Important topics for 8 july 2019

      IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR TODAY 

                 

       http://dailycurrentaffairs-sumit.blogspot.com
                             TELEGRAM: t.me/indiancivilservices

BY SUMIT BHARDWAJ          

8 JULY2019

1.  National Register of Citizens (NRC) 

about National Register of Citizens (NRC) of Assam:

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the list of Indian citizens of Assam. It was prepared in 1951, following the census of 1951.
For a person’s name to be included in the updated NRC list of 2018, he/ she will have to furnish:
Existence of name in the legacy data: The legacy data is the collective list of the NRC data of 1951 and the electoral rolls up to midnight of 24 March 1971.
Proving linkage with the person whose name appears in the legacy data.
 

Why was it updated?

The process of NRC update was taken up in Assam as per a Supreme Court order in 2013. In order to wean out cases of illegal migration from Bangladesh and other adjoining areas, NRC updation was carried out under The Citizenship Act, 1955, and according to rules framed in the Assam Accord.
 
Why is March 24, 1971 the cut-off date?
There have been several waves of migration to Assam from Bangladesh, but the biggest was in March 1971 when the Pakistan army crackdown forced many to flee to India. The Assam Accord of 1985 that ended the six-year anti-foreigners’ agitation decided upon the midnight of March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date.

Who is a citizen in Assam?
The Citizenship Act of 1955 was amended after the Assam Accord for all Indian-origin people who came from Bangladesh before January 1, 1966 to be deemed as citizens. Those who came between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971 were eligible for citizenship after registering and living in the State for 10 years while those entering after March 25, 1971, were to be deported.

2.‘Swachh Bharat Pakhwada’

Swachhata Pakhwada

Swachhata Pakhwada started in April 2016 with the objective of bringing a fortnight of intense focus on the issues and practices of Swachhata by engaging GOI Ministries/Departments in their jurisdictions.
An annual calendar is pre-circulated among the Ministries to help them plan for the Pakhwada activities.
The Ministries observing Swachhata Pakhwada are monitored closely using online monitoring system of Swachhata Samiksha where action plans, images, videos related to Swachhata activities are uploaded and shared.
After observing Swachhata Pakhwada, Ministries/ Departments announce their achievements through a press conference and other communication tools.
For the Pakhwada fortnight, observing ministries are considered as Swachhata Ministries and are expected to bring qualitative Swachhata improvements in their jurisdictions.

3.Salt Lake….

A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per litre). In some cases, salt lakes have a higher concentration of salt than sea water; such lakes can also be termed hypersaline lakes. An alkalic salt lake that has a high content of carbonate is sometimes termed a soda lake.
Bidhannagar or Salt Lake is a city and a municipal corporation of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). It was developed between 1958 and 1965 to accommodate the burgeoning population of Kolkata.

4.Kui tribals odhisa…..Khonds (also spelt Kondha, Kandha, Khondho, etc.) are a Dravidian-speaking tribal people of India. Traditionally hunter-gatherers, they are divided into the hill-dwelling Khonds and plain-dwelling Khonds for census purposes; all the Khonds identify by their clan and usually hold large tracts of fertile land but still practice hunting, gathering and slash-and-burn agriculture in the forests as a symbol of their connection to and ownership of the forest. Khonds speak the Kui and Kuvi languages.

 

5.Patkar opposes move to replace labour laws with codes

…….Narmada bachao andolan….medha patkar…..oppposed 44 existing
labour laws into four
codes dealing with wages,
social security, industrial safety
and welfare, and industrial
relations.
….Payment of Wages
Act, 1936, Minimum Wages
Act, 1948, Payment of Bonus
Act, 1965, and the Equal Remuneration
Act, 1976.

