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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 02 December 2014

National

Cannot ‘close doors’ to Telangana’s plea on Krishna water disputes says SC

• The Supreme Court 0bserved that it cannot “close its doors” on newly-formed Telangana’s plea for a fresh look at the inter-State sharing of Krishna river water, even as Karnataka, one of the beneficiary States, strongly objected to the re-opening of the five-decade-old dispute.
• Telangana has filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court, contending that its interests were not represented before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal – II. It sought total re-consideration of the Tribunal’s final award in December 2010 as it concerned only Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• It said Telangana, which came into existence only on June 2 this year, did not get an opportunity to raise its “independent grievances”.
• In August this year, the Supreme Court had prima facie recognised Telangana’s status as an “affected” State with a voice of its own.
• “We do have a substantive claim,” senior advocate C.S. Vaidyanathan submitted before a Bench led by Justice Vikramjit Sen. Objecting to this, senior advocate Fali Nariman for Karnataka called Telangana’s claim “extraordinary”.
• Mr. Nariman said that Telangana was never heard before the Krishna Tribunals was factually wrong. He said the territories, which later became Telangana after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, was earlier represented by the undivided State.
• “The award of the Tribunal, binding on the erstwhile State, is now binding on the successor State. The Inter-State Water Disputes Act of 1956 says the award of the Tribunal is final. Now, re-opening the Tribunal award would require statutory amendment.
• You cannot go backwards like 50 years,” Mr. Nariman protested, questioning the maintainability of Telangana’s petition.

Haryana govt agrees to find positive solution to Delhi water crisis

• The Haryana government agreed to find a positive solution to the drinking water problem in the Capital.
• “We will discuss all the issues related to the water crisis and come up with a solution taking into account the interests of Delhi and Haryana,” Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khatar said after a meeting with Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu.
• The drinking water problem was discussed at length at the meeting convened by Mr. Naidu which was attended by Mr. Khattar and Irrigation Minister of Haryana, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and senior officials of the Urban Development Ministry and the governments of Delhi and Haryana.
• The meeting discussed allocation of waters of the Ravi-Beas and Yamuna rivers, and the proportion to be released to different water treatment plants in Delhi as also the directions of the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court regarding the availability of water in the Capital.
• The agreement on construction of the Munak Canal for carrying Delhi’s share of water and the contribution made by the Delhi government towards that was also discussed. “The L-G and the Chief Secretary of Delhi... sought implementation of the orders of the Delhi High Court.
• Factoring in an earlier order of the Supreme Court in 1996, we shall very shortly take a positive decision in the best interests of the people of Delhi and Haryana,” said Mr. Khattar.
• Later, Mr. Naidu reviewed the progress of different projects and proposals pertaining to Delhi with Mr. Jung, MPs from Delhi, mayors and chief executives of municipal bodies and DDA, and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials.
• On the issue of the water supply problem in Dwarka , it was decided that DDA would immediately make an advance payment of Rs. 50 crore to DJB besides providing an inventory of assets after which the latter would take over water supply and sewerage in Dwarka.

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International

France expressed the desire to be part of ‘Make in India’

• Visiting French Defence Minister Yves Le Drian has expressed the desire of France to be part of the “Make in India” initiative and has discussed the possibilities for the French defence industry’s contribution towards it.
• Mr. Drian also reviewed the progress of the negotiations between India and France for the purchase of 126 Rafale fighter aircraft and expressed the hope that the deal would be concluded soon.
• Negotiations for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, under which the Dassault Rafale has been selected in 2012, have been dragging on because of certain differences, and both France and the Indian Air Force are eager to conclude the deal at the earliest.
• France is already a major player in the Indian defence sector. Six French DCNS Scorpene submarines are being built in India by Mazagaon Dock Limited in Mumbai under transfer of technology and, after several delays, the first submarine is expected to be delivered to the Navy in 2016.
• Sources told that France is also eager to conclude a deal for a short range surface-to-air missile, Maitri, to be jointly developed by India and France.
• Mr. Drian and his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar reviewed preparations for a major joint aero-naval exercise ‘Varuna’ in April 2015 which will be France’s maiden aero-naval exercise in the Indian Ocean.

