India's relations with countries in brief

http://meaindia.nic.in/mystart.php?id=2001&pg=a

What is a Higgs Particle?

Answer 1:- The Higgs particle is as yet a hypothetical particle invoked to explain why the carriers of the electroweak force (the W and Z bosons) have mass. Quantum electrodynamics requires the photon to have zero mass (which is good because indeed it does), but early attempts to develop and electroweak theory also required the bosons to be massless, (which is bad because then they would be as abundant as the photon in the universe, which indeed they are not). Peter Higgs and two Belgian researchers (who worked independently of Higgs) come across the same idea for settling the puzzle in 1964. If there is an otherwise undetectable field filling the universe (now called the Higgs field), it could have associated with it a previously unknown kind of boson, the Higgs particle, which has mass. This would allow any photon-like particle to become massive by swallowing up a Higgs boson. It is possible, but not proven, that all-massive particles get their mass this way.



Answer 2:- To answer this, think about this question: Why do particles have mass? Our world would be a much simpler place if particles didn't have mass.

All interactions/forces in nature (electromagnetism, weak, strong and gravity) are transmitted by particles called gauge bosons. For example electromagnetism is 'carried' by photons. This idea was carried on to explain mass.

In 1966 Peter Higgs (University of Edinburgh) proposed that the universe was full of a field called a HIGGS FIELD. Disturbances in this field as particles move through it cause objects to have mass. From a a quantum point of view, we can only stir up the field in discrete units. The smallest possible disturbance is due to a HIGGS PARTICLE, or more precisely, a Higgs Boson. The field consists of countless Higgs Bosons that act like a kind of cosmic molasses that fills all of space. As objects move through space they have to 'wade' through these Higgs particles that 'cling' to them, causing a drag that shows up as mass.

To sum up, Higgs Particles are believed to be responsible for mass of objects in the universe.

London to become legal hub

• With its pre-eminent status as a global financial centre under threat from emerging Asian rivals, London has set its sights on becoming an international legal hub, a one-stop shop for well-heeled litigants from around the world.
• The hype has already begun ahead of the launch in the next few weeks of a £300 million ultra-modern court complex in the heart of central London, not ironically far from where Charles Dickens launched his most withering attack on the then British justice system in Bleak House.
• The Queen is expected to inaugurate what is being billed as the "biggest business court in the world'' providing a full range of legal services to those with deep pockets. The new "super court'', equipped with state-of-the art facilities, will operate from a glittering glass-and-stone structure, the Rolls Building, to rival the imposing skyscrapers of the City, London's famous financial district across the Thames.
• "The Rolls Building is the physical embodiment of London and the U.K.'s commitment to provide a modern court service. Its rivals will be New York, Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore; the French and German justice ministries have also just produced a glossy brochure together," said the Guardian. The government, it said, hoped that it would attract "high-profile business disputes''. According to Justice Secretary Ken Clarke, the project is aimed at providing Britain's modern, high-quality legal services at the global level.
• Critics could not resist a dig at the project pointing out that the government was rolling out a "Rolls Royce'' facility for the rich while taking away free legal aid for its own people as part of cuts to public spending. More than 100 magistrates and county courts are set to close to save money.

Indian Navy adds stealth frigate INS Satpura to its fleet

• The Indian Navy has commissioned  a new stealth frigate. The INS Satpura, built by the Mazgaon Docks Ltd
• The INS Satpura is the second of the indigenously designed and constructed stealth frigates of the Shivalik Class.
• Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Admiral Verma said that the INS Satpura was a step closer towards becoming self sufficient in warship production."India's destiny to take her rightful place amongst the top economies of the world is inextricably linked with ensuring unhindered global trade in a secure maritime environment.I believe that with the commissioning of INS Satpura we are taking another decisive stride in this direction today."
• The INS Satpura is armed with surface, surface to air and sub-surface defence weapons. It can detect enemy at long ranges and engage in long range combat with an array of surface, sub-surface and air-defence weapons. Two helicopters are embarked upon the ship which enhances it surveillance and attack capabilities.
• It has a state-of-the-art 'Total Atmospheric Control System' (TACS) that ensures complete removal of radioactive, chemical or biological impurities, thereby protecting the crew and ship borne systems.
• Talking about the three recent incidents wherein two ships got grounded at the Mumbai coast while one sank in the Mumbai high sea, Admiral Verma said "The coordination between other agencies involved in maritime security and navy has increased and the warships deployed are keeping watch on all vessels using the shipping route".

