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Join the Dots -Monthly Current Compendium – JULY 2020 Prelims Perspicuous Pointers Prelims Factoids CogX 2020
Relevance IN – Prelims (about CogX 2020) What’s the NEWS AI enabled MyGov Corona Helpdesk bagged two awards under categories (1) “Best Innovation for Covid-19 – Society” and (2) “People’s Choice Covid-19 Overall Winner”, at the recently held CogX 2020, which is a prestigious Global Leadership Summit and Festival of AI & Emerging Technology held annually in London. The awards were won by Technical Partner of Mygov, JioHaptik Technologies Limited. Know! about MyGov and MyGov Corona Helpdesk MyGov is the world’s largest citizen engagement platform, which facilitates two-ways communication between the Government and Citizen and facilitates participatory governance in India, the world’s largest democracy. In the fight against Covid-19, MyGov, JioHaptik Technologies Limited and WhatsApp team collaborated to develop AI enabled MyGov Corona Helpdesk in the record time of 5 days MyGov Corona Helpdesk demonstrated the true Public, Private and Public Partnership (PPPP), wherein, Citizen centric services were provided by MyGov, the state-of-the-art technological solution including infrastructure were designed, developed, and deployed by JioHaptik Technologies Limited, and ideas given by public were factored-in on daily basis to improve the services and solution.
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Know! about CogX CogX is one of the world's largest events on AI, held annually in London with over 15,000 participants in attendance from the highest levels of business, government, industry, and research. The Cogx Awards are given out to the best-of-the-best in AI and emerging technologies across the world. Prelims Factoids Ramagundam project Relevance IN – Prelims (about Ramagundam project + about New Investment Policy 2012) What’s the NEWS Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers held a meeting with Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals limited (RFCL) to review the progress of construction works of the project . Know! about the project RFCL is upcoming gas based urea unit of 12.7 Lakh MT per annum capacity at Ramagundam, Telengana. It is a Joint Venture Company (JVC) promoted by National Fertilizers Limited (NFL), Engineers India Limited (EIL) and Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL). The foundation stone of the project was laid by Prime Minister on August 7, 2016. Once completed, RFCL project will reduce India’s dependency on imported urea, save foreign exchange and create jobs. Government of India had announced New Investment Policy (NIP), 2012 to facilitate fresh investment in urea sector and to make India self-sufficient in the urea sector. Under NIP, 2012, Govt of India is reviving the 5 closed fertilizer plants. The Five Public Sector Units under revival are:- Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL) Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (Gorakhpur, Barauni and Sindri)
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Prelims Factoids NADA app
Relevance IN – Prelims (about NADA app + about NADA) What’s the NEWS Sports Minister unveiled National Anti-Doping Agency’s first mobile app to provide information about prohibited substances and their inadvertent use Know! all about the app The app aims to create a bridge between athletes and the NADA by providing easily accessible information on various aspects of sport, and most importantly about prohibited substances and their inadvertent use which may affect the career of athletes. With this app, athletes can check for themselves the list of prohibited substances and don’t have to depend on anyone else for assistance The app also has exhaustive information about whether a specific commonly-prescribed medicine contains any substance that is prohibited by NADA, therefore helping athletes and coaches to decide which medicines athletes can consume in case they are unwell. To ensure a smoother, quicker process of dope test for athletes, the app allows doping control officer to record their availability to conduct a test through this app Know! about NADA The National Anti Doping Agency [NADA] was established by the Government of India, with the objective of acting as the independent Anti-Doping Organization for India having a vision of dope free sports. It is responsible for promoting, coordinating, and monitoring the doping control program in sports in all its forms in India. NADA deals with adopting and implementing anti-doping rules and policies which conform with the World Anti-Doping Agency, cooperates with other anti-doping organisations and promotes anti-doping research and education. NADA is formed by the Union Government under the societies Registration Act. NADA includes scientists and representatives from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
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Prelims Factoids G4 swine flu Relevance IN – Prelims (about G4 swine flu) What’s the NEWS The scientists identified the virus through surveillance of influenza viruses in pigs that they carried out from 2011 to 2018 in ten provinces of China. Know! more about it In a new research, scientists from China – which has the largest population of pigs in the world – have identified a “recently emerged” strain of influenza virus that is infecting Chinese pigs and that has the potential of triggering a pandemic. Named G4, the swine flu strain has genes similar to those in the virus that caused the 2009 flu pandemic. The scientists identified the virus through surveillance of influenza viruses in pigs that they carried out from 2011 to 2018 in ten provinces of China. Prelims Factoids Hul Divas celebrations off for Covid Relevance in – Prelims (about Hul Diwas and about Santhal rebellion) What’s the NEWS The entire state of Jharkhand observed Hul Divas sans the usual festivities because of the prevailing pandemic situation worldwide Know! about Hul Divas The people observed Hul Divas in a simple manner as people paid tributes to the revolutionaries Sidho-Kanhu, Chand-Bhairav and Phulo-Jhano who blew the bugle of Santal revolution against the British Rulers to free their land of the Raj and take back their ‘Jal-Jungle-Zameen’ which was rightfully theirs and handed down through generations by their forefathers. Hul Divas is observed annually on June 30 in memory of tribals — Sidho and Kanhu Murmu — who led the Santhal hul (rebellion) on June 30, 1855, at Bhognadih in Sahebganj district. People, mostly Santhals from Jharkhand and neighbouring states, gather there in large number to celebrate what they think was the first people’s action against the British Know! about the Santhal rebellion The Santhal rebellion commonly known as Santhal Hool, was a rebellion in present-day Jharkhand, in eastern India against both the British colonial authority and zamindari system by the Santhal people. It started on June 30, 1855 and on November 10, 1855 martial law was proclaimed which lasted until January 3, 1856 when martial law was suspended and the movement was brutally ended by troops loyal to the British. The rebellion was led by the four Murmu Brothers - Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav.
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Prelims Factoids Elyments
Relevance IN – Prelims (factual takeaways of Elyments) What’s the NEWS India’s Vice President Venkaiah Naidu launched the Elyments app – which claims to be India’s first official social media super app. The app has been built by over a thousand IT professionals who are also volunteers of the Art of Living, which is helmed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Know! all about Elyments In the social media world, the app will be competing with the likes of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. The app which is available in eight languages already has over 100,000 downloads on the Google Play Store. Its official statement on the play store says that through the app users can “connect and converse with friends, share updates, network with like-minded people, discover interests, make seamless voice and video calls, and much more.” The app also says that it has given importance to privacy and all the servers are hosted within India. It is aimed at giving a new boost, a quantum jump to the economic potential of the country by strengthening infrastructure, using modern technologies, enriching human resources, and creating robust supply chains Prelims Factoids Sindhu Darshan puja
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Relevance IN – Prelims (Sindhu Darshan festival + about Nimu -map based questions) What’s the NEWS The Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed Sindhu Darshan puja at Nimu, the forward brigade place in Ladakh. Know! about the festival The Sindhu Darshan festival is celebrated along the banks of the river Sindhu in the UT every year on the full moon day. Celebrated over three days, this festival aims at projecting Indus (or Sindhu) as a symbol of India's unity, peaceful coexistence and communal harmony and is also a symbolic salute to brave soldiers of the country. The Sindhu Darshan Festival is a celebration of River Sindhu, also known as the Indus Valley Civilisation. The main reason behind the celebration of Sindhu Darshan Festival is to endorse the Indus River (Sindhu River) as an icon of the communal harmony and unity of India. Know! about Nimu Nimu or Nimmu is a small village situated some 45 kms from Leh in the South East part of Ladakh. It is a popular tourist attraction as one can see the picturesque confluence of River Indus and Zanskar. Also, Nimu is known as the starting point of the famed All India Rafting Expedition that takes place on River Indus. Prelims Factoids Winter diesel Relevance IN – Prelims (about Winter Diesel + about DGQA) What’s the NEWS State-run Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) launched a special winter-grade diesel that remains unfrozen up to minus 33 degree Celsius. The fuel would help provide year-round access to snow-capped border regions, and is part of India’s efforts to speed up strategic road connectivity. This new fuel will help Indian security forces to stock up on crucial supplies and ammunition that gets cut off due to bad weather in winters. Indian Oil has come up with an innovative solution to this problem by introducing a special winter-grade diesel with a low pour-point of -33o Celsius, which does not lose its fluidity function even in extreme winter conditions Regular diesel in these areas can’t be used as flow characteristics of regular diesel change at such low temperatures and using it may be detrimental to vehicles) Know! about winter diesel Winter diesel is a specialised fuel that was introduced by IOCL last year specifically for high altitude regions and low-temperature regions such as Ladakh, where ordinary diesel can become unusable.
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IOCL and other oil marketing companies, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, provide the armed forces with Diesel High sulphur Pour Point (DHPP -W) to armed forces for operations in these areas which also has a pour point of - 30°C. It contains additives to maintain lower viscosity so that it can be used in temperatures as low as -30°C and that besides a low pour point, it had higher cetane rating — an indicator is the combustion speed of diesel and compression needed for ignition. It has lower sulphur content, which would lead to lower deposits in engines and better performance. IOC may begin supplying winter diesel to the armed forces once its use is approved by the Controllerate of Quality Assurance for petroleum products under the Directorate General of Quality Assurance of the armed forces. Know! about Directorate General of Quality Assurance The Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) is under Deptt. Of Defence Production , Ministry of Defence. This organisation is more than hundred years old and provides Quality Assurance (QA) cover for the entire range of Arms, Ammunitions, Equipments and Stores supplied to Armed Forces. Apart from QA activities, the organisation is responsible for import substitution and associates with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the development projects. It also ensures Documentation, Codification and Standardisation Action for minimizing the variety of components / equipments. Science & Technology MUCOVIN Relevance IN – Prelims (about MUCOVIN) What’s the NEWS Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), in collaboration with Laxai Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad, has sought regulatory approval to undertake four-arm randomized controlled phase III clinical trial. Know! about the trial The trial will determine safety and efficacy of the three combination drugs (Favipiravir+Colchicine, Umifenovir+Colchicine and Nafamostat) and a control arm with the standard of care in COVID-19 patients. The clinical trial named MUCOVIN, to be carried out in the partnership with Medanta Medicity, will include a total of 300 patients in four different groups of 75 patients in the trials to be carried for 17 to 21 days including screening and treatment.
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Health Kawasaki Disease
Relevance IN – Prelims (about Kawasaki disease) What’s the NEWS Recently Children with Covid-19 infection have shown some symptoms similar to those associated with a rare illness called Kawasaki disease — such as rashes and inflammation — while other symptoms of Kawasaki disease have been absent. Such symptoms have also shown in children who tested negative for Covid-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) termed this new illness “multisystem inflammatory disorder”. Know! all about Kawasaki disease It affects children. Its symptoms include red eyes, rashes, and a swollen tongue with reddened lips — often termed strawberry tongue — and an inflamed blood vessel system all over the body. There is constant high fever for at least five days. The disease also affects coronary functions in the heart. It is an immunological reaction to an infection or a virus. A child’s immunity system responds to a particular infection and develops these symptoms. Kawasaki typically affects children aged under five.
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Prelims Factoids China reports suspected case of ‘Black Death’ plague. RELEVANCE IN – Prelims (about different types of plague) What’s the NEWS A hospital in China reported a case of suspected bubonic plague. The bubonic plague, known as the “Black Death” in the Middle Ages, is a highly infectious and often fatal disease that is spread mostly by rodents. Know! about plague Plague is an infectious disease caused by Yersinia pestis, a zoonotic bacteria, usually found in small mammals and their fleas People can contract plague if they are in bitten by infected fleas and develop the bubonic form of plague. Sometimes bubonic plague progresses to pneumonic plague when the bacteria reach the lungs. Know! about bubonic plague Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague and is caused by the bite of an infected flea. Plague bacillus, Y pestis, enters at the bite and travels through the lymphatic system to the nearest lymph node where it replicates itself. The lymph node then becomes inflamed, tense and painful, and is called a ‘bubo’. Human to human transmission of bubonic plague is rare. Difference between bubonic and pneumonic plagues Bubonic plague is the most common form of the plague but cannot be easily transmitted between people. Some people with bubonic plague will develop pneumonic plague. Pneumonic plague, or lung-based plague, is the most virulent form of plague and has an incubation period as short as 24 hours. A person with pneumonic plague may transmit the disease to others through coughing via droplets. Bubonic plague has a mortality rate of 30% to 60%, while the pneumonic form is fatal in the absence of treatment. Both types have good recovery rates if people are treated in time. Pneumonic plague, if not diagnosed and treated early, can be fatal. Know! more about Plague Person-to-person transmission is possible through the inhalation of infected respiratory droplets of a person who has the pneumonic plague. Common antibiotics are efficient to cure plague, if they are delivered very early because the course of the disease is usually rapid. People infected with plague usually develop acute febrile disease with other non-specific systemic symptoms after an incubation period of one to seven days.
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Prelims Factoids MoRTH prepares blueprint for scheme of cashless treatment of motor accident victims Relevance IN – Prelims (about the scheme + about Motor Vehicle Accident Fund + about NHA) What’s the NEWS The Road Transport and Highways Ministry has prepared a blueprint for implementing the scheme of cashless treatment of motor accident victims. Know! the important features of the Scheme The scheme includes creation of a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund. The National Health Authority has been entrusted to implement the scheme. The scheme to provide compulsory insurance cover to all road users in the country. The fund would be utilized for treatment of road accident victims and for payment of compensation to the injured or to the family of person losing life in hit and run cases. This includes treatment of victims during the crucial Golden hour. Golden hour refers to the first hour after the accident during which if first aid or treatment is administered, the chances of survival of the victim drastically improve. Know! about NHA National Health Authority (NHA) is the apex body responsible for implementing India’s flagship public health insurance/assurance scheme called “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.” National Health Authority is the successor of the National Health Agency, which was functioning as a registered society since 23rd May, 2018. Pursuant to Cabinet decision for full functional autonomy, National Health Agency was reconstituted as the National Health Authority on 2nd January 2019, NHA has been set-up to implement PM-JAY, as it is popularly known, at the national level. An attached office of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with full functional autonomy NHA is governed by a Governing Board chaired by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare. Prelims Factoids Global Real Estate Transparency Index Relevance IN – Prelims (about GRETI and Index highlights) What’s the NEWS India’s real estate industry has registered one of the largest improvements globally and regionally in Jones Lang LaSalle’s (JLL) biennial Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI).
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Know! the Index Highlights The country ranks 34th globally on the index with higher levels of transparency observed in India due to regulatory reforms, enhanced market data and sustainability initiatives. The improvement is led by the progress in the country's REIT framework attracting greater interest from institutional investors. India has also edged into the top 20 for Sustainability Transparency through the active role of organisations like the Indian Green Building Council and Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment. India has seen a steady improvement in the Global Transparency Index over the years. JLL and LaSalle have been tracking real estate transparency and championing higher standards since 1999. This 11th edition of GRETI covers 99 countries and territories, and 163 city regions. The latest survey has been extended to quantify 210 separate elements of transparency with additional coverage on sustainability and resilience, health and wellness, proptech and alternatives sectors. Know! the key structural reforms in real estate sector Real Estate Regulation and Development Act 2016 (RERA), GST, Benami Transaction Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 2016, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, digitization of land records have brought about greater transparency Know! about IGBC The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was formed in the year 2001. The vision of the council is, "To enable a sustainable built environment for all and facilitate India to be one of the global leaders in the sustainable built environment by 2025". The council offers a wide array of services which include developing new green building rating programmes, certification services and green building training programmes. The council also organises Green Building Congress, its annual flagship event on green buildings. The council also closely works with several State Governments, Central Government, World Green Building Council, bilateral multi-lateral agencies in promoting green building concepts in the country. Know! about Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment(GRIHA) GRIHA attempts to minimize a building’s resource consumption, waste generation, and overall ecological impact to within certain nationally acceptable limits / benchmarks. GRIHA attempts to quantify aspects such as energy consumption, waste generation, renewable energy adoption, etc. so as to manage, control and reduce the same to the best possible extent. GRIHA is a rating tool that helps people assesses the performance of their building against certain nationally acceptable benchmarks. It evaluates the environmental performance of a building holistically over its entire life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a ‘green building’. The rating system, based on accepted energy and environmental principles, will seek to strike a balance between the established practices and emerging concepts, both national and international.
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GRIHA was adopted as the national rating system for green buildings in 2007 It was developed by TERI with support from Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). GRIHA Council which is an independent platform for the interaction on scientific and administrative issues related to sustainable habitats issues GRIHA ratings The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) It is a not-for-profit, policy research organization - working in the fields of energy, environment, and sustainable development It was stablished in 1974 as Tata Energy and Resource Institute It is an independent research institute, headquartered in Delhi, that conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development. Culture Mongolian Kanjur Manuscripts
Relevance IN – Prelims (about NMM + about Mongolian Kanjur) What’s the NEWS The Ministry of Culture has taken up the project of reprinting of 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur under the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM). Know! more about it The first set of five volumes of Mongolian Kanjur published under the NMM was presented to the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind on the occasion of Guru Purnima, also known as Dharma Chakra Day, on 4th July 2020. A set was then handed over to the Ambassador of Mongolia to India. It is expected that all the 108 volumes of the Mongolian Kanjur will be published by March, 2022. The Mongolian Kanjur is widely respected in Mongolia. Know! about National Mission for Manuscripts The National Mission for Manuscripts was launched in February 2003 by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, with the mandate of documenting, conserving and disseminating the knowledge preserved in the manuscripts.
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One of the objectives of the mission is to publish rare and unpublished manuscripts so that the knowledge enshrined in them is spread to researchers, scholars and general public at large. Under this scheme, reprinting of 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur has been taken up by the Mission. It is expected that all the volumes will be published by March, 2022. Know! about Mongolian Kanjur Mongolian Kanjur, the Buddhist canonical text in 108 volumes is considered to be the most important religious text in Mongolia. In the Mongolian language ‘Kanjur’ means ‘Concise Orders’- the words of Lord Buddha in particular. It is held in high esteem by the Mongolian Buddhists and they worship the Kanjur at temples and recite the lines of Kanjur in daily life as a sacred ritual. The Kanjur are kept almost in every monastery in Mongolia.Mongolian Kanjur has been translated from Tibetan. The language of the Kanjur is Classical Mongolian.The Mongolian Kanjur is a source of providing a cultural identity to Mongolia. Defence Six strategic bridges in Jammu & Kashmir inaugurated under Project Sampark Relevance IN – Prelims (about BRO and its different projects) What’s the NEWS The Defence Minister dedicated six major bridges to the nation through video conferencing from here today. Know! about these bridges and about Project Sampark These bridges of strategic importance were completed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in a record time. The two bridges on the Tarnah Nallah in Kathua District and four bridges located on Akhnoor-Pallanwala road in Akhnoor/Jammu district have spans ranging from 30 to 300 metres and were constructed at a total cost of Rs 43 crores. These bridges constructed by Project Sampark of the BRO will facilitate movement of Armed Forces in this strategically important sector and will also contribute towards the overall economic growth of remote border areas. Know! about BRO The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) develops and maintains road The BRO maintains operations in twenty-one states, one UT (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), and neighboring countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. The BRO operates and maintains over 32,885 kilometers of roads and about 12,200 meters of permanent bridges in the country. The BRO consists of Border Roads Wing under the Ministry of Defense and the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF).
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The BRO operates in 18 Projects namely: Arunank, Beacon, Brahmank, Chetak, Deepak, Dantak, Himank, Hirak, Pushpak, Sampark, Setuk, Sewak, Shivalik, Swastik, Udayak, Vartak, Vijayak and sela tunnel. Prelims Factoids India Global Week 2020
Relevance IN – Prelims (about India Global week) What’s the NEWS Prime Minister addressed the inaugural address at India Global Week 2020 Know! about the India Global week The India Global Week 2020 is a three-day virtual conference, being held from July 9 to July 11, themed 'Be The Revival: India and a Better New World', will have 5,000 global participants from 30 nations being addressed by 250 global speakers across 75 sessions. The forum focused on India’s trade and foreign investment prospects. India Global Week 2020, a virtual conference being organised in the UK This Forum is also marking the 100th birth anniversary of Pandit Ravi Shankar. He took the beauty of Indian classical music to the world. Prelims Factoids Itolizumab Relevance IN – Prelims (about Itolizumab) What’s the NEWS Itolizumab has received Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) approval for its use in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients. Know! all about Itolizumab DCGI has approved to market Itolizumab (ALZUMAb) injection 25mg and 5mL solution for emergency use in India for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in moderate to severe ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) patients due to COVID-19
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Itolizumab is the first novel biologic therapy to be approved anywhere in the world for treating patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 complications. Itolizumab is an anti-CD6 monoclonal antibody injection that is being used in India for the treatment of Psoriasis (Skin Disorder in which Skin Cells multiply 10 times faster than normal). Itolizumab is now approved for the treatment of CRS in patients with moderate to severe ARDS due to COVID-19. Itolizumab is a monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of severe chronic plaque psoriasis. Itolizumab got approval from the DCGI for the treatment of Psoriasis back in January 2013 Monoclonal antibodies are lab-made proteins that act like human antibodies in the immune system and fight against foreign molecules. Prelims Factoids CII-ITC Sustainability Awards 2019 Relevance IN – Prelims (about CII-ITC Sustainability Awards) What’s the NEWS NTPC Ltd, a central PSU under Ministry of Power and India’s largest power generation company, has won the prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability Award 2019, under Outstanding Accomplishment in Corporate Excellence Category. Initiatives taken by NTPC NTPC always strives for sustainable development of its communities around the power stations. Its flagship CSR program GEM (Girl Empowerment Mission), a 4 weeks residential program for benefit of school going girls from underprivileged background to support in their overall development. NTPC has also initiated Contractors’ Labour Information Management System (CLIMS) through which payment to contract labourers is paid on the last day of the month at project sites. NTPC Group has 70 Power stations comprising of 24 Coal, 7 combined cycle Gas/Liquid Fuel, 1 Hydro, 13 Renewables along with 25 Subsidiary & JV Power Stations.
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Know! about CII-ITC Sustainability Awards Instituted in 2006, the CII-ITC Sustainability Awards recognise and reward excellence in businesses that are seeking ways to be more sustainable and inclusive in their activities. Winners of the Awards are role models that inspire others to follow suit. It recognize and reward excellence in sustainability practices. It is considered to be the most credible platform for sustainability recognition in the country. The Awards are a part of the continued efforts of CESD to create awareness on sustainability practices and to create capacities in business. CII-ITC Sustainability Awards define the science of sustainability performance. Defence P-7 Heavy Drop System
Relevance IN – Prelims(about P7 Heavy Drop System) What’s the NEWS DRDO has developed P7 Heavy Drop System which is capable of para dropping military stores up to 7-ton weight class from IL-76 aircraft. Know! more about P-7 HDS P-7 Heavy Drop System is used for Para drop of military stores (vehicle/ ammunition/ equipment) of 7 Ton weight class. Heavy Drop System (P-7 HDS) for IL-76 Aircraft consists of a platform & specialised parachute system. System has been developed successfully with 100% indigenous resources. P-7 HDS has been inducted in the Army. This system is fully indigenous and being manufactured by L&T who makes the platform system, parachutes manufactured by Ordnance Factory. Defence scientists have enhanced India’s capabilities in para dropping key military equipment and supplies from heavy lift aircraft like the IL76 to beef up the Army’s strike power. It has been developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), an Agra-based laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
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Health Corosure
Relevance IN – Prelims (about Corosure) What’s the NEWS The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry e-launched the world’s most affordable probe free RT-PCR based #COVID19 diagnostic kit, COROSURE developed by Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT) Know! more about Corosure The test, Corosure, has been billed as the world’s most affordable probe free RT-PCR based Covid-19 diagnostic kit. The test kit uses an alternative testing method for testing Covid-19 samples and is launched by the company Newtech Medical under the name ‘Corosure’. The kit roughly comes to around Rs 650. “This certainly makes it very affordable as compared to other probe tests that are being imported from other countries,” he said. The product is approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). Prelims Factoids India's 1st fully indigenously developed vaccine against pneumonia gets DCGI nod Relevance IN – Prelims (about Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine. What’s the NEWS The country's first fully indigenously developed vaccine against pneumonia has got approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine With the help of Special Expert Committee (SEC) for vaccines, the drug regulator reviewed the phase I, II and III clinical trial data submitted by Pune-based firm Serum Institute of India and then granted the market approval for Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine. The vaccine will be used for active immunisation against invasive disease and pneumonia caused by 'Streptococcus pneumonia' among infants.
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The Serum Institute of India first obtained the approval of the DCGI to conduct Phase I, II and III clinical trials of the vaccine in India. Bilateral Relations Azad Pattan Relevance IN – Prelims (about power projects and their locations) What’s the NEWS The $ 1.5-billion project is the second power project under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), for which an agreement has been signed in the last two months. The first agreement, for the 1,100 MW Kohala project, was signed on June 23. That project, worth $ 2.3 billion, too will come up on the Jhelum near Muzaffarabad. Know! all about Azad Pattan hydel power project The 700-MW hydel power project is being built on the Jhelum river in Sudhoti district of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir Pakistan and China signed an agreement for the 700 MW Azad Pattan hydel power project on the Jhelum river in Sudhoti district of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The project is a run-of-the-river scheme with a reservoir located near Muslimabad village, 7 km upstream from the Azad Pattan bridge, in district Sudhnoti, one of the eight districts of PoK. The Azad Pattan project is one of five hydropower schemes on the Jhelum. Upstream from Azad Pattan are the Mahl, Kohala, and Chakothi Hattian projects; Karot is downstream. Like Kohala and Azad Pattan, Karot too, is being developed under the CPEC framework. Kohala project This is a 1,124 MW hydel project that will come up on the Jhelum at Muzaffarabad near the Siran and Barsala villages. A “tripartite” agreement for implementing the project as part of the CPEC was signed on June 25 between China Three Gorges (CTG) Corporation, the government of PoK and Private Power and Infrastructure Board. This project is one of the biggest investments by China in PoK. Construction is expected to be complete by 2026. Karot Hydropower station The Karot Hydropower station, the third project being executed by China on the Jhelum is on the boundaries of Kotli district in PoK and Rawalpindi district in Pakistan’s Punjab province. According to the CPEC site, construction is under progress, and the project is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2021.
