Civil Services Prelims (CSAT)-2014 Result Expected Soon, What to do meanwhile?

Though no official date has been announced by the examination authorities so far, sources revealed that the results of the civil services examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will be declared soon. As there are hardly 3 months left for the mains exam. Result should be announced by end of September or in the worst case, by the first week of October. It is alo expected that there shall not be any DAF (Detailed Application Form) for main examination this year.

Once declared, the results will be online on www.upsc.gov.in. The successful candidates will then be allowed to appear for the Civil Services (Mains) written exams. 

And if you are waiting for the result and doing nothing except waiting; you are going to be in serious trouble and will regret doing nothing as there will be only 2 month left for the preparation of the Main Exam after the results of prelims.

So, its better if you start preparing now and right now. If you have doubt regarding getting selected in prelims;  i suggest you not to go by the cutoffs declared by so called experts in the civil services coaching. Apply common sense and you will be convinced that the cut off this year shall no cross 2011 cutoffs in any case. so if you are expecting 185-190 marks in total (-25/35 for SC/ST) then give all you have and prepare for the mains without waiting for the results. The common sense is that:

1. This time the total marks for the prelims were 400-15=385
2. Last year cutoff=241 marks so this year should be 241-15=236
3. No decision making (laddu) questions 236-15 (10 to be on conservative side) =221
4. Paper-I toughness level was highest among previous year papers 221-15=206
5. Paper-II was toughest and lengthiest paper since 2011, 206-10=196
6. More vacancies this year 196-6=190
7. A conservative estimate would be 200 Marks

I have uploaded the booklist for general studies papers and i will upload the booklist/material for ethics paper separately. 

So, don't doubt yourself and start preparing for the main exam because if you waste these 30-40 days; they may cost you the dream of becoming a civil servant.

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United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

UNO declared 1960-70 as the development decade. In 1961 UNO attempted to increase the income of developing countries with the growth rate of 5% p.a. during that development decade. In July 1960 a conference of developing countries was held at Cairo which resolved to convene a world conference for this purpose. Economic and Social Council of UNO organise a World Trade and Development Conference from March 31, 1964 to July 16, 1964. A worldwide International Trade Policy was determined in this conference. Various issues related to extension of international trade of developing countries were also discussed in that conference. The conference came to be known as UNCTAD-I.

Presently, UNCTAD has become a permanent organisation for promoting international trade with its head quarter at Geneva (Switzerland), Mr. Allec Irwin is its present Chairman. Generally, UNCTAD has its session after four years. IMF has got the permanent representation in all its bodies. This is reason why IMF includes all UNCTAD proposals in its policies. UNCTAD recommendations are only suggestions and no country can be compelled to accept them.

The details of various UNCTAD are as follows:

UNCTAD I	Cairo	Mar 31 – June 16, 1964
UNCTAD II	New Delhi	Feb – March 1968
UNCTAD III	Santiago (Chile)	April – May 1972
UNCTAD IV	Nairobi (Africa)	May 1976
UNCTAD V	Manila (Philippines)	May 7 – June 2, 1979
UNCTAD VI	Belgrade (Yugoslavia)	June 6 – July 3, 1983
UNCTAD VII	Geneva (Switzerland)	1987
UNCTAD VIII	Cartegina DE Indias (Columbia)	1992
UNCTAD IX	Midrand (Africa)	April 27 – May 11, 1996
UNCTAD X	Bangkok (Thailand)	Feb 12 – Feb 19, 2000
UNCTAD XI	Sao-Paulo (Brazil)	June 13 – June 18, 2004
UNCTAD XII	Accra (Ghana)	April 20 – April 25, 2008

Objectives of UNCTAD

1. To promote international trade specially with the view to accelerating the economic development of underdeveloped countries.
2. To determine policies and principles for international trade and economic development.
3. To propose the strategy for implementing pre-approved principles and policies.
4. To assist Economic and Social Council of the UNO.
5. To provide a suitable platform for trade dialogues.

Members of UNCTAD

Though UNCTAD is functioning as a permanent agency of the UNO, but its membership is fully optional. Any country may join or quit UNCTAD. 

The functioning of UNCTAD on democratic principles every member has only one voting right. For general disputes, simple majority among present members but two third majority is needed for important issues.

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National Solar Mission

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, gave its approval for stepping up of India’s solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) by five times, reaching 1,00,000 MW by 2022. The target will principally comprise of 40 GW Rooftop and 60 GW through Large and Medium Scale Grid Connected Solar Power Projects. With this ambitious target, India will become one of the largest Green Energy producers in the world, surpassing several developed countries.

