India and Finland signed 19 agreements

HELSINKI: India and Finland on Wednesday signed 19 agreements including one for peaceful use of nuclear energy as well as management of radioactive waste from atomic power plants as President Pranab Mukherjee began his two-day visit to the key Scandinavian country.
The president, who arrived here last night, began his visit to Finland after inspecting a guard of honour which was followed by a one-to-one meeting with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto and delegation-level talks.
The agreement for nuclear cooperation was signed by Indian ambassador to Finland Ashok Kumar and director general of Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland Petteri Tiippana in presence of Mukherjee and Niinisto.
The arrangement for cooperation between the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board of India and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland will ensure cooperation in the field of nuclear and radiation safety regulation concerning exchange of information personnel related to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and radiation related to nuclear installations, radiation and nuclear safety including radioactive waste management, safety related issues and research.
It will also cover radiation safety, emergency preparedness, and radioactive waste management associated with the operation of nuclear power plants.
Immediately after the signing ceremony, the Finnish president underlined the importance of India in the world order and said his country was keenly observing the 'Make in India' policy announced recently and also that the two sides had agreed for doubling the trade from existing USD 1.5 billion to USD 3 billion in next three years.
While backing India's candidature in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Finnish president said there was an immediate need for expanding the world body's top organ and it should include countries like India.
Talking about the relevance of the UN in present crisis in Syria and West Asia, Finland's president said, "Unfortunately, the UN has not been capable of giving a clear answer to situation in Syria or Ukraine. The Finnish perception is that we consider that veto right in Security Council is one obstacle that makes decision making in the UN very difficult indeed".
"We also see that UNSC should be enlarged by including countries like India," he said.
The two countries signed MoUs in the fields of science and technology, defence and education.
It included an agreement on exemption of visa requirement for holders of diplomatic and official passports which will help to promote bilateral relations by facilitating the travel of diplomatic and official passport holders.
Under Statement of Intent (SoI) between Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), both institutions will explore opportunities for cooperation in the field of defence research and development.
An MoU between Indian Council for Medical Research and Research Council of Norway was also signed aimed at encouraging research in a range of health-related areas of mutual interest, including human vaccines, infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
The agreement shall promote direct cooperation within the field being organised through joint calls and funding for research proposals/projects as well as facilitating exchange of scientists and scientific information.
Enlisting the areas in which India and Norway have a rewarding trade partnership including oil exploration and scientific research, Mukherjee said both the sides are keen to expand the scope of their collaborative efforts in earth sciences, bio-technology, clean energy, fishing and health care.
"I am confident that the bilateral agreements that we have signed will lead to further fruitful engagement in the many fields where India and Norway have obvious complementarities," the president said.
"We are grateful for your endorsement of India's rightful claim to Permanent Membership of the United Nations Security Council and for your proactive efforts that helped India achieve Observer status in the Arctic Council," he added.
The President said Norway will soon feature in the list of a few countries whose nationals get Visa on Arrival (VoA) facility in India.
The Indian government had in January 2010 launched VoA scheme to attract more foreign tourists to India. Initially the scheme was introduced for citizens of Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore visiting India for tourism purposes.
The Government later extended this scheme to the citizens of Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Myanmar and South Korea.
"We also need to create an ecosystem that shall facilitate exchange of students and faculty between our two countries and also nurture innovation and enterprise through joint courses and degrees," he said.

Armed Forces under ‘Op Lehar’

The relief operations by the Armed Forces under ‘Op Lehar’ is now getting focussed on Visakhapatnam, the worst affected district by cyclone storm ‘Hudhud’. The relief material especially food packets and readymade food is now being airlifted by IAF aircraft and helicopter from Vijayawada (41 tonnes) and Rajamundry (17 tonnes) for Visakhapatnam. In addition, 3 community kitchens are also being run by naval authorities at Visakhapatnam and two each at Bhimunipatnam, Arakapalli, Visakhapatnam Airport and Seetamdhra. Food prepared in these kitchens are being distributed to the affected people at various food supply distribution points in the affected area. In the far flung areas like Rambilli, food packets have been air dropped through helicopters.



The roads from Naval Base and Bhimunipatnam to Visakhapatnam city have now been cleared with the help of the Army and Naval teams. The clearance of the arterial roads from Visakhapatnam city to NH-5 is under progress. The Naval airfield at INS Dega and the Naval port are now fully functional. The heavy lift aircraft of IAF like C-17 Globemaster, alongwith C-130 Hercules and AN-32 are now bringing in the much needed food supplies directly to Visakhapatnam/Dega airfield, along with other heavy equipment, which are required for restoration of essential services.



So far the Indian Army has rescued a total of 272 people and the Indian Air Force has flown a total of 50 sorties to airlift 144.5 tonnes of relief material to Visakhapatnam and other affected areas.