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Prelims Factoids Development of Pilgrimage Amenities at Somnath, Gujarat' under Prashad scheme Funded under PRASHAD Scheme of Tourism Ministry Relevance IN – Prelims (about PRASHAD Scheme) What’s the NEWS The project “Development of Pilgrimage Amenities at Somnath, Gujarat” sanctioned under the PRASHAD scheme in March 2017 has been successfully completed with the cost of Rs. 45.36 crores. High quality world class facilities for Parking, Tourism Amenities Centre and Solid Waste Management have been developed under the project. Know! about PRASHAD Scheme The ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD) launched by the Ministry of Tourism in the year 2014-15 with the objective of integrated development of identified pilgrimage and heritage destinations. The scheme aimed at infrastructure development such as entry points (Road, Rail and Water Transport), last mile connectivity, basic tourism facilities like Information/ Interpretation Centers Prelims Factoids Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence for
Public Administration Scheme. Relevance IN – Prelims (about The Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration) What’s the NEWS In the meeting of the National Ganga Council held on 14th December, 2019 at Kanpur under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, it was decided to create a “Good Performance for Ganga Rejuvenation” award for the Ganga districts under the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence for Public Administration Scheme. Know! about the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration The Government of India instituted “The Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration” in the year 2006 to acknowledge, recognize and reward the extraordinary and innovative work done by Districts/ Organizations of the Central and State Governments. The Scheme was restructured in 2014 for recognizing the performance of District Collectors in Priority Programmes, Innovations and Aspirational Districts and was further restructured
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in 2020 to recognize the performance of District Collectors towards economic development of the District. For the year 2020, the scope of the awards has been expanded to identify areas of overall outcome-oriented performance in the districts across sectors. This year, for the very first time, the PM’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration seeks to recognize the efforts of District level officials involved in the Namami Gange Programme. Under this award category, one award shall be given to a district out of the 57 notified District Ganga Committees under the Namami Gange Programme. District Ganga Committees (DGCs) The District Ganga Committee (DGC) is the most unique feature of the notification of authorities under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 by the Government of India dated 7th October, 2016, which creates a mechanism at the District Level for addressing the problem of pollution abatement of the River Ganga. Prelims Factoids Air bubbles only way forward for international travel during pandemic Relevance IN – Prelims (about Air bubbles) What’s the NEWS Civil aviation minister underlined that bilateral air bubbles will be the way to resume international travel amid the Covid-19 pandemic. India had established individual bilateral bubbles with France and the US that would allow airlines of these countries to operate flights. Know! all about Air Bubble An air bubble is a bilateral agreement comprising a set of regulations and restrictions the airlines of the two countries have to abide by to operate international flights. Under this arrangement airlines from the concerned countries will be able to operate flights from and to India along with Indian carriers. Air bubbles established with the US, France, Germany and talk of an air bubble in an advanced stage with the UK. From India, Air India will be operating flights to France, Germany, and the US under these bubbles. The concept of air bridges is based on reciprocity with the said countries allowing Indian citizens to fly into their borders and India allowing their citizens to fly into its borders. Several countries that have already put in place these air bridges or travel bubbles have done so on the basis of their perception of the ability of the destination country to handle the Covid19 pandemic. For example, New Zealand, which was completely able to contain the disease was establishing a trans-Tasmanian air bubble with other countries that had managed the virus spread. The three Baltic nations of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia had also established an air bubble among themselves
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Prelims Factoids COVID Protection System (COPS) for Workplace Relevance IN – Prelims (about COPS and its different technologies) What’s the NEWS CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur, unveiled the COVID Protection System (COPS) for Workplace The COPS for Workplace includes contactless Solar Based Intelligent Mask Automated Dispensing Unit cum Thermal Scanner (IntelliMAST), Touchless Faucet (TouF) and 360° Car Flusher The COPS is a conglomeration of the following technologies: Solar Based Intelligent Mask Automated Dispensing Unit cum Thermal Scanner (IntelliMAST)- The Solar Based IntelliMAST is an Intelligent surveillance kiosk which identifies the body temperature and whether an individual is wearing Face Mask or not through customised Software solutions. The information about an employee not wearing a Face Mask is provided to the Administration for Cashless delivery of the Mask and later deduction of the price from the Salary. The IntelliMAST will also facilitate Identity Card based Mask Dispensing & Attendance System. The IntelliMAST system is backed up by Solar Power for uninterrupted Power Supply during blackouts. Touchless Faucet (TouF)- The Touchless Faucet (TouF) is being launched for households and Office Spaces. The system dispenses Liquid Soap and Water from the same Faucet with a time-gap of 30 seconds, which is as per the latest Government guidelines. The Faucet can be very easily mounted on top of any Wash-Basin and will be available in Plug and Play mode for very easy installation. 360° Car Flusher: The CSIR-CMERI developed 360° Car Flusher is a Sodium Hypochlorite Water Screen which uses specialised Nozzle Design to ensure that the Sanitizer Diffused Water is evenly spread over and under the Car Body/Wheels with adequate Water Force and coverage. Prelims Factoids Keeda jadi/Yartsa gunbu Relevance IN – Prelims (about Keeda jadi/Yartsa gunbu (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) What’s the NEWS A Report on Field Survey of Yartsa Gumba Extraction and it's Ecological Effect in Garhwal Himalayas has been released
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Know! about the report findings The yeild of 'Himalayan Viagra' also known as Keeda jadi/Yartsa gunbu (Ophiocordyceps sinensis), valuable fungal herb which can be sold upto Rs 20 lakh per kilograms has drastically decreased from year 2010 to 2019. Keeda Jadi collection has drastically decreased from the year 2010 to 2019. The main reason for this may be illicit trade of Keeda Jadi or climatic change which can affect their growing numbers Know! about Keeda jadi/Yartsa gunbu The world’s costliest fungus -- Ophiocordyceps sinensis -- also known as ‘Himalayan Viagra’, which sells in international markets for upwards of Rs 20 lakh per kg, has entered the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species. The list, which was released on July 9, has placed the fungus, known for its aphrodisiac and rejuvenation properties, in the ‘vulnerable’ category. The list has nine categories — not evaluated, data deficient, least concern, near-threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, extinct in the wild and extinct The herb is found at an altitude of 12000 feet onwards in parts of Pithoragarh, Bageshwar and Chamoli districts in Uttarakhand. The fungus, also known as ‘keeda jadi in Uttarakhand because of its caterpillar-like appearance, is endemic to the Himalayan and Tibetan plateau and is found in China, Bhutan, Nepal and India. The reason for placing the fungi in the vulnerable category has been cited as 'overharvesting' by the IUCN. Space Awareness The Hope Probe Relevance IN – Prelims(about first Arab space mission to Mars) What’s the NEWS The first Arab space mission to Mars has blasted off aboard a rocket from Japan, with its unmanned probe – called Al-Amal, or Hope
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The Emirati project is one of three racing to Mars, including Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the United States, taking advantage of a period when the Earth and Mars are nearest. Know! all about Hope Probe The Hope Probe blasted off from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center for a seven-month journey to the red planet, where it will orbit and send back data about the atmosphere. In October, Mars will be a comparatively short 38.6m miles (62m km) from Earth, according to Nasa. Hope is expected to reach Mars’s orbit by February 2021, marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of the UAE, an alliance of seven emirates. Unlike the two other Mars ventures scheduled for this year, it will not land on the planet, but instead orbit it for a whole Martian year, or 687 days. While the objective of the Mars mission is to provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics in the red planet’s atmosphere, the probe is a foundation for a much bigger goal – building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years. Defence Passage exercise (PASSEX) Relevance IN – Prelims (about PASSEX and about Malabar Exercise) What’s the NEWS The US Navy said that Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is currently deployed to the Indian Ocean in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific Know! more about the exercise United States Navy's USS Nimitz carrier strike group near the Andaman and Nicobar islands World's largest aircarft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) along with Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), participated in joint naval exercises with the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean
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Both Indian Navy and the US Navy conducted high-end exercises designed to maximize training and interoperability, including air defense. Four frontline warships of the Indian Navy participated in the "PASSEX" exercise when the US carrier strike group was transiting through the Indian Ocean Region on its way from the South China Sea Indian Navy units undertook Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with US Navy. Indian Navy had conducted similar PASSEXs with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and French Navy in recent past. The Indian Navy ships Rana, Sahyadri, Shivalik and Kamorta, operated together with the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) The cooperative exercises took place near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and transited through the Indian Ocean region. The India-US exercises in the Malacca Strait comes just a few weeks after the USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) strike groups carried out wargames in the Philippine Sea. Know! about Malabar Exercise It is an annual trilateral naval exercise between the navies of India, Japan, and the USA which is held alternately in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Originally begun in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between India and the United States, Japan became a permanent partner in 2015. Past non-permanent participants are Australia and Singapore. The Malabar exercise is expected to take place later this year. Prelims Factoids Vriksharopan Abhiyan Relevance IN – Prelims (about Vriksharopan Abhiyan + Going Green initiative) What’s the NEWS Union Home Minister will launch Vriksharopan Abhiyan in the presence of Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary affairs
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Know! about Vriksharopan Abhiyan It will be organized by Ministry of Coal involving all Coal/Lignite PSUs which large scale plantation would be carried out in mines, colonies, offices and other suitable areas of Coal/Lignite PSUs and seedlings will be distributed in the nearby areas for promoting plantation by the society. Going Green is the key thrust area of coal sector involving maximization of green cover through ecological reclamation of mined out areas and overburden dumps, plantation in and around mines and avenue plantation at suitable places. Ministry’s Going Green initiative will kick start through active participation of coal/lignite PSUs as well as private miners. Government Schemes
Manipur Water Supply Project Relevance IN – Prelims (about Jal Jeevan Mission) What’s the NEWS Prime Minister will lay the foundation Stone for Manipur Water Supply Project on 23rd July 2020 Manipur Water Supply Project is an important component of efforts of the State government to achieve the goal of Har Ghar Jal by 2024. The project outlay is about Rupees 3054.58 Crores with a loan component funded by New Development Bank. Know! about Jal Jeevan Mission Government of India initiated the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide safe and adequate quantity drinking water to every rural household of the country by 2024 with the motto “Har Ghar Jal”. The programme also implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting. The Jal Jeevan Mission is based on a community approach to water and has extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key components of the mission. It looks to create a Jan Andolan for water, thereby making it everyone’s priority. There are about 19 crore households in India. Only 24% have Freshwater Household Tap Connections (FHTCs). The Mission aims to provide 14, 33, 21,049 households with FHTC through partnership of all stakeholders including inter alia the State governments, Panchayat Raj Institutions and local communities. Defence Bharat Relevance IN – Prelims(about indigenously-developed drone Bharat) What’s the NEWS DRDO has provided its indigenously-developed drone named Bharat to the Indian Army for carrying out accurate surveillance in high altitude areas and mountainous terrain along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh.
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The Indian Army requires drones for accurate surveillance in the ongoing dispute in the Eastern Ladakh area. For this requirement, the DRDO has provided the Bharat drones to it Know! more about Bharat The Bharat drones have been developed by a Chandigarh-based laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The Bharat series of the drones, indigenously developed by the DRDO, can be listed among "World's most agile and lightest Surveillance drone. The small yet powerful drone works autonomously at any location with great accuracy. The unibody biomimetic design with advance release technology is a lethal combination for surveillance missions The drone is equipped with artificial intelligence to detect friends and foes and can take action accordingly. The drone has been made capable of survival in extreme cold weather temperatures and is being developed further for vision capabilities, it can detect humans hidden in deep forests. It can operate in swarm operations Defence Dhruvastra, India`s anti-tank guided missile, test-fired successfully
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Relevance IN – Prelims (about anti-tank guided missile `Dhruvastra`) What’s the NEWS The flight trial of India`s anti-tank guided missile `Dhruvastra` were successfully conducted at the Interim Test Range (ITR) in Odisha recently. The trials of the helicopter-launched Nag Missile (HELINA), which has now been named as Dhruvastra anti-tank guided missile, were conducted in direct and top attack mode. Dhruvastra is the helicopter version of 'Nag Helina' with several new features and meant to be fired from air to destroy enemy bunkers, armoured vehicles and main battle tanks. The helicopter-launched anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) is one of the most advanced anti- tank weapons in the world. Know! about Nag Missile (HELINA) HELINA is a third-generation fire and forget class anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system mounted on the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). The system has all-weather day and night capability and can defeat battle tanks with conventional armour as well as explosive reactive armour. The ATGM is guided by an infrared imaging seeker (IIS) operating in the lock-on before- launch mode and helps in further strengthening the defence capabilities of the country. The HELINA missile can engage targets both in the direct hit mode as well as top attack mode. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) last year carried out three successful test firings of the NAG missiles in the Pokhran firing ranges. It was done after the Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of DRDO- designed and developed NAG Missile System (NAMIS) at the cost of Rs 524 crore. The system includes a third generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile, the NAG, along with the Missile Carrier Vehicle (NAMICA). The successful induction of the NAG missile into the Indian Army is expected to give a quantum boost to the Army's capability against enemy armour. Official says they do not offer the desired protection against virus spread Prelims Factoids N-95 valved respirator/ masks Relevance IN – Prelims (about N-95 valved respirator/ masks) What’s the NEWS The Union Health Ministry cautioned against the use of N-95 valved respirator/ masks, stating that it doesn’t offer the desired protection against the spread of COVID-19. The warning comes after the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) sounded an alarm against the use of these masks. Know! about N95 masks N95 masks are personal protective equipment that protects the wearer from airborne particles and from liquid contaminating the face. The latest government warning is for those N95 masks that come with exhalation valves.
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N95 masks are worn mostly by healthcare workers and are known to offer the highest level of protection against airborne infections, but they still have limitations. N95 masks filter about 95 per cent of particles smaller than 300 nanometres (1 nm is a billionth part of a metre). Covid-19 virus is in the size range of 65-125 nm. The Health Ministry has stated that N95 masks with valved respirators does not prevent the virus from escaping out of the mask. The valve is basically a ‘one-way valve’ that only protects the person wearing it and doesn’t filter the aerosols coming out. Hence, an asymptomatic carrier of the novel coronavirus can easily spread the infection to others when the valve releases the unfiltered exhaled air in the immediate surroundings. Defence Largest Solar Power Plant of Navy Commissioned
Relevance IN – Prelims (about the largest solar power plant of Navy + about INA Ezhimala -geographical location) What’s the NEWS Southern Naval Command commissioned a 3 MW Solar Power Plant at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala
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Know! more about it This is in line with the Govt of India initiative of ‘National Solar Mission’ to achieve 100GW of solar power by 2022. The solar plant is the largest in the Indian Navy and has an estimated life of 25 years. All components have been indigenously sourced, including 9180 highly efficient monocrystalline solar panels employing the latest technology. The project has been executed by Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (KELTRON). The Solar Power Plant project will help Naval Station Ezhimala in reducing the carbon foot print and is one of the many initiatives undertaken by INA towards a clean and green environment. Surplus power generated will also feed the KSEB electricity grid. The Indian Naval Academy (INA), is located in Ezhimala in Kannur (Cannanore) District of Kerala, a part of North Malabar Region. Defence DRDO establishes COVID-19 Testing Facility at DIHAR, Leh Relevance IN – Prelims (about Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) What’s the NEWS DRDO has established a COVID-19 testing facility at the Leh based laboratory Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) to enhance the rate of testing to identify the Corona cases in the Union Territory of Ladakh. Know! about DIHAR DIHAR is one of the life sciences laboratories of DRDO working on cold arid agro-animal technologies. The laboratory is screening and identifying the medicinal and aromatic plants to exploit them for use for defence purposes and also on greenhouse technologies for high altitude and cold desert areas. Space Awareness China launches independent, unmanned Mars mission Relevance IN – Prelims (about China’s space mission) What’s the NEWS China launched an unmanned probe to Mars in its first independent mission to visit another planet China’s largest carrier rocket, the Long March 5 Y-4, blasted off with the probe from Wenchang Space Launch Centre on the southern island province of Hainan.
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Know! more about China’s mission The probe is expected to reach Mars in February where it will attempt to deploy a rover to explore the planet for 90 days. If successful, the Tianwen-1, or "Questions to Heaven", which is the name of a poem written two millennia ago, will make China the first country to orbit, land and deploy a rover in its inaugural mission. The probe would orbit Mars for about two and a half months and look for an opportunity to enter its atmosphere and make a soft landing. Eight spacecraft - American, European and Indian - are either orbiting Mars or on its surface with other missions underway or planned. The United Arab Emirates launched a mission to Mars on Monday, an orbiter that will study the planet's atmosphere. The United States has plans to send a probe in coming months that will deploy a rover called Perseverance, the biggest, heaviest, most advanced vehicle sent to the Red Planet by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). China's probe will carry several scientific instruments to observe the planet's atmosphere and surface, searching for signs of water and ice. China previously made a Mars bid in 2011 with Russia, but the Russian spacecraft carrying the probe failed to exit the Earth's orbit and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean. A fourth planned launch for Mars, the EU-Russian ExoMars, was postponed for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic and technical issues. Tribal Affairs e-Symposium “Emergent North-East India Relevance IN – Prelims (about e-Symposium Series) What’s the NEWS The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs inaugurated an e-Symposium on Handicrafts titled “Emergent North-East India: Strategic and Developmental Imperatives in Handicrafts” organized by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong Know! about e-Symposium Series The e-Symposium on handicrafts is a part of the e-Symposia Series initiated by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis, IIM Shillong.
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The e-Symposium Series is conceived as a platform that brings together policy makers, scholars, institutions, corporates and civil society to discuss and deliberate development initiatives in the North East Region. Science & Technology Novel mRNA based COVID 19 Vaccine candidate-HGCO19 Relevance IN – Prelims (facts about mRNA vaccine candidate (HGCO19) What’s the NEWS DBT-BIRAC has facilitated the establishment of ‘first-of-its-kind’ mRNA-based vaccine manufacturing platform in India. DBT has provided seed funding for the development of Gennova’s novel self-amplifying mRNA-based vaccine candidate for COVID19. In collaboration with HDT Biotech Corporation, Seattle, USA, Gennova has developed an mRNA vaccine candidate (HGCO19), with demonstrated safety, immunogenicity, neutralization antibody activity in the rodent and non-human primate models. Know! about HGCO19 The novel mRNA vaccine candidate, HGCO19, has all the necessary arsenal to guide the host cells to make the antigen -spike protein of the virus, reported to interact with host cells receptor, and supported by ‘lipid inorganic nanoparticle (LION)’ as a delivery vehicle. The neutralizing antibody response of the vaccine in mice and non-human primates was comparable with the sera from the convalescent patients of COVID-19, above the US-FDA recommended titre of 1:160 for neutralizing antibodies. Further, advantages of HGCO19 are its mRNA platform design and delivery vehicle. HGCO19 uses a ‘self-replicating mRNA platform’ that ensures the low injectable dose(dose- sparing effect) and sustained antigen release for a longer duration. ‘LION delivery system’ used for HGCO19 has adjuvanting property, enhanced storage stability, reduced adverse effects, improved permeability and bioavailability. About DBT The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science & Technology, promotes and accelerates the development of biotechnology in India, including growth and application of biotechnology in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment and industry. About BIRAC: Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India as an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs. About Gennova Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., headquartered in Pune, India, is a biotechnology company dedicated to the research, development, production, and commercialization of biotherapeutics to address life-threatening diseases across various indications
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Prelims Factoids High Throughput COVID-19 testing facilities Relevance IN – Prelims (about high throughput COVID-19 testing facilities) What’s the NEWS The Prime Minister launched high throughput COVID-19 testing facilities on 27th July via video conferencing. These facilities will ramp up testing capacity in the country and help in strengthening early detection and treatment, thus assisting in controlling the spread of the pandemic. Know! about the High-throughput testing facilities These three high-throughput testing facilities have been set up strategically at ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, Noida; ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai; and ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, and will be able to test over 10,000 samples in a day. These labs will also reduce turn-around-time and exposure of lab personnel to infectious clinical materials. The labs are enabled to test diseases other than COVID as well, and post the pandemic, will be able to test for Hepatitis B and C, HIV, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Cytomegalovirus, Chlamydia, Neisseria, Dengue, etc. Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Bihad area of Gwalior–Chambal region Relevance IN – Prelims (about Bihad area in Gwalior – Chambal region + about Chambal ravines) What’s the NEWS The Centre, in collaboration with the World Bank, has decided to convert large area of ravines in Gwalior-Chambal belt of Madhya Pradesh into arable land The Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers held a meeting with the representatives of World Bank During this meeting it was decided that the substantive project would be prepared in collaboration and support from World Bank to accomplish the integrated development of the Bihad area in Gwalior – Chambal region. Know! about Chambal ravines
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The rivers are full of energy and actively erode in their initial phases and progressively become passive as they attain their base levels(ie usually the sea level). But sometimes, due to tectonic movements the base level may be lowered further thus energising the river and re activating the erosion. This is known as River Rejuvenation. In case of Chambal river and it's many tributaries, river rejuvenation occurred not once or twice but multiple times. This along with the aforementioned climatic factors and the soil texture helped in creating a vast network of ravines in the Chambal river basin in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Know! about Chambal river The Chambal is the chief tributary of the Yamuna River and rises in the Vindhya Range just south of Mhow, western Madhya Pradesh state. From its source it flows north into southeastern Rajasthan state. Turning northeast, it flows past Kota and along the Rajasthan–Madhya Pradesh border; shifting east-southeast, it forms a portion of the Uttar Pradesh–Madhya Pradesh border and flows through Uttar Pradesh to empty into the Yamuna after a 550-mile (900-km) course. The Banas, Kali Sindh, Sipra, and Parbati are its chief tributaries. The Chambal’s lower course is lined by a 10-mile (16-km) belt of badland gullies resulting from accelerated soil erosion and is the site of a major project in soil conservation Prelims Factoids Haryana to host the 4th edition of Khelo India Youth Games Relevance IN – Prelims about khelo India Youth games) What’s the NEWS Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Haryana Chief Minister announced Haryana as the host state for the fourth edition of Khelo India Youth Games , which is currently scheduled to take place after Tokyo Olympics. The Games will be held in Panchkula in Haryana. Khelo India Games, envisioned by Prime Minister, has been instrumental in identifying grassroot level talent from across the country, who have represented India in international sporting events. Know! about Khelo India Youth Games Khelo India Youth Games, earlier known as Khelo India School Games is held annually in January or February. The national-level grassroots games in India are held for two categories, under 21 college students, and under 17-year-old school students. The ministry of sports conducts school level, college level and university level programmes. In the games, every year 1000 best kids are given an annual scholarship of Rs. 5,00,000 for the time period of 8 years in order to prepare them for the international sporting event. On 31 January 2018, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated Khelo India School Games and from the 2019 events, Khelo India School Games were renamed to Khelo India Youth Games after Indian Olympic Association came on board earlier in September 2018.
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The second edition of the event was kicked off in Pune (2019) The third edition was held in Guwahati, Assam (2020) On 22 February 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first edition of the Khelo India University Games in Cuttack to give athletes the exposure of multi-disciplinary events at the university level. Training of Trainers (TOT) Programme The Training of Trainers (TOT) Programme will be held in December 2018- January 2019 in the first phase. Here total of 160 trainers will be trained in 4 batches of 40 each in December- January period. This TOT Programme will be carried out semi-annually or quarterly to include all the interested teachers, principals, vice-principals and physical education trainers. Prelims Factoids National Transit Pass System Relevance IN – Prelims (about National Transit Pass System (NTPS) What’s the NEWS Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar t virtually launched piloting of the National Transit Pass System Know! about National Transit Pass System (NTPS) The National Transit Pass System enhances seamless movement of forest produce. Now, people can apply for Passes from their mobile phones as well as receive e passes in their mobile phones. It will make the process of getting permits faster and without physically going to" forest department offices. The pilot project will be functional in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana for now. NTPS will bring ease of business and expedite issuance of transit permits for timber, bamboo and other minor forest produce without physically going to forest offices. NTPS will replace manual paper-based transit system by online transit system and will bring in one permit for whole India for transit of timber, bamboo and other minor forest produce for ease of doing business Transit of timber, bamboo and other forest produce is governed by various state specific acts and rules. National Transit Pass System generates Pan India Transit Passes facilitating seamless movement of forest produce across India NTPS will ensure seamless movement of forest produce across all states thereby resulting in enhancing the income of rural people and also facilitating the ease of doing business in the country
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Space Awareness Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimeter-wavelengths (ASTHROS)
Relevance IN – Prelims (about ASTHROS) What’s the NEWS NASA has started work on a new mission to send a telescope, on a football stadium-sized balloon, high into the stratosphere to observe wavelengths of light invisible from the Earth. The mission will try to find answers about formation of giant stars in the galaxy. Know! all about ASTHROS The telescope mission called Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimeter-wavelengths (ASTHROS) is likely to be launched in December 2023 from Antarctica. It will spend about three weeks drifting on air currents above the icy southern continent Managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ASTHROS will observe far-infrared light, or light with wavelengths much longer than what is visible to the human eye at an altitude of about 130,000 feet (40 km) roughly four times higher than commercial airliners fly. The balloon included a telescope, science instruments, and subsystems such as the cooling and electronic systems. ASTHROS will carry an instrument to measure the motion and speed of gas around newly- formed stars. During the flight, the mission will study four main targets, including two star-forming regions in the Milky Way galaxy. It will also for the first time detect and map the presence of two specific types of nitrogen ions which can reveal places where winds from massive stars and supernova explosions have reshaped the gas clouds. ASTHROS will make the first detailed 3D maps of the density, speed, and motion of gas in these regions to gain insight into how stellar feedback works. Stellar feedback provides information about the formation of a star.
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NASA expects the balloon will complete two or three loops around the South Pole in about 21 to 28 days, carried by prevailing stratospheric winds. Once the mission is complete, flight termination commands will separate the gondola, and the connected parachute will bring it back to the Earth's surface. Defence Dare to Dream 2.0 Relevance IN – Prelims (about Dare to Dream 2.0 Scheme) What’s the NEWS Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has launched its innovation contest ‘Dare to Dream 2.0’ on the 5th death anniversary of former President and noted scientist Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Know! about Dare to Dream 2.0 The scheme is being launched for emerging technologies to promote the individuals & startups for innovation in defence and aerospace technologies in the country after the call of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ given by Prime Minister The ‘Dare to Dream 2.0’ is an open challenge to promote the innovators and startups of the country. The winners will be decided after due evaluation by an expert committee. Award money, up to Rs 10 lakh for startup and Rs five lakh to individual category, will be given to the winners. Prelims Factoids BIS Mobile App ‘BIS-Care’ Relevance IN – Prelims (about Mobile App ‘BIS-Care’ and its applications and facts about other three portals) What’s the NEWS Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution launched the Bureau of Indian Standard’s Mobile App ‘BIS-Care’ and three portals – the Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Training Portals of e-BIS on www.manakonline.in for consumers. Know! about the mobile app BIS-Care and several steps taken by the government to protect the interests of consumers Consumers can check the authenticity of the ISI-marked and hallmarked products and lodge complaints using this app. BIS is strengthening its capacity of enforcement by implementation of e-BIS, an integrated portal covering all its functions, enlisting the services of outside agencies for factory and market surveillance and development of mobile app-based and AI-enabled surveillance methods. BIS is also developing a portal on Consumer Engagement, which will facilitate the online registration of Consumer Groups, submission of proposals and approval thereof, and complaint management.
