Farming

 About 60% of people in India make their living from the land, but earnings from
agriculture have plunged to one-third of a farm family’s income from two-thirds
in the 1980s.

 Employment in agriculture shrank by 26 million jobs between 2011 and 2015,

according to McKinsey Global Institute, the research arm of the consulting firm.

 Seven out of ten rural households in India are landless or own plots of less than 1
hectare (2.5 acres). A end

 Brown planthoppers (BPH) have sucked the sap of paddy plant in 1.78 lakh
hectares in 8,211 villages of nine districts. A end

Loan waiver issue:

A recent study by the International Food Policy Research Institute reveals that at
the national level, 48% of agricultural households do not avail a loan from any
source. Among the borrowing households, 36% take credit from informal
sources, especially from moneylenders who charge exorbitant rates of interest
in the 25%-70% range per annum.

Similarly, access to institutional credit is associated with higher per capita

monthly consumption expenditures.

Clearly, a major proportion of farmers remain outside the ambit of a policy of

a subsidised rate of interest,and, for that matter, of loan waiver schemes
announced by respective State governments.

This anomaly can be rectified only if the credit market is expanded to include
agricultural labourers, marginal and small land holders. It is, therefore, important
to revisit the credit policy with a focus on the outreach of banks and financial
inclusion.

If governments are seriously willing to compensate farmers, they must direct

sincere efforts to protect them from incessant natural disasters and
price volatility through crop insurance and better marketing systems.

The report of the Committee on Doubling of Farmers’ Income, Ministry of

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has rightly suggested accelerating investments
in agriculture research and technology, irrigation and rural energy, with a
concerted focus in the less developed eastern and rain-fed States for faster
increase in crop productivity and rural poverty reduction.

A diversion of money towards debt relief, which is in fact unproductive, will

adversely impinge on state finances, may dissuade lending by the banks, and
hence prove counterproductive to the government’s broader mandate of
doubling farmers’ income by 2022-23. a end

BAMBOO-CEASES TO BE TREE –FREED FROM FOREST

RIGHT ACT:

After 90 years, the bamboo has legally ceased to be a tree.

amending the Indian Forest Act and axing the bamboo — taxonomically a grass
— from a list of plants that also included palms, skumps, brush-wood and
canes.

promote cultivation of bamboo in non-forest areas to achieve the “twin

objectives” of increasing the income of farmers and also increasing the
green cover of the country.

This will now create a viable option for cultivation in 12.6 million hectares of
“
cultivable waste land.
encourage farmers and oth er individuals to take up plantation/block plantation
of suitable bamboo species on degraded land, in addition to plantation on
agricultural land and other private lands under the agro-forestry mission,”

status of bamboo and also brought it in harmony with the related Forest Rights
Act.a end
 Health
 India’s domestic budget for fighting tuberculosis showed a
dramatic jump from about 700 crore in 2015 to •2,500 crore
last year, according to a report from the World Health
Organisation (WHO).
Chapter 1 Tuberculosis:
 From an estimated 2.84 million new cases in 2015, the number dropped
marginally to 2.79 million in 2016, according to the World Health Organisation’s
Global tuberculosis report, 2017.

 The targets set in the End TB strategy are global reduction of 20% in incidence
and 35% in mortality by 2020, taking 2015 as the base year.

 India accounting for the highest TB incidence (23%) and mortality (26%) globally,

 The •rst step in defeating the disease and achieving the targets is to record
every diagnosed patient through case noti•cation (that is, when a person is
diagnosed with TB, it is reported to the national surveillance system, and then on
to the WHO).

 25% gap between incidenc and noti•cation, the largest in the world

 With a higher number of people with TB being tested for drug resistance, the
percentage with resistance to the drug rifampicin alone more than doubled to
0.58 million in 2016 over the previous year. A end

Diabetes:
This year’s theme for World Diabetes Day observed on Tuesday is fittingly
‘Women and Diabetes — Our Right to a Healthy Future’.

According to the International Diabetes Federation(IDF), one in 10 women are

living with diabetes, many of whom do not have access to
healthcare and lack awareness about the disease.

India state levl disease burden initiative(isdbi):

The ‘India State Level Disease Burden’ report, prepared as part of the Global
Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2016, and published in Lancet, has found that
every State in India has a higher burden from non-communicable diseases and
injuries than from infectious diseases.
Data sources -333 disease conditions and injuries, 83 risk factors from ach state
from 1990-2016.

these findings will be useful for planning of State health budgets, prioritisation of
interventions relevant to each State, informing the government’s Health
Assurance Mission, monitoring of health-related Sustainable Development Goals
targets in each State, assessing impact of large-scale interventions based on
time trends of disease burden, and forecasting population health under
various scenarios in each State, A END

MALARIA:

India accounted for 6% of global malaria cases and 7% of deaths caused by it in

2016, ACC to WHO report.

80% of the deaths were accounted for by 15 countries, namely India and 14
countries in SubSaharan Africa.

A key impediment to eliminating malaria is a weak surveillance system. India

identifies only 8% of the cases.

Moreover, 51% of Plasmodium vivax cases — the milder cousin of the

P.falciparum — were traced in India. This could at least be partially explained by
resistance to chloroquine.
And mosquitoes developing resistance to all types of insecticides are the
other big roadblock that’s threatening India’s goal to eliminate malaria –
zero indigenous cases in by 2030.
India — due to low funding per person at risk and resistance to certain frontline
insecticides — is only expected to achieve a 20%40% reduction by 2020.

Malaria is a parasitic disease that spreads between humans through the bite
of infected female anopheles mosquitoes. Once the parasite enters the
human bloodstream, it invades the liver and then the red blood cells. Initial
symptoms include fever, headache, sweats, chills and vomiting, and at this
stage, the immune system usually fights and controls the infection.

A decade ago, 65% of all infections were caused by P vivax and 35% by P
falciparum two decades ago. Now the ratio is reversed.
 The P falciparum parasite causes the more deadly cerebral malaria that,
when untreated, may lead to loss of consciousness and even coma. It’s
responsible for 99% malaria deaths worldwide.

Among the P falciparum cases, 38.16% persons were asymptomatic.

