News

Q.1- NH 62 a Highway between India and Bangladesh is in which state? A. Meghalaya B. Tripura C. Mizoram D. West Bengal Q.2- Which of the following is India's fastest supercomputer? A. SahasraT Cray XC-40 B. Param Yuva II C. Aditya D. Param Yuva III Q.3- Which of the following is correct regarding wind energy in India? 1. Govt plans to raise wind power generation to 60,000 MW by 2022 2. Ministry of power is nodal agency for development of offshore wind energy in the country A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer  1-A,2-A,3-A

Q.1- Which among the following is correct regarding Phalcon AWACS? 1. It is used by India for air superiority 2. It is made in U.S. A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q.2- 1. The Centre has proposed amending law to empower States to pay wages by cheque or credit into bank accounts. 2. For that Union Labour ministry has proposed changes in the Section 6 of the Payment of Wages Act of 1936. Which of the following statements is/are true-? a) Only 1 b) Only 2 c) Both 1 & 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3- consider the following statements about gold monetization scheme 1. scheme will enable depositors to earn interest on their on their gold accounts. 2. The sovereign gold bond will enable investors to buy gold certificates from the government, which can later be encashed for money or physical gold. Which of the above statements is/are true A. only 1 B. only 2 C. Neither 1 nor 2 D. Both 1 & 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Ans...

Q.1- Consider the following statements : The India-Africa Summit 1. held in 2015 was the third such Summit 2. was actually initiated by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951 Which of the statements given above is/are correct? A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both 1 and 2 D. Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2- President’s recommendation is not required for introduction of which of the following bills? A. Money Bill. B. Finance Bill. C. Amendment Bill. D. Bill for the formation of new states or alteration of boundaries of a state. Q.3- UDAN scheme is related to which of the following? A. Girl education B. Tribal upliftment C. Aviation sector D. None. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .  Answer 1-A,2-C,3-C

Q.1- Which of the below statements correct regarding BS Norms? A) Bharat stage emission standards are emission standards instituted by the Government of India to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engine equipment, including motor vehicles. B) The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board under the Ministry of Environment & Forests and climate change a) A only b) B only c) Both A and B d) Neither A nor B Q.2- Teesta river flows through which of the following states? 1. Sikkim 2. Arunachal Pradesh 3. West Bengal A. 1,2 B. 1,3 C. 2,3 D. All Q.3- VPM1002 has been in news recently, it is related to which of the following disease? A. Dengue B. Zika C. TB D. Malaria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer 1-C,2-B,3-C

Q.1- Which of the following is correct regarding Mental Health care bill, 2016? 1. it decriminalises suicide attempt by mentally ill people 2. it protect and restore property right of mentally ill persons 3. every mental health establishment has to be registered with the respective Central or State Mental Health Authority A. 1,2 only B. 2,3 only C. 1,3 only D. All of the above Q.2- With reference to National Rural Health Mission, which of the following are the jobs of ‘ASHA’, a trained community health worker? 1. Accompanying women to the health facility for antenatal care checkup 2 . Using pregnancy test kits for early detection of pregnancy 3. Providing information on nutrition and immunization 4. Conducting the delivery of baby Select the correct answer using the codes given below : A. 1, 2 and 3 only B. 2 and 4 Only C. 1 and 3 only D. 1, 2, 3 & 4 Q.3- According to Indian Meteorological department which of the following defines Heat wave A. when the maxi...

The new US administration announced this week that it will be reviewing America’s Clean Power Plan, domestic legislation brought in by the previous administration in 2015 aimed at reducing US power sector emissions and increasing renewable energy production. The review comes shortly after the new US administration also submitted its first budget to Congress covering a wide range of areas from defense to education and including changes in funding for the US Environmental Protection Agency. These two announcements form part of well publicized election pledges made by the new President during last year’s campaign. As Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC I, like many people and organizations around the globe, are watching these developments with interest. Budget proposals in the United States often involve long and complex negotiations before they are finally approved in part or in full by Congress. The review of the Clean Power Plan may also take some time before an outcome emerge...

