1- Union Government reconstitutes Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)

Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)

Union Government has reconstituted Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). In this regard, government has appointed 1 chairperson and 9 board members.

Chairperson: Filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani was appointed chairperson. He will be office in for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

9 Members are: BJP leader Vani Tripathi Tikoo, filmmakers Ashoke Pandit and Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, film writer Mihir Bhuta, Syed Abdul Bari, Ramesh Patange, actor George Baker, actor-filmmaker Jeevitha and actor- playwright S Ve Shekhar.

Background

Earlier, then Chairperson of CBFC Leela Samson had resigned after Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) cleared the controversial film Messenger of God featuring Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in lead role. As the Chairperson of Censor Board she had denied the clearance certificate to the film saying that the movie depicts Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as a God. Following her resignation, 9 board members also had resigned creating vacancies in the booard.

Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)

It is a statutory body under the aegis of Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The Board, consists of non-official members and a Chairman (all of them are appointed by Union Government) Headquarters: Mumbai. Its function is to regulate the public exhibition of films in India under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952 by granting them certificate under 4 categories. They are

• U: Unrestricted Public Exhibition.
• UA: Unrestricted Public Exhibition- but with a word of caution that Parental discretion required for children below 12 years.
• A: Restricted to adults.
• S: Restricted to any special class of persons.

2- Eminent political scientist Rajni Kothari passes away

Rajni Kothari

Eminent political scientist, scholar and former Planning Commission member Rajni Kothari passed away in New Delhi. He was 86.

About Rajni Kothari

He was born on 16th August, 1928. He was a well-known political thinker, political theorist, academician and writer. He had started his career as a lecturer at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (Baroda University). In 1961, for first time he received recognition when his essays series, Form and Substance in Indian Politics were published in Economic and Political Weekly (then Economic Weekly) over six issues. In 1963, he had founded Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) – a social sciences and humanities research institute based in New Delhi. In 1980, he had founded Lokayan (Dialogue of the People), a forum for interaction between activists and intellectuals. He was member of the Planning Commission during the national Front Government led by then Prime Minister V P Singh. He was also associated with number of prestigious institutions including Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), International Foundation for Development Alternatives and People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

Books: His famous published works include Politics in India (1970), Caste in Indian Politics and Rethinking Democracy (1973), In Search of Humane World Order Poverty: Human Consciousness (1989) and the Amnesia of Development and Communalism in Indian Politics (1995).

Awards: In 1985 on behalf of Lokayan, he has received the Right Livelihood Award from the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm (widely referred as the Alternative Nobel Prize). He has also received the UGC’s Swami Pranavananda Award in Political Science.

3- IIT, ONGC ink MoU to develop indigenous technologies to enhance oil exploration

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) have signed a Memorandum of Collaboration to develop indigenous technologies to enhance oil exploration. It was signed in the presence of the Union Minister of Human Resource Development Smriti Irani and the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi.

Key facts

As per Memorandum of Collaboration both parties will work towards a collective Research and Development Programme. This programme will aim for developing indigenous technologies to enhance exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons and alternate sources of energy. It is a long-term initiative between both parties for sustained research, development and capacity building. It will provide a multi-pronged approach that will help to foster research capability and transform experiential based learning in oil exploration sector. It will also help to realize full potential of India’s inherent strengths to develop indigenous technologies in order to make country global leader in this sector.

4- First successful organ donation from newborn takes place in UK

Doctors from United Kingdom (UK) have carried out the first successful organ donation from a newborn baby. It is considered as a milestone in neonatal care after donor’s kidneys and liver were used to save the lives of two patients. Successful organ donation involved Kidneys, which were transplanted into a patient with renal failure. Liver cells (hepatocytes), which were transfused into a further recipient. The donor was six-day-old baby girl who had died after she was born in extremely poor health. After donors death, her parents had given their consent for organ donation in order to benefit of other sick patients.

Implication: In future organ donation from newborns will play significant role in saving the lives sick newborns dying due to organ failure.

5- India’s growth to reach 6.3 per cent in 2016: UN WESP report

According to the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2015 report, India’s growth in terms of GDP is expected to reach 5.9 per cent in 2015 and 6.3 per cent in 2016.

Key highlights of report India:

Its growth recovery is partly the result of improved market sentiment after the new government took office in the second quarter of 2014 and had announced plans to reform the bureaucracy, labour laws and public subsidies.

South Asia: Economic growth in South Asia is set to gradually pick up from an estimated 4.9 percent in 2014 to 5.4 percent in 2015 and 5.7 percent in 2016. India, will account for about 70 percent of regional output in South Asia. Average inflation in this region is expected remain moderate at 7.8 percent in 2015 and 7.2 percent in 2016, as commodity prices are likely remain subdued and domestic demand picks up gradually.

Global economy: It is expected to grow at 3.1 percent in 2015 and 3.3 percent in 2016, compared with an estimated growth of 2.6 percent in 2014.

About United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report

This report is published at the beginning of each year by the combined efforts of UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). 5 UN regional commissions. World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

6- Australian cricketer David Warner fined over speak English incident

Australian cricketer David Warner was fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC) over speak in English spat with Indian counterpart Rohit Sharma. He was fined 50 per cent of his match fee over the incident.

Incident: David Warner had demanded Sharma speak English instead of his native Hindi during India- Australia’s tri-series ODI match held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The incident was sparked after India batsman Rohit Sharma ran a contentious single off an overthrow the Australians believed came after Warner’s return deflected off Sharma. It should be noted that Cricket etiquette dictates that batsmen do not run when a throw deflects off their body or bat.

7- India’s Tigers population increases by 30% since 2011

As per tiger census report 2014, the population of tigers in India has increased from 1,706 in 2011 to 2,226 in 2014. This tiger census report was released by Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar.

Key facts of tiger census report 2014

It shows an increase of 30 per cent in country’s tiger population compared to 2011 tiger census report. The latest tiger census figures show that Karnataka has the highest number of tigers in the age group of 1.5 years and more. It has 408 tigers in that age group. While census figures show that 340 tigers are in Uttarakhand, 308 in Madhya Pradesh, 229 in Tamil Nadu, 190 in Maharashtra, 167 in Assam, 136 in Kerala and 117 in Uttar Pradesh. As per new census, India is estimated to be home to around 70% of the world’s tigers. For census, total of 3,78,118 sq km of forest area in 18 tiger states was surveyed with a total of 1,540 unique tiger photo captures. Tiger census In India, tiger census is carried out after a gap of every three years by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

2008 tiger census: Tiger population estimated was 1,411. 2011 tiger census: Tiger population estimated was 1,706.

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