The total investment in setting up 100 GW will be around Rs. 6,00,000 cr. In the first phase, the Government of India is providing Rs. 15,050 crore as capital subsidy to promote solar capacity addition in the country. This capital subsidy will be provided for Rooftop Solar projects in various cities and towns, for Viability Gap Funding (VGF) based projects to be developed through the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and for decentralized generation through small solar projects. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) intends to achieve the target of 1,00,000 MW with targets under the three schemes of 19,200 MW.

Apart from this, solar power projects with investment of about Rs. 90,000 crore would be developed using Bundling mechanism with thermal power. Further investment will come from large Public Sector Undertakings and Independent Power Producers (IPPs). State Governments have also come out with State specific solar policies to promote solar capacity addition.

The Government of India may also approach bilateral and international donors as also the Green Climate Fund for achieving this target. Solar power can contribute to the long term energy security of India, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels that put a strain on foreign reserves and the ecology as well. The solar manufacturing sector will get a boost with this long term trajectory of solar capacity addition. This will help in creation of technology hubs for manufacturing. The increased manufacturing capacity and installation are expected to pave way for direct and indirect employment opportunities in both the skilled and unskilled sector.

The new solar target of 100 GW is expected to abate over 170 million tonnes of CO2 over its life cycle. This Solar Scale-up Plan has a target of 40 GW through Decentralized Solar Power Generation in the form of Grid Connected Rooftop Projects. While Decentralized Generation will stabilise the grid, it will minimise investment on power evacuation.

To facilitate such a massive target, the Prime Minister’s Office has been pushing various Ministries to initiate supporting interventions, like:-

a) incorporating changes in land use regulations and tenancy laws to facilitate aggregation and leasing of land by farmers/ developers for solar projects;

b) identification of large chunks of land for solar projects;

c) identification of large government complexes/ buildings for rooftop projects;

d) clear survey of wastelands and identification of transmission/ road infrastructure using satellite technology for locating solar parks;

e) development of power transmission network/ Green Energy Corridor;

f) setting up of exclusive parks for domestic manufacturing of solar PV modules;

g) provision of roof top solar and 10 percent renewable energy as mandatory reform under the new scheme of Ministry of Urban Development;

h) amendments in building bye-laws for mandatory provision of roof top solar for new construction or higher FAR;

i) considering infrastructure status for solar projects; raising tax free solar bonds; providing long tenor loans; making roof top solar a part of housing loan by banks/ NHB and extending IIFCL credit facility to such projects by the Department of Financial Services;

j) suitable amendments to the Electricity Act for strong enforcement of Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) and for providing Renewable Generation Obligation (RGO);

k) incorporating measures in Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for encouraging distribution companies and making net-metering compulsory.

Background:

JNNSM was launched in 2009 with a target for Grid Connected Solar Projects of 20,000 MW by 2022. In the last two to three years, the sector has witnessed rapid development with installed solar capacity increasing rapidly from 18 MW to about 3800 MW during 2010 - 15. The price of solar energy has come down significantly from Rs.17.90 per unit in 2010 to under Rs.7 per unit, thereby reducing the need of VGF / GBI per MW of solar power. With technology advancement and market competition, this Green Power is expected to reach grid parity by 2017-18. These developments would enable India to achieve its present target of 20,000 MW. But considering its international commitment towards Green and climate friendly growth trajectory, the Government of India has taken this path-breaking decision.

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Must read Booklist for Civil Services Preliminary (CSP) Exam-2015

Click on the book name to buy the book online at discounted rates from flipkart:

1. Indian Polity 4th Edition : M Laxmikanth
   
2. A Brief History of Modern India : Spectrum
   
3. India - 2014 1st Edition : Arihant Experts 
   
4. Certificate Physical and Human Geography : GOH CHENG LEONG
   
5. India's Struggle for Independence : Bipin Chandra
   
6. The Orient BlackSwan School Atlas : Orient Blackswan
   
7. The Indian Economy : Sanjiv Verma
   
8. India 2014 : Publication Divison
   

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RTGS and NEFT Fund Transfers

The two options NEFT ( National Electronic Funds Transfer) and RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement) offered by the RBI allow electronic transfer of funds from the remitter, who has an account in one bank, to the beneficiary, who has an account in any other bank/branch. The transfer can be carried out using the Internet banking facility.

Activation

The facility for making third-party payment using Internet banking should be activated for conducting transactions through NEFT or RTGS.

