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INSIDE THE DIGEST

Brief Note on NEO IAS Current Affairs Digest ...... 2 Inside the digest ...... 3 Current Affairs Grandmaster Challenge ...... 7

1 Economy- Concepts ...... 9 Inside the Inside digest 1.1 RULES OF ORIGIN ...... 9 1.2 CARTELIZATION AND COMPETITION COMMISSION OF INDIA (CCI) ...... 9

1.3 INDIAN RUPEE ...... 10 1.4 WHITE LABEL ATMS ...... 10 1.5 FARMING 3.0 ...... 11 1.6 BONUS DEBENTURES AND NCDS ...... 11

1.7 LETTER OF UNDERTAKING ...... 12 1.8 ‘QUEEN’ PINEAPPLE ...... 12 1.9 INWARD REMITTANCES, RDA AND MTSS...... 12 1.10 PINK BOLLWORM ...... 14 1.11 GI SLOGAN AND LOGO ...... 14 2 Government Interventions -Economy ...... 14 2.1 STATE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PREPAREDNESS INDEX, PAT SCHEME AND ENERGY SAVING CERTIFICATES ...... 14 2.2 NATIONAL BIOFUEL POLICY ...... 16 2.3 MOVE HACK ...... 16 2.4 E-PASHUHAAT PORTAL ...... 16 2.5 RUCO ...... 17 2.6 TREDS PLATFORM | RXIL ...... 18 2.7 UPI 2.0 ...... 18 2.8 ALL INDIA RURAL FINANCIAL INCLUSION SURVEY 2016-17 ...... 19 2.9 MICRO, SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ...... 19 2.10 DRONES ...... 20 2.11 MARKET CAPITALIZATION ...... 21 2.12 DATA LOCALISATION ...... 21 2.13 INTER STATE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM (ISTS) ...... 22 2.14 EESL, UJALA AND SLNP ...... 22 2.15 BIOFUEL FLIGHT AND DGCA ...... 24 2.16 TOLL-OPERATE-TRANSFER PROJECT ...... 24 2.17 BONDI BOND ...... 25 3 Government Interventions -Social Sector ...... 25 3.1 ARIIA ...... 25 3.2 IIT-PAL, SWAYAM PORTAL AND SWAYAM PRABHA ...... 26 3.3 RASHTRIYA UCHCHATAR SHIKSHA ABHIYAN (RUSA) ...... 26 3.4 SWACHH SURVEKSHAN, ODF+ AND ODF++ ...... 27 3.5 DRUGS AND COSMETICS ACT, 1940 | CDSCO ...... 28 3.6 POSHAN MAAH ...... 29 3.7 FOOD FORTIFICATION ...... 29 3.8 ISHAN VIKAS AND ISHAN UDAY ...... 30 3.9 PRADHAN MANTRI SURAKSHA BIMA YOJANA ...... 30 3.10 KANYASHREE ...... 30 3.11 TRIFED ...... 31 3.12 DISABILITY ADJUSTED LIFE YEARS (DALY) ...... 31 4 International Relations ...... 32 4.1 JOHANNESBURG DECLARATION ...... 32 4.2 MATTALA PROJECT ...... 32 4.3 STRATEGIC TRADE AUTHORISATION-1 (STA-1)...... 32

4.4 THE ‘8888’ UPRISING ...... 33 4.5 TAPI GAS PIPELINE ...... 34 4.6 UYGHURS ...... 34 4.7 WADA ...... 34 4.8 INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND ...... 35 4.9 SALTA G20 DIGITAL ECONOMY MINISTERIAL MEETING ...... 35 4.10 WORLD HINDI CONFERENCE ...... 36

4.11 ICOMOS ...... 36 the Inside digest 4.12 INDIAN OCEAN CONFERENCE ...... 37 4.13 INDUS WATER TREATY ...... 37 4.14 NAFTA...... 38 4.15 CASPIAN SEA AGREEMENT AND AKTAU ...... 38 4.16 INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE ...... 39

4.17 ASIAN GAMES 2018 ...... 40

4.18 KURASH ...... 40 5 Geography ...... 41 5.1 SOUTH PARS 11 ...... 41 5.2 INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE ...... 41 5.3 LONG PERIOD AVERAGE ...... 41 5.4 LAKHWAR MULTIPURPOSE PROJECT...... 42 6 Science and Technology ...... 42 6.1 PARTNIR AND FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ...... 42 6.2 IMPRINT-II ...... 44 6.3 E-TATTOOS ...... 44 6.4 CHANDRAYAAN-2 ...... 45 6.5 THERMAL BATTERY ...... 45 6.6 WORLD MOSQUITO PROGRAM (WMP) AND WOLBACHIA ...... 46 6.7 UAKITITE ...... 46 6.8 RISECREEK AND PROJECT SHAKTI ...... 47 6.9 'INDIA-UN SMALL SATELLITES PROGRAMME' (INDOUNSSP) ...... 47 6.10 GSAT 11 AND GSLV MK III ...... 48 6.11 HEPCIDIN ...... 48 6.12 AWSAR SCHEME ...... 49 6.13 E-CIGARETTES...... 49 6.14 DNA FINGERPRINTING AND DNA TECHNLOGY BILL ...... 49 6.15 AEROGEL ...... 50 6.16 CHANG’E 4 ...... 51 6.17 WHEAT GENOME UNRAVELLED ...... 51 6.18 GAIA TELESCOPE ...... 52 6.19 GIANT METREWAVE RADIO TELESCOPE ...... 52 6.20 OXYTOCIN ...... 53 6.21 INSIGHT MISSION ...... 54 6.22 SODIUM POLYACRYLATE ...... 54 6.23 O-SMART ...... 54 6.24 SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE ...... 55 6.25 AEOLUS...... 56 6.26 GSLV F11...... 57 6.27 HORIZON 2020 ...... 57 6.28 ICESAT-2 ...... 58 6.29 LIGO AND INDIGO ...... 58 6.30 PM-STIAC...... 59 6.31 GAGANYAAN 2022 ...... 60 6.32 NEW TYPE OF GOLD ...... 60

7 Environment ...... 60 7.1 EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY ...... 60 7.2 PORTUGUESE MAN O' WAR ...... 61 7.3 INDIAN BULL FROG ...... 61 7.4 GENETIC BANK FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ...... 62 7.5 PARIVESH ...... 62 7.6 MAHADAYI TRIBUNAL, KALASA-BANDURI NALA PROJECT AND KOTNI PROJECT ...... 63

7.7 L3 DISASTER ...... 64 the Inside digest 7.8 CALAMITY OF SEVERE NATURE ...... 64 7.9 CHEETAH REINTRODUCTION ...... 64 7.10 COMMUTE RELATED POLLUTION ...... 65 7.11 BNHS ...... 65 7.12 NATIONAL REDD+ STRATEGY ...... 66

7.13 THE INTERNATIONAL NITROGEN INITIATIVE ...... 66

7.14 KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK ...... 67 7.15 IMD COLOUR CODED ALERTS ...... 67 7.16 AEROSOLS ...... 68 8 Culture ...... 68 8.1 SANGHAM RADIO...... 68 8.2 SEVA BHOJ YOJNA ...... 68 8.3 YERUKALA TRIBE AND BATS ...... 69 8.4 PROJECT MAUSAM ...... 70 8.5 EDISINGE - SAVARA TRIBAL ART ...... 70 8.6 SC AND ST (PREVENTION OF ATROCITIES) ACT AMENDMENT ...... 70 8.7 INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST CONCLAVE (IBC) ...... 71 8.8 LIMBOO AND TAMANG COMMUNITIES ...... 71 8.9 GONDHALA FOLK ART ...... 72 9 Security ...... 73 9.1 EXERCISE MAITREE ...... 73 9.2 DEFENCE INDIA START UP CHALLENGE ...... 73 9.3 XINGKOND-2/STARRY SKY-2 ...... 73 9.4 AAD INTERCEPTOR MISSILE ...... 74 9.5 VOSTOK 2018 ...... 74 9.6 SAAW ...... 74 9.7 HELINA ...... 74 9.8 KAKADU EXERCISE ...... 75 9.9 QUAD GROUPING AND MALABAR EXERCISE ...... 75 9.10 DEFENCE ACQUISITION COUNCIL ...... 75 10 Polity and Governance...... 76 10.1 UNITED NATION’S E-GOVERNMENT INDEX 2018 ...... 76 10.2 NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR BACKWARD CLASSES ...... 76 10.3 BIMS AND BHOOMI RASHI ...... 77 10.4 COLOUR FOR REGISTRATION OF BATTERY VEHICLES ...... 77 10.5 EASE OF LIVING INDEX...... 78 10.6 INSTANT TRIPLE TALAQ BILL ...... 79 10.7 ‘PARENS PATRIAE’ DOCTRINE ...... 80 10.8 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ...... 80 10.9 AADHAAR ...... 80 10.10 PRAGATI ...... 81 11 Current Affairs Capsules ...... 82 11.1 NAVLEKHA | GOOGLE ...... 82 11.2 BATHUKAMMA SAREES ...... 82 11.3 RECENTLY RENAMED PLACES IN INDIA ...... 82 11.4 ASIAN ELECTORAL STAKEHOLDER FORUM IV | COLOMBO ...... 82 © Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 5 www.youtube.com/neoias | www.fb.com/neoias | http://bit.do/neo-upscprelims

11.5 KOWSAR ...... 82 11.6 WORLD'S LARGEST 3D-PRINTED REEF...... 82 11.7 OPERATION STORM 1995 ...... 82 11.8 MAP LOCATION- LOMBOK ...... 82 11.9 CURRENT ACCOUNT SURPLUS | GERMANY...... 83 11.10 HOLOGRAM-BASED STICKER FUEL STICKER ...... 83 11.11 NATIONAL YEAR OF MILLETS ...... 83

11.12 CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) RISK SCORE API ...... 83 the Inside digest 11.13 LASER CHAOS ...... 83

11.14 H. PYLORI ...... 83

Grandmaster Challenge - Answers ...... 85 Current Affairs Plus ...... 87

CURRENT AFFAIRS GRANDMASTER CHALLENGE

Given below are 50 statements on June 2018 Current Affairs. Shoot down at least 45 CurrentAffairs GrandmasterChallenge correctly and be a Current Affairs Grandmaster for October 2018!!

Statements

1 Gokul gram initiative aims to promote indigenous cattle breeds. 2 Move Hack programme is launched by Ministry of Road Transport. 3 Parivesh portal will help in streamlining logistic movement across the states. 4 Rules of Origin often heard in the context of climate change mitigation. 5 FII outflow can lead to Rupee depreciation. 6 Queen Variety of pineapple, often heard in the news, is from North East. 7

IMPRINT programme has the potential to address energy crisis and environmental degradation. 8 Chandrayan II is heavier than Chandrayan I and carries a lander and rover. 9 Thermal batteries cannot store energy. 10 Wolbachia is a virus engineered to fight Dengue. 11 GSAT -11 is a large geostationary communication Satellite. 12 AWSAR Scheme can help in nurturing scientific temperament in among people. 13 Aerogel is a good conductor of heat. 14 Around 80 per cent of the moon is visible from earth. 15 Genomes are stored in chromosome. 16 NASA’s InSight mission can provide valuable clues about the origin of life. 17 Mattala airport is in Maldives. 18 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is an agency of United Nations. 19 Johannesburg declaration is related to BRICS. 20 8888’ uprising was a crucial stepping stone for the democratic transformation of Sri Lanka. 21 Galkynysh gas fields is in Afghanistan. 22 Mandovi river flows through four states. 23 Earth Overshoot Day is the day when the global average temperature peaks in each year. 24 E-Government Development Index is brought out by United Nations. 25 Article 35A is a constitutional Amendment that is not placed before the parliament. 26 Bhoomi Rashi portal can streamline the land acquisitions for road development Projects. 27 India’s first ease of living index only ranks smart cities. 28 Positive Indian Ocean Dipole is characterized by cooler than normal sea-surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. 29 Seva Bhoj Yojna is launched by Ministry of Culture. 30 Yerukala tribes belong to Andhra Pradesh. 31 Project Mausam can help in accurately forecast Indian Monsoon. 32 Edisinge is a tribal dance performed in the hills of Eastern Ghats. 33 RUCO initiative by FSSAI can help in promoting healthy and balanced diet. 34 Gravitational waves were predicted by Isaac Newton. 35 ISRO's GSLV Mk III is capable of carrying people to outer space.

36 Gondhala tribal art is practiced in Eastern India. 37 UPI withdraws and deposits funds directly from the bank account. 38 MSME is second largest employment generating sector after agriculture sector. CurrentAffairs GrandmasterChallenge 39 Helium’s boiling point is the lowest among all the elements. 40 World Hindi Conference was started last year to promote the usage of Hindi across the globe. 41 Kaziranga National Park is a World Heritage Site. 42 Kazakhstan has border with Caspian Sea.

43 India hosted Asian games only twice.

44 After the nuclear bomb testing, Pokhran has never seen any defence experiments. 45 International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. 46 2018 Malabar military exercise was conducted in Arabian Sea. 47 Copernicus project by European Space Agency will aid in detecting earth-like planets. 48 Defence Acquisition Council is chaired by Defence Minister. 49 Rakhine state in Myanmar is a coastal state and shares border with Bangladesh.

50 Chilika lake is located at the mouth of the Daya River.

(Answers are hidden in the following pages of this digest. For a quick check, turn over to the last page for the answer key.)

1 ECONOMY- CONCEPTS 1.1 RULES OF ORIGIN Why in news? The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India has urged the Centre government to introduce the ‘rules of origin’ clause for imports from Bangladesh.

Economy What is ‘Rules of origin’?  Rules of origin refers to the criteria needed to determine the national source of a product for purposes

like imposing duties and restrictions depending upon the source of imports.

 There are two common types of rules of origin depending upon application, the preferential and non- -

preferential rules of origin Concepts  Non-preferential rules of origin o They are used to determine the country of origin for certain purposes like quotas and anti- dumping duties. o They are also used for trade statistics, labelling and marking requirement and government procurement. o According to it, a product always has exactly one country of origin.  Preferential rules of origin o They are part of a free trade area or preferential trade arrangement which includes tariff concessions and can be unilateral, bilateral or regional trade arrangements. o The rules of origin determine what products can benefit from the tariff concession or preference, in order to avoid transhipment.  Conventions and ROO o Kyoto convention states that for a product which has been produced in more than one country the product shall be determined to have origin in the country where the last substantial transformation took place. o GATT has no specific rules governing the determination of the country of origin of goods in international commerce. Each contracting party are free to determine its own origin rules, and could even maintain several different rules of origin depending on the purpose of the particular regulation.

1.2 CARTELIZATION AND COMPETITION COMMISSION OF INDIA (CCI) Why in News? The Ramco Cements Ltd. plans to challenge the order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in Supreme Court. NCLAT had earlier dismissed its plea against the CCI order in the case related to alleged cartelization.

What is cartelization?  A cartel is a group of independent producers comes together to increase their collective profits by means of price fixing, limiting supply, or other restrictive practices.  Cartels typically control selling prices, but some are organized to control the prices of purchased inputs. Organizing into such business Cartels is called cartelization.  Anti-competitive practices like cartelization is regulated in India by the Indian Competition Act 2002 and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) is the statutory authority in charge of competition law enforcement.  The Competition Act 2002 regulates three areas of conduct: o Anti-competitive agreements, including cartels o Abuse of dominant position o Combinations (mergers, acquisitions and amalgamations)

About CCI  Competition Commission of India (CCI) was established under The Competition Act, 2002 with aims like o Elimination of practices having adverse effect on competition as well as promoting and sustaining of competition o Protecting the interests of consumers

o Ensuring freedom of trade in the markets of India.  The Commission is also required to give opinion on competition issues on a reference received from a statutory authority established under any law and to undertake competition advocacy, create public awareness and impart training on competition issues.  CCI consists of a Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government.  The CCI is aided by its investigative arm, the Office of the Director General (DG).

 Appeals against orders passed by CCI is heard by National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). Economy Further, the decisions of NCLAT may be appealed to the Supreme Court of India.

1.3 INDIAN RUPEE

Why in news? -

Indian Rupee breached the 70-to-a-dollar mark for the first time. Concepts

What caused the depreciation of rupee value?  The Turkish Lira has depreciated over 22% against the dollar in 4 days.  This has impacted all the emerging economies following global flight to safety towards Japanese Yen and USD.  The rupee depreciation is also attributed to FII outflows and higher inflation in India.

Consequences/Effects  The Exports sector will get a boost as it has a cheap currency (Rupee) expense and a strong currency (US Dollar) income. This can help in o Creation of jobs o Strengthening of tourism sector as cheaper currency will attract more tourists.  The imports will suffer as it will have to spend Dollar.  The combined effect (in case of India) will be a widening trade deficit because of the fact that India is a net importer. The rise in Crude oil prices will also contribute to this deficit.  Positive aspect is that barring a gradual decline in 2018, Rupee has been largely stable over 2016 and 2017. Also India’s forex reserves are healthy at $400 billion.

1.4 WHITE LABEL ATMS Why in news? Cash supply stress and cost pressures is said to be hurting the growth of white label ATMs in the country.

What is a white label ATM?  Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) set up, owned and operated by non-bank entities are called "White Label ATMs" (WLAs) as they are devoid of any bank logo.  They provide the banking services to the customers of banks in India, based on the cards (debit/credit/prepaid) issued by banks.  Non-bank entities that set up, own and operate ATMs are called "White Label ATM Operators" (WLAO)  The white label operators have the autonomy to decide on the locations and create their own brand with fixed annual targets mandated by the central bank  Customers from any bank can use these ATMs, provided they pay a fee for using the service.  The white label ATMs do not accept cash deposits.

Static interchange fee  It is the amount paid by one bank to the other when its customer uses the other bank’s ATM network.  There is a demand to raise this from 15% to 18%

What are Brown Label ATMs? 'Brown label' ATM are those Automated Teller Machines where  Hardware and the lease of the ATM machine is owned by a service provider,  But cash management and connectivity to banking networks is provided by a sponsor bank whose brand is used on the ATM. © Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 10 www.youtube.com/neoias | www.fb.com/neoias | http://bit.do/neo-upscprelims

Did you know?  Tata Communications Payment Solutions Limited (TCPSL) became the first company to be authorized by RBI to open White Label ATMs under the brand name 'Indicash’

1.5 FARMING 3.0 Why in news?

Couple of recent news articles carried the term. Economy

What is Farming 3.0?

 Farming 3.0 age will be all about disruptive innovations like:

o Smart Farm Machinery -

o Micro Irrigation Concepts o Precision Farming o Digital Platforms o Partnering Stakeholders  It involves use of Smart machines and technological breakthroughs which have the potential to increase output, lower costs and boost farm incomes.

Farming 1.0 and 2.0  The first phase, which is referred to as Farming 1.0, extended from 1947 to 1966 and was characterised by radical land reforms.  The second phase was the Green Revolution which increased farm productivity and rid us of our dependence on foreign food aid. Farming 2.0 was a golden age in India’s agriculture.

1.6 BONUS DEBENTURES AND NCDS Why in News? Britannia Industries Ltd. announced a proposal to issue non-convertible debentures as bonus debentures at Rs. 60 each in the ratio of one debenture for every share held.

About the news  A bonus debenture is issued at no cost to shareholders and will help the holders earn interest.  Since these are not convertible, the principal amount accrues to the holder at the end of the tenure.

Bonus Debentures v/s Dividend  Approval of dividend results in immediate cash outflow to the company, issue of bonus debentures defers the same.

Bonus Debentures v/s Bonus Shares  Issue of bonus shares does not alter the net worth of the company, whereas issue of bonus debentures results in decrease in equity and a corresponding increase in debt.  Bonus shares do not involve any cash outlay. But bonus debentures involve outflows in the form of dividend distribution tax, periodical interest and outflow towards redemption of bonus debentures.

What are NCDs?  A Non - Convertible debenture or NCD do not have the option of conversion into shares.  The principal amount along with accumulated interest is paid to the holder of the instrument on maturity.  NCDs may be held by individuals, banking companies, primary dealers (PDs), other corporate bodies registered or incorporated in India and unincorporated bodies, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs).

What is debenture?  Debentures are long-term financial instruments which acknowledge a debt obligation towards the issuer.  Whenever a company wants to raise money from the public it issues a debt paper for a specified tenure where it pays a fixed interest on the investment which is known as a debenture.

 Some of the debentures are termed as convertible debentures since they can be converted into equity share on maturity.

1.7 LETTER OF UNDERTAKING Why in News? The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce reported an increase in cost of credit due to discontinuation of LOU/LOC facility. The RBI had earlier stopped issue of LOU in the backdrop of Punjab Economy National Bank fraud.

What is an LOU/LOC?

 Letter of Undertaking is a form of a guarantee issued by a banking entity to a person concerned for -

availing short term credit from the overseas branch of an Indian bank. Concepts  It is a guarantee to the overseas branch of the Indian bank of the repayment in the foreign currency.

Who gets a LoU?

 LoUs are issued to a bank’s customer to avail short-term credit in a foreign country.  These transactions are not retail in nature and are mostly used by businesses for import of goods.  The issuance of LoUs happen in line with the foreign trade policy or FTP which govern the import of goods and services.

How does it work?  LoUs for securing credit line are backed by margin money or sanctioned credit limit by the banking entity.  This means the borrower of funds or the customer has to pay margin money to the LoU issuing bank.  A bank will issue Letters of undertaking or letters of comfort after taking a collateral from the customer.  The margin money backing the credit can go even higher in value than the credit amount sought depending upon the relationship of the bank and customer.  The amount is released then by the foreign branch of the Indian bank in foreign currency.

1.8 ‘QUEEN’ PINEAPPLE Why in news? The ‘Queen’ variety of Pineapple was reported rotting away due to lack of procurement in Tripura.

About Queen Pineapple  Recently queen pineapple was declared the state fruit of Tripura and had caught global attention due to exports to Dubai, Bahrain and other countries  It is spiny and golden yellow in colour and considered be the sweetest of all varieties with a unique aroma and flavour.  It was GI (Geographical Indication) tagged in 2015.

