Rajya Sabha TV – Science Monitor (21 Feb 2015)

Weekly update on all the happening in Science & Technology, in and around the nation;

Headlines

1. Earthquake inevitable in central Himalayas.

1934 Earthquake in Bihar – 2001 Gujarat Earthquake – Earthquake alert in Himalayas – it could be of 8 magnitude - stress due to tectonic plate movement – only 2 quake in 13^th & 14^th Century;

2. Can Glacier and Ice Melt Be Reversed? – Indian Professor’s research in US textbooks;
3. India – Britain to minimize antibiotics abuse;

Special collaboration to address the issue of Antibiotics abuse; 7 million pound to be invested – 3 major global research centers to be established; Aims to minimize indiscriminate use of antibiotics – focus on research for anti-microbial resistance;

4. Cooler innovated… runs using wind energy; Invited to SAKURA Exchange program in Science at Japan;
5. Role of S & T in nation building (IN FOCUS Segment)
1. Theme of the 28^th Feb 2015. Only science can alleviate poverty & hunger – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru; Industrialization in India is result of promotion of S & T; Scientific temper important for growth of any country (so Art.51A of Indian Constition also stand for this); Food production double after Green revolution; Space programme and Defence programme are remarkable achievement; Significant diseases are eradicated: Malnutrition, Polio, Leprosy, Cholera, Malaria, TB, HIV; Mangalyan & chandrayan made India one of the space super-power;
6. History of Science -  Segment
1. German Physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz – born on – Frequency – Cycles per second – Hertz;
2. Gregorian or western calendar was introduced – Solar calendar;
3. Discovery of pulsar – first pulsating star observed on Nov 28, 1967 – highly magnetized rotating stars;  
4. Sir C V Raman announced discovery of “Raman Effect” – Nobel prize in 1930 – National Science Day in India;
7. Science Express – S & T Activities

·         Aero India 2015 – Defence Expo @ Bangalore – Theme: Make in India Defence.

·         ICAR – Soil test kit – determine parameters like - soil pH, Organic carbon, available NPKS and micro nutrients like Zinc, Boron & Iron;

·         IIT Bangalore and British High Commissioner – launched Web Observatory;

·         Wii.gov.in and Mars mission;

Watch it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8xB_Zk9udI&index=16&list=PLVOgwA_DiGzpd3_Iz7J-81Vh4QqU-ZGA9

Rajya Sabha TV – Science Monitor (14 Feb 2015)

Weekly update on all the happening in Science & Technology, in and around the nation;

Headlines

1. First Edition of World Ocean Science Congress (WOSC) – Kochi/India; Ocean Conservation;

Largest lifer supporting system – Trio issue: Global warming+ de-Oxygenation + Acidification;

2. Akash to Mangalyan – 4^th Bharatiya Vigyan Samelan & Expo - Goa;

It includes display of DRDO + ICMR + CSIR +ISRO + Private R & D;

3. Beaver award @ National Science Film Festival (Rashtriya Vigyan Chalchathra) – Lucknow;
1. Golden Beaver Award - Category A – Redemption: a red story from India.
2. Golden Beaver Award – Category B – Come enjoy the nectar Live with the elephants;
3. Golden Beaver Award – Category C – A journey through space & Time;
4. Golden Beaver Award – Category D - Science behind Miracle.
4. Cheaper Aircraft Fuel;

Cobalt based Super alloy – withstand 1600 deg c – to make turbine engine – high resistant to chemical degradation; currently: nickel based are used – disadvantages – it gets degrades when exposed to sulphur;

5. Mystery of the Human Brain
6. Need for Vaccination (IN FOCUS)

Game changer in health care sector – best defense against many disease – eradicated disease like Polio, Small pox; Safe amount of pathogen is given - Vaccines contain weakened or dead bacteria or specific protein, toxin or chemical from them or synthetic substance similar to them; Administered orally or by injection – intra-nasal route;

Vaccination for child – Chickenpox, Diphtheria, Haemophilius Influenzae type B, Hepatitis A & B, Flu, measles, mumps, Pertussis, Polio, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus, Rubella (German measles), Tetanus;

