1 www.civilserviceindia.com

International

Feed our Future

It is an cinema advertising campaign against hunger and malnutrition. The ad shows the reality of millions of people facing across the world. It has been launched by United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) in collaboration with UFO Moviez – India’s largest in-cinema advertising platform and SAWA -the Global Cinema Advertising Association. The United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP) has joined hands with Bollywood in India and it is also supported by Showbox Music TV Channel, LF (Living Foodz TV Channel) and Red FM 93.5. The event took place last week on Friday via a live broadcast from the social network's Mumbai office. WFP has launched this campaign for the second time in India.

The main aim of UNWFP is to create awareness and take steps against hunger and malnutrition in India.

WFP: It refers to World Food Program. The World Food Programme(WFP) is the food- assistance branch of the United Nations(UN) and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security. Its headquarters is in Rome. It was established in 1961 after Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Conference 1960. According to the WFP, for more than 80 country offices around the world, the WFP works to help people who cannot produce or obtain enough food for themselves and their families. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its executive committee.

India-Nepal

Government of India is training a batch of officers of Government of Nepal on ‘Anti Money Laundering (AML) and Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT)’ in India at the Regional Centre of National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) in Bengaluru. As many as 18 Nepali officers started their training the training on

2 www.civilserviceindia.com

Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism underway. This is the second group of Nepali officials of Nepal undergoing the training. The first group of about 20 Nepal officials successfully completed their 6-days training module on 24 August 2019. The third batch of 21 officers will undergo training in December 2019. The course is supported by Government of India under Union Ministry of External Affairs’ Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.

NACIN : It refers to National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics.It is the apex institute of Government of India for capacity building of civil servants in the field of indirect taxation, particularly the areas of customs, GST, central excise, service tax and narcotics control administration. It is not only a training institute with state-of-the-art learning facilities in field of financial investigations and anti-money laundering matters but also an accredited Regional Training Centre of World Customs Organization (WCO) for Asia/Pacific Region. NACIN works in collaboration with other international organizations like UNEP, UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), SASEC (South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation) etc.,

India-US : Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation between India and the United States of America.

India and US both have good cooperation in terms of science. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of US and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have several information exchanging programs. The defence sector of both the countries are also cooperative in terms of technology transfer and in safeguarding the Indo-Pacific region. So,the agreement will help in opening a new chapter in bilateral relations as both sides will leverage complementary strengths spurred by a significant convergence of mutual interests in science and technology. It will provide an opportunity to promote 'high quality' and 'high impact' research and innovation partnerships as well as broadening and expanding relationships between the extensive scientific and technological communities. The agreement would not only enable cooperation between the countries in training the scientists and experts according to the requirements, they will conduct cooperative research projects

3 www.civilserviceindia.com

Kartarpur Corridor : The Kartarpur Corridor is an under- construction border corridor between the neighbouring nations of India and Pakistan, connecting the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. It was established on 28 November 2018. Kartarpur is a town near the city of Jalandhar and is located in the Doaba region of the state. Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Norowal district of Pakistan is where Sikh Guru Nanak Dev,the founder of Sikhism, spent last 18 years of his life. The Gurudwara was founded by the fifth Guru of Sikhs, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji.

India and Pakistan have signed a histori agreement to operationalise the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor to allow Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the holy Darbar Sahib in this country. The corridor connecst the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Punjab with Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur, 4 km from the international border, located at Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab province. The agreement signing ceremony took place at the Kartarpur Zero Point at the Pakistan-India border in Narowal.

4 www.civilserviceindia.com

National

Azad Hind Movement

It was a part of the freedom movement, originating in 1940s outside India with a purpose of allying with Axis powers to free India from British rule. The Provisional Government of Free India or Azad Hind was established in Singapore in 1943. It was supported by the Japanese Empire, Italian social Republic, Nazi Germany and other allies. The existence of the Azad Hind Government gave a greater legitimacy to the independence struggle against the British. The Azad Hind Government, founded on 21st October, 1943 was inspired by Neta ji Subhash Chandra Bose. Netaji was the leader of Azad Hind Government and also the Head of State of this Provisional Indian Government-in-exile during the 2nd world war.

The Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Shri Prahlad Singh attended the commemotation of the 76th anniversary of Azad Hind Movement at Red Fort, Delhi. Secretary General of the INA trust, its members and other higher officials from the Ministry of Culture were also present at the commemoration.

Last year,Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi had hoisted the National Flag at Red Fort, to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of formation of Azad Hind Government, formed by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The national flag was hoisted at the Red Fort as it was the same place where soldiers of the Indian National Army or the Azad Hind Fauj faced trials by the British. Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of a museum dedicated to the Azad Hind Fauj.. Col. Chewang Rinchen Setu

It is a bridge named in honor of Colonel Chewang Rinchan who was one of the highly decorated officers in Indian Army from Ladakh. He was also a Maha Vir Chakara awardee (1952). It has been constructed at an altitude of 14,650 feet in the forward area of Ladakh region by the Border Road Organization (BRO). The construction of the Bridge was completed within 15 working months using 6900 cubic

5 www.civilserviceindia.com meters of concrete and 1984 metric tons of steel. It is built on the strategically important road Durbuk Shyok Daulat Beg Oldie in sub sector north in eastern Ladakh. It is 45 km east of Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated Col. Chewang Rinchen Setu (Bridge) and dedicated it to the nation. It is 4.5 metres wide. It can accommodate vehicles of 70 tonnes class. It will not only reduce travel time by about half but also help in development of border areas and villages across Shyok River. Art and Culture

Union Minister of State for Culture Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated an e-portal and a YouTube channel of Rashtriya Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) with support from Route to Route,in New Delhi. He also attended the “Digital Bharat - Digital Sanskriti” program which was organised by Rashtriya Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) of the Ministry of Culture. The aim of the e-portal is to take India to a newer digital pinnacle and to promote Indian culture. The portal explores and understands the unknown aspects of India’s lesser-known places and their rural and semi-urban culture.

