Note: First Few Volume of Target Shots Are Bigger Because We Are Covering News in Detail with Static Linkages Considering Fresher's Preparation Also

Home , Brookesia nana, Phawngpui National Park

Note: First few volume of target shots are bigger because we are covering news in detail with static linkages considering fresher's preparation also. Next coming volumes will be more concise

Environment. 11 Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) 11 Periyar Tiger Reserve 11 Seaweed Farming 11 Gobardhan scheme 12 GOBAR-DHAN Portal 13 World Wetlands Day ( 2 Feb ) 13 Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management 13 Shivalik Elephant Reserve 14 Ethanol as an alternate fuel 14 Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preferences Regulations (TCCCPR) 2018 15 Orobanche: 15 KRITAGYA: 15 Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance 15 Vembanad Lake 16 Nanda Devi National Park 16 Srivilliputhur–Megamalai – 5th Tiger Reserve in TN 16 National Horticulture Fair 2021 16 Eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) 17 Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary 17 Brookesia nana 18 Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary 18 Sessa Orchid Sanctuary: 18 Seaweeds Mission 18 Mandarin Duck 19 Rajaji National Park 19 Extinction Rebellion 20 Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary 20 Giant Leatherback turtle 20 ASIA ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT AWARD-2020 21 ECOPact: New Low-Carbon range of Concrete 21

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Green Climate Fund ( GCF ) 22 ISA to Launch World Solar Bank 22 Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO) 22 Carbon Watch 23 Siberian Mammoths 23 Deep Sea Trawling 23 Green Hydrogen 24 Black-footed Ferret 24 Blue earthworm 24 Olive Ridley Turtles 25 Black-Necked Crane 25 Report on Winter Pollution: CSE 25 State of Environment Report 2021: CSE 26 Sitanadi-Udanti Tiger Reserve: 26 ‘Spatial Mark-Resight'(SMR) model 27 Chilika Lake: 27 Bhitarkanika National Park: 27 Science & Technology. 28 National Polio Immunisation programme 28 Stardust 1.0 28 Aerial mapping of ocean floor 28 ASEAN India Hackathon 29 PROXIMA CENTAURI 29 GEOBACTER 29 Bio-restoration 31 Neptune Declaration 31 Cognitive Hacking: A Battle for the Mind 31 Chemicals of Concern 31 Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) 32 World’s first energy island 32 Osmolyte 33 Stardust 1.0- First rocket that runs on Biofuel 33 ‘Silk-protein-based tumour models for testing out cancer’ 33 JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 2

Nanophotonics 34 Scientists describe earliest primate fossils 34 Hydrogen as a Clean Fuel 34 First Thunderstorm Research Testbed of India 35 What is Einsteinium ? 35 Specialty steels 35 Mucopolysaccharidosis II or MPS II Or Hunter Syndrome 35 Information Technology Act, 2000 36 Vigyan Jyoti Programme 36 AUTOMATED FACIAL RECOGNITION SYSTEM ( AFRS ) 37 Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Drugmakers 37 Soil Health Card scheme 38 ‘Bhuvan’, ‘VEDAS’ and ‘MOSDAC’: 38 Net neutrality 38 NetWire malware 39 Perseverance rover 39 TIGER X-1 39 Gas hydrates 40 Software-Defined Radio 40 Influenza A(H5N8) virus 40 Ebola Virus Disease 41 Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0 42 Tuberculosis ( TB ) 42 NASA's Mars 2020 Mission 43 UAE's Mars mission 'Al-Amal' Or Hope Mission 43 Chandrayaan 3 44 Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) Or Chamki bukhar 44 Zolgensma gene therapy 45 India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX) 45 Smartcode Platform launched 45 National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) 46 NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) 46 National Urban Digital Mission ( NUDM ) 47 JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 3

Microbiome 47 What is COVAX? 47 Vaccine Maitri: India Vaccine diplomacy exercise 48 Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) 48 City Innovation Exchange 49 AGNIi – Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations 49 Global Bio India 2021 49 Pastuerella Multoceda 50 THE INTERCONNECT USAGE CHARGE (IUC) 50 Economics. 50 Economic Survey 51 Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) Scheme 51 14 Minor Forest Produce Items included under MSP Scheme 51 One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme 52 Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC) 53 State Reform Action Plan 53 Udyog Manthan 54 MCA amends the Definition of Small Companies 54 National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) 54 Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act 54 ‘KAPILA’ 55 Consumer Welfare Fund 55 Monetary Policy Committee 55 Permanent institutional framework for bond market 56 Green Bonds 56 Government securities 56 Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) scheme: 57 Tea production in India 57 Mission Innovation 57 Privatisation of Banks 58 Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) 59 NCAER’s Business Confidence Index 59 World Pulses Day 59 JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 4

Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization Scheme 60 Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 60 Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs) Scheme 61 Investor Education and Protection Fund ( IEPF ) 61 National Coal Index 62 India Toy Fair, 2021 62 Arbitration & Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 62 Arbitration Council of India 63 National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGPA) 64 Digital Intelligence Unit 64 Samarth Scheme 64 Securities Appellate Tribu•nal ( SAT ) 65 Jute ICARE Program 65 Smart City Mission 66 Donimalai Iron Ore Mine 66 Participatory Notes: 67 Public Sector Enterprise Policy 67 SWAMIH Investment Fund 67 ‘One Nation One Standard’ Mission 68 Making Peace with Nature: UNEP Report 68 Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) 69 Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries ( SFURTI ) 69 Line of Credit (LOC) 70 What is Dumping ? What is anti dumping duty ? 70 Bulk Drug 70 Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog: 71 REAL-TIME ELECTRICITY MARKET (RTM) 71 Central Employment Guarantee Council 72 China becomes India’s top Trade Partner 2020 72 Accredited investor 72 Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) 73 Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) 73 Fugitive Economic Offender 74 JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 5

Maritime India Summit 2021 74 STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MINERALS 74 RBI'S FINANCIAL STABILITY REPORT 75 Banks Board Bureau (BBB) 75 Inflation Targeting 76 Vivad Se Vishwas scheme: 76 AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE (AoA) 76 Commodity Transaction tax ( CTT ) 77 Indian Polity. 78 Corruption Perception Index 2020 78 Collegium System 78 Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana 79 About Jal Jeevan Mission(urban) 80 Atal Bhujal Yojana 80 President’s Rule 81 Lokpal Act of 2013 81 Doctrine of Separation of Power: 82 SANKALP 82 E-Chhawani portal launched 83 Pey Jal Survekshan 83 Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge 83 Defamation: 83 SALIENT FEATURES OF THE CONSTITUTION 73 RD AND 74 TH AMENDMENTS 84 Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) 85 National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes 86 Two Years of PM KISAN Scheme 86 E-Daakhil Portal 87 Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 87 National River Linking Project (NRLP): 88 International Relation, Organisation & Reports. 90 BREXIT 90 Immunity Passport for COVID-19 90 Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index 90 JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 6

The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) 91 Global Climate Litigation Report 2020 93 Global AI Action Alliance (GAIA) 93 NEW START TREATY 94 The International Criminal Court (ICC) 94 EIU Democracy Index 2020 94 World Sustainable Development Summit 2021 94 LANCET Modelling Study on Paris Climate Agreement 95 India Energy Outlook 2021 report 96 Roles and functions of Director General of WTO 97 Committee on World Food Security 97 International Energy Agency’s Clean Coal Centre 97 TREE CITIES OF THE WORLD 98 COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (CECPA) 98 OPEN SKIES TREATY 98 Quad grouping 99 Extinction Rebellion 99 UN Capital Development Fund 100 Transatlantic Free Trade Area 100 QATAR-SAUDI AGREEMENT 100 SAARC 100 Uthuru Thila Falhu(UTF) 101 Washington Consensus 101 Uighurs 101 United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) election 101 International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD): 102 The Senkaku Island Dispute: 103 BRICS Finance and the central bank meeting 103 Dutch Indian Water Alliance for Leadership Initiative (DIWALI) 103 UN World Food Programme 104 Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) 104 Security & Defence. 105 JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 7

Sukhoi Su-30MKI 105 National Safety Council 105 Modernisation Fund for Defence and Internal Security (MFDIS) 105 Yudh-Abhyas 2021 105 Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act 1971 105 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) 106 Exercise AMPHEX- 21 106 TROPEX 21 106 Helina and Dhruvastra: 106 Arjun: Main Battle Tank MK-1A 107 NAVDEX 21 and IDEX 21 of UAE 107 Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) 108 Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC) 108 ARHMD System for Indian Army 109 Financial Action Task Force 109 INS Utkrosh 110 Social Issues. 111 Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill, 2020 111 Census 2021 111 Three umbrella Schemes MWCD 113 Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana 113 India’s First ‘Amputee Clinic’ Launched in Chandigarh 114 Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana 114 Nai Roshni Scheme 114 Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Project 115 Samagra Shiksha Scheme 115 SAKSHAM Portal (Shramik Shakti Manch) 116 “Traffic Crash Injuries and Disabilities: The Burden on Indian Society” 116 Amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 117 WASH 117 PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Scheme 117 Swachh Iconic Places (SIP): 118 State of School Feeding Worldwide Report 118 JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 8

Saras Aajeevika Mela 2021 119 History, Art & Culture. 120 Lingaraj Temple 120 Maldhari 121 ‘Chauri Chaura’ Centenary Celebrations 121 Pattachitra Painting 121 Matua community 122 Prabuddha Bharata journal 122 Martyr Town of Dhekiajuli 122 Kinnal Craft 123 Kalarippayattu 123 Tholpavakkoothu 123 The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 124 Dickinsonia: 124 Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav 125 VINAYAK DAMODAR SAVARKAR 125 Vijayanagar ruler Krishnadevaraya: 126 Mannathu Padmanabhan: 126 Bhakti Movement (8th – 18th Century) 126 Geography. 128 Ageing Dams of India: UN Report 128 Flash Floods 128 Dhauliganga 128 Chamoli tragedy: Glacial Breach Triggered Floods 129 Geo-spatial data 129 Mahabahu Brahmaputra initiative 129 New Alpine Plant Species 129 DROUGHTS 130 Places in News. 132 Shahtoot dam 132 Dhubri-Phulbari bridge 132 Majuli-Jorhat bridge 132 JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 9

Little Andaman Island 132 Mizoram 132 Arunachal Pradesh 133 Mount Etna 133 Chittaura Lake 133

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Environment.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) ● It is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established by the Government of India under the MoEFCC, to combat organized wildlife crime in the country. Under Section 38 (Z) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, it is mandated: ● To collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities. ● To disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies for immediate action so as to apprehend the criminals. ● To establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank. ● Assist foreign authorities and international organization concerned to facilitate coordination and universal action for wildlife crime control.

Periyar Tiger Reserve ● Location: It falls in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala (saddled in the southern region of Western Ghats). ● History: Declared a Sanctuary during 1950 and declared as Tiger Reserve during 1978. It gets its name from the River Periyar which has its origin deep inside the reserve. ● Drainage: The major rivers through the reserve are Mullayar and Periyar. ● The sanctuary comprises tropical evergreen, semi evergreen, moist deciduous forests and grasslands. ● Fauna: ○ Mammals: Tiger, Elephant, Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri Tahr etc. ○ Birds: Darters, Cormorants, Kingfishers, the great Malabar Hornbill and racket- tailed Drongos. ○ Reptiles: Monitor Lizards, Python, King Cobra etc. ● Tribals: There are six tribal communities nestled inside the reserve such as Mannans, Paliyans, Malayarayans, Mala Pandarams, Uralis and Ulladans.

Seaweed Farming ● It is the name given to the many species of marine algae and plants. These species grow in water bodies such as rivers, seas and ocean. ● The practice of cultivating and harvesting seaweed is known as Seaweed Farming. ● Seaweed Species in India : ○ The commercially exploited seaweed species in India mainly include Kappaphycus alvarezii, Gracilaria edulis, Gelidiella acerosa, Sargassum spp. and Turbinaria spp.

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Gobardhan scheme ● The Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme is implemented under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin-Phase 2, ● Launched by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Jal Shakti ministry. ● Launched in 2018. ● Aims to augment income of farmers by converting biodegradable waste into compressed biogas (CBG). ● The initiative aims at attracting entrepreneurs for establishing community-based CBG plants in rural areas ● The scheme has its focus on keeping the villages clean, increasing the income of rural households. It also seeks to generate energy from cattle waste.

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What is CBG ? ● Compressed Biogas (CBG) is purified and compressed biogas, which is produced through a process of anaerobic decomposition from various waste/ biomass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud & spent wash of distilleries, sewage water, municipal solid waste (MSW), biodegradable fractions of industrial waste etc. ● CBG has pure methane content of over 90%. ● Research suggests that CBG though similar to CNG, it offers better calorific value and can thus be used as green fuel in automotive, industrial and commercial sectors.

SATAT Scheme ● Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme. ● Launched by Petroleum Ministry ● Launched in collaboration with PSU Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), it paves way for setting up Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) production plants by independent entrepreneurs. ● A developmental effort that would benefit both vehicle-users as well as farmers and entrepreneurs. ● Compressed Bio-Gas plants are proposed to be set up mainly through independent entrepreneurs. CBG produced at these plants will be transported through cascades of cylinders to the fuel station networks of OMCs for marketing as a green transport fuel alternative. ● The entrepreneurs would be able to separately market the other by-products from these plants, including bio-manure, carbon-dioxide, etc., to enhance returns on investment. ● It is planned to roll out 5,000 Compressed Bio-Gas plants across India in a phased manner.

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GOBAR-DHAN Portal ● Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme converts cattle dung and solid waste to compost, biogas and bio-CNG. ● Jointly launched by Ministry of Agriculture; Ministry of Petroleum; Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; and Ministry of Jal Shakti ● One village in every district of the country would be selected for its implementation

World Wetlands Day ( 2 Feb ) ● The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, 1971. Signed today ● Theme: ‘Wetland Water’. ● Protection: Wetlands are currently protected under different designations, including the Ramsar Convention on wetlands, the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme and others, and some of these overlap. ● What are wetlands? ○ We can find wetlands wherever water bodies meet the land. ○ Wetlands include mangroves and marshes, peatlands, rivers, lakes and other water bodies, deltas, floodplains and swamps in forested areas, paddy-fields and coral reefs. ● Wetlands in India: India has rich wetlands famous for its biodiversity. As of December 2020, there are 42 Ramsar sites in India.

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Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management ● The Indian government announced the establishment of the first Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM). ● This Centre will be a part of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai - An institution under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. ● It would address specific research needs and knowledge gaps. ● It would aid in the application of integrated approaches for conservation, restoration, management and wise use of the wetlands.

Key Functions of the centre : ● It will help in building partnership and networks with relevant national and international agencies. ● WCM would serve as a knowledge hub and enable exchange between State/ UT Wetland Authorities, wetland users, researchers, etc. ● It would assist the national and State/ UT Governments in the design and implementation of policy and regulatory frameworks,management planning, monitoring and targeted research for its conservation.

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Significance of Wetlands: ● Wetlands are a critical part of our natural environment. They mitigate floods, protect coastlines and build community resilience to disasters, absorb pollutants and improve water quality. ● Wetlands are critical to human and planet life. More than 1 billion people depend on them for a living. ● They are a vital source for food, raw materials, genetic resources for medicines, and hydropower. ● 30% of land-based carbon is stored in peatland (a type of wetlands). ● They play an important role in transport, tourism and the cultural and spiritual well-being of people. ● Many wetlands are areas of natural beauty and many are important to Aboriginal people.

Shivalik Elephant Reserve ● The Uttarakhand government issued a stay on its earlier government order (GO) to denotify the Shivalik Elephant Reserve. ● Covering both Kumaon and Garhwal regions, Shivalik Elephant Reserve is the premier and only elephant reserve of Uttarakhand. ● It was notified in 2002 under the ‘Project Elephant’. ● Shivalik is home to over 2,000 elephants and has around a dozen elephant corridors. ● It is considered to have one of the highest densities of elephants found in India. ● Other Protected Areas in Uttarakhand : ○ Jim Corbett National Park (first National Park of India). ○ Valley of Flowers National Park and Nanda Devi National Park which together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ○ Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Sanctuary. ○ Gangotri National Park. ○ Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary.

Ethanol as an alternate fuel ● The National Policy on Biofuels (NBP) -2018 under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme policy envisages an indicative target of blending 20% ethanol in petrol by 2030. Ethanol: ● Ethanol can be produced from sugarcane, maize, wheat, etc which are having high starch content. ● In India, ethanol is mainly produced from sugarcane molasses by fermentation process. ● Ethanol can be mixed with gasoline to form different blends. ● As the ethanol molecule contains oxygen, it allows the engine to more completely combust the fuel, resulting in fewer emissions and thereby reducing the occurrence of environmental pollution. ● Since ethanol is produced from plants that harness the power of the sun, ethanol is also considered as renewable fuel.

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Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preferences Regulations (TCCCPR) 2018 ● The regulation says that the companies will have to register themselves for commercial SMS and calls. This will help the regulator to regulate the fraud companies. ● The telecom companies are required to verify purported telemarketers seeking registration (called registered telemarketers or RTMs) with them before granting access to their customer data and also take action immediately against all fraudulent RTMs. ● It suggests adoption of Distributed Ledger Technology (or blockchain) as the RegTech to ensure regulatory compliance while allowing innovation in the market.

Orobanche: ● It is a hidden parasitic weed in mustard causing severe yield loss to the extent of up to 50%. ● Also called broomrapes, they are aggressive root parasitic weeds which attack strategic food crops, such as legumes and vegetables, and threaten the livelihood of many nations. ● There are no absolute control measures developed for it.

KRITAGYA: ● It is a national level hackathon ● Organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). ● Aims to: promote innovation in agriculture and allied sectors in the country. ● It also provides an opportunity to the students along with faculties, innovators for showcasing their innovative approaches & technologies in agriculture and allied sectors. ● KRI-TA-GYA explains, KRI for Krishi (Agriculture), TA for Taknik (Technology) and GYA for Gyan (Knowledge).

Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance ● The Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance is a team of conservationists, researchers and enthusiasts working to achieve functioning floodplains and coastal ecosystems that ensure survival of the fishing cat. ● It is twice the size of a house cat. ● The fishing cat is nocturnal (active at night) and apart from fish also preys on frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds, and scavenges on carcasses of larger animals. ● Protection Status: ○ IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Recently downlisted to “Vulnerable” from “Endangered” ○ CITES: Appendix II ○ Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

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Vembanad Lake ● Vembanad Lake is also known as Vembanad Kayal, Vembanad Kol, Punnamada Lake (in Kuttanad) and Kochi Lake (in Kochi). ● It is the longest lake in India and the largest lake in the state of Kerala. The lake is situated at sea level. ● Significance : Vallam Kali (a.k.a Nehru Trophy Boat Race) is a Snake Boat Race held every year in the month of August in Vembanad Lake. ● Ramsar Site : In 2002, the lake was included in the list of wetlands of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention. It is the second-largest Ramsar site in India, only after the Sunderbans in West Bengal. ● Bird Sanctuary : The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is located on the east coast of the lake.

Nanda Devi National Park ● Location: It is situated around the peak of Nanda Devi (7816 m) in the state of Uttarakhand in northern India. ● Established as Sanjay Gandhi National Park by Notification in 1982 but was later renamed Nanda Devi National Park. ● It was inscribed a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1988. ● Flora: Some 312 floral species that include 17 rare species have been found here. Fir, birch, rhododendron, and juniper are the main flora. ● Fauna: Himalayan black bear, Snow leopard , Himalayan Musk Deer etc.

Srivilliputhur–Megamalai – 5th Tiger Reserve in TN ● The tiger reserve will surround the Meghamalai and the Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuaries within it. ● Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary also known as the Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary (GSWS). ● The sanctuary was established in the year 1988 with the objective of protecting the Near threatened grizzled giant squirrel. ● It is bordered by the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the southwest. ● The sanctuary is also called as one of the best-preserved forests lying south of the Palghat Gap.

National Horticulture Fair 2021 ● It is a five-day event that will be organised at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) campus. ● Theme: ‘Horticulture for Start-Up and Stand-Up India’. ● The theme seeks to encourage the farmers to become entrepreneurs. ● The fair will be organised by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR).

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● It will be held virtually as well as offline.

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Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) ● It is an autonomous organization. ● It is engaged in doing the basic, strategic, anticipatory and applied research on various aspects of horticulture. ● It is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. ● The institute is a subsidiary of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). ● It works under the nodal head of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Horticulture ● It is a branch of agriculture that involves the intensively cultured plants which are directly used by man for food, medicinal purposes and aesthetic gratification. ● It involves the cultivation, production and sale of fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, ornamental or exotic plants. ● L.H. Bailey is called as the Father of American Horticulture. ● On the other hand, M.H. Marigowda is called as the Father of Indian Horticulture

Eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) ● Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas notified by the MoEFCC around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. ● The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas. ● They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection. ● The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 does not mention the word “Eco-Sensitive Zones”. ● An ESZ could go up to 10 kilometres around a protected area as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary ● The sanctuary is a component of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (5,520 sq km) and is a vital component of the Elephant Reserve No. 7 of South India. ● It is the only sanctuary of Kerala where sighting of four-horned antelope has been reported. ● The Nagarhole-Bandipur-Mudumalai-Wayanad forest complex is also one of the most important tiger habitats in the country. ● Presence of Egyptian vulture, Himalayan griffon, and Cinereous vultures are also reported in the sanctuary

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Brookesia nana ● It is a recently discovered chameleon from the island country of Madagascar. ● It may be the world’s smallest adult reptile. ● The male has a total length of 21.6 mm. The female is slightly longer at 28.9 mm. ● Previously, the chameleon species Brookesia micra was thought to be the smallest.

Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary ● Location: Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh ● Formation: In 1983, the Pong Dam reservoir was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary by the Himachal Pradesh government. ● Pong Dam Lake was declared as Ramsar Site in November 2002. ● The sanctuary plays host to around 220 species of birds belonging to 54 families. Migratory birds from all over Hindukush Himalayas and also as far as Siberia come here during winter. ● The sanctuary area is covered with tropical and subtropical forests, which shelters a great number of Indian Wildlife animals. ● Flora: Eucalyptus, acacia, jamun, shisham, mango, mulberry, ficus, kachnar, amla and prunus. ● Fauna: Barking deer, sambar, wild boars, nilgai, leopards and oriental small-clawed otters. ● Avian-Fauna: Black-headed gulls, Red necked grebes, plovers, terns, ducks, water-fowl egrets, and more.

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National Parks in Himachal Pradesh ● Great Himalayan National Park ● Pin Valley National Park ● Inderkilla National Park ● Khirganga National Park ● Simbalbara National Park:

Sessa Orchid Sanctuary: ● Located in Arunachal Pradesh. ● Notified in November 1989 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. ● The Sanctuary is a natural home to more than 236 species of orchids, as well as a wealthy diversity of mushrooms and other medicinal plants. ● It is the only one of its kind in the country, where these flowering plants grow wild.

Seaweeds Mission ● It has been launched for commercial farming of seaweeds and its processing for value addition towards boosting the national economy.

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● Launched by Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC)

Seaweeds ● They are the primitive, marine non-flowering marine algae without root, stem and leaves, play a major role in marine ecosystems. ● Large seaweeds form dense underwater forests known as kelp forests, which act as underwater nurseries for fish, snails and sea urchins. ● Some species of seaweeds viz. Gelidiella acerosa, Gracilaria edulis, Gracilaria crassa, Gracilaria verrucosa, Sargassum spp. and Turbinaria spp. ● Ecological Importance: Bioindicator, Iron Sequestrator, Oxygen and Nutrient Supplier

Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) ● TIFAC is an autonomous organization set up in 1988 under the Department of Science & Technology to look ahead in the technology domain, assess the technology trajectories, and support innovation by networked actions in select areas of national importance.

Mandarin Duck ● The Mandarin duck which is a colourful duck from eastern Asia was spotted in Assam recently after 118 years. ● Spotting of the Mandarin has raised hopes for the wetland which was affected by a blowout and inferno at a natural gas well in the year 2020. ● Mandarin duck is the habitat of eastern China and southern Japan. It landed in Assam too by accident. ● The duck does not come regularly to India. But some of the ducks may join other migratory birds and follow their migration path. ● About Duck: It is a perching duck species which is native to the East Palearctic. The duck is medium-sized with 41–49 cm in length and 65–75 cm of wingspan. The duck is closely related to North American wood duck

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Rajaji National Park ● Came into existence in 1983

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● Location: Spread across three districts of Uttarakhand namely Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal ○ nestled between the Shivalik ranges and the Indo-Gangetic plains. ● Flora: Broadleaved deciduous forests, riverine vegetation, scrubland, grasslands and pine forests form the range of flora in this park. ● The Ganga and Song rivers flow through the park. ● It is at the northwestern limit of distribution for both elephants and tigers in India ● In 2015, Rajaji National Park was notified as a 48th tiger reserve by the central government. ● It is home to the Van Gujjars in the winters.

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Other Protected Areas in Uttarakhand: ● Jim Corbett National Park (first National Park of India). ● Valley of Flowers National Park and Nanda Devi National Park which together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ● Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Sanctuary. ● Gangotri National Park. ● Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary.

