Civil Services' Surgicals

‎*MEGASTHENES(Greek) -ambassador of Selecus I of Syria   - came to court of Sandrokattes (Chandragupta maurya) - Described Social and administrative conditions under the Mauryas

Summary of Economic Survey  2011-12 Ø  Indian economy…estimated to grow by 6.9% in 2011-12…due to weakening industrial growth….indicates a slowdown compared not just to the previous two years….when the economy grew by 8.4%/….but also from 2003 to 2011...except 2008-9 economic downturn, when the growth rate was 6.7 percent. Ø   The Economic Survey 2011-12, presented by the Finance Minister, Sh Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha, however predicts 7.6% GDP growth in 2012-13 and 8.6% in 2013-14    Ø   With agriculture and services continuing to perform well, the slowdown can be attributed almost entirely too weakening industrial growth.

( Swapnil Patil & IAS OUR DREAM to be credited for this great work... ) What is FII? FII is nothing but Foreign Institutional Investors. Below entities are called FIIs 1. Pension  Funds 2. Mutual Funds 3. Insurance Companies 4. Investment Trusts 5. Banks 6. University Funds 7. Endowments 8. Foundations 9. Charitable Trusts 10.  Asset  Management  Companies 11. Institutional  Portfolio  Managers 12. Trustees 13. Power of Attorney Holders Advantages Enhanced flows of equity capital FIIs have a greater appetite for equity than debt in their asset structure. The opening up the economy to FIIs has been in line with the accepted preference for non-debt creating foreign inflows over foreign debt. Enhanced flow of equity capital helps improve capital structures and contributes towards building the investment gap. Managing uncertainty and controlling risks. FII inflows help in financial innovation and development of hedging instruments. Also, it not

The Union Cabinet cleared the Micro Financial Sector (Development and Regulation) Bill, 2011, which will bring the microfinance industry under the regulatory ambit of RBI. As per the Bill all microfinance institution (MFIs) will now have to be registered with the RBI, which will decide the interest rate that MFIs can charge. Also it would be mandatory for micro finance institutions (MFI) to be registered with the Reserve Bank and have a minimum net-owned funds of Rs 5 lakh. A Micro-Finance Development Council will be set up to advise the government on formulation of policies, schemes and other measures required in the interest of orderly growth and development of the sector with a view to promote financial inclusion. The bill has gone soft on the issue of interest rates charged by the MFIs though the MFI sceptics were expecting the capping of the rates. The Bill will be now sent to Parliament for consideration. Why a need for this Bill? The Bill was drafted in the backdrop of

(Copied from : IAS Our Dream ) The first Amendment Act to the Indian Constitution was made in the year 1951   According to it, Articles 15, 19, 85, 87, 174, 176, 341, 342, 376 were amended and Articles 31A and 3IB inserted and Ninth Schedule was added. The Constitution (24th Amendment) Act, 1971:   **It affirmed the power of the Parliament to amend any part of the Constitution.  **After this amendment, the President is bound to assent to Constitution Amendment Bill.  **Education was transferred to the Concurrent List by this amendment. Education was transferred to the Concurrent List   (Concurrent list consists of 52 items. Uniformity is desirable but not essential on items in this list: Marriage and divorce, transfer of property other than agricultural land,education, contracts, bankruptcy and insolvency, trustees and trusts, civil procedure, contempt of court, adulteration of foodstuffs, drugs and poisons, economic and social planning, trade unions, labour welfare, electricity,

In 1967, in   Golak Nath vs. The State of Punjab , a bench of eleven judges (constituted for the first time) of the Supreme Court deliberated as to whether any part of the Fundamental Rights provisions of the constitution could be revoked or limited by amendment of the constitution. This question had previously been considered in Shankari Prasad v. Union of India and Sajjan Singh v. State of Rajasthan.  In both cases, the power to amend the rights had been upheld on the basis of Article 368 . Chief Justice Subba Rao writing for the majority (five judges dissenting) held that: * A law to amend the constitution is a law for the purposes of Article 13. *  Article 13  prevents the passing of laws which "take away or abridge" the Fundamental Rights provisions. *  Article 368  does not contain a power to amend the constitution but only a procedure. * The power to amend comes from the normal legislative power of Parliament. *  Therefore, amendments which "take away or abridg

Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare   recently said that in order to strengthen neonatal services in the country, funds are provided to States for establishing and running Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU), Newborn Stabilization Units (NBSU) and Newborn Baby Care Corners (NBCC).  Funds have also been allocated to States for implementing  Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK)  which provides for free care and transport of sick newborn for first 30 days of birth. As per SRS 2010 report of Registrar General of India,  Neo-natal Mortality Rate is 33 per thousand live births  in India.  IMPORTANT DEFINITION Perinatal mortality  only includes deaths between the foetal viability (22 weeks gestation) and the end of the 7th day after delivery. Neonatal mortality  only includes deaths in the first 28 days of life. Postneonatal mortality  only includes deaths after 28 days of life but before one year. Child mortality  includes deaths within the first five years afte