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(Download) Application Proforma for the Assistant, BPSC (Mains) Competitive Examination. (Advt. No. 03/2013)

Bihar Public Service Commission

Application Proforma for the Assistant, BPSC (Mains) Competitive Examination. (Advt. No. 03/2013)

Exam Name: Assistant (Mains)

Year: 2013

Advt. No. 03/2013

(Attention) All Candidates of NDA & NA (II) Examination 2014 who have opted for Srinagar (J & K) as Examination Centre

UPSC

UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Attention : All Candidates of NDA & NA(II) Examination 2014 who have opted for Srinagar (J & K) as Examination Centre

The candidates of NDA & NA Examination(II), 2014 scheduled to be held on 28.09.2014 (Sunday), who have opted for SRINAGAR ( J & K ) as their Examination Centre are informed that the Government of Jammu & Kashmir has intimated that almost all the educational institutions of Srinagar are submerged or marooned, and based on the considered advice of the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, the Commission has decided to cancel the SRINAGAR Centre and accommodate all the candidates who have opted for Srinagar centre, at JAMMU centre.

(Download) Civil Services Mentor Magazine, August 2014

Free Digital Magazine: Civil Services Mentor, August 2014


Issue :
August 2014
Size: 4.10 MB
File Type: PDF
Publisher : IASEXAMPORTAL.COM 

Table of Contents:

Articles:

  • NEW STATE TELANGANA
  • Energy policy of the Obama administration
  • IRAQ ISSUE
  • PSLV C23
  • Selected Articles from Various Newspapers & Journals
  • IAS Preparation for Rural/Remote Areas Students
  • IAS PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION PAPER–II SOLVED PAPER DATE: 26-05-2013
  • MOCK PAPER
  • ANCIENT HISTORY STUDY MATERIAL

Current Affairs:

  • National Issues
  • International Issues
  • Economy
  • India & The World
  • Science & Technology
  • Sports
  • Awards & Prizes
  • Persons in News

The Gist of Science Reporter: August 2014


The Gist of Science Reporter: August 2014


Water Footprint: Time to Reduce the Impact

Water is essential for life. Without water neither would plants and animals survive nor would industries thrive. We all know and appreciate these facts.

But do we know that millions around that word trudge miles in search of water? Nearly 1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water, which is making their families sick? According to the United Nations, water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. Yet, about one in nine people, lack access to clean drinking water, which kills children at a rate equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every four hours.

Many countries in arid and semi-arid regions on the world (e.g., Central and West Asia, North Africa) are already close to or below the threshold for water scarcity. Environmentalists working in different parts of the world unequivocally claim that up to two-thirds of the world population could experience of the world population could experience water scarcity over the next few decades.

Pollution of water bodies is further limiting the amount of water available for use. Similarly, change in precipitation patterns s a result of climate change are adding to the pressures on our global water resources. The challenge humanity is facing today is how to conserve and manage this important natural resource. The United Nations declared the year 2013 as the International Year for Water Cooperation.

(Result) UPSC: 45 Posts of Stores Officer in DRDO (held on 27.04.2014)

UPSC

UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

(Result) 45 Posts of Stores Officer in Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO), Ministry of Defence
(held on 27.04.2014)

(A) Marks of unsuccessful candidates will be posted on the UPSC Website shortly.

(B) Information regarding the recommended candidates in the prescribed format is annexed herewith.

(C) List of the candidates in the Reserve Panel in the prescribed format is annexed.

(D) Other information are given below:

(Final Result/Marksheet) UPPSC Examination - 2012

UPPSC Logo

Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission

(Final Result/Marksheet) UPPCS Examination - 2012

Exam Name: PCS

Year: 2012

(Notification) Government of Tamil Nadu: Coaching for Civil Services (I.A.S., I.P.S., etc., ) Preliminary Examination - 2015

All India Civil Service Coaching Centre, Chennai - 28.

