Civil Services Times

120 Pages·2011·22.26 MB·English

NEW SYLLABUS: Rights issues
Right to Information formation to the public and was enacted par-
tially. The new Right to Information Bill in-
(cid:1) Information is the
by Sneha troduced in May 2005 has a wider scope. At
currency that every
Information is power. It will make the people in- the same time, they are subject to reasonable
citizen requires to
formed and informed individual become enlight- restrictions that come under the Article 19(2)
enable them to
participate in the ened individual. to (6). The RTI Act in India has sought to ex-
process of Information is the currency that every citizen pand democratic space and empower the citi-
governance. Free and requires to enable them to participate in the zens to exercise more on the corrupt and inac-
open access to the process of governance. Free and open access cessible practices.
information to the to the information to the citizens is an THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005
citizens is an
indispensible element of participatory democ- An Overview: The Right to Information Act
indispensible element
racy. The secretive regime breeds corruption, came into force all over India on October 12th
of participatory
waste, abuse of power and acts of maladmin- 2005 (120th day of its enactment on 15th June,
democracy.
istration leading to an inefficient government. 2005). The RTI Act extends to the whole of In-
According to Woodrow Wilson, the govern- dia (except the State of Jammu and Kashmir),
ment ought to be all outside and not inside. all bodies, which come under Government
Thus a democratic process can only be insured notification including NGOs, which are
by a free flow of Information resulting into a owned, controlled or are substantially fi-
full participation of citizenry. Information nanced by the Government.
Rights are considered to be the subset of the The Purpose of the Act: The Right to Infor-
human rights. Information and knowledge are mation Act provide for setting out the practi-
the instruments of transformation towards a cal regime of right to information for citizens
(cid:1) Sweden was the
more accountable and participatory adminis- to secure access to information under the con-
first country in the
world to introduce the tration and thus right to information is a very trol of public authorities, in order to promote
right to information in critical factor that is needed to move from rep- transparency and accountability in the working
1766.Other resentative to participatory democracy. The of every public authority, the constitution of a
Scandinavian paradigm shift from secrecy to transparency Central Information Commission and State In-
countries followed in government is mainly because of formation Commissions
Sweden but very lately.
Globalisation and e-revolution making people The basic object of this Act is to empower the
Thus Finland enacted
universally more aware of their rights. citizens, promote transparency and account-
the Freedom of
Sweden was the first country in the world to ability in the working of the Government and
Information legislation
in 1951. Denmark and introduce the right to information in 1766. make our democracy work for the people in
Norway made similar Other Scandinavian countries followed Swe- real sense. It goes without saying that an in-
legislations in the year den but very lately. Thus Finland enacted the formed citizen is better equipped to keep nec-
1970. Freedom of Information legislation in 1951. essary vigil on the instruments of governance
Denmark and Norway made similar legisla- and make the government more accountable
tions in the year 1970. USA granted informa- to the governed. The Act is a big step towards
tion Act in 1966. In Indian Constitution there making the citizens informed about the activi-
is no direct provision for conferring right to ties of the Government allowing to the share
information to the citizens. However the Su- power with the humblest and poorest of the
preme Court has been stating since 1975 that society.
the right to information is an intrinsic part of Interpreting Information: Information means
the two fundamental rights guaranteed by the any material in any form, including records,
(cid:1)The Right to Constitution of India, the Right to freedom of documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices,
Information Act came speech and expression {Article 19 (1) (a)} and press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, con-
into force all over India Right to Life and personal Liberty (Article 21). tracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data
on October 12th 2005
In India various laws and rules restrict the dis- material held in any electronic form and in-
(120th day of its
closure of the official information to the people formation relating to any private body which
enactment on 15th
and thus favour secrecy in administration. The can be accessed by a public authority under
June, 2005). The RTI
Act extends to the major ones include Official Secrets Act, 1923; any other law for the time being in force.
whole of India (except Indian Evidence Act, 1872; Commission of Defining Right to Information: Right to in-
the State of Jammu Enquiry Act 1952; All-India Services (conduct) formation means the right to information ac-
and Kashmir), all Rules, 1954 and Central civil services (con- cessible under this Act which is held by or
bodies, which come duct), 1955. Fifth Pay Commission recom- under the control of any public authority and
under Government
mended for the abolition of the official Secrets which includes the right to
notification including
act and introduction of the right to informa- (a) Inspect works, documents, records.
NGOs, which are
tion Act. As a result Freedom of Information (b) take notes, extracts or certified copies of
owned, controlled or
are substantially Bill, 2000 was enacted in 2002 to provide in- documents or records.
financed by the formation to citizens. But the Act retained a (c) Take certified samples of material.
Government. number of restrictive provisions to deny in- (d) obtain information in the form of diskettes,
FEBRUARY 2011, XVII Year, Issue No.02 87 Civil Services
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Reports WMR 2010 sets out to achieve its aims thirty years ago than they do today.
via three steps: - The UK comes 74th out of 143
Global Manufacturing Competi- "First, the Report develops an 'inven- countries. Costa Rica boasts the highest
tiveness Index (GMCI), 2010 tory', or checklist of activities required life satisfaction of anywhere in the
The GMCI published by the collabo- for coping with likely changes and world.
ration between Deloitte and the US challenges in international migration, ADB Report 2010
Council on Competitiveness has as- to help states prepare for changes; In a survey of 27 cities, Delhi has
serted that India, along with China "Second, drawing on IOM and other emerged as the most attractive city in
and South Korea will become world agencies' work, the report presents a the country for both foreign and
leaders in manufacturing competitive- review of existing activities, to iden- domestic investors, followed by
ness by 2015. The index is based on tify best practice for capacity-building Greater Mumbai and Chennai. The
views of more than 400 manufactur- and identify gaps and weaknesses. ADB has ranked cities under five major
ing executives worldwide and has "Third, the report concludes with a categories: city prosperity index, urban
rated the overall manufacturing com- series of policy recommendations to governance, business environment,
petitiveness of 26 countries currently states, civil societies, and international infrastructure index and quality of life.
and in five years. There is a growing organizations, for building capacities And the overall rating is based on these
evidence of India slowly emerging as for change. five comparatives.
