FEATURED TOPIC: WATER ON THE MOON

FEATURED TOPIC: WATER ON THE MOON

Recent Findings

• In Nov 2009 NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) space probe detects significant presence of water on the moon
• The water was found in the Cabeus crater near the south pole of the moon
• This followed ISRO’s detection of water near the Shackleton crater in Sep 2009. The water was found by NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper probe carried onboard ISRO’s Chandrayaan I spacecraft

Scientific understanding of lunar water

• Probe said to detect significant amount of hydroxyl group (OH) in the material thrown up by an impactor that impacted the lunar surface
• Evidence points to hydroxyl group being chemically bound to minerals on the lunar surface (rather than as free water)
• Water may have been delivered to the moon over a long period by the regular bombardment of water-bearing comets, or may have been produced in situ by the hydrogen atoms (protons) of solar wind
• Liquid water cannot persist at the moon’s surface and water vapour is quickly lost to space. However, it is believed that water ice could survive in the cold permanently shadowed craters near the poles, which is exactly where water has been found presently.

History of observations

• The first evidence of water ice on the moon came from the US military’s Clementine probe in 1994.
• In 1998, the Lunar Prospector Probe found significant amounts hydrogen at the lunar north and south poles
• Sep 2009: Presence of hydrogen in the form of hydroxyl group reported by NASA’s Moon Minerology Mapper aboard ISRO’s Chandrayaan I
• Nov 2009: Presence of hydroxyl group in significant quantities confirmed by NASA’s LCROSS mission

Significance of lunar water

• Availability of hydroxyl group in significant quantities enables the extraction of water from lunar soil in a cost-effective manner
• Extraction of water would permit permanent human settlements on the moon. This would permit colonization of the moon
• Discovery of water on the moon raises questions on who owns the water and who has the right to exploit it
• The UN’s Outer Space Treaty does not prevent the exploitation of lunar surfaces. However, the treaty, ratified by most space-faring nations including India, does prevent the appropriation of the Moon by individual nations.
• The Moon Treaty (Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies) specifically stipulates that exploitation of lunar resources is to be governed by an international regime. However, this treaty has not been ratified by major space-faring nations. India has signed the treaty but not ratified it.

RECENT NOTEWORTHY DEVELOPMENTS

DOMESTIC

1. Mukesh Ambani is the richest person in India with a net worth of $32 bn. According to the Forbes India Rich List, Lakshmi Mittal is second with $30 bn and Anil Ambani is third with $17.5 bn
   
2. Railways exams to be conducted in regional languages too. Minister of Railways, Mamata Banerjee, announces that in addition to English, Hindi and Urdu, Railways exams will be conducted simultaneously in regional languages as well.
3. General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) pays Rs 167 cr to the Taj and Oberoi hotels for the 26 Nov terrorist attacks. GIC is the administrator of the terror insurance pool formed in 2001 to pay claims arising out of terrorist attacks.
4. India to introduce Mobile Number Portability on Dec 31. MNP allows users to retain their mobile phone numbers even if they switch operators. It is being implemented by TRAI
5. Madras High Court judges declare their assets on the court website. Taking a cue from the SC, all 54 judges of the Madras HC, including the Madurai Bench, declared their assets under the Voluntary Disclosure of Assets resolution passed by the Madras HC in Sep 2009
6. Hockey: Rajpal Singh to lead India in the Champions Challenge at Salta, Argentina Dec 6-13
7. Chess: Vishwanathan Anand finished second in the World Blitz Championship in Moscow, behind Magnus Carlsen of Norway