Coaching for Civil Services (I.A.S., I.P.S., etc., ) Preliminary Examination - 2015

Eligibility and Admission Procedure:

The Coaching programme for UPSC Civil Services Examination in this Institute is given to selected candidates of Tamil Nadu through an entrance examination.

ELIGIBILITY

  • Minimum Educational Qualification: The candidate must hold a degree of any recognized university.

Age Limits (as on 1-8-2015):

  • Minimum: 21 years for all candidates
  • Maximum: 32 years

Admission Procedure:

  • Preliminary Coaching
  • Main Coaching
  • Mock Interview

(Exam Info) UPSC: NDA / NA (II) Exam - 2014

UPSC

UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (II) 2014

The Union Public Service Commission will be conducting the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II) 2014 at different venues located at 41 Centres throughout the country on 28.09.2014 (Sunday). The e-Admit Cards for the candidates have been uploaded on the Commission's Web-site http://www.upsc.gov.in. which may be down loaded. Letters of rejection to the candidates stating reason(s) for rejection have already been sent through e-mail provided by the candidates. If any applicant is not able to down load his e-Admit Card, he may contact UPSC Facilitation Counter on Telephone Nos. 011-23385271, 011-23381125 and 011-23098543 between (10.00 A.M. to 5.00 P.M). on working days during working hours. The candidate may also send Fax message on Fax No. 011-23387310. The candidates may note that no paper admit card will be issued.

The Gist of Press Information Bureau (PIB): August 2014


The Gist of Press Information Bureau: August 2014


Road Safety in India on Priority

The UN General Assembly has adopted 2011-2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety and set a goal for reducing fatalities from road accidents by 50 percent during the period recognizing the severe impact of road accidents on global health.  Every year about 1.2 million people die and 50 million get affected in road accidents globally losing 1.2 trillion US Dollars in these accidents, says Mr. K K Kapila, Chairman, International Road Federation. According to the World Health Organization unless concerted action is taken, road traffic injuries are predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death in the world by 2030.

With the growing urbanization and vehicular traffic, the issue of safety on roads also keep growing in terms of concerns and solutions. The concern becomes all the more relevant in view of the fact that number of persons killed in road accidents in India is the highest in the world. More than 4.97 lakh road accidents in 2011 are reported to have claimed over 1.42 lakh lives.  These numbers translate into roughly one road accident per minute and one road accident death every four minutes for India. 

Though the data for the year 2012 shows a declining trend with over 4.90 lakh accidents claiming 1.38 lakh lives, still the number is too high to give reason to breathe easy. The analysis of road accidents in terms of causal factor’s reveals that drivers’ fault accounts for 78.7 per cent (3,85,934 accidents) of total road accidents. The reason behind fault may vary from alcohol/drugs to mobile addiction, overloading/overcrowding of vehicles, exceeding lawful speed and tiredness etc. Since drivers’ fault has been found responsible for about 80% road accidents, it is important to make them aware and realize that they are the killers on roads when they violate the laws/measures. The Ministry of RTH has taken steps to minimize road accidents in the country. The Government has approved a National Road Safety Policy. This Policy outlines various policy measures such as promoting awareness, establishing road safety information data base, encouraging safer road infrastructure including application of intelligent transport, enforcement of safety laws etc. The Government has constituted National Road Safety Council as the apex body to take policy decisions in matters of road safety. The Ministry has requested all States/UTs for setting up of State Road Safety Council and District Road Safety Committees.

The Ministry has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of road safety based on four E’s of Road Safety that is Education, Enforcement, Engineering (roads as well as vehicles) and Emergency care. Road safety has been made an integral part of road design at the planning stage.  Road Safety Audit of selected stretches of National Highways/Expressways adopted. Driving training institutes being established, Tightening of safety standards of vehicles like helmets, seat belts, power-steering, rear view mirror and Publicity campaigns on road safety awareness.

Text books of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus in Class VI to Class XII. State Governments have also been advised to include Road Safety education in the curriculum of the schools administered by the State Education Board.