The Rs 10653.16 crore five-year National Strategic Plan for Malaria

Elimination (2017-22) launched last week will be as effective as the last-mile
delivery.

About NSP https://currentaffairs.gktoday.in/fact-box-national-strategic-

plan-malaria-elimination-07201746567.html

Malaria causes https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/malaria/causes/

Issued in May 2012, the WHO Global plan for insecticide resistance management in malaria vectors (GPIRM)
is a global plan of action for all stakeholders engaged in the fight against malaria. The document provides
comprehensive technical recommendations to manage insecticide resistance in different situations.
The GPIRM calls for the following key actions to be undertaken:
 plan and implement insecticide-resistance management strategies in malaria-endemic countries;
 ensure proper, timely monitoring of entomological and resistance monitoring and effective management of data;
 develop new, innovative vector-control tools;
 fill gaps in knowledge on mechanisms of insecticide resistance, and the impact of current approaches to
management of insecticide resistance; and
 ensure that enabling mechanisms (advocacy, and human and financial resources) are in place.
 international relations
Myanmar:
The issue here is the displacement and persecution of a desperately poor ethnic
minority — the Rohingya from the Rakhine State in western Myanmar.

Unlike the earliest Muslim migrants to Burma who came from Persia, Arabia or
India as traders,the Rohingya Muslims of Rakhine were never really well-
assimilated in Burmese life. The community grew mainly through immigration
and exogamy, because of the proximity of Muslim Bengal.

And herein lies the twist to the tale. In a country where the military junta still
holds unbridled power, granted to it by the Constitution of 2008, how much
power does the State Counsellor really have?

the Burmese Army,or the Tatmadaw, still functions more or less as a parallel
establishment, with unquestioned control over the departments of defence,
internal a•airs and border security. The 2008 Constitution guarantees it not only
a guardianship role but also places it outside civilian control.

Rohingya issue also has at its epicenter something as basic and tangible as
Myanmar’s Constitution of 2008 —a document that the Tatmadaw pledges to
protect with its life and the amendment of which is one of the main objectives of
the Suu Kyi-led civilian government. a end

Asean and apec meets-2017:

The recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific

Economic Coop-eration (APEC) meetings provided a further glimpse of
attitudinal changes that are in the making. Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Na-
rendra Modi made use of this occasion to announce that the two countries
were prepared to work together for the future of Asia — a euphemism for what
many see as keeping a check on China’s aggressive designs in the region.

Mr. Modi demonstrated a willingness on this occasion to go still further,

asserting that India will stand by ASEAN in its quest for a rules-based regional
security architecture.
ASEAN vs SAARC:
(ASEAN) is among the world’s largest regional intergovernmental organisations.
Since its inception, the countries in the region have become more integrated
through enhanced intraregional trade and connectivity.

SAARC- inception-1985-failed to deliver its aspirations. unable to integrate the

region through trade and connectivity and continues to be stuck in the quagmire
of regional politics and rivalry and stagnates from historical distrust and old
animosity.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION:
1. Asean-peaceful mechanism.

2. Saarc-entire region mired with india-pak hostilities.

TRADE:

ASEAN: Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA), which ensures

liberalisation and protection of cross-border investments operations, together
with best practices for the treatment of foreign investors and investments.

SAARC: its members stand at 3.5% of their total volume of trade.initiatives under
safta have failed. bbin motor vehicle agreement stalled.

CONNECTIVITY:

ASEAN: The Federation of ASEAN Travel Associations (FATA) has called on the
ASEAN nations to waive entry requirements amongst the member states.
feasible study conducted for construction of rail link from Singapore to Kunming
in southern china to enhance seamless connectivity.

SAARC: SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme only allows certain categories of

dignitaries to be exempt from visas, excluding ordinary citizens from accessing
unimpeded travel in the region. It is di•cult for Indians to enter Pakistan and
vice versa. SAARC infrastructural problems plague connectivity.a end

BREXIT- issue of northern Ireland vs EU state of Ireland:

The Troubles — the period of deep civil and political unrest in Northern Ireland,
from the 1960s to the 1990s that pitted largely Protestant Unionists against
largely Catholic separatists — are in the past, thanks to rapprochement that
culminated in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, though the political situation
remains sensitive.

Membership of the EU has played a signi•cant role in maintaining that

environment with strong economic ties between Northern Ireland and
the EU state of Ireland, as well as close personal links. Over 35,000 people
cross the border between the two each day, while 1,77,000 lorries and 1.85
million cars cross each month.

With Britain set to leave the EU — and the single market and customs union —
How could the open border remain while Northern Ireland, as part of the U.K.,
exited the customs union?

Last week, Irish Taoiseach (or Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar issued a strong
ultimatum to Britain, insisting that Ireland needed written assurances
that there would be no hard border — including no physical infrastructure
on the border — in Ireland before Brexit negotiations with the remaining 27
member states could move to the socalled second phase, when the crucial future
shape of the trade relationship is to be discussed.a end

INDIA-SINGAPORE:
India and Singapore on Wednesday agreed on greater cooperation and activity in
the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea

Strait of Malacca and Indian Ocean are key sea lanes of communication

two countries concluded a bilateral agreement for naval cooperation, which

includes maritime security, joint exercises and temporary deployments from the
naval facilities of each other and mutual logistical support.

Singapore also encourage the Indian Navy to visit the Changi naval base more
often
The two countries also agreed to explore joints projects in research and
development.
 Laws
1) The Delhi High Court’s guidelines are inspired by the UN
Model Law on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and
Witnesses of Crime. The main objectives include eliciting
complete, accurate and reliable testimony from child
witnesses, minimising harm, and preventing ‘secondary
victimisation’. Secondary victimisation, or the harm that
occurs not due to a criminal act but through the insensitive
response of institutions, systems and individuals, is
something that vulnerable witnesses often experience in
cases of sexual violence…………..cntd

 For now, the term ‘vulnerable witnesses’ is limited to

children, but the principle may have to be expanded to
include adults who may be equally vulnerable to threats and
an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

Anti torture bill: recommended by law commission:

Though India signed the united nation convention against torture in 1997, it is yet
to ratify it.