CCRT has produced a documentary film “Rahas” with an objective of providing knowledge and understanding of different regional cultures and Indian traditions. It has also started publishing books from the series “Untold Tales of India’s Cities” in order to explore & understand the unknown aspects of India’s lesser known places and their rural and semi- urban culture. Union Minister also released a book titled ‘Dewas Ki Sanskritik Parampara’ written by Jeevan Singh Thakur and published by CCRT.

IAF: It refers ot Indian Air Force. It has carried out successful firing of BrahMos surface-to- surface missiles the 2.5-tonne surface-to-surface missile with a range of around 300 km from a mobile platform at Trak Island in Andaman Nicobar islands. The drill was conducted on Monday and Tuesday to check the IAF's capability to hit targets with "pin-point" accuracy at targets close to 300km

BrahMos Aerospace is an India-Russian joint venture which produces the missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or from land platforms.

‘Ex Ekuverin – 2019 : It is a name given to the Indo-Maldives joint exercise The joint exeercise culminated on Sunday, with an impressive closing ceremony held at Foreign Training Node, Aundh military station in the city, where the joint team from the two countries executed a drill counter-terrorism operation as per the United Nations mandate.

6 www.civilserviceindia.com

The 14-day joint training was the 10th edition of the joint military exercise which commenced on October 7.

The word ‘Ekuverin’ means ‘Friends’ in Dhivehi language. As India and Maldives share very close cultural, ethnic, linguistic, religious and have good commercial ties with eachpther, the joint Exercise Ekuverin will assist in further strengthening of these ties between two nations and to share their best practices and acquaint each other with operating procedures being followed while undertaking counter insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.

Imnex-2019 : It is a name given to India Myanmar Naval Exercise which is being organised in Visakhapatnam from 19 to 22 October in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The opening ceremony of the second edition of Indo-Myanmar joint naval exercise was conducted onboard INS Ranvijay.

Myanmar naval ships UMS Sin Phyu Shin (F-14) and UMS Tabinshweti (773) arrived at Visakhapatnam where it would engage in professional interaction with Indian Navy personnel for sharing of expertise on various maritime issues between both the navies. It will aslo increase scope and complexity and is a testimony of growing maritime cooperation between two navies.

The exercise would be conducted in two phases, i.e., harbour phase and sea phase.

The harbour phase includes visits to Indian Naval units, training and maintenance facility at Visakhapatnam whereas the sea phase will include joint exercise with India's Navy’s INS Kuthar, a missile corvette and INS Ranvijay, a guided-missile destroyer and Myanmar's ships UMS Tabinshweti, a corvette and UMS Sin Phyu Shin, a frigate in the Bay of Bengal.

ITBP’s 58th Raising Day : Indo-Tibetian Border Police (ITBP) celebrates 58th Raising Day. the day is observed every year on the 24th of October. The Indo-Tibetian Border Police is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India. ITBP has a total strength of 56 service battalion and four specialist battalions. It was raised on 24 October 1962, under the CRPF Act in the wake of the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The ITBP was intended for deployment along India's border with Tibet.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy attended the 58th Raising Day Parade of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at the Lakhnawali Camp in Gautam Budh Nagar.

The Union Cabinet approved the proposal of cadre review of Group "A" General Duty (Executive) cadre and non-GD cadre of Indo- Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) resulting in creation of over 3,000 new posts, and creation of two operational commands. The Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. this decision was taken on the eve of the ITBP’s 58th Raising Day. The two new commands that is the Western Command at Chandigarh and Eastern Command at Guwahati will be headed by Additional Director

7 www.civilserviceindia.com

General and assisted by Inspector General. The decision will help in effective domination and control of LAC that is marred by harsh weather and high-altitude locations.

Indian polity

Indian Railways

Most advanced Electronic Interlocking System has been installed on the Grand Chord route which is one of the busiest section of railways by the Indian Railways. Indian railways has made possible this achievement by replacing the 65 years old obsolete mechanical signalling system. It was installed at Tundla Junction in Uttar Pradesh by railways as part of upgradation process which will become fully functional from November 17, 2019.

Indian Railways hopes that the measure will help Indian Railways speed up trains and to achieve its future objective of reducing the travel time between Delhi and Howrah to about 12 hours from the existing 17- 19 hours.

This will not only improve the punctuality of trains on New Delhi-Howrah mainline but also the work will have manifold benefits during incoming foggy season through safe and detention free handling of trains at Tundla Junction

Grand Chord : It is actually a part of the Howrah-Gaya-Delhi line and Howrah-Allahabad- Mumbai line. It acts as a link between Sitarampur in West Bengal and Pundit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, Uttar Pradesh. It covers a stretch of 450 kilometres of North Central Railway (NCR) zone of Indian Railways. The new Electronic system has replaced outdated 65-year old mechanical signalling system at Tundla Junction in Uttar Pradesh on the route. It is called the lifeline of the country because important goods like coal, steel are moved from Eastern India to Western and Northern parts of India. The Grand Chord route was first opened by Lord Minto in December 1906 at Gujhandi, Jharkhand. The distance with the opening of the Grand Chord Route between Delhi and Calcutta was reduced by 80 kilometres.

