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THE HINDU + PIB JUNE 2019

COMPILATION  Rice blast = caused by a fungus Magnaportheoryzae + one of the major diseases of the rice crop + researchers from ICAR-National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Odisha have mapped out the diverse genes in rice that help in disease resistance + from 1980-1987 seven blast endemics have occurred in India + Fungicides Monkeypox = monkeypox virus is similar to human smallpox and belongs to the virus family Poxviridae + It is transmitted primarily through infected animals (rodents and primates) + Human-to-human transmission of monkeypox is possible but limited + The virus is transmitted to those in close contact through secretions of the respiratory tract and skin lesions. While the disease is largely self-limiting, in some cases it does cause complications leading to death. During monkeypox outbreaks, fatality varies from 1-10%, with most deaths seen in younger people + WHO notes that prior smallpox vaccination is highly effective in preventing monkeypox + Monkeypox occurs sporadically in Central and West Africa; cases have been reported from 10 African countries + It was first identified in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the disease has now become endemic.  Chagos Islands = home to US military base of diego Garcia under lease from the UK since 1960s + ICJ recently ruled that UK must hand over Chagos islands to Mauritius and complete the process of decolonization + India too support Mauritius in this case  Ottamthullal = is a dance and poetic performance form of Kerala + It was introduced in the 18th century by Kunchan Nambiar, one of the Prachina Kavithrayam (three famous Malayalam language poets) + It is accompanied by a mridangam (a barrel shaped double headed drum) or an idakka (drum and cymbal)  Project Sashakt = It aims to strengthen the credit capacity, credit culture and credit portfolio of public sector banks + It is a five-pronged strategy towards resolution of 1 stressed assets, as recommended by Sunil Mehta Committee.  Golden langur breeding project = Assam + The golden langur conservation project was undertaken at the Assam State Zoo in Guwahati during the 2011-12 fiscal + Funded by the Central Zoo Authority, an isolated and undisturbed site within the zoo was chosen to provide a natural habitat for the primates with a golden coat endemic to Assam + IUCN Status is Endangered + Apart from a 60 square mile area in north- western Assam, small populations are found in Bhutan and Tripura  The rule of Nishan Izzuddeen = to PM Modi + the Maldives highest honour  Red notice = NOT an international arrest warrant + issued by Interpol general secretariat + it is a request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition +gives high international visibility to cases + Criminals and suspects are flagged to border officials making travel difficult + countries can request and share critical info linked to an investigation + Issued if police of one country request through their national central bureau and provide info on case + Interpol cannot compel any member country to arrest an individual subject to red notice + legal value given to a red notice is decided by the member country  Sadikpur Sinauli = ancient site with chariots, swords and other objects pointing to the presence of a warrior class around 4,000 years ago + Uttar Pradesh + could be declared a site of national importance soon  Senna Spectabilis = Invasive plants + which caused major threat to the wildlife habitat in the Nilgiri Biosphere reserve  Oussudu lake = Puducherry 1