X-Ray microscope that enables nanovision developed

• Forget X-ray glases. Now, a new microscope has been developed by scientists which they say can penetrate deep within materials and see details as small as a billionth of a meter without even using a lens.
• The new microscope, developed by physicists at University of California, San Diego, uses a powerful computer programme to convert patterns from X-rays bouncing off materials into images of objects as small as a one nanometer across, on the scale of a few atoms.
• Unlike Superman''s X-ray vision, which allows him to look through walls to see the bad guys beyond, the new technology could be used to look at different elements inside a material, or to image viruses, cells and tissue in great detail, study researcher Oleg Shpyrko said.
• But one of the most important applications, Shpyrko said, is in nano-sized engineering.
• "We can make things at nanoscale, but we can''t see them very well. So our paper pushes the characterisation forward," he was quoted as saying by LiveScience.
• Astronomers use similar programmes to remove distortions from their images and even to sharpen the pictures sent back by the Hubble telescope, but the nanovision technique is new.

spunky

spunk·y
Courageous and determined
Rahul Dravid was the star yet again, getting to his 35th Test hundred. He is in the zone right now and is cashing in. His efforts were appreciated by the Englishmen too as they waited behind the ropes and allowed him to walk in first. Mishra was spunky and gave him good support and remained unbeaten till lunch

Planning Commission: Issues for the Approach to the Twelfth Plan

http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/12appdrft/issues_pc.pdf

Eleventh Plan Performance

• GDP growth for the 11th Plan is likely to be 8.2%, which is less than the target of 9%, but is a remarkable achievement given the worst drought in 30 years and the global recession. We have also seen progress on various aspects of inclusiveness, though the progress has been less than what was targeted. Agricultural growth has improved from 2% in the Tenth Plan to 3%, but this is below the 4% target. There has also been progress in poverty reduction and in the areas of health, education and in upliftment of SC/STs. However, trends reveal that we are likely to miss the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in several of the targets, especially those relating to health.
• Inflation has accelerated in the past two years and is now an area of concern. The global environment is also highly uncertain, both in terms of the strength of recovery in the developed countries and also the volatility in commodity prices, especially oil. International financial markets are yet to stabilize, and the extraordinary easing of global money supply has yet to play itself out.
• Planning Commission has undertaken extensive consultations with a wide range of organizations and individuals, which reveals that citizen groups support the broad objectives of existing government programmes, but they have little faith in the design of these programmes and the manner of execution. There is a perception that government programmes, especially Centrally Sponsored Schemes, are not sensitive enough to local needs. Also, Government works in silos with little effort to achieve convergence and co-ordination across Ministries and between Centre and States, even though most problems require inter-Governmental and inter-Ministerial co-ordination.
  

Twelfth Plan Objectives

The basic objective for the Twelfth Plan must be faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth.
A key issue is what the Growth target should be. The target of 10% is being mentioned, but our internal assessment is that even 9% will be difficult given the constraints we face. In the short to medium run, the main constraints relate to insufficient agricultural growth leading to inflation, growing skill shortages, and the unsettled global economy. In the longer run, the environment and natural resources, particularly energy and water, pose serious challenges. We are therefore proposing a target range of GDP growth of 9 to 9.5%.
It is our conviction that an inclusive growth strategy is essential to address some of the main growth constraints outlined above, and to make the target growth rate feasible. The following are the key instruments for making growth more inclusive:

1. Better performance in agriculture (at least 4% growth).
2. Faster creation of jobs in manufacturing. We should specify a target for extra jobs to be created in this sector in next 5 years. This will be worked out in greater detail, but at its heart lies our ability to spread industrial growth more widely.
3. Both agricultural and manufacturing growth will depend upon the creation of appropriate infrastructural facilities in a widely dispersed manner. Rural connectivity is particularly important in this regard, especially in the backward areas and the north-east.
4. There must be a much stronger effort at health, education and skill development
5. Reforming the implementation of flagship programmes to increase their effectiveness in achieving the objective of greater inclusion.
6. Special challenges focused by vulnerable groups and backward regions. The need for a special focus on backward regions has particularly become urgent.
   