Providing cashless treatment to road accident victims for 48 hours at expenditure up to a limit of Rs. 30,000/-a pilot project launched on Gurgaon-Jaipur section of NH 8.

Identification of top 25 black spots in 13 States which account for 90% of road accidents in India. The short term remedial measures have been completed for most of the black spots identified.

Finalisation of National Ambulance Code based on the recommendations of the Working Group on Emergency care.This ’Code’ puts in place minimum standards and guidelines regarding the constructional and functional requirements of road ambulances in India.

Notifying Consignments protruding beyond the body of goods carrier as illegal.

The States have been advised to prepare action plan on road safety for their States. The States’ annual action plan on road safety needs to set ambitious but realistic targets for at least five years. All the States/UTs have been asked to identify a lead agency in the State and also set up Road Safety Fund at the State level by earmarking 50% of the funds generated from fines on account of violation of traffic rules.

Though UN decade of action plan to reduce road fatalities by 50% started in 2011, after three years much needs to be done. In India, budget for Road Safety needs to be enhanced and proper road safety plans/ mechanism to be in place in all the States. It needs to be ensured that orders relating to Road Safety that exist are followed strictly and violation punished. 

Conservation of Biodiversity

Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity have been an integral part of Indian ethos. The varied eco-climatic conditions coupled with unique geological and cultural features have contributed to an astounding diversity of habitats, which harbor and sustain immense biological diversity at all levels. With only 2.4% of world’s land area, India accounts for 7-8% of recorded species of the world. In terms of species richness, India ranks seventh in mammals, ninth in birds and fifth in reptiles. In terms of endemism of vertebrate groups, India’s position is tenth in birds with 69 species, fifth in reptiles with 156 species and seventh in amphibians with 110 species. India’s share of crops is 44% as compared to the world average of 11%. India also has 23.39% of its geographical area under forest and tree cover. Of the 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots, India harbor 3 hotspots, i.e., Himalaya, Indo Burma, Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. Western Ghats are recently included in World Heritage list. It is very rich in flora and fauna and serves as cradle of biodiversity. One of the most pressing environmental issues today is the conservation of biodiversity. Many factors threaten the world’s biological heritage. The challenge is for nations, government agencies, organisations and individuals to protect and enhance biological diversity, while continuing to meet people’s needs for natural resources. Efforts have been initiated to save biodiversity both by ex-situ and in-situ conservation. International Biodiversity day is celebrated across the globe on 22nd May every year. 

Biodiversity Act 2002

The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 is a federal legislation enacted by the Parliament of India for preservation of biological diversity in India, and provides mechanism for equitable sharing of benefits arising out of use of traditional biological resources and knowledge. The Act was enacted to meet the obligations under Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to which India is a party. The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was established in 2003 to implement India’s Biological Diversity Act (2002). The NBA is a Statutory, Autonomous Body and it performs facilitative, regulatory and advisory function for the Government of India on issues of conservation, sustainable use of biological resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of biological resources. 

Biospheres and Biodiversity Reserves 

The Indian government has established 18 Biosphere Reserves in India, which protect larger areas of natural habitat and often include one or more National Parks and Reserves, along buffer zones that are open to some economic uses. Protection is granted not only to the flora and fauna of the protected region, but also to the human communities who inhabit these regions, and their ways of life. Animals are protected and saved here. 

Hotspots

(Official Answer Keys) UPSC: CISF (AC) Ltd. Deptl. Examination 2014

https://iasexamportal.com/images/upsc.JPG

Union Public Service Commission

(Official Answer Keys) CISF (AC) Ltd. Deptl. Examination 2014

Exam Name: CISF (AC) Ltd. Deptl. Examination

Year: 2014

(Official Answer Keys) UPSC: SCRA Examination 2014

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Union Public Service Commission

(Official Answer Keys) SCRA Examination 2014

Exam Name: SCRA

Year: 2014

The Gist of Kurukshetra: August 2014


The Gist of Kurukshetra: August 2014


Employment Opportunities in Food Processing Industry for Rural Areas

Agriculture is gradually losing the attraction of a potential occupation with the rural youth due to lower profitability. If farming can be augmented with additional income generated from agri-based industries, it will help to retain the interest of the youth in farming. Such agri-based industries should be centred in the rural hubs so that rural youth is retained in the rural areas. We have to keep in mind that 68.9 per cent of the population in our country lives in 6.40 lakh villages.