8 www.civilserviceindia.com

BSNL Revival Plan

The Union Cabinet approved the revival of the ?56,000 crore merger and revival plan for crisis-ridden telecom companies- Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Ltd (MTNL). MTNL operates in Delhi, Mumbai and Mauritius while BSNL in the rest of India.

The plan entails giving suitable package comprising components like voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) and raising sovereign bonds. It also allotted the 4G spectrum to the institutions and allowed monetisation of assets available with BSNL. A four-step revival plan has been announced for BSNL. The MTNL will act as a subsidy to BSNL. The Government of India(GoI) plans to raise Rs 15,000 crore through sovereign bonds

Both the telecom firms (MTNL and BSNL) have been incurring losses and have been facing problems in clearing staff salaries in the recent past.

Indian policy News

Grand Chord : It is actually a part of the Howrah-Gaya-Delhi line and Howrah-Allahabad- Mumbai line. It acts as a link between Sitarampur in West Bengal and Pundit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, Uttar Pradesh. It covers a stretch of 450 kilometres of North Central Railway (NCR) zone of Indian Railways. The new Electronic system has replaced outdated 65-year old mechanical signalling system at Tundla Junction in Uttar Pradesh on the route. It is called the lifeline of the country because important goods like coal, steel are moved from Eastern India to Western and Northern parts of India. The Grand Chord route was first opened by Lord Minto in December 1906 at Gujhandi, Jharkhand. The distance with the opening of the Grand Chord Route between Delhi and Calcutta was reduced by 80 kilometres.

9 www.civilserviceindia.com

Bharat Ki Laxmi

It is a new initiative by Prime Minister Modi which aims to honor women across the country who have made a mark with their extraordinary achievements in various fields. The Bharat Ki Laxmi movement underscores the cause of women empowerment.

Actress Deepika Padukone and Indian badminton player P. V. Sindhu were named ambassadors for PM"s movement ‘Bharat Ki Laxmi’.

Some of the Indian Government Schemes for Women Empowerment are :-

Mahila E-haat: It is a direct online marketing platform launched by Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao: It is a joint initiative run by Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

One Stop Centre Scheme: Popularly known as ‘Sakhi‘.

Working Women Hostels

Swadhar Greh The Swadhar scheme:It is a scheme for rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances. It was launched by Union Ministry of Women and Child Developmentin 2002.

STEP Scheme:

STEP stands for ‘The Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women’. KVIC

It refers to The Khadi and Village Industries Commission. It is a statutory body formed by the Government of India, under the Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956. The commission took over the works of the former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board. The objectives of KVIC are providing employment, producing saleable articles and creating self-reliance amongst the poor and building up of a strong rural community spirit. In India, the crafts sector sustains over 20 million

10 www.civilserviceindia.com practitioners. Handicrafts bring in good fortune with minimal investment and have good value in the international markets.

KVIC and Goa govt join hands to generate employment opportunities in Goa. They inaugurated a series of initiatives. These initiatives are first of its kind in Goa because earlier there was no spinning and weaving activity there.

Pramod Sawant, the Chief Minister of Goa, along with Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman, KVIC recently distributed electric potter wheels to 160 families and new models charkhas (spinning wheels) to 50 trained women. This will create direct employment to 700 people. KVIC is also establishing a Lijjat Papad unit in Goa, which will create 200 direct jobs to the local women. AYUSH Ministry

AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy) Ministry has signed an MoU (Memorandum of UNderstanding) with the Defence ministry to provide traditional medicine services at the armed forces’ hospitals and dispensaries under health establishments of Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).

Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik on Monday inaugurated an Ayurveda Palliative Care Unit at Palliative Care Centrethe at the Base Hospital in the Delhi Cantonment.

Under the MoU, ayurveda units will also be established at palliative care centres at the Army Research and Referral Hospital, Air Force Hospital, Hindon in Ghaziabad and five identified ex-service men Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) polyclinics in Delhi –NCR.

The important objective of MoU is that ayurveda and yoga can help Indian soldiers who work in challenging environmental conditions right from glaciers of Siachin to desserts of Thar, which takes a toll on their physical as well as mental health can attain the best of physical and mental health, and improve their endurance. Ayurveda medicines and Panchkarma procedures such as Snehana and Swedana are very effective in treating work- related musculoskeletal disorders.

11 www.civilserviceindia.com

The Government of Odisha

The Government of India, Government of Odisha and the World Bank have signed 165 million USD loan agreement for the Odisha Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture. It is a project under the National Action Plan on Climate Change of the Government of India.

The project will be implemented in rural areas vulnerable to droughts and largely dependent on rainfed agriculture. It will not only support and benefit about 125,000 smallholder farmer households from 15 districts of Odisha managing 128,000 hactres of agricultural land but will also strengthen the resilience of their production systems as well as diversify and improve the marketing of their produce, for increased income. The project will irrigate 91,435 hectares of land with the support of the project which will rehabilitate 532 water tanks.

The scheme is very important because since 2009, the frequency of droughts in the state increased from 1 in 5 years to 1 in 2 years. About 70% in 2019 of the agricultural land in Odisha a prone to droughts as compared to 40% in 1970s. Agriculture in Odisha is also responsible for about 25% of the GHG emissions in the state.

The project will help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the GoI’s National Action Plan on Climate Change that largely includes adaptation of climate-smart agricultural practices and technologies.