In its 273rd report handed over to the Law Ministry on October 30, the
commission has proposed the Prevention of Torture Bill, 2017.a end
India has made many requests for extradition of o•enders from other countries,
and the absence of an antitorture law may prevent these countries from acceding
to India’s requests. Earlier this month, extradition courts in the United Kingdom
refused to send two persons to India to face trial, one of them on the ground that
there was “no e•ective system of protection from torture in the receiving state”.
Conditions in India’s prisons, especially the chronic problem of overcrowding,
are a reason for the country’s extradition requests failing.

The recent example of a bus conductor being forced to confess to murdering a

schoolchild is a pointer to the use of torture as an investigative tool among
policemen.a end

Judiciary
Chapter 2 Collegium and related issues:
 The collegium, ever since its inception, following the
Supreme Court’s judgment in what is known as the Second
Judges Case (1993) has been enveloped by a sense of the
hugger-mugger.

 In Mr.Vasudevan’s case, for example, we don’t know which

of the “consul-tee-judges (presumably one of thetwo senior-
most Supreme Court judges, in this case, who have
previously served at the Madras High Court) objected to his
elevation, and why the judge interviewed found him
unsuitable. Also peculiar is the collegium’s express noting
that Mr.Vasudevan had previously been recommended by
two different high court collegia, which would mean that, in
all, the chief justices of three high courts, at different points
of time, found him worthy of selection. But, we’re now left
wondering how the view of one “consultee judge” — whose
reasons aren’t provided to us — can override the opinion of
three chief justices of three different high courts.

 Interpreting consultation--To this end, to ensure that

judges would be insulated from political in•uence, the
assembly agreed on a consultative process of appointing
judges, a “middle course,” as B.R. Ambedkar described it.
The Constitution avoided the cumbersome process of
legislative interference and the undemocratic provision of a
veto to the Chief Justice,and vested in the President the
power to both make appointments and transfer judges
between high courts. The President, who would act on the
advice of the council of ministers, was, however, required to
compulsorily consult certain authorities, including the Chief
Justice of India (CJI), and, when making appointments to a
high court, the chief justice of that court.
  Originally, in 1977, in Sankalchand Sheth’s case, when
interpreting the word “consultation,”the Supreme Court ruled
that the term can never mean “concurrence”. Hence, the
CJI’s opinion,the court ruled, was not binding on the
executive. But nonetheless the executive could depart from
his opinion only in exceptional circumstances, and, in such
cases, its decision could well be subject to the rigours of
judicial review. This seemed like a perfectly sound balance.

 And indeed, in 1981, in the First Judges Case, the court once
again endorsed this interpretation, albeit partly. But twelve
years later,in the Second Judges Case, the court overruled its
earlier decisions. It now held that “consultation” really meant
“concurrence”, and that the CJI’s view enjoys primacy, since
he is “best equipped to know and assess the worth” of
candidates. But,the CJI, in turn, was to formulate his opinion
through a body of senior judges that the court described as
the collegium.

 Indeed, when the Constitution was altered, through the 99th

constitutional amendment, and when the collegium was
sought to be replaced by the National Judicial Appointments
Commission — a body comprising members of the judiciary,
the executive and the general public — the court swiftly
struck it down. It ruled, in what we might now call the Fourth
Judges Case (2015), that the primacy of the collegium was a
part of the Constitution’s basic structure, and this power
could not, therefore, be removed even through a
constitutional amendment. Article end.
Economy
Chapter 3 Ease of doing business :
  India’s upward jump in ranking is based on the
improvement in the distance to frontier score — an absolute
measure of progress towards the best practice.

Chapter 4 Crypto currencies and issues:

 The rising popularity of crypto currencies and the increasing
number of entities looking at raising funds through Initial Coin
Offerings (ICO) has caught the attention of the capital market
regulator, which is evaluating whether such instruments and
offerings can be brought under its regulatory purview.

 Incidentally,crypto currencies like bitcoin, ethereum and such

offerings have been under government radar for long and discussions
have been held between various bodies, including SEBI and the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on the possible ways in which this
segment can be regulated. Unlike an IPO, which is governed by
SEBI regulations, there is no regulatory body for ICOs in India.

 Start-ups like Zebpay, Unocoin, Coinsecure,Searchtrade, Belfrics

and Bitxoxo are some of the wellknown players in the bitcoin and
blockchain segment.“Bitcoins are neither ‘commodities derivatives’
nor ‘securities’ under Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act,
1956.end of the article.

FEMA norms eased to spur investment

 The new notification combines two regulations on foreign investments — one

which is popularly called investment in an Indian company or a partnership, or in
a limited liability partnership, or FEMA 20, and the other — FEMA 24, which
is investment in a partnership firm. Another significant change is the introduction
of a late submission fee that could allow an investor to regularise any
contravention due to non-reporting, by paying the fee. End

logistics got infrastructure status:

“Number one, infrastructure industries get longer maturity loans compared to
typical manufacturing sector. They are also eligible for slightly higher equity ratios
while applying for the loans. The third is that the external commercial borrowing
guidelines say that the infrastructure sector has certain advantages and flexibility,
and they can also do refinancing with specialised lenders like IDFC, IIFCL, etc.”a
end

problems with respect to logistics-infrastructure status:

problems that need to be addressed such as the lack of proper regulatory

oversight and the lack of skilling in the sector, according to DTDC Express,
a leading courier brand.

The e-waybill system also needs several improvements before it can viably be
rolled out across the country. such as the removal of the need for e-waybills
for intra-city or intra-state transport and the modification of the validity
of the e-waybills.

First obvious problem not all players are of the same quality or adhere
to the same standards, but yet all of them compete for the same set of
customers.”

The second problem , the logistics sector employs a large number of blue collar
workers but there isn’t enough infrastructure to train them.

PRESIDENT GAVE HIS ASSENT –ORDINANCE PASSED TO AMMEND

‘’IBC’’:

a new section has been introduced in the IBC that makes certain persons
ineligible to be a ‘resolution applicant’.

Those being made ineligible include “wilful defaulters,those who have their
accounts classiffied as NPAs for one year or more and are unable to settle their
overdue amounts including interest thereon.”
The ineligible persons also include those who have executed an enforceable
guarantee in favour of a creditor, in respect of a corporate debtor undergoing a
Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process or liquidation process under the IBC.

