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Contents GEOGRAPHY & PLACES IN NEWS ...... 2 ECONOMY...... 12 INTERNATIONAL ...... 16 ENVIRONMENT ...... 24 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ...... 29 HISTORY & CULTURE ...... 37 POLITY, POLICIES, SCHEMES, DEVELOPMENT AND NATIONAL ISSUES ...... 40
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GEOGRAPHY & PLACES IN NEWS
Topic Key Aspects Value Addition Phosphorus • In News: Phosphorus, which is present in DNA and cell membranes of all living organisms, may have been delivered by comet strikes billions of years ago. • It is the second most
abundant mineral in the body • Distribution of economic (mostly found in bones & phosphorus reserves in the top teeth) and makes up 1% of the five countries containing 90% of person’s total body weight the capacity (marked in Red) • In minerals, phosphorus including the 8 countries that generally occurs as dominate sulphuric acid phosphate. production. • The top five phosphate rocks holders — Morocco and Western Sahara, China, Algeria, Syria, and Brazil — account for 84 per cent of the world reserves. Ghataprabha River • It is a tributary of Krishna river • Krishna river rises in the Western that flows in Karnataka Ghats at an altitude of 1337m. • Ghataprabha has near Mahabaleshwar in a hydroelectric and Maharashtra. irrigational dam at Hidkal, • Krishna flows Karnataka through Maharashtra, Karnataka, • Krishna is the second largest Telangana and Andhra river in peninsular India Pradesh and finally drains into the Bay of Bengal. Mandu Festival • Mandu Utsav was celebrated • Mandu City is a world-famous in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh picturesque tourist destination from 28th December 2019 to located in Dhar district of Madhya 1st January 2020. Pradesh and adorned with Afghan • The festival is the architecture surrounded amalgamation of cultural by baobab trees, native to Africa. activities as well as adventure sports. Dnyanganga • The Dnyanganga Sanctuary is • Tipeshwar Tiger Reserve is located Wildlife Sanctuary situated in the Buldhana in Yawatmal (Maharashtra) district of Maharashtra. • The rivers such as Purna, Krishna, In News: • It is a part of the Melghat Bhima, and Tapti flow through this A Tiger travelled Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. Tiger Reserve. 1300km distance IASBABA 2
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PRELIMS EXCLUSIVE PROGRAMME (PEP)-JANUARY CURRENT AFFAIRS HANDOUT between • It is located near • Due to the presence of a sufficient Maharashtra and the Dnyanganga River which quantity of water, it is also Telangana passing is a tributary of the Tapti popularly known as Green through Dnyanganga River. Oasis of Maharashtra. Wildlife Sanctuary & Tipeshwar Tiger reserve Black Sea • The Black Sea a marginal sea • The Bosphorus Strait connects of the Atlantic Ocean, is Black sea to the Sea of Marmara • In News: Russia located between Eastern • The Black Sea is also connected to launches missiles in Europe and Western Asia the Sea of Azov by the Strait of Black Sea during • Neighbouring countries: It is Kerch. naval drills bordered by six countries • The Black Sea is the world's largest – Romania and Bulgaria to the body of water with a meromictic west; Ukraine, Russia, and basin. A meromictic lake has Georgia to the north and east; layers of water that do not and Turkey to the south. intermix. • Five major rivers empty into the Black Sea, the largest of which is the Danube River.
Z-Morh Tunnel & • Z-Morh Tunnel will provide • Along with Zoji-la Tunnel (which is Zoji-la Tunnel all-weather road connectivity 22 km from Z-Morh tunnel to between Srinagar and towards Leh), the Z-Morh tunnel In News: Concession Kargil in Ladakh region of will ensure year-long road Agreement was India. connectivity between Srinagar and signed for • The tunnel gets its name from Kargil which currently remains completing the 6.5- its Z formation between closed for about seven months kilometre long Z- Sonamarg and Gagangir. due to snow. Morh tunnel in • The tunnel would avoid the Jammu and Kashmir regions of snowfall and avalanches. Nakhchivan • It is a landlocked exclave of • Unlike an enclave, an exclave can Autonomous the Republic of Azerbaijan. be surrounded by several states Republic • It is an autonomous area of Azerbaijan, governed by its own elected legislature. • It borders Armenia to the east & North, Iran to the South & East and Turkey to the North- West • An exclave is a portion of a state geographically
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separated from the main part by surrounding alien territory (of one or more states) Anchar Lake • Located in the city of Srinagar, • Like the Dal lake and Wular Lake, it Jammu and Kashmir. is home to the Hanji community • The lake is connected with the which live near the lake in an area famous Dal Lake via a channel called as Anchar among the locals "Amir Khan Nallah" • Over the years Anchar Lake has • In case of flooding, the deteriorated owing to pollution, excessive water of Dal is large scale encroachment, and diverted here. illegal constructions in its surroundings. Krishnapatnam Port • Krishnapatnam Port is located • Vijayanagar empire was founded in Nellore District in Andhra in 1336 AD by Harihara and Pradesh. Bukka of Sangama dynasty. • The Port has been named so • It stretched from the river Krishna as the Vijayanagar Emperor, in the north to the extreme south Sri Krishnadevaraya used to of the peninsula. operate this port. • Vijayanagar Empire was ruled • In the 1980s, the Government by four important dynasties: of India declared the Port as o Sangama a ‘minor port’ o Saluva • The Union Government is o Tuluva responsible for development o Aravidu of 12 Major ports whereas • Krishnadevaraya (1509-29) of minor ports are under the Tuluva dynasty, composed a the jurisdiction of respective work on statecraft in Telugu State Governments known as the Amuktamalyada. Sonowal Kacharis • The Sonowal Kachari are one • They are accorded Scheduled of the Indigenous peoples of Tribe Status in Assam. the state of Assam • In 2019, they were provided with • They are of Tibeto-Burman Permanent Residence certificate origin, and are closely in Arunachal Pradesh, as they are associated with the other generally considered as non- ethnic groups of Assam which native communities in Arunachal are commonly referred to as Pradesh. Bodo race Sirte • In News: Forces aligned with • The UN-backed government is Libya's internationally supported by Turkey and its ally recognized Government of Qatar, while Gen Haftar is backed National Accord (GNA) by Egypt and the UAE. withdrew from the strategic • Libya has been torn by violence coastal city of Sirte to avoid since long-time, ruler Muammar bloodshed, after their eastern Gaddafi was deposed and killed in rivals rapidly entered and 2011 by NATO-backed forces. took control.
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• Sirte is a City in Libya located on the Mediterranean coast • It was also the site of Muammar Gaddafi’s death • Bibi Ka Maqbara • It is located in Aurangabad, • The structure is known as the ‘Taj Maharashtra. of the Deccan’ because of its • It was commissioned striking resemblance to the Taj by Emperor Aurangzeb in Mahal. 1660 in the memory of his wife Dilras Banu Begum. • The domes, minarets and the marble screens inside are built in marble.
Lamu • In News: Islamist militant • Al-Shabab is linked to al-Qaeda group al-Shabab attacked and is headquartered in Somalia. Camp Simba in the popular coastal region of Lamu • Lamu town is situated on the coast of Kenya and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. • Camp Simba is used by Kenyan and US forces to fight against Al-Shabab Mahadayi Wildlife • Mhadei Wildlife • Owing to the presence of Bengal Sanctuary – Goa Sanctuary formed in 1999 is Tigers, it can be declared as a tiger located in North Goa reserve under Project Tiger. • It has been declared an • The Mhadei River, known International Bird Area downstream as the Mandovi River, because of the presence of the lifeline of the state of Goa, the Nilgiri wood-pigeon, originates in Karnataka, passes Malabar parakeet, Malabar through the Mhadei Wildlife grey hornbill etc. Sanctuary and meets the Arabian Sea Anangu • It is a large, sparsely • Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara populated local government Ngaanyatjarra aṉangu are Yankunytjatjara area for Aboriginal indigenous groups who inhabit (APY Lands) Australians, located in the these lands. remote north west of South Australia • A large portion of it was formerly the North-West Aboriginal Reserve.
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Al-Asad and Erbil • Al-Asad and Erbil military bases are located in Iraq In News: Tehran • Both these bases are being launched "tens" of used as launch pad by US and surface-to-surface coalition partners to fight missiles at Iraq's Erbil against ISIS and Al Asad airbases • Al-Asad airbase was constructed in 1980s located in Western Iraq • The attacks by Iran on these • Erbil airbase is located in Iraqi airbases was in response to the US Kurdistan. assassination of Iranian military general Qassem Soleimani. Netravali Wildlife • It is located in Goa • Netravati Wildlife Sanctuary is Sanctuary • It is predominantly moist bounded by Cotigao wildlife deciduous forests with sanctuary on the eastern side and patches of semi-evergreen Bhagwan Mahaveer wildlife forest in the valleys. sanctuary on the northern side. • It has two important • People/activists from Goa have waterfalls namely, Savari and been demanding it be notified as a Mainapi. tiger reserve. • Notable fauna in this sanctuary are Leopard, Giant Squirrel, Mouse Deer, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon and Ceylon Frogmouth.
