Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 02 September 2014

China to lay 1,300 km of rail tracks in Tibet by 202

The extended railway lines built by China in Tibet — 251 km from Lhasa to Shigatse on the west and 433 km to Nyingchi (still under construction) in the east — will effectively link Tibet to India, Nepal and Bhutan
These are part of the Chinese government’s mission 2020 for infrastructure in Tibet.
The lines are also seen as a “triangular defence” for China, allowing it to rush troops and military hardware to its sensitive southern borders with India at short notice.

A fund-raising campaign on social media helped the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), the festival organisers, overcome a crippling financial crisis after their contract with Reliance Entertainment, the sole sponsor for the past five years, expired in February. “Since then, we were searching for the new sponsor. But we were unsuccessful,” said festival director Srinivasan Narayan.
The social media campaign helped the organisers raise Rs 1.5 crore in just two days. They are now expecting Rs. 5 crore by October.
The uncertainty over the festival’s future triggered a social media campaign, #pledge4MAMI from well-wishers.
“As the word spread, the entire film fraternity came forward and now the industry itself is taking care of the festival. We are getting commitments from many individuals and we have also opened our website of the contributions from ordinary fans,” Mr. Narayan said.

The former Supreme Court judge, Justice Markandey Katju, said the solution to Indo-Pakistan problems lay in the “reunification of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh under a strong secular state, with a modern minded leadership, which does not tolerate religious extremism of any kind, and which is determined to rapidly industrialise India and provide for the welfare and raising the standard of living of our masses.”
He said huge amount of money being spent on arms purchases could also be used for the uplift of poor people and giving them decent lives.
Justice Katju was expressing his views in the backdrop of the Indian government deciding not to hold talks with Pakistan after the Pakistan High Commissioner met separatist leaders. The J&K Legislative Assembly has urged resumption of talks.

After a successful stint of over six years, the Janamaithri Suraksha Project (Community Policing) initiative of the Kerala Police is set for a professional audit on its effectiveness in bridging the gap between the police and the community.
An external agency will study the project in detail and its effect in over 250 police stations across Kerala.
The Kozhikode city and rural police officers who head the scheme in various stations will share their experience with the professional agency appointed by the government to review the progress of the scheme.

Gender sensitisation and inclusion will be the core of the curriculum for schools and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) will collaborate with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) to ensure the textbooks are free from gender biases.
The HRD Ministry, which has begun the process of drafting a new education policy, wants curriculum to underline gender issues and has assured that all States and stakeholders will be involved in the process of drafting the new policy.

China’s railway plans for Tibet are firmly on track with two new rail lines going west and east from Lhasa.
The ambitious railway line from Beijing to Lhasa was began seven years ago.
The extended lines — 251 km from Lhasa to Shigatse on the west and 433 km to Nyingchi (still under construction) in the east — will effectively link Tibet to India, Nepal and Bhutan.
These are part of the Chinese government’s mission 2020 for infrastructure in Tibet.
The lines are also seen as a “triangular defence” for China, allowing it to rush troops and military hardware to its sensitive southern borders with India at short notice.

Academic activities began at Nalanda University at Rajgir, more than eight centuries after the ancient university was destroyed by a medieval ruler.
Out of the 15 students enrolled in the university so far, nine attended classes on the inaugural day in the departments of environmental studies and history, the two subjects which will be taught here in the first session.
The students were welcomed by vice-chancellor Gopa Sabharwal, who also greeted the teachers and staff to the reborn university amidst enthusiasm by those present at the occasion.