1.9 INWARD REMITTANCES, RDA AND MTSS Why in News? Reserve Bank of India’s survey of inward remittances for 2016-17.

More about the findings  Remittances essentially represent household income from foreign economies arising mainly from the temporary or permanent movement of workers to source economies.  The top sources of inward remittances to India: o UAE (26.9%) o United States (22.9%) o Saudi Arabia (11.6%) and Qatar (6.5%)  According to the survey, 82% of the total remittances received by India originated from eight countries — UAE, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.  Kerala has received the maximum funds sent from abroad. Kerala has the highest share with 19%, followed by Maharashtra (16.7%), Karnataka (15%), Tamil Nadu (8%) and Delhi (5.9%).  More than half of remittances received by Indian residents were used for family maintenance.

 The rupee drawing arrangement (RDA) is the most popular channel of remittances which accounts for 75.2% of remittances, followed by SWIFT (19.5%), direct transfers (3.4%) and cheques and drafts (1.9%).

Rupee Drawing Arrangement (RDA)  Rupee Drawing Arrangement (RDA) is a channel to receive cross-border remittances from overseas

jurisdictions. Economy  Under this arrangement, the Authorised Category I banks enter into tie-ups with the non-resident Exchange Houses in the FATF compliant countries to open and maintain their Vostro Account.  It is usually limited to individuals only, but a certain limit of money exchange for trade purposes can

be done via RDA as well.

 The money to be remitted is sent to the bank account of the receiver, and no cash remittance is allowed Concepts under RDA.  There is no limit over the amount of money transferred to an individual’s account.

Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS)  Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS) is a way of transferring personal remittances from abroad to beneficiaries in India.  Only cross-border personal remittances, such as, remittances towards family maintenance and remittances favouring foreign tourists visiting India are allowed under this arrangement.  Donations/contributions to charitable institutions/trusts, trade related remittances, remittance towards purchase of property, investments or credit to NRE Accounts are not allowed through this arrangement.  A cap of USD 2,500 has been placed on individual remittances under the scheme.  Amounts up to INR 50,000/- may be paid in cash to a beneficiary in India.  Any amount exceeding this limit shall be paid by means of account payee cheque/ demand draft/ payment order, etc., or credited directly to the beneficiary's bank account.

1.10 PINK BOLLWORM

Why in news? GovernmentInterventions The Maharashtra government has announced emergency measures to tackle the widespread pink bollworm (PBW) infestation in parts of the State.

What is the issue?  Pectinophora gossypiella (pink bollworm) is an insect known for being a pest in cotton farming.  In 2017, Pink bollworm (PBW) attacks on cotton occurred in India, especially in Maharashtra,

Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

 The insect pest larvae bore into cotton bolls through the lint fibre to feed on the cotton seeds.  The infestation happened during October, just when the crop was maturing and almost ready for its first-flush pickings cause heavy damages to cotton production in India.

 The loss was further aggravated by dry spells and unseasonal rains.

- Economy BT Cotton and PBW  Bt cotton is an insect-resistant transgenic crop designed to combat the bollworm.  It’s a transgenic crop as it has been genetically modified by the insertion of one or more genes from a

common soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). These genes encode for the production of insecticidal proteins, and thus, genetically transformed plants produce one or more toxins as they grow.  Bollgard is a variety of Bt Cotton plant developed Monsanto company which produces toxic – insecticidal protein called Cry1Ac. They have also developed Bollgard II which uses two proteins Cry1Ac and Cry1Ab to protect the crop against pink bollworm.  But the pest has grown resistant to the toxins produced by this trait.  BG began failing against the pest in 2009, and BG-2 began failing in 2014.  India is the only Bt-cotton-growing country facing the problem of pink bollworm infestation. It’s so due to two possible reasons according to some researchers o All other Bt cotton-growing countries mainly grow open-pollinated cotton varieties whereas in India hybrids are majorly grown. Hybrids lose their genetic stability when their seeds are replanted. This also compels farmers to be dependent on seed companies to repurchase seeds each year. o Pink Bollworm does its most damage in the latter half of the cotton-growing season. So, the long duration of Indian cotton crops, between 160 and 300 days, allows this pest to thrive and evolve resistance more quickly than it can for short-duration crops.

1.11 GI SLOGAN AND LOGO Why in News? Commerce and Industry Minister launched a logo and tagline for Geographical Indications (GI) to increase awareness about intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the country.

About the news  From now on, GI-registered goods will sport logo and tagline to make them more attractive.  The new logo has tagline “Invaluable Treasures of Incredible India” printed below it.

2 GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS -ECONOMY 2.1 STATE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PREPAREDNESS INDEX, PAT SCHEME AND ENERGY SAVING CERTIFICATES Why in News? The Ministry of Power released State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index as part of its commitment to create awareness about energy efficiency as a resource and also to develop an action plan for energy conservation initiatives.

About the index  The index assesses state policies and programmes aimed at improving energy efficiency across various sectors. GovernmentInterventions  The Index will help in implementing national energy efficiency initiatives in states and meet both State as well as national goals on energy security, energy access and climate change.  It was created by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).  The nationwide Index is a joint effort of the NITI Aayog and BEE.  States are categorised based on their efforts and achievements towards energy efficiency implementation

as o Front Runner o Achiever o Contender

o Aspirant -  The ‘Front Runner’ states in the inaugural edition of the Index are: Economy 1. Andhra Pradesh 2. Kerala

3. Maharashtra

4. Punjab 5. Rajasthan  The Index examines states’ policies and regulations, financing mechanisms, institutional capacity, adoption of energy efficiency measures and energy savings achieved.  It has 63 indicators across Building, Industry, Municipality, Transport, Agriculture and DISCOM with 4 cross-cutting indicators.

Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE)  AEEE is a policy advocacy and energy efficiency market enabler with a not-for-profit motive.  It is the only organization in India that works on creating awareness about energy efficiency as a resource.  It advocates for data driven and evidence-based energy efficiency policies that will unleash innovation and entrepreneurship within the country to create an energy-efficient economy.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)  Statutory body under Ministry of Power.  Founded in 2002.  Mandate under Energy conservation act 2001; regulatory and promotional functions.  Developed the Energy Performance Index (EPI).  Buildings rating based on a 1 to 5 star scale.

Perform Achieve and Trade  Perform Achieve and Trade is a governmental scheme to improve energy efficiency in industries by trading in energy efficiency certificates in energy-intensive sectors.  It is a component of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) which is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).  Following 2010 amendment to the Energy Conservation Act (ECA), it was made mandatory for Designated Consumers from different energy intensive sectors to participate in the PAT.  It is being administered by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency BEE that sets mandatory, specific targets for energy consumption for larger, energy-intensive facilities.  Under PAT, energy intensive facilities making greater energy savings than their targets receive “EsCerts” or “energy saving certificates” which can be traded with facilities that are having trouble meeting their targets, or banked for future use.  The PAT scheme establishes energy facilities (plant) specific targets rather than a sectoral target.  The PAT Scheme is being implemented in three phases.

Energy Saving certificates  The scheme provides the option to trade any additional certified energy savings with other designated consumers to comply with the Specific Energy Consumption reduction targets.  Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) is the Market Regulator and Bureau of Energy GovernmentInterventions Efficiency is Administrator for the trading of ESCerts.  Units that are unable to meet the targets either through their own actions or through purchase of EScerts are liable to financial penalty under the Energy Conservation Act.

2.2 NATIONAL BIOFUEL POLICY

Why in news?

India will triple its ethanol production over the next four years till 2022 and this will save ₹12,000 crore in the country’s oil import bill.

About National Biofuel Policy -

 The Policy expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of sugarcane Economy juice, sugar containing materials like sugar beet, sweet sorghum, starch containing materials like corn, cassava, damaged food grains like wheat and broken rice, and rotten potatoes.  Presently, only ethanol produced from sugarcane was allowed to be mixed in petrol.

 It can reduce the imports by ₹4,000 crore this year alone.  The new policy categorises biofuels as o First Generation (1G), which produce bio-ethanol from molasses and bio-diesel from non-edible oilseeds. o Second Generation (2G) ethanol can be produced from municipal solid waste. o Third Generation (3G) fuels like bio-CNG.  It also allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee.  A viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol bio refineries of ₹5,000 crore in 6 years in addition to additional tax incentives, higher purchase price as compared to 1G biofuels.  The policy also encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, used cooking oil and short gestation crops.  The conversion of surplus grains and agricultural biomass can help in price stabilization for farmers.

2.3 MOVE HACK Why in news? NITI Aayog on recently launched a global mobility hackathon “Move Hack”.

More about “Move Hack”  The aim of the Move Hack hackathon is to find future mobility solutions for India.  Focused on 10 themes and open to individuals from all nationalities, the hackathon will have an online leg, followed by a Singapore leg, and the finals in New Delhi.  Move Hack is the first platform in the world which has enmeshed public transport, private transport, road safety, multimodal connectivity and new age transport technologies such as zero emission vehicles and intra-city aerial transport in a hackathon platform spearheaded by a government.  The hackathon has two-pronged campaign approach: o “Just code It”: aimed at solutions through innovations in technology/ product/ software and data analysis. o “Just solve It”: innovative business ideas or sustainable solutions to transform mobility infrastructure through technology.

2.4 E-PASHUHAAT PORTAL Why in news? Press release by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare discussed about E-Pashuhaat portal and important different daily development schemes.

What is e-Pashuhaat Portal?

 The e-Pashuhaat portal aims at connecting breeders and farmers of indigenous breeds.  Through the portal, farmers can obtain information on location of quality indigenous germplasm in the form of live animals, semen doses and embryos.  This portal is playing crucial role in development and conservation of indigenous breeds and contains a GovernmentInterventions wide range of information from pedigree to productivity.  The portal has been launched under the scheme "National Mission on Bovine Productivity."

Rashtriya Gokul Mission: Objectives of the program are:  Development and conservation of indigenous breeds  Undertake breed improvement programme for indigenous cattle breeds

 Enhance milk production and productivity  Upgrade nondescript cattle using elite indigenous breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Rathi, Deoni, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi.

 Distribute disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service. -

Gokul grams Economy  It is an initiative to establish Integrated Indigenous Cattle Centres or Gokul Grams in the breeding tracts of indigenous breeds.  It will be established in the native breeding tracts and near metropolitan cities for housing the urban

cattle.

National mission on bovine productivity  It was launched in November 2016 with the aim of enhancing milk production and productivity and thereby make dairying more remunerative to the farmers.  It has following components: o Pashu Sanjivni – identification of animals in milk using UID, issuing health cards to all animals in milk and uploading data on INAPH data base. o Advance reproductive Technique o Creation of e-pashuhaat portal - The e-pashuhaat portal has been launched for linking farmers and breeders of indigenous breeds o Establishment of National Bovine Genomic Centre for Indigenous Breeds (NBGC-IB)

Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF): This scheme would focus on cooperative sector through:  Creation of additional milk processing infrastructure  Chilling infrastructure through setting up of Bulk Milk Coolers  Providing Electronic milk adulteration testing equipment  Facilities for manufacturing value added products.

National Programme for Bovine Breeding:  It aims at enhancing productivity of milch animals through extension of Artificial Insemination (AI) coverage.  This is done through establishment of Multi Purpose AI Technicians in Rural India (MAITRIs); strengthening of existing AI centres; monitoring of AI etc.

Other initiatives  National Kamdhenu Breeding Centres: one each in Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are being setup for conservation of indigenous breeds.  Gopal Ratna Award: for upkeep of the best dairy animals of indigenous breeds.  Kamdhenu Award: for institutions maintaining best herd of indigenous breeds.

2.5 RUCO Why in News? The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) initiative.

About RUCO  It is an initiative that will enable collection and conversion of used cooking oil to bio-diesel.  India has the potential to recover 220 crore litres of used cooking oil for the production of biodiesel by 2022 through a co-ordinated action. GovernmentInterventions  The UCO is handed over to only registered collecting agencies.  According to FSSAI regulations, the maximum permissible limits for Total Polar Compounds (TPC) have been set at 25 per cent, beyond which the cooking oil is unsafe for consumption.  FSSAI is also working in partnership with Biodiesel Association of India and the food industry to ensure effective compliance of used cooking oil regulations.

2.6 TREDS PLATFORM | RXIL Why in news? Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has become the first public sector enterprise to make a transaction on the

"TReDS platform". -

Economy What is TReDS platform?  TReDS stands for Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS)  It is a digital platform where small businesses (MSMEs) can get access to capital by auctioning their

trade receivables.  The process is also commonly known as ‘bills discounting’. It’s a system where a financier (typically a bank) buying a bill (trade receivable) from a seller of goods before it’s due or before the buyer credits the value of the bill.  In other words, a seller gets credit against a bill which is due to him at a later date. The discount is the interest paid to the financier.

What are the discounting rates?  The financiers can’t bid below marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) rate set by the RBI.  Typically, for buyers with good credit ratings, financiers bid near the MCLR rate. The spread widens depending upon the buyers' credit rating.

What is RXIL?  Receivables Exchange of India (RXIL) is India’s first TReDS platform and is operating since January 2017.  It is promoted by the National Stock Exchange, SIDBI, SBI and some other banks.  Other than RXIL, RBI has given license to two more entities and they are governed by the Payment and Settlement Systems Act. These are: o A Treds, a joint-venture between Axis Bank and Mjunction Services o Mynd Solution.

2.7 UPI 2.0 Why in News? An upgraded version of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), UPI 2.0, was launched.

New Features 1. Linking of overdraft account: In addition to current and savings accounts, customers can link their overdraft account to UPI. 2. One-time mandate: UPI mandate could be used in a scenario where money is to be transferred later by providing commitment at present. 3. Invoice in the inbox: This feature is designed for customers to check the invoice sent by merchant prior to making payment. 4. Signed intent and QR: This feature is designed for customers to check the authenticity of merchants while scanning QR or quick response code.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI)  UPI is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood GovernmentInterventions  It is an instant real-time payment system developed by National Payments Corporation of India facilitating inter-bank transactions.  The interface is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India.  UPI is built over Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) for transferring funds.  Being a digital payment system it is available 24-7 and across public

holidays.  Unlike traditional mobile wallets, which takes a specified amount of money from user and stores it in its own accounts, UPI withdraws and deposits funds directly from the bank account whenever a transaction is

requested. -  UPI was launched on 11 April 2016. Economy

2.8 ALL INDIA RURAL FINANCIAL INCLUSION SURVEY 2016-17 Why in news? The NABARD All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey 2016-17 covered a sample of 1.88 lakh people from 40,327 rural households. Only 48% of these are defined as agricultural households.

What is Agriculture Household? 1. Households which have at least one member self-employed in agriculture and, 2. Which received more than ₹5,000 as value of produce from agricultural activities over the past year, whether they possessed any land or not.  It found that 52.5% of the agricultural households had an outstanding and thus were considered indebted.  For non-agricultural households in rural India, it was at only 42.8%.  Agricultural households also had a higher debt liability compared with non-agricultural ones.

Key findings of survey  The average annual income of an agricultural household is ₹1.07 lakh which is almost equal to the average outstanding debt of indebted farm households.  The survey found that only 10.5% of agricultural households were found to have a valid Kisan Credit Card at the time of the survey.  The highest incidence of indebtedness came from those owning more than two hectares of land. In that category, 60% of households are in debt.  Among small and marginal farmers owning less than 0.4 hectares, slightly less than 50% of the households were in debt.  The southern States of 1. Telangana (79%) 2. Andhra Pradesh (77%) 3. Karnataka (74%), Showed the highest levels of indebtedness among agricultural households.  While 46% of the loans were taken from commercial banks, and another 10% from self-help groups, almost 40% were taken from non-institutional sources such as relatives, friends, moneylenders and landlords.

2.9 MICRO, SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES Why in News? MSME credit growth back at pre-note ban levels.

 MSME is second largest employment generating sector after agriculture sector.  The share of MSMEs in GDP is about 30%, with the sector accounting for about 45% of manufacturing output and about 40% of India’s total exports. GovernmentInterventions Definitions of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises In accordance with the provision of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) are classified in two Classes: 1. Manufacturing Enterprises The enterprises engaged in the manufacture or production of goods pertaining to any industry specified in the first schedule to the industries (Development and regulation) Act, 1951) or employing plant and machinery in the process of value addition to the final product having a distinct name or character or use. The Manufacturing Enterprise are defined in terms of investment in Plant & Machinery. 2. Service Enterprises The enterprises engaged in providing or rendering of services and are defined in terms of investment in

equipment. - Economy New Classification  The Union Cabinet earlier approved change in the basis of

classifying Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs)

from 'investment in plant & machinery/equipment' to 'annual turnover'.  The change will encourage ease of doing business, make the norms of classification growth oriented and align them to the new tax regime revolving around GST (Goods & Services Tax).  As per the new classification, the same turnover based criteria have been applied for all type of MSMEs including those operating in the services sector.

2.10 DRONES Why in News? Government announces Regulations for Drones.

About the regulations  Drones, their operators and pilots will have to be mandatorily registered on aviation regulator DGCA’s online portal, effective December 1, 2018.  The use of remotely piloted aircraft, a kind of drone, is allowed for taking photographs, conducting surveys such as for laying of pipelines and agricultural purposes and surveillance, as per the regulations on Remotely Piloted Aircraft System unveiled by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.  Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) have been divided into five categories o Nano (less than 250 gm) o Micro (between 250 gm and 2kg) o Small (between 2 and 25 kg) o Large (more than 150 kg)  All RPAS except nano and those owned by NTRO, ARC and Central Intelligence Agencies are to be registered and issued with Unique Identification Number (UIN).  Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) shall be required for RPA operators except for nano RPAS operating below 50 ft., micro RPAS operating below 200 ft., and those owned by NTRO, ARC and Central Intelligence Agencies.  The mandatory equipment required for operation of RPAS except nano category are 1. GNSS (GPS) 2. Return-To-Home (RTH) 3. Anti-collision light 4. ID-Plate 5. Flight controller with flight data logging capability, 6. RF ID and SIM/ No-Permission No Takeoff (NPNT).

 The rules bar use of drones for delivery of items.  They can be deployed for spraying of pesticides and delivery of relief material during a natural disaster only on a case-by-case basis.  As of now, RPAS to operate within visual line of sight (VLoS), during day time only, and upto maximum GovernmentInterventions 400 ft. altitude.  They will have to provide details of flight path to be undertaken for every flight.  Wedding photographers are allowed to use micro drones up to a height of 200 feet, if they are taking pictures in an enclosed premises which is also well-lit.  No Drone Zones: Drones are barred from being flown near airports, international border, coastline, Parliament, Secretariat complex in State capitals, military installations and eco sensitive zones.

 Small and large drones can fly up to a maximum height of 400 feet.  Nano drones must not fly beyond 50 feet and micro drones must be within 200 feet from ground level.

2.11 MARKET CAPITALIZATION Economy Why in News? Reliance Industries (RIL) became the first Indian company to cross the ₹8-lakh-crore market capitalization.

Market Capitalization  Market capitalization is the aggregate valuation of the company based on its current share price and the total number of outstanding stocks.  It is calculated by multiplying the current market price of the company's share with the total outstanding shares of the company.  Market capitalization is one of the most important characteristics that helps the investor determine the returns and the risk in the share.  It also helps the investors choose the stock that can meet their risk and diversification criterion.

2.12 DATA LOCALISATION  Data localization is the act of storing data on any device that is physically present within the borders of a specific country where the data was generated.  Free flow of digital data, especially data which could impact government operations or operations in a region, is restricted by some governments.

2.13 INTER STATE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM (ISTS) Why in News?

India’s First ISTS connected Wind Power Project Commissioned. GovernmentInterventions

About the news  Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) conducted India’s first auction of wind power projects in February 2017.  This was a 1000 MW bid for projects to be connected on ISTS (Inter State Transmission System).  The first auction also signified a major shift from the earlier regime of state-specific feed-in-Tariff

(FiT) model to a Pan-India, market-driven mechanism.

 A part capacity of 126 MW, located in Bhuj (Gujarat) was commissioned.  This 126 MW ISTS project marks the beginning of capacity additions in wind power based on market discovered tariffs, in line with the Government’s plan of 175 GW RE by the year 2022.

ISTS (Inter State Transmission System) Economy  Power generated from one state (renewable resource rich state) could be transmitted to other renewable deficient states.

Solar Energy Corporation of India  "Solar Energy Corporation of India ltd" (SECI) is a CPSU under the administrative control of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).  It was set up on 20th Sept, 2011 to facilitate the implementation of JNNSM and achievement of targets set therein.  It is the only CPSU dedicated to the solar energy sector.  It was originally incorporated as a section-25 (not for profit) (now Sec.8) company under the Companies Act, 1956. (Commercial aspect of a business entity and its growth is completely prohibited)  The company has recently been converted into a Section-3 company under the Companies Act, 2013. (the object is not limited, and is mainly for commercial activities which will facilitate growth of the company)  The mandate of the company has also been broadened to cover the entire renewable energy domain.  The Government has allowed the change of name from "Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)" to "Renewable Energy Corporation of India (RECI)".

National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE)  NISE is an autonomous institution of Ministry of New and Renewable (MNRE).  It is the apex National R&D institution in the field Solar Energy.  Solar Energy Centre (SEC) under MNRE was changed to NISE in 2013 to assist the Ministry in implementing the National Solar Mission and to coordinate research, technology and other related works.  The institute is involved in demonstration, standardization, interactive research, training and testing solar technologies and systems.  It is an effective interface between the Government and institutions, industry & user organizations for development, promotion and widespread utilization of solar energy in the country.  NISE is located in Gurugram Haryana.

2.14 EESL, UJALA AND SLNP Why in News? The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $220 million Loan Agreement and a $80 million Guarantee Agreement for the India Energy Efficiency Scale-Up Program.

About the News  The investments under the Program are expected to avoid lifetime greenhouse gas emissions of 170 million tons of CO2, and contribute to avoiding an estimated 10 GW of additional generation capacity.  This would be over 50 percent of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency target of 19.6 GW indicated in India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Accord.

 This is one of the several steps being taken by the Government of India to meet its climate change commitments to reduce carbon intensity by 33-35 percent by 2030.  The first-ever IBRD guarantee in India will help EESL access new markets for commercial financing in line with the Bank’s approach of maximizing finance for development. GovernmentInterventions  The $80 million IBRD guarantee will partially cover re-payment risks to commercial lenders or investors, to enable EESL to raise funds for its program.