• Cotigao Wildlife • It is located in GOA • The vegetation is mostly moist- Sanctuary • It was established in 1968- deciduous type, interspersed with 69 to protect a remote and semi-evergreen and evergreen vulnerable area of forest patches. lining the Goa- Karnataka • People/activists from Goa have border. been demanding it be notified as a tiger reserve. Bhagwan Mahaveer • It is one of the largest wildlife • The sanctuary is heavily forested Sanctuary sanctuaries of Goa and and contains tropical evergreen
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contains within it the Mollem forests, semi-evergreen forests National Park. and moist deciduous forests. • It was formed to protect the • People/activists from Goa have vast biodiversity of the been demanding it be notified as a Western Ghat. tiger reserve. • Originally known as the Mollem Game Sanctuary, it was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1969 and thence renamed the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. Bhimgad Wildlife • It is a protected area in the • The Bhimgad forests are notable Sanctuary Western Ghats in Karnataka for the Barapede Caves, the only • Mahadayi river, originates known breeding area of the in Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary Wroughton’s free-tailed bat, a • It consists of tropical and sub- threatened species on the verge of tropical forest areas extinction. • The forests are a part of vital tiger corridors – one linking the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka and Radhanagri Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra and the other linking Dandeli and the Molem Wildlife Sanctuary
• Bojjannakonda • Bojjannakonda and These sites have seen three forms of Lingalakonda are two Buddhism – In News: Due to Buddhist rock-cut caves • The Theravada period when Lord efforts of Indian situated in Andhra Pradesh Buddha was considered a teacher National Trust for Art near Vishakhapatnam • Mahayana, where Buddhism was and Cultural • The sites are believed to date more devotional Heritage (INTACH), between 4th and 9th Century • Vajrayana, where Buddhist the stone pelting A.D. tradition was more practised as ritual is almost • On the Kanuma day (4th day) Tantra and esoteric form. stopped in during Sankranti, the villagers Bojjannakonda used to pelt stones at a belly- Visakhapatnam is famous shaped object in for Buddhist sites at Thotlakonda, Bojjannakonda, believing it to Appikonda, and Bavikonda too be a part of a demon. Bhils • The Bhil are one of the largest • The Bhil are known to be excellent tribal groups, living in archers coupled with deep Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, knowledge about their local Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, geography
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Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh • Traditionally, experts in guerrilla and Rajasthan. warfare, most of them today are • The name is derived from the farmers and agricultural labourers. word ‘billu’, which means They are also skilled sculptors. bow. • They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo- Aryan languages. Moghalmari • Moghalmari is a Buddhist Study of inscription from excavations monastic site of the early at Moghalmari have confirmed the medieval period in West presence of two monasteries — Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur o Mugalayikaviharika district. o Yajñapindikamahavihara. • Famous Chinese traveller • These monasteries at Moghalmari Xuanzang (known as Huen date from 6th century CE and were Tsang), who visited India in functional till the 12th century CE. the 7th century CE, referred to • Tamralipta was the name of city in the existence of ‘ten ancient India located on Bay of monasteries’ within the limits Bengal. The Tamluk town in of Tamralipta. However, he present-day West Bengal is did not refer to any specific identified as the site of Tamralipti name or location. Bru Community • The Brus, also referred to as • 'Buisu', not 'bihu' is the most the Reangs, are spread across popular festival of Reang tribes. the north-eastern states of • Their Hojagiri folk dance is well Tripura, Assam, Manipur, and known all over the world. Mizoram. • In Mizoram, Brus form the second • In Tripura, they are largest ethnic group. However, recognised as a Particularly they are not considered as Vulnerable Tribal Group. indigenous to Mizoram which led • They speak the Reang dialect to ethnic violence in 1997 and Brus of Kokborok language which is taking refuge in neighbouring locally referred to as Kau Bru. Tripura Zanskar River • In News: Tourists who were • Zanskar river takes a north-eastern stranded in the icy heights of course through the dramatic Zanskar River in Ladakh were Zanskar Gorge until it joins the rescued by the Army Indus near “Nimmu” in Ladakh • The Zanskar River is a north- • The river is known for its gorges flowing tributary of the Indus. and adventure activities like • This river 150km long rafting during summer months & originates from the high- trekking (Ex Chadar trek) during altitude Plateau of Sarchu at winters months the border of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
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Kuki Tribe • In News: Naga and Kuki Tribes • ‘Mim Kut’ is the main festival of Signs for Truce the Kuki tribe. • The Kukis constitute one of • The term Chin is used for the several hill tribes within India, people in the neighbouring Chin Bangladesh, and Burma. state of Myanmar whereas Chins • Kuki tribe is majorly found in are called Kukis in the Indian side. Manipur along with other states of North Eastern India Karwar Port • Karwar is located in Karnataka at the Southern side of the Kali River • It is the only all-weather natural port out of 10 minor ports of Karnataka. • It is sandwiched between the Arabian sea on one side and the Western Ghats on the other. Kundavada lake • Kundavada lake is on the • As the temperature declines in and Kondajji Lake outskirts of Davangere city in Mongolia in the last week of Karnataka and source of October, these birds migrate to In News: Kondajji drinking water for the city comparatively warmer places in lake has replaced • Kundavada lake was the India. Kundavada lake as winter abode for many bar- • Following the loss of habitat in the new nesting headed geese from Mongolia Kundavada, the bar-headed geese place for bar-headed • The bar-headed geese, known have made the Kondajji lake, geese for their ability to fly in located in a forest 14 km from extreme altitude and weather Davangere, their new abode. conditions, used to arrive at Kundavada lake in the third week of November. • However, change in the land use in Kundavada has prevented these birds from coming here. Pyrocumulonimbus • is a type of cumulonimbus • The Australian bushfires clouds cloud that forms above a generated "pyrocumulonimbus" source of heat, such as a clouds, which created their own Also known as wildfire or volcanic eruption thunderstorms that can start more the cumulonimbus • The pyrocumulonimbus fires (due to lightening) flammagenitus cloud clouds are essentially a (CbFg) thunderstorm that forms from the smoke plume of a fire as intense heat from the fire causes air to rise rapidly, drawing in cooler air.
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• As the cloud climbs and then cools in the low temperatures of the upper atmosphere, the collisions of ice particles in the higher parts of the cloud build up an electrical charge, which can be released as lightning.
Challakere • In news: Challakere to be • Everything connected with events ISRO’s astronaut training hub and planning of the Human • Challakere will be the single- Spaceflight Programme will shift stop consolidating to ISRO campus at Challakere. infrastructure and activities • Presently, four astronaut related to space travellers. candidates for the first Gaganyaan • Challakere is a shrubby, arid mission of 2022 are being trained oilseeds town on the in Russia. Bengaluru-Pune NH4 in Karnataka. Kamarajar Port • It is Located on Coromandel • The Kamarajar Port is the only Coast about 24 km north of corporatized major port and is In News: NGT slams Chennai Port. registered as a company Kamajar Port Ltd. for • The port was declared as a • It is based on Landlord Port polluting Ennore major port under the Indian model, where port authority Creek and imposes Ports Act, 1908 in Mar 1999 retains the port infra-structure fine of Rs. 8.35 Crore • The port was incorporated as and regulatory functions, whereas Ennore Port Limited under the the port services are provided by Companies Act, 1956 in private operators. October 1999. Nagoba Jatara • Nagoba Jatara is a tribal • During the festival, the maha puja festival held in Keslapur of serpent god Nagoba is held. village of Adilabad district in Telangana. • Gonds, one of the largest tribal • The festival is also known as groups in the world, are Keslapur Jatara. subdivided into four tribes: • It is a huge religious and o Raj Gonds cultural event of the Boigutta o Madia Gonds branch of Mesram clan of the o Dhurve Gonds aboriginal Raj Gond and o Khatulwar Gonds Pradhan tribes. Haram-esh-Sharif • The Temple Mount known to • It is revered by Muslims as the Muslims as the Haram-esh- Noble Sanctuary, the location of Sharif is a hill located in the Muhammad's journey to Old City of Jerusalem that for Jerusalem and ascent to heaven thousands of years has been
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venerated as a holy site, in • According to Jewish tradition and Judaism, Christianity, and scripture the first temple by King Islam alike. Solomon was built in this place • Amongst Sunni Muslims, it is considered the third holiest site in Islam (after Mecca & Medina) Madhavpur Mela • It is an annual fair held in • Madhavpur Ghed, a small but Madhavpur Ghed in culturally significant village, is the Porbandar district of Gujarat place where, according to folklore, • Madhavpur lies on the Lord Krishna married Rukmini, the seashore, close to Porbandar. daughter of King Bhishmaka. • A 15th century Madhavrai • This event is commemorated by a temple marks the site. cultural fair held every year, • A colourful chariot carrying commencing on Ram Navami the idol of Lord Krishna circumnavigates the village and the festivities usually continue for five days. Satopanth Glacier • In News: Scientific study • Alaknana is one of the two main carried out in Satopanth tributaries of Ganga glacier in order to model the • The other tributary is Bhagirathi, melting of debris-covered which originates from the glaciers. Gangotri glacier. • Satopanth glacier is located in • These two rivers join at Garhwal in Central Himalaya, Devprayag, around 70 km in Uttarakhand. upstream of Rishikesh. • It is the origin of the river Alaknanda
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ECONOMY
Topic Key Aspects Value Addition FDI in Coal Sector • In News: Cabinet nod for • In the coal sector, for sale of coal, ordinance enabling FDI in Coal 100% FDI is now allowed under Mining. automatic route for coal mining, • The decision was taken to activities including associated boost domestic production of processing infrastructure. Coal to one billion tonnes by • Ordinances are laws that 2023-24 as it leads to cheaper are promulgated by the inputs and increase in President of India on competitiveness. the recommendation of the • Through the ordinance the Union Cabinet, which will have “end-use restrictions” has the same effect as an Act of been done away with allowing Parliament. “anyone to participate in the • They can only be issued auction of coal blocks” when Parliament is not in session. The Bureau of Energy • In News: BEE has provided for • The BEE launched a voluntary Efficiency (BEE) New Energy Performance star-labelling programme for Standards for Room ACs- they fixed-speed Room ACs in 2006 should have a default and this programme became temperature of 24oCelsius. mandatory on January 12, 2009. • The BEE is a statutory body • These star ratings are given out under the Ministry of Power, of 5 where higher the rating, Government of India. lower is the energy consumption • It develops policies and • The star-labelling programme for strategies with the objective of Room ACs has led to saving of an reducing the energy intensity estimated 4.6 billion units of of the Indian economy. energy in 2017-18 India’s Model • BIT or Bilateral Investment Some of the features of new Model Bilateral Investment Protection Agreements (BIPAs) BIT are: Treaties (BITs) are agreements between two • Enterprise based definition of countries for the reciprocal investment instead of asset- promotion and protection of based definition. investments in each other’s • Exclusion of MFN treatment territories by individuals and • State government as stake companies situated in either holders: Actions of the state State Governments are included under • The government had brought a the Model BIT new Model BIT in 2016 and it • Fair and equitable treatment to became effective from April international law. This is aimed to 2017 onwards, replacing the counter a broad interpretation earlier 1993 framework and risk misuse
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• Main reason for bringing the • Non-Discriminatory treatment Model BIT was the constant for compensation of losses. suing of the country by foreign • Corporate Social Responsibility firms mandates foreign investors to voluntarily adopt internationally recognized standards of corporate social responsibility. • Conditions for initiating arbitrations at international arbitrations- Investor can use outside remedies only five years after resorting to all domestic arrangements. National Strategy for • RBI has released NSFI for the Some of other objectives in NSFI :- Financial Inclusion period 2019-2024. • Every adult had access to a (NSFI) • The strategy aims to financial service provider through strengthen the ecosystem for a mobile device by March 2024. various modes of digital • Every willing and eligible adult, financial services in all Tier-II to who has been enrolled under the Tier VI centres PM Jan Dhan Yojana, be enrolled • And to create the necessary under an insurance scheme and a infrastructure to move pension scheme by March 2020. towards a less-cash society by • To make the Public Credit March 2022. Registry fully operational by March 2022 Zeroing • A country has the right to Example to illustrate Zeroing Methodology impose anti-dumping duties on • China’s Mobile handset has home foreign products that enter its market price of $500 per piece market at prices lower than the • When exports the same handset normal value of the product on to US at $400 per piece, then it is the foreign market. a dumping with a margin of • Zeroing is a calculation +$100. In such a case, USA can methodology used by the impose anti-dumping duties United States to establish this • If China is charging $600 from anti-dumping duty. some of its exported handsets, • However, WTO rulings have then dumping margin is negative stated that this methodology i.e. -+$100. will lead to increase in tariffs • Therefore, when China is selling and hence held it as an unfair half of its product at $400 and the trade practice. next half at $600, the net dumping margin will be zero and here the US need not impose any anti-dumping duty. • However, USA’s zeroing methodology disregards all the