Agriculture and Rural Development

We must aim for a target of 4% agricultural growth. Cereals will grow only at 1.5 to 2.0% and we need not set higher targets for this. However, other food (horticulture, dairying, fisheries etc.) need to grow at more than 5%. This calls for a change in agricultural strategy as these are all perishable products, and therefore subject to much higher degree of market risk than food-grains, oil seeds or natural fibres. In the case of these products, which are all relatively high value,


investments and institutional development are more important than subsidies or price support systems.

Nevertheless, we must focus on raising land productivity and water use efficiency. State specific strategies are needed. Dry areas need to focus on livestock. Most importantly, markets must be reformed. An important beginning has been made by granting statutory status to warehouse receipts. However, the real benefits from this measure can accrue only when the appropriate warehouse infrastructure and supporting backward linkages have been created and a nationwide trading platform has been put in place. Consideration should be given to extending infrastructure status to a wider range of agricultural market facilities in the same manner as for warehouses. States must modify the Essential Commodities Act (ECA) and the APMC Act (perhaps exclude horticulture and perishables entirely from the ambit of APMC), rebuild the extension system, increase the involvement of private sector in marketing, and also facilitate leasing in/out of land by farmers. State agricultural universities and extension networks are in a bad shape and need strengthening.
MGNREGS has helped generate employment and income in rural areas but it can do much more to increase land productivity, particularly in rainfed areas. This calls for redesign of the programme in the Twelfth Plan. In addition, MGNREGA has transformed rural labour relations, which is bound to affect the production decisions of farmers, both in terms of crops as well as technologies. The Agricultural support systems must facilitate this transition, which requires greater flexibility and responsiveness.
Forest economies and tribal societies need greater protection and promotion. Steps need to be taken to make PESA and FRA more effective. This can be in conjunction with schemes for increasing resources directed to the backward regions.


Water

Water is emerging as a major problem, both for drinking as well as for irrigation. Urban and industrial demand for water is going up rapidly, without commensurate augmentation of supply. To address this critical problem, we need to put an integrated strategy in place immediately. The elements of this strategy could be:

1. Re-estimate India's water balance basin-wise. All aquifers must be mapped over the next five years and aquifer management plans put in place.
2. AIBP must be restructured to incentivize irrigation reform and efficiency of water use. Setting up Water Regulatory Authority should be made a precondition for AIBP approvals. Some States are already doing this
3. Watershed management must be given higher priority, with convergence of programmes and better technical support.
4. Separation of electrical feeders for agriculture with high-quality assured, even if rationed, power supply can potentially reduce ground water use.
5. Water recycling in urban areas and by industries should be enforced to protect water levels and water quality in both surface and ground water sources
6. The legal and policy framework needs to be improved. We may consider promulgating a new Groundwater Law reflecting the principles of Public Trust Doctrine, and a new Water Framework Law along the lines of the one that exists in the European Union.
7. A National Water Commission may be put in place to monitor compliance with conditionalities imposed in clearance of important projects.
   
8. Since water is primarily a State subject, we will need to evolve a political consensus along the lines of what was done in the case of power. Perhaps a special National Development Council meeting could be convened for this purpose.
   

Industry

Manufacturing performance is weak. Growth of manufacturing in the 11th Plan is likely to be only 8%. We need to raise this to 11-12% per year in the 12th Plan to create the jobs for our growing labour force. This has become a particularly urgent need since it is now clear that agriculture will no longer absorb more workers, and may indeed release some of the existing work-force. In our estimation, the manufacturing sector will have to create around 3 to 4 million jobs over and above the pace of job creation in the recent past.
We are fortunate to have an abundance of entrepreneurial talent in the country, which needs to be harnessed effectively if we are to achieve the desired growth in manufacturing. The corporate sector has largely been unfettered, and has demonstrated its dynamism. There are, however, limits to which it can grow. A large part of the additional growth will have to come from the MSME sector, which continues to face a plethora of hurdles in realizing its true potential. The Twelfth Plan will need to focus on this.
For accelerating manufacturing growth, therefore, we need a strategy to:

1. Achieve greater domestic value addition and technological depth in Indian industry to cater to growing domestic demand and to improve our trade position.
2. Attract investment, including FDI, in critical areas where manufacturing capacity should modernised and developed.
3. Improve the business environment and reduce the cost of doing business. This is largely an agenda item for state governments. (Procedural wrangles and corruption affect small business the most.)
4. Land and infrastructure constraints must be addressed effectively. Again, this is largely in the domain of the State, but the Centre can incentivise.
5. Promoting "clusters" is a very effective way of helping manufacturing and promoting MSMEs. State Governments should be incentivized to support clusters.
   

