Civil Service Bytes

Solar boat makes its debut in Andhra Pradesh  – Sci-Tech/Environment – The Hindu An eco-friendly solar-powered boat was launched on the pristine waters of River Krishna. There are only a handful of such boats operating on solar power in the country. The solar boat, facilitating clean and efficient cruise, has been imported from China. Solar-powered boats get their energy from the sun. Using electric motors and storage batteries charged by solar panels fitted to the roof, these boats can significantly reduce or eliminate use of fossil fuels. “Unlike conventional boats that operate using diesel engines which are fuel-guzzlers causing air and noise pollution and disturbance to the local habitat endangering the ecological balance of the surrounding areas, the solar boats are uniquely suited to transform light energy into movement.” The first solar boat designed in India was named  Surya ,  a 25-seater, by Kerala -based  TeamSustain in 2008. It operated in the backwaters

7th IRNSS navsat to be launched next week India’s own Regional Navigation Satellite System, the IRNSS, is all set to be completed in space next week when the seventh and last of its spacecraft gets placed in orbit. IRNSS-1G will be launched on April 28 IRNSS will be to the subcontinent what the U.S. Global Positioning System, GPS, is to its users worldwide, but with far greater precision and in Indian control, according to ISRO. It will drive both everyday uses as a  24/7 standard service for air, sea, ship transport   and will also be used for  missile-related applications  as an encrypted and restricted service. IRNSS-1G is slated to be launched from the PSLV-C33 from Sriharikota and will be the 35th PSLV flight in the last two decades. An ISRO official said over the next three to six months, all the IRNSS satellites in the fleet would be stabilised as a constellation, their signals and performance verified and later put to use. The fleet has two spare satelli

RCEP draft moots tough curbs on cheap medicines Analysis of leaked chapter of the draft RCEP agreement Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement – being negotiated by 16 countries (10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 6 other countries that have Free Trade Agreements with the ASEAN) A leaked chapter of the draft RCEP agreement reveals that the  trade pact in its current form could reduce access to affordable medicines in many developing countries . The chapter on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) is part of draft of the RCEP agreement. India has opposed some damaging proposals initiated by the RCEP members, particularly Japan and Korea,  involving patent extensions , restrictive rules on copyright exceptions , and  other anti-consumer measures . Some member countries, who are part of both the TPP [the U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership] and the RCEP, are trying to push for the TPP standards in RCEP. Japa

India and US trade concerns and ties Open up services sector, Kant tells US The U.S. must open up its market for services to Indian firms, just as India has liberalised foreign direct investment in many sectors such as railways and defence for the benefit of American firms, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said. “India has opened up every sector of the economy in the last two years. While India is becoming more and more open, America must also open its services sector for Indians to go and work there. It can’t be a halfway house,” Mr Kant said,. The Indo-US relationship will only flourish further when there’s reciprocity in market access, Mr Kant said. “India has allowed American companies to come in and flourish otherwise GE would have never got the biggest contract to build locomotives for the Railways. Similarly, America must welcome Indian services and software companies to work there.”

Eight states have issued bonds worth over Rs.98,959.96 crore under UDAY Bonds scheme  in 2015-16, which is  aimed at improving operational and financial efficiency of state power distribution companies . As part of the scheme,  Reserve Bank had issued the special bonds (non-SLR special securities)  on behalf of eight state governments in the last fiscal, according to a Reserve Bank of India statement. The Power Ministry had unveiled UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) on November 20, 2015. The  scheme is expected to help discoms save about Rs. 1.8 lakh crore in the next three years . The cumulative debt of discoms is Rs 4.37 lakh crore. These securities have been issued by the state governments under the Government Securities Act, 2006 and are eligible for market repo , RBI added. UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) for financial turnaround of Power Distribution Companies  Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojna or UDAY – new scheme moved by the Ministry of Power UDA

A united Europe, which turned centuries of war into decades of peace, must preserve its remarkable legacy, says US Preside nt S. President Barack Obama has urged British citizens to vote to stay in the European Union in the referendum on June 23. In what is likely to be his last visit to the U.K. as President, Mr. Obama said a united Europe, which turned “centuries of war in Europe into decades of peace”, must preserve its “remarkable legacy.” He placed the EU in the class of post-war international institutions and initiatives like the United Nations, Bretton Woods, the Marshall Plan and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Mr. Obama told British citizens that they should be “proud that the EU has helped spread British values and practices — democracy, the rule of law, open markets — across the continent and to its periphery”.