6. Dr. Hankin Police Museum and Discovery Centre at RBVRR Telangana State Police Academy (TSPA) 

7.The Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972 Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (with Amendment Acts of 2003 and 2006):

• The act provides for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants and matters connected with them, with a view to ensure the ecological and environmental security of India.
• Extends to the whole of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir which has its own wildlife act
• It provides for prohibition on use of animal traps except under certain circumstances
• It provides for protection of hunting rights of the Scheduled Tribes in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Has provisions for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

• It has six schedules which give varying degrees of protection
• Species listed in Schedule I and part II of Schedule II get absolute protection — offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties
• Species listed in Schedule III and Schedule IV are also protected, but the penalties are much lower
• Schedule V includes the animals which may be hunted
• The plants in Schedule VI are prohibited from cultivation and planting
• The act constitutes a National Board for Wildlife that

provides guidelines for framing policies and advising Central and State Government on promotion of wildlife conservation and controlling poaching and illegal trade of wildlife and its products;

• Making recommendations for setting up and managing national parks, sanctuaries and other protected areas; and

Suggesting measures for improvement of wildlife conservation.

• It also sets up National Tiger Conservation Authority.
• The acts sets up various provisions related to trade and penalties for hunting the animals in wild.
• Five kinds of protected areas can be notified in the Act. These are:
• Sanctuaries: The State or Central Government may by notification declare its intention to constitute any area as a sanctuary for protecting wildlife and the environment. The government determines the nature and extent of rights of persons in or over the land within the sanctuary.
• National Parks:

The State or Central Government may declare an area, whether inside a sanctuary or not, as a national park for the purpose of protecting and developing wildlife and its environment.The State Government cannot alter the boundaries of a national park except on the recommendation of the National Board for Wildlife.No grazing is allowed inside a national park.All provisions applicable to a sanctuary are also applicable to a national park.Conservation Reserves: The State Government after consultations with local communities can declare any area owned by the Government, particularly areas adjacent to national parks or sanctuaries, as conservation reserves. The government constitutes a Conservation Reserve Management Committee to manage and conserve the conservation reserve.Community Reserves: The State Government can, in consultation with the community or an individual who have volunteered to conserve wildlife, declare any private or community land as community reserve. A Community Reserve Management Committee shall be constituted by State Government for conserving and managing the reserve.Tiger Reserve: These areas were reserved for protection tiger in the country. The State Government on the recommendation of the Tiger Conservation Authority may notify an area as a tiger reserve, for which it has to prepare a Tiger Conservation Plan.


8.Quota politics: on U.P.'s move to confer SC status on 17 backward castesArticle 341 in The Constitution Of India 1949341. Scheduled Castes(1) The President may with respect to any State or Union territory, and where it is a State after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification, specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to that State or Union territory, as the case may be(2) Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Castes specified in a notification issued under clause ( 1 ) any caste, race or tribe or part of or group within any caste, race or tribe, but save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any subsequent notification


9.Reclaiming the Indo-Pacific narrative4th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Bangkok in June,
What is ASEAN?
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional organization which was established to promote political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s post-colonial states.The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.8th August is observed as ASEAN Day.ASEAN Secretariat – Indonesia, Jakarta.Member Nations

IndonesiaMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeThailandBruneiVietnamLaosMyanmarCambodiaGenesis of ASEAN
1967 – ASEAN was established with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by its founding fathers.Founding Fathers of ASEAN are: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.1990s – Membership doubled after the changing conditions in the region following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and the Cold War in 1991.Addition of Brunei (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar (1997), and Cambodia (1999).1995 – Members signed a deal to create a nuclear-free zone in Southeast Asia.1997 – Adoption of ASEAN Vision 2020.2003 – Bali Concord II for the establishment of an ASEAN Community.2007 – Cebu Declaration, to accelerate the establishment of ASEAN Community by 2015.2008 – ASEAN Charter comes into force and becomes a legally binding agreement.2015 – Launch of ASEAN Community.ASEAN Community is comprised of three pillars:ASEAN Political-Security CommunityASEAN Economic CommunityASEAN Socio-Cultural CommunityObjectives
To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations.To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields.To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilisation of agriculture and industries, the expansion of their trade, the improvement of transportation and communications facilities and the raising of the living standards of peoples.To promote Southeast Asian studies.To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organisations.The ASEAN fundamental principles, as contained in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) of 1976
Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations.The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion.Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another.Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner.Renunciation of the threat or use of force.Effective cooperation among themselves.Institution Mechanism
Chairmanship of ASEAN rotates annually, based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States.ASEAN Summit: The supreme policy making body of ASEAN. As the highest level of authority in ASEAN, the Summit sets the direction for ASEAN policies and objectives. Under the Charter, the Summit meets twice a year.ASEAN Ministerial Councils: The Charter established four important new Ministerial bodies to support the Summit.ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC)ASEAN Political-Security Community CouncilASEAN Economic Community CouncilASEAN Socio-Cultural Community CouncilDecision Making: The primary mode of decision-making in ASEAN is consultation and consensus.However, the Charter enshrines the principle of ASEAN-X – This means that if all member states are in agreement, a formula for flexible participation may be used so that the members who are ready may go ahead while members who need more time for implementation may apply a flexible timeline.
ASEAN-led Forums
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF): Launched in 1993, the twenty-seven-member multilateral grouping was developed to facilitate cooperation on political and security issues to contribute to regional confidence-building and preventive diplomacy.ASEAN Plus Three: The consultative group initiated in 1997 brings together ASEAN’s ten members, China, Japan, and South Korea.East Asia Summit (EAS): First held in 2005, the summit seeks to promote security and prosperity in the region and is usually attended by the heads of state from ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. ASEAN plays a central role as the agenda-setter.Strengths & Opportunities