Combination vaccine – multiple immunity;

For adult if travelling to the countries with endaemic infections: Typhoid, Rabies, Malaria, Yellow fever, Polio;  

7. History of Science:
1. 15 Feb 1564 – Galileo Galilei – Telescope;
2. 19 Feb 1473 – Nicolas Copernicus – established the duration of earth’s rotation.
3. First tram in Kolkata –
4. 21 Feb 1894 – Sir Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar – father of Indian Science Laboratory – Founder of CSIR;
8. S & T activities across the world

-          The Rhinos will live – Rally;

-          Control drug system - Queen Elizabeth Award for Engineering;

-          Discarded Blue-Ray disk – can be used for boosting solar cell performance;

Watch it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uslK-jrBfvc&list=PLVOgwA_DiGzpd3_Iz7J-81Vh4QqU-ZGA9&index=17

Rajya Sabha TV – Science Monitor (07 Feb 2015)

Weekly update on all the happening in Science & Technology, in and around the nation;

Headlines

1. Non- Addictive pain relief.

Morphine – pain killer – addictive in nature, several side effect; Now Ibogaine a suitable substitute – derived from Tabernanthe Iboga;

2. DRDO Test fires AGNI V Missile;

India – missile super power – AGNI V – 3 stage solid propellant (MIRV 2/ MIRV 3 / MIRV 10) missile -  to reach height of 800 km – longest range 5000kms – can carry 1000kg nuclear warhead;   

3. 5^th Rashtriya Vigyan Chalchitra Mela in Lucknow – National Science Film Festival – Beaver award for excellence of film making;
4. Homo sapien and Neandrethal are contemporaries;
5. New app for visually challenged ‘ Be My Eyes’ for Android;
6. Challenges and hurdles of Space travel (IN FOCUS Segment)
1. Astronaut are trained in a simulated environment – difficulty in zero gravity;
2. The spit in to washcloth
3. Confuse between up and down – vestibular system cannot figure out the direction;
4. Microbial infection
5. Bones weaken due to lack of walking – calcium loss through urine;
6. Unknown space has other hazards too.
7. History of Science -  Segment
1. Perihelion – halie comet – between mercury
2. Copeprnicium – heaviest element – created on 9^th feb 1996. By bombarding lead to zinc 70 ion using heavy ion accelerator;
3. Thomas Edison – born 11^th Feb 1847 – invented Electric light bulb;
4. Charles Robert Darwin – born 12^th Feb 1809 – Theory of evolution – natural selection;
8. Science Express – S & T Activities

·         Terry Fox Run – annual charity even – fight against cancer;

·         Antarctica – see-through fish – evolutionary loss of haemoglobin – anti freeze protein;

·         SMAP satellite – moisture

Watch it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKFCYM2rkOQ&list=PLVOgwA_DiGzpd3_Iz7J-81Vh4QqU-ZGA9&index=16

Science & Technology: Space, Medicine, Defence, Biotech (P15)

- Astra missile (Beyond visual Range Air - to - Air missile)

- PSLV-C23 - ISRO - Note (1): ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network) - Sriharikota, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum, Car , Nicobar, Kavalaur; Note (2): Rocket Launching Stations: SHAR - Sriharikota Launching Range, TERLS - Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station, Balasore Rocket Launching Station; Important Timeline: INCOSPAR 1962 with TERLS (Thumba - close to magnetic equator) - ISRO 1969 - Dept of Space 1972 - Antrix Corp (Govt owned) 1992 - Note (3): What is a sounding rocket?A sounding rocket is a rocket, which is intended for assessing the physical parameters of the upper atmosphere. What does the letter 'RH' and the numerals on an Indian sounding rocket signify?