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negative dumping margins by considering them as zero. • On the other hand, it imposes anti-dumping duties on imports where dumping margin is positive. Supervisory Action • In News: RBI has revised the • Co-operative Banks were born Framework (SAF) SAF for Urban Co-operative out of the concept of co- Banks (UCBs). operative credit societies where • The move comes in the members from a community backdrop of the alleged group together to extend loans to irregularities in the Punjab and each other, at favourable terms. Maharashtra Cooperative • Unlike commercial banks, (PMC) Bank causing distress to UCBs are only partly regulated by over 9 lakh depositors. the RBI. • SAF is similar to the Prompt • Their banking operations are Corrective Action (PCA) regulated by the RBI, which lays framework which is imposed down their capital adequacy, risk on commercial banks. control and lending norms. • According to revised SAF, UCBs • However, their management and will face restrictions for resolution in the case of distress worsening of three is regulated by the Registrar of parameters: Co-operative Societies either • When net Non-Performing under the State or Central Assets (NPAs) exceed 6% of government net advances, • When losses are incurred for two consecutive financial years or losses have accumulated on the balance sheets, and • If Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) falls below 9%. Unnat Jyoti by • UJALA scheme was launched • For domestic lights, EESL service Affordable LEDs for in 2015 to provide LED bulbs to model enables domestic All (UJALA) domestic consumers with a households to procure LED lights target to replace 770 million at an affordable price of $0.154/- In News: UJALA and incandescent bulbs with LED each and the balance on easy Street Lighting bulbs by March, 2019. instalment from their electricity National Programme • The objective of UJALA is to bill. (SLNP) of the central promote efficient lighting, government has enhance awareness on using • Through the UJALA initiative, completed five efficient equipment that will over 36.13 crore LED bulbs have successful years on reduce electricity bills and been distributed across India. January 5, 2020. preserve the environment. • This has resulted in estimated • UJALA is implemented energy savings of 46.92 billion by Energy Efficiency Services kWh per year and an estimated
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Limited (EESL), a joint venture GHG emission reduction of 38 of PSUs under the Ministry of million tonnes CO2 annually. Power, Government of India. Government Owned • In News: Indian Army has • It was one of the Contractor Operated initiated the process of recommendations of the Lt. Gen. (GOCO) model identifying potential industry DB Shekatkar (Retd.) committee partners to implement GOCO to enhance combat capability model for its base workshops and re-balancing defence and ordnance depots. expenditure. • In GOCO model, the assets • The main advantage of the model owned by government is is that it is efficient and will boost operated by the private competitiveness among the industries. private entities, while retaining • The private players are given the ownership with government. full autonomy in implementing the vision set by the government, using their best practices. Green Credit Scheme • Green Credit Scheme allows • In the current system, industry agencies (private companies, needs to compensate the loss of In News: The Forest village forest communities forest acquired for its commercial Advisory Committee etc.) to identify land and grow activity by paying the Forest (FAC) has approved plantations. After three years, department a fee. The the Green Credit the land would be eligible to be department is then responsible Scheme considered as compensatory for reforesting on other patch of forest land (upon meeting land acquired by industry. certain criteria) • Green Credit Scheme will allow • An industry needing forest the Forest Department to land could then approach the outsource the responsibility of agency and pay it for parcels of reforesting to non-government such forested land and this agencies. would then be transferred to • The scheme helps fast track the Forest Department and be industrial projects and enhances recorded as forest land. ease of doing business without • The scheme allows “forests” to compromising on the be traded as a commodity environmental assets of the Nation.
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INTERNATIONAL
Topic Key Aspects Value Addition Hashed al-Shaabi • In News: A US strike killed top • PMF is an umbrella military also known as Iranian commander Qasem organization composed of Popular Soleimani and the deputy head approximately 40 militia groups Mobilization of Iraq's Hashed al- which were predominantly Shia. Forces (PMF) Shaabi military force • PMF is sponsored by Iran and was • PMF is an Iraqi paramilitary instrumental in the defeat of ISIS. force with close ties to Iran. Notice to Airmen • A notice to airmen (NOTAM) is • In January, Airports Authority of (NOTAM) a notice filed with an aviation India (AAI) has issued a notice to authority to alert aircraft pilots airmen (NOTAM) to not permit of potential hazards along a landing and take-off for around flight route or at a location that two hours at the Delhi could affect the safety of the International Airport, in view of flight Republic Day preparations. • The authority in turn provides a means of disseminating relevant NOTAMs to pilots. WHO - Year of the • The World Health Organization • Currently, there are 22 million Nurse and Midwife has declared 2020 the year of nurses and two million midwives the nurse and midwife. worldwide, accounting for half of • The International Year of the the global health workforce Nurse and the Midwife marks • According to WHO, world will the bicentenary of the birth of need an additional nine million Florence Nightingale, the nurses and midwives to achieve founder of modern nursing. the commitment of providing all • Besides preventing, people with access to health diagnosing and treating care by 2030. diseases and providing expert care during childbirth, nurses and midwives also serve people caught in humanitarian emergencies and conflicts. Non-Nuclear • It is also known Agreement on • Starting in January 1992, India Aggression the Prohibition of Attack and Pakistan have annually Agreement against Nuclear Installations exchanged lists of their and Facilities respective military and civilian In News: Pakistan • The agreement is a bilateral nuclear-related facilities. shares list of nuclear and nuclear weapons control • The exchange is done each year installations with treaty between India and on January 1. India Pakistan, on the reduction (or • The need for the agreement had limitation) of nuclear arms. been felt against the backdrop of Israel’s 1981 bombing of Iraq’s
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• Both pledged not to attack or Osirak reactor near Baghdad. The assist foreign powers to attack strike, carried out by Israeli on each’s nuclear installations fighter jets over hostile airspace, and facilities. had set Iraq’s nuclear weapons • The treaty was signed in 1988 programme significantly by Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi & Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto • It entered into force on January 27, 1991 Yuelu Proclamation • In News: Growing demand to • It calls upon the international include Tulu in the Eighth community, states, governments Schedule of the Constitution. and non-governmental • It is a document on protection organizations, among others, to and promotion of the world's reach a consensus on the linguistic diversity. protection and promotion of • Yuelu Proclamation was linguistic diversity in the world. adopted at the first international conference on language resources protection in Changsha, Central China's Hunan province in 2018 by UNESCO. Migration and • In News: Cabinet approves • The Agreement was signed in Mobility Partnership ratification of the said March, 2018 during the State Agreement between agreement Visit of the French President to India and France • The agreement is aimed at India. enhancing people-to-people • The Agreement is initially valid contacts, fostering Mobility of for a period of seven years, students, academics, incorporates provision for researchers and skilled automatic renewal and a professionals between India monitoring mechanism through a and France Joint Working Group. • It will also help in strengthening cooperation on issues related to irregular migration and human trafficking between the two sides. Antarctic Treaty • Antarctic is governed through • The Protocol on Environmental consensus by an international Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and consortium of nations through prohibits the introduction of any the Antarctic Treaty System. non-native species, unless if is for Protocol to the • The Antarctic Treaty was scientific purposes and a permit Antarctic Treaty on signed in Washington on 1 has been issued. Environmental December 1959 by the twelve Protection. countries whose scientists had
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been active in and around • India officially acceded to Antarctica. the Antarctic Treaty System on • The total number of Parties to 1st August 1983 the Treaty is now 54. • Dakshin Gangotri is the first Some important provisions of the Indian base established Treaty in Antarctica in 1984. 1. Antarctica shall be used for • The newest base commissioned peaceful purposes only in 2015 is Bharati 2. Freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and cooperation toward that end shall continue 3. Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available Levels and Trends in • It is released by UNICEF and • One child or young adolescent Child Mortality’ United Nations Inter-Agency died every five seconds in 2018. report, 2019 Group for Child Mortality • The vast majority of these deaths Estimation (UN IGME) (85%) occur in the first 5 years of • India’s under-5 mortality of life, of which almost half (47%) girls exceeded that of boys in happen during the first month, 2018. largely due to treatable causes • The majority of child mortality such as infectious diseases. cases in India are attributable • According to the report, half of all to deaths during the neonatal under-5 deaths in 2018 occurred period (birth to 1 month) in five countries: India, Nigeria, • India’s neonatal mortality Pakistan, the Democratic rate is 23 per 1,000 live births. Republic of the Congo and • In the post-neonatal period, Ethiopia. the major direct causes of death are diarrhoea and pneumonia. Government of • GNA is an interim government • The Libyan government is fighting National Accord for Libya that was formed an insurgency by rebel forces (GNA) under the terms of the Libyan under Gen Khalifa Haftar, based Political Agreement, a United in eastern Libya. In News: Libya Nations-led initiative, signed • Gen Haftar is backed by Egypt conflict: Turkey on 17 December 2015. and the UAE sends troops to • Libya has been torn by violence • While the UN-backed shore up UN-backed since long-time ruler government is supported by government Muammar Gaddafi was Turkey and its ally Qatar. deposed and killed in 2011 by NATO-backed forces. Foreign Military • In News: AH-64E Apache • The purchaser does not deal Sales (FMS) attack helicopters to be made directly with the defense
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in India. The $ 930 million deal contractor; instead, the US will be through the FMS Defense Security Cooperation • FMS is U.S. Department of Agency serves as an Defense’s program that intermediary, usually handling facilitates sales of U.S. arms, procurement, logistics and defense equipment, defense delivery and often providing services, and military training product support, training, and to foreign governments. infrastructure construction Blue Dot Network • It is a multi-stakeholder • It is expected to serve as a initiative to bring together globally recognised evaluation governments, the private and certification system for sector and civil society to roads, ports and bridges with promote high-quality, trusted a focus on the Indo-Pacific standards for global region. infrastructure development. • Infrastructure projects would be • The BDN was formally graded on debt, environmental announced on 4th November, standards, labour standards etc 2019 at the Indo-Pacific • It seems to be planned as a direct Business Forum in Bangkok, counter to China’s Belt and Road Thailand. It will be led by the Initiative (BRI). However, unlike US along with Japan and the BRI, the BDN would not offer Australia. public funds or loans for the project Safe Third Country • Under the “safe third country” • Guatemala is the only country Agreements by USA agreement, migrants have to which has implemented the apply for asylum in the first agreement with USA so far. country they land in. If they fail • Unless migrants apply for to do so and proceed to the protection in Guatemala before second country, they can be proceeding to the US, they are sent back to the first country. sent back to Guatemala. • In 2019, the Trump administration signed “safe third country” agreements with the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Corruption • It is released by Transparency • The top countries are New Perceptions Index, International, an international Zealand and Denmark, with 2019 NGO based in Berlin scores of 87 each, followed by • The index ranks 180 countries Finland (86), Singapore (85), and territories by their Sweden (85) & Switzerland (85). perceived levels of public • India’s ranking has slipped from sector corruption, according to 78 to 80 compared to the experts and business people. previous year. Its score of 41 out of 100 remains the same.