Beneficiary

The person to whom the payment is to be made needs to be added as a 'beneficiary' and his bank account details provided in order to transfer the funds. These include the name of the beneficiary account holder, account number, bank and branch name, and the IFSC code of the beneficiary bank branch.

Processing

The bank requires 12-24 hours for authenticating the details of the beneficiary. After this is done, the new beneficiary is activated and the funds can be transferred to the specified account.

Transfer

Select the type of transfer option (NEFT or RTGS), beneficiary name, amount, and the reason/description of transfer. On submission of the details and the security transaction password, the transfer instruction is processed. The NEFT transfer takes place in batches and the RTGS transfer is carried out on a real-time basis.

Points to note:

• The minimum amount that can be transferred by RTGS is Rs 2 lakh. There is no such limit for transfer through NEFT.
• NEFT is settled in batches at times defined by the RBI. RTGS transactions are settled continuously as and when they are put through.
• The transfer of funds through NEFT and RTGS can also be carried out by submitting the remittance form at the remitter's bank branch.

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Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System

• CCTNS: Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System
• To be launched at 5,000 locations, including 3,000 police stations, across the country on January 4.
• The project is based on the principle of “centralized planning and decentralized implementation”. 
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)-backed project will provide a national databank of crime and criminals and their biometric profiles.
• This database will be connected with databases of other agencies of the criminal justice system like courts, jails, immigration and passport authorities.

 APPLICATIONS:

• The system will have a wide-ranging application. It will automate police functioning; make it transparent, accountable, effective and efficient.
•  Nationwide data will be available at 15,000 police stations and offices of middle and senior rank officials.
• It will also help in knowing progress of investigation in criminal cases and status of court proceedings

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FDI in Single Brand Retail

Retailing in India is one of the pillars of its economy and is estimated to be of US$ 450 billion. 

The term ‘retail’ has been defined as a sale for final consumption in contrast to a sale for further sale or processing (i.e. wholesale). Thus, retailing can be said to be the interface between the producer and the individual consumer buying for personal consumption. 

Retail industry in India is divided as: 

1) Organized Retailing: Organized retailing refers to trading activities undertaken by licensed retailers, that is, those who are registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include the corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains, and also the privately owned large retail businesses.

2) Unorganized Retailing: Unorganized retailing, on the other hand, refers to the traditional formats of low-cost retailing, for example, the local kirana shops, owner manned general stores, paan/beedi shops, convenience stores, hand cart and pavement vendors, etc.

SINGLE BRAND RETAIL

51 per cent investment in a single brand retail outlet has been permitted since 2006 under the Government route. But FDI in single brand product retail trading under the FDI

Policy was subject to the following conditions:

• Products to be sold should be of a 'Single Brand' only.

• Products should be sold under the same brand internationally i.e. products should be sold under the same brand in one or more countries other than India.

• 'Single Brand' product-retailing would cover only products which are branded during manufacturing.

•  The foreign investor should be the owner of the brand.

FDI in single-brand retail implies that a retail store with foreign investment can only sell one brand. For example, if Adidas were to obtain permission to retail its flagship brand in India, those retail outlets could only sell products under the Adidas brand. For Adidas to sell products under the Reebok brand, which it owns, separate government permission is required and (if permission is granted) Reebok products must then be sold in separate retail outlets.

Recently the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion for amendment of the existing policy on Foreign Direct Investment in Single-Brand Product Retail Trading. 

Vide Press Note 1(2012 Series) dated 10.1. 2012, Government had permitted FDI, up to 100%, in single brand product retail trading, subject to specified conditions, including, interalia, the conditions that: 

  a) The foreign investor should be the owner of the brand.

 b) In respect of proposals involving FDI beyond 51%, 30% sourcing would mandatorily have to be done from SMEs/ village and cottage industries artisans and craftsmen.

The CCEA has approved modification of the above mentioned conditions, for the activity of single brand product retail trading, as under: 

 a) Only one non-resident entity, whether owner of the brand or otherwise, shall be permitted to undertake single brand product retail trading in the country, for the specific brand, through a legally tenable agreement, with the brand owner for undertaking single brand product retail trading in respect of the specific brand for which approval is being sought. The onus for ensuring compliance with this condition shall rest with the Indian entity carrying out single-brand product retail trading in India. The investing entity shall provide evidence to this effect at the time of seeking approval, including a copy of the licensing/ franchise/sub-licence agreement, specifically indicating compliance with the above condition. 

 b) In respect of proposals involving FDI beyond 51%, sourcing of 30%, of the value of goods purchased, will be done from India, preferably from MSMEs, village and cottage industries, artisans and craftsmen, in all sectors, where it is feasible. 

