Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET)

CTET- SEPTEMBER 2014

In accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1) of Section 23 of the RTE Act, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) had vide Notification dated 23rd August, 2010 and 29th JULY, 2011 laid down the minimum qualifications for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in classes I to VIII. It had  been inter alia provided that one of the essential qualifications for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in any of the schools referred to in clause (n) of section 2 of the RTE Act is that he/she should pass the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) which will be conducted by the appropriate Government in accordance with the Guidelines framed by the NCTE.

The rationale for including the TET as a minimum qualification for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher is as under:

i. It would bring national standards and benchmark of teacher quality in the recruitment process;
ii. It would induce teacher education institutions and students from these institutions to further improve their performance standards;
iii. It would send a positive signal to all stakeholders that the Government lays special emphasis on teacher quality

UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Written Result - Combined Medical Services Exam. 2014

On the basis of result of the written part of the Combined Medical Services Examination, 2014 held by the Union Public Service Commission in June, 2014, the candidates with the under    mentioned Roll Numbers have qualified for Interview/Personality Test:

2. The candidature of these candidates is PROVISIONAL subject to their being found eligible in all respects.    The candidates would be required to produce the original certificates in support of their claims relating to age, educational qualifications, community, physical disability etc. at the time of the Personality Test. They are, therefore, advised to keep the said certificates ready

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 26 July 2014

Budget passed in Lok Sabha by voice vote

• The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Finance Bill, 2014 by voice vote giving effect to the legislative tax proposals in the Budget.
• In Budget debate ahead of its passage in Lok Sabha, the Finance Minister reiterated the Government’s intent to fulfil its promise of bringing back money stowed away in foreign banks.
• Mr. Jaitley also said that the NDA Government will not be a high-tax government as it intends to create more jobs, industry and give a fillip to economy.
• Referring to the GAAR, the Minister said he will take a final call on contentious issue at a later date and said to revive investor's sentiment which had been damaged by retrospective amendment to the Income Tax.
• Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley clarified that the higher long term capital gains tax rate of 20 per cent on non-equity mutual funds passed as part of the Budget would come into effect from July 1o onwards instead of April 1. The Provision to raise the holding period for unlisted shares and debt funds units to 36 months from 12 months for them to qualify as long-term capital assets will also take effect July 10 onwards.

President inaugurates museum at Rashtrapati Bhavan

• President Pranab Mukherjee, who completed two years in office, inaugurated a museum with fibre-glass statues of former Presidents within the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• The Museum has an interactive zone where visitors can learn more about former Presidents and see audio-video clippings related to them.
• The President also inaugurated a ‘Knowledge Hub’ in the Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya within the Rashtrapati Bhavan and 16 serviced apartments. The ‘Knowledge Hub’ will be a space for innovative teaching and learning practices and use collaborative, interactive pedagogical practices to help teachers connect to the world outside their classroom.

Haryana Public Service Commission

Haryana Public Commission is going to conduct the Preliminary Examination 2014 on dated 03.08.2014 for Haryana Civil Service & other other allied services

It is hereby announced for the general information of the candidates who have applied for the posts of HCS (Ex. Br.) & Other Allied Services Exam – 2014 against Advt. No. 8 published on 20.02.2014 in various newspapers that the Commission is going to conduct the HCS (Ex. Br.) & Other Allied Services Preliminary Examination – 2014 on 03.08.2014  (Sunday) in two sessions i.e. from 10.00 AM to 12.00 Noon and 03.00 PM to 05.00 PM at Chandigarh, Panchkula and Ambala.

Union Public Service Commission

Interview Schedule For Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service Exam 2014

Exam Name: Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service Exam 2014

Year: 2014

Union Public Service Commission

E-Admit Card: Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2014

Amid uncertainty over the change in pattern of civil services examination, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)  started issuing admit cards to the aspirants for the civil services preliminary exam scheduled to be held on August 24. The UPSC has put up a link on its website for students to download e-admit cards for the prelims.

No change of Date or exam pattern has been mentioned in the link provided on the UPSC website.

A three-member government appointed Verma committee, which is looking into the demands of protesting students, has still not given it's opinion. There are two compulsory papers of 200 marks each in the preliminary examination, these papers are also known as CSAT I and CSAT II. Aspirants have been protesting against the CSAT paper II, claiming it is unfair to rural and local language background students.

Angry with admit cards being issued for the Civil Service examinations without resolving some of their long-standing issues, a large number of aspirants residing around Delhi University North Campus on Friday allegedly resorted to violence, causing injuries to seven persons. The protesters allegedly set fire to a police vehicle and resorted to stone pelting. The police lobbed tear gas shells and made a lathicharge to disperse the crowd.

Exam Name: Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2014

Year: 2014

Issue Date: 24-07-2014

End Date: 24-08-2014

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 25 July 2014

India, U.S., Japan joint naval exercise in Pacific

• India, the United States and Japan are embarking on joint naval manoeuvres in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday as part of the Malabar series of exercises. The exercise, in which 800 personnel from the Navy will participate, follows the U.S.’s strategic pivot to Asia — a doctrine that will result in the shifting of a bulk of American naval assets in the Asia-Pacific over the next decade.

• The shift in the U.S. military posture is seen as part of a new initiative to contain China. However, Indian officials say that India will exercise its “strategic autonomy” but will not participate in a U.S. led counter-China policy with Japan and Australia as partners.