What is EESL?  Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is a joint venture of four National Public Sector Undertakings – NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation Limited, Rural Electrification Corporation

Limited and POWERGRID Corporation of India Limited, set up under Ministry of Power, Government of India.  EESL is a Super Energy Service Company (ESCO).  It acts as the resource center for capacity building for State Distribution Companies (DISCOMs), Energy

Regulatory Commissions (ERCs), State Development Authorities (SDAs), upcoming ESCOs, financial - institutions, etc. Economy  EESL leads the market-related activities of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).

 It is implementing the world’s largest energy efficiency portfolio.

 It’s prominent for its following key programmes o Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA): World’s largest zero-subsidy domestic LED bulb programme. o Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP): World’s largest street light replacement programme. o World’s largest Agricultural Demand Side Management programme (AgDSM).

Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Leds for All (UJALA)  It is to promote efficient lighting, enhance awareness on using efficient equipment which reduce electricity bills and help preserve environment.  UJALA was launched in 5th January, 2015.  Lighting itself accounts for about 20% of the total electricity consumption in India.  It will provide LED bulbs to domestic consumers with a target to replace 770 million incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs by March, 2019.  LED provides better light output than conventional light and is 88% energy efficient as compared to incandescent bulbs.  Further LED lights are 50% energy efficient as compared to CFLs.

Implementing agency  Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a government company under the administrative control of Ministry of Power, Government of India.

How the model works?  Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) distributes LED bulbs to households at 40 % of market price.  Total upfront investment and risk coverage borne by EESL.  DISCOM pays EESL from actual energy savings over 5 years.  Hence no subsidy required from government and it will have no impact on electricity tariffs.

Street Lighting National Programme  SLNP aims to replace India’s 14 million conventional street lights in India with Smart LED variants by 2019.  SLNP was launched in 5th January, 2015.  The project will be carried out by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) functioning under the Ministry of Power.  It will replace conventional street lights with LEDs at its own costs with zero investment from Urban Local Bodies and municipal corporations.  The consequent reduction in energy and maintenance cost of the ULBs is used to repay EESL  It have replaced over 3.5 million conventional street lights with LED lights, leading to an annual energy saving of more than 486 million kWh, and reducing over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

2.15 BIOFUEL FLIGHT AND DGCA

Why in News? GovernmentInterventions India has now joined the small league of nations with the US and Australia to have flown a biofuel-powered aircraft.

About biofuel fight  The objective is to make air travel economical and bring some respite to the airlines reeling under high fuel price through the use of alternate fuel.

 SpiceJet flew the Bombardier Q400 (VT-SUI) on biofuel at Dehradun.

 India is among the first developing nations to make such an attempt.  This fuel is made from vegetable oils, sugar, animal fats, waste biomass and can be used in existing engines without modification.

 The biofuel for the SpiceJet flight has been developed by Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun. -

 The fuel has been analysed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Indian Oil. Economy  The first-ever flight using biofuel was flown ten years ago by the Virgin Atlantic airlines between London and Amsterdam.

More about DGCA  Directorate General of Civil Aviation is the regulatory body governing the safety aspects of civil aviation in India.  It works under ministry of civil aviation.  Its vision is to promote safe and efficient Air Transportation through regulation and proactive safety oversight system.

Important Functions  Registration of civil aircraft.  Formulation of standards of airworthiness for civil aircraft and grant of certificates of airworthiness to such aircraft.  Licensing of pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and flight engineers, and conducting examinations for that purpose.  Certification of aerodrome.  Granting of Air Operator’s Certificates to Indian carriers and regulation of air transport services.  Conducting investigation into incidents and serious incidents involving aircraft.

2.16 TOLL-OPERATE-TRANSFER PROJECT Why in News? Global financial conglomerate Macquarie group made an upfront payment of Rs 9,681.50 crore to the government to operate nine stretches of NHAI under a new toll collection policy for 30 years.

About the news  The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has floated India's first toll operate transfer (TOT) model to monetise NHs by awarding toll collection operations to a private party on a long term basis.  Under this model, the right of collection of user-fee or toll on selected national highway stretches that have been built through public funding is proposed to be assigned for a 30-year period to developers and investors against an upfront payment of a lump-sum amount to the government.  During the tenure of the contract, the operation and maintenance would be the responsibility of the developer.  The advantages of the model are that the investors don’t have to go through any hassles of construction or delays due to land acquisition.  The first such project approximately 681 KM of roads in two states of Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, was awarded in 2018.

2.17 BONDI BOND

Why in News? GovernmentInterventions The World Bank has issued the world’s first public bond created and managed using only blockchain.

About the news  The World Bank has priced the world’s first public bond created and managed using only blockchain at A$100 million ($73.16 million).  World Bank bond will be the first time that capital is raised from public investors through a legally valid bond issuance that uses blockchain from start to finish.

 It is being viewed as an initial step in moving bond sales away from manual processes towards faster

and cheaper automation.  Commonwealth Bank of Australia is the sole manager of the deal.  The prototype deal dubbed as “Bondi” bond stands for Blockchain Operated New Debt Instrument

as well as a reference to Australia’s most famous beach. - SocialSector  The World Bank bonds carry an AAA rating, regularly uses its borrowing power to help develop new bond markets as well as pioneering new means for selling and trading the securities.  Russia’s MTS, a telecoms operator, and Sberbank claimed a world-first blockchain bond, was however privately placed.  Kangaroo bonds are bonds issued in Australian dollars by foreign institutions.

3 GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS -SOCIAL SECTOR 3.1 ARIIA Why in News? The Centre announced another annual ranking of higher educational institutions, based on how they fare in terms of innovation.

About ARIIA  The new ranking named Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) will be formally launched on October 15, the birth anniversary of former President APJ Abdul Kalam.  The first results will be declared on February 28, 2019, which is also Science Day.  It will work parallel to the overall ranking of institutions captured by the annual National Institutional Ranking Framework.  There was a slight distinction between research, which is crucial in the NIRF framework and innovation, which is crucial in the ARIIA framework.  Research produces new knowledge while innovation puts that knowledge to use.  RIIA, named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee will focus on 1. Budget expenses and revenues generated 2. Facilitating access to advance centres 3. Ideas of entrepreneurship 4. Innovation ecosystems supported through teaching and learning 5. Innovative solutions to improve governance of the institution.

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)  The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) was approved by the MHRD and launched in September 2015.  This framework outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country.  The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, the first Indian institution to make it to the top 10 in small universities global ranking, has been placed at the top in the NIRF 2017.  NIRF is an attempt to provide credible official rankings of India’s higher educational institution on a set of parameters. 1. Teaching learning and resources 2. Research, consulting and collaborative performance 3. Graduation outcomes 4. Outreach and inclusivity 5. Perception

3.2 IIT-PAL, SWAYAM PORTAL AND SWAYAM PRABHA Gove Why in News?

IIT-PAL lectures will now be available on the 'Swayam' platform and can be accessed on mobile phones rnmentInterventions anytime, the Union HRD Minister has said.

What is IIT-PAL?  IIT-PAL (Professor Assisted Learning) lectures, which are prepared by the IITs, aim to help students crack the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), and will be telecast on Human Resource Development (HRD)

Ministry's Swayam Prabha Channels.  IIT-PAL programme now has over 600 lectures on four subjects Maths, Physics, Chemistry.

What is SWAYAM? -

 Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) Portal is a national platform for SocialSector Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) under its National Mission on Education through Information & Communication Technology (NME-ICT).  This platform being developed to serve as a source for courses related to all fields from high school, starting with the 9th standard, up till post graduation.

 It has been developed by MHRD and AICTE with the help of Microsoft.

 It hosts about 2000 courses and 80000 hours of learning in different streams including engineering, law, post-graduate and under-graduate courses and some other professional courses.  They are produced and delivered by:  NPTEL for engineering,  UGC for post-graduation education,  CEC for under-graduate education,  NCERT & NIOS for school education,  IGNOU for out of the school students and  IIMB for management studies.

What is Swayam Prabha?  It is a group of 32 DTH channels devoted to telecasting of high-quality educational programmes on 24X7 basis using the GSAT-15 satellite.  Every day, there will be new content for at least (4) hours which would be repeated 5 more times in a day, allowing the students to choose the time of their convenience.  The channels are developed by INFLIBNET Gandhinagar and uplinked from BISAG, Gandhinagar.  The contents are provided by NPTEL, IITs, UGC, CEC, IGNOU, NCERT and NIOS. The INFLIBNET Centre maintains the web portal.  After watching the content, students can call on toll free helpline number to clear their doubts.  The DTH Channels shall cover the following:  Higher Education: PG –UG for diverse disciplines such as arts, science, commerce, performing arts, social sciences and humanities, engineering, technology, law, medicine, agriculture, etc.  School education (9-12 levels)  Curriculum-based courses that can meet the needs of life-long learners of Indian citizens in India and abroad.  Assist students (class 11th & 12th) prepare for competitive exams.

3.3 RASHTRIYA UCHCHATAR SHIKSHA ABHIYAN (RUSA) Why in news? NITI Aayog has identified 117 districts as ‘Aspirational Districts’ for RUSA scheme.

Significance  During the second phase of RUSA, central assistance is provided for opening of new Model Degree Colleges(MDCs) in ‘Aspirational Districts’ identified by NITI Aayog and in unserved & underserved districts in North Eastern and Himalayan States.

 These districts have been selected on the basis of composite index which includes published data of deprivation enumerated under Socio-Economic Caste Census, Health &Nutrition, Education and

Basic Infrastructure. GovernmentInterventions

More about RUSA  Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) is a centrally sponsored scheme for the holistic development for higher education in India.  It was initiated in 2013 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.The second phase of the scheme will be from 2017 to 2020.

Aim of the Scheme  It aims at providing strategic funding to higher educational institutions throughout the country.  It seeks to improve the overall quality of existing State higher educational institutions by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards.

 Transformative reforms such as governance, academic, affiliation and accreditation reforms are - prerequisites in the implementation of the scheme in State higher educational institutions. SocialSector

Funding  Funding is provided by the central ministry through the state governments and union territories (UT based on critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans.

 All funding under the RUSA are norm based and future grants are outcome dependent.

3.4 SWACHH SURVEKSHAN, ODF+ AND ODF++ Why in news? Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs launched Swachh Survekshan 2019 on in New Delhi along with the Ease of Living Index and a slew of new initiatives under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).

Swachh Survekshan  Swachh Survekshan is a ranking exercise taken up by the Government of India to assess rural and urban areas for their levels of cleanliness and active implementation of Swachhata mission initiatives in a timely and innovative manner.  The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) had conducted ‘Swachh Survekshan in 2016 survey for the rating of 73 cities and in 2017 for 434 cities.  The recently concluded Swachh Survekshan 2018 ranked 4,203 Cities  The survey has already succeeded in fostering a spirit of healthy competition among towns and cities to improve their service delivery to citizens, towards creating cleaner cities.  MoHUA proposes to conduct its fourth survey – Swachh Survekshan 2019 – planned to be conducted from 4th – 31st January 2019 - to rank all cities under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U).

SBM ODF Plus and ODF Plus Plus Protocol  Both the protocols aim towards ensuring sustainability of the ODF status.  The SBM ODF Plus protocol focuses on proper maintenance of community/ pubic toilet usage.  The SBM ODF Plus Plus protocol will focus on complete sanitation value chain, including safe collection, conveyance, treatment and disposal of all faecal sludge and sewage.

Swachh Manch web portal  It is a web-based platform which aims to bring together every stakeholder contributing to the Swachh Bharat Mission under a common platform.  The platform will allow stakeholders to create/invite/participate in volunteering opportunities around neighborhoods.  Swachh Manch will enable uploads of pictorial evidence of citizens and organizations participating in the initiatives, as well as record the number of hours volunteered, as acknowledgement of citizens’/organisations’ efforts and contributions to the cause of ‘swachhata.’  The Swachh Manch will also be integrated with the existing Swachhata App to act as a citizens’ grievance redressal platform.

Swachch Bharat Mission  Swachh Bharat Mission is a massive mass movement that seeks to create a Clean India by 2019.  The mission will cover all rural and urban areas.

 The urban component of the mission will be implemented by the Ministry of Urban Development.

 The rural component by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. GovernmentInterventions Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban objectives  Elimination of open defecation,  Conversion of unsanitary toilets to pour flush toilets,  Eradication of manual scavenging,  Municipal solid waste management  Bringing about a behavioural change in people regarding healthy sanitation practices.

Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)  The Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan has been restructured into the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).  The mission aims to make India an open defecation free country in Five Years.  It seeks to improve the levels of cleanliness in rural areas through

o Solid and Liquid Waste Management activities. - o Making Gram Panchayats Open Defecation Free (ODF), clean and sanitised. SocialSector

3.5 DRUGS AND COSMETICS ACT, 1940 | CDSCO Why in news? Recently government asserted its role to ensure quality of medicines and their availability at affordable prices to common people.

About Drug and Cosmetics Act 1940  Drugs manufactured in the country, irrespective of whether branded or generic, are required to comply with the same standards as prescribed in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.  The original act was prepared in accordance to the recommendations of the Chopra Committee formed in 1930.  The term "drug" as defined in the act includes a wide variety of substance, diagnostic and medical devices, include Ayurveda and Unani drugs but excludes soap.

Important measures related to Drug Control  Drugs & Cosmetics (Amendment) Act 2008 to provide stringent penalties for manufacture of spurious and adulterated drugs.  National List of Essential Medicines o It contains the list of medicines essential based on the country’s disease burden, priority health concerns, affordability concerns etc. o These medicines are regulated under Revised Schedule - I based on National List of Essential Medicines, 2015 (NLEM, 2015). o Till June 2018, 851 medicines (including 4 medical devices i.e. Cardiac stents, drug eluting stents, condoms and intra uterine devices) are under NLEM. o The NLEM list is reviewed every three years to include or exclude drugs. o Government is planning to delink NLEM from DPCO.  Drug Price Control Order o The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) regulate the prices of medicines under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995 o Currently, the health ministry prepares a list of drugs eligible for price regulation. Then the department of pharmaceuticals, which comes under the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers, incorporates them into Schedule 1 of DPCO. Following this, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixes the prices of drugs in this schedule.  Special Courts for trial of offences under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act for speedy disposal lead by the States / UTs.  Mandatory bioequivalence study along with the application for grant of manufacturing license of oral dosage form of drugs.  License for manufacturing, sale and distribution of Drugs are granted by State Licensing Authorities appointed by respective State Governments.  ‘Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana’ (PMBJP) was launched by Department of Pharmaceuticals, in 2008 in order to make quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all through specific outlets, © Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 28 www.youtube.com/neoias | www.fb.com/neoias | http://bit.do/neo-upscprelims

About CDSCO

 The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) is the Central Drug Authority for GovernmentInt discharging functions assigned to the Central Government under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.  Major functions of CDSCO: o Regulatory control over the import of drugs. o Approval of new drugs and clinical trials. o Meetings of Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) and Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB). o Approval of certain licenses as Central License Approving Authority.

erventions

3.6 Poshan Maah Why in News? The Ministry of Women and Child Development organized a workshop for various stakeholders participating

in the Poshan Maah (National Nutrition Month) being celebrated in the month of September. - SocialSector

About Poshan Maah  The primary objective of the celebration of Poshan Maah is to take the messages of POSHAN to the grass root level.  The programme is an initiative of WCD Ministry and NITI.  It seeks to synergise all efforts by leveraging technology and intends to take nutrition awareness to the level of Jan Andolan or People’s Movement.  The programme focuses on 8 themes 1. Antenatal Care 2. Optimal Breastfeeding (Early & Exclusive) 3. Complementary Feeding 4. Anemia 5. Growth Monitoring 6. Girls-education 7. Diet 8. Right age of Marriage 9. Hygiene & Sanitation 10. Food Fortification

POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission)  POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) was launched on 8th March, 2018 from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.  It strives to reduce the level of Stunting, Under-nutrition, Anemia and Low Birth Weight in Children, Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers, thus holistically addressing malnutrition.  POSHAN Abhiyaan aims to ensure service delivery and interventions by use of technology, behavioural change through convergence and lays-down specific targets to be achieved across different monitoring parameters over the next few years.  To ensure a holistic approach, all 36 States/UTs and 718 districts will be covered in a phased manner by the year 2020.

3.7 FOOD FORTIFICATION Why in News? Swadeshi Jagran Manch opposed the mandatory fortification of foods on the ground that some micronutrients are sourced from animals and are against the cultural beliefs and practices of vegetarians and may lead to “law and order issues.”

What is Food Fortification?  Fortification is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as Iron, Iodine, Zinc, Vitamins A & D to staple foods such as rice, wheat, oil, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content.  These nutrients may or may not have been originally present in the food before processing or may have been lost during processing.

 Deficiency of micronutrients or micronutrient malnutrition, also known as ‘hidden hunger’, is a serious health risk.

 India has a very high burden of micronutrient deficiencies caused by Vitamin A, Iodine, Iron and Folic GovernmentInterventions Acid leading to Night Blindness, Goitre, Anaemia and various birth defects.  The Copenhagen Consensus estimates that every 1 Rupee spent on fortification results in 9 Rupees in benefits to the economy.

3.8 ISHAN VIKAS AND ISHAN UDAY Why in News?

Ishan Vikas and Ishan Uday schemes are being implemented for the students of North Eastern region.

Ishan Vikas  Under the programme, selected school children from North Eastern States are brought in close contact

with the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research - SocialSector (IISERs) and National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS).  It is to motivate them to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to facilitate internship opportunities for the engineering college students in various institutes of national importance  Ishan Vikas is coordinated by IIT, Guwahati.  Annual target is to provide visit of 96 school children to premier institutes and summer internships to 250 engineering students.

Ishan Uday Scholarship  Under the scheme, scholarship is provided to the economically backward students from the North East Region for pursuing general degree courses, technical and professional degree courses.  Ishan Uday Scholarship Scheme is administered by University Grants Commission (UGC).  It is envisaged to provide 10000 scholarships annually.

3.9 PRADHAN MANTRI SURAKSHA BIMA YOJANA Why in News? As on 31st July 2018, 13.74 crore people have been covered under PMSBY across the country.

About PMSBY  The Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) is aimed at covering the uncovered population with accidental life insurance.  Accidents, any death or disability (as defined under PMSBY) resulting from natural calamities is covered under PMSBY.  Death due to suicide is not covered, but that from murder is covered.  It is launched to move towards creating a universal social security system, targeted especially for the poor and the under-privileged.

Conditions Premium Rs.12 per year. Age group 18 to 70 years with a savings bank account Risk coverage Rs. 2 lakh for accidental death and permanent total disability Rs. 1 lakh for permanent partial disability

3.10 KANYASHREE Why in News? The West Bengal government has widened the reach of its flagship women welfare scheme ‘Kanyashree’ by lifting the ceiling on annual family income.

About the Scheme  Kanyashree was launched to prevent child marriage in economically weaker sections with an annual household income of Rs.1.2 lakh. (now it is taken away)  It was launched in 2013.

 Successful applicants got ₹1,000 a year scholarship from 13 to 18 years and a one-time grant of ₹25,000 on remaining unmarried till 18 years.

 The United Nations had awarded the West Bengal government the first place for Public Service for GovernmentInterventions its ‘Kanyashree’ scheme.

3.11 TRIFED Why in News? TRIFED has made record procurement of tribal products worth Rs.204.88 Lakhs in the month of July, 2018.

About TRIFED

 TRIFED was established with core objective of institutionalizing the trade of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and Surplus Agriculture Produce (SAP) collected/cultivated by tribals.  It was established in August 1987 by the then Ministry of Welfare, Government of India, under the Multi

State Cooperative Societies Act 1984. - SocialSector  It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India.

Functions  TRIFED’s sole objective is to bring about a multi-dimensional transformation of the tribal society and a shift in the perception of their existing image.  It has a network of 31 retail outlets called “TRIBES INDIA”, 37 consignment outlets of various State Emporia and 16 franchised outlets.  The approach of marketing development of tribal products envisages TRIFED’s role as a facilitator and service provider.  The philosophy behind this approach is to empower tribal people with knowledge, tools and pool of information so that they can undertake their operations in a more systematic and scientific manner.  It also works as an agency to the FCI for procurement of Wheat and Rice.

Initiatives  Aadi Mahotsav: National Tribal Craft Expo for promoting and marketing tribal products. It also facilitates the participation of tribal artisans to enable them to interact directly with art lovers to assess the market needs.  E-Tribes India: TRIFED’s websites - www.tribesindia.com, www.trifed.in and Retail Inventory Software and M-commerce app for marketing tribal products.  Tribes India Banners: Brand for marketing tribal products through e-commerce portal like Amazon, Snapdeal, Paytm & GeM.

3.12 DISABILITY ADJUSTED LIFE YEARS (DALY) Why in news? A recent WHO report estimated that 14 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) can be avoided in India between 2014 and 2019 if the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) is properly implemented.

What is Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY)?  It is a universal metric that allows researchers and policymakers to compare very different populations and health conditions across time.  DALYs equal the sum of years of life lost (YLLs) and years lived with disability (YLDs).

 One DALY equals one lost year of healthy life.  DALYs allow us to estimate the total number of years lost due to specific causes and risk factors at the country, regional, and global levels.

What is a Years of Life Lost (YLL)?  Years of life lost (YLLs) are years lost due to premature mortality.  YLLs are calculated by subtracting the age at death from the longest possible life expectancy for a person at that age. © Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 31 www.youtube.com/neoias | www.fb.com/neoias | http://bit.do/neo-upscprelims

 For example, if the longest life expectancy for men in a given country is 75, but a man dies of cancer at 65, this would be 10 years of life lost due to cancer.

What is Years Lived with Disability (YLD)?  YLD is an abbreviation for years lived with disability, which can also be described as years lived in less than ideal health.

 This includes conditions such as influenza, which may last for only a few days, or epilepsy, which can InternationalRelations last a lifetime.  It is measured by taking the prevalence of the condition multiplied by the disability weight for that condition.

 Disability weights reflect the severity of different conditions and are developed through surveys of the general public.

4 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 4.1 JOHANNESBURG DECLARATION Why in news? The tenth annual BRICS Summit, held in Johannesburg, South Africa recently saw the BRICS leaders come together and discuss various international and regional issues of common concern and adopted the 'Johannesburg Declaration' by consensus.

