Current Affairs-February 2013 Part-3

Monsanto
The National Biodiversity Authority has filed the country’s first ever bio-piracy criminal case against US agrochemicals giant Monsanto and its Indian partner Mahyco on the Bt brinjal issue in a Karnataka Court. This is seen as an attempt by the authority to raise the levels of compliance with the Biological Diversity Act by biotechnology and pharma sectors. Companies seeking to make commercial use of domestic biological resources have to take approval from the authority and comply with the benefit-sharing norms. The developers of Bt Brinjal have been accused of using local brinjal varieties for development without taking necessary approvals, which was in violation of the Act.

Sam Pitroda Committee
The information & broadcasting ministry has formed a committee headed by technocrat Sam Pitroda to strengthen and expand the role of public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, with an emphasis on its relationship with the government. The seven-member expert committee has been set up to review the institutional framework of Prasar Bharati and to suggest measures to ensure technical upgradation of the organisation. The panel will find ways of using the new media to deliver digital content both in broadcast mode (DTH) and in a demand-based mode (free on social media like YouTube, and on payment through IPTV), besides suggesting a strategy for creating a network of domestic and overseas business partners for ensuring wider reach to a worldwide audience, including creating an exclusive overseas service. It will also review the status of implementation of recommendations made by various committees that have undertaken studies on Prasar Bharati the Sengupta Committee, the Bakshi Committee and the Narayanamurthy Committee and suggest a road map for enhancing the reach and potential of the broadcaster.

AirAsia
More than 17 years after it made an abortive attempt to re-enter the domestic airline industry, the Tata Group — the biggest business house in India — is seeking to make another attempt by starting a low-cost airline with Malaysia-based AirAsia. THE JOINT VENTURE between the Tata Group and Malaysiabased AirAsia plans to operate from Chennai and focus on connecting the Tier 2 and 3 cities.

Jharkhand
The Cabinet Committee on Investment, CCI has cleared the proposal of the Power Ministry for setting up the North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Plant by the National Thermal Power Corporation, the NTPC near Tandwa town in Chatra district of Jharkhand.

NABARD

Madhya Pradesh

11%
The Census Data on ‘Female Headed Households’ was released by Home ministry recently. According to it about 11% of total households in the country, constituting 27 million households, are headed by women. The highest number of female-headed households is in Lakshadweep at 43.7% and in Kerala at 23%.

Tamil Nadu
The Nilgiri tahr, also known as the Nilgiri ibex, is an ungulate endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.