A recent study has linked occurrence of neurological disease—commonly known as encephalitis—to consumption of litchi in Muzaffarpur district in Bihar. Published in Lancet on March 31, the study recommends minimising Litchi consumption and also ensuring that the evening meal is not skipped as the latter modifies the effect of eating litchis on the disease, which is quite common in summer season and targets weaker section of society. Researchers from the National Centre for Disease Control (India) and the National Center for Environmental Health, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a hospital-based surveillance to assess potential infectious and non-infectious causes of this acute neurological illness. For this, they considered children of 15 years or younger. Children were admitted to two hospitals in Muzaffarpur for the treatment. Link between litchi consumption and encephalitis In a bid to establish relation between litchi consumption and encephalitis, the...

As we face the onslaught of climate change, the key to improving food security in developing countries lies in sustainable rice production. Rice-based farming systems can greatly benefit small-scale farmers, especially women, and help end hunger in these countries. According to Maria Helena Semedo, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) deputy director-general, rice is critical to global food security. Over three billion people across the globe eat rice every day. Rice is one of the world’s staple cereals, along with wheat and maize. It has been estimated that by 2050, the annual global demand for maize, rice and wheat will reach almost 3.3 billion tonnes. According to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), rice production needs to increase by 25 per cent in the next 25 years to meet global demands. Fighting climate change In many countries, especially Southeast Asia, rice is a staple crop (around 97 per cent of rice is grown in Asian countries). At the same time r...

s it easy to catch fish? Going by reports of indiscriminate fishing, bycatch and overfishing, it seems like merely putting a net in the water will guarantee a fisherman his catch. But even with over one hundred species of fish in Indian waters, it takes skill to make a living from fishing. Fishing techniques are learnt from years of experience. It is a body of knowledge that is not written or recorded. While some of this knowledge is transmitted orally across generations, much of it comes from practice. When a fisher can tell the availability of fish just by looking at the colour and currents of the sea, it reflects a connection with nature that combines knowledge with practice. Fisherfolk know something about the marine environment that other people don’t. In seven years of talking to fisherfolk across India, I have repeatedly come across one sentiment: “How can you be a fisher if you don’t know the sea?” Knowledge, occupation and identity are integrally linked in fisherfolk’s mind...

f you are visiting Nainital this weekend, you will be relieved to find day temperature hovering in early 20s with crisp air following you as you take a stroll on the Mall Road overlooking the Naini lake. What you might not notice is the receding water level in this one-mile-long natural freshwater body. Summer hasn’t reached the hills yet, but even then the water level of the lake touched a record low. In the beginning of March this year, the water level in the lake came down to 13.2 feet from its surface. Last time, the water level reached this low was in May and June 2016.  Hence, this is no exaggeration when experts apprehend that the famed Naini lake, which draws tourists in droves, might turn into a mere pond in the next six decades. The Naini lake depends on natural underground water. It witnesses a good amount of rain and snowfall during the winter months: December to March. This is followed by monsoon rain, which also helps in maintaining water level. However, despite ...

Assurances notwithstanding, India must not enter into a contract with a bankrupt company With Japanese conglomerate Toshiba announcing that Westinghouse, the American nuclear major it bought in 2006, has filed for bankruptcy, the road map of the India-U.S. nuclear deal is in jeopardy. Under the deal, Westinghouse is slated to set up six AP1000 nuclear reactors in Kovvada, Andhra Pradesh. The National Democratic Alliance government, after assuming power in 2014, had stood by the contours of the deal signed under the previous government and a preliminary work agreement between Westinghouse and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to build two reactors in Kovvada was being finalised at the time of the bankruptcy filing. The U.S. embassy in New Delhi has reaffirmed the commitment to civil nuclear cooperation with India, and Westinghouse is reported to have indicated that it continues to stand behind the reactor delivery model that it presented in its Technical Commerci...

The singular focus on international rights intervention is killing a once-vibrant local rights movement From the time Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in 2009, international actors have infused narratives of the war with stories of human rights abuses. Eight years since, it has only become clear how irrelevant current human rights campaigns are to the war-torn people and their struggles. This is not for the lack of inhuman wrongs done by the state and others — there are plenty of them in Sri Lanka as in the rest of the world. Rather, it is the singular focus on international human rights intervention that is killing a once-vibrant local human rights movement in the country. Notes from Geneva Sri Lanka was again in the limelight at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva this month. The September 2015 resolution, adopted months after regime change in Sri Lanka, signalled a departure from the Council’s earlier antagonistic stand, with Sri Lanka itself co-sponsoring ...