Also ineligible are those who are promoters or in management of control of

the resolution applicant, or will be promoters or in management of control of
corporate debtor during the implementation of the resolution plan, the holding
company, subsidiary company, associate company or related party of the
above referred persons.

new section “provides for punishment... [which] is fine, which shall not be less
than •1 lakh but which may extend to •2 crore.”

Committee of Creditors (CoC) should ensure the viability and feasibility of the
resolution plan before approving it. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India
(IBBI) has also been given additional powers.

Some concerns regarding-amendments in IBC:

They will cause disruption in nearly all pending insolvency proceedings.
“Earlier, the resolution plan had to qualify for consideration. Now, the
bidder has also to qualify”

If the total time of 270 days has lapsed in these cases or no bidder comes
forward, the debtor will be pushed into liquidation.

“ It is possible that the court does not stay the insolvency process and the
promoter loses his company. But later, if the bank’s decision is found to be
illegal by the court, the promoter would become entitled to claim damages
from the bank,”
Besides, the amendments place foreign bidders in an advantageous position
as
the concept of wilful defaulters may not exist in other countries and the
disqualification criteria in corresponding situations may also be different or even
harsher.
“While the amendments lay down certain ineligibilities in qualifying as a
resolution applicant, what about a situation if such ineligibilities are already a
subject matter of challenge before a court of law (sub-judice)? Would such
applicant still be ineligible or otherwise?

Chapter 5 Banking- recapitalization:

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/the-stimulus-and-after/article19964578.ece -
read this article ..... And study underlined points from the telegram paper.

Bilateral transfer pricing norms eased-India :

Income Tax Department issued a clarification saying that it would allow mutual
agreement procedures (MAPs) and advance pricing agreements (APAs) with all
countries.

India’s previously held stance was, if treaties with a particular country did not
contain a ‘corresponding adjustment’ clause, then the Indian revenue department
would not enter into bilateral advance pricing agreements or mutual agreement
procedures with those countries.

It has now agreed to entertain such APAs and MAPs, regardless of whether that
clause was in the agreement or not.

APAs are meant to settle potential disputes in advance, while MAPs lay out
the procedure to settle a dispute once it has happened.

TRAI –net neutrality-recommendations:

“The licensing terms should be amplified to provide explicit restrictions on any
sort of discrimination in Internet access based on the content being accessed, the
protocols being used or the user equipment being deployed,” TRAI said.
The content mentioned includes all content, applications, services and any other
data, including its endpoint information, that can be accessed or transmitted over
the Internet.

One of the recommendation: “The service providers should be restricted from

entering into any arrangement, agreement or contract, by whatever name called,
with any person, natural or legal, that has the effect of discriminatory treatment
based on content, sender or receiver, protocols or user equipment.”

TRAI has recommended a multistakeholder body which would be responsible

for developing technical standards for monitoring and enforcement of the
principles.a end

While batting for the right to an open Internet, however, TRAI has been careful to
allow some exceptions that allow companies to discriminate between content if it
helps them regulate the •flow of traffic or offer “specialised services”.

infrastructure that serves as the backbone of the Internet has not come without
huge investments by private service providers

So any regulation that severely restricts the ability of companies to earn sufficient
returns on investment will only come at the cost of the welfare of the public.

In this connection, TRAI has been open to adopting a nuanced view that
differentiates between various forms of content instead of imposing a blanket ban
on all forms of price differentiation.

new policy, for instance, will still allow companies to justify the costs incurred in
providing niche content to consumers.
TRAI’s measured response is likely to effectively address the problem of
anticompetitive practices adopted by certain providers.

Interestingly, it has left it, with important caveats, to the government to decide
on services that count as “specialised” and deserve exceptional treatment by
regulators.
Policymakers will also need to think hard about creating an appropriate legal
framework to prevent the capture of regulation by special interests..a end

Net neutrality creates rules of the road for a free and open Internet.

Di•erential Pricing Regulation issued on February 8, 2016, which prevented

telecom companies from pricing access to Internet websites and content
di•erently.In the explanatory memorandum to this regulation, TRAI states, “As
observed by the Supreme Court, in the Secretary,Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting v. Cricket Association of Bengal, (1995) 2 SCC 161, para 201(3)(b)
allowing citizens the bene•t of plurality of views and a range of opinions on all
public issues is an essential component of the right to free speech. This includes
the right to express oneself as well as the right to receive information as observed
by the Supreme Court in the Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd.
v.Union of India, (1985) 1 SCC 641 case.”

TRAI recommendations on net neutrality is a step towards deepening

participatory democracy.A END

The authority tends to agree with the views of DoT (Department of Telecom)
that a larger focus is required on connectivity, content availability in local
language and digital literacy.a end

Idea of integration of mii with invest india:

The Centre is mulling a new approach that institutionalizes the combined
strengths of its ‘Make In India’ (MII) and ‘Invest India’ initiatives with an aim to
streamline them for attracting more investments, including from overseas,
in the manufacturing sector. The MII was unveiled in September 2014 to
“transform India into a global design and manufacturing hub” while ‘Invest India’
is the government’s investment promotion and facilitation agency.a end
 History – ind & world
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/adocumentthat-still-
resonates/article19963179.ece - about Balfour declaration ..and also read
underlined article from telegram .

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/climbing-australias-giant-
red-rock-uluru-to-be-banned/article19964544.ece about uluru -the worlds
lagest monolith

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-varied-legacy-of-a-
revolution/article19993686.ece about Russian revolution + underlined
telegram article.

INDUS CIVILISATION FLOURISHED WITHOUT A FLOWING

RIVER-STUDY:
 Social Justice
Social progress index
 Human development index but that does not isolate the impact of economic
growth. A common measure to quantify the social progress of Indian States that
can pinpoint the achievements and the challenges is still missing.

 A Social Progress Index could bridge this gap.

 The study (2005-2016) help analyse whether States, especially using social and
environmental indicators, are heading in the right direction.

