1. India and Africa, seeking to further strengthen the economic engagement, have set a target of $70 billion by 2015.
2. India also reaffirmed its commitment to provide cheap medicines for the poor despite strong legal and diplomatic offensive launched by Western pharmaceutical companies.
3. “We have set for ourselves a target of $70 billion by 2015 and I am sure that we will be able to achieve it. At present, the trade stands at $45 billion,'' Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said while inaugurating the seventh conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership, ‘Creating possibilities: delivering value', organised jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Exim Bank with the support of ministries of commerce and industry and external affairs.
4. Mr. Sharma reiterated India's commitment to ensure supply of affordable life-saving drugs for poor people. “India will not allow a situation where life-saving medicines are out of the reach of poor people.
5. We will ensure that whatever new molecules develop, the benefit must reach the poor people,'' he said.
6. He pointed out that Indian generic has played a pivotal role in bringing down the cost of treatment of diseases like HIV-AIDS from above $11,000 to less than $400.
7. “This has not happened without threat. Legal and diplomatic battles have to be fought and won due to stranglehold of multinational cartel which was denying the availability of these drugs to people in poor countries.
8. India has one of the finest IPR regimes, at the same time, intellect of the world must be for the benefit of humankind,'' he said.
9. The Commerce Minister highlighted food and energy security threat in the backdrop of fragile global recovery from the financial crisis and unrest in Africa and West Asia.
10. The Exim Bank has entered into an agreement on a project basis with Tanzania and Mozambique to provide lines of credit worth $36 million and $20 million, respectively.

With major global energy giants choosing to stay away from the Ninth Round of New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP), the Central Government on Monday received 74 bids for 33 oil and gas exploration blocks out of 34 blocks on offer with state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) bidding for maximum number of blocks.

ONGC, which had won almost two-thirds of the blocks offered in NELP VIII, bid for as many as 29 areas in the latest round.

Another public sector company, Oil India Ltd (OIL) bid for two areas.

State-run GAIL (India) and upstream subsidiary of state-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) bid for four blocks.

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) bid for six blocks — two deep sea areas in the Andaman Basin in the Bay of Bengal and four onshore blocks in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Cairn India Limited (CIL) submitted offers for only two blocks — one onland and one offshore. Interestingly, it has not bid for any two exploration blocks on offer in Rajasthan.

The only other notable bidder was U.K.'s BG Group, which teamed up with BHP Billiton to bid for a deep-water block in the Mumbai basin, off the West Coast. Essar Oil bid for one onland block in the Cambay Basin.

“The response to the latest round of NELP has been more than satisfactory.

It has been encouraging,” Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister S. Jaipal Reddy told reporters after the close of bidding for the 34 blocks offered in NELP-IX here.

Rejecting arguments that regulatory troubles on the Cairn-Vedanta Resources deal sent negative signals to investors,

Mr. Reddy said “We have not taken a negative view or a positive view. We have maintained absolute neutrality. The foreign investors did not stay away due to any government policy.”

“We have put in place a very transparent policy. Full justice is being done to foreign companies.

It is not for want of inviting atmosphere in India that they did not bid.

The blocks would be awarded and production sharing contracts (PSC) will be signed in four months,” he added.

ONGC and OIL teamed up to bid for 15 blocks together, while North East-focussed OIL bid for two blocks on its own as operator.

Of the 33 blocks that got bids, 14 areas received single bid.

ONGC and its partners are the sole bidders in 10 blocks.

OIL and its partners are sole bidders for one Mumbai offshore shallow water block.

India had got an investment commitment of $1.1 billion in NELP-VIII.

The most sought-after block was a Cambay Basin onland block in Gujarat, which got six bids, including from RIL, Essar Oil, ONGC-OIL-HPCL and a GAIL-Bharat PetroResources-EIL-Bharat Forge consortium.

Out of the 34 blocks, 19 blocks are totally new areas — seven in deep sea, two in shallow water and 10 onland blocks.

The remaining 15 (one in deep water, 5 in shallow water and 9 onland blocks) are recycled blocks.