Though share of agriculture to overall GDP in India has come down to 14 per cent, still 66.2 per cent of rural males and 81.6 per cent of rural females are engaged in agriculture as cultivators or labourers. Thus, agriculture based industries are very important for creating value addition in our agricultural produce and also for creating enormous job opportunities for the rural youth. This is one of the largest sectors in the global economy (USD 7 Trillion) and it is going through a transition phase in India. We produce greater than 600 million tons of food in all.

Processing of fruits and vegetables is only 2 per cent in India in comparison to 80 per cent in USA and Malaysia, 78 per cent in Philippines, 70 per cent in France and Brazil, 40 per cent in China and 30 per cent in Thailand. Food Processing Sector is an important segment of the economy, constituting a share of around 9.0 to 10.0 percent of GDP in agriculture. Food and food products are the biggest consumption category in India, with spending on food accounting for nearly 21 per cent of India’s GDP and with a market size of Rs. 9,050 billion.

The food and agro processing industry employed over 16 per cent of total workforce in the organized manufacturing sector whereas it is 32 per cent of the total workforce in the unorganized sector. In total numbers, the industry employs 13 million people directly and 35 million people indirect. For the project growth in the Food Processing Industry, it is expected that the requirement of human resources would be about 17.8 million in 2022.

(Current Affairs) Sports | August: 2014

Sports

Ceat Awards

  • India’s top batsman Virat Kohli has won the Ceat International Cricketer of the Year award while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, the fastest player from the country to pick 100 Test wickets, bagged the Indian Player of the Year award for 2013-14.

  • Left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan was named the International Player of the Year while Robin Uthappa, who was part of the triumphant Karnataka Ranji Trophy team, clinched the Domestic Cricketer of the Year honour.

  • Kohli had won the best player award in 2011-12 too. India’s under-19 cricketer Vijay Zol got the Young Player of the Year award while yesteryear stumper Syed Kirmani, one of the finest behind the stumps who was also part of the 1983 World Cup winning team, was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Kirmani played in 88 Tests and 49 ODIs.

  • Australian Mitchell Johnson, who was instrumental in his country winning the Ashes Series in overwhelming fashion against England at home, and compatriot Glenn Maxwell received the Test Player of the Year and Popular Choice awards respectively, while Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan got the T20 Player of the award.

(Current Affairs) Person in News | August: 2014

Person in News

Ratan Tata

  • Former TATA Group Chairman Ratan Tata on 21 June 2014 received an honorary doctor of laws degree from York University in Toronto, Canada. The award was given for his achievements in promoting innovations, exemplary leadership and corporate social responsibility.

  • The honour was conferred at the 2014 spring convocation of York University’s Schulich School of Business by Chancellor of the varsity Gregory Sorbara.Tata was among the 12 recipients of honorary doctorate from York University.

(Apply Online) Uttarakhand PCS 2012

UKPSC

Uttarakhand Public Service Commission

Exam Name: Uttarakhand PCS

Year: 2012

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 15 September 2014


Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 15 September 2014


National

Data glitches stall rollout of Food Security Act

  • Technological and procedural delays in identifying the intended beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) has seen the agencies involved — the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), the nodal agency to provide enumeration devices and data entry operators, and state officials -- indulge in a blame game.

  • For the Socio-Economic Caste Census survey, proposed as the basis of the identification process, enumerators used scanned images of handwritten data from the National Population Register (NPR) to verify household members’ basic details.

  • They were accompanied by data entry operators (DEOs) who entered the responses into a tablet computer.