 First, The country performs better in the provision of basic human needs rather
than opportunities for its citizens

 Second, group of States that had the worst performance in 2005 —Tripura,
Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan,Jharkhand and Bihar — now
showing improvement. Similarly, in States that have achieved a threshold level of
social progress, driving improvements becomes more difficult. This is backed by
the fact that average improvement is the lowest among the group of States that
were categorised as “Very High Social Progress” in 2005.

 Third, the greatest improvements have been in areas where social progress most
often accompanies economic prosperity. On the other hand, areas where
performance has declined or stagnated is where the correlation with economic
development is weak. For instance,“Access to Information & Communication and
Inclusion” depicts a strong relationship with per capita GDP and are the ones that
have improved the most over the years.And “Health and Wellness &
Environmental Quality”, that are least correlated with economic development,
have eroded. This suggests that States should focus on policies that target social
issues. The focus on economic parameters will result in unbalanced social
development.

 urgent need to identify and focus on social parameters. The reliance on the
ideathat economic development will automatically transform social conditions will
hamper further improvements in social progress. Social progress needs to be
stimulated by focussing on policies directly targeting social issues.a end

maternity benefits
A 2014 International Labour Organisation report specifically cautions against
making employers solely liable for the cost of maternity benefits for this
reason.( The measures introduced, particularly the crèche facility, are cost
intensive and may deter employers from hiring or retaining pregnant women)

A 2017 report released by the Global Breastfeeding Collective, led by UNICEF and
the World Health Organisation, has termed breastfeeding the “best investment in
global health” generating $35 in global return for every dollar invested.

Report suggests India poised to lose 0.7% of its gross national income due to, high
level of child mortality and growing number of deaths in women from cancers and
Type II diabetes, directly attributable to inadequate breastfeeding.

Polity
FAKE NEWS and related:

 Claire Wardle of First Draft, a UK-based nonprofit organisation which is now part
of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard,
categorised misinformation into seven categories, namely satire or parody,
misleading content, imposter content, fabricated content, false connection, false
content and manipulated content.

 The rise of digital and social media as powerful platforms has only magnified the
effect of fake and false news

 few entry barriers unlike in the traditional media. In addition, growing polarisation
of society on ideological lines has made the job of spreading fake news easier

 online and mobile platforms. The platforms serve like nodal agencies distributing
unverified information

 it is purely a way to make advertising money through click baits,

 The biggest vector of fake news in India WhatsApp — is still grappling with
compromising mechanisms for privacy like encryption and the urgent need to
weed out fake news spread through its application
  sheer expanse of the Internet and the anonymity it grants makes it difficult to
track down people

 online platforms have scope for wrongdoing due to the lack of binding rules

 In the absence of such crucial information, there is no understanding of the

liability and the credibility of the information that is being hosted on their
respective sites.

 The lack of uniform guidelines, regulation and policy regarding such fabricated
content needs to be addressed urgently a end

Chapter 6 Lieutenant governor :

 Sub-section (4) of Article 239AA mandates that a Council of Ministers shall aid
and advise the LG in his functions regarding laws made by the Assembly.
 The focus of the current controversy is a proviso to Article 239AA (4), which
mandates that in case of a difference of opinion between the LG and the
Council of Ministers, the former has to refer the issue to the President.

 The Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra prima facie said
the Delhi government’s ability to ‘aid and advise’ the Lieuten-ant Governor is
limited to subjects other than public order, police and land in the National
Capital.
 “You are bound to intimate the LG, but you cannot say that the LG has to
concur,” Chief Justice Misra said.

Chapter 7 States –its different roles in Indian polity

DIPLOMACY BY STATES

 “Team India shall not be limited to the Prime Minister-led team in Delhi, but will
also include Chief Ministers and other functionaries as equal partners.”

 After three years as Prime Minister,Mr. Modi claimed that he had established the
basic mechanism for the States to play an important role in not only
implementing foreign policy, but also in formulating it.

 The promise made in the BJP manifesto that States would be involved more in
foreign a•airs has not been kept as yet as the moves made so far are tentative
and half-hearted.
  A States division in the Ministry of External A•airs, by itself, cannot make a
di•erence in policymaking. A new structure, in which the States are fully
represented,should be established and the Ministry of External A•airs should
have o•ces in key States. Think tanks should be established in States to
facilitate policy options and to provide inputs to the States and the Centre.a end

Old cases- disposal:

Asserting that access to justice is very important to poor people and equally
important for good governance. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on
Sunday urged judges of the High Courts and the district courts to work in a
‘mission mode’ to dispose of all 10-year-old pending cases as quickly as possible.

also called upon lawyers to give pre-litigation services and start pro bono
advocacy to give honest, credible and free legal advice to the poor.

Dangers of electoral bonds:

What if there was a legal channel for companies to roundtrip their tax haven cash
to a political party? If this could be arranged, then a businessman could lobby for
a change in policy, and legally funnel a part of the profits accruing from this policy
change to the politician or party that brought it about.

electoral bondsshare with tax havens the two characteristics that make the
latter such attractive destinations for black money: secrecy and anonymity.

255th Law Commission Report on Electoral Reforms observed that opacity in

political funding results in “lobbying and capture” of the government by big
donors.

the Representation of the People Act (RPA), the IT Act, the Companies Act, and
the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). Under these laws, political
parties have to declare the source and the amount donated for all contributions
above 20,000.

Similarly, companies have to declare in their profit and loss (P&L) statement the
partywise breakup of political donations. Also, a company must be at least three
years old to contribute to a party. Its contribution cannot be more than 7.5% of its
average net profit in the three preceding years. And parties cannot accept foreign
contributions.

The government set the ball rolling with the Finance Act 2016, which amended
the FCRA to allow political parties to accept donations from foreign companies.
This year,the Finance Act 2017 did the rest, by amending the RPA, the Companies
Act and the IT Act. The Reserve Bank of India Act was also amended to enable
the issuance of electoral bonds,which would be sold through notified banks.

Cluster of amendments to electoral bonds makes intent of the scheme –clear:

first of all, they eliminate the 7.5% cap on company donations (which means
even loss making companies can make unlimited donations);

also gone is the requirement for a company to have been in existence for three
years (paving the way for fly by night shell companies);

finally, companies no longer need to declare the names of the parties to which
they have donated (so shareholders won’t know where their money has gone);

for political parties, they no longer need to reveal the donor’s name for
contributions above 20,000, provided these are in the form of electoral bonds. In
a nutshell, a foreign company can anonymously donate unlimited sums to an
Indian political party without the EC or the IT department ever getting to know.