Extinction Rebellion ● The global movement Extinction Rebellion also referred to as ‘XR’, describes itself as a decentralized, international and politically non-partisan movement using non-violent direct action and civil disobedience. ● It aims to persuade governments to act justly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency. ● XR was launched in the UK on October 31, 2018, as a response to a report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary ● Located in the Kalahandi district of Odisha. ● Fauna : It is home to a plethora wildlife animals and birds such as leopard, gaur, sambar, nilgai, barking deer, mouse deer, soft claws Ottawa, a wide variety of birds and reptiles. ● Flora: It lies within Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests eco-region.

Giant Leatherback turtle ● The largest of the seven species of sea turtles on the planet ● The most long-ranging, Leatherbacks are found in all oceans except the Arctic and the Antarctic. ● Within the Indian Ocean, they nest only in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. ● IUCN status: Vulnerable JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 20

● listed in Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

#Target_shots Addition About Galathea Bay ● The Galathea Bay is adjacent to Galathea National Park in Great Nicobar Island. ● It was earlier proposed as a wildlife sanctuary in 1997 for the protection of turtles and was also the site of a long-term monitoring programme.

ASIA ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT AWARD-2020 ● The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has received the Asia Environmental Enforcement Award-2020 awarded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). About: ● Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has been awarded this year under the Innovation category. ● Earlier, the Bureau had received the award in 2018 under the same category. ● Status: A statutory body constituted under the WildLife (Protection) Act, 1972. ● Parent Agency: Ministry of Environment and Forests. ● Mandate: To combat organized wildlife crime in the country. ● Location: The Bureau has its headquarter in New Delhi and five regional offices at Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Jabalpur. ● WCCB has developed an online Wildlife Crime Database Management System to get real time data to analyse trends in wildlife crimes across India.

ECOPact: New Low-Carbon range of Concrete ● ACC Ready Mix Concrete has recently introduced its new low carbon range of concrete called ECOPact. ● It is a “Green Concrete” that has been introduced for a high-performing, sustainable and circular construction. ● ECOPact was launched in Mumbai and Hyderabad in the first phase. ● It will be rolled out across the country in a phased manner with in a few weeks. ● The ECOPact was rolled out with the objectives of enhancing the transition towards low- carbon and circular construction. ● The innovative manufacturing process of the ECOPact will reduce the CO2 emissions by up to 100 percent. ● It will also enhance the sustainable products offerings in the construction industry. ● It is a concrete that comprises 30-50 percent lower embodied carbon content as compared to the reference concrete which is designed with OPC. ● This innovative range uses CO2 reduced binders. ● It was manufactured using the optimized mix designs in order to reduce the carbon footprint.

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Green Climate Fund ( GCF ) ● The GCF was set up in 2010 under the UNFCCC’s financial mechanism ● Aim: to channel funding from developed countries to developing countries to allow them to mitigate climate change and also adapt to disruptions arising from a changing climate. ● The UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement call for financial assistance from countries with more financial resources to those that are less endowed and more vulnerable. ● It is in accordance with the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities”. ● Through the Cancun Agreements in 2010 developed countries committed to a goal of mobilizing jointly USD 100 billion per year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries. ● The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was established in Cancun Agreement and designated it as an operating entity of the financial mechanism.

ISA to Launch World Solar Bank ● The International Solar Alliance (ISA) have planned to launch the World Solar Bank (WSB) at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow that is scheduled for November 2021. ● The development of the World Solar Bank will support India’s attempt to secure its leadership in the climate arena. ● The development of the bank is significance because the green finance will be one of the priority themes at the climate meet called COP-26. ● COP-26 will be organised in the backdrop of US re-joining the Paris climate accord. ● The headquarter of the World Solar Bank is expected to be set up in India. It will be first multilateral development bank (MDB) that will be set up in India.

Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO) ● Run by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology (DST). ● One of the oldest solar observatories in the world, ● KoSO has been providing continuous and long-term uniform solar observations for over a century now, many of them taken in the form of photographic images.

Key Findings: ● This estimation would help study magnetic field generated in the interior of the Sun, which causes sunspots and results in extreme situations like the mini-ice age on Earth (absence of sunspots). ● It could help predict solar cycles and their variations in the future. ● The Sun rotates more quickly at its equator than at its poles. ● Over time, the Sun's differential rotation rates cause its magnetic field to become twisted and tangled, and this in turn, causes lots of sunspots. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 22

● The sunspots form at the surface with an 11-year periodicity. ● They are the only route to probe the solar dynamo or solar magnetism inside the Sun and hence measure the variation in solar rotation.

Carbon Watch ● It is a mobile application to assess the carbon footprint of an individual. ● What is Carbon Footprint? ○ Carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases-especially carbon dioxide- released into the atmosphere by a particular human activity. How does the app Carbon Watch work? ● As a person downloads the application, they will need to fill details in four parts- Water, Energy, Waste Generation and Transport (Vehicular movement). In each category, they will be required to inform about their respective consumptions and waste generations. ● With the mentioned information, the mobile application will automatically calculate the carbon footprint of the individual. ● The application will also provide information such as the national and world average of the emission, and the individual’s level of emission generation.

Siberian Mammoths ● Scientists have recovered and sequenced the oldest DNA on record, from the molars of mammoths that roamed Siberia up to 1.2 million years ago. ● Until now, the oldest DNA came from a horse that lived in Canada's Yukon Territory about 700,000 years ago. ● Researchers gained insights into mammoth evolution and migration by comparing the DNA to that of mammoths that lived more recently (4,000 years ago).

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Mammoth ● It is the species of extinct elephantid of genus Mammuthus. The mammoth was equipped with the long, curved tusks and a covering of long hair. ● They were found from 5 million years ago to the some 4,000 years ago. ● The species existed in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. They belonged to the family Elephantidae. ● The family also comprises of two genera of modern elephants and their ancestors.

Deep Sea Trawling ● The Deep Sea Trawling can be defined as the Industrial way or method fishing in which large nets with heavy weight are carted across the seafloor to lift out the catch marine animals such as fishes, shrimp, cod etc. ● It is considered as the most prominent method of fishing which is a practice across the world at large scale.

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Green Hydrogen ● Green hydrogen in the commercial vehicle could be a game-changer move which would help in eliminating the crude requirement and imports in all possible ways. ● Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy and electrolysis to split water. It is distinct from: ○ Grey hydrogen, which is produced from methane and releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. ○ Blue hydrogen, which captures those emissions and stores them underground to prevent them causing climate change. ● Also, for heavy vehicles like buses, the ideal solution is Green Hydrogen. ● The use of green energy generated from agriculture waste and biomass will benefit the farmers across the country. ● The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy can produce the green hydrogen at cheap costs possible in India because of low solar prices.

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About Hydrogen: ● Hydrogen is the lightest and first element on the periodic table. Since the weight of hydrogen is less than air, it rises in the atmosphere and is therefore rarely found in its pure form, H2. ● At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is a nontoxic, nonmetallic, odorless, tasteless, colorless, and highly combustible diatomic gas. ● Hydrogen fuel is a zero-emission fuel burned with oxygen. It can be used in fuel cells or internal combustion engines. It is also used as a fuel for spacecraft propulsion.

Black-footed Ferret ● Scientific Name: Mustela nigripes. ● Also called the black-eyed ferret because of the distinctive black patches around its eyes. ● This animal's long slender body enables it to crawl in and out of the holes. ● These solitary animals live alone and in May and June females give birth to litters of one to six kits that they raise alone. ● Habitat : These are found in short or middle grass prairies in North America and are the only ferret species native to the continent. ● It often makes its homes in abandoned prairie dog burrows. ● IUCN Red List Status: Endangered.

Blue earthworm ● The scientific name of the blue earthworm is Perionyx excavates. ● It is also called as composting worms, blues, or Indian blues. ● The species is known for its ability to create the fine worm castings so quick.

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● The species have become popular in North America recently where it is used for composting purposes. ● Scientists believe that its origins are in the Himalayan mountains. ● It is also suited for vermicomposting in tropical and subtropical regions.

Olive Ridley Turtles ● The Olive ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world. ● These turtles are carnivores and get their name from their olive colored carapace. ● Protection Status: ○ Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Scheduled 1 ○ IUCN Red List: Vulnerable ○ CITES: Appendix I ● They are found in warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. ● The Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is known as the world’s largest rookery (colony of breeding animals) of sea turtles.

Arribada (Mass Nesting): ● They are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs. ● They lay their eggs over a period of five to seven days in conical nests about one and a half feet deep which they dig with their hind flippers.

Black-Necked Crane ● Both the sexes are almost of the same size but male is slightly bigger than female. ● The upper long neck, head, primary and secondary flight feathers and tail are completely black and body plumage is pale gray/whitish. ● A conspicuous red crown adorns the head. ● The high altitude wetlands of the Tibetan plateau , Sichuan (China), and eastern Ladakh (India) are the main breeding ground of the species, the birds spend winter at lower altitudes. ● In Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh, it only comes during the winters. ● Protection Status: ○ IUCN Red List: Near Threatened ○ CITES: Appendix I ○ Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

Report on Winter Pollution: CSE ● Centre for Science and Environment ( CSE ) is a public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi. It researches into, lobbies for and communicates the urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable. Key Findings: ● Worst Performers cities: JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 25

○ Gurugram, Lucknow, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam, Agra, Navi Mumbai, and Jodhpur. Kolkata is the only mega city in this group. ○ 23 of the most polluted cities are from north India. ○ Ghaziabad is the most polluted city in the northern belt. ● Best Performers: ○ Only 19 registered “substantial improvement” in PM 2.5 levels, one of these was Chennai. ○ Satna and Maihar in Madhya Pradesh, and Mysuru in Karnataka, are the cleanest cities in the country.

Initiatives to Control Air Pollution: ● The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region (NCR) and Adjoining Areas. ● Bharat Stage (BS) VI norms. ● Dashboard for Monitoring Air Quality. ● National Clean Air Programme. ● National Air Quality Index (AQI). ● Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. ● Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).

State of Environment Report 2021: CSE ● Released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). ● Pandemic Generation: India is all set to usher in a ‘pandemic generation’, with 375 million children (from newborns to 14-year-olds) likely to suffer long-lasting impacts, ranging from being underweight, stunting (low height-for-age) and increased child mortality, to losses in education and work productivity. ● Increased School Dropouts: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, over 500 million children were forced out of school globally and India accounted for more than half of them. ● Rise in Extreme Poverty: Covid-19 has made the world’s poor poorer. Over 115 million additional people might get pushed into extreme poverty by the pandemic and most of them live in South Asia.

Sitanadi-Udanti Tiger Reserve: ● Establishment: Sitanadi-Udanti Tiger Reserve came into existence in the year 2008-09, are two separate reserves (Udanti & Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuaries) combined together. ● Location: It is located in the Gariaband district, Chhattisgarh. ● Ecological Diversity: ○ It contains various types of forest crop mixed with Sal forest. ○ Asiatic Wild Buffalo is the key endangered species found in the Core Area. ○ Apart from the tiger, other endangered and rare species are Indian Wolf, Leopard, Sloth Bear and Mouse Deer. ● Rivers: ○ Sitanadi River originates in the middle of Sitanadi Wildlife sanctuary.

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○ Udanti River flows from the west to east covering a major part of the Udanti Wildlife sanctuary. ● Other Tiger Reserves in Chhattisgarh: ○ Achanakmar Tiger Reserve. ○ Indravati Tiger Reserve.

‘Spatial Mark-Resight'(SMR) model ● Developed by Scientists from three organizations namely Aaranyak, Panthera, and WWF-India ● It will precisely estimate the population size of leopards. ● Leopards can be identified like tigers with the help of their unique shape and size of the rosettes (black circular marks). It is present across their body coat. ● However, like many other wildlife species, leopards also exhibit phenotypic polymorphism (body colour variation determined by gene). ● Leopards are either rosettes (having black circular marks) or melanistic (full black, commonly called black leopard or Black Panther or ghongs ). ● SMR will estimate the leopard population in areas having a mix of the rosette and melanistic individuals.

Chilika Lake: ● Chilika is Asia's largest and world's second largest lagoon. ● It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent and is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals. ● In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. ● Major attraction at Chilika is Irrawaddy dolphins which are often spotted off Satpada Island.

Bhitarkanika National Park: ● Bhitarkanika National Park is one of Odisha’s finest biodiversity hotspots and is famous for its mangroves, migratory birds, turtles, estuarine crocodiles, and countless creeks. ● The Bhitarkanika is represented by 3 Protected Areas, the Bhitarkanika National Park, the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. ● Bhitarkanika is located in the estuary of Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, and Mahanadi river systems. ● It is said to house 70% of the country’s estuarine or saltwater crocodiles, conservation of which was started way back in 1975.

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Science & Technology.

National Polio Immunisation programme ● The National Polio Immunisation programme in India began on Sunday, 31 January 2021. ● The National Immunisation Day (NID) is commonly known as Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme. ● Polio drops are given to children in the age group of 0 to 5 years. ● The polio vaccination programme is conducted twice in a year, usually in the early months. ● The pulse polio programme always begins on a Sunday, known as Polio Ravivar.

Stardust 1.0 ● Stardust 1.0 was launched on Jan 31st from Loring Commerce Centre in Maine, US. ● It has become the first commercial space launch powered by biofuel, which is non-toxic for the environment as opposed to traditionally used rocket fuels. ● Stardust 1.0 is a launch vehicle suited for student and budget payloads. ● The rocket is manufactured by bluShift, an aerospace company based in Maine that is developing rockets that are powered by bio-derived fuels. ● The rocket is 20 feet tall and has a mass of roughly 250 kg. ● The rocket can carry a maximum payload mass of 8 kg and during its first launch carried three payloads. ● The payloads included a cubesat prototype built by high-school students, a metal alloy designed to lessen vibrations.

Aerial mapping of ocean floor ● Planning by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) ● With the help of the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) ● Purpose: for airline mapping of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshwadeep to get a better picture of the ocean floor, also called ‘bathymetric’ study.

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Bathymetry: ● Bathymetry is the study of underwater depth of ocean floors or lake floors. In other words, bathymetry is the underwater equivalent to hypsometry or topography. ● Bathymetric charts are typically produced to support safety of surface or subsurface navigation, and usually show seafloor relief or terrain as contour lines and selected depths (soundings), and typically also provide surface navigational information. ● NRSC has already done a similar high resolution topographic Airborne Laser Terrain Mapping (ALTM) for entire coastal areas of the country.

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Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services: ● Autonomous organization under the Ministry of Earth Sciences ● Established in 2007 ● It is mandated to provide the best possible ocean information and advisory services to society, industry, government agencies and the scientific community through sustained ocean observations and constant improvements through systematic and focused research.

ASEAN India Hackathon ● The background of the India-ASEAN hackathon lies in the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call during the India-Singapore hackathon in the year 2019. ● The minister highlighted that the ASEAN-India hackathon will provide a unique opportunity to India and ASEAN countries to solve their common identified challenges. ● The common challenges of the countries are categorized under two themes namely the “Blue Economy” and “Education”. ● The hackathon will help in the enactment of six fundamental virtues of our civilisation namely, dialogue, respect, peace, cooperation, prosperity and innovation.

PROXIMA CENTAURI ● Proxima Centauri is small, low-mass star which is 4.2 light-years away from the Sun – considered a close distance in cosmic terms. Its mass is about an eighth of the Sun’s, and it is too dim to be seen with the naked eye from Earth. ● It was discovered in 1915 by Robert Innes and is the nearest-known star to the Sun. ● Proxima b is one of the two planets that revolve around the star. It is sized 1.2 times larger than Earth, and orbiting its star every 11 days. Proxima b lies in Proxima Centauri’s “Goldilocks zone”. ● Goldilocks zone means the area around a star where it is not too hot and not too cold for liquid water to exist on the surface of surrounding planets. To give an example, the Earth is in the Sun’s Goldilocks zone.

GEOBACTER ● Geobacter are a group of gram-negative bacteria. They are rod-shaped and possess flagella and pili. ○ Pili is a hair-like appendage found on the surface of many bacteria and archaea. ● They live in low-oxygen environments such as muddy soil, seabeds or along the banks of rivers. ● Consequently, many species of Geobacter bacteria were discovered, with each having interesting properties. ● All Geobacter consume organic waste and give out electrons, generating electric current in the process. #Target_shots Addition JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 29

Biodegradation ● It is the biologically catalyzed modification of an organic chemical's structure. ● However, this modification can be through different metabolic pathways and does not necessarily mean a reduction in toxicity. ● Mineralization, one type of biodegradation, is defined as the conversion of an organic substance to its inorganic constituents, rendering the original compound harmless. Bioremediation ● Refers to the use of microorganisms to degrade contaminants that pose environmental and human risks. ● Bioremediation processes typically involve the actions of many different microbes acting in parallel or sequence to complete the degradation process. ● Both in situ (in place) and ex situ (removal and treatment in another place) remediation approaches are used. ● The versatility of microbes to degrade a vast array of pollutants makes bioremediation a technology that can be applied in different soil conditions.

Types of Bioremediation: Bioremediation is of three types – 1) Biostimulation ● As the name suggests, the bacteria is stimulated to initiate the process. ● The contaminated soil is first mixed with special nutrients substances including other vital components either in the form of liquid or gas. ● It stimulates the growth of microbes thus resulting in efficient and quick removal of contaminants by microbes and other bacterias.

2) Bioaugmentation ● At times, there are certain sites where microorganisms are required to extract the contaminants. ● For example – municipal wastewater. In these special cases, the process of bioaugmentation is used. There’s only one major drawback in this process. ● It almost becomes impossible to control the growth of microorganisms in the process of removing the particular contaminant.

3) Intrinsic Bioremediation ● The process of intrinsic bioremediation is most effective in the soil and water because of these two biomes which always have a high probability of being full of contaminants and toxins. ● The process of intrinsic bioremediation is mostly used in underground places like underground petroleum tanks. In such place, it is difficult to detect a leakage and contaminants and toxins can find their way to enter through these leaks and contaminate the petrol. Thus, only microorganisms can remove the toxins and clean the tanks.

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Bio-restoration ● Why in news?: A new technology developed by Indian scientists for ecological restoration is helping in revival of mangroves degraded due to rising sea levels, climate change and human intrusion in the Sunderbans in West Bengal. ● What is it ?: Ecological restoration means reviving native ecosystem in degraded areas while maintaining diversity of original flora and fauna through regeneration but bringing down the regeneration period to four-five. ● Technology: The restoration technology involves plantation of native salt-tolerant grasses and a diverse set of carefully identified mangrove species in different zones of degraded mangrove patches. It also involves the use of growth-promoting bacteria. ● Significance: Mangrove Forest Cover Changes in Indian Sundarban (1986-2012) Using Remote Sensing and GIS, a publication by the School of Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University, reveals that from 1986 to 2012, 124.418 sq. km. mangrove forest cover has been lost.

Neptune Declaration ● The Neptune Declaration was signed by more than 450 organizations. ● The declaration highlights the main actions that are required to be taken in order to resolve the crew change crisis. ● The daily lives and wellbeing of seafarers was highly impacted due to COVID-19 pandemic. It led to a humanitarian crisis at sea. ● This declaration has mentioned four main actions that is needful to address the crew change crisis

Cognitive Hacking: A Battle for the Mind ● Cognitive hacking is a cyberattack that seeks to manipulate the perception of people by exploiting their psychological vulnerabilities. ● The purpose of the attack is changes in behavior, usually resulting from exposure to misinformation. ● As such, cognitive hacking is a form of social engineering although it may target a broad audience rather than specific individuals. ● The attack is usually information-based and non-technical, however. In most cases, cognitive hacking does not involve corruption of hardware or software or even unauthorized access to systems or data.

Chemicals of Concern ● U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced establishment of a "chemicals of concern" list and action plans that could prompt restrictions on four types of synthetic chemicals used widely in manufacturing and consumer products ● Phthalates: Phthalates are used as plasticisers and solvents, and can be found in fragrances, hair products, skin lotions, nail polish and nail hardeners. They have endocrine disruption effects, and have been linked with endometriosis and early puberty

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in girls, reproductive organ abnormalities and reduced fertility in males. They can also act on the thyroid, and have been linked with obesity. ● Parabens: Parabens are preservatives used in many cosmetics, with methyl paraben being the most commonly used. Parabens have been found to have endocrine disruption effects in lab tests, although the relevance to humans isn't well understood. ● Nanoparticles: Titanium dioxide or zinc oxide found in some mineral make-up and sunscreen products may contain particles in the nano range, which have been linked with cellular damage – including damage to DNA. ● Triclosan: Triclosan is a preservative and antibacterial agent found in personal care products such as antiperspirant, soap, hand wash and toothpaste . Tests on mammals and other animals have shown endocrine disruptor effects . There are also concerns that it may contribute to antibiotic resistance

Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) ● SKAO is a new intergovernmental organisation dedicated to radio astronomy and is headquartered in the UK. ● At the moment, organisations from ten countries are a part of the SKAO. ● These include Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK.

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What are radio telescopes? ● Unlike optical telescopes, radio telescopes can detect invisible gas and, therefore, they can reveal areas of space that may be obscured by cosmic dust. ● The first radio signals were detected by physicist Karl Jansky in the 1930s.

About SKA Telescope: ● The telescope is proposed to be the largest radio telescope in the world. ● It will be located in Africa and Australia whose operation, maintenance and construction will be overseen by SKAO. ● The completion is expected to take nearly a decade at a cost of over £1.8 billion.

World’s first energy island ● Denmark has approved a plan to build the world’s first energy island in the North Sea. ● The artificial island, in its initial phase,will be the size of 18 football fields. ● It will be linked to hundreds of offshore wind turbines and will supply both power to households and energy for use in shipping, aviation, industry and heavy transport. ● The island will produce and store enough green energy to cover the electricity needs of three million European households. ● Significance : The move came as the European Union unveiled plans to transform its electricity system to rely mostly on renewable energy within a decade and increase its offshore wind energy capacity 25-fold by 2050.

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Osmolyte ● Osmolytes are low-molecular weight organic compounds that influence the properties of biological fluids. ● Primary role is to maintain the integrity of cells by affecting the viscosity, melting point, and ionic strength of the aqueous solution. ● Osmolytes also interact with the constituents of the cell, e.g. they influence protein folding. ● Common osmolytes include amino acids, sugars and polyols, methylamines, methylsulfonium compounds, and urea.

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Osmolysis ● Osmolysis is the rupture of a cell membrane due to excessive accumulation of solvent (water), produced by a decrease in concentration of ions inside the cell (hypo- osmolarity).

Osmosis ● It is the spontaneous passage or diffusion of water or other solvents through a semipermeable membrane (one that blocks the passage of dissolved substances—i.e., solutes). ● Osmosis is of two types: ○ Endosmosis– When a substance is placed in a hypotonic solution, the solvent molecules move inside the cell and the cell becomes turgid or undergoes deplasmolysis. This is known as endosmosis. ○ Exosmosis– When a substance is placed in a hypertonic solution, the solvent molecules move outside the cell and the cell becomes flaccid or undergoes plasmolysis. This is known as exosmosis.

Stardust 1.0- First rocket that runs on Biofuel ● The launch of the vehicle is significant in the light that this is the 1st commercial space launch that is powered by biofuel. ● The launch vehicle Stardust 1.0 is suitable for student and budget payloads. ● It is 20 feet in height and approximately 250 kg in weight. ● The launch vehicle can carry a maximum payload mass of 8 kg. ● The launch vehicle will be used to launch the small satellites

‘Silk-protein-based tumour models for testing out cancer’ Key features of the Mode ● Bio-activity: It involves fabrication of a bio-active composite of silk proteins from two species of silk moths.

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● 3-D base: It builds a scaffold that provides a three-dimensional base for growing tumours. ● Imitate native environment: This 3D silk-based tumour model imitates native tumour microenvironment, complex tumour physiology and metastasis, thus improving drug screening efficacy. ● Normally, cancer drugs are tested using patient-derived primary cancer cells, on tumours induced in animal models or on genetically modified organisms. ● However, these models are insufficient to reproduce the three-dimensional morphology and physiology of human tumours and hence show inaccuracies in drug screening ● The scientists mixed the silk fibroins extracted from the cocoons of the domestic silk moth (Bombyx mori) and the silk glands of the muga silk moth (Antheraea assama) in equal proportions and used them to build up scaffolds on which they grew breast and liver tumour cell cultures

Nanophotonics ● Nanophotonics or nano-optics is the study of the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, and of the interaction of nanometer-scale objects with light. ● It is a branch of optics, optical engineering, electrical engineering, and nanotechnology. ● It often involves dielectric structures such as nanoantennas, or metallic components, which can transport and focus light via surface plasmon polaritons. ● The term "nano-optics", just like the term "optics", usually refers to situations involving ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light (free-space wavelengths from 300 to 1200 nanometers).

Scientists describe earliest primate fossils ● Paleontologists in the United States have discovered and analyzed the fossilized remains from two species of Purgatorius, the oldest genus in a group of the earliest- known primates called Plesiadapiformes. ● About Plesiadapiformes: first appeared during the Paleocene epoch, between 65 and 55 million years ago, although many were extinct by the beginning of the Eocene epoch. ● These ancient mammals were small-bodied and ate specialized diets of insects and fruits that varied by species

Hydrogen as a Clean Fuel About Hydrogen: ● Hydrogen is the lightest and first element on the periodic table. Since the weight of hydrogen is less than air, it rises in the atmosphere and is therefore rarely found in its pure form, H2. ● At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is a nontoxic, nonmetallic, odorless, tasteless, colorless, and highly combustible diatomic gas. ● Hydrogen fuel is a zero-emission fuel burned with oxygen. It can be used in fuel cells or internal combustion engines. It is also used as a fuel for spacecraft propulsion.

