Wednesday, Jan 18th, 2012

HEADLINES

• Centre seeks caveat, options to end age row.
• Question marks over Rushdie's participation in Jaipur festival.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Foreign players to get stake in Indian carriers
  • The GOI has said it would kickstart the process of allowing foreign airlines to get 49% stake in the Indian carriers
  • The GOI has also decided to release 150 crore immediately for the pending payment and allowances of Air India employees.
  • According to the present rule, any foreign body except an airline can buy upto 49% stake in a domestic Indian airline
    
    
• Cairn Vedanta deal comes under a cloud
  • The Cairn Vedanta deal came under a cloud following instances of serious human rights violations, default of payment, environmental damage in its mining and metal products
  • Following such incidents of wrong doings the Directorate of Revenue intelligence(DRI) had booked a case against Hindustan Zinc Limited(100 % EOU) and Chittorgarh(indirect subsidiary of Vedanta resources)
  • The Church of England and the Norway Pension fund has disinvested its vedanta shares following allegations of environmental damage and ethical violations of human rights.
  • Amnesty international and Survival international has criticised the group on human rights violations in the niyamgiri hills where the lives of Dongria Kondhs were reportedly threatened.
    
    
• Committed to settling Tamil Issue – Mahindra Rajapakse
  • The Sri Lankan President has reiterated his commitment to the “13^th Amendment plus approach” to achieve a political solution to the Tamil Problem.
  • The internally displaced people (IDP) will also be partners in the building their own home, in the project laid down by the Indian government.
  • Of the 49,000 houses to be built, a total of 38,000 are to be reconstructed, 5000 repaired under the owner driven models of the IDPs and 6000 are to be built for the vulnerable sections of the IDPs who cant build their own house.
  • India also extended a line of credit of $382.37 million for restoring Northern railway service on the pallai kankasathurai line and setting up signalling and telecommunications systems for the northern railways.
  • An MOU has also been signed between the EXIM bank India and the Sri Lankan Ministry of finance and planning on a buyer's credit agreement of $60.69 million for financing the Greater Dambulla water project
  • An MOU in the field of agriculture has been signed, according to which both the sides will promote both sides will promote development of cooperation in the fields of agricultural science and technology, agricultural production and agro processing through joint activities, exchange of scientific materials,information and personnel.
  • Another MOU between the TRAI and the Telecommunications regulations commission Srilanka has been signed to strengthen the competency in the field of telecommunications.
    
    
• Thane rip apart (The once lush and evergreen) mangroves at the pichavaram, once considered bio shield against wind surge and tidal waves.
  
  
• Japanese team to take back remains of soldiers killed in the Assam sector of the China-Burma- india theatre of the world war II and buried in the war cemetry
  • The north east has four war cemetries maintained by the common wealth war graves commission (CWGC) at guwahai, Kohima, Digboi and Imphal
  • There is another world war cemetry at jairampur on the historic stilwell road in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh
    
    
• Andhra Pradesh government has released National Safety Council diaries and calenders brought about by the Andhra Pradesh National safety council.
  
  
• Expert group on Kudankulam nuclear plants sets out to create win- win situation for all.
  • It is lead by Daniel Chellapa who will coordinate the 15 member central expert group.
  • The expert committee would go through the questions raised by the Perple's movement Against nuclear Energy(PMANE) which is leading the protests against Kudankulam plant.
    
    
• The union ministry of health and welfare has declared 2012 as the “year of intensified routine immunisation of children”.

• India – China to set up working mechanisms on border management
  • India and china has agreed to set up a working mechanism on border management to deal with important affairs related to maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas.
  • The “Working mechanism for consultation and coordination on India – China border affairs” was signed by Indian Ambassador to China S.Jai Shankar and Chinese Assistant Foreign minister.
  • The mechanism will study ways and means to conduct and strengthen exchanges and cooperation between millitary personnel and establishment of the two sides in the border areas.
  • It will be headed by a joint secretary level officer from the ministry of external affairs and a director general level officer from the chinese foreign ministry and will comprise diplomatic and millitary officials from both the sides.
  • The working mechanism will hold consultation alternately in india and china. Emergency consultations if necessary are convened after mutual agreement.

• Alarming decline in the reading and mathematical skills in 6-14 age group says the Annual status of Education report(ASER)
  • Only Andhra pradesh, karnataka and TN and the North eastern states have shown some improvement
  • The primary school enrolment is 96.7% the attendance has come down from 73.4% to 70%
  • Private schools are still prefered even though the student teacher ratio has gone up from 38.9% to 40%
  • Nationally private school enrolment has gone up from 18.7% to 25%
  • Children attendance in Bihar is the lowest in the country with 60% attendance.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• “The artist” sweeps BAFTA nominations
  • The British Academy of Film and Television Arts(BAFTA) is considered as the stepping stone for Oscars.
  • The Black and white silent film “The Artist” has got 12 nominations including the best film, best director and best actor.
    
    
• Radical cleric Abu Qadata won a legal battle against being extradited to his native Jordan to face prosecution against charges of terrorism after the european court of human rights ruled that if he was sent back he was likely to be tried for evidence obtained under torture

EDITORIALS, OPINIONS AND COLUMNS

• Opinion on polio eradication