ASEAN commands far greater influence on Asia-Pacific trade, political, and security issues than its members could achieve individually.Demographic dividend – It constitutes 3rd largest population in the world, of which more than half is below thirty years of age.Economic:3rd largest market in the world - larger than EU and North American markets.6th largest economy in the world, 3rd in Asia.Free-trade agreements (FTAs) with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.Fourth most popular investment destination globally.ASEAN’s share of global exports has also risen, from only 2 percent in 1967 to 7 percent by 2016, indicating the rising importance of trade to ASEAN’s economic prospects.The ASEAN Single Aviation Market and Open Skies policies have increased its transport and connectivity potential.ASEAN has contributed to regional stability by building much-needed norms and fostering a neutral environment to address shared challenges.Challenges
Regional imbalances in the economic and social status of its individual markets.Gap between rich and poor ASEAN member states remains very large and they have a mixed record on income inequality.While Singapore boasts the highest GDP per capita—nearly $53,000 (2016), Cambodia’s per capita GDP is the lowest at less than $1,300.Many regional initiatives were not able to be incorporated into national plans, as the less developed countries faced resource constraints to implement the regional commitments.The members’ political systems are equally mixed with democracies, communist, and authoritarian states.While the South China Sea is the main issue exposing the organization’s rifts.ASEAN has been divided over major issues of human rights. For example, crackdowns in Myanmar against the Rohingyas.Inability to negotiate a unified approach with regards to China, particularly in response to its widespread maritime claims in the South China Sea.The emphasis on consensus sometimes becomes the a chief drawback – difficult problems have been avoided rather than confronted.There is no central mechanism to enforce compliance.Inefficient dispute-settlement mechanism, whether it be in the economic or political spheres.India and ASEAN
India's relationship with ASEAN is a key pillar of her foreign policy and the foundation of Act East Policy.India has a separate Mission to ASEAN and the EAS in Jakarta.India and ASEAN already has 25 years of Dialogue Partnership, 15 years of Summit Level interaction and 5 years of Strategic Partnership with ASEAN.Economic Cooperation:ASEAN is India's fourth largest trading partner.India's trade with ASEAN stands at approx. 10.6% of India's overall trade.India's export to ASEAN stands at 11.28% of our total exports. The ASEAN-India Free Trade Area has been completed.ASEAN India-Business Council (AIBC) was set up in 2003 to bring key private sector players from India and the ASEAN countries on a single platform.Socio-Cultural Cooperation: Programmes to boost People-to-People Interaction with ASEAN, such as inviting ASEAN students to India, Special Training Course for ASEAN diplomats, Exchange of Parliamentarians, etc.Funds: Financial assistance has been provided to ASEAN countries from the following Funds:ASEAN-India Cooperation FundASEAN-India S&T Development FundASEAN-India Green FundDelhi Declaration: To identify Cooperation in the Maritime Domain as the key area of cooperation under the ASEAN-India strategic partnership.Delhi Dialogue: Annual Track 1.5 event for discussing politico-security and economic issues between ASEAN and India.ASEAN-India Centre (AIC): To undertake policy research, advocacy and networking activities with organizations and think-tanks in India and ASEAN.Political Security Cooperation: India places ASEAN at the centre of its Indo-Pacific vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region.