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• It uses a scale of zero to 100, • China has improved its position where zero is highly corrupt from 87 to 80 with a score of 41 and 100 is very clean out of 100. • The bottom countries are Somalia, South Sudan and Syria with scores of 9, 12 and 13, respectively. Sagarmatha • It is an initiative of • The Sambad (dialogue) is named Sambaad the Government of Nepal to after the world’s tallest mountain host a permanent biennial Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) which In News: Nepal has global dialogue starting from is also a symbol of friendship and invited Indian PM to 2020. is meant to promote the notions Sagarmatha Sambad. • It is a multi-stakeholder of the common good and dialogue forum committed to collective well-being of deliberate on the most humanity. prominent issues of global, • It is expected to be the biggest regional and national diplomatic initiative in Nepal’s significance recent history. • Its first edition will be held in Kathmandu from 2 - 4 April 2020 featuring the theme ‘Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity’. Oslo Accords • Oslo Accords are a series of • The interim pact was only agreements between Israel supposed to last five years while In News: Palestine and the Palestinians signed in a permanent agreement was has threatened to the 1990s. finalised but it has tacitly been withdraw from key • Oslo I (1993) formally known rolled over for more than two provisions of the as the Declaration of Principles decades. Oslo Accords if the (DOP) established a timetable • The question of Jerusalem was US announces its for the Middle East peace left undecided under the Oslo Middle East Peace process. It planned for an Accords Plan. interim Palestinian government in Gaza and Jericho in the West Bank. • Oslo II officially called the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza (1995), expanded on Oslo I. It included o Provisions for the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from six West Bank cities and about 450 towns.
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o Timetable for elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council. International • IMO has banned ships from • The new limits are monitored Maritime using fuels with a sulphur and enforced by national Organization content above 0.5%, authorities of countries that are (IMO) Rules 2020 compared with 3.5% members of the International previously. Convention for the Prevention of In News: On January • Under the new policy, only Pollution from Ships 1, the IMO has issued ships fitted with sulphur- (MARPOL) Annex VI new rules aiming to cleaning devices, known • The IMO is not responsible for reduce sulphur as scrubbers, are allowed to enforcing its policies. There is no emissions continue burning high-sulphur enforcement mechanism to fuel implement the policies of the • Alternatively, they can opt for IMO. cleaner fuels, such as marine • Its main role is to create gasoil (MGO) and very low- a regulatory framework for the sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented. MARPOL Convention • The Convention was adopted • MARPOL Convention is formally on 2 November 1973 at IMO. known as International • It includes regulations aimed Convention for the Prevention of at preventing and minimizing Pollution from Ships. pollution from ships from • MARPOL is short for maritime operational or accidental pollution causes. • All ships flagged under countries that are signatories to MARPOL are subject to its requirements, regardless of where they sail and member nations are responsible for vessels registered on their national ship registry. Asia Pacific • It is being organised in the • Drosophila is one of the most Drosophila Research country for the first time by the widely-used and preferred model Conference Indian Institute of Science organisms in biological Education and Research, Pune research across the world for the In News: 5th Edition • It is a biennial conference and last 100 years. of Asia Pacific it aims to promote the • Its genome is entirely Drosophila interaction of Drosophila sequenced and there is Conference at Pune researchers in the Asia-Pacific enormous information available region with their peers in the about its biochemistry, rest of the world. physiology and behaviour,
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• Drosophila is a genus of two- • Approximately 60% of a group of winged flies commonly known readily identified genes that are as fruit flies. mutated, amplified, or deleted in • The last four editions of this a diverse set of human diseases conference took place have a counterpart in Drosophila. in Taipei, Seoul, Beijing and Osaka. World Employment • It is released by International • International Labour and Social Outlook: Labour Organisation (ILO) Organisation (ILO) Trends 2020 (WESO) • The annual WESO Trends was created in 1919, as part of Report report analyses key labour the Treaty of Versailles that market issues, including ended World War I. unemployment, labour • It became a specialized agency of underutilisation, working the United Nations in 1946. poverty, income inequality, • It is a tripartite organization, the labour income share and only one of its kind bringing factors that exclude people together representatives of from decent work. governments, employers and • The number of people workers in its executive bodies. unemployed around the world • India is a founder member of ILO stands at some 188 million • In 1969, ILO received the Nobel • Working poverty is defined as Peace Prize for improving earning less than USD 3.20 per fraternity and peace among day in purchasing power parity nations and pursuing decent terms work and justice for workers. International • INTERPOL Notices (color • INTERPOL is an Criminal Police coded) are international intergovernmental Organization requests for cooperation or organization that helps (INTERPOL) Notices alerts allowing police in coordinate the police force of 194 member countries to share member countries. critical crime-related • Each of the member countries information. hosts an INTERPOL National • Notices can also be used by the Central Bureau (NCB). This UN, International Criminal connects their national law Tribunals and the International enforcement with other Criminal Court to seek persons countries and with the General wanted for committing crimes Secretariat. within their jurisdiction, • CBI is designated as the notably genocide, war crimes, INTERPOL NCB of India. and crimes against humanity
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Types of Objective INTERPOL Notices Red Notice To seek the location and arrest of a person wanted by a judicial jurisdiction or an international tribunal with a view to his/her extradition. It is the "closest instrument to an international arrest warrant." Blue Notice To locate, identify or obtain information on a person of interest in a criminal investigation Green Notice To warn about a person's criminal activities if that person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety. Yellow Notice To locate a missing person or to identify a person unable to identify himself/herself Black Notice To seek information on unidentified bodies. Orange Notice To warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing an imminent threat and danger to persons or property. Purple Notice To provide information on modus operandi, procedures, objects, devices or hiding places used by criminals. Interpol-UNSC To inform Interpol's members that an individual or an entity is subject Special Notice to UN sanctions
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ENVIRONMENT
Topic Key Aspects Value Addition Senna Spectabilis • Senna Spectabilis is an • The plant has started to invade the invasive plant species found adjacent Bandipur and Nagarhole In News: Kerala takes in India forests. tiger reserves in Karnataka and the steps to prevent the • It is native to native to South Mudumalai tiger reserve in Tamil spread of Senna and Central America. Nadu, spectabilis in Nilgiri • Moreover, wildlife will not Biosphere Reserve feed on the leaf of the tree as it is not palatable for them • An adult tree grows up to 15 to 20 metres in a short period of time and distributes thousands of seeds after gregarious flowering. • The thick foliage arrests the growth of other indigenous tree and grass species and causes food shortage for the wildlife population, especially herbivores. One Trillion Trees • The initiative is launched by One Trillion Trees: Key actions Initiative World Economic Forum in its • To unite and promote 2020 meeting to grow, reforestation efforts worldwide. restore and conserve 1 • To mobilise funds and political trillion trees across the world support. by 2030. • To plant, restore and conserve • It is also aimed at uniting trees and forests. governments, NGOs, • To lock up carbon in the world’s businesses and individuals in forests, grasslands and wetlands mass-scale nature • Even climate sceptic US President restoration Trump has pledged to back its • The global initiative is aimed work. at restoring biodiversity and help fight climate change. Indian Skimmer • Indian Skimmer (Rynchops • The Godavari mangroves is one albicollis) is a waterbird among the few places where the species. Indian Skimmer can be spotted. • In India, the species can be sighted near the Chambal river in Central India, in few parts of Odisha and in Andhra Pradesh.
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• IUCN Red List Status- Vulnerable. • CITES Status: Not listed.
Coral Restoration in • Zoological Survey of India • Biorock, also known as Seacrete or Gulf of Kachchh (ZSI) is attempting for the Seament, refers to the substance first time a process to restore formed by electro-accumulation and coral reefs using biorock of minerals dissolved in seawater. technology. • Biorock projects can be powered Biorock Technology • The technology works by by a wide range of electrical (also known as passing a small amount of sources including renewable Mineral Accretion electrical current through energy like windmills, Technology) structures (steel) lowered in photovoltaic solar panels and tidal sea. current generators • Due to electric current • The calcification (conversion into flowing between them, calcium carbonate) has started in calcium ions and carbonate Gulf of Kachchh but real success ions in sea combine to form will come when attached and new calcium carbonate and organisms (corals) start to grow adhere to the structures faster. • The formed material is • India has four major coral reefs similar to coral structures areas: Andaman and Nicobar • Coral larvae adhere to the Islands, Lakshadweep, Gulf of CaCO3 and grow quickly Mannar and the Gulf of Kachchh. Mugger Crocodile • The mugger is an egg- • Ghodahada reservoir is located laying and hole-nesting close to the Lakhari Valley In News: Mugger species. Sanctuary, Odisha and is a part of Crocodile is on the rise • It is mainly restricted to the the Eastern Ghats. in Odisha’s Indian subcontinent • Mugger is one of the three Ghodahada reservoir. • Found in a number crocodile species found in Odisha, of freshwater habitat types the others being gharial in including rivers, lakes & Satkosia and Saltwater crocodile marshes and also in in Bhitarkanika. coastal saltwater • Mugger is already extinct in lagoons and estuaries. Bhutan and Myanmar. • IUCN status: Vulnerable • It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. • It is also listed under CITES Appendix I.
