Experience Civil Service Exam Register now for Race2IAS Model Civil Service Exam For School & College students Edition 4

Register now : Call/ Whatsapp 6238427443 | 7594875084 Prepare for IAS at the comfort of your home

SCHOOL & COLLEGE STUDENTS

Register now : Call/ Whatsapp 6238427443 | 7594875084 Covaxin – India’s first Covid19 Vaccine candidate

• The vaccine candidate, called Covaxin, has been developed by the Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech India Ltd (BBIL) which got approvals from the Drug Controller General of India on for the phase1 and phase2 trials. • The Hyderabad based company claims the results from pre-clinical studies, done in two months time, have been promising and the vaccine shows extensive safety and effective immune response. • The vaccine is being developed he vaccine is being developed in collaboration with ICMR and National Institute of Virology Shri Rajnath Singh e-inaugurates six strategic bridges in Jammu & Kashmir

• Defence Minister inaugurated six bridges in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir to provide seamless connectivity to the people of the region and ensure logistical supply and strategic deployment of the armed forces. • The bridges range from 30-300 metres and have been built at a cost of Rs 44.55 crores by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). • 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. Golden birdwing is India’s largest butterfly

• A Himalayan butterfly named golden birdwing is now India’s largest, a record the southern birdwing held for 88 years. • Golden birdwing With a wingspan of 194 mm, the female of the species is marginally larger than the southern birdwing (190 mm) that Brigadier William Harry Evans, a British military officer and lepidopterist, recorded in 1932. • The male golden birdwing (Troides aeacus) is much smaller at 106 mm. • While the female golden birdwing was recorded from Didihat in Uttarakhand, the largest male was from the Wankhar Butterfly Museum in Shillong. • According to the authors of the study, the only measurement used in the study of Lepidoptera is wingspan — a simple concept with various interpretations of the term. China makes new claim in eastern border with Bhutan

• 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). • Set up in 1992, GEF is a US-based global body to finance projects in the environment sector. • Bhutan totally rejects the claim made by the Council Member of China. • Bhutan's western and middle sector have been in dispute with China. However, the eastern sector has not been part of the boundary talks and China had not claimed rights over Sakteng wildlife sanctuary earlier. • Eastern sector was never raised in many years of boundary talks between 1984 and 2016. After the initial years, in most of the 24 rounds of talks that both sides have held, 269 sq km in West & 495 sq km in North-Central Bhutan, are the areas that have been under discussion. NASA invents a pendent that stops you from touching your face • NASA's new innovation has been named, 'PULSE'. PULSE, which is a 3D printed device has a tiny vibration motor in place. • The app works by alerting the wearer of the gadget to stop exposure to the risky activity. • When a person, wearing the gadget gets their hand too close to the face (knowingly or unknowingly), PULSE triggers a beeping noise and alerts the wearer of the same. • The haptic feedback from a vibration motor simulates a nudge, reminding the wearer to avoid touching these entryways in order to reduce potential infection. • The gadget, which has been shaped like a pendant is to be worn around the neck and works the best when placed 6 inches below the chin. Former RBI Governor C Rangarajan conferred with 1st P C Mahalanobis Award

• Chakravarthi Rangarajan has been conferred with the first Prof. P C Mahalanobis Award in Official Statistics for lifetime achievements for his contribution in providing solutions in the issues related to the estimation of national income. •

• The award has been instituted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) from 2020, and will henceforth be awarded annually for the outstanding and meritorious contribution of an individual for the development and promotion of official statistics. SC upholds rights of Travancore royal family in administration of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple • The Supreme Court set aside the 2011 verdict of the Kerala High Court which had directed the State Government to set up a trust to take control of management and assets of the historic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala. • A bench headed by Justice U U Lalit upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family in the administration of the temple. Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

• The Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple dates back to 8th century CE. • The temple, built in the Chera style of architecture, is unique to Kerala and the neighbouring states, as the construction was done keeping the local weather and wind direction in mind. • Temples made in the Chera style are usually square, rectangular, octagonal or star-shaped. • Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of 108 Divya Desams (holy abodes of Vishnu) - principal centres of worship of the deity in Vaishnavism. • The temple gave its name to Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram. 'Thiru' 'Anantha' 'Puram' means 'sacred abode of Lord Anantha Padmanabha.' Iran and china draft 25-year trade, military agreement • Iran and China have drafted an economic and security partnership that would allow for billions of dollars in Chinese investments in energy and other sectors – including the military. • With this move China would expand its presence in Iran’s banking and telecommunications sectors as well as railways, ports and other projects. • In exchange of this investment, Iran would supply Beijing with a heavily discounted supply of oil over the next 25 years. • China is a key market for Iranian crude oil exports, which have been dampened by US economic sanctions. • The deal would allow China to gain a foothold in a region where the US has had strategic residence for the last few decades. • . Indian Railways targets to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2030

• Indian Railways has stepped up its efforts to become a Green Railway within a span of 10 years. • It has set the target to achieve net zero carbon emission by the year 2030. • Railways has taken a number of initiatives for mitigation of global warming and combating climate change to achieve the Green Railway status. • Electrification of lines, improving energy efficiency of trains, green certification for installation and stations, fitting bio toilets in coaches and switching to renewable sources of energy are parts of Railways’ strategy for achieving net zero carbon emission. NITI Aayog presents India’s second Voluntary National Review

• NITI Aayog presented India’s second Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the United Nations High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, 2020. • 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 was also unveiled during this event. • The report is a comprehensive account of the adoption and implementation of the 2030 Agenda in India. • Apart from presenting a review of progress on the 17 SDGs, the report discusses at length the policy and enabling environment, India’s approach to localising SDGs, and strengthening means of implementation.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) • The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". • The SDGs, set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and intended to be achieved by the year 2030, are part of UN Resolution 70/1, the 2030 Agenda. Iran drops India from Chabahar rail project, cites funding delay

