans are generally taken for income generation purpose

Gaps in Financial System and Need for Microfinance According to the latest research done by the World Bank, India is home to almost one third of the world’s

poor (surviving on an equivalent of one dollar a day). Though many central government and state governmentpoverty alleviation programs are currently active in India, microfinance plays a major contributor tofinancial inclusion. In the past few decades it has helped out remarkably in eradicating poverty. Reportsshow that people who have taken microfinance have been able to increase their income and hence thestandard of living.

About half of the Indian population still doesn’t have a savings bank account and they are deprived of allbanking services. Poor also need financial services to fulfill their needs like consumption, building ofassets and protection against risk.

Microfinance institutions serve as a supplement to banks and in some sense a better one too. Theseinstitutions not only offer micro credit but they also provide other financial services like savings, insurance,remittance and non-financial services like individual counseling, training and support to start own businessand the most importantly in a convenient way.

The borrower receives all these services at her/his door step and in most cases with a repayment scheduleof borrower’s convenience. But all this comes at a cost and the interest rates charged by these institutionsare higher than commercial banks and vary widely from 10 to 30 percent.

Some claim that the interest rates charged by some of these institutions are very high while othersfeel that considering the cost of capital and the cost incurred in giving the service, the high interestrates are justified.

Channels of Micro finance

In India microfinance operates through two channels:

SHG – Bank Linkage Programme (SBLP)

Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs)

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SHG – Bank Linkage Programme This is the bank-led microfinance channel which was initiated by NABARD in 1992. Under the SHG

model the members, usually women in villages are encouraged to form groups of around 10-15. Themembers contribute their savings in the group periodically and from these savings small loans are providedto the members. In the later period these SHGs are provided with bank loans generally for incomegeneration purpose.

The group’s members meet periodically when the new savings come in, recovery of past loans aremade from the members and also new loans are disbursed. This model has been very much successfulin the past and with time it is becoming more popular. The SHGs are self-sustaining and once thegroup becomes stable it starts working on its own with some support from NGOs and institutionslike NABARD and SIDBI.

Micro Finance Institutions Those institutions which have microfinance as their main operation are known as micro finance institutions.

A number of organizations with varied size and legal forms offer microfinance service. These institutionslend through the concept of Joint Liability Group (JLG).

A JLG is an informal group comprising of 5 to 10 individual members who come together for the purposeof availing bank loans either individually or through the group mechanism against a mutual guarantee.The reason for existence of separate institutions i.e. MFIs for offering microfinance are as follows:

High transaction cost – generally micro credits fall below the break-even point of providing loans bybanks

Absence of collaterals – the poor usually are not in a state to offer collaterals to secure the credit

Loans are generally taken for very short duration periods

Higher frequency of repayment of installments and higher rate of Default

Controversy on MFIs The Indian microfinance sector witnessed tremendous growth over the last five years, during which

institutions were subject to little regulation. Some microfinance institutions were subject to prudentialrequirements; however no regulation addressed lending practices, pricing, or operations. The combinationof minimal regulation and rapid sector growth led to an environment where customers were increasinglydissatisfied with microfinance services, culminating in the Andhra Pradesh crisis in the fall of 2010.

Due to low repayment rates, microfinance institutions, with exposure to Andhra Pradesh, suffered significantlosses. Banks stopped lending to microfinance institutions all over India; for fear that a similar situationwould occur elsewhere, resulting in a liquidity crunch for microfinance

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Institutions, which are largely dependent on bank lending as a funding source. With the sector at a standstill,microfinance institutions, microfinance clients, banks, investors, and local governments were calling fornew regulation to address the prominent issues of the sector. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) respondedby appointing an RBI sub-committee know as the Malegam Committee.

This committee aimed to address the primary customer complaints that led to the crisis,including coercive collection practices, usurious interest rates, and selling practices that resultedin over-indebtedness. The existing regulations did not address these issues, thus, who should respond tothese issues, and how they should respond, was uncertain. This prolonged the general regulatory uncertaintyand the resulting repayment and institutional liquidity issues. The Malegam Committee released theirrecommended regulations in January 2011.