RH stands for 'Rohini' sounding rocket and the numeral indicate the diameter of the rocket in mm. Note (4): Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC), Trivandram, ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore; Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC – SHAR) at Sriharikota, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore and Mahendragiri, Space Application Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad and National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad.

source: http://www.isro.gov.in/sites/default/files/article-files/right-to-information/Organisation.pdf

http://www.isro.gov.in/frequently-asked-questions

- Mobile radiation 

WHO & ITU - recognize RF exposure limits based on ICNIRP (Non-Ionizing Radiation protection); Effect: Radiation, Thermal, Non-Thermal, Cognitive, Brain-blood barrier (Albumin), Genotoxic, Sperm count, Sleep & EEG effect, Hypersensitivity; 

Source: http://ids.nic.in/TNL_Jan_2015/RADIATION%20HAZARDS.pdfv also refer: http://www.cpcb.nic.in/upload/Newsletters/Newsletters_68_mobiletower.pdf

- Large Hadron collider (LHC)

Basics from physics: fundamental forces of nature(4), Standard model, Anti-matter (electron - positron) - supersymetry, Higgs Boson, Neutrino; Note: India's Role - contribution - LHC, CMS, ALICE and GRID computing; Refer: INO

Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/large-hadron-collider1.htm and important: http://dae.nic.in/writereaddata/lsus547.pdf also: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=86975

- BS IV fuel to replace relatively less eco-friendly BS III fuel by 2017 -  primarily with lesssulphur content (restricted to 50 ppm whereas BS III has 150 - 350 ppm); expert committee on the Auto Fuel Vision and Policy 2025, headed by Planning Commission member Saumitra Chaudhuri. expert committee on the Auto Fuel Vision and Policy 2025, headed by Planning Commission member Saumitra Chaudhuri. Note (1): Harmful emission from Motor vehicle - carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and MSAT (Mobile Source Air Toxic - benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene and lead) Note (2): For fuels, the property “Flash Point” is defined thus: It is the lowest temperature at which a chemical product yields a vapour which will give a momentary flash when ignited, determined in accordance with specified measurement provisions. The flash point of diesel for both BS III and BS IV are set at 35:C. Note (3): Octane number is reported as Anti Knock Index (AKI) which is the average of the Research Octane number (RON) and the motor octane number (MON). whereas The Cetane Number is a measure of compression ignition quality of diesel fuel and influences cold start ability and combustion noise. The Cetane Index is calculated based on the fuel's density and distillation range; Note (4) BS V differs from Euro V in terms of olefin content - Olefin fiber is a synthetic fiber made from a polyolefin, such as polypropylene or polyethylene. Olefin's advantages are its strength, colourfastness and comfort, its resistance to staining, mildew, abrasion, sunlight and its good bulk and cover.; 

Source: http://petroleum.nic.in/docs/autopol.pdf

- Leukoderma is a cutaneous condition, an acquired condition with localized loss of pigmentation of the skin that may occur after any number of inflammatory skin conditions, burns, intralesional steroid injections, postdermabrasion, etc. It is largely a cosmetic problem, and is neither infectious nor contagious.

- Narora Atomic Power Station NAPS (PHWR/IAEA) to go under IAEA safeguard  

Source: http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/how-vulnerable-are-indias-nuclear-power-plants-disaster

- GAIL pipeline Project

- Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2014 - The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has notified that the minimum broadband speed has been raised to 512 kilo bytes per second (kbps) from the earlier 256 kbps. According to National Telecom Policy 2012, the government aims to raise the broadband download speed of to 512 kbps from 256 kbps,and subsequently to 2 Mbps by 2015.

- IISc - proposed  ‘synchrotron’ — gigantic high-energy electron accelerator @ Chitradurga - work on the same principle of CERN's LHC; 

- System of Rice Intensification SRI

- Methane extraction - GEEC (Great Eastern Energy Corporation Ltd - Private company); 

Note (1): CBM in India: West Bengal (Raniganj, Birbhum), Jharkhand (Jharia, Bokaro, Karanpura), MP (Sohagpur, Satpura), Gujarat (Cambay Basin); Note (2): Shale gas in India: Cambay, Gondwana, Krishna-Godawari onland, and Cauvery.