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Steppe Eagle • In News: A Steppe Eagle • The bird has moved from ‘Least (Aquila nipalensis) has been Concern’ to Endangered under sighted in Andhra Pradesh IUCN Red List. during Asian Bird Census. • The steppe eagle has a crop in its • The Steppe Eagle is throat allowing it to store food for a migratory raptor which several hours before being moved has undergone extremely to the stomach. rapid population declines within all its range. • It breeds from Romania,
Russia, Central Asian Steppes, and Mongolia • The bird winters in Africa and India • Throughout its range it favours open dry habitats, such as desert, semi-desert, steppes, or savannah. • Hydro-chloro-flouro • India has successfully phased • Union Environment Ministry carbon (HCFC)-141 b out HCFC-141b notified that the issuance of • It is mainly used as a blowing import license for HCFC-141b is agent in the foam prohibited from 01/01/2020 manufacturing industries. under Ozone Depleting • HCFC-141 b is not produced Substances (Regulation and domestically and all Control) Amendment Rules, 2019. requirements were met • The rules have been issued under through imports. the Environment (Protection) • HCFC-141 b is one of the Act, 1986. most powerful ozone- depleting chemicals after Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Irrawaddy dolphin They are found in coastal areas • Dolphin distribution in Chilika is in South and Southeast considered to be the highest In News: During the Asia, and in three rivers: single lagoon population. Dolphin Census in • Irrawaddy river in Myanmar Chilika lake, direct • Mahakam river in Indonesia sighting of 146 • Mekong river in China Irrawaddy dolphins has been reported • Total estimated population of Irrawaddy dolphins in world is less than 7500 • Status: Endangered • Habitats: Lakes, Rivers,
Estuaries, and Coasts Gangetic Dolphins • The Ganges river dolphin was • The Ganges river dolphin can only officially discovered in 1801. live in freshwater
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• Ganges river dolphins once • They are essentially blind. lived in the Ganges- • They hunt by emitting ultrasonic Brahmaputra-Meghna and sounds, which bounces off of fish Karnaphuli-Sangu river and other prey, enabling them to systems of Nepal, India, and “see” an image in their mind. Bangladesh. • But the species is extinct from most of its early distribution ranges. • IUCN Status: Endangered Brown-headed • The call of the Brown- • Barbets are invariably mistaken to barbet headed Barbet is one of the be woodpeckers, as they have most familiar sounds of India similar characteristics. • They have the ability to walk • The species is purely arboreal, vertically up and down the living high from the ground in trunk and branches of a tree, heavy foliage, making it hard to hunting for insects spot. • They are primarily frugivores (fruit eaters), but are often observed feeding on insects, • They have cavity-nesting behaviour and wood-pecking behaviour of making holes in
trees (for nesting) Ophichthus • It is a newly discovered snake • The discovery was made by the kailashchandrai: eel species residing in the Estuarine Biology Regional Centre Snake Eel Bay of Bengal (regional centre of ZSI) at • It has been named to honour Gopalpur in Odisha. the vast contributions of Dr Kailash Chandra (Director of Zoological Survey of India- ZSI) to Indian animal taxonomy. • It is the eighth species of the Ophichthus genus found • on the Indian coast. Hominins • Hominin is any member of • Homo erectus (meaning upright and the zoological “tribe” man) is an extinct species of the Homo Erectus Hominini (family Hominidae, human genus (Homo), perhaps an order Primates), of which ancestor of modern humans In news: The last only one species exists (Homo sapiens). known settlement today—Homo sapiens, or • Homo erectus belongs to Hominini of Homo erectus was human beings. tribe situated in Ngandong • Hominins are part of the • Fossil remains from H. erectus are on the Indonesian family, or larger group of found in Africa and Eurasia island of Java. primates, called hominids.
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• Hominids include • Studies indicate H.Erectus had orangutans, gorillas, adapted to walking on two feet in chimpanzees, and human a more open, grassland beings environment, rather than swinging from tree branch to branch. Tyler Prize-2020 • The Tyler prize is one of the • Pavan Sukhdev was the lead first international premier expert on the first report of The In News: Indian environmental awards and is Economics of Ecosystems and environmental often described as Nobel Biodiversity (TEEB) published in economist Pavan Prize for Environment 2008 as an initiative of UNEP. Sukhdev was • The Tyler Prize was • This report become a foundation awarded the 2020 established by the late John for the global Green Economy Tyler Prize alongside and Alice Tyler in 1973 and is movement. conservation biologist administered by the • He was also the head of Gretchen C Daily. University of Southern UNEP’s 'Green Economy California. Initiative' • It aims to recognises • For the first time, this initiative individuals who have made quantified the economic value of outstanding contribution to ‘natural capital’ and how moving preserve and enhance the towards a green economy could global environment. be a source of new employment and a means to alleviate poverty. Reintroduction of • Supreme Court has lifted its • African Cheetahs are planned to Cheetahs seven-year-long stay on a be re-introduced into the Palpur proposal to introduce Kuno sanctuary in Madhya African Cheetahs from Pradesh on an experimental basis. Namibia into the Indian • In 1952, the Asiatic Cheetah habitat. was officially declared • African Cheetah is bigger in extinct from India size as compared to Asiatic • Only 40-50 Asiatic Cheetahs are Cheetah. estimated & that too only in Iran. • IUCN Status of African Cheetah- Vulnerable • There are around 6,500- 7,000 African cheetahs present in the wild. 10 New Ramsar Sites These are: • Wetlands provide a wide range of added in India • Maharashtra: Nandur important resources and (state’s first). ecosystem services such as food, • Punjab: Keshopur-Miani, water, fibre, groundwater Beas Conservation recharge, water purification, flood Reserve and Nangal. moderation, erosion control and • Uttar Pradesh: Nawabganj, climate regulation. Parvati Agra, Saman, • Montreux Record under the Ramsar Convention is a register of
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Samaspur, Sandi and Sarsai wetland sites where changes in Nawar. ecological character have • Ramsar Convention occurred, are occurring, or are was signed in 1971 in likely to occur as a result of the Iranian city of Ramsar for technological developments, preserving the ecological pollution or other human character of wetlands. interference. • Wetlands declared as • Currently, two wetlands of India Ramsar sites are are in Montreux record: Keoladeo protected under strict National Park (Rajasthan) guidelines of the convention and Loktak Lake (Manipur).
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Topic Key Aspects Value Addition Moderate • The MODIS instrument is a • MODIS provide complete daily resolution imaging polar orbiting, high temporal, coverage of the earth spectroradiometer moderate spatial resolution • MODIS is playing a vital role in the (MODIS) optical sensor that acquires development of validated, global, remote sensing data for interactive Earth system models monitoring the Earth's land, able to predict global change ocean and atmosphere. accurately • The MODIS instrument is • currently on board two NASA EOS satellites: Terra, launched in 1999, and Aqua, launched in 2002. • Due to its enormous coverage, it enables us to monitor activities such as active fires, land use change and volcanic activity. Saras MK-2 • It is a light transport aircraft • NAL is been pitching Saras Mk-2 which is indigenously for the government’s UDAN developed by National scheme since it has the capacity to Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) operate in “ill-equipped”, “semi- • The 19-seater aircraft, prepared” and “unpaved developed with a target cost airstrips”. of ₹50 crore, is at least 20-25% • NAL is India's first largest and only lower in cost than other government aerospace R&D aircraft in the similar laboratory in the country’s civilian category. sector. • NAL was established by the Council of Scientific and Industrial
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Research (CSIR) at Delhi in 1959 and its headquarters was later moved to Bangalore in 1960. AK-203 assault rifles • In News: One lakh AK-203 • It will be manufactured in India by rifles will be imported from a joint venture, Indo-Russia Rifles Russia in the first phase while Private Limited, established the remaining 6.5 lakh rifles between the Ordnance Factory will be manufactured in India Board (50.5%), Kalashnikov (Amethi Ordnance Factory) Concern (42%), and • The AK-203 is a convertible Rosoboronexport (7.5%), the rifle. It can be used in semi- Russian state agency for military automatic and automatic exports. ways. • There is an agreement for • It can fire 600 bullets in a complete Transfer of Technology minute and ten bullets can be and the provision for export is also fired in a second. included • Its new range will be up to 400 • The famous AK-47 is the most meters so that a soldier can basic model, followed by 74, 56, hit a target from a long 100 series, and 200 series. distance. Indian Data Relay • India plans to bring in its own • IDRSS satellites of the 2,000 kg Satellite System system of space-to-space class would be launched on (IDRSS) tracking and communication the GSLV launcher to of its space assets by putting geostationary orbits around up a new satellite series called 36,000 km away IDRSS. • The first beneficiary would be the • It is basically a set of satellites prospective crew members of the that will track, send and Gaganyaan mission of 2022 who receive information from can be fully and continuously in other satellites. touch with mission control • The two-satellite IDRSS is throughout their travel. planned to track and be • IDRSS will be useful in monitoring constantly in touch with space missions of ISRO Indian satellites, in particular • The U.S. and Russia started relay those in low-earth orbits satellite systems in the late 1970s (LEO) which have limited and 80s coverage of earth • Europe is building its • The first satellite will be sent own European Data Relay System. towards the end of 2020. It • China is into its second generation will precede the pre- Tianlian II series. Gaganyaan experimental unmanned space flight. • The second one will follow in 2021.