the new destination for global manu- Medical brain drain According to the ADB study, the top
facturing. More surprising (than India has been regarded as the top 15 cities to invest in India are, as per
China's rise to the top) is that India is country of origin of migrant doctors in rank: Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Chennai,
now positioned at number two and ex- Organisation for Economic Co- Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune,
pected to gain an even stronger foot- operation and Development (OECD) Ahmedabad, Surat, Chandigarh,
hold over the next five years. The other countries with over 56,000 Indian Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, Vadodara,
highlights of the report are (i) The doctors in these countries, which Jaipur and Thiruvananthapuram.
world's top 10 countries in manufac- include the UK, the US, Canada, and Appointment
turing competitiveness in 2015 will be Australia. In terms of nurses, the
China, followed by India, Korea, Bra- Philippines is the main country of Nikki Haley
zil, the US, Mexico, Japan, Germany origin for nurses, with over 110,000 Indian-American Nikki Haley has
and Poland. (ii) While China, India Filipino nurses working in OECD been elected the new governor of
and South Korea, the three most countries, followed by the United South Carolina. Haley is the first
manufacturing competitive economies Kingdom (just under 46,000), Germany woman and first from the minority
would retain their position, Brazil is (under 32,000). group to be elected governor of the
projected to replace US from the The problem of “medical brain drain” conservative southern state. The
fourth slot. (iii) The US, where con- is highly faced by all the OECD daughter of immigrants from Punjab,
cerns of losing competitiveness are al- countries, especially in African Haley is also the second-ever Indian-
ready causing some concern, is ex- countries. As per the figures quoted by American elected Governor of an
pected to slip to the fifth slot- the high- the World Health Organisation American State, after Bobby Jindal of
est decline among the 26 countries- by (WHO), the number of physicians per Louisiana. She belongs to the Repub-
2015. (iv) Dominant manufacturing 100,000 populations for India is 70, lican Party and she defeated her
super powers of the late 20th century- which stands at par with low-income Democratic opponent Vince Sheheen.
the US, Japan, and Germany-are ex- countries, and for the public sector, the Kamala Harris
pected to become less competitive in figure is a miserable 20. Kamala Harris was elected as the At-
five years. Happy Planet Index torney General of California following
World Migration Report 2010 The Happy Planet Index (HPI) is an the 2010 California State Elections. She
The Future of Migration: building index of human well-being and is a well-known author in the USA and
Capacities for Change: - World Migra- environmental impact that was had served as District Attorney of San
tion Report 2010 (WMR 2010) is the introduced by the New Economics Francisco since 2004. Harris is the first
fifth in IOM's series of biennial reports Foundation (NEF) in July 2006. NEF woman, African-American and Asian
on international migration. Like the was founded in 1986 by the leaders of American to become the attorney gen-
World Migration Reports that have The Other Economic Summit (TOES) eral of California and first Indian
preceded it, it is intended to contrib- which forced issues such as American attorney General in the
ute to the mission of the International international debt onto the agenda of United States.
Organization of Migration (IOM) to the G7 and G8 summits.HPI is U.K. Sinha
promote 'humane and orderly policies designed to challenge well-established The Government search panel headed
in the movement of persons across indices of countries’ development, by cabinet secretary K.M. Chandra-
borders'. Specifically, its aim is to pro- such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) sekhar has proposed the name of U.K.
mote a focus on building capacities to and the Human Development Index Sinha for the post of SEBI Chairman.
enable states and other stakeholders (HDI), which are seen as not taking U.K. Sinha is currently the Chairman
to respond to and plan for migration sustainability into account. The USA, and MD of UTI Mutual Fund. The
effectively and in a sustainable way. China and India had a higher HPI SEBI chairman's post will falls vacant
FEBRUARY 2011, XVII Year, Issue No.02 98 Civil Services
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on February 17, 2011, when incumbent in the commission. He took over as IC Bharat Petroleum is considered to be
C.B. Bhave's term ends. on September 5, 2008 and his tenure a pioneer in Indian petroleum indus-
Sinha, a civil servant-turned-banker will continue till September 2013. try with various path-breaking initia-
plucked out of the Indian Administra- Nitish Kumar tives such as Pure for Sure campaign,
tive Service for plum finance manage- For the second consecutive terms, Petro card, Fleet card etc. BPCL was
ment jobs, was in a race in which other Nitesh Kumar, leader of Janata Dal- nationalized in the year 1976.
front-runners were disinvestment sec- United (JD-U) has been sworn in as Anup Sankar Bhattacharya
retary Siddhartha Pradhan and corpo- 32nd Chief Minister of Bihar. He led Indian Bank has directed T. M. Bhasin
rate affairs secretary R Bandyo- the National Democratic Alliance to continue as chairman and manag-
padhya. (NDA) to an incredible victory — ing director of Indian Bank as per Gov-
S K Tripathi winning 206 of 243 seats. Sushil Kumar ernment of India notification till
The government has appointed S.K. Modi of BJP was sworn in as a cabinet March 2015 and Anup Sankar
Tripathi as the new head of the Re- minister. He will be the deputy chief Bhattacharya has to relinquish the
search and Analysis Wing (RAW) af- minister. A negative swing of 9 per cent charge of the executive director in In-
ter the incumbent K C Verma decided votes cost the RJD-LJP alliance dear, dian Bank and he has assumed charge
to retire early. The Head of RAW has while a positive swing of 2.7 per cent as chairman and managing director of
a fixed tenure of 2 years. catapulted the NDA to power with a Bank of Maharashtra, Pune.
Tripathi, who originally belongs to the landslide victory bagging 206 seats in Rajeev Rishi has assumed charge as
Uttar Pradesh cadre of the 1973 batch a House of 243 in Bihar. JD-U’s vote executive director, Indian Bank. Prior
of the Indian Police Service, but was share went up from 19.85 per cent in to this assignment, he was general
absorbed within RAW, is the first 2005 to 22.58 and for ally BJP from 15.38 manager of Oriental Bank of Com-
RAW chief from the RAS (RAW Al- per cent to 16.49. For NDA, which had merce (OBC). He joined OBC as a pro-
lied Services) cadre to head the a positive swing of 2.7 per cent - it bationary officer in 1979 and had
organisation. meant a lot as it enabled the alliance to served in various parts of the coun-
Frank Ruggeiro wrest Bihar with 206 seats, 63 more try, Indian Bank said in a statement.