What is the Johannesburg Declaration?  The declaration reaffirms principles of democracy, inclusiveness and agrees to fight unilateralism and protectionism.  The leaders jointly reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of mutual respect, sovereign equality, democracy, inclusiveness and strengthened collaboration.  The BRICS leaders have used the summit to reject the growing unilateralism and instead reiterate their commitment to the strengthening of multilateral institutions, calling for stronger intra-trade within member states.  The declaration comes as the United States and China remain deadlocked in a trade war over tariffs.

4.2 MATTALA PROJECT Why in news? Three rounds of official negotiations were completed on a likely joint venture between the Airports Authority of India and the Airport & Aviation Services in Sri Lanka, to run the loss-making Mattala airport, located in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province.

More on Mattala Airport  Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is located near the strategically significant Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka.  The $210 million facility, 241km south-east of Colombo, is dubbed the “world’s emptiest airport” due to a lack of flights.

4.3 STRATEGIC TRADE AUTHORISATION-1 (STA-1) Why in news? The US administration has decided to place India in the Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 (STA-1) list.

STA status  Strategic Trade Authorisation (STA) is the licence exemption that allows a set of items on the Commerce Control List to be exported from the US under defined conditions without a transaction- specific licence.  India is the only south Asian nation to be given the designation along with the US' NATO allies like South Korea, Australia and Japan.  US has relaxed a key condition that India would be eligible only after it had secured the membership of all four technology control regimes — the NSG, the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group.

Benefits of STA-1 status to India  STA Tier 1 treatment, comparable with NATO allies, will expand the scope of US exports to India without individual licences.  This will help India getting critical and latest technology from the US in the defence as well as certain other key areas.  It is also a boost for the foundational COMCASA. InternationalRelations

COMCASA  Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) is meant to provide a legal

framework for the transfer of communication security equipment from the U.S. to India.  COMCASA is said to be part of a set of 3 agreements that the U.S. considers vital for a functional military relationship.  India and U.S. already signed the “Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA)”, for mutual logistic assistance between their militaries.

4.4 THE ‘8888’ UPRISING Why in News? August 8 marks the 30th anniversary of the people’s ‘8888’ uprising in Myanmar.

About the anniversary  The ‘8888’ uprising (or the eighth day of August 1988) was a people’s movement that challenged the then ruling Burma Socialist Programme Party’.  The objective of ‘8888’ was two-fold: o To push for the transfer of power from the military to a civilian leadership. o A change in the political system from an authoritarian regime to a multi-party democracy.  It gave rise to the National League for Democracy (NLD), a political party which paved the way for the current Myanmar State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi’s entry into politics and for the pro-democracy movement to continue.

4.5 TAPI GAS PIPELINE Why in news? India has sought re-negotiation of the natural gas price it is to source through a proposed $10 billion Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline due to slump in global energy markets.

InternationalRelations More about TAPI gas pipeline  The TAPI (Turkmenistan–Afghanistan– Pakistan–India) Pipeline, also known as

Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline, is a natural

gas pipeline being developed by the Galkynysh – TAPI Pipeline Company Limited with participation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).  India’s effort is to tap Turkmenistan’s

Galkynysh gas fields, which are the fourth largest in the world.  The pipeline will transport natural gas from Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India.  Construction on the project started on December 2015. The life of supply is expected to last for period of 30 years and shall be operational from 2019.  Member countries of the project have recommended establishing an inter-government joint security task force (JSTF) to serve as the nucleus of the safety of the pipeline.

4.6 UYGHURS Why in news? A United Nations human rights panel reported massive interning of Uyghurs in China.

Who are the Uyghurs?  Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group who live in East and Central Asia.  Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China.  Modern Uyghurs are now primarily Muslim, and they are the second largest Muslim ethnic group in China after the Hui.  They are genetically related to both Caucasoid and East Asian populations.

4.7 WADA Why in news? Eleven Indian athletes in the National camp at Jablonec near Prague in the Czech Republic were tested by WADA.

About WADA  The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic Committee to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sports.  It is based in Montreal, Canada  It was established in 1999 as an international nonprofit independent agency composed and funded equally by the sport movement and governments of the world.  Its key activities include o Scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities, and o Monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) – the document harmonizing anti-doping policies in all sports and all countries.

4.8 INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND Why in news? International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s latest projection about India’s gross domestic product (GDP).

About the news

 The near-term macroeconomic outlook for India is “broadly favourable.” InternationalRelations  Growth is forecast to rise to 7.3% in fiscal year 2018/19 and 7.5% in 2019/20 on strengthening investment and robust private consumption.  The current account deficit is projected to widen further to 2.6% of the GDP on rising oil prices and

strong demand for imports.

 Headline inflation is projected to rise to 5.2% in fiscal year 2018/19, as demand conditions tighten, along with the recent depreciation of the rupee and higher oil prices, housing rent allowances and agricultural minimum support prices.

About IMF

 The IMF, also known as the “Fund,” was conceived at a United Nations conference convened in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States, in July 1944.  It sought to build a framework for economic cooperation that would avoid a repetition of the Great Depression of the 1930s.  It is a specialized agency of the United Nations.  Membership is open to any country that conducts foreign policy and accepts the organization's statutes.

Functions  The IMF’s responsibilities: o The IMF's primary purpose is to ensure the stability of the international monetary system—the system of exchange rates and international payments that enables countries (and their citizens) to transact with each other. o The Fund’s mandate was updated in 2012 to include all macroeconomic and financial sector issues that bear on global stability.  It provides regular assessment of o Global prospects in its World Economic Outlook o Financial markets in its Global Financial Stability Report o Public finance developments in its Fiscal Monitor o Series of regional economic outlooks.  The IMF provides technical assistance and training to help member countries strengthen their capacity to design and implement effective policies.  The IMF issues an international reserve asset known as Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) that can supplement the official reserves of member countries.  The primary source of the IMF's financial resources is its members’ quotas, which broadly reflect members’ relative position in the world economy.

Facts-IMF  Membership: 189 countries  Headquarters: Washington, D.C

4.9 SALTA G20 DIGITAL ECONOMY MINISTERIAL MEETING Why in News? A declaration that reflects the G20’s commitment towards promoting “policies and actions that catalyze digital transformations issued at the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting in Salta, Argentina.

Location Salta is a provincial capital in mountainous north-western Argentina.

More about G20  The Group of Twenty (G20) is a leading forum of the world's major economies that seeks to develop global policies to address most pressing challenges. © Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 35 www.youtube.com/neoias | www.fb.com/neoias | http://bit.do/neo-upscprelims

 The G20 is made up of 19 countries and the European Union.  The G20 was born out of a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors in 1999 who saw a need for a more inclusive body with broader representation to have a stronger impact on addressing the world’s financial challenges.  G20 plays a significant role in consensus building at the highest political level, especially at times of financial crisis and help to achieve financial stability.  Collectively, G20 members represent all inhabited continents, 85 percent of global economic output, InternationalRelations two-thirds of the world's population, and 75 percent of international trade.  The 2018 G20 summit will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Japan will host the summit in 2019 and Saudi Arabia in 2020.

 The 1st summit was held in United States in 2008.

4.10 WORLD HINDI CONFERENCE Why in News? 11th World Hindi Conference was recently held in Port Louis, Mauritius. The theme for this year’s conference is “Vaishvik Hindi Aur Bharatiya Sanskriti“.

More about World Hindi Conference  World Hindi Conference was started in 1975 to make the Hindi language a medium of service and knowledge and enable it to move forward with the time.  The first World Hindi Conference was held in 1975 in Nagpur, India.  The event, held once in three years, is dedicated to Hindi language.  It sees participation from Hindi scholars, writers and laureates from different parts of the world who contribute to the language.

About World Hindi Secretariat  Ministry of External Affairs has set up the World Hindi Secretariat in Mauritius.  The objectives are the promotion of Hindi as an international language and further the cause for recognition at the United Nations as an Official Language.

About Panini Language Laboratory  Panini Language Laboratory’ has been set up at Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) in Mauritius.  The lab, gifted by the Indian government, will help MGI in teaching Indian languages in Mauritius.  It aims to promote reading and writing Hindi amongst young generation and its further development.  It will serve as medium to generate more interest in learning Hindi amongst youngsters thereby strengthening language.

4.11 ICOMOS Why in News? ICOMOS launches initiative to save cultural heritage damaged in flood-hit Kerala.

About ICOMOS  The ICOMOS, a global monument conservation body, has launched an initiative to assess the damage to the rich cultural and built heritage in flood-devastated Kerala and set up an emergency response platform.

International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)  The ICOMOS is a prestigious non-government organization.  It is headquartered in Paris.  It is dedicated for promoting the application of theory, methodology and scientific techniques for conservation of architectural and archaeological heritage across the world.  The initiative also aims at setting up a platform for emergency response to the cultural heritage damaged by the floods in Kerala.  ICOMOS is also an advisory body to the UNESCO for cultural heritage, in particular for implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

 The ICOMOS has also approached the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) to partner in the post -disaster work.  Rome-based ICCROM is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage worldwide through training, information, research, cooperation and advocacy programmes.

4.12 INDIAN OCEAN CONFERENCE InternationalRelations Why in News? The third edition of Indian Ocean Conference begin at Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

About the News

 Indian Ocean Conference is an initiative to bring the state leaders, diplomats and bureaucrats from across the region under one roof to strengthen the understanding among each other.  It is organized by Indian Foundation along with the partners from Singapore, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.  The Indian Ocean Conference will emphasise on better cooperation, strategic collaboration and

governance architectures.  This conference will serve a platform to the countries to come closer and exchange better views on the economic and strategic importance of the region and neighbourhood.  Earlier, the conference was held in Singapore and Sri Lanka in 2016 and 2017 respectively.  The theme of the two- day conference is ‘Building Regional Architectures’, particularly with regards to trade and commerce, security and governance.

4.13 INDUS WATER TREATY Why in News? India and Pakistan will resume their talks on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty in Lahore.

About the News  The Pakistani side will reiterate its objections over two water storage and hydropower projects being built by India i.e 1000 MW Pakal Dul and 48 MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects on the Chenab River.  Water commissioners of Pakistan and India were required to meet twice a year.  It is also expected to discuss ways and means for timely and smooth sharing of hydrological data on shared rivers.

More about Indus Water Commission  Under Indus Water Treaty, a Permanent Indus Commission is set up as a bilateral commission to implement and manage the Treaty.  As per its provisions, India and Pakistan shall each create a permanent post of Commissioner for Indus Waters. These two Commissioners will together form the Permanent Indus Commission.  A person who is ordinarily a high-ranking engineer competent in the field of hydrology and water use is appointed as its commissioners.  Unless either Government should decide to take up any particular question directly with the other Government, each Commissioner will be the representative of his Government for all matters arising out of this Treaty.

Functions of the commission  The Commission must meet regularly at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan.  The Commission must submit annual report to the Government of India and to the Government of Pakistan.  The Commission can determine its own procedures.  The status of each Commissioner and his duties and responsibilities towards his Government will be determined by that Government.  It has the responsibility of o the furnishing or exchange of information or data provided for in the Treaty o the giving of any notice or response to any notice provided for in the Treaty. o undertake, once in every five years, a general tour of inspection of the Rivers for ascertaining the facts. © Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 37 www.youtube.com/neoias | www.fb.com/neoias | http://bit.do/neo-upscprelims

About Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)  IWT is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan which was brokered by the World Bank.  It deals with sharing of water of Indus water system having six rivers — Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum between the two countries.  It was signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President of Pakistan Ayub Khan in Karachi InternationalRelations on September 19, 1960.  It is the most successful water treaty in world.  As per treaty, control over three eastern rivers Ravi, Beas and Sutlej were given to India. While control

over three western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab was given to Pakistan.  It allows India to use only 20% of the water of Indus River, which flows through it first, for irrigation, power generation and transport.

4.14 NAFTA Why in News? The United States and Mexico agreed to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), putting pressure on Canada to agree to new terms on auto trade and dispute settlement rules to remain part of the three-nation pact.

New auto rules  The deal would require 75 per cent of auto content to be made in the NAFTA region, up from the current level of 62.5 per cent.  The deal improves labor provisions, in part by requiring 40 percent to 45 percent of auto content to be made by workers earning at least $16 per hour.  The United States relented on its demand for an automatic expiration for the deal, known as a “sunset clause.”  Instead, the United States and Mexico agreed to a 16-year lifespan for the deal, with a review every six years that can extend the pact for 16 years.

More about NAFTA  The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a comprehensive trade agreement that sets the rules of trade and investment between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.  It entered into force on January 1, 1994.  NAFTA was supplemented by two other regulations: the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) and the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC).  These side agreements were intended to prevent businesses from relocating to other countries to exploit lower wages, lenient worker health and safety regulations and looser environmental regulations.  The agreement eliminated most tariffs on trade between these nations.

4.15 CASPIAN SEA AGREEMENT AND AKTAU Why in News? The presidents of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan met in Aktau, Kazakhstan to sign the convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea.

About the News  The core dispute over the Caspian is it a lake or a sea.  The terminology matters because it dictates how the littoral states use the body of water and how the Caspian’s resources are divvied up.  Until 1991, the Caspian had only two littoral states — the Soviet Union and Iran — which treated the Caspian as a border lake, with their 1921 Treaty of Friendship.

Outcomes  The convention signed confirm that the surface of the Caspian Sea would be legally classified as a sea.

 It means that each country would control 15 nautical miles of water from its shoreline for mineral exploration and 25 natural miles of shoreline for fishing.  All other parts of the Caspian Sea would be considered neutral waters for common use.  The convention stipulates that only countries through which a pipeline crosses would have to agree on the construction.  Another feature of the agreement that has wider implications is a prohibition on military vessels from non-littoral states in the sea. InternationalRelations

Caspian Sea  The Caspian Sea is a geopolitically

strategic body of water, both in terms of its location and its resources.  It is situated in a transcontinental zone between Europe and Asia.  It is bounded by Kazakhstan to the

northeast, Russia to the northwest,

Azerbaijan to the west, Iran to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southeast. Fact Aktau – City of Kazakhstan

4.16 INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE Why in News? The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hear for a week in February 2019 the case of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on spying charges.

About International Court of Justice  The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.  It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations.  The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).  Of the six principal organs of the United Nations, it is the only one not located in New York.  The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.  It is assisted by a Registry, its administrative organ.  Its official languages are English and French.  The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected for terms of office of nine years by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.  Please note: Do not confuse ICJ with International Criminal Court and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. All three are different entities set up for different purposes.

4.17 ASIAN GAMES 2018 Why in News? The 18th edition of Asian Games is being held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.

Quick facts on Jakarta Asiad InternationalRelations  Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the country’s first-ever World champion in athletics, is carrying the National Flag.  The two Koreas, North and south, entered the stadium under a unified

flag, the first since the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.

 Iraq made history with its shooter Elaheh Ahmadi carrying the flag, its first woman to get the honour at the Games.  This will be the first time that the Asian Games will be held in two cities – Jakarta and Palembang.

About Asian Games

 Also known as Asiad.  It is described as the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.  It features a continent that holds two thirds of the world’s population.  It is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia.  The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games.  Since the 1982 Games they have been organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), after the breakup of the Asian Games Federation.  The Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Facts  2014 - Incheon, South Korea.  2022- Hangzhou, China.  India hosted 1st (1951) and 9th (1982).  India participated in all editions (only 7 countries have done that).  Won by Japan and China alone (2014-China topped).

4.18 KURASH What is Kurash?  Kurash is one of the sports making its Asian Games debut in Indonesia.  It is a traditional wrestling event that is highly popular in Central Asia.  The objective of kurash is to throw the opponent on the ground on their back by grabbing hold of the towel around their waist.  The World Championships of Kurash have been held since 1999, with the first in Tashkent.  A kurash contest starts with both players in a position known as Tazim.  There are three ways to score points 1. Halal - Throwing down your rival on his back with full speed and control. 2. Yambosh - This means a throw that is not exactly a halal but is close to one. Two yamboshes equal to one halal. 3. Chala - This refers to throws that are close to a yambosh.  A maximum of two penalties - Tambik & Dakk - are allowed and in case of a third penalty, known as Girrom, the player is disqualified.

5 GEOGRAPHY 5.1 SOUTH PARS 11 Why in News? CNPC to replace France’s Total as the majority stakeholder in South Pars 11 project.

About the News  China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the world’s third-largest oil and gas firm, has replaced

Total, the French energy giant, in the South Pars 11 project despite US sanctions. Geography

About South Pars  South Pars/North Dome field is the world’s single largest natural gas field.  It is located in the Persian Gulf and the ownership of the field is shared between Iran and Qatar.

5.2 INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE Why in news? IMD dismisses fears on monsoon front, sees helpful India Ocean Dipole evolving.

What is the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)?  It is an atmosphere-ocean coupled phenomenon in the tropical Indian Ocean characterised by a difference in sea-surface temperatures.  A ‘positive IOD’ — or simply ‘IOD’ — is associated with cooler than normal sea-surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean and warmer than normal sea-surface temperatures in the western tropical Indian Ocean.  The opposite phenomenon is called a ‘negative IOD’, and is characterised by warmer than normal SSTs in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean and cooler than normal SSTs in the western tropical Indian Ocean.

What impact does it have?

Positive IOD Negative IOD Western Warmer sea-surface temperatures Cooler and drier conditions Indian and greater precipitation Ocean Eastern Cooling of waters and droughts in warmer water and greater precipitation Indian adjacent land areas of Indonesia and Ocean Australia

What is the impact on Indian monsoon?  There is no established correlation between IOD and Indian summer monsoon rainfall.  However, studies show an above normal monsoon in the positive phase of IOD. This happened in 1994 and 1997.  Also, some drought years have been found to be associated with a negative Indian Ocean Dipole.

5.3 LONG PERIOD AVERAGE What in news? It is seen frequently in news with regard to monsoon forecasts.

What is Long Period Average?  LPA is the average rainfall received by the country as a whole during the south-west monsoon, for a 50-year period.  The current LPA is 89 cm, based on the average rainfall over years 1951 and 2000.  This acts as a benchmark against which the rainfall in any monsoon season is measured.

 The country is said to have received deficient rainfall if the actual rainfall falls below 90 per cent of Science and Technology Scienceand LPA.  Similarly, the country is said to have received excess rainfall if the rainfall is greater than 110 per cent of LPA.  It is deemed ‘normal’ when the actual rainfall received falls between 96 and 104 per cent of LPA.

How is rainfall measured in India?  IMD’s rainfall data is based on actual rainfall recorded in 2,412 locations, across its 3,500 rain-gauge stations.  Based on daily rainfall data received in these stations, monsoon statistics are prepared for the administrative zones such as districts, States and for the whole country.  The statistics is compiled for the 36 meteorological subdivisions and for the four broad regions — South peninsula, North West India, Central India and North and North-East India — before being aggregated for the whole country.

5.4 LAKHWAR MULTIPURPOSE PROJECT Why in News? Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation signs MoU with Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand, UP, HP, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi for construction of Lakhwar Multipurpose Project on Yamuna near Dehradun.

About the News  The problem of water shortage in all six States will be resolved once the project is complete as water flow in River Yamuna will improve in dry season from December to May/June every year.

About the Project  The Lakhwar project was initially approved in 1976 but work on the project was suspended in 1992.  The Lakhwar project envisages construction of a 204 m high concrete dam across river Yamuna near Lohari village in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand with a live storage capacity of 330.66 MCM.  The project is to be executed by M/s Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVL).  Allocation of water from storage created by Lakhwar Dam Reservoir will be regulated by Upper Yamuna River Board as per the MoU signed between the six states in 1994.  Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi are the six Upper Yamuna Basin states.  Upper Yamuna refers to the stretch of River Yamuna from its origin to the Okhla Barrage in Delhi.

Other Multipurpose projects in Upper Yamuna 1. Kishau Multi-Purpose project Construction of a concrete dam across River Tons, a tributary of River Yamuna in Dehradun district. 2. Renukaji Multi-Purpose project Conceived as a storage project on River Giri, tributary of Yamuna, in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. 3. Vyasi project A run-of-the-river scheme under which a concrete dam across River Yamuna is being constructed near Vyasi village in Dehradun district.

6 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 6.1 PARTNIR AND FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Why in news? The recently concluded BRICS summit in Johannesburg discussed on how to help nations to prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

What is PartNIR?  PartNIR stand for Partnership for New Industrial Revolution and was formed at the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg.  It’s a programme of partnership among BRICS nation that will focus on Maximising the opportunities

arising from the fourth industrial revolution/New Industrial Revolution. Science and Technology Scienceand  An Advisory Group is being set up comprising of respective representatives of BRICS Ministries of Industry.  BRICS Networks of Science Parks, Technology Business Incubators and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises is being considered as a promising step in that direction.

What is meant by the Fourth/New Industrial Revolution?  The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is the fourth major industrial era since the initial Industrial Revolution of the 18th century.  It is characterized by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres.  It is marked by emerging technology breakthroughs in a number of fields such as: o Robotics, Nanotechnology, Quantum computing, Bio- technology, o Artificial intelligence, Block- chain, o The Internet of Things, The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), o Fifth-generation wireless technologies (5G) o Additive manufacturing/3D printing o Autonomous vehicles.

6.2 IMPRINT-II Why in News? The government has approved 122 new research projects under IMPRINT-2 covering Energy, Security, Healthcare, Advanced Materials, ICT and Security/Defence domains.

Technology Scienceand About IMPRINT India  IMPacting Research INnovation and Technology (IMPRINT) is a Pan-IIT and IISc joint initiative to develop a roadmap for research to solve major engineering and technology challenges in ten

technology domains.

 Department of Science and Technology has partnered with Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to launch the programme in November 2015.  The objectives of programme are: o Identify areas of immediate relevance to society requiring innovation.

o Direct scientific research into identified areas. o Ensure higher funding support for research into these areas and Measure outcomes of the research effort with reference to impact on the standard of living in the rural/urban areas.  The ten domains that represent the most important areas for the country along with their coordinating institutes are: o Healthcare Technology: IIT Kharagpur o Computer Technology: IIT Kharagpur o Advance Materials: IIT Kanpur o Water Resources: IIT Kanpur o Sustainable Habitat: IIT Roorkee o Security and Defense: IIT Madras o Manufacturing Technology: IIT Madras o Nano-technology Hardware: IIT Bombay o Environment and Climate: IISc, Bangalore o Energy Security: IIT Bombay  The overall National Coordinator is IIT, Kanpur.