• 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 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 development comes as China finalises a massive 25year, $400 billion strategic partnership deal with Iran. Chabahar Port • Chabahar Port is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman. • Chabahar, which is located 72 kilometers west of Pakistan’s Gwadar port, holds immense strategic and economic significance for India Tangams: An Ethnolinguistic Study Of The Critically Endangered Group of Arunachal Pradesh. • Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu released a book titled Tangams: An Ethnolinguistic Study Of The Critically Endangered Group of Arunachal Pradesh. Tangams • The Tangams are a little-known community within the larger Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh and reside in the hamlet of Kugging in Upper Siang district’s Paindem circle. • Survey revealed that Tangams were now concentrated in only one village (Kugging), with 253 reported speakers. • As per the UNESCO World Atlas of Endangered Languages (2009), Tangam — an oral language that belongs to the Tani group, under the greater Tibeto-Burman language family — is marked ‘critically endangered’. 15th Summit between India and EU takes place in virtual format • The 15th Summit between India and the European Union was held in virtual format. • India was represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. • The EU was represented by Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. • 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. European Union • The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe . • The Union currently counts 27 EU countries. The United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union on 31 January 2020. India’s Only Golden Tiger

• Golden Tiger is popularly known as ‘Kazi 106 F’ . It is also known as ‘Tabby tiger’ or ‘Strawberry tiger’. • Kazi 106 F, the tigress, resides in world heritage Kaziranga National Park of Assam. • The skin of tigers is orange-yellow with black stripes and whitish abdominal region . • The yellowish background is controlled by a set of ‘agouti genes’ and their alleles and the black colour stripes are controlled by ‘tabby genes’ and their alleles. Suppression of any of these genes may lead to colour variation in tiger. Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine • The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved the first fully indigenously developed conjugate vaccine for pneumonia developed by the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd, Pune. • The Serum Institute first obtained the DGCI approval to conduct Phase I, Phase II and Phase III clinical trials of Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine in India. • This vaccine is used for active immunisation against invasive disease and pneumonia caused by “streptococcus pneumonia” in infants. • Pneumococcal disease refers to any illness caused by pneumococcal bacteria. • The vaccine is a mix of several bacteria of the pneumococci family, which are known to cause pneumonia — hence ‘conjugate’ is included in the name of the vaccine. • Conjugate vaccines are made using a combination of two different components. State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2020 report

• The SOFI report was released in New York on the sidelines of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development which tracks the progress of nations towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2030. • It is produced jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). • Its first edition was brought out in 2017. Key finding • Between 8.3 crore and 13 crore people globally are likely to go hungry this year due to the economic recession triggered by COVID19. • The report underlines that in line with findings in the previous editions, hunger continues to be on the rise since 2014 and the global prevalence of undernourishment, or overall percentage of hungry people, is 8.9%. • Asia remains home to the greatest number of undernourished (38 crore). Africa is second (25 crore), followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (4.8 crore). Ashok Lavasa appointed V-P of ADB

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that it had appointed Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, who was next in line to become the Chief Election Commissioner in 2021, as its vice-president (VP) for private sector operations and public private partnerships.

Asian Development Bank (ADB

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. India among top ten nations in intellectual property filings • As per World Intellectual Property Indicators-2019 Report, India has emerged as the top tenth nation in the ranking of the total (resident and abroad) Intellectual Property (IP) filing activity. • With government push to schemes like ‘Make in India’, ‘Skill India’ and now ‘Atma-nirbhar Bharat’, IP Filing and grant activity is likely to increase. • What is Intellectual Property? Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce. • IP is protected in law by, for example, patents, copyright and trademarks, which enable people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create. Govt rescues 121 animals in flood- hit Kaziranga • 85 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) remains submerged. So far, 125 animals have been rescued and 86 have died, including rhinos, deer and wild boar, in the sixth worst flood since 1988.

Kaziranga National Park

• Kaziranga National Park lies partly in Golaghat District and partly in Nagaon District of Assam. • It is the oldest park in assam covers an area of 430 Sq kms along the river Brahmaputra on the North and the Karbi Anglong hills on the South. • Kaziranga National Park a world heritage site is famous for the Great Indian one horned rhinoceros, the landscape of Kaziranga is of sheer forest, tall elephant grass, rugged reeds, marshes & shallow pools. • It has been declared as National Park in 1974. • Kaziranga National Park is one of the last areas in eastern India undisturbed by a human presence. • It is inhabited by the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, as well as many mammals, including tigers, elephants, panthers and bears, and thousands of birds. • Kaziranga is home to the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world, and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 (now the highest tiger density is in Orang National Park, Assam) . APT29

• Britain, the U.S. and Canada accused Russia on Thursday of trying to steal information from researchers seeking a COVID19 vaccine. • The three nations alleged that hacking group APT29, also known as Cozy Bear and said to be part of the Russian intelligence service, is attacking academic and pharmaceutical research institutions involved in vaccine development. • Britain’s National Cybersecurity Centre made the announcement, which was coordinated with authorities in the U.S. and Canada. • Cozy Bear has been identified by Washington as one of two Russian government linked hacking groups that broke into the Democratic National Committee computer network and stole emails ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) • The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India has declined to 113 in 2016-18 from 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016, according to the special bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2016-18, released by the Office of the Registrar General’s Sample Registration System (SRS). • The MMR of various States according to the bulletin includes Assam (215), Bihar (149), Madhya Pradesh (173), Chhattisgarh (159), Odisha (150), Rajasthan (164), Uttar Pradesh (197) and Uttarakhand (99). • The southern States registered a lower MMR — Andhra Pradesh (65), Telangana (63), Karnataka (92), Kerala (43) and Tamil Nadu (60). • The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is the ratio of the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 100,000 live births during the same time-period. • The target 3.1 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births. India establishes bilateral air bubbles with US, France and Germany