Frank Ruggeiro a carrier civil servant than the 143 it won last time. Awards
who served under late Richard Kiran Reddy
Holbrooke, has been made the acting After the resignation of K Rosaiah as Times Person of the Year, 2010
US Special Representative to the AF- the Andhra Pradesh chief minister, the Facebook founder and CEO Mark
Pak region and he will be assisted by one-time Ranji Trophy player and four- Zuckerberg has been named Time
two deputies, one of them an Indian- term MLA, Nallari Kiran Kumar Magazine's "Person of the Year" for
American. Reddy, has become the 16th CM of 2010. Zuckerberg has put himself on
Deepak Kapoor Andhra Pradesh. He was a four-term
Deepak Kapoor has been appointed as MLA from Chittoor, who has never
the Chairman of the Consultancy firm been a minister.
Pricewaterhouse Coopers India (PwC). A P Singh
He has taken over the role from Amar Pratap Singh, an IPS of 1994
Gautam Banerjee. Deepak has served batch from Jharkhand cadre, was
as Managing Director of PwC India appointed as the new director of the
network entities since 2007. He joined Central Bureau of Investigation for two
Price Waterhouse as an Articled years succeeding Ashwani Kumar. He
Trainee in 1978 and became a partner is a recipient of Indian Police Medal
in 1991. and President’s Police Medal. Singh
Satyanand Misra will be probing sensitive cases like the
Information Commissioner Satyanand 2G scam case, Suresh Kalmadi’s role
Misra has taken over as the new chief in Commonwealth Games scandal and the map not only as one of the world's
information commissioner (CIC) and also the Adarsh housing society scam youngest billionaires but also as a
he has replaced AN Tiwari. The of Mumbai. prominent newcomer to the world of
decision was taken by a panel R K Singh philanthropy. Earlier in the year he
comprising Prime Minister Manmohan The government has appointed R.K. had pledged $ 100 million over five
Singh, law minister Veerappa Moily Singh as the new Chairman and Man- years to the Newark, N J School sys-
and leader of Opposition Sushma aging Director of the state owned tem.
Swaraj. A 1973 batch IAS officer, Misra BPCL. Bharat Petroleum Corporation He is the youngest “Person of the Year”
had worked for ten years in the Limited (BPCL) is one of the largest since the first one chosen, Charles
Madhya Pradesh government in state-owned oil and Gas Company in Lindbergh; he was 25 when he was
various posts. In 2007, he became a India. Its corporate office is located in named in 1927. Zuckerberg beat out
secretary in the department of Mumbai. As the name suggests, its Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II by just two
personnel and training in the Ministry interests are in downstream petroleum weeks: She was 26 when she was
Of Personnel, Public Grievances and sector. It is involved in the refining named in 1952.
Pensions. He was the senior-most IC and retailing of petroleum products. Time’s “Person of the Year” is the
FEBRUARY 2011, XVII Year, Issue No.02 99 Civil Services
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person that has most influenced the Medical Innovation. In Kannada he has produced and
culture and the news during the past CNN-IBN Lifetime directed films such as Bhaktha
year for good or for ill. Federal Reserve Achievement Award Markandeya in 1956, Mahishasura
Chairman Ben Bernanke received the Veteran agricultural scientist M. S. Mardini, Amarashilpi Jakkanachari,
honour in 2009. The 2008 winner was Swaminathan has been conferred the Prathigne, Chandrahasa, Mahasathi
then-President-elect Barack Obama. CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2010 Anusooye, Parvathi Kalyana, Bhale
The 2007 winner was Russian Prime Lifetime Achievement Award for his Bhasava, Mr Rajakumar, Sidila Mari,
Minister Vladimir Putin. Other “outstanding leadership in the field of Bhagyavantha, Hasyarathna
previous winners have included Bono, agriculture that has contributed to Ramakrishna, Huliyadha Kaala,
President George W. Bush and ensuring food security for millions of Shivabhaktha Markandeya and others.
Amazon.com CEO and founder Jeff Indians.”Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Manish Acharya
Bezos. Kumar was chosen the CNN-IBN An actor-director-producer Manish
Sastra Ramanujan Award Indian of the Year, for “changing the Acharya, of “ Loins of Punjab Presents”
Professor Wei Zhang, a Benjamin vocabulary of politics, putting fame, died at the age of 40. The other
Pierce Instructor at the Department of development on centre stage and films by Manish are ‘Sita Sings The
Mathematics, Harvard University has triggering hope amongst millions.” Blues’ and ‘Luck By Chance’. He
received the Sastra Ramanujan Special Achievement awards went to worked as a camera assistant in Ken
Award, instituted by the Shanmugha the Shillong Chamber Choir and the Ghosh’s ‘Ishk Vishk’ and worked as a
Arts Science Technology and Research Indian Women’s Relay Team of cinematographer for a short film
Academy (SASTRA) University to en- Manjeet Kaur, Sini Jose, Ashwini ‘Highway 403, Mile 39’. He studied
courage path breaking research in Akkunji, Mandeep Kaur. filmmaking at the New York
Ramanujan Mathematics for 2010. Pro- J. Gopikrishnan, journalist, who was University.
fessor Wei Zhang for his far reaching instrumental in exposing the 2G Richard Holbrooke
contributions to a broad range of ar- spectrum scam, was honoured with the Richard Holbrooke, President Barack
eas, including auto-morphic forms, L CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2010 – Obama’s Special Representative for
functions, trace formulas, representa- Special Achievement Award. Afghanistan and Pakistan, died at the
tion theory and algebraic geometry. Death age of 69. He had played significant
The award also recognises the pro- role in Afghanistan and played an
found influence he has wielded in the Francis Gomes
past few years on number theory and He had allegedly confined his wife and
related areas by introducing several three daughters to their Vasai
deep ideas and techniques. residence for over seven years, was
Scope Awards buried at a cemetary in Nallasopara at
The SCOPE (Standing Conference of the age of 61. Gomes had been arrested
Public Enterprises) excellence award on September 28, 2009, for wrongfully
in the individual category was given confining his wife and three daughters
to NTPC chairman and MD Arup Roy to their Vasai house for more than
while Coal India Limited Chairman P. seven years.
