23 Aug
IPCI Info

Dr. Urjit R Patel as the 24th governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Dr. Urjit R Patel as the 24th governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He will be having tenure of three years with effect from 4 September 2016. He will succeed the present RBI Governor Dr. Raghuram Rajan, the former International Monetary Fund chief economist.

At present, Dr Patel is the Deputy Governor of RBI and is holding this assignment since 2013. With this appointment, he also becomes the eight Deputy Governor to be elevated as the Governor at RBI.

Dr. Urjit R Patel

• He headed a panel that recommended landmark changes to monetary policy in India, which included a switch to inflation-targeting and the creation of a panel to set interest rates.

• In January 2016, he was reappointed as the deputy governor in charge of monetary policy, the department he ran since 2013.

• Earlier between 1990 and 1995, he had worked with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) covering US, India, Bahamas and Myanmar.

• He carried a doctorate from Yale University.

• He also carries M Phil from Oxford.

22 Aug
IPCI Info

Summer Olympics 2016 concluded at Rio de Janeiro

Rio 2016The 2016 Summer Olympics concluded on 21 August 2016 at ceremony held at the Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

More than 11000 athletes from 207 National Olympic Committees, including first time entrants Kosovo, South Sudan and the Refugee Olympic Team, took part in the games.

The games featured 28 Olympic sports, including rugby sevens and golf, which were added to the Olympic programme in 2009.

The United States topped the medal table for the fifth time in the past six Summer Olympics, winning 46 gold medals and 121 medals overall. Great Britain and China finished in second and third respectively.

India at the Rio Olympics 2016

• The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had sent a total of 117 athletes, the nation’s largest ever delegation in Summer Olympic history.

• Indian bagged a total of two medals, one silver and one bronze, in the games, and stood at the 67th place in the medal tally.

• Badminton player P V Sindhu won historic silver medal in women’s singles badminton event. With this, she became the first Indian woman to clinch a silver medal in Olympics.

• Wrestler Sakshi Malik secured a bronze in the 58 kg category to become India’s first female wrestler to win an Olympic medal.

• India had qualified one artistic gymnast into the Olympic competition for the first time since 1964. Dipa Karmakar became the first Indian female ever to book an Olympic spot in the apparatus events and all-around event at the Olympic Test Event. She narrowly missed out in the bronze medal, finishing 4th in the finals of the event with a score of 15.066.

• Abhinav Bindra came fourth in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle singles event after losing a shootoff for the top 3 to Serhiy Kulish, who finally won the silver.

• At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Indian long distance runner Lalita Babar scored a time of 9:19.76 in her heat, qualifying to the final. With this, she became the first Indian in 32 years to enter a final in any track event. At the final, she finished 10th with a time of 9:22.74.

Key highlights of the 2016 Summer Olympics

• The opening ceremony took place in the Maracana Stadium on 5 August 2016.

• The Games were officially opened by Acting President of Brazil Michel Temer.

• These were the first Summer Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Thomas Bach.

• Rio became the first South American city to host the Summer Olympics.

• The two new sports for 2016 Olympic Games were golf and rugby sevens.

• Due to the European migrant crisis and other reasons, the International Olympic Committee allowed athletes to compete as Independent Olympians under the Olympic Flag.

• Due to the suspension of the National Olympic Committee of Kuwait, participants from Kuwait were allowed to participate under the Olympic Flag as Independent Olympic Athletes.

• The official mascot of the 2016 Summer Olympics was Vinicius. It is named after musician Vinicius de Moraes. The mascot represented Brazilian wildlife and carries design traits of cats, monkeys and birds.

About 2020 Summer Olympics

• The 2020 Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan.

• The city was announced as the host at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires on 7 September 2013.

• The games are planned to be held from 24 July 2020 to 9 August 2020.

21 Aug
IPCI Info

Rio Olympics: Sindhu, Sakshi shine as India end campaign with two medals

The trio notched a few firsts for India; Sindhu, at 21, became the youngest to win an Olympic medal, a silver which was never achieved in badminton; and Sakshi’s bronze was also a first for women’s wrestling.

BADMINTON:

# P V Sindhu secured a silver medal after losing to Carolina Marin in the women’s singles final.

# Saina Nehwal failed to progress beyond the league stage in women’s singles.

# Kidambi Srikanth lost in the men’s singles quarterfinals against Lin Dan.

# Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa failed to advance to the knock—out stage of women’s doubles.

# Men’s doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy also failed to make the knock—out stage.

WRESTLING:

# Sakshi Malik won bronze in women’s 58kg freestyle.

# Vinesh Phogat retired after suffering an injury in the quarterfinal of women’s 48kg.

# Babita Kumari lost in the pre-quarterfinal round of the women’s 53kg freestyle.

# London Olympics bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt lost in qualification round of men’s 65kg freestyle.

