Idukki Dam
- Idukki dam in kerala is constructed across the Periyar river, the longest river in kerala.
- It is one of the highest arch dams in the continent, measuring 550ft in height.
- It was commissioned in the year 1973 with financial aid from Canada.
- It is built between two granite hills such as Kuravanmala and kuravathimala.
- It is owned by the Kerala State Electricity Board.
- It supports a hydroelectric power station in Moolamattom.
- The hydel project is receiving water from two other dams at Cheruthoni and Kulamavu.
- The water levels in the reservoir are rising at an alarming rate as a result of the record high rains Kerala has received this monsoon.
- It has prompted authorities in Kerala to issue an "Orange Alert" - a precautionary messages to the public in light of possibility of water release from the reservoir.
- The dam is going to be reopened after 26 years. Previous opening was in 1981 and 1992.
Strategic Partnership Model
- The Defence Ministry has recently approved key guidelines for implementation of Strategic Partnership model.
- The guidelines were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the ministry's highest decision making body.
- Under this model, select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.
- It aims to create a vibrant defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country through joint ventures between Indian corporates and global defence majors.
- All procurements under the SP Model would be executed by specially constituted Empowered Project Committees (EPC).
- It is to provide focused attention and ensure timely execution.
Additional Surveillance Measures
- Additional Surveillance Measures (ASM) was introduced recently by SEBI.
- It is a surveillance method in which SEBI impose trading curbs on excessively volatile stocks in the Indian market.
- For example, if the "Spread" - Price variation of a stock between the high and low price, in the last three months is 200 per cent or more, then it will be placed under ASM.
- Once a stock is caught in the ASM net, it attracts a bunch of stricter exchange rules on intra-day price movements.
- Such curbs discourage speculators and intra-day traders from taking heavy positions in stocks and will result in stock prices to drop.
- Stocks of PSUs, securities with derivative products and stocks under Graded Surveillance Measure are exempted from ASM net.
Graded Surveillance Measure
- Graded Surveillance Measure, designed by SEBI, is to keep a tab on securities that witness an abnormal price rise, which is not commensurate with financial health and fundamentals of the company.
- The underlying principle is to alert and protect small / retail investors from getting stuck in such stocks inadvertently on some wrong advice.
- Currently, more than 900 companies are monitored under this.
- Once a firm is identified for surveillance it goes through six stages.
- In the first stage the securities are put in the trade-to-trade segment i.e no speculative trading is allowed and delivery of shares and payment of consideration amount are mandatory.
- A maximum of 5% movement in share price is allowed.
- With subsequent stages, corresponding surveillance actions and the restrictions gets higher progressively.
- In the sixth and final stage, there are maximum restrictions.
- Trading is permitted only once a month at this stage, with no upward movement allowed in price. Also, the additional surveillance deposit would be 200%.
- There would a quarterly review of securities.
- Based on criteria, the securities would be moved from a higher stage to a lower stage in a sequential manner.
Nepal-India Think Tank Summit
- The first ever Nepal-India Think Tank Summit is going to begin in Kathmandu.
- It is being jointly organized by the Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs and Nehru Memorial Museum Library
- It aims to foster greater collaboration and knowledge-sharing among the think tanks of the two countries.
- The summit is proposed to become an annual feature for the participating organisations and it will be hosted alternatively in Nepal and India.
Lombak
- It is a part of Indonesian group of Islands and located to the east of Bali.
- An earthquake of 6.4 magnitude has recently struck the island and triggered landslides in a volcano Mt. Rinjani.
- The volcano, which rises 3,726m (12,224ft) above sea level and is the second-highest one in Indonesia.
- Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because it lies on the "Ring of Fire".
- Ring of Fire is the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim.
Source: The Hindu, BusinessLine