Aadhaar is very poorly designed. The technology needs fixing today; the law can wait for tomorrow   Sunil Abraham, executive director at the Centre for Internet and Society Aadhaar is mass surveillance technology. Unlike, targeted surveillance which is a good thing, and essential for national security and public order — mass surveillance undermines security. And while biometrics is appropriate for targeted surveillance by the state — it is wholly inappropriate for everyday transactions between the state and law abiding citizens. When assessing a technology don't ask — “what use it is being put to today?”. Instead ask “what use can it be put to tomorrow and by whom?”. The original noble intentions of the Aadhaar project initiators will not constrain those in the future that want to take full advantage of technological possibilities.  However, rather than frame the surveillance potential of Aadhaar in a negative tone as three problem statements — I will propose three mo...

The Treatment of Terminally Ill Patients Bill is a good point to take the euthanasia-related debate forward The introduction of a Bill in Parliament to govern end-of-life medical care appears to have been missed in all the din of political developments. Tabled by MP Baijayant Panda, the Treatment of Terminally Ill Patients Bill, 2016 contains several prominent features: it recognises the validity of advance medical directives by terminally-ill patients, which physicians will be bound to respect while treating them, and it also emphasises the need to account for palliative care when making end-of-life-care decisions. However, the provisions most likely to attract popular attention are those permitting physician-assisted suicide for terminally-ill patients. ALSO READ The draft Bill fails to protect the constitutional rights of patients who wish to have their decisions about medical treatment respected. ALOK PRASANNA KUMAR DHVANI MEHTA In its judgments in the Aruna Shanbaug and ...

Udan has started the process of tapping India’s civil aviation opportunities fully Six months from now, 43 cities will be mainstreamed on India’s flight connectivity grid, an outcome of the Udan scheme launched to spur regional flights covering distances up to 800 km. These include a dozen airports where limited but irregular flights operate, and as many as 31 destinations that are not connected at all despite the existence of airport facilities. The scale of India’s untapped civil aviation opportunities can be gauged by the fact that these constitute less than 10% of India’s inactive airports/airstrips — 394 out of 450 are dormant currently. The Udan scheme is a critical component of the national civil aviation policy unveiled last June. It offers viability gap funding to operators to fly smaller aircraft to such airports with a commitment to price tickets for at least half of the seats at ₹2,500 for an hour-long flight. In the first round of bids, 11 new or existing airline operat...

t is achievable for this country that has made tremendous progress in universal immunisation. Over the last few weeks, India and the world watched in disbelief as Chennai, the fourth largest city in country was crippled by unusually vicious monsoon rains. As the city and neighboring areas were pounded with over 400 mm of continuous rain, many parts of the metropolis gave way to the deluge of water that inundated large swathes of land - sweeping away its residents, infrastructure and powerlines in its wake. In the aftermath amidst now fetid pools of receding water, city and state and society take stock of the devastation- more than 300 people dead, several hundred missing and thousands of homes destroyed by flood waters. While poor urban planning, illegal construction and lack of storm water drainage are attributed in large part to the disaster, the huge health implications of this calamity are only just manifesting themselves. Water logged areas infested with sewage debris, un-cle...

The following is the concluding statement issued by the National Conference on Health Professions Education 2011 held at Vellore on September 16 and 17, under the aegis of the Medical Education Unit of the Christian Medical College. The purpose of the conference was to bring together policy makers, academic institutions and health care providers to build and strengthen the linkages between health professions education and health care needs. The conference also aims to develop the capacity of health professionals in India to adjust curricular strategies and equip them to meet the health care needs of the population. Preamble Today we are facing widening disparities in India in health status and access to basic health care. Catastrophic health expenditure is causing significant indebtedness. There is acute health manpower shortage, particularly in rural areas. In this context, the Conference raised the question: To what extent is medical education contributing to this crisis and is ...