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Coronavirus (2019- • Coronavirus is a large family of • The virus that causes COVID-19 nCoV) viruses that are often likely originated in an animal and the source of respiratory spread to humans infections, including the • nCOV-19 is related to the SARS- common cold. associated coronavirus which • A coronavirus has many caused an outbreak in 2003. “regularly arranged” however, it is not the same virus protrusions on its surface, • Most of the Coronaviruses are because of which the entire common among animals, but virus particle looks like an sometimes, an animal-based crown, hence the name coronavirus mutates and “coronavirus”. successfully finds a human host • It contains ribonucleic acid (RNA) as its genetic material instead of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). That means the virus blends with its host’s DNA and can mutate rapidly. • There are four common disease-causing coronaviruses, while the two others are the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, both of • SARS Coronavirus was identified in which can cause severe 2003. infected around 8,000 respiratory diseases. patients and claimed nearly 800 • A novel coronavirus - 2019- lives. nCoV -is a new coronavirus • The global economic loss due to first identified in Wuhan China SARS was estimated at between in Dec 2019. $30-$100 billion. • The disease caused by this • new coronavirus is named COVID-19 Nilavembu kudineer • It is a Siddha medicine • Nowadays, it became famous for recommended for prevention viral fevers, especially for dengue and management of all types fever and chikungunya. of viral infections/fevers. • It reduces symptoms associated • It acts as immunostimulant with fever, which include – a and immunomodulator, headache, body aches, muscle which boosts immunity and aches, loss of energy, fatigue, modulates defence response weakness etc. in the body • It is also effective for reducing joint • It contains herbal ingredients, pain, joint swelling, muscle pain, which have antipyretic, anti-
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inflammatory, antiviral, and headache and rashes associated immunomodulatory actions. with chikungunya infection. Indian Coast Guard • ICGS Annie Besant will be About Rajkumari Amrit Kaur Ships (ICGS) — based at Chennai and ICGS • Kaur co-founded the All India Annie Besant and Amrit Kaur will be based at Women’s Conference along with Amrit Kaur ICG Haldia. Margaret Cousins in 1927. • The ships are fitted with state- • She was also a member of of-the-art technology, and Constituent Assembly and a navigation equipment, along member Sub-Committee on with Bofors 40/60 guns and Fundamental Rights and Sub- 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote- Committee on Minorities. Controlled Guns for enhanced • She went on to fighting efficiency. become independent India’s first health minister INS Vikramaditya • It is modified Kiev-class • She has been renamed in honour aircraft carrier of Vikramaditya, a legendary • It was built in 1987 and had emperor of Ujjain, India. served the Soviet navy (named as Baku). It was later • Prior to the INS Vikramaditya, both renamed Admiral Gorshkov of the Indian Navy's previous under the Russian navy. aircraft carriers—the Vikrant and • The Indian navy purchased Viraat—were ships that were the vessel in 2004 and was formerly in service with the Royal commissioned in Nov 2013 Navy of Britain. • The vessel can carry more than 30 long-range multi-role • INS Vikrant, also known as fighters with anti-ship Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC- missiles, air-to-air missiles, 1), is the India’s first Indigenous guided bombs and rockets Aircraft Carrier (currently being • It was retrofitted with a Barak built at the Cochin Shipyard missile system (joint Limited) which will be delivered to development with Israel) the Indian Navy by 2021. • It is based at its home port at Karwar in Karnataka. High Flash High- • It is a special class diesel • It has been developed by State- Speed Diesel conforming to NATO grade for owned Indian Oil Corporation (HFHSD - IN 512) use in ships and vessels of Limited (IOCL) and is being Indian Navy. supplied from Haldia and Paradip • HFHSD- IN 512 has the unique refinery. combination of low pour and Cold filter plugging point and High Flash Point • It also has lesser environmental impact due to low Sulphur content and
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would result in the better performance of engines. TrueNat • It is an indigenous molecular • TrueNat test can easily and cost- diagnostic tool effectively be done in the primary In News: WHO has for tuberculosis diagnosis. health care setup. endorsed TrueNat • It was developed by Goa- • According to the Global based Molbio Diagnostics. Tuberculosis Report 2019, India • TrueNat is a polymerase chain had 26.9 lakh TB patients in 2018. reaction (PCR)-based test • According to the National Strategic that, by assaying the genes Plan for TB Elimination 2017-2025, present in the TB bacteria, can TB kills an estimated 4,80,000 not only detect the presence Indians every year and over 1,400 of the bacteria but can also every day. detect drug resistance with the use of chips. K-9 Vajra-T • K-9 Vajra-T Gun is a 155-mm, • t is a variant of k9 Thunder which 52-calibre self-propelled is a South Korean self-propelled artillery howitzer howitzer. The manufacturer joined • The fire control system has hands with L&T (Indian company) been customised for desert to produce Indian variants of the conditions. gun for Indian Army. • The gun weighs 50 tonnes and • Under the Centre's 'Make in India' can fire 47kg bombs at 43- initiative, L&T won the Rs 4,500- kilometre distant targets. crore contract from the Ministry of • It can also turn around at zero Defence to supply 100 units of K9 radius. Vajra-T GSAT-30 • Launched from: Kourou • It was launched from the foreign launch base, French Guiana launcher because it is much ISRO launched (Africa) heavier than the lifting capacity of telecommunication • By: Ariane-5 launch vehicle, its geostationary launch vehicle satellite GSAT-30 European Space Agency GSLV-MkII (It has the capacity to into • GSAT-30 satellite will replace lift 2500kg). Geosynchronous INSAT-4A which was • GSAT-30 provides Indian mainland Transfer Orbit (GTO) launched in 2005. and islands coverage in Ku- • It will provide DTH television band and extended coverage in C- services, connectivity band covering Gulf countries, a to VSATs for ATM, stock large number of Asian countries exchange, television uplinking and Australia. and teleport services, digital • A European communication satellite news gathering and satellite named EUTELSAT e-governance applications. KONNECT was also launched with GSAT-30 Yada Yada Virus • YYV is an alphavirus, a group • The virus was detected in (YYV) of viruses that the researchers mosquitoes trapped in three described as small, single- locations in Victoria, Australia.
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stranded positive-sense RNA • Researchers who reported the viruses discovery of a new virus conceded • Alphaviruses are transmitted that the discovery wasn’t a big primarily by mosquitoes and deal, with new viruses being are pathogenic in their announced every day. Therefore, vertebrate hosts. they named it as Yada Yada virus • Unlike some other • Merriam-Webster says yada yada alphaviruses, Yada Yada Virus is “boring or empty talk” a way to does not pose a threat to recount words that are “too dull or human beings. predictable to be worth repeating” K-4 Missile • K-4 is one of the two • INS Arihant, the first and only underwater missiles that operational SSBN, is armed with K- were being developed by 15 Sagarika missiles with a range DRDO. of 750 km. • The other one is the over 700 • INS Arihant It has a displacement km strike range BO-5 missile. of 6,000 tonnes and is powered by • Once inducted, these missiles an 83 MW pressurised light-water will be the mainstay of the reactor with enriched uranium. Arihant class of indigenous • Because they are powered by ballistic missile nuclear nuclear reactors, these submarines (SSBN) and will submarines can stay underwater give India the stand-off indefinitely without the adversary capability to launch nuclear detecting it. weapons submerged in Indian waters East Asian • Formed by EACOA (East Asian • EACOA now consists of China, Observatory Core Observatories Japan, Taiwan, Korea as full Association) for the purpose members and Thailand, Vietnam, In News: India is in of pursuing joint projects in Malaysia and Indonesia as preliminary astronomy within the East ‘observers’, discussions to be a Asian region. • Having India join the group could part of East Asian • The EAO is chartered as a non- mean the establishment of new Observatories profit Hawaii corporation kinds of telescopes — one Consortium • EAO is committed to build proposed being in Tibet — that large telescopes and pool could aid the observation of new resources black holes and throw light on cosmic phenomena. Thirty Meter • TMT is a proposed extremely • The TMT would become the Telescope (TMT) large telescope planned on largest visible-light telescope Mauna Kea, island of Hawaii. • It would provide unparalleled • TMT is being designed and resolution with images more than developed by the TMT 12 times sharper than those from International Observatory LLC the Hubble Space Telescope. (TIO). • It has become controversial due to • TIO is non-profit international its location on Mauna Kea a partnership between USA,
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Japan, USA, China, India and mountain which is considered Canada sacred to Native Hawaiians • Observing in wavelengths ranging from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared, TMT will allow astronomers to address fundamental questions in astronomy
Air Defence Tactical • It is developed by DRDO • The Radar can be deployed in plain Control Radar • ADTCR is used for volumetric lands, deserts and in the mountain (ADTCR) surveillance, detection, regions for the purpose of tactical tracking and friend/foe early warning for Ground based In News: Displayed identification of aerial targets Weapon Systems. during the 71st of different types Republic Day parade • Also used for transmission of • On Republic Day, DRDO also prioritised target data to showcased its Anti- Satellite (A- multiple command posts and SAT) missile used in Mission weapon systems. Shakti. • It is capable of detecting very small targets and low flying targets India-based • INO Project is aimed at • It is not a weapons laboratory and Neutrino building a world-class will have no strategic or defence Observatory (INO) underground laboratory with applications. a rock cover to conduct basic • Proton, neutron, and electron are research on neutrino. tiny particles that make up atoms. • INO is proposed to be The neutrino is also a tiny constructed in the Bodi West elementary particle, but it is not Hills (Theni district) of Tamil part of the atom. Such particles Nadu. are also found to exist in nature. • The INO will study • Neutrino has a very tiny mass and atmospheric neutrinos only. no charge. Solar neutrinos have much • It interacts very weakly with lower energy than the other matter particles. So weakly detector can detect. that every second trillions of • The Tata Institute of neutrinos fall on us and pass Fundamental Research is the through our bodies unnoticed. nodal institution. • Neutrinos comes from sun, stars, • The observatory is to be built cosmic ray beyond solar system jointly with the Department of and from the Big Bang times. Atomic Energy and the They can also be produced in the Department of Science and lab. Technology.
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Super Fab Lab • Fab Labs are fabrication • The Fab Labs concept, the only laboratories offering digital one outside the U.S., is the fabrication and computation. brainchild of Dr Neil Gershenfeld, • A Super Lab lets you make a presently the Director of MIT Fab Lab i.e. it makes the tools Centre for Bits and Atoms, who set which can make things up the first Fab Lab in the U.S. • India’s first Super Fab Lab was about 17 years ago launched in Kochi, Kerala • The Super Fab Lab will allow the • The Super Fab Lab will state to produce machines locally function in collaboration with and will give India's hardware the Massachusetts Institute industry a giant leap. of Technology (MIT). • It will encourage startups in printed electronics and related fields Yellow Rust • Yellow Rust is a fungal disease • The disease affects crop where yellow stripes of development, and eventually the powder or dust appears on yield (5-30%) leaves and leaf sheaths of the • In India, it is a major disease in the wheat crop. Northern Hill Zone and the North- • This occurs when the fungal Western Plain Zone and spreads colonies in the leaves drain easily during the onset of cool
the carbohydrates from the weather and when wind plant and reduce the green conditions are favourable. leaf area. • Rain, dew and fog favour the disease’s development. Xenobot • Xenobots are world’s first • Many useful applications of these “living robots” created by US living robots include searching out Scientists nasty compounds or radioactive • The tiny robots have been contamination, gathering built from the cells of microplastic in the oceans, the African clawed frog travelling in arteries to scrape out • Scientists have repurposed plaque, etc. living cells scraped from frog • The robots have been named after embryos & assembled them the species of aquatic frog into entirely new life-forms. Xenopus laevis, found across sub- • The xenobots can move Saharan Africa from Nigeria and toward a target, perhaps pick Sudan to South Africa. up a payload (like a medicine that needs to be carried to a specific place inside body) — and heal themselves after being cut.