Education

Education has received less funds in the Eleventh Plan than was envisaged. This is partly because the sector made a slow start, but also because of resource constraints. The Twelfth Plan has to correct this.
Eleventh Plan focused on quantity in school expansion. We have recorded significant success in this regard, with enrolment rates going up rapidly, especially in primary education. However, scholastic achievement tests show that learning achievements of the students are well below desired levels. Twelfth Plan must focus on quality. This includes teacher training and evaluation, and also measures to enforce accountability.
We now need to rapidly build capacity in secondary schools to absorb the graduates from expanded primary enrolments. States must facilitate PPP in secondary education. States are keen to do this, and we are collaborating with them on this. The drop-out rates between primary and secondary education continue to be extremely high, which raises questions regarding the perceptions of the utility of secondary education among the people. This will need to be changed through introducing higher skill content at the secondary schools level. Vocational education will need to be given greater emphasis and made more attractive.
The gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education must be targeted to increase from nearly 18% today to say 25% by 2016-17 and perhaps 30% by 2020. Private universities and colleges have played a major role in increasing enrolment in higher education in recent years, but there are concerns regarding both equity and quality. Measures will need to be taken to further promote
private initiatives in higher education while addressing the concerns that have arisen.
Skill Development needs a major focus at all levels. We must involve PPP to ensure that the skills developed also lead to employability.


Health

The quality of health services needs to be improved through NRHM. We must also focus on preventive aspects of health care, particularly drinking water, sanitation, nutrition, better maternal and child services and immunisation.
Shortage of qualified medical personnel at all levels is a major hurdle in improving the outreach of the healthcare system, especially the public health facilities. This needs to be corrected expeditiously. Efforts are already underway to increase the out-turn of doctors. This will have to be accelerated, and similar efforts have to be put in place for nurses and medical technicians. However, such efforts will take time to have sufficient impact. In the meanwhile, systems will need to be put in place for more effective PPP models in primary health care.
Role of PPP in secondary and tertiary health care must be explored with greater vigour. Planning Commission needs to evolve appropriate concession models to facilitate this. We are in touch with states to study their experiments, and best practices will need to be propagated in the country.
Expenditure on health by the Centre and States needs to be increased from 1.3 percent of GDP at present to 2.0 percent (and perhaps even 2.5 percent) by the end of 12th Plan.

Energy
GDP growth of 9% requires commercial energy growth of 7%. The likely achievement in 11th Plan is 5.5%. Unless we can ensure adequate growth in commercial energy availability, the GDP growth target cannot be achieved.
The following policy issues have to be addressed.

1. We need to create 100,000 MW of new power capacity in the Twelfth Plan. The ability to do so is seriously undermined by persisting large losses in the discoms, estimated at Rs.70,000 crore per year. These losses are being sustained only because banks continue to lend to what are effectively bankrupt discoms. State Governments have to be incentivised to implement distribution reforms which reduce ATC losses. Some states are succeeding but in general the progress is too slow. Better performing states should be rewarded.
2. Forest and environment clearance procedures are hindering both coal availability and hydro-power development. State governments with coal and hydro resources have been complaining strongly about the costs being borne by them.
3. The implementation of past policy initiatives is incomplete. Prices of electricity are not sufficiently flexible and regulators are being restrained from allowing periodic price increases. Open access is still not a reality, and needs to be incentivized.
4. At present, petroleum, gas and coal prices all three are out of line with world prices and world energy prices are unlikely to soften. Domestic prices need to be better aligned to give the right signals to both consumers and investors. We need to adopt a time-bound programme to achieve this alignment over three years.
5. Coal production will be a major constraint partly due to weak performance of Coal India and partly environmental constraints. Because coal production cannot be increased sufficiently, we must plan now for coal imports to rise from 80 million tonnes to 250 million tonnes by the end of the 12th Plan. This will require corresponding expansion of rail and port capacity.
6. Coal India must become a coal supplier and not just a mining company. It should plan to import coal and carry out price pooling and blending to meet the needs of the users.
7. In the petroleum and natural gas sector, we need further expansion of new NELP blocks and a clear policy for exploration of shale gas, integrated development of oil and gas blocks. Bidding in various oil exploration rounds in the past has not attracted oil majors. Term of PSCs should perhaps be clear to attract investment. This is an area where foreign participation in exploration also brings in up-to-date technology.
8. Nuclear power programme must continue, with necessary safety review. Active efforts need to be made to allay the apprehensions of people regarding the safety of nuclear power plants.
9. Solar mission is seriously underfunded and requires more support. It is also not clear whether the current bidding process is sufficiently competitive and provides appropriate incentives for improving efficiency. Wind power too requires greater support, especially for off-shore locations which have not been sufficiently explored.
10. Demand side management of energy is as important as action on the supply side. Realistic pricing will help. However, we also need more pro-active standard setting for appliances, vehicles and buildings.
    