About IMPRINT-II  The Ministry of Human Resource Development has sanctioned Rs. 1000 crore for phase II of IMPRINT India programme.  Under the IMPRINT-II, a fund was created by Department of Science and Technology (DST) and HRD Ministry together, in which participation will come from industry and other interested Ministries.  Of the 122 new IMPRINT projects sanctioned, 81 are sponsored by industry.  IMPRINT proposals now open for higher education institutions including private institutions bringing a spirit of competition.

6.3 E-TATTOOS Why in news? Chinese scientists have developed skin-like electronic tattoos that can be used to monitor health parameters.

What’s more on news?  The electronic tattoo developed by researchers of Tsinghua University in China is Graphene-based.  Parameters such as blood pressure and body temperature can be monitored in real time.  With laser scribing technology, the pattern of the graphene-based electronic skin can be personalized, a feature that will help future commercialization.

More about the technology  The breakthrough technology is dubbed as epidermal electronics:  It consists of thin, flexible patches of rubber that contain equally flexible electrical components - silicon wires which are nanometers in thickness.  The elastic properties of the skin, including bending and stretching could be used to control

smartphones by affixing e-tattoos. Science and Technology Scienceand

6.4 CHANDRAYAAN-2 Why in News? The launch of Chandrayaan 2 was postponed a second time. The mission was first planned in April 2018, then postponed to October. Now it is delayed again till January 2019.

About Chandrayaan-2  It’s India's second mission to the moon which is a totally indigenous mission comprising of an Orbiter, Lander and

Rover.

o Orbiter: After reaching the 100 km lunar orbit, the Lander housing the Rover will separate from the Orbiter. o Lander: After a controlled descent, the Lander will soft land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy a Rover. o Rover: The mission will carry a six-wheeled Rover which will move around the landing site in semi- autonomous mode as decided by the ground commands. The instruments on the rover will observe the lunar surface and send back data, which will be useful for analysis of the lunar soil.  The payloads will collect scientific information on lunar topography, mineralogy, elemental abundance, lunar exosphere and signatures of hydroxyl and water-ice.

Chandrayaan 1 Chandrayaan 2 Work Period Launched in October 2008; worked To be launched till August 2009 Major Lunar orbiter and impactor only. Orbiter, lander and rover for components the first time. Vehicle PSLV-XL rocket, serial number C11 Proposed on a GSLV Mk II Weight 1,380 kg 3,290 kg Objective Imaging of the north and the south Lunar topography, lunar polar regions which are in exosphere, signatures of permanent shadows; Search for hydroxyl and water-ice surface and subsurface water or ice Discovery Presence of water molecules in the lunar soil; Confirmed the magma ocean hypothesis that the Moon was once completely molten General information on lunar missions  It has been four years since any country attempted a lunar mission last being China’s Yutu mission in 2013.  United States has been the only country to put a man on the moon, with the last man on the moon being NASA astronaut Gene Cernan in 1972.  Israel may overtake India with its lunar mission, now that the ISRO mission is delayed.

6.5 THERMAL BATTERY Why in news? India became home to the world’s first-ever thermal battery plant that was inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh.

What is Thermal battery technology?  Conventional battery technology is based on the system of charging/discharging cycles that are driven by electricity.  Thermal batteries, on the other hand, use thermal energy, the energy created by temperature differences, to operate.

 Components: Thermal battery consists of two parts: a cool zone known as sink, and a hot source called Science and Technology Scienceand source. Both these sides consist of compounds known as phase-changing materials (PCMs), which can change their state of matter on the basis of a physical/chemical reaction.  Storing of Energy: When the sink of a thermal battery receives heat, it transforms physically or chemically, thereby storing energy, while the source cools down.

 Discharging of Energy: During operation, the sink is cooled down, so it releases the stored energy, while the source heats up.  Depending on the nature of the battery, the system can derive heat from any source, which makes a thermal battery very versatile.

Possible Applications

 In overall, thermal batteries have low carbon footprint, and being less dependent on external factors like weather.  Upon Integration with power grids thermal batteries can support industrial demand, public transport systems and telecom grids. o Power-intensive industries can reduce dependence on fossil fuels for energy. o In Telecom, thermal batteries will help maintain signal strength and network connectivity.  In the field of power transmission, thermal batteries will be able to function as long as there is a heat source to drive their operation. This could help solve power issues in remote areas, and also address rising energy requirements from regional or national grids.

6.6 WORLD MOSQUITO PROGRAM (WMP) AND WOLBACHIA Why in News? India was looking at newer strategies to combat dengue. A bacterium called wolbachia, if introduced in mosquitoes, could stop disease-spreading viruses from growing and spreading.

What is Wolbachia?  Wolbachia is a tiny bacterium that is present in up to 60% of all species of insects, including several mosquito species.  It is not usually seen in the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary species responsible for transmitting dengue, chikungunya and Zika.  Wolbachia is one of the world’s most common parasitic microbes.  The viruses cannot replicate when bacterium is present in the mosquito.  The wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes released in target areas breed with wild mosquitoes.  Once wolbachia has been established, the World Mosquito Program’s self-sustaining method offers a safe, effective and long term solution to reduce the burden of dengue, Zika and chikungunya,

World Mosquito Program (WMP)  The World Mosquito Program (WMP) works to protect the global community from mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika, dengue and chikungunya.  It is a not-for-profit initiative.  Pioneered by Australian researchers, the WMP uses safe and natural bacteria called Wolbachia to reduce the ability of mosquitoes to transmit these viruses.

6.7 UAKITITE Why in news? A rare piece of space-borne rubble containing a new mineral Uakitite that had never before been seen on Earth, has been discovered in Russia.

More about it  The mineral came from the Uakit meteorite, named for the Russian location where it was found.

 More than 98 percent of the meteorite consists of kamacite, an alloy of iron and nickel, that's formed in space and is found only in meteorites.  The remaining 1 to 2 percent of the meteorite consists of just over a dozen minerals that, for the most part, are exclusively formed in space.

Features

 Uakitite is composed of vanadium nitride with formula VN. Technology Scienceand  The mineral is structurally similar to two other space-borne minerals, carlsbergite and osbornite, referred to as mononitrides.  Uakitite is very hard mineral but, the hardness is lower than that of a

diamond.

 Synthetic boron nitride, a mineral produced at insanely hot temperatures, is likely the only mineral that comes close to being as hard as a diamond.

6.8 RISECREEK AND PROJECT SHAKTI

What’s on news? Computer scientists and a student team from the IIT- Madras have developed the first of a family of six industry-standard microprocessors.

RISECREEK  It refers to the initial batch of 300 microprocessor chips produced under project Shakti.  It has been fabricated at Intel’s facility at Oregon, US.  It runs on the linux operating system. The design is open source, so that microprocessors can be adapted by others.  RISECREEK can meet the demands of defence and strategic equipment such as NAVIC (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite) and in Internet of Things (IoT) electronics.  It is a C class microprocessor, one of the family of six types to be developed under Project Shakti.

About Project Shakti  Started in 2014 as an IIT-Madras initiative, it was partly funded by Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in 2017.  The project also aims to build high speed interconnects for servers and supercomputers, apart from building processors.  The other classes of microprocessors and their usage are as follows: E class Smart cards, IoT devices, fan/motor controls, etc. I class Tablets, desktops and mobile phones. S class Enterprise class servers H class High Performance computers with a massive parallel processing capacity.

Para-SHAKTI (parallel SHAKTI) project  It is the next phase of the Shakti project in which the H class will be developed.  Para-SHAKTI will make microprocessors for indigenous high-performance computers with over 32 SHAKTI cores.

6.9 'INDIA-UN SMALL SATELLITES PROGRAMME' (INDOUNSSP) Why in news? The eight-week long programme, named 'India-UN Small Satellites Programme' (INDOUNSSP), will be held for the first time this year.

What is it?  INDO UN SSP is capacity-building programme on small satellite development for students from developing countries.  Training for selected students will be conducted at U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru for the next three years.  The process of selection of 30 candidates from 15 developing nations will be completed in September.

 Each of the 45 nations under INDOUNSSP will nominate two students- A mechanical engineer and an electrical engineer.  Candidates will learn theoretical course work during the first phase of their training, followed by practical lessons on assembly, integration and testing of small satellites.

Background

 It was announced at UNISPACE Symposium held in Vienna in June Technology Scienceand  UNISPACE was started by the United Nations in 1968 to bring together the international community of space scientists and organisations to enable further development of students and

young professionals in space research.

6.10 GSAT 11 AND GSLV MK III Why in News? The satellite was planned to be launched in May 2018, but was delayed after ISRO recalled it back to India from the launch site in French Guiana for additional checks.

About GSAT 11  GSAT-11 is a large planned Indian geostationary communications satellite.  The 5725 kg satellite is based on the new I-6K Bus and carry 40 transponders in the Ku-band and Ka- band frequencies.  It is capable of providing up to 14 Gbit/s throughput.  GSAT-11 will be launched from the European spaceport in French Guiana in November 2018 as ISRO's own Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III rocket cannot lift a satellite weighing more than four tonnes to Geostationary transfer orbit.

About GSLV Mark III  GSLV-Mk III is the heaviest rocket ever made by ISRO which is capable of carrying heavy payloads.  It is a three-stage, medium-lift launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It has an indigenous cryogenic third stage, designated as C25.  It will be capable of launching four-tonne class satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).  The C25 stage is considered as the most powerful upper stage developed by ISRO which uses Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) propellant combination.  The L110 liquid stage is powered by two Vikas engines designed and developed at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.  ISRO as of now have the capability to launch satellites only up to 2.2 tons.  It will end ISRO’s dependence on foreign agencies to launch heavy satellites.

6.11 HEPCIDIN Why in News? Researchers at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) have successfully discovered a pathway that regulates hepcidin hormone production.

About the hormone  The hepcidin hormone, released by the liver, is a key regulator of the entry of iron into the circulation in mammals.  Dysregulation of the hormone leads to anaemia on one hand and excess iron accumulation in organs such as liver and heart leading to multi-organ failure.  Hemochromatosis is a rare hereditary disease that is characterised by iron accumulation or overload in various tissues (or) hepcidin level is abnormally low.  The symptoms are non-specific and hence difficult to diagnose. Current options only manage the disease by removing excess iron.  Hepcidin production is regulated by many signalling pathways.  This is the first time that researchers have been able to identify that the NFkB pathway regulates liver hepcidin production.

Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology  Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi is a part of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India.  The institute was founded in 1977 as the Center for Biochemical Technology with a primary focus on biochemical research, but has since shifted its research focus to integrative biology.

 Genomics for Understanding Rare Disease, India Alliance Network (GUaRDIAN) is a large-scale Science and Te Scienceand collaborative network of clinicians from around India trying to use genomics in clinical practice, with the focussed aim to understand genetic structure of rare genetic diseases in India.

6.12 AWSAR SCHEME

Why in news?

Department of Science and technology (DST) invited entries from Phd scholars and post doctorate chnology fellows under AWSAR scheme.

What is AWSAR?

 Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research of National Council of Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), DST has been initiated o To encourage, empower and endow popular science writing through newspapers, magazines, blogs, social media, etc. o By young PhD Scholars and Post-Doctoral Fellows during the course of their higher studies and research pursuits.  The scheme aims to tap the tremendous potential of students to popularize & communicate science and also to inculcate scientific temperament in the masses.  It endeavors to disseminate Indian Research stories of science, technology and innovation being pursued in the country in a format that is easy to understand and interesting for the stakeholders.

Who can apply?  Indian citizen pursuing PhD or PDF in any stream of science and technology  Within the tenancy period of his/her research.  The story must relate to the research being pursued by him/her.

6.13 E-CIGARETTES Why in news? The Delhi government recently said that it was planning a ban on e-cigarettes.

About E-cigarette  An electronic cigarette is a battery-operated device that emits doses of vaporized nicotine, or non-nicotine solutions, for the user to inhale.  It simulates the feeling of tobacco smoking without smoke.  They generate an aerosol, commonly called a "vapor", for the user to inhale- commonly referred to as vaping.  They can be manufactured to resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, cigars or pipes, or even everyday items like pens or USB memory sticks.  E-cigs do not let off tobacco smell and do not produce ash.

6.14 DNA FINGERPRINTING AND DNA TECHNLOGY BILL Why in news? DNA fingerprinting and profiling has been in news for some time as an emerging technology and the DNA bill was recently passed by the parliament.

What is DNA?  DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic material typically found in tissue of all living cells.  DNA contains the hereditary data which is unique to each person (except in identical twins) making it reliable as a personal identification tool.

What is the technology?  Almost all of the human DNA is similar for every person and only a minuscule percent of the DNA sequence is different.  DNA fingerprinting technology isolates and identifies these variable elements.

 DNA profiling is used by Police in identifying criminals and solving serial crimes hence is crucial for Technology Scienceand investigative purposes.

Applications of DNA profiling  Forensic technique in criminal investigation.  Paternity and parentage testing, immigration disputes and genealogical research.  Study of animal and plant populations and in Zoology, Botany and Agricultural fields.

The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 Background:  A P Shah Committee report highlighted the issues and sought safeguards from illegal collection of data

and its misuse.  It was also discussed in Lokniti foundation Vs Union of India case where, the NGO filed a PIL stating India’s incapability to address issue of unclaimed dead bodies of want of a DNA database.

Key features:  The Bill seeks to provide for the regulation of use and application of DNA technology.  DNA regulation board: o The board will certify labs authorized to carry out DNA testing and lay down procedure and guidelines for collection, storage, sharing and deletion of DNA information. o The Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology has been made the ex-officio chairman of the proposed DNA Regulatory Board.  National DNA Data Bank: o A National DNA Databank and certain regional DNA Databanks will store DNA profiles received from DNA labs in a specified format.  Limited purpose of identification: o The Bill states that DNA data contained in any DNA labs and Databank “shall be used for the purpose of facilitating identification of the person and not for any other purpose”. o It will only be made available to facilitate the identification of persons in criminal cases.  Safeguard against misuse: o The Bill states that disclosure of DNA information to unauthorized persons, or for unauthorized purposes, shall lead to penalties up to three years in jail or up to Rs 1 lakh as fine.  The proposed legislation will enable cross-matching of DNA of persons reported missing and unidentified dead bodies and also for establishing the identity of victims during mass disasters.  It seeks to ensure that DNA test results are reliable and the data is protected from misuse or abuse in terms of people’s privacy rights.

6.15 AEROGEL Why in news? A transparent heat-resistant gel dubbed Aerogel has been developed from beer waste.

More about Aerogel  Aerogel is a transparent gel which shows high resistance to heat.  The insulation properties of aerogel is attributed to its ability/capacity to trap air within its matrix.  The raw material is beer waste which makes it cheap to produce.

What are its applications?  Insulation applications to save energy.  Futuristic applications like building greenhouse habitats on inhabitable planets like Mars

 Heat shields on windshields of aircrafts owing to its transparency and heat resistance.

6.16 CHANG’E 4 Why in news? China’s space agency has revealed images of the exploration vehicle to reach the far side of the Moon, a feat

no country has ever accomplished. Science and Technology Scienceand

More about the News  A Chinese unmanned lunar probe Chang’e 4 is expected to land in the Aitken basin on the far side of the Moon, not visible from the Earth.  Pioneering space programmes earlier had photographed the far side of the Moon over half a century ago but could never manage to land there.  The vehicle is similar to Yutu, China’s first lunar rover launched in 2013 along with Chang’e 3.

What is the meant by the “far side of the Moon”?  Tidal forces from Earth have slowed down the Moon's rotation to the point where the same side is always facing the Earth--a phenomenon called tidal locking.  The other face, most of which is never visible from the Earth, is therefore called the "far side of the Moon".

About Aitken Basin  The South Pole–Aitken basin is an impact crater on the far side of the Moon.  At roughly 2,500 km in diameter and 13 km deep, it is one of the largest known impact craters in the Solar System.  The outer rim of this basin can be seen from Earth as a huge chain of mountains located on the Moon's southern limb, sometimes informally called "Leibnitz Mountains".

What is Chang'e 3?  Chang'e 3 is an unmanned lunar exploration mission operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), incorporating a robotic Lander and China's first lunar rover.  Chang'e 3 landed on 14 December 2013, becoming the first spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976.  Yutu was an unmanned lunar rover that formed part of the Chinese Chang'e 3. It set the record for the longest operational period for a rover on the Moon  Chang'e 3 discovered a new type of basaltic rock, rich in ilmenite, a black mineral

What is Chang'e 4?  Chang'e 4 is a planned Chinese lunar exploration mission, to be launched in December 2018 that will incorporate an orbiter, a robotic Lander and rover.  Chang'e 4 will be China's second lunar Lander and rover.

6.17 WHEAT GENOME UNRAVELLED Why in news? In a breakthrough scientists revealed they have cracked the full genome of wheat for the first time.

More about the news  Mapping a comprehensive wheat genome took 13 years, because bread wheat contains five times more genes than a human.  A team of international researchers, including 18 from India decoded the wheat genome.  This project was financially supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.

What are potential benefits from the breakthrough?  The information generated will help to identify genes controlling complex agronomic traits such as yield, grain quality, resistance to diseases and pests, as well as tolerance to drought, heat, water logging and salinity.

 This would help further to accelerate the breeding of climate-resilient wheat varieties to help address global food security.  This will also be hugely and immediately beneficial for wheat breeders, accelerating development of new elite varieties.

What is Genome? Science and Technology Scienceand  A genome is the complete set of genetic information in an organism.  It provides all of the information the organism requires to function.  In living organisms, the genome is stored in long molecules of DNA called chromosomes.  Small sections of DNA, called genes, code for the RNA and protein molecules required by the organism.

 The full range of RNA molecules expressed by a genome is known as its transcriptome, and the full assortment of proteins produced by the genome is called its proteome.  Genomics is the study of the genome.

6.18 GAIA TELESCOPE

Why in News? Scientists have discovered a trove of forty-four planets in solar system using NASA's Kepler and the ESA's Gaia space telescopes.

About ESA’s GAIA  Gaia is a space observatory of the European Space Agency (ESA) designed for astrometry.  It consists of two space telescopes and ten mirrors of different shapes and sizes to collect, focus and direct light into Gaia’s science instruments for detection.  It measures the positions and distances of stars with unprecedented precision.  Gaia is ESA's second space mission dedicated to astrometry.  It builds on the legacy of the successful Hipparcos mission (1989-1993).  The telescope is part of ESA's Horizon 2000+ long-term scientific program launched on 19 December 2013.  The name "Gaia" was originally derived as an acronym for Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics.  The primary mission objectives are: o Measure the positions and velocity of approximately one billion stars in our Galaxy. o Determine their brightness, temperature, composition and motion through space. o Create a three-dimensional map of the Galaxy.

6.19 GIANT METREWAVE RADIO TELESCOPE Why in news? Astronomers have used Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope to discover the most distant radio galaxy ever known, located at a distance of 12 billion light-years.

About GMRT  GMRT is an array of thirty fully steerable parabolic radio telescopes of 45-metre diameter which observes at metre wavelengths.  It is operated by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.  It has one of the world's largest interferometric array offering a baseline of up to 25 kilometres.  Its Astrophysical objectives are: o Detect the highly red shifted spectral line of neutral Hydrogen expected from protoclusters or protogalaxies before they condensed to form galaxies in the early phase of the Universe. o Search for and study rapidly-rotating Pulsars in our galaxy.

6.20 OXYTOCIN Why in News? The Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) suggested that the ban on the retail sale of the life-saving drug, oxytocin, may be lifted.

Why it was banned? Technology Scienceand  The ban had been imposed citing the serious misuse of oxytocin in the dairy sector.  Because oxytocin stimulates lactation in cattle, dairy farmers inject the drug indiscriminately to increase milk production.

 Concerns:

o There are concerns that oxytocin leads to infertility in dairy animals. o It has also been linked to mastitis, a painful inflammation of the udder. o Milk consumers worry about exposure to it through dairy products. However, these have no conclusive scientific backing.

Oxytocin- the hormone

 Oxytocin is a peptide hormone normally produced by the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary gland.  It plays a role in social bonding, sexual reproduction in both sexes, and during and after childbirth giving it the name love hormone.  Oxytocin is released into the bloodstream as a hormone in response to stretching of the cervix and uterus during labor and with stimulation of the nipples from breastfeeding.  This helps with birth, bonding with the baby, and milk production.

Oxytocin- the drug  Oxytocin is used to stimulate uterine contractions in a woman with an incomplete or threatened miscarriage.  The drug, a synthetic version of a human hormone, is used to induce labor or strengthen labor contractions during childbirth, and to control bleeding after childbirth.  World Health Organization recommends it as the drug of choice in postpartum haemorrhage.

6.21 INSIGHT MISSION Why in news? NASA's InSight spacecraft, en route to land on Mars this November, has passed the halfway mark.

Science and Technology Scienceand More about the mission  InSight is a stationary lander which will observe the movements in Mars’ interior, mainly through a seismometer.  InSight, which stands for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, will study marsquakes to learn about the Martian crust, mantle and core.  It will be the first mission ever dedicated to Mars' deep interior, and the first NASA mission since the Apollo moon landings to place a seismometer on the soil of another planet.

Why is it important to study marsquakes?  Earth’s interior has been churning for long which lead to erasing of its geologic records and hiding its most ancient history.  Mars, at half the size of Earth, churns far less. In fact, it's a fossil planet, preserving the history of its early birth.  Mars' geologic record includes lighter rocks and minerals -- which rose from the planet’s interior to form the Martian crust -- and heavier rocks and minerals that sank to form the Martian mantle and core.  By learning about the layering of these materials, scientists can explain why some rocky planets turn into an "Earth" rather than a "Mars" or "Venus" -- a factor that is essential to understanding where life can appear in the universe.

Geodesy  Geodesy is the branch of geology that studies the shape of the earth and the determination of the exact position of geographical points.

