Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 26 August 2015

Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 26 August 2015

Niti Aayog's sub-group of chief ministers may suggest that 50% of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds be used for the purpose of skill development. It may also talk of a long-term policy from states and the Centre for 5-10 years for skill development.
The CMs' panel, headed by Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, will submit its final report within 15 days.
After the meeting of the panel, Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh said there should be block, district and state level committees for skill development. Assam CM Tarun Gogoi highlighted the need for creating infrastructure for the task and attracting investment, especially in the north-east.
The deliberations focused on empowering and strengthening state skill development missions toaddress the challenge at the state level in a decentralized manner.
An official said that emphasis was laid on increasing participation by women and other socio economic groups. At the meeting, it was suggested that appropriate credit and market linkages be provided for entrepreneurial development which can act as force multiplier for employment generation.
The panel focused on need for overcoming the shortage of trainers by involving industry and national-level institutions such as IIT, IIM and universities

In three districts of Bengal, Murshidabad, Malda and North Dinajpur, the Muslim population has surpassed the Hindu population, the Census 2011 data on Population by Religious Communities released on Tuesday, reveals.
Moreover, if in India the Hindu population has dipped by 0.7 per cent, in Bengal it is much higher at 1.94 per cent. Correspondingly, if the Muslim population has increased by 0.8 per cent, in Bengal the growth has a higher rate - 1.77 per cent.
In Bengal's 9.12 crore population, Hindus still comprise 6.4 crore people or 70.53 per cent of the population. Muslims comprise 2.4 crore population or 27.01 per cent.
Compared to the 2001 Census data, this is slightly higher. For a decade earlier, the Hindu population in Bengal was 5.8 crore and Muslim population was 2 crore. Bengal's population then, too was far lesser, at 8.01 crore.
The only thing constant then and now is the asymmetrical spread of Bengal's population by religion.

Though China's central bank cut interest rates and lowered the amount of reserves banks must hold, investors feared that the measures would not be enough stabilise its cooling economy or halt a collapse in its stock markets. As a result, the Asian stocks fell on Wednesday.
China's key share indices attempted to move higher several times in early trade only to be slapped back by waves of selling, reflecting investors' views that much more support was needed from the government and the central bank.
Following a near 20% plunge in stock prices in three days, the People's Bank of China cut interest rates and lowered the amount of reserves banks late on Tuesday in a much-anticipated move that some economists said was long overdue.
While the double-barrelled policy moves were initially cheered by markets around the world, the impact didn't last long as investors quickly resumed their focus on the deteriorating outlook for China and the global economy.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.2% in early trade and was just shy of a three-year low hit in the previous session.
Japan's Nikkei was the lone bright spot, rising 1.3%, while Australia fell 0.4%.

State-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India, bought 86 percent of shares on offer, in state-run Indian Oil Corp this week, salvaging a $1.4 billion government sale, as the Indian market took its biggest tumble in more than six years.
LIC, India's biggest investor, has in the past dug into its pockets to prop up government sales, buying up state banks and government mining firms. It heavily supported the sale of Coal India shares in January and the sale of shares in Steel Authority of India (SAIL) last year.
The investments have sometimes proved fruitful for LIC, with stock in the State Bank of India, which was invested in January 2014, up more than 60 percent.

Even as the deadline to submit final demarcations of eco-sensitive areas (ESA) inWestern Ghats is only a fortnight away, four out of the six Western Ghats states are yet to present their reports to the Centre and according to reliable sources Maharashtra, like Kerala, may recommend reducing the ESA area in the state.
In March 2014, the environment ministry had issued a draft notification, identifying 60,000 sq km of area in Ghats as ecologically sensitive and the ministry has to finalise the draft in 500 days, which is by September 9.
Only Kerala and Goa have given their reports while the remaining four states – Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu – have yet to submit their ground assessment of the notification, that was based on recommendations of the K.Kasturirangan-led high-level working group.
To carry out ground assessment, the state government had decided to form local committees comprising forest officers, revenue officials and gram panchayat members.

The Western Ghats ares a 1,600km long mountain range running all along the west coast of India.
It covers the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, approximately 1,40,000 sq km. These mountains are home to number of endemic plants and animal species.
The Western Ghats consist of 5000 vascular plants. Of these, about 30% are endemic to the Ghats
Western Ghats also have over 450 species of birds 35% of them endemic
There exist 140 mammal species (around 20% endemic) and 260 reptile species (over 60% endemic)
The range also has a number of fresh water fishes and a number of invertebrates
The Western Ghats are one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots (Bio geographic regions with sizeable biodiversity endangered by humans)