INTERNATIONAL

1. Nepal: Maoist-Government talks fail. Maoists announce they will begin a third
   “People’s movement” in Dec. A general strike has also been called for Dec 20-22 to force the government to accept Maoist demands. The Maoists have also threatened to proceed with their plans to announce the division of Nepal into nearly a dozen autonomous states.
2. UNICEF says Afghanistan is the most dangerous place to be born in. Afghanistan has the highest infant mortality rate in the world (257/1000) and over 70% of the population lack access to clean water. Increasing Taliban attacks have also forced school shutdowns, crippled vaccination efforts against polio and measles and closed off more than 40% of the territory to aid agencies.
3. Indian economist Siddharth Tiwari is named Secretary of the IMF. As Secretary, his role will involve working with the IMF’s Executive Board and daily interactions with management and staff. He will be working under the MD of IMF Dominique Strauss-Kahn. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Delhi, a masters from the London School of Economics and a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago.
4. Sri Lanka to allow refugees help in camps to leave for short period from next month. More than 130000 people have been held in special camps since the end of the war with the LTTE in May 2009. Sri Lanka’s decision follows months of international criticism over holding people in the camps against their will. The govt. says presently people will not be allowed the leave the camps permanently.
5. China’s Tianhe-1 becomes the fifth most powerful supercomputer in the world. It packs 563 teraflops (trillion calculations per second) and is housed at the National SuperComputer Centre, Tianjin. India’s most powerful supercomputer is the HP Cluster Platform 3000 at the Computational Research Lab, Pune (132 teraflops). The top five supercomputers in the world are
   1. Jaguar, Oak Ridge National Lab, US (1.7 petaflops)
   2. Roadrunner, Los Alamos National Lab (1 petaflops)
   3. Kraken XT5, University of Tennessee, US (831 teraflops)
   4. Jugene, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Germany (825 teraflops)
   5. Tianhe-1, National SuperComputer Centre, China (563 teraflops)

FEATURED TOPIC: ENVIRONMENT

FEATURED TOPIC: ENVIRONMENT

SEA TURTLES

Background

• Found in all oceans except polar regions. Flatback turtle found exclusively in the north coast of Australia. 
• Average lifetime around 80 years
• Lay eggs on beach sand. Gender of hatchling depends on temperature

Threats and Concerns

• All species of sea turtles listed as threatened or endangered. Leatherback, Kemp’s Ridley and Hawksbill turtles critically endangered. Olive Ridley and green turtles are endangered, loggerhead threatened.
• Threats: fishing methods, beach development for human activity, black market trade in eggs and meat, especially in Phillippines, India, Indonesia and Latin America.
• Climate change: higher temperatures means disproportionately large number of female hatchlings

Sea Turtles in India

• Five of seven sea turtle species found in India
• Nesting beaches for Olive Ridley in Orissa
• Feeding and nesting for green and Hawksbill turtles in Andaman & Nicobar, and Lakshadweep
• Nesting of Leatherbacks in the Little Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• All sea turtles listed in Schedule I of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972
• Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act 1982 prohibits mechanized fishing 5 km from coast. Also prohibits mechanized fishing 20 km from coast along mouth of Devi river

RECENT NOTEWORTHY DEVELOPMENTS

Domestic

1. Hockey: China beat India in the finals of Asia Cup women’s hockey in Bangkok
2. Tennis: Rohan Bopanna and Pakistani partner Aisam Ul-Haq Qureshi win doubles title at ATP Challenger event in Aachen, Germany
3. Cricket: Sachin Tendulkar completes 20 years of international cricket
4. Essar Group announced acquisition of 51% majority stake in Warid Telecom Uganda and Congo for about $160m
5. Movie theatre chain PVR acquired DT Cinemas for about Rs 62cr
6. Cyprus-based Suntera Resources exits oil and gas exploration in India
7. Food inflation climbs to 13.68%
8. Kalyan Singh quits SP, may rejoin BJP

International

1. Golf: Tiger Woods wins Australian Masters
2. Tennis: Novak Djokovic wins Paris Masters
3. NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) finds water on the Moon
4. Global fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria approves USD 2.4 b for India
5. Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz named Most Powerful Person in Energy by Forbes
6. Czech Republic celebrates 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution
7. Euro Zone steps out of recession after 5 quarters of economic contraction
8. Intel to pay USD 1.5 b to settle long-running disputes with AMD

FEATURED TOPIC: COMMONWEALTH GAMES

FEATURED TOPIC: COMMONWEALTH GAMES

About the Commonwealth Games

• It is held every 4 years, involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations
• Typically involves around 5000 athletes
• The Commonwealth Games Federation is responsible for administration of the Games
• The 19^th edition of the Games will be held in New Delhi 03 – 14 Oct 2010
• The 2014 Games will be held in Glasgow (Scotland)

Keywords: ias, study material, general studies, current affairs, commonwealth

History of the Commonwealth Games

• The first Games, called the British Empire Games, was held in Ontario, Canada in 1930
• The name of the Games changed to British and Commonwealth Games in 1954, to British Commonwealth Games in 1970, and to Commonwealth Games in 1978
  
• Only six teams have attended every Games: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, England, Wales and Scotland
  