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HISTORY & CULTURE
Topic Key Aspects Value Addition Treaty of Amritsar • J&K was annexed by the Sikhs • The treaty established the princely (1846) in 1819 and Gulab Singh was state of Jammu and Kashmir under made Raja of the state by the suzerainty of the British Indian Sikhs in 1820 Empire. • In the First Sikh War (1845– • It marked the beginning of Dogra 46), Maharaja Gulab Singh rule in Kashmir. held aloof and then appeared as a mediator. • Treaty of Amritsar was executed by the British East India Company and Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu after the First Anglo-Sikh War • As per Treaty, Jammu & Kashmir was given to Gulab Singh by the British for a cash payment of 75 Lakh Rupees. Treaty of Amritsar • It was an agreement between • The immediate occasion was the (1809) the British East India Company French threat in north-western and Ranjit Singh, founder of India, following Napoleon’s the Sikh empire. expansions. The British wanted a • Both pledged friendship to defensive treaty (with Ranjit each other. Singh) and control of Punjab up to • The terms of the treaty the Sutlej River. prevented Ranjit Singh from • It was a pact between Charles T. any further expansion south Metcalfe and Maharaja Ranjit of the Sutlej but it permitted Singh. him complete freedom of • The Treaty resulted in unification action to the north of it. of the territories North of Sutlej by • This enabled him to extract Ranjit Singh which formed the Sikh tribute from less powerful empire that last until British chieftains, including Jats and subjugation in 1849. other Sikhs, and ultimately to • Lord Minto was the Governor gain control of areas such as General. Peshawar and Kashmir. Treaty of Sugauli • It was signed between East • The Treaty of Sagauli defined India Company and King of Gandak as the international Nepal following the Anglo- boundary between India and Nepalese War of 1814-16 Nepal. • The treaty established the • The treaty also maps the Makhali boundary line of Nepal, was river as the western boundary with signed on 2 December 1815 India
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• Kalapani and Susta Dispute between India and Nepal has its roots in this treaty. The rivers have changed course which has caused confusion between the countries Book- India Wins • This book is written by • National Education Day was Freedom Maulana Abul Kalam Azad celebrated on November 11 to which deals about his political commemorate the Birth life Anniversary of Maulana Abul • His another famous book Kalam Azad, Ghubar-e-Khatir deals with • Under his leadership, the Ministry his social and spiritual life of Education established the first • He was the first Education Indian Institute of Technology in Minister of independent 1951 and the University Grants India, who served from 15 Commission in 1953. August 1947 until 2 February 1958. • He also worked for Hindu- Muslim unity through the Al- Hilal newspaper. Treaty of Yandabo, • The Treaty of Yandabo was • After the Treaty, British controlled 1826 the peace treaty that ended Assam and thus became the the First Anglo-Burmese War masters of Brahmaputra Valley In Context of protest (1824-26) and they began to consolidate against outsiders • Treaty was signed between their rule. (anti-CAA) in Assam. East India Company and King • With the British rule, two sectors of Ava (Ava was the capital of viz., tea gardens and crude oil Burma from 1364-1841). sector developed in a massive way as a sequel many outsiders time to The Govt of Burma agreed: time came and settled in Assam. • to cede its coastal provinces of Arakan and Tenasserim; • After Second Burmese War (1852) • to abandon all claims to and Third Burmese War (1885), Assam, Cachar, and Jaintia; whole of Burma came under the • to recognize Manipur as an control of British. independent state; • to negotiate a commercial treaty with Britain; and
By this treaty, the British deprived Burma of most of its coastline, and acquired a firm base in Burma for future expansion. Lal Bahadur Shastri- • Sirimavo Bandaranaike was • As per the Pact, it was agreed that Sirimavo Sri Lankan PM at that time. Sri Lanka would accept and grant
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Bandaranaike Pact • Officially, it was known as citizenship to 3,00,000 Indian of 1964 Agreement on Persons of Origin Tamils (IOTs)and their Indian Origin in Ceylon. natural increase, while 525,000 • It was a significant agreement IOTs would be repatriated to India in determining the status and • It was agreed that the citizenship future of people of Indian of the remaining 150,000 Indian origin in Ceylon. residents of Ceylon would be • By late 1960s, there were negotiated at a later point nearly 10 Lakh people of Indian Origin (mostly Tamils) living in Sri Lanka Bhakta Ramadasu • A 11-foot imposing bronze • He is a famous Vaggeyakara statue of Bhakta Ramadasu (classical composer) from the was unveiled at his birthplace Telugu classical era. Nelakondapalli in Telangana • His devotional lyrics to Rama are • Kancharla Gopanna (1620 – famous in South Indian classical 1680), popularly known as music as Ramadaasu Keertanalu. Bhakta Ramadasu or • He also wrote Dasarathi Bhadrachala Ramadasu was a Shatakamu, a collection of nearly 17th-century Indian devotee 108 poems dedicated to the son of of Lord Rama and a composer Dasaratha (Lord Rama). of Carnatic music.
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POLITY, POLICIES, SCHEMES, DEVELOPMENT AND NATIONAL ISSUES
Topic Key Aspects Value Addition DigiLocker • DigiLocker is a flagship • The locker can be accessed by initiative of Ministry of individuals, using their mobile In News: Petition Electronics and Information number. was filed in Delhi HC Technology (MeitY) under • Apart from e-documents, as DigiLocker does ‘Digital India’ programme. DigiLocker can store a Uniform not provide a • This is government’s effort to Resource Identifier (URI) link of e- nomination facility create an electronic version documents issued by various under this rule. of documents, which can be issuer departments. easily verified and stored in printable format • The users can store their documents such as insurance, medical reports, PAN card, passport, marriage certificate, school certificate and other documents in the digital format. All India Judicial • AIJS is a proposed judicial • Law commission in its 116th report Service (AIJS) service for appointing lower suggested the Direct recruitment court judges of judges from the entry level • Original constitution didn’t onwards would be through an provide for creation of AIJS. open competition and this would • After the Swaran Singh be handled by an independent and Committee’s impartial agency. recommendations in 1976, • Article 312 was modified by the 42nd constitution (amendment) act in 1977 to provide for an AIJS. Vanga Nari Jallikattu • It is jallikattu-like event using • Foxes are a protected species foxes (vanga nari in Tamil) under the Wildlife Protection Act, • It is organised on Kaanum 1972, and hunting or capturing Pongal in Tamil Nadu villages them is prohibited. as people believe it will bring bountiful rain and good fortune. • The animals are muzzled and their hind legs tied with rope. After special rituals are conducted, the hapless animals are chased through IASBABA 40
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the streets, much like bulls in the more conventional jallikattu. • After the event, the animals are released into the forest Constitution (103rd • The act introduced provide • The act inserted Articles 15(6) and Amendment) Act 10% reservation in 16(6) of the Constitution that government jobs and provided for these reservations. education (except in minority • Article 46 of the Constitution educational institutions) to (DPSP) enjoins that the State shall economically backward promote with special care the section in the general educational and economic category interests of the weaker sections of the people. North-East Natural • The 1,656-km pipeline will • The project is critical towards Gas Pipeline Grid connect Guwahati in Assam to implementing the major cities in the region such government’s Hydrocarbon Vision as Itanagar, Dimapur, Kohima, 2030 for the North-East Imphal, Aizawl and Agartala • Implementation Agency: covering all eight states in Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited North-Eastern region (IGGL)- a joint venture company of five CPSEs (IOCL, ONGC, GAIL, OIL and NRL) Amma Vodi Scheme • It is a Scheme by Andhra • Only for the deserving sections: Pradesh Government School and college dropouts are • Under the scheme, a financial not eligible for this scheme and assistance of ₹15,000 will be neither are government given (directly deposited into employees and income-tax payers. bank account) to nearly 43 • Impact of the Scheme: Student lakh mothers or guardians enrolment has already increased who send their children to by 30% in the current academic school (government, private year after the announcement of aided, private unaided the scheme. schools/junior colleges) • Orphans and street children studying in schools through voluntary organisations have also been covered under the scheme and the money will be given to the organisations.
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Indian Cyber Crime The I4C is a seven-pronged • I4C is located in New Delhi Coordination Centre system, which includes a • The scheme to set up I4C (I4C) • National Cyber Crime Threat was approved in October 2018, to Analytics Unit deal with all types of cybercrimes In News: I4C is • National Cyber Crime in a comprehensive and inaugurated by Reporting Portal coordinated manner. Union Home • National Cyber Crime Training Minister Centre • In Aug 2019, the MHA had • Cyber Crime Ecosystem unveiled its National Cyber Crime Management Unit Reporting Portal through which • National Cyber Crime citizens can report any kind of Research & Innovation Centre cybercrime irrespective of the • National Cyber Crime Forensic place where it has occurred Laboratory Ecosystem • So far, more than 700 police • Platform for Joint Cyber Crime districts and more than 3,900 Investigation Team. police stations have been connected with this portal State Energy • The Index tracks the progress • For rational comparison, Efficiency Index of Energy Efficiency States/UTs are categorised as (EE) initiatives in states and Front Runner, Achiever, union territories based on 97 Contender and Aspirant based on significant indicators. their efforts and achievements • The index is developed towards energy efficiency by Bureau of Energy implementation. Efficiency (BEE) in association with Alliance for an Energy • The top performing states in the Efficient Economy (AEEE). State EE Index 2019 – Haryana, • The first such Index was Kerala and Karnataka – are in the launched on August, 2018. ‘Achiever’ category. • The 2020 index incorporates qualitative, • The BEE is a statutory body under quantitative and outcome- the Union Ministry of Power. based indicators to assess • It assists in developing policies and energy efficiency initiatives, strategies with the primary programs and outcomes in objective of reducing the energy five distinct sectors – intensity of the Indian economy. buildings, industry, municipalities, transport, agriculture, and DISCOMs. Mission Purvodaya • It was launched in 2020 for • The region focused in the mission the accelerated development collectively hold ~80% of the of eastern India through the country’s iron ore, ~100% of establishment of an coking coal and significant portion integrated steel hub. of chromite, bauxite and • The hub will encompass dolomite reserves. Odisha, Jharkhand,
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Chhattisgarh, West Bengal & • Out of the 300 mt steel capacity by Northern Andhra Pradesh 2030-31, the region alone is • It aims to attract investment capable of contributing over 200 of nearly $70 billion in the mt. steel sector and spur economic growth across eastern India National • NCSK was constituted on • According to NCSK a total of Commission for 12th August 1994 as a 53,598 people, of Safai Karamcharis statutory body by an Act of which 29,923 were in Uttar (NCSK) Parliament viz. ‘National Pradesh alone, had been Commission for Safai identified as engaged in manual Karamcharis Act, 1993 scavenging after surveys in 2013 • The act lapsed in February and 2018 2004. • Since 1993, a total of 926 deaths • The Commission is acting as related to the manual scavenging a non-statutory body of the is reported in the country, out of Ministry of Social Justice and which 172 families are yet to Empowerment whose tenure receive compensation. is extended from time to time through Government Resolutions Integrated Road • It is a web-based central • National Informatics Centre (NIC) Accident Database accident database is an attached office under (IRAD) management system that will Ministry of Electronics and help in analysing causes of Information Technology (MeitY) road crashes and in devising • It was established in 1976 and is safety interventions to reduce located in New Delhi. such accidents in the country. • NIC provides infrastructure to help • It is developed by the Indian support delivery of Government IT Institute of Technology- services and delivery of some of Madras (IIT-M) the initiatives of Digital India • Implemented by the National Informatics Centre. • Project is supported by the World Bank Bureau of Indian • Gold hallmarking is a purity • Mandatory hallmarking will Standards (BIS) hall certification. protect the public against mark • No jeweller will be allowed to substandard/fake gold products. sell gold jewellery or artefacts • Failure to adhere to the guidelines In News: Consumer without hallmark from BIS will attract penalty five times the Affairs Ministry • Consumers have to watch out cost of the object or even given released Mandatory for four marks on hallmarked imprisonment up to one year. Gold Hallmarking gold jewellery: (1) BIS mark, norms from January (2) purity in carat, (3) assay 15, 2021, onwards.