S. Bhattacharya was presented the B.S. Ranga
Special Award of the Jury. While pre- The veteran Kannada film director-
senting the awards the Prime Minis- producer B.S. Ranga died at the age of
ter Manmohan Singh exhorted public 93. Ranga independently directed 45
sector undertakings (PSU's) to ensure films in Kannada, Hindi, Tamil and
highest standards of corporate ac- Telugu and produced three films. He
countability, besides asking them to began his career as a cinematographer
improve productivity by making use and had a brief stint at Gemini Studios
of new technology and pay attention before starting his own studio and
to improving corporate governance in production company, Vikram
order to compete with private sector. Productions. In other languages he
Dr Gifty Immanuel directed and produced Pardesi, Pyaas, important role in upgrading the
Dr. Gifty Immanuel, a Tuticorin-based Prakash, Bhaktha Thulasidas, Bala Pakistan-U.S. Strategic Dialogue to the
Indian physician, is studying a Jewish- Nagamma, Devadasu, Stree Sahasam, Ministerial level and expanding the
Christian Relations programme via e- Maa Gopi, Kanavane Kankanda scope of Pakistan-U.S. relations. He has
learning, and who is pursuing a Daivam, Tenali Ramakrishna, played as chief architect of the Dayton
master’s programme offered by the Kutumba Gowravam, Raja Peace Accords in 1996. His government
Woolf Institute in conjunction with the Malayasimha, Niche Thamboolam, career spanned nearly five decades and
University of Cambridge, has won the Pelli Thamboolam, Asha Jeevalu, ranged from junior diplomat in South
2010 Junior Chamber International Thendral Veesam, Pyar Kiya Tho Vietnam to U.S. ambassador to
(TOYP) Ten Outstanding Young Darna Kya, Pattikatu Ponnaiah and Germany and at the United Nations.
Persons of the World Award for Ganga Ki Kasam. T.E. Srinivasan
FEBRUARY 2011, XVII Year, Issue No.02 100 Civil Services
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Former Tamil Nadu cricketer T E Surendra Mohan Sentenced/Accused
Srinivasan died at the age of 60. He has The renowned socialist thinker and
played for India in one Test and two activist Surendra Mohan passed away Moshe Katsav
one-dayers in 1980-81. He was a key at the age of 84. He was a member of The former Israeli President Moshe
player for Tamil Nadu in the 70s, the Rajya Sabha from 1978 to 1984. He Katsav was convicted of two counts of
totalled 48 runs in his debut Test, was also the former chairman of the rape by a court.The court convicted
against New Zealand in March 1981. Khadi and Village Industries Katsav of raping an employee while he
During his first class career, he had Commission. He had provided crucial was minister of tourism, a post he held
played 75 matches, including 45 in support to NC leaders when political from 1996 until 1999. Katsav was
Ranji Trophy, and scored 3,487 runs at parties were banned in Nepal. Mohan president of Israel from 2000 to 2007.
an average of 34.18 with five centuries. had also helped train second- According to the indictment, Katsav
An occasional leg-spinner, he generation NC leaders on the theory forced one woman to the floor of his
represented Woodhouse in the of democratic socialism and developed office at the Tourism Ministry in 1998
Yorkshire League for some years, and close ties with prominent CPN-UML and raped her. Katsav immigrated
also played Grade cricket in New leaders. A trusted aide of Jai Prakash with his family to Israel in 1951. At age
South Wales. Narain, Mohan was also a founder of 24 he became the country’s youngest
Justice Eradi the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, mayor and went on to hold a number
Vettath Balakrishnan Eradi , former a member of the Socialist International of cabinet posts as a member of the
Judge of Supreme Court, who had also and the India-Pakistan People’s rightist Likud party.
played an insyrumental role in several Forum. Hashim Thaci
spiritual, cultural and social Kannoth Karunakaran The report by Council of Europe
organizations, died at the age of 88. He Senior Congress leader and former investigator Dick Marty has suggested
had also served as the Chief Justice of Kerala chief minister Kannoth Kosovo’s US-backed Prime Minister
Kerala High Court and as president of Karunakaran died at the age of 92. He
National Consumer Disputes pioneered many of Kerala’s success
Redressal Commission. When the stories, including the country’s first
Kerala High Court came into force in greenfield airport in Kochi on the PPP
1956 he shifted his practice to mode and the first government-owned
Ernakulum and in 1967 was appointed IT park in the country. He organised a
as additional judge. Eradi, who was union at a large textile mill, and later
appointed as High Court chief justice founded what is today the Indian
in 1980, shifted to the Supreme Court National Trade Union Congress
in 1981 and retired in 1987. After his (INTUC).
retirement, he acted as the president He was elected to the Thrissur
of the National Consumer Dispute Municipal Corporation in 1945 at the
Redressal Forum till 1997. He was a age of 26. Seven consecutive wins from
single Member Enquiry Commission Mala constituency in Thrissur from
for conducting a Fact Finding Enquiry 1967 to 1991 brought him the title, ‘the
into certain untoward incidents which Pearl of Mala.’ His only electoral
took place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan debacle in life was in 1996 when he lost
on November 21, 1990 during the the LS elections from Thrissur
swearing -in ceremony of the members constituency.
of the Union Ministry headed by K Bobby Farrell Hashim Thaci headed a mafia-style
Chandrasekhar. Singer Bobby Farrell of the 1970s organised crime ring in the late 1990s
Dashrath Patel European chart-topping group Boney that engaged in assassinations,
Design guru and the founder secretary M has died at the age of 61 after beatings, organ trafficking. Neverthe-
of the National Institute of Design performing in St. Petersburg. less, the Kosovo’s government has
(NID), died at the age of 83. A multi- He had lived in Amsterdam, was more branded tise report as “baseless”. The
faceted personality, Patel was a a dancer and showman than singer 55-page report is an attempt to cast
painter, ceramist, photographer and when he headlined Boney M in the new light on the Kosovo Liberation
graphic designer. A contemporary of 1970s. The group, based in Germany, Army (KLA), which received US
Tyeb Mehta,MF Husain and V S broke into the charts with “Daddy backing to secure Kosovo’s
Gaitonde who were together in the 50s Cool” in 1978. That year their version independence from Serbia in 1999.
in Bhulabhai Desai Institute, of “By the Rivers of Babylon” sold Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Mumbai,he was introduced to nearly two million records in Britain He had already served an eight-year
photography by the legendary Henri alone, keeping it No. 1 for five weeks. prison term, was further found guilty
Cartier Bresson. He was chosen in 1974 to front the in his second trial, which would keep
Born in Sojitra, Gujarat, in 1927, was Caribbean group Boney M, put him behind bars for several more years.