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Persons in News

Tabare Vazquez wins in Uruguay

• Tabare Vazquez has won the second round of the presidential election in Uruguay and will be taking office on March 1, 2015.
• It will be the Left-wing Broad Front’s third consecutive term in government and also the largest margin of victory in a run-off.
• Meanwhile, outgoing president Jose Mujica, whose management had the approval of 65 per cent of the citizens according to a poll last week, said he would now have the task of being the coordinator within the ruling coalition.

Business & Economy

RBI keeps policy rates unchanged

• As is widely expected, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has kept the key policy rates unchanged.
• On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macro-economic situation, the RBI has decided to keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 8.0 per cent.
• It has also kept the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL). And, it has said that it will continue to provide liquidity under overnight repos at 0.25 per cent of bank-wise NDTL at the LAF repo rate, and liquidity under 7-day and 14-day term repos of up to 0.75 per cent of NDTL of the banking system through auctions. Also, it has decided to continue with daily one-day term repos and reverse repos to smooth liquidity.
• As a result of these decisions, the reverse repo rate under the LAF will remain unchanged at 7.0 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the bank rate at 9.0 per cent
• “The headline inflation has been receding steadily, and current readings are below the January 2015 target of 8 per cent as well as the January 2016 target of 6 per cent,'' the RBI said. “The inflation reading for November, which will become available by mid-December, is expected to show a further softening.
• Thereafter, however, the favourable base effect that is driving down headline inflation will likely dissipate and inflation for December may well rise above current levels,'' it added.
• “The key uncertainty is the durability of this upturn,'' the apex bank said. “The full outcome of the north-east monsoon will determine the intensity of price pressures relating to cereals, oilseeds and pulses.
• However, it is reasonable to expect some firming up of these prices in view of the monsoon’s performance so far and the shortfall estimated for kharif production,'' it pointed out.

RBI has retained growth estimate at 5.5% for 2014-15

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has retained its growth estimate for 2014-15 at 5.5 per cent.
• The reiteration of growth estimate is based on its expectation of a normal monsoon. Also, the apex bank is hopeful that there will not be any adverse supply or financial shocks.
• While keeping the policy rates unchanged in its fifth bi-monthly policy, the RBI said conditions for a turnaround "are gathering." Nevertheless, it did concede that "activity appears to have lost some momentum in Q2, probably extending into Q3."
• The RBI pointed to the softening of inflation, easing of commodity prices/ input costs, comfortable liquidity conditions, and rising business confidence as well as purchasing activity.
• "These conditions could enable a pick-up in Q4 if co-ordinated policy efforts fructify in dispelling the drag on the economy emanating from structural constraints,’’ it said.
• "A durable revival of investment demand continues to be held back by infrastructural constraints and lack of assured supply of key inputs, in particular coal, power, land and minerals,’’ it said.
• The success of ongoing government actions in these areas wouldl be key to reviving growth and offsetting downside risks emanating from agriculture – in view of weaker-than-expected Rabi sowing – and exports – given the sluggishness in external demand, it added.
• The apex bank said some easing of monetary conditions had already taken place. The weighted average call rates as well as long-term yields for government and high-quality corporate issuances had moderated substantially since end-August, it said.
• "However, these interest rate impulses have yet to be transmitted by banks into lower lending rates,’’ it pointed. Slow bank credit growth was mirrored by increasing reliance of large corporations on commercial paper and domestic as well as external public issuances, it pointed out.
• It admitted that weak demand and the rapid pace of recent disinflation were factors supporting monetary accommodation. "The weak transmission by banks of the recent fall in money market rates into lending rates, however, suggests monetary policy shifts will primarily have signaling effects for a while," it said.
• These signaling effects wre likely to be large since the Reserve Bank had repeatedly indicated that once the monetary policy stance shifted, subsequent policy actions would be consistent with the changed stance.

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Sports

Varun Kakran set a new National record

• Uttar Pradesh’s Varun Kakran cleared a height of 1.86 metres to set a new National record in the under-14 boys’ high jump in the Jio junior National athletics championship at IGMC stadium here on Saturday.
• Varun eclipsed Maharashtra’s Anil Kumar Sahoo’s 1.85 metre effort achieved in 2011.
• Kerala and Haryana athletes dominated the penultimate day with Kerala runners hogging the limelight in the relays.
• The results: Boys: U-14: High Jump: 1. Varun Kakran (UP) 1.86m – NR (ONR & NMR 1.85), 2. Anil (Har) 1.70; 3. Ravindra Reddy 1.56.
• U-16: 1000m medley: 1. Haryana 2:00.62; 2. Tamil Nadu 2:01.60; 3. Punjab 2:26.76; 400m hurdles: 1. R. Balakrishnan (TN) 54.26s; 2. T. Santosh (TN) 54.28; 3. Santosh Kumar (Mah) 55.23; Shot Put: 1. Satyam (UP) 16.38m; 2. Uddit Kumar (Bihar) 16.11; 3. Ashish (Guj) 15.45m.