17. NSO Survey

Why in News?

In Gujarat, which was one of the earliest States declared ODF, back in October 2017, almost aquarter of all rural households had no toilet access, the NSO data showed. The other major Stateslisted also had significant gaps: Karnataka (30%), Madhya Pradesh (29%), Andhra Pradesh (22%)and Maharashtra (22%).

Highlights

PMC• In the first week of October 2018, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Grameen) said 25 States and Union

Territories had been declared ODF, while toilet access across the country touched 95%. In reality,the NSO said 28.7% of rural households had no toilet access at the time.

• There may be respondent bias in the reporting of access to latrine as question on benefits received bythe households from government schemes was asked prior to the question on access of householdsto latrine.

• The 71% access to toilets was still a significant improvement over the situation during the last surveyperiod in 2012, when only 40% of the rural households had access to toilets.

• The NSO’s statistics on toilet usage were also encouraging. It said 95% of people with access totoilets in rural India used them regularly, indicating that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’s efforts tochange behaviour had borne fruit. Only 3.5% of those with toilet access in rural India said theynever used them.

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Unemployment

• The unemployment rate of 9.3% in January-March 2019 quarter, the lowest in four quarters, and themarginal drop in unemployment among the 15-29-year olds, who account for a third of the population,to 22.5% from 23.7% in the preceding quarter, must be understood in the context of multiple factors:

a drop in those seeking work,

resulting in a lower labour force participation rate, and

improved social security systems. regions with stronger social safety nets, informal or state-sponsored, tend to show higher rates of

unemployment, rendering unemployment not a particularly accurate index of social distress in India.

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Environment and Ecology, Geography, Disaster Managment

18. UN’ Emission Gap Report

What?

Emissions gap represents the difference between current actions to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) andwhat is needed to meet the target

In quantitative terms, the UN report estimates that there would have to be a 2.7% average annual cut inemissions from 2020 to 2030 for temperature rise to be contained at 2°C, while the more ambitious 1.5° Ctarget would require a 7.6% reduction.

But countries with large emissions, such as the U.S., China, the European Union (EU) nations and India,will face more challenging demands if corrective measures to decarbonise are not implemented now.

Global Activities

The EU, where public pressure to act on climate change is high, is working on legislation to bring aboutnet zero emissions. The U.K., responsible for a large share of historical emissions, has turned its net zero2050 goal into a legal requirement.

In the U.S., the Trump administration has initiated the process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement

China and India, on the other hand, have to reconcile growing emissions with development needs. Theirbest options are a scaling up of investments in renewable energy, leapfrogging to clean technologies inbuildings and transport, and greater carbon sequestration.

India India could do much more. It needs to provide more consistent support for renewable energy, have a

long-term plan to retire coal power plants, enhance ambition on air quality, adopt an economy-wide greenindustrialisation strategy, and expand mass transport. In the key area of buildings, the energy conservationcode of 2018 needs to be implemented under close scrutiny. With a clear vision, India could use greentechnologies to galvanise its faltering economy, create new jobs and become a climate leader.

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Science and Technology, Defense, Health, Education

19. Defence Acquistion CouncilWhy?

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved theprocurement of weapons and equipment worth ¹ 22,800 crore.

What they ordered? six additional P-8I long-range patrol aircraft to be procured from the U.S. for the Navy and additional

indigenous Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Defence Acquisition Council The DAC is Defence Ministry’s highest decision making body for capital acquisition proposals forwarded

by the Indian armed forces.

It was set up in 2001 as part of the post-Kargil reforms in defence sector It approves the long-term integrated perspective plan for the forces, accords acceptance of

necessity (AON) to begin acquisition proposals, and grant’s its approval to all major deals throughall their important phases.

It also has the power to approve any deviations in an acquisition, and recommends all big capital defencepurchases for approval of the Cabinet committee on security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister.

AWACS

AWACS, abbreviation of Airborne Warning And Control System, a mobile, long-range radar surveillanceand control centre for air defense.

