1st June - CA

1. Updates from Indus Water Commissioner-level talks

• Pakistan withdraws its objection to the construction of Uri-II (On Jhelum river) and Chutak hydel power projects(on Suru river) in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Pakistan's objection Baghalier project on Chenab river came to an end only when World bank arbitrated the dispute in 2007.
• The Kishanganga project is still under dispute. Under the Indus Water Treaty, India has rights to the waters of the Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers while Pakistan has rights to the waters of the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum. All the rivers flow from India to Pakistan.
  The Kishanganga project involves the diversion of water from one tributary of the Jhelum river to another, which according to India is permissable under the treaty. Pakistan says it is not.

2. S. Ramakrishnan, Director (Projects), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, has been appointed Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He took charge as Director on Monday.

3.The LPSC has the responsibility of developing rocket stages powered by liquid propellants and cryogenic propellants for ISRO missions. While the LPSC centre at Valiamala, near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, develops the liquid stages, its centre at Mahendragiri, near Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, has massive facilities for testing rocket stages fuelled by liquid propellants and cryogenic propellants. The cryogenic stage is also developed at Mahendragiri. The LPSC centre at Bangalore develops satellite propulsion systems.

4. New UGC guidelines:

- As per the new UGC (Institutions Deemed-to-be Universities) Regulations 2010, notified on May 21, the chancellor of a deemed university, appointed by the sponsoring society or trust, will have to be an eminent educationalist or a distinguished public figure other than the president of the sponsoring society or his/her relative. The chancellor can be a member of neither the society nor the trust.
- It is mandatory for an institution to be in existence for at least 15 years before seeking deemed university status, against the earlier 10 years, except under the category of ‘De-novo Institutions' or Innovative Universities
- The proposed deemed-to-be university will have to be registered either as a non-profit society under the Societies Registration Act or as a non-profit trust under the Public Trust Act

4. Societies Registration Act
- Societies Registration Act is a Central Act. However, ‘unincorporated literary, scientific, religious and other societies and associations’ is a State Subject (Entry 32 of List II of Seventh Schedule to Constitution, i.e. State List). Thus, normally, there should have been only State Laws on this subject. However, Societies Registration Act was passed in 1860, i.e. much before bifurcation of power between State and Centre was specified. Though the Act is still in force, it has been specifically repealed in many States and those States have their own Acts. Thus, practically, the Central Act is mainly of academic interest.

- Societies Registration Act is administered by the Corporate Affairs Ministry

- BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act.
The government is considering legislative action to bring all-India organisations such as the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) within the purview of the Societies Registration Act to make them more accountable.

5. Coastal regulation zone
Coastal regulation zone is the boundary from the high tide line upto 500m in the land -ward side. Area between the low tide line and high tide line. In the case of rivers, creeks and backwaters, the distance from the high tide level shall apply to both sides and this distance shall not be less than 100 meters or the width of the creek, river or backwater whichever is less.( Ministry of Environment and Forests Notification,Feb 1994).There are four type of category in coastal regulation zone .

Category - I (CRZ I)

Areas that are ecologically sensitive and important such as national parks , marine parks , sanctuaries , reserve forests , wildlife habitats , mangroves, corals/coral reefs , areas close to breeding and spawning grounds of fish and other marine life, areas of outstanding natural beauty. historically important and heritage areas, area rich in genetic diversity, areas likely to be inundated due to rise in sea level consequent upon global warming and such other areas as notified by government from time to time .

Category - II (CRZ I I)

Area that have already been developed up to or close to the shoreline. For this purpose ,developed area is referred to as area within the municipal limits or other legally designated urban areas which is already substantially build up ad which has been provided with drainage and approach roads and other infrastructure facilities such as water supply and sewerage lines.

Category - III (CRZ III)

Area that are relatively undisturbed ad those which do not belong to either I or II . These will include coastal zoe in the rural areas developed or undeveloped and also areas within municipal limits or in other legally designated urban areas which are not substantially built up.

Category - IV (CRZ IV)

Coastal stretches in the Andaman & Nicobar islands , Lakshadeep and other small islands except those designated as category I, II and III .


6. The Adidas Jabulani is the official match ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.Jabulani means "rejoice" in Zulu, and was developed at Loughborough University, UK.

- A gold version of the Jabulani ball, the Jo'bulani, was announced as the ball for the World Cup Final. The name of the ball inspired by the city of Johannesburg, which is often nicknamed Jo'burg and will be the site of the 2010 Final