                                                            Member Nations            

10.Crimes that India’s statute books have failed to definecrimes against humanity (CAH).

Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)…the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (often referred to as the International Criminal Court Statute or the Rome Statute) is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC). It was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Rome, Italy on 17 July 1998 and it entered into force on 1 July 2002. As of March 2019, 122 states are party to the statute.Among other things, the statute establishes the court's functions, jurisdiction and structure3. International Law Commission (ILC) The International Law Commission (ILC) is a body of experts established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1947 to assist in the development and codification of international law.[1] It is composed of 34 individuals elected by the U.N. General Assembly for their "recognized competence and qualifications" in international law. The ILC holds annual sessions at the United Nations Office at Geneva to discuss and codify various topics in international law.

11.Triple talaq bill in a cliffhanger in Rajya SabhaMuslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2019Benefits:
The proposed Bill will protect the rights of married Muslim women and prevent divorce by the practice of instantaneous and irrevocable ‘talaq-e-biddat’ by their husbands.
It provides the rights of subsistence allowance, custody of minor children to victims of triple talaq i.e. talaq-e-biddat.
 
Key provisions of the Bill:
The Bill makes all declaration of talaq, including in written or electronic form, to be void (i.e. not enforceable in law) and illegal.
Definition: It defines talaq as talaq-e-biddat or any other similar form of talaq pronounced by a Muslim man resulting in instant and irrevocable divorce.  Talaq-e-biddat refers to the practice under Muslim personal laws where pronouncement of the word ‘talaq’ thrice in one sitting by a Muslim man to his wife results in an instant and irrevocable divorce.
Offence and penalty: The Bill makes declaration of talaq a cognizable offence, attracting up to three years’ imprisonment with a fine.  (A cognizable offence is one for which a police officer may arrest an accused person without warrant.) 
The offence will be cognizable only if information relating to the offence is given by: (i) the married woman (against whom talaq has been declared), or (ii) any person related to her by blood or marriage.
The Bill provides that the Magistrate may grant bail to the accused. The bail may be granted only after hearing the woman (against whom talaq has been pronounced), and if the Magistrate is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for granting bail.
The offence may be compounded by the Magistrate upon the request of the woman(against whom talaq has been declared). Compounding refers to the procedure where the two sides agree to stop legal proceedings, and settle the dispute.  The terms and conditions of the compounding of the offence will be determined by the Magistrate.
Allowance: A Muslim woman against whom talaq has been declared, is entitled to seek subsistence allowance from her husband for herself and for her dependent children. The amount of the allowance will be determined by the Magistrate.
Custody: A Muslim woman against whom such talaq has been declared, is entitled to seek custody of her minor children. The manner of custody will be determined by the Magistrate.
 
Significance:
Time has come to put an end to the suffering of Muslim women who have been at the receiving end of instant talaq for several years. More than 20 Islamic countries have already banned the practice.


12.U.S. curbs, Chabahar downgrade choke Indo-Afghan trade
Background:
The Chabahar Agreement was signed in June 2015 and approved by Iran’s Guardian Council in November 2016. Chabahar is being seen as a gateway for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with Central Asian countries.
 
Where is Chabahar port?
Iran’s Chabahar port is located on the Gulf of Oman and is the only oceanic port of the country. The port gives access to the energy-rich Persian Gulf nations’ southern coast.
 
Why Chabahar port is crucial for India?
The first and foremost significance of the Chabahar port is the fact that India can bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to Afghanistan. Chabahar port will boost India’s access to Iran, the key gateway to the International North-South Transport Corridor that has sea, rail and road routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia.
 
Chabahar port will be beneficial to India in countering Chinese presence in the Arabian Sea which China is trying to ensure by helping Pakistan develop the Gwadar port. Gwadar port is less than 400 km from Chabahar by road and 100 km by sea.
 
With Chabahar port being developed and operated by India, Iran also becomes a military ally to India. Chabahar could be used in case China decides to flex its navy muscles by stationing ships in Gwadar port to reckon its upper hand in the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Middle East.
 
