Current Affairs on General

Almost 50% decline in under which age group mortality since 1990 while death of rest percentage are still due to under-nutrition as per WHO report?: Under 5 year Age

Explanation: Child mortality is high in Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and China. However, between 1990 and 2013, under-five mortality declined by 49%, falling from an estimated rate of 90 deaths per 1,000 live births to 46 deaths per 1,000 live births. The global rate of decline has also accelerated significantly, from 1.2% per annum between 1990 and 1995 to 4% per annum between 2005 and 2013. About 17,000 fewer children died every day in 2013 than in 1990. The observations are significant with 22% of the total under-five deaths occurring in India. Estimates show that in 2013, over 15 lakh under-five children died in India. The report, titled 'Monitoring of the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals', lists various other issues such as maternal mortality, people suffering from hunger, reproductive health as well as spread of HIV.

Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) on 15 May 2015, notified that it has appointed Which company/group as a consultant to assist it on the implementation of the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz underground Metro corridor?: Aecom Asia-led consortium

Explanation: The consortium led by Hong Kong-based Aecom Asia and other partners in consortium include Japanese firm Padeco, USA-based LBG and French company Egis Rail will assist MMRC in the complete implementation process of the Metro-3 project. The consultant will evaluate bids for civil work and assist in appointing contractors, review and proof check detailed designs, prepare tender design and documents for procurement of track work, rolling stock, system components. 

The government on 13 May 2015 amended the Civil Services Examination rules to make the controversial aptitude test in prelims exam a qualifying paper. It is seen as a big concession to students from non-English and humanities background who dubbed the earlier pattern as 'elitist' and favouring those from public school and science background. What is the amended point?:

- Now they need to only clear CSAT with the bar set as low as 33%, following which they shall be graded for merit on the basis of General Studies Paper I alone.

- In another major change related to the Mains examination, the minimum qualifying score for the Indian language paper has been reduced from 30% to 25%.

Explanation: The new CSE rules have paved the way for UPSC to issue the exam notification for Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2015.  Thus now the government has now decided to make CSAT a qualifying paper and mark candidates only on the basis of their score in Paper I, it may be emphasized that a candidate, even with a 100% score in Paper I, will not qualify unless he has scored a minimum 33% in CSAT (Gen Studies Paper II). However, Continue with the existing scheme where proficiency in English as judged by English language comprehension portion of CSAT - is not counted. The department of personnel and training on Wednesday also announced constitution of an expert committee to "comprehensively examine various issues raised from time to time, namely, eligibility, syllabus, scheme and pattern of CSE". It added that until the report of the panel is in and a decision taken on its recommendations, the CSE Rules - 2015 will hold good. 

The government on 13 May 2015 amended the Civil Services Examination rules to make the controversial aptitude test in prelims exam a qualifying paper. It is seen as a big concession to students from non-English and humanities background who dubbed the earlier pattern as 'elitist' and favouring those from public school and science background. (Find what new Civil Services Examination rules are made to make easy for the aspirants to appear and qualify in Civil services exams) Therefore, after this amendment now they need to only clear CSAT with the bar set as low as 33%, following which they shall be graded for merit on the basis of General Studies Paper I alone. In another major change related to the Mains examination, the minimum qualifying score for the Indian language paper has been reduced from 30% to 25%. The new CSE rules have paved the way for UPSC to issue the exam notification for Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2015.

                                                           Thus now the government has now decided to make CSAT a qualifying paper and mark candidates only on the basis of their score in Paper I, it may be emphasized that a candidate, even with a 100% score in Paper I, will not qualify unless he has scored a minimum 33% in CSAT (Gen Studies Paper II). However, Continue with the existing scheme where proficiency in English as judged by English language comprehension portion of CSAT - is not counted. The department of personnel and training on Wednesday also announced constitution of an expert committee to "comprehensively examine various issues raised from time to time, namely, eligibility, syllabus, scheme and pattern of CSE". It added that until the report of the panel is in and a decision taken on its recommendations, the CSE Rules - 2015 will hold good.

Last year, aspirants backed by the pro-Hindi lobby and parties like Samajwadi Party, JD(U) and RJD, had staged an agitation ahead of prelims exam, demanding scrapping of CSAT paper. Even though the government eventually chose to retain CSAT pattern, it amended the rules to exclude its 22-mark English language comprehension component, from gradation of merit. The twin concessions come in the wake of a sustained campaign by partisans of Hindi and other regional languages who accused UPSC of an elitist bias and argued that the old examination pattern left students from non-public and rural backgrounds at a serious disadvantage.

On 12 May 2015, who was appointed as the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by the President Pranab Mukherjee?: Justice Cyriac Joseph

Explanation: Former NHRC chairperson K.G. Balakrishnan had completed his tenure on 11 May 2015 thus Justice Cyriac Joseph was authorized to act as the interim chairperson of the NHRC until the appointment of a new chairperson. K.G. Balakrishnan was the sixth NHRC chairman and the longest serving one. Justice Balakrishnan had joined as NHRC chairperson on 7 June 2010 after his retirement as the Chief Justice of India.