Source: http://www.cmpdi.co.in/cbm.php

Note (3): Methods of Extraction - Hydraulic fracturing method and Coal gasification (Syngas); 

Also Refer: http://mrunal.org/2014/08/economic-survey-ch11-coal-gasification-syngas-hydraulic-fracturing-rangarajan-formula-gas-pricing.html#553

-  sexually-reproducing volvocine algae - first, unicellular Chlamydomonas reinhardtii -  second was the multicellular Volvox carteri; 

- The robots are known as ‘Spheres’ (Synchronised Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental satellites) - NASA's ISS; 

- Neera, the unfermented sap from coconut flowers;

- Spectrum sharing - TRAI guidelines; Note (NCERT XI): The broad spectrum of electromagnetic waves, stretching from γ rays (wavelength ~10–12 m) to long radio waves (wavelength ~106 m) is described. There is no sharp division between one kind of wave and the next. Infrared waves are sometimes referred to as heat waves. 

Note: Spectrum Sharing  

- Flouride contomination and impact; Note (NCERT XI): For drinking purposes, water should be tested for fluoride ion concentration. Its deficiency in drinking water is harmful to man and causes diseases such as tooth decay etc. Soluble fluoride is often added to drinking water to bring its concentration upto 1 ppm. The F– ions make the enamel on teeth much harder by converting hydroxyapatite. However, F– ion concentration above 2 ppm causes brown mottling of teeth. At the same time, excess fluoride (over 10 ppm) causes harmful effect to bones and teeth; if fluoride is present above permissible limit, people of the region may suffer from fluorosis.

- AERB approval for Nuclear Medicine department, Tamil Nadu; Note (1): Application of Nuclear Medicine: 

- Encephalitis is a brain inflammation, mostly caused by a viral infection and often transmitted through mosquito bites.

- Exoplanet - planet outside our solar system - Extra Solar Planet; Existence life? can be ensured only if there is Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen & Hydrogen; Refer: Gravitational Lensing; 

- Halo (Ring) around the sun - Phenomenon of refraction occurs when ice crystals comes together randomly; Refer: Diffraction vs Refraction; 

- Transgenic Research - Permission has been granted by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) for trials on Jayadhar (Local variety of Cotton); 

- German Scientist  were able to ‘freeze’ light inside a crystal for one full minute using a phenomenon called electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT).

- Russia - world’s largest gamma-ray telescope: the Tunka—HiSCORE. The telescope that has no analogues in the world will register ultrahigh energy particles coming from the universe;

- Great Barrier Reef - coast of Queensland, is the world’s largest coral reef system.

- Glycans (e.g. cellulose) are made of chains or other complex arrangements of sugar molecules , like glucose. They are found almost everywhere in the living world, most importantly on the outer membrane of living cells whether human, viral or bacterial. Our immune cells are able to recognise pathogens based on the type of glycans present on its surface. 

- Terrestrial Observation and Predicting System (TOPS) by NASA - for the benefit of Indian Farmers - Pilot project at Maharashtra - to be extended to Andhra & Telengana; 

- “ReDx: Engineering the Eye” - low cost portable braille printer - by Reverse engineering of vinyl cutter;

- Development of Water Resources Information System (DWRIS) - Rain forecast system in J & K - Central Water commission in collaboration with ISRO; Note (1): India has 2.45% of World’s Land Area with 4% of World’s Renewable Water Resources

Source: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=90562 and http://wrmin.nic.in/writereaddata/CWC-WRIS.pdf

- Honeywell Aerospace and Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division (SED) - signed deal to manufacture - US company's TALIN (Tactical Advanced Land Inertial Navigator)

- ESA’s Rosetta mission will deploy its lander, Philae, to the surface of Comet ; 

- Recognising the unstinted efforts of Vice Admiral (retd) Vinod Pasricha, who as then Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Naval Command, saw INS Kursura beached and converted into a museum World Ship Trust of UK honoured him with ‘Individual Achievement Award’.