India has proposed establishing air travel “bubbles” with several countries including the United States, Germany, and France on the lines of “air bridges” or “Covid-safe travel zones” that have been conceptualised by countries that have managed to fully or partially contain the COVID-19 outbreak. What are travel bubbles? The concept of a travel bubble, or an air bridge, is reciprocal in nature, which means that both sides — the departure point and the arrival point — have to be on board. • It also means that travel restrictions such as quarantining or testing of passengers have to be discarded among the countries in the bubble. • The Baltic countries of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia too have created a bubble allowing free travel among themselves, while restricting outsiders. Prakash Javadekar hails KURMA mobile app towards conservation of Indian turtles

KURMA mobile app

• The Mobile Application, KURMA, was launched on 23rd May this year on the occasion of World Turtle Day. • The application was 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. • The KURMA App is free to download. Malabar Exercise

India is a favourably considering Australia's keen interest to be part of the next edition of the Malabar naval exercise which is scheduled to be held later this year.

Malabar Exercise

• The Malabar exercise started in 1992 as a bilateral drill between the Indian Navy and the US Navy in the Indian Ocean. • Japan became a permanent member of the exercise in 2015. • It is an annual exercise between the navies of India, Japan, and the U.S. held alternately in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Drones for inspection of power lines and transmission towers

• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Director General of Civil Aviation have permitted the Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (MSETCL) to deploy drones to inspect faulty lines, reducing the risk posed to its staff. • Maharashtra has become the first State in the country to get the go-ahead to use drones for aerial surveillance and inspection of extra high voltage (EHV) power transmission lines and towers. BlackRock

BlackRock malware has been discovered that steals data such as password and credit card details from 337 apps including some of the popular ones like Gmail, Amazon, Netflix, Uber, and more. BlackRock • The BlackRock malware is based on the leaked source code of another malware strain Xerxes which in turn is based on other malware strains. The new malware is enhanced with more features related to stealing passwords and credit card details. • The malware steals login credentials including username and passwords) and sends prompt to users to enter payment credit card details. • It collects data through a technique called “overlays”. It basically detects when a user interacts with a legitimate app and places a fake window on top that asks for login and credit card details before the user enters the actual app. C.S. Seshadri

• India’s renowned mathematician and Padma Bhushan awardee Conjeevaram Srirangachari Seshadri passed away in Chennai on July 17. He was 88. • CS Seshadri founded the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) as part of the SPIC Science Foundation in 1989 and was its director-emeritus until his demise. • The mathematician was known for his work in algebraic geometry, the Seshadri Constant, which is named after him. Among his notable works are the Narasimhan–Seshadri theorem, proved together with fellow Mathematician MS Narasimhan in 1965 . P7 Heavy Drop System

• DRDO has developed P-7 Heavy Drop System which is capable of 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. UAE launches 'Hope' mission to Mars from Japan's space center

• The United Arab Emirates launched its first-ever interplanetary Hope Probe mission to Mars from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre . • The spacecraft is expected to reach Mars orbit in about 200 days from now and then begin its mission to study the Red Planet` s atmosphere. • Once it enters Mars` orbit in the first quarter of 2021, the Hope probe will mark the UAE` s 50th anniversary. • The Hope probe will be the first to study the Martian climate throughout daily and seasonal cycles. • It will observe the weather phenomena on Mars such as the massive famous dust storms that have been known to engulf the Red Planet, as compared to the short and localised dust storms on Earth. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019

• New Act will empower consumers and help them in protecting their rights through its various notified Rules and provisions like Consumer Protection Councils, Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions, Mediation, Product Liability and punishment for manufacture or sale of products containing adulterant or spurious goods. • The Act includes establishment of the Central Consumer Protection Authority, (CCPA ). • Under the act every e-commerce entity is required to provide information relating to return, refund, exchange, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment, modes of payment, grievance redressal mechanism, payment methods, security of payment methods and charge-back options. • The new Act provides for simplifying the consumer dispute adjudication process in the consumer commissions. Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 includes establishment of the Central Consumer Protection Authority, CCPA to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers. • The CCPA will be empowered to conduct investigations into violations of consumer rights and institute complaints or prosecution, order recall of unsafe goods and services, order discontinuance of unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements, impose penalties on manufacturers or endorsers or publishers of misleading advertisements. Manodarpan initiative

• Human Resource and Development Minister launched the Manodarpan initiative under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. • This initiative will provide psycho-social support to students, teachers and parents and address their issues related to mental health and emotional well being. • This initiative will provide strength, suggestions and support to the students, teachers and families in the difficult situation. • A helpline number 8448440632 has been launched to provide the consultation which can be accessed from morning 8 AM to 8 PM. PASSEX

• Indian Navy undertook a passing exercise with the US Navy in the Indian Ocean Region. • US Navy carrier strike group, led by USS Nimitz and Indian Navy conducted the maritime drills, PASSEX, which aims at further enhancing interoperability between Navies of both the countries. • The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is on its way to be deployed in the Gulf region from the South China Sea. • 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. ChAdOx1 Covid-19 vaccine • The early-stage human trial data of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University reveals that it is safe and induces immune response, with mild side effects in some participants. • The preliminary results of the phase I/II trial, published in The Lancet journal, involving 1107 people show that the injection led to them making antibodies and T- cells that can fight coronavirus. • The study showed 90 percent of involved people developed neutralising antibodies after one dose. • The AZD1222 vaccine, based on a chimpanzee adenovirus called ChAdOx1, elicited antibody and T-cell immune responses. • The vaccine - called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 - is being developed at unprecedented speed. • It is made from a genetically engineered virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees. ‘Emergency Medical Services’