# Sandeep Tomar lost his pre-quarterfinal bout of men’s 57kg freestyle.

# In Greco-Roman, both Ravinder Khatri and Hardeep Singh lost in the pre-quarterfinals of 85kg and 98kg, respectively.

# Narsingh Yadav was ruled out from representing India in men’s 74kg freestyle category after he was slapped with a four-year ban by Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) for flunking a dope test after WADA challenged the clean chit given to him by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

GYMNASTICS:

# Dipa Karmakar finished fourth in Vaults final.

15 Aug
IPCI Info

Mental Health Care Bill, 2016

This Editorial is used here for Study Purpose. Students are advised to learn the word-meaning,  The Art of Writing Skills and understand decisive of this Editorial.MEANINGS are given in BOLD.

The Mental Health Care Bill, 2016, passed by the Rajya Sabha is a watershed (turning point) legislation that lays down clear responsibilities for the state and has provisions that empower individuals and families. Crucially, it can expand access to treatment, which is dismally (unequal to the purpose) poor today. According to a recent review in The Lancet, of gaps in mental health treatment, although both India and China have renewed their commitment to address the problem through national programmes, it is Beijing that has done better in terms of improving coverage. India allocates just over 1 per cent of the Centre’s health budget to mental health, with States making comparable allocations (to distribute according to a plan).

This situation should change if the provisions of the bill are to be meaningful. The legislation, inter alia (among other things), gives everyone the right to access mental health care as well as treatment from mental health services run or funded by the government; it also provides for supply of all notified essential medicines free of cost to those with mental illness, through the government. The situation today is a far cry from what is promised. While the bill says mental health services should be available at the district level, even States with well-functioning district hospitals do not offer regular psychiatric outpatient services, leave alone in-patient facilities. In government hospitals, medication to treat even the more common psychiatric disorders is not always available. These and other deficiencies need not have waited for a law.

In a much-needed change, the Centre has adopted a medicalised approach to attempted suicide, treating it as the outcome of severe stress. The bill rightly blocks the application of the Indian Penal Code section that criminalises it. A duty is also cast on the authorities to care for and rehabilitate (to restore; to return to its original condition) such individuals. What this means is that official policy must strive (to try to achieve a result) to strengthen the social determinants of health, especially when it comes to universal welfare support systems against catastrophic(a disaster ; any large event of great significance) events in people’s lives. Reliable (suitable ; fit) and free professional counselling must be widely offered.

For too long, mental health treatment in India has existed with the colonial legacy of large asylums (a place of safety) and degrading (to lower in value) confinement (the state of being confined ; not free to move). Many who are held in such places have nowhere else to go, as families facing stigma (the condition of being out of favour) have abandoned (to give up) them. There is much to be said, therefore, in favour of the halfway home system that the bill provides for, where supportive families, medical care and a better quality of life will help many recover. The success of this more progressive law brought in to replace the Mental Health Act, 1987, will depend ultimately on the community keeping up the pressure on the designated Central and State authorities to implement it in letter and spirit.

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05 Aug
IPCI Info

‘One Nation, One Tax’ – GST

India moved a step closer to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, as its Parliament’s Upper House, the Rajya Sabha, approved The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 with 203 votes in favour and none against. The GST, which is expected to be implemented from April 1, 2017, aims to replace multiple state and central levies with a single tax. Since the central and state taxes are likely to be included under GST, it may result in reduction of tax credits across intra- and inter-state transactions.

What is GST?

GST is one indirect tax for the whole nation, which will make India one unified common market. GST is a single tax on the supply of goods and services, right from the manufacturer to the consumer.  The final consumer will thus bear only the GST charged by the last dealer in the supply chain, with set-off benefits at all the previous stages.

In other words, the prices that we pay for goods and services have the taxes embedded in them. Mostly, the consumers are not even aware of or ignore the tax they pay for things they buy. This is because there is a list of indirect taxes such as sales tax, excise and VAT, which leads to increased complexity. The GST seeks to sort out this and include all in one single tax, thereby making India an economically unified market. The Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers, which deliberated on the tax and its implications, has recommended what all taxes are to be included in the GST:

In the Central taxes: 1) Central Excise Duty; 2) Additional Excise Duties; 3) The Excise Duty levied under the Medicinal and Toiletries Preparation Act Service Tax; 4) Additional Customs Duty, commonly known as Countervailing Duty (CVD); 5) Special Additional Duty of Customs – 4% (SAD); 6) Surcharges, and 7) Cesses.  State taxes: 1) VAT / Sales tax; 2) Entertainment tax (unless it is levied by the local bodies); 3) Luxury tax; 4) Taxes on lottery, betting and gambling; 5) State Cesses and Surcharges in so far as they relate to supply of goods and services; and 6) Entry tax not in lieu of Octroi.

“According to analysts from a macro-economic perspective, the short-term impact of GST could be mixed, the long-term impact will be positive”

What will be the Impact??