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centre’s name and (4) • Bureau of Indian Standards Act jewellers’ identification mark 2016 established BIS as the • Instead of 10 grades earlier, National Standards Body of India. hallmarked gold jewellery will • Aim of BIS: Harmonious now be available in three development of the activities caratage of 14 carat, 18 carat of standardization, marking and and 22 carat. quality certification of goods. Quadripartite Pact • It was agreement signed • Brus are the second largest ethnic (Brus) between Centre, State group in Mizoram. government of Tripura & • They are ethnically different from Mizoram and representatives the Mizos, with their own distinct of Brus Organisation to settle language and dialect Brus refugees in Tripura. • In Tripura, they are recognised as a • The Brus, also referred to as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal the Reangs, are spread across Group (PVTG). the north-eastern states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur, and Mizoram National Cyber • It is one of the seven systems • The lab will also function as an all- Forensic Lab (NCFL) of Indian Cyber Crime India base to deal and coordinate Coordination Centre (I4C) with cyber threats, where nation- • NFCL will have equipment’s to wide information will be deal with memory forensics, generated and stored at the image enhancement, crypto National Cyber Reporting Portal. currency forensics, recovery • State police units will have access of damaged hard drive and to the facilities and can get their advanced mobile forensics. forensic samples analyzed. National • NEAT is a PPP Scheme by • EdTech companies would be Educational Alliance Ministry of Human Resource responsible for developing for Technology Development (MHRD) solutions and manage registration (NEAT) • The scheme aims to use of learners through the NEAT Artificial Intelligence to make portal. They would be free to learning more personalized charge fees as per their policy. and customized as per the requirements of the learner. • As their contribution towards the • There are a number of start- National cause, they would have up companies developing this to offer free coupons to the extent and MHRD aims to bring them of 25% of the total registrations under a common platform, for their solution through NEAT through NEAT, so that portal. learners can access it easily. • MHRD would create and • MHRD would distribute the free maintain a National NEAT coupons for learning to the most platform that would provide socially/economically backward one-stop access to these students. technological solutions.
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Illegal Migrants • IMDT Act was enacted to put • The absence of any provision (Determination by forward the procedures to related to the ‘burden of proof’ in Tribunal) (IMDT) Act detect illegal immigrants the IMDT Act had put a very heavy (from Bangladesh) and expel burden upon the authorities to It was an Act of the them from Assam. establish whether a person is an Parliament of India • It was applicable to the state illegal migrant. enacted in 1983 by of Assam only whereas in the Indira Gandhi other states, detection of government foreigners is done under The • The Supreme Court, transferred all Foreigners Act, 1946. pending cases at the IMDT to the • Tribunals under IMDT Act only Foreigners Tribunals constituted considered the cases of those under the Foreigners (Tribunals) who had allegedly entered Order, 1964. India after March 25, 1971. • The act was struck down by the Supreme Court in Sarbananda Sonowal v. Union of India (2005). • The Supreme Court also closed all tribunals in Assam functioning under IMDT Act Commission for Sub- • The Commission, headed by • The Cabinet has also approved an Categorisation of Justice (Retd) G Rohini was addition to the terms of reference OBCs constituted on 2nd October, of the commission, which will now 2017 under article 340 of the also study various entries in the In News: Cabinet Constitution. 'Central list of OBCs and extends tenure of recommend correction of any the commission by Terms of reference include: repetitions, ambiguities, six months till 31st • To examine the extent of inconsistencies and errors of Aug 2020 inequitable distribution of spelling or transcription. benefits of reservation among OBCs (Central List) • To work out the mechanism, criteria, norms and parameters in a scientific approach for sub- categorisation within OBC Central Adoption • CARA is statutory body of • It deals in orphan, abandoned or Resource Authority Ministry of Women & Child surrendered children. (CARA) Development • It deals with inter-country • It is established under adoptions according to Hague Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. Convention on Inter-country • It is a nodal body for adoption Adoption, 1993 ratified by India in of Indian children. 2003.
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• It is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter- country adoptions. Article 256 • Kerala has filed a case in • Article 365: In case of failure to Supreme Court against CAA, comply with, or to give effect to, 2019 arguing that it would be directions given by the Union, the compelled to implement CAA President is empowered to make a provisions under Art 256 but decision thinking that a situation the State if opinion that CAA is has arisen in which the arbitrary & violative of government of the State cannot be fundamental rights carried on in accordance with the • Article 256 states that the provisions of this Constitution. executive power of every Hence, the President’s rule could State must ensure compliance be enacted. with the laws made by the Parliament. • If it does not follow the same, the repercussions could be seen in form of Article 365. National Data and • The vision document is • NDAP will follow a user-centric Analytics Platform released by NITI Aayog approach and will enable data (NDAP) Vision • The platform aims to access in a simple and intuitive Document democratize access to publicly portal tailored to the needs of a available government data. variety of stakeholders. • It will host the latest datasets from various government • The first version of the platform is websites, present them expected to be launched in 2021. coherently, and provide tools for analytics & visualization Enemy Property • EPAV Act amended The • In the wake of the India-Pakistan (Amendment and Enemy Property Act, 1968, wars of 1965 and 1971, there was Validation) Act, and The Public Premises migration of people from India to 2017 – (EPAV Act) (Eviction of Unauthorised Pakistan. Occupants) Act, 1971 • As a result, the Government of In News: Group of • The amended Act expanded India took over the properties and Minister headed by the definition of the term companies of those who took Home Minister will “enemy subject”, and “enemy Pakistani nationality. monitor the disposal firm” to include the legal heir • The same was done for property of over 9,400 enemy and successor of an enemy left behind by those who went to properties, which is • EPAV Act,2017 basically China after the 1962 Sino-Indian estimated to be denied legal heirs any right war about Rs 1 lakh over enemy property. • The Enemy Property Act of 1968, crore. provided for the vesting of enemy property in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India.
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Bharat Parv • It is a five-day festival • The festival is held annually at the organised by Union Ministry end of January of Tourism to showcase the • Central theme of Bharat Parv cuisine and culture of 2020. held in Delhi, is ‘Ek Bharat different states of India. Shreshtha Bharat’ and • The objective of Bharat Parv ‘Celebrating 150 Years of is to encourage Indians to Mahatma Gandhi’ visit different tourism places of India and to inculcate the spirit of ‘Dekho Apna Desh Mineral Laws • The ordinance amends the • The Ordinance adds that (Amendment) Mines and Minerals companies need not possess any Ordinance, 2020 (Development and prior coal mining experience in Regulation) Act, 1957, and the India to participate in the Coal Mines (Special auction of coal and lignite blocks. Provisions) Act, 2015 (CMSP • The Ordinance provides for an Act) additional prospecting license- • The ordinance permits com- cum-mining lease. This composite mercial coal mining for local license will allow both prospecting and global firms without im- & mining activities. posing any end-user restric- tions. • The CMSP Act provides for the • The Ordinance also extends auction and allocation of mines the validity of clearances for whose allocation was cancelled by mining leases expiring in 2020 the Supreme Court in 2014.
Operation Vanilla • It is launched by Indian Navy • Indian Navy also diverted a large to assist the population of amphibious ship viz. INS Madagascar affected Airavat carrying clothing, by Cyclone Diane. medicines, and other relief • Cyclone Diane is a tropical material to provide assistance and Cyclone whose origin support in the relief operations. was North-west off the coast of Mauritius in the South- western Indian Ocean. Annual status of • ASER is an annual survey • Children in the age group 5 to 16 Education Report (since 2005) that aims to are assessed one-on-one to (ASER) 2019 provide reliable estimates understand their basic reading and of children’s enrolment and arithmetic abilities. basic learning levels across • It is also the only annual source of rural India (State-wise and information on children’s learning district wise) outcomes available in India today • ASER is a household- based rather than school- • ASER 2019 report focuses on based survey. This design the “early years” (0-8 years) and enables all children to be lays emphasis on developing
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included – whether not going problem-solving faculties to school or dropped out or and building memory of going to private/government/ children, and not content religious school knowledge • It is the largest citizen-led survey in India facilitated by Pratham NGO. Western Zonal • Western Zonal • A North-Eastern Council was Council Council comprises of Goa, created by a separate Act of Gujarat, Maharashtra, the Parliament, the North-Eastern In News: The Union Territories of Daman Council Act of 1971. 25th meeting of the and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar • The Union Home Minister is the western zonal Haveli chairman of all Zonal Councils council was held • Zonal Councils are the Each zonal council consists of the under the statutory (and not the following members chairmanship of constitutional) bodies • Union Home Minister Union Home established by States • Chief Ministers of all the States in Minister and co- Reorganisation Act of 1956. the zone. chaired by • The act divided the country • Two other ministers from each Maharashtra Chief into five zones (Northern, state in the zone. Minister Central, Eastern, Western and • Administrator of each union Southern) and provided a territory in the zone zonal council for each zone.
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