The historic agreement on climate change  marked a milestone (on 22, April 2016), with a record 175 countries, including India, signing it. Paris Agreement on climate change was signed by 175 countries World leaders made it clear that more action is needed and it has to be quickly, to fight a relentless rise in global temperatures. Concerns  – planet heating up to record levels, sea levels rising and glaciers melting The ceremony was held on  Earth Day (April 22, 2016) The world is in a race against time. The era of consumption without consequences is over. Today world countries are signing a new covenant with the future. This covenant must amount to more than promises. The agreement  will come into force once 55 countries representing at least 55 per cent of global emissions formally join it, a process initially expected to take until 2020. But following a host of announcements at the signing event, observers now think it could happen later this year.

3rd Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation Has Been Inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi The third edition of Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation has been inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi to save wild tigers. India is host of this edition of conference in which more than 700 tiger experts, scientists, managers, donors and other stakeholders are participating. Key facts: In this conference main discussion points will be issues related to tiger conservation and anti-poaching strategies. Ministers and government officials from all 13 tiger range countries (TRCs) participating in the conference. These 13 TRCs are: Bangladesh Bhutan Cambodia China India Indonesia Lao PDR Malaysia Myanmar Nepal Russia Thailand Vietnam Participating TRCs In this edition of conferences will share their: Good practices and success stories in conserving tigers Success stories i

12th April is being observed as the International Day of Human Space Flight to commemorate the date of the first human space flight in the history of mankind every year.  In 1961 Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet Union (USSR) cosmonaut undertook first successful first human space flight on this day. And this historic occasion had opened the way for space study for the benefit of all humanity. This historic day is celebrated as Cosmonautics Day in Russia and some other former USSR countries. This year 2016 is 55th anniversary of First Human Space Flight. Background After UN General Assembly had passed its resolution A/RES/65/271 of 7 April 2011, United Nations (UN) had declared 12th of April as the International Day of Human Space Flight. The main objective behind international celebration of this day is to memories each year at the international level the beginning of the space era for mankind. It also aims to reaffirm the important role of space science and technology to

Saudi Arabia and Egypt Has Decided to Build Bridge Over the Red Sea Saudi Arabia and Egypt Has Decided to Build Bridge Over the Red Sea Saudi Arabia and Egypt have decided to build bridge which will connect both them over the Red Sea to boost trade and commerce. Saudi Arabia has publicized that an agreement has been reached with Egypt regarding to this. During official visit of Saudi Arabia’s king Salman to the Egypt this was announced but where the bridge will be situated was not declared in this announcement. Key facts: It is hypothesized that the joint bridge will be planned over the Red Sea at the entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba. It will be situated at the closest point near Nabq, north of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt and Ras Alsheikh Hamid in Saudi Arabia where two countries are 16km apart. To connect the two countries from Africa and Asia continents the project will be act as the pipeline for several years. The walkway bridge would pass through Saudi Arabia’s Ti

Palwal-Manesar stretch of KMP expressway opened – NATIONAL – The Hindu In News:  Long-awaited Palwal-Manesar stretch of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway inaugurated (April 06, 2016) General Studies  – PRELIMS – NH/Roads Maps The pace of building highways has picked up to 20 kms a day, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said as he inaugurated the Palwal-Manesar stretch of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway. “Highways construction pace has now reached 20 kms a day with a target to reach 30 kms a day shortly. The focus is to bring in policies aimed at improving the condition of villages, poor people, farmers and labourers. A strong infrastructure plays a major role in fostering development. Now, the National Highway-2 (Delhi—Agra) is connected with NH-8 (Delhi-Jaipur), thus allowing vehicles going to Rajasthan and beyond a passage without entering Delhi. NH-1 and NH-2 are collectively called as the  Grand Trunk Road NH-7 is the  longest National H