the first to be conferred a Padma Shri together by German singer and He was found guilty of stealing oil
for design in 1980. songwriter Frank Farian. from his own company and laundering
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the proceeds. The court established The Government of Maharashtra has released on bail are vice-chairman
that Khodorkovsky and Lebedev denotified the 49 mining areas in the Pradip Gogoi, cultural secretary
laundered over 487 billion rubles ($16 lush region. Sindhudurg has the Pranati Deka, central publicity
billion) and $7.5 billion in 1998-2004. highest green cover in Maharashtra secretary Mithinga Daimary and self-
Prosecution has demanded a six-year and was declared the countrys first eco- styled deputy commander-in-chief
prison term, which would be added to tourism district in 1997. Raju Baruah. Further, United
an eight-year sentence Russia’s former Of the 49 permissions,32 were granted Liberation Front of Asom chief
richest man has been serving since in the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg Arabinda Rajkhowa was also released
2003. area,which has the highest forest cover from the Guwahati Central Jail.
Binayak Sen in Sindhudurg district.The area boasts Fastest Train
The Raipur Sessions Court in of rich wildlife and makes up a major Chinese passenger train hit a record
Chhattisgarh has given life-term to Dr. portion of the green corridor between speed of 486kph during a test run of a
Binayak Sen for sedition. Sen, an Koyna sanctuary in Satara district and yet-to-be opened link between Beijing
activist with the People’s Union for the Anshi-Dandeli tiger reserve in and Shanghai. It was the fastest speed
Civil Liberties, was arrested in May Karnataka. recorded by an unmodified
2007 from Bilaspur. The court Newsmakers conventional commercial train. The
sentenced Sen for helping Maoist line is due to open in 2012 and will
rebels in their fight against the state of Yunus’ Grameen Bank halve the current travel time between
Chhattisgarh. Along with Sen, Naxal The Bangladesh government has the capital Beijing and Shanghai to five
ideologue Narayan Sanyal and ordered a “thorough” probe into hours.The project costs $32.5 billion
Kolkata-based businessman Piyush allegation that Nobel Laureate and is part of a massive government
Guha were also found guilty of Muhammad Yunus transferred nearly effort to link many of China’s cities by
sedition and given life sentences. The high-speed rail and reduce
58-year old activist, a paediatrician by overcrowding on heavily used lines.
training, had been accused by the China already has the world’s longest
prosecution of carrying messages and high-speed rail network, and it plans
letters from Naxal ideologue Sanyal to to cover 13,000 kilometers by 2012 and
underground Maoists. 16,000 kilometers by 2020.
Sujata Sachdeva Other types of trains in other countries
Sujata Sue Sachdeva, a former Indian have traveled faster.A specially
American Executive of KOSS Corpo- modified French TGV train reached
ration has been given the sentence of 574.8kph during a 2007 test, while a
11 years for embezzling a whopping Japanese magnetically levitated train
$34 million from the company to pay sped to 581kph in 2003.
her personal bill during her shopping Jonathan Lee
spree. KOSS Corporation is a Milwau- A 13-year-old American boy Jonathan
kee based head phone maker com- Lee unfurled a sign saying “peace
pany. treaty” and “nuclear free DMZ
Place children’s peace forest” as he stood
$100 million originally meant for outside Tiananmen, or the Gate of
Gharana Wetland microcredit operations of his Grameen Heavenly Peace, in central Beijing.
Gharana Wetland located close to Bank to a non-profit sister venture of Dighi Port
Indo-Pak border in Jammu district has the bank to avoid tax. One can recollect The Rs 3,000 crore Dighi Port in
been notified as a protected that Yunus had won the Nobel Prize Maharashtra has enhanced the faster
waterbody and declared as Important in 2006 for his efforts in making movement of cargo in the western
Bird Area (IBA). The Gharana Wet- Grameen Bank a microfinance region. The port has a capacity of 30
land is home to thousands of migra- organisation and community million tonnes in the first phase. The
tory birds during the winter. The re- development bank that provides small total capacity will rise to 90 million
serve is also known as bird-watchers' loans to the impoverished. tonnes when the third phase is
paradise, it supports a population of Bhimkanta Buragohain completed. Balaji Infra Projects holds
20,000 to 25,000 birds of different spe- The United Liberation Front of Asom 80 per cent stake in the project and
cies during every winter with most of (ULFA) activist Bhimkanta Buragohain IL&FS the remaining 20 per cent. The
the species being migratory, endan- alias Mama has been released from the port which is located in Raigad district
gered or covered under different jail. He was in jail since his capture is 170 kms by road from Mumbai and
schedules of the Act. The birds which during a crackdown on the ULFA in around 45 nautical miles across the
visit the reserve include Siberian Bhutan by the Royal Bhutan Army Mumbai shoreline. Dighi Port also
Hans, Keel, Grey Heron and Little during ‘Operation All Clear’ in plans to develop a multi-product
Grebe from New Zealand, America December 2003. He was the fifth leader Special Economic Zone (SEZ),
and Australia. to be released on bail and four other including a Free Trade Warehousing
Sindhudurg mining senior ULFA leaders who have been Zone in its vicinity.
FEBRUARY 2011, XVII Year, Issue No.02 102 Civil Services
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Niyamgiri Miss Ecuador Jennifer Pazmino won ity of the land at resettlement sites.