Uma promises clean Ganga in three years

  • Union Minister Uma Bharti reiterated her commitment to clean river Ganga and promised to do so in three years while asserting that she would not entertain any questions in this regard before the task was achieved.

  • She congratulated the teachers who were felicitated in the programme, and asked all teachers to become ‘real gurus’ and students to become better human beings rather than grow professionally. — PTI

Property law unfair to Christian women: report

  • The Law Commission of India has asked the Narendra Modi government to amend provisions in a pre-Independence law dealing with property succession in Christian families, saying the statute gives “preferential approach to men and is unfair and unjust to Christian women.”

  • Noting that Christianity is the third largest religion in India, the Law Commission headed by Justice A.P. Shah said Sections in the Indian Succession Act, 1925 “weave an archaic principle of giving superior status to man in access to and owning property.”

  • The 247th Law Commission report specifically focuses on the impact caused by Sections 42 to 46 of the 1925 Act on Christian women and mothers.

Educationist Kireet Joshi passes away

  • Eminent educationist and former education adviser to the Union government Kireet Joshi passed away after battling cancer. He was 83.

  • Mr. Joshi was selected for the Indian Administrative Services in 1955 and posted as Assistant Collector of Surat, Gujarat in 1956.

  • However, he resigned his job the same year in order to study and practise the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo at Puducherry. He was appointed as the Registrar of Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education in 1958.

  • In 1976 the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi appointed him as the educational adviser to the Government of India.

  • He was instrumental in redesigning and redrafting of the Bill for Vishwa Bharati University, Shantiniketan.

  • He is also credited with seeding the idea of the Indira Gandhi National Open University as also of Pondicherry University.

  • In 1981 Mr. Joshi was appointed Secretary of Auroville International Advisory Council.

  • He served as the Educational Adviser to the Gujarat Chief Minister from 2008 to 2010.

National Board for Wildlife reconstituted (Register and Login to read Full News..)

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 14 September 2014


Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 14 September 2014


National

Don’t celebrate my birthday, instead help J&K: Modi

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to friends and well-wishers not to celebrate his birthday and instead dedicate time and resources towards relief work in this hour of need for flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir.

  • Mr. Modi’s appeal came amid plans to celebrate his birthday on September 17, 2014 across the country, including in Gujarat where he will be present that day.

Sakshi Maharaj courts controversy, again

  • Days after he courted controversy with his remark that “love jihad” flourished through madrasas, BJP MP from Unnao, Sakshi Maharaj, has set off another controversy, this time with a statement that religious learning institutions are giving “education of terrorism.”

  • The remark, made at Nademau in Kannauj district, is a repeat of what the MP said on September 7 at a programme in Etah, branding madrasas as “hubs of terror” where “love jihad” prospered.

  • “Love jihad” is a term used by right-wing Hindu outfits while referring to alleged conversion of Hindu girls through marriage.

Singrauli to be developed as energy city: Chouhan

  • Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that Singrauli will be developed as ‘energy city’ of the State.

  • “Singrauli will be developed as energy city of the state,” Mr. Chouhan announced while launching development works worth Rs. 161 crore in the city during the Deendayal Anyodaya Mela.

  • Apart from other measures, an industrial area will also be developed for all-round development of the district.

  • He said Rs. 100 crore will be spent on infrastructure development in Singrauli during five years.

  • It will be connected with air and rail facilities. A Central School will also be established in the city for providing education facilities to the wards of those working in the energy city, he said.

  • He also provided benefits under various welfare schemes totalling Rs. one crore to 516 beneficiaries.

Leaders mourn Avaidyanath death

  • Avaidyanath, also a former MLA, was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon. He passed away at the Peeth hospital in Gorakhpur, where he was admitted after being brought from Gurgaon.

  • Avaidyanath, former chief priest of Gorakhpur’s famous Gorakhnath temple, was also the guru of Yogi Adityanath, current MP from the city and BJP’s firebrand leader who is in the news for his campaign against “love jihad”.

