Economic Survey 2012

 Economic Survey reviews the developments in the Indian economy over the previous 12 months, summarizes the performance on major development programmes, and highlights the policy initiatives of the government and the prospects of the economy in the short to medium term. This document is presented to both houses of Parliament during the Budget Session.It is the most sought after annual commentary, next only to the Union Budget.While the Union budget lays down road map for the economy for the upcoming fiscal, the Economic Survey analysis the progress data for the past fiscal in the light of projections and targets laid down in previous year’s Union budget.

- The survey report has estimated a growth of 6.9% for FY12, mainly due to weakening industrial growth.
- FY13 and FY14 growth estimates pegged at 7.6% and 8.6% respectively.
- Agriculture growth projected at 2.5% in 2011-12.
- Industrial growth pegged at 4-5% in FY12.
- Services sector grew by 9.4 %, its share in GDP grew up to 59%.
- Inflationary pressures fade by the year end as food prices fall.
- WPI food inflation slumps from 20.2% in Feb’10 to 1.6% in Jan 12.
- Fiscal consolidation could spur Savings and Capital formation.
- Exports grew 40.5% in the first half of this fiscal and imports grew by 30.4%.
- The trade deficit stood at 8% of the GDP.
- Forex reserves enhanced - covering nearly the entire external debt stock.

More Info : Economic Survey

Retroviruses

A Virus basically consists of a protein capsule with a nucleic acid inside. The nucleic acid could either be DNA or RNA (DNA is what we use for genetic material). If the virus uses DNA, the DNA can directly insert into the host genome and start producing clones of its self.

Retroviruses use RNA which cannot work in a host cell without being translated to DNA then inserted into the host genome. Retroviruses are unique in that they reproduce by transcribing themselves into DNA. Reverse transcriptase, an enzyme within a retrovirus, makes it possible for the retrovirus’ RNA to perform as a template of sorts for the transcription process. Once transcription has taken place, the viral DNA gains access to the DNA of a cell, reproducing along with the cell and its offspring. Within the cell’s offspring, referred to as daughter cells, the viral DNA creates RNA replicas of itself. Finally, the RNA replicas leave the daughter cells after coating themselves with a protein. It just so happens that the process of reverse transcription (RNA to DNA) not very accurate. Many times errors are made which speeds up evolution. Since the life cycle of a virus is very short, millions of copies can be made in a host in a very short amount of time.Because of the rapid evolution of retroviruses, many of the "offspring" will be vastly different than the original. This is why HIV is so difficult to treat, and why a flu vaccine does not work most of the time. They are both retroviruses and evolve faster than science can figure out ways inhibit or treat them.