30th April 2016

A.NABARD partners with Germany for food security initiative

1.The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has entered into collaboration with German Government for a special programme on ‘Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security‘. 


2.The programme is part of the German government’s recently introduced special initiative ‘One World, No Hunger’ initiative. 

3.As part of the collaboration NABARD is anchoring two programmes viz. Soil conservation and rehabilitation of degraded land programme in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. 

4.Innovation of watershed development and climate change adaptation programmes in five states Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

B.Gujarat Government to provide 10 % reservation to economically backward of higher castes

1.Gujarat Government has decided to provide 10 percent reservation for economically backward classes (EBCs) in general category. 

2.In this regard, state government is going to promulgate ordinance and will be applicable in government jobs as well as admission to the educational institutions from next academic year. 

3.This 10 percent reservation for EBCs in general category will be available to all non-reserved class, whose total family income is less than 6 lakh annually.

4.The new reservation will not affect the present reservation available to Scheduled Castes (SC)/ Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC). 

5.This decision will breaches Supreme Court’s reservation limit of 50 percent as the State Government is already providing 50 percent reservation to SC, ST and OBC.  in States Current Affairs for PCS

C.China develops world’s first Graphene electronic paper

1.Chinese researchers have developed world’s first graphene electronic paper that will catapult the material to a new level. 

2.It was developed by The Guangzhou OED Technologies in partnership with a company in Chongqing Province of China. 

Key facts 

1.Graphene e-paper is more pliable and has more intensity as compared to traditional e-papers. It has high-light transmittance means optical displays will be much brighter. 

2.Compared with liquid crystal displays (LCDs), e-papers are thinner, bendable and energy efficient.

3.Mass production cost is much lower compared to traditional e-papers, which use the rare, expensive metal indium. 

About Graphene 

1.Graphene is the world’s strongest and lightest known material derived from carbon. It can conduct heat and electricity. 

2.Its single layer is of 0.335 nanometers thickness. 

3.It can be used to create hard or flexible Graphene displays and also can be used in electronic products such as e-readers and wearable smart devices.