ATVM

It refers to Automatic Ticket Vending Machine. They work on Linux software. It provides tickets to consumers after a smart card, or a specially designed card is inserted into the machine. The user has to select the route and destination and when the machine confirms the details and ticket is printed money is deducted from the card.

Indian Railways has launched 'one touch ATVM' at 42 suburban stations of Central Railway to render fast ticketing to millions of commuters over Mumbai Suburban Network. Railway passenger can now avail the service of this new machine.

The purpose of the service is that the machine will help passengers get their tickets quickly instead of waiting long hour in a queue. The features of the one touch ATVM is that a passenger can obtain ticket in two steps instead of 6 steps that was used earlier. It will also 12 www.civilserviceindia.com ease the load on ticketing system of Mumbai Suburban Network. The machine will also provide platform tickets.

Science and Technology

New Kiln technology

It is a technology where in the new kilns, the bricks that are to be baked are arranged in a zigzag pattern, allowing hot air to cover a longer path, unlike in traditional kilns, where the bricks were arranged in straight lines. As the air takes this zigzag path, it improves the heat transfer to the bricks, thus making the operation more efficient. The mixing of air and fuel in the new kilns allows for complete combustion, thus reducing coal consumption by about 20 per cent. The new kilns also use fans to regulate air. The new Kiln Technology not only cuts the emissions by 70-80% but also saves fuel for the users.

Bringing down pollution from brick kilns in the National Capital Region during winter turned out to be a major challenge for the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA).

The kiln industry in Punjab's kiln industry employs about 5 lakh workers and it contributes to 8% of brick production in the country producing 15-20 billion bricks. The pollution caused by Stubble burning and industrial and kiln smoke in Punjab and Haryana in northwest India has been cited as a major cause of air pollution in Delhi. Smoke from this burning produces a cloud of particulates visible from space, and has produced a "toxic cloud" in New Delhi, resulting in declarations of an air-pollution emergency.

The Punjab government after following orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and guidelines from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), ordered traditional kilns to stop operating by March 2019 to control the toxicity of the National Capital Region(NCR). The new technology is being implemented by the DST. Punjab has been successful in cutting emissions by an estimated 70 per cent. Districts such as Barnala and Sangrur have seen 100 per cent conversion to the new technology. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), through the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, is providing technical assistance for the conversion.

13 www.civilserviceindia.com

New Catalyst

A new catalyst has been developed by the Engineers at the Stanford University that convert carbon dioxide from car exhaust pipes and other sources into natural gas or propane. The researchers succeeded in developing the new catalyst by combining ruthenium and iron oxide nanoparticles. The ruthenium nuggets sit in the core of the catalyst surrounded by an outer sheath of iron. This structure activates hydrocarbon formation from CO2 thus yielding four times as much fuel as previous approaches.

Catalyst : It is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

Ruthenium : It is a chemical element with the symbol Ru and atomic number 44. It is a rare transition metal belonging to the platinum group of the periodic table. Like the other metals of the platinum group, ruthenium is inert to most other chemicals

Fire Resistant Lithium-Ion Batteries : Scientists at John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, US, have developed Lithium-Ion batteries that wont catch fire. The batteries can operate under extreme conditions like submersion, ballistic impact, cutting and heat..

Lithium-Ion Batteries : A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery. Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used for portable electronics and electric vehicles. It is also used in every household item starting from smartphones which are susceptible to catastrophic fire and explosion. Due to this, many phones are banned from airlines and ships. The US Navy had also prohibited the use of e-cigarettes on ships and submarines because of the danger the batteries possessed. Govt Attempt to AFRS

It refers to National Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS). It is Biometric Artificial Intelligence based application that can uniquely identify a person by analysing patterns based on the person's facial textures and shape. It is capable of identifying or verifying a person from a digital image or a video frame from a video source. There 14 www.civilserviceindia.com are multiple methods in which facial recognition systems work, but in general, they work by comparing selected facial features from given image with faces within a database.

The Government of India in an plan to curb soaring crime rates has started working on installing the building the world's biggest facial recognition system that is a centralized database – accessible to police across all states of the country that would match images from the network of CCTV cameras against a database encompassing criminal records. Many states, including Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, had adopted the facial recognition technology in 2018 to fight crime. National Crime Records Bureau has sought tenders to procure a facial recognition system.

New Dielectric capacitor :

It is a device that can store 30 times more energy than best-performing commercially available dielectric capacitor. The researchers, including those from Queen Mary institute of London in the United Kingdom, have developed a new dielectric capacitor- a device that stores energy like a battery, taking inspiration from a French pastry, croissant which is made by folding multiple layers of dough. They found that by pressing and folding a polymer film capacitor (a capacitor with an insulating plastic film), they were able to store 30 times more energy than the best-performing commercially available dielectric capacitor.

According the the study published in the journal Nature Communications, the new dielectric capacitor is the highest energy density ever reported in a polymer film capacitor. The advance may pave the way for efficient, low-cost, and environmentally-friendly electric energy storage systems for wind and solar sources. As storing energy can be tricky, expensive and problematic especially with renewable energy sources, large amounts of renewable energy can be stored with the help of this new technique to be used when the sun is not shining and it is not windy. The study also noted that dielectric capacitors generally have ultrahigh power density making them suitable for technologies such as motor drives, and space vehicle power systems. These require accumulating energy over a period of time and then releasing it very quickly.

Until now, such capacitors were limited by the low amounts of energy they could store. This finding promises a significant impact on the field of pulse power applications and could produce a step-change in the field of dielectric capacitors, so far limited by their low energy storage density.