Short films on environmental issues the Miss Earth Air title. Miss Thailand More Funds for Ganga Project
‘Niyamgiri You Are Still Alive,’ Watsaporn Wattanakoon grabbed the The states through which the Ganga
directed by Suma Josson, and Miss Earth Water crown. Nicole also flows will give additional funds to
‘Kaippad,’ directed by Babu Kambrath, won the 2010 Miss Earth Talent operate and maintain projects to clean
were declared joint winners of ‘The Competition. the river and restore its environmen-
Vasudha Award,’ the country’s only Azim Premji-India's tal health. At the meeting of the Na-
government award for an biggest philanthropist tional Ganga River Basin Authority
environmental film. The award In the largest act of philanthropy by (NGRBA) which is headed by the PM,
instituted by the Short Film Centre an Indian, Wipro Chairman Azim the Chief Minister of Uttrakhand de-
(SFC) at the International Film Festival Premji has announced to donate Rs. manded a compensation of 2000 MW
of India (IFFI) carried a cash prize of 8846 crore to improve school educa- of free power for the scrapped
Rs. 3 lakh. tion in India. Azim Premji is India's projects. The NGRBA ratified the de-
Burj Khalifa third richest man with a net worth of cision to abandon three major hydel
Indians top the list of buyers in Burj $18 billion. He has decided to transfer projects along the Bhagirathi which
Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, 213 million equity shares of WIPRO runs through the State. The Loharinag
having acquired space worth $7.9 Ltd. held by him to the Azim Premji Pala, Bhaironghati and Pala Maneri
million in the first seven months of the Trust. It will fund educational activi- projects were abandoned following
tower’s opening. The 100 floor Burj ties of the Azim Premji Foundation protests by local communities, envi-
Khalifa tower include London-based (APF) which works mainly with the ronmental activists and religious lead-
NRI businessman Raj Kundra, who school of rural India. Azim Premji had ers. The NGRBA also gave in principle
presented an apartment to his wife previously transferred Rs. 700 crore to approval to declare the 135 km stretch
Shilpa Shetty. Other major buyers of the APF. between Gaumukh and Uttarkashi an
tower’s space include Australians $1.25 Project/Scheme eco-sensitive zone. This means that no
million, Omanese $1.14 million, hydel project is now allowed there.
Chinese $0.62 million and Iranians Nam Theun 2 Hydropower The NGRBA said the Central govern-
$0.73 million. Project ment would bear 70 per cent of the cost
Nicole Faria French President Nicholas Sarkozy, of operating and maintain projects
20-year-old Nicole Faria has won the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva asset up to prevent pollution, clean
2010 Miss Earth crown. The 10th and senior World Bank and Asian river and improve its environmental
edition of the Miss Earth beauty Development Bank officials inaugu- status. But the affected states lobbied
rated the Nam Theun 2 Hydropower for a burden sharing formula of 90 per
Project in central Laos in December, cent by the Centre and 10 per cent by
2010. The power project has the capac- the States. By April, 2011 the govern-
ity to produce 920 megawatts of elec- ment also expects to finalise a $1 bil-
tricity that would meet the major sup- lion line of credit from the World Bank
ply needs of Thailand. Funded by the for NGRBA projects. Last year the
World Bank, Asian Development NGRBA approved Rs. 1400 crore
Bank and a host of other public and worth of projects.
private funders, Nam Theun 2 has National Maritime
been a focus of criticism by environ- Domain Awareness
mental and human rights groups since (NMDA) project
it was first proposed in the early 1990s. The Indian government is finalizing
The environmental and human rights the national maritime domain aware-
group, International Rivers condemn ness project. It is an integrated intelli-
that the project has displaced 6200 in- gence grid to detect and tackle threats
digenous people on the Nakai Plateau emanating from the sea in real time.
and will affect more than 100000 The project has been cleared by the
people living downstream along the national committee for strengthening
Xe Bang Fai River. Two Thai compa- maritime and coastal security, which
nies-Italian-Thai Development Pcl and is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.
the Electricity Generating Pcl have co- The project now waits the approval of
invested in the construction of the Union Cabinet. NMDA project will
project with the Lao government and increase the multi agency coordination
France's EDF International. Interna- and augment the on-going efforts to
tional Rivers, which opposes large in- strengthen maritime and coastal secu-
pageant was held in Vinpearl Land, ternationally funded dam projects, rity. The project revolves around the
Nha Trang, Vietnam on December 4, maintains that the food security of high tech National Command Control
2010. Miss Puerto Rico Yeidy Bosquez farmers displaced by the dam project Communication and Intelligence Net-
was announced Miss Earth Fire and is threatened because of the poor qual- work (NC3IN). The central hub of the
FEBRUARY 2011, XVII Year, Issue No.02 103 Civil Services
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NC3IN is coming up at Gurgaon. The as black chimneys by researchers can called World Oral Literature Project
aim is to generate a common opera- provide clues about the origin of ma- has been developed by the
tion of on-going activities at sea rine life. This is china's 22nd deep sea University's researchers. In India the
through an institutionalised mecha- scientific research mission and the project include ethnographic docu-
nism for collecting, fusing and ship's third global voyage. mentation of the literature and culture
analysing information from technical National Initiative on of the indigenous Mudugar and
and other sources like coastal surveil- Climate Resilient Kurumbar communities in Palakkad
lance network radars, space based Agriculture district of Kerala using digital video,
automatic identification systems and The Centre has allocated Rs 350 crore audio and photography. Another In-
fishermen biometric identity database. for implementation of a new scheme dia base project is a 20 hour long re-
Project Greater Gir called the National Initiative on Cli- cording of a ballad about the life and
The project Greater Gir was launched mate Resilient Agriculture to address adventure of Tejaji, the Snake Deity,
by the Gujarat Government for con- the impact of climate change on agri- sung by the Mali community in
servation of the Asiatic Lion. The culture and allied sectors. It is ex- Thikarda village of Bundi district in
Project was launched by under the pected that about one lakh farmers Rajasthan, along with the documen-
centrally sponsored Integrated Devel- from 100 districts will benefit from the tation of Tejaji customs and traditions
opment of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) on farm demonstration of climate re- in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan. The
scheme. Recently the Planning Com- silient technologies that will be under- Project will also keep records of 3524
mission has approved Rs 262.36 crore taken under the scheme during the world languages, ranging from those
to expand the home of the Asiatic Lion remaining 11th plan period till 2012. deemed vulnerable to those that like
The ICAR plans to carry research with Latin, remain well understood but are
a long term perspective on crop im- effectively moribund or extinct.
