News

Q.1- Consider the following statement about VVPAT is/are incorrect? 1. All elections except local bodies election uses VVPAT 2. VVPAT machine specially designed by the BHEL A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q.2- Myitsone dam is source of which of the following rivers? A. Irrawaddy B. Mekong C. Chao Phraya D. None of the above Q.3- Which of the following is correct regarding the exports in India? 1. Agricultural export is largest portion of Indian export 2. Petroleum sector accounts for close to 20 percent of all the exports. A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer 1-C,2-D,3-D

Q.1- Which of the following is world's largest Tin producing country? A. China B. Indonesia C. Malaysia D. Japan Q.2- Which of the following is one of the goals of smart cities? a) Providing safe investment avenues in infrastructure b) Inclusive growth c) Recasting India's urban landscape d) None of the above Q.3- There is a concern over the increase in harmful algal blooms in the seawater of India. What could be the causative factors for this phenomenon ? 1. Discharge of nutrients from the estuaries. 2. Run-off from the land during the monsoon.’ 3. Upwelling in the seas. Select the correct answer from the codes given below : A. 1 only. B. 1 and 2 only. C. 2 and 3 only. D. 1,2,and 3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer1-C,2-D,3-D

Q.1- Which of the following is correct regarding Right to Education act? 1. The Right to Education of persons with disabilities until 18 years of age has also been made a fundamental right. 2. It requires all private schools to reserve 25% of seats to children from poor families A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q.2- Which of the following will reduce the fiscal deficit in short term? A. Increasing the expenditure on Public welfare programmes B. Waving of the loans of farmers C. Increasing the expenditure on ports and infrastructure building D. More use of JAM trinity for subsidy distribution Q.3- Antibodies are A. Proteins B. Glycoproteins C. Carbohydrates D. Nucleic Acid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer1-C,2-D,3-B

As India catapults towards a digital economy, making ICT accessible to the disabled is a must Around 8-10% of India’s population lives with disabilities, with an equal number constituting the aged. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have the potential to significantly impact the lives of these groups, facilitating access of services available to them and allowing them to handle a wide range of activities independently, enhancing their social, cultural, political and economic participation. Making ICT accessible no longer remains an option but has become a necessity. Poor accessibility due to lack of focussed information and political will has led to social exclusion of people with disabilities, exacerbating the negative impact of the existing digital divide. The new call for action of disability rights activists now is “Cause No Harm”, thus ensuring future generations are not excluded from mainstream activities due to a hostile infrastructure. This assumes a greate...

This will make a difference to global climate outcomes in the context of U.S. recalcitrance under Trump In March, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order, ostensibly promoting U.S. energy independence and economic growth, but with potential collateral damage to global efforts to limit climate change. What exactly did he authorise, what are its implications, and what does it mean for India’s strategic interests in energy and climate change? The executive order defines America’s interest narrowly in terms of developing the country’s energy resources. It establishes a time-bound process to review several Obama-era regulatory actions that might “burden” their development, and revokes certain actions. A centrepiece is a review of the U.S. Clean Power Plan, which aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the American electricity sector. This was a key element in President Barack Obama’s plans to meet America’s climate pledge under the Paris Agreement. Other actions ...

The Supreme Court order banning sale of liquor along highways is not fully thought out When courts clarify earlier orders, the understanding is that they would have considered more facts, applied better reasoning, and foreseen later eventualities. But when the Supreme Court last week confirmed its December order on banning sale of liquor near National and State highways, it not only reiterated many of the impractical aspects of the original judgment, but went on to assert that the proscription would cover not just retail outlets but hotels and bars too. What distinguishes, or logically sets apart, the sale of liquor along highways from that along interior roads? Apparently, the order is intended to prevent drunk driving, which is without doubt a contributor to road accidents and fatalities. But if tougher laws can make up for weak enforcement, then judicial officers can just as well replace law-enforcers. The court’s clarification goes against the opinion Attorney-General Mukul R...

This will make a difference to global climate outcomes in the context of U.S. recalcitrance under Trump In March, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order, ostensibly promoting U.S. energy independence and economic growth, but with potential collateral damage to global efforts to limit climate change. What exactly did he authorise, what are its implications, and what does it mean for India’s strategic interests in energy and climate change? The executive order defines America’s interest narrowly in terms of developing the country’s energy resources. It establishes a time-bound process to review several Obama-era regulatory actions that might “burden” their development, and revokes certain actions. A centrepiece is a review of the U.S. Clean Power Plan, which aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the American electricity sector. This was a key element in President Barack Obama’s plans to meet America’s climate pledge under the Paris Agreement. Other actions ...

If there has to be investment resurgence, it is necessary to create the climate which promotes this faith Now that the dust and din around the State Assembly elections have settled down, it is time for policymakers to turn their attention to the major task of accelerating economic growth. As of now the prospects are not encouraging. The Central Statistics Office’s second advanced estimates indicate that the growth rate of GDP for 2016-17 will be 7.1% as against 7.9% in 2015-16. The growth rate of gross value added at basic prices in 2016-17 will be 6.7% as against 7.8% in 2015-16. The growth rates projected for 2016-17 do not capture the impact of demonetisation, which when taken into account may bring down the projected growth rate by around 0.5%. The decline in the growth rate is not a recent phenomenon. It started in 2011-12. The persistence of relatively low growth over a five-year period calls for a critical examination. Even though the new numbers on national income give us ...