ABOUT TRANSPARENCY INDEX

India has slipped to 87th spot in Transparency International's latest ranking of nations based on the level of corruption, with the global watchdog asserting that perceptions about corruption in the country increased in the wake of the scam-tainted Commonwealth Games.
Transparency International's 'Corruption Perception Index' report covering the public sector in 178 countries shows that India fell by three positions from its ranking of 84th in 2009.
With an integrity score of 3.3, India is now ranked 87th in the world in terms of corruption.
Neighbouring China is ahead of India in the list at 78th place, with a score of 3.5.
It was at 79th position in 2009.
"India has gone down in the ranking as well as integrity score and this is a matter of concern and regret.
It appears that the level of governance has not improved despite India having a skilled set of administrators," Transparency International India Chairman P S Bawa said here.
The rankings, on a scale of 0 to 10, are based on the extent of corruption and each government's ability to punish and contain corrupt activities, among other criteria.
A score of zero is perceived to be highly corrupt while 10 would indicate the lowest level of corruption.
According to the report: "The perception about corruption in India seems to have increased primarily due to alleged corrupt practices in the recently held Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Delhi."
As many as four investigating agencies -- the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax Department and Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) -- are looking into allegations of corruption against the organisers of the CWG, which concluded here earlier this month.
The top three countries with the lowest level of corruption globally, as ranked by Transparency International, are Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore.
Denmark was ranked first in the report, with an integrity score of 9.3, while New Zealand and Singapore came second and third with a similar score.
Bhutan was the best performer in the South Asian region and was ranked 37th, with an integrity score of 5.7.
However, other SAARC nations are ranked below India.
Pakistan is ranked at 143th in the list, with an integrity score of 2.3, while Bangladesh is at 134th, with a score of 2.4. Sri Lanka was ranked 91st in the list, with an integrity score of 3.2, while Nepal was 146th (2.3) and Maldives joined Pakistan at 143th place (2.3).
The world's largest economy, the USA, garnered an integrity score of 7.1 and was 22nd in the list.
Among BRIC countries, Brazil was at 69th position with a score of 3.7 and Russia was 154th, with an integrity score of 2.1.
Transparency International is organising Anti-Corruption Day on December 9 to sensitise the public on this issue.
The report is based on 13 surveys conducted throughout the year by various international bodies, including the World Bank, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the Freedom House Foundation.

1. The announcement by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) that it is to enforce the United Nations no-fly zone over Libya confirms the extent of confusion over western policy on Libya.
2. The alliance's Secretary-General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, says it will command only the no-fly zone, and admits that there will be two operations, one run by NATO and the other, comprising the arms embargo and air strikes — which Turkey says go beyond the United Nations resolution on intervention — by a “coalition.”
3. There may be yet more squabbling to come, not least because the decision on the transfer of command was preceded by a week of angry disputes among NATO's 28 members.
4. Turkey, in particular, objects strongly to what it sees as French plans to control the scope and nature of the current U.N.-backed action.
5. It has also accused President Nicolas Sarkozy of using the confrontation with Tripoli as a launching pad for his own re-election campaign.
6. Such issues, however, only form a subset of wider problems.
7. One of those is domestic public support.
8. In the United Kingdom, backing — usually high at the start of such military adventurism — is 45 per cent, with 35 per cent against; that is even worse than the 53-39 per cent reported when the illegal 2003 Iraq invasion began.
9. In the United States, 74 per cent favour multilateral action to protect Libyans against their current dictatorship; but 79 per cent express concern over the continuing violence in Libya.
10. In North Africa and West Asia, public feeling against the intervention is hardening rapidly, not least because of French Interior Minister Claude Guéant's foolish comment that his country was leading a “crusade” to stop President Muammar Qadhafi killing fellow-Libyans.
11. Secondly, President Obama, whose administration refuses to call the Libya mission a war, is under pressure to explain the policy and to specify an exit strategy.
12. His attempt to transfer command to NATO and his European allies will achieve neither; the U.S. will remain the major participant, but involving NATO will reduce the accountability of the warmongers to their electorates.
13. The absence of clear aims, furthermore, heightens the risk of an open-ended conflict, into which the foreign participants will almost certainly be drawn more and more deeply — with the additional risk that the main aim becomes regime change and not civilian protection.
14. In view of the vagueness of the U.N. Security Council resolution on the no-fly zone, it is regrettable that Russia and China abstained instead of vetoing the resolution that has enabled this military aggression and expanding war in an already tormented region.

1. Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh must be commended for his frank comments on the state of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) process.
2. Many well-regarded scientists have been making the point that the EIA, a mechanism instituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in the early phase of India's economic liberalisation and amended in later years, has been turned into a joke because it is left to the project proponent to arrange for the EIA report.
3. This dyfunctional system has produced only a thriving industry of consultants.
4. Many of them without the requisite qualifications; some are nothing more than paid pipers.
5. It is no surprise that several reports submitted by these consultants have been exposed as plain cut-and-paste reproductions of other publications.
6. Among the prominent examples of ill-advised shortcuts leading to flawed conclusions is the Kudremukh iron ore mining project in Karnataka, which was eventually ordered closed.
7. In that case, only rigorous assessment by the Indian Institute of Science and other agencies produced evidence of harm to fragile ecology; comprehensive study by the Centre for Wildlife Studies documented environmental damage on account of the sediment load in the Bhadra river.
8. Evidently, the earlier EIA reports based on rapid assessments provided little insight. This experience is not unique and there is a strong case to introduce stringent checks now. Reform should begin with the choice of agency to conduct the impact assessment, and include the setting of wide terms of reference.
9. The task of reforming the EIA process is a challenging one for Mr. Ramesh, who has initiated welcome steps to introduce transparency in his Ministry.
10. State-level authorities must also be made partners in the effort because some categories of environmental clearances come within their ambit.
11. Independent studies of the working of expert appraisal committees formed under the EIA Notification of 2006 show that the rejection rate for projects in sensitive sectors such as construction, industry, thermal power plants, and mining is suspiciously low.
12. The Union Ministry's discovery that some consultants submitted wrong reports, resulting in penal action, is proof positive of systemic rot.
13. The cure lies in genuine, science-based EIA. All this is not to say that fresh barriers must be erected to development.
14. What needs to be emphasised is the importance of assessing externalities associated with individual projects and consider them in perspective.
15. The loss of ecology has irreversible, inter-generational consequences.
16. The protection of air, water, soil health, and biodiversity should be primary environmental imperatives.