15 www.civilserviceindia.com

Plutonium :

It is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation states. It is very unstable, which is of course what makes it both an incredibly powerful source of energy and a potentially-devastating environmental disaster. Some isotopes of plutonium can persist for tens of millions of years, which is bad news if it gets into the groundwater.

For the first time, an International team of scientists, led by Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden- Rossendorf (HZDR) have accidentally discovered a new compound of plutonium (a radioactive chemical famously unstable for transport, storage and disposal) with an unexpected, pentavalent oxidation state, using the ESRF in France. The team was actually in the process of creating Plutonium Dioxide nano particles using different precursors. In the process, the plutonium at its pentavalent state showed a peculiar behavior. The scientists then learnt that the strange behavior of Plutonium at its pentavalent state was because it was stable! The team confirmed its stability using Pu M4 edge technology. the scientists repeated this experiment after 3 months and the element showed the same behavior, thus, confirming that Plutonium exhibited stability properties at its pentavalent state. The discovery of the new phase of plutonium could lead to new ways to tackle some of the challenges in handling the powerful compound.

Cosmic Ray Observatory :

A huge cosmic ray observatory named High-Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) is being constructed at China's southwest Sichuan Province. It is located in the mountains of the eastern Qinghai- Tibet Plateau at an average altitude of 4,110 meters. Research teams from Australia and Thailand and other countries will participate in the project directly.

The cosmic ray observation station LHAASO covers an area equivalent to 200 soccer fields. The rocks left from Ice Age were blasted for the construction. Many different types of

16 www.civilserviceindia.com detectors are being installed to form a huge "net" to catch the particles generated by cosmic rays in the atmosphere, to help scientists study both the micro and the macro worlds in the universe. Three huge underground pools are to hold the detectors that will collect high energy photons generated by remote celestial bodies as well as 12 telescopes will be erected to conduct high-precision measurement of cosmic rays with the highest energy.

As per Cao Zhen, chief scientist of LHAASO and a researcher at the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences the observatory is due to be finished at the end of this year, and the whole project completed by June 2021.

Cosmic rays are highly penetrative rays from outer space. Their collisions with atmospheric particles create a variety of different particles, including neutrons, mesons and hyperons so the detection of ray showers will help pinpoint the sources of the rays and help decode the origins of the universe, solar activity and Earth's space environment. So the main objective of LHAASO is to search for the origin of cosmic rays, and study their acceleration and transmission mechanisms. The cosmic rays can be used for applications outside astronomy.

In 2017, a void was found at the The Great Pyramid of Giza using cosmic rays by a team of scientists.

Environment & Climate News

Melting of ice glaciers

glaciers are melting at an alarming rate because of ongoing global warming. As the average global temperature increases, glaciers melt and retreat back up the valleys they flowed down. When glaciers disappear, the landscape stops being eroded by tons of ice and starts to be reclaimed by plant and animal life. With enough glacial melt, sea levels and landmasses can rise and fall.

The Russian Navy confirmed the discovery of five new islands. The new islands are located near the Vylki glacier off the coast of the remote Novaya Zemlya archipelago, which lies in the Arctic Ocean northwest of the Russian mainland. They range in area from 900 to 54,500 square meters (about 9,690 to 586,630 square feet) as big as 10 football fields.

As per Vice-Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, the head of the northern fleet. the melting, collapse and temperature changes led to these islands being uncovered. The islands are yet to be named.The Navy first spotted the islands in 2016 using satellite imagery, but only confirmed and mapped them in August and September during an expedition to the site. 17 www.civilserviceindia.com

Ozone

It is a highly reactive molecule comprised of three oxygen atoms that occurs naturally in small amounts. Roughly seven to 25 miles above Earth’s surface, in a layer of the atmosphere called the stratosphere, the ozone layer is a sunscreen, shielding the planet from potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation that can cause skin cancer and cataracts, suppress immune systems and also damage plants. Unfortunately, Ozone hole was created by the depletion of ozone in the atmosphere. The cause for the depletion was chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons—gases formerly found in aerosol spray cans and refrigerants which are released into the atmosphere and caused chemical reactions that break down ozone molecules,thus, reducing ozone's ultraviolet radiation- absorbing capacity. This led to thinning of the Ozone layer in the Southern Hemisphere. Apart from the chlorine compounds in refrigerators and aerosols,the climate change is also the cause of the Ozone depletion.

Researchers at the British Antarctic Survey discovered the ozone hole in 1985, and NASA’s satellite estimates of total column ozone from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer confirmed the 1985 event, revealing the ozone hole’s continental scale. soon after the discovery, The International Montreal Protocol was framed in 1987.

It is the protocol ratified at the United Nations that bans chlorine compounds in refrigerators and aerosols.

NASA reported that ozone hole near south pole is in its smallest size since it was discovered. In 2006, the hole was 10.3 million square miles. However, recently it has reduced to 3.6 million square miles. Scientists say that the hole is smaller than it was found in 1985. International Snow Leopard Day

International Snow Leopard Day is an annual holiday celebrated in different countries across the world. It is dedicated to saving one of the rarest wild cats on the planet. It is celebrated on the 23rd of October every year.

Project Snow Leoard is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). It aims to safeguard and

18 www.civilserviceindia.com conserve India’s unique natural heritage of high altitude wildlife populations and their habitats by promoting conservation via participatory policies and actions. There are about 400 to 700 snow leopards spread across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.The Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) will contribute to global ‘Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopard’s (PAWS) initiative.