Its main radar antenna is mounted on a turntable housed in a circular rotodome 9 m (30 feet) indiameter, elliptical in cross-section, and 1.8 m deep at its centre. The radar system can detect, track, andidentify low-flying aircraft at a distance of 370 km (200 nautical miles) and high-level targets at muchgreater distances. It also can track maritime traffic, and it operates in any weather over any terrain.

An airborne computer can assess enemy action and keep track of the location and availability of anyaircraft within range. The communications system, enabling the control of friendly aircraft in pursuit ofenemy planes, operates over a single channel, secure from enemy interception, that is also relativelyimmune to jamming because of its high speed.

The IAF now operates three Israeli Phalcon AWACS and three smaller indigenous Netra AEW&Csystems mounted on Embraer air craft.

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20. FSSAI Data on Enforcement of Norms

Why in News?

Data released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on enforcement of norms

Highlights 3.7% of the samples collected and analysed were found unsafe, 15.8% sub-standard and 9% samples had

labelling defects. Ten States/UTs that have performed well include Uttarakhand, Goa, Bihar, Sikkim, Gujarat and Telangana. Ten States that have performed poorly include Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Jammu

& Kashmir, Rajasthan and Punjab. Many of the poorly performing States have not been able to put in place full-time officers and do not have

proper testing laboratories.

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21. Global Hunger Index

Why in News? India is ranked 102 in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) out of 117 qualified countries. 614 million women and more than half the women in India aged 15-49 as being anaemic.

What ? Hunger is defined by caloric deprivation; protein hunger; hidden hunger by deficiency of micronutrients. Nearly 47 million or four out of 10 children in India do not meet their potential because of chronic

undernutrition or stunting.

Impact diminished learning capacity, increased chronic diseases, low birth-weight infants from malnourished

parents.

Initiative Nutrition Garden

What? Ministry of Human Resources Development brought out school ‘nutrition garden’ guidelines

encouraging eco-club students to identify fruits and vegetables best suited to topography, soiland climate

Impact These gardens can give students lifelong social, numerical and presentation skills, care for living organisms

and team work, besides being used in the noon-meal scheme. Students also learn to cultivate fruits and vegetables in their homes and this could address micronutrient

deficiencies.

Way Ahead Agro Diversity

Why relating to diversity of crops and varieties — is crucial in food security, nutrition, health and essential

in agricultural landscapes. Out of 2,50,000 globally identified plant species, about 7,000 have historicallybeen used in human diets. Today, only 30 crops form the basis of the world’s agriculture and justthree species of maize, rice and wheat supply more than half the world’s daily calories.

Genetic diversity of crops, livestock and their wild relatives, are fundamental to improve cropvarieties and livestock breeds. We would not have thousands of crop varieties and animalbreeds without the rich genetic pool. India is a centre of origin of rice, brinjal, citrus, banana,cucumber species.

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Across the world, 37 sites are designated as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS),of which three are Indian — Kashmir (saffron), Koraput (traditional agriculture) and Kuttanad (below sea-level farming). In India, over 811 cultivated plants and 902 of their wild relatives have been documented.Our promising genetic resources include rice from Tamil Nadu (Konamani), Assam (Agni bora) and Kerala(Pokkali), Bhalia Wheat and mushroom (Guchhi) from Himachal Pradesh and rich farm animal native

breeds — cattle (42), buffaloes (15), goat (34), sheep (43) and chicken (19).

Agrobiodiversity helps nutrition-sensitive farming and bio-fortified foods. For instance, moringa (drumstick)has micro nutrients and sweet potato is rich in Vitamin A. There are varieties of pearl millet and sorghum

rich in iron and zinc.

The UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 advocates for Zero Hunger and the Aichi Biodiversity Targetfocuses on countries conserving genetic diversity of plants, farm livestock and wild relatives. It emphasisesthat countries develop strategies and action plans to halt biodiversity loss and reduce direct pressure on

biodiversity.