provement to heat and drought stress, Science and
management of natural resources for
adaptation and mitigation and inno- Technology
vative livestock management practices
to minimize heat stress on animals. SiGe Technology
Despite US protest India A project funded by the NASA and led
goes on with Kaladan Project by the Georgia Institute of Technology
Despite the pressure from the US to has developed a novel approach to
tighten screws on the ruling military space electronics that could change
junta in Myanmar, India has gone how space vehicles and instruments
in Gir, which is its only habitat in the ahead and started work on the crucial are designed. The new capabilities are
world. Under the project 90% of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Trans- based on silicon-germanium (SiGe)
fund was to be provided to the state, port Project, which seeks to augment technology, which can produce elec-
the Central Government has requested trade ties between the two nations. tronics that are highly resistant to both
the Planning Commission to make al- The Kaladan Multimodal wide temperature variations and
location for the same. Transit Transport Project space radiations. SiGe alloys combine
Staggering $4.78 billion The project named after the Kaladan silicon with germanium at nano scale
FII in the month of November River is aimed to enhance connectiv- dimensions. This alloy gives a robust
Showing strong faith in the Indian ity between India's east coast and material that offers important gains in
economy, overseas funds infused a north-eastern states. The project com- toughness, speed and flexibility. This
staggering $ 4.78 billion in the capital prises construction of a port in robustness is crucial to function in
market in November, taking the year Myanmar's town Sittwe. The project space without bulky radiation shields
total to $ 39 billion. FII's have been is expected to cost over Rs 500 crore, or large temperature control devices.
pumping funds into emerging mar- the project will link Sittwe with SiGe can provide major reductions in
kets like India because of their strong Mizoram. It is funded fully by the weight, size, complexity, power and
growth potential. Besides, the rising Ministry of External Affairs and is cost.
concerns over the Korean conflict and likely to be completed in the year 2013. World's First Artificial
Ireland's debt issue derived foreign Once completed, India will use the Kidney created by Indian
funds into the Indian equity market. Sittwe port to transport goods from its An US based Indian origin doctor
Dayangyihao or Ocean One port in Kolkata to the north-eastern Shuvo Roy has created the world's
It is a Chinese research ship that sailed states. first implantable artificial kidney. It is
from Guangzhou in the month of De- World Oral Literature Project the size of a coffee cup and will be able
cember starting a 376 day global trip The University of Cambridge has to mimic the kidney's most vital func-
that will take it across the Pacific, At- launched a unique project to provide tions like filtering toxins out of the
lantic and Indian Ocean. The ship will universal access to languages of India blood stream, regulate blood pressure
also conduct research on hot liquid and elsewhere that are endangered and produce all important vitamin D.
sulphides and deep sea biological di- and part of the world's disappearing This artificial kidney has been tested
versities. Hot liquid commonly known spoken traditions. The open database, successfully on animals and its human
FEBRUARY 2011, XVII Year, Issue No.02 104 Civil Services
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SHORT NEWS
trials are expected to be held over the ing the World War II. Large numbers entire Ice Age ecosystem, after un-
next five years. If successful, it could were used against Malta and in the earthing wealth of bones from an ex-
replace the need for dialysis and trans- Middle East. It was named for its su- cavation site in western Colorado in
plants for lakhs of people suffering perficial appearance to a Thermos the United States. A team from the
from chronic kidney diseases. Dr. Roy Bottle, a popular brand of vacuum Denver Museum of Nature and Sci-
is leading a team of specialist at the flask. The bomb was a cylinder 31 cm ence discovered two additional Ice
University of California and his team long and weighing 3.68 kg. It could be Age mammal species at the fossil dig
is now waiting for approval to conduct fitted with a very sensitive motion- site at Ziegler Reservoir near
large scale animal and human trials. sensitive fuse that would detonate if Snowmass Village, Colorado, last
Electricity Storage Facility any attempt was made to move it and week. The first find was a humerus,
for Mexico could be lethal in the open up to about or upper arm bone, of a giant ground
Rubenius, an alternative energy com- 35 meters away. Because of this, it was sloth. The second discovery was a
pany of the UAE, is going to build a normally destroyed where it fell, gen- small deer-like animal. Partial remains
$4 billion storage facility for electric- erally by attaching a long piece of of five mastodons, three Ice Age bi-
ity in northern Mexico. This is one of string to it and giving it a jerk. son and a juvenile Columbian mam-
the biggest investments of its type in Tracking Elusive moth, as well as plant matter and in-
the world. The project will use sodium Cosmic Particles sects, have also been found. Mam-
sulphide energy storage batteries, and A team of astronomers at the Univer- moths and mastodons are both el-
it will be built in Mexicali, northern sity of Iowa and the Naval Research ephant-like creatures with long tusks.
Mexico. Laboratory have used the Moon as Both faded into extinction on this con-
Global Disease Detection part of an innovative telescope system tinent more than 12,800 years ago.
Centre to detect mysterious, ultra-high-en- Mars volcanic deposit tells
The United States and India have ergy neutrinos from distant regions of of life-supporting environment
signed a MOU for establishing and space. Their work gave new insight on American scientists claim to have
operationalizing a Global Disease De- the possible origin of the elusive sub- found evidence that suggests Mars
tection Centre in, New Delhi. The atomic particles and points the way to had a warm and wet climate which
agreement to this effect will facilitate opening a new view of the Universe could have supported life some 3.5
the development of human resources, in the future. Neutrinos are fast-mov- billion years ago. A team led by plan-
both in epidemiology and research, ing subatomic particles with no elec- etary geologists at Brown University
enabling sharing of best practices for trical charge that readily pass unim- found mounds of a mineral deposited
detection of and repose to emerging peded through ordinary matter. on a volcanic cone less than 3.5 billion
infections. The agreement will be Though plentiful in the Universe, they
implemented through an agreed plan are notoriously difficult to detect. Ex-
between the National Centre for Dis- periments to detect neutrinos from the
ease Control (NCDC), India and Cen- Sun and supernova explosions have
tres for Disease Control and Preven- used large volumes of material such
tion (CDC), Atlanta, USA. The MoU as water or chlorine to capture the rare
also aims to build laboratory capacity interactions of the particles with ordi-
in India for the diagnosis of emerging nary matter. The team used special-
infectious diseases using well purpose electronic equipment brought
characterised reference material and to the National Science Foundation's
advanced technology transfer. The Very Large Array (VLA) radio tele- years ago that speak of a warm and
agreement is signed for five years. The scope, and took advantage of new, wet past and may preserve evidence
Global Disease Detection Programme more-sensitive radio receivers in- of one of the most recent habitable
was established in the year 2004 to stalled as part of the Expanded VLA microenvironments on the red planet.