• India and Maldives have signed an agreement for establishment of ‘Emergency Medical Services’ in capital Male. • It is one of the several small and medium projects that are being financed by India under a grant assistance of around 20 million US dollars for the neighbouring country. • The emergency medical service unit will enhance timely access to quality emergency care. • It will increase collaboration between healthcare facilities and disaster response agencies, especially during critical times of need. Farzad-B gas field exploration project

• India is no longer involved in the Farzad-B gas field exploration project where ONGC’s foreign arm OVL had originally signed an agreement for exploration in 2002, investing approximately $100 million thus far. • Farzad B gas field is an offshore natural gas field located in Persian Gulf under the control of Iranian sovereignty. • It was opened in 2008 and India had been negotiating the rights to oil and gas from the field till the US sanctions on Iran jeopardised India’s plans. • Government of India cited policy changes by the Iranian government, Iran’s precarious finances, and the U.S. sanctions situation as the reasons for the decisions on Indian infrastructure projects in Iran, which would be undertaken through local companies instead Gabon’s first female prime minister

• The president of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, appointed the country’s first woman prime minister, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda . • After serving as budget minister eight years ago, she became the first woman to be elected mayor of the capital Libreville in 2014 as a candidate for Bongo’s Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG). Raponda had served as defence minister since February 2019. • She is the 12th PM of the country and succeeds Julien Nkoghe Bekale. Telangana police launch "CybHer"

• To spread awareness about cyber grooming and teach girls a trick or two to combat such attacks, the Telangana police have launched CybHer, an online awareness campaign. • Launched by women safety wing, Telangana state police in association with the Legal Aid Centre, Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad. This virtual awareness campaign covers multiple themes pertaining to cyber safety and aims to create awareness and offer proactive measures for women and children.

Cyber grooming is a pretentious play by sexual predators to gain trust of the gullible women and girls, especially when they are in need of some sympathetic ear to take in all the frustrations and disappointments they pour out. Turkmenistan gets observer status in World Trade Organization

• Turkmenistan has been granted Observer status by the World Trade Organization (WTO ) General Council. • Turkmenistan has become the last former Soviet republic to establish formal ties with the trade body, WTO . • The Central Asian country filed a request for Observer status in May and expressed willingness to trigger the talks on accession to the WTO within five years. • Neighbouring Central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Afghanistan -- have acceded to the WTO, while Uzbekistan has been in on- and-off negotiations on WTO accession since 1994. National Transit Pass System

• Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar virtually launched piloting of the National Transit Pass System at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan in Delhi. • National 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 is another step which furthers the Digital India Movement. Anasis-II military satellite • SpaceX successfully launched South Korea's first military satellite “ANASIS-II”. • The Anasis-II launch marks SpaceX's 12th launch this year, the 90th flight of a Falcon 9. • ANASIS-II satellite was deployed into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) by a Falcon 9 rocket. • It was launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the US of Florida. • With this launch, South Korea has become the 10th country to own a military-only communications satellite, which will provide permanent and secured military communications. • Anasis-II is South Korea's first military communications satellite. Because of its connection to the military, there's not a lot of information about it. Bharat drones

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has provided drones named ‘Bharat’ to Indian Army. • The indigenously developed drones are sent in order to provide an accurate surveillance along the Line of Actual Control in high altitude and mountainous terrains of Eastern Ladakh. • It is to note that the Chandigarh-based DRDO has developed Bharat Drones- a series of drones that comes under one of the world’s most lightest and agile drone surveillance systems and is made in India only. Afghan goods arrive via Attari-Wagah • Over 14 trucks with goods worth ₹ 5 crore from Afghanistan have crossed over to India through the Attari Wagah border in Punjab’s Amritsar since Pakistan allowed Afghanistan to send goods to India. • Pakistan had allowed Afghanistan to send goods to India using the border from July 15 under the Pakistan Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement.

The Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) • The Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) is a bilateral trade agreement between Islamabad and Kabul. • The 2010 APTTA allows for both countries to use each other's airports, railways, roads, and ports for transit trade along designated transit corridors. • The 2010 agreement supersedes the 1965 Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement, which granted Afghanistan the right to import duty-free goods through Pakistani seaports. Tianwen-1 • China has successfully launched “Tianwen-1” its first independent mission to Mars. • China’s first Mars probe is called Tianwen-1 (formerly Huoxing 1), which means “Questions to Heaven”. • The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, and the mission aims to study the thickness and sub-layer distribution of the Martian soil. • The spacecraft, weighing 5 tonnes, launched on a Long March 5 rocket from Xichang, China. • The scientific goals of the mission include studying Martian topography and geology and determining the composition of the surface material, climate and environment. • Tianwen-1 will reach the Red Planet’s orbit in February 2021. The rover will land on Mars in May. • The orbiter will use high-resolution cameras to search for a suitable landing site somewhere in the Utopia Planitia region. Ultra rapid testing kit for COVID-19