Opposition parties may struggle to raise adequate funds to put up a fight.

The government’s stated rationale for introducing electoral bonds was that they
would protect donors from harassment by enabling anonymous contributions.
But this argument falls flat as only the government is in a position to harass, or
alternatively, protect, donors from harassment by non-state harassers.

Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi has suggested an alternative

worth exploring: a National Electoral Fund to which all donors can contribute.
The funds would be allocated to political parties in proportion to the votes
they get. Not only would this protect the identity of donors, it would also weed
out black money from political funding.

More seats-Sikkim assembly:

The seats are being increased to accommodate people from the Limboo and
Tamang communities, notified as the Scheduled Tribes in Sikkim in January
2003.

Now, Sikkim has 12 seats reserved for Bhutias and Lepchas, two for the Scheduled
Castes, one seat for the Sanghas and 17 general seats.

As per constitutional provisions, the total number of seats for Scheduled

Tribes should be in proportion to the population.

As per the Delimitation Act, 2002, the number of seats in an Assembly can
only be readjusted on the basis of the •rst census conducted after 2026.

PARLIAMENT SESSION-- POWER TO CONVENE--IMPLICATIONS OF DELAY:

The power to summon parliament rests with the executive.

The executive, headed by the prime minister, which steers the business to be taken
up by parliament will have the power to advise the president to summon the
legislature.

In practice, the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, comprising senior

ministers, decides on the dates for parliament’s sitting and it is then conveyed to the
president.

Over the years, parliamentary convention has evolved towards having three
sessions – the budget, monsoon and winter sessions. Political compulsions and
legislative demands have time and again resulted in deviating from this conventional
three-session calendar.

In other democracies, like the UK, US and Germany, parliamentary calendars are by
and large fixed. They sit throughout the year with breaks in between. It allows them
to plan their agenda well in advance and electoral cycles, or other political
compulsions, do not disrupt the legislature’s calendar.
The issue of who has the power to convene parliament is significant. It is closely
related to the recent trend of declining number of sitting days. Parliament in the last
ten years has met for an average 70 sittings a year. This is a substantial fall
compared to earlier Lok Sabhas that met for an average of 120 days in a year.

Previously, the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution had
recommended that a minimum number of working days for the Lok Sabha and Rajya
Sabha should be fixed at 120 and 100 respectively.

Article 85 of the Indian constitution says that the gap between two sessions of
parliament should not be six months – which means the next session should be
called before the completion of six months.

The primacy of the legislature over the executive is an essential aspect of the
constitutional democracy we have in our country.

It’s the legislature which sanctions money to the government,and it’s the one which
provides the govt the power to collect taxes,and it’s the one which can remove the
government in power if it looses the confidence in the ruling government…in order
to perfrom these functions legislature established secretariat of the legislature(ART-
98) but it aso remained the Achilles heel of the legislature.

Induction of officers of the executive in the legislature secretariat is the main

problem now being faced by the Indian legislatures.

http://164.100.47.194/loksabha/Secretariat/functioning.htm about loksabha

secretariat.

Environment and ecology

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/un-predicts-3c-
temperature-rise-by-end-of-the-century/article19961730.ece - abount UN
emission gap report 2017end

 The State cabinet has approved a Blackbuck Conservation Reserve in the

Meja forest division that is known for its rocky, undulating and arid terrain.
  Velavadar Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat and the Ranibennur Blackbuck
Sanctuary in Karnataka.

 “first ever conservation reserve” of any kind in U.P. Blackbucks, known for
their majestic spiral horns and coat colour contrasts, are found in grasslands and
open forests.

 habitats, primarily due to human population growth, ecosystem degradation and

hunting.

 Eco-tourism will be encouraged and locals will get opportunities for

employment,”a end

WMO report: 2017 top 3 hottest years

 All-India rainfall for the 2017 monsoon season ( June to September) was 5%
below average.

New ant species – w ghats

 It has been found in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.

 Belonging to Tyrannomyrmex,a rare tropical genus of ants,

 Paying tribute to their mentor and eminent myrmecologist Musthak Ali, who is
regarded as the country’s ‘ant man’, the authors of the study have named the
new species Tyrannomyrmex Alii (or T. alii)

 Indomalayan bioregion that extends from southern India and Sri Lanka to
southeast Asia.a end

About gatt and wto http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/breach-in-the-

pact/article20000854.ece

Oliv ridley turtles

 Olive Ridley turtles have kept their date with Gahirmatha beach in Odisha’s
Kendrapara district, known as world’s largest rookery of this endangered species.

 Offshore congregation of Olive Ridley pairs has been observed along 8 km of the
Habelighati shoreline.a end

Climate change –initiations(bonn chanllenge)

 In 2015, India made a Bonn Challenge commitment to place into restoration 13
million hectares (Mha) of degraded land by 2020 and an additional 8 Mha by
2030.
 India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) have also pledged to
sequester 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent additionally by 2030 through
enhanced tree cover.

 The Bonn Challenge, for instance, lays emphasis on landscape approaches —a

model aimed at improving the ecology of a landscape as a whole in order to
bene•t local livelihoods and conserve biodiversity. The NDC lays emphasis not
only on carbon sequestration but also adaptation to climate change through a
strengthened •ow of bene•ts to local communities that are dependent on forests
and agriculture for sustenance.

 Farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) systems where farmers protect

and manage the growth of trees and shrubs that regenerate naturally in their
•elds from root stock or from seeds dispersed through animal manure can also
deliver several economic and ecosystem bene•ts.

 In India, (NABARD’s) ‘Wadi’ model and the Foundation for Ecological Security’s
re-greening of village commons project

 An important success factor in large-scale tree-based programmes is security of

tenure and land rights.

 It is also important to have in place a performance monitoring system to quantify

tree survival rates and the bene•ts to communities. This can be achieved
through a combination of remote sensing, crowd sourced, ground-level
monitoring with support from communities and civil society organisations.