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● Production: Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of domestic resources, such as natural gas, nuclear power, biomass, and renewable power like solar and wind. ● Uses: These qualities make it an attractive fuel option for transportation and electricity generation applications. It can be used in cars, in houses, for portable power, and in many more applications. ● Storage: Hydrogen can be stored physically as either a gas or a liquid. Storage of hydrogen as a gas typically requires high-pressure tanks.

First Thunderstorm Research Testbed of India ● The Thunderstorm Research Testbed is being established with the objective to minimalize the human fatalities and loss of property because of the lightning strikes. ● Location: Balasore, Odisha. ● The Thunderstorm testbed will be established in a collaboration among the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and India Meteorological Department (IMD).

What is Einsteinium ? ● Named after Einstein, it was discovered in 1952 in the debris of the first hydrogen bomb (the detonation of a thermonuclear device called “Ivy Mike” in the Pacific Ocean). Properties: ● It is difficult to create and is highly radioactive. ● The most common isotope of the element, einsteinium 253 has a half-life of 20 days. ● Einsteinium-254 is one of the more stable isotopes of the element that has a half-life of 276 days.

Specialty steels ● Also referred to as alloy steel – contain additional alloyed materials that deliver special properties to the final product. Benefits ● High corrosion resistance ● Targeted resistance to high and/or low temperatures ● Easily fabricated ● Dimensional stability and strength ● Non-magnetic

Mucopolysaccharidosis II or MPS II Or Hunter Syndrome ● About: MPS II mostly affects boys and their bodies cannot break down a kind of sugar that builds bones, skin, tendons and other tissues. ● Cause: It is caused by changes (mutations) of the IDS gene that regulates the production of the iduronate 2-sulfatase (I2S) enzyme. ● This enzyme is needed to break-down complex sugars, known as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), produced in the body.

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● Impact: Lack of I2S enzyme activity leads to the accumulation of GAGs within cells, specifically inside the lysosomes. ● Inheritance: MPS II is inherited in an X-linked recessive pattern, which means that this condition occurs almost exclusively in males. Females are generally unaffected carriers of this condition.

Information Technology Act, 2000 ● The Information Technology Act, 2000, as amended from time to time, governs all activities related to the use of computer resources. ● It covers all ‘intermediaries’ who play a role in the use of computer resources and electronic records. ● ‘Intermediaries’ includes providers of telecom service, network service, Internet service and web hosting, besides search engines, online payment and auction sites, online markets and cyber cafes. ● It includes any person who, on behalf of another, “receives, stores or transmits” any electronic record. ● Social media platforms fall under the definition of ‘intermediaries’. ● As per the Section 69 of the Act, the Central and State governments can issue directions to intercept, monitor or decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource. ● The grounds on which these powers may be exercised are : ○ In the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, or ○ For preventing incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence relating to these, or ○ For investigating any offence. ● Section 79 of the Act says that an intermediary shall not be liable for any third-party information, data, or communication link made by him.

Vigyan Jyoti Programme ● Vigyan Jyoti programme, a new initiative to encourage girls to take interest in science and build career, ● Launched by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) ● Aim: to create a level-playing field for the meritorious girls to pursue STEM. ● The programme addresses the underrepresentation of women in certain areas of STEM. ● Classes Covered è This programme started at school level for meritorious girls of Class IX to Class XII. ● Vigyan Jyoti activities include student-parent counselling, visit to labs and knowledge centres, partners role model interactions, science camps, academic support classes, resource material distribution and tinkering activities.

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AUTOMATED FACIAL RECOGNITION SYSTEM ( AFRS ) ● The AFRS is a centralised web application, and is expected to be the foundation for “a national level searchable platform of facial images”. ● The surveillance tool will be integrated with centrally maintained databases such as the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS), and the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS).

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Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) ● a Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) of Govt. of India. ● CCTNS aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing through adopting of principle of e- Governance and creation of a nationwide networking infrastructure for evolution of IT- enabled-state-of-the-art tracking system around 'Investigation of crime and detection of criminals'. ● CCTNS provide citizen centric police services through a web portal; establishes State and National Database of Crime and Criminal records, provides crime and criminal reports at state and centre, computerizations of police process & interlinks police stations, state and national data centres through a data network.

Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) ● A common platform for information exchange and analytics of all the pillars of the criminal justice system comprising of Police, Forensics, Prosecution, Courts & Prisons. Invested under the CCTNS project of the MHA, the ICJS enables a nationwide search on police, prisons & courts databases across all States/ UTs in the country.

National Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) ● It is being setup by NCRB which is a network based pan India system for recording and sharing of fingerprints of criminals in various crimes. ● Implementation of NAFIS will help Police in solving crime cases quickly but will also enhance skilled human resources in State Fingerprint Bureaus.

Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Drugmakers ● Vaccines and medicines, and even diagnostic tests and medical devices, require the approval of a regulatory authority before they can be administered. ● In India, the regulatory authority is the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). ● The approval is granted after an assessment of their safety and effectiveness, based on data from trials. In fact, approval from the regulator is required at every stage of these trials.

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● This is a long process, designed to ensure that medicine or vaccine is absolutely safe and effective.

Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) ● Under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India. ● CDSCO along with state regulators, is jointly responsible for grant of licenses of certain specialized categories of critical Drugs such as blood and blood products, I. V. Fluids, Vaccine and Sera. ● CDSCO is responsible for approval of New Drugs, Conduct of Clinical Trials, laying down the standards for Drugs, control over the quality of imported Drugs in the country

Soil Health Card scheme ● Launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare on December 5, 2015. ● Under the scheme, village level Soil Testing Labs will be set up by youth having education in agriculture, Women Self Help Groups, FPOs etc. ● The scheme also focuses on enabling employment generation after appropriate skill development. ● SHC is a printed report that a farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings. ● Soil Health Card provides two sets of fertilizer recommendations for six crops including recommendations of organic manures. ● It will contain the status of his soil with respect to 12 parameters namely: pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Organic Carbon (OC), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulphur (S), Zinc (Zn), Boron (B), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu) of farm holdings.

‘Bhuvan’, ‘VEDAS’ and ‘MOSDAC’: ● Bhuvan is the national geo-portal developed and hosted by ISRO comprising geospatial data, services, and tools for analysis. ● VEDAS (Visualisation of Earth observation Data and Archival System) is an online geoprocessing platform that uses optical, microwave, thermal, and hyperspectral EO data covering applications particularly meant for academia, research and problem solving. ● MOSDAC (Meteorological and Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre) is a data repository for all the meteorological missions of ISRO and deals with weather- related information, oceanography, and tropical water cycles.

Net neutrality ● Telecom operators have been demanding that the government should impose ‘same service, same rules’ to provide a level playing field in the sector. ● What is Net Neutrality?

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○ It means that governments and internet service providers treat all data on the internet equally and does not differentially charge consumers for higher-quality delivery or giving preferential treatment to certain websites. ● Network neutrality requires all Internet service providers (ISPs) to provide the same level of data access and speed to all traffic, and that traffic to one service or website cannot be blocked or degraded.

NetWire malware ● First surfaced in 2012 ● It is also one of the most active ones around. ● It is a remote access Trojan, or RAT, which gives control of the infected system to an attacker. Such malware can log keystrokes and compromise passwords. This malware essentially does two things: ● One is data exfiltration, which means stealing data. Most anti-virus software is equipped to prevent this. ● The other involves infiltrating a system, and this has proven to be far more challenging for anti-virus software.

Perseverance rover ● Launched on July of 2020. ● It is expected to touch down on Mars at the Jezero Crater. ● The primary task of Perseverance is to seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and reglolith to possibly return these to Earth. ● Perseverance is fueled by electrical power by using heat of plutonium’s radioactive decay. ● NASA Perseverance gets shape memory alloys to remain steady on surface of Mars. ● Armed with drills, cameras and lasers, Perseverance is set to explore Mars. ● Perseverance will carry a unique instrument, MOXIE or Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment: which for the first time will manufacture molecular oxygen on Mars using carbon dioxide from the carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere ○ ISRU means In Situ Resource Utilization: or the use of local resources to meet human needs or requirements of the spacecraft.

TIGER X-1 ● The Hyundai Motor Group have designed a walking car concept robot. ● It is being called as TIGER which stands for transforming intelligent ground excursion robot. ● The robot is based on the modular platform architecture. ● The robot has 360-degree directional control which helps in surface evaluation in disaster prone areas. ● The vehicle does not carry passengers but it can carry cargo and sensors to remotely observe the surroundings. ● TIGER has been designed to operate autonomously. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 39

● It comprises of a sophisticated leg and wheel locomotion system.

Gas hydrates ● Gas hydrates are crystalline form of methane and water, and exist in shallow sediments of outer continental margins. They are envisaged as a viable major energy resource for future. ● Gas hydrates are mostly methane (CH4). Methane gas hydrate is most stable at the seafloor at water depths which is below about 500 meters. ● Methane hydrate is an "ice" that only occurs naturally in subsurface deposits where temperature and pressure conditions are favourable for its formation. ● Biogenic Methane: It is the methane produced from the metabolic activities of living organisms. The research team has identified the methanogens that produced the biogenic methane trapped as methane hydrate, which can be a significant source of energy. ● Methanogens: These are microorganisms that produce methane as a metabolic by- product in hypoxic (low levels of oxygen) conditions. ● Methane hydrate is formed when hydrogen-bonded water and methane gas come into contact at high pressures and low temperatures such as in oceans.

Software-Defined Radio ● Software-defined radio (SDR) is a radio communication system where components that have been traditionally implemented in hardware (e.g. mixers, filters, amplifiers, modulators/demodulators, detectors, etc.) are instead implemented by means of software on a personal computer or embedded system. ● A basic SDR system may consist of a personal computer running SDR software that interfaces with analog-to-digital converter over USB or ethernet, preceded by some form of RF front end with RF amplifiers, filters and attenuators.

Influenza A(H5N8) virus ● H5N8 avian influenza is a disease of birds, caused by Type “A” influenza viruses, which can affect several species of domestic poultry, such as chickens, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, ducks, as well as pet birds, wild migratory birds and water fowl.

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Avian influenza ( Bird Flu ): ● It is a viral infection that can infect not only birds, but also humans and other animals. Most forms of the virus are restricted to birds. ● It is a highly contagious viral disease affecting several species of food-producing birds (chickens, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, etc.), as well as pet birds and wild birds. ● Occasionally mammals, including humans, may contract avian influenza. ● Influenza A viruses are classified into subtypes based on two surface proteins, Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA).

Ebola Virus Disease ● Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. ● Transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. ● The Ebola virus causes an acute, serious illness which is often fatal if untreated. ● Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks. ● Diagnosis can be done through RT-PCR assay, ELISA assay, ● Antigen-capture detection tests, Serum neutralization test, etc ● Guinea has declared an Ebola outbreak for the first time since 2016 ● The Ebola virus is a member of the RNA virus known as ‘Filoviriade’. ● The Ebola virus is the world’s third deadliest infectious disease after HIV. ● The new strain of Ebola is called Ebola Tai(WHO).

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Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0 ● The IMI 3.0 initiative was launched by central government in order to provide immunization to the pregnant women and children free of cost in India. ● The scheme will strengthen and re-energize immunization programme. ● It will help in achieve full immunization coverage for children and pregnant women rapidly. ● This mission also aims to reach the unreached population. It will reach to them with all the available vaccines under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

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Mission Indradhanush ● This Mission was launched in December 2014 with the aim of fully immunizing unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children under UIP. ● The scheme targets children aged under 2 years and pregnant women for immunization. ● The mission incorporated immunization programme against 12 Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD) namely, Whooping cough, diphtheria, polio, tetanus, meningitis, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, pneumonia, Haemophilus influenzae type B infections, rotavirus vaccine, Japanese encephalitis (JE), measles-rubella (MR) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). ● The rate of immunization coverage under the initiative has increased to 6.7% per year through the first two phases of ‘Mission Indradhanush’.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush ● Launched in 2017 ● Aim: to reach child aged under two years and pregnant women who were left uncovered under the routine immunisation programme. ● Under this mission, greater focus was given on urban areas which was left under the Mission Indradhanush.

Tuberculosis ( TB ) ● TB caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs. ● Transmission: TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. ● Treatment: TB is a treatable and curable disease. It is treated with a standard 6-month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer. ● Anti-TB medicines have been used for decades and strains that are resistant to 1 or more of the medicines have been documented in every country surveyed. ○ Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful, first-line anti- TB drugs. MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second-line drugs.

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○ Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) is a more serious form of MDR-TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to the most effective second-line anti-TB drugs, often leaving patients without any further treatment options.

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Nikshay Poshan Abhiyan ● It is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for nutritional support to Tuberculosis (TB) patients rolled out in April 2018 by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. ● The scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme under National Health Mission (NHM). Financial norms of NHM in terms of cost sharing are applicable to the scheme. ● The scheme is not related to Poshan Mission which is an initiative of Ministry of Women and Child Development. ● This scheme is implemented across all States and UTs in India. ● Financial incentive of Rs.500/- per month for each notified TB patient for duration during which the patient is on anti-TB treatment.

NIKSHAY Portal ● NIKSHAY is web based solution for effectively monitoring of TB patients under Revised National Tuberculosis Programme (RNTCP). ● Launched by Health Ministry Government with intention of creating a tuberculosis free nation. ● Developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) in association with Central TB Division (CTD), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

NASA's Mars 2020 Mission ● (NASA’s) Perseverance Rover has landed on Mars. ● The mission is designed to better understand the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient life. ● About Perseverance Rover ○ Perseverance is the most advanced, most expensive and most sophisticated mobile laboratory sent to Mars. ○ Perseverance is fueled by electrical power by using heat of plutonium’s radioactive decay. ○ Armed with drills, cameras and lasers, Perseverance is set to explore Mars. ○ It is different from previous missions because it is capable of drilling and collecting core samples of the most promising rocks and soils, and setting them aside in a "cache" on the surface of Mars.

UAE's Mars mission 'Al-Amal' Or Hope Mission ● Hope is the first mission to Mars launched by the United Arab Emirates. ● It is the first interplanetary mission for the Arab World.

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● The country aims to use it to transform global science, the nation's space sector and its economy. ● The Emirates Mars Mission has sent an unmanned spacecraft, or probe, into Martian orbit. ● UAE became the fifth national space agency (after the US, EU, Russia, and India) to reach Mars

Chandrayaan 3 ● Chandrayaan-3, India's third mission to Moon, is likely to be launched in 2022.

History: ● The Chandrayaan-1 Moon Mission, launched in 2008, data indicates that the Moon's poles are home to water. ● Chandrayaan-2: aimed at landing a rover on unchartered Lunar South Pole, was launched in 2019 on board the country’s most powerful geosynchronous launch vehicle.

What is Chandrayaan 3 Mission? ● ISRO is planning to land the Chandrayaan 3 lander at the same location as the Chandrayaan 2 – the lunar South Pole, which is a singularly promising part of the moon’s surface. ● It will be a mission repeat of Chandrayaan-2 but will only include a lander and rover similar to that of Chandrayaan-2. ● Unlike its predecessor, Chandrayaan-3 will not have an orbiter. ● The lander for Chandrayaan-3 will have only four throttle-able engines unlike Vikram on Chandrayaan-2 which had five 800 N engines with a fifth one being centrally mounted and with fixed thrust. ● The Chandrayaan-3 lander will also be equipped with a Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV).

Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) Or Chamki bukhar ● Acute encephalitis syndrome is a basket term used for referring to hospitals, children with clinical neurological manifestation that includes mental confusion, disorientation, convulsion, delirium, or coma. ● Meningitis caused by virus or bacteria, encephalitis (mostly Japanese encephalitis) caused by virus, encephalopathy, cerebral malaria, and scrub typhus caused by bacteria are collectively called acute encephalitis syndrome. ● The disease most commonly affects children and young adults and can lead to considerable morbidity and mortality. ● Causes of Disease: Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) is considered a very complex disease as it can be caused by various agents including bacteria, fungi, virus and many other agents. ○ Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the major cause of AES in India (ranging from 5%-35%).

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Zolgensma gene therapy ● Zolgensma gene therapy is a one-time injection that replaces the defective gene with normal gene and rectifies the disorder. ● In 2019, US FDA approved this therapy for children aged less than two years.

2 Types of Gene Therapy Somatic Gene Therapy ● This type usually occurs in the somatic cells of human body. ● This is related to a single person and the only person who has the damaged cells will be replaced with healthy cells. ● In this method, therapeutic genes are transferred into the somatic cells or the stem cells of the human body. ● This technique is considered as the best and safest method of gene therapy.

Germline Gene Therapy ● It occurs in the germline cells of the human body. ● Generally, this method is adopted to treat the genetic, disease causing-variations of genes which are passed from the parents to their children. ● The process involves introducing a healthy DNA into the cells responsible for producing reproductive cells, eggs or sperms. Germline gene therapy is not legal in many places as the risks outweigh the rewards.

Application of Gene Therapy ● It is used in the replacement of genes that cause medical ill-health ● The method generally destroys the problem causing genes ● It helps the body to fight against diseases by adding genes to the human body ● This method is employed to treat diseases such as cancer, ADA deficiency, cystic fibrosis, etc. India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX) ● Launched by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs ● IUDX has been developed in partnership between the Smart Cities Mission and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. ● IUDX serves as an interface for data providers and data users. ● Objective: To share, request, and access datasets related to cities, urban governance, and urban service delivery. ● It is an open-source software platform. ● It will ensure secured and authenticated exchange of data amongst various data platforms.

Smartcode Platform launched ● Launched by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

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● SmartCode is a platform that enables all ecosystem stakeholders to contribute to a repository of open-source code for various solutions and applications for urban governance. ● It is designed to address the challenges that urban local bodies (ULBs) face in the development and deployment of digital applications. ● It shall enable cities to take advantage of existing codes and customising them to suit local needs, rather than having to develop new solutions from scratch.

National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) ● It is a subordinate department under the Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology ● Headquarter: Kolkata ● NATMO being a specialized institution of its kind also engaged cartographic and geographical researches at national level. Main Functions: ● Compilation of the National Atlas of India in Hindi, English and other regional languages ● Preparation of thematic maps based on socio-economic, physical, cultural, environmental, demographic and other issues. ● Preparation of maps/atlases for visually impaired. ● Digital mapping and training using Remote sensing, GPS and GIS technology. ● Training, Research & Development

NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) ● It is the abnormal accumulation of fat in the liver in the absence of secondary causes of fatty liver, such as harmful alcohol use, viral hepatitis. ● Fatty liver occurs when too much fat builds up in liver cells. ● It is a serious health concern as it encompasses a spectrum of liver abnormalities, from a simple non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL, simple fatty liver disease) to more advanced ones like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis and even liver cancer. ● Steatohepatitis is characterized by inflammation of the liver with concurrent fat accumulation in the liver. Mere deposition of fat in the liver is termed steatosis. ● Cirrhosis is a complication of liver disease that involves loss of liver cells and irreversible scarring of the liver. ● Symptoms : Abdominal pain, fatigue (थकान), slightly enlarged liver, patchy, dark

discoloration of the skin over the neck and under the arm. ● NAFLD acts as an independent predictor of future risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic syndromes like hypertension, abdominal obesity, dyslipidaemia, glucose intolerance.

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National Urban Digital Mission ( NUDM ) ● Launched by : It has been launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) In partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY). ● Aim: To build the shared digital infrastructure that will strengthen the capacity of the urban ecosystem to solve complex problems. ● Approach : The digital infrastructure will be built across three pillars of People, Process and platform. The infrastructure will provide holistic support to cities and towns. ● Target : The NUDM aims to institutionalise a citizen-centric and ecosystem-driven approach to urban governance and service delivery. The NUDM will be completed in 2022 cities by 2022. Further, it will be expanded across all cities and towns in India by 2024. ● Significance : The digital infrastructure will help cities to consolidate and cross-leverage the various digital initiatives of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Microbiome ● Microbiome is a term that describes the genome of all the microorganisms, symbiotic and pathogenic, living in and on all vertebrates. ● The gut microbiome is comprised of the collective genome of microbes inhabiting the gut including bacteria, archaea, viruses, and fungi. ● Information about these microbes living in our guts is growing at a tremendous rate. ● A recent study published in Journal of Experimental Biology finds that eating too much fat and sugar as a child can alter one’s microbiome forever, even if the person later switches to healthy food

What is COVAX? ● COVAX is a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and two international groups – the Gavi vaccine alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) – ● Aims to send vaccines to developing countries. Aim : To accelerate the development and manufacture of Covid-19 vaccines and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world. ● The majority of its funding has come from high-income countries and international organisations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. ● COVAX is the vaccines pillar of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. ○ The ACT Accelerator is a global collaboration to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to Covid-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines. #Target_shots Addition

Serum Institute of India

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● It is India's number one biotechnology company, manufacturing highly specialized life saving biologicals like vaccines using cutting edge genetic and cell based technologies. ● It was founded in 1966 and is located in the city of Pune, India. ● Aim :Manufacture life-saving immuno-biologicals, which were in shortage in India and imported at high prices. ● It is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally (more than 1.5 billion doses). ● Vaccines manufactured by it are accredited by the WHO and are being used in around 170 countries across the globe in their national immunisation programmes.

Vaccine Maitri: India Vaccine diplomacy exercise ● Vaccine Diplomacy: It is the use of vaccines to increase a country’s diplomatic relationship with other countries. ● India will supply Made-in-India Covid-19 vaccines to its neighboring and key partner countries Under its Neighborhood First policy. ● Bhutan and Maldives will be the first to get the vaccines followed by Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles. ● Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius will also get doses once they give necessary regulatory approvals. ● Under the Partnerships for Accelerating Clinical Trials(PACT) programme, India has also provided training to several neighbouring countries to enhance and strengthen their clinical capabilities

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Science diplomacy ● Science in diplomacy means the scientific inputs going into diplomacy and foreign policy making. ● Diplomacy for science means making use of diplomacy to gain benefits in science and technology - bilaterally as well as multilaterally and globally. ● Science for diplomacy means using science and technology collaboration to bring countries which have differences together.

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) ● INCOIS is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). ● It is located in Hyderabad & was established in 1999. ● It is a unit of the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO), New Delhi. ○ The ESSO operates as an executive arm of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) for its policies and programmes. ● Mandate of INCOIS: To provide the best possible ocean information and advisory services to society, industry, government agencies and the scientific community through sustained ocean observations and constant improvement through systematic and focused research.

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Recent Initiative: ● National Remote Sensing Centre ( NRSC ): It is one of the primary centres of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Department of Space (DOS). ● Bathymetry: ○ It is the study of the "beds" or "floors" of water bodies, including the ocean, rivers, streams, and lakes. ○ The term "bathymetry" originally referred to the ocean's depth relative to sea level, although it has come to mean “submarine topography,” or the depths and shapes of underwater terrain. ● Airborne Laser Terrain Mapping (ALTM) ○ ALTM is an active remote sensing technology that employs Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) to measure topography at high spatial resolution over large areas. ○ ALTM pulses a laser to measure the range between an airborne platform and the Earth’s surface at many thousands of times per second.

City Innovation Exchange ● The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launches the City Innovation exchange (CiX) platform. ● The platform aims to connect cities to innovators. ● It will help to design innovative solutions for pressing urban challenges. ● The platform is built on the philosophy of ‘everyone is an innovator’. ● The Smart Cities Mission will partner and effectively collaborate with Startup India, Atal Innovation Mission, AGNIi (Accelerating Growth of New India's Innovations), and other initiatives in the Indian Innovation ecosystem. ● Currently, the platform has more than 400 start-ups, 100 smart cities, more than 150 challenges statements, and over 215 solutions.

AGNIi – Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations ● Nodal Agency: It is a program of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and a Mission under the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council(PM-STIAC). ● Purpose: It helps commercialize Indian technological innovations. It supports technology initiatives by connecting owners of innovative and new solutions with the market. ● Implementation: It is executed at Invest India, India’s National Investment Promotion Agency.

Global Bio India 2021 ● The 2nd edition of Global Bio-India is being organised on a digital platform. ● Organized by: It is organised by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology along with BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) in

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partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises and Invest India. ● Purpose: To showcase the strength and opportunities of India’s biotechnology sector at national and global level. ● Inaugural Edition: The first edition of Global Bio-India was held in 2019. ● Theme for 2021: The theme is “Transforming lives” and the tagline is “Biosciences to Bioeconomy”.

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About Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council(BIRAC) ● It is a not-for-profit Public Sector Enterprise set up by the Department of Biotechnology(DBT). ● It is an industry-academia interface. Likewise, it aims to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs.

Pastuerella Multoceda ● The death of six elephants at Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary in Kalahandi due to a bacterium has raised concern among the environmental experts. ● It is a common bacteria found in the respiratory tract of herbivores, especially in cattle. ● It multiplies rapidly and moves from the respiratory tract to the bloodstream only in times of stress in the animal, or when the animal has low immunity or is unhealthy. ● It causes diarrhoea and often haemorrhagic septicemia. ● It can cause a zoonotic infection in humans, which typically is a result of bites or scratches from domestic pets.

THE INTERCONNECT USAGE CHARGE (IUC) ● IUC is the cost that a mobile operator pays to another operator for carrying through/ terminating a call. If a customer of Mobile Operator A calls a customer of Mobile Operator B and the call is completed, then A pays an IUC charge to B for carrying/ facilitating the call. ● Essentially, it is the originating network compensating the receiving network for cost of carrying the call. In India IUC is set by the TRAI. ● In September 2017, TRAI had ordered a reduction in IUC to 6 paise per minute from 14 paise earlier. Now, the TRAI has decided to do away with the regime completely.

Economics.

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Economic Survey ● The Economic Survey of India is an annual document released by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. ● The foundational theme of the survey is "Saving Lives and Livelihoods". ● It contains the most authoritative and updated source of data on India’s economy. ● It is a report that the government presents on the state of the economy in the past one year, the key challenges it anticipates, and their possible solutions. ● The Economic Survey document is prepared by the Economics Division of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) under the guidance of the Chief Economic Advisor. ● It is usually presented a day before the Union Budget is presented in the Parliament. ○ The first Economic Survey in India was presented in the year 1950-51. Up to 1964, it was presented along with the Union Budget. From 1964 onwards, it has been delinked from the Budget. ● Four Pillar Strategy: India adopted a unique four-pillar strategy of containment, fiscal, financial, and long-term structural reforms.

Controller General of Accounts

● It comes under the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. ● It is the Principal Accounting Adviser to the Government of India and is responsible for establishing and maintaining a technically sound Management Accounting System. ● The Office of CGA prepares monthly and annual analysis of expenditure, revenues, borrowings and various fiscal indicators for the Union Government.

Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) Scheme ● The textiles ministry has proposed to develop seven Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (MITRA) parks as part of a plan to double the industry size to $300 billion by 2025-26. ● This will create world class infrastructure with plug and play facilities to enable create global champions in exports. ● It would enable the textile industry to become globally competitive, attract large investments, boost employment generation and exports. ● The parks to be setup over 1,000 acres of land. ● Along with the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, MITRA will lead to increased investments and enhanced employment opportunities.

14 Minor Forest Produce Items included under MSP Scheme ● This new mechanism will help to provide remunerative and fair prices to tribal gatherers of forest produces. ● The items which have been included in the scheme include- Tasar Cocoon, bamboo shoot, elephant apple dry, wild dry mushroom and malkangani seed.

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#Target_shots Addition

Minimum Support Price (MSP) ● The Minimum Support Price was announced for the first time in the year 1966-67 for wheat. The MSP was decided in the light of Green Revolution and extended harvest in order to save the farmers from depleting profits. ● It is an agricultural product price which is set by the Government of India to purchase directly from the farmer. ● MSP is not enforceable by law. ● This MSP rate is decided to safeguard the farmer to a minimum profit for the harvest in case the open market has lesser price than the cost incurred. ● Price is set for 23 commodities twice a year. ● It is set on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) since 2009.

Minor Forest Produce (MFP) ● It includes all non-timber forest produce of plant origin. ● It also includes bamboo, fodder, leaves, canes, waxes dyes, gums, resins and many forms of food like nuts, honey wild fruits, lac, tusser etc. ● MFP It provides both subsistence and cash income for people living in or near the forests.

MFP through MSP scheme ● It is a centrally sponsored scheme. ● The scheme ensure that the tribal population gets remunerative price for the MFP and seeks to provide them alternative employment avenues. ● The mechanism for marketing of minor forest produce through minimum support price and development of value chain for MFP’ scheme is done by the State designated agencies. ● To assure the market price, the services of market correspondents are availed by the designated agencies.

One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme ● Launched by The Ministry of Commerce and Industry ● Uttar Pradesh Government has launched ODOP ● Aim: To identify one product per district based on the potential and strength of a district and national priorities. A cluster for that product will be developed in the district and market linkage will be provided for that. ● The objective of the ODOP is to optimise production, productivity and income, preservation and development of local crafts, promotion of art, improvement in product quality and skill development.

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● The ODOP initiative has been operationally merged with the ‘Districts as Export Hub’ initiative. Later is implemented by the Director-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Department of Commerce. ● Under the initiative, the State Export Promotion Committee(SPEC) and District Export Promotion Committee (DEPC) have been constituted in several districts.

Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC) ● Objective: ○ It is a specialized financial institution that buys the Non Performing Assets (NPAs) from banks and financial institutions so that they can clean up their balance sheets. ○ This helps banks to concentrate in normal banking activities. Banks rather than going after the defaulters by wasting their time and effort, can sell the bad assets to the ARCs at a mutually agreed value. ● Legal Basis: The Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002 provides the legal basis for the setting up of ARCs in India. ● As per amendment made in the SARFAESI Act in 2016, an ARC should have a minimum net owned fund of Rs. 2 crore. ● The RBI raised this amount to Rs. 100 crore in 2017. The ARCs also have to maintain a capital adequacy ratio of 15% of its risk weighted assets. ○ Risk-weighted assets are used to determine the minimum amount of capital that must be held by banks and other financial institutions in order to reduce the risk of insolvency.

State Reform Action Plan ● It is an index that ranks states and Union Territories based on the implementation of the Business Reform Action Plan. ● Released by: It has been released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DPIIT) since 2015. ● Objective : To attract investments by increasing the Ease of Doing Business in each State. It introduces an element of healthy competition through a system of ranking states. ● Parameters: It includes 180 reform points covering 12 business regulatory areas such as Access to Information, Single Window System, Labour, Environment, Paying Taxes among others. ● Method of Ranking: The rankings are based on feedback obtained from users/professionals. Its method is similar to the methodology followed by the World Bank in its global Doing Business rankings. ● Ranking: The top five states under the SRAP 2019 are Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

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Udyog Manthan ● It is a marathon that are focused on the sector-specific webinars. ● The webinars are focused on promoting the Quality and Productivity in Indian Industry. ● The webinar was started on January 4, 2021 and it will conclude on March 2, 2021. ● It comprised of 45 sessions that covers the various major sectors of manufacturing and services. ● Udyog Manthan will help in identifying the challenges, opportunities and bring about the solutions and best practices. ● The Udyog Manthan involves the participants and representatives from the testing, industry and standardization bodies.

MCA amends the Definition of Small Companies ● The new amendment allows the non-resident Indians (NRIs) to incorporate one person companies (OPCs) in India. ● The notification also highlights that the epaid-up capital and the turnover of the small company shall not exceed respectively rupees two crores and rupees twenty crores. ● Earlier, the definition was based on the thresholds defined by the Companies Act. ● The companies act had mentioned a maximum paid up capital of Rs 50 lakh and turnover of Rs 2 crores.

National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) ● E-NAM (National Agriculture Market) is an online trading platform for agriculture produce aiming to help farmers, traders, and buyers with online trading and getting a better price by smooth marketing. ● Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the lead agency for implementing eNAM under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.

Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act ● A Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability. It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. ● In an LLP, one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner’s misconduct or negligence. Salient features of an LLP: ● An LLP is a body corporate and legal entity separate from its partners. It has perpetual succession. ● Being the separate legislation (i.e. LLP Act, 2008), the provisions of Indian Partnership Act, 1932 are not applicable to an LLP and it is regulated by the contractual agreement between the partners. ● Every Limited Liability Partnership shall use the words “Limited Liability Partnership” or its acronym “LLP” as the last words of its name.

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● Composition: Every LLP shall have at least two designated partners being individuals, at least one of them being resident in India and all the partners shall be the agent of the Limited Liability Partnership but not of other partners.

‘KAPILA’ ● The Government has launched a campaign namely Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness Campaign (KAPILA) for Intellectual Property Literacy and creating patent awareness. ● The objectives of the scheme include creating awareness regarding Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), enabling of IP protection of inventions originating from faculty and students of HEIs, development of Credit Course on IPR, training program etc. ● Under this campaign, students pursuing education in higher educational institutions will get information about the correct system of application process for patenting their invention and they will be aware of their rights.

Consumer Welfare Fund ● It was set up under the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act, 2017. The consumer welfare fund rules of 1992 have been subsumed under the CGST rules, 2017. ● The Fund has been set up by the Department of Revenue (Ministry of Finance) and is being operated by the Department of Consumer Affairs (Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution). ● Objective: To promote and protect the welfare of the consumers. Few Examples: ○ Creation of Consumer Law Chairs/ Centres of Excellence in Institutions/Universities of repute to foster research and training on consumer related issues. ○ Projects for spreading consumer literacy and awareness.

Monetary Policy Committee ● The Monetary Policy Committee is a statutory and institutionalized framework under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, for maintaining price stability, while keeping in mind the objective of growth. ● An RBI-appointed committee led by the then deputy governor Urjit Patel in 2014 recommended the establishment of the Monetary Policy Committee. ● Chairman: The Governor of RBI is ex-officio Chairman of the committee. ● Members: The committee comprises six members (including the Chairman) - three officials of the RBI and three external members nominated by the Government of India. ● Decisions : Decisions are taken by majority with the Governor having the casting vote in case of a tie. ● Function: The MPC determines the policy interest rate (repo rate) required to achieve the inflation target (4%).

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Permanent institutional framework for bond market ● To instill confidence among participants in the corporate bond market during times of stress and to generally enhance secondary market liquidity, it is proposed to create a permanent institutional framework ● The proposed body will purchase investment-grade debt securities not rated below BBB- , both in stressed and normal times. ● The move is aimed at developing the much-needed corporate bond market.

Green Bonds ● A green bond is a debt instrument with which capital is being raised to fund ‘green’ projects, which typically include those relating to renewable energy, clean transportation, sustainable water management etc. ● Green bonds are issued by multilateral agencies such as the World Bank, corporations, government agencies and municipalities. ● A bond is a fixed income instrument that represents a loan made by an investor to a borrower (typically corporate or governmental). ● Bonds traditionally paid a fixed interest rate (coupon) to investors.

Government securities ● A government security (G-Sec) is a tradeable instrument issued by the central government or state governments. Key features: ● It acknowledges the government’s debt obligations. ● Such securities can be both short term (treasury bills — with original maturities of less than one year) or long term (government bonds or dated securities — with original maturity of one year or more). ● The central government issues both: treasury bills and bonds or dated securities. ● State governments issue only bonds or dated securities, which are called the state development loans. ● Since they are issued by the government, they carry no risk of default, and hence, are called risk-free gilt-edged instruments. ● FPIs are allowed to participate in the G-Secs market within the quantitative limits prescribed from time to time.

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G- Sec prices fluctuate sharply in the secondary markets. Factors affecting their prices: ● Demand and supply of the securities. ● Changes in interest rates in the economy and other macro-economic factors, such as, liquidity and inflation. ● Developments in other markets like money, foreign exchange, credit and capital markets. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 56

● Developments in international bond markets, specifically the US Treasuries. ● Policy actions by RBI like change in repo rates, cash-reserve ratio and open-market operations.

Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) scheme: ● It is Haryana’s unique identity card scheme. ● Any family with a Haryana residential address can enrol for the scheme. ● The family ID or PPP, an eight-digit alpha numeric ID, is provided to those who are residents of Haryana. ● A registration ID is provided to those who live in Haryana but have not completed residency requirements. ● As of now, over 110 services and schemes being delivered to citizens via the Saral platform have been linked to the PPP scheme.

Tea production in India ● India accounts for 14% of global tea exports and nearly 20% of the tea produced in the country is exported, according to Tea Board India. ● India is: ○ The largest consumer of tea in the world. ○ The second largest producer of tea in the world. ○ The fourth largest exporter of tea in the world. ● Places where tea is grown in India: Tea cultivation and plantation is practiced in Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri Hills of South India and Tarai along the foothills of the Himalayas. ○ Assam is the largest producer of tea in India in quantity but West Bengal is noted for fine quality of tea.

Conditions of Growth: ● Climate: Tea is a tropical and sub-tropical plant and grows well in hot and humid climate. ● Temperature: 20°-30°C. ● Rainfall: 150-300 cm annual rainfall. ● Soil: Slightly acidic soil with porous sub-soil which permits a free percolation of water.

Mission Innovation ● Formation: Mission Innovation was announced on 30th November 2015, on the sidelines of the Paris Climate Agreement to undertake ambitious measures to combat climate change. ● Membership: 24 countries and the European Union to accelerate global clean energy innovation. ● Commitment by all members to seek to double their clean energy innovation investments over five years in selected priority areas. ● Objectives:

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○ Enhance the public sector investment to a substantial level. ○ Increased private sector engagement and investment. ○ Increase international collaboration. ○ Raising awareness of the transformational potential of innovation.

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Mission Innovation 2.0: ● To achieve the shared goal of accelerating innovation, all the members have agreed to develop a second phase (2.0) that includes: ○ An enhanced Innovation Platform building on current activities to strengthen the global clean energy innovation ecosystem and to accelerate learning. ○ New public-private innovation alliances – Missions – built around ambitious and inspirational goals backed by voluntary commitments that can lead to tipping points in the cost, scale, availability, and attractiveness of clean energy solutions.

Privatisation of Banks ● The Central government is planning for the privatisation of more than half of the state- owned banks. ● The government is planning so in order to reduce the number of government-owned lenders to five. ● Currently, India has 12 state-owned banks. ● In the year 2019, government has also merged ten state-owned banks into four large banks. #Target_shots Addition

Positives of Privatisation ● It will help to address the bad loan and Non-Performing Assets issues. ● It would also help in ensuring a better financial performance. It would comprise of a strong financial institution as a significant shareholder in the privatisation. ● Privatisation will reduce the liabilities of the government. ● It would also be helpful in reducing the fiscal deficit. ● Privatisation will also finance the revenue expenditure by revenue receipts in long term. ● It will bring in the environment of minimum government and maximum governance.

Negatives of Privatisation ● However, the plan of privatisation is criticized for diluting the idea of inclusive banking which is practiced now. ● Inclusive banking was the guiding principle during the nationalization of banks. ● Further, government will face difficulties in providing low-cost financial services to rural and poor sections because, the private sector banks don’t share the social responsibilities of the government.

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Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) ● Approved for the period of next four years starting from 2021-22. ● The Scheme aims to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization. ● Rs. 945 Crore corpus will be divided over the next 4 years for providing seed funding to eligible startups through eligible incubators across India. ● The scheme is expected to support about 3600 startups.

NCAER’s Business Confidence Index ● Published by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). Key Highlights ● The index has rose 29.6 per cent between second and third quarter of the financial year 2020-2021. ● It has rose in the backdrop of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in several countries including India. ● The respondents also expects that the ‘overall economic conditions will improve in the next six months. ● They expect that it will be increased by 4.8 percentage points in the quarter three of the financial year 2020-2021. That is, from 29.8 per cent in the year quarter two of 2020- 2021 34.6 per cent in Q3.

National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) ● NCAER is a New Delhi based non-profit economic think tank. ● The NCAER do research in the field of economics. ● It was established in the year 1956.

World Pulses Day ● February 10 is a designated global event to recognize and emphasize the importance of pulses and legumes as a global food. ● The UN General Assembly adopted 2016 as the International Year of Pulses (IYP). ● World Pulses Day 2021 Theme: #LovePulses. ● India is the biggest producer and consumer of pulses in the world and it has almost achieved self-sufficiency in pulses. ● India accounted for 62% of world’s total pulses production in 2019-20. ● In the last five-six years, India has increased pulses production from 140 lakh tonnes to more than 240 lakh tonnes.

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Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization Scheme ● The SMAM scheme was launched in the year 2014-15. ● The scheme was launched by the government of India with the aim of ‘reaching the unreached’-to have inclusive growth of farm mechanisation to boost productivity. ● The scheme seeks to reach to the unreached by making the farm machines accessible and affordable for the small and marginal farmers (SMFs). ● Under the scheme, the distribution of various subsidized agricultural equipment and machines are done to individual farmer.

Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 ● The Bill aimed to make the ports world class and give the port authorities power to make their own decisions. ● The bill will replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. ● The Bill proposes to create a Board of Major Port Authority, for each major port.

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○ These Boards will replace the existing Port Trusts under the 1963 Act, that are comprised of members appointed by the central government. ● Composition of Board: ○ The Board will comprise of a Chairperson and a Deputy Chairperson, to be appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a selection committee. ○ Further, it will include one member each from (i) concerned State Government in which the Major Port is situated, (ii) Ministry of Railways, (iii) Ministry of Defence, and (iv) Customs Department. ● Powers of the Board: The Bill allows the Board to use its property, assets and funds as deemed fit for the development of the major port. ● Adjudicatory Board: An Adjudicatory Board will be created to carry out the residual function of the erstwhile TAMP (Tariff Authority for Major Ports), to look into disputes between ports and PPP concessionaires. ○ TAMP has been a multi-member statutory body with a mandate to fix tariffs levied by major port trusts under the control of the Centre and private terminals, therein. ● Penalties: Any person contravening any provision of the Bill or any rules or regulations will be punished with a fine of up to one lakh rupees.

India has 12 major ports - ● Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), V O Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).

Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs) Scheme ● This is a Central Sector Scheme which receives funding from Government of India. ● FPOs will be developed in produce clusters. ● In the FPOs, agricultural and horticultural produces will be grown and cultivated to leverage the economies of scale. ● It will also improve the market access for members. ● Further, “One District One Product” cluster will be created to promote specialization. ● Under this scheme, the formation & Promotion of FPOs will be done with the help of Implementing Agencies (IAs). ● These IAs will engage the Cluster Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) to aggregate, registered and provide the handholding support to each FPOs. The support will be provided for a period of 5 years.

Investor Education and Protection Fund ( IEPF ) ● Established under provision of the Companies Act, 2013. ● The fund has been set up under the guidance of SEBI and Ministry of Corporate Affairs India

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● Why?: to pool all the dividends of the Asset Management Companies, matured deposits, share application interests or money, debentures, interests, etc. that are unclaimed for seven years. ● All the money collected from the mentioned sources has to be transferred to IEPF. ● Investors, who are trying to seek a refund for their unclaimed rewards can now do so from the Investor Protection and Education Fund (IEPF).

National Coal Index ● It is a price index which reflects the change of price level of coal on a particular month relative to the fixed base year. ● The base year for the NCI is FY 2017-18. The prices of coal from all the sales channels of coal, including import are taken into account for compiling the NCI. ● The amount of revenue share per tonne of coal produced from auctioned blocks would be arrived at using the NCI by means of defined formula. ● It is composed of a set of five sub-indices: three for Non-Coking Coal and two for Coking Coal. ● The three sub-indices for Non-Coking Coal are combined to arrive at the Index for Non- Coking Coal and the two sub-indices for Coking Coal are combined to arrive at the Index for Coking Coal. ● Significance: ○ The envisaged NCI would be central to determination of revenue and the development of a coal market. ○ It will be used for the calculation of intrinsic mine value and annual escalation rates.

India Toy Fair, 2021 ● Organised by: the Ministry of Textiles in association with the Ministry of Education and the ministry of commerce and industry. ● It is a virtual event that will be organised with the aim of providing a joyful learning for the children. ● The fair would engage the children in teaching, learning and promoting the indigenous toy industry. ● Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar Centre for Creative Learning (CCL) has developed over 200 toys to showcase in fair.

Arbitration & Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 ● Lok Sabha Passes Arbitration & Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021. Highlights of the Bill: ● It seeks to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 so as to (i) enable automatic stay on awards in certain cases and (ii) specify by regulations the qualifications, experience and norms for accreditation of arbitrators.

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● Seeks to ensure that stakeholder parties can seek an unconditional stay on enforcement of arbitral awards in cases where the “arbitration agreement or contract is induced by fraud or corruption.” ● Also does away with the 8th Schedule of the Act that contained the necessary qualifications for accreditation of arbitrators. ● Added a proviso in Section 36 of the Arbitration Act and will come into effect retrospectively from October 23, 2015. As per this amendment, if the Court is satisfied that a prima facie case is made out that the arbitration agreement or contract which is the basis of the award was induced or effected by fraud or corruption, it will stay the award unconditionally pending disposal of the challenge made to the award under Section 34.

What is Arbitration ? ● Arbitration is an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedure in which a dispute is submitted, by agreement of the parties, to one or more arbitrators who make a binding decision on the dispute. ● In choosing arbitration, the parties opt for a private dispute resolution procedure instead of going to court.

What is Conciliation ? ● Conciliation is also an alternative dispute resolution instrument where parties seek to reach an amicable dispute settlement with the assistance of the conciliator, who acts as a neutral third party. ● It is a voluntary proceeding, where the parties involved are free to agree and attempt to resolve their dispute by conciliation.

Arbitration Council of India ● Objective: The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2019 seeks to establish an independent body called the Arbitration Council of India (ACI) for the promotion of arbitration, mediation, conciliation and other alternative dispute redressal mechanisms. ● Composition of the ACI: ○ The ACI will consist of a Chairperson who is either: ○ A Judge of the Supreme Court; or ○ A Judge of a High Court; or ○ Chief Justice of a High Court; or ○ An eminent person with expert knowledge in conduct of arbitration. ● Other members will include an eminent arbitration practitioner, an academician with experience in arbitration, and government appointees. ● Appointment of Arbitrators: Under the Act, the Supreme Court and High Courts may designate arbitral institutions, which parties can approach for the appointment of arbitrators.

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National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGPA) ● A Centrally Sponsored Scheme ● Launched in the year 2010-11 in 7 States. Recently, this scheme was extended up to March 31, 2021.In the year 2014-15, scheme was extended to cover all the remaining States and 2 UTs. ● Aim of achieving the rapid development in India by using Information & Communication Technology (ICT). ● It helps in timely access of the agriculture related information to the farmers.

Digital Intelligence Unit ● It will be set up by Ministry of Communications ● What is it ?: Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) as a nodal agency to deal with complaints of unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) and cases of financial fraud, especially in the digital payments space. ● It would also ensure strict compliance of the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preferences Regulations (TCCCPR) 2018 which provides a revised regulatory framework aimed at regulating 'unsolicited commercial communication' (UCC) in India. ● Objective of Digital Intelligence Unit : To coordinate with various law enforcement agencies, financial institutions and telecom service providers in investigating any fraudulent activity involving telecom resources.

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Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ● Statutory Body: Established by an Act of Parliament (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997) ● Objectives: ○ To regulate telecom services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecom services. ○ Provide a fair and transparent policy environment which promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition. ● Recent Amendment: The TRAI Act was amended in the year 2000 to establish a Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.

Samarth Scheme ● Launched by: the Ministry of Textiles. ● Aim : It will address the skill gap in the textile sector. ● It will supplement the efforts of the textile industry in providing gainful and sustainable employment to the youth. ● Objectives: Following are the objectives of Samarth Scheme: ○ It will provide a program which demand-driven, placement oriented and National Skills Qualifications Framework(NSQF) compliant. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 64

○ It will supplement the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and related sectors, covering the entire value chain of textile. It excludes Spinning and Weaving. ○ Likewise, it will provide for skilling and skill up-gradation in the traditional sectors of handlooms, handicrafts, sericulture, and jute. ● Target : The Scheme targets to train 10 lakh persons (9 lakhs in organised & 1 lakh in traditional sector). ● Implementing agencies: The programmes would be implemented through the Textile industry, government institutions and Reputed training institutions/ NGOs/ Societies active in the textile sector. ● Monitoring and Management Information System(MIS) : It is a centralized web-based Information System that has been put in place for monitoring and implementation of the scheme.

Securities Appellate Tribu•nal ( SAT ) ● Type of Body: SAT is a statutory body established under the provisions of Section 15K of the SEBI Act, 1992. ● Location: Mumbai. ● Powers: It has the same powers as vested in a civil court. Further, if any person feels aggrieved by SAT’s decision or order can appeal to the Supreme Court. ● Composition: SAT consists of a Presiding Officer and Two other members. ○ The Presiding officer of SAT shall be appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India or his nominee. ● Functions: ○ To hear and dispose of appeals against orders passed by the SEBI or by an adjudicating officer under the SEBI Act,1992. ○ To hear and dispose of appeals against orders passed by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). ○ To hear and dispose of appeals against orders passed by the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

Jute ICARE Program ● Launch: Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise for Jute (Jute ICARE) was launched in 2015. ● The programme was initiated by the National Jute Board (NJB) in association with Central Research Institute for Research in Jute and Allied Fibres (CRIJAF) & Jute Corporation of India (JCI). ● Aims: At mechanization in jute farming in a farmer-friendly way and accelerated retting using microbial consortium for improved income for jute farmers. ● Provision: ○ 100% Certified Seeds at subsidized rate.

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○ Demonstration of scientific jute cultivation practices for adoption at farmers' fields with mechanical intervention distribution of seed drill / Nail Weeder/Cycle Weeder. ○ Demonstration of Microbial retting using CRIJAF SONA, a microbial consortium and also distribution to the farmers. ○ Retting is the process of extracting fiber from the stem of the plants. ○ So far, Government has supported 2.60 lakhs farmers under ICARE Program.

Jute SMART: ● It is an e-government initiative which was launched in December 2016 to promote transparency in the jute sector. ● It provides an integrated platform for procurement of sacking by Government agencies.

Smart City Mission ● About: It is an innovative initiative under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local development and harnessing technology as a means to create smart outcomes for citizens. ● Objective: To promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of Smart Solutions. ● Focus: On sustainable and inclusive development and to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act like a lighthouse to other aspiring cities. ● Strategy: ○ Pan-city initiative in which at least one Smart Solution is applied city-wide. ○ Develop areas step-by-step with the help of following three models: ■ Retrofitting. ■ Redevelopment. ■ Greenfield. ● Coverage and Duration: The Mission covered 100 cities for the duration of five years starting from the financial year (FY) 2015-16 to 2019-20. ● Financing: It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

Donimalai Iron Ore Mine ● Commissioned in 1977, the mine is located in Bellary region of Karnataka. ● It produces 4 million tonnes of Run of Mine (“ROM” means ore in its natural, unprocessed state) ore per year. ● The average grade of ore extracted has 65% Iron. ● Few other major Iron Ore mines in Karnataka are Kudremukh, Bababudan, Kumaraswamy and Ramandurg.

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Participatory Notes: ● Participatory Notes or P-Notes (PNs) are financial instruments issued by a registered foreign institutional investor (FII) to an overseas investor who wishes to invest in Indian stock markets without registering themselves with the market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Key points: ● P-Notes are Offshore Derivative Investments (ODIs) with equity shares or debt securities as underlying assets. ● They provide liquidity to the investors as they can transfer the ownership by endorsement and delivery. ● While the FIIs have to report all such investments each quarter to SEBI, they need not disclose the identity of the actual investors.

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Promissory Note ● A promissory note is a financial instrument that contains a written promise by one party (the note's issuer or maker) to pay another party (the note's payee) a definite sum of money, either on demand or at a specified future date. ● A promissory note typically contains all the terms pertaining to the indebtedness, such as the principal amount, interest rate, maturity date, date and place of issuance, and issuer's signature. ● promissory notes are debt instruments that allow companies and individuals to get financing from a source other than a bank. This source can be an individual or a company willing to carry the note (and provide the financing) under the agreed-upon terms.

Public Sector Enterprise Policy ● Strategic: Atomic energy, space, defence, trans and telecom, power, petro, coal, other minerals, banking, insurance and financial services will be classified as strategic sectors. ● Non- Strategic Sector è CPSEs of this sector shall be privatized or closed, if privatization is not possible. ● Exceptions : The policy would not be applied on: ○ Public sector classes like major port trusts, the Airport Authority of India, and undertakings in security printing and minting. ○ Public sector entities such as not-for-profit companies or CPSEs providing support to vulnerable groups.

SWAMIH Investment Fund ● The SWAMIH fund was announced in November 2019. ● SWAMIH stands for ‘Special Window for Completion of Construction of Affordable and Mid-Income Housing Projects’.

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● This fund was created to complete the construction of stalled, RERA-registered affordable and mid-income category housing projects. ● It credits the money in the projects which are stuck because of lack of funds. ● It was created as Category-II Alternative Investment Fund debt fund which is registered with SEBI.

‘One Nation One Standard’ Mission ● The ‘One Nation One Standard’ Mission was first deliberated in September, 2019. ● The mission was envisioned on the line of ‘one nation, one ration card’ scheme in order to ensure quality products in the country. ● The purpose is to converge multiple standards with the BIS which is a recognised national body for standardisation in India.

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About the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): ● BIS is the only national body that frames standards. ● It works under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. ● BIS is responsible for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) Act 2016 ● Establishes the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India. ● The Act enables the Central Government to appoint any authority/agency, in addition to the BIS, to verify the conformity of products and services with the established standard and issue certificate of conformity. ● There is a provision for repair or recall, of the products (bearing Standard Mark) that do not conform to the relevant Indian Standard.

Making Peace with Nature: UNEP Report ● The Report explains how climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution add up to three self-inflicted planetary emergencies that are closely interconnected and put the wellbeing of current and future generations at unacceptable risk. Key Findings: ● Planetary Emergencies ○ Climate Change: Wildfire , increasing the chances of the Arctic Ocean being ice- free in summer ○ Biodiversity Loss: More than one million of the estimated 8 million plant and animal species are increasingly at risk of extinction. ○ Pollution: Every year, nine million people die prematurely due to pollution.

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● Widening Inequalities: The burden of environmental decline weighs heaviest on the poor and vulnerable and looms even larger over today’s youth and future generations. ● Performance over SDGs: Current and projected changes in climate, biodiversity loss and pollution make achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) even more challenging.

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United Nations Environment Programme ● About: The UNEP is a leading global environmental authority established on 5th June 1972. ● Functions: It sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for global environment protection. ● Major Reports: Emission Gap Report, Adaptation Gap Report, Global Environment Outlook, Frontiers, Invest into Healthy Planet. ● Major Campaigns: Beat Pollution, UN75, World Environment Day, Wild for Life. ● Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.

Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) ● About: This is the first major fund launched by the government that includes a diverse set of stakeholders such as Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO), private dairy players, individual entrepreneurs, and non-profits within its ambit. ● Launch: June 2020. ● Fund: It has been set up with an outlay of Rs.15,000 crore. ● Aim: To support private investment in Dairy Processing, value addition and cattle feed infrastructure. ● Incentives will be given for establishing plants for export of niche products. ○ A niche product is a product targeting a specific section of a larger industry and market. Niche products are often (but not always) more expensive than more generic products. ● It will also support the establishment of animal feed plants of varying capacities – including setting up of mineral mixture plants, silage making units, and animal feed testing laboratory.

Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries ( SFURTI ) ● The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) inaugurated 50 artisan- based SFURTI clusters, spread over 18 States, to provide a boost to the MSME sector. ● Launched by: Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in 2005. ● Nodal Agencies : ○ Khadi and Village Industries Commission ( Statutory body) – for Khadi and Village Industry clusters ○ Coir Board (Statutory Body)– Coir based clusters.

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● Aim: To organise traditional industries and artisans into clusters to make them competitive and increase their income. ● The clusters are part of the government’s strategy of keeping villages at the core of the economic policy. ● SFURTI clusters are of two types 1. Regular Cluster (500 artisans) with Government assistance of up to Rs.2.5 Crore and 2. Major Cluster (more than 500 artisans) with Government assistance up to Rs.5 crore.

Line of Credit (LOC) ● What is it ?: It is a credit facility extended by a bank or any other financial institution to a government, business or individual customer. ● The borrower can access funds from the LOC at any time as long as they do not exceed the maximum amount (or credit limit) set in the agreement and meet any other requirements such as making timely minimum payments. ● It is not a grant but a ‘soft loan’ provided on concessional interest rates to developing countries, which has to be repaid by the borrowing government. ● The projects under LOCs spread over different sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, telecom, railway, transmission, power, renewable energy etc. ● These help to promote exports of Indian goods and services, as 75% of the value of the contract must be sourced from India.

What is Dumping ? What is anti dumping duty ? ● In international trade practise, dumping happens when a country or a firm exports an item at a price lower than the price of that product in its domestic market. ● Dumping impacts the price of that product in the importing country, hitting margins and profits of local manufacturing firms. ● Anti-dumping duty is imposed to rectify the situation arising out of the dumping of goods and its trade distortive effect. ● According to global trade norms, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime, a country is allowed to impose tariffs on such dumped products to provide a level-playing field to domestic manufacturers. ● An Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD) is a customs duty on imports providing a protection against the dumping of goods at prices substantially lower than the normal value whereas Countervailing duty is a customs duty on goods that have received government subsidies in the originating or exporting country.

Bulk Drug ● Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) are called bulk drugs. ● These are the main ingredients of a drug or medicine. ● The bulk drug is the key source to provide therapeutic effects or intended pharmacological activity.

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Bulk Drug Park ● It is a space with common infrastructure facilities for the exclusive manufacture of APIs or DIs or KSM. ● Bulk Drug Park will also have a common waste management system.

Criteria of a Bulk Drug Park Selection: ● A land area to be not less than 1000 acres for all states except 7000 acres for hill states. ● A state will propose only one site along with its estimated cost, feasibility studies, environmental risk assessment etc. ● Department of Pharmaceuticals-led Project Management Agency (PMA) will assess the state proposals and will forward it to Scheme Steering Committees for approval.

Key features of the scheme for promotion of Bulk Drug parks: ● The scheme will support three selected parks in the country by providing a one-time grant-in-aid for the creation of common infrastructure facilities. ● The grant-in-aid will be 70 per cent of the cost of the common facilities but in the case of Himachal Pradesh and other hill states, it will be 90 per cent. ● The Centre will provide a maximum of Rs 1,000 crore per park. ● A state can only propose one site, which is not less than a thousand acres in area, or not less than 700 acres in the case of hill states.

Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog: ● Constituted in 2019, the Aayog is a high powered permanent apex advisory body with the mandate to help the Central Government to develop appropriate programmes for conservation, sustainable development and genetic upgradation of indigenous breeds of cows. ● It comes under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. ● Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog will function as an integral part of Rashtriya Gokul Mission. ● Functions: ○ Review existing laws, policies as well as suggest measures for optimum economic utilization of cow wealth for enhanced production and productivity, leading to higher farm income and better quality of life for the dairy farmers. ○ Advise and guide the Central Government and State Governments on policy matters concerning conservation, protection, development and welfare of cows and their progeny. ○ Develop pastures or grazing lands

REAL-TIME ELECTRICITY MARKET (RTM) ● The country’s two power exchanges — Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and Power Exchange India (PXIL) — commenced real-time electricity market (RTM) on their platforms.

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● Automated trading platform for physical delivery of electricity, Renewable Energy Certificates and Energy Saving Certificates. ● The RTM enables consumers, including distribution companies (discoms) and captive users, to buy power on exchanges just an hour before delivery.RTM will help consumers purchase electricity just an hour in advance. ● With RTM, both sellers and buyers now get an opportunity to continuously manage their portfolio optimally through a transparent and efficient marketplace.

Central Employment Guarantee Council ● History: In 2006, the Council was constituted under Section 10 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005. ● The Central Government has constituted this Council to discharge the functions and perform duties assigned to it by or under the provisions of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005. ● Chairperson è Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. ● Functions ○ It advises the Central Government on all matters concerning the implementation of this Act. ○ It reviews the monitoring and redressal mechanism and recommends improvements required. ○ It prepares annual reports to be laid before Parliament by the Central Government on the implementation of this Act.

China becomes India’s top Trade Partner 2020 ● China has again become India’s top trading partner in the year 2020. ● The reason was that India was still dependent on the import of heavy machines, telecom equipment and home appliances from China. ● The provisional data from the trade between both the countries in the year 2020 stood at $77.7 billion. ● However, the trade had decreased as compared to the 2019 trade total of $85.5 billion. ● The imports of heavy machines etc outweighed India’s efforts to cut down its dependence on trade. ● As a result of which, the bilateral trade gap of India with China was $40 billion in the year 2020. ● Total imports from China stood at $58.7 billion which was more that India’s combined imports from U.S. and U.A.E.

Accredited investor ● Also called as qualified investors or professional investors. ● They are those who have an understanding of various financial products and the risks and returns associated with them. ● They can take informed decisions regarding their investments and are recognised by many securities and financial market regulators globally. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 72

● SEBI moots concept of ‘accredited investor’. ○ It said the accreditation once granted shall be valid for a year. ○ It also said the accreditation may be carried out via ‘Accreditation Agencies’ which may be the market infrastructure institutions or their subsidiaries.

Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) ● CECPA between India and Mauritius. ● first trade agreement signed by India with a country in Africa. ● It is a kind of free trade pact that aims to provide an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two countries. ● Under this agreement, countries reduce or eliminate the duties on the products. The countries also give relaxation in the norms to promote the services trade.

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Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA): ● Partnership agreement or cooperation agreement are more comprehensive than an FTA. ● CEPA covers negotiation on the trade in services and investment, and other areas of economic partnership. ● India has signed CEPAs with South Korea and Japan.

Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA): ● CECA generally covers negotiation on trade tariff and TRQ (Tariff Rate Quotas) rates only. It is not as comprehensive as CEPA. ● India has signed CECA with Malaysia.

Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) ● Also known as Blank-cheque Company ● A SPAC, or a blank-cheque company, is an entity specifically set up with the objective of acquiring a firm in a particular sector. ● The aim of this SPAC is to raise money in an Initial Public Offering (IPO), and at this point in time, it does not have any operations or revenues. ● Once the money is raised from the public, it is kept in an escrow account, which can be accessed while making the acquisition. ● If the acquisition is not made within two years of the IPO, the SPAC is delisted and the money is returned to the investors.

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Escrow Account

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● It is a legal concept describing a financial instrument whereby an asset or escrow money is held by a third party on behalf of two other parties that are in the process of completing a transaction. ● The third-party holds the funds until both parties have fulfilled their contractual requirements. ● Escrow is associated with real estate transactions, but it can apply to any situation where funds will pass from one party to another.

Shell Companies : ● A shell company is a firm that does not conduct any operations in the economy, but it is formally registered, incorporated, or legally organized in the economy. ● These are sometimes used illegitimately, such as to disguise business ownership from law enforcement or the public.

Fugitive Economic Offender ● A person can be named an offender under the law if there is an arrest warrant against him or her for involvement in economic offences involving at least Rs. 100 crore or more and has fled from India to escape legal action. ● The investigating agencies have to file an application in a Special Court under the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act containing details of the properties to be confiscated, and any information about the person’s whereabouts. ● The Special Court will issue a notice for the person to appear at a specified place and date at least six weeks from the issue of notice.

Maritime India Summit 2021 ● ‘Maritime India Summit 2021’ is being organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Significance: ● To further the port-led development along the 7,516-km long coastline. ● India will invest USD 82 billion in port projects by 2035 (under Sagarmala Programme), raise the share of clean renewable energy sources in the maritime sector, develop waterways and boost tourism around lighthouses. ● India aims to operationalise 23 waterways by 2030. ● Through the focus areas of upgradation of infrastructure, India aims to strengthen the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MINERALS ● The Strategic and critical minerals play a very important role in promoting development and ensuring security of a country. ● The strategic minerals include all mineral raw materials which are required for industrial sufficiency and preparedness for defence besides their indispensable use in combat ammunitions.

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● These critical minerals such as Beryllium, Rhenium, Rare Earths, Germanium, Lithium, Cobalt, Tantalum, Chromium, Strontium etc.

RBI'S FINANCIAL STABILITY REPORT Basic terms in the report: ● NON-PERFORMING ASSET (NPA): ○ A loan is categorized as NPA if it is due for a period of more than 90 days. Depending upon the due period, the NPAs are categorized as under: ○ Sub-Standard Assets: > 90 days and less than 1 year. ○ Doubtful Assets: greater than 1 year. ○ Lost Assets: loss has been identified by the bank or RBI, but the amount has not been written off wholly. ● PROVISIONING COVERAGE RATIO (PCR): ○ Under the RBI's provisioning norms, the banks are required to set aside certain percentage of their profits in order to cover risk arising from NPAs. ○ It is referred to as "Provisioning Coverage ratio" (PCR). It is defined in terms of percentage of loan amount and depends upon the asset quality. As the asset quality deteriorates, the PCR increases. ● Banking Stability Index ○ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) defines Banking Stability Index (BSI) as “the expected number of banks that could become distressed given that at least one bank has become distressed”. Hence, as the BSI increases, it means that more banks are expected to become distressed if one bank in the system is distressed. ○ The BSI takes into account the following parameters: ■ Efficiency of the Banks; ■ Profitability; ■ Soundness; ■ Liquidity; ■ Asset Quality.

Banks Board Bureau (BBB) ● Mandate: Recommend for selection of heads of Public Sector Banks and Financial Institutions. Please note that the role of BBB is limited to recommendation of names. ● The appointment is finally approved by the Cabinet Committee on Appointments. ● Composition: 7 Members (All the Members including the Chairman are part time members) ○ Chairperson ○ 3 Ex-officio persons: Secretary, Department Financial Services + Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises + Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India ○ 3 Expert Members ● Functions:

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○ Recommend the selection and appointment of wholetime Directors (WTDs) and non-executive Chairmen (NEC). ○ Develop an appropriate methodology to enable the search and selection of high calibre whole-time Directors of PSBs. ○ Advise the Central Government on the formulation and enforcement of a code of conduct and ethics. ○ Build a data bank containing data relating to the performance of PSBs and share the same with Central Government. ○ Help the banks in terms of developing business strategies and capital raising plan.

Inflation Targeting ● Inflation targeting is basically a monetary policy system wherein the central bank of a country (RBI in India) has a specific target inflation rate for the medium-term and publicises this rate. ○ It is a central banking policy that revolves around adjusting monetary policy to achieve a specified annual rate of inflation. ○ This is done by raising or lowering interest rates based on above-target or below- target inflation, respectively. ○ The principle of inflation targeting is based on the belief that long-term economic growth is best achieved by maintaining price stability, and price stability is achieved by controlling inflation. ● Strict inflation targeting is adopted when the central bank is only concerned about keeping inflation as close to a given inflation target as possible, and nothing else. ● Flexible inflation targeting is adopted when the central bank is to some extent also concerned about other things, for instance, the stability of interest rates, exchange rates, output and employment.

Vivad Se Vishwas scheme: ● The Direct Tax ‘Vivad se Vishwas’ Act, 2020 was enacted on March 17, 2020, with the objective to reduce pending income tax litigation, generate timely revenue for the government and to benefit taxpayers. ● The scheme aims to end litigation and legacy disputes under the direct taxes category as ₹9.32 lakh crore worth of revenue is blocked in approximately 4.8 lakh appeals pending at various income tax appellate forums. ● The entities who opt for the scheme have to pay a requisite tax following which all litigation against them are closed by the tax department and penal proceedings dropped.

AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE (AoA) ● The Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) basically aims to facilitate international trade in agricultural goods by putting a cap on the agricultural subsidies given by the member countries.

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● This agreement stands on 3 pillars viz. Domestic Support, Market Access, and Export Subsidies. ● DOMESTIC SUPPORT ● Green Box Subsidies: It includes subsidies such as R&D; Expansion of Irrigation Facilities; Income support to the Farmers (which is not product specific) etc. ○ These subsidies are considered to be non-distortionary in terms of International trade. In order to qualify, green box subsidies must not distort trade, or at most cause minimal distortion. ○ They have to be government-funded and must not involve price support. There is no limit on Green Box Subsidies. ● Blue Box Subsidies: Blue box supports are subsidies that are tied to programmes that limit production. ○ Hence it is an exception to the general rule related to agricultural support. The Blue box subsidies aim to limit production by imposing production quotas or requiring farmers to set aside part of their land. ○ Currently only few countries like Norway and Iceland provide such subsidies. There is no limit on Blue Box Subsidies. ● Amber Box Subsidies: Nearly all domestic support measures which distort production as well as International trade. These include subsidies such as Electricity, Fertilisers, Seeds, Water, MSP etc. ○ Limit on Amber Box Subsidies: ○ Developing countries: 10% of the domestic agricultural value production in 1986-88. ○ Developed countries: 5% of the domestic agricultural value production in 1986- 88 ● Development Box: Developmental measures (Special and Differential Treatment for Developing Countries) Article 6 of the Agreement excludes from the reduction commitment some support measures that fit into the developmental category and are designed to encourage agricultural and rural development in the developing and poor countries.

Commodity Transaction tax ( CTT ) ● The Commodity transaction tax was introduced during the Union Budget 2013-14. It is a tax imposed on the exchange traded non-agricultural commodity derivates in India. Whenever, any non-agricultural commodity derivatives (such as futures and options in Gold, Crude oil, Iron etc) are traded on the stock exchanges, CTT is required to be paid. ● The CTT is presently imposed at 0.01% of the price at which the commodity derivative is being traded.

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Indian Polity. Corruption Perception Index 2020 ● Prepared by Transparency International. ● It is a composite index that draws from 12 surveys to rank nations around the globe. ● The index is also based on expert opinions of public sector corruption and takes note of range of factors like whether governmental leaders are held to account or go unpunished for corruption, the perceived prevalence of bribery, and whether public institutions respond to citizens’ needs. How are the countries ranked? ● It ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, according to experts and business people. ● It uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. India’s performance: ● India slipped six places to 86th position this year. ● India’s score is below the average score of the Asia-Pacific region (31 countries) and global average. ● India’s overall score is also two points less than that of China, which docked at 78th position. ● India was ranked 80th out of 180 countries in 2019. Overall best and worst performers: ● The list was topped by New Zealand and Denmark (88 each). ● South Sudan and Somalia were at the bottom of the global ranking, with scores of 12 each.

Collegium System ● Appointment of judges in HCs takes place through four stages: 1. First, the HCs recommend names of advocates and judicial officers. 2. Second, the Union government vets the names, does background verification, sends the names to the SC collegium. 3. Third, the SC collegium scrutinises and then recommends names for appointment. 4. Fourth, the President issues warrant of appointment. ● It is the system of appointment and transfer of judges that has evolved through judgments of the Supreme Court, and not by an Act of Parliament or by a provision of the Constitution. ● The Supreme Court collegium is headed by the Chief Justice of India and comprises four other senior most judges of the court. ● A High Court collegium is led by its Chief Justice and four other senior most judges of that court. ● Names recommended for appointment by a High Court collegium reaches the government only after approval by the CJI and the Supreme Court collegium.

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● Judges of the higher judiciary are appointed only through the collegium system, and the government has a role only after names have been decided by the collegium.

Constitutional Provisions for Appointment of Judges: ● Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are appointed by the President under Articles 124(2) and 217 of the Constitution. ● Article 124(2) : “Every Judge of the Supreme Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with such Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts in the States as he may deem necessary. ● Article 217 : “Every Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the State, and, in the case of appointment of a Judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the High Court.”

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Evolution of the System First Judges Case (1981): ● It declared that the “primacy” of the Chief Justice of India (CJI)s recommendation on judicial appointments and transfers can be refused for “cogent reasons.” ● The ruling gave the Executive primacy over the Judiciary in judicial appointments for the next 12 years. Second Judges Case (1993): ● SC introduced the Collegium system, holding that “consultation” really meant “concurrence” ● It added that it was not the CJI’s individual opinion, but an institutional opinion formed in consultation with the two senior-most judges in the SC. Third Judges Case (1998): ● SC on President’s reference expanded the Collegium to a five-member body, comprising the CJI and four of his senior-most colleagues.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana ● It is a flagship scheme for focused and sustainable development of the fisheries sector in the country as a part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. ● Nodal Ministry : Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. ● Aim : ○ Enhance fish production by an additional 70 lakh tonne and increase fisheries export earnings to Rs.1,00,000 crore by 2024-25. ○ Double the incomes of fishers and fish farmers. ○ Reduce post-harvest losses from 20-25% to about 10%. ● Investment and Duration: An estimated investment of Rs. 20,050 crores for a period of 5 years from financial year (FY) 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 in all States/Union Territories.

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● Components : The scheme has two components — Central Sector Scheme (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS). ● Other significant Features: ○ The scheme Adopt ‘Cluster or Area-based Approaches’ and create fisheries clusters through backward and forward linkages. ○ It focuses especially on employment generation activities such as seaweed and ornamental fish cultivation.

About Jal Jeevan Mission(urban) ● Aim : It aims at universal water supply in all urban local bodies. It will facilitate 2.86 crore household tap connections as well as liquid waste management in 500 AMRUT cities (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation). ● Timeline : The scheme will be implemented over the next 5 years. ● This mission in line with the Centre’s rural water supply project (2019).

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Swachh Bharat Mission Urban ● It was launched in 2014 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. ● Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 1.0 : The focus of the mission was to make urban India open defecation free (ODF). As well as, 100% scientific solid waste management. ● Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0 : ○ The mission would be implemented over five years — from 2021 to 2026 ○ Focus: Following are focus areas of Mission: ■ Faecal sludge management and waste water treatment, ■ Source segregation of garbage, ■ Reduction in single-use plastic, ○ Reduction in air pollution by effectively managing waste from construction and demolition activities and ○ Bioremediation of all legacy dump sites.

Atal Bhujal Yojana ● It is a Central Sector Scheme for facilitating sustainable ground water management with an outlay of INR 6000 crore. ● It is a World Bank funded project with 50% contribution and rest from Government of ● India. ● The scheme is aimed at : ○ Envisages improved source sustainability for Jal Jeevan Mission, ○ Positive contribution to the Government’s goal of ‘doubling farmers income’ and ○ Inculcating behavioral changes in the community to facilitate optimal water use. ● Implementation Period : of 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25). ● Implementing body: The Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

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President’s Rule ● Article 356 of the Constitution of India gives the President of India the power to suspend state government and impose President’s rule of any state in the country if “if he is satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the government of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution”. ● It is also known as ‘State Emergency’ or ‘Constitutional Emergency’. Implications: ● Upon the imposition of this rule, there would be no Council of Ministers. ● The state will fall under the direct control of the Union government, and the Governor will continue to be the head the proceedings, representing the President of India. Parliamentary Approval and Duration: ● A proclamation imposing President’s Rule must be approved by both the Houses of Parliament within two months from the date of its issue. ● The approval takes place through simple majority in either House, that is, a majority of the members of the House present and voting. ● Initially valid for six months, the President’s Rule can be extended for a maximum period of three years with the approval of the Parliament, every six months. Report of the Governor: ● Under Article 356, President’s Rule is imposed if the President, upon receipt of the report from the Governor of the State or otherwise, is satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the government of the State cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. Revocation: ● A proclamation of President’s Rule may be revoked by the President at any time by a subsequent proclamation. ● Such a proclamation does not require parliamentary approval.

Lokpal Act of 2013 ● The Act allows setting up of anti-corruption ombudsman called Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta at the State-level. ● The Lokpal will consist of a chairperson and a maximum of eight members. ● The Lokpal will cover all categories of public servants, including the Prime Minister. But the armed forces do not come under the ambit of Lokpal. ● The Act also incorporates provisions for attachment and confiscation of property acquired by corrupt means, even while the prosecution is pending. ● The States will have to institute Lokayukta within one year of the commencement of the Act. ● The Act also ensures that public servants who act as whistleblowers are protected. Powers: ● The Lokpal will have the power of superintendence and direction over any investigation agency including CBI for cases referred to them by the ombudsman.

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● As per the Act, the Lokpal can summon or question any public servant if there exists a prima facie case against the person, even before an investigation agency (such as vigilance or CBI) has begun the probe. ● Any officer of the CBI investigating a case referred to it by the Lokpal, shall not be transferred without the approval of the Lokpal. ● An investigation must be completed within six months. However, the Lokpal or Lokayukta may allow extensions of six months at a time provided the reasons for the need of such extensions are given in writing. ● Special courts will be instituted to conduct trials on cases referred by Lokpal.

Doctrine of Separation of Power: ● It refers to the model of governance where the executive, legislative and judicial powers are not concentrated in one body but instead divided into different branches. ● It is not explicitly mentioned in the constitution. Articles in the Constitution facilitating Separation of Powers are as follows: ● Article 50: State shall take steps to separate the judiciary from the executive. This is for the purpose of ensuring the independence of the judiciary. ● Article 122 and 212: Validity of proceedings in Parliament and the Legislatures cannot be called into question in any Court. Also, Legislators enjoy certain privileges with regard to speech and anything said in the Parliament cannot be used against them. ● Judicial conduct of a Judge of the Supreme Court and the High Court cannot be discussed in the Parliament and the State Legislature, according to Article 121 and 211 of the Constitution. ● Articles 53 and 154 respectively, provide that the executive power of the Union and the State shall be vested with the President and the Governor and they enjoy immunity from civil and criminal liability. ● Article 361: The President or the Governor shall not be answerable to any court for the exercise and performance of the powers and duties of his office.

SANKALP ● SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion) ● A World Bank loan assisted programme ● Objective : To strengthen the district skill administration and the District Skill Committees (DSCs). ● It is a two-year academic programme. ● It comes with an in-built component of on-ground practical experience with the district administration. ● It will also support the Training of Trainer (ToT) system in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

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E-Chhawani portal launched ● The portal (https://echhawani.gov.in/) has been created to provide online civic services to over 20 lakh residents of 62 Cantonment Boards across the country. ● Through the portal, the residents of cantonment areas will be able to avail basic services like renewal of leases, application for birth & death certificates, water & sewerage connections.

Pey Jal Survekshan ● Launched by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs ● It is pilot Survekshan programme launched under Jal Jeevan Mission- Urban (JJM-U). ● As part of the survey, data will also be collected on wastewater management and condition of water bodies in the cities. ● The mission will be monitored through a technology-based platform on which beneficiary response will be monitored. ● Initially, the survey is being launched as a pilot in ten cities namely, Agra, Badlapur, Bhubaneswar, Churu, Kochi, Madurai, Patiala, Rohtak, Surat and Tumkur.

Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge ● Why in news?: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs shortlisted 25 cities for the ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’. This challenge is covered under the Smart Cities Mission. ● It is a three-year initiative hosted by the Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation and World Resources Institute(WRI) India. ● All cities with a population above 5 lakhs are eligible to participate. ● Purpose : The challenge aims to enable Indian cities to focus on early childhood development (0-5-year-old children). The focus will incorporate into the planning and management of Indian cities. ● Objectives: ○ Promote early childhood centric approach among Indian cities. ○ Facilitate demonstration of early childhood centric solutions. ○ Catalyse cities to the mainstream and implement solutions in the long-term. ○ Develop a peer to peer network of nurturing cities. ○ Collect and analyse data related to young children and their caregivers. ● Who can apply ? : The challenge is open to all Smart Cities, capitals of States and UTs, and other cities with a population above 5 lakhs. ● Benefits to Selected Cities : Cities will receive technical assistance and capacity building. It will be helpful to develop, pilot and scale solutions that enhance the quality of life of young children.

Defamation: ● In India, defamation can both be a civil wrong and a criminal offence.

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● The difference between the two lies in the objects they seek to achieve. ● A civil wrong tends to provide for a redress of wrongs by awarding compensation and a criminal law seeks to punish a wrongdoer and send a message to others not to commit such acts.

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Right to Reputation: ● As per the SC, the right to reputation is an integral part of Article 21 of the Constitution. ● Further, existence of Section 499 (Criminal Defamation) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 is not a restriction on the freedom of speech and expression because it ensures that the social interest is served by holding a reputation as a shared value of the public at large. Right to Life (Article 21): ● No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. ● It confers on every person the fundamental right to life and personal liberty. Right to Live with Dignity: ● In Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India 1978, the SC gave a new dimension to Article 21 and held that the right to live is not merely a physical right but includes within its ambit the right to live with human dignity.

Some Courts Ruling: ● The right of reputation cannot be protected at the cost of the right of life and dignity of women. ● Woman has a right to put her grievance at any platform of her choice and even after decades.

SALIENT FEATURES OF THE CONSTITUTION 73 RD AND 74 TH AMENDMENTS ● These amendments added two new parts to the Constitution, namely, added Part IX titled “The Panchayats” (added by 73rd Amendment) and Part IXA titled “The Municipalities” (added by 74th Amendment). ● Basic units of Democratic System-Gram Sabhas (villages) and Ward Committees (Municipalities) comprising all the adult members registered as voters. ● Three-tier system of panchayats at village, intermediate block/taluk/mandal and district levels except where the population is below 20 lakhs (Article 243B). ● Seats at all levels to be filled by direct elections from territorial constituencies in the Panchayat area -Article 243C (2). ● Seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) and the chairpersons of the Panchayats at all levels also shall be reserved for SCs and STs in proportion to their population. ● Seats shall be reserved for SC and ST, out of which 1/3 rd seat shall be reserved for women. (Article 243D)

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● The offices of the Chairpersons in the Panchayats at the village or any other level shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and women. (Article 243D(4)) ● Uniform five-year term and elections to constitute new bodies to be completed before the expiry of the term. ● In the event of dissolution, elections compulsorily within six months (Article 243E). ● Independent Election Commission in each State for superintendence, direction and control of the electoral rolls (Article 243K). ● Panchayats to prepare plans for economic development and social justice in respect of subjects as devolved by law to the various levels of Panchayats including the subjects as illustrated in Eleventh Schedule (Article 243G). ● 74th Amendment provides for a District Planning Committee to consolidate the plans prepared by Panchayats and Municipalities (Article 243ZD). ● Budgetary allocation from State Governments, share of revenue of certain taxes, collection and retention of the revenue it raises, Central Government programmes and grants, Union Finance Commission grants (Article 243H). ● Establish a Finance Commission in each State to etermine the principles on the basis of which adequate financial resources would be ensured for panchayats and municipalities (Article 243I). ● The Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution places as many as 29 functions within the purview of the Panchayati Raj bodies.

Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) ● UJALA is a zero-subsidy scheme launched by the Government in 2015. ● It is touted as the world’s largest domestic lighting project. ● Also known as the LED-based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP), it aims to promote the efficient usage of energy for all i.e., its consumption, savings and lighting. ● Every domestic household having a metered connection from their respective Electricity Distribution Company is eligible to get the LED bulbs under the Scheme.

Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP): ● The SLNP, launched in 2015, is a government scheme to promote energy-efficiency in India. ● Under the programme, EESL replaces the conventional street lights with LEDs at its own costs, with no upfront investment by the municipalities, thereby making their adoption even more attractive. ● This scheme is expected to enable peak demand reduction of 500 MW, annual energy savings of 190 crore kWh, and reduction in 15 lakh tons of CO2. ● The SLNP has plans to bring investment of Rs. 8,000 crores by 2024 to cover the entire rural India.

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National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes History: ● Initially, the constitution provided for the appointment of a Special Officer under Article 338. ● This special officer was designated as the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. ● In 1987, the government, upon pressure from various Members of Parliament, decided to form a multi-member commission for the welfare of the SCs and STs instead of a one- member commission. ● The 65th Amendment to the constitution replaced the one-member system with a multi- member National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. ● The Constitution (65th Amendment) Act 1990, amended Article 338 of the Constitution. ● The newly formed National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes consisted of 3 members apart from the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Commission. ○ They are appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal. ● The 89th Amendment in 2003 replaced this Commission with the following with effect from 2004: ○ National Commission for Scheduled Castes ○ National Commission for Scheduled Tribes ● The first National Commission for Scheduled Castes was formed in 2004 under the chairmanship of Suraj Bhan.

Functions ● Monitoring and investigating all issues concerning the safeguards provided for the SCs under the constitution. ● Enquiring into complaints relating to the deprivation of the rights and safeguards of the SCs. ● Taking part in and advising the central or state governments with respect to the planning of socio-economic development of the SCs. ● Regular reporting to the President of the country on the implementation of these safeguards.

Two Years of PM KISAN Scheme ● Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN) has completed its two years ● Launched by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on February 24, 2019. ● The scheme was launched at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. ● Objective of augmenting the income of the farmers by giving all the landholding farmer’s family an income support all across the country. ● Under this scheme, an amount of 6000 rupees per year is transferred to the bank accounts of farmers directly. ○ This amount is transferred to them in three instalments of 2000 rupees.

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● This scheme was initially launched to provide income support to all Small and Marginal Farmers’ families who are holding the cultivable land up to 2 hectares. ● Later, the scheme was expanded to cover all farmers’ families irrespective of the size of their land holdings. ● This scheme was first conceived and implemented by the Telangana government as “Rythu Bandhu scheme”. Under this scheme, certain amount is given directly to eligible farmers. ● The scheme also received support from various organisations including the World Bank for its implementation.

Rythu Bandhu scheme ● This scheme is also called as Farmer’s Investment Support Scheme (FISS). ● It is a welfare scheme that provides direct support to farmers investment for two crops in a year. ● Under this scheme, the Telangana government is providing 58.33 lakh farmers a support of ₹5000 per acre per season twice in a year.

E-Daakhil Portal ● What is it?: It is a portal for e-filing of consumer complaints with the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and other consumer commissions. ● Launched by the NCDRC in September 2020 with Delhi being the first state to mplement it. ● The fees for filing the complaint can also be paid online through the e-Daakhil portal. ● The e-Daakhil portal empowers the consumer and their advocates to file the consumer complaints along with payment of requisite fees online from anywhere for the redressal of their complaints. ● It also facilitates the consumer commissions to scrutinize the complaints online to accept, reject or forward the complaint to the concerned commission for further processing. ● To facilitate rural consumers for e-filing, it has been decided to integrate the Common Service Centres (CSC) with the e-daakhil portal. ● As many consumers at Gram Panchayat level may either not have access to electronic modes of communication or are unable to use the tools, they may avail the services of CSCs in filing their complaints in the Consumer Commission.

Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 ● According to its provisions, if a State Government makes a request regarding any water dispute and the Central Government is of opinion that the water dispute cannot be settled by negotiations, then a Water Disputes Tribunal is constituted for the adjudication of the water dispute. ● The act was amended in 2002, to include the major recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission.

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● The amendments mandated a one-year time frame to setup the water disputes tribunal and also a 3-year time frame to give a decision.

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Provisions related to interstate river water disputes: ● Entry 17 of State List deals with water i.e. water supply, irrigation, canal, drainage, embankments, water storage and water power. ● Entry 56 of Union List empowers the Union Government for the regulation and development of inter-state rivers and river valleys to the extent declared by Parliament to be expedient in the public interest.

National River Linking Project (NRLP): ● Why in news?: The task force on Interlinking of Rivers has approved the Mahanadi- Godavari Link on February 25, 2021. ● The NRLP formally known as the National Perspective Plan, envisages the transfer of water from water ‘surplus’ basins where there is flooding to water ‘deficit’ basins where there is drought/scarcity, through inter-basin water transfer projects. ● Significance: It is designed to ease water shortages in western and southern India while mitigating the impacts of recurrent floods in the eastern parts of the Ganga basin. ● ILR Projects in India: ○ Six ILR projects — the Ken-Betwa, Damanganga- Pinjal, Par-Tapi-Narmada, Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga, Mahanadi-Godavari and Godavari-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) — have been under examination of the authorities.

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National Water Development Agency (NWDA) ● It is a Registered Society working under the Ministry of Irrigation which is now called as Ministry of Water Resources. ● The agency was set up in 1982. ● The agency is involved in carrying out the detailed studies, surveys and investigations with respect to the Peninsular Component of National Perspective for the Water Resources Development.

National Interlinking of Rivers Authority ( NIRA ) ● To be called the NIRA, the proposed body is expected to take up both inter-State and intra-State projects. ● It will also make arrangements for generating up funds, internally and externally. ● Headed by Union Minister of Jal Shakti, the panel includes Irrigation or Water Resources Ministers and Secretaries of States. ● It is being assisted by a Task Force for ILR, which is a committee of experts essentially drawn from the Jal Shakti Ministry, Central Water Commission and the NWDA.

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International Relation, Organisation & Reports.

BREXIT ● Brexit - British exit - refers to the UK leaving the EU. ● The UK voted to leave the EU in 2016 and officially left the trading bloc - it's nearest and biggest trading partner - on 31 st January 2020. ● The UK joined EU in 1973 (when it was known as the European Economic community). ● UK is the first member state to withdraw from the EU ● European Union: The EU is an economic and political union involving 28 European countries. It allows free trade and free movement of people to live and work in whichever country they choose.

Immunity Passport for COVID-19 ● They are the recovery or release certificate or a document attesting that its bearer is immune to a contagious disease. ● The concept has drawn much attention during the COVID-19 pandemic as a potential way to contain the pandemic and permit faster economic recovery. ● The can be used as a legal document granted by a testing authority following a serology test demonstrating that the bearer has antibodies making them immune to a disease. ● Countries like Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Chile, UK have announced a new ‘immunity passport.’

Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index ● Released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ● The index measures the progress of Asia Pacific countries in adopting personalised healthcare. ● It includes enabling the right care to be tailored for the right person at the right time. ● Countries covered : The index ranks 11 countries of Asia Pacific namely Australia, China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and New Zealand. ● Indicators : It measures performance against 27 different indicators of personalised health across four categories called ‘Vital Signs’. ○ It includes Policy Context, Health Information, Personalised Technologies and Health Services. ● Key Takeaways ○ Topped by : Singapore has topped the index followed by Taiwan (2nd), Japan (3rd), and Australia (4th). ○ Bottom in the index è Indonesia was ranked 11th in the index. ○ India has been ranked 10th out of 11 Asia Pacific countries in the index.

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The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) ● The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) comprises of the Indian Ocean and the countries bordering it-- Australia, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Somalia, Tanzania, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen ● The region is home to around 2.5 billion people or one-third of the population of our planet. ● The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world, covering around 20% of the Earth's water surface. ● It has 51 coastal and landlocked states-- 26 Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) states, 5 Red Sea states, 4 Persian Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, France, Britain and 13 landlocked states. ● The IOR has four important waterways-- Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti- Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia).

Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) ● The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) was previously named the Indian Ocean Rim Initiative. ● Currently, it has 22 member states. ● The IORA was formed in March 1997. ● The idea for the IORA was formed by India and South Africa. ● It was also called the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation or the IOR-ARC for short. ● It is a regional tripartite forum that gathers government representatives, academia and business leaders for encouraging cooperation and greater interaction between them.

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Global Climate Litigation Report 2020 ● Released by The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in cooperation with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. ● The report highlights that the Climate litigation cases have increased in recent years. ● The litigations have made the courtroom increasingly relevant to efforts to address the climate change across the world.

Key Findings of the report ● As per the report, climate cases have nearly doubled over the last three years. ● Increasing climates cases are increasingly compelling the governments and corporate actors to implement their climate commitments. ● The cases are also compelling the government to pursue more ambitious climate change mitigation and adaptation goals. ● As per the data provided by the report, in 2017 884 cases were brought in 24 countries. While as of 2020, cases have increased to 1,550 filed in 38 countries and the European Union courts.

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United Nations Enviornment Programme (UNEP) ● The UNEP is a leading global environmental authority established on 5th June 1972. ● Functions : It sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for global environment protection. ● Major Reports : Emission Gap Report, Global Environment Outlook, Frontiers, Invest into Healthy Planet. ● Major Campaigns : Beat Pollution, UN75, World Environment Day, Wild for Life. ● Headquarters : Nairobi, Kenya.

Global AI Action Alliance (GAIA) ● Launched by The World Economic Forum (WEF) ● It is a multi-stakeholder collaboration platform. ● It has been designed to accelerate the adoption of inclusive, transparent, and trusted artificial intelligence tools globally and in industry sectors. ● Members : The alliance is consisting of over 100 leading companies, governments, international organizations, non-profits, and academics. They all are committed to maximizing AI’s societal benefits while minimizing its risks. ● Committee: A steering committee will guide the alliance. It is consisting of top global leaders from industry, government, academia, and civil society. ● Significance: The alliance will provide a platform for members to; ○ engage in real-time learning, ○ frame new approaches to ethical AI, ○ increase adoption of best practices and

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○ undertake collective action to ensure that AI’s benefits are shared by all.

NEW START TREATY ● This was a nuclear arms reduction treaty between USA and Russia. ● The treaty called the two countries to limit their nuclear arsenal. ● It also limits the number of nuclear launchers the two countries can deploy. ● It also provides for an inspection and verification mechanism to verify that promises under the treaty are kept. ● The treaty was signed in 2010 and entered into force in 2011. ● The treaty was to last for a duration of 10 years.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) ● located in The Hague, ● The court of last resort for prosecution of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. ● It is the first permanent, treaty based, international court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. ● Its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, entered into force on July 1, 2002. ● Funding: Although the Court’s expenses are funded primarily by States Parties, it also receives voluntary contributions from governments, international organisations, individuals, corporations and other entities.

EIU Democracy Index 2020 ● The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) recently released its report titled “Democracy in sickness and in health?” and also published the Democracy Index 2020. ● The Democracy Index report 2020 by the covers the 167 countries. ● It has classified the economies in categories such as flawed democracies, full democracies, hybrid regimes, and authoritarian regimes. ● Top 5 Countries: Norway , Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada ● India’s rank has degraded by two places from the previous year ranking. This year India has been ranked at 53rd place.

World Sustainable Development Summit 2021 ● Organised by the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). ● The year will mark the 20th edition of summit. ● Aim to bring together a wide number of governments, academicians, business leaders, climate scientists, civil society and youth to fight against climate change. ● The theme of the Summit is ‘Redefining our common future: Safe and secure environment for all’.

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● The summit will be held the discussions on the topics ranging from the Climate finance, circular economy, Energy & industry transition, adaptation & resilience, nature-based solutions, clean oceans and air pollution. ● The key partners of the summit are Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change and the Ministry of Earth Sciences. ● The summit is organised in accordance with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

The Energy and Resources Institute(TERI) ● It is a non-profit research institute. It was established in 1974 as Tata Energy Research Institute and renamed to The Energy Resources Institute in 2003. ● Purpose: It conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment, and sustainable development for India and the Global South. ● Location : New Delhi.

LANCET Modelling Study on Paris Climate Agreement ● The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change has published its new research in Lancet Planetary Health Journal recently. The report has highlighted the benefits of adoption of the Paris Agreement to health. Highlights ● It highlights that the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are in consistent with the Paris Agreement. ● The Paris Agreement aims to limit the warming to below 2°C. ● The report also focuses on the crucial and overlooked incentive to tackle the climate change. ● The study was carried in countries that represent 50 per cent of the world’s population namely, China, Germany, Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, United Kingdom and United States. These countries also account for 70 per cent of the world’s emissions. Key findings of the report ● The signatories of the Paris agreement are updating and revising their NDCs in the backdrop of COP26 of 2021. ● However, the NDCs are not that strong globally to achieve the Paris agreement. Thus, there is a risk of global temperature rise more than 3°C. ● The report further highlights that the adoption of the policies which are in consistent with the aim of the Paris Agreement and with the prioritisation of the health can help in saving around, ○ 4 million lives as a result of better diet ○ 6 million lives as a result of cleaner air, and ○ 1 million lives as a result of increased exercise. ● The report mentioned that, though the direct benefits of the carbon mitigation are in long- term but the health co-benefits of the climate policies have the immediate positive benefits.

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● It says, If India follow the commitments of the Paris agreement, then it can save 4.3 lakh lives as a result of cleaner air and 17.41 lakh lives as a result of better diet.

India Energy Outlook 2021 report ● Released by International Energy Agency (IEA) Key findings: ● India will make up the biggest share of energy demand growth at 25% over the next two decades, as it overtakes the European Union as the world’s third-biggest energy consumer by 2030. ● India’s energy consumption is expected to nearly double as the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) expands to an estimated $8.6 trillion by 2040 under its current national policy scenario. ● India’s growing energy needs will make it more reliant on fossil fuel imports as its domestic oil and gas production has been stagnant for years despite government policies to promote petroleum exploration and production and renewable energy. ● India’s oil demand is expected to rise to 8.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2040 from about 5 million bpd in 2019, the IEA said, while its refining capacity will reach 6.4 million bpd by 2030 and 7.7 million bpd by 2040, from 5 million bpd. ● The world’s second-biggest net oil importer after China currently imports about 76% of its crude oil needs. That reliance on overseas oil is expected to rise to 90% by 2030 and 92% by 2040. ● Rising oil demand could double India’s oil import bill to about $181 billion by 2030 and nearly treble it to $255 billion by 2040 compared with 2019.

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International Energy Agency (IEA) ● Established during the oil crisis of 1973-1974. ● It is an intergovernmental autonomous organisation ● Its mission is guided by four main areas of focus: energy security, economic development, environmental awareness and engagement worldwide. ● Headquarters (Secretariat): Paris, France. ● Members: 30 member countries, 8 association countries, and 3 accession countries ● Objective to coordinate the response of the participating states to the world energy crisis along with developing a mechanism for oil-sharing for use during supply difficulties. ● India became an associate member of IEA in March 2017 but it was in engagement with IEA long before its association with the organization. India was a party to the Declaration of Cooperation, signed in 1998 which covered the matters relating to energy security and statisticsi ● Reports: ○ Global Energy & CO2 Status Report. ○ World Energy Outlook. ○ World Energy Statistics.

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○ World Energy Balances. ○ Energy Technology Perspectives.

Roles and functions of Director General of WTO ● The director-general of the World Trade Organization is the officer of the World Trade Organization responsible for supervising and directing the organization’s administrative operations. ● The Director-General has little power over matters of policy – the role is primarily advisory and managerial. ● The Director-General supervises the WTO secretariat of about 700 staff and is appointed by WTO members for a term of four years

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About World Trade Organization: ● Established in 1995. ● HQs : Geneva, Switzerland. ● Members : 164 nation states. ● Replaced General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) which was in place since 1946. ● The WTO officially commenced on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, signed by 123 nations on 15 April 1994. ● India has been a member of GATT since 1948; hence it was party to Uruguay Round and a founding member of WTO. ● While WTO came in to existence in 1995, GATT didn’t cease to exist. It continues as WTO’s umbrella treaty for trade in goods.

Committee on World Food Security ● Established in 1974 as an intergovernmental body ● Purpose: It serves as a forum in the United Nations System for review and follow-up of policies concerning world food security including production and physical and economic access to food. ● Secretariat: It has a permanent Secretariat. It is located in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ● Headquarters in Rome, Italy, ● Reports to : The Committee reports to the UN General Assembly. ● Funding : It receives its core funding equally from The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and The World Food Programme (WFP).

International Energy Agency’s Clean Coal Centre ● About: It is a technology collaboration programme, organised under the International Energy Agency. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 97

● Members: 17 members, made up of contracting parties and sponsoring organisations. ● India's Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is a sponsoring organisation. ● Location: Based in London with a team of engineers, scientists and other experts. ● Support: It is supported financially by national governments (contracting parties) and by corporate industrial organisations.

TREE CITIES OF THE WORLD ● Hyderabad has won a green contest among cities in India, and emerged one of the ‘...... Cities of the World’ ● That title has been bestowed by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). ● Hyderabad has been selected for its commitment to growing and maintaining urban forestry under the State government’s Haritha Haram programme and its Urban Forest Parks plan. ● The city was evaluated on five metrics: ○ Establish Responsibility ○ Set the Rules ○ Know What You Have ○ Allocate the Resources ○ Celebrate the Achievements. ● Arbor Day Foundation ○ The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization founded in 1972 in Nebraska, United States, by John Rosenow. ○ It is the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to tree planting. ○ Its vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, a changing climate, deforestation, poverty, and hunger.

COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (CECPA) ● The Union Cabinet has approved signing of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between India and Mauritius. ● The India-Mauritius CECPA will be the first trade Agreement to be signed by India with a country in Africa. ● India and Mauritius have been negotiating this pact since 2005. ● This is the first such agreement approved for signing by Present Indian government since it came to power in 2014.

OPEN SKIES TREATY ● Russia has withdrawn from the Open Skies Treaty after the US withdrew from the agreement earlier.