Transport

GDP growth at 9% or more will need to be supported by much faster expansion in transport infrastructure than we have seen in the past. The requirements of energy efficiency also require a shift from road to rail in freight.
The following are some of the important issues that arise:

1. The Dedicated Freight Corridor project is a major capacity enhancing investment for the Railways. It must be put on a monitoring system such that both corridors are completed before the end of the Twelfth Plan. For this purpose, milestone must be clearly fixed, and responsibility assigned.
2. The Railways have to undertake an ambitious programme of modernisation and technical upgradation which increases their freight carrying capacity. Unless this is done they will not be capable of facilitating the shift from road to rail transport which is crucial for energy efficiency. This can only be achieved if (a) the Railways desist from diverting resources to gauge conversion and uneconomic passenger lines and (b) Railways financing is improved to be able to support medium term expansion.
3. Improved Railway financing requires rationalisation of freight: passenger fares in the Railways. If this is not done, the Railways will simply not achieve financial viability.
4. The Railways must move speedily to implement the PPP projects that are pending in diesel and electric locomotives.
5. Rail and road linkages to ports must have top priority.
6. The NHAI programme needs to be put on a track where monitorable milestones targets are set for the 12th Plan with maximum emphasis on viable BOT projects to reduce the demand for Government resources.
7. The port expansion programme has been seriously delayed. PPP in ports should be exploited. Much more needs to be done to deepen ports.
   

Plan Size and Resources

The feasible size of the Twelfth Plan will be worked out in consultation with the Finance Ministry. As in the past, a Working Group has been set up under the Chairmanship of the Chief Economic Adviser. The size will depend upon:
(a) the buoyancy in revenues
(b) the tolerable level of the fiscal deficit
(c) the extent to which we can control non-Plan expenditure including subsidies.
A tentative picture available at present suggests that the Centre's GBS could increase from 4.9% of GDP in 2011-12 to 6.2% of GDP in 2016-17. Most of this increase will be in the last two years of the Plan since in the first three years the fiscal deficit will have to be compressed from 4.6% in 2011-12 (the base year) to 4.1%, 3.5% and finally 3.0% in 2014-15.
A key assumption affecting the resource projection is that non-Plan expenditure growth can be contained below GDP growth. The absence of a Pay Commission in this period will help. However, critical to this projection is the assumption that subsidies will grow by only 5% per year. It may be difficult to contain food subsidy within that limit, depending on the outcome of the Food Security Act. However, strong action will be needed in containing fertiliser subsidy and petroleum subsidies.

Allocation Priorities in the 12th Plan
The increase in the GBS as a percentage of GDP between 2011-12 and 2017-18 is therefore only 1.3 percentage point. However, we have to provide a significant increase for health, education, and infrastructure as a percentage of GDP.
Health and Education received only about 60% of the planned allocation in the 11th Plan as against an over-all realization of 87%. This was partly on account of major new schemes being launched during the Plan, and partly due to limitations in the absorptive capacity in these sectors. The preparatory work done during the 11th Plan has led to significant improvement in absorptive capacities, and these sectors both require and are ready for significant increases in allocations. It is estimated that the GBS allocated to these two sectors, including skill development initiatives, will need to be increased by at least 1.2 percentage point of GDP.
Infrastructure investments have seen significant improvement during the 11th Plan, but the pace of infrastructure development needs further acceleration if the glaring infrastructure gaps are to be bridged within a reasonable time-frame. Although PPPs have been successful in a number of infrastructure sectors, and efforts will need to be continued in further encouraging private sector involvement, it is felt that public investment in infrastructure, particularly irrigation, watershed development and urban infrastructure, will need an additional 0.7 percentage points of GDP increase over the next five years.