Union Minister Prakash Jawadekar, on the occasion of International Snow Leopard Day, launched the country’s first national protocol for enumerating the population of snow leopards, an elusive predator found in the higher reaches of the Himalayas and other mountain ranges of Asia. It was announced at the inaugural session of 4th steering committee meeting of Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), held in New Delhi. Conservation efforts and reviewed steps to be taken for future protection of the high-altitude predator was discussed by the delegates from countries including Nepal, Bhutan and Mongolia,in the GSLEP. It was decided that all Snow leopard range countries work together and enumerate the number of snow leopards and to strive to double snow leopard population in the coming decade.

Snow leopards : The snow leopard, also known as the ounce. The scientific name of the snow leopard is Panthera uncia. It is a large cat which live primarily in the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. They are built for the cold and spend their lives crossing thousands of kilometres to feed and breed. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is estimated to number less than 10,000 mature individuals and is expected to decline about 10% by 2040. They are extremely difficult to spot thus making it difficult to accurately estimate their population.

19 www.civilserviceindia.com

Sports News

Cricket

Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma, during his incredible knock at Ranchi on Sunday broke the record of Sir Donald Bradman in the third and final Test against South Africa on Sunday. He scored his maiden double century (212). He has an average of 99.84 whereas Sir Donald Bradman of Australia has 98.22.

Rohit Gurunath Sharma is an Indian international cricketer who plays for Mumbai in domestic cricket and captains Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League as a right-handed batsman and an occasional right-arm off break bowler.

India completed a clean sweep in the three Test series against South Africa, winning the third and final Test in Ranchi on Tuesday (October 22) by an innings and 202 runs. Wrestling Ranking

The Indian junior men's hockey team lost to Great Britain by 1-2 defeat in the International under–21 men's field hockey tournament final. Great Britain scored 20 seconds before full time and won the Sultan of Johor Cup 2019 held at Johor Bahru in Malaysia.

Sultan of Johor Cup : The Sultan of Johor Cup is an annual, international under–21 men's field hockey tournament held in Malaysia. Since the first edition held in 2011, five teams have emerged victorious. India and Australia have won the tournament twice, Germany and Malaysia have won the tournament once.

20 www.civilserviceindia.com

Champions League :

The UEFA Champions League is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the best team in Europe.

Slavia Prague vs Barcelona: Lionel Messi's Historic Goal Helps Barcelona Edge a spirited Slavia Prague 2-1 on Wednesday to stay top of Champions League Group F. Messi opened the scoring after three minutes, beating Slavia goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar with a low left-footed shot to become the first player ever to score at least once in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons. Wushu World Championship :

The World Wushu Championships (WWC) is the official world championship event that is hosted by the International Wushu Federation. First held in 1991, the WWC takes place biennially and is the official pinnacle championships of the IWUF, featuring the highest competitive level within the sport of wushu. This official international Wushu competition sees many countries from around the world participating. Wushu originated in China.

Wushu Sanda : It is a Chinese martial art which combines full-contact kickboxing, including close-range punches and kicks, with wrestling, throws, takedowns, kick catch and sweeps. It is a Chinese self-defense system and combat sport. Wushu Sanshou or Wushu Sanda originated in China.

Praveen Kumar became the first Indian man to win a Wushu World Championships gold, beating Russel Diaz of Philippines in the 48kg category in Shanghai. The Indian saw off his Filipino opponent 2-1 in the men's Sanda event of the 15th World Wushu Championships.

The other Indian winners were Poonam in women’s 75kg category and Sanathoi Devi in women’s 52kg category secured silver medals. Vikrant Baliyan bagged bronze in men’s 60kg category.

In 2017, Pooja Kadian became the first Indian to be crowned world champion in wushu after she defeated Evgeniya Stepanova of Russia in the women's 75 kg sanda event.

21 www.civilserviceindia.com

French Open :

It is an annual Badminton tournament held in France since 1909 and hosted by the Fédération française de badminton (FFBa). Batminton World Federation (BWF) categorised French Open as one of the five BWF World Tour Super 750 events as per new BWF events structure since 2018.

The Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have advanced to the semi- finals of the ongoing French Open in Paris. The duo defeated Denmark's pair of Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-13, 22-20 in the quarter-finals. The Indian duo, who had claimed their maiden Super 500 title at the Thailand Open in August this year will take on the winner of the men's doubles clash between third seed Li Jun Hui-Liu Yu Chen of China and Hiroyuki Endo-Yuta Watanabe of Japan.

Saina Nehwal was knocked out of the French Open as she lost her quarter-final match against South Korea's An Se Young 20-22, 21-23 and Indian shuttler PV Sindhu too was knocked out of the ongoing French Open after she lost lost her quarter-final match against South Korea's An Se Young 20-22, 21-23.

Rugby World Cup :

Rugby union, widely known simply as rugby, is a contact team sport which originated in England in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. The 2019 Rugby World Cup is the ongoing ninth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship.

The opening match of the 2019 Rugby World Cup took place at Tokyo Stadium in Chofu, Tokyo and the final match will be held at International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture by World Rugby. Reigning champions New Zealand and England, ranked second will clash in a heavyweight Rugby World Cup semi-final for the spot in the finals. The All Blacks are defending a record 18-match World Cup winning streak dating back 12 years as they look to cement the legacy of departing coach Steve Hansen with their third straight title, and fourth overall.