6.22 SODIUM POLYACRYLATE Why in news? The Health Department has cautioned against using sodium Polyacrylate — a chemical commonly used as a water absorbent in sanitary napkins and diapers — to clean flood-hit houses in Kerala.

What is Sodium Polyacrylate?  Sodium Polyacrylate, also known as waterlock, is a sodium salt of polyacrylic acid with broad application in consumer products.  This superabsorbent polymer has the ability to absorb as much as 100 to 1000 times its mass in water.  In murky waters, its absorption capacity will come down and the slush will turn murkier.  It is used in products such as sanitary napkins.

What are the potential harmful effects?  Contact with the chemical might lead to allergic reaction in the skin and eyes and it was even more dangerous if it entered the body.  Its inhalation could lead to respiratory issues.  It does not degrade easily either which in turn could adversely affect the water-retention capacity of the soil if it not disposed properly.

6.23 O-SMART Why in News? The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for the umbrella scheme “Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and Science (O- SMART).

About the scheme  This scheme covers 16 sub-projects related to ocean development such as services, technology, resources, transmission and science.  The services rendered under the O-SMART will provide economic benefits to a number of user communities in the coastal and ocean sectors, namely, fisheries, offshore industry, coastal states,

Defence, Shipping, Ports etc. Science and Technology Scienceand  Implementation of O-SMART will help in addressing issues relating to Sustainable Development Goal- 14, which aims to conserve use of oceans, marine resources for sustainable development.  This scheme (O-SMART) also provide necessary scientific and technological background required for implementation of Blue Economy.

 The State of Art Early Warning Systems established under the O-SMART Scheme will help in effectively dealing with ocean disasters like Tsunami, storm surges.  The technologies being developed under this Scheme will help in harnessing the vast ocean resources of both living and non-living resources from the seas around India.  Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plant (OTEC) in Kavaratti will be set up as part of the scheme.

Related Information International Seabed Authority (ISA)  The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an autonomous international organization established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.  ISA governs non-living resources of the seabed lying in international waters.  It was established to organize, regulate and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, an area underlying most of the world’s oceans.  ISA is based in Kingston, Jamaica.  Two principal organs establish the policies and govern the work of the Authority: the Assembly, in which all members are represented, and a 36- member Council elected by the Assembly.

Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)  The CCAMLR was established by international convention in 1982 with the objective of conserving Antarctic marine life.  This was in response to increasing commercial interest in Antarctic krill resources, a keystone component of the Antarctic ecosystem and a history of over-exploitation of several other marine resources in the Southern Ocean.  CCAMLR practises an ecosystem-based management approach.  This does not exclude harvesting as long as such harvesting is carried out in a sustainable manner and takes account of the effects of fishing on other components of the ecosystem.  ROSS Sea in Antarctic is converted into a Marine Protected Area in 2016.  Secretariat is based in Hobart, Tasmania.  India is a member of CCAMLR.

6.24 SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE Why in News? A Selfies app and Exoplanet Excursions virtual reality app were released by NASA to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the launch of its Spitzer Space Telescope.

About Spitzer Space Telescope  The Spitzer Space Telescope (SST), formerly the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), is an infrared space telescope.  It was launched in 2003 and still operating as of 2018.  Spitzer detects infrared light, most often heat radiation emitted by warm objects.  The planned mission period was to be 2.5-5 years until the onboard liquid helium supply was exhausted.  It follows an Earth-trailing, Heliocentric orbit.  Spitzer assisted in the detection of seven Earth-size planets orbiting the star TRAPPIST-1, among other accomplishments.  It is the fourth and final of the NASA Great Observatories program.

NASA Great Observatories program  NASA's series of Great Observatories satellites are four large, powerful space-based astronomical telescopes.  Each of the four missions was designed to examine a specific wavelength/energy region of

the electromagnetic spectrum (gamma rays, X-rays, visible and ultraviolet light, infrared light). Science and Technology Scienceand 1. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) primarily observes visible light and near-ultraviolet. 2. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) primarily observed gamma rays, though it extended into hard x-rays as well. 3. The Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) primarily observes soft x-rays.

4. The Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) observes the infrared spectrum.

6.25 AEOLUS Why in News? World’s first space mission to map the Earth’s wind on a global scale launched from French Guyana.

About AEOLUS  It is an Earth observation satellite capable of performing global wind-component-profile observation.  The satellite ‘Aeolus’ is named after the guardian of wind in Greek mythology.  It will be placed at an altitude of 320km (200 miles) above the Earth.  It is part of the Copernicus project, a joint initiative of the European Union and the European Space Agency (ESA) to track environmental damage and aid disaster relief operations.  This mission will thus provide much-needed data to improve the quality of weather forecasting as well as contributing to long-term climate research.  Aeolus is the fifth of the eight ESA’s planned Earth Explorer missions.

How it works?  Aeolus is equipped with a single instrument: a Doppler wind lidar – an advanced laser system designed to accurately measure global wind patterns from space.  The Doppler lidar transmits short, powerful pulses of laser light toward Earth in the ultraviolet spectrum.  Particles in the air – moisture, dust, gases – scatter a small fraction of that light energy back to the transceiver, where it is collected and recorded.  The delay between the outgoing pulse and the “backscattered” signal reveals the wind’s direction, speed and distance travelled.

Living Planet Programme  It is a programme within the European Space Agency which is managed by the Earth Observation Programmes Directorate.  LPP consists of two classes of Earth observation missions 1. Research missions known as Earth Explorers 2. The Earth Watch class of missions whose objective is to develop support operational applications such as numerical weather forecasting or resource management.

List of Earth Explorers missions Currently there are eight approved Earth Explorers missions, five of which are in orbit and operating: 1. GOCE – Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer; 2. SMOS – Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite 3. CryoSat – is a program designed to map the Earth's ice cover. 4. Swarm – is a trio of satellites to map the Earth's magnetism 5. Aeolus – Atmospheric Dynamics Mission will use an innovative laser to measure global winds. 6. EarthCARE – Earth Clouds Aerosols and Radiation Explorer will examine the formation and effects of clouds. 7. Biomass (satellite) – designed to calculate the amount of carbon stored in the world's forests. 8. FLEX – the FLuorescence EXplorer mission proposes to launch a satellite for the global monitoring of steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence in terrestrial vegetation.

6.26 GSLV F11 Why in News? The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has successfully completed the hot test of cryogenic engine for the GSLV-F11, which is scheduled to launch the GSAT-7A in November 2018.

About the News Technology Scienceand  A hot test is a ground test conducted to check for the safety and also whether or not all design parameters are met.  Unlike a cold test where all the propellants are checked for, a hot test involves firing of the engine in test conditions.

GSAT 7A  GSAT-7A is an advanced military communications satellite meant exclusively for the Indian Air Force.  It is similar to Indian navy's GSAT-7 and the Indian Air Force will be the sole operator of the satellite.  GSAT-7A will enable IAF to interlink different ground radar stations, ground airbase and Airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft such as Beriev A-50 Phalcon and DRDO AEW&CS.  The satellite will enhance Network-centric warfare capabilities of the Indian Air Force and therefore enhance its global operations.

6.27 HORIZON 2020 Why in News? India and EU join hands to develop next generation influenza vaccine.

About the initiative  India and the European Union have gone and collaborated on a research programme called the Horizon 2020.  This programme will be used to develop the next generation of Influenza vaccine that will help in protecting people around the world.  India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and EU have committed to 15 million Euros i.e. Rs. 240 crore for this research programme.  This project will focus on a cost-effective and affordable influenza vaccine that will be developed with the aims of advancing the efficacy, safety, duration of immunity, and reactivity against influenza strains.  This project will help in contributing to the achievement of a sustainable development goal 3 (SDG-3).  It will ensure the health and well-being for all and also help the international community to prepare better in the event of an influenza pandemic.

Influenza  Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus.  Humans can be infected with avian, swine and other zoonotic influenza viruses, such as avian influenza virus subtypes A (H5N1), A (H7N9), and A (H9N2) and swine influenza virus subtypes A (H1N1), A (H1N2) and A (H3N2).  There are four types of influenza viruses: types A, B, C and D: 1. Influenza A viruses: infect humans and many different animals. It can cause an influenza pandemic. 2. Influenza B viruses: circulates among humans and cause seasonal epidemics. Recent data showed seals also can be infected. 3. Influenza C viruses: can infect both humans and pigs but infections are generally mild and are rarely reported. 4. Influenza D viruses: primarily affect cattle and are not known to infect or cause illness in people.

What is H and N that we see in the virus name?  Influenza type A viruses are classified into subtypes according to the combinations of different virus surface proteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). So far there are 18 different hemagglutinin subtypes and 11 different neuraminidase subtypes.

 Depending on the origin host, influenza A viruses can be classified as avian influenza, swine influenza, or other types of animal influenza viruses.  Examples include avian influenza "bird flu" virus subtypes A (H5N1) and A (H9N2) or swine influenza "swine flu" virus subtypes A (H1N1) and A (H3N2).

6.28 ICESAT-2 Technology Scienceand  NASA will launch the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) mission.  It will measure changes in the heights of Earth’s polar ice to understand what is causing ice sheets to melt fast.

 It uses Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS).

6.29 LIGO AND INDIGO Why in News? Scientists to test the suitability of land in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district to host the India wing of the

ambitious Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) project.

About the news  The LIGO project operates three gravitational-wave (GW) detectors.  Two are at Hanford in the State of Washington, north-western USA, and one is at Livingston in Louisiana, south-eastern USA.  The proposed LIGO-India project aims to move one Advanced LIGO detector from Hanford to India.

The LIGO-India (INDIGO)  The LIGO-India project is an international collaboration between the LIGO Laboratory and three lead institutions in the LIGO-India consortium: o Institute of Plasma Research, Gandhinagar; o IUCAA, Pune; o Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore.  IndIGO is the Indian partner (along with the LIGO Laboratory in U.S.) in planning the LIGO-India project.  INDIGO (Indian Initiative in Gravitational-wave Observations) is a consortium of Indian gravitational- wave physicists.  This is an initiative to set up advanced experimental facilities for a multi-institutional observatory project in gravitational-wave astronomy located at Aundha, Hingoli, Maharashtra.  The LIGO lab would provide the complete design and all the key detector components.  Indian scientists would provide the infrastructure to install the detector and it would be operated jointly by LIGO-India and the LIGO-Lab.  The project, piloted by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Department of Science and Technology (DST), costs ₹1,200 crore.  It is expected to be ready by 2025. What is LIGO?  The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory to detect cosmic gravitational waves and to develop gravitational-wave observations as an astronomical tool.  LIGO is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  LIGO’s mission is to open the field of gravitational-wave astrophysics through the direct detection of gravitational waves.

Difference between other observatories and LIGO  Unlike optical or radio telescopes, LIGO does not examine electromagnetic radiation (e.g., visible light, radio waves, microwaves) because gravitational waves are not part of the electromagnetic spectrum.  Since LIGO doesn’t need to collect light from stars, it doesn’t have large dome like structures of usual telescopes involving mirrors etc.  LIGO require a twin facility to definitely detect the gravitational wave. Because the only way to definitively detect a gravitational wave is by operating in unison with a distant twin so that local © Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 58 www.youtube.com/neoias | www.fb.com/neoias | http://bit.do/neo-upscprelims

vibrations are not mistaken for signals from gravitational waves. Other observatories usually operated in solo.

What is an Interferometer?  Interferometers are investigative tools used in many fields of science and engineering.

 They are called interferometers because they work by merging two or more sources of light to create Science and Technology Scienceand an interference pattern, which can be measured and analyzed; hence "Interfere-ometer".  The interference patterns generated by interferometers contain information about the object or phenomenon being studied.  They are often used to make very small measurements that are not achievable any other way.

 This is why they are so powerful for detecting gravitational waves--LIGO's interferometers are designed to measure a distance 1/10,000th the width of a proton.  LIGO’s interferometers are L-shaped.

6.30 PM-STIAC

Why in News? The government has scrapped two Scientific Advisory Committees (SAC) for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, and replaced them with a nine member, Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).

About the News  Unlike in the earlier SACs, secretaries of various scientific ministries such as education, environment and health would be ‘special invitees’ to the council meetings.  This is so that members are allowed free discussions outside the comfort zone of officials.  The PM-STIAC will be chaired by the government’s Principal Scientific Advisor.  While industry representatives were present in greater numbers in the earlier SACs, PM-STIAC has a single industry member, given the government’s call to industry is to increase jobs via entrepreneurship.  The newly constituted body is expected to act as a high level advisory body to several ministries and execute mission-oriented programmes.

6.31 GAGANYAAN 2022 Why in News? India will send an astronaut to space in the year 2022.

About Gaganyaan  Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the basis of the Indian human spaceflight program.  If India does launch the Gaganyaan mission, it will be the fourth nation to do so after the United Environme States, Russia and China.

 ISRO conducted its first ‘pad abort’ test that was successful as a part of this.

 The ‘pad abort’ test or Crew Escape System is an emergency escape measure that helps pull the crew away from the launch vehicle when a mission has to be aborted.

 The crewed vehicle is planned to be launched on ISRO's GSLV Mk III in 2022. nt

6.32 NEW TYPE OF GOLD Why in News? Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, have developed a new type of gold.

About the discovery  It is in the form of very small crystals — microcystallites.  The microcrystal gold has been found to be nobler than gold.  It do not dissolve in mercury and Aqua regia (a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid).  It showed the least interaction with copper.  The newly formed microcystallites, about 3 micrometre in length were found to be of a different crystal structure.  Normal gold has a (face-centered) cubic structure, while the new ones exhibit deformed cubic structure — tetragonal and orthorhombic cells.  All these properties microcrystallites an ideal candidate for catalytic purposes.  Gold in itself is not a catalyst but the new gold microcystallites have very active surfaces.  Compared with other catalysts like palladium and ruthenium, gold is cheaper and it can also be easily recovered.

7 ENVIRONMENT 7.1 EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY Why in News? This year’s Earth overshoot day fell on August 1st.

What is Earth Overshoot Day?  Earth Overshoot Day, previously known as Ecological Debt Day, marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year.  It is hosted and calculated by an international thinktank Global Footprint Network (GFN).  The concept of Earth Overshoot Day was first conceived by Andrew Simms of the UK think tank New Economics Foundation.  The first global Earth Overshoot Day campaign was launched in 2006. WWF has participated in Earth Overshoot Day since 2007.

How is the date of Earth Overshoot Day determined?  Just as a bank statement tracks income against expenditures, Global Footprint Network measures a population’s demand for and ecosystems’ supply of resources and services.  These calculations then serve as the foundation for calculating Earth Overshoot Day.  Earth Overshoot Day is computed by dividing the planet’s bio capacity by humanity’s Ecological Footprint and multiplying by 365, the number of days in a year:  Earth Overshoot Day = (Planet’s Bio capacity / Humanity’s Ecological Footprint) x 365 © Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 60 www.youtube.com/neoias | www.fb.com/neoias | http://bit.do/neo-upscprelims

 For each year, GFN calculates the number of days of that year that Earth’s bio capacity suffices to provide for humanity’s Ecological Footprint. The remainder of the year corresponds to global overshoot.

What is Planet’s Bio Capacity?  The amount of ecological resources Earth is able to generate that year.  Likewise Bio capacity of a city or state or nation can also be determined.  A city, state, or nation’s bio capacity represents its biologically productive land and sea area, including

forest lands, grazing lands, cropland, fishing grounds, and built-up land. Environment

What is Ecological Footprint?  It is the humanity’s demand for resources for the concerned year.  Both measures are expressed in global hectares—globally comparable, standardized hectares with world average productivity. A hectare is equivalent to 10,000 square meters or 2.47 acres.

Ecological Deficit  If a population’s demand for ecological assets exceeds the supply, that region runs an ecological deficit.  A region in ecological deficit meets demand by importing, liquidating its own ecological assets (such as overfishing), and/or emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  At the global level, ecological deficit and overshoot are the same, since there is no net import of resources to the planet.

Did you know? The Country Overshoot Day for the US fell on March 15, 2018. If everyone lived like US residents, we would need five earths to meet our annual consumption. 7.2 PORTUGUESE MAN O' WAR Why in News? A cluster of Portuguese man-of-war, washed ashore on the Baga beach in north Goa and tourists and residents have been warned against swimming.

What is Portuguese man-of-war?  Commonly known as ‘bluebottle’ or ‘floating terror’, the Indo- Pacific Portuguese man-of-war is a marine hydrozoan found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.  It is not a single organism, but a siphonophore, a colonial animal made up of tiny specialised animals called polyps, which are all connected to each other and function like the organs and tissues of single multicellular organisms.  A gas-filled bladder allows it to float on the surface, propelled by currents, tides, and by a sail at the top of the bladder.  A single long tentacle of venomous cnidocytes, hanging below the float, provides the animal with a means of capturing prey.  It is composed of four separate colonies of polyps and medusoids. The colony consists of a gas-filled polyp that keeps it afloat, and three other polyp types which help in capture and digestion of prey and reproduction.  There are two major species of Portuguese man-of-war- the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific.

Why a warning?  Stings from a Portuguese man o' war cause severe pain to humans. It leaves whip-like, red welts on the skin that lasts for days.  The venom can affect lymph nodes and can cause swelling of the larynx, airway blockage, cardiac distress, and an inability to breathe.  Other symptoms can include fever and shock, and in some extreme rare cases, even death.

7.3 INDIAN BULL FROG Why in News The Indian bull frog, a recent arrival from the mainland, is steadily occupying the Webi village of Andamans’ ecosystem and threatening the local economy, where it is now a widespread invasive species.

About Indian Bull Frog  Indian Bullfrogs are large frogs and they grow up to 15 cms (6 inches) in length.  The Indian Bullfrog is solitary and is usually nocturnal.  The diet of an Indian Bullfrog consists of insects, small mammals and small birds.  The Indian Bullfrog is the largest Indian frog.  The bullfrog is protected under Schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife Act 1972.

7.4 GENETIC BANK FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION Environment Why in news?

India got its first scientific and most modern national wildlife genetic resource bank.

About it  This is India’s first scientific and most modern national wildlife genetic resources bank.

 The Genetic Resource Bank will store genetic material of Indian species  It is located in Hyderabad at the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), a research wing of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).  It could be utilised to virtually resurrect an animal species in case it goes extinct.

About LaCONES  It is India's only research facility engaged in conservation and preservation of wildlife and its resources.  Effective conservation measures include both in situ habitat preservation, species protection and ex situ conservation.  Project LaCONES was established in 1998 with the help of o Dept. of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India o Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA), New Delhi o Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi o Government of Andhra Pradesh.

7.5 PARIVESH Why in news? The Prime Minister launched PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub) on the occasion of World Biofuel Day.

What is it?  PARIVESH is a Single-Window Integrated Environmental Management System.  It has been rolled out for online submission, monitoring and management of proposals submitted by Project Proponents to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), as well as to the State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA), to seek various types of clearances.  The system has been designed, developed and hosted by the MOEFCC with technical support from National Informatics Centre, (NIC), New Delhi.

Features  Single window, Single registration and single sign-in for all types of clearances, Unique-ID for all types of clearances required for a particular project.  Geographic Information System (GIS) interface for the Appraisal Committee to help them in analyzing the proposal efficiently.  Automatic alerts (via SMS and emails) at important stages to the concerned officers, committee members and higher authorities to check the delays.

7.6 MAHADAYI TRIBUNAL, KALASA-BANDURI NALA PROJECT AND KOTNI PROJECT Why in News? The Mahadayi water tribunal (MWT) gave its award allowing Karnataka to divert water.

What’s more in news?  Mahadayi Tribunal was constituted in 2010 to equitably allot Mahadayi river water among Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.  The MWT allowed Goa 24 tmcft and Maharashtra to use 1.33 tmcft for drinking and irrigation. Environment  Karnataka has been allowed to divert 2.18 tmcft of water at the proposed Bhandura dam and 1.72

tmcft at the Kalasa Dam.

 It was allowed an additional 1.5 tmcft for ‘in-basin consumptive use’ but was cautioned against the Kotni Hydro Project.  Water sharing to be overseen by Central government agencies or a Mahadayi water management

Authority on lines of Cauvery management board  The tribunal recommendations ought to be adhered to until August 2048.

About Mahadayi River  Also known as the Mandovi River, Mahadayi originates from a cluster of 30 springs at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in the Belagavi district of Karnataka.  It is described as the lifeline of Goa.  The Dudhsagar falls and Varapoha falls are on this river.  Panaji, the state capital is situated on the left bank of the Mandovi.  The rivers Mapusa, Kalasa and Bhanduri are tributaries of the Mandovi.  The island of Chorão, in the river, is home to the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary

Kalasa-Banduri Nala project  The Kalasa-Banduri Nala is a project undertaken by the Government of Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to North Karnataka.  It involves building dams across Kalasa and Banduri, two tributaries of the Mahadayi river to divert water to the Malaprabha River, which supplies the drinking water needs of the 3 northern districts, i.e., Dharwad, Belagavi and Gadag.

7.7 L3 DISASTER Why in news? The Government of India has treated the Kerala flood situation as a disaster of serious nature and has categorized the same as a Level - L3 Disaster under National Disaster Management Guidelines.

What are the different levels of disaster categorisation?  Level-L1: Environment o The level of disaster that can be managed within the capabilities and resources at the District level. o However, the state authorities will remain in readiness to provide assistance if needed.  Level-L2:

o This signifies the disaster situations that require assistance and active mobilization of resources at the state level and deployment of state level agencies for disaster management. o The central agencies must remain vigilant for immediate deployment if required by the state.  Level-L3:  This corresponds to a nearly catastrophic situation or a very large-scale disaster that overwhelms the State and District authorities

7.8 CALAMITY OF SEVERE NATURE Why in news? The Union government has declared the Kerala floods a “calamity of severe nature”.

About the news  According to the National Disaster Management Policy, the State governments have to provide disaster relief from their respective State Disaster Response Funds (SDRFs).  Only for a “calamity of severe nature”, additional assistance will be provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).  There is, however, no provision in the law or rules for the government to designate a disaster a “national calamity”.

Funding  The NDRF is funded through a National Calamity Contingent Duty levied on pan masala, chewing tobacco and cigarettes, and with budgetary provisions as and when needed.  The SDRF corpus is contributed by the Union government and the respective State governments in a 75:25 ratio for general category States and 90:10 for Special Category States.  The allocation of the SDRF for each State is done by the Finance Commission.