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Know! about BIS The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the national Standards Body of India working under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 which came into effect on 23 December 1986. The Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department having administrative control of the BIS is the ex-officio President of the BIS. Science & Technology Lyfas COVID score Relevance IN -Prelims (about Lyfas COVID score + about CAWACH) What’s the NEWS The Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH), an initiative by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has selected Bangalore based startup Acculi Labs to develop a COVID risk assessment profile called Lyfas COVID score. Know! about Lyfas COVID score. Acculi Labs is armed with ‘Lyfas’ a clinical-grade, non-invasive, digital functional biomarker smartphone tool for screening, early detection, root cause analysis, acute event risk assessment, prognosis, and home monitoring of chronic diseases The new technology developed with support from the DST, will detect the possible infection in an asymptomatic individual to prioritise the conventional testing queue as well as carry out a risk assessment of an asymptomatic individual to become symptomatic and risk assessment of an asymptomatic individual for recovery. Know! about CAWACH CAWACH, an initiative by the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), DST, Government of India, is supporting market-ready innovations for the control of COVID-19 and startup ideas to address associated challenges. Tribal Affairs
All-Encompassing Digitisation drive Relevance IN -Prelims (about all-encompassing digitisation drive’ by tribal Ministry + about TRIFED) What’s the NEWS TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs has embarked on an ‘all-encompassing digitisation drive’ to only promote tribal commerce Know! more about the drive The drive also maps and links its village-based tribal producers and artisans to national and international markets by setting up state of art e- platforms benchmarked to international standards. The strategy is aimed to effectively promote tribal commerce. TRIFED is in the process of digitising all the information related to the forest dwellers associated with the Van Dhan Yojana, village haats and their warehouses.
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All tribal clusters are identified and mapped using GIS technology Know! about TRIFED TRIFED was established in August 1987 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984 by the Government of India as a National level Cooperative body. Under the administrative control of the then Ministry of Welfare of India, TRIFED is mandated to ringing about socio-economic development of tribals of the country by institutionalising the trade of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) & Surplus Agricultural Produce (SAP) collected/ cultivated by them. TRIFED plays the dual role of both a market developer and a service provider TRIFED is involved actively in capacity building of the tribal people through sensitisation and the formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs). TRIFED is engaged in training the tribals in several activities, so that they can effectively carry them out. The organisation also assists them in exploring and creating opportunities to market the developed products in national and international markets on a sustainable basis. TRIBES India is the brand under which the sourced handcrafted products from the tribal people are sold. Health and Family Welfare
Empathy e-Conclave on “World Hepatitis Day” Relevance IN -Prelims (about Empathy e-conclave) On the occasion of “World Hepatitis Day”, 2nd Empathy e-Conclave was organised The event was organised by Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in collaboration with Airport Authority of India (AAI) for creating awareness among the parliamentarians. India is committed to the WHO goals of elimination of Hepatitis C and of reducing the burden of Hepatitis B by 2030. The theme of this year’s conclave is “Keep your Liver Safe in COVID times” Prelims Factoids FACT starts movement of fertilizers through Coastal shipping Relevance IN – Prelims (about coastal shipping) What’s the NEWS The Fertilizers & Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), a PSU under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers has started using Coastal Shipping as a new mode of transport for the movement of fertilizers to East and the West Coast of the country. Know! the benefits of Coastal shipping Shipping of fertilizers through sea route shall ease the pressure on movement of fertilizers by rail and road to a great extent Coastal Shipping shall also help to ensure regular supplies to farmers in Coastal states.
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Know! all about Coastal Shipping Coastal Shipping means movement of goods in cargo from one coast to other. Coastal shipping can be national or international. Coastal shipping is within 20 nautical miles of the coastline. The requirements for movement of vessels in this part of the sea are different from standard requirements of deep sea shipping. Coastal ship movements require smaller vessels and lesser draft, and therefore, involve lower costs Coastal shipping cannot operate on its own; it needs support from road and rail to move the cargo from factories and warehouses to the ports and then deliver it to customers from the destination ports. Prelims Factoids BelYo Relevance IN – Prelims (about BeIYo + about blockchain technology What’s the NEWS Gobal blockchain start-up BelfricsBT, along with YoSync, a startup incubated at IIITB- IMACX Studios, has signed a research collaboration in agreement with IIIT Bangalore to jointly develop India’s first COVID-19 blockchain platform, BelYo. Know! about India’s first COVID-19 blockchain platform, BelYo. The project has been funded by the Mphasis F1 Foundation as a part of their larger outreach programme to tackle the pandemic in India. BelYo uses the BelfricsBT Belrium blockchain platform to convert COVID-19 related clinical and vaccination data of citizens currently from the physical form into digital assets that can be retrieved by any contact tracing apps like Aarogya Setu via APIs. Using these APIs, an individual can scan and retrieve data as colour-coded results through a QR code, making the process 100 percent contact less and seamless at any point of entry during and post the COVID-19 crisis By creating digital assets on blockchain, it complements the existing COVID-19 applications like Aarogya Setu, Apthamitra (in Karnataka) etc. Know! about Blockchain Technology It is also referred as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT),as it makes the history of any digital asset unalterable and transparent through the use of decentralization and cryptographic hashing. It creates a decentralized distribution chain that gives everyone access to the document at the same time. It is managed by a cluster of computers and not owned by any single entity; therefore, it is decentralized.
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Factoids Operation Breathing Space Relevance IN – Prelims (about operation breathing space) What’s the NEWS Under a multi-pronged mission, codenamed “Operation Breathing Space” the authorities of India and Israel are working on four different kinds of rapid tests, which will be jointly developed after trials on Indian COVID-19 patients Know! about the tests The tests that the Israeli teams will be conducting trials for include an audio test, a breath test, thermal testing, and a polyamino test which seeks to isolate proteins related to COVID-19. In the audio test, a patient’s voice would be recorded and evaluated through artificial intelligence and machine learning, while the breath test would involve making the patient blow into a tube, which would be analysed through specialised “high-frequency” methodology. The simple tests have been tried on a small sample of Israeli patients, and now would be tried in the next stage on a larger sample of Indian patients, after which they would be recalibrated depending on results, using “big data” analysis. Prelims Factoids Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan
Puraskar Relevance IN -Prelims (about Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar) What’s the NEWS The Government of India invites nominations for the “Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar” for excellence in the field of Disaster Management. The online process of application for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskaar is presently open. Nominations of Individuals and Institutions can be uploaded at “www.dmawards.ndma.gov.in” up to 31stAug 2020. These awards are announced on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on 23rd January every year. Know! about Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar The Government of India has instituted Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskaar to recognise the excellent work done by the individuals and institutions in the field of disaster management. In addition to a certificate, these awards carry a cash award of Rs 51 lakhs for an Institution and Rs 5 lakhs for an Individual. An individual can apply for the award as well as nominate other person or institution.
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The nominated individual or institution should have worked in any area of disaster management like Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness, Rescue, Response, Relief, Rehabilitation, Research, Innovation or early warning in India. Prelims Factoids Pawan Hans's first UDAN-RCS service launched in Uttarakhand Relevance IN – Prelims (about UDAN – all versions + about UDAAN) What’s the NEWS The first helicopter service by Pawan Hans in Uttarakhand launched under the UDAN-RCS scheme This service will enable connectivity between Dehradun, New Tehri, Srinagar and Gauchar. Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is provided to both operators and passengers under the UDAN scheme to keep the fares affordable for the common people. MoCA awarded the Dehradun- New Tehri – Srinagar - Gauchar route to Pawan Hans Ltd. under the UDAN 2 bidding process. Know! about UDAN statics 274 UDAN routes have been operationalized so far connecting 45 airports and 3 heliports since the launch of the first UDAN flight in April 2017 from Shimla to Delhi, Three rounds of UDAN have already been undertaken and so far close to 50 lakh passengers have travelled in UDAN flights covering airports in 19 States and 2 UTs. The fourth round of UDAN is under process. REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY SCHEME - UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) It is a market-based model to develop regional connectivity where interested airline and helicopter operators can start operations on hitherto unconnected routes on selection after a competitive bidding. Airports Authority of India (AAI) will connect 22 airports under regional connectivity scheme in the first phase. The objective is to connect the country’s under-served and unserved airports. Under-served airports - Which do not have more than a flight a day Unserved airports - Where there are no operations. RCS plans are to connect these underserved airports to key airports through flights that will cost Rs 2,500 for per hour flight. 50 per cent seats on each flight will come at Rs 2,500 per seat for one-hour travel. The operators will also be extended viability gap funding which will be operational for three years from the date of starting operations in a specific UDAN route. Salient features of the regional connectivity scheme, which is aimed at making flying affordable for the masses are The regional connectivity scheme will be applicable on route length between 200 to 800 km with no lower limit set for hilly, remote, island and security sensitive regions.
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The Central government will provide concessions to the tune of 2 per cent excise on Value Added Tax (VAT). A Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF) will be created to fund the scheme via a levy on certain flights. States are expected to contribute 20 per cent to the fund. For balanced regional growth, allocations will be spread equitably across 5 regions - North, West, South, East and North East with a cap of 25 percent. Market-based reverse bidding mechanism to determine least VGF to select the airline operator with the right to match to the initial proposer. VGF will be reduced if passenger load factor remains high and will be discontinued after 3 years when route becomes self sustainable. Airlines bid for routes with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) they require to meet the costs and this funding is contributed by the civil aviation ministry and respective state governments. Upon technical qualification, the airline with the lowest VGF bid is selected to operate on the route with a three-year exclusivity. Know! more about UDAN Scheme The scheme has two components. The first component is to develop new airports and enhance the existing regional airports to increase the number of operational airports for scheduled civilian flights UDAN Version II It allows the state governments to provide subsidy for international flights to be launched from their states. UDAN Version III 73 proposals were awarded to 11 airlines that will connect a total of 39 airports. These include 16 unserved airports, 17 underserved airports and six water aerodromes. Scheme with similar name - UDAAN Udaan is an initiative of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to enable girl students to soar to higher education from schools, and to eventually take various leadership roles in future. The aim is also to enrich and enhance teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics at Senior Secondary level by providing free and online resources to everyone, with a focus on special incentives and support to 1000 selected disadvantaged girls per year. Features and eligibility Free of cost support for Girl students of Classes XI and XII The program is open to Indian citizens residing in India only. All girl students studying in classes XI only from KVs/ NVs/ other Government run Schools affiliated to any Board in India are eligible to apply Girl students enrolled in Class XI in PCM stream. The annual family income should be less than 6 lakhs per annum
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Science & Technology CSIR, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan-IIT Delhi and Vijnana Bharati sign a tripartite MoU Relevance IN – Prelims (about The Unnat Bharat Abhiyan) What’s the NEWS The CSIR, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan and the Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) have signed a tripartite agreement that will provide access to the research body''s rural technologies The Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) is a flagship national programme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) envisioning the transformational change in rural development processes by leveraging knowledge institutions to help build the architecture of an inclusive India. The Vijnana Bharati or VIBHA is an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-linked science body. The MoU (memorandum of understanding) is to provide access to CSIR rural technologies for UBA and is expected to lay the foundation for cooperation and joint action in the area of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan for rural development of India. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has launched a programme called Unnat Bharat Abhiyan in the year 2014 with an aim to connect institutions of higher education, including Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research (IISERs) etc. with local communities to address the development challenges through appropriate technologies. The objectives of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (2014) Building institutional capacity in Institutes of higher education in research & training relevant to the needs of rural India. Provide rural India with professional resource support from institutes of higher education ,especially those which have acquired academic excellence in the field of Science, Engineering & Technology and Management The Scheme link higher education institutions with set of atleast five villages, so that they can contribute to economic and social betterment of these village communities using their knowledge base. Under this scheme, higher education institutions will participate in development activities, particularly in rural areas. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 The second edition (Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0) was launched in April, 2018. Currently 748 institutions are participating under the scheme. In phase II 605 institutions were selected. Out of these 313 are technical Institutions and 292 are Non-Technical Institutions. 143 institutions had taken part in In Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 any recognized Higher Educational Institution already involved in development activities are eligible
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Energy International Thermonuclear Experimental
Reactor (ITER)
Relevance IN – Prelims (about ITER) What’s the NEWS The ITER Organization is celebrating the Start of Assembly of the ITER Tokamak with a ceremony at Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France. Know! all about ITER Work has begun to assemble giant components to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor in France that is expected to start up in 2035 and deliver energy in a process inspired by the sun. Launched in 2006 and based in southern France, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) had planned to test its first super-heated plasma by 2020 and achieve full fusion by 2023.
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The seven partners of ITER- Europe, United States, China, India, Japan, Russia and South Korea . These ITER consortium member states, contribute to the project mainly in kind, by manufacturing components in national factories and laboratories before shipping them to France for assembly. Unlike existing fission reactors, which produce energy by splitting atoms, ITER would generate power by combining atoms at a temperature of 150 million degrees Celsius in a process similar to the nuclear fusion that produces the sun’s energy.
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General Studies-I: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society
Culture Dhamma Chakra Day celebrations on Asadha
Purnima
Relevance IN – Prelims (about Dhamma Chakra Day and Asadha Poornima + about buddhism) + Mains (GS I Indian heritage and Culture) What’s the NEWS The President of India, inaugurated the Asadha Poornima celebrations being observed as Dhamma Chakra Day . Know! about the Dhamma Chakra Day and Asadha Poornima The Dhamma Chakra Day celebrations are being organized by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) in partnership with Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It aims to keep with the historical legacy of India being the land of Buddha’s enlightenment and awakening, his turning of the wheels of Dhamma, and Mahaparinirvana. The day marks Buddha's first teaching after attaining Enlightenment to the first five ascetic disciples (pañcavargika) on the full-moon day of Asadha at ‘Deer Park', i ipatana in the current day Sarnath, near Varanasi, India.
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This teaching of Dhamma Cakka- PavattanaSutta (Pali) or Dharma chakra Pravartana Sutra (Sanskrit) is also known as the First Turning of Wheels of Dharma and comprised of the Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path. Asadha Poornima is the second most sacred day for Buddhists after the Buddha Poornima or Vesak. The auspicious day of Asadha Poornima which falls on the first full moon day of the month of Asadha as per Indian sun calendar is also known as Esala Poya in Sri Lanka and Asanha Bucha in Thailand. It is the second most sacred day for Buddhists after the Buddha Poornima or Vesak. The Rainy Season retreat (Varsha Vassa) for the Monks and Nuns also starts with this day lasting for three lunar months from July to October, during which they remain in a single place, generally in their temples dedicated to intensive meditation. They are served during this period by lay community who also observe Uposatha i.e. to observe eight precepts and meditate under the guidance of their teachers. The day is also observed as Guru Poornima by both Buddhists and Hindus as a day to mark reverence to their Gurus. Know! all about Buddhism It is a faith that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (“the Buddha”) more than 2,500 years ago in India. Followers of Buddhism don’t acknowledge a supreme god or deity. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism and when Gautama passed away around 483 B.C., his followers began to organize a religious movement. Buddha’s teachings became the foundation for what would develop into Buddhism. In the 3rd century B.C., Ashoka the Great, the Mauryan Indian emperor, made Buddhism the state religion of India. The three main types that represent specific geographical areas include: Theravada Buddhism: Prevalent in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos and Burma Mahayana Buddhism: Prevalent in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Vietnam Tibetan Buddhism: Prevalent in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, Bhutan, and parts of Russia and northern India The Four Noble Truths, which Buddha taught, are: The truth of suffering (dukkha) The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya) The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha) The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga) Collectively, these principles explain why humans hurt and how to overcome suffering. The Buddha taught his followers that the end of suffering, as described in the fourth Noble Truths, could be achieved by following an Eightfold Path. Right understanding (Samma ditthi) Right thought (Samma sankappa) Right speech (Samma vaca)
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Right action (Samma kammanta) Right livelihood (Samma ajiva) Right effort (Samma vayama) Right mindfulness (Samma sati) Right concentration (Samma samadhi) Buddhists revere many sacred texts and scriptures. Some of the most important are: Tipitaka: These texts, known as the “three baskets,” are thought to be the earliest collection of Buddhist writings. Sutras: There are more than 2,000 sutras, which are sacred teachings embraced mainly by Mahayana Buddhists. The Book of the Dead: This Tibetan text describes the stages of death in detail. Some more facts about Buddhism Every year, Buddhists celebrate Vesak, a festival that commemorates Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. During each quarter of the moon, followers of Buddhism participate in a ceremony called Uposatha. This observance allows Buddhists to renew their commitment to their teachings. Some forms of Buddhism incorporate ideas of other religions and philosophies, such as Taoism and Bon. Buddha’s teachings are known as “dharma.” He taught that wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity and compassion were important virtues. International Buddhist Confederation International Buddhist Confederation is the biggest religious Buddhist confederation, based in Delhi, India The architect of the International Buddhist Confederation is Lama Lobzang. This confederation is named as the first organization which unites Buddhists from the whole world. Culture NadiVigyan
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Relevance IN – Prelims (facts about Nadi Vigyan) + Mains (GS I Indian Heritage and Culture) What’s the NEWS To enlighten about the ancient form of health science- NadiVigyan and its fruitful benefits in curing various spinal disorders, Ministry of Tourism presented a webinar on ‘NadiVigyan: A complete solution for spinal disorders’ under Dekho Apna Desh webinar series. Know! all about yogic science- Nadi Vigyan. According to Ayurveda, there are 3 doshas or three internal state of a body namely Vata (air+ether) Pitta(Fire+ water) and Kapha (Earth+ water). Any imbalance of these elements in the body leads to several disorders. Thus, it is being stated in Ayurveda that the diet plan of an individual should be made in consideration to the body type in sync with these elements. Nadi Parikshan (or pulse diagnosis) helps in determining the problems or disorders caused due to the imbalance of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The origin point of Nadi is called as Kandasthana which is the nabi (navel area) of the human body as navel is the central power of the body. A baby in the mother’s womb also gets nourishment from the umbilical cord which is also connected to navel of the baby. Our body consists of 72,000 Nadis (or channels). The 72,000 nadis spring from three basic nadis – the left, the right and the central – the Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. The word “nadi” does not mean nerve. Nadis are pathways or channels of prana in the system. These 72,000 nadis don’t have a physical manifestation. There are 72,000 different ways in which the energy or prana moves. Know! about Dekho Apna Desh Webinars The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) created by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has been playing a pivotal role in supporting the Ministry of Tourism in conducting of the Dekho Apna Desh Webinars by providing technical assistance directly with a professional team thereby ensuring effective citizen engagement and communication with all stakeholders using the digital experience platform. Indian Culture and History PM pays tributes to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Chandra Shekhar Azad on their Jayanti Relevance IN – Prelims (about both the freedom fighters) + Mains (GS I The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.) What’s the NEWS The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Chandra Shekhar Azad on their Jayanti.
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Know! all about Bal Gangadhar Tilak Bal Gangadhar Tilak, byname Lokamanya, (born July 23, 1856, Ratnagiri [now in Maharashtra state], India—died August 1, 1920, Bombay [now Mumbai] He founded (1914) and served as president of the Indian Home Rule League. In 1916 he concluded the Lucknow Pact with Mohammed Ali Jinnah, which provided for Hindu-Muslim unity in the nationalist struggle. The two weekly newspapers that he owned and edited were Kesari (“The Lion”), published in Marathi, and The Mahratta, published in English. He organized two important festivals, Ganesh in 1893 and Shivaji in 1895. The British government, prosecuted him for sedition and sent him to jail in 1897. The trial and sentence earned him the title Lokamanya (“Beloved Leader of the People”). Tilak aimed at swarajya (independence), not piecemeal reforms, and attempted to persuade the Congress Party to adopt his militant program. He clashed with the moderates during the party’s session (meeting) at Surat (now in Gujarat state) in 1907, and the party split. The government again prosecuted Tilak on a charge of sedition and inciting terrorism and deported him to Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), to serve a six-year prison sentence. In the Mandalay jail, Tilak settled down to write his magnum opus, the Śrīmad Bhagavadgitā Rahasya (“Secret of the Bhagavadgita”)—also known as Bhagavad Gita or Gita Rahasya—an original exposition of the most-sacred book of the Hindus. Earlier, in 1893, he had published The Orion; or, Researches into the Antiquity of the Vedas, and, a decade later, The Arctic Home in the Vedas. On his release in 1914, he launched the Home Rule League with the rousing slogan “Swarajya is my birthright and I will have it.” (Activist Annie Besant also established an organization with the same name at about that time.) In 1916 he rejoined the Congress Party and signed the historic Lucknow Pact, a Hindu- Muslim accord, with Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the future founder of Pakistan. Gandhi called him “the Maker of Modern India,” and Jawaharlal Nehru, independent India’s first prime minister, described him as “the Father of the Indian Revolution.” Know! all about Chandra Shekhar Azad. Chandra Shekhar Azad was born on July 23, 1906 in Bhabhra village in the present-day Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. He was born Chandrashekhar Tiwari but changed his name to Chandra Shekhar Azad, with ‘Azad’ standing for ‘The Free’. He would also use the name ‘Balraj’ when signing statements as the commander in chief of the HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republic Army).
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When Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in December 1921, Chandra Shekhar Azad, who was then 15 and still studying, joined the movement. After Gandhi suspended the non-cooperation movement in 1922, Chandra Shekhar Azad joined the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), a revolutionary organisation formed by Ram Prasad Bismil, Sachindra Nath Sanyal and others. Chandra Shekhar Azad took charge of HRA after Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Thankur Roshan Singh were sentenced to death in the Kakori train robbery case. After the capture of the main leaders of the HRA, Chandra Shekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh secretly reorganised the HRA as the HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republic Army) in September 1928. When Lala Lajpat Rai died in 1928 due to the grievous injuries he suffered at the hands of superintendent of police James A Scott, members of the HSRA vowed to avenge his death. But due to a case of mistaken identity, Assistant Superintendent of Police John P Saunders was killed. Chandra Shekhar Azad’s death came about when Virbhadra Tiwari, an old companion who later turned traitor, informed the police of his whereabouts.
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General Studies – II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations
Government Schemes A new portal for Udyam Registration launched by the MSME Ministry Relevance IN – Prelims (about the new portal for udyam registration + about the new classification of MSME) + Mains (GS II Governance + Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What’s the NEWS As already declared by the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), the new process of Classification and Registration of enterprises is starting from 1st July, 2020. An enterprise for this purpose will be known as Udyam and its Registration Process will be known as 'Udyam Registration'. An MSME in the country will now be known as ‘Udyam’ since the term comes closer to the meaning of an enterprise. Know! the highlights of this process are: MSME registration process is fully online, paperless and based on self-declaration. No documents or proof are required to be uploaded for registering an MSME MSME registration process or Udyam Registration can be filed online based on self- declaration with no requirement for documents of proof, barring Aadhar (Adhaar Number will be required for registration) It is a paperless and based on self-declaration. No documents or proof are required to be uploaded for registering an MSME; Udyam Registration has also been fully integrated with the IT and GST systems. Know! the process and benefits of Online Udyam Registration A Registration number will be given after registration; After completion of the process of registration, an Udyam Registration Certificate will be issued; This certificate will have a dynamic QR Code from which the web page on our Portal and details about the enterprise can be accessed; There will be no need for renewal of Registration; The registration process will be extremely simple, seamless entrepreneur friendly.
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It will set an example in Ease of Doing Business, not only in India but internationally. It will reduce transaction time and costs. Entrepreneurs and Enterprises can focus on their real work and become globally competitive. Know! about the new classification of MSME From July, over six crore micro, small and medium enterprises across the country will be classified on the basis of the new criteria approved by the government. As per the revised criteria, a unit with Rs 50 crore of investment and Rs 250 crore of turnover will fall under the 'medium' enterprise category.
Besides, a manufacturing and services unit with Rs 1 crore of investment and Rs 5 crore of turnover will be classified as 'micro' whereas a unit involving Rs 10 crore of investment and Rs 50 crore of turnover will be categorised as a 'small' enterprise. Also, a new composite formula of classification for manufacturing and services units has been notified. Now, there will be no difference between the manufacturing and service sectors. The new definition will pave way for strengthening and growth of MSMEs. Particularly, the provision of excluding the exports from counting of turnover will encourage the MSMEs to export more and more without fearing to lose the benefits of a MSME unit. The new definition and criterion will come into effect from 1 July, 2020 The existing criterion of definition of MSMEs is based on the MSMED Act, 2006.It was different for manufacturing and services units. MSMEs contribute 29 per cent to India's gross domestic product and comprise almost half of its exports. These units employ over 11 crore workers.
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Social Justice PM announces extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana till November Relevance IN – Prelims (about Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana) + Mains (GS II Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes What’s the NEWS Prime Minister announced the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana till the end of November 2020. The PMGKAY scheme is extended from July till the end of November 2020. Know! about the PMGKAY (extended version) During this five-month period, more than 80 crore people will be provided 5 kg free wheat/rice per month along with 1 kg free whole chana to each family per month. The government will spend more than Rs 90,000 crore towards the extension of the scheme. Know! about the PMGKAY (announce in April 2020) The Modi government had announced an additional allocation in the world’s largest food security scheme – PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana – earlier this year, which aimed to ensure sufficient foods with the poor and needy amid the coronavirus crisis. The foodgrains were to be distributed to all the beneficiaries under the targeted public distribution system (TPDS) for Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and priority household (PHH) ration cardholders. The eligible individuals were to receive 5kg of foodgrains and 1 kg Gram per month for a period of three months between April and June, 2020, which has now been extended for five more months. One Nation One Ration Card The country is moving towards the institution of ‘one nation, one ration card’, which will be of immense benefit to the poor who travel to other states in search of work. As on 01 June 2020, the One Nation One Card scheme is enabled in 20 States/UTs, namely – Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Daman & Diu (Dadra and Nagar Haveli), Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Tripura. By 31st March 2021 all remaining States will be added to One Nation One Ration Card scheme and the scheme will be operational all over India. Human Resource Development World’s first-ever Online B.Sc. Degree in Programming and Data Science launched
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Relevance IN – Prelims (about the World’s first ever online B.Sc. degree) + Mains (GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. What’s the NEWS The Union Minister of HRD launched World’s first ever online B.Sc. degree in Programming and Data Science Know! all about the programme The programme has been prepared and offered by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), which is ranked No.1 in India Rankings 2020 by NIRF. This programme is open to anyone who has passed Class XII, with English and Maths at the Class X level, and enrolled in any on-campus UG course.