TOP 20 QUESTIONS TO BE KEPT IN MIND

1. 42ND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IS KNOWN AS MINI CONSTITUTION.
2. ARTICLE 19 IS RELATED TO RIGHT TO SPEAK.
3. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MEANS CONTINOUS ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
4. SILENT VALLEY IS SITUATED IN NILIGIRI MOUNTAIN OF KERALA.
5. RANAJI TROPHY IS RELATED WITH CRICKET.
6. RAJASTHAN IS THE CURRENT RANAJI CHAMPION.
7. TIM BENNERS LEE IS THE INVENTOR OF WWW.
8. HOSNI MUBARAK, EX PRESIDENT OF EGYPT, HAS RESIGNED FROM HIS POST.
9. "THE FRINKLER'S QUESTION" IS THE BOOK WRITTEN BY HOWARD JACOBSON.
10. MAN MOHAN SINGH IS THE PRESIDENT OF PLANNING COMMISSION. IN FACT, PM IS THE EX-OFFICIO CHAIRMAN OF PC.
11. INDIAN IS JOINT WINNER OF SULTAN AZLAN SHAH CUP HOCKEY TOURNAMENT WITH SOUTH KOREA.
12. START TREATY IS REALTED WITH REDUCING NUCLEAR WEAPONS. IT HAS BEEN DONE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND USA.
13. BHARAT NIRMAN PROJECT WAS STARTED IN YEAR 2005 TO BOOST SIX SECTORS.
14. GREAT BARRIER REEF IS IN AUSTRALIA.
15. PT BHIMSEN JOSHI IS THE 2008 BHARAT RATNA PRIZE WINNER.
16. PIIGS=PORTUGAL-ITALY-IRELAND-GREECE-SPAIN
17. RECENTLY ESTONIA HAS ADOPTED ITS CURRENCY AS EURO.
18. SHIVARAJ PATIL COMMITTEE WAS FORMULATED TO LOOK AFTER THE MATTER OF 2-G SPECTRUM SCAM.
19. ARTICLE 32 IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE CONSTITUTION.
20. CAG IS THE CUSTODIAN OF PUBLIC FUND IN INDIA.

TO KNOW THE LEVEL OF HAPPINESS IN INDIA

India has slipped 10 places to the 88th spot, way below neighbouring China, in the World Prosperity Index due to poor healthcare and education systems coupled with weak entrepreneurial infrastructure.

While last year, India stood at 78th position, according to London-based Legatum Institute that compiled the index.

China is ranked 58th in the list of 110 countries, which is topped by Norway.

Other countries in the top five are Denmark (2), Finland (3), Australia (4) and NewZeland (5).

The prosperity index is based on 89 variables over 110 countries, grouped into eight sub-indices, and claims to comprehensively rank the level of prosperity in 110 nations of the world.

It is done by taking into account both economic growth and citizens' quality of life, drawing on data from various sources, including the Gallup World Poll 2009 and UN development Report.

The country ranked low on education ground (89th in the Index), health (95th), entrepreneurship and opportunity (93rd), and social Capital (105th).

"The prosperity Index finds that India has

extremely poor healthcare,

failing to prevent systemic diseases or malnourishment,

it has a weak entrepreneurial infrastructure,

a poorly-developed education system,

nd extremely low levels of social capital," the report noted.

Besides, economy (44th) and governance (41st) are two measures on which India ranks highest.

According to the Institute, both scores are high as a result of high levels of public optimism with three-quarters of Indian citizens approving the government and also have high confidence on the country's financial institutions.

China ranks 30 places higher than India in the overall global rankings and outperforms India on the economy sub-index, where the Asia's second largest economy spots at 24th position.

While India trails in 44th position; and in the social Capital sub-index where China ranks 27th.

"The Legatum Prosperity Index is the world's only global assessment of wealth and well being.

It uses a holistic definition of prosperity, which includes factors ranging from economic growth to health and education, to personal freedom and governance," Legatum Institute Senior Fellow Ashley Lenihan said.

Meanwhile, on the lower end of the rankings were Zimbabwe (110), Pakistan (109), Central African Republic (108), Ethiopia (107) and Nigeria (106).

The Prosperity Index presents a broad view of wealth, happiness and prospects of the world's nations and citizens captured in eight sub-indexes.

The idea behind the Index is that material wealth alone does not make for a happy society, but happy citizens are produced as much by democracy, freedom, social cohesion and entrepreneurial opportunity as they are by a growing economy.