Heatwaves may become more frequent; good action plans can help prepare for the worst Torrid summers, when the mercury soars 4°C to 6°C above the average and produces heatwaves in several States between April and June, may become more frequent in coming years. Not only will there be more hot days, the spells of heat stress sweeping across much of India are likely to grow longer. The scientific consensus is that heatwaves will grow stronger and expand their geographical spread in the south, influenced by the sea surface temperature in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. With rising greenhouse gases, their impact can only intensify. Though the number of people dying due to heat stress last year was half of the previous year’s toll of 2,040, the need to evolve detailed action plans at the level of States, districts and cities is now critical. It is encouraging that the National Disaster Management Authority is guiding States, in partnership with the India Meteorological Department, to evolve...

The seas near Mumbai, Kerala and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are among the worst polluted in the world, according to a new study that mapped marine pollution around the world. Seabirds and fish are severely affected by the marine litter, as shown in the latest analysis by researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Germany. For the first time, the researchers have compiled 1,237 scientific studies on marine litter into a single, comprehensive database called Litterbase. In 2016, Down To Earth reported how plastic production has surged over the past 50 years, from 15 million tonnes in 1964 to 311 million tonnes in 2014. Our neighbour, Sri Lanka, has also been struggling to prevent beaches from becoming a dumpyard. Marine pollution in Mumbai, Kerala and the Andaman & Nicobar Island Going by the analysis of plastic debris on beaches in Mumbai, on an average, 68.83 items are littered per square metre at four beaches—...

Installed capacity of renewable energy has touched the 2,000-gigawatt-milestone in 2016, with an unprecedented installation of 161.02 GW during the year. According to the data released by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in their report Renewable Capacity Statistics 2017 last week, the record increase in installation can be attributed largely to increase in solar capacity across the globe. Renewable energy installed capacity worldwide in Gigawatts (Source: IRENA - Renewable Capacity Statistics 2017) Renewable energy installed capacity worldwide in Gigawatts (Source: IRENA - Renewable Capacity Statistics 2017) “We are witnessing an energy transformation taking hold around the world, and this is reflected in another year of record breaking additions in new renewable energy capacity,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Amin during a press release. “This growth in deployment emphasizes the increasingly strong business case for renewables which also have multiple socio-eco...

Acting Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Abdalla Hamdok, says there’s no need for Africa to panic as sentiments of protectionism and populism grow louder in Western Europe and America. Speaking during a regional meeting on innovations in infrastructure development and sustainable industrialisation in Africa at the Africa Development Week which ends today in Dakar, Mr. Hamdok said the rise of populism and protectionism in America and some European capitals should not scare Africa but give the continent an opportunity to re-think and come up with policies that shape its own future in its own way. “It is not all doom and gloom when you hear those protectionism sentiments,” he said. “We should use the opportunity to rethink and shape our own future, developing our markets, our value chains and all that. We should look at it as an opportunity to do that and move our continent ahead.” Mr. Hamdok said Africa needs to work tirelessly on value addition and ...

n 1992, more than 170 countries came together at the Rio Earth Summit and agreed to pursue sustainable development, protect biological diversity, prevent dangerous interference with climate systems, and conserve forests. But, 25 years later, the natural systems on which humanity relies continue to be degraded. The Conversation So why hasn’t the world become much more environmentally sustainable despite decades of international agreements, national policies, state laws and local plans? This is the question that a team of researchers and I have tried to answer in a recent article. We reviewed 94 studies of how sustainability policies had failed across every continent. These included case studies from both developed and developing countries, and ranged in scope from international to local initiatives. Consider the following key environmental indicators. Since 1970: Humanity’s ecological footprint has exceeded the Earth’s capacity and has risen to the point where 1.6 planets would...

Acting Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Abdalla Hamdok, says there’s no need for Africa to panic as sentiments of protectionism and populism grow louder in Western Europe and America. Speaking during a regional meeting on innovations in infrastructure development and sustainable industrialisation in Africa at the Africa Development Week which ends today in Dakar, Mr. Hamdok said the rise of populism and protectionism in America and some European capitals should not scare Africa but give the continent an opportunity to re-think and come up with policies that shape its own future in its own way. “It is not all doom and gloom when you hear those protectionism sentiments,” he said. “We should use the opportunity to rethink and shape our own future, developing our markets, our value chains and all that. We should look at it as an opportunity to do that and move our continent ahead.” Mr. Hamdok said Africa needs to work tirelessly on value addition and ...

In 1992, more than 170 countries came together at the Rio Earth Summit and agreed to pursue sustainable development, protect biological diversity, prevent dangerous interference with climate systems, and conserve forests. But, 25 years later, the natural systems on which humanity relies continue to be degraded. The Conversation So why hasn’t the world become much more environmentally sustainable despite decades of international agreements, national policies, state laws and local plans? This is the question that a team of researchers and I have tried to answer in a recent article. We reviewed 94 studies of how sustainability policies had failed across every continent. These included case studies from both developed and developing countries, and ranged in scope from international to local initiatives. Consider the following key environmental indicators. Since 1970: Humanity’s ecological footprint has exceeded the Earth’s capacity and has risen to the point where 1.6 planets woul...