PSLV-C26 Successfully Launches India's Third Navigation Satellite IRNSS-1C

ISRO`s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C26, successfully launched IRNSS-1C, the third satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), in the early morning hours of today (October 16, 2014) at 0132 hours IST from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. This is the twenty seventh consecutively successful mission of PSLV. The `XL`configuration of PSLV was used for this mission. Previously, the same configuration of the vehicle was successfully used six times. Minister of State (Space), Dr Jitendra Singh, witnessed the launch from the Mission Control Centre at SDSC, Sriharikota. After the lift-off of PSLV-C26 with the ignition of the first stage, the important flight events, namely, stage and strap-on ignitions, heat-shield separation, stage and strap-on separations and satellite injection, took place as planned. After a flight of about 20 minutes 18 seconds, IRNSS-1C Satellite, weighing 1425 kg, was injected to an elliptical orbit of 282.56 km X 20,670 km, which is very close to the intended orbit. After injection, the solar panels of IRNSS-1C were deployed automatically. ISRO`s Master Control Facility (at Hassan, Karnataka) assumed the control of the satellite. In the coming days, four orbit manoeuvres will be conducted from Master Control Facility to position the satellite in the Geostationary Orbit at 83 deg East longitude. IRNSS-1C is the third of the seven satellites constituting the space segment of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. IRNSS-1A and IRNSS-1B, the first two satellites of the constellation, were successfully launched by PSLV on July 02, 2013 and April 04, 2014 respectively. Both IRNSS-1A and 1B are functioning satisfactorily from their designated geosynchronous orbital positions. IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland. IRNSS would provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Services (SPS) - provided to all users – and Restricted Services (RS), provided to authorised users. A number of ground stations responsible for the generation and transmission of navigation parameters, satellite control, satellite ranging and monitoring, etc., have been established in as many as 15 locations across the country. In the coming months, the next satellite of this constellation, namely, IRNSS-1D, is scheduled to be launched by PSLV. The entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed by 2015.

PM's remarks at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram

·        Compassionate approach will ensure that "Shram Yogi" becomes "Rashtra Yogi" and "Rashtra Nirmaata" ·        We must see labour issues through the perspective of labourers ·        Shramev Jayate initiatives will boost confidence and build skills of youth, while providing ease of doing business ·        Government must trust its citizens – allowing self-certification is a step in this direction. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today made a strong pitch for understanding and appreciating labour issues through the perspective of the labourers, so that they could be understood and resolved with compassion. In his remarks after launching five new initiatives at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram in New Delhi, the Prime Minister said that such a compassionate approach would result in the "Shram Yogi" (labourer) becoming a "Rashtra Yogi," and hence, a "Rashtra Nirmaata" (nation-builder). The Prime Minister said that in the nation's development, the phrase "Shramev Jayate" had as much significance as "Satyamev Jayate." Shri Narendra Modi said the Government must trust its citizens, and a big step had been taken in this direction by allowing self-certification of documents. He said the various initiatives being launched today as part of the Shramev Jayate Karyakram were also a step in this direction. The Prime Minister lauded the efforts of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in launching a series of schemes simultaneously, which took into account the interests of workers, as well as the employers. He said the Shram Suvidha Portal has simplified compliance of 16 labour laws, through a single online form. He said the transparent Labour Inspection Scheme for random selection of units for inspection, would end undue harassment of the "Inspector Raj," while ensuring better compliance. The Prime Minister expressed his concern that as much as Rs. 27,000 crore was lying unclaimed with the Employees Provident Fund Organization. He said this money belonged to poor workers of India, and the portability provided for Employees Provident Fund through the Universal Account Number would put an end to such money being locked up and not reaching the intended beneficiary. The Prime Minister said the initiative of appointing National Brand Ambassadors of Vocational Training would instill pride and confidence in ITI students. The Prime Minister also honoured selected brand ambassadors. The Apprentice Protsahan Yojana and the Effective Implementation of revamped Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) for labour in the unorganized sector were also launched today. The Prime Minister said the "Shramev Jayate" initiatives were an essential element of the "Make in India" vision, as they would pave the way for skill development of youth in a big way, and even create an opportunity for India to meet the global requirement of skilled labour workforce in the years ahead. The programme was attended by Union Ministers Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Shri Kalraj Mishra, Shri Anant Geete, and Dr. Harshvardhan, and the Union MoS Labour Shri Vishnudeo Sai.