With Chabahar port becoming functional, there will be a significant boost in the import of iron ore, sugar and rice to India. The import cost of oil to India will also see a considerable decline. India has already increased its crude purchase from Iran since the West imposed ban on Iran was lifted.
 
Chabahar port will ensure in the establishment of a politically sustainable connectivity between India and Afghanistan. This will in turn, lead to better economic ties between the two countries.
From a diplomatic perspective, Chabahar port could be used as a point from where humanitarian operations could be coordinated.



13.Plan for district environment impact assessment panels under fire
What is it about:
the proposed Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2019, makes the District Magistrate (DM) the chairperson of an expert authority, or the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA), that will accord environment clearance for “minor” mining projects. Minor mining broadly refers to sand and stone mining in plots smaller than 25 hectares
environment impact assessment Environmental Impact Assessment Notification (EIA) ,2006.
The EIA notification categorizes all kinds of developmental projects in various schedules. The project proponent/investor has to identify to which schedule his proposed project belongs to. All the projects coming under Schedule 1 require environmental clearance. Schedule 1 contains two Categories A and B, Category B is further classified as B1 and B2 by respective State Level Expert Appraisal Committee.
The EIA notification establishes four stages for obtaining Environmental Clearance.
SCREENINGSCOPINGPUBLIC HEARINGAPPRAISAL

NOTE:
B1 Categories project require Environmental Impact Assessment while B2 category projects are exempted from EIA.

NOTE:
Technically, this is the first step for A category projects, which requires Environmental clearance from Central govt. along with B 1 projects, while B 2 projects need clearance only from state governments.The proponent has to now conduct EIA and submit the report to State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and State Forest Department (SFD) (If the project covers forest lands).The SPCB and SFD evaluates the report qualitatively and quantitatively to assess if it complies with the prescribed effluent and emission standards. If so, a NOC is granted.NOTE:
Public Hearing is exempted for projects like modernization of irrigation, expansion of roads and highways, all B2 category projects etc.