• Australia has been the highest scoring team in 10 tournaments and England in 7
  
• At the first Games, there were 6 sports: athletics, aquatics (swimming and diving), boxing, lawn bowls, rowing and wrestling
  
• Women competed for the first time in 1930 in swimming, in 1934 they started competing in athletics too. This was the first time women’s athletics was given full recognition on the international stage
  
• India participated for the first time in 1934, in London

Keywords: ias, study material, general studies, current affairs, commonwealth

The Commonwealth Games 2010

• This is the first time the Commonwealth Games will be held in India, and the second time in Asia (Kuala Lumpur, 1998)
• The opening ceremony will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 03 Oct 2010
• The Games will be opened by President Pratibha Patil
• The closing ceremony will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 14 Oct 2010
• Motto of the Games: Come Out And Play
• Mascot of the Games: Shera (Tiger)

Keywords: ias, study material, general studies, current affairs, commonwealth

Preparations for the Games

• The total estimated budget for hosting the Games is around USD 1.6 bn, making it the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever
• Infrastructure projects for the Games include
  • Better transportation facilities regarding roads, the airport, high capacity bus systems and the Delhi Metro
  • Better security facilities by deploying additional forces specifically trained in tourism related security
  • Better power production and distribution facilities to assure adequate supply of power to Delhi
• The Thyagaraj Stadium, the venue for Netball, is being constructed as a model Green Stadium. It is being built with the latest Green technologies solar power, rainwater harvesting etc. Once functional, the Stadium is expected to feed electricity to the power grid.

Keywords: ias, study material, general studies, current affairs, commonwealth

Participation at the Games

• There will be 71 teams at the tournament, representing the 53 member nations of the Commonwealth
• The four constituent countries of the UK send separate teams to the tournament: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. However, the UK sends a single team to the Olympics
  
• Separate teams are also sent from the British Crown Dependencies – Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man – and many British Overseas Territories
  
• The Australian external territory of the Norfolk Island also sends a separate team. The Cook Islands and Niue states in free association with New Zealand, also send separate teams
  
• Tokelau (a territory of New Zealand) is expected to participate for the first time in 2010
  

Keywords: ias, study material, general studies, current affairs, commonwealth

Recognized sports at the Games

• Three sports played in the Commonwealth Games but not at the Olympics are lawn bowls, rugby sevens and netball
• There are a total of 31 sports, two multi-disciplinary sports and 7 para-sports approved by the Commonwealth Games. However, only 17 sports are competed in any edition of the Games
• There will be 17 streams at the Games in 2010: Archery, aquatics, athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rugby sevens, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling
• Elite Athletes with Disabilities will compete in 15 events across 4 sports namely athletics, swimming, powerlifting and table tennis

Keywords: ias, study material, general studies, current affairs, commonwealth

Queen’s Baton Relay

• The relay began on 29 Oct 2009 when the Queen handed over the baton to the first relay runner – Abhinav Bindra from India
• The baton will be handed back to the Queen at the opening ceremony on 03 Oct 2010
• The relay will travel some 170000 km across the world, and an additional 20000 km in India. In India, it will travel to every state and its capital
• The baton for the 2010 Games was designed by a consortium of Foley Designs, Titan Industries and Bharat Electronics, under the leadership of Michael Foley
• The baton has been coated with red, black and yellow soils, as a symbol of India’s diversity
• The technology features of the baton include
  • Ability to capture images and sound as it travels through the Commonwealth
  • GPS technology though which the exact location of the baton can be tracked on the Games’ website
  • Embedded LED’s that will display the colours of a country’s flag whilst in that country
  • Text messaging facility so people can text their congratulations and encouragements to baton runners

Keywords: ias, study material, general studies, current affairs, commonwealth

RECENT NOTEWORTHY DEVELOPMENTS

DOMESTIC

1. Government to re-introduce Bills in Parliament
   1. Government seeks to re-introduce the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill 2009 and Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill 2009
   2. Both Bills were earlier passed by the Lok Sabha in Feb 2009. However they lapsed due to the dissolution of the Lok Sabha
   3. Seeks to rehabilitate and resettle people affected by land acquisition for public projects
   4. Land required for major projects would not be acquired if 70% of farmers don’t give assent
   5. Farmlands where more than one crop is grown per year would not be affected