These sectors will therefore need an increase of 1.9 percentage points of GDP as GBS during the 12th Plan. The GBS for the other sectors as a percentage of GDP must therefore go down. The allocation of these sectors will increase in absolute terms, but more slowly than real GDP. This reprioritisation must be accepted.
The above situation emphasises the importance of resorting to PPP as much as possible. This is particularly important in the social sectors, where only tentative beginnings have been made. Several states have initiated interesting models of PPP in social service delivery. These experiments need to be evaluated and best practices up-scaled to the national level.
The innovations made at the state level in a range of sectors make a compelling reason for reconsideration of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS). The States have consistently argued that the CSS are structured too rigidly to permit innovations and to meet local specificities. There is merit in this argument. It is, therefore, proposed to reduce the number of CSS to only a few major schemes which are of a national character and dictated by the rights and entitlements of citizens. For all the rest, it is proposed to create flexi-funds in the concerned Ministries which can be used to support state-level innovations and/or up-scaling of successful experiments. The success of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), which is in effect a flexi-fund scheme, as compared to the other CSS lends further credibility to this approach.
A compelling argument has also been made regarding the lack of ownership of the CSS by the States, and its consequent effect in terms of poor implementation. It has been proposed therefore that the model used in the new APDRP should be extended to all other CSS as well. In this model, central funds are initially provided as loans to the state governments, which are subsequently converted to grants on achievement of pre-specified outcome or output targets.

Governance and Empowerment
Citizen feedback reveals general unhappiness with governance and public service delivery. Four important dimensions have been pointed out: (i) programmes and schemes are often designed without adequate understanding of the desires and limitations of the beneficiaries, especially the most disadvantaged; (ii) systems for informing the people of their rights and entitlements are very poor and often exclusionary; (iii) the service delivery personnel, apart from issues of corruption, are inadequately informed of their duties and responsibilities and take little pride in their work; and (iv) complaint redressal systems are not independent of the delivery mechanism resulting in non-responsive behavior.
People should be active agents of change and this can be achieved only if flagship programmes provide human and financial resources for social mobilization, capacity building and an information strategy. The involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) in programme design through wide consultations should become a norm. Delivery and policy functions, the latter

including concurrent evaluation, need to be separated in Government Ministries in order to introduce objectivity in programme design and redesign. Consideration needs to be given to setting up professionally managed delivery organizations with clear mandates and accountability.
Information dissemination methodologies need to be entirely recast. The poorest and most disadvantaged need to be targeted specifically. It is also felt that women and the youth are the most effective agents of change, and advantage should be taken of organizations which work closely with them to spread relevant programme information through formal and informal channels.
Total Quality Management needs to be introduced at all levels in service delivery organisations. Training of service delivery personnel and periodic review of performance are essential.
Complaint recording and redressal systems have to be created at an arm's length from the delivery system, and these should be empowered to enforce and monitor compliance. Advantage can be taken of IT systems to increase transparency and responsiveness.
Government departments engaged in related areas tend to work in silos. We need much better mechanism for converging the activity of these departments. In many areas there is need for effective mechanisms for resolution of inter-Ministerial and inter-departmental differences. This is particularly true in the field where the Collector is potentially the only possible focus of convergence but is actually far too overburdened.

Planning Commission Approach Paper for 12th Plan

http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/12appdrft/pc_present.pdf

Cabinet note on National Manufacturing Policy moved

• Commerce Ministry has moved the much-awaited Cabinet note on new National Manufacturing Policy which is expected to be in place within a fortnight.
• The National Manufacturing Policy envisages the creation of mega industrial zones with world-class infrastructure facilities in various parts of the country and is expected to generate 100 million jobs. "It will take the share of manufacturing to 25 per cent of the country's GDP by 2020 from the current 15-16 per cent. The sector contributes over 80 per cent to the country's overall industrial production," Commerce Minister said.
• It is likely to be approved within a fortnight paving way for implementation of one of the biggest projects that would revolutionise manufacturing in India
• The policy has also proposed easing of labour and environment laws and sought tax sops for National Manufacturing Investment Zones (NMIZs). These planned big enclaves could even subsume special economic zones.

Bill for stricter control of benami transactions introduced

• The government on Thursday introduced in the Lok Sabha a comprehensive Bill to have stricter control over benami transactions, including provisions for confiscation of such property and imprisonment.
• The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Bill 2011, introduced by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, will replace the existing Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988.
• The Bill seeks to prohibit the holding of property in benami and restrict the right to recover or transfer such property.
  