Jan 12, 2014
Understanding Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Now we will try to analyze the process of EIA by raising four fundamental questions i.e. What, Who, Why and How.
WHAT is EIA?
It is a study to evaluate and identify the predictable environmental consequences and the best combination of economic and environmental costs and benefits of the proposed project.On the basis of EIA, an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is prepared, which is a description of the means by which the environmental consequences as pointed out in the EIA will be mitigated. Together the whole draft is termed as EIA-EMP report.WHO does EIA?
The project proponent orIndependent agencies like NEERI, TERI, WAPCOS, E & Y, NCAER etc.WHY is EIA conducted?
To systematically examine both beneficial and adverse consequences of the proposal.To ensure that those consequences are taken into account during project design.To identify possible environmental effects of the proposal and means to mitigate them.To predict whether there will be significant adverse effects even after the mitigation.To lessen conflicts by promoting community participation and informing decision makers.How is EIA done?
IDENTIFICATION of the consequences of the proposal.PREDICTION of the extent of consequences.EVALUATION of the predicted consequences. (Significant or not)MITIGATION of the adverse consequences.DOCUMENTATION to inform decision makers what needs to be done.Issues related to EIA
Though it seems a very simplified process, but the whole process of EIA encompasses numerous structural and procedural flaws. All the associated issues can be classified in two categories.
Report IssuesPublic Hearing Issues.Report Issues.
Screening and Scoping not well defined—-In the EIA notification 2006, there is a lack of clarity in overall conductance of the Screening process. As it is discretion of the State Level committee to decide which projects are B1 and which are B2, many a times the bias of respective State Governments come into play. The Scoping process faces same types of issues because of lack of clarity in guidelines.Misleading EIA reports—Sometimes the EIA reports lack the expected degrees of honesty, owing to bias, corruption, exaggeration and wrong claims. Due to poor knowledge of the project area the agencies lift paragraphs and sentences from other sources, thus presenting contradictory, inconsistent and outdated information. Moreover there is no process for punishing the agencies tabling such dishonest EIA reports.Insufficient EIA reports—-Agencies or project proponents also prepare incomplete EIA reports, which include incomplete surveys, arbitrary demarcation of EIA study area and unsubstantiated statements. Sometimes the impact with respect to flash floods, landslides, peak precipitation etc. round the year is grossly ignored in reports.Poor quality of EIA professionals— This happens mostly when the proponents themselves conduct the EIA. They intentionally hire local and incompetent professionals to save cost over the whole process or some other vested reasons. These poor professionals prepare a poor quality of EIA reports.Public hearing issues
Lack of awareness—-There is a gross lack of awareness among the local people, about the process of EIA, its significance for them, role of various players and their own rights and responsibilities. Moreover there is a communication gap between authorities and local people because the notice for Public hearing is issued in local newspapers only and no separate notices are sent to individual concerned panchayats. Most of the times local people are unaware of the Public hearing meetings.Unavailabilty of EIA in local languages— Most of the time EIA reports are unavailable in local languages, thus local people are unable to decipher the reports, and are misled by the proponents. This can be interpreted as a clear violation of the right to information on their part. The irony is local people are totally unaware of such implications.Ignorance of officials—The concerned officials for example those in Public Hearing committee are ignorant of their roles and responsibilities. Sometimes they don’t even get a copy of EIA report and it is passed without their consent, owing to gross corruption of the system.Over involvement of Public hearing consultants— In the public hearing meeting, the consultants should not be allowed to have a dominant say, except responding to the issues of the people. On the contrary, they get involved in public hearings beyond requirements and thus mislead the local people.Unaddressed issues persist—-The issues raised by people in public hearings remains unanswered and they do not know what happens to the issues, nor do they know if the issues raised are reflected in public hearing reports that is presented to Ministry of Environment and forests.
14.Vande Bharat Express:
It is India’s first indigenously built engineless semi-high speed train. Earlier, it was known by the name Train 18.It runs between Delhi and Varanasi at a maximum speed of 160 kmph.It has been built by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, in a record time of 20 months.The train is a 100% ‘Make in India’ project and is claimed to be built at half the cost of a similar train set that is imported.It is energy-efficient as its coaches will be fitted with LED lights. Coaches will have automatic doors and retractable footsteps.It will be inter-connected with fully sealed gangways along with a GPS-based Passenger Information System. It is provided with Bio toilets. 
Integral Coach Factory (ICF)
ICF is rail coaches’ manufacturer located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was inaugurated by first Prime Minister of India Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru in 1955.It is owned and operated by Central Government (Union Ministry of Railways) through Indian Railways. It primarily manufactures rolling stock for Indian Railways.It manufactures range of coaches, including Linke-Hofmann-Busch (LHB), self-propelled train sets (SPTs) such as electrical multiple units (EMU).It also exports railway coaches to other countries including Zambia, Philippines, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Thailand, Myanmar, Taiwan, Vietnam, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Angola and Sri Lanka.It is one of three coach manufacturing facilities of Indian Railways with the other two being Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala and Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli.Recently it manufactured, India’s fastest train- “Train-18” in record breaking 18 months. Now it is renamed as “Vande Bharat Express”


The Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), Hindi: अनुसंधान अभिकल्प एवं मानक संगठन) is an ISO 9001 research and development organisation under the Ministry of Railways of India, which functions as a technical adviser and consultant to the Railway Board, the Zonal Railways, the Railway Production Units, RITES and IRCON International in respect of design and standardization of railway equipment and problems related to railway construction, operation and maintenance

15.Iran to breach uranium enrichment cap to go beyond the 3.67% limit set under the 2015 nuclear dea


16.HONG KONG PROTEST........Context: Huge protests in Hong Kong.
Reasons behind:The protesters were marching against proposed changes in the law that would allowsuspects accused of crimes such as murder and rape to be extradited to mainland China toface trial.Once the law is changed, Hong Kong will also hand over to China individuals accused ofcrimes in Taiwan and Macau. Macau, like Hong Kong, is a Chinese special administrativeregion with significant autonomy.China’s response:The government has said that the proposed amendments would “plug loopholes” that allowthe city to be used by criminals. It has assured that courts in Hong Kong would make thefinal decision on extradition, that only certain categories of suspects would be liable, andthat individuals accused of political and religious offences would not be extradited.The protesters in Hong Kong are concerned mainly because:China may use the changed law to target political opponents in Hong Kong.Extradited suspects are likely to face torture. Also, they say, the change in the law will dealanother blow to Hong Kong’s already crumbling autonomy.

click here to download this posts pdf  for free