Keywords: ias, study material, general studies, current affairs, commonwealth

INTERNATIONAL

1. IAEA censures Iran
   1. The IAEA castigated Iran for blocking enquiries into its nuclear program
   2. The resolution condemning Iran passed 25-3
   3. India, China and Russia voted in support of the resolution
   4. Current IAEA chief Dr. Mohamed El Baradei is preparing to step down after 12 years at the head of the UN agency
2. Dubai defaults on debt
   1. Dubai World, the centerpiece of Dubai’s economy announces a 6-month suspension on debt repayments
   2. Dubai World has a debt of almost USD 60 bn, a large portion of Dubai’s total debt of USD 80 bn
   3. Dubai World is a conglomerate that sets the direction for Dubai’s economy. Its subsidiary Nakheel was the builder of the landmark palm tree shaped development islands off Dubai
   4. Dubai does not have oil resources (unlike neighbouring Abu Dhabi) but relies on tourism, shipping and real estate to fuel its economy
   5. The primary cause of Dubai’s default seems to be rampant speculation in the real estate market
   6. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi are part of the United Arab Emirates
   7. Dubai is ruled by the Al Maktoum family since 1833
   8. The current ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is also the Prime Minister of the UAE
3. US, China pledge hard targets on emissions
   1. China proposes to reduce carbon intensity (i.e. the amount of carbon dioxide emitted per unit of economic output) by 40-45% compared to 2005 levels
   2. US proposes to reduce total tonnage of greenhouse emissions by 17% compared to 2005 levels by 2020
   3. China’s proposal will not decrease the amount of greenhouse emissions but merely reduce the rate of increase of emissions
   4. China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the US is the second largest
   5. Canada has also pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: 20% compared to 2006 levels by 2020
4. Commonwealth summit opens in Trinidad
   1. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was inaugurated in Trinidad by Queen Elizabeth II
   2. The top items on the agenda are expected to be climate change and communicable diseases
   3. In an unusual move, three non-Commonwealth world leaders are attending this year: French President Nicholas Sarkozy, Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon
   4. Rwanda (a French-speaking former Belgian colony) is trying to join the Commonwealth as its 54^th member
   5. Zimbabwe may be re-admitted after its suspension in 2002
   6. Established in 1949, the Commonwealth primarily consists of States belonging to the former British Empire
   7. It comprises some of the world’s largest, smallest, richest and poorest nations
   8. Representing around 2 billion people (one third of world human population), the Commonwealth is the second largest international organization of nations (after the UN)
5. India, Canada reach civil nuclear agreement
   1. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad
   2. Canada has become the eight country with which India now has civil nuclear agreements
   3. The other seven countries with which India has agreements are: the US, France, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina and Namibia
   4. Canada is the world’s largest exporter of uranium, and has the second largest proven reserves (the first is Australia)

FEATURED TOPIC: THAILAND-CAMBODIA TEMPLE DISPUTE

FEATURED TOPIC: THAILAND-CAMBODIA TEMPLE DISPUTE

Overview of the dispute

Location of the Preah Vihear Temple

• Dispute between Thailand and Cambodia over possession of the ancient Preah Vihear Temple
• The dispute has been in existence for about a century, but tensions flared up in Oct 2008 and again in April 2009
• Talks underway between the two sides but the border remains tense

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

History of the dispute

• In 1907 the border between Thailand and Cambodia was mapped by France (the colonial power in Cambodia) on behalf of a bilateral border commission. Although the border was intended to follow the watershed line (putting the temple in Thailand), the map submitted put the temple inside Cambodia. This map was used extensively by both governments
• During WW II, Thailand took advantage of the French surrender and annexed the region
• Following defeat in WW II, Thailand returned the territories to France
• Following Cambodia’s independence from France in 1953, Thailand occupied the Preah Vihear Temple in 1954
• Following a protest, the International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962. Thailand handed the territory over to Cambodia, however has not fully withdrawn its claims
  
• The UNESCO designated the Preah Vihear Temple a World Heritage Site in 2008.
  
