Twin states lead in political killings – (Social Issues)
· Personal animosity and property disputes were the main reasons for the murders in India (NCRB report)
· Illicit relationships and love affairs are the next leading reason for murders in India.
· TN, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh topped the list in caste-related killings.
Kerala banana variant on GI list – (Science And Technology)
- The nendran banana variety, Changalikodan, has been accorded the Geographical Indication (GI) status.
- GI status is an indication that identifies goods as produced from a particular area, which has special quality or reputation attributable to its geographical origin.
- GI registration confers legal protection to the products, prevents unauthorised use of a GI by others, helps consumers get quality products of desired traits, promotes economic prosperity of producers of goods by enhancing demand in national and international markets and is essential to get protection in other countries.
No Project sans rainwater harvesting systems: NGT – (Environment)
- With the unscientific methods used to draw water in Delhi NCR region, the ground water table is depleting tremendously in the region.
- The National Green Tribunal has made it mandatory for all government buildings and flyovers to have rainwater harvesting systems installed
Iran no longer under restricted visa list – (International Relations)
· India has liberalised its visa policy for Iran and struck it off the prior referral category (PRC) of countries. Three categories of visas — employment, conference, students and research visa — were on the restricted list till now.
· The decision also comes in wake of the P5 + 1 (U.K, China, France, Russia, U.S. and Germany) nations clinching a nuclear agreement with Iran, easing economic sanctions on it.
Manipur has highest number of UAPA cases – (Social Issues)
· Manipur is home to 0.2% of Indian population, but accounts for nearly 65% of the cases filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the country.
· Manipur has the highest number of banned outfits in the country.
Editorial: Banks for the unbanked – (Economics)
· For the first time RBI has given differentiated banking licenses in the country. It is a major step towards financial inclusion.
· The RBI expects payments banks to target migrant labourers and the self-employed, besides low-income households, offering low-cost savings accounts and remittance services so that those who now transact only in cash can take their first step into the formal banking system.
Editorial: The politics of parliamentary paralysis – (Polity)
· There has been a phenomenal increase in the disruptions of the parliamentary proceedings in the country.
· Trying to wish disruptions away is unrealistic; trying to minimise them is in the best interests of democracy and deliberation. However, successive governments have failed to achieve the latter.
Govt. considering Bill to ensure right to services – (Polity & Ethics)
· The Union government is considering a Bill to guarantee time-bound delivery of services, called the Right to Services Act, on the lines of the Acts already in place in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
· Not only can one apply for services through the portal but also track the work flow; a system of fines has been put in place in case of a delay without reason.
· The programme relies heavily on e-governance and e-tracking of service requests, delays and reasons for delay.
Nutraceuticals: Global market to touch $263 billion by 2020 – (Economics)
· Due to rising awareness about health and fitness and changing lifestyle, India’s nutraceuticals market is likely to cross $6.1 billion by 2020 from the current level of $2.8 billion growing at compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 17 per cent, according to a study on ‘Indian Nutraceuticals, Herbals, and Functional Foods Industry: Emerging on Global Map,’ jointly conducted by Assocham and RNCOS.
· Japan (14 per cent) is the major consumer of nutraceuticals in Asia-Pacific, followed by China (10 per cent).
· The Indian nutraceuticals market is at a nascent stage but fast emerging. India accounts for around 1.5 per cent of the global market, which is anticipated to increase owing to country’s large population base, increasing urban belt and awareness.
Perspective: From farmer to businessman – (Economics)
· There are several domestic agriculture companies, both listed and private, that are doing extremely well amidst an increasing number of farmers’ suicides. This highlights that profits exist in the market and fail to reach the farmers.
· Recognising this, several farmer-owned producer companies and new types of self-reliant cooperatives, broadly called Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), have recently been set up. They aggregate, sometimes process, and then market agricultural produce. The best example of such an FPO is Amul Dairy. Along with other National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)-promoted dairy cooperatives, they have brought millions out of poverty.
· More FPOs need to be established and current FPOs face various constraints such as managerial ability, working capital etc.
Cabinet approves pact with the Seychelles to fight black money – (Economics)
· India has signed an agreement with the Seychelles for exchange of information on taxes to fight against the menace of black money.
· India signed a similar agreement with US as well called FACTA.