- Convalescent Blood Therapies for Ebola - WHO; 

Note (1): What are Filoviruses? Filoviruses belong to a virus family called Filoviridae and can cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman primates. So far, only two members of this virus family have been identified: Marburg virus and Ebola virus. Four species of Ebola virus have been identified: Ivory Coast, Sudan, Zaire (Reason for current outbreak), and Reston. Ebola-Reston is the only known filovirus that does not cause severe disease in humans; however, it can be fatal in monkeys. How it spreads? transmission involves close personal contact between an infected individual or their body fluids, and another person. Note (2): Outbreak(EBOLA, MERS) - Epidemic (Yellow fever, Cholera in India) - Pandamic (SARS, Influenza); Note (3): confirmation tests: ELISA, Full Blood count, Coagulation studies, Blood culture, IgM & IgG antibodies; Note (4): ZMapp emerging treatment;

Refer: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/ebola/26-september-2014/en/ and http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/Fact_Sheets/Filovirus_Fact_Sheet.pdf

- IndARC, the country’s first underwater moored observatory in the Kongsfjorden fjord, half way between Norway and the North Pole, represents a major milestone in India’s scientific endeavours in the Arctic region - Ministry of Earth Science; The Kongsfjorden is considered a natural laboratory for studying the Arctic climate variability. Scientists predict that melting of the Arctic glaciers will trigger changes in weather patterns and ocean currents that could affect other parts of the world.

- The US space agency, NASA, is developing the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Lidar device to map forests on Earth in 3D and increase understanding of their role in the carbon cycle. Ecosystem structure provide a first-ever mapping of critical habitat metrics at the fine scales

-  a liquid-propellant engine aboard India's Mars Orbiter will need to fire so that the spacecraft can go into orbit around the Red Planet. The engine, known as the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM), is carried on such satellites so that they can be moved from the temporary orbit in which launch vehicles place them to the appropriate operational location. Such a liquid-propellant engine was first considered when ISRO decided to build an experimental communication satellite, APPLE (an abbreviation for the ‘Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment’)

- What is Flugtag? Flugtag (pronounced floogtag), meaning ‘flight day’ in German, involves teams designing their own homemade aircrafts and attempting to fly them from a high pier, usually over a waterbody. The first Flugtag was held in 1991 in Vienna, Austria. Participants are judged on flight distance, creativity of aircraft and showmanship.

- The extremophile - organism that thrives in physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on the Earth - bacteria can thrive under the alkaline conditions expected in cement-based radioactive waste. It is highly likely that similar bacteria will behave in the same way and adapt to living off ISA (isosaccharinic acid) in and around buried cement-based nuclear waste sites quite quickly; 

- Black Hat cloaking 

- Price revision on the basis of Gross Calorific Value: Deregulation of diesel prices and revision of gas prices

Modified Rangarajan Formula; Difference between Net Calorific Value and Gross calorific Value - Gross calorific value (GCV) assumes all vapour produced during the combustion process is fully condensed. Net calorific value (NCV) assumes the water leaves with the combustion products without fully being condensed. Fuels should be compared based on the net calorific value. Note (1): Stoichiometric Air Note (2): Viscosity (unit: Stokes/Centistoke) depends on Temperature, Note (3): Flash point & Pour point (Further Refer Economy current affairs)

- Southpole - Antarctica Ozone hole - Ozonesonde measurement - Dobson units; The ozone hole, which forms annually in the August to October period. The chlorine compounds lead to ozone depletion in certain upper atmospheric conditions. These conditions are at their peak over Antarctica as the dark cold winter gives way to the Antarctic spring in September.

- ICRISAT (International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics)

- Eco Cooker - Save 30% LPG - Unlike the conventional appliances, this cooker works on the principle of retaining the steam (and heat), sealed by a close circuit, which in turn cooks the food efficiently retaining the flavour and nutrients - New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh; 

- Medical Termination of Pregnance Act, 1971- The Act requires that for the termination of pregnancy (i) which does not exceed 12 weeks, the opinion of one medical practitioner be taken, and (ii) between 12 weeks-20 weeks the opinion of two medical practitioners be taken. The Bill also allows a pregnancy of up to 24 weeks to be terminated under certain conditions. Note: Under the Act a registered medical practitioner is defined as a person who has training in gynaecology and obstetrics and possesses recognised medical qualifications as per the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.