• India and Israel have jointly developed an ultra rapid testing kit for COVID-19. • The testing kit which has proven it's efficacy in lab results will now be subjected to broader trials. • Indian DRDO scientists along with Defence Research Wing of Israel have been conjointly working on the COVID testing kit. • The rapid testing kit can generate preliminary COVID results within 30 seconds. • The kit has been developed by integration of many novel technologies which includes artificial intelligence based online voice test, breathalyser test, isothermal testing and testing using polyamino acids. • India and Israel are also the members of the world consortium of scientists working on COVID Vaccine. Environmental Performance Index • According to the 12th edition of the Environment Performance Index (EPI 2020)—released by Yale University—India has performed poorly. • Out of the 180 countries analysed, India stood at 168—behind all South Asian nations, except Afghanistan—with a score of 27.6. • According to the report, the laggards—such as Nigeria and India—need to redouble their sustainability efforts. • The index is based on 32 performance indicators across 11 categories— biodiversity & habitat, air quality, water and sanitation, etc—based on which countries are ranked on environmental health and ecosystem vitality. • This index becomes a vital tool for assessing countries’ progress with regards to Sustainable Development Goals, and would help policymakers formulate and implement environmental policies efficiently. • Denmark topped the index with a score of 82.5. 'Dhruvastra' • India has successfully conducted three flight tests of its indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile 'Dhruvastra' from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha. • Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the helicopter-launched anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) is one of the most advanced anti-tank weapons in the world. • 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. • Note • HELINA (Helicopter based NAG) is a third generation fire and forget class anti- tank guided missile (ATGM) system mounted on the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). • A variant of HELINA Weapon System called DHRUVASTRA is being inducted into the Indian Air Force. Diplomatic row between US, China escalates

• The diplomatic row between US and China has escalated. • China has ordered the closure of US consulate in Chengdu in Sichuan province. • The move is being seen as in retaliation to the US decision to close down the Chinese Consulate in Houston. • US State Department had alleged that the Chinese consulate in Houston was engaged in stealing of US intellectual property rights worth millions of dollars. Gennova’s vaccine candidate

• Pune based, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals has developed, first of its kind, messenger-RNA based COVID-19 potential Vaccine candidate, HGCO19. • The vaccine candidate has shown encouraging results in generating neutralizing antibody response in non-human primates. • HGCO19, uses self-replicating messenger-RNA platform’ ensuring low injectable dosage and sustained antigen release. • This enables the vaccine candidate to provide immunity from the virus for a longer duration. Gennova has developed the vaccine candidate working in collaboration with HDT Biotech of the USA. • Department of Biotechnology under the Ministry of Science and technology has facilitated development of the vaccine candidate under the Ind-CEPI mission aimed towards rapid development of vaccines in response to epidemics. • Clinical trials of the vaccine candidate is likely to commence by this year-end. Largest Solar Power Plant of Navy Commissioned

• Largest Solar Power Plant at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala has been commissioned by the Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla. • It is a 3 MW Solar Power Plant which has been set-up in line with the Indian Government’s initiative of ‘National Solar Mission’ which aims to achieve 100GW of solar power by 2022. • 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. GI registration for Saffron • The Union Government has issued a certificate of GI registration for Saffron grown in the Kashmir Valley in a significant decision. • With the GI tag, Kashmir Saffron will acquire more prominence in the export market and would help the farmers get a better remunerative price. • Kashmir saffron is the only one in the world grown at an altitude of 1600 metres which differentiates it from other varieties due to its unique characteristics like longer and thicker stigma, natural deep-red colour, high aroma, bitter flavor and chemical-free processing. Saffron • In ancient Sanskrit literature, saffron is referred to as ‘bahukam’. • It is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of Jammu and Kashmir. • There are three types of saffron available in Kashmir — Lachha Saffron, Mongra Saffron and Guchhi Saffron. • Iran is the largest producer of saffron and India is a close competitor. IIT Kharagpur develops rapid test kit

• IIT Kharagpur have developed a portable rapid low-cost test kit to detect Covid-19. • This first-of-its-kind device can test each sample at the cost of Rs.400 and the test results can be ascertained within an hour. • The results will later be available in a smartphone application. • With a special feature of being a portable test kit, the tests can be conducted at any given location acting as an alternative to specialised laboratory equipment. • While other test kits are limited to a certain number of sample it can test, this portable rapid test kit can continue testing samples after a mere replacement of the paper cartridge post each test. Operation Legend

• US President Donald Trump announced a “surge of federal law enforcement” in cities run by Democrats, including Chicago, as part of an expanded ‘Operation Legend’.

Operation Legend • Named after LeGend Taliferro –– a four-year-old Black child who was shot dead in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 29 while sleeping in his apartment • The operation was announced by the United States Department of Justice on July 8, 2020 to help the local police battle the “sudden surge of violent crime” in the city. • Over 200 arrests were made in the city, which has reportedly seen a 40 per cent spike in murders in the last year, after over 100 federal troops were ushered in. Kargil Vijay Diwas

• India is observing Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26 to commemorate its victory over Pakistan in the high-altitude conflict in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kargil district and along the Line of Control (LoC) and pay tributes to soldiers who lost their lives more than two decades ago. • India launched Operation Vijay to clear the posts in the Kargil sector, which was occupied by the Pakistani soldiers and infiltrators on the Indian side of the LoC. • The armies of the nuclear-armed nations fought the war between May and July in 1999. • The Indian Army, with the help of the Indian Air Force (IAF), wrested back the glaciated heights of Kargil, in the Ladakh sector, from the Pakistan army. • The Kargil War, which lasted a little over two months and ended on July 26, 1999, led to 527 deaths on India’s side. Mausam

• Ministry of Earth Sciences launched the mobile App "Mausam” for India Meteorological Department on its Foundation Day celebrations. • Users can access observed weather, forecasts, radar images and be proactively warned of impending weather events. • This mobile app is available both on Playstore and Appstore. • It is dedicated to the general public and designed to communicate the weather information and forecasts in a lucid manner without technical jargons. Itolizumab

Biologic drug Itolizumab failed to impress the national Covid-19 task force for inclusion in clinical management protocols for treating coronavirus patients.

