Contents of Nation

4. NATION1. Bring out Srikrishna Committee’s report on Telangana 64

2. Ultra Mega Power projects (UMPP) 64

3. Write about the National c-Governance Plan (NeGP) and its status in-India 64

4. Comment on National Policy for Open Standards in e-governance. 65

5. With respect to Innovation Universities what are the salient features of draft innovation universitiesbill. 65

6. First Aadhar village in India 65

7. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna 66

8. Comment in the recommendations of The Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II 66

9. Eastern Freight Corridor 66

10. Bring out the recommendations of Vaidhyanathan committee on Agricultural Statistics. 66

11. Bring out N.R. Madhava Menon Committee recommendations on Autonomy of Central EducationalInstitutions 66

12. National Forest Land Bank 67

13. What do you understand by Crimean—Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF)? Why CCHF has beenin news recently? 67

14. What do you understand by Avian influenza? Why Bird flu has been in news recently? 6715. National Health Research Policy 6716. ‘Navratna’ varsities 6817. ‘Sanchar Shakti’ project 6818. “The phenomenon of ‘paid news’ goes beyond the corruption of individual journalists and media

companies. It has become pervasive, structured and highly organised and in the process, isundermining democracy in India.” — comment. 68

19. What do you understand by the term paid news? Bring out the findings of Press Council ofIndia’s draft report on Paid news phenomena. 68

20. Give a brief account of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) 6921. Write a short note on Mission Clean Ganga 6922. Give a brief account of National Water Mission approved by the Prime Ministers Council on Climate

Change in May 2010. 6923. GANDHI project 6924. Write about India’s first RTI library 70

25. National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) 7026. Write about Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar 7027. Write about Mahatma-Gandhi Tanta Mukti Gaon Mohim (Dispute-free Village Scheme) and its

recent achievement 7128. Write about Defence Technology Commission 71

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CHAPTER - 4

NATION

1. Bring out Srikrishna Committee’s reporton Telangana

The Justice Srikrishna Committee which heldwide consultations for 11 months on demands fora separate State of Telangana as well as forkeeping Andhra Pradesh united, has offered half-a-dozen options on Which the governance may takea call.

The committee headed by the former SupremeCourt judge, Justice B.N. Srikrishna is believednot to have unequivocally recommended anyparticular option but gave views— with the prosand Cons along with the historical background —in each of the six options.

The report lists six options —

(I) Maintaining the status quo;

(II) Bifurcation of the State into Seemandhraand Telangana with Hyderabad as a UnionTerritory and the two States developingtheir own capitals in due course;

(III)Bifurcation of the State into the Rayala-Telangana and Costal Andhra regions, withHyderabad being an integral part of Rayala-Telangana;

(IV)Bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh intoSeemandhra and Telangana, with anenlarged Hyderabad metropolis as aseparate Union Territory;

(V) Bifurcation of the State into Telangana andSeemandhra as per the existing boundarieswith Hyderabad serving as the capital ofTelangana, and Seemandhra having a newcapital; and

(VI)Keeping the State united by simultan-eously providing certain definiteconstitutional/statutory measures forsocio-economic development and politicalempowerment of the Telangana region —creation of a statutorily empoweredTelangana Regional Council.

2. Ultra Mega Power projects (UMPP)Ultra Mega Power projects (UMPP) are a series

of ambitious power projects planned by theGovernment of India. With India being a countryof chronic power deficits, the Government of Indiahas planned to provide ‘power for all’ by the end ofthe eleventh plan (by 2012).

This would entail the creation of an additionalcapacity of at least 100,000 MW by 2012.

The Ultra Mega Power projects, each with acapacity of 4000 megawatts or above, are beingdeveloped with the aim of bridging this gap. UMPPscheme envisages use of five units of 800 MW each.However, developers can use supercriticalequipment of a different configuration. But for that,they need approval of bulk power buyers and theCERC.

3. Write about the National c-GovernancePlan (NeGP) and its status in-India

The Government approved the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), comprising of 27 MissionMode Projects (MMPs) and 8 components, .on May18, 2006.

The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), takesa holistic view of e-Governance initiatives acrossthe country, integrating them into a collectivevision, a shared cause.

Around this idea, a massive countrywideinfrastructure reaching down to the remotest ofvillages is evolving, and large-scale digitization ofrecords is taking place to enable easy, reliableaccess over the internet.

e-Governance in India has steadily evolvedfrom computerization of Government Departmentsto initiatives that encapsulate the finer points ofGovernance, such as citizen centricity, serviceorientation and transparency.

Lessons from previous e-Governanceinitiatives have played an important role inshaping the progressive e-Governance strategy ofthe country. Due cognizance has been taken of

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the notion that to speed up e-Governanceimplementation across the various arms ofGovernment at National, State, and Local levels, aprogramme approach needs to be adopted guidedby common vision and strategy. This approach hasthe potential of enabling huge savings in coststhrough sharing of core and support infrastructure,enabling interoperability through standards, andof presenting a seamless view of Government tocitizens.