- A new, lighter version of the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos called BrahMos-M (Mini) weighing around 1.5 tonnes is being planned for use by the Navy and the Air Force. Once inducted into the Navy, the Mini can be launched from submarines torpedo tubes. For the Air Force a mini version means a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile compatible with future platforms namely, the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) and Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA).

- Black holes consist of extremely dense matter giving rise to such a strong gravitational attraction that nothing, not even light, can escape from its edge — called the event horizon However, in 1974, Stephen Hawking proposed that there was a way in which the black hole could emit a faint stream of particles from its edge. This phenomenon is now known as Hawking radiation. It can be observed a sonic version of this in the lab using what is called a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). The BEC is formed when a gas of bosons is cooled to very low temperatures, close to absolute zero. The gas condenses into a quantum liquid, namely, a liquid in which the quantum effects which normally take place at a microscopic level are observable macroscopically. In other words, the entire fluid behaves like a single entity. When pairs of phonons are created near the horizon, there is a chance that one escapes and the other gets trapped within the condensate. This is what happened. Further the trapped phonons kept bouncing between the two horizons and getting amplified in the process, much as a laser does. This phenomenon is called a black hole laser.

Note (1): One Star's End is a Black Hole's Beginning:  Most black holes form from the remnants of a large star that dies in a supernova explosion. (Smaller stars become dense neutron stars, which are not massive enough to trap light.) If the total mass of the star is large enough (about three times the mass of the Sun), it can be proven theoretically that no force can keep the star from collapsing under the influence of gravity.

- Using the fluorescence of molecules, scientists can now monitor the interplay between individual molecules inside cells; they can observe disease-related proteins aggregate and they can track cell division at the nanolevel. - Nobel prize for Chemistry -  has been equally divided among the Laureates Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell and William E. Moerner; Refer all Nobel Prize - Physics, Chemistry & Medicine (from the summary report compilation)

Source: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2014/popular-chemistryprize2014.pdf

International Relations, Institutions, Agreements (P15)

- CHRI (Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative) - International NGO - to implement Harare declaration(Zimbawe) in Commonwealth Nations;

- 12-day International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to review India's regulatory framework for safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs) - IRRS Team Review - well-established national educational and training system that supports competence-building, AERB's R&D infra strong regulatory review & assessment, still India need national policy & strategy on safety, AERB's regulatory independence in law, routine inspection at NPP, internal emergency arrangement; India's NPP - 21(operational) + 7 (construction); 

Note: Share of Energy Generation: France (77% Nuke) > Slovakia (57% Nuke) > Hungary (49%) >>> US (20%) > India (4%) > China (2%) > Iran (2%)

Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-mission-concludes-peer-review-indias-nuclear-regulatory-framework 

Refer for Mains 2015: https://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/Main/

- The United Nations cultural agency has listed the Palestinian village of Battir as a World Heritage site in danger.

-  “The Environment Crime Crisis”  - Report by UNEP - on Illegal trading of dead or live animals & plant species; Note:  refer CITES, Botswana Elephant project; The report combines assessments by the OECD, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNEP and INTERPOL.

-  United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

- India & Bangladesh - Extradition Treaty, Land Boundary Agreement, Teesta River water Agreement, Illegal migrant;

Refer Map - Geography of Teesta river: Originates @ Kangse Glacier, Charamu Lake in Sikkim - enters Bangladesh - joins with Brahmaputra (Jamuna) - with Ganga - Padma, Meghna; 1983 India Bangladesh Teesta Agreement - 39:36:25; 1984 - Joint river commission - increased the Bangladesh's share; 1998- Bangladesh's largest irrigation project Teesta Barrage; 

Source: http://www.mea.gov.in/Uploads/PublicationDocs/24529_LBA_MEA_Booklet_final.pdf and http://mrunal.org/2014/05/water-diplomacy-teesta-river-agreement-india-bangladesh-controversy-mamta.html 