GST will turn India into one common market, leading to greater ease of doing business and big savings in logistics costs from companies across all sectors. Some companies will gain more as the GST rate will be lower than the current tax rates they pay, others will lose as the rate will be higher than the present effective rate. While the rate of GST is yet to be decided, industry observers have assumed an 18% rate recommended by a government panel in making their impact calculations.

What will the Bill in Parliament today do?

It basically seeks to amend the Constitution to empower both the Centre and the states to levy GST. This they cannot do now, because the Centre cannot impose any tax on goods beyond manufacturing (Excise) or primary import (Customs) stage, while states do not have the power to tax services. The proposed GST would include various central (Excise Duty, Additional Excise Duty, service tax, Countervailing or Additional Customs Duty, Special Additional Duty of Customs, etc.), as well as state-level indirect taxes (VAT/sales tax, purchase tax, entertainment tax, luxury tax, octroi, entry tax, etc). Once the Bill is passed, there will only be a national-level central GST and a state-level GST spanning the entire value chain for all goods and services, with some exemptions.

28 Jul
IPCI Info

WHO declares Brazil free of measles

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Brazil free of measles, after no case of the disease was registered in the last year. In the coming months, the WHO will issue a certification for the eradication of measles to Brazil.

       The eradication of measles is the conclusion of work spanning several years. Brazil saw no domestic cases of measles from 1985 to 2000, although it broke out in 2013 in the northeastern states of Pernambuco and Ceara.

  • The WHO said it had worked alongside the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) to stamp out the disease, with a joint investment of 1.2 million reais ($335000) going towards measles control and the hiring of 165 dedicated nursing staff in Brazil.
  • Measles can be transmitted orally, through mucus or saliva and mainly affects children. It can be spread rapidly through the air due to sneezing or a cough, and the first symptoms appear after 10 days with red spots on the skin.

        While most patients recover within three weeks, it can cause pneumonia, blindness or even death in malnourished children.

  • Global measles deaths have decreased by 79 per cent, according to WHO, from about 546,800 in 2000 to 114,900 in 2014.

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health. It was established on 7 April 1948, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Wikipedia
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Founded: April 7, 1948
Head: Margaret Chan

24 Jul
IPCI Info

India ranks 110th on Sustainable Development index

SDi ranks countries based on their performance across the 17 global goals, a set of ambitious objectives across the three dimensions of sustainable development - economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability, underpinned by good governance.UNITED NATIONS: India has ranked a low 110 out of 149 nations assessed on where they stand with regard to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, according to a new index which is topped by Sweden and shows all countries face major challenges in achieving these ambitious goals.

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung launched a new Sustainable Development Goal Index and Dashboard to provide a report card for tracking Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) progress and ensuring accountability.

The index collected available data for 149 countries to assess where each country stands in 2016 with regard to achieving the SDGs. It ranks countries based on their performance across the 17 global goals, a set of ambitious objectives across the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability, underpinned by good governance.

24 Jul
IPCI Info

Kerala Tourism won two Gold Gongs at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Awards

Kerala Tourism bagged the award in recognition of its trend setting marketing initiatives, which have given a boost to the state’s profile as a must-visit destination.

The awards were in the categories of Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media and E-Newsletter, which were grabbed by the successful Visit Kerala television commercial campaign and the popular Kerala Tourism E-Newsletter, respectively.

The awards will be presented at the PATA Gold Awards Luncheon and Presentation on 9 September 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia. In 2015, Kerala Tourism was also awarded PATA Gold in the Heritage and Culture category for Muziris Heritage Project.

13 Jul
IPCI Info

Utpal Bora appointed as Chairman of Oil India

Utpal Bora who served as the Executive Director in Mehsana asset, has been appointed as the new Chairman and the Managing Director CMD of Oil India Limited (OIL). Till now the Public Enterprise Selection Board has held two interview for the selection of CMD of OIL. Rupshika Saikia Borah was elected earlier as the CMD but her appointment was rejected by the Prime Minister’s Office. After conducting interview of many more applicants, the PSEB finally selected Utpal Bora as the new CMD. Bora after assuming his office said he will put sincere efforts into generating employment oppurtunities for the youths of Assam.

12 Jul
IPCI Info

World Population Day 11 Observed

World-Population-quotes-imagesWorld Population Day 2016 would be celebrated all over the world by the people on 11thof July at Monday.World Population Day has gained much popularity with support from organizations and masses around the world. It also focuses on challenges presented by world of 7 billion people. Reproductive Health services are one of the main targets set by UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) by 2015. So World Population Day is observed in more than 200 countries to bring awareness to people about importance of small families and living healthy lives. On this day, several programs are initiated to educate people about family planning methods. The day is observed every year to bring awareness in people about living a healthy life with benefits of having a small family.

World Population Day was observed on 11 July 2016 with theme Investing in teenage girls. The theme focuses on the empowerment of teenage girls.