4. Comment on National Policy for OpenStandards in e-governance.

In what is termed a progressive andmomentous move, one that will show the way forthe developing world, the Central government hasnotified a National Policy for Open Standards in e-governance.

The policy, which lays down a framework forselection of technological standards, mandatesthat all government e-processes adopt a ‘single androyalty-free open standard’ in each technologicaldomain. This implies that the specifications of thestandards — including associated patents andextensions —must be accessible and royalty-free,in perpetuity.

This applies to any new e-governance projectsor new versions of the existing projects. Theexisting applications will have to provide forinteroperability while interfacing with othersystems.

This is significant because it will promotestandards that are inter-operable say amongvarious government departments), avoid any formof vendor lock-in and are cost-effective.

Significantly, it can also fuel technologicalinnovation by offering domestic and home-growncompanies a level playing field. The best exampleof how open standards can do this is the story ofthe growth of the Internet, one that was builtentirely on open standards.

Most significantly, this policy will lay down thelaw for all government departments and anytechnological company (that wishes to do businesswith the government).

The policy states that a government-appointedbody will look into the selection of open standardsand review interim standards (in the absence ofan existing open standard).

5. With respect to Innovation Universitieswhat are the salient features of draft

innovation universities bill.Breaking free of conventional higher education

concepts, the government has taken the first steptowards implementing its proposal for creating 14‘Innovation Universities’ by circulating draftlegislation for comment by various stakeholders.

The Innovation Universities are aimed atmaking India a global knowledge hub. Each one tobe built around a theme or subject, these uniqueuniversities will enjoy total autonomy with regardto appointments, collaborations, resourcegeneration and nomenclature of degrees awardedby it.

These will be open to all irrespective ofnationality, gender, ethnicity and disability,provided at least half the students admitted topursue any programme are Indians. There is,however, no mention of caste-based reservation.

Endowment FundAs per the first draft of the Bill circulated by

the Union Human Resource Development Ministryto the heads of all higher educational institutionslike Central universities, Indian Institutes ofManagement and Indian Institutes of Technology,and members of the task force on the NationalCommission for Higher Education and Research,each University for innovation will have toestablish a University Endowment Fund but willhave the freedom to receive donations,contributions from alumni and other incomes aslong as 80 per cent of annual income is used fordevelopment of research infrastructure.

Each university will be a not-for-profit legalentity and no part of the surplus revenue will beinvested for any other purpose except growth anddevelopment of the university.

The Innovation Universities are primarilyintended to be private institutions. However, theHRD Ministry can also make grants to developthem, in which case the President would be theVisitor and the government would have a largerrole to play in their functioning.

The establishment of 14 Universities forInnovation is expected to set benchmarks forexcellence for other institutions of higher learningthrough “path-breaking research and promotingsynergies between teaching and research.”

6. First Aadhar village in IndiaPrime Minister Manmohan Singh and United

Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi

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launched the Aadhar (Unique Identification) projectin Tembhli in Nandurbar district of Maharastra in2010.

Tembhli has got a special importance in themap of India as it becomes first Aadhar Village inIndia.

Maharashtra will be the first State to get theUIDs, the rest of the country will get them withina span of four years.

7. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas YojnaThe RKW was launched in August 2007 to

achieve 4 per cent annual growth in theagriculture sector through the holistic developmentof agriculture and allied sectors.

The scheme aims at encouraging States toincrease public investment in agriculture andallied sectors.

It allows flexibility to States to spend on need-based projects.

8. Comment in the recommendations ofThe Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II

The Krishna Water disputes Tribunal-Ilallocated the highest share of Krishna river watersto Andhra Pradesh but distributed the surpluswaters, which was hitherto flowing into the State.

The shares of other basin States — Karnatakaand Maharashtra — were also raised.

The three-member tribunal, headed by JusticeBrijesh Kumar, permitted Karnataka to raise thestorage level in the Almatti dam to 524.256 metresfrom 519.6 metres, a measure seen by AndhraPradesh as depriving its lower Krishna delta regionof water Supply.

The tribunal, however, directed Karnataka tomake regulated releases of 8 to 10 thousand millioncubic feet (tmcft) from the-dam to Andhra Pradeshin June and July.

The tribunal asked the Centre to set up a‘Krishna Water Decision-Implementation Board’with representation from all the three States.

The tribunal directed the three States tocontribute for Chennai city drinking water supply3.30 tmcft distributed in equal quantity in July,August, September and October, and 1.70 tmcft infour equal instalments in January, February,March and April.

In its order, announced in an open court, thetribunal allocated a total share of 1,001 tmcft to

Andhra Pradesh, 911 tmcft to Karnataka and 666tmcft to Maharashtra with certain restrictionsimposed on each State in keeping with thedependable flows of the rivers on which theallocations have been made.

9. Eastern Freight CorridorThe 1,806-km eastern corridor Will extend from

Dankuni to Ludhiana and pass through severalmining and industrial towns such as Asansol,Dhanbad, onnagar, Khurja and Saharanpur. It isbeing designed for a maximum train speed of 100kmph. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjeeinaugurated of the work on the eastern freightcorridor project in November 2010.