  
• Following persistent tensions, both sides moved troops to the area. Occasional clashes have erupted every few months

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

About the Preah Vihar Temple

The Preah Vihear Temple - the center of the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia

• Built in the 11^th century by the Khmer Empire during the reigns of Suryavarman I and Suryavarman II. Suryavarman II also built the Angkor Wat temple, dedicated to the deity Vishnu
  
• It is a Hindu temple, the main deity is Shiva
• It is situated atop a cliff in the Dangrek Mountains in eastern Thailand and northern Cambodia
• In July 2008, the temple was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

Timeline of the dispute

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

FEATURED TOPIC: FARMERS’ SUICIDES IN INDIA

Overview of farmers’ suicides

• An estimated 17,000 farmers kill themselves every year in India
• The problem is especially acute in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Punjab
• Suicide crisis reported among farmers of all crops and land-holding sizes
• Crisis first reported by P. Sainath, journalist for The Hindu in the 1990s. He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2007 for this contribution

eywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

Causes of the suicide crisis

• Limited availability of credit. Most credit only available at very high interest rates
• Lack of advice and expertise on agricultural practices
• Misuse of agricultural chemicals due to lack of guidance
• Inadequate farming income even to meet basic household expenses
• Lack of support systems such health facilities for farmers

eywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

Responses to the crisis

For details regarding governmental schemes and programmes, see Indian Economy #3: Agriculture in India

• Increase in Minimum Support Price for cotton
• Restitution to the families of deceased farmers
• Increase in credit availability directly from financial institutions and improvement in access of farmers to credit
• Farmer credit cards and crop insurance schemes
• Farmer helplines for counseling and agricultural advice

RECENT NOTEWORTHY DEVELOPMENTS

DOMESTIC

• Airports stop swine flu screening
  • All international airports in India have been instructed to stop screening for H1N1 virus
  • Director General of Health Services recommended termination of screening saying the virus has spread inside India and airport screening was useless
  • Screening started on 30 April 2009 at 22 international airports
  • Less than 2% of swine flu cases in India could be attributed to international travel
  • The WHO does not recommend airport screening or any other form of travel restriction

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

INTERNATIONAL

1. Spain wins Davis Cup 2009
   1. Spain won the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic in Barcelona
   2. Felicano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco of Spain beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic to win the tournament
   3. The teams for 2009 Davis Cup:
      1. Spain: Feliano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco, Albert Costa (captain), David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal
      2. Czech Republic: Radek Stepanek, Tomas Berdych, Jaroslav Navratil (captain), Lukas Dlouhy and Jan Hajek
   4. Spain won the Davis Cup in 2008 as well. Spain has now won the Davis Cup four times
   5. Spain is the sixth most successful team at the Davis Cup after the US (32 titles), Australia (28), France (9), Britain (9) and Sweden (7)
   6. India last competed in the World Group for the Davis Cup in 1998
   7. Current Indian team: Shiv Prakash Misra (captain), Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Somdev Devvarman, Rohan Bopanna
   8. India first competed in the Davis Cup in 1921 and finished runners up in 1966, 1974 and 1987
2. Guinea leader survives assassination attempt
   1. Guinea’s military ruler Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara has survived an assassination attempt and is undergoing recovery in Morocco
   2. The attempt was made by his close aide Lt. Abubakar Toumba Diakite
   3. Capt. Camara has drawn widespread international criticism for the massacre of unarmed demonstrators in Sep 2009
   4. Lt. Diakite has been identified as being present and in command during the killings
   5. Capt. Camara seized power in Guinea after the death of longtime dictator Lansana Conte in Dec 2008
   6. The capital of Guinea is Conakry
3. Large Hadron Collider restarted
   1. The Large Hadron Collider at CERN near Geneva was restarted on 21 Nov 2009 after a gap of one year
   2. Housed in a 27 km underground tunnel, the Collider has accelerated electron beams to 1.18 trillion eV.
   3. It is now the largest and most powerful particle accelerator in the world. Now the second most powerful accelerator is the Tevatron at Fermilab in Chicago
   4. The Collider was launched in July 2008, but suffered an electrical failure only nine days later
   5. The Collider was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) with the intention of testing high-energy physics
   6. The CERN, established in 1954, is the world’s largest particle physics laboratory. It consists of 20 member states (from Europe) and 6 observer states (US, Russia, Israel, India, Japan and Turkey)
   7. Around 200 of the 2000 scientist participating in the Large Hadron Collider are from India
   8. Precision motion positioning systems for the Collider were supplied by the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, by the Electronics Corporation of India
   9. Monetarily, India has contributed USD 25 million to the USD 10 billion project