7.9 CHEETAH REINTRODUCTION Why in News? The Madhya Pradesh forest department has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority to revive the plan to reintroduce cheetahs in the State’s Nauradehi sanctuary.

About the News  The cheetah is the fastest land animal.  The country’s last spotted feline died in Chhattisgarh in 1947.  It was declared extinct in India in 1952.  Nauradehi was found to be the most suitable area for the cheetahs as its forests are not very dense to restrict the fast movement of the spotted cat.  According to the earlier action plan, around 20 cheetahs were to be translocated to Nauradehi from Namibia in Africa.

About Cheetah  The cheetah is a large cat of the subfamily Felinae.  The species is IUCN Red Listed as vulnerable

 Cheetah is not naturally found in India.  In India Cheetah are extinct in the wild or regionally extinct.  Cheetahs are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation of their habitat.  One reason for their extirpation across most of their Asian range is thought to have been the live capture of cheetahs, which were then trained to hunt deer and gazelle as sport for the aristocracy.  Other key causes of the disappearance of Cheetah from the region are likely to have been depletion of wild prey, especially gazelles, the direct killing of Cheetahs.

Environment

7.10 COMMUTE RELATED POLLUTION

Why in News? The report titled ‘The Urban Commute and How it Contributes to Pollution and Energy’, compiled by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), was released.

About the News  6 megacities and 8 metropolises evaluated on how they fare when it comes to pollution and energy consumption from urban commuting  Lowest overall emissions recorded in Bhopal.  Kolkata as the top-performing megacity.  Chennai was the first city to adopt a non-motorised transport (NMT) policy in 2004 that aims to arrest the decline of walking or cycling by creating a network of footpaths, bicycle tracks and greenways.

About Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)  The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is a public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi.  CSE researches into, lobbies for and communicates the urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable.  Established in 1980, CSE uses knowledge-based activism to create awareness about problems and propose sustainable solutions.

7.11 BNHS Why in News? The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) will start operating its regional centre on the campus of Wetland Research and Training Centre near Chilika Lake.The centre will carry out research on avian disease by collecting samples and monitor the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary.

About BNHS  The Bombay Natural History Society is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.  It was founded on 15 September 1883.  BNHS is the partner of BirdLife International in India.  It has been designated as a 'Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation' by the Department of Science and Technology.  The BNHS logo is the great hornbill.  BNHS is headquartered in the specially constructed 'Hornbill House' in Mumbai.

More about Chilka  Chilika Lake in Odisha is Asia's biggest internal salt water pond studded with few tiny islands.  It is located at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal.  Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside Chilika host most of this bird congregation.  Because of its rich bio-diversity and socio-economic importance, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1981.  Migratory birds fly across continents from Caspian Sea, Baikal Lake and remote parts of Russia, Mongolia and Siberia and flock to the marshy lands of the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside the Chilika Lake.

 Apart from residents and migratory birds, Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to Blackbuck, Spotted Deer, Golden Jackal and Hyenas.  It has rich aquatic wildlife also: Chilika Lake sanctuary also houses Prawn, Dolphin, Crab, Crustaceans and Limbless Lizard.

7.12 NATIONAL REDD+ STRATEGY Why in News?

Environment Minister Releases India’s National Redd+ Strategy. Environment

About REDD+  It is a voluntary climate change mitigation approach that has been developed by Parties to the UNFCCC.

 REDD+ means “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation”, conservation of

forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.  REDD+ aims to achieve climate change mitigation by incentivizing forest conservation.  The strategy seeks to address drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and also developing a roadmap for enhancement of forest carbon stocks and achieving sustainable management of forests through REDD+ actions.

Difference between REDD+ and the UN-REDD Programme  REDD+ is a voluntary climate change mitigation approach that has been developed by Parties to the UNFCCC.  It aims to incentivize developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conserve forest carbon stocks, sustainably manage forests and enhance forest carbon stocks.

REDD  The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries – or UN-REDD Programme – is a multilateral body.  The UN-REDD Programme is a collaborative programme of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and harnesses the technical expertise of these UN agencies.  It partners with developing countries to support them in establishing the technical capacities needed to implement REDD+ and meet UNFCCC requirements for REDD+ results-based payments.  It does so through a country-based approach that provides advisory and technical support services tailored to national circumstances and needs.  Other examples of REDD+ multilaterals include the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility and Forest Investment Program, hosted by The World Bank. 7.13 THE INTERNATIONAL NITROGEN INITIATIVE Why in news? Indian scientist-academician, N Raghuram, has been elected Chair of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI), a global policy making initiative.

About the news Raghuram is the first Indian and Asian to be elected to the Chair.

The International Nitrogen Initiative  The International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) is an international program  It was set up in 2003 under sponsorship of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) and from the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP).  The key aims of the INI are to: o Optimize nitrogen’s beneficial role in sustainable food production o Minimize nitrogen’s negative effects on human health and the environment resulting from food and energy production.  The program is currently a sustained partner of Future Earth.

 INI is coordinated by a Steering Committee, led by a chair and six regional centre directors representing, Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, South Asia and East Asia.  The INI holds a conference every three years.  The last INI conference was held in Melbourne, in December 2016.  The next INI conference will be held in Berlin, Germany, in 2020.

7.14 KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

Why in News? Environment Assam’s Environment and Forest Department issued a notification saying the KNP had been split into two

divisions.

About the News  Kaziranga National Park has been split into the Eastern Assam and Biswanath division for “intensive

wildlife management”.  The river Brahmaputra separates the two divisions.

KNP (Kaziranga National Park), Assam  It hosts two-thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses.  The KNP has an estimated 2,413 rhinos.  The park has 57% of the world’s wild water buffalo population, one of the largest groups of Asian elephants and 21 Royal Bengal tigers per 100 sq.km –the highest striped cat density.  1968: State government designated Kaziranga a national park.  It is accorded official status in 1974.  It is a World Heritage Site since 1985.  It is declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 (now the highest tiger density is in Orang National Park, Assam, earlier it was KNP)  It houses elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.  It is also an important Bird Area by BirdLife International.  It is located on the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot.

7.15 IMD Colour Coded Alerts Why in news? The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for flood hit southern state of Kerala.

Codes and their meaning Four colour codes are issued to indicate various categories of alerts 1. Green (All is well): No advisory is issued. 2. Yellow (Be aware): Severely bad weather is possible over the next few days, possible travel delays 3. Amber /orange (Be prepared):  Increased likelihood of extremely bad weather, travel delays, road and rail closures, and interruption of power supply.  There could be risk to life and property.  Amber means people need to be prepared to change plans and protect themselves. 4. Red (Take action)  Extremely bad weather is expected.  People need to take action to keep themselves and others safe.  Widespread damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life are likely.  People must avoid dangerous areas and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.

7.16 AEROSOLS Why in News? NASA release an image which shows aerosols around the world.

About Aerosols  Aerosols are minute particles suspended in the atmosphere.  When these particles are sufficiently large, we notice their presence as they scatter and absorb sunlight.  Their scattering of sunlight can reduce visibility (haze) and redden sunrises and sunsets.

 An optical thickness of less than 0.1 (palest yellow) indicates a crystal clear sky with maximum Culture

visibility, whereas a value of 1 (reddish brown) indicates very hazy conditions.

 The image released highlights the atmospheric aerosols on that day based on data from satellites Terra, Aqua, Aura and Suomi NPP.

Effects of Aerosols  Aerosols interact both directly and indirectly with the Earth's radiation budget and climate.  As a direct effect, the aerosols scatter sunlight directly back into space.  As an indirect effect, aerosols in the lower atmosphere can modify the size of cloud particles, changing how the clouds reflect and absorb sunlight, thereby affecting the Earth's energy budget.  Aerosols also can act as sites for chemical reactions to take place (heterogeneous chemistry). The most significant of these reactions are those that lead to the destruction of stratospheric ozone.

How it is measured?  Earth-observing satellites use the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to measure the aerosol optical thickness from hundreds of kilometers above the Earth.  These measurements are based on the fact that aerosols change the reflection and absorption of visible and infrared light in the atmosphere.

8 CULTURE 8.1 SANGHAM RADIO Why in news? Sangham Radio, India’s first community radio station, is struggling to stay alive.

About the radio  Sangham Radio is India’s first community radio station.  It is owned and run by 5,000 poor, mostly Dalit women.  It is an initiative of the Deccan Development Society (DDS), a local grassroots organization.  It was started in 1998 in Machanoor village of Telangana’s Sangareddy district.  It caters to the Sanghams (self-help groups) of underprivileged, rural women.  It got its licence to broadcast in 2008, and has been in operation for ten years.  The programming content is generated entirely by the 5,000-odd women, most of them semi-literate or illiterate agricultural workers.

8.2 SEVA BHOJ YOJNA Why in News? The Ministry of Culture has launched Seva Bhoj Yojna.

About SEVA BHOJ YOJNA  The scheme envisages to reimburse the Central Government share of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST) to lessen the financial burden of Religious/Charitable Institutions who provide food free of cost without any discrimination to Public/Devotees.  The Religious / Charitable Institutions can be Temples, Gurudwara, Mosque, Church, Dharmik Ashram, Dargah, Matth, Monasteries etc.  It should have been in existence for at least three years before applying for financial assistance/grant.

 It should serve free food to at least 5000 people in a month.  Such institutions should be covered under any of the following acts o Income Tax Act, 1961 o Companies Act, 2013 o Societies Registration Act, 1860 o Any relevant acts  Ministry of Culture will enroll the eligible Religious / Charitable Institutions for a time period ending with financial year 2019-20.  Religious / Charitable Institution shall first register with Darpan Portal of NITI Aayog.

Culture

What is Darpan Portal?  The NGO-DARPAN is a platform that provides space for interface between VOs/NGOs and key

Government Ministries / Departments / Government Bodies, to start with.  Later it is proposed to cover all Central Ministries / Departments / Government Bodies.  This is a free facility offered by the NITI Aayog in association with National Informatics Centre to bring about greater partnership between government & voluntary sector and foster better transparency, efficiency and accountability.

8.3 YERUKALA TRIBE AND BATS Why in news? Traditionally bat hunting tribe of Yerukala is affected by dwindling population of bats

Yerukala Tribe  Also called Erukala or Erukula, they are a social group primarily found in Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.  They said to have roots to Nishadha tribe of North India and Bhils.It is widely accepted by historians that the Kakatiyas of Warangal and Bastar belonged to this Erukala caste.  Erukalas were declared as criminal tribes by British.  The Yerukala tribes is said to traditionally hunt bats for food meat in Nalconda.  The bat population here is dwindling primarily due to loss of habitat- indiscriminate cutting of fruit trees also being sought for witchcraft, faith healing.

8.4 PROJECT MAUSAM Why in news? A large amount of money has recently been allocated for the project.

More about the project  Project ‘Mausam’ aims to explore the multi-faceted Indian Ocean ‘world’–collating archaeological and Historical research in order to document the diversity of cultural, commercial and religious interactions in the Indian Ocean.

 It is an initiative of Ministry of Culture and to be implemented by the Archaeological Survey of India Culture

(ASI) as the nodal agency with research support of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts

(IGNCA) and National Museum as associate bodies.  It also aims to promote research on themes related to the study of Maritime Routes.  Main objective of the project is to inscribe places and sites identified under Project Mausam as transnational nomination for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

8.5 EDISINGE - SAVARA TRIBAL ART Why in news? The Savara tribal art of Edisinge that once flourished in the Eastern Ghats, is on the verge of extinction.

About Savara Tribe  Savara tribe is found inhabiting the eastern ghats of AP (Palakonda Hill ranges).  They build their settlements on hill slopes and near hill streams to facilitate easy access to terrace fields, and for fetching water.  The most significant feature of the social organization of the savaras is the absence of clan organization.  For all practical social purposes such as marriage, the group having a common surname is exogamous.  They are non-vegetarians and staple food is rice.

About Edisinge  These are drawings on mud walls by using vermillion, rice powder and charcoal.

Themes  The tribe’s association with nature and wildlife is vividly depicted.  The lifestyle, modes of agriculture, hunting, festivals and life in the forest.  The art works are replaced by new ones once in two or five years.

Reasons for decline  Change in the religious profile of families and replacement of mud houses with concrete buildings are said to be the reasons for the slow death of the ancient art.  Also some of the surviving artists are too old to practise it.

8.6 SC AND ST (PREVENTION OF ATROCITIES) ACT AMENDMENT Why in News? The Rajya Sabha unanimously cleared the amendments to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, overturning a March 2018 Supreme Court judgment pertaining to safeguard against the arrests under the Act.

Amendments  It provide that no preliminary enquiry will be required for registration of an FIR against any person under the Act.  The investigating officer will not require approval for arrests, if necessary.  The provision of anticipatory bail as allowed by the Supreme Court has also been done away with. © Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 70 www.youtube.com/neoias | www.fb.com/neoias | http://bit.do/neo-upscprelims

 It provides for Special courts in States.  The amendments include a timeline of two months for completing the investigations and filing a chargesheet after registering the FIR.  The cases are to be disposed of within two months of filing the chargesheet.  However, the law is not brought under the 9th schedule of the Constitution (for protection against judicial review), or else the amendments would be challenged in the court again.

What is Judicial Review?  Judicial review is the doctrine in democratic theory under which legislative and executive action is

subject to invalidation by the judiciary. Culture

 In the Indian constitution, Judicial Review is dealt with, under Article 13.  Judicial Review implies that the Constitution is the supreme power of the nation and all laws are

under its supremacy.

The Ninth Schedule  It was introduced by the Nehru Government, on 10 May 1951 to address judicial decisions and pronouncements especially about the chapter on fundamental rights.  The first amendment to the Indian Constitution added the Ninth Schedule to it.  The state wanted to pursue nationalisation, take away lands from the zamindars, re-distribute them, and make special provisions for the socially and economically backward.  The First Amendment that brought in Articles 31A and 31B conferring upon the state the right to make laws to acquire private property and to deem such laws as not being discriminatory.  It further protect all such laws from any judicial review by creating something called the Ninth Sched- ule.  In a landmark ruling on 11 January 2007, the Supreme Court of India ruled that all laws (including those in the Ninth Schedule) would be open to Judicial Review if they violated the basic structure of the constitution.

8.7 INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST CONCLAVE (IBC) Why in News? The President of India inaugurated the “International Buddhist Conclave (IBC), 2018” in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 23rd August, 2018.

More about the conclave  The aim of the Conclave is to showcase and project the Buddhist Heritage in India and boost tourism to the Buddhist sites in the country and cultivate friendly ties with countries and communities interested in Buddhism.  The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, has been organizing the International Buddhist Conclave biennially.

Key points  Japan would be the ‘Partner Country for IBC-2018.  A website landofbuddha.in website will be launched.  The Ministry planned to organize an ‘Investors’ Summit’ during the Conclave to attract investments in developing world class infrastructure at Buddhist sites.  6th International Buddhist Conclave is on the theme, “Buddha Path – The Living Heritage”.  The Buddha and his Path, the Eight-fold Path is known as, Aṭṭhangiko Maggo.  The ‘Buddha Path’ also refers to the Eight Great Places of Buddhist Heritage, (referred in Pali as Aṭṭhamahāṭhānāni).

8.8 LIMBOO AND TAMANG COMMUNITIES Why in news? The home ministry has proposed to increase the assembly seats in Sikkim to accommodate the Limboo and Tamang communities.

About Limboo community  The Limboo or Yakthung are people indigenous and native to their himalayas, hills, mountainous and plains regions of Limbuwan.  Limbuwan is the land east of the Arun and Koshi Rivers and west of Kanchenjunga Mountain and the Mechi River. It includes Sikkim, Eastern Nepal and Western Bhutan regions.  Social relations o They believe that lineage is not transmitted patrilineally. o Rather, a woman inherits her mother's gods, and when she

marries and lives with her husband her deities will be recognized Culture

as household deities. o Limbus generally marry within their own community.

 Culture o The traditional dress of the Limbus are mekhli and taga. o Dhaka is the traditional fabric of the Limbus which are made by weaving it in geometric patterns in a handloom. o In the olden days, the Limbus were skilled in silk farming. o The Limbus follow the social rules and regulation of Mundhum oral 'scripture' and a religious book.  Limbus usually made their traditional dish from homegrown domesticated livestock meats like beef, lamb, mutton, poultry, pork, fish and yak.  They were notified as Scheduled tribes in 2003 in Sikkim.

About Tamang Community  The Tamang are the largest Tibeto-Burman ethnic group within Nepal and traditionally Buddhist by religion.  Tamangs are also a significant majority in Sikkim and Darjeeling District of West Bengal, as permanent settlers.  The religion is considered by Tamangs as Nyingma tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism.  Sonam Lhochhar is the main festival of the Tamangs to welcome the Tamang new year.  The second most important festival is Saga Dawa (Buddha Jayanti)  Most Tamangs are farmers, engaged in agriculture. Due to the lack of irrigation at higher altitudes, their crops are often limited to corn, millet, wheat, barley, and potatoes.  They often supplement their farming income with manual labour.

8.9 GONDHALA FOLK ART  Although gondhala is now known as a Marathi folk art, it perhaps had its origin in Karnataka, and then spread to Maharashtra.  Gondhala is a dance festival of the Bhils of Kalyana, in Karnataka (Nritya Ratnavali).  Kalyani Chalukya king Someswara III (1126–1138 CE), author of Manasollasa, systematised the dances of the Bhils and called them chitra gondhalis.

Features  The gondhalis(dancers) are worshippers of Renuka Devi and Tulja Bhavani.  Kadamrai gondhalis were hereditary office holders in the Tulja Bhavani temple  The ballads of the Gondhalis were called powadas.  The gondhalis are mostly male, although women too sometimes form part of the troupe.  The gundala(drum) is made of bronze or wood. The mouth is covered with buffalo hide  Gondhala is seen as an accompaniment to the Poikkal Kudirai dance.

Poikkal Kudirai dance

 Poikkaal Kuthirai Aatam or Puravi Aattam (Dummy Horse Dance) is one of the folk dances of Tamil Nadu.  It is a type of dance performed with a dummy horse having a gap inside so that a person can fit into it to perform the dance.  The show is performed by men as well as women.  This artistic performance is connected to the worship of Ayyanar and prevails mainly around Thanjavur.

9 SECURITY Security

9.1 EXERCISE MAITREE Why in new?

Exercise Maitree conducted between the Indian Army and the Royal Thai Army.

About Maitree 2018  Exercise Maitree is a joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army which is held in Mueang, Chachoengsao Province, Thailand in 2018.  The exercise will emphasize to hone the tactical and technical skills in joint counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations in rural and urban scenario under UN mandate.  Last year it was held in Himachal Pradesh.

9.2 DEFENCE INDIA START UP CHALLENGE Why in news? Defence Minister has unveiled the Defence India Startup Challenge.

About Defence India Startup Challenge  Defence India Startup Challenge is an initiative to tap start-ups for finding safe and futuristic Indian solutions to critical needs of the three Armed Forces.  It is a part of iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence) scheme announced by the Prime Minister meant to build an Eco-system of innovation and entrepreneurship in India for the defence sector to make India self-reliant.  Those that come up with prototypes of usable products would be supported with ₹1.5 crore each and friendly procurement procedures from the Ministry under SPARK or Support for Prototype & Research Kickstart in Defence.  A list of 11 technologies that the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force need, have been chosen. The challenges are include o Carbon Fibre Winding (CFW), o Active Protection System (APS), 4G/LTE based Tactical Local Area Network o Bilge Oily Water Separation System;

9.3 XINGKOND-2/STARRY SKY-2 Why in news? China on Monday announced that it has successfully tested its first hypersonic aircraft.

What is Xingkond 2?  The Xingkong-2 or Starry Sky-2 is a Chinese hypersonic aircraft which could carry nuclear warheads and penetrate any current generation anti-missile defence systems.  It’s also known as waverider – for its ability to ride on the shock waves it generates i.e. it flies in the atmosphere and uses shockwaves generated by its own hypersonic flight with the air to glide at high speed.  The current generation of anti-missile defence systems is mainly designed to intercept cruise and ballistic missiles, which are either slower or easier to predict, making them possible to intercept.  The trajectory of a waverider is relatively unpredictable in the glide and it flies so fast that it poses an extreme challenge to current anti-missile defense systems.

9.4 AAD INTERCEPTOR MISSILE Why in News? DRDO conducted the successful test of the Ballistic Missile Interceptor Advanced Air Defence (AAD) from Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. It was launched against multiple simulated targets for the first time.

About AAD Ballistic Missile interceptor  It is an endo-atmospheric missile, capable of intercepting incoming targets at an altitude of 15 to 25 kms.  It is a single stage, solid propelled guided missile.  It has a navigation system, a computer and electromechanical activator apart from sophisticated Security radars.  It is also equipped with own mobile launcher and a secure interception data link.

 The missile also possesses independent tracking and homing capabilities.

9.5 VOSTOK 2018 Why in news? Vostok 2018 is a large-scale upcoming Russian military exercise.

More about it  Vostok is ‘Russian’ for east.  It is to be held from 11 to 15 September 2018, throughout Siberia and the country's Far East.  The exercise will involve units from the Army, Air Force and Navy.  The exercise will be the largest to be held in Russia since "Zapad-81" held by the Soviet Union in 1981.  The location will be Tsugol training range in Russia's Trans-Baikal region.  The Zapad exercises in 1981 involved about 100,000 to 150,000 troops and were the largest Soviet war games ever held.  China and Mongolia plan to participate in Vostok 2018.

9.6 SAAW Why in News? Indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) were successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range. About SAAW  It is a lightweight, long-range precision-guided anti-airfield weapon.  The SAAW is being developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), and other DRDO laboratories in collaboration with the Indian Air Force (IAF).  It is designed to be capable of engaging ground targets with high precision up to a range of 100 kilometres (62 mi).  It is designed to destroy ground targets, such as runways, bunkers, aircraft hangers and other reinforced structures.  It is India's first fully indigenous anti-airfield weapon, being designed and developed wholly by DRDO.

9.7 HELINA Why in News? Indigenously developed Helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ has been successfully flight tested in the ranges of Pokhran.