Uncompensated confiscation

It also seeks to provide a mechanism and procedure for the confiscation of property held in benami without any compensation.The proposed law will prohibit all benami transactions, except deals entered into in the name of spouse, brother, sister or any lineal ascendant or descendant.

The Bill contains elaborate provisions to deal with the definition of benami transaction and benami property, prohibited benami transactions, the consequences of entering into a prohibited benami transaction and the procedure for implementing the benami law.

Under the proposed law, anyone violating the rule can be jailed for at least six months and up to two years, and also be liable to a hefty fine.

The Bill enables the Central government, in consultation with the Chief Justice of High Court, to designate one or more Courts of Session as Special Court or Special Courts for the purpose of the legislation.

Black money

Benami transactions are one of the ways in which black money is circulated and invested.

West Bengal to be renamed Paschimbanga

• A consensus to rename West Bengal as Paschimbanga was on Friday reached at an all-party meeting to change the nomenclature of the state.
• The choice was made from among the suggestions of 'Paschimbanga', 'Bangla' and 'Bangabhumi'
• Once the bill in this regard is passed by two-thirds majority in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and ratified by the President, the state would get the new name.
• In the past also, similar moves were taken to rename West Bengal -- once in 1974 during Congress rule and later in 1999 when Left Front was in power. The moves did not mature due to various reasons

Special Status to Bio-Sphere Reserves

Seventeen sites have been designated as biosphere reserves in the country so far. The details  are given in the table below:

 

S. No	Name of the  designated Biosphere Reserve	Location of the Biosphere Reserve.
1	Nilgiri	Wynad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Madumalai, Nilambur, Silent Valley and Siruvani hills in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka States.
2	Gulf of Mannar	Lies along the South-Eastern coast of India and extending from Rameswaram island in the North to Kanyakumari in the South  (Tamil Nadu).
3	Sunderbans	Parts of delta of Ganges & Brahamaputra river system in West Bengal.
4	Nanda Devi	Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Almora districts in Uttarakhand.
5	Pachmarhi	Betul, Hoshangabad and Chhindwara districts in Madhya Pradesh.
6	Nokrek	East, West and South Garo Hill districts in Meghalaya.
7	Simlipal	Mayurbhanj district in Orissa.
8	Agasthyamalai	Thirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts in Tamil Nadu and Thiruvanthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts in Kerala.
9	Great Nicobar	Southernmost island of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
10	Achanakmar- Amarkantak	Anuppur and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh and Bilaspur district of Chattisgarh.
11	Khangchendzonga	North and West districts in Sikkim.
12	Manas	Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamprup and Darang districts in Assam.
13	Dibru-Saikhova	Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts in Assam.
14	Dehang-Dibang	Upper Siang, West Siang and Dibang Valley districts in Arunachal Pradesh.
15	Kachchh	Kachchh, Rajkot, Surendranagar and Patan districts in Gujarat.
16	Cold Desert	Pin Valley National Park and surroundings;   Chandratal & Sarchu; and Kibber Wildlife  Sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh.
17	Seshachalam	Parts of Seshachalam hill ranges in Eastern Ghats encompassing parts of civil districts of Chittoor and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission

http://jnnurm.nic.in/nurmudweb/toolkit/Overview.pdf


Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission is a massive city modernisation scheme launched by Government of India. It envisages a total investment of over $20 billion over seven years. The scheme was officially inaugurated by the prime minister, Manmohan Singh on 3 December 2005 as a programme meant to improve the quality of life and infrastructure in the cities. It has two sub-missions:

• the Sub-Mission for Urban Infrastructure and Governance administered by the Ministry of Urban Development, with a focus on water supply and sanitation, solid waste management, road network, urban transport and redevelopment of old city areas.
• the Sub-Mission for Basic Services to the Urban Poor administered by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation with a focus on integrated development of slums
  

Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana

http://muda.nic.in/SJSRY.htm

Features of Model Property Rights to Slum Dwellers Act, 2011

i. The Act states that every landless person living in a slum area in any city or urban area (on a date to be specified by the State Government) shall be entitled to a dwelling space at an affordable cost;

ii. Every Slum dweller shall be given a legal entitlement, which shall be in the name of the female head of the household or in the joint name of the male head of the household and his wife;

iii. The dwelling space so provided shall not be transferable but shall be mortgageable for the purpose of raising housing loan;

iv. It provides for the establishment of City / Urban Area Slum Redevelopment Committee for carrying out functions specified under the Act and the establishment of a State Slum Redevelopment Authority to continuously monitor implementation of the Act and to recommend corrective measures wherever necessary.