The current batch of students who are completing their Class XII in 2020 are eligible to apply. Graduates and working professionals can also take up this programme. The programme will be delivered on a state-of-the-art online portal and will attract learners from even remote parts of India where outreach of digital literacy is minimal and will help them stay ahead in their career journeys. This unique online offering will be offered in three different stages - Foundational Programme, Diploma Programme and Degree Programme. At each stage, students will have
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the freedom to exit from the program and receive a Certificate, Diploma or a Degree, respectively, from IIT Madras. Health and Family Welfare Fellowship Programme for International Students (FPIS) of NBE Relevance IN – Prelims (about NBE and DNB programme) + Mains (GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources What’s the NEWS The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare released the Good Clinical Practice Guidelines Handbook and Prospectus for Fellowship Programme for International Students (FPIS) of National Board of Examinations (NBE) The Health & Family Welfare Ministry also electronically released Fellowship Programme for International Students (FPIS) – Prospectus for Current year 2020 – 2021 in 11 specialties spread over 42 premium institutions. This is the first time that International Fellowship Programme is being launched for International Students from all countries including SAARC Nations, at Post MD/MS level through common Fellowship Entrance Test Know! about the Diplomates of National Board (DNB) programme NBE’s flagship DNB Programmes are offered in 82 disciplines and subspecialties of modern medicine which includes DNB Programme in 29 Broad and across 703 private and government institutions NBE is encouraging Govt/PSU/Municipal/Private sector hospitals across the country to start the DNB programme to bridge the specialist gap in the country by increasing the number of Post Graduate seats using existing infrastructure and clinical resources. It is a wing of the National Academy of Medical Sciences and has been conducting Postgraduate Medical Examinations at the national level since 1976. The National Board of Examinations came into existence in 1975, as a wing of the National Academy of Medical Sciences and has been conducting Postgraduate Medical Examinations at the national level since 1976. The Board was registered as an Autonomous Organization under MoHFW in 1982 with the objective of conducting high standard post-graduate examinations in the field of modern medicine on all India basis, formulating basic training requirements for eligibility, developing curriculum for post graduate training and accreditation of institutions where this training is imparted. The students enrolled are called Diplomates of National Board (DNB).
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Human Resource Development Fit Hai to Hit Hai India launched
Relevance IN – Prelims (about Fit Hai to Hit Hai India + about Fit India Movement) What’s the NEWS Union Human Resource Development Minister and Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs and Ministry of Minority Affairs launched Fit Hai to Hit Hai India under the Fit India campaign The "Fit Hai To Hit Hai India" program organized under the Fit India campaign. Know! more about it ‘Fit Hai to Hit Hai India’ webinar series for students were also conducted The webinar will also mark the launch of '#FitIndiaTalks', which will see a series of talks and interactive sessions being held by fitness experts for students. The Fit India Talks sessions are being organized in association with the Sports Authority of India and the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Know! about Fit India Movement The Fit India Movement is a movement to take the nation on a path of fitness and wellness. It provides a unique and exciting opportunity to work towards a healthier India. As part of the movement, individuals and organisations can undertake various efforts for their own health and well-being as well as for the health and well-being of fellow Indians. The Fit India Movement was launched by the Prime Minister on August 29 2019, which is celebrated as National Sports Day (birth anniversary of Major Dhyanchand) The campaign is being coordinated by the sports ministry, and saw the participation of ministries of information and broadcasting, human resource development, panchayati raj and rural development, health and youth affairs.
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Government Schemes Prerak Dauur Samman - New Category Of Awards Introduced Relevance IN – Prelims (about Swachh Survekshan 2021+ about Prerak Dauur Samman) + Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out oftheir design and implementation) What’s the NEWS The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), launched the toolkit for Swachh Survekshan 2021, the sixth edition of the annual cleanliness survey of urban India conducted by MoHUA The exercise this year will focus on wastewater treatment and other parameters. State ranking will also be announced under the survey, to be measured based on their fund utilisation and support to respective local bodies, among others. Know! all about Swachh Survekshan 2021 (toolkit) Every year, the Swachh Survekshan is redesigned innovatively, to ensure that the process becomes more robust, with focus on sustaining the behaviour change. A new category of awards titled ‘Prerak Dauur Samman’ as part of Swachh Survekshan 2021 launched The Prerak Dauur Samman has a total of five additional sub- categories -Divya (Platinum), Anupam (Gold), Ujjwal (Silver), Udit (Bronze), Aarohi (Aspiring) - with top three cities being recognized in each. The survey will categorise cities on the basis of six indicator-wise performance criteria -- segregation of waste into wet, dry and hazard categories; processing capacity against wet waste generated; processing and recycling of wet and dry waste; construction & demolition (C&D) waste processing; percentage of waste going to landfills; and sanitation status of cities. SBM-Urban MIS portal. The Ministry has also launched Urban MIS portal. The launch of the integrated MIS portal is an effort by the Ministry to bring the numerous digital initiatives on a single platform thus ensuring a unified and hassle-free experience for States and cities Know! about Swachh Survekshan Swachh Survekshan said to be the largest cleanliness survey in the world conducted by MoHUA since 2016, is the world’s largest urban sanitation and cleanliness survey. It is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns across India. It was launched as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which aimed to make India clean and free of open defecation by 2 October 2019. It has been instrumental in fostering a spirit of healthy competition among towns and cities to improve their service delivery to citizens and towards creating cleaner cities and bring behaviour change in the citizen towards cleaning. The surveys are carried out by Quality Council of India.
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The primary goal of Swachh Survekshans is to encourage large scale citizen participation and create awareness amongst all sections of society about the importance of working together towards making towns and cities better places to reside in. Governance/Polity Govt extends postal ballot facility to those over 65 and Covid-19 patients Relevance IN – Prelims (about the amendments in Conduct of Election Rules, 1961+ Mains (GS II Responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies, Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What’s the NEWS Those over the age of 65 years and people infected with coronavirus or suspected of having contracted the infection will be allowed to vote by postal ballot after the government amended the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. Those people who have mild symptoms and are not in any medical facility, but in home quarantine can also vote through postal ballot Earlier, casting votes through postal ballots was available only to armed forces and officials assigned poll duties. In February, Delhi became the first state to experiment with postal ballots, extending the facilities to those with severe disabilities or above the age of 80 years. Know! more about the recent amendments The Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification for the Conduct of Elections (Amendment) Rules 2020 for extending the postal ballot facility for voters above the age of 65 years as well as Covid-19 patients under home or institutional quarantine. The notification was issued ahead of the Bihar assembly polls which is scheduled to take place somewhere between October and November. Know! about Voting through postal ballot by Absentee Voters on Essential Service (AVES) Postal ballot is a type of voting in elections whereby Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot Papers(ETPB) are distributed to electors and returned by post. By the Conduct of Elections (Amendment) Rules, 2019, ‘Absentee Voters’ have been given the facility of voting through postal ballot paper. Absentee Voter has been defined in clause (a) of Rule-27A of CE Rules, 1961 as a person belonging to the class of persons notified by the Commission in terms of clause (c) of Section-60 of RP Act, 51 comprising persons employed in essential services who, on account of the compulsion of their duties, are not able to be present in their polling station on the day of poll. The Section 60 of the Representation of the People Act,1951 provides for the person to be given postal ballot facility by the Election commission in consultation with the government. This category would also include senior citizens of 80 plus age and those belonging to the category of physically disabled (PWD).
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Know! about the Representation of the People Act, 1951 The Representation of the People Act, 1951 is an act of Parliament of India to provide for the conduct of election of the Houses of Parliament and to the House or Houses of the Legislature of each State, the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of those Houses, the corrupt practices and other offences at or in connection with such elections and the decision of doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with such elections. It was introduced in Parliament by law minister Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The Act was enacted by the provisional parliament under Article 327 of Indian Constitution, before the first general election. International relations China makes new claim in eastern border with Bhutan
Relevance IN – Prelims (about Sakteng wildlife sanctuary + about GEF) + Mains (GS II Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) What’s the NEWS Beijing made this claim while objecting to a request to develop the Sakteng wildlife sanctuary in eastern Bhutan’s Trashigang district at an online meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Bhutan objected to the Chinese claim and also the GEF council rejected the Chinese claim and approved the project China’s statement in the GEF council meet The Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the China-Bhutan disputed areas which is on the agenda of China-Bhutan boundary talk, China opposes and does not join the Council decision on this project Bhutan’s official statement Bhutan totally rejects the claim made by the Council Member of China.
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Know! about Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary is an integral and sovereign territory of Bhutan and at no point during the boundary discussions between Bhutan and China has it featured as a disputed area The sanctuary, located in the easternmost part of Bhutan, covers 650 sq km, and has not been disputed by China in the past. Sakteng was not in disputed areas identified and jointly surveyed by Bhutan and China in western and central sectors. It is a surprising new development. Sakteng or any other part of eastern Bhutan was not disputed. China is expanding its territorial claims against Bhutan Sakteng is quite some distance from the border with China. There is a dispute in only two segments of the border: in the north – Pasamlung and Jakarlung, and in the west – Doklam and some adjoining areas to the east. Know! about GEF The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund was established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems. GEF funding to support the projects is contributed by donor countries. These financial contributions are replenished every four years (see GEF Replenishment documents) by the 39 GEF donor countries. GEF funds are available to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to meet the objectives of the international environmental conventions and agreements. The World Bank serves as the GEF Trustee, administering the GEF Trust Fund (contributions by donors). An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mercury, sustainable forest management, food security, sustainable cities. The GEF also serves as financial mechanism for the following conventions: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Minamata Convention on Mercury The GEF, although not linked formally to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MP), supports implementation of the Protocol in countries with economies in transition. Infrastructure Development/Governance NHAI to Rank Roads for Quality Service Relevance IN – Prelims (factual info wrt the assessment and ranking of roads) + Mains (GS II governance, accountability and transparency +GS III infrastructure development) What’s the NEWS
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In its effort to improve the quality of roads, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to undertake performance assessment and ranking of the highways in the country. Know! about the assessment and ranking The assessment audit and ranking of the NHs is aimed to take corrective recourse, wherever needed, to improve the quality and provide higher level of service to highway commuters. The assessment parameters are based on different international practices and studies for benchmarking highway performances in Indian context. The criteria for the assessment have been broadly categorised in three main heads: Highway Efficiency (45%), Highway Safety (35%) and User Services (20%). Know! the benefits of doing assessment On the basis of outcome of the assessment, the authority will undertake a comprehensive analysis and decide on the level of intervention required to enhance the overall service quality. The score obtained by each Corridor in each of the parameter will provide a feedback and corrective recourse for higher standards of operation, better safety and user experience to improve existing highways. This will also help in identifying and filling gaps of design, standards, practices, guidelines and contract agreements for other NHAI projects. The ranking of the corridors will be dynamic and the concessionaire/ contractor/ operator will get the opportunity to improve upon their ranking by improving the services on that corridor. Government Schemes Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for Ujjwala beneficiaries extended Relevance IN – Prelims (about PMGKY-Ujjwala + about PM Ujjwala + Mains (GS II Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes What’s the NEWS The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for extension of time limit by three months w.e.f. 01.07.2020 for availing the benefits of “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana" for Ujjwala beneficiaries PMGKY-Ujjwala (Highlights) Under the PMGKY-Ujjwala, it was decided to provide free of cost refills for PMUY consumers for a period of 3 months w.e.f. 01.04.2020. Under the Scheme, Rs. 9709.86 Cr was transferred directly into the bank accounts of Ujjwala beneficiaries during April- June 2020 and 11.97 Crore cylinders were delivered to the PMUY beneficiaries.
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Know! about PM – Ujjwala Ujjwala is one of Prime Minister administration’s flagship pro-poor schemes and is considered the equivalent of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance's rural jobs scheme. The scheme has also found traction internationally. A case in point being energy rich Ghana where state run Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) will help Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA) expand the country’s liquified petroleum gas (LPG) network. The Ujjwala programme, launched on 1 May, 2016, aims to safeguard the health of women and children and lays the basis for a fundamental material transformation at the bottom of the pyramid by covering 715 districts. Under this scheme, 5 Cr LPG connections will be provided to BPL families with a support of Rs.1600 per connection in the next 3 years. Ensuring women’s empowerment, especially in rural India, the connections will be issued in the name of women of the households. Rs. 8000 Cr. Has been allocated towards the implementation of the scheme. Identification of the BPL families will be done through Socio Economic Caste Census Data. The government has been trying to reach out to financially weaker sections, migrant workers and farmers, even as the lockdown hurt small businesses, major job creators and the backbone of the Indian economy. Infrastructure Development Cabinet approves developing of Affordable rental housing Complexes for urban migrants / poor
Relevance IN – Prelims (about AHRCs + about PMAY-U) + Mains (GS III infrastructure development + GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation + Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population What’s the NEWS The Union Cabinet has given its approval for developing of Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (AHRCs) for urban migrants / poor as a sub-scheme under Pradhan MantriAwasYojana – Urban (PMAY – U) Know! the features of ARHCs An expenditure of Rs 600 Crore is estimated in the form of Technology Innovation Grant which will be released for projects using identified innovative technologies for construction. ARHCs will create new ecosystem in urban areas making housing available at affordable rent close to the place of work. Investment under ARHCs is expected to create new job opportunities. ARHCs will cut down unnecessary travel, congestion and pollution.
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Government funded vacant housing stock will be converted into ARHCs for economically productive use. The scheme would create a conducive environment for Entities to develop AHRCs on their own vacant land which will enable new investment opportunities and promote entrepreneurship in rental housing sector. Know! about ARHCs Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has initiated an Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) for urban migrants/poor as a sub-scheme under Pradhan MantriAwasYojana (Urban). The scheme was announced by the Hon'ble Finance Minister on 14 May, 2020. This scheme seeks to fulfill the vision of 'AtmaNirbhar Bharat. The scheme will be launched under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) by converting government funded housing in the cities into Affordable Rental Housing Complexes under PPP (public-private partnership) mode through concessionaire. The government will incentivise manufacturing units, industries and institution associations to develop ARHC on their private land In a similar line, central and state government agencies will also be incentivised to develop ARHC and operate The government had launched Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Grameen and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban in 2015 under the 'Housing for All' initiative. The government, which targets to build 5 crore houses by 2022, has proposed a PPP policy for the affordable housing segment. e-Governance
ASEEM digital platform launched
Relevance IN – Prelims (about ASEEM portal and its objective) + Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation What’s the NEWS To improve the information flow and bridge the demand-supply gap in the skilled workforce market, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched ‘Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM)’ portal to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities.
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Know! all about ASEEM ASEEM will provide employers a platform to assess the availability of skilled workforce and formulate their hiring plans Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM) refers to all the data, trends and analytics which describe the workforce market and map demand of skilled workforce to supply. It will provide real-time granular information by identifying relevant skilling requirements and employment prospects. ASEEM helps in recruiting a skilled workforce that spurs business competitiveness and economic growth It will identify major skills gap in the sectors and provides review of global best practices ASEEM will bridge the demand supply gap in the skilled workforce market ASEEM portal aims at supporting decision and policymaking via trends and analytics generated by the system for programmatic purposes. ASEEM shall help in providing real-time data analytics to NSDC and its Sector Skill Councils about the demand and supply patterns including - industry requirements, skill gap analysis, demand per district/ state/cluster The portal consists of three IT based interfaces - Employer Portal – Employer onboarding, Demand Aggregation, candidate selection Dashboard – Reports, Trends, analytics, and highlight gaps Candidate Application – Create & Track candidate profile, share job suggestion Kno! More about ASEEM It will be used as a match-making engine to map skilled workers with the jobs available. The portal and App will have provision for registration and data upload for workers across job roles, sectors and geographies. The skilled workforce can register their profiles on the app and can search for employment opportunities in their neighbourhood. Through ASEEM, employers, agencies and job aggregators looking for skilled workforce in specific sectors will also have the required details at their fingertips. Rural Development Start-up Village scheme has generated 1.33 lakh jobs in 2 years Relevance IN – Prelims (about SVEP) + Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What’s the NEWS Over 64,000 rural enterprises formed under the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) have generated an estimated 1,33,302 lakh employment opportunities across States in two years.
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Know! all about SVEP The SVEP is a sub-scheme under the Centre’s Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission to help the rural poor, including members of women self help groups (SHGs) and their families, set up enterprises at the village level in non-agricultural sectors. The long term vision of the SVEP is to provide support for start-up to 1 crore village enterprises and provide direct employment to 2 crore people. The SVEP shall help the rural poor come out of poverty by helping them set up enterprises and provide support till the enterprises stabilize. The programmatic intervention will address all three missing ecosystems – Knowledge, advisory and finance ecosystems. NITI Aayog India’s second Voluntary National Review at UN’s High-Level Political Forum
Relevance IN – Prelims (about VNR and HLPF and highlights of India’s VNR 2020 report) + Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation What’s the NEWS NITI Aayog presented India’s second Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the United Nations High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, 2020. Know! about VNR and HLNF The HLPF is the foremost international platform for follow-up and review of progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The India VNR 2020 report titled Decade of Action: Taking SDGs from Global to Local The HLPF meets annually in July for eight days under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN. The VNRs presented by Member States at the HLPF are a critical component of the review of progress and implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The reviews are voluntary and state-led and are aimed at facilitating the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.
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The process of preparation of a country’s VNR provides a platform for partnerships, including through the participation of various relevant stakeholders. NITI Aayog prepared and presented India’s first VNR in 2017. India VNR 2020
India’s VNR this year has undertaken a paradigm shift in terms of embodying a “whole-of- society” approach in letter and spirit. NITI Aayog engaged with sub-national and local governments, civil society organizations, local communities, people in vulnerable situations and the private sector. As part of this process, NITI Aayog partnered with UN in India and Civil Society Organisations to curate a consultative process which saw more than 50 national and sub- national consultations with over 1000 CSOs from fourteen population groups including women, children, elderly, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), People Living with HIV (PLHIV), among others .
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India has been playing a leading role in promoting global engagement platforms such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Coalition for Disaster Resilience Infrastructure (CDRI), and the active participation in implementing the Sendai Framework, UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Paris Climate Agreement. The India VNR 2020 report was also unveiled during this event. The report is a comprehensive account of the adoption and implementation of the 2030 Agenda in India. NITI Aayog has the mandate of overseeing the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national level. The India VNR 2020 represents NITI Aayog’s efforts in embodying the whole-of-society approach and its commitment towards localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Governance National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) signed MoU with NCRB Relevance IN – Prelims (about NATGRID + about NCRB + about CCTNS) + Mains (GS II Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e- governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential What’s the NEWS The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to access the centralised online database on FIRs and stolen vehicles. Know! all about NATGRID First conceptualised in 2009, NATGRID (under the Ministry of Home affairs) seeks to become the one-stop destination for security and intelligence agencies to access database related to immigration entry and exit, banking and telephone details of a suspect on a “secured platform”. The project aims to go live by December 31. The MoU, signed in March, will give NATGRID access to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) database, a platform that links around 14,000 police stations. It links intelligence and investigation agencies. All State police are mandated to file First Information Reports (FIR) in the CCTNS. NATGRID is exempted from the Right to Information Act, 2005 under sub-section (2) of Section 24. The MoU enables the NATGRID to get information about details of a suspect as mentioned in the FIR such as his/her father’s name, telephone number and other details. At least 10 Central government agencies, such as the Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing and others have access to the data on a secured platform. Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS) It is a plan scheme conceived in the light of experience of a non-plan scheme namely - Common Integrated Police Application (CIPA). CCTNS is a Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) of Govt. of India.
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The concept was first conceived in the year 2008 by the then Home Minister in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The system includes a nationwide online tracking system by integrating more than 14,000 police stations across the country. The project is implemented by National Crime Records Bureau. CCTNS aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing through adopting of principle of e-Governance and creation of a nationwide networking infrastructure for evolution of IT-enabled-state-of-the-art tracking system around 'Investigation of crime and detection of criminals'. Police Systems in India (reforms taken) Several initiatives have been introduced in the past to leverage IT in police functioning. Some of these initiatives include centrally initiated programs such as the NCRB-led CCIS (Crime and Criminals Information System) and CIPA (Common Integrated Police Application), and State-led initiatives such as e-COPS (in Andhra Pradesh), Police IT (in Karnataka), Thana Tracking System (in West Bengal), CAARUS (in Tamil Nadu) and HD IITS (in Gujarat). Know! about NCRB The NCRB is a government agency responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL). NCRB was set-up in 1986 to function as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators. It empowers Indian Police with IT and criminal Intelligence to enable them to uphold the law and protect people Education Pragyata
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Relevance IN – Prelims (about Pragyata) + Mains (GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources) What’s the NEWS The HRD Ministry is launching 'Pragyata', which will comprise digital education guidelines, including screen-time and mental health tips for children which they would need for online learning. Know! about Pragyata The HRD Ministry is launching ‘Pragyata’, which will comprise of guidelines on digital education and can help school heads, teachers and parents in online classes of students. The digital education guidelines will also comprise of recommended screen-time for children along with tips on coping with mental or physical stress during the digital learning process. With most schools imparting education to students through online classes, controlling screen- time of children has become an important factor now. Besides screen-time issues, staying at home for so long can have an adverse effect on children who need to be encouraged to engage with their peers for healthy development and also take part in many physical activities. NITI Aayog COVID-19 Demo Days
Relevance IN Prelims (about the objective of COVID 19 demo days) + Mains (GS II Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio- technology What’s the NEWS NITI Aayog’s flagship Atal Innovation Mission, (AIM) is on full swing to keep the entrepreneurial spirit high across the country by teaming up with other Ministries and partners to support Startups with COVID-19 innovative Solutions and to further fight Covid- 19 pandemic. AIM coordinated and concluded a series of virtual COVID-19 Demo-Days- an initiative to identify promising start-ups with potential Covid-19 innovations to further help them deploy and scale-up their solutions nationwide.
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Know! all about COVID-19 Demo Days It is an initiative by the Government of India to empower startups, drive innovation and bring various departments of the Government and private organisations together to combat COVID-19. The initiative was launched in partnership with other government bodies including Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology (DBT); Department of Science and Technology (DST), Startup India, AGNIi, and other Ministries Over 1,000 COVID-19 related start-ups from a diverse set of categories including curative, preventive and assistive solutions were put through two rounds of evaluation, from which more than 70 start-ups were shortlisted for the Virtual COVID-19 Demo Days. These start-ups will receive support in the form of funding, access to manufacturing abilities, supply chain and logistics and finding the right vendors and mentors. A total of nine DemoDays for Medical Devices, PPE, Sanitization, Technology solutions etc were held The joint initiative is expected to provide a much-needed fillip to the India’s mobilization efforts relating to all COVID-19 related products / services / solutions and give the start-up ecosystem an effective platform to contribute during the current scenario. As a result of these virtual Demo Days, more than 340 connections involving more than 50 startups have been made between the startups and various investor groups / other organizations. Bilateral Relations Iran drops India from Chabahar rail project, cites funding delay Relevance IN – Prelims (about Chabahar port + rail line + INSTC) + Mains (GS II Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
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What’s the NEWS Four years after India and Iran signed an agreement to construct a rail line from Chabahar port to Zahedan, along the border with Afghanistan, the Iranian government has decided to proceed with the construction on its own, citing delays from the Indian side in funding and starting the project. The development comes as China finalises a massive 25-year, $400 billion strategic partnership deal with Iran, which could cloud India’s plans. Know! about the trilateral agreement The railway project, which was being discussed between the Iranian Railways and the state- owned Indian Railways Construction Ltd (IRCON), was meant to be part of India’s commitment to the trilateral agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan to build an alternate trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Chabahar Rail Project is a 628 km Chabahar-Zahedan line, which will be extended to Zaranj across the border in Afghanistan. In May 2016, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran to sign the Chabahar agreement with Iranian President Rouhani and Afghanistan President Ghani, IRCON had signed an MoU with the Iranian Rail Ministry. The MoU was to construct the Chabahar-Zahedan railway as “part of transit and transportation corridor in trilateral agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan. Know! the genesis of 2016 historic deal India signed a historic deal in 2016 to develop the strategic port of Chabahar in Iran and agreed on a three-nation pact to build a transport-and-trade corridor through Afghanistan that could help halve the time and cost of doing business with Central Asia and Europe. Developing the Chabahar port was seen as crucial for India because it will not only allow New Delhi to bypass Pakistan and access global markets but also counter China’s expanding influence in the Indian Ocean region. As part of a separate trilateral deal, India, Afghanistan and Iran agreed to establish a land transit-and-trade corridor. From Chabahar port, the existing Iranian road network can link up to Zaranj in Afghanistan. This road can then connect to the 218-km Zaranj-Delaram road -- constructed by India in 2009 at a cost of Rs 680 crore – and finally to Afghanistan’s Garland highway.
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This will give India road access to four major cities; Afghanistan-Herat, Kandahar, Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif Completion of this project would give India access to Afghanistan and beyond to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Europe via 7,200-km-long multi-modal North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
Prelims Factoids Comet C/2020 F3 Neowise Relevance IN – Prelims (about Neowise + about comet) What’s the NEWS The recently discovered comet called C/2020 F3, also known as NEOWISE after the NASA telescope that discovered it, will make its closest approach to the Earth on July 22. On July 3, the comet was closest to the sun at 43 million km. On this day, the comet cruised inside Mercury’s orbit and, due to its proximity to the sun, its outer layer was released creating an atmosphere – referred to as coma – of gas and dust from its icy surface.This atmosphere sometimes leads to formation of a bright tail of debris that can extend for thousands or millions of kilometres. Know! about comets Comets or “dirty snowballs” are mostly made of dust, rocks and ice, the remnants from time the solar system was formed over 4.6 billion years ago. Comets can range in their width from a few miles to tens of miles wide. As they orbit closer to the sun, like in the case of C/2020 F3, they heat up and release debris of dust and gases that forms into a “glowing head” that can often be larger than a planet.
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The debris forms a tail that can stretch out to millions of miles. Each time a comet passes the sun, it loses some of its material and it will eventually disappear completely as a result. Comets do not have light of their own and what humans are able to see from Earth is the reflection of the sun’s light off the comet as well as the energy released by the gas molecules after it is absorbed from the sun. Prelims Factoids The Google for India Digitisation Fund Relevance IN – Prelims (about Google India Digitization Fund)
Google India Digitization Fund (highlights) As part of the company's Google for India initiative, the tech giant will invest $10 billion (Rs 75,000 crore) in India. The Rs 75,000 crore fund will be spent, on upscaling of Google's digital India mission. It will br through a mix of equity investments, partnerships, and operational, infrastructure, and ecosystem investments. The Investments will focus on four areas important to India’s digitization including: "First, enabling affordable access and information for every Indian in their own language, whether it’s Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi, or any other. Second, building new products and services that are deeply relevant to India’s unique needs. Third, empowering businesses as they continue or embark on their digital transformation. Fourth, leveraging technology and AI for social good, in areas like health, education, and agriculture"
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NITI Aayog
India–US Strategic Energy Partnership
Relevance IN – Prelims (about India–US Strategic Energy Partnership + about India Energy Modeling Forum + Mains (GS II Bilateral relations) What’s the NEWS Sustainable Growth Pillar is an important pillar of India–US Strategic Energy Partnership co- chaired by NITI Aayog and USAID. The SG pillar entails energy data management, energy modelling and collaboration on low carbon technologies as three key activities. India Energy Modeling Forum In the joint working group meeting of the Sustainable Growth Pillar on July 2, 2020, an India Energy Modeling Forum was launched. The forum provides an unbiased platform to discuss the contemporary issues revolving around energy and environment. The India Energy Modelling Forum will accelerate efforts and aim to: Provide a platform to examine important energy and environmental related issues; Inform decision-making process to the Indian government; Improve cooperation between modelling teams, government, and knowledge partners, funders; Facilitate exchange of ideas, ensure production of high-quality studies; Identify knowledge gaps at different levels and across different areas; Build capacity of Indian institutions. o NITI Aayog will initially coordinate the activities of the forum and finalizing its governing structure.