 National maritime heritage museum = at Lothal in Gujrat + India and Portugal will cooperate in the setting up + project is being implemented by the Ministry of Shipping through its Sagarmala programme, with the involvement of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the State government and other stakeholders.  Koundinya sanctuary = Andhra Pradesh TF/Gropued’action financiese = Intergovernmental organisation + 1989(Initiative of  FtoA combat money laundering) + In 2001, mandate expanded to terrorist financing + G7cretariat at OECD in paris + monitor implementation through peer reviews + India is semember(39th country) + 49 recommendations(40 for money laundering and 9 for terror a ancing) + Informal and Non- permanent body ‘fin reylist’ = FATF(Financial action task force) + Pakistan(2nd time placed in this  list)G  G7 = Canada + USA + UK + France + Germany+ Itlay + Japan  Asiatic golden Cat = Scientists have found that its coat comes in five other shades and types: cinnamon, gray, melanistic, ocelot and tightly rosetted + Golden is no longer the only colour the elusive Asiatic golden cat can be associated with. Its coat comes in five other shades in Arunachal Pradesh, scientists have discovered + Near Threatened + It is found across eastern Nepal through north-eastern India to Indonesia  Idu Mishmi tribe = Arunachal Pradesh + (protesting against the declaration of Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary (DWS) as Tiger Reserve) + (traditionally follow an animist and shamanistic faith and believe that tigers are their elder siblings. Tigers are never hunted by Idu Mishmi and even If a tiger is killed in self-defense, it will receive the same burial as a human being)  Kudremukh national park = Karnataka  Balsams or jewel-weeds = these plants are highly sensitive to climatic conditions 2 such as extreme drought and extended exposure to sunlight + There are about 230 species of Balsams found in India and majority of them are found in the eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats + Consisting of both annual and perennial herbs, balsams are succulent plants with high endemism. Because of their bright beautiful flowers, these group of plants are of prized horticultural significance + between 2010 and 2019, 23 new species discovered from eastern Himalayas  ‘Section 301 probe’ = by US Trade Representative (USTR) + any action that would be taken under Section 301 of US Trade Act of 1974 will be an “omnibus” investigation looking into a slew of steps like taxes and “discriminatory treatment” of US companies.  Positive co-activator4(PC4) = new protein responsible for enhanced autophagy + founded by JNCASR research team + first time any study has shown that genome organisation is directly responsible for autophagy regulation in cells.  Mrigal carp/white carp fish = Vulnerable + is a species of ray-finned fish in the carp family + Native to streams and rivers in India, the only surviving wild population is in the Cauvery River + It is widely aquafarmed and introduced populations exist outside its native range + It reaches a maximum length of 1 m (3.3 ft)  UN security council 1267 Resolution = adopted unanimously in 1999 + on the situation in Afghanistan, the Council designated Osama bin Laden and associates as terrorists and established a sanctions regime to cover individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden and/or the Taliban wherever located + It is a consolidated list of people and entities it has determined as being

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associated with Al Qaeda or the Taliban, and laws which must be passed within each member nation to implement the sanctions + Masood Azhar has been linked to Osama bin Laden and, hence, can be sanctioned under 1267 sanctions committee + India is not a member of UNSC and, therefore, technically not privy to UNSC deliberations + Indonesia is the current chair of 1267 Sanctions Committee and will continue till the end of 2019. Indonesia is supportive of the move to ban Azhar + (Triangular formula = on designation Azhar as global terrorist in the UN security council’s 1267 committee)  UNSC(United Nations Security Council) = one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security + Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions + it is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states + The Security Council consists of fifteen members. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United States— serve as the body’s five permanent members(Veto power) + Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms. The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members(IS INDIA MEMBER NOW????)  Mangdechhu power project = India’s Bhutan hydel power project + 750 MW + Mangdechhu project is bagged by the Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) and it will be implemented on a bilateral basis + (Sunkosh reservoir project = Bhutan)  Seven Summits challenge = daunting mountaineering feat that involves scaling the highest mountains of each of the seven continents + Mt. Elbrus (Russia/Georgia), Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, Africa), Mt. Aconcagua (Argentina, South America), Mt. Kosciuszko(Australia), Mt. Denali(North America) and Vinson Massif(Antarctica) 3  National Rural drinking water programme (NRDWP) = 2009 + Centrally Sponsored Scheme + Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation + Aim of NRDWP is to provide every rural person with adequate safe water for drinking, cooking and other basic domestic needs on sustainable basis + Centrally Sponsored Scheme + It will enable the country to reach the goal of increasing coverage of sustainable Piped Water Supply  'Saavira Bhavigala Saradara' (master of thousand wells) = Karnataka region  S-400 triumf = long range air defence system consists of a surface to air missile that can attack UAVs ,drones,cruise missiles + Russia + Range = 400km + Max. altitude = 10000 ft + Max speed = 4800 m/s + has command control system, multiple radar units, automated from aquisition to final engagement + 4th generation system in terms of its combat capabilities + identified by NATO as the SA-21 Growler + world’s most dangerous such system  Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) = by USA + it aims to counter the aggression by Iran, Russia and North Korea through punitive measures  Chabahar port = Iran + the advantage of chabahar port for India is that it has received a waiver from USA(waiver is not time bound)  Draft National Education Policy, 2019 = Doubling the percentage of public expenditure on education + setting up an overarching National Education Commission as well as a National Research Foundation + encouraging primary school education in the mother tongue and incorporating traditional Indian knowledge