 A tool called the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM) is

being used in 40 countries to •nd the best methods for landscape restoration.

 In India, this tool is being piloted in Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.


 http://www.bonnchallenge.org/content/india

 http://www.bonnchallenge.org/content/history-challenge

 http://www.bonnchallenge.org/content/global-partnership-forest-landscape-restoration

 http://www.bonnchallenge.org/content/challenge -a end
Many unesco natural sites are in danger-above article-(end)

Odisha chilika lake:

Odisha’s Chilika Lake, the largest brackish water lagoon in the country .

As many as 19 bird-protection camps have been set up by the Forest Department

at Nalabana sanctuary and other areas around Chilika Lake. Mangalajodi, a
major village on the banks of the lake.
The Nalabana island and its adjoining areas, spread over 15 sqkm inside the
large lake, is a major perching region for these migratory birds.a end

Gi tag – Rasogolla – west Bengal:

Banglar Rasogolla of West Bengal and Mamallapuram stone sculptures of Tamil
Nadu.
West Bengal in its application had provided proof of origin — historical records
dating back to 1896. West Bengal believes that the Rasogolla was invented in
Kolkata by confectioner Nabin Chandra Das,

world toilet day-india requirements for cleanliness:

November 19, 2017, was World Toilet Day, with the theme ‘Wastewater and
Faecal Sludge Management’.

the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals. These targets are not just about
‘toilets’ but also suggest improvements to the entire cycle of sanitation, which
certainly begins with toilets but has to end with safe waste disposal.

The full cycle of sanitation has four stages: access to toilets; safe containment;
conveyance either through the sewerage network or de-sludging trucks, and
treatment and disposal.

Urban India faces considerable gaps along the full cycle of sanitation. After
decades of investment, India has managed to connect only a little more than a
third of its urban households, most of which are located in metropolitan cities, to
sewerage systems. This is because sewerage systems and sewage treatment
plants (STPs) — a preferred system in most western countries — are not only
expensive but are also complicated to maintain.

An alternative to sewerage systems is something known as on-site systems. Septic

tanks and pit latrines, which are prevalent in many Indian households, fall into
this category.

Safe containment, collection and treatment is known as septage management or

faecal sludge management (FSM)-being recognised by govt as an viable option.

Though viable, there are several challenges for FSM across all stages.:
not constructed properly. consequence of these poorly designed pits is the
potential contamination of groundwater.
Faecal waste needs to be transported using de-sludging vehicles (and not
manually) but only some States, Tamil Nadu for example, have these vehicles.

After the National Urban Sanitation Policy (NUSP) in 2008, a national policy on
Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) was released earlier this year.
Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Odisha have released State-wide septage
management guidelines and taken concrete steps to execute these policies.

permission could be granted to new buildings, especially large apartment

complexes only when the applicants show proper septage construction designs.A
END

HOW SUCCLENTS SURVIVE WITHOUT WATER-DECODED:

M –srtripes:

an app named M-STRiPES (Monitoring System For Tigers-Intensive Protection and

Ecological Status) developed by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, will be
used for the first time. M-STRiPES is to be used in the all India tiger estimation.

Manas, Kajiranga, Nameri (Assam), Pakke, Namdapha (Arunachal Pradesh),

Dampa (Mizoram), Palamau (Jharkhand), Udanti Sitanadi (Chhattisharh), Buxa
(West Bengal) and Similipal and Satkosia (Odisha) Tiger reserves -total 11.

BISHNOIS-PROTEST AGAINST-CHINKARA POACHING-RJ:

Chinkara –endangered-protected under- schedule1 of wpa,1972.

In rj- mewar region-chinkara-livs in majority

Bawaria community-poaches chinkara

Bawaria-sc-hunting their profession.

Chinkara - Indian gazelle- Gazella Bannettii.

Iucn- least concern.

India looses bn to airpollution-unep

India had the highest share of welfare costs (or a loss of income from labour), of
about $220 billion (about 1.4 trillion), in South and SouthEast Asia — of a
combined total of $380 billion from mortality due to air pollution---UNEP

To curb pollution in various forms, the UNEP called for strong highlevel
Political commitment and engagement of the local government,
civil society and other stakeholders.

To achieve high level political commitment in key economic sectors, there is a

need to go beyond the environmental ministries and include other relevant
ministries.

The report, ‘Towards a pollution free planet’, was launched during the first
Conference of Parties for the Minamata Convention.
1 st cop minamata cconvention-geneva Switzerland-24 to 29 september,2017.

NEW GAS STANDARDS-PLANNING BY GOVT:

(CSIR) &National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is in the process of setting up ‘gas

standards’, or reference samples of Carbon Monoxide (CO), Sulphur Dioxide(SO2),
Nitrous Oxide (NO2) and Particulate –Pb (lead),–As (Arsenic) and –Ni (Nickel).
Currently, the National Ambient Air Quality standards specify the upper limits for
pollutants and, based on this, the Air Quality Index — that grades air quality in
cities from ‘Good’ to ‘Severe’ — is prepared for several Indian cities.

HUNTING FOR SOLUTIONS?

Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU)

Generic hunting bans do not automatically lead to increases in wildlife.

For example, in countries such as Kenya and India, where hunting bans came into
force in the 1970s, wildlife populations do not seem to fare better than in
countries where hunting is ongoing.

On the contrary, in both South Africa and Namibia where wildlife has been
commoditised (trophy hunting, wildlife tourism, commercial meat production as
well as local consumption) and managed for the benefit of local communities,
populations seem to be doing better.

Trophy hunting has also been favourably implicated in the recovery of individual
species such as the black rhino and the straight horned markhor, a species of wild
goat found in Pakistan.

WildCRU’s own report identi•es habitat loss and degradation, as well as the loss
of preybase and con•ict with local communities over livestock losses as primary
threats.

report states that “the most fundamental benefit of trophy hunting to lion
conservation is that it provides a financial incentive to maintain lion habitat that
might otherwise be converted to non wildlife land uses.”

Upcoming WTO meet-indias arguments:

India will not compromise on its interests including ensuring food security as well
as protecting its resource poor and low income farmers and fisherfolk.
will hold firm on its position against the inclusion of new issues such as
‘ecommerce’ and ‘investment facilitation’ into the ongoing round of multilateral
trade negotiations, without •first resolving the outstanding ones including food
security.