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o The forum would include knowledge partners, data agencies and concerned government ministries. Know! about Indo-US partnership in Energy Sector The United States and India have a long and successful strategic partnership in the energy sector. Under the Partnership, the United States and India will pursue four primary pillars of cooperation: (1) Oil and Gas; (2) Power and Energy Efficiency; (3) Renewable Energy and Sustainable Growth; and (4) Coal. Both parties may consider establishing additional pillars of cooperation based on mutual agreement. In November 2009, the United States and India launched the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE), which is working to accelerate inclusive, low carbon growth by supporting research and deployment of clean energy technologies. The activities of the PACE initiative are aligned to support India’s ambitious clean energy targets. In order to track progress of the various levels of bilateral engagement on energy, the U.S.– India Energy Dialogue is convened annually, and was last hosted by the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. In addition, the United States also engages India in the multilateral Clean Energy Ministerial forum. Over the past year, India has revised its renewable energy target to 175 GW by 2022. The national solar target was scaled up by five times, reaching 100 GW by 2022, of which 40 GW is expected to come from solar rooftop. Human Resource Development NISHTHA programme
Relevance IN – Prelims (about NISHTHA programme) + Mains (GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.) What’s the NEWS The first on-line NISHTHA programme for 1200 Key Resources Persons of Andhra Pradesh was launched by Union HRD Minister
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Know! about NISHTHA NISHTHA is a National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement at the elementary stage under Samagra Shiksha -a flagship programme of MHRD to improve learning outcomes. NISHTHA in face-to-face mode was launched on 21st August, 2019. Thereafter, 33 states/UTs have launched this programme in their states/UTs in collaboration under Samagra Shiksha, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. Around 23,000 Key Resource Persons and 17.5 lakh teachers and school heads have been covered under this NISHTHA face to face mode till date. Know! about on line NISHTHA Lockdown has affected the conduct of this programme in face-to-face mode. Therefore, for providing training to remaining 24 lakh teachers and school heads, NISHTHA has been customized for online mode to be conducted through DIKSHA and NISHTHA portals by the NCERT. NISHTHA- online includes multiple approaches for interaction. While there are text modules alongwith videos, there will also be live sessions by the National level Resource persons on DTH Swayam Prabha TV Channel. Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) will also be utilized for interaction with teachers. Andhra Pradesh is the first state for which we are launching on-line These resource persons will help in the mentoring of teachers of Andhra Pradesh, who will take on-line NISHTHA training on DIKSHA later on. The efforts of MHRD and NCERT for building capacities of teachers and school heads at the elementary level across the country through NISHTHA will not only help in enhancing learning outcomes of students but also in their all-round development. International
High-Level Segment of ECOSOC Relevance IN – Prelims(about ECOSOC + main organs of UN) What’s the NEWS Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver a keynote address virtually at this year’s High- Level Segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council session on Friday Know! about the high level segment of ECOSOC The annual High-level Segment convenes a diverse group of high-level representatives from the Government, the private sector, civil society and academia. The theme of this year’s High-level Segment is "Multilateralism after COVID19: What kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary”. Know! all about ECOSOC The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals.
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The Council serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations system. A number of non-governmental organizations have been granted consultative status to the Council to participate in the work of the United Nations. It holds one four-week session each year in July, and since 1998, it has also held an annual meeting in April with finance ministers heading key committees of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The UN Charter established ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations. Know! about the ECOSOC The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly, making it the only UN body with universal representation. Each year, in September, the full UN membership meets in the General Assembly Hall in New York for the annual General Assembly session The United Nations has six principal organs: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat. Governance Mobile App of PM SVANidhi launched Relevance IN – Prelims (about PM SVANidhi Mobile App) + Mains (GS II Social issues -welfare scheme by the government + e-governance, transparency, accountability) What’s the NEWS The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Mobile Application of PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Know! all about PM SVANidhi Mobile App This App aims to provide user friendly digital interface for Lending Institutions (LIs) and their field functionaries for sourcing and processing loan applications of street vendors under the Scheme. PM SVANidhi Mobile App is a step towards boosting the use of digital technology and will enable field functionaries of LIs like Banking Correspondents (BCs) and Agents of Non- Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)/ Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs), who have proximity with the street vendors, to ensure maximum coverage of the Scheme. The launch of Mobile App will give impetus to the implementation strategy of the Scheme besides promoting paper-less digital accessing of micro-credit facilities by the Street Vendors. Ministry has already launched the Web Portal. This App has all the features similar to the Web Portal of PM SVANidhi added with the feature of easy portability.
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Know! about PM SVANidhi PM SVANidhi was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, on June 01, 2020, for providing affordable Working Capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to Covid-19 lockdown. This scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh Street Vendors who had been vending on or before 24 March, 2020, in urban areas including those from surrounding peri-urban/ rural areas. Under the Scheme, the vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year. On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on quarterly basis. There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan. The scheme promotes digital transactions through cash back incentives up to an amount of Rs. 100 per month. Bilateral Relations U.S.-India Strategy Energy Partnership Relevance IN – Prelims (about India Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP) and the key takeaways) + Mains (GS II Bilateral relations) What’s the NEWS The U.S. and India co-chaired a virtual ministerial meeting of the U.S.-India Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP) to review progress, highlight major accomplishments, and prioritize new areas for cooperation. Know! about U.S.-India Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP) Established in April 2018 it recognises the strategic importance of energy to the U.S.-India bilateral relationship The SEP builds upon longstanding energy partnership and sets the stage for meaningful engagements through robust government-to-government cooperation and industry engagement. The SEP organizes inter-agency engagement on both sides across four primary pillars of cooperation: (1) Power and Energy Efficiency; (2) Oil and Gas; (3) Renewable Energy; and (4) Sustainable Growth. Through these pillars, the United States and India are working to strengthen and modernize the power grid and distribution utilities for clean, affordable, and reliable energy access; improve efficiency, flexibility, and environmental performance in the power sector The following agreements and partnerships were announced under the U.S.- India Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP) dialogue Partnership to Advance Clean Energy-Research (PACE-R) The two countries are leading joint research and development (R&D) through the U.S.-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy-Research (PACE-R) on smart grids and energy storage to increase resilience and reliability of the electric grid. They announced new areas of research on transformational power generation based on supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycles and advanced coal technologies for power generation and hydrogen production, including carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS).
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Strategic Petroleum Reserves The sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to begin cooperation on Strategic Petroleum Reserves operation and maintenance, including exchange of information and best practices. They also discussed the possibility of India storing oil in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to increase their nation’s strategic oil stockpile. Hydrogen Task Force A public-private Hydrogen Task Force launched to help scale up technologies to produce hydrogen from renewable energy and fossil fuel sources and to bring down the cost of deployment for enhanced energy security and resiliency. Solar Decathlon MOU has been signed to collaborate on India’s first-ever Solar Decathlon® India in 2021, establishing a collegiate competition to prepare the next generation of building professionals to design and build high efficiency buildings powered by renewables. South Asia Group for Energy (SAGE) They launched collaboration between the U.S. DOE National labs and the Indian National Institutes under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy as part of the newly launched South Asia Group for Energy (SAGE), supported by USAID, for joint research on development and deployment of advanced clean technologies. Biofuel The sides also agreed to explore possible cooperation through joint activities and information exchange on sustainable biofuel production and use, in particular, bioethanol, renewable diesel, other advanced biofuels, and discussion on possible developments in sustainable biofuels for air and sea transport. Solar energy sector The two sides have been collaborating to modernize Distribution Sector through various reform measures for achieving reliable quality 24X7 power supply through increased private participation; enhancing consumer centricity; deployment of Smart Meters across India; and, establishing Smart Grid Knowledge Centre in India as a “Global Centre of Excellence” for Smart Grids. USAID and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation are developing a concept to establish a new $25-million credit guarantee for the Small and Medium Enterprise sector to deploy rooftop solar. Coal Energy The sides agreed to collaborate on advanced high-efficiency coal technologies with low-to- zero emissions through carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), focusing on USDOE’s Coal FIRST (Flexible, Innovative, Resilient, Small, Transformative) initiative to develop 21st Century coal energy systems. Retrofit of Air Conditioning to Improve Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency” (RAISE) The United States and India have been working to enhance building and appliance efficiency through enhanced building codes, design and operation of smart buildings of the future, smart meters and demand side response, as well as retrofit of buildings to improve building performance, promote energy conservation, and improve indoor air quality.
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USAID and Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) jointly initiated a new activity, “Retrofit of Air Conditioning to Improve Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency” (RAISE) for healthy and energy efficient buildings. The initiative will be scaled in public sector buildings India Energy Modeling Forum Both the countries are working to enhance long-term energy development and plans and strategies through adoption of best practices and methodologies in energy data management; capacity building in energy modeling and promotion of low carbon technologies. USAID and NITI Aayog jointly launched the India Energy Modeling Forum to build a network of modeling community and its linkage with Government for analytical work and policy making exercise. South Asia Women in Energy (SAWIE) USAID launched the South Asia Women in Energy (SAWIE) platform focused on the power sector and the sides are working to incorporate gender-focused activities across the technical pillars. Strategic Energy Partnership teams will convene again in the near future to further develop action plans for the respective pillars of cooperation. The next Ministerial meeting will be held in 2021. Know! about Indian Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioners (ISHRAE) MOU between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with Indian Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioners (ISHRAE) for professional skill development for practitioners on energy-efficient design of air conditioning systems. Know! about ISHARE The Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE), was founded in 1981 at New Delhi by a group of eminent Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC&R) professionals. ISHRAE works in the National interest with various Govt. Ministries/Departments ISHRAE is also working in close co-operation with other similar Societies & Organizations, both at national and international level, for the promotion and development of issues like Sustainability, Green Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Environmental Responsibility, Indoor Air Quality, Fire & Safety. ISHRAE is looked upon as a repository of technical knowledge in the HVAC&R & Building Industry field by peer Organizations & the Govt. of India. ISHRAE organizes ACREX INDIA, the largest international exposition in South Asia on the Air-Conditioning, Refrigeration, Ventilation and Building services industry. U.S.-India Clean Energy Finance Task Force Statement of Intent between the U.S. Department of State and India’s Ministry of Power under the Flexible Resources Initiative of the U.S.-India Clean Energy Finance Task Force to enhance the flexibility and robustness of India's grid to support the country's energy transition and mobilize the private investment The U.S. Department of Commerce launched an Energy Industry Working Group for India under the Asia EDGE initiative to facilitate private sector connections and ideas for U.S.- India energy cooperation
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Know! about the Asia EDGE initiative It is a U.S. whole-of-government effort to grow sustainable and secure energy markets throughout the Indo-Pacific. Asia EDGE seeks to strengthen energy security, increase energy diversification and trade, and expand energy access across the region. Asia EDGE draws on the expertise and resources of the U.S. government, private sector, and international financial institutions. The initiative partners with like-minded stakeholders/parties to advance the rule-based economic order that has lifted billions out of poverty and enabled unprecedented growth over the past 70 years. Human Resource Development Manodarpan
Relevance IN – Prelims (about Manodarpan initiative) What’s the NEWS Union HRD Minister, launched the Manodarpan initiative of HRD Ministry Know! about the initiative During the COVID pandemic, the HRD Ministry felt the need to focus on continuing education on the academic front and the mental well-being of the students. The Ministry has, therefore, taken up an initiative, named, ‘MANODARPAN’ covering a wide range of activities to provide Psychosocial Support to students for their Mental Health & Well-being during the COVID outbreak and beyond. The ‘Manodarpan’ initiative has been included in the ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT ABHIYAN, as a part of strengthening human capital and increasing productivity and efficient reform and initiatives for the Education sector.
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Acts and Policies New Consumer Protection Act 2019 comes into force
Relevance IN – Prelims(about the provisions in Consumer Protection Act 2019)+ Mains (GS II Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) What’s the NEWS The newly enacted Consumer Protection Act comes to force from Monday (July 20), replacing more than three decades old Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The new Consumer Protection Act 2019 seeks to revamp the process of administration and settlement of consumer disputes, with strict penalties, including jail term for adulteration and misleading ads by firms. Know! the new provisions in Consumer Protection Act 2019 The bill, among other things, proposes setting up of a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers as a class. The CCPA would make interventions to prevent consumer detriment arising from unfair trade practices. The agency can also initiate class action, including enforcing recall, refund and return of products. The Bill also envisages simplified dispute resolution process, has provision for Mediation and e-filing of cases. The Consumer will be able to file cases in the nearest commission under the jurisdiction of which he resides.
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Consumers can file complaints from anywhere and they do not need to hire lawyer to represent their cases. For mediation, there will be strict timeline fixed in the rules. On misleading advertisements there is provision for jail term and fine for manufacturers. There is no provision for jail for celebrities but they could be banned for endorsing products if it is found to be misleading. For the first time there will be an exclusive law dealing with Product Liability. A manufacturer or product service provider or product seller will now be responsible to compensate for injury or damage caused by defective product or deficiency in services. There is also a provision for class action law suit for ensuring that rights of consumers are not infringed upon. The authority will have power to impose a penalty on a manufacturer or an endorser of up to 10 lakh rupees and imprisonment for up to two years for a false or misleading advertisement. Product liability provision to deter manufacturers and service providers from delivering defective products or deficient services. The Bill also enables regulations to be notified on E-commerce and direct selling with focus on protection of interest of consumers. Human Resource Development
MANODARPAN (Part- II)
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Relevance IN – Prelims (about MANODARPAN initiative of HRD Ministry) What’s the NEWS Union HRD Minister, launched the MANODARPAN initiative of HRD Ministry to provide psychosocial support to students for their Mental Health and Well-being As part of MANODARPAN initiative, the Ministry also launched a National Toll-free Helpline (8448440632), a special web page of MANODARPAN on the portal of HRD Ministry, and a Handbook on MANODARPAN. Know! more about MANODARPAN initiative Ministry has taken an initiative, named, MANODARPAN covering a wide range of activities to provide Psychosocial Support to students for their Mental Health & Well-being during the COVID outbreak and beyond. A Working Group, has been set up to monitor and promote the mental health issues and concerns of students and to facilitate providing of support to address the mental health and psychosocial aspects during and after COVID-19 lockdown, through conselling services, online resources and helpline. A Web-page named MANODARPAN- Psychosocial Support for Mental Health & Well- being during the COVID outbreak and beyond has since been created on the Web-site of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. A National Toll-free lpline (8448440632) has also been set up. This unique helpline shall be managed by a pool of experienced counselors/ Psychologists and other mental health professionals and will continue beyond the COVID-19 situation. Through this helpline tele-counselling will be provided to the students to address their mental health and psychosocial issues. National level database and directory of counsellors at School and University level whose services can be offered voluntarily for Tele-Counselling Service on the National Helpline. Health Delhi serological survey
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Relevance IN – Prelims (about serological survey) What’s the NEWS The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced the results of the serological survey carried out in Delhi between June 27 and July 10. The results of the study show that 23.48% of the people surveyed had developed IgG antibodies, indicating they had been exposed to the novel coronavirus. Know! how they conducted the survey? About 160 four-member teams — each comprising an Anganwadi/ASHA worker, an auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM), a pharmacist, and a phlebotomist (someone who is trained to draw blood for testing) visited homes that were randomly picked by district administrations. The blood samples were collected from selected individuals after taking their written, informed consent, and their sera were then tested for IgG antibodies and infection using the ICMR-approved COVID KAVACH ELISA kit. Know! about serological survey A serological survey is an exercise to check the prevalence of the disease in a population by detecting the presence of specific antibodies against the virus. The serological test is performed to diagnose infections and autoimmune illnesses. It can also be conducted to check if a person has developed immunity to certain diseases. The survey included the IgG Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test which estimates the proportion of the population exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The IgG test is not useful for detecting acute infections but it indicates episodes of infections that have happened in the past. The test has been approved by ICMR for its high sensitivity and specificity. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had earlier conducted a pilot serosurvey in April this year across 83 districts in 21 states. The ICMR has said it would soon launch another follow-up sero survey across the country. Bilateral Relations India Ideas Summit 2020
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Relevance IN – Prelims (about India Ideas Summits + about the U.S.-India Business Council) + Mains (GS II Bilateral relations) What’s the NEWS Prime Minister will deliver the keynote address at the India Ideas Summit on July 22 Know! about India Ideas Summits The Summit is being hosted by the US-India Business Council. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the formation of the Council. The theme for this year's India Ideas Summit is 'Building a Better Future' The virtual summit will see high-level presence from Indian and US government policymakers, state-level officials and thought leaders from business and society. The Summit convenes business and government leaders for discussions on the future of the U.S.-India Partnership and the trends shaping globalization, trade and investment, and the future of work in the COVID-era and beyond. The Summit will feature a high-powered lineup of both public and private sector speakers. Know! about the U.S.-India Business Council Formed in 1975 at the request of the U.S. and Indian governments, the U.S.-India Business Council is the premier business advocacy organization, composed of more than 350 top-tier U.S. and Indian companies advancing U.S.-India commercial ties. The Council is the largest bilateral trade association in the United States, with liaison presence in New York, Silicon Valley, and New Delhi. The Council aims to create an inclusive bilateral trade environment between India and the United States by serving as the voice of industry, linking governments to businesses, and supporting long-term commercial partnerships that will nurture the spirit of entrepreneurship, create jobs, and successfully contribute to the global economy. Defence Grant Of Permanent Commission To Women Officers In Indian Army Relevance IN – Prelims (facts related to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) + Permanent Commission (PC) + Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What’s the NEWS Ministry of Defence has issued the formal Government Sanction Letter for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to Women Officers in the Indian Army, paving the way for empowering Women Officers to shoulder larger roles in the organisation. The order specifies grant of PC to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) Women Officers in all ten streams of the Indian Army i.e Army Air Defence (AAD), Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Army Service Corps (ASC), Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), and Intelligence Corps in addition to the existing streams of Judge and Advocate General (JAG) and Army Educational Corps (AEC).
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Connect to the Past Current Capsules (Feb 2020) Landmark Verdict Of The Supreme Court For Gender Equality In Army Two Issues Addressed by the Supreme Court SSC Women officers can opt for Permanent Commission Know! the history (when women were allowed in the army?) In the year 1992 Centre notified that women eligible for appointment as officers for five years in services like Army Postal Service, Judge Advocate General Department, Army Education Corps etc. After that Short Service Commission (SSC) came with an appointment for 10 years (expandable upto 14 years) and the first batch under this entered in 2008. Short Service Commission officers are for the maximum period of 14 years What is the Practice till now Men who entered Short Service Commission officers could opt for Permanent Commission at the end of 10-years of service but this facility was not available to Women officers Now The Supreme Court said that all Women officers just like Men officers should be considered for Permanent Commission and there should not be any discrimination with men. The Supreme Court directed the Government to implement policy decisions to grant Permanent Commission to women in the army in the next three months. Command Postings Are Allowed Till now Women officers are not eligible for command or criteria appointments Ranks in Indian Army General Lieutenant General Major General Brigadier
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Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Command appointments is from Colonel and above rank For the Male officers these positions (command appointments) are filled based of four criteria 1. Leadership 2. Performance 3. Qualification 4. Medical fitness Now Supreme Court said that there should not be any discrimination with regard to Command Posting and they should be at par with male officers. These four criteria for the command based appointments should be applicable for Women also Hence in future, Women officers can be full Colonels and above in Army Service Corps, Ordnance, Education Corps etc. No Women appointments in Combat Roles This Supreme Court ruling does not grant women the right to serve in combat units. At Present there is No Women appointments in the Combat Roles Combat roles (engaging and fighting the enemy either in person or by using specialized equipment) but they can become Colonels and above in certain services like Army Service Corps, Ordnance, Education Corps, Judge Advocate General, Engineers, Signals, Intelligence etc. Combat roles performing by Women in Air Force and Navy Women already serve in combat roles in the air force, which last year qualified its first women fighter pilots. Women naval officers already perform combat tasks, such as firing torpedoes and missiles at enemy warships Women officers also serve on board naval warships in combat, albeit discharging non-combat roles. Women Personnel in Army 3.89% Navy 6.7% Air Force 13.28% Education India holds the first ever INDSAT exam under ‘Study in India' Programme
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Relevance IN – Prelims (about Indian Scholastic Assessment (Ind-SAT) Test + about study in India) + Mains (GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.) What’s the NEWS The Ministry of HRD conducted the first ever Indian Scholastic Assessment (Ind-SAT) Test 2020 under its 'Study in India’ Nearly five thousand candidates from Nepal, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Sri-Lanka, Kenya, Zambia, Indonesia and Mauritius appeared for the exam conducted in the proctored internet mode by the National Testing Agency. EdCIL (India) Limited, a PSU under MHRD and the implementing agency of SII handled the registrations and other aspects of the examination. Indian Scholastic Assessment (Ind-SAT) Test Ind-SAT is an exam for grant of scholarships and admissions to foreign students for studying in select Indian universities under the Study in India programme. The exam is designed to gauge the scholastic capability of students applying to study in India. The Ind-SAT scores will serve as a criterion to shortlist the meritorious students for the allocation of scholarships for under graduate as well as post graduate programmes under ‘Study in India’ programme. The exam was held in 12 countries on a pilot basis this year. There are plans to extend this to other countries in the future. Know! about Study in India is a programme The Study in India is a programme of MHRD under which foreign students come to study in 116 select higher education institutions in India for under graduate and post graduate programmes. The selection of the students is based on their merit in the class 12 / school leaving exam. About top 2000 students are given scholarships, while some others are given fee discounts by the institutions. Around 780 students had taken admission under the programme during its first year - 2018-19. In the second year this number rose to about 3200. Human Resource Development India Report- Digital Education June 2020
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Relevance IN -Prelims (about India Report on Digital Education, 2020 highlights) + Mains (Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.) What’s the NEWS Union Minister for HRD launched India Report on Digital Education, 2020. Know! about India Report on Digital Education, 2020. The report elaborates on the innovative methods adopted by Ministry of HRD, Education Departments of States and Union Territories for ensuring accessible and inclusive education to children at home and reducing learning gaps Ministry of Human Resource Development has initiated many projects to assist teachers, scholars and students in their pursuit of learning like DIKSHA platform Swayam Prabha TV Channel Online MOOC courses On Air – Shiksha Vani DAISY by NIOS for differently-abled e-PathShala National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER) to develop e-content Some of the major digital initiatives by State Governments are SMILE (Social Media Interface for Learning Engagement) in Rajasthan Project Home Classes in Jammu Padhai Tunhar duvaar (Education at your doorstep) in Chhattisgarh Unnayan Initiatives in Bihar through portal and mobile application Mission Buniyaad in NCT of Delhi Kerala’s own educational TV channel (Hi-Tech school programme) Telangana has online certificate programs for teachers on ‘Management of mental well-being during COVID’. Some states have launched innovative mobile apps and portals as means to facilitate remote learning. Madhya Pradesh has launched Top Parent App, a free mobile app that empowers parents of young children (3-8 years) and KHEL(Knowledge Hub for Electronic Learning), a Game Based Application that covers class 1-3. Uttarakhand is making use of Sampark Baithak App through which primary school students can access animated videos, audios, worksheet, puzzles, etc. Assam has launched the Biswa Vidya Assam Mobile Application for class 6 to 10. Bihar has launched Vidyavahini App with e-books for class 1 to 12. Under Unnayan Bihar Initiative, Bihar has also launched Mera Mobile Mera Vidyalaya for students, and Unnayan Bihar Teacher App. Chandigarh has launched Phoenix Mobile application to assess the learning outcome for the students of class 1 to 8.
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Maharashtra has launched the Learning Outcomes Smart Q Mobile App to facilitate learning for students in the state. Punjab has launched iScuela Learn Mobile Application for class 1 to 10. Sikkim Edutech App connects all the schools of Sikkim under the State Education Department, Tripura has an application titled ‘EmpowerU Shiksha Darpan’ in order to facilitate student’s appraisal. Uttar Pradesh launches ‘Top Parent’ app targeting children from 3-8years age. The application currently houses three high-quality EdTech apps for children – Chimple, Maths Masti and Google Bolo. Innovative mediums by states to ensure inclusion. Due to poor mobile connectivity and unavailability of internet services, Chhattisgarh has started Motor iskool. Jharkhand has started the Roving teacher where many teachers keep moving to teach children. Gujarat started a Reading Campaign for Oral Reading Fluency- Vanchan Abhiyan and Parivar no maalo-salamat ane humfaalo (family’s nest-safe and warm) socio psychological support programme for children. Education New National Education Policy 2020
Relevance IN – Prelims (about NEP 2020 highlights) + Mains (GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. What’s the NEWS The government approved a new education policy that seeks to revamp all aspects of education structure and aims to achieve universal access to education to all between age groups of 3-18 years by 2030. The Union Cabinet, approved the New Education Policy that also proposed to change the name of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to the Ministry of Education. The draft of the policy was prepared by a panel of experts led by former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman K Kasturirangan.
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The New Education Policy (NEP) Highlights – Higher Education According to the draft policy, there will be no hard separation of learning areas in terms of curricular, co-curricular or extra-curricular areas and all subjects, including arts, music, crafts, sports, yoga, community service, etc. will be curricular By 2040, all higher education institutions (HEIs) shall aim to become multidisciplinary institutions, each of which will aim to have 3,000 or more students. By 2030, be at least one large multidisciplinary institution in or near every district. The aim will be to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3% to 50% by 2035. Single-stream higher education institutions will be phased out over time, and all will move towards becoming multidisciplinary. The system of ‘affiliated colleges’ will be gradually phased out in 15 years. The present complex nomenclature of HEIs in the country such as ‘deemed to be university’, ‘affiliating university’, ‘affiliating technical university’, ‘unitary university’ shall be replaced simply by ‘university’. A university will mean a multidisciplinary institution that offers undergraduate and graduate programmes, with high quality teaching, research, and community engagement.
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The definition will allow a spectrum of institutions ranging from those that place equal emphasis on teaching and research i.e., Research-intensive Universities to teaching- intensive Universities. The present nomenclature such as ‘deemed to be university’, ‘affiliating university’, ‘affiliating technical university’, ‘unitary university’ will be done away with. Engineering institutions, such as IITs, will move towards more holistic and multidisciplinary education with more arts and humanities. Students of arts and humanities will aim to learn more science. Departments in Languages, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Indology, Art, Dance, Theatre, Education, Mathematics, Statistics, Pure and Applied Sciences, Sociology, Economics, Sports, Translation and Interpretation, etc. will be established and strengthened at all HEIs. The undergraduate degree will be of either 3 or 4-year duration, with multiple exit options.
An Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) shall be established which would digitally store the academic credits earned. The 4-year programme may also lead to a degree ‘with Research’ if the student completes a rigorous research project. Model public universities for holistic and multidisciplinary education, at par with IITs, IIMs, etc., called MERUs (Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities) will be set up India will be promoted as a global study destination providing premium education at affordable costs. An International Students Office at each institution hosting foreign students will be set up. High performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries. Selected universities like those from among the top 100 universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India. In every education institution, there shall be counselling systems for handling stress and emotional adjustments. Efforts will be made to incentivize the merit of students belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs.. Vocational education will be integrated into all school and higher education institutions in a phased manner over the next decade. By 2025, at least 50% of learners through the school and higher education system shall have exposure to vocational education.