Over Rs. 5,000 cr. loss to J&K due to floods: Assocham

  • Devastating floods in Jammu and Kashmir have caused an immediate loss of Rs. 5,400-5,700 crore to the state’s economy, with heavy damages to trade, hotels, restaurants, horticulture and handicraft, according to initial estimates of industry body Assocham.

  • Jammu & Kashmir has been hit by the worst floods in over a century, throwing basic infrastructure like power, railways and communication in the state completely out of gear.

  • The initial estimated loss to hotels, trade, agriculture — horticulture, roads and bridges in the Jammu and Kashmir regions itself is Rs. 2,630 crore.

  • Besides, high-cost infrastructure like Railways, power and communication in the hilly terrains would have suffered a loss of about Rs. 2,700-3,000 crore, the industry body said.

Over 1.84 lakh people rescued in J&K (Register and Login to read Full News..)  

The Gist of Yojana: August 2014


The Gist of Yojana: August 2014


Aspects of Energy Security: Trends and Policy Framework

The conceptual basis of energy security is much wider than merely securing energy supplies. The existing energy system relies primarily on the use of fossil energy coal, oil and natural gas for meeting power and non-power demand of final energy. Given the skewed distribution of fossil fuels, securing their supply for meeting the demand for energy is an essential component of energy policy framework for an energy importing country. However, the important aspects of energy security can be broadly classified as availability, reliability, affordability and sustainability. The availability aspect would constitute measures aimed at increasing the endowment of primary energy resources through domestic exploration and production; imports of primary energy resources (and even final energy such as electricity, refined petroleum products as the case may be) from energy supplying countries. The reliability aspect captures measures targeted at increasing the resilience of the energy sector to the uncertainties of international energy markets owing to geo-politics, political instability in the energy exporting countries and threats to the energy supply chain from terrorist groups, natural calamities etc. The affordability aspect caters to the issues related to energy pricing (such as concerns for volatility) and equity considerations (such as removing energy poverty and universal access to modern energy services). The sustainability aspect focusses on the negative environmental externalities arising from the energy system and highlights the need for its transformation and adaptation for addressing vulnerability on account of expected climate changes and increase in the frequency of extreme weather events.

Energy System: Definition, Importance and the Indian case

Energy system comprises of not just the energy conversion technologies, rather consists of all primary energy resources, processes and technologies required for energy transformation/conversion, transportation, storage and end-use. It also covers the interactions with the environment as a source of primary energy and as a sink for the assimilation of the various forms of waste generated in all the phases and processes right from the stage of making primary energy available to the stage of final end-us.

(Current Affairs) Awards and Prizes | August: 2014

Awards and Prizes

Russian mathematician receives the 2014 Abel Prize

  • The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has decided to award the Abel Prize for 2014 to Yakov G. Sinai (78) of Princeton University, USA, and the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences,”for his fundamental contributions to dynamical systems, ergodic theory, and mathematical physics”. The President of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Nils Chr. Stenseth, announced the winner of the 2014 Abel Prize at the Academy in Oslo today, 26 March. Yakov G. Sinai will receive the Abel Prize from His Royal Highness The Crown Prince at an award ceremony in Oslo.

(Current Affairs) Science & Technology, Defence, Environment | August: 2014

Science & Technology, Defense, Environment

Sun-observing IRIS

  • Nasa’s sun-observing IRIS (Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph) spacecraft has captured its first stunning close-up of a colossal coronal mass ejection(CME) erupting from the sun.
  • The field of view for this imagery is about five times the width of earth and about seven-and-half times its length, a tremendous sheet of solar material can be seen erupting in a latest video released by Nasa.
  • The view is unprecedented for IRIS which was launched in June last year to observe the lowest levels of the sun’s atmosphere with better resolution than ever before.
  • IRIS must commit to pointing at certain areas of the sun at least a day in advance, so catching a CME in the act involves some educated guesses and a little bit of luck.

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