detect emerging health threats. The (EVLA) project. The ultra-high-energy Observations by NASA's Mars Recon-
main aim of the programme is to es- neutrinos the astronomers sought are naissance Orbiter enabled the re-
tablish and expand its regional centres postulated to be produced by the en- searchers to identify the mineral as
that build broad base public health ergetic, black-hole-powered cores of hydrated silica which can be dis-
capacity in sync with International distant galaxies; massive stellar explo- solved, transported and concentrated
Health Regulations (IHR). There are sions; annihilation of dark matter; cos- by hot water or steam -- a dead ringer
currently six regional centres across mic-ray particles interacting with pho- that water was present at some time.
the world. These are at Guatemala, tons of the Cosmic Microwave Back- The mineral and the mounds' location
Kazakhstan, China, Thailand, Egypt ground; tears in the fabric of space- on the flanks of a volcanic cone pro-
and Kenya. India will host the seventh time; and collisions of the ultra-high- vide the best evidence yet found on
centre. energy neutrinos with lower-energy Mars for an intact deposit from a hy-
Thermos Bomb neutrinos left over from the Big Bang. drothermal environment -- a steam
Thermos Bomb was the informal name Ice Age ecosystem fumarole or a hot spring. No studies
for the AR-4, an anti-personnel bomb uncovered in Colorado have determined whether Mars has
dropped by the Italian Air Force dur- Scientists claim to have uncovered an ever supported life, but this finding
FEBRUARY 2011, XVII Year, Issue No.02 105 Civil Services
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SHORT NEWS
adds to accumulating evidence that at control the rising number of TB cases. velopment of US gas shales: advances
some times and in some places, Mars GFAJ-1 strain in horizontal drilling, advances in hy-
hosted favourable climate for micro- According to NASA Astrobiology draulic fracturing, and, perhaps most
bial life. Institute and U.S. Geological Survey, importantly, rapid increases in natu-
Green Laser Photo coagulator the bacteria do not merely eat arsenic ral gas prices in the last several years
for Diabetic Retinopathy — they incorporate the toxic element as a result of significant supply and
Raja Ramanna Centre for Advance directly into their DNA. The GFAJ-1 demand pressures.
Technology (RRCAT) has developed strain of the Halomonadaceae grew Space X Dragon
a green laser photo-coagulator for the when arsenic was in the water and The Space X Dragon is a spacecraft
treatment of diabetic retinopathy. This when phosphorus was in the water, but developed by Space X, a space trans-
laser photo coagulator has success- not when both were taken away. And portation company in Hawthorne,
fully passed clinical trials at Aravind it grew even with “double whammy” California. In December 2010, it be-
Eye Care System, Madurai and is be- of arsenic. The bacteria, from Mono came the first spacecraft ever placed
ing used there. Diabetes is today a big Lake in California, was grown in lab in orbit and recovered by a private
medical problem in India. Its diagno- dishes where phosphate was slowly company. The first operational
sis and treatment is a major challenge replaced with arsenic, which is poison Dragon missions would be flown for
especially, since the accompanying ill- for most creatures, until the bacteria NASA to deliver cargo to the Interna-
effects of the disease can lead to sev- began to thrive on arsenic alone. tional Space Station. Dragon was de-
eral problems. As the disease Mono Lake, located at the edge of the signed so that it could eventually carry
progresses, it can lead to a host of eye- Sierra Mountains, is a 760,000-year-old up to seven people, or a mixture of
related complications, including a salt lake with no fish. Mono Lake, from personnel and cargo, to and from low
rupture of blood vessels that can even which the arsenic-eating bacteria were
lead to blindness. To avoid such com- culled, is salty, alkaline and contains
plications, ophthalmologists carry out heavy arsenic deposits.
a procedure called retinopathy, using Smart Guns
a photo coagulator. In the instrument, These are some of the new guns de-
the photocoagulator deploys a ployed by the US army in Afghani-
greenlaser beam. The laser power can stan. This Xm-25 uses a laser guidance
be varied from 50 mW to about 2 W. system and specially developed micro
The unit has advanced safety and fail chipped ammunition which can be
safe features, including automatic rec- programmed to detonate over a tar-
ognition of different ophthalmic get even when the target is hidden
probes. The doctors can monitor and behind the walls or in ditches. Its
set all parameters of the device by us- range is approx. 700 meters and the
ing a colour touch screen controller price of each rifle is $ 25000-$30000.
and can operate the unit with a foot Shale Gas
switch. Compared to conventional Shale gas is natural gas produced from
method laser surgery is accurate, pain- shale. Shale gas has become an in-
less, fast and hygienically safe. creasingly important source of natu-
Xpert NAAT- New test to ral gas in the United States over the
diagnosis TB past decade, and interest has spread
The World Health Organisation has to potential gas shales in Canada, Eu- Earth orbit. These flights were con-
endorsed a new diagnostic test for TB rope, Asia, and Australia. Shales or- tracted under the Commercial Resup-
which will replace the 100 year old di- dinarily have insufficient permeabil- ply Services program. Dragon's heat
agnostic test to detect TB. The new test ity to allow significant fluid flow to a shield is designed to withstand re-en-
is named Xpert NAAT (nucleic acid well bore, most shales are not com- try velocities from potential lunar and
amplification test). It can accurately mercial sources of natural gas. Shale Martian space flights. Development
detect the most dangerous strains of gas is one of a number of "unconven- was partially funded through a Space
TB that are multi-drug resistant (MDR tional" sources of natural gas; other Act Agreement under NASA's Com-
TB) or the one complicated with HIV unconventional sources of natural gas mercial Orbital Transportation Ser-
co-infection, in only 1.4 hours. This include coal bed methane, tight sand- vices program. On December 8, 2010,
test is fully automatic with minimal stones, and methane hydrates. Shale a Falcon 9 rocket carrying an un-
hands-on technical time. The current gas areas are often known as resource manned Space X Dragon lifted off
tests to detect TB take up to three plays. Shale gas is natural gas pro- from Cape Canaveral in Florida on
months. Many nations like India still duced from shale formations. Gas COTS Demo Flight 1. The launch was
rely on sputum smear microscopy, a shales are organic-rich shale forma- a success, and the Dragon cleanly
diagnostic method that was devel- tions. In terms of its chemical makeup, separated from the Falcon approxi-
oped over a century ago. The new test shale gas is typically a dry gas prima- mately 10 minutes after launch. Or-
which is endorsed by the WHO can rily composed of methane. Three fac- bital maneuvering testing was con-
make it easier for nations like India to tors have contributed to its rapid de- ducted at an altitude of 300 kilome-
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