22 www.civilserviceindia.com

Economic News

BHIM

It refers to Bharat Interface for Money. It is a mobile payment App developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), based on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). It is named after B. R. Ambedkar and was launched on 30 December 2016. Its aim is to to facilitate e-payments directly through banks as part of the 2016 Indian banknote demonetisation and drive towards cashless transactions. It is in line with government’s vision of Digital India.

Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) Ravi Shankar Prasad unveiled a slew of new initiatives and programmes including BHIM 2.0 upgraded version of BHIM with new functionalities, supports additional languages and has increased transaction limits on October 21. He also launched new initiatives that included MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) portal, Indian Software Product Registry and selected Incubation Centres under Technology Incubation Development for Entrepreneurs 2.0 (TIDE 2.0) at IT Ministry's MeitY Start-up Summit. The summit was a platform for start-ups and an opportunity to expand business plans. BHIM 2.0

It is a new upgarded version of BHIM. Additional features have been added to BHIM 2.0 making it more effective and useful. It supports three additional languages- Konkani, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri, over and above existing 13 and also enhanced transaction limits. The new developments in the application includes increasing the transaction limit, linking multiple bank accounts, offerings from shopkeepers, the option of applying for an Initial Public Offerings (IPO), gifting money and much more. The application also comes equipped with a dedicated gateway for donations.

TIDE 2.0 : It is aimed at strengthening nearly 2000 technology startups in areas of national concern by taking advantage of emerging technologies as well as empowering 51 incubation

23 www.civilserviceindia.com centers across the India. It will also digitally map innovative products by small entrepreneurs and artisans in villages across India. Indian Railways Indian Railways :

The Indian Railways, in a bid to increase revenue through the non-fare sources, has decided to allow carriage to goods of e- commerce giant Amazon on a pilot basis for three months during the non-peak hours. Under the pilot project initially about 7 MT of consignment per day will be carried. The project was earlier launched by the Eastern Railways for the first time in India when it allowed the Amazon consignments in its EMU local (suburban services). The partnership is the first in the e-commerce industry to enable the Railways build an e-commerce product for freight transport via rail.

According to Railway Ministry officials this project is likely to benefit both railways and e- commerce companies if implemented permanently. The growing e-commerce market will benefit railways as this will generate further revenue possibilities without putting any additional stress or burden on existing system whereas help the e-commerce giants in reducing transit time. The parcel business of Indian Railways will get a major boost.

People in News

Shri K Parasaran

He is scholar, legal luminary and former Attorney General of India. He was Advocate- General of Tamil Nadu during President's rule in 1976 and then, Attorney General of India under Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Parasaran was awarded the Padma Bhushan in the year 2003 and Padma Vibhushan in the year 2011. In June 2012, he received a presidential nomination to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's parliament. He was born in 1927.

24 www.civilserviceindia.com

He was conferred the 'Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award' by the Vice President Shri Venkaiyah Naidu on the occasion of Elder’s Day celebration organized by Age Care India.

Advocate General of the state : He is the highest law officer of the state. Articles 165 deals with the Advocate General of the state and Article 177 deals with rights Advocate General in respective houses. He gives advices to the government in the legal matter. He also discharges duties assigned on him by the State Government. He defends and protects the interest of the state government. The office of the Advocate General in state corresponds to the office of Attorney General of India

Attorney General: He is the chief legal advisor to Government of India. He is a primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of India. He is appointed by the President of India on the advice of Union Cabinet. Article 76 deals with the Attorney General of India. Senior IAS officers

Sanjeev Nandan Sahai is a senior IAS officer. He is a 1986-batch IAS officer of union territories (UT) cadre. He is at present serving as the special secretary in power ministry. He has been appointed as the new power secretary. The order in this regard was issued by Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions. He would be replacing Subhash Chander Garg who superannuates on 31 October 2019 who had sought voluntary retirement after being shunted out from the post of finance secretary soon after the budget was passed by Parliament.

Tuhin Kanta Pandey, an Odisha cadre IAS officer. He has been appointed by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet as Secretary Department of Investment and Public Asset Management.

Braj Raj Sharma, a Jammu and Kashmir 1984 cadre batch IAS officer. He has been serving as Secretary in Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under the Home Ministry. He has been appointed Chairman of Staff Selection Commission.

Pankaj Kumar, a 1987 batch IAS officer. He will be the new CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) which issues Aadhaar. He has been appointed Minority Affairs Secretary.

Pramod Kumar Das, a Madhya Pradesh Cadre IAS officer. He has been appointed Minority Affairs Secretary.

Sanjeev Gupta, a Himachal Cadre IAS officer. He will be the Secretary, Inter-State Council Secretariat while Minority Affairs Secretary Sailesh will be Secretary in the department of public enterprises, the ministry of heavy industries and public enterprises.

Alok Tandon, a 1986 batch officer will be Secretary in Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and Nagendra Nath Sinha will be Secretary, Department of Border Management in the Home Ministry.

Rajesh Bhushan will be Secretary (Coordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat.

25 www.civilserviceindia.com

Nagendra Nath Sinha appointed NHAI Chairman- He is a 1987 batch IAS officer as the Chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). He is will take Sharma’s place in BRO.