`Small industries` would be defined as industries which have a total investment in plant & machinery not exceeding US $ 1.00 million. This valuation refers to the value at the time of installation, without providing for depreciation. Further, if at any point in time, this valuation is exceeded, the industry shall not qualify as a `small industry` for this purpose. The compliance of this condition will be ensured through self-certification by the company, which could be subsequently checked, by statutory auditors, from the duly certified accounts, which the investors will be required to maintain. 

Regarding the condition that 30% sourcing be mandatorily done from Indian small industry, investors have pointed out that it would be difficult to comply with this condition in the case of very specialized/high technology items. Global single brand retailers are often engaged in the business of retailing specialty/high-tech products. Such products are niche products, wherein it may not be viable for the foreign investors to build capacities wherever they engage in retailing, owing to the specialized requirements of quality and precision which the local small industry may not be able to provide.

Investors are, therefore, of the view that the condition of 30% mandatory sourcing from Indian small industries/ village and cottage industries, artisans and craftsmen, is acting as a deterrent to the desired foreign investment in this activity. 

The other category of products relate to the entire range from household appliances, utensils, furniture, crockery to furnishings, etc. These products are far more amenable to sourcing from MSMEs, village and cottage industries, artisans and craftsmen.

Therefore, the proposed modification of the condition is envisaged to take into account the circumstances of both the specialized/high technology niche products, as well as the general category, covering a wide range of items. The fact that 30% domestic sourcing is being mandated would imply that the single brand retailers would have to build production capacities in the country, either in existing units, or set up new ones, catering specifically to their sourcing requirements. Hence, even the 30% domestic sourcing is expected to develop production capacities in the country, with the attendant global best practices, relating to design, production and quality. Since single brand retailers are global players, Indian suppliers and vendors to these retailers would have an opportunity of becoming a part of their global supply chains. Thus, Indian products could find their way in the stores of these single brand retailers located in other countries, thereby augmenting exports from India as well. 

Thus, the amended condition relating to sourcing of 30%, of the value of goods purchased, being done from India, preferably from MSMEs, village and cottage industries, artisans and craftsmen, in all sectors, where feasible, is expected to benefit Indian producers, including the Indian handicrafts sector, which provides livelihood to millions and is important from the point of low capital investment, high value-addition and high potential for export, as also to meet the critical need to integrate Indian producers with the domestic and global markets. Skill integration with craftsmen abroad is likely to help develop synergies with international brands and generate more employment. The consequential benefits, arising from the integration of global best practices in management, along with global standards in quality, design, packaging and production, would help build capacities of local producers, by making it worthwhile for them to scale-up their production, thereby creating a multiplier effect on employment and income generation. This would also lead to up-gradation of technology, which, in turn, would have a further multiplier effect on the economy. 

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Shome Panel Report on GAAR

The Government had constituted an Expert Committee on General Anti Avoidance Rules (GAAR) to undertake stakeholder consultations and finalise the GAAR guidelines as well as a roadmap for implementation. The Committee, chaired by Dr. Parthasarathi Shome, has submitted its draft report after analysis of the GAAR provisions and noting the concerns expressed by various shareholders. The draft report has recommended certain amendments in the Income-tax Act, 1961; guidelines to be prescribed under the Income-tax Rules, 1962; circular to clarify GAAR provisions along with illustrations; and other measures to improve tax administration specifically oriented towards GAAR matters.

The terms of reference of the Committee are:

a) Receive comments from stakeholders and the general public on the draft GAAR guidelines which have been published by the Government on its website.

b) Vet and rework the guidelines based on this feedback and publish the second draft of the GAAR guidelines for comments and consultations.

c) Undertake widespread consultations on the second draft GAAR guidelines.

d) Finalize the GAAR guidelines and a roadmap for implementation and submit these to the government.

Highlights of the Recommendations:

a) Recommendations for amendments in the Income-tax Act, 1961

• The implementation of GAAR may be deferred by three years on administrative grounds. GAAR is an extremely advanced instrument of tax administration – one of deterrence, rather than for revenue generation – for which intensive training of tax officers, who would specialize in the finer aspects of international taxation, is needed. Hence GAAR should be deferred for 3 years. But the year, 2016-17, should be announced now. In effect, therefore, GAAR would apply from 2017-18. 

• Abolish the tax on gains arising from transfer of listed securities, whether in the nature of capital gains or business income, to both residents as well as non-residents.