10. Bring out the recommendations ofVaidhyanathan committee on AgriculturalStatistics.

The Vaidyanathan Committee of Experts onAgricultural Statistics has recommendedrestructuring of the methodology for c4lection offarm statistics in a phased manner to ensureobjective, reliable and timely estimates of cropareas and yields.

It has suggested setting up of a National CropStatistics Centre (NCSC) as the nodal agency toundertake the work in collaboration with theDepartments of Agriculture and Space.

The experts panel, headed by Professor A.Vaidyanathan was constituted in 2009 to study thesystem of working out agricultural statistics andto recommend improvements.

11. Bring out N.R. Madhava MenonCommittee recommendations onAutonomy of Central EducationalInstitutions

A high-power committee has called forsweeping changes in the higher education system.It recommends that the office of the Visitor forcentral universities be done away with and thepowers transferred to the Chancellor; and that alllegislative framework under which theseuniversities are established be uniformly revisedand brought under a common Act.

If the recommendations are accepted, allcentral universities will be made to undergo acomprehensive review of their functioning onceevery 10 years by an external agency. ThePresident is the Visitor for all the centraluniversities.

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The committee, constituted to ‘evolve acomprehensive policy for autonomy of centraleducational institutions,’ suggests that the IndianInstitutes of Management be allowed to grantdegrees to make them more autonomous.

The committee was headed by N.R. MadhavaMenon. The other members were Professors SeyedE. Hasnain, Pankaj Chandra, M.S. Ananth, MihirChoudhary and Ved Prakash.

The committee was set up to “Evolve aComprehensive Policy for Autonomy of EducationalInstitutions”.

12. National Forest Land BankNational Forest Land Bank to improvise the

infrastructure projects. In a section on challengesfacing the infrastructure sector, the survey listed“land acquisition delays and slow approvalprocesses, especially environmental and forestclearances,” among the constraints that need tobe addressed in the infrastructure sector. Itsuggested that a ‘national forest land bank, withclear paperwork and titles, could significantlyreduce the approval time for forest clearances.

13. What do you understand by Crimean—Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF)? WhyCCHF has been in news recently?

Crimean—Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) isa widespread tick-borne viral disease, a zoonosisof domestic animals and wild animals, that mayaffect humans. The pathogenic virus, especiallycommon in East and West Africa, is a member ofthe Bunyaviridae family of RNA viruses.

Outbreaks of illness are usually attributableto handling infected animals or people. Treatmentis primarily symptomatic and supportive, as thereis no established specific treatment. Ribavirin iseffective it vitro and has been used duringoutbreaks, but there is no triat evidence to supportits use.

However, as of now there is no medicine orvaccine that can prevent or cure the disease. TheCCHF virus is known to be transmitted amonganimals through ticks. It does not affect animals,but kills 20 to 40 per cent of humans who contractit.

In 2010, the mysterious death of three persons,including a doctor and a nurse in Ahmedabad,Gujarat, has created panic among the medicalfraternity, and caused concern to the Gujaratgovernment.

The virus which caused the deaths has beenidentified. According to State Health Minister JayNarayan Vyas, the samples of the deceased sentto the National Institute of Virology, Pune, hadidentified the virus as Crimean-Congohemorrhagic Fever (CCHF).

14. What do you understand by Avianinfluenza? Why Bird flu has been in newsrecently?

Avian influenza, sometimes avian flu, andcommonly bird flu, refers to ‘influenza caused byviruses adapted to birds. Of the greatest concernis highly pathogenic avian influenza (H PA).“Bird flu” refers to an illness caused by any of

many different strains of influenza viruses thathave adapted to a specific host. All known virusesthat cause influenza in birds belong to the speciesinfluenza A virus.

All subtypes (but not all strains of all subtypes)of influenza A virus are adapted to birds, which iswhy for many purposes avian flu virus is theinfluenza A virus (note that the “A” does not standfor “avian”).

While its most highly pathogenic strain (H5N1)had been spreading throughout Asia since 2003,Avian Influenza reached Europe in 2005, and theMiddle East as well as Africa the following year.

Bird flu strikes Agartala duck farmBird flu has struck the country again. This time

in the State Duck Breeding Farm in Agartala inTripura that has been ordered to cull all poultrywithin a radius of 3 km of the farm.

With this incidence, India has lost the bird flu-free status it acquired in June 2, 2010. It will nowinform international authorities of thedevelopment.

15. National Health Research PolicyTo overcome the weaknesses of the publicly

funded health structures that restricted researchin priority health areas, the Union Health andFamily Planning Ministry has finalised theNational Health Research Policy.

It would maximise the returns on investmentsin health research through creation of a healthresearch system to prioritise coordinate andfacilitate conduct of effective and ethical researchand its translation into products, policies andprogrammes aimed at improving health especiallyof the vulnerable population.

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