FEATURED TOPIC: MEXICO’S DRUG WAR

FEATURED TOPIC: MEXICO’S DRUG WAR

Overview

Mexico: states most in conflict marked in red

• The drug war in Mexico is an armed conflict taking place between rival drug cartels and government security forces in Mexico
• More than 16,000 people have been killed in Mexico since Dec 2006 when the government launched a crackdown on drug cartels in the country
• More than 7000 people were killed in 2009 alone
• The consequences of the conflict have been felt in the US, Guatemala, Canada, Europe and North Africa
• Currently, more than 50,000 Mexican military and police officers are engaged in battling over 10,000 drug cartel members

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil studies, study material, general studies, free

Drug trafficking in Mexico

• Mexico is major drug producing and transit country, especially for shipments to the U.S.
• Drug cartels in Mexico control 70% of narcotics flowing into the U.S.
• More than 90% of cocaine in the U.S. enters through Mexico. The primary producer of the cocaine is Colombia
• The illegal drug trade in Mexico is estimated to be around USD 50 billion annually

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil studies, study material, general studies, free

Military efforts against the drug cartels

The Mexican Navy seize a narco submarine in July 2008

• The President of Mexico Felipe Calderon is a staunch supporter of action against the drug cartels. Mexico’s large scale military intervention began in Dec 2006 with his election to office
• Today, it is one of the most massive counter-narcotics efforts in the world
• The states most affected by the violence in Mexico are: Baja California, Guerrero, Chihuahua, Michoacán, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon and Sinaloa

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil studies, study material, general studies, free

Major drug cartels in Mexico

Cartel	Leader	Notes
Sinaloa cartel	Joaquin Guzman Loera	Armed wing is called Los Negros
Juarez cartel	Vincente Carrillo Fuentes
Tijuana cartel	Arellano Felix family
Gulf cartel	Osiel Cardenas Guillen	Armed wing is called Los Zetas

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil studies, study material, general studies, free

FEATURED TOPIC: SETHUSAMUDRAM PROJECT

About the Sethusamudram Project

• The Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project is the proposal to link the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating a channel in the sea
• The project is called Sethu Samudram due to its association with the Ram Sethu of the Ramayana
• The project, if completed, would provide a continuous navigable sea route around India, instead of having to go around Sri Lanka

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil studies, study material, general studies, free

Details of the project

Adam's Bridge within the Palk Strait

• The project involves digging a 45 nautical mile (83 km) long deepwater channel, that would link the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar
• The Palk Strait is a strait that lies between Tamil Nadu in India and the island of Mannar in Sri Lanka. It connects the Palk Bay in the north to the Gulf of Mannar in the south
• The Strait is named after Robert Palk, former Governor of Madras Presidency
• The Strait is studded with a chain of shallow islands and reef shoals called Adam’s Bridge or Rama Sethu.
• This chain extends between Dhanushkodi on Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Talaimannar in Mannar in Sri Lanka
• The project, if completed as proposed, would involve the breaking of Adam’s Bridge

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil studies, study material, general studies, free

Evolution of the project

• The Sethusamudram Project was first conceived of in 1860 by Commander Alfred Taylor of the Indian Marines
• Multiple committees and commissions have studied the project and have proposed multiple alignments for the shipping canal
• Currently, there are five alternative alignments to one being considered now
• Unlike the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal, the present alignment proposes the creation of a mid-ocean, which is unprecedented

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil studies, study material, general studies, free

Support for the project

• It is expected that the Project will reduce travel distance by 350 nautical miles (650 km). By comparison, the Suez Canal and Panama Canal save thousands of nautical miles in travel distance
• The Project is also expected to boost Tuticorin port as a nodal port, and to develop minor ports at Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thondi, Kolachel and Kanyakumari
• The project is also expected to provide increased maritime security to Tamil Nadu

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil studies, study material, general studies, free

Opposition to the project

• Economists argue that the Project is unlikely to be economically viable due to the insignificant reduction in travel distance
• Further the channel is expected to be navigable only by medium sized ships, not by larger ones
• The Project is also expected to cause irreversible damage to the environment by destroying the coral reefs
• The destruction of Adam’s Bridge is also expected to increase the threat of tsunami strikes on Tamil Nadu and Kerala
• The Project is also opposed on religious grounds, due to the association of the Rama Sethu with the Ramayana

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil studies, study material, general studies, free