• The Act should be amended to provide that only arrangements which have the main purpose (and not one of the main purposes) of obtaining tax benefit should be covered under GAAR. An arrangement shall be deemed to be lacking commercial substance, if it does not have a significant effect upon the business risks, or net cash flows, of any party to the arrangement apart from any effect attributable to the tax benefit that would be obtained.‖

• As regards constitution of the Approving Panel(AP),  the Committee recommends that –

The Approving Panel should consist of five members including 

I. Chairman;

II. The Chairman should be a retired judge of the High Court; 

III. Two members should be from outside Govt. and persons of eminence drawn from the fields of accountancy, economics or business, with knowledge of matters of income-tax; and 

IV. Two members should be Chief Commissioners of income tax; or one Chief Commissioner and one Commissioner.

The Approving Panel should be a permanent body with a secretariat.  It should have a two year term. A decision of the AP should occur by a majority of members.

b) Recommendations under Income tax Rules

• The GAAR provisions should be subject to an overarching principle that – (1) Tax mitigation should be distinguished from tax avoidance before invoking GAAR.

• A monetary threshold of Rs 3 crore of tax benefit (including tax only, and not interest etc) to a taxpayer in a year should be used for the applicability of GAAR provisions. In case of tax deferral, the tax benefit shall be determined based on the present value of money.

c) Other recommendations

The Committee has made following recommendations in respect of tax administration:-

• The administration of Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR) should be strengthened so that an advance ruling may be obtained within the statutory time frame of six months.

• Shall not invoke GAAR where the taxpayer submits a satisfactory undertaking to pay tax along with interest in case it is found that GAAR provisions are applicable in relation to the remittance during the course of assessment proceedings; or  

• To minimize the deficiency of trust between the tax administration and taxpayers, concerted training programmes should be initiated for all AO‘s placed, or to be placed, in the area of international taxation. 

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Mullaperiyar dam Controversy

The Mullaperiyar Dam was constructed by the British during 1887-1895 across Periyar River in the then Travancore state (now Kerala) territory. During the rule of the British in India a 999-year lease was made and accordingly, the Government of Tamil Nadu has been operating the dam.
The Periyar National Park is located around the backwaters of this dam. The dam was built by the British under the supervision of Benny Cook.  The dam’s purpose was to divert the waters of the west-flowing Periyar River eastwards, since it caused widespread floods in the Travancore region, by constructing a masonry dam and diverting the water from the reservoir by way of a tunnel across the watershed and the Western Ghats to the rain shadow region of the Theni Sivaganga District and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu.
The lease provided the British the rights over “all the waters” of the Mullaperiyar and its catchments, for an annual rent of Rs. 40,000. About 60,000 ha in Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, and Dindigul districts in present day Tamil Nadu were intended as beneficiaries of irrigation waters from Mullaperiyar. Water is brought through a 1.6 km long tunnel till the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border and then flows through open canals to Churuliyar River which feeds the Vaigai dam in Tamil Nadu. From there a network of canals take the water to the fields.
The dam is one of the oldest dams in service in the world, at 105 years. The average life-span of a well-built and well-designed dam is considered to be 50-60 years by experts. It was made using old technology, and not based on the modern parameters for design of dams. In this case, much of the building material used in the construction has been leached out, by wear and tear. Thus in 1930s, Tamil Nadu engineers bored 80 holes in the dam and injected 40 tonne of cement solution to plug seepage. Again in 1933, grouting technology was used to strengthen the dam. In 1960, 502 tonne of cement solution was injected. The experts from Indian Institute of Technology also examined the dam, and mentioned that the dam will not withstand an earthquake.
It has become the bone of contention between Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Since 1970, Kerala has argued that the dam having outlived its life of 50 years is unsafe to maintain water at 46.3 metres—the full reservoir level—and it should be restricted to 41.45 metres. The Kerala government's contention is that in case the dam breaks, the three dams downstream -- Idukki, Cheruthoni and Kolamavu – will not be able to withhold the pressure, which will put the lives of 3.5 million people in danger in the state.  In 1979, the Central Water Commission (CWC)— the premier government agency dealing with dam safety—was asked to look into the matter; it suggested reduction of water level to 41.45 metres as an emergency measure along with other measures to strengthen the dam. Tamil Nadu agreed to this limit. Another committee headed by the then CWC chairperson B K Mittal was appointed in 2001 to look into the matter. It stated that the reservoir level be raised to 43.28 metres, after the strengthening measures were implemented. This was to be on an interim basis, and later reservoir levels could go up to the original level of 46.3 metres.
On the other hand, the TN government maintains that if the Mullaperiyar is demolished, it will create water scarcity in five districts of the state, leading to a drought in the region.
In 1998, all Mullaperiyar-related cases were transferred to the Supreme Court which, in its order of February 2006, observed that the dispute is not a ‘water dispute’. It allowed raising the reservoir level to 43.28 metres and directed Tamil Nadu to carry out the strengthening measures suggested by CWC, and restrained Kerala from causing any obstruction.
In July 2009, the Kerala government proposed the building of a new dam, 1,300 feet downstream of the present Mullaperiyar reservoir, which can assure the safety of the people of Kerala from the existing high-risk structure. In 2010 Tamil Nadu rejected the idea of constructing the new dam over the Periyar River.
Finally in 2010 the Supreme Court appointed former Chief Justice of India A.S. Anand as the chairperson of a techno-legal panel formed to examine the strength and capacity of the more than a century old Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala.
Recently the 141-member house of Kerala unanimously passed a resolution that the central government should sanction a new dam to replace the leaking, masonry Mullaperiyar in Idukki district.
This is the third unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala assembly demanding a new dam. The first was passed in 1993 when K. Karunakaran of the Congress was the Chief Minister and the next came in 2009 when V.S. Achuthanandan of the CPI-M was heading the state government.
Kerala is worried that a strong earthquake might damage the dam and cause widespread destruction. It is seeking a new dam and has offered to fund and build it, but Tamil Nadu does not agree. Experts from Kerala side say if a quake strikes and the dam is damaged, over four million people and their property in districts of Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and parts of Thrissur would be washed away.
Whereas Tamil Nadu wants the dam’s storage capacity to be increased by raising the dam height from 136 feet (41.5 metre) to 142 feet (43 metre) as the state’s irrigation needs have shot up.
Mullaperiyar issue has sown the seeds of mutual distrust between people on either side of the 116-year-old dam.