Way Ahead

Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law (CEBPOL) recommendation

Comprehensive policy on ‘ecological agriculture’ to enhance native pest and pollinator population

providing ecosystem services for the agricultural landscape

Promotion of the bio-village concept of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) forecologically sensitive farming; conserving crop wild relatives of cereals, millets, oilseeds, fibres,

forages, fruits and nuts, vegetables, spices etc. for crop genetic diversity healthier food;

Providing incentives for farmers cultivating native landrace varieties and those conserving indigenous

breeds of livestock and poultry varieties.

Encouraging community seed banks in each agro-climatic zone so that regional biotic properties are

saved and used by new generation farmers;

Preparing an agrobiodiversity index, documenting traditional practices through People’s Biodiversity

Registers, identifying Biodiversity Heritage Sites under provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

Strengthening Biodiversity Management Committees to conserve agrobiodiversity and traditionalknowledge. Developing a national level invasive alien species policy is required to identify pathways, mapping, monitoring, managing, controlling and eradicating the invasive species and prioritising

problematic species based on risk assessment studies.

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Conclusion

Loss of crop genetic resources is mainly a result of adopting new crop varieties without conservingtraditional varieties. Similarly, there are concerns on high output breeds for production of meat, milkand egg. The consumption pattern and culinary diversity must be enlarged to increase India’s foodbasket. To conserve indigenous crop, livestock and poultry breeds, it is recommended to mainstreambiodiversity into agricultural policies, schemes, programmes and projects to achieve India’s foodand nutrition security and minimise genetic erosion.

22. Golden Rice

Why in News?

Bangladesh could be on the verge of becoming the first country to approve plantation of this variety.

About

In the late 1990s, German scientists developed a genetically modified variety of rice called Golden Rice. Itwas claimed to be able to fight Vitamin A deficiency, which is the leading cause of blindness among

children and can also lead to death due to infectious diseases such as measles.

Rice is naturally low in the pigment beta-carotene, which the body uses to make Vitamin A. Golden ricecontains this, which is the reason for its golden colour.

23. Primary Health Care

Why in News?

Facing a shortfall of 2,277 doctors, Uttar Pradesh’s primary health centres (PHCs) have the worst patient-doctor ratio. With 942 of these centres working without electricity, regular water supply or all-weather

motorable approach roads, the State’s PHCs has the worst infrastructure in the country.

Rural Health Statistics, 2018

The States that have shown poor PHC ratings include Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka and Bihar

The State also has the worst infrastructure with 213 centres without electricity supply, 270 withoutregular water supply and 459 without all-weather motorable approach roads. The States that have poorinfrastructure based on the same parameters include Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam

and Uttarakhand.

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Notes

PHC Public health and hospitals being a State subject, all administrative and personnel matters, including

recruitment of doctors at the PHCs, lie with the State governments. The shortage of doctors in publichealth facilities varies from State to State, depending on their policies and context.

Under the National Health Mission (NHM), financial and technical support is provided to the States andUnion Territories to strengthen their healthcare systems, including support for recruitment of doctors oncontract, based on the requirements posed by them in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs)within their overall resource envelope.

24. QS World University RankingsWhy in News? In the latest QS World University Rankings for Asia, 96 Indian institutions rank among 550 for the

continent. Of the 96 Indian universities ranked, 20 are brand-new entries. Only Mainland China is morerepresented than India,with 118 featureduniversities.

About The QS Rankings use a

methodology based on 11metrics

Highlights

While Mainland Chinahas four in the top 10 thisyear, India does not yethave a university amongthe top 30. The 96 Indianuniversities featured in therankings include eightamong the top 100, and31 among the top 250. Ofthese 31, 18 droppedcompared to last year, 12gained ground and oneremained stable.

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More News

1. Hulimayu Lake

Why in News?

Around 800 houses were inundated on Sunday afternoon, after the bund of Hulimavu lake off BannerghattaRoad in breached.

This is the third time in two months a lake has breached in the city. While the breach of Doddabidarakallulake in October was attributed to heavy rainfall, the one at Hosakerehalli lake on November 10 and nowHulimavu lake are allegedly the result of contractors tampering with the bunds.