Itolizumab

• Itolizumab is a ‘humanised monoclonal antibody’, developed by Biocon in collaboration with the Centre for Molecular Immunology (CIM) in Cuba. • Itolizumab is an already approved drug used for treating skin ailment psoriasis, it was approved for “restricted emergency use” in the treatment of coronavirus by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on 12 July. Hypersonic nuclear strike weapons and underwater nuclear drones

• The Russian Navy is set to be equipped with a new generation of hypersonic nuclear strike weapons and underwater nuclear drones. • The weapons, some of which have yet to be deployed, include the Poseidon underwater nuclear drone, designed to be carried by submarines, and the Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile, which can be deployed on surface ships. Poseidon underwater nuclear drone • The Poseidon underwater nuclear drone is 70ft long and 6.5ft wide and can move at up to 80mph underwater. It can be carried externally by submarines or internally by special carrier submarines. • The weapons are capable of crossing continents to reach their target and can dive to a depth of 3,280ft, making them difficult to track and intercept. Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile

• Capable of travelling at over five times the speed of sound, the Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile is designed to be deployed on surface ships. • The missile, which combines manoeuvrability, speed, and altitude, cannot be tracked and intercepted, reported Reuters.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defence (MOD), these weapons are undergoing the final phase of testing. Dare to Dream 2.0

• 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. • Dr Kalam, also known as missile man, had the vision of self-reliance. • 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' . • 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. India Report- Digital Education June 2020

• Union Minister for HRD Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’virtually launched 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 and energized books, telecast through TV channels, E-learning portals , webinars, chat groups, distribution of books and other digital initiatives along with State/ UT Governments. Operation Breathing Space • An Israeli team, led by a “high ranking” research and development (R&D) defence official, arrived in Delhi with a multi pronged mission, code named “Operation Breathing Space”, to work with Indian authorities on the corona virus response. • The team, which will be coordinated by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Ministry of Health, are four different kinds of rapid tests, which will be jointly developed after trials on Indian COVID19 patients,as well as high tech equipment to minimise exposure of medical staff to the virus, advanced respirators and special sanitisers developed in Israel. • If even one of the tests proves to be effective in testing for coronavirus in 30-40 seconds, this could be a game changer for the whole world and how we behave, at least until we have a vaccine. • 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. Iran moves mock carrier to sea amid tensions with U.S.

Iran has moved a mock aircraft carrier to the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions with the U.S., satellite photographs released on Monday show, likely signalling that it soon plans to use it for live fire drills. Strait of Hormuz • The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. • It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points. • On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman. Mobile App BIS-Care

• Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched the Bureau of Indian Standard’s Mobile App BIS-Care . • He also launched three portals on Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Training of e-BIS. • The mobile app BIS-Care can be operated on any Android phone and consumers can check the authenticity of the ISI-marked and hallmarked products through this Application. • Customers can also lodge complaints using this medium. Rafale jets

The first five Rafale jets landed in Ambala. They were escorted by two Sukhoi MKI supersonic fighters as they entered Indian airspace.

Rafale jets Introduced in 2001, Rafale is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft designed and built by French company Dassault Aviation. • The aircraft is considered one of the most potent combat jets globally. • The state-of-the-art 4.5 Generation Rafale jet can reach almost double the speed of sound, with a top speed of 1.8 Mach. With its multi-role capabilities, including electronic warfare, air defence, ground support and in-depth strikes, the Rafale lends air superiority to the Indian Air Force. • The aircraft is available in three main variants: Rafale C single- seat land-based version, Rafale B twin-seat land-based version and Rafale M single-seat carrier- based version. • India will only be the fourth country, after France, Egypt and Qatar, to fly the Rafale. • The indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas can be categorised as fourth- generation in terms of avionics and technology but it is too small an aircraft to make a difference. Contactless credit card

• Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and SBI Card together launched their new Co-branded Contactless Credit Card on RuPay Platform.. • The new RuPay credit card is equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) technology with which, users can expedite their transactions at the POS machines by just tapping the card on the machines. • Designed to reward frequent railway travellers, the card offers travellers on Indian railways savings proposition on their travel besides benefits on retail, dining and entertainment besides transaction fee waivers. Lyfas COVID score

• 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 Acculi Labs to develop a COVID risk assessment profile called Lyfas COVID score. • Lyfas is an Android application, which uses the power of smart phone processor and smart phone sensors to capture a bunch of body signals • It has been proved to detect asymptomatic individuals with an accuracy of 92%, specificity of 90%, and a sensitivity of 92%. • It also derives 95 biomarkers with proprietary algorithms and signal processing techniques. It also utilizes the power of smartphone processor and smartphone sensors to record a bunch of body signals. National Education Policy 2020 • The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the National Education Policy 2020 , making way for large scale, transformational reforms in both school and higher education sectors. • This is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four year old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986. • Built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability, this policy is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making both school and college education more holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary, suited to 21st century needs and aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student. NASA launches Mars rover Perseverance • NASA's latest Mars rover Perseverance launched on an astrobiology mission to look for signs of ancient microbial life -- and to fly a helicopter-drone on another world for the first time. • A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. • First, Perseverance will carry a unique instrument, MOXIE or Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment: which for the first time will manufacture molecular oxygen on Mars using carbon dioxide from the carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere. • Second, Perseverance will carry Ingenuity, the first ever helicopter to fly on Mars. This is the first time NASA will fly a helicopter on another planet or satellite. Ingenuity is a technology demonstration: the challenge, of course, is to fly the helicopter in the thin atmosphere of Mars. • Third, Perseverance is the planned first step to bring back rock samples from Mars for analysis in sophisticated laboratories on Earth: with the goal of looking for biosignatures: or signatures of present or past life. • The analysis of Martian rocks on Earth will likely provide a reliable indication of whether life on Mars is feasible in the past or at present. Note