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MID-DAY MEAL SCHEME

The Mid Day Meal is the world’s largest school feeding programme reaching out to about 12 crore children in over 12.65 lakh schools/EGS centres across the country.

Mid Day Meal in schools has had a long history in India. In 1925, a Mid Day Meal Programme was introduced for disadvantaged children in Madras Municipal Corporation. By the mid 1980s three States viz. Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the UT of Pondicherry had universalized a cooked Mid Day Meal Programme with their own resources for children studying at the primary stage By 1990-91 the number of States implementing the mid day meal programme with their own resources on a universal or a large scale had increased to twelve states.

With a view to enhancing enrollment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children all over India, the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15 August 1995, initially in 2408 blocks in the country. By the year 1997- 98 the NP-NSPE was introduced in all blocks of the country. It was further extended in 2002 to cover not only children in class I-V of government, government aided and local body schools, but also children studying in Education Guarantee Scheme and Alternative and Innovative Education centres.

Central Assistance under the scheme consisted of free supply of food grains @ 100 grams per child per school day, and subsidy for transportation of food grains up to a maximum of Rs 50 per quintal.

In September 2004 the scheme was revised to provide cooked mid day meal with 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein to all children studying in classes I-V in Government and aided schools and EGS/AIE centres. In addition to free supply of food grains, the revised scheme provided Central Assistance for (a) Cooking cost @ 1 per child per school day, (b) Transport subsidy was raised from the earlier maximum of 50 per quintal to 100 per quintal for special category states, and  75 per quintal for other states, (c) Management, monitoring and evaluation costs @ 2 per cent of the cost of foodgrains, transport subsidy and cooking assistance, and (d) Provision of mid day meal during summer vacation in drought affected areas.

In July 2006 the nutritional norm has increased from existing 300 calories and 8-12 gram protein to minimum 450 Calories and 12 gram of protein. Assistance for cooking / kitchen devices (gas stove with connection, stainless steel water storage tank, cooking and serving utensils etc.) in a phased manner @ _ 5,000 per school.

In September 2007, the name of the Scheme was changed from 'National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education 'to 'National Programme of Mid Day Meal in Schools' and the Scheme was extended to cover children of upper primary classes (i.e. class VI to VIII) studying in 3,479 Educationally Backward Blocks. The calorific value of the Mid Day Meal for upper primary stage was fixed at 700 Calories and 20 grams of protein.

The Scheme was further revised in April 2008 to cover all upper primary schools of country and also to include recognized Madrasas / Maqtabs supported under SSA as Government Aided schools as well as those Madrasas / Maqtabs which may not be registered or recognized but supported under SSA as EGS / AIE intervention in coordination with State Project Directors of SSA.