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The B.Voc. degrees introduced in 2013 will continue to exist, but vocational courses will also be available to students enrolled in all other Bachelor’s degree programmes, including the 4-year multidisciplinary Bachelor’s programmes. •‘Lok Vidya’, i.e., important vocational knowledge developed in India, will be made accessible to students. The HRD ministry, which could be renamed education ministry, would constitute a National Committee for the Integration of Vocational Education (NCIVE) The policy also speaks for creating a National Research Foundation (NRF). The policy also mentions the creation of a Higher Education Commission of India (HECI). The New Education Policy (NEP) Highlights – School Education
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All students will be allowed to take board exams on up to two occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for improvement if desired. The 10+2 structure of school curricula is to be replaced with a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to age groups 3-8, 8-11, 11-14 and 14-18 years respectively. Under the NEP 2020, the medium of instruction until at least class 5, but preferably till class 8 and beyond, will be the home language, mother tongue, local language and regional language. Sanskrit will be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an important, enriching option for students, including as an option in the three-language formula. Foreign languages, such as Korean, Japanese, Thai, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian, will also be offered at the secondary level.
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Reforms in School Education (more features) Preparatory class/Balvatika for 5-6 year olds Special Education Zones (SEZ) No hard separation of curricular/extra and co-curricular/arts and science and vocational/sports and academics Exams in 3,5 and 8, in addition to Board exams in 10 and 12 National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission Gender Inclusion fund; KGBVs upto class 12 Curriculum to integrate Indian culture and ethos at all levels Board exams: Modular, low stakes, based on conceptual knowledge and its applications School Preparation module for all class 1 entrants; Bal Bhavans Reduction in curriculum to core concepts National Assessment Center–PARAKH Utilize unused capacity of schools as Samajik Chetna Kendras Holistic Report card –use AI for identifying specific aptitude of child Vocational education from middle stage Teacher recruitment based on TET, NTA test and teaching demonstration 10 days bagless internship with local trades/craftsperson TET mandatory for teaching in pre-primary to 12 Lok Vidya –local artistes as master instructors in schools Special provisions for Gifted children Mandatory for every PhD student to do a module on teacher education Adult education: focus upon technology based solutions; NCF for AE Open school –NIOS to expand to include vocational courses and courses for grades, 3, 5 and 8 also
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National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8 energizing breakfast in addition to midday meals. National Mentorship programme with a large pool of outstanding senior/retired faculty Indian Sign Language (ISL) will be standardized NITI Aayog AIM-iCREST
Relevance IN -Prelims (about AIM iCREST + other initiatives of NITI Aayog) +Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What’s the NEWS To encourage and enable holistic progress in the incubator ecosystem across the country, NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), has launched AIM iCREST – an Incubator Capabilities enhancement program for a Robust Ecosystem focused on creating high performing Startups. This is a first of its kind initiative for advancing innovation at scale in India. Know! all about AIM iCREST AIM has joined hands with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wadhwani Foundation - organizations that can lend credible support and expertise in the entrepreneurship and innovation space. AIM iCREST, has been designed to enable the incubation ecosystem and act as a growth hack for AIM’s Atal and Established incubators across the country. Under the initiative, the AIM’s incubators are set to be upscaled and provided requisite support to foster the incubation enterprise economy, that will help them to significantly enhance their performance. This will be complemented by providing training to entrepreneurs, through technology driven processes and platforms. The effort will focus on supporting start-up entrepreneurs in knowledge creation and dissemination as well as in developing robust and active networks.
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Through this initiative,Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog to nurture an ecosystem that enables development and scale up of innovations to solve problems with far reaching impact. Connect to the Past – recent initiative of NITI Aayog ATL App Development Module The Atal Innovation Mission of Centre's think-tank, NITI Aayog, has launched a free online app development course for school students across the country. Under the Atal Tinkering Lab initiative, AIM, NITI Aayog launched the ATL App Development module for India’s young minds It is the online course intends to make mobile application-developers of school students under Atal Tinkering Lab initiative of AIM. The course has been jointly developed by NITI Aayog’s AIM and Indian startup, Plezmo. This would be one of the largest App learning and development initiatives at a school level in any country. Other Flagship schemes/initiatives of NITI Aayog Atal Tinkering Lab In ATLs, students of class 6th to 12th acquire a problem-solving attitude, develop innovative solutions leveraging technologies like 3D printers, robotics, miniaturised electronics, IOT and programming and DIY kits, with support from teachers and mentors. Atal Innovative Mission AIM is the Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. AIM’s objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platform and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, create awareness and create an umbrella structure to oversee innovation ecosystem of the country. Six major initiatives of AIM: Atal Tinkering Labs-Creating problem-solving mindset across schools in India. Atal Incubation Centers-Fostering world class start-ups and adding a new dimension to the incubator model. Atal New India Challenges-Fostering product innovations and aligning them to the needs of various sectors/ministries. Mentor India Campaign- A national Mentor network in collaboration with public sector, corporates and institutions, to support all the initiatives of the mission. Atal Community Innovation Centre- To stimulate community centric innovation and ideas in the unserved /underserved regions of the country including Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. ARISE-To stimulate innovation and research in the MSME industry.
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General Studies – III: Science & Technology Economic Developments, Biodiversity, Environment, Internal Security and Disaster management
Agriculture and Allied activities First edition of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Newsletter “Matsya Sampada” launched Relevance IN – Prelims (about Matsya Sampada + about PMMSY) + Mains (GS III Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.)
What’s the NEWS Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, launched the first edition of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Newsletter “MATSYA SAMPADA” published by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and the Operational Guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Know! about MATSYA SAMPADA The Newsletter “MATSYA SAMPADA” is an outcome of the endeavours of the Department of Fisheries to reach out to the stakeholders especially fishers and fish farmers through various means of communication The objective is to inform and educate them about the latest developments in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. It would be published on a quarterly basis starting from the first quarter of the year 2020-21. The Newsletter “MATSYA SAMPADA” is likely to serve as an effective tool and platform in disseminating the intent and initiatives of PMMSY for crystalizing public opinion in the collective effort towards reaching the envisaged goals.
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Know! the Operational Guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana launched
The Government of India in May, 2020 launched a new Flagship Scheme i.e. the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for sustainable and responsible development of fisheries sector at an investment of Rs. 20050 crore. The PMMSY with an array of 100 diverse activities is by far the largest ever investment in fisheries sector. Achieving the ambitious targets under PMMSY of an additional 70 lakh tons fish production, rupees one lakh crores fisheries exports, generation of 55 lakh employment over next five years, etc. require multipronged strategies along with collaborative and concerted efforts between the government and the stakeholders. Science & Technology Accelerate Vigyan Relevance IN – Prelims (about Accelerate Vigyan + ABHYAAS) + Mains (GS III Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life) What’s the NEWS To provide a single platform for research internships, capacity building programs, and workshops across the country, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has launched a new scheme called ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ (AV).
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Know! more about Accelerate Vigyan The primary objective of this inter-ministerial scheme is to give more thrust on encouraging high-end scientific research and preparing scientific manpower, which can lead to research careers and knowledge-based economy. AV will initiate and strengthen mechanisms of identifying research potential, mentoring, training and hands-on workshop on a national scale. The vision is to expand the research base, with three broad goals, namely, consolidation / aggregation of all scientific programs, initiating high-end orientation workshops, and creating opportunities for research internships for those who do not have access to such resources / facilities The AV will work on mission mode, particularly with respect to its component dealing with consolidation / aggregation of all major scientific events in the country. Thus, an Inter-Ministerial Overseeing Committee (IMOC) involving all the scientific ministries/departments and a few others has been constituted for the purpose of supporting SERB in implementing the AV scheme in a successful manner. Another new component under AV is ‘SAMMOHAN’ that has been sub-divided into ‘SAYONJIKA’ and ‘SANGOSHTI’. SAYONJIKA is an open-ended program to catalogue the capacity building activities in science and technology supported by all government funding agencies in the country. SANGOSHTI is a pre-existing program of SERB.
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Accelerate Vigyan has already starting calling applications under its ‘ABHYAAS’ component for the winter season. Know! about ABHYAAS programme It is an attempt to boost research and development in the country by enabling and grooming potential PG/PhD students by means of developing their research skills in selected areas across different disciplines or fields. It has two components: High-End Workshops (‘KARYASHALA’) and Research Internships (‘VRITIKA’). This is especially important for those researchers who have limited opportunities to access such learning capacities / facilities / infrastructure. The current call for applications invites researchers for the winter season (Dec 2020-Jan 2021) ‘KARYASHALA’ and ‘VRITIKA’ NITI Aayog Towards a Clean Energy Economy report Relevance IN – Prelims (about the report and its findings) + Mains (GS III Environment conservation+ economic developments -to substantiate the answer with the recommendations cited in the report) What’s the NEWS NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) released Towards a Clean Energy Economy: Post-Covid-19 Opportunities for India’s Energy and Mobility Sectors report, which advocates for stimulus and recovery efforts that work towards building a clean, resilient, and least-cost energy future for India. These efforts include electric vehicle, energy storage, and renewable energy programs. Know! the highlights of the report The report identifies how Covid-19 is beginning to influence the clean energy transition in India, specifically for the transport and power sectors, and recommends principles and strategic opportunities for the country’s leaders to drive economic recovery and maintain momentum towards a clean energy economy. Clean energy will be a major driver of India’s economic recovery and international competitiveness It recommends specific actions by which India can revive two of the economic powerhouses—the transport and power sectors—and emerge stronger. The report lays out four principles as a framework for policymakers and other key decision-makers considering programmes to support India’s clean energy future: 1. invest in least-cost-energy solutions, 2. support resilient and secure energy systems, 3. prioritize efficiency and competitiveness, and 4. promote social and environmental equity. India needs to identify strategic opportunities for economic recovery in the short, medium, and long terms that can translate challenges posed by the pandemic into clean energy transition opportunities.
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In the power sector, opportunities include improving the electricity distribution business and its operations, enabling renewables and distributed energy resources, and promoting energy resilience and local manufacturing of renewable energy and energy storage technologies. Economy Loans worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore sanctioned under ECLGS
Relevance IN – Prelims (about ECLGS + about NCGTC) + Mains (GS III Economic development – financial inclusion) What’s the NEWS Under the 100 % Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) backed by a Government guarantee , Banks from Public & Private Sectors have sanctioned loans worth over Rs. 1 lakh crore This would help more than 30 lakh units of MSMEs & other businesses restart their businesses post the lockdown.. Know! about ECLGS Government of India through Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services has introduced the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) for providing 100% guarantee coverage for additional working capital term loans upto 20% of their entire outstanding credit upto Rs. 25 crore i.e. upto Rs. 5 crore The Scheme is named as ‘Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS)’ and the credit product for which guarantee would be provided under the Scheme is named as ‘Guaranteed Emergency Credit Line (GECL) The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme provides 100% guarantee coverage by NCGTC.
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Know! more about the Scheme The 100% collateral-free MSME loan is being called the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), which is being provided by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) to banks, NBFCs and Financial Institutions (FIs). According this scheme, every eligible MSME or business enterprise, gets a pre-approved sanction limit of up to 20% of loan outstanding as on 29th February, 2020.
This is in the form of additional working capital term loan facility (in case of banks and Financial Institutions), and additional term loan facility (in case of NBFCs). This is a special scheme to help small businesses battling the economic impact of Covid-19 and includes Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) borrowers. The Scheme is valid for existing customers of a bank, NBFC or FI. This means this scheme is not for new borrowers. Also, the loan account should be less than or equal to 60 days past due as on 29th Feb Know! about National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd It is a private limited company incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 on March 28, 2014, established by the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, as a wholly owned company of the Government of India, to act as a common trustee company for multiple credit guarantee funds. Credit guarantee programmes are designed to share the lending risk of the lenders and in turn, facilitate access to finance for the prospective borrowers. The common architecture of NCGTC has been designed to handle multiple guarantee programmes under a single umbrella organization. Presently, there are five dedicated credit guarantee Trusts under the Management of NCGTC viz. Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Educational Loans (CGFEL), Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Skill Development (CGFSD), Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Factoring (CGFF), Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU) and Credit Guarantee Fund for Stand Up India (CGFSI).
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Science & Technology Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020 (DDH2020)
Relevance IN – Prelims (about DDH2020) + Mains (GS III Mains (GS III Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life) What’s the NEWS The Union Government launched Drug Discovery Hackathon Know! all about DDH2020 This Drug Discovery Hackathon is a joint initiative of MHRD’s Innovation Cell (MIC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and supported by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), MyGov as well as private players. This Hackathon is first of its kind National initiative for supporting drug discovery process and will see participation from professionals, faculty, researchers and students from varied fields like Computer Science, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Medical Sciences, Basic Sciences and Biotechnology. In this initiative, MHRD’s Innovation cell and AICTE will focus on identifying potential drug molecules through the Hackathon while CSIR will take these identified molecules forward for synthesis and laboratory testing for efficacy, toxicity, sensitivity and specificity. Know! the background Information and Methodology of Hackathon The Hackathon consists of challenges that are posted as problem statements and, are based on specific drug discovery topics which, are open to the participants to solve. MyGov portal is being used and any Indian student can participate. Professionals and researchers from anywhere in the world can participate. The Hackathon will have three Tracks. Track 1 will primarily deal with drug design for anti-COVID-19 hit/lead generation: this is done using tools such as molecular modelling, pharmacophore optimization, molecular docking, hit/lead optimization, etc.
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Track 2 will deal with designing/optimizing new tools and algorithms which will have an immense impact on expediting the process of in silico drug discovery. There is also a third track called “Moon shot “which allows for working on problems which are ‘out of the box’ nature.
Food Processing PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme launched
Relevance IN – Prelims (about PM FME Scheme) + Mains (GS III Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management. What’s the NEWS Minister for Food Processing Industries launched the PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme as a part of “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan Know! all about PM FME scheme The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has launched an all India “Centrally Sponsored PM Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme” to be implemented over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore. The objective is to providing financial, technical and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises
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The expenditure under the scheme would to be shared in 60:40 ratio between Central and State Governments, in 90:10 ratio with North Eastern and Himalayan States, 60:40 ratio with UTs with legislature and 100% by Centre for other UTs. The Scheme adopts One District One Product (ODODP) approach to reap benefit of scale in terms of procurement of inputs, availing common services and marketing of products. The Scheme also place focus on waste to wealth products, minor forest products and Aspirational Districts. Existing micro food processing units can avail credit-linked capital subsidy at 35% of the eligible project cost with a maximum ceiling of Rs.10 lakh per unit. Seed capital at Rs.40,000/- per SHG member would be provided for working capital and purchase of small tools. FPOs/ SHGs/ producer cooperatives would be provided credit linked grant of 35% for capital investment along the value chain.
Know! the status of food processing sector (unorganised) The unorganized food processing sector comprising nearly 25 lakh units contribute to 74% of employment in food processing sector. Nearly 66% of these units are located in rural areas and about 80% of them are family-based enterprises supporting livelihood rural household and minimizing their migration to urban areas. These units largely fall within the category of micro enterprises.
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Food Processing Extension of Operation Greens from TOP (Tomato-Onion-Potato) crops to all Food
Perishable Fruits & Vegetables (TOP to Total) Relevance IN – Prelims (about TOP to Total Scheme) + Mains (GS III Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management. What’s the NEWS Operation Greens Scheme, being implemented by MoFPI has been extended from tomato, onion and potato (TOP) crops to other notified horticulture crops (to all perishable fruits and vegetables) for providing subsidy for their transportation and storage from surplus production area to major consumption centres. Know! about the Scheme (Top to Total) The objective of intervention is to protect the growers of fruits and vegetables from making distress sale due to lockdown and reduce the post -harvest losses. Eligible Crops: Fruits- Mango, Banana, Guava, Kiwi, Lichi, Papaya, Citrus, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Jackfruit; Vegetables: - French beans, Bitter Gourd, Brinjal, Capsicum, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chillies (Green), Okra, Onion, Potato and Tomato. Any other fruit/vegetable can be added in future on the basis of recommendation by Ministry of Agriculture or State Government Duration of Scheme: It is for the period of six months from the date of notification i.e., 11/06/2020. Eligible entities Food Processors, FPO/FPC, Co-operative Societies, Individual farmers, Licensed Commission Agent, Exporters, State Marketing/Co-operative Federation, Retailers etc. engaged in processing/ marketing of fruits and vegetables. Pattern of Assistance: Ministry will provide subsidy @ 50 % of the cost of the following two components, subject to the cost norms: 1. Transportation of eligible crops from surplus production cluster to consumption centre; and/or 2. Hiring of appropriate storage facilities for eligible crops (for maximum period of 3 months) Free on-line Skilling programme for the SC/ST Food Processors MoFPI is planning to start free on-line skilling classes for SC and ST entrepreneurs, in collaboration with NIFTEM and FICSI, for providing e-learning. MoFPI has identified 41 courses and job roles like on baking, making jam, pickles, etc for which access to digital content would be made available.
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Once certified, these entrepreneurs would have better employment potential, or they can start their own venture. Government Schemes World Bank approves fresh funds for Ganga cleaning mission Relevance IN – Prelims (about National Ganga River Basin Project + National Mission for Clean Ganga) + Mains (GS III Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What’s the NEWS The World Bank has enhanced its support for Government of India's program to rejuvenate Ganga river with a USD 400 million (about Rs 3,000 crore) assistance that will help stem pollution in the river. The Second National Ganga River Basin Project (SNGRBP), approved by the World Bank will support the government's Namami Gange program and its long-term vision for controlling pollution in the river and restoring its water quality National Ganga River Basin Project The $1 billion National Ganga River Basin Project is helping the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) build institutional capacity for rejuvenating the river. It is also financing key infrastructure investments in the five mainstem states - Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. World bank has been supporting the government's efforts since 2011 through the ongoing National Ganga River Basin Project, which helped set up the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) as the nodal agency to manage the river, and financed sewage treatment infrastructure in several riverside towns and cities Know! about National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) NMCG is the implementation wing of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council) It was established in the year 2011 as a registered society under Societies Registration Act, 1860 It has a two tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee In October 2016, National Ganga Council has replaced National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986. With the formation of the NGC, the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) was dissolved. The functioning of the NGRBA was similar to the NGC, and the prime minister was the chairman of the NGRBA as well.
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Information Technology Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge
Relevance IN – Prelims (about Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge) + Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation + GS III awareness in the field of IT +can be used as a fodder – steps/initiatives taken by the government in GS II & III questions) What’s the NEWS The Prime Minister launched the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge' to help start-up and tech community achieve the Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission. Know! all about the App Innovation Challenge To help our start-up and tech community to achieve the objective, of developing Apps which can satisfy our market as well as compete with the world Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology along with Atal Innovation Mission are coming up with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Innovation challenge. This challenge will run in two tracks: Promotion of Existing Apps and Development of New Apps. For the promotion of existing Apps and platforms across the categories of E-learning, Work- from-Home, Gaming, Business, Entertainment, Office Utilities, and Social Networking, Government will provide mentoring, hand-holding and support. Track-01 will work in mission mode for identifying good quality Apps for the leader-board and shall be completed in around a month. For incubating new apps and platforms, Track-02 initiative will work to help create new champions in India by providing support in ideation, incubation, prototyping and roll out along with market access.
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Science & Technology Indigenous Indian COVID19 vaccines in the global race to end the pandemic Relevance IN – Prelims (about COVAXIN + ZyCov-D + role of antigen, antibody, immune system and inactivated vaccine) + Mains (GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources + GS III Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology) What’s the NEWS Announcement of COVAXIN by Bharat Biotech and ZyCov-D Vaccine by Zydus Cadila Now the nod given by the Drug Controller General of India CDSCO (The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) for the conduct of the human trial for the vaccines, marks the beginning of the end. Know! the status of Vaccine race More than 140 candidate vaccines are under various stages of development. One of the leading candidates is AZD1222 developed Jenner Institute of University of Oxford and licenced to AstraZeneca British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, England. The MRNA-1273 vaccine developed by Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Washington and taken up for production by the US-based Moderna pharmaceutical is just a step behind. Both these firms have already inked an agreement with Indian manufacturers for production of the COVID vaccines. Development of vaccines in India Pune based ICMR institution National Institute of Virology and Hyderabad based CSIR institution Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, six Indian companies are working on a vaccine for COVID-19. Along with the two Indian vaccines, COVAXIN and ZyCov-D, the world over, 11 out of 140 vaccine candidates have entered the human trials. Know! how our Immune system fights the Virus Antigen from the pathogen and antibodies produced by the human immune cells can be thought of as matching the compatible pair. Every pathogen has specific molecular structures called as antigen. They are like the surface with a particular hue and design. Once infected by the germ, the human immune system develops antibodies that match the antigen. Our immune system has ten thousand types of antibodies. If the pathogen is a known enemy, the immune system can pull the matching antibody (as it has ten thousand types of antibodies).Once the match is made the pathogen is inactivated. No longer it can infect.
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However, if the microorganism is unfamiliar, and mainly when it has evolved for the first time, there is no matching antibody in the repertoire, the antibody can evolve. The time lag between the identification of the main antigen, and finding a pairing design piece, that is antibodies, is what makes the infection mild or severe. If only the immune system can neutralise the germ instantly, the infection can be prevented. Once the new antibody matching the antigen evolves, it is retained in the immunological memory. Next time the same pathogen invades, immunological memory gets activated, and twinned antibody is released. The infection is nipped in the bud. We acquire immunity. Know! the working process of vaccine and types of Virus A vaccine is a method to artificially inducing the immunological memory. Once the antigens of the nasty pathogen are introduced, the immune system is triggered into developing pairing antibodies and immunological memory. There are many ways in which one can artificially stroke the immune system to develop antibodies and memory. From adenovirus-based live-attenuated virus to recombinant genetic technology is used to develop several types of vaccines. Two among the various possibilities produced in India are inactivated virus vaccine and DNA plasmid vaccine. The inactivated virus will not be able to infect or cause disease, as it is no longer functional. The Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN uses the virus isolated from an Indian patient by the National Institute of Virology to develop the inactivated virus vaccine. Know! how a Novel Coronavirus attacks our body Novel coronavirus infects the human cells with the help of its spike proteins. The spike protein of the virus binds with the ACE2 receptors on the surface of the human respiratory tract cells. Once the virus fuse, the viral genome is slipped into the human cell where around a thousand copies of the virus are made in just ten hours. These baby viruses emigrate to nearby cells. Infection can be arrested if only we can deactivate the spike protein of the novel coronavirus. Thus the antigen on the spike protein is a crucial vaccine target. If the antibody blocks the spike protein, then the virus cannot bind the cell and multiply. India as a vaccine manufacturing Hub In the past years, India has emerged as one of the significant vaccine manufacturing hubs. Indian manufacturers account for 60% of vaccine supplies made to UNICEF. The vaccine for novel coronavirus may be developed anywhere in the world, but without Indian manufacturers involved the production of required quantity is not going to be feasible. Know! about CDSCO The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation(CDSCO)under Directorate General of Health Services,Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,Government of India is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India. The Drugs & Cosmetics Act,1940 and rules 1945 have entrusted various responsibilities to central & state regulators for regulation of drugs & cosmetics.
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It envisages uniform implementation of the provisions of the Act & Rules made there under for ensuring the safety, rights and well being of the patients by regulating the drugs and cosmetics. Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, CDSCO is responsible for approval of Drugs, Conduct of Clinical Trials, laying down the standards for Drugs, control over the quality of imported Drugs in the country and coordination of the activities of State Drug Control Organizations by providing expert advice with a view of bring about the uniformity in the enforcement of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Science & Technology NATMO publishes 4th updated version of its COVID 19 Dashboard Relevance IN – Prelims(National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization)+ Mains (GS III Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.) What’s the NEWS National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization (NATMO) functioning as a subordinate department under the Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India published the 4th updated version of COVID-19 Dashboard on its official Portal at http://geoportal.natmo.gov.in/Covid19/
Know! about National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization It is a specialized institution of its kind in the world. This organization was assigned with responsibility in the field of thematic cartography and geographical research at national level. A subordinate office under Department of Science & Technology, it is the sole authority for depicting National framework data in the form of thematic maps and atlases to cater the actual picture of the development and planning initiatives of the country among the users.
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The first National Atlas of India in Hindi popularly known as Bharat: Rashtriya Atlas having a 26 multi-colour maps was published in 1957 and was acclaimed the world over as a unique publication. Consequent upon the success of Bharat: Rashtriya Atlas, the organization decided to prepare an ambitious project containing 300 plates which covered all the aspects of the land, people and economy of the country. This atlas was issued in 8 volumes. Apart from the above project, the organization also took up various projects either from outside agencies or its own. Know! the functions of National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization (NATMO) Compilation of the National Atlas of India Preparation of the National Atlas maps in regional languages Preparation of thematic maps based on research studies on environmental and associated aspects and their impact on social and economic development Any other work entrusted by the Central Government or its agencies to NATMO Installation of automated Mapping System for increasing speed and efficiency in mapping Division of Digital mapping System &Digitized and Scanning of existing maps on digital format Geographical Researches Remote Sensing &GIS, Digital Image processing Division on Cartography for the Visually Impaired Capacity and Infrastructure building of NATMO to convert / to upgrade in digital mode Economy World Bank and Government of India sign $750 million Agreement for Emergency Response Programme for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises
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Relevance IN – Prelims (World Bank’s MSME Emergency Response Programme) + GS III (international organisations) What’s the NEWS The World Bank and the Government of India today signed the $750 million agreement for the MSME Emergency Response Programme to support increased flow of finance into the hands of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), severely impacted by the COVID- 19 crisis. Know! about World Bank’s MSME Emergency Response Programme The World Bank’s MSME Emergency Response Programme will address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of some 1.5 million viable MSMEs to help them withstand the impact of the current shock and protect millions of jobs. This is the first step among a broader set of reforms that are needed to propel the MSME sector over time. This project will support the Government in providing targeted guarantees to incentivize NBFCs and banks to continue lending to viable MSMEs to help sustain them through the crisis The World Bank Group, including its private sector arm – the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will support the government’s initiatives to protect the MSME sector by “unlocking liquidity, enabling financial innovations” and supporting “key market-oriented channels of credit such as the NBFCs and Small Finance Bank (SFBs) The World Bank has to date committed $2.75 billion to support India’s emergency COVID-19 response, including the new MSME project. Environment Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary to be upgraded to a national park Relevance IN – Prelims (about Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary + difference between Wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks + Mains (GS III Environment Conservation) What’s the NEWS Assam government has decided to upgrade the Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary into a national park amid an ongoing row over allowing coal mining within its jurisdiction. Assam has five national parks and Dehing Patkai, if upgraded, will increase the tally to 6. Five National Parks of Assam Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. Kaziranga National Park. Manas National Park. Nameri National Park. Orang National Park. Know! about the NBWL order Earlier in April, the National Board of Wild Life (NBWL) under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) had recommended coal mining to be allowed within a portion of Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve
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Spread across 937 square kilometres, Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve falls in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts and is located within the periphery of the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary, which is said to be the largest lowland tropical rainforest in India. The NBWL order had triggered a howl of protests in Assam, opposing the coal mining move. NBWL authorities had allowed the state-run Coal India Limited (CIL) to conduct opencast coal mining in 98.59 hectares of the reserve forest. Know! the difference between a Wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks While a limited number of human activities are allowed in wildlife sanctuaries, national parks are strictly off-limits. Wildlife Sanctuaries Wildlife sanctuaries refer to an area which provides protection and favourable living conditions to the wild animals. Biosphere reserves are the protected areas, which tend to conserve the genetic diversity of the plants, animals birds, etc. International Union of Conservation of Nature, shortly called as IUCN has grouped wildlife sanctuaries in Category IV of protected areas. National Parks On the other hand, the national park provides protection to the entire set of the ecosystem, i.e. flora, fauna, landscape, etc. of that region. National Park implies an area that is exclusively designated by the government for the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity due to its natural, cultural and historical significance. It is home to millions of animals, birds, insects, microorganisms, etc. of different genes and species, which provides a healthy and safe environment to them. National Parks, not only conserve wildlife, but it also provides an amusement of the environmental and scenic heritage, in a way and by those means that does not cause harm to it, so as to provide enjoyment to the future generations. The plantation, cultivation, grazing, hunting and predating of animals, destruction of flowers are highly prohibited. International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared National Parks in Category II of the protected areas. In India, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 has been enacted, with the aim of providing protection to the species that are facing the threat of getting extinct and also to propagate conservation area of the nation, i.e. national parks.