ISRU means In Situ Resource Utilization: or the use of local resources to meet human needs or requirements of the spacecraft. Without ISRU, exploration of Mars in the future decades will be incredibly expensive and thereby impossible. “Vidya Varadhi’ scheme

• The Department of School Education has introduced the Vidya Varadhi scheme in Andhra Pradesh that will facilitate students in far off remote places, who have no access to online gadgets or the internet. • The “Vidya Varadhi’ scheme under which mobile classrooms equipped with audiovisual gadgets will reach pockets where students have no access to computers and Internet connectivity. • The Department of School Education has instructed teachers to categorise students into three groups —High Tech (those who have access to computers), Low Tech (with access to only radio or TV sets) and No Tech (no TV sets, computers or radios). • Out of a total of 38 lakh students in Andhra, 1.2 lakh are no tech ones and thus, Vidya Varadhi mainly throws light on these students. • For the no-tech students, teachers are advised to stay in regular touch with them as well as their parents. Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation

• The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board has set up Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation to oversee the construction of a mosque on a five-acre land in Ayodhya. • According to board’s president Zufar Ahmad Farooqui, the foundation will have 15 members. The trust will oversee the construction of a mosque in the temple town • According to the board, a mosque, two centres to showcase Indo-Islamic culture and study, a charitable hospital, and a public library would come up on the plot. • The land was awarded to Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board by the Supreme Court. The court had also paved the way for the construction of a Ram Mandir at the site where Babri Masjid once stood. Antibiotics in livestock • Antibiotics are extensively misused in the dairy sector and its residues remain largely untested in milk, noted a recently published survey report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

• The CSE’s assessment shows that dairy farmers indiscriminately use antibiotics for diseases such as mastitis (infection/ inflammation of the udder), a common ailment in dairy animals. Often, these include critically important antibiotics (CIAs) for humans. • The meeting was attended by a wide spectrum of experts and participants from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB); the World Health Organization (WHO), the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and representatives from specialised educational and research institutions, civil society bodies, and departments concerned from States. Turkey approves new social media law

• Turkey adopted a new social media law that critics say will create a “chilling effect” on dissenting voices who have resorted to Twitter and other online platforms as the government tightened its grip on mainstream media. • The law was backed by President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party and its nationalist allies to make foreign social media sites more accountable. It requires them to appoint a local representative to address authorities’ concerns. • The law would allow Turkish authorities to remove content from platforms rather than blocking access as they have done in the past. • Companies, including Facebook and YouTube that do not comply could have their bandwidth slashed by up to 90%, essentially blocking access, and face other penalties South China Sea • China recently conducted “high intensity” naval exercises in the South China Sea, as tensions grow over the Asian power’s manoeuvres in the contested waters. • China — which is locked in disputes with neighbours including Philippines, Japan and Vietnam over islands in the South China Sea — has infuriated other nations by building artificial islands with military installations in parts of the sea. • U.S. declared earlier this month that China's claims to most of the sea are illegal, ramping up support for Southeast Asian nations with claims to parts of it. • Australia has also rejected China territorial and maritime claims in the sea, • The U.S. regularly conducts so called “freedom of navigation operations” in the South China Sea in order to stand up to China. • The region is believed to have valuable oil and gas deposits. The Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative • The foreign affairs committee of the US House of Representatives passed a legislation for consideration of the full chamber that seeks to set up an exchange programme for Indian and American students to study Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. • The Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act was authored by John Lewis, the civil rights leader Democratic member of the House. • Lewis first introduced the bill in October 2011, two yeas after he led a congressional delegation to India to commemorate the 50th anniversary of King’s 1959 visit to India. • Indian American Congressman from California Ami Bera will establish annual scholar and student exchange programmes for Indians and Americans to study the leaders’ legacies and visit historic sites in India and the U.S., relevant to the India’s freedom struggle and the U.S.’s civil rights movement. ITBP became first CAPF to have supplies from KVIC

• Indo Tibetan Border Police, ITBP became the first Central Armed Police Force CAPF to have supplies from the Khadi & Village Industries Commission, KVIC. • An agreement was signed between the ITBP and the KVIC in New Delhi. • It was decided during a meeting of the Directors General of the CAPFs held at Home Ministry in October last year that use of Terry Khadi Uniform and other items of swadeshi origin should be made available to the CAPFs. 'Haloarchaea' microbes • According to a study by a Pune-based institute, the colour of water in Lonar lake in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district turned pink in June 2020 due to a large presence of the salt-loving Haloarchaea microbes. • Haloarchaea is a bacteria culture that creates pink pigment and exists in saline water. • They found that the water turned pink because of the presence of the Haloarchaea population. Haloarchaea produces pink pigment, and hence, a pink coloured mat was formed on the lake surface. • Halobacteria are now recognized as archaea, rather than bacteria and are one of the largest groups. • Lonar Lake is a famous site formed after a meteorite hit thousands of years ago. Spyware and Stalkerware Global cyber-security leader Avast has in a note warned that there was a 51 per cent increase in the use of spyware and stalkerware during the lockdown period from March to June.

What are spy and stalkerware apps?