- India Nepal (For Mains 2015) 

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/a-new-beginning-with-nepal/article6238665.ece

- India Senegal Cultural Exchange Programme (Delhi-Dakar); 

- Gas Pipeline - Kyaukpyu (Myanmar) to Ruili(China) - ending " Malacca Dilemma" 

Refer: (For Mains) 

http://www.idsa.in/strategicanalysis/DealingwiththeMalaccaDilemma_yji_0507.html

- Merging PIO & OCI - Currently PIO cards, given to those who themselves, their parents or grandparents or their spouse, were one-time Indian citizens, allow for visa-free travel to and from India. However, a PIO card is only valid for 15 years. Also, if one’s stay in India is going to exceed 180 days on any single visit, one needs to register within 30 days of the expiry of 180 days with the concerned Foreigners Regional Registration Officer/Foreigners Registration Officer or local police authorities.

On the other hand, the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card given to only those who themselves or their parents were one time citizens, has lifelong visa-free travel and does not require the holder to register with any office regardless of the length of their stay. Eventually the PIO and OCI schemes will be combined in a new scheme and also cover spouses.

-  India’s philosophy, which was not an ideology, was the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or world family, and this has guided the nation since Vedic times.  Institutions that reflect the imperatives of the 20th century won’t be effective in the 21st. It would face the risk of irrelevance.” “fulfil promise to reform the U.N. Security Council by 2015,” and called for a greater role for the G-4 coalition including India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, one that would help all countries move beyond thinking of policy as a “zero-sum game.” (Reserve it for Mains 2015 - UNSC Reform & Role of G4)

- India - Second highest in Child marriage - UNICEF; Refer: 1989 U.N. adoption of the Convention of the Rights of the Child

-  Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). India is a signatory to the World Health Organisation’s FCTC, which seeks to establish a global agenda for tobacco control and reduce demand and supply by 2020.

- 'Maitri' - India & China - Cultural Cooperation - Indian Council for Cultural Relations; 

- India - Second highest in Child marriage - UNICEF; Refer: 1989 U.N. adoption of the Convention of the Rights of the Child.

Note: The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, was the first international treaty to state the full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights belonging to children. The realities confronting children can be assessed against the commitments to which it holds States parties. Legally binding on States parties, the Convention details universally recognized norms and standards concerning the protection and promotion of the rights of children – everywhere and at all times. All but three of the world’s nations – Somalia, South Sudan and the United States of America – have ratified the document.

Source:  http://www.unicef.org/sowc2012/pdfs/SOWC-2012-The-Convention-on-the-Rights-of-the-Child.pdf

-  Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). India is a signatory to the World Health Organisation’s FCTC, which seeks to establish a global agenda for tobacco control and reduce demand and supply by 2020.

Note: The core demand reduction provisions in the WHO FCTC are contained in articles 6-14: Price and tax measures to reduce the demand for tobacco, and Non-price measures to reduce the demand for tobacco, namely: ƒ Protection from exposure to tobacco smoke; ƒ Regulation of the contents of tobacco products; ƒ Regulation of tobacco product disclosures; ƒ Packaging and labelling of tobacco products; ƒ Education, communication, training and public awareness; ƒ Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and, ƒ Demand reduction measures concerning tobacco dependence and cessation.

Source: http://www.who.int/fctc/text_download/en/ or http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2003/9241591013.pdf?ua=1

- India has voted against the provisions of draft resolutions that would have required it to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), saying there is “no question” of it joining the treaty as a non- nuclear weapon state.

Source: http://www.simplydecoded.com/2013/12/25/understanding-nuclear-treaties-indian-stand/

- SAARC countries chart common education agenda -The Ministers issued a joint statement titled 'The New Delhi Declaration on Education.'

- The governments of India and Russia have agreed that BrahMos missile will be exported to a list of mutually agreeable countries for defensive purposes. There is also a negative list to which exports are barred.

- India to modernize Vietnam's Defence & Security force;