UKPCS-12 TEST SERIES,SAMVEG IAS ,DEHRADUN

Australia’s Richard Flanagan wins Man Booker prize with war story

Novel set during WWII building of Thailand-Burma railway; award should end fear of American dominance, says jury chair Anthony Grayling

Australian author Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North, set during the building of the Thailand-Burma “Death Railway” in World War Two, won Britain’s prestigious £50,000 ($79,530) Man Booker literature prize on Tuesday.Mr. Flanagan’s sixth novel beat out what jury chairman Anthony Grayling said was a strong shortlist of six books that for the first time, under a rule change, included works by two Americans, giving rise to fears beforehand that the British prize might come to be dominated by American writers.

Mr. Grayling said those fears should now be put to rest and went on to say, of the winner, that it was rare to run across a book that “hits you so hard in the stomach, like this, that you can’t pick up the next one in the pile for a couple of days”.

“It’s an absolutely superb novel, really outstanding, it’s a great work of literature,” Mr. Grayling said in a briefing before the award was made public.

Mr. Flanagan, 53, is ranked among Australia’s finest novelists and also worked as a writer with director Baz Luhrmann on the 2008 film Australia.

His father, who was a survivor of the Burma Death Railway, died at age 98, the day Mr. Flanagan finished The Narrow Road to the Deep North.Mr. Grayling, a philosopher, said Mr. Flanagan was chosen by consensus of the six-person judging panel, but a spokeswoman for the public relations firm representing the prize clarified that Mr. Grayling had at one point used his tie-breaker vote “to move the discussion forward,” indicating the choice was not unanimous.

The other books on the short list were We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Jay Fowler (American), To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris (American), J by Howard Jacobson (British), The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee (British} and How to be Both by Ali Smith (British).

In The Narrow Road to the Deep North Mr. Flanagan takes up the story of Allied prisoners of war used as forced labour by the Japanese to build the notorious railway line. His protagonist is Dorrigo Evans, a doctor and a soldier in the Australian army who is taken prisoner on Java, presumably in 1942.

In the despair of a Japanese POW camp, Evans is haunted by his love affair with his young uncle’s wife two years earlier. While struggling to save the men under his command from cholera and beatings, he receives a letter that changes his life forever.

Named after a famous Japanese book by the haiku poet Basho, Mr. Grayling said the novel succeeds in showing there are “extra dimensions” to the relationships between the POWs and their guards.

“It’s not really a war novel, it’s not about people shooting and bombs going off, and so on, it’s much more about the people and their relationships,” he said.

Fifth SAARC Energy Ministers Meeting

Fifth SAARC Energy Ministers Meeting Begins Tomorrow in New Delhi Meet to Consider Enhanced Cooperation in Energy Sector

The Fifth  Meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Energy Ministers  will be held on the 16th and 17th  October 2014 in New Delhi , with an aim to strengthen energy cooperation among the member countries of the organisation. Shri. Piyush Goyal , Minister of State (I/C) for Power , Coal and Renewable Energy is scheduled to inaugurate the meeting on the 17th morning.      The energy ministers' meeting will be preceded by a meeting of senior officials of the SAARC on  the 16th  October. A number of important issues, related to the Energy sector in the member countries would dominate the discussions.  Apart from the host country India, Energy Ministers and senior officials  from the SAARC member countries, viz, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are expected to  participate in  the two-day meeting. The agenda of the meeting include review of status of implementation of decisions of the Fourth Meeting of SAARC Energy Ministers held in Dhaka, on 15 September 2011 and  consideration of the Report of the Senior Officials Meeting  held in New Delhi, on 16 October 2014. It also includes consideration of the issues related to enhanced cooperation in energy sector amongst the SAARC countries. Background: South Asian   Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was created in 1985 with its Secretariat in Kathmandu, Nepal. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the Members of this Association. The process of regional cooperation in energy sector began in January 2000 with the establishment of a Technical Committee on Energy.  Thereafter, recognizing that this vital area requires focused attention, the Council of Ministers approved the creation of a specialized Working Group on Energy in January 2004 to conduct a study on the concept of the South Asian Energy Ring and constituted Ministerial level Energy Forum through the Islamabad declaration of the 12th SAARC Summit. The First Meeting of the SAARC Energy Ministers was held at Islamabad,  on 1 October 2005 which  decided the formation of an Expert Group to deliberate on the options and potential of energy conservation and energy efficiency measures and to formulate a road map for implementation in the SAARC region.  The Expert Group formulated a Road Map for implementation by the Member States. The second meeting of the SAARC Energy Ministers was held on 7th March 2007 in New Delhi. The third meeting of the SAARC Energy Ministers was held in Colombo on 29th January 2009.  The fourth meeting of the SAARC energy Ministers was held in Dhaka on 14-15 September 2011, Bangladesh. Under SAARC energy cooperation, following Expert Groups have been constituted: Expert Group Lead Country Oil and Gas Bangladesh Electricity India Renewable Energy   Pakistan Technology/knowledge sharing (including energy efficiency, coal etc.) India