Consumer Price Index measures changes in the price level of market basket of consumer goods and services purchased by households.
The CPI is a statistical estimate constructed using the prices of a sample of representative items whose prices are collected periodically.
The annual percentage change in a CPI is used as a measure of inflation.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation releases CPI.
Recently the Base Year of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been revised from 2010 to 2012.
Homo Luzonensis
Traces of extinct species of human named Homo Luzonensis has been found in the Luzon island of Philippines.
The new specimens from Callao Cave, in the north of Luzonhave been dated to between 67,000 years and 50,000 years ago.
The finger and toe bones of the spices are curved, suggesting climbing was still an important activity for this species.
Its physical features are a mixture of those found in very ancient human ancestors and in more recent people.
Homo luzonensis has some physical similarities to recent humans, but in other features hark back to the australopithecines, upright-walking ape-like creatures that lived in Africa between two and four million years ago, as well as very early members of the genus Homo.
Homo erectus has long thought to have been the first member of our direct line to leave the African homeland - around 1.9 million years ago.
And given that Luzon was only ever accessible by sea, the find raises questions about how pre-human species might have reached the island.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
2019 April 13 is remembered as the 100th anniversary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
In April 13, 1919, on the baisakhi day (Punjabi harvest festival) local residents in Amritsar gathered in the park to discuss and protest peacefully against the confinement of Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlewand implementation of the Rowlatt Act.
The Jallianwala Bagh was walled on all sides but for a few small gates, against the orders of the British.
During the gathering Brigadier-General Dyer ordered 90 soldiers to open fire on the crowd assembled in the bagh.
About 1000 innocent civilians were killed mercilessly during the incident, leaving a scar on the British administration in India.
Rowlatt Act
The Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, popularly known as the Rowlatt Act was a legislative act passed by British administration.
It indefinitely extended the emergency measures of preventive indefinite detention, incarceration without trial and judicial review.
The accused under act were also denied the right to know the accusers and the evidence used in the trial.
Those convicted were required to deposit securities upon release, and were prohibited from taking part in any political, educational, or religious activities.
The purpose of the act was to curb the growing nationalist upsurge in the country.
WSIS
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is world’s largest annual gathering of the ‘ICT for development’ community.
The WSIS Forum is co-organized by The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Recently WSIS awarded prestigious UN awards to Bengal government’s schemes Utkarsh Bangla (youth skill development program), Sabuj Sathi(Bicycle distribution scheme).
ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting
21st ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) had been held in New Delhi.
In the meeting India and ASEAN have resolved to strengthen ties by deepening cooperation in the maritime sector and boosting connectivity.
They agreed to deepen maritime cooperation as decided at the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit 2018.
In this context, they proposed to undertake a variety of measures, including enhanced cooperation in the sub-sector of Blue Economy.
The two sides also vowed to step up cooperation in renewable energy and hold an ASEAN-India Conference on Renewable Energy in 2019.
Blue Economy
The ‘Blue Economy’ is an emerging concept which encourages better stewardship of our ocean or ‘blue’ resources.
It highlights the close linkages between the ocean, climate change, and the wellbeing of the people.
The blue economy also provides for the protection and development of more intangible ‘blue’ resources such as traditional ways of life, carbon sequestration, and coastal resilience to help vulnerable states mitigate the often devastating effects of climate change.