During the year 2009 the following changes have been made to improve the implementation of the scheme: Food norms have been revised to ensure balanced and nutritious diet to children of upper primary group by increasing the quantity of pulses from 25 to 30 grams, vegetables from 65 to 75 grams and by decreasing the quantity of oil and fat from 10 grams to 7.5 grams.

Monitoring Mechanism

The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development has prescribed a comprehensive and elaborate mechanism for monitoring and supervision of the Mid Day Meal Scheme. The monitoring mechanism includes the following:

• Representatives of Gram Panchayats/Gram Sabhas, as well as Mothers' Committees are required to monitor the (i) regularity and wholesomeness of the mid day meal served to children, (ii) cleanliness in cooking and serving of the mid day meal, (iii) timeliness in procurement of good quality ingredients, fuel, etc. (iv) implementation of varied menu and (v) social and gender equity. This is required to be done on a daily basis.

• In order to ensure that there is transparency and accountability, all schools and centres where the programme is being implemented are required to display information suo-moto. This includes information on:
a) Quality of foodgrains received, date of receipt.
b) Quantity of foodgrains utilized.
c) Other ingredients purchased, utilized
d) Number of children given mid day meal.
e) Daily Menu
f) Roster of Community Members involved in the programme.

• Officers of the State Government/UTs belonging to the Departments of Revenue, Rural Development, Education and other related sectors, such as Women and Child Development, Food, Health are also required to inspect schools and centres where the programme is being implemented.

• The FCI is responsible for the continuous availability of adequate food grains in its Depots. It allows lifting of food grains for any month/quarter up to one month in advance so that supply chain of food grains remains uninterrupted. The District Collector/CEO of Zila Panchayat ensures that food grains of at least Fair Average Quality are issued by FCI.

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Rapid Transit System in India

A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway  system is an  electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation  from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on elevated rails above street level. Outside urban centers, rapid transit lines may run on grade separated ground level tracks.

Service on rapid transit systems is provided on designated lines between stations using electric multiple units on rail tracks, although some systems use guided rubber tyres, magnetic levitation, or monorail. They are typically integrated with other public transport and often operated by the same public transport authorities. Rapid transit is faster and has a higher capacity than trams or light rail (but does not exclude a fully grade separated LRT), but is not as fast or as far-reaching as commuter rail.

Major rapid systems in India are:

a) Kolkata Metro
The Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro is a mass rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in Indian state of West Bengal. The network consists of one operational line (Line 1). It was the first such form of transportation in India, opening commercial services in 1984.

Benefits:

• Requires 1/5th energy per passenger km compared to road-based transport system.
• Causes less noise, no air pollution and eco friendly transport system.
• Occupies no road space if underground and only about 2.60 mtrs width of the road if elevated.
• More reliable, comfortable and safer than road based systems.
• Reduces journey time.

b) MONO RAIL in Mumbai

Considering the increase in population, increased travel demand and narrow road networks running through congested structures, there is a need of a system which will occupy less space as well as reduce travel time.

With the objective, to support public rapid transit system such as suburban rail system and metro rail system and where public rapid transit system is not available or impossible to provide such system and where widening of roads is not possible due to structures on either sides, Mono Rail system is proposed to be implemented in “ city of dreams” MUMBAI. Once completed it will be world’s second longest Monorail corridor.

Larsen and Toubro along with Scomi has received the contract to build and operate the monorail.

Salient features of Monorail system:

1. In Monorail System train runs on a narrow Guide way Beam, wheels of which are gripped laterally on either side of the beam.
2. Monorail is a Light Weight System and its cost of execution is less compared to heavy rail systems and it takes approximately 1.5 to 2 years for execution.
3. Mono rail System requires 1.00 m wide space (Column Size 0.8 m X 1.5 m) the space of a footpath or a divider and it rests on a single pillar of height 6.5 m without disturbing the existing traffic.
4. As compared to other systems Monorail produces less noise and is eco-friendly and hence easily acceptable in dense residential locale.
5. Monorail System is in use in Tokyo (Japan) from 1963, in Kuala-Lumpur (Malaysia) for last 5 years and in china for last 3 years.
6. Monorail System is Safe and reliable system.

c) Delhi Metro

The Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida andGhaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. It has become the "life line" of Delhi as people are dependent on Delhi Metro for commuting to different places within the city. Delhi Metro Project has been recognized all over the world for its specialty in terms of a hi-tech rail and better equipped transport system. The project is under the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, DMRC.