RECENT NOTEWORTHY DEVELOPMENTS

DOMESTIC

1. Elected representatives not covered under RTI Act
   1. The Central Information Commission has rules that elected representatives including MPs, MLAs, local government members etc are not covered under the RTI Act
   2. This ruling only affects the ability to obtain information from these representatives in an individual capacity, and not from the bodies that they are members of
   3. Under the RTI Act, any citizen may request information from a public authority, which is required to reply within 30 days
   4. The Act applies to all states and Union Territories except Jammu & Kashmir. Jammu & Kashmir has its own Right to Information Act 2009
   5. The Right to information laws were first enacted at the state level in Tamil Nadu and Goa in 1997
   6. The Chief Information Commission was established in 2005 under the provisions of the RTI Act 2005
   7. The Commission is made of persons of eminence in public life with expertise in law, science & technology, social service etc
   8. The Chief Information Commissioner and other Information Commissioners are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition
2. State of Telangana to be created
   1. The Union Government has agreed to the creation of the new state of Telangana, carved out of Andhra Pradesh
   2. The three main regions of Andhra Pradesh are Telangana (north-west), Rayalseema (south-west) and Coastal Andhra
   3. Once created, Telangana will be the 29^th state of the Indian Union
   4. It will have a population of about 35 million (50% of current Andhra population)
   5. Telangana is one of the most under-developed regions in the nation

FEATURED TOPIC: 2009 IRAN ELECTION PROTESTS

FEATURED TOPIC: 2009 IRAN ELECTION PROTESTS

Overview

• Following the 2009 Iranian Presidential elections, widespread protests have occurred in Iran since June 2009
  
• The protests are against the incumbent government of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and in support of opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi
• The agitation has been in protest against alleged widespread election fraud tied to the presidential election
  
• The protests, which started in June 2009, have refused to die down until date
  
• The protests have been the most vehement and most persistent threat to the Iranian regime since the Islamic Revolution in 19Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

Causes of the protests

• Iran’s tenth presidential election was held in June 2009
• The incumbent Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was declared elected with 62% of votes and opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi 34%
• However, the opposition alleged widespread election fraud, and urged supporters to protest peacefully

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

Iran’s President

• The President of Iran is the highest elected official elected directly by popular vote
• However, the President does not control foreign policy or the armed forces
• Candidates to the office of President have to be vetted by the Guardian Council, a twelve member body consisting of six clerics and six lawyers
• The six clerics are selected by Iran’s Supreme Leader while the lawyers are proposed by the head of the judicial system (Chief Judge)
• The Supreme Leader, Ayotollah Ali Khamenei, is the highest ranking political and religious figure in Iran. More powerful than the President, he is in direct command of the armed forces, the national security council, radio and TV etc
  

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

Consequences of the protests

• Police and paramilitary forces called the Basij have determinedly suppressed demonstrations using firearms
  
• More than 85 people have died and above 4000 people have been arrested
  
• Iranian authorities have closed universities, blocked websites, blocked cell phone transmissions and banned rallies
  

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

RECENT NOTEWORTHY DEVELOPMENTS

DOMESTIC

1. Change of leadership at BJP
   1. Nitin Gadkari replaced Rajnath Singh as the President of the BJP
   2. Sushma Swaraj replaced L K Advani as Leader of the Opposition
   3. Arun Jaitley has re-appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha
   4. L K Advani has now been made the Chairman of the BJP Parliamentary Party
2. Gujarat makes voting compulsory
   1. The Gujarat Local Authorities (Amendment) Bill 2009 makes voting mandatory in local body polls
   2. This is the first law in India that makes voting mandatory
   3. The Bill also raises the seats reserved for women in local bodies from 33% to 50%
3. Rangnath Commission recommends 10% reservation for Muslims
   1. The Justice Rangnath Mishra Commission has recommended 10% reservation for Muslims and 5% for other communities in government jobs
   2. It has also favoured SC status for Dalits in all religions (currently SC status only applies to Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs)
   3. Formally known as the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, the Commission was established in 2004 and submitted its report in 2007