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BASIS FOR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY NATIONAL PARK COMPARISON
Meaning Wildlife Sanctuary, is a natural National park is the protected habitat, owned by the government or area, which are established by private agency, that safeguards the government, to conserve particular species of birds and wildlife and also develop them. animals.
Preserves Animals, birds, insects, reptiles, etc. Flora, fauna, landscape, historic objects, etc.
Objective To make sure that viable population of To protect the natural and the wildlife and their habitats are historic objects and wildlife of an maintained. area.
Restriction Restrictions are less and it is open to Highly restricted, random access public. to people is not allowed.
Official Permission Not required Required
Boundaries Not fixed Fixed by legislation
Human activity Allowed but up to a certain extent. Not allowed at all. Know! about NBWL Itis a Statutory Organization and it serves as apex body to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries. It has been constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The NBWL is chaired by the Prime Minister. It has 47 members including the Prime Minister. NBWL advises the Central Government on framing policies and measures for conservation of wildlife in the country. Its objective is to promote the conservation and development of wildlife and forests. It has power to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries. No alternation of boundaries in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries can be done without approval of the NBWL.
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Infrastructure Development Cabinet approves Central Sector Scheme of financing facility under 'Agriculture Infrastructure Fund'
Relevance IN – Prelims (about Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.) + Mains (GS III infrastructure development + GS II government policies and interventions + GS III financial inclusion) What’s the NEWS The Union Cabinet has given its approval to a new pan India Central Sector Scheme- Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. The scheme shall provide a medium – long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management Infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support. Know! about the Scheme Under the scheme, Rs. One Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) Marketing Cooperative Societies Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs) Self Help Group (SHG) Farmers Joint Liability Groups (JLG)
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Multipurpose Cooperative Societies Agri-entrepreneurs Startups Aggregation Infrastructure Providers Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public Private Partnership Project Know! about the Agri Infra Fund All loans under this financing facility will have interest subvention of 3% per annum up to a limit of Rs. 2 crore. This subvention will be available for a maximum period of seven years. Credit guarantee coverage will be available for eligible borrowers from this financing facility under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up to Rs. 2 crore. Moratorium for repayment under this financing facility may vary subject to minimum of 6 months and maximum of 2 years. Agri Infra fund will be managed and monitored through an online Management Information System (MIS) platform. The National, State and District level Monitoring Committees will be set up to ensure real- time monitoring and effective feed-back. The duration of the Scheme shall be from FY2020 to FY2029 (10 years). Economy Capital infusion in the three Public Sector General Insurance Companies (PSGICs) approved Relevance IN – Prelims (about these three PSGICs + about Capital infusion) + Mains (GS III Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. What’s the NEWS The Union Cabinet has approved the capital infusion for an overall value of Rs.12,450 crore;) in the three Public Sector General Insurance Companies (PSGICs) namely Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OlCL), National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) and United India Insurance Company Limited (UIICL) Know the impact of capital infusion in the Economy The capital infusion will enable the three PSGICs to improve their financial and solvency position, meet the insurance needs of the economy, absorb changes and enhance the capacity to raise resources and improved risk management. To ensure optimum utilization of the capital being provided, the Government has issued guidelines in the form of Key Performance Indicator (KPIs) aimed at bringing business efficiency and profitable growth.
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In the meanwhile, given the current scenario, the process of merger has been ceased so far and/instead focus shall be on their solvency and profitable growth, post capital infusion. Infrastructure Development Rewa Solar Project
Relevance IN – Prelims (about Rewa solar project and its highlights + about SECI) + Mains (GS III Infrastructure development – energy) What’s the NEWS Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation the 750 MW Solar Project set up at Rewa, Madhya Pradesh on July 10, 2020. Know! about the Project This Project comprises of three solar generating units of 250 MW each located on a 500 hectare plot of land situated inside a Solar Park (total area 1500 hectare). The Solar Park was developed by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL), a Joint Venture Company of Madhya Pradesh UrjaVikas Nigam Limited (MPUVN), and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a Central Public Sector Undertaking. Central Financial Assistance of Rs. 138 crore has been provided to RUMSL for development of the Park. The Rewa Solar Project was the first solar project in the country to break the grid parity barrier. Grid parity (or socket parity) occurs when an alternative energy source can generate power at a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) that is less than or equal to the price of power from the electricity grid. The term is most commonly used when discussing renewable energy sources, notably solar power and wind power. Know! the features of Rewa Solar Project The Rewa Project has been acknowledged in India and abroad for its robust project structuring and innovations.
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It has also received World Bank Group President’s Award for innovation and excellence and was included in the Prime Minister’s “A Book of Innovation: New Beginnings”. The project is also the first renewable energy project to supply to an institutional customer outside the State, i.e. Delhi Metro, which will get 24% of energy from the project with remaining 76% being supplied to the State DISCOMs of Madhya Pradesh. The Rewa Project also exemplifies India’s commitment to attain the target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by the year 2022, including 100 GW of Solar installed capacity. Know! about SECI Solar Energy Corporation of India ltd" (SECI) is a CPSU under the administrative control of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), set up on 20th Sept, 2011 to facilitate the implementation of JNNSM and achievement of targets set therein. It is the only CPSU dedicated to the solar energy sector. It was originally incorporated as a section-25 (not for profit) company under the Companies Act, 1956. However, through a Government of India decision, the company has recently been converted into a Section-3 company under the Companies Act, 2013. The mandate of the company has also been broadened to cover the entire renewable energy domain and renamed to Renewable Energy Corporation of India (RECI). The company is responsible for implementation of a number of government schemes, major ones being the VGF schemes for large-scale grid-connected projects under NSM, solar park scheme and grid-connected solar rooftop scheme, along with a host of other specialised schemes such as defence scheme, canal-top scheme, and Indo-Pak border scheme. Space Awareness ISRO to launch Amazonia-1 satellite of Brazil onboard PSLV Relevance IN – Prelims (about Amazonia -1 satellite) + Mains (GS III Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio- technology What’s the NEWS After the recent successful launch of a Colombian satellite by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) along with other countries onboard PSLV-C43, another South American country Brazil is getting ready for launching its satellite in 2020. The Indian Space Research and Research Organisation (ISRO) gets ready to launch Brazil’s Amazonia -1 satellite next month onboard PSLV. Know! all about the Brazilian Satellite This Brazilian Satellite has been locally designed, assembled and tested in Brazil and will be the first satellite for Earth Observation. It will the primary payload and will not be a hitch- hiking satellite. The images from the Brazilian satellite will help in observing and monitoring the deforestation of the Amazon Region. And it now has a much more critical role to play after the recent fires in the Amazon Region. Also, the images will help in the agricultural and vegetation areas.
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Know! about India-Brazil Space Cooperation At the 6th BRICS Summit in 2014, the two countries –India and Brazil had an agreement all signed which talked about setting up a Brazilian earth station to receive data from the Indian satellites. For operating the station and gathering data through remote sensing, the Brazilian scientists have been getting training at the ISRO facility. Space Cooperation between the two countries goes back to the early 2000s when the two had an agreement in place at the Government to Government level, under which the South American nation started receiving data from Resourcesat-1 satellite of India from October 2009 to September 2013. Since October 2014 has been receiving data from Resourcesat-2. On commercial basis, India gets tracking support from ground stations located Alcantara and Cuiaba, in Brazil. This tracking support is for Indian satellites and other space programmes including Chandrayaan-I, Megha Tropiques, MOM, and ASTROSAT. The global role of ISRO Several countries have been coming to ISRO for launching their satellite purely because of commercial consideration. A lot of South American countries have been reaching out to ISRO through the Indian Missions looking for a commercially feasible launch. Post-MARS mission in 2014, India’s sophisticated and cost-effective programmes attracted big and small countries from across the globe. Countries like Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Bolivia are among some of the countries who have a Space Cooperation with ISRO at a different level. Infrastructure Development Cycles4Change Challenge
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Relevance IN – Prelims (about Cycles4Change Challenge) + Mains (GS III infrastructure development + environment conservation) What’s the NEWS The Smart Cities Mission opened the registration for India Cycles4Change Challenge on 10thJuly, 2020. Know! more about the challenge The challenge was launched on 25th June, 2020 the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The event was marked by description of the Challenge brief and launch of the online portal for submission of application for participating cities. The Challenge aims to help cities connect with their citizens as well as experts to develop a unified vision to promote cycling. Cities are encouraged to collaborate with CSOs, experts, and volunteers as they develop and implement their plans. Citizen collaboration will also be a key metric in the evaluation of proposals submitted by the cities. To assist the cities in this aspect, the online portal also features a registration form for CSOs, urban designers, planners, students and other citizens who wish to collaborate with their cities. The Challenge is open to all cities under the Smart Cities Mission, capital cities of States/UTs, and all cities with a population of more than 5 lakh population. The Challenge will run in two stages. Stage One will run until October where cities will focus on piloting quick interventions to promote cycling and developing a scale-up strategy. In October 2020, 11 cities will be shortlisted and will receive Rs. 1 Crore award and guidance from national and international experts to further scale-up the initiatives in Stage Two, which will be held until May 2021. Agriculture National Fish Farmers Day 2020 Relevance IN – Prelims (about NFDB + NBFGR and about PMMSY + Fish Cryobank) What’s the NEWS On the occasion of National Fish Farmers Day, a webinar was hosted today by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in association with the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB). Know! all about National Fish Farmers Day National Fish Farmers Day is celebrated on 10th July every year in remembrance of scientists Dr. K. H. Alikunhi and Dr. H.L. Chaudhury who successfully demonstrated the technology of induced breeding (Hypophysation) in Indian Major Carps on 10th July, 1957 at the erstwhile ‘Pond Culture Division’ of CIFRI at Cuttack, Odisha (presently Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, CIFA, Bhubaneswar). Every year, the event is celebrated by felicitating outstanding fish farmers, aquapreneurs& fisher folks in recognition of their accomplishments in the field and their contribution in the growth of the fisheries sector in the country.
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Know! about Fish Cryobanks On the occasion of ‘National Fish Farmers Day’ the NFDB in collaboration with the NBFGR will take up the work to establish “Fish Cryobanks” in different parts of the country, which will facilitate all time availability of ‘fish sperms’ of desired species to fish farmers. This would be the first time in the world when “Fish Cryobank” will be established, which can bring a revolutionary change in the fisheries sector in the country for enhancing fish production and productivity and thereby increasing prosperity among the fish farmers. The “Cryomilt” technology developed by the NBFGR in support with NFDB may be helpful in establishment of “Fish Cryobanks”, which will provide good quality of fish sperms in hatcheries at any time. Know! about NBFGR ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR) was established in December 1983 under the aegis of Indian Council of Agricultural Research to undertake research related to the conservation of fish germplasm resources of the country. The Institute's vision is assessment and conservation of fish genetic resources for intellectual property protection, sustainable utilization and posterity. The mandate of the Institute includes collection, classification and cataloguing of fish genetic resources of the country, maintenance and preservation of fish genetic material for conservation of endangered fish species and evaluation and valuation of indigenous and exotic fish species. Know! about PMMSY Pradhan MantriMatsyaSampadaYojana” (PMMSY) has been launched with highest ever investment of Rs. 20,050 crore during next five years. This scheme will address the critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management, modernisation and strengthening of value chain, traceability, establishing a robust fisheries management framework and fishermen’s welfare.
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Know! about NFDB The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) was established in 2006 as an autonomous organization under the administrative control of the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India to enhance fish production and productivity in the country and to coordinate fishery development in an integrated and holistic manner. The activities of NFDB are overseen by a Governing Body under the Chairmanship of the Union Agriculture Minister. Know! about CIFRI Recognizing the role of inland fisheries, Government of India established a Central Inland Fisheries Research Station at Calcutta on 17 March 1947, under the then Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Later, in 1959, the Central Inland Fisheries Research Station was elevated to a full-fledged research institute, christened as "Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute". In 1967 it came under the administration of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture (currently Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare), New Delhi. Inland Fisheries India has vast and varied types of inland fisheries resources in the form of rivers, estuaries, reservoirs, floodplain wetlands, lakes, coastal lagoons and backwaters, which play important roles in fish production in the country, ensuring food and nutritional security, employment generation and livelihoods to millions of people. NITI Aayog Virtual workshop to monitor performance of 29 select Global Indices Relevance IN – Prelims (about the virtual workshop + about the global indices) + Mains (GS III Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment) What’s the NEWS NITI Aayog organized a virtual workshop with 47 Central Ministries/Departments in furtherance of the Government of India’s decision to monitor the performance of 29 select Global Indices to drive reforms and growth in the country. Know! more about the Global Indices and the highlights of Virtual Workshop The participants about various background activities carried out by NITI Aayog, NIC, DPIIT, MoSPI and other Ministries in relation to monitoring of these Global Indices. It will measure and monitor India’s performance on various important social, economic and other parameters through internationally recognized Indices. The goal of the exercise is to use these Indices as tools for self-improvement, and bring about reforms in policies, while improving last-mile implementation of government schemes. The 29 global indices, published by 19 international agencies, have been assigned to 18 nodal ministries and departments of the Government of India.
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NITI Aayog will assist in monitoring the performance and progress of all these Indices, and aid in their engagement with Publishing Agencies. The related Ministry/Department will monitor key parameters identified and ensure reforms and progress sought is achieved. The Ministry/Department will also coordinate with the data publishing agencies to ensure accurate and representative reporting. Index Monitoring Cells have already been set up in most Ministries to drive and monitor this exercise. This activity will require close coordination among the Central Government, States and Civil Society Organizations. A single, informative dashboard is being prepared for all the 29 Global Indices. The dashboard will allow for monitoring of the parameters as per official data as well as the data source used by the publishing agencies. It will also facilitate monitoring the performance of the States and Union territories, including on reforms. Government Schemes NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission launches app development module for school students
Relevance IN – Prelims (about ATL App Development Module’+ programs launched by NITI Aayog) + Mains (GS III Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology) What’s the NEWS The Atal Innovation Mission of Centre's think-tank, NITI Aayog, has launched a free online app development course for school students across the country. Under the Atal Tinkering Lab initiative, AIM, NITI Aayog launched the ATL App Development module for India’s young minds
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Know! about ATL App Development Module Named, ‘ATL App Development Module’, the online course intends to make mobile application-developers of school students under Atal Tinkering Lab initiative of AIM. Through six project-based learning modules and online mentoring sessions, young innovators can learn to build mobile apps in various Indian languages and showcase their talent. The course has been jointly developed by NITI Aayog’s AIM and Indian startup, Plezmo. This would be one of the largest App learning and development initiatives at a school level in any country. To foster learning and creativity within young minds, as part of the ATL #TinkerfromHome campaign, AIM, NITI Aayog has created a growing state of the art platform for the students and teachers across the country to learn and apply the latest of technologies from the comfort and safety of their homes The launch of Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge has been inspiring to the young students uniformly at school, university and industry level. NITI Aayog is now bringing the skills of app development to the young tinkerers of Atal Tinkering Labs across the country so that they can integrate their Tinkering Lab innovations with mobile apps enhancing the usability and reach of their innovations. Additional info.(flagship schemes/initiatives of NITI Aayog) Atal Tinkering Lab In ATLs, students of class 6th to 12th acquire a problem-solving attitude, develop innovative solutions leveraging technologies like 3D printers, robotics, miniaturised electronics, IOT and programming and DIY kits, with support from teachers and mentors. Atal Innovative Mission AIM is the Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. AIM’s objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platform and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, create awareness and create an umbrella structure to oversee innovation ecosystem of the country. Six major initiatives of AIM: Atal Tinkering Labs-Creating problem-solving mindset across schools in India. Atal Incubation Centers-Fostering world class start-ups and adding a new dimension to the incubator model. Atal New India Challenges-Fostering product innovations and aligning them to the needs of various sectors/ministries. Mentor India Campaign- A national Mentor network in collaboration with public sector, corporates and institutions, to support all the initiatives of the mission. Atal Community Innovation Centre- To stimulate community centric innovation and ideas in the unserved /underserved regions of the country including Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. ARISE-To stimulate innovation and research in the MSME industry.
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Generation Unlimited: Generation Unlimited is a new UNICEF-led global partnership that aims to ensure that every young person age 10-24 is in some form of school, learning, training, self-employment, or age-appropriate employment by 2030. It aims to co-create and scale up proven solutions related to secondary age-education, skills for learning, employability and decent work, and empowerment, with a focus on girls. Environment Conservation India’s tiger census creates Guinness record
Relevance IN – Prelims (about tiger census 2018 highlights) + Mains (GS III Environment Conservation) What’s the NEWS India’s 2018 Tiger Census has made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world’s largest camera trapping wildlife survey. Know! more about it The fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018 estimated 2,967 tigers or 75 per cent of the global tiger population in the nation. Its results were declared to the nation on Global Tiger Day last year by Prime Minister Know! about the world’s largest camera trap wildlife survey. For the survey, camera traps were placed at 26,838 locations across 141 different sites. From these photographs (from camera traps), 2,461 individual tigers (excluding cubs) were identified using stripe-pattern-recognition software The 2018 All India Tiger estimation had found 2967 tigers in the country, compared to 2,226 in 2014. The fourth iteration of the survey – conducted in 2018-19 - was the most comprehensive to date, in terms of both resource and data amassed. A population estimation of tigers is created by combining the two types of data - the tigers photographed and identified and the non-photographed ones whose numbers are estimated using software.
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Know! the highlights of Tiger Census 2018 On International Tiger Day 2019, July 29, PM Narendra Modi released the tiger estimation figures in India The country had achieved its target of doubling its number of tigers an incredible four years earlier than the given deadline. India has 2,967 tigers - a reported growth of 33% in the fourth cycle of the Tiger Census which has been conducted every four years since 2006. In 2006, the census showed that the number of tigers in India was only 1,411. In the next cycle of 2010, the numbers grew to 1,706, and in 2014, the tiger numbers grew to 2,226. As per the Tiger Census of 2018, the state of Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 526. It is followed by Karnataka with 524 tigers and Uttarakhand at 442 tigers. The states of Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in tiger numbers while Odisha maintained its population.undertaken using the best available science, technology and analytical tools. The M-STrIPES app, CaTRAT software and the Extract Compare programs made this tiger census the most accurate in history. The 2018 tiger census was quite a big upgrade from the previous three cycles as it was Know! about Tigers Tigers are scattered among Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russian Federation, Thailand and Vietnam. India’s five tiger landscapes are: Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains, Central Indian Landscape and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, North-East Hills and Brahmaputra Plains, and the Sundarbans.
Global Tiger Day World Tiger Day is celebrated on July 29 every year to raise awareness about a gradual decline in tiger population leaving them on the brink of extinction, and to encourage tiger conservation. International Tiger Day was established in 2010 at Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia. At the summit, governments of tiger-populated countries vowed to double tiger population by 2020. Around 3,900 tigers remain in the wild across the globe, according to World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Since the beginning of the 20th century, over 95 per cent of the world's tiger population has been lost.
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There are different species of tigers — Siberian tigers, Bengal tigers, Indochinese tigers, Malayan tigers and South China tigers. The Bengal tiger is found primarily in India, with smaller a population of them in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar as well. Know! about Project Tiger The Government of India has taken a pioneering initiative for conserving its national animal, the tiger, by launching the ‘Project Tiger’ in 1973. The tiger reserves are constituted on a core/buffer strategy. The core areas have the legal status of a national park or a sanctuary, whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple use area. The Project Tiger aims to foster an exclusive tiger agenda in the core areas of tiger reserves, with an inclusive people oriented agenda in the buffer. Know! about NTCA The National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, ‘Project Tiger’ is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Environment, Forests and Climate Change, providing funding support to tiger range States, for in-situ conservation of tigers in designated tiger reserves, and has put the endangered tiger on an assured path of recovery by saving it from extinction, as revealed by the recent findings of the All India tiger estimation using the refined methodology. Infrastructure Development Green Railway by 2030 Relevance IN – Prelims (factual info about the steps taken by the railways to promote green railway) + Mains (GS III infrastructure development + environment conservation – facts can be used to substantiate your answers) What’s the NEWS Ministry of Railways, with a goal of transforming Indian Railways into Green Railways by 2030 has taken a number of major initiatives towards mitigation of global warming and combating climate change. Railway Electrification, improving energy efficiency of locomotives & trains and fixed installations, green certification for installations/stations, fitting bio toilets in coaches and switching to renewable sources of energy are parts of its strategy of achieving net zero carbon emission. Know! the highlights of all the Green Initiatives taken by Indian Railways Indian Railways has completed electrification of more than 40,000 Route km (RKM) (63% of BG routes) All routes on BG network have been planned to be electrified by December 2023. Indian Railways has also taken a number of initiatives to promote solar energy. Indian Railways is working to harness the potential of 500 Mega Watt (MW) energy through roof top Solar panels (Developer model).
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Indian Railways is trying to produce power from land Based Solar installations for running trains. Indian Railway has 51,000 hectare of land potential of installing 20 GW land based solar plants. Railway Energy Management Company Limited (REMCL), a Joint Venture Company of Indian Railways (49 % Equity) and RITES Limited (51 % Equity), has been mandated for proliferation of taking up land based project. In the wind energy sector, 103 MW wind-based power plants have already been commissioned. Among them, 26 MW is in Rajasthan (Jaisalmer), 21 MW is in Tamil Nadu and 56.4 MW is in Maharashtra (Sangli). Indian Railways has also planned to set up 200 MW wind energy plants in next 2 years in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka. Realizing its role in climate change Indian Railways has started other Green Initiatives like 100 per cent LED illumination of buildings and stations. Total 505 pairs of trains have been converted to Head on Generation(HOG), unleashing approx 70 million liter diesel/ Rs 450 crore per annum potential of saving. Government Schemes Implementation Guidelines for Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund launched Relevance IN – Prelims (Guidelines for Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) + Mains (GS III Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing. What’s the NEWS Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the Implementation Guidelines for Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) worth Rs. 15,000 crores, which was approved by the Union Cabinet on 24.06.2020 under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan stimulus package for ensuring growth in several sectors. Know! all about Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development fund (AHIDF) Government has been implementing several schemes for incentivizing the investment made by dairy cooperative sector for development of dairy infrastructure. MSMEs and Private companies also need to be promoted and incentivized for their involvement in processing and value addition infrastructure. AHIDF would facilitate much needed incentivisation of investments in establishment of such infrastructure for dairy and meat processing and value addition infrastructure and establishment of animal feed plant in the private sector. The eligible beneficiaries under the Scheme would be Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), MSMEs, Section 8 Companies, Private Companies and individual entrepreneur with minimum 10% margin money contribution by them.
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The balance 90% would be the loan component to be made available by scheduled banks. Government of India will provide 3% interest subvention to eligible beneficiaries. There will be 2 years moratorium period for principal loan amount and 6 years repayment period thereafter. Government of India would also set up Credit Guarantee Fund of Rs. 750 crore to be managed by NABARD. Credit guarantee would be provided to those sanctioned projects which are covered under MSME defined ceilings. Guarantee Coverage would be upto 25% of Credit facility of borrower. The beneficiaries intending to invest for establishing dairy and meat processing and value addition infrastructure or strengthening of the existing infrastructure can apply for loan in the scheduled bank through “Udyami Mitra” portal of SIDBI. Science & Technology
ZyCoV-D Relevance IN – Prelims (about ZyCoV-D + National Biopharma Mission) + Mains (GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources+ GS III awareness in the field of science and technology What’s the NEWS ZyCoV-D, the plasmid DNA vaccine designed and developed by Zydus and partially funded by the Department of Biotechnology, has initiated Phase I/ II clinical trials in healthy subjects, making it the first indigenously developed vaccine for COVID-19 to be administered in humans in India. The Department of Biotechnology Government of India has partnered with Zydus to address rapid development of an indigenous vaccine for COVID-19 under the National Biopharma Mission. Know! about ZyCoV-D recent developments In the pre-clinical phase, the vaccine was found to elicit a strong immune response in multiple animal species like mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits. The antibodies produced by the vaccine were able to neutralize the wild type virus in virus neutralization assay indicating the protective potential of the vaccine candidate. Know! about National Biopharma Mission, DBT: The Industry-Academia Collaborative Mission of Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of India for accelerating discovery research to early development for Biopharmaceuticals approved by the Cabinet for a total cost US$ 250 million and 50% co-funded by the World Bank is being implemented at Biotechnology Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). This program is dedicated to deliver affordable products to the nation with an aim to improve the health standards of India’s population. Vaccines, medical devices and diagnostics and biotherapeutics are few of its most important domains, besides, strengthening the clinical trial capacity and building technology transfer capabilities in the country.
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Know! about BIRAC Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India as an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs. Know! about Zydus Zydus Cadila is an innovative, global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of healthcare therapies, including small molecule drugs, biologic therapeutics, and vaccines. Information Technology Automotive technology e-portal from International Centre of Automotive Technology(ICAT) .
Relevance IN – Prelims (about ICAT + ASPIRE + NATRIP) + Mains (GS III Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights What’s the NEWS Department of Heavy Industry (DHI), Govt of India, has embarked on a mission to promote innovation, R&D and product development in India for various sectors. To achieve this the Ministry has created a technology platform e-portals where such technology development, information exchange and innovation can be facilitated.