• The Navy is fielding a frigate, a destroyer, and a supply vessel in the week-long exercise meant to focus on anti-piracy and anti-terrorism operations. The three countries earlier participated in joint exercises in 2009, and Singapore and Australia were also part of the manoeuvres in 2007. This exercise follows the Indra-14 drills that India and Russia held in the Sea of Japan.

World needs India to succeed: WB president

• The world was closely watching the new government in India and needed India to succeed in order to end extreme poverty by 2020, According to Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank Group.

• He also mentioned, If the ranking of India in Doing Business Report(DBR) was based just on Gujarat, [the country] would improve 50 places. So our hope is that what Mr. Modi did in Gujarat in improving the business environment is scaled to all of India, if that does happen, India will rise very quickly in the DBR rankings.

• WB will provide financial support to India worth $15-18 billion over the next three years.

• He added, “The world needs India to succeed. If India reaches its economic goals, several million people will be lifted out of poverty in a generation’s tim. This represents an historic opportunity [which is] critical not only for India but for the world if we are to end extreme poverty by 2020.”

West Asia: dialogue only viable option, says India

• India expressed “deep concern” over the escalation of conflict between Israel and Palestine. India also reiterated its joint stand — with IBSA and BRICS partners — to promote dialogue and understanding in Palestine and Israel.

• In a statement made at the 21st special session of the UNHRC — on the human rights situation in occupied Palestinian territory — India urged for an immediate ceasefire and called on both sides to resume dialogue.

• The solution to the “Palestine issue,” India said, should be based on relevant U.N. resolutions, the Arab Peace Plan and the Quartet Roadmap resulting in a “sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine within secure and recognised borders side-by-side at peace with Israel and with East Jerusalem as its capital”.

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 24 July 2014

'Force-feeding' by Shiv Sena MP's rocks Parliament

• Parliament was rocked over reports of 11 Shiv Sena MPs, incensed at not being served Maharashtrian food, forcing a Muslim catering supervisor to break his Ramzan fast at the New Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi.
• Opposition MPs protested in both Houses of Parliament, even as Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu dismissed the allegations as “unsubstantiated”.

Whistleblowers to get security from govt

• Whistleblowers or people exposing corruption can get security from the government, The government has authorised Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) of ministries or departments of the Central Government as designated authority to receive any written complaint or disclosure on any allegation of corruption or misuse of office in respect of any employee working under them.

• If the designated authority in the ministries or departments, either on the application of the complainant, or on the basis of the information gathered, is of the opinion that the complainant needs protection, the designated authority shall take up the matter with the Central Vigilance Commission for issuing appropriate directions to the authorities concerned.

• The Commission, after receipt of such reference from the designated authority, takes up the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the nodal agency, to undertake the responsibility of providing security cover to the genuine whistleblowers.

Fewer girls-only families now, says report

• In the context of falling sex ratios in India, a United Nations report points to a new level of ‘daughter aversion,’ most starkly visible in the negligible number of girls-only families in some parts of the country.

• The report,“Sex Ratios and Gender Based Sex Selection, History Debates and Future Directions”, which reviews existing studies, says it’s time to look at girls-only families, which are starting to disappear — they are only two per cent in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.

• Contemporary India is witnessing a highly gendered version of fertility decline in northwest India.

• Families are planning to have at least one son and at most one daughter. It points to institutions and personnel directly mediating sex ratios at birth, for example clinics and medical practitioners, as an important area for research.

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 23 July 2014

We won’t bow our heads on border issue: Defence Minister

• There have been as few as 19 ceasefire violations from the Pakistani side between May 26 and July 17.
• Amongst all the years from 2004 onwards, the number of violations was [highest] in 2013. This year, compared to 2013, they are slightly less.
• Mr. Jaitley said the government’s policy had been to take action proportionate to the extent of ceasefire violation; Where retaliations are required, retaliations are done; where preventive actions are required, preventive actions are done; where the tensions can be diluted by dialogue between the DGMOs, which is done on a weekly basis, it is done on that basis.

Govt may consider reducing age of juveniles

• The government may consider the suggestion of reducing the age of juvenile and requested Ministry of Women and Child Welfare to look into it.
• Juvenile’s age comes under the ambit of Women and Child Welfare Ministry.
• Debates have been going on in different fora whether to reduce the age of juvenile from 18 years as there were reports of crime against women in the past where juveniles were found to be involved.

New national policy for senior citizens under finalisation: Govt

• Government has informed the loksabha that The new National Policy for Senior Citizens is under finalisation.

• Keeping in view the changing demographic pattern, socio-economic needs of the senior citizens, social value system and advancement in the field of science and technology over the last decade, the National Policy on Older Persons, 1999 has been reviewed and the new National Policy for Senior Citizens in under finalisation.

• In order to improve the living standard of senior citizens, different ministries and departments of the Government of India, along with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment are implementing various welfare schemes.

India home to one in every three child brides in world: UN

• According to a United Nations report, India has the sixth highest prevalence of child marriages in the world, with one in every three child bride living in India.
• Child marriage among girls is most common in South Asia and sub—Saharan Africa and India is among the top 10 countries with the highest rates of child marriage.
• Worldwide, more than 700 million women alive today were married as children or before their 18th birthday.
• In India, about 27 per cent of women aged 20 to 49 years were married before age 15. About 31 per cent of women in that age group were married after age 15 but before they turned 18.
• The report added that in India, the median age at first marriage is 19.7 years for women in the richest quintile compared to 15.4 for the poorest women.

Union Public Service Commission

Combined Defence Services Examination (II) (CDS) - 2014

Name of the Course and Approximate No. of Vacancies

Educational Qualifications: