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Content AGRICULTURE ______7

NATIONAL INNOVATIONS IN CLIMATE RESILIENT AGRICULTURE (NICRA) ______7 PARTICIPATORY GUARANTEE SYSTEM (PGS) ______7 DOMESTIC SYSTEMICALLY IMPORTANT BANKS ______8 GRAPENET SYSTEM ______8 SAHI FASAL CAMPAIGN ______9 DISASTER MANAGEMENT ______9

COVID-19 PERFORMANCE INDEX ______9 ARTIFICIAL LAKE IN CHAMOLI ______9 AIR AMBULANCE ______10 ECONOMY ______10

SINGLE SECURITIES CODE FOR FINANCIAL SECTOR ______10 SCHEME TO AUGMENT CITY BUSES & URBAN GREEN MOBILITY ______11 SCHEME FOR ADDITIONAL GRANT FOR APPAREL MANUFACTURING UNITS UNDER SCHEME FOR INTEGRATED TEXTILE PARK (SITP) ______11 INTEGRATED PROCESSING DEVELOPMENT SCHEME (IPDS) ______11 ASOM MALA ______12 RETAIL DIRECT ______12 E-ADJUDICATION OF COMPANY LAW BREACHES ______12 MONETARY POLICY HIGHLIGHTS: FEBRUARY 2021 ______13 BULK DRUG AND MEDICAL DEVICE PARKS ______13 NET ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS ______14 SPECIALITY STEEL ______14 NATIONAL COAL INDEX (NCI) ______15 BIS CARE ______15 ATAL INNOVATION MISSION LAUNCHES 'AIM-ICREST' ______16 MEGA INVESTMENT TEXTILES PARKS (MITRA) ______16 AATMANIRBHAR BHARAT ROZGAR YOJNA (ABRY)______16 INTEREST EQUALISATION SCHEME (IES) ______17 ADVANCE AUTHORIZATION SCHEME ______17 COMPANIES FRESH START SCHEME (CFSS) ______17 NATIONAL ASSET MONETIZATION PIPELINE ______18 PRODUCTION SHARING CONTRACT:______18 ADVAIT (ADVANCED ANALYTICS IN INDIRECT TAXATION) ______19 K-SHAPED ECONOMIC RECOVERY ______19 NEW UMBRELLA ENTITY FOR PAYMENTS ______20 INVERTED DUTY STRUCTURE (IDS)______20 FEEDER SEPARATION ______20 NURTURING NEIGHBOURHOOD CONTEST ______21 ENVIRONMENT ______21

SOLAR BIODIESEL MINIGRID SYSTEM______21 TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT FOR RURAL AREAS (TARA) ______21 RED EARED TURTLE ______22 GREEN VERDICT______22 GLOBAL FOREST RESOURCES ASSESSMENT 2020______23 AHIMSA SILK ______23 CENTRE FOR WETLAND CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT (CWCM)______23 WATER QUALITY IN RIVER YAMUNA ______23 GROSSLY POLLUTING INDUSTRIES (GPIS) ______24 PRADHAN MANTRI URJA GANGA PROJECT ______24 NATIONAL HYDROGEN ENERGY MISSION ______25 HEAVY METALS CONTAMINATING INDIAN RIVERS ______25 ZERO LIQUID DISCHARGE ECOLOGY ______26 MANDARIN DUCK ______27 MUKURTHI NATIONAL PARK ______27

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INDIAN STAR TORTOISES ______27 NAGI- NAKTI BIRD SANCTUARIES ______28 BANANA GRIT ______28 SRIVILLIPUTHUR MEGAMALAI TIGER RESERVE ______28 BLENDING HYDROGEN INTO NATURAL GAS PIPELINES ______29 RAVI CHOPRA HIGH-POWERED COMMITTEE ______29 HAMBURG ACTION PLAN ______30 INDIA ENERGY OUTLOOK 2021 ______30 WORLD SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT 2021 ______30 FOREIGN AFFAIRS ______31

WHITE SHIPPING INFORMATION ______31 NIRAV MODI EXTRADITION: ______31 INDIA PAKISTAN CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT ______31 GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (GPAI) ______32 TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE (TBT) WTO ______32 HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX 2021 ______33 SOLIDARITY AND STABILITY DEAL ______33 PANGONG TSO AND ITS FINGERS ______33 INDIA-MAURITIUS CECPA ______34 GEOGRAPHY ______34

HEAT DOME (CONCEPT AND THE HIGH TEMPERATURES IN DEATH VALLEY) ______34 SATURN'S TILTING AXIS ______34 SEMERU VOLCANO OF INDONESIA ______35 MUKUNDPURA METEORITE ______35 SOIL AMELIORANTS ______35 GOVERNANCE ______36

DIGITAL INDIA LAND RECORDS MODERNIZATION PROGRAMME (DILRMP) ______36 BUDGET 2021 ______36 MAHADAYI PROJECT: ______37 STREETS FOR PEOPLE CHALLENGE ______38 INDIA URBAN DATA EXCHANGE (IUDX) ______39 NATIONAL URBAN DIGITAL MISSION (NUDM) ______39 PROTEST TOOLKIT ______40 MEGHRAJ: GI CLOUD ______40 HISTORY ______41

CHAURI CHAURA CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS ______41 GRAND ANICUT CANAL SYSTEM ______41 SHRI RAM CHANDRA MISSION ______41 PATTACHITRA PAINTINGS ______42 THIRUKKURAL AND TOLKAPPIYAM ______42 DICKINSONIA IN BHIMBETKA ______43 LAW & POLICY______43

SWACHH BHARAT MISSION (URBAN) 2.0 ______43 PRADHAN MANTRI SWASTHYA SURAKSHA YOJANA(PMSSY) ______44 BIO-MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT RULES-2016 ______44 SWASTHYA RAKSHAN PROGRAMME: ‘SWASTHYA ______45 TRIBAL HEALTH CARE RESEARCH PROGRAM (THCRP) ______45 ONE NATION ONE GRID ______46 JAN SHIKSHAN SANSTHAN (JSS) ______46 UJALA PROGRAM ______46 NATIONAL DIGITAL EDUCATION ARCHITECTURE: ______47 TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT FOR RURAL AREAS (TARA) ______47 WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP UNDER STARTUP INDIA ______48 JAL JEEVAN MISSION ______48 AGRICULTURE INFRASTRUCTURE FUND (AIF) ______49

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NATIONAL DAIRY PLAN (NDP) ______49 PRADHAN MANTRI WELFARE SCHEME FOR DNTS ______50 SUPPORT FOR MARGINALIZED INDIVIDUALS FOR LIVELIHOOD & ENTERPRISE (SMILE) ______50 NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL ______50 INTEGRATED FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM (IFMS) ______51 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY, HEALTH & WORKING CONDITIONS CODE ______51 MERA GAON MERA GAURAV ______51 NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR PROJECT (NCLP) SCHEME ______52 MAJOR PORT AUTHORITIES BILL 2020 ______52 NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ______53 SHRAMIK SHAKTI MANCH (SAKSHAM) ______53 SEAWEED MISSION ______54 TMA PAI FOUNDATION CASE, 2002 ______54 BED AND BREAKFAST SCHEME ______54 CITY INNOVATION EXCHANGE (CIX) ______55 CAFE-2 REGULATIONS ______55 POPULATION REGULATION BILL, 2019 ______55 LOGISTIC EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMME (LEEP) ______56 PEY JAL SURVEKSHAN ______56 MISSION INDRADHANUSH 3.0 ______56 GREEN REVOLUTION (KRISHONNATI YOJANA) ______57 PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO JUVENILE JUSTICE (CARE AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN) ACT, 2015 ______57 NEW GUIDELINES FOR OTHER SERVICE PROVIDER (OSP) ______58 VACCINE MAITRI ______58 INTEGRITY PACT______58 DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT (DIU) ______59 PM ATMA NIRBHAR SWASTH BHARAT YOJANA ______59 PM E-VIDYA ______60 BRINGING GREEN REVOLUTION TO EASTERN INDIA ______60 MAHATMA GANDHI NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP ______60 EXEMPLAR SCHOOLS ______61 PADHE BHARAT BADHE BHARAT ______61 HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION OF INDIA ______62 KRISHI UDAAN SCHEME ______62 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ______62

WHAT IS SEROPOSITIVITY AND SERO POSITIVITY SURVEY? ______62 CATALYTIC DEWAXING ______63 INTERNATIONAL THERMONUCLEAR EXPERIMENTAL REACTOR (ITER) ______63 AUGMENTED REALITY VS VIRTUAL REALITY ______63 GLOBAL INFLUENZA DATA INITIATIVE (GISAID) ______64 SPIKE PROTEIN OF SARS-COV-2 ______64 SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO TACTICAL (SDR-TAC) ______65 CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING REFERENCE STATIONS (CORS) NETWORK ______65 BLAZAR ______65 NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS ELIMINATION PROGRAMME (NTEP) ______66 OPEN-RAN ______66 CURIOSITY ROVER MARS ______67 ARYABHATTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF OBSERVATIONAL SCIENCES (ARIES) ______67 VERTICAL LAUNCH SHORT RANGE SURFACE TO AIR MISSILE (VL-SRSAM)______68 CENTRE FOR DNA FINGERPRINTING AND DIAGNOSTICS (CDFD) ______68 COVIRAP ______68 NAVARITIH ______69 DRAFT SPACE BASED REMOTE SENSING POLICY OF INDIA - 2020 ______69 PERSEVERANCE ROVER ______70 DRAFT HUMANS IN SPACE POLICY FOR INDIA, 2021 ______70 ARJUN MAIN BATTLE TANK (MK-1A) ______71 SECURITY ______71

DIGITAL SKY PLATFORM ______71

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RULES 2021 ______72 M4 ARMOURED VEHICLES ______72 REGULATIONS FOR OTT AND ONLINE NEWS CONTENT ______73 ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILE SYSTEMS ‘HELINA’ AND ‘DHRUVASTRA’ ______73 NETWIRE ______74 SOCIETY ______74

FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL VALUE CHAINS (FDRVC) ______74 INDIA JUSTICE REPORT 2020 ______74 AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) ______75 PLACES IN NEWS ______75

CENTRAL VISTA AVENUE ______75 MAHABAHU-BRAHMAPUTRA ______76 MAJULI ISLAND ______77 CARACAL ______77 PUDUCHERRY ______77 SRI JAGANNATH TEMPLE ______78

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AGRICULTURE National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)

Union Minister of Agriculture gave the following key updates in Lok Sabha:

• The rainfed rice yields in India are projected to reduce marginally (<2.5%) in 2050 and 2080 and irrigated rice yields by 7% in 2050 and 10% in 2080 scenarios. • Further, wheat yield is projected to reduce by 6-25% in 2100 and maize yields by 18-23%. • Future climates are likely to benefit chickpea with increase in productivity (23-54%). • Impact of climate change on Indian agriculture was studied under National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA). • Vulnerability assessment of Indian Agriculture to climate change is undertaken by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). • Based on the vulnerability analysis, 109 districts out of 573 rural districts (19% of total districts) are ‘very high-risk’ districts, while 201 districts are risk districts. • Under the NICRA project, wheat germplasm consisting of advanced breeding lines and land races have been screened for heat/drought tolerance.

ICAR launched NICRA during 2010-11 with the following objectives- • To enhance the resilience of Indian agriculture covering crops, livestock and fisheries to climatic variability and climate change through development and application of improved production and risk management technologies. • To demonstrate site specific technology packages on farmers’ fields for adapting to current climate risks. • To enhance the capacity building of scientists and other stakeholders in climate resilient agricultural research and its application.

Participatory Guarantee System (PGS)

• PGS is one of the processes of certifying organic products. • The certification is in the form of a documented logo or a statement. • It is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. • PGS of certifying organic products ensures that their production takes place in accordance with laid-down quality standards. • It is a “quality assurance initiative that is locally relevant, emphasizes the participation of stakeholders, including producers and consumers, and operate outside the framework of third-party certification”. Four pillars of PGS- The government’s 2015 PGS manual underlines that the system in India is based on “participatory approach, a shared vision, transparency and trust”. • Participation: Stakeholders such as producers, consumers, retailers, traders, NGOs, Gram Panchayats, and government organisations and agencies are collectively responsible for designing, operating, and decision- making. • Shared Vision: Collective responsibility for implementation and decision making is driven by a common shared vision. • Transparency: At the grassroots level, transparency is maintained through the active participation of producers in the organic guarantee process, which can include information-sharing at meetings and workshops, peer reviews and involvement in decision making. • Trust: A fundamental premise of PGS is the idea that producers can be trusted, and that the organic guarantee system can be an expression and verification of this trust.

Advantages of PGS- • Procedures are simple, documents are basic, and farmers understand the local language used.

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• Unlike the grower group certification system, PGS offers every farmer individual certificates, and the farmer is free to market his own produce independent of the group. Limitations of PGS- • PGS certification is only for farmers or communities that can organise and perform as a group within a village or a cluster of continguous villages, and is applicable only to farm activities. • Individual farmers or groups of farmers smaller than five members are not covered under PGS. They either have to opt for third party certification or join the existing PGS local group. Domestic Systemically Important Banks

In news- Recently, the RBI released a list of Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs). Background- The D-SIB framework of 2014 requires the Reserve Bank to disclose the names of banks designated as D-SIBs starting from 2015 and place these banks in appropriate buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs). List of D-SIBs by RBI(2020)- • SBI, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank continue to be identified as D-SIBs under the same bucketing structure as in the 2018 list of D-SIBs. • The additional Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) requirement for D-SIBs was phased-in from April 1, 2016 and became fully effective from April 1, 2019.

What are Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs)? • D-SIBs means that they are too big to fail. • As per RBI, some banks become systemically important due to their size, cross-jurisdictional activities, complexity and lack of substitute and interconnection. • Banks whose assets exceed 2% of GDP are considered part of this group. • According to RBI, if such banks fail, there would be significant disruption to the essential services they provide to the banking system and the overall economy. • The too-big-to-fail tag indicates that in case of distress, the government is expected to support these banks. • Hence these banks enjoy certain advantages in funding. • It also means that these banks have a different set of policy measures regarding systemic risks and moral hazard issues. GrapeNet System

In news- Recently, the APEDA upgraded the GrapeNet to ensure secured, scalable and cost effective interface in the exports value chain What is GrapeNet? • The GrapeNet is a web based certification and traceability software system for monitoring fresh grapes exported from India to the European Union. • GrapeNet is a first of its kind initiative in India that has put in place an end-to-end system for monitoring pesticide residue, achieve product standardization and facilitate tracing back from retail shelves to the farm of the Indian grower, through the various stages of sampling, testing, certification and packing • In a bid to ensure cyber security protection for its traceability initiative, APEDA has adopted next generation Blockchain and Cloud migration enabled GrapeNet System which would ensure a secured, scalable and cost effective interface for all the stakeholders in the exports value chain. • The software can be easily used - anywhere, anytime, 24/7, by all authorized stakeholders. • It has virtually reduced duplication in data capture and enables instant reference of previous steps in the supply chain.

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Sahi Fasal campaign

‘Sahi Fasal’ campaign was launched by National Water Mission in 2019 to nudge farmers in the water stressed areas to grow crops which are not water intensive, but use water very efficiently.

Key elements of the campaign- • Creating awareness among farmers on appropriate crops, micro-irrigation, soil moisture conservation etc • Weaning them away from water intensive crops like paddy, sugarcane etc to crops like corn, maize etc which require less water • Assisting policy makers to frame policies that make effective pricing of inputs (water and electricity) • Improve procurement and market for these alternate crops; create appropriate storage them etc ultimately leading to increase in the income of farmers

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Covid-19 Performance Index In news- India ranks 86 of 98 countries in Covid response index, New Zealand, Vietnam, Taiwan in top 3.

About the Index- • The index seeks “to gauge the relative performance of countries”. • Publicly available and comparable data on Covid-19 response was used for this index. • The index is based on six different indicators- Confirmed cases, confirmed deaths, cases per million people, deaths per million people, cases as a proportion of tests, and tests per thousand people. • Fewer reported cases and deaths, both in aggregate and per capita terms, point towards a better response to the virus. • More tests conducted on a per capita basis reveal an accurate picture of the extent of the pandemic at the national level. • Lower rates of positive tests indicate greater degrees of control over the transmission of Covid-19.

Performance of countries- • New Zealand, Vietnam and Taiwan have been ranked the top three spots, respectively. • Sri Lanka was the best faring nation in South Asia, ranking 10. • Mexico, Colombia, Iran and the United States featured among the bottom five countries in terms of performance. Artificial Lake in Chamoli

In news- The recent glacial burst in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand is an eye-opener to the ongoing disruption of the ecological balance. Chamoli Lake- • The lake was formed upstream of the Rishi Ganga river after the February flash floods in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. • The lake is said to be 8 to 9 metres deep with around 50000 cubic metres of water in it. What is Glacial Outburst? • When glaciers break off, the space underneath them develops into a glacial lake filled with water. • The breaking off of the glacial lake is termed as Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) or glacial outburst. • The glacial outburst occurs when the water level of the lake rises or when the glacier retreats. • Earthquakes, erosion, volcanic eruptions, build of water pressure or an avalanche of heavy snow can cause the glaciers to burst. • The glacier outburst can also happen after the displacement of a massive water pocket in a glacial lake when an adjacent glacier retreats into it. • In Uttarakhand glacier burst case, it is believed that the water pockets might have developed within the Nanda Devi glacier that led to this incident.

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• Some experts also link this tragedy to climate change and global warming.

Air Ambulance

In news- Karnataka Chief Minister launched the air ambulance service recently.

Key updates- • The International Critical Air Transfer Team(ICATT), a Bengaluru-based air ambulance company and Kyathi, an aviation firm, launched air ambulance services for long-distance emergency travel, helicopters and land transport for last mile connectivity in the region. • The fixed wing aircraft will be stationed at HAL airport and will be equipped with a German Isolation Pod that can be used to transport critical covid-19 patients as well.

What is an air ambulance? An air ambulance service is with a highly specialised medical team that helps with the transfer of critically ill and trauma patients and organs from one place to another. The medical team flies on a helicopter or a fixed-wing aircraft that is completely converted into flying ICU units it will also have the following medical equipments • Newborn intensive care unit (NICU) equipment • C-reactive Protein(CRP) equipment • State of the art stretchers • ECGs(An electrocardiogram) • Heart monitoring units etc.

The International Critical Air Transfer Team(ICATT) • A Specialised Air Ambulance Service, ICATT is the only Comprehensive Patient Transfer Solution that is owned and led by doctors with over 14 years of domain knowledge and experience in the field of AeroMedical Transfers. • ICATT provides comprehensive patient and organ transfer solutions for every medical emergency • ICATT Air ambulance can reach any remote location in India to help the people who are in need of emergency medical care. ICATT provides its services in cities such as Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Tiruchi, Goa, Patna, and some more. ECONOMY Single Securities code for Financial Sector

In news - Recently, the Finance Minister announced the creation of a single Securities Code for the financial sector.

Which acts will be consolidated under the proposed code? • SEBI Act, 1992 • Depositories Act, 1996 • Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 (SCRA) • Government Securities Act, 2006

Impact and Significance of proposed code-

• When it came to dematerialised shares for instance, experts had to refer to various Acts such as the SEBI Act, the Depositories Act and the SCRA which would make legal compliance complex, but this may not be the case if a composite code is implemented. • Like this, there are many regulations in which one needs to look at various securities law statutes in order to ensure regulatory compliance. • The single securities code if done right, will make compliances efficient and transparent. • It would make enforcement of regulations simpler and reduce litigation.

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It reduces the friction between rules enacted by various acts of Sebi, depositories, G-Secs.

Scheme to Augment City Buses & Urban Green Mobility

In news- The Finance Minister, during the Budget session announced that a Scheme to induct over 20,000 city buses in 5 lakh plus cities including Hilly/ UT/ Northeast State capital cities (total 111) will be launched to strengthen organized city bus services, improve urban mobility and ease in living.

City Bus Augmentation- • Scheme components include procurement for city operations of all types of new buses with clean fuel (excluding hybrid/ battery electric buses already covered under the FAME Scheme of Deptt of Heavy Industries (DHI)), associated infrastructure and opex support for a period of 5 years after procurement.

Green Urban Mobility- • The focus of this Scheme is to improve Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) infrastructure, promote innovative urban transit modes, strengthen Intelligent Transport System (ITS) facilities, retrofitting buses & other modes for energy efficiency/ clean fuel, and other technological and innovative measures for green urban transport. Some of Tier-2 cities like Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Jammu, Srinagar, Rajkot, Baroda, Dehradun, Coimbatore, Bhiwadi- Dharuhera etc. are making proposals under MetroLite/ MetroNeo and Nasik has already sent a proposal for MetroNeo, which is under consideration. ( MetroNeo- Rubber tyred metro and 25% of cost of conventional metro system). Scheme for Additional Grant for Apparel Manufacturing Units under Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP)

The main objective of Scheme is to create an integrated workspace and linkages_based entrepreneurial ecosystem for start-ups that is operationally and financially viable and increases the chance of success of start-ups and decreases the time and costs required to establish and grow a new business. The outcomes envisaged include • Promote entrepreneurship in apparel manufacturing • Create additional manufacturing capacity • Generate additional employment opportunities

Eligibility criteria for Assistance under the scheme- • Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) companies of the approved textile parks under SITP which have operationalised 25% of the approved units till 31st March, 2013. • The eligible components of the project include ○ Factory Buildings for apparel manufacturing units ○ Common facilities like crèches, Working women hostel, canteen etc. • The grant shall be available for setting up additional manufacturing units which would capitalize on the existing infrastructure. • A minimum of 3 apparel manufacturing units including ancillary units should be set up in the Park. • The assistance of GoI would be limited to 40% of the proposed project cost, not exceeding Rs 10 crores for each park. • The proposals shall be scrutinized by Project Scrutiny Committee and approved by Project Approval Committee of the SITP.

Integrated Processing Development Scheme (IPDS)

• It was launched to address problems faced by the textile processing industry such as non-availability of water for processing and environmental pollution caused by the discharge of untreated effluents.

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• The primary objective of the IPDS is to facilitate the textile industry to become globally competitive using environmentally friendly processing standards and technology.

Key features • Under IPDS, parks will be developed with common facilities such as effluent treatment plants and water supply systems that can be used by clusters of processing units. • The IPDS would create new processing parks as well as support the upgradation of existing processing clusters. • IPDS proposes to establish 4-6 Brown field and 3-5 Green field projects addressing the needs of the existing Textile/Clusters. • Eligible projects under the scheme would cover the following Group A - Water treatment & effluent treatment plant and technology (including marine, Riverine and ZLD).

Group B – Common infrastructure such as captive power generation plants on technology preferably renewable/green technology

Group C – Common facilities such as Testing Laboratories and R&D centres. • The Project would be implemented through formation of a separate Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) which will be a Corporate Body registered under the Companies Act. • The project cost shall be borne by the Centre, State, Beneficiary, Bank loan in the ratio of 5025:15:10 respectively. Asom Mala

In news- Recently, the Prime Minister of India launched ‘Asom Mala’, at Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur District, Assam. About the Asom Mala- • Asom Mala is aimed at helping improve state highways and major district roads network in the State. • The programme is unique for its emphasis on effective maintenance through continuous field data collection and its linkage with the Road Asset Management System. • ‘Asom Mala’ will provide quality inter-linkage roads between the National Highways and the rural roads network as well as facilitate seamless multi-modal transportation. • It will interconnect economic growth centers with transportation corridors and improve inter-state connectivity. • ‘Asom Mala’ has been started in line with ‘Bharat Mala Project”. Retail Direct

In news- RBI will soon allow retail investors to open G-Sec accounts.

More about it- • RBI also announced that it will soon issue guidelines for this process. • The measures taken to encourage retail investment in Government Securities include introduction of non- competitive bidding in primary auctions, permitting stock exchanges to route primary purchases and allowing a specific retail segment in the secondary market • It is proposed to provide retail investors with online access to the government securities market – both primary and secondary – directly through the platform called "Retail Direct". • According to RBI, this will broaden the investor base and provide retail investors with enhanced access to participate in the government securities market. E-adjudication of Company law breaches

In news- The Ministry of Corporate affairs will begin the e-adjudication of Company law breaches. • The central Ministry will begin adjudication of company law violations, compoundable in nature, entirely in the virtual mode by the Registrars of Companies and Regional Directors (RDs) starting October.

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• The idea is to help de-clog the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) benches and improve ease of doing business. • The new version of the portal, MCA21 is designed to strengthen enforcement, improve user experience and help in seamless exchange of data among various regulators. • Electronic adjudication entails online hearing of stakeholders. • The portal will use artificial intelligence and machine learning and is designed to “transform the corporate regulatory environment in India." • The ministry will set up an e-scrutiny cell that will go through regulatory filings and flag entities that warrant a deeper look. Monetary Policy Highlights: February 2021

In news- Recently, RBI released the Monetary Policy review for February 2021. Key highlights- • Repo rate: The MPC voted unanimously to leave the policy repo rate unchanged at 4 percent. • MSF & Bank rates: The Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank rate remain unchanged at 4.25 per cent. The reverse repo rate stands unchanged at 3.35 per cent. • CPI: The central bank has the mandate to keep retail or the consumer price index (CPI) based inflation at 4 percent, with a bias of plus/minus 2 percent on either side. • Inflation: CPI inflation moved below 6 per cent in December for the first time in the post-lockdown period, supported by favourable base effects and a sharp fall in key vegetable prices. The projection for CPI inflation has been revised to 5.2 per cent for Q4: 2020-21, 5.2 per cent to 5.0 per cent in H1: 2021-22 and 4.3 per cent for Q3: 2021-22. • Factors of stable near-term outlook include the likely bumper kharif harvest arrivals in markets, rising prospects of a good rabi crop, larger winter supplies of key vegetables and softer poultry demand on fears of avian flu are all indicative of a stable near-term outlook. Growth- • Signs of recovery have strengthened further since the last meeting of the MPC. • Trading activity: The movement of goods and people and domestic trading activity are growing at a robust pace. • Normalisation of economic activity: Electricity and energy demand reflect a broader normalisation of economic activity than in December, even as fears of a second wave abate. • Real estate sector: Data for sales and new launches of residential units in major metropolitan centres reflect a renewed confidence in the real estate sector. • Purchasing Managers’ Indices (PMI): Manufacturing, services and composite purchasing managers’ indices (PMI) are in expansion zones – the manufacturing PMI rose to 57.7 in January 2021 from 56.4 in December 2020 and and the services PMI rose to 52.8 in January 2021 from 52.3 in December 2020. • Indian pharma industry:The vaccination drive is expected to provide an impetus for the restoration of contact intensive sectors and a leading edge to the Indian pharma industry in the global market. • FDI & FPI: Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment to India have surged in recent months, reposing faith in the impressive recovery in the Indian economy. • National highways: Ahead of a broader infrastructure revival, the speed of daily national highways construction is rising and the pace of award of national highway projects in 2020-21 has doubled year-on- year. Bulk Drug and Medical Device Parks

In news- Recently, Government of India finalized a guideline for three bulk drug and four medical device parks A brief note on Scheme for promotion Bulk Drug Parks: • The total size of the Scheme for promotion of Bulk Drug Parks is Rs. 3000 Crore and tenure of the Scheme is five years (2020-21 to 2024-25). • The scheme will provide grant-in-aid to 3 Bulk Drug Parks with a maximum limit of Rs.1000 crore per park or 70% of the project cost of Common Infrastructure Facilities, whichever is less. • In case of hilly states and North East Region, the grant-in-aid would be Rs.1000 Crore per park or 90% of the project cost of Common Infrastructure Facilities, whichever is less.

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• It is intended to encourage domestic production of critical APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients)/ KSM (key starting material) and medical devices. • States will be selected through a challenge method. • The States interested in setting up the parks will have to ensure assured 24X7 supply of electricity and water to the bulk drug units located in the park and offer competitive land lease rates to bulk drug units in the park. • The location of the proposed park from an environmental angle and logistics angle would be taken into account . • The ease of doing business ranking of the state, incentive policies of the State applicable to the bulk drug industry, availability of technical manpower in the state, availability of pharmaceutical /chemical clusters in the state will also be factored in while selecting the States. • The scheme intends to boost domestic manufacturing of medical devices in four target segments by giving financial incentives on sales to a maximum number of 28 selected applicants for a period of five years. • A financial incentive will be given at a rate of five per cent of the sales of domestically manufactured medical devices. Four target segments under the scheme are: Cancer care/radiotherapy medical devices; Radiology and imaging medical devices (both ionising and non-ionising radiation products) and nuclear Imaging devices; Anaesthetics and cardio-respiratory medical devices including catheters of cardiorespiratory category and renal care medical devices; AII implants including implantable electronic devices Any company registered in India and possessing a minimum net worth (including group companies) of Rs 18 crore (30 percent of threshold investment of the first year) is eligible to apply for incentives under the scheme Net Zero Energy Buildings

In news- While virtually inaugurating the Platinum Jubilee Foundation Day of Central Building Research Institute (CSIR-CBRI), the Vice President of India stressed upon the need for Net Zero Energy Buildings. What are Net Zero Energy Buildings? • Net or nearly zero energy buildings (NZEB) are highly efficient buildings with extremely low energy demand, which is met by renewable energy sources. • Such buildings produce as much energy as they consume, accounted for annually. • In order to achieve their net zero energy goals, NZEBs must first sharply reduce energy demand using energy efficient technologies, and then utilize renewable energy sources (RES) to meet the residual demand. Net Zero Energy Emission Building- • A Net Zero Energy Emissions building either uses no energy which results in emissions or offsets the emissions by exporting emissions-free energy (typically from on-site renewable energy systems) • A net-zero emissions building produces at least as much emissions-free renewable energy as it uses from emissions-producing energy sources. • Carbon, sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides are included in calculating emissions neutrality. Speciality steel In news- Approval of Production Linked Incentive Scheme for specialty steel. Why the PLI scheme for speciality steel? • India is a net importer of ‘specialty steel’ owing to limited or nil production capacity for steel grades such as high strength steel, electrogalvanized steel, heat-treated steel, asymmetrical rails, bearing steel, valve steel, tool & die steel etc… • In order to incentivize production of such ‘specialty steel’ grades, the Union Cabinet on 11th Nov 2020 approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for specialty steel grades.

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Specialty steels also referred to as alloy steel contains additional alloyed materials that deliver special properties to the final product. Benefits of specialty steels include: High corrosion resistance, Targeted resistance to high and/or low temperatures, easily fabricated, Dimensional stability and strength, Non-magnetic, Lighter weight. Government of India approved the PLI scheme in November 2020 Scheme in the following 10 key sectors for Enhancing India’s Manufacturing Capabilities and Enhancing Exports - Pharmaceuticals, automobiles and auto components, telecom and networking products, advanced chemistry cell batteries, textile, food products, solar modules, white goods, and specialty steel.

National Coal Index (NCI)

In news- Recently, the Union Minister of Coal mentioned the National Coal Index (NCI) in his written reply to Lok Sabha.

What is NCI? • The NCI is a price index which reflects the change of price level of coal in a particular month relative to the fixed base year. • It combines the prices of coal from all the sales channels - Notified Prices, Auction Prices and Import Prices. • As the Ministry of Coal started Commercial Auction of coal mines on revenue share basis order, one National Coal Index (NCI) was conceptualized. • The base year for the NCI is FY 2017-18. • NCI has already been rolled out on 4th June 2020. • NCI is composed of a set of five sub-indices three for Non-Coking Coal and two for Coking Coal. BIS CARE

In news - Recently, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has launched the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) Mobile App ‘BIS-Care’ and three portals namely the Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Training Portals of e-BIS for consumers. BIS-Care app • The new BIS-Care app will allow users to check and know about the quality of the products that are ISI and hallmark quality-certified. • This will allow users to be aware of the authenticity of products and even file complaints about the products that aren't authentic. • The app is available in both Hindi and English for the ease of use. E-BIS • The e-BIS is an integrated portal covering all functions of BIS such as enlisting the services of outside agencies for factory and market surveillance and development of mobile app-based and Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled surveillance methods.

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Atal Innovation Mission launches 'AIM-iCREST'

In news - NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), has launched AIM iCREST – an Incubator Capabilities enhancement program for a Robust Ecosystem focused on creating high performing Startups.

Aim of the iCREST program is going beyond incubator capacity building.

About AIM-iCREST- • AIM iCREST has been designed to enable the incubation ecosystem and act as a growth hack for AIM’s Atal and established incubators across the country. • This is a first of its kind initiative for advancing innovation at scale in India. • The AIM’s incubators are set to be upscaled and provided requisite support to foster the incubation enterprise economy, that will help them to significantly enhance their performance. • This will be complemented by providing training to entrepreneurs, through technology driven processes and platforms. • AIM has joined hands with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wadhwani Foundation organizations that can lend credible support and expertise in the entrepreneurship and innovation space.

Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA)

In news- The Union Finance Minister in her Budget Speech 2021-22 has announced the Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) scheme.

MITRA Scheme • Indian textiles ministry has proposed to develop seven MITRA parks as part of a plan to double the industry size to $300 billion by 2025-26. • These parks to be set up over 1,000 acres of land with world class infrastructure, and plug-and-play facilities. • Along with the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, MITRA will lead to increased investments and enhanced employment opportunities. • Emphasis on state-of-the-art infrastructure through MITRA will give our domestic manufacturers a level- playing field in the international textiles market. Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojna (ABRY)

• The scheme is to boost creation of new jobs in the formal sector through support of EPF contributions by the Central Government for new employees. • As part of the Atmanirbhar package ABRY Scheme is announced to incentivize creation of new employment and restoration of loss of employment during the COVID pandemic. • Government of India will provide subsidy for two years in respect of new employees engaged on or after 1st October, 2020 and up to 30th June, 2021. • Government will pay both 12% employees’ contribution and 12% employers’ contribution i.e. 24% of wages towards EPF in respect of new employees in establishments employing upto 1000 employees for two years. • Government will pay only employees’ share of EPF contribution i.e. 12% of wages in respect of new employees in establishments employing more than 1000 employees for two years. • The benefit shall be available for a period of twenty-four months from date of registration of new employee, not later than 30/06/2023 in any case. • An employee drawing a monthly wage of less than Rs. 15000/- who was not working in any establishment registered with the EPFO before 1st October, 2020 and did not have a Universal Account Number or EPF Member account number prior to 1st October 2020.

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• Any EPF member possessing Universal Account Number (UAN) drawing monthly wage of less than Rs 15000 who made exit from employment during Covid pandemic from March 1, 2020, to September 30, 2020, and did not join employment in any EPF covered establishment. Interest equalisation scheme (IES)

In News- IES was announced by the government in the Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20), the validity of which was extended by another year recently.

About Interest equalisation scheme (IES)- • It is also known as interest subvention. • This scheme is typically used to encourage exporters - particularly from the SME sector. • Since the cost of capital can vary across countries, WTO allows a high interest country to provide some level of help to the exporters who would be competing with their counterparts from low interest countries. • In simple terms, this can be called an export subsidy. • The manufacturing activities under the scheme include processed agriculture/food items, handicrafts, handmade carpet (including silk), handloom products, coir and coir manufactures jute raw and yarn, readymade garments, fabrics of all types, toys, sports goods, paper and stationary, cosmetics, toiletries, leather goods and footwear, ceramics, glass and glassware, medical and scientific instruments, optical frames, lenses, sunglasses, auto components industrial machinery, electrical and engineering items, etc. manufactured by SMEs. • The Scheme is available to all exports under 416 tariff lines under Indian Trade Clarification (ITC)- Harmonized System (HS) Codes of 4 digits and exports made by MSMEs across all ITC(HS) codes. Advance Authorization Scheme • The Advance Authorization Scheme is a scheme where the import of inputs will be allowed to be made duty-free (after making normal allowance for wastage) if they are physically incorporated in a product which is going to be exported. • An export obligation is usually set as a condition for issuing Advance Authorization. • The Advance Authorization Scheme is available to either a manufacturer exporter directly or a merchant exporter tied with a supporting manufacturer. • The authorization is available for the following: Physical exports, Intermediate supply, Supplies made to specified categories of deemed exports, Supply of ‘stores’ on board of a foreign going vessel/aircraft provided that there are specific Standard Input Output Norms (SION) in respect of items supplied. • Advance Authorization is valid for 12 months from the date of issue of such Authorization. • The inputs imported are exempt from duties like Basic Customs Duty, Additional Customs Duty, Education Cess, Anti-dumping duty, Safeguard Duty and Transition Product-Specific Safeguard duty, integrated tax, and Compensation Cess.

Advance Authorization can be issued for inputs used in the product that is to be exported on the basis of the following: Standard Input Output Norms (SION) notified, Self-declaration, Application prior to fixation of the norm by the Norms Committee, Self Ratification Scheme

Companies Fresh Start Scheme (CFSS)

In News- The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) launched the "Companies Fresh Start Scheme, 2020”. About CFSS, 2020- • The CFSS is applicable between the 1st of April, 2020 and the 30th of September, 2020. • Under this scheme, stakeholders are granted with a one-time opportunity to complete their pending compliances including annual filings without any additional fees on account of any delay. • It also grants immunity for any prosecution or proceeding against the company for imposing any penalty on account of delay in filing documents.

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• The Scheme also provides an opportunity to the inactive company to convert into a dormant company under section 455 of companies act, 2013 by filing form MSC-1 with nominal fees.

Non-Applicability of the CFSS 2020- • Where the action for final notice of striking off the name as per the Companies Act, 2013 has already been initiated by the Designated Authority. • Vanishing companies. • Where the company has already filed the Form STK – 2 along with the prescribed fees for the striking off of the name of the company from the Register of Companies. • Where the application for Dormant Status has been filed by way of Form MSC – 1 along with the prescribed fees. • Companies that are marked for the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process or Liquidation. • Where the companies have been amalgamated under the scheme of arrangement or compromise.

National Asset Monetization Pipeline

In News- A national monetisation pipeline will be launched, with a dashboard to track the progress and provide visibility to investors.

About National Asset Monetization Pipeline- • Asset monetisation is the process of unlocking the value of investment made in public assets which have not yielded appropriate or potential returns so far. • Some important measures in the direction of monetisation are as follows: ○ National Highways Authority of India and PGCIL each have sponsored one InvIT that will attract international and domestic institutional investors. Five operational roads with an estimated enterprise value of Rs.5,000 crore are being transferred to the NHAIInvIT. Similarly, transmission assets of a value of Rs. 7,000 crore will be transferred to the PGCILInvIT. ○ Railways will monetize Dedicated Freight Corridor assets for operations and maintenance, after commissioning. ○ The next lot of Airports will be monetised for operations and management concession. • Other core infrastructure assets that will be rolled out under the Asset Monetization Programme are: Oil and Gas Pipelines of GAIL, IOCL and HPCL (iv) AAI Airports in Tier II and III cities, Other Railway Infrastructure Assets, Warehousing Assets of CPSEs such as Central Warehousing Corporation and NAFED, Sports Stadiums.

Production Sharing Contract

In News- Government has taken multiple steps to enhance exploration & production of oil and gas to reduce imports under Production Sharing Contract (PSC) regime.

About Production Sharing Contract (PSC)- • PSC refers to an agreement between Contractor and Government whereby Contractor bears all hydrocarbon exploration risks, production and development costs in return for its stipulated share of (profit from) production resulting from this effort. • The costs incurred by the contractor are recoverable in case of commercial discovery. • Thus, PSC is a fiscal regime existing in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons. • The Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) under New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP) are based on the principle of “profit sharing”. • When a contractor discovers oil or gas, he is expected to share with the Government the profit from his venture, as per the percentage given in his bid. Until a profit is made, no share is given to the Government, other than royalties and cesses. • Thus, in PSC, Government's take depends on biddable share of profit petroleum/ gas after allowing for cost recovery.

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• The PSC regime has been changed with a revenue sharing contract model in 2016. • The new regime is applicable only for future contracts that would be awarded by the Government. ADVAIT (Advanced Analytics in Indirect Taxation)

In News: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Ministry of Finance, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for data exchange between the two organisations.

ADVAIT (Advanced Analytics in Indirect Taxation) • The data sharing arrangement gains significance in light of development of MCA21 Version 3 which will utilise state of the art technology for enhancing ease of doing business in India and improve the regulatory enforcement and similar steps by CBIC like the launch of ADVAIT, a 360-degree taxpayer profiling tool. • The MoU will facilitate the sharing of data and information between MCA and CBIC on an automatic and regular basis. • It will enable sharing of specific information such as details of Bill of Entry (Imports), Shipping Bill (Exports) Summary from CBIC and financial statements filed with the Registrar by corporates, returns of allotment of shares. • In addition to regular exchange of data, MCA and CBIC will also exchange with each other, on request, any information available in their respective databases, for the purpose of carrying out scrutiny, inspection, investigation and prosecution. • A Data Exchange Steering Group also has been constituted for the initiative.

K-Shaped Economic Recovery

In news- Economists are of the opinion that the prospects of a K-shaped recovery from COVID are increasing both in India and across the world.

What is K-Shaped Economic Recovery? • A K-shaped recovery happens when different sections of an economy recover at starkly different rates. • It is an unusual scenario where certain industries and individuals pull out of a recession, while others stagnate. • It essentially splits an economy in two, with the divisions occurring along class, racial, geographic, or industry lines. • It exposes pre-existing divisions and disparities in wealth, and can exacerbate them. • This type of recovery is called K-shaped because the path of different parts of the economy when charted together may diverge, resembling the two arms of the Roman letter "K."

How is it different from other forms of recovery?

Unlike other letter-shaped descriptors of economic recessions and recoveries (L-shaped, V-shaped, U-shaped, or W-shaped), which describe the path of economy-wide macroeconomic aggregate variables like Gross Domestic Product or total employment, a K-shaped recovery describes the path of different disaggregated economic variables, such as income across different segments of society or employment in different industries, relative to one another.

Other types of Economic recoveries- • U-Shaped Recovery:A U-Shaped Recovery is a type of economic recovery that experiences a gradual decline followed by a gradual rise back to its previous peak • L shaped recovery:A type of economic recession and recovery that resembles an "L" shape in charting. • V-shaped:A V-shaped recovery refers to a type of economic recession and recovery that resembles a "V" shape in charting.

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New umbrella entity for payments

In News- RBI is going to set up a pan India umbrella entity to boost the retail payment in the country. These entities will be known as New Umbrella Entity, NUE. About NUE- • NUE focus on retail payment systems with a minimum paid-up capital of Rs 500 crore. • The proposed entity will set up, manage and operate new payment systems especially in the retail space comprising ATMs, white label PoS, Aadhaar-based payments and remittance services, develop payment methods, standards and technologies, monitor related issues etc. • No single promoter or promoter group should have more than 40 per cent investment in the capital of the entity. • The promoters should upfront demonstrate capital contribution of not less than 10 per cent - Rs 50 crore, at the time of making an application for setting up of the entity. • The promoter or the promoter group shareholding should be diluted to a minimum of 25 per cent after 5 years of the commencement of business. • A minimum net worth of Rs 300 crore should be maintained. • The entity eligible to apply as promoter or the promoter group for the NUE should be ‘owned and controlled by residents’ with 3 years’ experience in the payments ecosystem as Payment System Operator (PSO) or Payment Service Provider (PSP) or Technology Service Provider (TSP). What are NUEs? • Once established, these newly authorized entities will be able to operate their own clearing and settlement systems. • Establish new standards and technologies; and develop innovative new payment systems that enhance customer access, convenience and safety. • All NUEs will have to be interoperable with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) Inverted duty structure (IDS)

• Inverted duty structure (IDS) is a situation where the rate of tax on inputs used is higher than the rate of tax on the finished goods. • It is usually prevalent in the case of customs duty (import duty). • The same situation of inverted duty structure is occurring in GST as well. • Understandably, a producer may be using inputs to produce his finished product. • But the tax rate of the inputs may be higher than that of the finished goods. • So, under GST, inverted duty structure means inputs (inward supplies) used are having a higher GST rate compared to the GST rate of finished goods (outward supplies). Feeder Separation

In news- The Union Minister for Finance in her budget speech of 2021-22, proposed an outlay of Rs 3,05,984 crore over 5 years for a revamped reforms- based result-linked power distribution sector Scheme. What is Feeder Separation? • Feeder separation refers to the supply of electricity to agricultural and non-agricultural consumers (domestic and non-domestic) separately through dedicated feeders. • This arrangement allows the distribution company to regulate power supply to agricultural consumers as and when needed for effective demand side management (DSM). • The core objective of feeder separation is to provide regulated supply to agricultural consumers and continuous supply to non-agricultural consumers in rural areas. Feeder separation programmes have been successfully completed in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, among other states.

Feeder Separation under Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY): • Feeder separation under DDUGJY (approved in December, 2014) involves ensuring judicious rostering of supply to agricultural and non-agricultural consumers in rural areas.

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• Under DDUGJY, Feeder separation includes the physical separation of high tension (HT) feeders for agricultural and non-agricultural consumers, and the virtual separation of feeders. • Virtual feeder separation involves installation of single phase DTs on existing HT lines for domestic consumers • This entails the erection of HT lines for drawing new feeders and the reorientation/re-alignment of existing lines, installation of new distribution transformers (DTs) and augmentation of existing DTs, and relocation of DTs and associated low tension (LT) lines for re-grouping of agricultural and non-agricultural consumers. • Feeders already segregated by the utilities are not covered under this scheme.

Nurturing Neighbourhood contest

In news- Recently, the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry announced the names of the 25 cities selected for the Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge under the Smart Cities Mission. About the contest- • It is a 3-year initiative hosted by the Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, in collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation and WRI India. • The Challenge aims to propagate an early childhood centric approach among Indian cities, helping urban planners, architects, engineers, and city managers to implement pilots and scale up solutions using the Infant, Toddler, Caregiver-Friendly Neighborhood (ITCN) Framework. • It is an open call to all Indian city agencies/city municipalities committed to helping young children, and their caregivers, feel safe to explore, play, and engage with their natural and built environment. • Open to all Indian cities with population above 5 lakhs, Smart Cities, and capitals of States/Union Territories. • Agencies such as Development Authorities, Smart City SPVs, Metro Rail agencies, etc., that have substantial areas under their jurisdiction, can also apply. • The shortlisted cities would carry out projects for making early childhood-friendly neighbourhoods. ENVIRONMENT Solar Biodiesel MiniGrid System

In news - CSIR – CMERI has dedicated Solar – Biodiesel Mini Grid System to the Nation. About Solar – Biodiesel Mini Grid System- • It is an Off-grid Solar Biodiesel Hybrid Mini Grid of 50kW peak capacity system for providing 24X7 power to CoEFM Residential Colony. • These high power centralized generation systems also warrant investment on expensive Transmission & Distribution infrastructure leading to higher transmission losses. Applications- • Can be a unique solution for uninterrupted power in remote areas, villages, hilly areas etc. • Has applications in Smart city projects, because of its inherent smart features with respect to integration of different sources. • Unlike in rural areas, power requirements of domestic loads in cities are higher along with huge fluctuations due to varied usage patterns making the power balancing a challenging issue. • It is also being used to run 10hp& 5hp agricultural pumps.

Technological Advancement for Rural Areas (TARA)

In News- Women weavers from Dudhwa Tiger Reserve profit from technological interventions for their looms

About Technological Advancement for Rural Areas (TARA)- • These technological interventions were realized with funding support under the TARA Scheme of Science for Equity, Empowerment & Development (SEED) Division, and Department of Science & Technology (DST).

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• This scheme under SEED programmes is essentially to provide long term core support to Science based Voluntary Organizations/field institutions to promote and nurture them as “S&T Incubators” / “Active Field Laboratories” in rural and other disadvantaged areas to work and provide technological solutions. Eligibility Conditions & Selection Mechanism- • Organizations with minimum 10 years field level experience in rural technology development and management. • Having minimum infrastructure to work as a core supported group (CSG), like land and demonstrate working relations with Panchayats/State Govt. • The organization should have experience in handling projects having focus on S&T with support from scientific departments of Govt. of India. • If approved, core funding is provided initially for a period of five to ten years subject to periodic review which may be expandable upto fifteen years and more. Dudhwa National Park- • The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is a protected area in Uttar Pradesh. • Stretches mainly across the Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich districts Comprises the Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. • It shares the north-eastern boundary with Nepal, which is defined to a large extent by the Mohana River. • Only place in U.P. where both Tigers and Rhinos can be spotted together. The park has some of the best forests of 'Sal' trees in the world.

Red Eared Turtle

In news- The turtle was recently found in the Kalathode canal, Kerala. About Red-eared Turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans)- • The Red-eared Slider is considered one of the world’s top 100 worst invasive species. • Originated from the area around the Mississippi river and the Gulf of Mexico, they live in still and warm water bodies such as ponds, lakes, streams, and slow- running rivers. • It is a semi aquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. • It is a subspecies of the pond slider. • The red-eared slider turtles are considered a major threat to native turtle species, as they mature fast, grow larger, and produce more offspring, and are very aggressive. • They can out-compete native turtles for food, nestling, and basking sites. • As they eat plants and animals, they can finish off a wide range of aquatic species, including fish and rare frogs. • IUCN status – Least Concern. Green Verdict

In News- NITI Aayog has commissioned a study that seeks to examine the “unintended economic consequences” of judicial decisions that have hindered and stalled big-ticket projects on environmental grounds. What is Green Verdict? Judicial decisions of the Supreme Court or the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on environmental grounds that hindered and stalled big-ticket projects are informally known as Green Verdict.

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Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020

In news- A latest digital report containing the

About Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020- • FRA 2020 examines the status of, and trends in, more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020. • It is led by the Forestry Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization. Highlights of the 2020 report- • The rate of forest loss in 2015-2020 declined to an estimated 10 million hectares (mha), down from 12 million hectares (mha) in 2010-2015. • The world lost 178 mha of forest since 1990, an area the size of Libya, according to the report. • However, the rate of net forest loss decreased substantially during 1990–2020 due to a reduction in deforestation in some countries, plus increases in the forest area in others through afforestation. • The largest proportion of the world’s forests were tropical (45 per cent), followed by boreal, temperate and subtropical. Ahimsa silk • Ahimsa silk is a method of non-violent silk breeding and harvesting. • Wild silk moths are bred, rather than the domestic variety. • It allows the completion of the metamorphosis of the silkworm to its moth stage, whereas most silk harvesting requires the silkworms to be killed in their cocoon stage. • No animals suffer or die for the silk to be produced, making it a favorable alternative to normal silk for those who do not believe in harming animals. • The pupa is allowed to hatch and the leftover cocoon is then used to create silk. • The quality of Eri silk is often seen as inferior to that of the silk created by the offspring of the Bombyx mori moth. • Peace silk requires 10 extra days in the process to let the larvae grow and the moths to hatch out of the cocoons, in contrast, the less humane process takes about 15 minutes. • At this later stage the cocoon yields one-sixth of the filament. • This inflates the cost of nonviolent silk, which is priced about twice the price of the regular kind. Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM)

In news - Recently the Union government announced the establishment of CWCM as a part of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM). About the Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM)- • The center would address specific research needs and knowledge gaps and will aid in the application of integrated approaches for conservation, management and wise use of the wetlands. • It helps in building partnerships 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, managers, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners. • It would also 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.

Water quality in River Yamuna

In news- Recently, the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti has given information on Pollution Level in Yamuna River during lockdown.

Key updates- 1. Water Quality of River Yamuna within the Delhi stretch at Palla, was complying with respect to Primary water quality criteria for bathing viz. pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD),

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whereas, the water quality at Nizamuddin bridge and Okhla U/S was not complying with respect to Primary water quality criteria for bathing in terms of DO and BOD. 2. As compared to pre-lockdown period i.e. March, 2020, at Palla, improvement in terms of BOD was observed and at locations Nizamuddin Bridge and Okhla U/S, improvement in terms of both DO and BOD was observed. The improvement in water quality has been attributed to: i. Release of fresh water from Wazirabad Barrage and availability of dilution in river Yamuna; ii. Stoppage of industrial effluent discharge due to lockdown; iii. Good penetration of solar radiation in water body due to washing out of bottom sediments, settleable and colloidal form of pollutants in river Yamuna due to discharge of fresh water from Wazirabad barrage; iv. Absence of human activities such as throwing of garbage, bathing, washing of clothes etc... What is Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)? • Biochemical oxygen demand is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material present in a given water sample at a certain temperature over a specific time period. • Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a measure of how much oxygen is dissolved in the water - the amount of oxygen available to living aquatic organisms. • It is an important parameter in assessing water quality because of its influence on the organisms living within a body of water. • A dissolved oxygen level that is too high or too low can harm aquatic life and affect water quality. Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs)

Grossly Polluting Industries (GPI) are defined as the industry which is discharging wastewater more than 100 kilo litres a day and/or hazardous chemicals used by the industry as specified under the Schedule-I, Part-II of The Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules of 1989 under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Classification of Industrial Units- • Chemicals: which mainly include fertilizer, petro-chemical , pesticides and pharmaceuticals, distillery; Dairy, Food & Beverage; Pulp and Paper; Sugar; Tannery; Textile, Bleaching & Dyeing; Other (Cement, Slaughter house, Ordinance, Packaging & printing, Paint, Electronics& Electrical, Thermal, Kattha –kachh, Electroplating, Metallurgical, automobile etc... Key findings & level of pollution by GPIs- • There are 764 grossly polluting industries discharging wastewater to the main stem of River Ganga and its two important tributaries Kali-east and Ramganga in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. • Out of 764 industries, 687 are located in Uttar Pradesh. • The water consumed by grossly polluting industries is 1123 MLD. • Total wastewater generated by grossly polluting industries is 501 MLD. • This is 45% (approx) of total water consumed. • In terms of number of industrial units, the tannery sector is dominating whereas in terms of wastewater generation Pulp & paper sectors dominate followed by chemical and sugar sectors. • It is observed that GPI in Bihar generate minimum wastewater in terms of water consumed whereas GPI in West Bengal generate maximum wastewater followed by Uttarakhand. • In the riverine system Ramanga carries maximum industrial wastewater followed by main stream of river Ganga and Kali-East respectively. Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project

In news- GAIL completed the 340 kilometer pipeline from Dobhi in Bihar to Durgapur in West Bengal which is part of the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project.

A brief note on the project- • The pipeline will bring to the West Bengal state cooking fuel that is cheaper than LPG and CNG that costs less than petrol and diesel, and fuel to produce urea for all its requirements.

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• The pipeline will provide gas to Matix fertiliser plant at Durgapur, which can produce "the entire requirement of urea of West Bengal • Besides supplying gas that is cheaper than alternate liquid fuels to industries, the pipeline would also bring the city gas network in towns along its route. Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project is a gas pipeline project launched in 2016 and will cater to the energy requirements of five states, namely Uttar Pradesh (338 KM), Bihar (441KM), Jharkhand (500KM), Odisha (781KM) and West Bengal (542).

Key features- • The project is also known as Jagdishpur – Haldia & Bokaro – Dhamra Pipeline Project (JHBDPL). • Aim is to have a gas based economy and to enhance the share of gas in the energy basket to 15%. • The project is committed to provide the household members health safety by providing clean fuel with the piped gas to the locals of Varanasi and later to Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha. • The seven main station cities include Varanasi, Patna, Bokaro, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack as the major beneficiaries of the project. • The main trunk of the pipeline ends at Haldia (West Bengal) and Dhamra (Odisha). • The government also plans to create 25 industrial clusters in these states which can utilise the gas as fuel and generate employment in these areas.

National Hydrogen Energy Mission

In news- Recently, the Union finance Minister, during the budget speech announced the National Hydrogen Energy Mission. In November 2020, Prime Minister had announced plans to launch a National Hydrogen Energy Mission, buttressing India’s green energy credentials with the carbon emission-free next-generation fuel.

India and Hydrogen energy- • India is a participant, one among 16 nations or groupings, in the Mission Innovation Renewable and Clean Hydrogen Challenge. • A report titled 'India Country Status Report on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells', launched by the Department of Science and Technology says that Hydrogen with its abundance, high energy density, better combustion characteristics, non polluting nature etc, have vast advantages over the conventional fuels. • The use of hydrogen can reduce the CO2 related emissions significantly at the point of use. • A 'Hydrogen Valley Platform' is also in the works, courtesy the Department of Science and Technology. • As per the Potential Role of Hydrogen in India report, by 2050, nearly 80% of India’s hydrogen is projected to be ‘green’ – produced by renewable electricity and electrolysis • Currently, 30 research projects in India are supported under the hydrogen and fuel cell programme of the Department of Science and Technology. ‘Hydrogen Valley’ is a geographical area – a city, a region, an island or an industrial cluster - where several hydrogen applications are combined together into an integrated hydrogen ecosystem that consumes a significant amount of hydrogen, improving the economics behind the project. It should ideally cover the entire hydrogen value chain: production, storage, distribution and final use.

Heavy Metals Contaminating Indian Rivers

In news- A study conducted by Central Water Commission (CWC) shows that two-thirds of the water quality stations spanning India’s major rivers showed contamination by one or more heavy metals.

Key findings- • India’s major rivers showed contamination by one or more heavy metals, exceeding safe limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards. • Samples from only one-third of water quality stations were safe. • The rest or 65% of the 442 sampled were polluted by heavy metals.

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• Iron emerged as the most common contaminant with 156 of the sampled sites registering levels of the metal above safe limits. • None of the sites registered arsenic levels above the safe limit. ((Arsenic contamination is a major environmental issue that affects groundwater. However, the CWC exercise was restricted to surface water)). • Long-term exposure to the above-mentioned heavy metals may result in slowly progressing physical, muscular, and neurological degenerative processes that mimic Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis. • Other contaminants found in the samples were lead, nickel, chromium, cadmium and copper. • Arsenic and zinc are the two toxic metals whose concentration was always obtained within the limits throughout the study period. • The main sources of heavy metal pollution are mining, milling, plating and surface finishing industries. • Reasons for contamination were “population growth and rise in agricultural and industrial activities”.

Heavy metals are generally defined as metals with relatively high densities, atomic weights, or atomic numbers. Heavy metals are known to be naturally occurring compounds, but anthropogenic activities introduce them in large quantities in different environmental compartments

Zero Liquid Discharge Ecology

In news- The Aqua Rejuvenation Pilot Plant (ARP) installed at CSIR-CMERI recently can help to reach towards a Zero Liquid Discharge Ecology

The Aqua Rejuvenation Pilot Plant (ARP) of CSIR- • To remove the water contaminants & to purify the sewage water ,CSIR-CMERI developed innovative technology in combination with chemical & physical processes such as ○ Mechanical segregation & filtration ○ Coagulation-flocculation techniques and ○ Chemical/physical adsorption. • It comprehensively treats wastewater, based upon diverse purification parameters. • The approx. 24,000 litres of Water that can be rejuvenated using ARP, will be sufficient for almost 4 acres of Agricultural Land (barring seasonal variations in water requirements). • It is capable of removing all pollutants from sewage (below W.H.O recommended level) and based upon geographical variations they may be modified. • The filter media is also locally source-able so as to ensure that there would not be any stress in the supply chain for scaled-up manufacturing of ARP.

How does it purify sewage water? The methods of purification applied by CSIR-CMERI in this technology are • Sedimentation (settlement of flocculated or coagulated particles) • Filtration (process of removing solids from Liquid) and • Aeration (Oxidation and Hydration).

Significance of the technology • ARP has maximum capacity to treat 40,000 litres/day in its scaled-up version. With this technology, CSIR- CMERI will incrementally reach towards a Zero Liquid Discharge Ecology. • The treated water processed from the ARP is preferable for agricultural purposes and with enhanced settling time it can be used for drinking purposes. • This treated water will help to improve the environment by fixation of carbon dioxide and will also provide food security.

What is a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD)? • It refers to a treatment process in which the plant discharges no liquid effluent into surface waters, in effect completely eliminating the environmental pollution associated with treatment.

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A systematic ZLD is made up of the following components: • Pre-treatment (physicochemical and Biological) • RO (membrane processes) • Evaporator and crystallizer (thermal processes) Mandarin Duck

In news: The rare, most beautiful Mandarin Duck has been spotted at Maguri beel in Assam recently.

About Mandarin Duck- • The mandarin duck is a perching duck species native to the East Palearctic. • It is closely related to the North American wood duck, the only other member of the genus Aix. • Aix is an Ancient Greek word which was used by Aristotle to refer to an unknown diving bird. • Considered the most beautiful duck in the world, it was first identified by Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. • This bird breeds in Russia, Korea, Japan and northeastern parts of China. • It now has established populations in Western Europe and America too. • IUCN status: Least Concern

Why is its recent visit to Assam important? • Though it visits India but it does not fall in its usual migratory route. • There are only a handful of recorded sightings here. • It was recorded in 1902 in the Dibru river in the Rongagora area in Tinsukia. • More recently, it was sighted in Manipur’s Loktak Lake in 2013, and in Saatvoini Beel in Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam’s Baksa district 2014. • While the duck is not a globally threatened species, spotting one is always considered significant because they only make “rare appearances. Mukurthi National Park

In news: In order to prevent wildfire, fire lines have been constructed in the Mukurthi National Park. About the Mukurthi National Park- • Location: Situated in the Western corner of Nilgiris Plateau in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu. • It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site(2012) and was formerly known as Nilgiri Tahr National Park. • The Park is sandwiched between the Mudumalai National Park and the Silent Valley National park. • The park is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. • It was established with the prime motive of conservation of its keystone species, the Nilgiri Tahr. • The park is characterized by montane grasslands and shrublands interspersed with sholas. • Billithadahalla, Pykara and Kundah rivers flow through the park. • Native Tribes are Thodas. Nilgiri Tahr- • It is also known as Nilgiri Ibex. • It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu. • The Adult males of NilgiriTahr species develop a light grey area or “saddle” on their backs and are hence called “Saddlebacks”. IUCN status – Endangered Indian Star Tortoises

In News- Indian star tortoises were seized while being smuggled from Andhra Pradesh to Odisha. Geographic Range- • Indian star tortoises(Geochelone elegans) is found in three discrete portions of the Indian subcontinent: ○ The first is in western India and extreme southeastern Pakistan (e.g., Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh in India and the Thar Desert in Pakistan),

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○ The second is in southeastern India (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu), ○ The third is on the island of Sri Lanka. • No subspecies are recognized, although there are regional variations in color and morphology. • Sri Lankan tortoises may have more contrasting shell patterns with broader yellow markings and they tend to reach larger sizes than southern Indian tortoises. • Indian star tortoises occupy a wide range of habitats, including moist deciduous forest, semi-arid lowland forests, thorn scrub forests, arid grasslands, and semi-desert. • These tortoises have a high tolerance for seasonally wet or dry habitats, with many populations living in areas with a monsoon (rainy) season followed by an extensive hot and dry period. • Wild Life Protection Act 1972: Schedule IV • IUCN Status: Vulnerable

Nagi- Nakti bird sanctuaries

In News- 1st bird festival at Nagi- Nakti bird sanctuaries in Bihar to start from Jan 15. Nagi- Nakti Bird Sanctuaries- • Nagi Dam and Nakti Dam are although two different sanctuaries but they can be taken as one bird area due to their closeness. • These sanctuaries are a home to a wide variety of indigenous species and migratory birds that turn up during the winters from places like Eurasia, Central Asia, the Arctic Circle, Russia and Northern China. • Over 136 species of birds have been spotted at these sanctuaries. • Birdlife International, a global body, has held the Nagi Dam Bird Sanctuary to be globally important for conservation of birds' population and has declared it as an important bird area. • There's a unique rock formation in Jamui area. In our country, this rock formation is available only in Hampi in Karnataka. Banana Grit

In News- Scientists at the CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) at Pappanamcode, Kerala have come up with a new product, Banana Grit, developed from raw Nendran bananas. About Banana Grit- • The product resembles ‘rava’ and broken wheat. • Billed as an ideal ingredient for a healthy diet, banana grit can be used for making a wide range of dishes. • The granules can be used for making upma, or it can be mixed with banana powder for porridge, with milk or coconut milk for use as a health drink. • The concept was introduced to utilise the presence of resistant starch in bananas, which is reported to improve gut health. Some facts about Nendran Banana- • Nendran Banana or famously known as Chengalikodan is a banana variety originated and cultivated in Chengazhikodu village of Thrissur District in Kerala. • It is now cultivated on the banks of the Bharathapuzha river. • It has got the Geographical Indication registration (GI tag) from the Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai. Generally consumed ripe, it also finds use in typical Kerala dishes such as avial and thoran.

Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve

In news- Recently, the Central Government has given its approval for the creation of Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve as a fifth tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu. More about it- • Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Sanctuary and Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary have been combined to create the tiger reserve.

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• The new tiger reserve has Madurai territorial forest division in the north, Virudhunagar and Madurai district revenue areas on its east, Tirunelveli forest division and Periyar tiger reserve (Kerala) in south and Theni revenue district and partly Periyar reserve on its west as boundaries. • With the new Srivilliputhur – Megamalai Tiger Reserve, the forests will be better protected and the Vaigai river, its tributaries will start flowing again. Giant Squirrel Sanctuary- • Also known as Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary, it was established in 1988 to protect the Near threatened grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura). • It is bordered on the southwest by the Periyar Tiger Reserve and is one of the best preserved forests south of the Palghat Gap • IUCN Status of grizzled giant squirrel: Near Threatened (NT) Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary- • As this wildlife sanctuary is located at the border of Tamilnadu and Kerala, it acts as the buffer zone for Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala. • It shares boundaries with Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Sanctuary and Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala

Blending Hydrogen into Natural Gas pipelines

In news- The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will lead a new collaborative research and development (R&D) project known as HyBlendTM to address the technical barriers to blending hydrogen in natural gas pipelines.

More about it- • The HyBlend team comprises six national laboratories - NREL, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and more than 20 participants from industry and academia. • Hydrogen produced from renewable, nuclear, or other resources can be injected into natural gas pipelines, and the blend can then be used by conventional end users of natural gas to generate power and heat. Several projects worldwide are demonstrating blends with hydrogen concentrations as high as 20%, but the long- term impact of hydrogen on materials and equipment is not well understood. Ravi Chopra High-powered committee

In news- The Supreme Court appointed Ravi Chopra Committee has alleged that the Chardham road project has violated court order.

About Ravi Chopra Committee- • A petition was filed with the National Green Tribunal stating that the project violated the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006. • On the other hand, according to MoRTH, the length of the highways are less than 100 km and hence do not require environmental clearance. • The project has been segregated into 57 parts and each part is less than 100 km. Thus, NGT cleared the project. • However, the project was stopped by the Supreme Court which also constituted Ravi Chopra Committee to assess the environmental violations if any. Chardham Pariyojana- • The project aims to provide connectivity to the four Hindu pilgrimages such as Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. • The estimated cost of the project is Rs 12,000 crores. • The project is being implemented by National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, Uttarakhand State Public Works, Border Road Organization under Engineering, Procurement and Construction Mode (EPC mode).

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Hamburg Action Plan

• It sets out the G20's strategy for achieving strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. . • It also includes new measures taken to strengthen the international financial architecture, improve financial sector regulation and development, and promote collaboration on international taxation issues. • It also outlines new actions to tackle the issues of beneficial ownership, correspondent banking and remittances, anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism, fossil fuel subsidies and data gaps . India Energy Outlook 2021

The India Energy Outlook 2021 is a new special report from the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook series.

Key highlights of the report: • Prior to the global pandemic, India’s energy demand was projected to increase by almost 50% between 2019 and 2030, but growth over this period is now closer to 35% in the STEPS (Stated Policies Scenario), and 25% in the Delayed Recovery Scenario • Solar power is set for explosive growth in India, matching coal’s share in the Indian power generation mix within two decades in the STEPS. • The emissions intensity of India’s economy improves by 40% from 2005 to 2030, above the 33-35% set out in its existing NDC. • 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 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. • 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 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, the IEA said. • India is set to more than double its building space over the next two decades, with 70% of new construction happening in urban areas. • India, being the world's fourth-largest LNG importer, LNG imports are expected to quadruple to 124 billion cubic metres (bcm), or about 61% of overall gas demand by 2040.

World Sustainable Development Summit 2021

In news - The Prime Minister of India inaugurated the World Sustainable Development Summit 2021 recently. • This year’s theme (20th edition): “Redefining our common future: Safe and secure environment for all” • It is the flagship event of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). • The Summit series brings together governments, business leaders, academicians, climate scientists, youth, and the civil society in the fight against climate change. • WSDS focuses on sustainable development, environmental protection, and energy and assessment of worldwide progress in these critical areas. • Organized annually since 2001, the platform facilitates the exchange of knowledge on all aspects of sustainable development. • In 2016, TERI’s annual flagship event, the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) evolved into the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) to carry forward legacy of fifteen years.

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS White Shipping Information

In news - While addressing Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Ministers’ Conclave the Defence Minister of India referred to White Shipping Information.

What is White Shipping Information? • White shipping information refers to exchange of relevant advance information on the identity and movement of commercial non-military merchant vessels. • White Shipping agreement is an information network protocol that allows the navies of two countries to exchange information about ships in their oceanic territories. • Ships would be classified into white (commercial ships), grey (military vessels), and black (illegal vessels) • It facilitates preventing any potential threat from sea from impinging an coastal and offshore security of the country

India’s White Shipping agreement- • In 2014, the Government had approved the proposal to conclude bilateral and multilateral agreements for exchange of white shipping information with Navies, Coast Guards and agencies entrusted with maritime security of 26 countries and 3 multinational groups. • India has also signed white shipping agreements under IFC-IOR with many countries in the IOR and shares maritime information with all the partner countries. India has signed White shipping agreement with US, France and Singapore recently

Nirav Modi Extradition

In News- Recently, the Westminster Magistrates Court recommended the extradition of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi to India, after finding that there was a prima facie case for him to answer in the Indian courts.

Rules for provisional arrest and extradition- • India’s treaty partners, which include the UK have an obligation to consider requests for provisional arrest. • In the absence of a treaty, India can still make a request, which the other country will decide in accordance with its laws. • This may be followed by a detailed presentation requesting extradition. • The concerned law enforcement agency in India prepares the request, which is then forwarded to the concerned authority of the other country. • India currently has extradition treaties with 48 countries including - US, UAE, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and UK. • Notably, apart from Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel from the UK, only four fugitives have been extradited to India from various countries since 2014. • Significantly, during 2002-13, 54 terrorists and other fugitives were extradited to India from multiple countries. India Pakistan ceasefire agreement

In News- Both India and Pakistan have given credit for the ceasefire agreement to military commanders, yet several signs indicate that back channel diplomacy History India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement • In July 1949, India and Pakistan signed the Karachi agreement officially known as Agreement Between Military Representatives of India and Pakistan Regarding the Establishment of a Cease-Fire Line in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. • An 832 km long ceasefire line was established under the Karachi agreement which was to be supervised by military observers.

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• These military observers formed the core of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). • The situation along the ceasefire line became tense in 1965 when both the countries went to war after. • A resolution 211 was adopted by the UN Security Council in September 1965 demanding the two countries to restore ceasefire and withdraw armed forces and the ceasefire was accepted by both countries. • Following the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 also known as the Bangladesh Liberation war, the Shimla Agreement was signed between India and Pakistan. • Through the agreement, both the countries vowed to reduce the conflict and improve their mutual relations. • The agreement converted the ceasefire line to the Line of Control (LoC). Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI)

In News- UNESCO has joined, as the only other international institution besides the Organization for Economic Co- operation and Development (OECD), the Council and the Steering Committee of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) as an observer with the possibility of actively participating in the work of these bodies. What is GPAI? • This is also a first initiative of its type. • GPAI is a multistakeholder initiative bringing together leading experts from science, industry, civil society, international organizations and government that share values to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities. • It will be supported by a Secretariat, to be hosted by OECD in Paris, as well as by two Centers of Expertise- one each in Montreal and Paris.

The GPAI initiative was conceived by Canada and France during their G7 presidencies and launched in June 2020. It counts 15 founding members, including 14 countries and one international organization: Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) WTO

In news- A new Handbook of WTO shed light on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement.

A brief note on new Handbook of WTO- • A new WTO publication, launched on 22 February 2021, provides an overview of the purpose and scope of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement), the types of measures it covers and its key principles. • Prepared by the WTO Secretariat, this new edition in the “WTO Agreements” series aims at enhancing understanding of the TBT Agreement. • The handbook sets out the key principles of the TBT Agreement and discusses how these have been addressed in recent disputes brought under this Agreement.

Objectives of TBT agreement- • Protection of human safety or health • Protection of animal and plant life or health • Protection of the environment • Prevention of deceptive practices

About Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement- • The TBT Agreement entered into force on 1 January 1995. • It is one of the various WTO agreements annexed to the WTO Agreement. • In fact, the TBT Agreement was built upon the provisions of a previous GATT agreement that had been in operation for 15 years by the time the WTO was created in 1995: the 1979 Tokyo Round Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (commonly known as the Standards Code).

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• Unlike the 1979 Standards Code, the TBT Agreement is binding on all, not just some, WTO members. • The TBT Agreement and all other multilateral agreements share the same fundamental principles, including non-discrimination, promoting predictability of access to markets, and technical assistance (TA) and special and differential (S&D) treatment for developing members. • The TBT Agreement is part of a broader category of WTO agreements dealing with non-tariff measures (NTMs). Henley Passport Index 2021

In News- India has been ranked 85th in the Henley Passport Index 2021.

About the Henley Passport Index- • The Henley Passport Index is the original ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. • It is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). • It was launched in 2006 and includes 199 different passports. • Japan continues to hold the number one position on the index, with passport holders able to access 191 destinations around the world visa-free and Singapore is in second place. • Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan continue to be the countries with the worst passport. • India ranks 85th, with a visa-free score of 58.

Solidarity and Stability Deal

In news- Recently, Gulf states signed a ‘solidarity and stability’ deal at the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit held in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia. Solidarity and Stability Deal- • It is an agreement on regional "solidarity and stability" aimed at resolving a three-year embargo against Qatar. • Members of the GCC signed a deal in Al­Ula, Saudi Arabia to remove all the sanctions over Qatar and re- open their land, sea and air borders to Qatar. • In June 2017, Saudi Arabia and its allies, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar and imposed a naval, air and land blockade on the country. Gulf Cooperation Council- • Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic alliance of six Middle Eastern countries. • The member nations are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. • The GCC was established in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May 1981. The GCC promotes economic, security, cultural and social cooperation between the six states and holds a summit every year to discuss cooperation and regional affairs.

Pangong Tso and its fingers

In news- China’s fortified deployments on Finger 5 proved to be the most contentious part of the negotiations to chart out a mutually acceptable troop withdrawal plan for Pangong Tso. About Pangong Tso Lake- • Pangong Tso is a long narrow, deep, endorheic (landlocked) lake situated at a height of more than 14,000 ft in the Ladakh Himalayas. • It is formed from Tethys geosyncline. • It is a salt water lake. • The western end of Tso lies 54 km to the southeast of Leh. • The brackish water lake freezes over in winter and becomes ideal for ice skating and polo. • The legendary 19th century Dogra general Zorawar Singh is said to have trained his soldiers and horses on the frozen Pangong lake before invading Tibet.

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Why dispute? • The Line of Actual Control (LAC) generally runs along the land except for the width of Pangong Tso, where it runs through water. • Both sides have marked their areas announcing which side belongs to which country. • India controls about 45 km stretch of the Pangong Tso and China the rest. • The current site of confrontation is spurs jutting out of Chang Chenmo, an eastern extension of the Karakoram Range. • These spurs are called fingers. • India claims that the LAC is coterminous with Finger 8, but it physically controls area only up to Finger 4. • Chinese border posts are at Finger 8, while it believes that the LAC passes through Finger 2. • Around six years ago, the Chinese had attempted a permanent construction at Finger 4 which was demolished after Indians strongly objected to it. • The Chinese have now stopped the Indian soldiers moving beyond Finger 2. This is an eyeball-to-eyeball situation which is still developing. India-Mauritius CECPA

In news - The Union Cabinet has approved signing of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between India and Mauritius. Salient features of India-Mauritius CECPA- • It will be the first trade Agreement to be signed by India with a country in Africa. • The Agreement is a limited agreement, which will cover Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Dispute Settlement, Movement of Natural Persons, Telecom, Financial services, Customs Procedures and Cooperation in other Areas.

GEOGRAPHY Heat dome (concept and the high temperatures in death valley)

In news- The Death Valley’s temperature on August 6th surpassed its previous recorded high temperature. What is a Heat Dome? • A heat done occurs when the atmosphere traps hot ocean air like a lid or a cap. • Summertime means hot weather and extreme heat waves have become more frequent in recent decades. • High-pressure circulation in the atmosphere acts like a dome or cap, trapping heat at the surface and favouring the formation of a heat wave. • By convection, the gradient causes more warm air, heated by the ocean surface. • This rises over the Western Pacific and decreases convection over the Central and Eastern Pacific. • As prevailing winds move the hot air east, the northern shifts of the jet stream trap the air. • These winds move it toward land, where it sinks, resulting in heat waves. Causes- • It happens when strong, high-pressure atmospheric conditions combine with influences from La Nina. • This creates vast areas of sweltering heat that gets trapped under the high-pressure “dome”. • Due to a strong gradient in ocean temperatures from west to east in the tropical Pacific Ocean, the pressure differences drive wind across the entire ocean in winter. Saturn's tilting axis

In news- Recently, the scientists from the CNRS, Sorbonne University and the University of Pisa have reported that tilt of the rotation axis of Saturn may in fact be caused by its moons. Key findings: • The current tilt of Saturn's rotation axis is caused by the migration of its satellites, and especially by that of its largest moon, Titan.

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• The most recent observation shows that its moons are gradually moving away from Saturn much faster than astronomers had previously estimated. • The researchers have concluded that this process affects the inclination of Saturn's rotation axis: as its satellites move further away, the planet tilts more and more. • Only roughly a billion years ago that the gradual motion of its satellites triggered a resonance phenomenon that continues today. Saturn's axis interacted with the path of the planet Neptune and gradually tilted until it reached the inclination of 27 degrees observed today.

Semeru Volcano of Indonesia

In News- Mount Semeru, on Indonesia's most densely populated island of Java, spewed hot clouds as far away as 4.5 kilometers recently. Semeru Volcano- • Semeru also known as "The Great Mountain" - is the highest volcano in Java and one of the most active. • It had previously erupted in December, 2019. • Indonesia, with the maximum number of active volcanoes in the world, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific’s Ring of Fire. • Semeru volcano is also the part of the Island arcs formed by the subduction of the Indo-Australian plate below Sunda Plate (part of Eurasian Plate). • The trench formed here is called Sunda trench whose major section is the Java Trench. MukundPura Meteorite

In news- Research is going on Mukundpura, a new CM chondrite fell near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India on June 6, 2017. About Mukundpura CM2- • An asteroid which made its landfall in Mukundpura village near Jaipur was classified to be a carbonaceous chondrite. • This is a type of stony meteorite, considered the most primitive meteorite and a remnant of the first solid bodies to accrete in the solar system. • The composition of carbonaceous chondrites is also similar to the Sun. • Chondrites are silicate-droplet-bearing meteorites, and this Mukundpura chondrite is the fifth carbonaceous meteorite known to fall in India. • Minerals like forsterite and FeO olivine, calcium aluminium rich inclusion (CAI) minerals escaped alteration during its impact. • Few magnetites, sulphides and calcites were also found. • Further X-ray studies showed it also had aluminium complexes. • Detailed spectroscopic studies revealed that the meteorite had very high (about 90%) phyllosilicate minerals comprising both magnesium and iron. Soil Ameliorants

In news- National Food Security Mission (NFSM) has been able to achieve around 110 lakh ha area to be treated with Micronutrients, Bio-fertilizers, soil ameliorants/ (Gypsum/Lime/others) from 2014-15 to 2019-2020. What is soil ameliorant/ (Gypsum/Lime/others)? • An ameliorant is chemical that is applied to improve the quality of the soil and thereby improve plant growth • Gypsum is an ideal soil ameliorant for hard compacted soils with poor water penetration or sodicity. • Adding gypsum to the soil reduces erosion by increasing the ability of soil to soak up water after precipitation, thus reducing runoff. • Gypsum application also improves soil aeration and water percolation through the soil profile. • In the right conditions, adding lime or gypsum to dispersive soils decreases the sodium exchange percentage, reduces dispersion, and increases stable soil structure.

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• Calcium ions displace some of the sodium ions on the surface of soil particles, creating better soil structure which allows sodium ions to leach out. Plants must obtain the following mineral nutrients from their growing medium: • The macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), carbon (C), oxygen (O), hydrogen (H) • The micronutrients (or trace minerals): iron (Fe), boron (B), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni) GOVERNANCE Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP)

In news- Finance Minister in her budget speech mentioned about Minimum Government and Maximum Governance- which is covered by Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP). About the DILRMP- • The Government of India, in 2008-09, had launched DILRMP - erstwhile National Land Records Modernization Programme to digitize and modernize land records and develop a transparent and Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS) in the country. • The DILRMP has 3 major components- Computerization of land record, Survey/re-survey, Computerization of Registration. • Vision of the Ministry of Rural Development: To complete computerization/digitisation of land records in entire country by the Financial Year 2023-24 Budget 2021

The Union Budget has been divided into two Parts i.e., Part A and Part B. Six pillars of part A of the Budget- • Health and Wellbeing • Physical & Financial Capital, and Infrastructure • Inclusive Development for Aspirational India • Reinvigorating Human Capital • Innovation and R&D • Minimum Government and Maximum Governance The Union Budget 2021-22 is the first budget of this new decade and also a digital one in the backdrop of COVID-19 crisis.

Highlights of the budget: Health and Sanitation: • A new scheme, titled PM Atma Nirbhar Swasthya Bharat Yojana, to be launched to develop primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare.

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• Mission POSHAN 2.0 to improve nutritional outcomes across 112 aspirational districts. • Operationalisation of 17 new public health units at points of entry. Education: • 100 new Sainik Schools to be set up • 750 Eklavya schools to be set up in tribal areas • A Central University to come up in Ladakh. Infrastructure: • Vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and unfit vehicles – all vehicles to undergo fitness test in automated fitness centres every 20 years (personal vehicles), every 15 years (commercial vehicles). • National Asset Monetising Pipeline launched to monitor asset monetisation process. • National Rail Plan created to bring a future ready Railway system by 2030. • 100% electrification of Railways to be completed by 2023. • Metro services announced in 27 cities. • National Hydrogen Mission to be launched to generate hydrogen from green power sources. • Gas pipeline project to be set up in Jammu and Kashmir. • Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (LPG scheme) to be extended to cover 1 crore more beneficiaries. Tax: • No IT filing for people above 75 years who get pension and earn interest from deposits. • Reopening window for IT assessment cases reduced from 6 to 3 years. However, in case of serious tax evasion cases (Rs. 50 lakh or more), it can go up to 10 years. • Duty on solar inverters raised from 5% to 20%, and on solar lanterns from 5% to 15%. Economy and Finance: • Proposal to allow States to raise borrowings up to 4% of GSDP this year. • Plan to continue on the path of fiscal consolidation, achieving a fiscal deficit level below 4.5% of GDP by 2025-2026. • Amendment to FRBM Act proposed to achieve targeted Fiscal Deficit levels. • The Contingency Fund of India is to be augmented from Rs. 500 crore to Rs. 30,000 crore through Finance Bill. • Additional borrowing ceiling of 0.5% of GSDP will be provided subject to conditions. • States expected to reach a fiscal deficit of 3% of GSDP by 2023-24, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission. • A Unified Securities Market Code to be created, consolidating provisions of the Sebi Act, Depositories Act, and two other laws. • An IPO of LIC to debut this fiscal. • Strategic sale of BPCL, IDBI Bank, Air India to be completed. Agriculture: • Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to be made available for APMCs for augmenting their infrastructure. • 1,000 more Mandis to be integrated into the E-NAM market place. • Five major fishing hubs, including Chennai, Kochi and Paradip, to be developed. • A multipurpose seaweed park to be established in Tamil Nadu. Employment: • A portal to be launched to maintain information on gig workers and construction workers. • Social security to be extended to gig and platform workers. • Margin capital required for loans via Stand-up India scheme reduced from 25% to 15% for SCs, STs and women. Mahadayi project

In News- Mahadayi project cost skyrockets by 1,674% since inception. About it- • The Mahadayi dispute began in the 1980s when Karnataka decided to build a number of dams, canals and barrages to route the Mahadayi river water to the Malaprabha basin in order to meet the requirements of water-scarce districts of Bagalkot, Gadag, Dharwad and Belagavi.

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• Karnataka approached the Union Ministry of Water Resources in 2002 for permission to divert 7.56 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water from the Mahadayi basin to the Malaprabha river, by building canals to link its tributaries Kalasa and Banduri. • Permission was initially granted, then put on hold when Goa protested as the move would harm the sensitive ecology of the Western Ghats and affect its water supply for drinking and irrigation.

• Goa objected to Karnataka's decision and moved the Supreme Court in 2006. • Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal was set up in 2010 under Justice Panchal. • In 2016, the tribunal rejected Karnataka’s demand to divert 7.56 TMC of water from the Mahadayi basin. • After protests in north Karnataka in August 2018 the tribunal announced final award which has pegged Karnataka’s access to 13.4 tmc of Mahadayi River water for its consumptive use (5.4 tmc) and power generation (8.02 tmc). • It awarded 1.72 tmcft and 2.18 tmcft to Kalasa and Banduri projects respectively. • Goa was allowed to use 24 tmc for the state's municipal water needs, irrigation water requirements and industrial water demands. • Maharashtra was awarded the lowest share of 1.33 tmc for meeting its in-basin needs with respect to five projects. • It also directed the Central Government to set up Mahadayi Water Management Authority to implement its report and final decision. • The Central government issued a gazette notification on 27 February 2020 permitting the Karnataka state to draw 13.42 tmcft of water from the Mahadayi river out of which 8 tmcft is for power generation. • The application to release 258 hectares of reserve forest area for the Kalasa project and an application to release 242.51 hectares of forest area for the Banduri project is pending before the MoEF. Streets for People Challenge

In news- The Streets for People Challenge is an initiative of the Smart Cities Mission to inspire cities to create walking-friendly streets through quick measures in response to COVID-19.

About Streets for People Challenge- • The Challenge aims to create flagship walking initiatives in cities, which focus on placemaking and liveability. • Cities will be required to reimagine their streets as public spaces through the lens of economic regeneration, safety, and child-friendly interventions initiatives, in order to ensure a green recovery from COVID-19. • The India Programme of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) will be the knowledge partner, providing guidance through the preparation of resource material and facilitating online peer to peer learning workshops.

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India urban data exchange (IUDX)

In news- MoHUA said that the open data platform for the 100 cities would be expanded to cover 500 cities by 2022 and all urban centres in the country by 2024.

About India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX)- • IUDX is a research project under smart cities mission being implemented by Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in collaboration with Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. • It will facilitate secure, authenticated and managed exchange of data amongst various data platforms, third-party authenticated and authorized applications and other data sources, data producers and consumers, both within a city to begin with and scaled up across cities eventually at a national level, in a uniform and seamless way. • IUDX will be an open source software platform for cities, industry and researchers to share Smart City data with each other that could be monetised in the future, similar to the UPI for bank accounts and digital payments. The two main enablement services working as IUDX are- • Authentication, Authorization, Accounting & Security (AAAS) Enablement Services: These services would provide for identity, security, privacy, authorization, metering, payment support and other management related activities. • Data Exchange Enablement Services: These will host the meta data catalog (data about the data) like schemas, information models, ontologies etc., and will be searchable.

National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM)

In news- NUDM has been launched for transforming Urban Governance. What is NUDM? • With a renewed focus on Atma Nirbhar Bharat, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs along with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has launched the NUDM to streamline and coordinate efforts of the urban ecosystem by harnessing technology to leapfrog our urban transformation journey. • It aims to build the shared digital infrastructure that will strengthen the capacity of the urban ecosystem to solve complex problems at scale and speed. • NUDM has articulated a set of governing principles, and inherits the technology design principles of the National Urban Innovation Stack (NUIS). Objectives- • To create shared digital infra as public good in shape of state-of-the-art digital urban platforms, building blocks, data infra to manage the core digital urban data, and the infrastructure required for its seamless exchange. • To catalyse an urban national open digital ecosystem (u-NODE) that leverages NUDM to build new platforms, solutions and innovations.

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• To create open standards and enforce adoption of open standards by all national digital urban stakeholders. • To establish registries at appropriate level to create single source of truth in respect of urban assets, service delivery, urban data and actors • To adopt the best principles of cooperative federalism while working with the States,Union Territories & ULBs for the realization of the vision • To provide for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of governance at all levels and • To strengthen existing urban systems and applications by ensuring their conformity with the defined standards and integration with the proposed NDHM. Approach- NUDM will be rolled out across three key pillars. • People: Mobilise, enable and empower stakeholders across the urban ecosystem • Processes: Improve governance through standards and frameworks for collaboration and impact • Platforms: Leverage technology in service of an improved quality of life for every citizen

Protest Toolkit

In News- Activist Disha Ravi was recently arrested by the Delhi Police for a toolkit document that she shared with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

What is the issue? • On Sunday, 14 February, a magistrate in Delhi’s Patiala House Court remanded 21-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi to five days of police custody in what is now being termed as the ‘protest-toolkit case’. • In this case, Greta Thunberg shared a link to the toolkit on the farmers protest which was found to contain some pro-Khalistani elements. • The toolkit shared by the activists tries to explain the farmers' protest to those who don’t know the reason behind the agitation. • Dishas role came under suspicion by Delhi Police after climate activist Thunberg tweeted a toolkit document which the police alleged had led to the January 26 violence in New Delhi.

Decoding the ‘Protest-Toolkit’- • 'Toolkit' is a term activists use for a campaign information document. • ‘Toolkits’ consist of a set of guidelines to ensure the achievement of certain shared goals. • It is a valuable resource that can be used to sustain a campaign or movement, used mostly on the internet. • While toolkits are readily used by government departments and private organisations, they have also gained momentum in social protests across the globe. • For instance, detailed toolkits were used to effectively organise and manage the Occupy Wall Street protest (2011), pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong (2019), and anti-CAA protests in Delhi.

Meghraj: GI Cloud

In news- Ministry of Shipping has revamped its website recently and the new website is based on open source technology and is deployed on NIC cloud Meghraj.

What is Meghraj Cloud? • In order to utilise and harness the benefits of Cloud Computing, Government of India has embarked upon an ambitious initiative - "GI Cloud" which has been named as "Meghraj". • The focus of this initiative is to accelerate delivery of e-services in the country while optimizing ICT spending of the Government. • This will ensure optimum utilization of the infrastructure and speed up the development and deployment of eGov applications. • The National Informatics Centre (NIC) is providing National Cloud services under the MeghRaj.

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HISTORY Chauri Chaura Centenary Celebrations In news- The Prime Minister inaugurated the Chauri Chaura Centenary Celebrations at Chauri Chaura, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, on 4th February 2021.

About Chauri Chaura incident- • The Chauri Chaura incident took place on 4 February 1922 at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of the United Province in British India, when a large group of protesters participating in the Non-cooperation movement, clashed with police who opened fire • In retaliation the demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station, killing all of its occupants. • The incident led to the deaths of three civilians and 23 policemen. • The incident dealt a blow to the nonviolent noncooperation movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, who denounced the violence in Chauri Chaura and called off a campaign of civil disobedience that he had been about to launch in Bardoli, Gujarat state. Grand Anicut Canal System

In news- Recently, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the extension and modernisation of the Grand Anicut Canal System. The canal is important for irrigation in the Cauvery delta districts.

About the Grand Anicut/Kallanai Dam- • It is a simple checkdam constructed by King Karikala Chola of the Chola Dynasty in between the 100 BC- 100 century AD. • The dam is located on the River Kaveri, approximately 20km from the city of Tiruchirapalli. • The purpose of the dam was to divert the waters of the Kaveri across the fertile Thanjavur delta region for irrigation by canals. • Improvements were made to the dam in the 19th century by Arthur Cottons, a British general and irrigation engineer. • It is the fourth oldest water diversion or water-regulator structure in the world and the oldest in India which is still in use.

Arthur Cottons: • He is known as the "Delta Architect" of the Godavari District because of his pioneering work in irrigation engineering. • The Lower Anaicut built by Sir Arthur Cotton in the 19th century CE across Coleroon, the major tributary of Cauvery, is said to be a replicated structure of Kallanai. • Other projects in which he contributed were: Dowleswaram Barrage, the Prakasam Barrage and the Kurnool Cuddapah Canal (K. C. Canal). Shri Ram Chandra Mission

In news- The Prime Minister addressed the event organized to commemorate 75 years of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission. About Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM)- • SRCM was founded in India in July 1945, and the registered office is at Hardoi Road Rosa Post, District Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. • SRCM was founded in Shahjahanpur, India and now has its world headquarters in Chennai, India. • It is a non-profit organisation which provides spiritual training to interested seekers around the world. • This mission offers a platform for spiritual evolution and practical living through the system of Sahaj Marg meditation, in more than one hundred countries worldwide. • The founding president was Shri Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur (Babuji), who dedicated the Mission to his spiritual guide, Shri Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh (Lalaji)

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• Kamlesh D. Patel is the current living spiritual Master and president of SRCM. • SRCM is formally associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) as an international non-governmental organisation. Sahaj Marg- Sahaj Marg means the Natural Path/Heartfulness, and is a spiritual practice based on inner experience through meditation. It is a form of ancient practice of Raja Yoga, refined and simplified for modern everyday life. Sahaj marg involves meditation, cleaning, and prayer. The cleaning of impressions (called samskaras) is claimed to be unique to this method.

Pattachitra paintings

In news - Recently, the Prime Minister praised Odisha 'pattachitra' artist in Mann Ki Baat.

Brief note Pattachitra Painting- • Pattachitra style of painting is one of the oldest and most popular art forms of Odisha & West Bengal. • The name Pattachitra has evolved from the Sanskrit words patta, meaning canvas, and chitra, meaning picture. • Pattachitra is thus a painting done on canvas, and is manifested by rich colourful application, creative motifs and designs, and portrayal of simple themes, mostly mythological in depiction. • It was originally created for ritual use and as souvenirs for pilgrims to Puri, as well as other temples in Odisha. • Pattachitra (of Odisha) have mainly the design of Lord Sri Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.

Some of the other 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

How are these paintings made? • Making the patta is the first thing and the painters, also called chitrakars, go about their work in preparing a tamarind paste, which is made by soaking tamarind seeds in water for three days. • The gum of the kaitha tree is the chief ingredient, and is used as a base for making different pigments, on which diverse raw materials are mixed for diverse colours. • Powdered conch shells are used for making a white pigment, while lamp soot is used for a black pigment. • The root of the keya plant is usually used for making the common brush, while mouse hair is used on the requirement of finer brushes, to be attached to wooden handles.

Thirukkural and Tolkappiyam

In news - Tamil Nadu petrol pump offers free fuel for children reciting Thirukkural.

About Thirukkural- • It is a classical Tamil language text consisting of short couplets of seven words each, or kurals. • Thirukkural was written more than 2000 years ago by an ancient sage called Thiruvalluvar. • The text is divided into three books with aphoristic teachings on virtue (aram), wealth (porul) and love (inbam), respectively. • It is known for its universality and secular nature. • It was composed after the Sangam period. • It is traditionally praised with epithets and alternate titles such as "the Tamil Veda" and "the divine book”. • This book emphasizes non-violence and moral vegetarianism as virtues for an individual • It highlights truthfulness, self-restraint, gratitude, hospitality, kindness, goodness of wife, duty, giving, and so forth, besides covering a wide range of social and political topics such as king, ministers, taxes, justice,

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forts, war, greatness of army and soldier's honor, death sentence for the wicked, agriculture, education, abstinence from alcohol and intoxicants. • It also includes chapters on friendship, love, sexual union, and domestic life. Tolkappiyam- • Tolkappiyam is the most ancient extant Tamil grammar text and the oldest extant long work of Tamil literature. • The surviving manuscripts of the Tolkappiyam consists of three books, each with nine chapters, with a cumulative total of 1,612 sutras in the nurpa meter. • The three books are the Eluttatikaram ("Eluttu" meaning "letter, phoneme"), the Sollatikaram ("Sol" meaning "Sound, word") and the Porulatikaram ("Porul" meaning "subject matter"). • Some in the Tamil tradition place the text in the mythical second sangam, variously in 1st millennium BCE or earlier. • Tholkapiyam, some traditionally believe, was written by a single author named Tholkappiyar, a disciple of Vedic sage Agastya mentioned in the Rigveda. Dickinsonia in Bhimbetka

In News- Researchers have discovered three fossils of the earliest known living animal ‘Dickinsonia’, on the roof of the ‘Auditorium Cave’ at Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, Madhya Pradesh. About Dickinsonia- • Dickinsonia is an extinct genus of basal animal that lived during the late Ediacaran period in what is now Australia, Russia and Ukraine. • The individual Dickinsonia typically resembles a bilaterally symmetrical ribbed oval. • Its mode of growth is consistent with a stem-group bilaterian affinity, though some have suggested that it belongs to the fungi or even an “extinct kingdom”. • The discovery of cholesterol molecules in fossils of Dickinsonia lends support to the idea that Dickinsonia was an animal. • Dickinsonia fossils have shown that they could exceed four feet in length but the one found in Bhimbetka is 17 inches long. Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka: • These rock shelters are located in the Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh, near Abdullaganj town and inside the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary. • The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site of the Paleolithic age. • The name Bhimbetka is associated with Bhima, a hero-deity of the epic Mahabharata. The word Bhimbetka is said to derive from Bhimbetka meaning "sitting place of Bhima". • Dr V. S. Wakankar, a most renowned archeologist, discovered these caves in 1958. • These rock shelters are declared a World Heritage Site in 2003. • The entire region comprises more than 600 caves. • These cave paintings show tremendous similarity to the aboriginal rock paintings of the Savanna regions of Australia, the paintings done by pygmies of the Kalahari Desert and the Paleolithic Lascaux cave paintings of France. • Various community activities, like birth, burial, dancing, religious rites, hunting scenes, animal fighting and merrymaking are pictured in these paintings. LAW & POLICY Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0

In news- Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 will be launched under the “Health and Wellbeing” vertical.

About Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0- • Under this mission, all wastewater will be treated properly before it is discharged into water bodies, and the government is trying to make maximum reuse a priority.

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• It also focuses on source segregation of garbage, reduction in single-use plastic and air pollution, by effectively managing waste from construction and demolition activities and bioremediation of all legacy dump sites • It will be implemented over five years from 2021 to 2026 with an outlay of Rs.1.41 lakh crore • This will be a continuation of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), with the following components- ○ Sustainable sanitation (construction of toilets) ○ Wastewater treatment, including fecal sludge management in all ULBs with less than 1 lakh population (this is a new component added to SBM-U 2.0) ○ Solid Waste Management ○ Information, Education and Communication, and ○ Capacity building Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana(PMSSY)

In news- Under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) setting up of 22 new AIIMS has been sanctioned.

About PMSSY- • It envisages setting up of AIIMS-like institutes and upgradation of existing Government Medical Colleges/ Institutions in various parts of the country. • PMSSY was first launched in March 2006 with the primary objective of correcting the regional imbalances in availability of affordable/reliable tertiary level healthcare in the country.

Phases under PMSSY- • First Phase: It has two components - setting up of six institutions in the line of AIIMS; and upgradation of 13 existing Government medical college institutions. • Phase Two: The Government has approved the setting up of two more AIIMS-like institutions, one each in the States of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh and upgradation of six medical college institutions. • Third phase: It is proposed to upgrade the existing medical college institutions in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. Bio-medical Waste Management Rules-2016

The health care facilities (HCFs) and common bio-medical waste treatment facility (CBWTF) shall treat and dispose of the Bio-medical waste in accordance with Schedule-I and in compliance with the standards provided in Schedule-II of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Application of the rules- These rules shall apply to all persons who generate, collect, receive, store, transport, treat, dispose, or handle bio- medical waste in any form and shall not apply to: • Radioactive wastes • Wastes covered under the MSW Rules, 2000 • Lead acid batteries • Hazardous wastes • E- Waste • Hazardous microorganisms.

Salient features of Bio-medical Waste Management Rules-2016: • The ambit of the rules has been expanded to include vaccination camps, blood donation camps, surgical camps or any other healthcare activity • Phase-out the use of chlorinated plastic bags, gloves and blood bags within two years. • Pre-treatment of the laboratory waste, microbiological waste, blood samples and blood bags through disinfection or sterilisation on-site. • Provide training to all its health care workers and immunise all health workers regularly

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• Establish a Bar-Code System for bags or containers containing bio-medical waste for disposal • Bio-medical waste has been classified in to 4 colour coded categories instead 10 to improve the segregation of waste at source • Common methods of treatment and disposal of bio-medical waste are ○ By incineration/plasma pyrolysis/deep-burial for Yellow Category waste ○ Autoclaving/microwaving/chemical disinfection for Red Category waste ○ Sterilization and shredding, disinfection followed by burial in concrete pit/recycling through foundry/encapsulation for White Category sharps waste; and ○ Washing, disinfection followed by recycling for Blue Category glass waste. • Inclusion of emissions limits for Dioxin and furans • State Government to provide land for setting up common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facility • No occupier shall establish on-site treatment and disposal facility, if a service of common bio-medical waste treatment facility is available at a distance of seventy-five kilometer. • Operator of a common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facility to ensure the timely collection of bio-medical waste from the HCFs and assist the HCFs in conduct of training. • Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change shall review the implementation of the rules in the country once in a year through the State Health Secretaries CPCB and SPCBs.

Swasthya Rakshan Programme: ‘Swasthya

• Raksha Programme’ launched by the AYUSH Ministry to promote health and health education in villages. • It has been initiated through Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) and Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS) in selected districts/ villages with the following aims and objectives: ○ To organize Swasthya Rakshan OPDs, Swasthya Parikshan Camps and Health/Hygiene awareness programme ○ Awareness about cleanliness of domestic surroundings and environment. ○ Provide medical aid/incidental support in the adopted Colonies/villages. ○ Documentation of demographic information, food habits, hygiene conditions, seasons, lifestyle etc., incidence/prevalence of disease and their relation to the incidence of disease. ○ Assessment of health status and propagation of Ayurvedic concept of pathya-apathya and extension of health care services.

Tribal Health Care Research Program (THCRP)

The Tribal Health Care Research Program (THCRP) was started by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous organization under Central Government, in 1982.

The objectives of the project are: • To Study the living conditions of tribal people • To collect information related to health statistics • To study dietetic habits, nature and frequency of prevalent diseases, use of common medicinal plants in the area • To provide medical aid at the door steps of tribals. • To propagate knowledge about Ayurvedic concept of Pathyapathya including hygiene habits, dietary practice. • To prevent diseases by adopting healthy way of living & clean environment (Swachhata) • To provide health care facility to tribal population • To promote healthy living among tribes • To collect and document the folk claims and local health traditions to enable research etc.

The project was executed in 14 states through 15 research institutes under the Council.

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One Nation One Grid

In news- ‘One Nation, One Gas Grid’ energy initiative has been launched recently.

One Nation-One Grid- • The Indian Power system for planning and operational purposes is divided into five regional grids- Northern, Eastern, Western, North Eastern and Southern. • One Nation One Grid shall synchronously connect all the regional grids and there will be one national frequency. • Synchronisation of all regional grids will help in optimal utilization of scarce natural resources by transfer of Power from Resource centric regions to Load centric regions. • This shall pave the way for establishment of a vibrant Electricity market facilitating trading of power across regions.

Evolution of National Grid- • Grid management on a regional basis started in the sixties. • State grids were interconnected to form regional grids and India was demarcated into 5 regions namely regions. • In October 1991, North Eastern and Eastern grids were connected. • In March 2003 WR and ER-NER were interconnected . • By August 2006 North and East grids were interconnected thereby 4 regional grids Northern, Eastern, Western and North Eastern grids are synchronously connected forming a central grid operating at one frequency. • On 31st December 2013, Southern Region was connected to Central Grid with the commissioning of 765kV Raichur-Sholapur Transmission line thereby achieving 'ONE NATION'-'ONE GRID'-'ONE FREQUENCY'.

Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)

What is Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)? • It is conceived as an institute for conducting skill upgradation in the areas of programmes of Non-formal, Adult and Continuing Education. • It would also provide academic and technical resource support to Zila Saksharata Samitis in both urban and rural areas. • The Scheme of Jan Shikshan Sansthan has been transferred from the Ministry of Human Resource Development to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in July-2018. • It aims to provide vocational training to non-literates, neo-literates as well as school drop-outs in rural regions in the age group of 15-35 years by identifying skills that have a relevant market in that region. • Priority given to women, SC, ST, OBC and Minorities in rural areas and urban slums. • The JSS function under the NGOs, registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 with annual recurring grant from the Govt. of India. • It is mandatory for all JSS to register at NITI Aayog - Darpan portal.

Ujala program

Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA)- • The Government of India’s zero subsidy Ujala program was launched by the Prime Minister on January 5, 2015. • It aims to provide LED bulbs to domestic consumers with a target to replace 770 million incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs by March, 2019. • Is implemented by the Electricity Distribution Company and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) a public sector body of the Government of India.

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The key objectives of the programmes are as follows: • Reduce energy consumption in lighting which helps DISCOMs to manage peak demand. • Promote the use of the most efficient lighting technology at affordable rates to domestic consumers which benefits them by way of reduced energy bill. • Enhance the awareness of consumers about the efficacy of using efficient appliances which in turn could change their buying preferences from low first cost based purchases to lifecycle cost. • Encourage and support domestic manufacturing of LED bulbs by sustaining demand making it consistent with the ‘Make in India’ policy of the Government. • Create an enabling environment for private sector investments in the lighting sector

Every grid-connected consumer having a metered connection from their respective Electricity Distribution Company can get the LED bulbs at about 40% of the market price under the UJALA Scheme. Consumers also have the option of paying for the LEDs in equated monthly instalments.

National Digital Education Architecture

In news- Union Budget 2021-22 proposes to set up National Digital Education Architecture.

About National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR)- • Union Budget 2021-22 announced setting up of a NDEAR within the context of a Digital First Mindset where the Digital Architecture will not only support teaching and learning activities but also educational planning, governance administrative activities of the Centre and the States/ Union Territories. • NDEAR will be beneficial for both Centre and States in planning, administering and governing school education as well as to teachers, students and schools for having a seamless digital learning experience. • The institutional structure, governance framework, technology and data of NDEAR will benefit the entire student and teacher community.

India Report on Digital Education, 2020- • It was launched by the Ministry of HRD (now Education) • The report elaborates on the innovative methods adopted by the Ministry of HRD, Education Departments of States and UTs for ensuring accessible and inclusive education to children at home and reducing learning gaps.

• As per the report, the quality digital education has acquired a new urgency in the present context of globalization

Other initiatives related to Digital Education • DIKSHA platform • Swayam Prabha TV Channel • On Air - Shiksha Vani • E-PathShala and telecast through TV channels Technological Advancement for Rural Areas (TARA)

In News- Women weavers from Dudhwa Tiger Reserve profit from technological interventions for their looms

About Technological Advancement for Rural Areas (TARA)- • These technological interventions were realized with funding support under the TARA Scheme of Science for Equity, Empowerment & Development (SEED) Division, Department of Science & Technology (DST). • This scheme under SEED programmes is essentially to provide long term core support to Science based Voluntary Organizations/field institutions to promote and nurture them as “S&T Incubators” / “Active Field Laboratories” in rural and other disadvantaged areas to work and provide technological solutions.

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Eligibility Conditions & Selection Mechanism- • Organizations with minimum 10 years field level experience in rural technology development and management. • Having minimum infrastructure to work as a core supported group (CSG), like land and demonstrate working relations with Panchayats/State Govt. • The organization should have experience in handling projects having focus on S&T with support from scientific departments of Govt. of India. • If approved, core funding is provided initially for a period of five to ten years subject to periodic review which may be expandable upto fifteen years and more. Dudhwa National Park- • The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is a protected area in Uttar Pradesh. • Stretches mainly across the Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich districts Comprises the Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. • It shares the north-eastern boundary with Nepal, which is defined to a large extent by the Mohana River. • Only place in U.P. where both Tigers and Rhinos can be spotted together. • The park has some of the best forests of 'Sal' trees in the world. Women Entrepreneurship under Startup India

Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) • The idea is to promote and support established as well as aspiring women entrepreneurs in India and the platform was formally launched on 8 March 2018. • It is the first of its kind facilitation platform which is mandated to work in collaboration with public as well as private sector organizations. • WEP, through its partners, tends to offer services to members under various support areas: Incubation and Acceleration, Entrepreneurship Skilling, Marketing Assistance, Funding and Financial Assistance, Compliances Support, Social Entrepreneurship.

Free Coworking Space • Startup India in collaboration with select organizations across India, is providing free co-working space for startups led by women entrepreneurs. • For speed mentoring, several panels will be set up and each panel will consist of 4 eminent women personalities: ○ An Investor ○ A Government/Industry Official ○ A Successful Woman Entrepreneur and ○ A Legal Specialist. • The selected entrepreneur will receive an opportunity to spend 10 minutes with each stakeholder in the panel. • The purpose of this interaction is to enable these entrepreneurs to develop their own skills and strategies and take their ideas to the next level. Jal Jeevan Mission

In News- The Union government would launch a mission to provide universal water supply to areas under all 4,378 urban local bodies and the next phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

About Jal Jeevan Mission- • Jal Jeevan Mission is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India. • The programme will also implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting. • The Jal Jeevan Mission will be based on a community approach to water.

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• JJM (rural) is under Ministry of Jal Shakti.

The following components are supported under JJM- • Development of in-village piped water supply infrastructure to provide tap water connection to every rural household. • Development of reliable drinking water sources and/ or augmentation of existing sources. • Wherever necessary, bulk water transfer, treatment plants and distribution network to cater to every rural household • Technological interventions for removal of contaminants where water quality is an issue. • Retrofitting of completed and ongoing schemes to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) at minimum service level of 55 lpcd. • Greywater management Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) • The Union Budget has announced launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban). • JJM(urban) comes under the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation. • It aims at universal water supply in all 4,378 Urban Local Bodies with 2.86 crore household tap connections, as well as liquid waste management in 500 AMRUT cities. It will be implemented over 5 years, with an outlay of Rs 2,87,000 crore.

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)

In News - Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) to get access to the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.

About the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: • It is a Central Sector Scheme meant for setting up storage and processing facilities, which will help farmers get higher prices for their crops. • The AIF is a medium - long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and credit guarantee. • The duration of the Scheme shall be from FY2020 to FY2029 (10 years). • All loans under this financing facility will have interest subvention of 3% per annum up to a limit of Rs. 2 crore available for a maximum period of seven years. • Rs. One Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Marketing Cooperative Societies, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), SHGs, Farmers, Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Startups, and Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public Private Partnership Project and APMC mandis.

National Dairy Plan (NDP)

In News- Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing the World Bank assisted National Dairy Plan – I in 18 States.

NDP I: • National Dairy Plan Phase I (NDP I) is a Central Sector Scheme for a period of 2011-12 to 2018-19. • Funding will be through a line of credit from the International Development Association (IDA), which along with the share of the Government of India will flow from DADF to NDDB and in turn to eligible End Implementation Agencies (EIAs). • Objectives are to help increase productivity of milch animals and thereby increase milk production and to help provide rural milk producers with greater access to the organised milk-processing sector. • NDP I will focus on 18 major milk producing states which together account for over 90% of the country’s milk production.

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Pradhan Mantri Welfare scheme for DNTs

In News - New Scheme Pradhan Mantri Welfare scheme for DNTs for Economic Empowerment of DNT/NT/SNTs (SEED) is allocated Rs 50 crore in the budget of 2021-22

About SEED- • The objective is to provide financial assistance for health insurance, coaching of good quality, livelihoods initiative and construction of houses for DNT, NT & SNTs. • A total of 1.82 lakh DNT, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic communities would be benefited under this. • Accordingly, the 31 schemes which were being implemented till 2020-21 have been restructured into 19 schemes, each with clear verifiable outcomes.

Denotified Tribes’ (DTs) • The British Government had from time to time declared some of the tribes which, according to them, were involved in criminal activities as Criminal Tribes as per Criminal Tribes Act (CTA), 1871. • It was revised in 1911 and in 1924. • These Acts were repealed by the Independent Indian Government in l952, and these communities were “De-Notified”. • Most DNTs are categorized as SC,ST or OBC though a few of the DNTs are not covered in any of these categories Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Tribes • Nomadic and semi-nomadic are social groups who undertook a fairly frequent, usually seasonal physical movement as part of their livelihood strategy in the recent past. • Semi-nomadic groups tend to have a fixed abode for a part of the year and are itinerant in the rest of the year.

Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood & Enterprise (SMILE)

• It is a new Scheme after the merger of existing Schemes for Beggars and Transgenders. • The budgetary outlay is Rs 70.00 crore. • Objective is to cover the welfare measures for both transgender persons and persons who are engaged in the act of begging. • Focus is on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counseling, education, skill development etc with the support of State Governments/UTs/Local Urban Bodies, Voluntary Organizations, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and institutions etc. • It is estimated that an approximate 60,000 poorest persons would be benefited under this scheme for leading a life of dignity. National Safety Council

In news- The Ministry of Labour and Employment has appointed Larsen & Toubro’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director SN Subrahmanyan as the chairman of the National Safety Council for a period of three years.

National Safety Council (NSC)- • It aims to generate, develop and sustain a voluntary movement on Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) at the national level. • It is an apex not-for-profit making tripartite body, registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950. • It carries out various activities such as- ○ Organising and conducting specialised training programmes/courses, conferences, seminars & workshops;

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○ Conducting consultancy studies such as safety audits, safety ratings, hazard evaluation & risk assessment; ○ Designing and developing HSE promotional materials & publications; • It also serves as a gateway to the state-of-art information on HSE aspects at the international level. • The affairs of the Council are managed by a Governing Body called Board of Governors. • The Board is tripartite in nature with members from Government, Employers Organizations and Trade Union Organizations.

Integrated Fertilizer Monitoring System (iFMS)

In News- Department of Fertilizers (DoF) has developed an IT enabled iFMS, which captures end to end details of Fertilizer.

About iFMS- • Ministry: Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers • It captures end to end details of Fertilizer in terms of Production, Movement, availability, requirement, Sale, Subsidy Bill Generation to Subsidy payment to fertilizer companies. • The Fertilizer sales are monitored online through web based iFMS by concerned stakeholders like DoF, State Agriculture Departments and Fertilizer companies. • Under Aadhaar enabled Fertilizers Distribution System (AeFDS), it is mandatory for the retailers to sell subsidized fertilizers through PoS devices. Note- Department of Fertilizers (DoF) has developed a dashboard e-Urvarak, to facilitate easy monitoring by various Stakeholders viz. State Agriculture Departments, District Collectors and State Marketing Federations.

Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code

In News- Provisions in the proposed Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019 (OSH Code) will make it mandatory for firms employing more than 250 people to have welfare officers, against the current threshold of 500.

About OSH Code- • It received the President’s assent on September 28, 2020. • Free health checkup once a year by the employer for workers which are more than a certain age. • A legal right for getting an Appointment Letter given to workers for the first time. • Cine Workers have been designated as Audio Visual Worker so that more and more workers get covered under the OSH code (Earlier, this security was being given to artists working in films only). • It has subsumed 13 pieces of legislation on the working conditions of labour.

Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav

In News- The Ministry of Agro & Rural Industries has carried out the cleanliness drive in Ibrampur, Veling and Parra villages under the Mera Gaon, Mera Gaurav Programme. About Mera Gaon, Mera Gaurav- • It is the national innovative initiative of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and operational in many villages. • It is a farm-centric mission translating knowledge at farmer’s doorstep so as to address his farm-oriented problems in a holistic manner to accomplish livelihood security. • The ICAR Institutes and Universities have to provide financial support for meeting the minimum requirements like transportation etc... • It does not have a separate budget.

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• The groups of 4 scientists at every Institute/University will adopt villages within a radius of 50-100 km from their place of working. Objectives of this scheme- • To provide farmers with required information, knowledge and advisories on a regular basis by adopting villages. • To promote the direct interface of scientists with the farmers to hasten the lab to land process. • To ensure that farmers benefit from best farm practices by providing required information, knowledge and advisories on regular basis by adopting villages.

National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme • NCLP Scheme was initiated in 1988 to rehabilitate working children in 12 child labour endemic districts of the country. • The Scheme seeks to adopt a sequential approach with focus on rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations & processes in the first instance. • Under the Scheme, survey of child labour engaged in hazardous occupations & processes has been conducted. • The identified children are to be withdrawn from these occupations & processes and then put into special schools in order to enable them to be mainstreamed into the formal schooling system. • Project Societies at the district level are fully funded for opening up of special schools/Rehabilitation Centres for the rehabilitation of child labour. • The special schools/Rehabilitation Centres provide: 1. Non-formal/bridge education 2. Skilled/vocational training 3. Mid-Day Meal 4. Stipend @ Rs.150/- per child per month. 5. Health care facilities through a doctor appointed for a group of 20 schools. • Of the children identified those in the age group 5-8 years will have to be mainstreamed directly to the formal educational system through the SSA. • Working children in the age group of 9- 14 years will have to be rehabilitated through NCLP schools established by the Project Society. • The entire funding is done by the Central Government (Ministry of Labour & Employment). • At present about 6000 special schools are in operation under the NCLP scheme. • As on date more than 10 lakhs children have been mainstreamed into the formal education system under the Scheme.

Major Port Authorities Bill 2020

In News- Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 was introduced in the Loksabha to provide for regulation, operation and planning of Major Ports in India and to vest the administration, control and management of such ports upon the Boards of Major Port Authorities and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The salient features of the Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 are as under: - • In the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, the number of sections has been reduced to 76 from 134 by eliminating overlapping and obsolete Sections. • The new Bill has proposed a simplified composition of the Board of Port Authority which will comprise of 11 to 13 Members from the present 17 to 19 Members representing various interests. • Provision has been made for inclusion of representatives of State Government in which the Major Port is situated, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Defence and Customs, Department of Revenue as Members in the Board apart from a Government Nominee Member and a Member representing the employees of the Major Port Authority. • The Port Authority has now been given powers to fix tariff which will act as a reference tariff for purposes of bidding for PPP projects. • PPP operators will be free to fix tariff based on market conditions.

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• The Boards of Port Authority have been delegated full powers to enter into contracts, planning and development, fixing of tariff except in national interest, security and emergency arising out of inaction and default. • Provisions of CSR & development of infrastructure by the Port Authority have been introduced. • Provision has been made for safeguarding the pay & allowances and service conditions including pensionary benefits of the employees of major ports and Tariff of Major Ports.

National Industrial Corridor Development Programme

• National Industrial Corridor Development Programme is India's ambitious infrastructure programme aiming to develop new industrial cities as "Smart Cities" and converging next generation technologies across infrastructure sectors. The National Industrial Corridor Programme includes the following Industrial Corridors: ○ Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) covers six different States i.e. Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. ○ Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) Project covers seven different states i.e. Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. ○ Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) with extension to Kochi via Coimbatore includes 4 states, i.e. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. ○ East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) with Vizag Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) as Phase 1 includes the state of Andhra Pradesh. ○ Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC) project includes the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) is an apex body under the administrative control of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) for coordinated and unified development of the following industrial corridors. An Apex Monitoring Authority under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister has been set up to periodically review the activities and progress of the projects. Shramik Shakti Manch (SAKSHAM)

In News- The portal Shramik Shakti Manch (SAKSHAM) created by the Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) of the DST will connect labourers to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in their native places via What Sapp.

About it- • TIFAC has taken up the mantle to create an economic revolution, by empowering the shramiks, through a system that is able to evaluate their skill proficiency through an intelligent data driven analysis, and then map them to industry requirements, preferably in and around their preferred locations. • It consists of an Industry Dashboard where businesses can get access to blue collar workers as well as various skilled shramiks, a Chat Bot system that keeps track of shramiks’ empowerment through their regular evaluation, and an Administrator Dashboard that can recommend hyperlocal policies and skill development plans; a revolution is underway. • Data collection through multiple channels including partnerships with NGOs, primary survey, etc. • A WhatsApp Chat Bot, already deployed in colloquial English and Hindi seeks information from the shramiks about their past activities (Telugu and other languages in process). • Connecting the migrant workers with the nearest available industry requirement. • This is the first of its kind survey in India.

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Seaweed Mission

In News- To promote seaweed cultivation, a Multipurpose Seaweed Park to be established in Tamil Nadu.

About Seaweed Mission- • It is meant for Commercial Farming & Value Addition of seaweeds to boost the national economy. • By an estimate, if seaweed cultivation is carried out in 5% of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of India it will generate employment to ~ 50 Million People. • Out of the global seaweed production of ~ 32 million tons fresh weight valued around 12 billion US dollars. China produces ~57 %, Indonesia ~28% followed by South Korea, whereas India is having a mere share of 0.01-0.02%. • The Seaweed mission will be vital for- Ocean Productivity; Reduce Algal Blooms; Help in reduction of millions of tons of CO2; Creating a Healthier Ocean; Production of Bioethanol of upto 6.6 Billion Litres Seaweed or sea vegetables are forms of algae that grow in the sea. They’re a food source for ocean life and range in color from red to green to brown to black. It grows along rocky shorelines around the world, but it’s most commonly eaten in Asian countries such as Japan, Korea and China.

The commercially exploited seaweed species in India mainly include Kappaphycus alvarezii, Gracilaria edulis, Gelidiella acerosa, Sargassum spp. and Turbinaria spp. Seaweeds are valued for commercial products such as Carrageenan and Agar besides being used for the production of polysaccharides, fertilizer, sludge and other high- value products such as nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals for use against various lifestyle diseases.

TMA Pai Foundation case, 2002

In News- A two-judge bench of Supreme court has held that the provisions of the West Bengal Madrasah Service Commission Act, 2008, are not violative of the rights of minority educational institutions on any count.

About TMA Pai Foundation case (2002)- • The famous TMA Pai Foundation case (2002) judgement is discussed in three distinct headings—decisions pre-, decisions in and decision post-TMA Pai Foundation case. • The pre-TMA Pai discussions were dominated by a seven-judge bench Presidential reference in respect of the Kerala Education Act, 1958, and the nine-judge bench order in the St Xavier’s College Society case (1974). • The TMA Pai Foundation was a landmark 11-judge order which laid down the contours of governmental regulations on private institutions. • The post-TMA Pai was characterised by the seven-judge verdict in PA Inamdar case (2005) and the five- judge order in the Islamic Academy of Education case (2003).

The SC in its recent order recorded that: • “The decision in TMA Pai Foundation case, rendered by the 11 Judges of this Court clarified that the right under Article 30(1) is not absolute or above the law” and highlighted the test laid down by Justice Khanna in the St Xavier’s College case as the correct approach. • The essence of Article 30(1) was also stated by Justice Khanna - “to ensure equal treatment between the majority and the minority institutions” and that rules and regulations would apply equally to majority and minority institutions. Bed and Breakfast Scheme

Objective of the scheme- Devised by the Ministry of Tourism, its objective is to provide a clean and affordable place for foreigners and domestic tourists alike including an opportunity for foreign tourists to stay with an Indian family to experience Indian customs and traditions and relish authentic Indian cuisine.

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Salient features: • The classification for Approval and Registration of Incredible India Bed and Breakfast/Homestay Establishments will be given only in those cases where the owner/promoter of the establishment along with his/her family is physically residing in the same establishment and letting out minimum one room and maximum six rooms (12 beds). • The scheme will be on bed and breakfast basis and charges will have to be levied accordingly. • Classification will be valid for two years from the date of issue of orders. • The quality of facilities and services of the Bed and Breakfast/Homestay Establishment will be inspected and evaluated by the Regional Classification Committee. • Two categories of classification namely, ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’ . • There is no provision to grant financial assistance under the Scheme.

City Innovation Exchange (CiX)

In news- The City Innovation Exchange (CiX) platform was launched by the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. City Innovation Exchange (CiX)- • It is a platform which engages with innovators to design-test-deliver on solutions to pressing urban challenges through an ‘open innovation’ process. • It is designed on the philosophy of ‘everyone is an innovator’. • The Smart Cities Mission will partner and effectively collaborate with Startup India, Atal Innovation Mission, AGNIi and other initiatives in the Indian Innovation ecosystem. • The Platform has more than 400 start-ups, 100 smart cities, more than 150 challenges statements and over 215 solutions at the time of launch. CAFE-2 Regulations

In News- As of now, the CAFE-2 norms that aim to make cars more fuel efficient are set to come into effect in 2022 and BS-VI stage II norms are set to come into force beginning April 2023. About CAFE-2 Regulations- • CAFE-2 regulations are in force in many advanced as well as developing nations, including India. • Aim at lowering fuel consumption (or improving fuel efficiency) of vehicles by lowering Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, thus serving the twin purposes of reducing dependence on oil for fuel and controlling pollution. • The idea of CAFE is to push manufacturers to achieve fuel efficiency targets by producing and selling more fuel-efficient models, including electric vehicles. • CAFE regulations in India came into force from April 1, 2017. • Under this, average corporate CO2 emission must be less than 130 gm per km till 2022 and below 113 gm per km thereafter. • The norms are applicable for petrol, diesel, LPG and CNG passenger vehicles. Population Regulation Bill, 2019

• The bill suggests that people with more than two living children should be “disqualified” from being chosen as an MP, MLA or a member of anybody of the local self-government after the commencement of the Act. • The bill is seeking to enforce a two-child norm by giving incentives for those adopting the small family practice and penalties for those contravening it. • It also suggests that government employees should give an undertaking that she or he will not procreate more than two children. • It says those government employees who have more than two children on or before the commencement of the Act should be exempted. • The bill is intended to create a balance between people and the resources, human resources as well as natural resources and was not aimed at any religion, caste or community.

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Penalties- • Reduction in subsidies on loans and interest rates on savings instruments. • Reduction in benefits under the public distribution system • Higher than normal interest rates for availing loans from banks and financial institutions.

Logistic Efficiency Enhancement Programme (LEEP)

In news- NHAI initiates DPRS for LEEP under Bharatmala Pariyojna. About LEEP- • Aimed to enhance the freight transportation in India through improving cost, time, tracking and transferability of consignments through infrastructure, procedural and Information Technology (IT) interventions, preparation of Detailed Project Reports is being undertaken by NHAI. • In order to drastically reduce the time taken for conducting surveys, it has been decided to use the latest technologies such as LiDAR, Satellite mapping and Ground Penetration Radar (GPR) in preparation of DPRs.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Technology- • LiDAR uses a pulsed laser to calculate an object’s variable distances from the earth surface. • These light pulses, put together with the information collected by the airborne system generate accurate 3D information about the earth surface and the target object. • There are three primary components of a LiDAR instrument - the scanner, laser and GPS receiver. • The government and private organizations use helicopters, drones and airplanes for acquiring LiDAR data.

LiDAR systems are divided into two types based on its functionality. • Airborne LiDAR- installed on a helicopter or drone for collecting data. • Terrestrial LiDAR- Unlike Airborne, Terrestrial LiDAR systems are installed on moving vehicles or tripods on the earth surface for collecting accurate data points.

Pey Jal Survekshan

In news- A Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan under Jal Jeevan Mission- Urban has been launched. More about it- • Pey Jal Survekshan will be conducted in cities to ascertain equitable distribution of water, reuse of wastewater and mapping of water bodies with respect to quantity and quality of water through a challenge process. • As the first step a pilot project will be launched in 10 cities namely Agra, Badlapur, Bhubaneswar, Churu, Kochi, Madurai, Patiala, Rohtak, Surat and Tumkur. • Data on drinking water, waste water management, non-revenue water and condition of 3 water bodies in the city will be collected through face-to-face interviews with citizens and municipal officials as per the approved questionnaire, on-call interviews, water sample collection and laboratory testing, and field survey for non-revenue water. • Mission will be monitored through a technology-based platform on which beneficiary response will be monitored along with progress and output-outcome. • Funding from the Government for projects will be in three tranches of 20:40:40. • Third instalment will be released based on functional outcomes achieved and credible exclusion will be exercised while funding.

Mission Indradhanush 3.0 In news- Mission Indradhanush 3.0 to focus On Children, Women Who Missed Vaccine During Covid.

About Mission Indradhanush- • The Mission was launched in December 2014 with the aim of fully immunizing unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).

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• 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).

Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI): • To further intensify the immunization programme, the government launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) on October 8, 2017. • It aims to reach each and every child up to two years of age and all those pregnant women who have been left uncovered under the routine immunisation programme/UIP. • It will cover low performing areas in the selected districts (high priority districts) and urban areas.

About Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0: • The IMI 3.0 initiative was launched by the 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 programmes. • The mission will be conducted in two rounds. • The first round will start from February 22, 2021 while the second phase will start from March 22, 2021. • It will run across 250 districts or urban areas across the 29 States or Union Territories. • An IMI 3.0 Portal has been designed to update the activities of the ministries/departments and will capture pre-campaign activities, during activity achievements, and post campaign indicators with indicators on immunization coverage and of the line ministries. Green Revolution (Krishonnati Yojana)

Green Revolution – Krishonnati Yojana is an umbrella scheme in the agriculture sector that has been implemented since 2016-17 by clubbing 11 schemes / missions. These schemes look to develop the agriculture and allied sector in a holistic and scientific manner to increase the income of farmers by enhancing production, productivity and better returns on produce.

Schemes/ Missions covered under it are: 1. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) 2. National Food Security Mission (NFSM) 3. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) 4. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE) 5. Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material (SMSP) 6. Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) 7. Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plan Quarantine (SMPPQ) 8. Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census, Economics and Statistics (ISACES) 9. Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation (ISAC) 10. Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing (ISAM) National e-Governance Plan (NeGP-A) Proposed amendments to Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015

In news- Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the amendments to JJ Act 2015.

Key amendments- • Authorizing District Magistrate including Additional District Magistrate to issue adoption orders under Section 61 of the JJ Act, in order to ensure speedy disposal of cases and enhance accountability.

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• The District Magistrates(DMs) have been further empowered to ensure its smooth implementation, as well as garner synergized efforts in favour of children in distress conditions. The District Child Protection Units will function under the DMs. • Proposed amendments define the eligibility parameters for appointment of Child Welfare Committees (CWC) members, and categorizing previously undefined offences as ‘serious offence’ are some of the other aspects of the proposal. • It is also proposed to expand the definition of children in need of care and protection and include those children who have been victims of trafficking or drug abuse or child labour as well as those who have been abandoned by their guardians. New Guidelines for Other Service Provider (OSP)

With an aim to qualitatively improve the Ease of Doing Business of the IT Industry particularly Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and IT Enabled Services, the Government has drastically simplified the Other Service Provider (OSP) guidelines of the Department of Telecom. Following are the some of the important guidelines: • It is clarified that the registration requirement for OSPs has been done away with altogether and the BPO industry engaged in data related work have been taken out of the ambit of OSP regulations. • Requirements such as deposit of bank guarantees, requirement for static IPs, frequent reporting obligations, publication of network diagrams, penal provisions etc. have also been removed. • Several other requirements, which prevents companies from adopting ‘Work from Home’ and ‘Work from Anywhere’ policies have also been removed. • Additional dispensations to enhance flexibility for the Industry have been allowed. Vaccine Maitri

In news- Recently, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that so far India has supplied a total of 229.7 lakh doses to the global community under Vaccine Maitri. About Vaccine Maitri- • With its 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative and under its 'Neighbourhood First' principle, India originally delivered vaccine consignments that included the Covishield and Covaxin countries to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar and Nepal. • Agreements were also quickly inked with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. • India has announced a humanitarian donation of 5.7 lakh doses of vaccines for the Caribbean Region. • This includes CARICOM plus, Cuba and Dominican Republic. • Countries including Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, are CARICOM countries. • The countries who received the vaccine doses on a commercial basis include Brazil, Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Kuwait and UAE, Morocco, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. • The vaccines which are either being sent as humanitarian aid or commercially are all coming from the Pune based Serum Institute of India (SII) – which is the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines. • Covishield was developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca and manufactured by India’s Serum Institute. Integrity Pact In news- Recently, the CVC amended Standard Operating Procedure(SOP) on adoption of Integrity Pact in government Organizations. Key amendments- • The choice of Integrity External Monitors (IEMs) should be restricted to officials from the government and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) who have retired from positions of the level of Secretary to the Central government or of equivalent pay scale. • Such officials who retired as Chairman and Managing Directors (CMDs) of PSUs Schedule 'A' companies and CMD/Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer levels in the Public Sector Banks (PSBs), insurance companies and financial institutions should be at least of the level of Additional Secretary or its equivalent.

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• Officers of the Armed Forces who have retired from the rank equivalent of General may also be considered for appointment. • Preference would be given to persons who have worked in any other sector, other than their own, or have worked as CVO [Chief Vigilance Officer] in any organisation • For appointment as IEM, the Ministry, department or organisation concerned has to forward a panel of suitable persons to the CVC, of those persons who are in the panel maintained by the Commission. • The latest orders provide that the IEM will be appointed for a period of three years in an organisation. What is an Integrity Pact? According to CVC, “Integrity Pact” is a vigilance tool that envisages an agreement between the prospective vendors/bidders and the buyer, committing both the parties not to exercise any corrupt influence on any aspect of the contract. The pact is also to ensure transparency, equity and competitiveness in public procurement. What are Integrity External Monitors (IEMs) and their role? • The IEMs independently and objectively review the documents to determine if the parties have complied with their obligations under the pact. • The main role and responsibility of IEM is to resolve issues raised by an intending bidder regarding any aspect of the tender which allegedly restricts competition or indicates bias towards some bidders. • They may submit a report to the chief executive of the organisation concerned or directly to the CVO and the CVC, if they find serious irregularities attracting the Prevention of Corruption Act provisions.

Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU)

In news - Government to set up the Digital Intelligence Unit to tackle mobile phone loan frauds, unsolicited calls. Key updates- • A high level meeting chaired by the Union Minister of Communication held recently with the objectives to address the rising concern and irritation of consumers over Unsolicited Messages on mobile phones, repeated harassment through SMS, promising fraudulent loan transactions and above all make digital transaction safe and secure. • The method of harassment includes unsolicited commercial messages or calls. • Telecom resources are also being used to carry out financial frauds and dupe the common man of his hard- earned money. • Officials pointed out that even the subscribers registered in Do-Not Disturb (DND) service continue to receive commercial communication from Registered Tele-Marketers (RTMs). • The Minister of Communication directed the officials of DoT to conduct a meeting with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and Tele-Marketers to ensure the compliance of laid down rules and procedures in this regard. • In case of any violation, it was proposed to impose Financial penalty against the tele-marketers including disconnection of resources in case of repetitive violations. • It was decided that for effective handling of Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) and also the financial frauds being done through misuse of telecom resources, a web/ mobile application and SMS based system shall be developed for redressal mechanism. • Accordingly, a Nodal agency, named as Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) will be set up. • The main function of DIU will be to coordinate with various Law Enforcement Agencies, Financial Institutions and telecom service providers in investigating any fraudulent activity involving telecom resources. PM Atma Nirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana

In news- The Union Budget 2021-22 announced the launch of PM Atma Nirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana.

About PM Atma Nirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana- This will develop capacities of primary, secondary, and tertiary care Health Systems, strengthen existing national institutions, and create new institutions, to cater to detection and cure of new and emerging diseases. This will be in addition to the National Health Mission.

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The main interventions under the scheme are: • Support for 17,788 rural and 11,024 urban Health and Wellness Centers • Setting up integrated public health labs in all districts and 3382 block public health units in 11 states. • 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; • Setting up of 15 Health Emergency Operation Centers and 2 mobile hospitals • Setting up of a national institution for One Health, a Regional Research Platform for WHO South East Asia Region, 9 Biosafety Level III laboratories and 4 regional National Institutes for Virology. • Establishing critical care hospital blocks in 602 districts and 12 central institutions

PM e-VIDYA

• A comprehensive initiative called PM e-VIDYA will be launched which unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education. • The main objective of PM eVidya program is to educate students through digital platforms so that the education of students does not suffer due to nationwide lockdown.

This will enable multi-mode access to education and includes: • DIKSHA (one nation-one digital platform) - nation’s digital infrastructure for providing quality e-content in school education for all the states/UTs. • TV (one class-one channel) where one dedicated channel per grade for each of the classes 1 to 12 will provide access to quality educational material. • SWAYAM online courses in MOOCS format for school and higher education. • IITPAL for IITJEE/NEET preparation. • Air through Community radio and CBSE Shiksha Vani podcast. • Study material for the differently abled developed on Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/ YouTube. • Manodarpan initiative - It is being launched to provide psychosocial support to students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional wellbeing through a website, a toll-free helpline, national directory of counselors, interactive chat platform, etc. • Expanding e-learning in higher education – by liberalizing open, distance and online education regulatory framework. Top 100 universities will start online courses. • National Curriculum and Pedagogical Framework - To promote critical thinking, creative and communication skills, along with experiential and joyful learning for the students focusing on learning outcomes. Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India

It was launched in 2010-11 to address the constraints limiting the productivity of “rice based cropping systems” in eastern India comprising seven states namely Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Eastern Uttar Pradesh (Purvanchal) and West Bengal. The programme is now a sub-scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. Objectives- • To increase production & productivity of rice and wheat by adopting latest crop production technologies; • To promote cultivation in rice fallow area to increase cropping intensity and income of the farmers; • To create water harvesting structures and efficient utilization of water potential; and • To promote post harvest technology and marketing support.

Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship In News- The Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has launched the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship in association with nine IIMs of the country.

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What is the Gandhi Fellowship? • Gandhi Fellowship is an experiential 2-year residential fellowship course in transformational leadership. • The program is designed to bring out one’s entrepreneurial thinking and leadership skills in order to create lasting changes in society. • It is a Certificate Program in Public Policy and Management offered by IIMs. • It has been designed at the initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India (GoI) and implemented in collaboration with State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs). • It is launched on a pilot basis in 75 districts across Gujarat, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. • Eligible fellows for the programme have to be in the 21-30 years age-group, have a graduation degree from a recognized university and be citizens of India. • Proficiency in the official language of state of fieldwork will be mandatory. • Its unique design will allow the Fellows to take academic learning at IIM Bangalore and use it in the field under faculty mentorship with the goal of understanding challenges and barriers that the district ecosystem faces in fostering growth and development. • Upon successful completion of the programme requirements, the Fellows will be awarded the Certificate of Public Policy and Management. • Designed under SANKALP the fellowship aims to address the challenge of non-availability of personnel for implementation of various programmes at national, state and district levels. • The MGNF programme has an in-built component of on-ground practical experience with the district administration. Exemplar Schools In news- Recently, the Union Finance Minister during her budget speech proposed to convert 15000 schools into exemplar schools. Key proposals- • Higher education cluster in nine cities each for coordination among institutions and aiding collective growth without infringing their individual autonomy. • Qualitative strengthening of 15,000 schools to include all components of the NEP. • These exemplar schools in their regions will mentor other institutions to achieve ideals of the policy and this has been welcomed by several industry experts. • One primary and one elementary school in each block and one secondary and one senior secondary school in each district will be developed as schools of excellence that are strengthened, empowered and capacitated to provide – a safe and stimulating learning environment. • Few Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalays will also be developed as exemplars for showcasing implementation of NEP 2020 and emerging as schools of excellence. Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat

What is it? The 'Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat' (PBBB) is a sub-programme of erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) which is continued under the new integrated scheme Samagra Shiksha to ensure quality at the foundational years of schooling. Objectives of PBBB: • To enable children to become motivated, independent and engaged readers and writers with comprehension and achieve learning levels appropriate to the class of study; • To make the children understand the reasoning in the domains of number, measurement and shapes; • To associate reading and writing with the experience of joy and real life situations; • To recognize social perspective of home- school transition and the role of children's literature in the process of building independent and engaged readers and writers; The two tracks of Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat are: 1. Early Reading and Writing with Comprehension 2. Early mathematics

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Higher Education Commission of India

In News- The ministry of education is preparing to take to cabinet a Bill to set up the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI)- which will come with a clause to allow foreign varsities into India. About HECI- The HECI will recommend ways to promote autonomy of higher educational institutions and ensure maintenance of academic standards in higher education. It will specify norms for:

(i) learning outcomes for courses, (ii) standards of teaching and research, (iii) evaluation procedure to measure yearly academic performance of institutions, (iv) accreditation of institutions, (v) ordering closure of institutions (vi) granting authorisation to institutions to commence academic operations, (vii) award of degree or diploma, (viii) affiliation of institutions with universities, (ix) eligibility criteria for appointment of Vice Chancellors, (x) fee regulation

Composition of the HECI- • The HECI will consist of 14 members. • A Search Committee will recommend names to the central government for the post of Chairperson, and members of the HECI. • The Search Committee will consist of five members including the Cabinet Secretary (Chairperson), Higher Education Secretary, and three eminent academicians.

Krishi Udaan Scheme

In news- Aviation Ministry will launch the Krishi Udan scheme to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products so that it improves their "value realisation".

About Krishi Udan- • Beneficiaries: Every farmer of the country • Benefits: Providing proper market national and international crops in time • Purpose: To protect the crop of the farmer from ruin and provide maximum value to the farmer. • This will immensely help improve value realisation on agricultural products, especially in the north-east and tribal districts. Under scheme financial incentives by the central government and the state government in terms of concession from airport operators to select airlines made available SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY What is seropositivity and sero positivity survey?

In news- A pan-India serosurvey was recently conducted by the CSIR. What is seropositivity? • Seropositive means having or being a positive serum reaction especially in a test for the presence of an antibody. • The state of either having or not having detectable antibodies against a specific antigen, as measured by a blood test (serologic test). E.g. HIV seropositive means that a person has detectable antibodies to HIV; seronegative means that a person does not have detectable HIV antibodies. • Sero-surveys use tests that examine the liquid part of blood, or ‘serum’, not nose, throat and mouth fluid. • These tests detect an immune response to the virus material, not SARS-CoV-2 virus material itself. Current CSIR Sero-survey- • Smokers and vegetarians were found to have lower seropositivity indicating that they may be at a lesser risk of getting infected by coronavirus. • The blood group ‘O’ may be less susceptible to the infection, while people with ‘B’ and ‘AB’ blood groups were at a higher risk.

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• Higher seropositivity was found for those using public transport and with occupational responsibilities such as security, housekeeping personnel, non-smokers and non-vegetarians, • This is for the first time that a study has been done in India wherein individuals have been monitored for three months (35 individuals) to six months (346 individuals) for antibodies including those with probable neutralising activity. Catalytic Dewaxing

In news- Recently, The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd’s second Catalytic Dewaxing unit at Haldia. About Indian Oil Corporation Ltd’s second Catalytic Dewaxing unit • It is estimated to be built with rupees one thousand and 19 crores and to be completed by April 2023. Once commissioned, this will lead to import substitution and save foreign exchange. • The project objective is to augment API Group-II & III Lube Base Oil (LBO) production with the capacity of 270 TMTPA considering 8000 hours/year of operation • Unconverted oil (UCO) from existing once through the Hydrocracker unit (OHCU) is being processed in the existing Feed Preparation unit (FPU). • Distillates from FPU are being processed in the existing Catalytic dewaxing unit (CDWU-I) to produce Lube Base Oil (LBO). • The new proposed CDWU-II unit will produce Gr-II & Gr-III lube base oil from the heart cuts generated from FPU. • The feed for the catalytic dewaxing unit is waxy light to heavy blend of unconverted oil.

Catalytic dewaxing is a process that ensures that oil products like diesel are liquid at the specific temperature ranges in which they are to be used in order to meet the cold flow requirements essential for the commercial success. The main purpose of dewaxing is to remove hydrocarbons that solidify readily (i.e., wax) for making lubricating oil base stock with low pour points (-9 to 14°F).

International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) In news - Assembly of the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor began in France. What is it? • The ITER project is a joint effort by countries such as Japan, India, the European Union, the United States, Russia, China and South Korea. • It was launched in 2006, has a five-year assembly phase and plans to reach its maximum power output by 2035. • ITER will be the first fusion device to produce net energy and the first fusion device to maintain fusion for long periods of time. • It will be the first fusion device to test the integrated technologies, materials, and physics regimes necessary for the commercial production of fusion-based electricity. What will ITER do? • Produce 500 MW of fusion power • Demonstrate the integrated operation of technologies for a fusion power plant • Achieve a deuterium-tritium plasma in which the reaction is sustained through internal heating • Test tritium breeding • Demonstrate the safety characteristics of a fusion device. The tokamak is an experimental machine designed to harness the energy of fusion. Inside a tokamak, the energy produced through the fusion of atoms is absorbed as heat in the walls of the vessel. Just like a conventional power plant, a fusion power plant will use this heat to produce steam and then electricity by way of turbines and generators. ITER will be the world's largest tokamak—twice the size of the largest machine currently in operation, with ten times the plasma chamber volume. Augmented Reality Vs Virtual Reality What Is Virtual Reality (VR)? • It helps in creating a stimulus of the environment with the help of computer programming.

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• It is a technological illusion created to give a real-time effect for an individual. • It does not involve a screen for viewing but has special VR devices giving you a three-dimensional experience. • With the combined simulation of various human senses, the computer transforms the algorithms into a code. • Various companies have entered the competition in producing high-end VR devices like Oculus Quest, PlayStation, and even Google. What Is Augmented Reality? • Augmented Reality or AR is similar to Virtual Reality but not the same. • It is an enhanced version of reality for adding digital information to a pre-existing technology

Virtual Reality Augmented Reality It has the ability to let its user travel to different The Augmented technique helps you to create a digital scenario locations with the help of a VR device. rather than giving you the feature of teleporting to various places virtually. Thus, the user can translocate himself from place It is rather a good choice as it helps you locate places of your choice to place with the help of its technology. with the help of the AR application.

Best use for smartphones, can be upgraded with new versions of handsets, Games are played on a greater scale using AR technology.

Global Influenza Data Initiative (GISAID) • GISAID is a global science initiative and primary source for genomic data of influenza viruses and the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. • It is a public platform started by the WHO in 2008 for countries to share genome sequences. • It is headquartered in Munich, Germany. • It is a not for profit organisation. • It is an alternative to share avian influenza data via conventional public-domain archives. • GISAID differs from other genetic sequence databases like GenBank and EMBL primarily in that users of GISAID must have their identity confirmed and agree to a Database Access Agreement that restricts the way GISAID data can be used. Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2

In news- According to new research it is found that, if the Spike protein is not stable, antibodies may be induced but they will be less effective in terms of blocking the virus.

What is a spike protein? • The SARS-CoV-2 is a spherical shell featuring spike protein which appears like a crown. • This protein initiates the process of infection in a human cell by attaching itself to the ACE2 receptor, before replicating. • Recently scientists freeze-framed the spike protein before and after its fusion with the cell. • After binding with the ACE2 receptor, the spike protein changed its shape to the rigid hairpin. • The researchers also concluded that the spike can also become visible before the fusion, even without the virus getting attached to the cell. • The researchers are of the view that the alternative shape of the protein protects the SARS-CoV-2 from breaking down. • Virus remains viable on various surfaces for a variable time, this can be due to the rigid shape of the spike protein. • The post fusion shape protects the protein from our immune system because the post-fusion shape may induce antibodies that do not neutralize the virus. • There's a similarity between the pre and post-fusion forms as the sugar molecules in both of them are evenly located on the surface and are known as Glycans.

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• It is because of glycans, the virus ditches the immune system. Software Defined Radio Tactical (SDR-Tac)

In News- Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) have signed a contract for procurement of Software Defined Radio Tactical (SDR-Tac) worth over Rs 1,000 crore in New Delhi.

What is SDR-Tac ? • The SDR-Tac, jointly designed and developed by Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory (DEAL) of DRDO through a consortium of domestic agencies and industry and Indian Navy will bring strategic depth to the Armed Forces. • The delivery will take place within three years. • The SDR-Tac is a four Channel Multi-mode, Multi Band, 19’’ Rack mountable, ship borne Software Defined Radio system. • It is intended to serve ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore and ship-to-air voice and data communication for network centric operations. • It supports simultaneous operation of all the four channels covering V/UHF and L Band.

SDR-Tac Importance to Armed forces- • These SDRs will be backward compatible with existing Indian radios. Different Service groups require different form factor radios for specific platforms and waveforms/applications. • They also allow implementation of futuristic waveforms on the same hardware using software programmability, thus ensuring longer life and savings on cost. Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) Network

In News- By 2022, SVAMITVA Scheme would ensure CORS network coverage across the Country

About Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) Network- • The CORS network is a multi-purpose, multi-agency cooperative endeavor, combining the efforts of hundreds of government, academic, and private organizations. • The stations are independently owned and operated. • Each agency shares their GNSS/GPS carrier phase and code range measurements and station metadata with NGS, which are analyzed and distributed free of charge. • The idea behind is to provide a common positioning platform in defined accuracy for the survey, mapping and monitoring of large infrastructure projects, drainage planning along with management of revenue maps and state boundary management. Blazar

What's a Blazar? • A blazar is a feeding super massive black-hole (SMBH) in the heart of a distant galaxy that produces a high- energy jet viewed face-on from Earth. • Like other forms of active galactic nuclei (AGN), blazars are the most luminous and energetic objects in the known universe. • The central SMBH that drives an AGN are the nucleation seeds that stimulate the formation of their host galaxies, while the SMBH itself grows in the process. • Gas, dust and the occasional star are captured and spiral into this central black hole, creating a hot accretion disk which generates enormous amounts of energy in the form of photons, electrons, positrons and other elementary particles.

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Whole Earth Blazar Telescope- It is an international consortium of astronomers created in 1997, with the aim to study a particular category of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) called blazars, which are characterized by strong and fast brightness variability, on time scales down to hours or less.

Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)- • It is an autonomous body under the Department of Science & Technology. • It is a leading research institute in Nainital, Uttarakhand which specializes in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Atmospheric Sciences.

Black holes- • A black hole is a place in space where gravity pull is so much that even light can not get out. • The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. • This can happen when a star is dying. • Because no light can get out, people can’t see black holes. • Black holes can be big or small. • The largest black holes are called “supermassive.” • Scientists have found proof that every large galaxy contains a supermassive black hole at its center. • The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy is called Sagittarius A. National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) In News- Tuberculosis control programme renamed, to focus on elimination. About National Strategic Plan (2017- 25) for TB elimination: • The NSP 2017 - 2025 builds on the success and learning’s of the last NSP and encapsulates the bold and innovative steps required to eliminate TB in India by 2030. • It is crafted in line with draft National Health Policy 2015, World Health Organization’s (WHO) End TB Strategy, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). • Vision: TB - Free India with zero deaths, disease and poverty due to tuberculosis. • Goal: To achieve a rapid decline in burden of TB, morbidity and mortality while working towards elimination of TB in India by 2025.

It has been integrated into the four strategic pillars of "Detect - Treat - Prevent - Build" (DTPB). Detect: Find all DS - TB and DR - TB cases with an emphasis on reaching TB patients seeking care from private providers and undiagnosed TB in high - risk populations. Treat: Initiate and sustain all patients on appropriate anti - TB treatment wherever they seek care, with patient friendly systems and social support. Prevent the emergence of TB in susceptible populations Build and strengthen enabling policies, empowered institutions and human resources with enhanced capacities. Open-RAN In News- TRAI Chairman P.D. Vaghela while speaking at the 15th India Digital Summit stated that the use of Open- RAN and software-defined telecom networks will provide Indian entities with ample opportunities to go in for the network equipment market. What is Open-RAN? • The Open-RAN (Radio Access Network) is a new paradigm where cellular radio networks consist of hardware as well as software components from a variety of vendors which are operating over network interfaces that are truly 'Open and Interoperable'. • It is an ongoing shift in the mobile network architecture, consisting of networks to be built using subcomponents from multiple vendors.

About O-RAN ALLIANCE- • O-RAN ALLIANCE was founded in February 2018 by AT&T, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, NTT DOCOMO and Orange.

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• It was established as a German entity in August 2018. • Since then, O-RAN ALLIANCE has become a world-wide community of mobile network operators, vendors, and research & academic institutions operating in the Radio Access Network (RAN) industry. • O-RAN ALLIANCE’s mission is to re-shape the RAN industry towards more intelligent, open, virtualized and fully interoperable mobile networks. • The new O-RAN standards will enable a more competitive and vibrant RAN supplier ecosystem with faster innovation to improve user experience. • O-RAN based mobile networks will at the same time improve the efficiency of RAN deployments as well as operations by the mobile operators. • O-RAN focuses on technical aspects of the RAN and stays neutral in any political, governmental or other areas of any country or region. O-RAN does not get involved in any policy-related topics.

Curiosity rover Mars

In news- The Mars rover ‘Curiosity’ has completed 3,000 Martian days. NASA Curiosity Mission- • The Curiosity is the largest and most capable rover ever sent to Mars. • It landed on Mars in August, 2012.

Curiosity Rover- • Curiosity is an SUV-sized Mars rover designed to explore the Gale crater on Mars as part of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission • The main mission of Curiosity was “to search areas of Mars for past or present conditions favourable for life, and conditions capable of preserving a record of life.”

• It has a suite of instruments: ○ A gas chromatograph, a mass spectrometer, a tunable laser spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, fluorescence instrument help study the rocks ○ The Mars Hand Lens Imager (for close-up pictures) and a Mast Camera (to take photos of the surroundings) ○ An instrument named ChemCam to vaporize thin layers of Martian rocks. ○ Radiation Assessment Detector to study the radiation environment at the surface of Mars ○ Rover Environmental Monitoring Station to measure atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, winds, plus ultraviolet radiation levels ○ Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument to measure subsurface hydrogen.

Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)

In News- ARIES has announced that it will organize a live telecast of the upcoming solar eclipse on social media.

About Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)- • It is situated at Manora Peak, in Nainital, Uttarakhand. • Was established in 1954. • It is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India. • The main research interests of Astronomy & Astrophysics division are in solar, planetary, stellar, galactic and extragalactic astronomy including stellar variabilities, X-ray binaries, star clusters, nearby galaxies, quasars, and inherently transient events like supernovae and highly energetic gamma ray bursts. • The unique position of ARIES (79° East), places it at almost in the middle of 180° wide longitude band, between Canary Island (20° West) and Eastern Australia (157° East), and therefore complements observations which might not be possible from either of these two places.

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Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM)

In News- DRDO conducted two successful launches of Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL- SRSAM) .

About VL-SRSAM- • It is meant for neutralizing various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets. • The current launches were carried out for demonstration of vertical launch capability as part of its maiden launch campaign. • On both occasions, the missiles intercepted the simulated targets with pinpoint accuracy. The missiles were tested for minimum and maximum range. • VL-SRSAM with Weapon Control System (WCS) were deployed during the trials.

Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD)

In news- Vice President inaugurated first of its kind Pediatric Rare Genetic Disorders laboratory at CDFD. About Pediatric Rare Genetic Disorders laboratory- • The newly inaugurated lab will be multifaceted as the services provided will include- ○ Genome sequencing, identifying of causal genetic variations ○ Generation of animal models ○ Telemedicine and creation of a database on the disease-associated genetic variants in the Indian population • This lab will tie up with medical colleges having paediatric departments, from where blood samples of children suffering from rare genetic disorders will be collected. • Scientists at the CDFD will conduct genomic sequencing to understand which mutations in the genes cause disorders. • The lab will also provide counselling to parents regarding the mutation. • Once the genetic mutation is identified among such children, the scientists at CDFD will also conduct research to find out if the mutation is the only cause behind the rare genetic disorder. • The CDFD will also make a database of such diseases for further research, which will even help in development of therapeutics. COVIRAP

In news- Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has validated the efficacy of the Covid-19 method called COVIRAP.

What is COVIRAP? • It is a cuboid-shaped portable testing device that can deliver results in an hour, making it an effective tool to scale up coronavirus screening in peripheral and rural areas • It was developed by IIT Kharagpur.

Why is it unique? • Current tests include RT-PCR, which are highly accurate but require advanced lab infrastructure, and antigen tests that can give results in minutes but have a lower accuracy. • COVIRAP process is completed within an hour. • The test is conducted in a ultra-low-cost portable unit that can be handled by unskilled operators outside the lab environment. • It is an alternative to high-end RTPCR machines. • The same unit can be used for a large number of tests on replacement of the paper cartridge after each test.

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• This means many other tests, falling under the category of isothermal nucleic acid-based tests (INAT), can be performed in the same machine. For instance it can perform tests beyond Covid-19, for influenza, malaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, TB etc, under the category of isothermal nucleic acid-based tests COVIRAP & FELUDA: • FELUDA, named after Satyajit Ray’s fictional detective as an acronym for FNCAS9 Editor-Limited Uniform Detection Assay, is a test developed by the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology. This too detects genes specific to SARS-CoV-2, but uses CRISPR-CAS technology. • While the current FELUDA prototype requires a PCR machine for processing, COVIRAP uses its own detection technology, patented by IIT-KGP. NAVARITIH

In news- Recently, the Prime Minister released a certification course on innovative construction technologies named NAVARITIH (New, Affordable, Validated, Research Innovation Technologies for Indian Housing).

About NAVARITIH- It is being offered jointly by the School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi and Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, New Delhi.

Objectives of this course are to- • Familiarise the professionals with the latest materials and technologies being used worldwide for housing. • Provide an awareness of the state of art of materials and technologies in terms of properties, specifications, performance, design and construction methodologies so that professionals can successfully employ these in their day to day practice. • Provide exposure to executed projects where such materials and technologies have been implemented.

Draft Space Based Remote Sensing Policy of India - 2020

The Department of Space has published a draft “Space- based Remote Sensing Policy of India (SpaceRS Policy 2020)” along with draft “Norms, Guidelines and Procedures (SpaceRS NGP 2020)” for its implementation.

Aim: SpaceRS Policy 2020 is aimed at enabling wider stakeholders’ participation and ease of data access.

SpaceRS Policy-2020 states that the Government of India shall – 1. Promote Indian Industries to carry out space based remote sensing activities within and outside India. 2. Enable easy access to space based remote sensing data, except for “sensitive data and information”. 3. Concentrate on realisation of space based remote sensing systems to cater to the country’s needs, that cannot be effectively, affordably and reliably satisfied by the commercial entities, either due to national security concerns or economic factors. 4. Provide a timely and responsive regulatory environment for the commercial Indian industry to establish and operate space based remote sensing systems As per the policy, any service provider will be free to provide remote sensing data and services to any user in the country. Due to national security considerations, a category of data will be identified as ‘sensitive’ and a different mechanism for dissemination of such data is envisaged

Details of other key features- • Indian entities can establish and operate satellite remote sensing systems to provide remote sensing data. • Any Indian registered non-Government Private Entity (NGPE) intending to set up the ground station for satellite data reception, facilities for satellite tracking, controlling and monitoring, within Indian territory, shall need authorization. • They can establish satellite system through their own built satellite or procured satellite.

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• They can establish Telemetry, Tracking & Command (TT&C) and Satellite data reception stations in or outside India. • The remote sensing activities within the Indian territory can be carried out, only with an authorized space asset.

Indian National Space Promotion & Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), an independent body constituted by Government of India, under Department of Space (DOS), shall accord necessary authorizations and permissions for all space based remote sensing activities, to or from Indian territory.

Perseverance Rover

In news- Recently, NASA released the first image of Mars taken by its Perseverance rover. Key updates- • The perseverance rover, which is the most advanced astrobiology laboratory ever sent to another world, safely landed on the Martian surface recently. • Touching down near an ancient river delta, the rover will search for traces of ancient life and will gather the most vital rock samples for a possible return to Earth. • The spacecraft has been equipped with a record 25 cameras and two microphones. • The images were snapped during the crucial last minutes of the rover’s descent, also referred to as the “seven minutes of terror”, when it was travelling at 12,000 miles per hour. About Perseverance Rover- • Mission name: It is part of the mission Mars 2020 • Launch: July 2020 • Landing: February 18 2021 • The Mars 2020/Perseverance rover is designed to better understand the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient life. Key objectives- • Explore a geologically diverse landing site • Assess ancient habitability • Seek signs of ancient life, particularly in special rocks known to preserve signs of life over time • Gather rock and soil samples that could be returned to Earth by a future NASA mission • Demonstrate technology for future robotic and human exploration

Mars Helicopter- • The Mars Helicopter is a technology demonstration, hitching a ride on the Perseverance rover. • It may achieve a "Wright Brothers moment “ by testing the first powered flight on the Red Planet. Draft Humans in Space Policy for India, 2021

In news- The Department of space (DoS), has prepared a draft “Human Space Policy-2021 and released it for public suggestions.

The draft “Human Space Policy-2021” - Policy principle- "The Humans in Space Policy aims for sustained human presence in space as an instrument for development, innovation and foster collaborations in alignment with national interests".

The “Humans in Space Policy 2021" shall take effect upon approval of the Union Cabinet of India.

In pursuance of the Humans in Space Policy 2021, Department of space shall- • Demonstrate human space flight capability leveraging the expertise of ISRO, national research institutions, academia, industry and other organisations. • Define long-term road map for sustained human presence in low earth orbit and undertaking exploration missions beyond low earth orbit.

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• Identify and develop necessary technologies for enabling sustained presence of humans in low earth orbit and beyond. • Constitute a suitable mechanism to enable participation of various national stakeholders in Indian human space programme. • Define and develop a comprehensive collaborative framework for scientific research in domains linked to human space activities keeping in mind the national priorities. Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A)

In News- Prime Minister handed over the indigenously developed Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A) to the Indian Army at a ceremony in Chennai.

About Arjun Main Battle Tank- • The Arjun Main Battle Tank 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 fire power, high mobility, and excellent protection”. • Mass production began in 1996 at the Indian Ordnance Factory’s production facility in Avadi, Tamil Nadu. • The Indian Army received the first batch of 16 tanks in 2004 and they were inducted as a squadron of the 43 Armoured Regiment.

Features of the Arjun tank- • 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 stabilised sighting that works in all lighting conditions.

How is the Mk-1A different? • 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. • The latest version has 54.3 percent indeginous content against the 41 per cent in the earlier model. • The army will get 118 units of the Main Battle Tank, indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by CVRDE and DRDO along with 15 academic institutions, eight labs and several MSMEs.

Security Digital Sky Platform

In news- Recently, BCCI has been given the conditional nod till Dec 31 or until the full operationalisation of Digital Sky Platform. • It is an online IT platform developed for handling Unique Identification Number(UIN) issued by DGCA, Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit(UAOP) applications, and permission to fly Remotely Piloted Aircraft System(s)(RPAs) in India. • This platform is in operation since 2018. • It is the first-of-its-kind national unmanned traffic management (UTM) platform that implements “no permission, no take-off” (NPNT). • Its users will be required to do a one-time registration of their drones, pilots and owners. • To get permissions to fly, RPAS operators or remote pilots will have to file a flight plan. ○ Green zones: Flying in the ‘green zones’ will require only intimation of the time and location of the flights via the portal or the app. ○ Yellow zones: Permissions will be required for flying in ‘yellow zones’ ○ Red zones: The flights will not be allowed in the ‘red zones’.

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Civil RPA is categorized as indicated below: Nano Less than or equal to 250 grams. Micro Greater than 250 grams and less than or equal to 2 kg. Small Greater than 2 kg and less than or equal to 25 kg. Medium Greater than 25 kg and less than or equal to 150 kg. Large Greater than 150 kg.

Information Technology Rules 2021

In news- The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 has been framed in exercise of powers under section 87 (2) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and in supersession of the earlier Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2011. More about it- • Part- II of these Rules shall be administered by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, while Part-III relating to Code of Ethics and procedure and safeguards in relation to digital media shall be administered by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. • Due diligence must be followed by intermediaries, including social media intermediaries. • In case, due diligence is not followed by the intermediary, safe harbour provisions will not apply to them. • The Rules make a distinction between social media intermediaries and significant social media intermediaries to encourage innovations and enable growth of new social media intermediaries. • Significant Social Media Intermediary should appoint a Chief Compliance Officer, and Resident Grievance Officer who shall be a resident in India. • Code of Ethics for online news, OTT platforms and digital media prescribes the guidelines to be followed by OTT platforms and online news and digital media entities. • The OTT platforms would self-classify the content into five age based categories- U (Universal), U/A 7+, U/A 13+, U/A 16+, and A (Adult). • Platforms would be required to implement parental locks for content classified as U/A 13+ or higher, and reliable age verification mechanisms for content classified as “A”.

The rules are based on Supreme Court observations in suo-moto writ petition (Prajjawala case) where it opined that the Government of India may frame necessary guidelines to eliminate child pornography, rape and gangrape imageries, videos and sites in content hosting platforms and other applications.

M4 armoured vehicles

In news- Recently, the Indian Army ordered an emergency procurement of M4 armoured vehicles, from the Pune- based defence company Bharat Forge of the Kalyani group.

About Kalyani M4 armoured vehicle- • It is a multi-role platform, designed to meet the requirements of the armed forces for quick mobility in rough terrain and in areas affected by mine and IED threats. • M4 has ballistic and blast protection from up to 50 kg TNT side blast, or IED or roadside bombs due to its design that is built on a flat-floor monocoque hull. • The vehicle has a payload of 2.3 tonnes and an operating range of about 800 km. • The M4 is an original product of the South African arms firm Paramount Group but has been fine-tuned for Indian conditions by Bharat Forge.

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Other competitors with M4- Mahindra Marksman- India’s first armoured capsule-based light bulletproof vehicle to provide protection to the personnel of defence, paramilitary and police forces against small arms fire and grenade attacks.

Tata Kestrel- It is a modern armoured personnel carrier developed by Tata Motors and the DRDO. Aditya MPV- Aditya is the first version of Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected-type vehicle used by the Indian Army and the Central Reserve Police Force as an armored personnel carrier to transport personnel with protections from explosives and small arms fire. Regulations for OTT and online news content

In news: Govt frames new rules to hold social media, OTT accountable for content.

Regulations for ott and online news content- • The digital news platforms will have to follow the programme code under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act and Norms of Journalistic Conduct of the Press Council of India, which broadly guide the content put out in television and print media. • Similarly, OTT platforms will not stream content, which is against the sovereignty and integrity of the country, endangers security of state, which is detrimental to India’s friendly relations with foreign countries, and content, which is likely to incite violence or disturb public order. • The platforms also have to take into consideration India’s multi-racial and multi-religious context, and exercise due caution and discretion when featuring the activities, beliefs, practices, or views of any racial or religious group. • The grievance redressal structure that they are mandated to set up will be a three-tier structure. • The first tier will be a grievance redressal mechanism to be established by the platforms themselves. • The second tier will be a self-regulatory body to be headed by a retired Supreme Court or high court judge or an eminent person. • The third tier will be an ‘oversight mechanism’ by the government as part of which an inter-ministerial committee (IMC) will be set up.

Anti-Tank Guided Missile Systems ‘Helina’ and ‘Dhruvastra’

In news- Joint User Trials for Helina (Army Version) and DhruvAstra (Air Force Version) Missile Systems were carried out from Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) platform in desert ranges recently.

About Helina- • Helina, which is the helicopter-launched version of the Nag missile system, is a third-generation fire and forget class anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system mounted on the ALH. • The system has all- weather day and night operational capabilities and can defeat battle tanks with conventional armour as well as explosive reactive armour (ERA). • It can engage targets both in direct hit mode as well as top attack mode. • It has also undergone successful trials in 2018.

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About Dhruvastra- While the Helina weapon system has been developed for the Indian Army, its IAF variant Dhruvastra has also been developed by the DRDO and now both variants are ready for induction into services.

NetWire

In news- NetWire was in news with respect Elgar Parishad case accused Rona Wilson (installation of the NetWire remote access Trojan (“RAT”) on Wilson’s computer)

About the NetWire- • It is a remote access Trojan focused on password stealing and keylogging, as well as including remote control capabilities. • It has been used by malicious groups since 2012 and distributed through various social engineering campaigns (malspam) • As per the experts, NetWire RAT has been observed during 2020 as one of the most active botnets. • This malware was one of the malware families most exploited in COVID-19 phishing campaigns between February and April 2020. • NetWire is often launched via social engineering campaigns or as a later payload of another malware chain. • Criminals send emails with malicious files attached to a wide number of users and expect at least someone to open the infected file. • Once a victim clicks on it, the malware file is downloaded onto the victim’s computer. Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

Malware families most actively exploited COVID-19 phishing campaigns are: AngentTesta, Netwire, LokiBot, HawkEye, Aurora, Hakbit, Form Book SOCIETY

Foundation for Development of Rural Value Chains (FDRVC)

About FDRVC- • It is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee, registered with the Registrar of Companies, Delhi. • It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Rural Development and Tata Trusts. • It is a Not for Profit Company set up in 2019 with the support of Tata Trusts. • It has been designated as an Implementing Agency (IA), to promote 100 FPOs allocated to the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), GoI under the scheme. • Functions include establishing Producer Owned Enterprises and build the ‘Produced in India’ brand. • Partnerships include Multi-stakeholder Governing Board and partnerships with Research, Academia, Civil Society, Corporates.

India Justice Report 2020 In News- The second edition of the Indian Justice Report (IJR) was recently launched.

About Indian Justice Report- • The India Justice Report ranks individual Indian states in relation to their capacity to deliver access to justice. • The Tata Trusts brought together a group of sectoral experts to develop a report that would measure the structural capacity of state-based instrumentalities of the justice system. • The first ever ranking was published in November 2019.

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• The ranking is based on quantitative measurements of budgets, human resources, infrastructure, workload, diversity across police, judiciary, prisons and legal aid in 18 large and medium sized states with a population of over 1 crore and 7 small states. Highlights

• Women comprise only 29 percent of judges in India. • Two-thirds of the country’s prisoners are yet to be convicted. • In the last 25 years, since 1995, only 1.5 crore people have received legal aid. • Maharashtra is ranked again at the top of the 18 large- and mid-sized states (with a population of over one crore each), followed by Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Punjab and Kerala. • The list of seven small states (population of less than one crore each) was topped by Tripura, followed by Sikkim and Goa.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

In news - Jiya Rai, a 12 years old naval child, swam 36 kilometers to create awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder.

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? • It refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social interactions, social skills, /restricted/repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. • Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms people experience. • It occurs in all ethnic, racial, and economic groups. • Although ASD can be a lifelong disorder, treatments and services can improve a person’s symptoms and ability to function. • People with ASD often have problems with social, emotional, and communication skills. • They might repeat certain behaviors and might not want change in their daily activities. • Many people with ASD also have different ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to things. • Signs of ASD begin during early childhood and typically last throughout a person’s life. • Though the exact causes of ASD are unknown, research suggests that genes can act together with influences from the environment to affect development in ways that lead to ASD • Some risk factors include- Having a sibling with ASD; Having older parents; Having certain genetic conditions such as Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome and Rett syndrome; Very low birth weight.

PLACES IN NEWS Central Vista Avenue

In news- Recently, MoS(I/C) for Housing & Urban Affairs performed the Bhoomi Poojan ceremony of Central Vista Avenue.

About the Central Vista Avenue- • Government approved a proposal for development of Central Vista Avenue with estimated cost of Rs.608 crores on 10th November, 2020. • The Central Vista Avenue starting from North & South Block to India Gate, that includes the Rajpath, its adjoining lawns and canals, rows of tree, Vijay Chowk and the India Gate plaza is a 3 km long stretch. • Annual Republic Day Celebrations (RDC) are held on this avenue every year. • Other important functions like International Yoga Day, Indian Food festival, Paryatan Parv, Odia Parv and Prakram Parv are also held here annually. • It has very high footfalls and is the most frequently visited place and important tourist attraction in Delhi.

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Why redevelopment? • It lacks public amenities like toilets, pathways, designated vending zones, parking, proper lighting, signages etc. • Its lawns and water canals are in depleted condition as they were not planned for heavy public use. • The Republic Day arrangements take a long time and during that time most of the area become inaccessible to the public. • Therefore, the government has decided to address these by refurbishing and improving the avenue, as part of the comprehensive transformation of the Central Vista

About new Central Vista structure- • As per the master plan, Central Vista axis — currently from Rashtrapati Bhavan, following Rajpath, up to India Gate — will be extended from the present 2.9 km to 6.3 km from ridge to river. • It will house the Nav Bharat Udyan or the New India Garden. • The structure is meant to be unveiled on August 15, 2022, the 75th year of Independence. • The structure’s size can be three times the height of India Gate as the maximum height permissible there is 134 metres from ground level • The design should take into account factors like soil stability, wind velocity, seismic forces and vulnerability to flooding etc. as per National Building Code of India, 2016. Only indigenous material is to be used as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Mahabahu-Brahmaputra

In news - Recently, the Prime Minister launched ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ and laid the foundation stone of two bridges in Assam( Dhubri Phulbari Bridge & Majuli Bridge )

Key updates- • The launch of Mahabahu-Brahmaputra was marked by the inauguration of the Ro-Pax vessel operations between Neamati-Majuli Island, North Guwahati-South Guwahati and Dhubri-Hatsingimari • The programme also includes shilanyas for construction of tourist jetties at four locations, namely, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat, Pandu and Jogighopa. • A permanent Inland Water Transport Terminal will also be built at Jogighopa under the program. • This Terminal will help in reducing the traffic on the Siliguri Corridor towards Kolkata and Haldia. • It will also facilitate the uninterrupted movement of cargo even during flood season to various North-Eastern States like Meghalaya and Tripura and to Bhutan and Bangladesh as well.

Dhubri Phulbari Bridge- • The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the four lane bridge over the Brahmaputra between Dhubri (on North Bank) and Phulbari (on South Bank). • The proposed 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. • It will connect Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari, Tura, Rongram and Rongjeng in Meghalaya. • It will reduce the distance of 205 Km to be travelled by Road to 19 Km, which is the total length of the bridge.

Majuli Bridge- • It is the two-lane Bridge on the Brahmaputra between Majuli (North Bank) and Jorhat (South Bank). • The bridge will be located on NH-715K and will connect Nimatighat (on Jorhat side) and Kamalabari (on Majuli side).

Various projects mentioned/launched by the Prime Minister- • Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Setu: The Dhola–Sadiya Bridge, also referred to as the Bhupen Hazarika Setu, is a beam bridge in India, connecting the northeast states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge spans the Lohit

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River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra River, from the village of Dhola in the south to Sadiya to the north. • Bogibeel Bridge: Bogibeel bridge is a combined road and rail bridge over the Brahmaputra River in the northeastern Indian state of Assam between Dhemaji district and Dibrugarh district Saraighat Bridge: The Saraighat Bridge is a rail-cum-road bridge over Brahmaputra River in Assam and is the first of its kind bridge over the river.

Majuli Island

In news- The Guinness World Records has officially designated Assam’s Majuli as the largest river island in the world.

More about it- • It is situated in the Brahmaputra River. • The river island covering an area of around 880 sqkm has toppled the previous record held by Brazil’s Marajo island in the Amazon river. • Majuli is the largest freshwater mid-river deltaic island in the world. • It has been the abode of Assamese Vaishnavite culture, preached by Sankardeva, a pioneer of the medieval- age neo-Vaishnavite movement and established monasteries and hermitages known as ‘satras’ on the islet.

Caracal • Caracal, a medium sized wildcat found in some parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, is to be included into the list of critically endangered species for taking up conservation efforts with financial support under Centrally sponsored Development of Wildlife Habitat scheme. • Now, there are 22 wildlife species under the recovery programme for critically endangered species. The Caracal- • Wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and India. • In India its presence has been reported from only three states which are Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. • In Madhya Pradesh it is locally called as Shea-gosh or siyah-gush. • In Gujarat, Caracals are locally referred to as Hornotro which means killer of a Blackbuck. • In Rajasthan it is known as Junglee Bilao or Wildcat and occurs in Sariska Tiger Reserve and Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. • IUCN Red List: Least Concern since 2002 • Threats: Habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, the building of roads and settlements

Puducherry

In news - Puducherry was in news in the context of the recent political crisis and fall of its government.

About Puducherry- • “Puducherry” is the French interpretation of the original name “Puducheri” meaning “new settlement” • It was officially known as Pondicherry until 2006 when it was renamed Puducherry. • It was once the original headquarters of the French in India. • It was merged with the Indian Union on 1st November 1954. • But only in 1963 Puducherry became officially an integral part of India after the French Parliament in Paris ratified the Treaty with India. • Puthucherry/Puducherry is unique as it spreads over three states, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. • It consists of four non-contiguous enclaves, and named after the largest region, Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam(present districts.

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• While Pudhucherry is located about 170 Kms. south of Chennai, Karaikal lies about 150 Kms. further down south, near Nagapattinam, Mahe lies on the western ghats surrounded by Kerala and Yanam is near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. • Its French legacy is preserved in its French Quarter, with tree-lined streets, mustard-colored colonial villas and chic boutiques.

Sri Jagannath temple In news- The draft architectural plan and design of the Sri Jagannath temple heritage corridor project was given the green signal by the temple managing committee.

Jagannath Temple in Puri- • The Jagannath Temple in Puri was called the “White Pagoda”. • The temple is a part of Char Dham (Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram) pilgrimages that a Hindu is expected to make in one’s lifetime. • When most of the deities in the temples of India are made of stone or metal, the idol of Jagannatha is made of wood which is ceremoniously replaced in every twelve or nineteen years by using sacred trees. • The temple is believed to be constructed in the 12th century by King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. • The temple is famous for its annual Ratha Yatra or Chariot festival, in which the three principal deities (Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra) are pulled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars • Jagannath Puri temple is called ‘Yamanika Tirtha’ where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power of ‘Yama’, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath.

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