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Know! all about these technology platform e-portals There are five portals being developed for specific sectors by different organizations viz, BHEL for power sector equipment, HMT for machine tools, CMFTI for manufacturing technology, ICAT and ARAI for automotive sector. The objective of these portals is to create an ecosystem which will bring solution seekers and problem solvers together. These include, industry, academia, research institutes, start-ups, professionals and experts. ICAT is developing technology platform for automotive industry called ASPIRE - Automotive Solutions Portal for Industry, Research and Education. The key objective of this portal is to facilitate the Indian Automotive Industry to become self reliant by assisting in innovation and adoption of global technological advancements by bringing together the stakeholders from various associated avenues. The e-portal will act as a one stop solution providing a technology platform which will help to bring together the various stakeholders from the Indian auto industry, providing the necessary impetus for ushering the industry into future with combined efforts. Know! about ICAT The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) was established in 2006 at Manesar, Haryana, India. It is a division of NATRIP (National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project) Implementation Society (NATIS) under Department of Heavy Industries, Government of India. ICAT is providing quality services to the industry in all the domains of automotive and non automotive development, such as Powertrain, Noise Vibration and Harshness, Component, Fatigue, Photometry, Tyre & Wheel, Passive Safety, EMC and CAD & CAE. It also includes a powertrain laboratory, engine dynamometers, emission laboratory with Euro-V capability, a fatigue laboratory, passive safety laboratory, and vehicle test tracks. iCAT is also being developed as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for component development and NVH. ICAT has hosted the world class event NuGen Mobility Summit-2019 in November 2019 which was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India. NuGen Mobility Summit 2021 is scheduled to be held on 27-29 October 2021. NATRIP (National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project) NATRiP is a fully Government of India funded project with a total project cost of Rs. 3727.30 crore. This is the largest and one of the most significant initiatives in Automotive sector so far. The project aims at creating core global competencies in automotive sector in India by facilitating seamless integration of Indian Automotive industry with the world, through setting up state-of-the-art, four green field automotive testing, homologation and R&D infrastructure facilities and up-gradation of two existing facilities with new technology and equipment. Ministry of Heavy Industry & Public Enterprises (MoHI&PE) is the nodal Ministry of the Government for automotive industry in India and is in charge of framing and administering Auto Policy of the Government of India.
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MoHI&PE is the focal Ministry for implementation of NATRIP. Secretary, MoHI&PE chairs the NATRIP Implementation Society (NATIS) Governing Council. The four new centers that have been setup are: International Center For Automotive Technology (iCAT) at Manesar (Haryana) in northern India. Global Automotive Research Center (GARC) at Oragadam near Chennai (Tamil Nadu) in southern India. National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) at Pithampur near Indore (Madhya Pradesh) in central India. National Institute Of Automotive Inspection, Maintenance & Training (NIAIMT) at Silchar (Assam) in northeast India. Additional Info Know! about ASPIRE ASPIRE is an acronym for Automobile Solutions Portal for Industry, Research & Education, and it aims to aid and advance the development of newer technologies and address the challenges in the field of automotive technology. This is one of several platforms being created for various technology sectors with the help of organizations under the aegis of DHI.
The objective of ASPIRE is to bring together everybody and those, who wish to avail of a certain technology, process or sometimes even troubleshooting, field problems, quality issues, or even a technical requirement and need of the industry, which they are not able to fulfil by themselves in the country and have to seek help of foreign countries, that should be enabled to be done in India through this platform.
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Additional Info Know! about another ASPIRE The Minister for School Education launch portal ‘Aspire’ at Mantralya The Portal has been prepared with the help of the UNICEF for the students of class 9th to 12th of the government schools. The ‘Aspire’ is in fact a future opportunity portal. Information pertaining to college fee, subjects, admission procedure etc. of all the colleges of national and state level can be obtained from this portal. Students by self login on this portal can gather information as regard to subjects of their own interest. Environment KURMA mobile app towards conservation of Indian turtles Relevance IN – Prelims (facts related to KURMA mobile app + freshwater turtle + TRAFFIC) + Mains (GS III Environment conservation) What’s the NEWS Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar hailed the KURMA mobile application as a unique tool for tracking and reporting Indian turtles. It highlight the vital role of citizen participation towards conservation of the rich flora and fauna of the country. Know! about KURMA app The Mobile Application, KURMA, was launched on 23rd May this year on the occasion of World Turtle Day. The mobile application has been developed by the Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network (ITCAN) in collaboration with the Turtle Survival Alliance-India and Wildlife Conservation Society-India. It provides users the database to identify a species and also provides the location of the nearest rescue centre for turtles across the country.
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The citizen science initiative aims at conservation of turtles and tortoises. Wildlife enthusiasts can help scientists and conservationists by updating photos and information on turtles on Kurma mobile application This special turtle-tracking app will help in accurately identifying species and help in reporting turtle sightings, apart from enlisting the help of experts and local help centres. Know! about Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network (ITCAN). A group of leading conservation agencies have come together to launch the citizen-science initiative, named the Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network (ITCAN). This provides a platform for the exchange of vital information on turtles, promises to engage the general public in ground data collection and provide assistance to enforcement agencies / forest departments. Thus, ITCAN can lead to potential conservation success stories through its tool, the Kurma app. ITCAN will also help in observing 2020 as the year of the turtle, celebrated across the world by conservation agencies and zoos interested in turtle conservation. Know! about freshwater turtles India has a total of 29 species of freshwater turtles (24) and tortoises (5). The latest addition to the list was as recent as last year where a new record of the Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressa), only known in China and Myanmar until then, was found in Arunachal Pradesh. Many of these 29 species are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act with up to 11 species having Schedule 1 protection, same as that of a tiger. Freshwater turtles are known for their ecosystem services like keeping rivers, ponds and freshwater sources clean by eating algal blooms and scavenging on dead matter. illegal trade of tortoises and freshwater turtles in India. Most of the turtles and tortoise species of India are protected under various Schedules of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, under which hunting, trade or any other form of utilisation of the species or their body parts and derivatives is banned. All turtle and tortoise species from India are also listed under CITES regulating their international trade. Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal emerged as the two major hotspots in terms of total number of animals seized In total 14 Indian species of tortoises and freshwater turtles were found to be traded, of which Indian Star Tortoise Geochelone elegans accounted for 49% of the total identifiable individuals seized, followed by Indian Softshell Turtle Nilssonia gangetica (26%), Indian Flapshell Turtle Lissemys punctata (15%) and Black spotted or Spotted Pond Turtle Geoclemys hamiltonii (9%). At the 18th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP18) Indian Star Tortoise was up-listed to Appendix I from Appendix II owing to its over exploitation. About TRAFFIC TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a leading non-governmental organisation working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
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TRAFFIC works closely with its founding organisations, IUCN and WWF. TRAFFIC in India operates as a programme division of WWF–India, the largest conservation organisation in India Energy Sector Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor
Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency (RAISE)
Relevance IN – Prelims (about EV(Electric Vehicle) charging plaza + about Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency (RAISE) + Mains (GS III infrastructure development-Energy) What’s the NEWS The Ministry of Power, New & Renewable Energy inaugurated India’s first public EV(Electric Vehicle) charging plaza at Chelmsford Club in New Delhi. The EV charging plaza is a new avenue for making e-mobility ubiquitous and convenient in India. Such innovative initiatives are imperative for the creation of a robust e-mobility ecosystem in the country. Know! more about the charging plaza EESL is spearheading the EV ecosystem development in India by undertaking demand aggregation for procuring EVs and identifying innovative business models for implementation of Public Charging Station (PCS). EESL in collaboration with NDMC has established India’s first of its kind public EV Charging Plaza in Central Delhi. This plaza will host 5 Electric Vehicle Chargers of different specifications. The charging plaza, with its compatibility with a wide range of electric vehicles will greatly spur e-mobility adoption.
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This would make EV charging hassle free and convenient for the consumers, thereby making e-mobility adoption an attractive proposition. Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency (RAISE) The Power Ministry also launched “Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency” (RAISE) national programme. RAISE initiative can potentially alleviate the issue of bad air quality in workspaces across the nation and pioneer ways to make them healthier and greener. It is a Joint initiative of EESL and USAID This is a part of the larger initiative to “Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor air quality for Safety and Efficiency” developed for healthy and energy efficient buildings, in partnership with U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) MAITREE programme. EESL’s corporate office in Scope Complex has been taken up as a pilot for this initiative. The pilot focuses on improving indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, and energy efficiency (EE) in EESL office’s air conditioning system. The two initiatives focus on energy efficiency, promoting e-mobility and improving indoor air quality Know! about MAITREE Market Integration and Transformation Program for Energy Efficiency (MAITREE) is aimed at accelerating the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency measures as a standard practice within buildings, and specifically focuses on cooling. MAITREE is a part of the US-India bilateral Partnership between the Ministry of Power and USAID. Know! about USAID The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. Economy National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA)
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Relevance IN – Prelims (about the objective of NFRA and about the role of TAC) What’s the NEWS The audit regulator, National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), has constituted a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) under the Chairmanship of R Narayanaswamy, Know! the role of TAC The TAC, which comprises seven members, including the Chairman, would, among other things, aid and advise the Executive Body of the NFRA on issues related to the drafts of accounting standards and auditing standards. It will also provide inputs from the perspectives of users, preparers and auditors of financial statements. The terms of reference of TAC include advise on development of measures of audit quality; advise on suitable methods for promoting awareness (a) relating to compliance with accounting and auditing standards and (b) of the role of the NFRA in protecting investors through independent auditor regulation. Know! about NFRA The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) was constituted on 01st October,2018 by the Government of India under Sub Section (1) of section 132 of the Companies Act, 2013. The establishment of NFRA as an independent regulator for the auditing profession will improve the transparency and reliability of financial statements and information presented by listed companies and large unlisted companies in India. Functions and Duties Recommend accounting and auditing policies and standards to be adopted by companies for approval by the Central Government; Monitor and enforce compliance with accounting standards and auditing standards; Oversee the quality of service of the professions associated with ensuring compliance with such standards and suggest measures for improvement in the quality of service; Perform such other functions and duties as may be necessary or incidental to the aforesaid functions and duties. Science & Technology India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment and Accelerated Commercialization Programme Relevance IN – Prelims (facts about India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment and Accelerated Commercialization Programme) + Mains (GS II bilateral relations) What’s the NEWS The Department of Science and Technology has launched the India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment and Accelerated Commercialization Programme in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE) of the Russian Federation.
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Know! all about the launched programme The programme will connect Indian, and Russian Science & Technology (S&T) led SMEs and Start-ups for joint R&D for technology development and for cross-country technology adaptation. The launch of the India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment and Accelerated Commercialization Programme is a step towards strengthening the Science, Technology and Innovation ties between the two countries. The objective is to leverage joint intellectual and financial resources to develop technologies that would provide the solutions for tomorrow. This initiative will create an ecosystem for Indian and Russian S&T-led SMEs and startups to come together to develop new technological solutions. This program would connect Indian and Russian scientific & production houses, researchers, entrepreneurs to address societal challenges, not only of two countries but globally. Know! the working mechanism of this project The programme will run through two annual cycles with up to five projects to be funded under each cycle. Projects are being sought on leading S&T focus areas, including but not limited to, IT & ICT (including AI, AR, VR), Medicine & Pharmaceuticals, Renewable Energy, Aerospace, Alternative Technologies, Environment, New Materials, Biotechnologies, Robotics and Drones. On behalf of DST, FICCI will implement the program in India. Over a period of two years, the Department of Science and Technology will fund up to INR 15 Crores to ten Indian SMEs/Start-ups and FASIE will provide similar funding to the Russian projects. The programme will provide access to partial public funding for jointly selected projects with the participation of at least one start-up/SME from India and one SME from Russia.
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The selected projects will be required to bear partial funding as well, either through own funds or alternate sources of funding. In addition to the financial support, the teams will also be supported through capacity building, mentorship and business development. Science & Technology Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation Relevance IN – Prelims(regarding the agreement) + Mains (GS II bilateral relations + GS III awareness in the field of S&T) What’s the NEWS India and European Union have renewed its Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation for the next five years (2020-2025). The Agreement was initially signed in on 23 November 2001 and renewed two times in past in 2007 and 2015. Know! all about Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation Cooperative activities may take the forms of reciprocal participation of Indian research and European research entities in research, technological development, and demonstration projects under each other programme. India & the European Union agreed to renew the Agreement on Scientific cooperation for the next five years, 2020-2025, at the 15th India-EU Summit The cooperation has been focused on water, green transport, e-mobility, clean energy, circular economy, bio-economy, health, and ICT. Additional areas, such as climate change, sustainable urban development, manufacturing, advanced materials, nanotechnologies and biotechnology, food processing, and ocean research may also be considered in future endeavours. The EU-India cooperation should also foster innovation by promoting networking between EU and Indian innovators, start-ups, incubators, and accelerators, by setting up joint platforms, both offline and virtual, and engaging in coaching, training and staff exchanges. The mobility of researchers and innovators would be promoted in both directions. Joint Statement of the 15th India-EU Summit (July 15, 2020) The 15th Summit between India and the European Union (EU) was held in virtual format on 15th July 2020. Leaders welcomed active people-to-people exchanges including among students, researchers, professionals, business persons & tourists as part of the implementation of the Joint Declaration on Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM). They noted the progress under the High Level Dialogue on Migration and Mobility (HLDMM) to streamline the movement of people in both directions in line with applicable migration and mobility rules. The leaders adopted the "India-EU Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025” to guide cooperation between India and the EU over the next five years.
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They welcomed the signing of the India-EURATOM Agreement on research and development cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. They also adopted a Joint Declaration on Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy and welcomed the upcoming renewal of the India-EU Science and Technology Agreement for another five years. Environment Global Tiger Day Relevance IN – Prelims (about Global tiger day and facts related to it +All India Tiger Estimation 2018 highlights) + Mains (GS III Environment conservation) What’s the NEWS On the eve of Global Tiger Day,2020, Union Environment Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar released the detailed report of the fourth All India Tiger Estimation-2018.
Know! about Global Tiger Day The Heads of the Governments of Tiger Range countries at St. Petersburg, Russia, had resolved to double tiger numbers across their global range by 2022 by signing the St. Petersburg declaration on tiger conservation. During the said meeting it was also decided to celebrate July 29 as Global Tiger Day across the world, which is since, being celebrated to spread and generate awareness on tiger conservation. It was during this day last year, when the Prime Minister declared to the world India’s fulfilment of its resolve to double tiger numbers, four years in advance to the target year of 2022 as decided during the St. Petersburg declaration on tiger conservation in Russia in 2010. India now has nearly 70% of the global tiger population. All India Tiger Estimation 2018 The fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018 estimated 2,967 tigers or 75 per cent of the global tiger population in the nation. For the survey, camera traps were placed at 26,838 locations across 141 different sites.
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From these photographs (from camera traps), 2,461 individual tigers (excluding cubs) were identified using stripe-pattern-recognition software The 2018 All India Tiger estimation had found 2967 tigers in the country, compared to 2,226 in 2014. The fourth iteration of the survey – conducted in 2018-19 - was the most comprehensive to date, in terms of both resource and data amassed. A population estimation of tigers is created by combining the two types of data - the tigers photographed and identified and the non-photographed ones whose numbers are estimated using software. Know! the highlights of Tiger Census 2018 On International Tiger Day 2019, July 29, PM Narendra Modi released the tiger estimation figures in India The country had achieved its target of doubling its number of tigers an incredible four years earlier than the given deadline. India has 2,967 tigers - a reported growth of 33% in the fourth cycle of the Tiger Census which has been conducted every four years since 2006. In 2006, the census showed that the number of tigers in India was only 1,411. In the next cycle of 2010, the numbers grew to 1,706, and in 2014, the tiger numbers grew to 2,226. As per the Tiger Census of 2018, the state of Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 526. It is followed by Karnataka with 524 tigers and Uttarakhand at 442 tigers. The states of Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in tiger numbers while Odisha maintained its population.undertaken using the best available science, technology and analytical tools. The M-STrIPES app, CaTRAT software and the Extract Compare programs made this tiger census the most accurate in history. The 2018 tiger census was quite a big upgrade from the previous three cycles as it was Know! about Tigers Tigers are scattered among Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russian Federation, Thailand and Vietnam. India’s five tiger landscapes are: Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains, Central Indian Landscape and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, North-East Hills and Brahmaputra Plains, and the Sundarbans.
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Global Tiger Day World Tiger Day is celebrated on July 29 every year to raise awareness about a gradual decline in tiger population leaving them on the brink of extinction, and to encourage tiger conservation. International Tiger Day was established in 2010 at Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia. At the summit, governments of tiger-populated countries vowed to double tiger population by 2020. Around 3,900 tigers remain in the wild across the globe, according to World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Since the beginning of the 20th century, over 95 per cent of the world's tiger population has been lost. There are different species of tigers — Siberian tigers, Bengal tigers, Indochinese tigers, Malayan tigers and South China tigers. The Bengal tiger is found primarily in India, with smaller a population of them in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar as well. Know! about Project Tiger The Government of India has taken a pioneering initiative for conserving its national animal, the tiger, by launching the ‘Project Tiger’ in 1973. The tiger reserves are constituted on a core/buffer strategy. The core areas have the legal status of a national park or a sanctuary, whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple use area. The Project Tiger aims to foster an exclusive tiger agenda in the core areas of tiger reserves, with an inclusive people oriented agenda in the buffer. Know! about NTCA The National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, ‘Project Tiger’ is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Environment, Forests and Climate Change, providing funding support to tiger range States, for in-situ conservation of tigers in designated tiger reserves, and has put the endangered tiger on an assured path of recovery by saving it from extinction, as revealed by the recent findings of the All India tiger estimation using the refined methodology. Science and Technology Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences Relevance IN – Prelims (about MoES and its various initiatives) + Mains (GS III awareness in the field of science and technology) Know! the genesis of MoES The Department of Ocean Development (DOD) was created in July 1981 In February, 2006, the Government notified the Department as the Ministry of Ocean Development . The Government of India further reorganized the Ministry of Ocean Development and the new Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) came
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The Ministry of Earth Sciences was formed in the year 2006 from a merger of the India Meteorological Department (IMD),the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and Earth Risk Evaluation Centre (EREC), and the Ministry of Ocean Development. The Government also approved the setting up of Earth Commission on the pattern of Space Commission and Atomic Energy Commission. Know the initiative and steps taken by MoES On the occasion of its foundation day MoES-Knowledge Resource Centre Network (KRCNet) and mobile App “Mausam” for India Meteorological Department, were launched. During the next five years, MoES has ambitious plans of development of a manned submersible to carry 3 scientists to a depth of 6000 metres in the ocean with suit of scientific sensors and tools development of an Integrated Mining System will be developed for mining Polymetallic Nodules from 6000 m depth, Increase the number of Doppler Weather Radars from the current number of 28 to about 50, Integrated meteorological services for the north-eastern region Augment the existing High Performance Computing System from 10 PFlops to about 40 PFLops and Improve the horizontal resolution of the weather forecast model from existing 12 km to 5 km to help farmers in obtaining block level forecasts.” Other achievements MoES has developed and commissioned an Integrated Flood Warning System for Mumbai (IFLOWS-Mumbai) in close coordination with Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Govt of Maharashtra. to aid in the mitigation activities of the flood prone city of Mumbai. Two new Doppler Weather Radars (DWR)s were commissioned at Sonmarg, J&K & Mukteshwar under the Integrated Himalayan Meteorology Programme (IHMP). MoES is installing six new water desalinations plants in Lakshadweep islands,with the help of for the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Lakshadweep administration. A new Coastal Research Vessel “SAGAR ANVESHIKA” was commissioned in February 2020. This is by far one of the most remarkable developments in the history of India’s coastal research with India’s private sector partnering the Government and boosting the vision of ‘Make in India’. Initiatives launched by MoES Knowledge Resource Centre Network (KRCNet) Under the Digital India initiative of Government of India, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) aims to develop a World-Class Knowledge Resource Centre Network (KRCNet). Know! about Knowledge Resource Centre Network (KRCNet). The traditional libraries of the MoES system will be upgraded into a top-notch Knowledge Resource Centres (KRC). KRCs will be connected with each other and integrated into the KRCNet portal. It will be a single point entry to the intellectual world of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
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The resources and services of MoES system will be accessible 24X7 through a one point dynamic, updated and integrated KRCNet portal. Ministry of Earth Sciences launches Mobile App "Mausam” for India Meteorological Department India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences has taken various initiatives in recent years for improvement in dissemination of weather forecast and warning services based on latest tools and technologies. To further enhance this initiative, Ministry of Earth Sciences launched the mobile App "Mausam” for India Meteorological Department. Know! about the Mobile app This Mobile App is dedicated to the general public and designed to communicate the weather information and forecasts in a lucid manner without technical jargons. Users can access observed weather, forecasts, radar images and be proactively warned of impending weather events. The Mausam mobile app will be an important tool for dissemination of weather information and warnings in an attractive and user friendly manner which will meet the requirements of public. The mobile app has been designed and developed jointly by ICRISAT’s Digital Agriculture & Youth (DAY) team, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune and India Meteorological Department The MAUSAM mobile App has the following 5 services: Current Weather – Nowcast City Forecast Warnings Radar products Atmospheric Research Testbeds On the Setting up of Atmospheric Research Testbeds, a unique facility in Tropics will be launched in 2021 with the first phase of instrumentation. This open field observatory is planned to be spread over 100 acres of land (50 km away from Bhopal) and is proposed for a better understanding of the monsoon clouds and land surface processes. This centre will have state-of-the-art observational systems such as RADARS, WIND PROFILERS, UAVs etc. Environment Detailed report of Tiger Census on the eve of Global Tiger Day released Relevance IN -Prelims (about the detailed report highlights) + Mains (GS III Environment conservation) What’s the NEWS The Union Environment Minister, released the detailed report of Tiger Census on the eve of Global Tiger Day
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Detailed report of Tiger Census (Highlights) India has 70 percent of world’s tiger population. India is tirelessly working with all 13 tiger range countries towards nurturing the tiger. To deal with the challenge of human-animal conflict which is causing deaths of animals, LIDAR based survey technology will be used for the first time. Lidar is a method for measuring distances by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the reflection with a sensor. With the presence of nearly 30 percent of India’s tigers outside tiger reserves, India had embarked upon assessing management interventions through the globally developed Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) framework, which will now be extended to all fifty tiger reserves across the country. India’s tiger population now stands at 2967 which is 70 percent of the global tiger population. A feather in India’s cap was added with the Guinness World Records recognizing the country’s efforts as the world largest camera trap survey of wildlife. The detailed report of the 4th All India Tiger Estimation is unique in the following ways Abundance index of co-predators and other species has been carried out which hitherto was restricted only to occupancy Sex ratio of tigers in all camera trap sites has been carried out for the first time. Anthropogenic effects on tiger population have been elaborated in a detailed manner. Tiger abundance within pockets in tiger reserves has been demonstrated for the first time. Economy RBI signs $400 mn currency swap with Sri Lanka Relevance IN -Prelims (about the currency swap agreement and its benefits) + Mains (GS III Economic development + GS II bilateral relations) What’s the NEWS The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has signed an agreement for extending a $400-million currency swap facility to Sri Lanka to boost the foreign reserves and ensure financial stability of the country
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Know! all about the currency swap agreement Sri Lanka entered into an agreement with the RBI for a currency swap worth $400 million under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) framework in April Reserve Bank of India signs document for $400 million currency swap facility to Sri Lanka till Nov 2022 In the swap arrangement, a country provides dollars to a foreign central bank, which, at the same time, provides the equivalent funds in its currency to the former, based on the market exchange rate at the time of the transaction. The parties agree to swap back these quantities of their two currencies at a specified date in the future, which could be the next day or even two years later, using the same exchange rate as in the first transaction. In Sri Lanka’s case, it’s more than two years. These swap operations carry no exchange rate or other market risks, as transaction terms are set in advance. The absence of an exchange rate risk is the major benefit of such a facility. This facility provides the country, which is getting the dollars, with the flexibility to use these reserves at any time in order to maintain an appropriate level of balance of payments or short- term liquidity. The RBI also offers similar swap lines to central banks in the SAARC region within a total corpus of $2 billion. India already has a $75 billion bilateral currency swap line with Japan, which has the second highest dollar reserves after China. Connect to the Past (May 2020 article) How a dollar swap line with US Fed can help in uncertain times What’s the News India is working with the United States to secure a dollar swap line that would help in better management of its external account and provide extra cushion in the event of an abrupt outflow of funds, according to banking industry and government sources. Currency Swap Agreement Forex reserves/assets (also called foreign exchange assets) are assets held on reserve by a central bank in foreign currencies. These may include foreign currencies, bonds, treasury bills and other government securities. These are held to ensure that a central bank has enough funds if its national currency weakens/ devalues rapidly. A currency swap between the two countries is an agreement to exchange currencies with predetermined terms and conditions. The parties agree to swap back these quantities of their two currencies at a specified date in the future, which is the next day or as far ahead as three months, using the same exchange rate as in the first transaction. These swap operations carry no exchange rate or other market risks as transaction terms are set in advance. Central banks and Governments engage in currency swaps with foreign counterparts to meet short term foreign exchange liquidity requirements or to ensure adequate
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foreign currency to avoid Balance of Payments (BOP) crisis till longer arrangements can be made. In a dollar swap arrangement, a kind of currency swap, the US Fed provides dollars to a foreign central bank (Say, RBI), which, at the same time, provides the equivalent funds in its currency (here, Indian Rupees) to the Fed, based on the market exchange rate at the time of the transaction. In 2019, India signed a $75 billion bilateral currency swap line agreement with Japan, which has the second largest dollar reserves after China. This facility provides India with the flexibility to use these reserves at any time in order to maintain an appropriate level of balance of payments or short-term liquidity. The Reserve Bank of India also offers similar swap lines to central banks in the SAARC region within a total corpus of $2 billion. Need Of Dollar Swap In The Present Context In roughly a month, India’s foreign exchange reserves have fallen by nearly $13 billion — from an all-time high of $487.23 billion on March 6 to $474.66 billion as of April 3, as per the latest data reported by the RBI. Despite the slump in global crude oil prices and reduction in imports due to the pandemic outbreak, a sharp outflow of funds resulting from foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) looking for safer havens amidst the current global uncertainty, has pulled down India’s foreign exchange reserves. On March 19, 2020, the Fed opened temporary swap arrangements with the central banks of Australia, Brazil, Denmark, South Korea, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, and Sweden, to be in place for at least six months for a combined $450 billion. The Fed already has permanent swap arrangements with the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, and the Swiss National Bank. Other large economies including India, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and South Africa — all part of the G-20 grouping — currently do not have a currency swap line with the US. How a Swap Agreement will benefit the present economy With the high level of Forex available with India at present, it is largely expected to tide over any challenge posed by continued outflows of funds from the markets. However, a swap line with the US Federal Reserve provides additional comfort to the forex markets. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have been large sellers in the Indian equity and debt markets in March and April so far, as concerns over the economic effects of the COVID- 19 pandemic has hit investor sentiment. Even as the stock markets have seen a pullback from earlier low levels, there is apprehension that the economic impact of COVID-19 will last for a significant length of time, and there is unlikely to be any V-shaped recovery in the economy or in the financial markets. This means that the government and the RBI cannot lower their guard on the management of the economy and the external account.
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