• Spy and stalkerware apps, like viruses and other malware, infect devices that are connected to the internet. • While viruses and malware can be detected by anti-virus software, spyware and stalkerware apps disguise themselves as useful and send out stolen data to central servers without the knowledge of the users. • A spyware app, which can also be installed remotely, accesses the data usage pattern of the device, gains access to photos and videos as well as other personal information of the user, and then passes it off to a central server. • On the other hand, in most cases, a stalkerware app can be installed only when someone has physical access to the digitally connected device. • Though the app works in a manner similar to spyware apps, it goes a step ahead and also gives out the location of the device to a master device which controls the stalkerware app. • Most stalkerware apps work in stealth mode with no trace of the app having ever been installed. • Once installed, such apps can allow the master device to control, intercept, and even change your emails, text messages and your communication on social media platform. Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan 2020-21

• Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched 'Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan, 2020-21. • This initiative is a national programme for popularizing science among school students of Class 6th to 11th. • It was designed to identify the bright minds with a scientific aptitude among the student community. 1947 tripartite agreement on Gurkha soldiers Nepal has officially proposed to the UK a review of a 73-year-old tripartite agreement with India and Britain over the recruitment and deployment of Gurkha soldiers and their perk and facilities and replace it with a bilateral one.

Britain–India–Nepal Tripartite Agreement • The Tripartite Agreement between the United Kingdom, India and Nepal was a treaty signed in 1947 concerning the rights of Gurkhas in military service. • In 1947, India became independent from the United Kingdom, and it was decided between the two governments to split the Gurkha regiments between the British and Indian armies — six Gurkha units became part of the new Indian Army, while four were transferred to the British Army: • As a part of this arrangement, it was agreed that Gurkhas in British and Indian service should enjoy broadly the same conditions of service, to ensure that there was no unfair advantage to serving in one or other, thus maintaining economic stability and social harmony in the Gurkha recruiting areas. • Thus, the governments of the United Kingdom, India and Nepal came to sign the Tripartite Agreement (TPA). Sixth BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting

• The environment ministers of BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- participated in a meeting through video conference under the presidency of Russia. • At the Sixth BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting, the nations acknowledged that COVID-19 has heightened social vulnerabilities and resulted in significant job losses.

BRICS

BRICS is the group composed by the five major emerging countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -, which together represent about 42% of the population, 23% of GDP, 30% of the territory and 18% of the global trade. International Union of Railways

• International Union of Railways, UIC, Paris, has nominated Director General of Railway Protection Force, Arun Kumar, as Vice-Chairman of its security platform. • Mr Kumar will take over as chairman of the platform from July 2022 to July 2024. • The decision was taken in the 96th General Assembly of the Union. • The Security Platform of the Union is empowered to develop and formulate analysis and policy positions for matters relating to security, property and installation in the rail sector. Dhole conservation • Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh rank high in the conservation of the endangered dhole in India, according to a new study. • Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society India, the University of Florida, the Wildlife Conservation Trust, and the National Centre for Biological Sciences found that these three States were adequately equipped to maintain their high ranks in consolidating forest habitats and recover dhole populations by increasing prey density and reducing pressure on forests.

Dhole • The dhole is a canid native to Central, South, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. • Other English names for the species include Asian wild dog, Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, and mountain wolf. Arab world's first nuclear power plant

• UAE becomes first country in Arab World to produce nuclear energy. • As the Barakah Nuclear Plant's 1st Unit got operational, UAE became the first country in the Arab World to produce nuclear energy. • Barakah plant situated in the Al Dhafrah region of Abu Dhabi. • The plant, powered by South Korean technology, hopes to produce 5.6 gigawatts of electricity and supply up to 25% of the UAE's electricity needs. • The Barakah plant, on the coast facing Iran across the Gulf, stands just 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Saudi border and closer to Qatar's capital Doha than to Abu Dhabi. BeiDou Navigation Satellite System constellation

• China has recently completed its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System constellation, coming up with a product that can potentially rival the US Global Positioning System (GPS), and will provide positioning services to transportation, emergency medical rescue and city planning and management areas. • China’s navigation system uses a network of satellites and can provide positional accuracies of under ten metres (GPS provides positioning accuracies of under 2.2 metres). • China initiated BeiDou in 1994 with aims to integrate its application in different sectors, including fishery, agriculture, special care, mass-market applications, forestry and public security. Note • The GPS is owned by the US government and operated by the US Air Force. • Russia has its navigation system called GLONASS. • European Union (EU) has its navigation system Galileo. • India has its navigation system called Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC). CONTEMPT OF COURT

The Supreme Court of India has initiated contempt proceedings, on its own motion, against advocate-activist Prashant Bhushan.

What Is Contempt of Court? • Contempt of court is an act of disrespect or disobedience towards a judge or court's officers or interference with its orderly process. • Contempt of court is one of the “reasonable restrictions” listed under Article 19(2) of the Constitution on the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. Statutory backing

• The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, gives statutory backing to the idea. • Separately, Article 129 of the Constitution conferred on the Supreme Court the power to punish contempt of itself. • Article 215 conferred a corresponding power on the High Courts.

What are the kinds of contempt of court? • The law codifying contempt classifies it as civil and criminal. • Civil contempt is fairly simple. • It is committed when someone wilfully disobeys a court order, or wilfully breaches an undertaking given to court. • Criminal contempt is more complex. • It consists of three forms: (a) words, written or spoken, signs and actions that “scandalise” or “tend to scandalise” or “lower” or “tends to lower” the authority of any court . (b) prejudices or interferes with any judicial proceeding. (c) interferes with or obstructs the administration of justice.

What is not contempt of court? • Fair and accurate reporting of judicial proceedings will not amount to contempt of court. • Nor is any fair criticism on the merits of a judicial order after a case is heard and disposed of. We are everywhere!

Stay updated Follow Race2IAS on

Facebook Instagram Twitter For Free Study materials and PDF of this Video