Planning for the metro started in 1984, when the Delhi Development Authority and the Urban Arts Commission came up with a proposal for developing a multi-modal transport system for the city. The Government of India and the Government of Delhi jointly set up the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in 1995. Construction started in 1998, and the first section, on the Red Line, opened in 2002, followed by the Yellow Line in 2004, the Blue Line in 2005, its branch line in 2009, the Green and Violet Lines in 2010 and the Delhi Airport Metro Express in 2011.

Metro rail in the city has reduced the traffic to some extent and the pollution level has certainly declined. Because of this only Delhi Metro has been certified by the United Nations as the first metro rail-based system in the world to get carbon credits for contributing to the fight against climate change by help reducing pollution levels in the city by 6.3 lakh tons every year. It also has earned carbon credits of worth 47 crores annually for the next seven years.

A carbon credit is a term for any tradable certificate or permit representing the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide. Carbon credits and carbon markets are a component of national and international attempts to mitigate the growth in concentration of greenhouse gases.

Thus, the DMRC has helped in reduction in emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere and the United Nations-body administering the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol has certified carbon credits to DMRC for reducing emissions.

d) Namma Metro

Namma Metro also known as Bengaluru Metro is a rapid transit rail system for the city of Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. The agency responsible for its implementation is the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL). The first stretch between Baiyyappanahalli and M.G. Road was inaugurated on October 20, 2011.

Salient features:

All the Metro trains are Wi-Fi enabled (the first metro in India to have this feature), so passengers can use laptops, tablets as well as mobile internet. Passengers also have emergency voice communication with train staff through a speaker system. Passengers are provided with a call button to communicate anything to the driver or control center during an emergency.

Metro stations will have Powerheart Automated external defibrillator (AED) to protect its commuters against death from sudden cardiac arrest. Powerheart AED is used for emergency treatment of victims exhibiting symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest. The installation of AEDs will be followed by a certified training for a group of staff members of BMRC. The devices are manufactured by Opto Circuits (India) Ltd.

e) Proposed Rapid Transit Systems

Urban Development Minister Mr. Kamal Nath has approved “in-principle” the proposal of implementing Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in three important corridors in the NCR viz. Delhi-Gurgaon-Alwar, Delhi-Sonepat-Panipat and Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut. The RRTS is a rail based mass transit system that would connect distant areas of National Capital Region (NCR) to the Capital.

The high speed connectivity between the regional centres of NCR and Delhi will make the physical distance shorter and allow these regional towns to capture the economic impulse and density generated by Delhi. This faster connectivity will reduce pressure on the National Capital’s infrastructure by opening up the region, including regional housing market.

The Minister stressed that in order to achieve the objective of creation of NCR in 1985, it would be necessary to focus on the sub-urbanization process and infrastructure development outside Delhi to enable other areas of NCR to absorb the load on the capital’s resources. 

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NSDC: functions, Origin

What is NSDC?

• National Skill Development Corporation [NSDC] is a not- for- profit company set up by the Ministry of Finance. (Mind it: Finance ministry and not HRD ministry= important fact for MCQs]
• In short, Government gives it money, and it gives the money to NGOs to set up vocational training institutes, which usually have stupid computer instructors who think that hitting “refesh” button on desktop every third second, is going to speed up the computer. And by mimicking them, those who get “Skill training” from these institute, they also do the same- thus decreasing the life of a normal mouse’s right click button.

Why do we Need NSDC?

• Because there is shortage of skilled workers in every sector.
• Government plans to pump in around Rs 40,000 crore in over five years to provide skill to around 3 crore people during the period.

Why is it in news?

1. Because Mohan wants to give it an “Authority” badge. i.e. from “National Skill Development Corporation” he wants to create National Skill Development Authority [NSDA]
2. Again Why ? Because As an authority the organization will have the power to draw funds from the government and spend it with the states and other partner agencies, which is not possible now.
3. NSDC provides services for the following sectors in India:

1. Automobile / autocomponents
2. Electronics hardware
3. Textiles and garments
4. Leather and leather goods
5. Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
6. Gems and jewellery
7. Building and construction
8. Food processing
9. Handlooms and handicrafts
10. Building hardware and home furnishings
11. IT or software
12. ITES-BPO
13. Tourism, hospitality and travel
14. Transportation/ logistics/ warehousing and packaging
15. Organised retail
16. Real estate
17. Media, entertainment, broadcasting, content creation, animation
18. Healthcare
19. Banking/ insurance and finance
20. Education/ skill development
21. Unorganised sector

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