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● Open Skies Treaty The treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by giving access to aerial surveillance over the entire territory of the country. ● The treaty was signed in 1992 in Helsinki. It entered into force in 2002. ● Important Provision: ○ Entire territory accessible to aerial observation; ○ Observation flights to be conducted by unarmed fixed wing aircraft’ ○ Each State Party in Open Skies has agreed to a quota of observation flights which it is willing to accept annually from other States Parties;

Quad grouping ● The quadrilateral security dialogue includes Japan, India, United States and Australia. ● All four nations find a common ground of being the democratic nations and common interests of unhindered maritime trade and security. ● History: ○ The grouping traces its genesis to 2004 when the four countries came together to coordinate relief operations in the aftermath of the tsunami. ○ It then met for the first time in 2007 on the sidelines of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. ○ The intention was to enhance maritime cooperation between the four nations. ● Significance of the grouping: ○ Quad is an opportunity for like-minded countries to share notes and collaborate on projects of mutual interest. ○ Members share a vision of an open and free Indo-Pacific. Each is involved in development and economic projects as well as in promoting maritime domain awareness and maritime security. ○ It is one of the many avenues for interaction among India, Australia, Japan and the US and should not be seen in an exclusive context.

Extinction Rebellion ● Initially, launched in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2018, as a response to a report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). ● Now, it is a global movement which seeks to “rebel”, and asks groups to “self-organise”, without the need for anyone’s permission, to come up with collective action plans as long as they adhere to the group’s core principles and values. ● It is a decentralised, international and politically non-partisan movement using non- violent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency. ● The group has “three core demands” of governments around the world. ○ It wants governments to “Tell the Truth”, to “Act Now”, and to “Go Beyond Politics” in order to confront the climate and ecological emergency that the world is faced with.

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UN Capital Development Fund ● It was established by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1966. ● Mandate: To provide microfinance access to Least Developed Countries (LDCs). ● It will unlock the full potential of public and private finance in these countries. ● Funding : UNCDF is an autonomous, voluntarily funded UN organization affiliated with UNDP. Its funding comes from UN member states, foundations, and the private sector. ● Headquarters: New York, United States.

Transatlantic Free Trade Area ● A Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) is a proposal to create a free-trade agreement covering Europe and North America, on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Such proposals have been made since the 1990s. ● Since 2013 an agreement between the United States and the European Union (EU) has been under negotiation: the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. ● If an agreement is reached and ratified on both sides, it could at least in theory be expanded to include the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). ● Canada and Mexico both have free trade agreements with both the EU and EFTA.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ● NATO also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ● Headquarters are located in Brussels, Belgium ● Members: As of 2020, there are 30 member states, with North Macedonia (2020) becoming the latest member to join the Alliance. ● NATO is a political and military alliance whose primary goals are the collective defence of its members and the maintenance of a democratic peace in the North Atlantic area. ● NATO has an integrated military command structure but very few forces or assets are exclusively its own.

QATAR-SAUDI AGREEMENT ● Saudi led coalition of four Arab countries (United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt) had recently announced the restoration of ties with Qatar. ● In 2017, Saudi Arabia led an Arab transport blockade against Qatar, in order to punish Doha for its ties with radical Islamist groups. ● Qatar is the per capita richest country and is the largest supplier of gas to India.

SAARC ● SAARC: The South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation

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● After a full of 6 years the leaders of SAARC nations met to deal with the COVID 19 Pandemic. ● established on 8 December 1985 ● first line of the SAARC charter: "Promoting peace, stability, amity and progress in the region" ● Members: India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. ● Permanent secretariat in Kathmandu, Nepal. ● With just about 2.5% of the world's land surface area, the South Asian region has 17% of the world's population. ● It is also one of the poorest regions of the world, ranking just second to the Sub Saharan region in Africa.

Uthuru Thila Falhu(UTF) ● India has signed an agreement with Maldives for developing a Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard Harbour at Sifvaru –Uthuru Thilafalhu(UTF). ● The pact aims to “develop, support and maintain” the harbour and is part of the request made by the Maldivian government in April 2013 to the Indian government to enhance the capability of the Maldivian Defence forces.

Washington Consensus ● The Washington Consensus is a set of 10 economic policy prescriptions by Washington, D.C.-based institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and United States Department of the Treasury. ● The ideas were intended to help developing countries that faced economic crises. ● Support of free trade through WTO and NAFTA – reduce tariff barriers. ● IMF bailouts tended to involve free market reforms as a condition of receiving money.

Uighurs About: ● A Muslim minority community concentrated in China’s northwestern Xinjiang province. ● They claim closer ethnic ties to Turkey and other central Asian countries than to China. What is the issue: ● Rights groups believe that at least 1 million Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslim minorities are incarcerated in camps in the western region of Xinjiang. ● Xinjiang is technically an autonomous region within China — its largest region, rich in minerals, and sharing borders with eight countries, including India, Pakistan, Russia and Afghanistan.

United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) election ● Elections to the Council happen annually, with countries serving for three years on a rotational basis, as some of the seats expire on 31 December every year.

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● Members shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms. ● There are 47 seats, equitably distributed according to five regional divisions (Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe and other States). ● Countries need a minimum of 97 votes to get elected, and everything happens by secret ballot. ● As of January 2020, 117 of the 193 UN member States will have served as a member of the HRC

About UNHRC: ● UNHRC was reconstituted from its predecessor organisation, the UN Commission on Human Rights to help overcome the “credibility deficit” of the previous organisation. ● Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ● Composition: ○ The UNHRC has 47 members serving at any time with elections held to fill up seats every year, based on allocations to regions across the world to ensure geographical representation. ○ Each elected member serves for a term of three years. ○ Countries are disallowed from occupying a seat for more than two consecutive terms. ● Functions: ○ The UNHRC passes non-binding resolutions on human rights issues through a periodic review of all 193 UN member states called the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). ○ It oversees expert investigation of violations in specific countries (Special Procedures).

International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD): ● A non-governmental International Organization which provides a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience in dam engineering. ● Headquartered in Paris, France. ● Founded in 1928 ● Members: National Committees from more than 100 countries with approximately 10000 individual members. ○ The members are mostly practising engineers, geologists and scientists form governmental or private organizations, consulting firms, universities, laboratories and construction companies. ● ICOLD leads the profession in setting standards and guidelines to ensure that dams are built and operated safely, efficiently, economically, and are environmentally sustainable and socially equitable.

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The Senkaku Island Dispute: ● About: The Senkaku Island dispute concerns a territorial dispute over a group of uninhabited islands known as: ○ Senkaku Islands in Japan, ○ Diaoyu Islands in China, and ○ Tiaoyutai Islands in Taiwan. ● Both Japan and China claim ownership of these islands. ● Location: Eight uninhabited islands lie in the East China Sea. They have a total area of about 7 sq km and lie northeast of Taiwan. ● Significance: Islands are close to strategically important shipping lanes, offer rich fishing grounds and are thought to contain oil deposits.

BRICS Finance and the central bank meeting ● India has virtually hosted the BRICS Finance and the central bank meeting. ● It was the first meeting on the BRICS Financial Cooperation held under India’s Chair. ● The meeting was co-chaired by the Secretary, Department of economic affairs, Ministry of finance, and Deputy governor, Reserve Bank of India(RBI). ● BRICS Finance and the central bank meeting ● Other participants in the meeting included BRICS finance and central bank deputies of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. ● Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) was established in 2015 as a part of the Fortaleza Declaration at the Sixth BIMSTEC summit to support through liquidity and precautionary instruments in response to actual or potential short-term balance of payments pressures.

BRICS: ● It is the acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. ● Origin : The acronym “BRIC” was initially formulated in 2001 by economist Jim O’Neill, of Goldman Sach. ● The first BRIC Summit took place in 2009 in Russia. In 2010, South Africa was invited to join BRIC after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS. ● Significance : The comprises 42% of the world’s population, has 23% of the global GDP and around 17% of the world trade. ● Chairmanship : The Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.

Dutch Indian Water Alliance for Leadership Initiative (DIWALI) ● In order to find solutions for water-related challenges a platform called DIWALI has been developed in which India and Netherlands can participate in designing a solution for water challenges.

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● The consortium of experts from the two counties would explore the potential and sustainability of Dutch Solutions to resolve issues in specific water challenged sites in India which are scalable, sustainable and affordable.

UN World Food Programme ● WFP is food-assistance branch of United Nations ● Founded in the year 1961. ● It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization that focuses on hunger and food security. ● This organisation is also the largest provider of school meals. ● Headquartered: in Rome and also has offices across 80 countries. ● The organisation has served 97 million people across 88 countries as of 2019. ● Functions: ○ The organisation also provides technical assistance and development aid including building capacity for emergency preparedness and managing supply chains and logistics etc. ○ It is also providing direct cash assistance and medical supplies. ● It was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts in providing food assistance in the areas of conflict.

Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) ● It is the flagship geo-economics conference of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India. ● The AED 2021 is jointly convened by the MEA and Pune International Centre (PIC). ● This is the fifth edition of the AED, and the second one organised by PIC. ● The theme for this year’s conference is “Post Covid-19 Global Trade and Finance Dynamics”. ● It is an international geo-economics conference, focusing on trade and finance dynamics in Asia and its extended neighbourhood.

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Security & Defence. Sukhoi Su-30MKI ● It is a twin-jet multi-role air superiority fighter developed by Russia’s Sukhoi and built under licence by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). ● The aircraft has been modified to carry the air-launched version of the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos.

National Safety Council ● National Safety Council is a non-profit, self-financing apex body at the national level in India. ● Objective : To generate, develop and sustain a voluntary movement on Safety, Health, and Environment (SHE) at the national level. ● It is an autonomous body. ● Set up by: Ministry of Labour and Employment in 1965. ● It was registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and subsequently, as a Public Trust under the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950.

Modernisation Fund for Defence and Internal Security (MFDIS) ● Use: It will be used to bridge the gap between projected budgetary requirements and allocation for defence and internal security ● This will be a non-lapsable fund under the Public Accounts ● Purposes: ○ Capital investment for modernisation of defence services; ○ Capital investment for CAPFs and modernisation of state police forces, as projected by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA); and ○ A small component as welfare fund for Indian soldiers and paramilitary personnel

Yudh-Abhyas 2021 ● Indo-US joint military exercise ● Yudh Abhyas between two armies is held since 2004. The exercise has been designed to promote the cooperation between both the armies ● The exercise will be held near the India-Pakistan border. ● It will be held with the aim of enhancing the cooperation and interoperability between the armies of India and USA. ● The exercise will also focus on the counter-terrorism operation in accordance with the mandate of United Nations.

Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act 1971 ● Law was enacted on December 23, 1971.

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● It penalises the desecration of or any insult to the national symbols like National Flag, National Anthem, Indian Map as well as the contempt of the Constitution of India. ● The Act says " Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, difiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or 1[otherwise shows disrespect to or brings] into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both." ● Section 2 of the Act deals with insults to Indian National Flag and Constitution of India.

Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) ● COBRA is a special operation unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of India. ● The operation unit is skilled in the guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare. ● It established in the year 2009 to counter the Naxalite problem. ● Currently, there are ten battalions of CoBRA. ● Till now, the battalions were an all-male unit. First time, a contingent of women personnel has been inducted into it.

Exercise AMPHEX- 21 ● It is a tri-service joint amphibious exercise which involved the participation of Navy, Army and Air force. ● Aim: ○ To validate India’s capabilities to safeguard the territorial integrity of it’s island territories. ○ It also aims to enhance operational synergy and joint warfighting capabilities amongst the three Services.

TROPEX 21 ● Indian Navy’s largest biennial Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 21) is currently underway. ● Theme: ‘Combat Ready, Credible and Cohesive force’. ● Participants: Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Police of 13 coastal States and Union Territories along with other stakeholders in the maritime domain. ● Aim: It is aimed at testing combat readiness of the Navy in a complex multi-dimensional scenario set in the context of the current geo strategic environment.

Helina and Dhruvastra: ● The ‘Helina’ and ‘Dhruvastra’ are third-generation anti-tank guided missiles. ● The Helina (the Army version) and Dhruvastra (Indian Airforce version) are helicopter- launched versions of third-generation anti-tank guided missiles (the Nag missile system). ● The missile system has all-weather day-and-night capability and can defeat battle tanks with conventional armor and explosive reactive armor

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● Both were indigenously developed by DRDO.

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Nag Missile ● Nag is a third-generation, fire-and-forget, anti-tank guided missile developed by DRDO to support both mechanized infantry and airborne forces of the Indian Army. ● It is an all-weather condition with day and night capabilities and with a minimum range of 500m and a maximum range of 4 km. ● Nag can be launched from land and air-based platforms. The land version is currently available for integration on the Nag missile carrier (NAMICA). ● DRDO has developed nag Missiles under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.

Arjun: Main Battle Tank MK-1A ● Project was initiated by DRDO in 1972 with the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) as its lead laboratory. ● The objective was to create a “state-of-the-art tank with superior firepower, high mobility, and excellent protection”. Features: ● The Arjun tanks stand out for their ‘Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS)’ ammunition and 120-mm calibre rifled gun. ● It also has a computer-controlled integrated fire control system with a stabilised sighting that works in all lighting conditions. ● The secondary weapons include a co-axial 7.62-mm machine gun for anti-personnel and a 12.7-mm machine gun for anti-aircraft and ground targets.

Mk-1A ● The Mk-1A version has 14 major upgrades on the earlier version. ● It is also supposed to have missile firing capability as per the design, but this feature will be added later as final testing of the capability is still on. ● However, the biggest achievement with the latest version is 54.3 per cent indigenous content against the 41 per cent in the earlier model.

NAVDEX 21 and IDEX 21 of UAE ● NAVDEX 21 (Naval Defence Exhibition) and IDEX 21 (International Defence Exhibition)

NAVDEX 21 ● It is a Naval Defence Exhibition (NAVDEX ) that provides a dedicated and focused platform for international naval defence and maritime security companies to showcase their technologies and services to an international audience.

IDEX

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● International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) is the only international defence exhibition and conference in the MENA region demonstrating the latest technology across land, sea and air sectors of defence. ● It is a unique platform to establish and strengthen relationships with government departments, businesses and armed forces throughout the region. ● They are one of the world's most prominent annual naval defence and maritime security exhibitions. ● IDEX/NAVDEX takes place biennially. ● The exhibitions showcase the latest technologies and innovation in the global defence sector, support the growth of UAE’s defence industry, and forge new relationships between major international companies.

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MENA Region: ● MENA is an acronym for the Middle East and North Africa region and includes approximately 19 countries. ● Countries are Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) ● VL-SRSAM is meant for neutralizing various aerial threats at close ranges including sea- skimming targets. ● It has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO for the Indian Navy. Features: ● The canister-based state-of-the-art weapon system has a strike range of about 40 km. ● The missiles feature the mid-course inertial guidance along with the terminal active radar homing. It will replace the older Barak-1 surface to air missile system. It will be used as short-range air defence system in the Indian navy and Indian Air Force.

Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC) ● What is it?: To counter corruption and speed up decision- making in military procurement, the government of India in 2001 decided to set up an integrated DAC. It is headed by the Defence Minister. ● Objective: The objective of the DAC is to ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the Armed Forces, in terms of capabilities sought, and time frame prescribed, by optimally utilizing the allocated budgetary resources. ● Functions: The DAC is responsible to give policy guidelines to acquisitions, based on long-term procurement plans. It also clears all acquisitions, which includes both imported and those produced indigenously or under a foreign license.

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ARHMD System for Indian Army ● Augmented Reality Head Mounted Display (ARHMD) System. ● The ARHMD System is seen as a capability enhancement for the Land Based Air Defence Weapon Systems. ● The land-based air defence weapon systems include ZU 23mm 2B AD Gun System and the IGLA shoulder fired Infra-Red Homing Air Defence Missile System. These systems will provide operator with radar and Thermal Imaging (TI) sight outputs. ● The proposed system seeks to enhance engagement capability during night. ● It will also enhance the conditions of inclement weather. ● The system will also be enhancing the day-time engagements through the increased reaction times, integration of output of TI sight and data computation for decision support.

Make-II Projects ● In the Defence procurement procedure, the provision of ‘Make’ category of capital acquisition is the key pillar of realising the visions of ‘Make in India’ initiative. ● This category fosters the indigenous capabilities by design & development of required defence equipment, product or systems by public as well as the private sector industry. ‘Make’ Procedure is divided into two sub-categories: ● Make-I– Projects under this sub-category involves the Government funding of 90%. The funding from the government is released in a phased manner. It is released as per the terms agreed between MoD and the vendor. ● Make-II– Projects under this sub-category involves the prototype development of equipment, system or platform. It also involves the upgradation of the equipment or system. For the development of prototype, no Government funding is provided.

Financial Action Task Force ● It is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 during the G7 Summit in Paris. ● The FATF assesses the strength of a country’s anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing frameworks, however it does not go by individual cases. ● Objectives: To set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. ● Headquarters: In Paris. ● Member Countries: The FATF currently has 39 members including two regional organisations — the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council. India is a member of the FATF. ● Sessions: The FATF Plenary is the decision making body of the FATF. It meets three times per year. Lists under FATF: ● Grey List: ○ Countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list.

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○ This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist. ● Black List: ○ Countries known as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) are put in the blacklist. ○ These countries support terror funding and money laundering activities. ○ The FATF revises the blacklist regularly, adding or deleting entries.

INS Utkrosh ● It is an Indian naval air station under the joint-services Andaman and Nicobar Command of the Indian Armed Forces. ● It is located near naval base INS Jarawa, on Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. ● It is the first naval air station in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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Social Issues. Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill, 2020 ● The Bill seeks to amend Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971. ● It seeks to extend the upper limit for permitting abortions from 20 weeks to 24 under special circumstances. ● The “special categories of women” include rape survivors, victims of incest, the differently abled and minors. ● The Bill proposes requirement of opinion of one registered medical practitioner (RMP) for termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation. ● It also provides for the requirement of opinion of two RMPs for termination of pregnancy of 20 to 24 weeks. ● Medical Board: ○ The Bill proposes the constitution of a Medical Board in every State and Union Territory. These boards will decide on abortions in cases of foetal abnormalities where pregnancies are over 24 weeks. ○ Each Board will have a gynaecologist a radiologist or sonologist, a paediatrician and other members prescribed by the governments.

Census 2021 ● Why in News? : The Centre is on track to push the 2021 Census to 2022 on account of the country’s continuing preoccupation with the COVID-19 pandemic. ● The census provides information on size, distribution and socio-economic, demographic and other characteristics of the country’s population. ● History: ○ Census operations started in India long back during the period of the Maurya dynasty ○ The Census was first started under British Viceroy Lord Mayo in 1872. It helped in framing new policies, government programs to uplift areas of improvement in the community. ○ The first synchronous census in India was held in 1881. Since then, censuses have been undertaken uninterruptedly once every ten years. ● Who conducts census ? ○ The responsibility of conducting the decennial Census rests with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. ● The Census is one of the most credible sources of information on the following: ○ Demography. ○ Economic Activity. ○ Literacy and Education. ○ Housing & Household Amenities. ○ Urbanization, Fertility, and Mortality. ○ Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 111

○ Language.

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Key Features of the Upcoming 16th Census of India ● India’s last census or 15th Census of India was carried out in 2011. ● The data collected by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India during the Census will be stored electronically. ● The census will be conducted in 18 languages out of the 22 scheduled languages (under the 8th schedule) and English. ● The option of “Other” under the gender category will be changed to “Third Gender”. ● The data is proposed to be collected through a mobile app by the enumerators, and they will receive an additional payment as an incentive.

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Three umbrella Schemes MWCD ● The Ministry of Women and Child Development has decided to classify all of its major programmes under three Umbrella Schemes- Mission Shakti, Mission POSHAN 2.0, and Mission Vatsalya. Mission Shakti: ● Mission Shakti will consist of the schemes and policies for the empowerment and protection of women. ● Schemes: Mission Shakti will cover schemes under two categories: ○ SAMBAL: This category will include schemes such as One Stop Centre, Mahila Police Volunteer, Women’s Helpline, Swadhar, Ujjawala among others. ○ SAMARTHYA: This category will include schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana among others. ● Mission Shakti will run in convergence with the other two Umbrella Schemes.

Mission Vatsalya : ● Mission Vatsalya will be looking into the child welfare services and child protection services all over the country. ● Schemes: Mission Vatsalya will include the Scheme for Child Protection Services, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

Mission POSHAN 2.0 scheme: ● Schemes: This will include schemes such as Integrated Child Development Scheme(ICDS), Anganwadi Services, Poshan Abhiyan, Scheme for Adolescent Girls, National Creche Scheme among others. ● Mission Poshan 2.0: The government will be merging the Poshan Abhiyan and supplementary nutrition programme to launch Mission Poshan 2.0. ○ Mission Poshan 2.0 will look into the ways and measures for strengthening the nutritional content, outreach, delivery, and outcomes.

Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana ● It is a welfare measure being implemented by the Employee’s State Insurance (ESI) Corporation. ● The Scheme was introduced in 2018. ● Under it, unemployment benefit is paid to the workers covered under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) scheme. ● The scheme was implemented on pilot basis for a period of two years initially. ● The enhanced relief under the relaxed conditions will be payable during the period of 24.03.2020 to 31st December 2020. ● The ESI Corporation has decided to extend the scheme for one more year upto 30th June 2021. Eligibility Criteria: ● The payment of relief has been enhanced to 50% of average of wages from earlier 25% of average wages payable upto maximum 90 days of unemployment.

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● Instead of the relief becoming payable 90 days after unemployment, it shall become due for payment after 30 days. ● The employee should have completed two years of insurable employment and has contributed not less than 78 days in each of the four consecutive contribution periods immediately preceding to the claim of the relief. ● The scheme provides relief to the extent of 25% of the average per day earning during the previous four contribution periods . ● This is to be paid up to maximum 90 days of unemployment once in lifetime of the Insured Person.

India’s First ‘Amputee Clinic’ Launched in Chandigarh ● What is Amputation?: It is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. It is used to control the pain or a disease process in the affected limb. Sometimes, it is carried out on individuals as a preventive surgery. ● The launch of the clinic is a collective effort of various experts and departments of the institute who seeks to provide social, mental and physical support to the patients. ● The clinic was set up to improve the amputation patient care by providing them a host of services under one roof and with significant coordination.

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana ● A centrally sponsored scheme being executed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. ● Earlier it was known as the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana ● It is a Maternity Benefit Programme that is implemented in all the districts of the country in accordance with the provision of the National Food Security Act, 2013. ● Target Beneficiaries: All Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM), excluding those who are in regular employment with the Central Government or the State Governments or PSUs or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force. ● Benefits: Beneficiaries receive a cash benefit of Rs. 5,000 in three installments on fulfilling the following conditions: ○ Early registration of pregnancy ○ Ante-natal check-up ○ Registration of the birth of the child and completion of first cycle of vaccination for the first living child of the family. ● The scheme was announced on December 31, 2016. ● The eligible beneficiaries would receive the incentive given under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) for Institutional delivery and the incentive received under JSY would be accounted towards maternity benefits so that on an average a woman gets Rs 6000 / – .

Nai Roshni Scheme ● It is a scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women under the Ministry of Minority Affairs JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 114

● Its aims is to empower and instill confidence in women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks and other institutions at all levels. ● The scheme has been implemented through NGOs, civil societies and government institutions. ● The scheme provides for six days training programme followed by handholding (Careful support or guidance) for a period of one year. ● The training covers issues relating to women viz. Leadership of Women through participation in decision making, Educational Programmes for women, Health and Hygiene, Legal rights of women, Financial Literacy, Digital Literacy, Swachh Bharat, Life Skills, and Advocacy for Social and Behavioural change.

Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Project ● It is a gas pipeline project that aims to provide cooking gas to people. ● It was launched in 2016 in Varanasi and later extended to people in the states of Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand. ● The project is being implemented by GAIL. ● The government is taking the initiative to connect the eastern states with the national gas grid. ● The total length of the pipeline under the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Project is approximately 3,384 km,

Samagra Shiksha Scheme ● Why in news?: ○ The Ministry of Education has decided that the Schools and hostels under the Samagra Shiksha scheme will now be renamed after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. About Scheme: ● It is an integrated scheme for school education under the Ministry of Human Resource Developmen ● The scheme extends from the pre-school to class XII. ● It ensures the inclusive and equitable quality education for all at all levels of school education. ● The scheme was launched after subsuming three schemes namely, ○ The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), ○ The Teacher Education (TE), ○ The Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA). ● Under the scheme, the school education is treated holistically as a continuum from Pre- school to Class 12. ● The scheme emphasizes on improving the quality of school education by focusing on two T’s that is Teacher and Technology.

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● Further, the Ministry of Education under the scheme provides the financial assistance to states and union territories to open and run the residential schools and hostels in hilly terrain. ● It also provides financial assistance for opening schools and residentials in small and less populated areas for children who are in need of shelter and care.

SAKSHAM Portal (Shramik Shakti Manch) ● It is a dynamic portal for jobs/mapping the skills of Shramiks (workers) vis-a-vis requirements of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and other industries all across the country. ● It is an all India Portal. ● Launched by Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) ● It is a dynamic job portal for mapping the skills of Shramiks (Labourers). ● It will help in identifying skill proficiency level and development of Skill Cards for Shramiks. Other Related Initiatives: ● ShramShakti Portal (Ministry of Tribal Affairs). ● ASEEM Portal (Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship). ● NMIS Dashboard (National Disaster Management Authority).