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, current affairs

INTERNATIONAL

1. Copenhagen Climate Summit concludes
   1. The United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 held at Copenhagen (Denmark) 07 Dec 2009 – 18 Dec 2009 has concluded
   2. The Conference had two Presidents: Connie Hedegaard (Danish Minister) until 16 Dec and Lars Lokke Rasmussen (Danish Prime Minister) for the final stretch
   3. The Conference ended with the drafting of the Copenhagen Accord
   4. The Copenhagen Accord was drafted by the US, China, Brazil, India and South Africa and “recognized” but not “adopted” by delegates of all countries in assembly
   5. Major highlights of the Copenhagen Accord
      1. Not legally binding and does not contain any legally binding commitments for carbon dioxide reduction
      2. Recognises the need to limit global warming to no more than 2C above pre-industrial levels
      3. Developed countries to set a goal of mobilising USD 100 billion a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries
      4. USD 30 billion in aid to developing countries over the next three years
      5. Emission reductions of industrialized nations to be verified by international monitors.
      6. Reductions of developing nations to be monitored by themselves and to report to the UN every two years
      7. Developed nations to pay developing nations to reduce deforestation
   6. Major pledges by important players
      1. Brazil: To cut emissions by 38-42% below project 2020 levels by that same year
      2. Canada: to cut emissions by 20% below 2006 levels by 2020. This is equivalent to 3% below 1990 levels
      3. China: to cut emissions intensity (carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP) by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2020
      4. EU: to cut emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020 unconditionally. To cut emissions by 30% below 1990 levels by 2020 if agreement is reached to commit other developed and more advanced developing nations to comparable reductions
      5. India: to cut emissions intensity by 20-25% below 2005 levels by 2020
      6. USA: to cut emissions by 17% below 2005 levels by 2020, 42% by 2030 and 83% by 2050. This is equivalent to 3% below 1990 levels by 2020,
2. Deepest underwater volcano caught on video
   1. The eruption of the West Mata submarine volcano has been caught on video. This was the first observed underwater volcanic eruption
   2. The video was captured by the Jason robotic submersible built for the purpose
   3. The West Mata volcano is located in the Pacific Ocean, about 200 km SW of the Samoan Islands
   4. The volcano is 9 km long, 6 km wide and is 3 km deep
   5. Animal life observed include microbes and volcano-dwelling shrimp
   6. The volcano is spewing bonnite lavas, the hottest erupting lavas on Earth, which have hitherto only been observed in extinct volcanoes older than a million years
3. Human-like fossil is breakthrough of the year
   1. The discovery of the fossilised skeleton, Ardi, has been named the scientific breakthrough of the year by the journal Science
   2. Ardi belongs to the species Ardipithecus Ramidus
   3. The skeleton is an important link in the story of human evolution
   4. The runners up in the 2009 list include
      1. NASA’s discovery of Pulsars, highly magnetised and rapidly rotating neutron stars
      2. Extension of life span in mice using the compound rapamycin
      3. Supra-conduction using grapheme, a highly conductive single layer of carbon
      4. Discovery of a critical substance that helps plants survive drought
      5. Development of X ray laser, capable of capturing chemical reactions as they happen
      6. Gene therapy for treating fatal brain disease, inherited blindness and severe immune disorder
      7. Magnetic monopoles (particles with only one pole) using crystalline materials called spin ices
      8. NASA’s discovery of water on the moon
      9. Repair of Hubble telescope by austronaughts
4. World’s longest running trade dispute resolved
   1. The EU has agreed to cut tariffs on banana imports from non-ACP countries. ACP stands for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific
   2. The “banana wars” was the longest running trade dispute in the world, which started when the EU imposed banana import tariffs in 1993
   3. The import tariffs were instituted in order to favour former European colonies
   4. However, the tariffs were criticized by Latin America and USA. The WTO ruled the tariffs illegal in 2005 and 2008
   5. The new deal includes a EUR 200 million compensation package for the ACP countries
   6. The EU is the largest market for bananas in the world
5. Boeing 787 Dreamliner makes maiden flight
   1. The 787 Dreamliner, Boeing’s long-awaited aircraft has made its maiden flight after 2.5 years of delay
   2. The 787 Dreamliner is a long-range medium-capacity aircraft designed to cut fuel consumption by about 20%
   3. The Dreamliner is made from carbon composites which makes it light weight compared to conventional aluminium frame aircraft
   4. With 840 orders already, the Dreamliner is the fastest selling commercial aircraft ever
   5. Rival planemaker Airbus is also working on a lightweight aircraft called the A-350
6. Gibraltar wins Miss World 2009
   1. Miss Gibraltar, Kaiane Aldorino was crowned Miss World 2009 in Johannesburg
   2. The second place went to Mexico’s Perla Beltran, and third place to South Africa’s Tatum Keshwar
   3. Miss India, Pooja Chopra, won the “beauty with a purpose title”
   4. Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory located at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain). It sits at the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea, overlooking the Straight of Gibraltar