Since Land is a state subject. It is not possible to indicate the time frame by which all the states would suitably adopt and introduce the Property Rights to Slum Dwellers Act.

Antimatter mystery solution closer

Scientists in a lab with Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station in southern Guangdong Province have found neutrino through two detecting instruments, which is likely to provide clues to solving the mystery of why there is more matter than antimatter in the universe.

The announcement

The Institute of High Energy Physics with the Chinese Academy of Sciences on Monday announced the breakthrough that was achieved by more than 250 researchers from six countries and regions.

The two neutrino detectors are installed underground 360 meters away from the nuclear plant at a depth of 100 meters.

Scientists believe that matter and antimatter were created in equal amounts during the Big Bang, but the disappearance of antimatter remains a mystery.

Neutrino is an elementary particle that is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected, which makes it extremely difficult to detect.

What is Antimatter and why is it important?

For every type of matter particle we've found, there also exists a corresponding antimatter particle, or antiparticle.

Antiparticles look and behave just like their corresponding matter particles, except they have opposite charges. For instance, a proton is electrically positive whereas an antiproton is electrically negative. Gravity affects matter and antimatter the same way because gravity is not a charged property and a matter particle has the same mass as its antiparticle.

When a matter particle and antimatter particle meet, they annihilate into pure energy!

The scientists have for the first time spotted the band of antimatter particles in Earth's magnetosphere. The particles are rare because they normally are annihilated when they come into contact with regular matter, producing a burst of energy.

In theory, they could one day be used as a fuel to accelerate spacecraft to great speeds for interstellar journeys.

Russia to launch 'space hotel' with 'intergalactic view'

• A Russian company has unveiled an ambitious plan to launch a 'space hotel' in orbit 217 miles up which would have huge windows for views of the Earth turning below.
• A five—day stay in the hotel, which would house seven guests in four cabins, would cost 100,000 pounds, on top of 500,000 pounds for journey, the Daily Mail reports.
• Orbital Technologies will construct the hotel, and has claimed that it will be 'far more comfortable' than the International Space Station used by astronauts and cosmonauts. In the weightlessness of space, visitors can choose to have beds that are either vertical or horizontal.
• Tourists, who will be accompanied by experienced crew, will dine on food prepared on Earth and sent up on the rocket, to be reheated in microwave ovens, the paper said.
• The freeze—dried tubes of nourishment given to astronauts would be replaced by delicacies such as braised veal cheeks with wild mushrooms, white bean puree, potato soup and plum compote.
• Iced tea, mineral water and fruit juices will be available, but alcohol will be strictly prohibited. Toilets will use flowing air instead of water to move waste through the system. Waste water will be recycled, while the air will be filtered to remove odour and bacteria and then returned to the cabin.
• A plan for the hotel to be used as an emergency bolthole for astronauts aboard the International Space Station if there is a crisis, rather than bringing them all the way back to Earth is also underway, the paper said.
• The hotel, or the Commercial Space Station is due to open by 2016.

Mystery behind cloud on Saturn's moon unravelled

• A research group has explained why Titan, Saturn's largest moon, has what looks like an enormous white arrow about the size of Texas on its surface.
• The researchers use a global circulation model of Titan to demonstrate how planetary—scale atmospheric waves affect the moon's weather patterns, leading to a "stencilling" effect that results in sharp and sometimes surprising cloud shapes.
• "These atmospheric waves are somewhat like the natural, resonant vibration of a wine glass," said Jonathan L. Mitchell, UCLA assistant professor of earth and space sciences and of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, who led the study. "Individual clouds might 'ring the bell,' so to speak, and once the ringing starts, the clouds have to respond to that vibration," he explained.
• The fascinating clouds, including arrow—shaped ones, that result from the atmospheric waves can cause intense precipitation — sometimes more than 20 times Titan's average seasonal rainfall — and could be essential in shaping Titan's surface by erosion.

Radar image released by NASA shows what scientists believe to be sea-size bodies of liquid, shown in blue, on the surface of Saturn's largest moon Titan.