Currently, an interim mechanism called the ‘Peace Clause’ is available for

developing nations including India,according to which they cannot be challenged
at the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism (DSM) even if they breach the cap of
the productspecific domestic support(10% of the value of production).

India will also“very aggressively” push its proposal for Trade Facilitation in
Services (which,among other things, aims to ease norms on the movement of
skilled workers and professionals across borders for short term work).a end

BIRDS FLOWING TO ISRAEL NOW:

 Energy
 Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project ( JNPP) -Indian and French governments,
talks on liability and costs are yet to see a breakthrough in this 9,900 MW
plant —the world’s largest in terms of capacity.

 The French firm EDF is to build six reactors, each with a capacity of 1,650 MW
using European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) technology.

 The Jaitapur project has seen intense opposition from locals, as well as
antinuclear activists, over safety issues.a end

Art and culture

 The mood is upbeat in Etikoppaka village located on the banks of the river
Varaha in Visakhapatnam District

 According to the artisans, the art is more than 400 years old .The toys are unique
in shape and form. They are made of wood and painted with natural dyes. There
is no heavy metal or toxic content and that is why it is unique, says Mr.
Sreesailam.
 The natural dyes are prepared from seeds, lacquer, bark, roots and leaves.

 The wood used is from ‘Ankudi Karra’ (Wrightia tinctoria) tree that is soft in nature
and the art is also known as turned wood Lacquer craft.

 The Etikoppaka toys now join the elite products from Andhra Pradesh such as
Kondapalli toys, Bobbili Veena, Tirupati laddu,Srikalahasthi Kalamkari, Uppada
Jamdani sarees and Shadow puppets. a end.

Army navy air forces

Chapter 8 Tri service integration

 The comments also come shortly after the Union Cabinet had cleared 65 of 99
recommendations, all related to the Army, of the Lt General D.B. Shekatkar
Committee for enhancing combat capability and rebalancing defence expenditure
of the armed forces to increase the teeth-to-tail ratio (that is, ratio of combatants
to soldiers in support roles).

 The lessons learnt then prompted the K.Subrahmanyam Committee to propose

having a CDS for the first time.

 Incrementalism doesn’t always work; sometimes a giant leap is the need of the
hour.

 But the threat matrix has changed since 1947 and the Indian Ocean region is fast
metamorphosing into a major arena of friction, with increasing forays by the
Chinese Navy and building up of regional navies with help from China. Also,while
the threat of war stills exists in the subcontinent under the nuclear overhang, the
room for large conventional manoeuvres is over.

 The recently released ‘Joint military doctrine of the Indian armed forces 2017’
made the right noise on “jointness” and “integration”, but much work is needed on
the ground to achieve even a fraction of what has been enunciated. A end

NEW RADIO TECHNOLOGY-NAVY:

Defence Acquisition Council Software Defined Radios (SDR)

first indigenously designed and developed SDR

Bharat Electronics Limited will be the the production Agency

This technology will improve information sharing and situational awareness

through secure voice communications and data transfer capabilities a end
 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
cobots vs humans:
Air launched –brahmos missile-test fired:
successfully test-fired the air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic
cruise missile from an IAF Su-30MKI aircraft.

BrahMos missile is a 2.5 ton supersonic air-to-surface cruise missile with ranges of
more than 400 km. 2.8 Mach surface attack missile.

The missile was gravity dropped from the Su-30MKI from its fuselage, and the two
stage engine fired up and propelled towards the intended target, a ship, in the
Bay of Bengal.

BrahMos is a joint venture with Russia and named after the Brahmaputra and
Moskva rivers.

Schemes and govt initiatives:

-The Jammu and Kashmir government has hit upon the idea of setting up ‘milk
villages’ across the State in an attempt to bridge the demand-supply deficit of
milk.
-first milk village at Argi. it would also provide an opportunity to Gujjars -- the
main milk producer’s group -- to grow up economically and contribute to the
State.a end

KAIZALA APP-MICROSOFT- to be USED BY A.P:

Kaizala is an app from Microsoft Garage that helps you get your work done by
tracking bills, jobs, location and more. Kaizala tries to bring all your
communication – within your team, with partners and customers – to one place.
You can track your resources (people, time, and money) – as simple as sending an
‘action’ in your chat, organize your team as you want – in one chat or start a new
chat for each project/team and get work done by extracting value from your
conversations.

Key Features:
  No computer, laptop or server needed – just download the app
 Easily organize your chat
 Start group or private (1-1) chat
 Work with people inside and outside of your business
 Simple and Quick Actions
 Share or Request location updates – keep track of where your team
members are with one-tap location share
 Share photo with location – Share current photo along with location
information
 Bill Submit – Capture and share bill photo along with other information to
manage your bills on the move
 Create & Assign Jobs – Assign and track status of Jobs
 Capture Availability – Request and share availability on any future date
 Share Attachments – Easily share images
 Works on 2G
 It’s FREE!

During recent of bill gates to ap—h praised about the usage of the app by ap
govt.andhra prdesh has already used the app during Krishna pushkarams for
administrative functions.now it is said that the govt wanted to use the app during
its day to day administration.

APP’s –FOR WOMEN SAFETY-CITIES:

These include ‘Himmat’ app, all women patrol van, ‘shishtachar’ programme of
the Delhi police; ‘Hawkeye’ mobile app and ‘Bharosa’ programme of the
Hyderabad police; ‘Suraksha’ app of the Bengaluru police and Power Angels of
Uttar Pradesh police.a end

PRELIMS:
1. Eminent exponent of the Gwalior gharana of Hindustani classical music,
Pandit Narayanrao Bodas.
2. Indonesia –mount Agung volcano(active)-warning-eruption may happen-
after 52 years.
3. Amchang wild life sanctuary –guwahatiMISHING TRIBE
4.

Alappuzha- ‘’venice of the east’’.-among 5 cities –recognized by UNEP-

global success stories in solving problem of solid waste.

The UNEP’s report titled ‘Solid approach to waste:how 5 cities are beating
pollution,’