About HELINA  The Nag missile is a third generation “fire and forget” anti-tank missile.  It is equipped with highly advanced Imaging Infrared Radar (IRR) seeker operating in the Lock on Before Launch mode and has integrated avionics technology in its arsenal.

 It possesses advanced passive homing guidance system and has been designed mainly to destroy modern main battle tanks and other heavily armoured targets.  It can be launched from both land and air-based platforms.  Its helicopter launched version is known as Helicopter-Launched NAG (HELINA) that can be fired from Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and HAL Rudra attack helicopter.  The land-based version of the missile is at present available for integration on the Nag missile carrier (NAMICA).  The anti-tank Nag missile is one among the five missile

systems developed by DRDO under the integrated guided Security

missile development programme (IGMDP).  The four other missiles developed under this programme are

Agni, Akash, Trishul and Prithvi.

9.8 KAKADU EXERCISE Why in news? India’s INS Sahyadri entered the Port of Darwin, Australia to participate in Exercise KAKADU 2018.

More about it  Exercise KAKADU is the premier multilateral regional maritime engagement exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and supported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).  The exercise is held biennially in Darwin and the Northern Australian Exercise Areas (NAXA).  Exercise KAKADU derives its name from Kakadu National Park, which is a protected area in the northern territory of Australia, south-east of Darwin.  It started in 1993. KAKADU 2018, the 14th edition of the exercise.

9.9 QUAD GROUPING AND MALABAR EXERCISE Why in News? A report on the policy recommendations on Indian Ocean security by four think tanks from the Quad countries launched at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF).

About QUAD  The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, also known as the Quad) is an informal strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India that is maintained by talks between member countries.  It is an Inter-governmental security forum.  The dialogue was paralleled by joint military exercises of an unprecedented scale, titled Exercise Malabar.

More about Malabar exercise  Malabar exercise is a trilateral naval exercise held between India, United States of America, and Japan.  The Malabar exercise started in 1992 with the navies of US and India in the Indian Ocean.  Japan only became a permanent partner (2015) of the Malabar exercise earlier in this decade.

The 2018 Malabar exercise  The 2018 Malabar exercise was conducted from 7 to 16 June 2018 off the coast of Guam in the Phillipine Sea.  This was the 22nd edition of the exercise and the first time to be held in United States territory.  The Indian Navy was represented by stealth frigate INS Sahyadri, AsW corvette INS Kamorta and fleet tanker INS Shakti and a Poseidon P-8I aircraft.

9.10 DEFENCE ACQUISITION COUNCIL Why in News? The DAC gave approvals for defense procurement deals worth approximately Rs. 46,000 crores.

About Defence Acquisition Council  The structure of the council ensures equal representation to bureaucracy as well as armed forces, which means that there are in-built checks and balances in relation to procurement.  DAC is chaired by Defence Minister.

Objectives Governance Polity and  To counter corruption and speed up decision- making in military procurement, the government of India in 2001 decided to set up an integrated DAC.  The DAC will give policy guidelines to acquisitions, based on long-term procurement plans.

 It will also clear all acquisitions, including imported equipment and those produced indigenously or under a foreign licence.  To monitor the acquisition process, the DAC will preside over three wings - a Defence Procurement Board which will deal with purchases, a Defence Production Board and a Defence Research and Development Board.

10 POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 10.1 UNITED NATION’S E-GOVERNMENT INDEX 2018 Why in news? India has jumped 22 places to break into the top 100 of the United Nation’s E-Government Index 2018.

What is UN E-Governance Index?  The E-Government Development Index (EGDI) is a composite index based on the weighted average of the following three normalised indices: 1. Telecommunications Infrastructure Index (TII): The index is based on data provided by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) 2. Human Capital Index (HCI): It is based on data provided by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 3. Online Service Index (OSI: It is based on data collected from an independent survey questionnaire, conducted by UNDESA, which assesses the national online presence of all 193 United Nations Member States.  It mainly assesses e-government development at the national level.  It measures countries’ use of information and communications technologies to deliver public services.

How did India perform?  India, which was ranked 118 in 2014, jumped 11 places to be ranked 96 in 2018.  India scored well on the Online Services sub-index with a score of 0.9514, but Telecommunications at 0.20091 and Human Capital Index at 0.6627.  India’s overall score was 0.5484

Key Highlights  Denmark, with an index value of 0.9150, topped the 2018 E-Government Development Survey.  It was followed by Australia with 0.9053 score and the Republic of Korea with a value of 0.9010.

10.2 NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR BACKWARD CLASSES Why in news? The Lok Sabha unanimously passed the 123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill providing for a National Commission for Backward Classes as a constitutional body.

About NCBC  NCBC was established through NCBC Act 1993 under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment  It was established on directives of Supreme Court in its judgement of Indra Sawhney & Others Vs. union of India & others case. It was ordered to examine and recommend for inclusion and complaints of under-inclusion, over-inclusion or non-inclusion in list of OBCs.

Function  NCBC examines request for inclusion of castes into backward classes and hear complaints of over and under inclusion.I ts advice is generally binding upon central government.  Further, every 10 years, the central government undertakes revision of the lists by consulting it.  The commission has powers of a civil court in few matters.  NCBC presents annual report to Central Government containing full account of its activities during previous year. The report is placed before each House of Parliament by Central Government along Governance Polity and with a memorandum explaining actions taken on and reasons for non-acceptance of any advice tendered.  National Commission for Backward Classes has not yet been empowered to look into the grievances of

persons of Other Backward Classes but National Commission for Scheduled Castes is the competent authority.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Third Amendment) Bill, 2017  The Bill seeks to establish the NCBC under the Constitution, and provide it the authority to examine complaints and welfare measures regarding socially and educationally backward classes.

 The Bill as passed by the Lower House inserts Article 338 B in the Constitution, which provides for a Commission for the socially and educationally backward classes with a Chairperson, Vice- Chairperson and three other members, all of whom shall be appointed by the President of India.  However, as the House passed an alternative amendment to one proposed by the Rajya Sabha, the Bill will once again go to the Rajya Sabha.

Note: The provisions are subject to change once the body will be given constitutional status. For eg. There has been a proposal that there must be at least one woman on the commission which was said will be addressed while drafting rules.

10.3 BIMS AND BHOOMI RASHI Why in news? The Minister for Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation launched Bidder Information Management System (BIMS) and Bhoomi Rashi and PFMS linkage.

What is BIMS?  BIMS is portal aimed at streamlining the process of pre-qualification of bidders for EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) Mode of contracts for National Highway works with enhanced transparency and objectivity.  The portal will work as a data base of information about bidders, covering basic details, civil works experience, cash accruals and network, annual turnover etc.  BIMS will be used by all the project implementation agencies of the Ministry for maintenance of technical information of civil works of contractors/ concessionaires, and for online technical evaluation of civil works bids.

What is Bhoomi Rashi?  It is a portal developed by MoRTH and NIC.  It comprises the entire revenue data of the country (of about 6.4 lakh villages) and will make the required land acquisition notification process for road construction online.  The portal has also been linked with the public finance management system, which will enable flow of funds from the Consolidated Fund of India to the land owner’s account.

10.4 COLOUR FOR REGISTRATION OF BATTERY VEHICLES Why in news? Transport Ministry Notifies Colour for Registration Mark of Battery Operated Vehicles.

What is the colour for registration?  All Battery Operated Vehicles shall now exhibit their registration mark in Yellow colour on Green background for transport vehicles.

 For all other cases, it should be in White colour on Green background.

10.5 EASE OF LIVING INDEX Why in News?

The first Ease of Living Index was published. Polity Governance Polity and

About the Index  The Ease of Living Index is an initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to help cities assess their liveability vis-à-vis global and national benchmarks and encourage cities to move towards an ‘outcome-based’ approach to urban planning and management  It is an effort to assess the Ease of Living standards of 111 Indian cities.  It includes cities identified under the Smart Cities Mission, capital cities and a few more cities with a population of over 1 million.  It uses metrics critical to track progress towards the SDGs in an urban environment.

 The Ease of Living Index captures the breadth of the quality of life in cities across

o 4 pillars : Physical, Institutional, Social and Economic o 15 categories o 78 indicators (56 are core indicators and 22 are supporting indicators)  The core indicators measure those aspects of ease of living which are considered ‘essential’ urban services. Rankings 1. Pune 2. Navi Mumbai 3. Greater Mumbai 4. Tirupati 5. Chandigarh

Global Liveability Index 2018  It is an annual report by The Economist Intelligence Unit that assesses which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions.  The index assigns cities scores on five broad parameters using 30 indicators: 1. Stability 2. Healthcare 3. Culture/environment 4. Education 5. Infrastructure  Vienna, Austria is ranked the No. 1 most liveable city in the world.  Delhi (112) and Mumbai (117) are only two Indian cities that are included in the EIU’s annual index.  The EIU is part of UK magazine The Economist and provides forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS of EOL and GLI Ease of Ranking Source Greater Mumbai rank Delhi rank Living Index of Ease of Living 3 65 MoHUA

Global Liveability Index 117 112

 It looks at Delhi as not only New Delhi but an urban agglomeration comprising the Municipal Corporations limits of East, South, North and New Delhi.

Global Liveability Index of EIU  Global Liveability Index looks at New Delhi only.

10.6 INSTANT TRIPLE TALAQ BILL Why in News? The government introduced amendments that deal with the Bill’s most contentious section — its criminality provision.

About the news Gove Polity and  An FIR will now be cognizable only if the complaint is filed by the victim, the wife, her blood relatives or relatives by marriage.  If the wife and husband want to settle their differences, the magistrate can “compound the offence”.

 It allows a magistrate to grant bail to the accused for mitigating the stridency of the original legislation

— it had made triple talaq a completely non-bailable offence.

Background rnance  Triple Talaq is a personal practice followed by Muslim communities in the country as a form of divorce wherein a man can unilaterally and arbitrarily end his marriage by merely pronouncing the

word “Talaq” thrice.  The man pronouncing the divorce may deliver it through a letter, text message, email or even through a video recording.  There are three forms of talaq — Ahsan, Hasan and Talaq-e-Biddat (triple or instant talaq). Ahsan and Hasan are revocable but Biddat — pronouncing divorces in one go by the husband — is irrevocable.  Biddat is considered ‘sinful’ but permissible in Islamic law.  The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) holds that for the Hanafis, who make more than 90% Sunnis in India, triple talaq is a matter of faith followed for 1,400 years.

Arguments for its Ban  The divorced woman was not provided any legal safeguards under the rule of law against such a divorce or any injustice arising from it.  It adversely impacted rights of women to a life of dignity.  Even 21 Islamic theocratic countries including Pakistan & Afghanistan have abolished it.

10.7 ‘PARENS PATRIAE’ DOCTRINE Why in news? Uttarakhand high court appoints itself legal guardian of cows in state by invoking the ‘parens patriae’ doctrine.

What is ‘parens patriae’ doctrine? Governance Polity and  Parens patriae is a Latin word which means ‘parent of the country.’  It is a doctrine that grants the court inherent power and authority to act as guardian for those who are unable to take care for themselves.

What is the meaning of the judgement?  The court can now act as the legal guardian of the cows in the state.  The court can take suo moto cognisance and issue directions to the state, if there are any violations in laws and rules regarding cows.

10.8 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Why in News? The Odisha government approved a proposal for setting up a legislative council in the state.

About Legislative councils  Under Article 169 of the constitution, Parliament may by law create or abolish the second chamber in a state if the Legislative Assembly of that state passes a resolution to that effect by a special majority.  As per article 171 clause (1) of the Indian Constitution, the total number of members in the legislative council of a state shall not exceed one third of the total number of the members in the legislative Assembly of that state and the total number of members in the legislative council of a state shall in no case be less than 40.  Though the Constitution has fixed the maximum and the minimum limits, the actual strength of a Council is fixed by Parliament.  As of now, seven states have a Legislative Council.  They are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.

Manner of Election of the total number of members of a legislative council  1/3 are elected by the members of local bodies in the state like municipalities, district boards, etc,  1/12 are elected by graduates of three years standing and residing within the state,  1/12 are elected by teachers of three years standing in the state, not lower in standard than secondary school,  1/3 are elected by the members of the legislative assembly of the state from amongst persons who are not members of the assembly ,and  The remainder are nominated by the governor from amongst persons who have a special knowledge or practical experience of literature, science, art, cooperative movement and socialservice.  Thus, 5/6 of the total number of members of a legislative council are indirectly elected and 1/6 are nominated by the governor.  The members are elected in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.  The bonafides or propriety of the governor’s nomination in any case cannot be challenged in the courts.

10.9 AADHAAR Why in News? The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has instructed all telecom operators to start implementing a two-factor verification, which includes facial recognition.

About the News  The new feature of face authentication is in addition to authentication by fingerprint/OTP/iris.  With effect from September 15, all telecom operators will have to perform at least 10% of total monthly authentication using face authentication, failing which they will be fined. © Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 80 www.youtube.com/neoias | www.fb.com/neoias | http://bit.do/neo-upscprelims

 The move is aimed at curbing the possibility of fingerprint spoofing or cloning.

Facts on Aadhaar What is Aadhaar? It is a 12 digit Unique Identification numbers (UID issued to all residents of India).

Why Aadhaar? Governance Polity and  To eliminate duplicate and fake identities,  Identities can be verified and authenticated in an easy, cost-effective way.  Both of this will make the administration of welfare schemes more effective.

 Who is issuing it? It is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India on behalf of the Government of India. Who can enroll? Every resident in India (those who have stayed for more than 182 days in the year prior to submitting Aadhaar application) is entitled to obtain an Aadhaar number.

More information on Aadhaar  Not a Secret number: o Aadhaar number is not a secret number. o It is to be shared with authorized agencies whenever an Aadhaar holder wishes to avail certain service or benefit of government welfare scheme/s or other services.  Aadhaar enrolment is free of cost.  No documents required: Where there are no documents available, resident may also take the help of Introducers available at the enrolment center. The Introducers are notified by the Registrar.  Validity: Aadhaar remains valid for life and is not re-assigned to any other individual.  Random Number: It is a random number and bears no relation to the attributes or identity of the Aadhaar number holder.  Proof of Identity: An Aadhaar number, in physical or electronic form, subject to authentication and other conditions, may be accepted as proof of identity of the Aadhaar number holder for any purpose.  Not for citizenship: it does not by itself, confer any right of, or be proof of, citizenship or domicile in respect of an Aadhaar number holder.

More about UIDAI  The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established under the provisions of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016.  It is under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).  The first UID number was issued on 29 September 2010 to a resident of Nandurbar, Maharashtra.

Responsibilities  Under the Aadhaar Act 2016, UIDAI is responsible for Aadhaar enrolment and authentication, including operation and management of all stages of Aadhaar life cycle, developing the policy, procedure and system for issuing Aadhaar numbers to individuals and perform authentication.  It is also required to ensure the security of identity information and authentication records of individuals.

10.10 PRAGATI Why in News? The Prime Minister chaired his twenty-eighth interaction through PRAGATI - the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation.

What is PRAGATI?  PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) is an innovative project in e- governance and good governance.

 The platform is aimed at addressing common man’s grievances, and simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the Government of India as well as projects flagged by State Governments.  The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three latest technologies: 1. Digital data management

2. Videoconferencing CurrentAffairs Capsules 3. Geo-spatial technology.  Prime Minister will hold a monthly programme where he will interact with the Government of India Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries through Video-conferencing enabled by data and geo-informatics visuals; Therefore, It is a three-tier system (PMO, Union Government Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries

of the States)

11 CURRENT AFFAIRS CAPSULES 11.1 NAVLEKHA | GOOGLE New initiative by Google to bring India’s 135,000 Indic language publications online in a hassle-free manner.

11.2 BATHUKAMMA SAREES  There is a change in trend from unemployment to weaver shortage in the powerloom industry in Sircilla textile town, also called as the Sholapur of Telangana.  The Bathukamma festival is one of the most unique festivals of Telangana and is mainly celebrated by the women.  It is a festival of flowers.

11.3 RECENTLY RENAMED PLACES IN INDIA  Kandla Port(Gujarat) – Deendayal port  Mumbai Elphinstone Road Station – Prabhadevi  Bangalore city Railway Station – Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station  Aurangzeb Road Delhi – A P J Abdul Kalam Road

11.4 ASIAN ELECTORAL STAKEHOLDER FORUM IV | COLOMBO  The Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum (AESF) is a continuing engagement between election management bodies (EMBs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) in Asia.  For the first time AESF was held in South Asia.

11.5 KOWSAR  Iran has unveiled first domestically manufactured fighter jet nicknamed Kowsar.  It is a fourth-generation fighter, with "advanced avionics" and multi-purpose radar.

11.6 WORLD'S LARGEST 3D-PRINTED REEF  Maldives recently installed the world’s largest 3D printed coral reef structure.  It is an experimental project in the Maldives which aims to help coral reefs survive the ravages of climate change and warming waters.  It was developed using computer modelling and a 3D printer at a lab in Melbourne, Australia, the artificial reef was designed to resemble reef structures typically found in the Maldives.

11.7 OPERATION STORM 1995  Operation Storm was the last major battle of the Croatian War of Independence.  Zagreb is the capital city of Croatia.

11.8 MAP LOCATION- LOMBOK  Lombok is an Indonesian island east of Bali and west of Sumbawa, part of the Lesser Sunda Island chain. © Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 82 www.youtube.com/neoias | www.fb.com/neoias | http://bit.do/neo-upscprelims

11.9 CURRENT ACCOUNT SURPLUS | GERMANY  Germany's current account surplus -- which measures the flow of goods, services and investments -- will remain the world's largest for the third year running in 2018 at $299 billion.  It is followed by Japan with $200 billion.

11.10 HOLOGRAM-BASED STICKER FUEL STICKER CurrentAffairs Capsules  Delhi will be first city in India to have hologram-based coloured stickers on according to fuel they run on.  Hologram-based sticker of light-blue colour will be used for petrol and CNG-run vehicles while similar sticker of orange colour will be used for diesel-driven vehicles.

11.11 NATIONAL YEAR OF MILLETS  India is observing 2018 as National Year of Millets to boost production of the nutrient-rich millets and the sunrise agri industry involved in it.

 Government of India has proposed to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to declare the year 2019 as international year of millet.

11.12 CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) RISK SCORE API  Microsoft India and Apollo Hospitals had unveiled the ‘first-ever’ artificial intelligence- powered cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk score API (application program interface).

11.13 LASER CHAOS  Lasers being products of light, have inherent instabilities which make them ‘incoherent’.  The relative degree of this incoherence is called laser chaos.  The instabilities in the laser are caused by optical filaments — light structures that move randomly and change with time causing chaos.

11.14 H. PYLORI  Researchers from National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED), West Bengal have assessed a compound (ellagic acid) against H. pylori.  It is found that it can kill almost all clinical strains of this bacterium.  Ellagic acid, a major polyphenolic component of fruits, vegetables and nuts which has been reported to have antibacterial properties.

CurrentAffairs Capsules

GRANDMASTER CHALLENGE - ANSWERS GrandmasterChallenge

Statements

1 Gokul gram initiative aims to promote indigenous cattle breeds.

2 Move Hack programme is launched by Ministry of Road Transport.

3 Parivesh portal will help in streamlining logistic movement across the states. Answers 4 Rules of Origin often heard in the context of climate change mitigation.

5 FII outflow can lead to Rupee depreciation.

6 Queen Variety of pineapple, often heard in the news, is from North East. 7 IMPRINT programme has the potential to address energy crisis and environmental degradation. 8 Chandrayan II is heavier than Chandrayan I and carries a lander and rover. 9 Thermal batteries cannot store energy. 10 Wolbachia is a virus engineered to fight Dengue. 11 GSAT -11 is a large geostationary communication Satellite. 12 AWSAR Scheme can help in nurturing scientific temperament in among people. 13 Aerogel is a good conductor of heat. 14 Around 80 per cent of the moon is visible from earth. 15 Genomes are stored in chromosome. 16 NASA’s InSight mission can provide valuable clues about the origin of life. 17 Mattala airport is in Maldives. 18 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is an agency of United Nations. 19 Johannesburg declaration is related to BRICS. 20 8888’ uprising was a crucial stepping stone for the democratic transformation of Sri Lanka. 21 Galkynysh gas fields is in Afghanistan. 22 Mandovi river flows through four states. 23 Earth Overshoot Day is the day when the global average temperature peaks in each year. 24 E-Government Development Index is brought out by United Nations. 25 Article 35A is a constitutional Amendment that is not placed before the parliament. 26 Bhoomi Rashi portal can streamline the land acquisitions for road development Projects. 27 India’s first ease of living index only ranks smart cities. 28 Positive Indian Ocean Dipole is characterized by cooler than normal sea-surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. 29 Seva Bhoj Yojna is launched by Ministry of Culture. 30 Yerukala tribes belong to Andhra Pradesh. 31 Project Mausam can help in accurately forecast Indian Monsoon. \\ 32 Edisinge is a tribal dance performed in the hills of Eastern Ghats. \\ 33 RUCO initiative by FSSAI can help in promoting healthy and balanced diet. \\ 34 Gravitational waves were predicted by Isaac Newton. \\

35 ISRO's GSLV Mk III is capable of carrying people to outer space. 36 Gondhala tribal art is practiced in Eastern India. \\

37 UPI withdraws and deposits funds directly from the bank account. GrandmasterChallenge 38 MSME is second largest employment generating sector after agriculture sector. 39 Helium’s boiling point is the lowest among all the elements. 40 World Hindi Conference was started last year to promote the usage of Hindi across the globe. \\ 41 Kaziranga National Park is a World Heritage Site.

42 Kazakhstan has border with Caspian Sea.

43 India hosted Asian games only twice. 44 After the nuclear bomb testing, Pokhran has never seen any defence experiments. \\

45 International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.

46 2018 Malabar military exercise was conducted in Arabian Sea. Answers \\ 47 Copernicus project by European Space Agency will aid in detecting earth-like planets. \\

48 Defence Acquisition Council is chaired by Defence Minister.

49 Rakhine state in Myanmar is a coastal state and shares border with Bangladesh. 50 Chilika lake is located at the mouth of the Daya River.

CURRENT AFFAIRS PLUS

CurrentAffairs Plus