Science & Technology

New HIV cases down by 57% in last decade

• The number of new HIV infections in India has come down by 57 percent and related deaths by 25 per cent in the last decade.
• On World AIDS Day, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda sought people’s involvement in achieving the ambitious global goals of zero new infection and deaths.
• Launching the helpline number — 1097, a digital resource centre and a supply chain management system for HIV patients, Mr. Nadda said, “It’s the work of every individual to come out and fight it (HIV) out.
• There should be zero discrimination against people with HIV. This should be our commitment.”
• Stressing on the importance of “restraint” and “precaution”, he said it was time for people to consider their lifestyle, noting that preventive health care has become important after an era when it was considered that antibiotics can “cure everything”.
• “We should be working on two fronts. We should be aware and put special emphasis on prevention and help those living with HIV and AIDS so that they face no discrimination,” he said.
• Health Ministry, he said, had signed MoUs with 11 ministries for better coordination in tackling AIDS and MoUs with five more ministries are in pipeline.
• The first HIV positive person was reported in 1986 in India which currently has 2.1 million affected people, the third highest in the world even as the country’s efforts in restricting its spread is considered a success by most.

FBI warns U.S. of 'destructive' cyber attack

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned U.S. businesses that hackers have used malicious software to launch a destructive cyber attack in the United States, following a devastating breach last week at Sony Pictures Entertainment.
• Cyber security experts said the malicious software described in the alert appeared to describe the one that affected Sony, which would mark first major destructive cyber attack waged against a company on U.S. soil.
• "I believe the coordinated cyber attack with destructive payloads against a corporation in the U.S. represents a watershed event," said Tom Kellermann, chief cyber security officer with security software maker Trend Micro Inc. "Geopolitics now serves as harbingers for destructive cyber attacks."
• The five-page, confidential "flash" FBI warning issued to businesses provided some technical details about the malicious software used in the attack.
• It provided advice on how to respond to the malware and asked businesses to contact the FBI if they identified similar malware.
• The report said the malware overrides all data on hard drives of computers, including the master boot record, which prevents them from booting up.
• "The overwriting of the data files will make it extremely difficult and costly, if not impossible, to recover the data using standard forensic methods," the report said.
• The document was sent to security staff at some U.S. companies in an email that asked them not to share the information.
• The FBI released the document in the wake of unprecedented attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, which brought corporate email down for a week and crippled other systems as the company prepares to release several highly anticipated films during the holiday film season.

Droughts push Jalna farmers to agricultural labour

• An angry silence greets one on entering the village of Dhasalgaon in Jalna district. Perpetuating agrarian crises for the last three years have made the once-proud farmers of this village poor.
• Despite the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party government’s announcement that it seek a Rs. 4,500-crore package from the Centre, farmers in Jalna have wearied of the lip service that Mumbai’s mandarins have been paying them for the last decade or so.
• “Till 2011, the modest earnings from my field would see us through. Today, every single member of our family is out toiling as daily wage labourers in fields of bigger farmers”, says 50-year-old Subhash Mane.
• The cotton output of Mr. Mane’s four-acre farm has been steadily declining in quality since 2010. This year, unseasonal showers ensured there was no growth at all.
• Dhasalgaon, one of the 8,000-odd villages across Maharashtra where the crop yield has been less than 50 paise, is a microcosm of the condition of farmers throughout the districts of the rain-fed Marathwada and Vidarbha regions.
• While braving the rain-deficit years of 2012 and 2013, unseasonal rain this year has transformed farmers with small land-holdings into a class of helots. But their ‘masters’ — the so-called richer farmers who own between 40 and 50 acres of farmland — have been hit equally hard.
• “Unseasonal rains have cruelly crushed hopes here in Ambad taluk. We ourselves have no work to offer to smaller farmers as our fields have been ruined, the cotton crop stunted,” says Kantirao Shinde, who owns a 20-acre farmland.
• His sweet-lime trees have been devastated by consecutive droughts, while this year he is forced to make do with paltry harvest of low-grade cotton.