“Traffic Crash Injuries and Disabilities: The Burden on Indian Society” ● This report published by World Bank ● Report was released by Union transport minister, Nitin Gadkari, on February 13, 2021. ● The report mentions the disproportionate impact of a road crash on poor households. ● It also throws light on the links between poverty, road crashes, inequality and vulnerable road users across India. Key Findings of the report ● The report highlights that, India has only 1 per cent of the world’s vehicles. Even though it accounts for 11 per cent of the global death due to road accidents. It stands highest death toll in the world because of road accident. ● The world bank report highlighted that the road crash deaths among rural poor households accounts for 44 per cent. ● While, the road crash death among urban poor households accounts for 11.6 per cent. ● The report further highlights that, the low-income household spends seven months of its income on post-road crash care. ● It also states, a high-income household spends less than a month’s salary on the post- road crash care. ● Report reveals that, the socio-economic burden of road crashes is disproportionately borne by poor households.

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Amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 ● The act was passed by Parliament of India by replacing the Indian juvenile delinquency law called the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. ● This act allows the juveniles, aged 16 to 18 who are in conflict with Law and are involved in Heinous Offences, to be tried as adults. ● It also seeks to create a universally accessible adoption law in India. ● The Act came into force in 2016. In order to smoothen the procedures for orphan, abandoned and surrendered children the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) was given the status of statutory body. ● The amendment proposes that, the DMs, ADMs will monitor the functioning of agencies which are implementing this act in each district. ● After this amendment, the Child Protection Unit of districts will function under the District Magistrate (DMs). ● Now, the DMs can independently evaluate Child Welfare Committee, and the Specialised Juvenile Police Unit. ● He can check the capacity and background of the Child Care Institute, following which they will be recommended for registration.

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) ● It is an autonomous and statutory body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. ● It was established in 1990. ● CARA is the nodal body of the adoption of Indian children. It also monitors and regulate the in-country and inter-country adoptions.

WASH ● WASH is the collective term for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. ● The World Health Organisation (WHO) WASH Strategy has been developed in response to Member State Resolution (WHA 64.4) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG 3: Good Health and Well Being, SDG 6: Clean Water And Sanitation). ● It is a component of WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work 2019–2023 which aims to contribute to the health of three billion through multisectoral actions like better emergency preparedness and response; and one billion with Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Scheme ● Announced in the Union Budget 2021-22. ● Aims to develop capacities of primary, secondary, and tertiary care health systems even in the last miles of the nation. ● Developing a modern ecosystem for research, testing and treatment in the country itself. ● Funding: Centrally Sponsored Scheme with an outlay of about Rs. 64,180 crores.

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● Duration: 6 years. ● Objectives: ● Supporting development of rural and urban health and wellness centers and setting up of integrated public health labs in all districts ● Help in establishing critical care hospital blocks in 602 districts and 12 central institutions. ● Strengthening of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), its 5 regional branches and 20 metropolitan health surveillance units. ● Expansion of the Integrated Health Information Portal to all States/UTs to connect all public health labs.

Swachh Iconic Places (SIP): ● What is it?: It is an initiative of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Swachh Bharat Mission. ● Aims to take iconic places and their surroundings to higher standards of Swachhata, so that all visitors benefit and also take away home the message of cleanliness. ● Implementation of the project: It is a collaborative project with three other central Ministries: Urban Development, Culture, Tourism; all levels in the concerned States and more importantly, Public Sector and Private companies as partners.

State of School Feeding Worldwide Report ● Released by The United Nations World Food Programmes (WFP) Key Findings of the report ● As per the report, the COVID-19 pandemic risks have reversed the efforts that were made worldwide in a decade to provide nutritious food to the most vulnerable children across the globe. ● The report highlights that, one in two school children that would count as around 388 million children worldwide received the school meals when the pandemic was at its peak. This accounts for the highest number in history. ● When the pandemic was at its peak around April 2020, 199 countries had closed their schools. Because of which, 370 million children were suddenly deprived of nutritious meal of the day. ● The report highlighted that, the lockdown threw spotlight on the critical role that school plays in feeding vulnerable children and protecting their futures. Recommendations by the report ● It proposes to strengthen the global action in order to get the coverage to the pre- pandemic levels. ● It also proposes to reach around 73 million vulnerable children who were not getting the nutritious meals even before the pandemic.

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Saras Aajeevika Mela 2021 ● What is it? : It is a programme to transform rural India in general and the lives of rural women in particular. ● During the Mela, workshops on product packaging and design, communication skills, social media publicity and Business to Business marketing will be organised to educate the rural self-help groups and craftsmen. ● Organiser: ● It is an initiative by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) organised by the Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART). ○ CAPART is an autonomous body set up by the Ministry of Rural Development to interface between the government and Non- governmental Organizations (NGOs) that seek to improve the quality of life in India's rural areas. ● Objective: To bring the rural women Self Help Groups (SHGs) under one platform so that they can showcase their skills, sell their products, and help them build linkages with bulk buyers.

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History, Art & Culture. Lingaraj Temple ● Lingaraja Temple is a temple dedicated to Shiva. ● Built by king Jajati Keshari of Soma Vansh. ● It is built in red stone and is a classic example of Kalinga style of architecture. ● Located to the north of the temple is Bindusagar Lake. ● The temple has images of Vishnu, possibly because of the rising prominence of Jagannath sect emanating from the Ganga rulers who built the Jagannath Temple in Puri in the 12th century.

● ● The temple can broadly be divided into four main halls i.e. ○ 1. Garba Griha (Sanctum Sanctorum), ○ 2. Yajana Mandapa (the hall for prayers)' ○ 3. Natya Mandapa (dance and music hall) and ○ 4. Bhoga Mandapa (where devotees can have the Prasad (offering) of the Lord).

Other Important Monuments in Odisha: ○ Konark Sun Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site) ○ Jagannath Temple ○ Tara Tarini Temple ○ Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves

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Maldhari ● The Maldhari community is a tribe of herdsmen in the border state of Gujarat. The name Maldhari means owner of goods - in this case, goods referring to cattle. ● The Maldharis have lived in the Gir National Park, in the Banni Grasslands Reserve area, for the past thousand years.

‘Chauri Chaura’ Centenary Celebrations ● February 4th 2021 marks hundred years of the Chauri Chaura incident that had led to Mahatma Gandhi calling off the Non-cooperation Movement. What is Chauri Chaura incident? ● The incident occurred at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of the United Province, (modern Uttar Pradesh) in British India. ● During this incident, a large group of protesters, participating in the Non-cooperation movement, clashed with police, who opened fire. ● The demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station in retaliation, killing all of its occupants. ● In response to this, Mahatma Gandhi, who was strictly against violence, halted the Non- cooperation Movement on the national level on 12 February 1922, as a direct result of this incident.

Pattachitra Painting ● The name Pattachitra has evolved from Sanskrit words patta meaning canvas and chitra ● meaning picture. ● Pattachitra is a picture painted on a piece of cloth. ● It is based in the states of West Bengal and Odisha.

Odisha Pattachitra ● Based on: These paintings are based on Hindu mythology. They are especially inspired by Jagannath and the Vaishnava sect. ● Colours: All colours used in the Paintings are natural. Material like Gum of tree, shells, and lamp soot etc. are used for making the color. ● Paintings are made fully in the traditional way by Chitrakaras, i.e. Odiya Painter. ● Style: The style is a mix of both folk and classical elements but leaning more towards folk forms. The dress style has Mughal influences. ● Popular Themes : Some of the most popular themes represented through this art form are ○ Thia Badhia – depiction of the temple of Jagannath; ○ Krishna Lila – enactment of Jagannath as Lord Krishna displaying his powers as a child; ○ Dasavatara Patti – the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu; ○ Panchamukhi – depiction of Lord Ganesh as a five-headed deity.

Bengal Patachitra JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 121

● Pattachitra has been a component of an ancient Bengali narrative art. ● Based on : The paintings are mostly based on mythological, religious stories, folklore, and social. The artist of the Bengal Patachitra is called Patua. ● Colour : Use of natural color is one of the characteristics of the Bengal Patachitra. ● The Kalighat Patachitra, the last tradition of Bengal Patachitra is developed by Jamini Roy. ● Buddhist Literature : Bengal Patachitra is referred to in the Buddhist literature in Haribansha(1st century A.D), Abhigyan Shakuntalam(2nd century A.D) and Malavikagnimitra (4th century), Harshacharita (6th Century).

Matua community ● The Matua community has members on either side of the Bengal border. ● It is associated with a religious movement begun in the 1870s by Harichand Thakur of a Namasudra (SC) family, who hailed from Safaldanga in East Bengal. ● In the early 20th century, his son Guruchand organized the movement socially and politically. ● In 1915, the Matua Federation was established. ● Today, Matuas constitute the second-largest SC population of West Bengal.

Prabuddha Bharata journal ● It is an English monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order founded in 1896, by Swami Vivekanand. ● It was named by Swami Vivekananda to manifest the spirit of India as a nation. ● Purpose : The journal carries articles on social sciences and humanities comprising historical, psychological, cultural, and social sciences themes.

Ramakrishna Order ● It is the monastic lineage that was founded by Ramakrishna. ● It gave birth to twin organizations Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission both headquartered at Belur Math in Kolkata.

Martyr Town of Dhekiajuli ● In 1942, as part of the Quit India movement,processions of freedom fighters marched to various police stations across several towns in Assam. ● The squads were known as ‘Mrityu Bahini’,or death squads, had wide participation and set out to unfurl the tricolour atop police stations. ● In Dhekiajuli, at least 15 people were shot dead, three of them women, including the 12- year-old Tileswari Barua. ● Significance of Martyr Town of Dhekiajuli: ○ Dhekiajuli is a historic land and a symbol of valour and pride. ○ Dhekiajuli was home to possibly the youngest martyr of the Indian freedom struggle.

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○ The Dhekiajuli police station was accorded heritage status and restored by the Assam government.

Jerenga Pothar: ● Jerenga Pothar, an open field in Sivasagar town, is popularly connected to the valour of 17th century Ahom princess Joymoti. ● Formerly known as Rangpur, Sivasagar was the seat of the powerful Ahom dynasty, who ruled Assam for six centuries (1228-1826). ● Chaolumg Sukapha founded the Ahom kingdom.

Kinnal Craft ● Kinnal Craft or Kinhal Craft is a traditional wooden craft local to the town of Kinhal or Kinnal in Koppal District, Karnataka. ● GI tag : The craft was awarded the Geographical Indication tag in 2012. ● Artisans : The traditional artisans of the craft are known as chitragars. They use a local variety of wood called Polki Marran. ● History : The craft dates back to the 15th or 16th century. It is thought to have gained prominence and patronage under the Vijayanagara Empire, and later, the Nawabs of Koppal. ● The intricate carvings on the famous Hampi chariot are believed to be the handiwork of the Kinnal artisans. ● Colours Used : The craft is painted using water-colours, the signature colours of Kinnal are red, green, yellow and black. ● Themes : The themes are mainly mythological — idols of deities including Hanuman, Garuda, Gowri and Durga are among Kinnal’s signature creations.

Kalarippayattu ● Kalaripayattu is a Martial art which originated as a style in Kerala during 3nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. ● The word kalari first appears in Sangam literature to describe both a battlefield and combat arena. ● It is also considered to be one of the oldest fighting system in existence. ● It is now practiced in Kerala, in contiguous parts of Tamil Nadu.

Tholpavakkoothu ● It is also called as shadow puppetry, Nizhalkkoothu and Olakkoothu. ● It is a traditional temple art in Kerala having its roots in Palakkad and neighbouring regions. ● It used to be performed in the Bhadrakali temples of Palakkad, telling tales from the Ramayana. ● Musical Instruments Used: include Ezhupara, Chenda and Maddalam. ● The puppetry is staged on a special structure in temple premises called Koothumadam.

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The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 ● Objective: To preserve, conserve, protect and maintain all ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains declared of national importance, and their surrounding areas up to a distance of 300 meters (or more as may be specified in certain cases) in all directions. Provisions: ● No construction or reconstruction is permitted in the prohibited area (an area up to a distance of 100 meters in all directions from the nearest protected limit of nearby protected monument or protected area declared as of national importance), but repair or renovation is considered. ● In the regulated area (an area up to a distance of 200 meters in all directions from the prohibited area of any protected monument and protected area declared as of national importance), repair/renovation/construction/reconstruction are considered. ● All applications for construction related work in the prohibited and regulated areas are to be submitted to the Competent Authorities (CA) and then to National Monuments Authority (NMA) for consideration.

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National Monuments Authority (NMA) ● NMA functions under the Ministry of Culture. ● National Monuments Authority (NMA) under the Act will be the highest body to oversee functions under the Act, particularly consideration of NOC applications for construction or reconstruction or repair and renovation in prohibited and regulated areas. ● The National Monument Authority shall consist of- ● A Chairperson, on whole-time basis, to be appointed by the President, ● Number of members not exceeding five whole-time members and five part-time members to be appointed

Dickinsonia: ● Researchers have discovered three fossils of the earliest known living animal — the 550-million-year-old ‘Dickinsonia’ — on the roof of the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, about 40 km from Bhopal. ● Dickinsonia is an extinct genus of a basal animal that lived during the late Ediacaran period. The fossils are known only in the form of imprints and casts in sandstone beds. ● Ediacaran Period is a geological period that spans 94 million years from the end of the Cryogenian Period 635 million years ago to the beginning of the Cambrian Period 541 million years ago. #Target_shots Addition

Bhimbetka Caves

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● Location: Raisen District between Hoshangabad and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh ● Period : prehistoric Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods, as well as the historic period. ● Significance: ○ Exhibits the earliest traces of human life in India and evidence of Stone Age starting at the site in Acheulian times. ○ It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site ● Paintings: ○ Some of the Bhimbetka rock shelters feature prehistoric cave paintings and the earliest are about 10,000 years old (c. 8,000 BCE), corresponding to the Indian Mesolithic. ○ Most of these are done in red and white on the cave walls. ○ A multitude of themes were covered in this form of rock art and it depicted scenes like singing, dancing, hunting and other common activities of the people staying there. ○ The oldest of the cave paintings in Bhimbetka is believed to be about 12,000 years ago.

Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav ● Nodal Ministry: It is a festival started by the Ministry of Culture in the year 2015. ● Objective : It enhances mutual understanding and bonding between people of diverse cultures.Thereby it secures stronger unity and integrity of India. ● Participation of Zonal Centres: The festival witnesses the active participation of Seven Zonal Culture Centres. These zonal centres play a key role in taking the vibrant culture of India to the masses. ● Significance : The festival is instrumental in showcasing folk and tribal art, dance, music, cuisines & culture of one state in other states. It is reinforcing the cherished goal of “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” and at the same time supporting their livelihood. ● The 10th edition of the festival was held in Madhya Pradesh in October 2019.

VINAYAK DAMODAR SAVARKAR ● He is also known as Swatantryaveer Savarkar. ● Founded the “Abhinav Bharat Society”. ● Championed atheism and rationality and disapproved orthodox Hindu beliefs. ● Founded the Free India Society In London ○ The Society celebrated important dates on the Indian calendar including festivals, freedom movement landmarks, and was dedicated to furthering discussion about Indian freedom. ● In London, Veer Savarkar inspired his fellow Indian students and formed an organisation ‘Free India Society’ to fight against Britishers for freedom. ● He was also involved in the Swadeshi movement and later joined Tilak’s Swaraj Party. ● Veer Savarkar also founded the two-nation theory in his book ‘Hindutva’ calling Hindus and Muslims two separate nations. ● In 1937, he also became the president of ‘Hindu Mahasabha’.

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● Savarkar wrote a book titled ‘The History of the War of Indian Independence’ in which he wrote about the guerrilla warfare tricks used in 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. ● In Ratnagiri jail, Savarkar wrote the book ‘Hindutva: who is Hindu?’ ● Savarkar was convicted and sentenced to 50-years imprisonment also known as Kala Pani and transported in 1911 to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Vijayanagar ruler Krishnadevaraya: ● He was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509–1529. ● He belonged to Tuluva Dynasty. ● Krishna Deva Raya earned the titles Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana, Andhra Bhoja and Mooru Rayara Ganda. ● He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula of India by defeating the Sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the Bahmani Sultanate and the Raja of Odisha. ● The great south Indian mathematician Nilakantha Somayaji also lived in the Empire of Krishnadevaraya. ● Portuguese travellers Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz also visited the Vijayanagara Empire during his reign. ● Vijayanagar Empire was ruled by four important dynasties and they are: ○ Sangama ○ Saluva ○ Tuluva ○ Aravidu

Mannathu Padmanabhan: ● Mannathu Padmanabhan (1878 – 1970) was an Indian social reformer and freedom fighter from Kerala. ● He took part in anti-untouchability agitations and advocated opening temples for people of all castes. ● He also participated in the Vaikom Satyagraha. ● He is also known for his founding of the Nair Service Society (NSS) in 1914

Bhakti Movement (8th – 18th Century) ● The Bhakti movement started in the 7th Century-8th Century in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. ● Later it spread to Karnataka, Maharashtra, and it reached North India in the 15th Century. The Bhakti movement reached its peak in the 15th Century and 17th Century. ● It was reflected in the emotional poems of the Nayanars (devotees of Shiva) and Alvars (devotees of Vishnu). ● Some of the main principles of Bhakti Movement are given below ○ God is one ○ All men are equal ○ Give up caste practices ○ Devotion is more important than rituals. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 126

● A more effective method for spreading the Bhakti ideology was the use of local languages. ○ The Bhakti saints composed their verses in local languages. ● They also translated Sanskrit works to make them understandable to a wider audience

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Geography.

Ageing Dams of India: UN Report ● According to a United Nations (UN) report "Ageing water infrastructure: An emerging global risk", over 1,000 large dams in India will be roughly 50 years old in 2025 and such ageing embankments across the world pose a growing threat. ● India is ranked third in the world in terms of building large dams. ● Of the over 5,200 large dams built so far, about 1,100 large dams have already reached 50 years of age and some are older than 120 years. ○ The number of such dams will increase to 4,400 by 2050. ● This means that 80% of the nation’s large dams face the prospect of becoming obsolete as they will be 50 years to over 150 years old. ● The situation with hundreds of thousands of medium and minor dams is even more dangerous as their shelf life is even lower than that of large dams. ● Examples: Krishna Raja Sagar dam was built in 1931 and is now 90 years old. Similarly, Mettur dam was constructed in 1934 and is now 87 years old. Both these reservoirs are located in the water scarce Cauvery river basin. ● Problems: ○ Decreasing Storage Capacity ○ Flawed Design ○ High Siltation Rates

Flash Floods ● These are sudden surges in water levels generally during or following an intense spell of rain. ● These are highly localised events of short duration with a very high peak and usually have less than six hours between the occurrence of the rainfall and peak flood. ● It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, tropical storm, or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields. ● Flash Floods can also occur due to Dam or Levee Breaks, and/or Mudslides (Debris Flow). ● In areas on or near volcanoes, flash floods have also occurred after eruptions, when glaciers have been melted by the intense heat.

Dhauliganga ● Origin : Originating from Vasudhara Tal, perhaps the largest glacial lake in Uttarakhand, the Dhauliganga flows in a meandering course, which takes it through the Nanda Devi National Park. ● Dhauliganga is one of the important tributaries of Alaknanda, the other being the Nandakini, Pindar, Mandakini and Bhagirathi.

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● Dhauliganga is joined by the Rishiganga river at Raini. It merges with the Alaknanda at Vishnuprayag.

Chamoli tragedy: Glacial Breach Triggered Floods ● An avalanche and flash floods triggered in Alaknanda river in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand following a glacial breach. ● Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) is investigating the matter. ● SASE works under the nodal head Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

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Alaknanda River ● It is a Himalayan river in Uttarakhand. ● It is one of the two headstreams of River Ganga. The other is the Bhagirathi. ● River Alaknanda is also called as the source stream of the Ganges because of its greater length and discharge. ● But in Hindu mythology and culture, Bhagirathi is called as the source stream of Ganga. ● There are five main tributaries of Alaknanda in order namely the River Dhauliganga, River Nandakini, River Pindar, River Mandakini and River Bhagirathi. All of them rise in the northern mountainous regions of Uttarakhand.

Geo-spatial data ● Geospatial data is data about objects, events, or phenomena that have a location on the surface of the earth. ● The location may be static in the short-term, like the location of a road, an earthquake event or dynamic like a moving vehicle or pedestrian, the spread of an infectious disease.

Geospatial Management Information System (GMIS): ● GMIS is a web-based, spatially-enabled management tool, providing one-stop access to information. ● GMIS integrates information from multiple sources and features search options by topic and geographic area.

Mahabahu Brahmaputra initiative ● The program is aimed at providing seamless connectivity to the Eastern parts of India and includes various development activities for the people living around River Brahmaputra and River Barak.

New Alpine Plant Species ● The new species of plant belongs to the family of Himalayan sunflower.

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● It has been named as Cremanthodium indicum. ● This species of plant generally flowers from July to August. ● It is endemic to the Penga-Teng Tso Lake of Tawang district. ● As per the IUCN Guideline, this alpine plant species has been listed as critically endangered.

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Alpine Plants ● The plants that grow in the alpine climate. Many of the plant species and taxon grow as a plant community in such alpine tundra including perennial grasses, forbs, sedges, mosses, cushion plants and lichens. ● These plants are adapted to harsh alpine climatic of environmental conditions such as dryness, low temperatures, wind, drought, ultraviolet radiation, poor nutritional soil and a short growing season.

Alpine climate ● Typical weather for the regions that occurs above the tree line. It is also called as the mountain climate or highland climate.

Tree line ● It is the edge of habitat at which trees are capable to grow. Tree line is found at high elevations and high latitudes. It the line beyond which the trees cannot tolerate environmental conditions like extreme snowpack, cold temperatures, or associated lack of moisture.

DROUGHTS ● A drought is a period of below-average precipitation in a given region, resulting in prolonged shortages in its water supply, whether atmospheric, surface water or ground water. ● What are Flash droughts? Flash droughts are those that occur very quickly, with soil moisture depleting rapidly. Normally, developing drought conditions take months, but these happen within a week or in two weeks’ time. ○ Several factors including atmospheric anomalies, anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions play an important role. ● State Government is the final authority when it comes to declaring a region as drought affected.

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Types of Drought ● Meteorological Drought is simple absence/deficit of rainfall from the normal. It is the least severe form of drought and is often identified by sunny days and hot weather. ● Hydrological Drought leads to reduction of natural stream flows or ground water levels, plus stored water supplies. Main impact is on water resource systems. ● Agricultural drought occurs when moisture level is soil is insufficient to maintain average crop yields. Initial consequences are in the reduced seasonal output of crops and other related production.

Desertification ● Defined in Agenda 21 and in the International Convention on Desertification, is the degradation of the land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub- humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities. ● It is accompanied by a reduction in the natural potential of the land and a decrease in surface and ground water resources.

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Places in News. Shahtoot dam ● Signing ceremony of MoU for the construction of the Lalandar “Shatoot” Dam in Afghanistan. ● Key Points: ○ The project is a part of the New Development Partnership between India and Afghanistan. ○ The dam would come upon the Maidan river tributary of Kabul river. ○ This is the second major dam being built by India in Afghanistan, after the India – Afghanistan Friendship Dam [Salma Dam], which was inaugurated in June 2016.

Dhubri-Phulbari bridge ● The 19-km long four-lane bridge connecting Dhubri in Assam and Phulbari in Meghalaya will be India’s longest bridge once completed. ● Assam & Meghalaya will have a direct connection with West Bengal through this bridge. ● The bridge will be located on NH-127B, originating from Srirampur on NH-27 (East-West Corridor), and terminating at Nongstoin on NH-106 in the State of Meghalaya.

Majuli-Jorhat bridge ● Connects Nemati ghat to Kamlabari ghat on the Brahmaputra river. ● The bridge will provide easy and all-time access to the people living in remote areas in Majuli Island with the rest of Assam to meet their health, education and day to day development activities.

Little Andaman Island ● part of the Little Andaman Group (Little Andaman is the counterpart of Great Andamans). This island is the fourth largest island in Andamans. ● This is considered home to the Onge Tribes, even though there are multilingual settlers of Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Ranchi communities. ● Lying at the southern end of the archipelago, Hut Bay Jetty is the only harbor for ships or boats coming into this island from the capital town –Port Blair.

Mizoram ● Location: ○ International Border: Myanmar and Bangladesh ○ State Border: Tripura (northwest), Assam (north) and Manipur (northeast). ● State Animal: Saza (serow) ● State Bird: Vavu (Hume Bartailed Pheasant). ● Protected Areas: ○ Dampa Tiger Reserve ○ Murlen National Park

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○ Phawngpui National Park ○ Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary ○ Tawi Wildlife Sanctuary

Arunachal Pradesh ● The state was formed out of Assam in the year 1987. ● Location: ○ International Border: Bhutan, Myanmar & China ○ State Border: Nagaland Assam ● State Animal: Mithun (also known as Gayal) ● State Bird: Hornbill ● It is also home to the Dihang Dibang Biosphere Reserve. ● Protected Areas: ○ Namdapha National Park ○ Mouling National Park ○ Sessa Orchid Sanctuary ○ Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary ○ Pakke Tiger Reserve

Mount Etna ● It is the highest and most active volcano in Europe. ● It is on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina and Catania. ● It is associated with the subduction of the African plate under the Eurasian plate.

Chittaura Lake ● It is a Hindu pilgrimage site, centred around a pond in Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh. ● lake is also known as Ashtwarka jheel. ● It is believed to be the place where the fight between Hindu king Suheldev and the Muslim invader Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud took place in 1033 A.D. ● The lake is fed by a small river called ‘Teri’. ● Ashtwarka Muni, the Guru of Maharaja Janak used to live near Chittaura Lake in his ashram.

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