Anil Kumar Khachi has been removed from the post of secretary, the department of investment and public asset management (DIPAM). Emperor Naruhito

He is the Emperor of Japan. He is the 126th monarch according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He is an honorary member of the World Commission on Water for the 21st century and patron of the Global Water Partnership, established by the World Bank, the United Nations, and the Swedish Agency of Development. His birthday which falls on 23 February is named "Mount Fuji Day" because of his reported love of the mountain. Naruhito on 23 February 1991 was invested as the Crown Prince with the title 'Prince Hiro.' Naruhito, the first Japanese emperor born after WWII acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era, following the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday attended the enthronement ceremony of Japan's new Emperor Naruhito, 59, who completed his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne after his father's abdication earlier this year. The ceremony was attended by nearly 2000 guests including dignitaries from more than 180 countries international organizations. the ceremony was also attended by UK's Prince Charles. The 30-minute ceremony was held in the Imperial palace. The ceremony featured elements of ancient protocol which was immersed in the traditions and glory of a monarchy that claims 2,000 years of history.

Places in News

Ladakh

The Government on Monday announced that Siachen area, the world's highest battlefield, is now open to tourists. The entire area from Siachen base camp to Kumar Post for tourism purposes has been

26 www.civilserviceindia.com opened.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made the announcement on Siachen while inaugurating newly constructed ‘Colonel Chewang Rinchen Bridge’ over Shyok River in Eastern Ladakh.The main objective of the government is to boost tourism in Ladakh as well as to showcase and give people a window to appreciate the tough work done by Indian Army jawans and engineers posted in the extreme weather and inhospitable terrains.

Siachin Glacier : The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about 35.421226°N 77.109540°E, just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends. It is the world's highest battlefield. Egypt

Egypt : A team of Egyptians archaeologists find rare trove of 30 ornately decorated ancient wooden coffins 'belonging to family members of high priests' in Egypt's Valley of Kings. It was discovered at Asasif, a necropolis on the west bank of the River Nile near the Hatshepsut Temple. It is the first large human coffin cache ever discovered since the end of the 19th century. The wooden coffins of men, women and children were found just three feet underground stacked in two rows. The sarcophagi date back to the 22nd Dynasty, founded around 3,000 years ago in the 10th century BC. Despite their age, black, green, red and yellow paintings of snakes, birds, lotus flowers and hieroglyphics that cover the coffins are still clearly visible. Indonesia

Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia. It is a country in Southeast Asia, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is the world's largest island country, with more than seventeen thousand islands, and at 1,904,569 square kilometres, the 14th largest by land area and 7th in the combined sea and land area.

27 www.civilserviceindia.com

Joko Widodo, the incumbent Indonesian President, won last month’s election by a comfortable 10% margin over his rival, retired General Prabowo Subianto, the country’s election commission announced early on Tuesday.

Mr Widodo is a moderate Muslim and popular reformist leader of Indonesia. He is also known as Jokowi. He is an Indonesian politician who is the seventh president of Indonesia. He is the first president elected in July 2014 who has not to come from an elite political or military background. He was previously the Mayor of Surakarta from 2005 to 2012, and the Governor of Jakarta from 2012 to 2014. Abu Dhabi

An 8000 year old natural pearl has been discovered on an island off Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. According to the archeologists, it is said to be the world's oldest pearl. It was discovered by Abu Dhabi archaeologists during excavations at Marawah Island, off the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The natural pearl was found in the floor of a room discovered during excavations. The discovery of the natural pearl also revealed the earliest architecture found in the coountry.

Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism said that the layers from which the pearl came have been carbon dated to 5800-5600 BC, during the Neolithic period. It has been dubbed as the ‘Abu Dhabi Pearl’.

As per the Emirates News Agency, the discovery is a proof that pearls and oysters were being used in the UAE nearly 8,000 years ago, and represents the earliest known evidence for pearling yet discovered anywhere in the world. Before this discovery, the earliest known pearl was found in a Neolithic site in Umm Al Qaiwain. Ancient pearls have also been found at a Neolithic cemetery close to Jebel Buhais, in the Emirate of Sharjah.

Marawah Island: It is a low-lying island off the coast of the Western Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. Although privately owned, the island is a key center of archaeology. Marawah Island’s neolithic sites were first identified in 1992 during a survey carried out by the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey (ADIAS). Subsequent excavations have shown them to include numerous collapsed stone structures, the earliest architecture yet discovered in the UAE. Archeologists identified 13 sites dating from the Neolithic to the Islamic Period (12-13 AD)

28 www.civilserviceindia.com

Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won a second term on Monday, but he lost his majority in Canada's parliament. He won a narrow victory to form minority government. He has led the Liberal Party of Canada in 2015 and formed a majority government, which he won by defeating then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada. He has been prime minister since November 4, 2015. He has also stood for election to the House of Commons of Canada four times and was elected each time (2008, 2011, 2015, 2019). Trudeau was elected leader of the Liberal Party in 2013, succeeding Michael Ignatieff, who retired from politics after losing the general election of 2011. Uttar Pradesh

The Yogi Adityanath cabinet approved the budget for construction of boundaries of Ramlila grounds across the state and allocated funds in the supplementary budget announced on Monday. Along with boundaries of Ramlila Grounds, cow shelters were also included in the supplementary budget.

The Culture Department of Uttar Pradesh government is going to organise the country’s first training and performance programme of world famous KHON Ramlila in collaboration with Thailand government on the 26th of October 2019. The participant artists will be trained by experts of KHON Ramlila in Thailand as part of the cultural exchange program between the two countries. The artists will perform at Grand Deepotsav function in Ayodhya. The Kohn Ramlila festivities of Thailand were declared as one of the "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" in 2008 by by UNESCO.

KHON Ramlila : It is a masked form of Ramlila art of Thailand. It is a dance form depicting the scenes of Ramlila. There are no dialogues and background voices narrate the whole story of Ramayana. It is famous for its beautiful attire and golden masks.

29 www.civilserviceindia.com