8 December 2014
National:
Most states favour
replacing plan panel with new body
The government formally
moved to bury the Planning Commission before January 26 with strong support
from regional parties. The only resistance came from Congress-ruled states,
which failed to garner support, except from the Bihar government controlled by
Nitish Kumar, once a supporter of decentralization in decision-making. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, who discussed the role of the Planning Commission with
chief ministers, had announced the government's intent to replace the plan
panel with a new entity in his Independence Day address. He made it clear that
there was a need to replace the top down approach in planning with a
"bottom to top" approach with states given a key role. He argued for
cooperative federalism and strengthening "Team India".
Bar-prescribed
qualification must to practise law: SC
A law degree obtained by
a homoeopathic doctor after obtaining licentiate course in homoeopathy will not
entitle him/her to practise as an advocate, the Supreme Court has held. The Bar
Council of India Rules provide that for joining the course in law for a degree,
a candidate must be a graduate of any university or must possess such academic
qualifications which are considered equivalent to a graduate degree of a
university recognised by the Bar Council. One can pursue law, but for obtaining
licence to practise, he or she must fulfil all the conditions prescribed by the
Bar Council.
Acclaimed Carnatic
vocalist Nedunuri Krishnamurthy passes away
Acclaimed Carnatic
vocalist Nedunuri Krishnamurthy passed away. He was 87.Krishnamurthy, who was
reportedly undergoing treatment for lung cancer.
Assets declaration form
to be simplified
The format for
declaration of assets and liabilities by government employees under the Lokpal
rules may be simplified, following concerns raised by several departments. The
rules notified under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act say all public servants
should declare their assets and liabilities, along with those of their spouses
and dependent children. However, several Ministries and departments and other
stakeholders have raised concerns about the complexity involved in furnishing
the desired details in the form prescribed under the rules.
International:
First ‘green
diesel’-powered flight
A Boeing aircraft has
completed the world’s first flight using ‘green diesel’, a sustainable biofuel
made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil and animal fats. The company
powered its eco Demonstrator 787 flight test airplane on December 2 with a
blend of 15 per cent green diesel and 85 per cent petroleum jet fuel in the
left engine. Green diesel is chemically distinct and a different fuel product
than “biodiesel,” which also is used in ground transportation. With production
capacity of 800 million gallons (three billion litres) in the U.S., Europe and
Asia, green diesel could rapidly supply as much as one per cent of global jet
fuel demand. The flight test was coordinated with the U.S. Federal Aviation
Administration, Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney, and EPIC Aviation blended
the fuel.
China launches major
water project in Sri Lanka
China has started a
major water supply project in Sri Lanka, using “soft power” to deepen its
relationship with Colombo. The China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC)
has launched the $230-million enterprise the largest ever undertaken by the Sri
Lankan government. The Chinese company had earlier been involved in the
construction of the $1.2-billion Lakvijaya coal fired power plant in Sri Lanka.
Once completed, the project will yield clean drinking water for 600,000 people
in 42 villages not far from Colombo. The CMEC will build a water treatment
plant with a supply capacity of 54,000 cubic meters a day and other
infrastructure within three years. That would include laying over 1,000 km of
pipes.
Business and Economy:
Engineering exports
decline by 9.36 p.c
Indian engineering
exports to China dropped nearly 50 per cent in October. Exports fell to $310
million against $612 million in October 2013, according to the Union Commerce
Ministry’s Engineering Export Promotion Council of India (EEPC). As a result,
India’s total engineering exports declined 9.36 per cent to $5.03 billion in
October. Total iron and steel exports shrank by 18 per cent to $704 million in
October. India exported $858 million of iron and steel products in the same
month last year, mainly to China. As per the EEPC India analysis, consignments
to U.K. were down 29 per cent to $169 mn from $238 mn a year ago. Likewise,
shipments to Italy at $127 million were 22 per cent lower than $163 million in
October 2013. Exports of engineering items to Germany fell over four per cent
to $163 million from $171 million
Four Infosys founders
sell $1.1 billion worth of shares, pulling price down
Four Infosys
founders NR Narayana Murthy, SD Shibulal, Nandan Nilekani and K
Dinesh -- have raised $1.1 billion by selling 32.6 million shares in the
company in a bulk deal. The move pulled down the share price by 3.3% to Rs 2002
in early trade on the BSE.The founders offered 32.6 million shares at Rs 2,014
a piece, said sources. Its higher than the base price of Rs 1,988. Deutsche
Bank is the sole book runner for the deal.
Science and Tech:
GSAT-16 on course
Communication satellite
GSAT-16 was successfully launched on board an Arianespace rocket from Kourou in
French Guiana early on 7the December, after a delay of two days due to bad
weather. The satellite with 48 transponders, the largest ever carried by a communication
spacecraft built by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was injected
into the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). It was a dual satellite
launch with GSAT-16 with a lift-off mass of 3,181 kg ejected into space four
minutes after its co-passenger DIRECTTV-14 spacecraft, designed to provide
direct-to-home TV broadcasts across the US, was placed in orbit, Arianespace
said. After the command and control of the satellite was taken over by its
Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka soon after the launch, ISRO said
initial checks indicated “normal health” of the satellite.
NASA probe wakes up for
Pluto encounter
A NASA probe launched
eight years ago to explore Pluto has woken up from its last hibernation in deep
space and is now preparing to take first detailed images of the dwarf planet’s
surface and its moons in July 2015.Launched in January 2006, New Horizons probe
has travelled nearly 4.6 billion km on its way to study Pluto, its largest moon
Charon and a few smaller moons, Space.com reported. During its journey, New
Horizons passed three to four times close to Jupiter, using the planet’s
gravity to increase its speed and reduce journey times to Pluto by three years.
While the probe is now out of its hibernation phase, it will still take seven
months to reach its closet point to Pluto, passing within 12,500 km of the
planet’s surface in July 2015. The probe sends a weekly signal back to Earth,
and is woken up every six to 10 months to ensure that it is still operational.