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systems into the curriculum + This is the first NEP in almost three decades; the last time such a policy was formulated was in 1986, with amendments made in 1992  Three-language formula = recommended by the draft national education policy + pre-school teaching in mother tongue + class 1 to 5 exposure to three languages medium is mother tongue + class 6 onwards choice within the 3-language formula + in Hindi-speaking states Hindi ,English and another modern Indian language + in no n- Hindi speaking states English, local language and one any other language + Foreign language can be an elective subject  Article 351 of Indian Constitution = Directive for development of the Hindi language  Kasturirangan committee = new education policy + set up after draft submitted by T.S.R subramanian committee  The right to education was made a fundamental right by inserting Article 21A by the Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002 + It was enabled with the subsequent enactment of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 + The RTE Act bears many similarities to the U.S.’s No Child Left Behind Act.  UN women = also known as United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women + Hq at New York + SDG 5  International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) = setup in 1957 + Headquarter at Vienna + Objective is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons + Though independent of UN it reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council + Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 + UN atomic watchdog  Houthi group = Yemen  Hezbollah group = Lebanon 4  The Controller General of Accounts is the apex Accounting Authority of the Central Government and exercises the powers of the President under Article 150 of the constitution for prescribing the forms of Accounts of the Union and State Governments on the advice of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India(CAG) + Non-statutory  Enforcement Directorate = Department of Revenue,Ministry of finance + law enforcement agency and economic intelligence agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime in India  Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) = mandate of SFIO is limited to investigating frauds relating to a company under the Companies Act + SFIO falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs + The SFIO is involved in major fraud probes. It coordinates with the Income Tax Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation for fraud investigation  ‘International Trade Corridor’ = Program aims to expand about 500 kilometers of roads in lndia’s North Bengal and N-E Region that will enable efficient and safe transport within lndia and regionally with other SASEC member countries + Loan extended by ADB($150 million) + Program is an important initiative in Regional Connectivity aimed at increasing domestic and regional trade through North Bengal- N-E Region Intl Trade corridor by upgrading key roads. It will give a boost to lndia’s efforts to promote regional connectivity in the South Asia  Council on the future of trade and investment = World Economic Forum(WEF)

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 API – Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients = These are those constituents of drugs that are responsible for effects produced by these drugs. The other constituents of the drugs called excipients are chemically inactive substances, which help carry APIs to the body system or target organ etc.  Subic Bay = bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines[Locate on Map]  Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) = which use a nicotine-laced liquid + ENDS, including e-cigarettes, vape, e-sheesha, e-nicotine flavoured hookah and heat-not-burn devices(BANNED BY HEALTH MINISTRY) + ENDS are also not approved as nicotine replacement therapy under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act + E- cigarette use adversely affects the cardiovascular system, impairs respiratory immune cell function and airways in a way similar to cigarette smoking and is responsible for severe respiratory disease. It also poses risk to foetus, infant, and child brain development + harmful health effects e-cigarettes pose to users, as well as passive exposure.  Sri Krishna temple, Guruvayur = Kerala  ‘General consent’ to CBI = general consent is the approval given by the state government concerned from time to time to the CBI and other agencies covered under DSPE Act,1946 + The consent is necessary as the jurisdiction of these agencies is confined to Delhi and UTs under this act + AP and WB recently withdrawn their consent(However, AP restored it back after the recent state elections) + Withdrawl of consent don’t have any effect on pending enquires(That is, prospective effect only) + Despite the withdrawl of consent, courts can still order a CBI Investigation + This is not the first time that general consent has been withdrawn by the state + Withdrawal 5 of consent will only bar the CBI from registering a case within the jurisdiction of Andhra and Bengal. Thus, for new cases the CBI could still file cases in Delhi and continue to probe people inside the two states + cases registered anywhere else in the country, but involving people stationed in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal would allow CBI’s jurisdiction to extend to these states  Manjeera Reservoir and Dam = Telangana  National Common Mobility Card = Metro rail commuters in Bengaluru and four other cities will be the first to experience a single pan-India multi-purpose payment card system + Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) , which is part of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) project, is fine-tuning the gate payment systems for metro stations + common mobility card is meant to eventually indigenise and transform payments for all modes of travel, shopping, parking, money withdrawal and other uses in place of separate credit, debit and prepaid cards + The NCMC is part of the Digital India mission and is spearheaded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs + C-DAC is a technology partner + Currently, the country imports almost all component systems for metro rail systems. The card apart, NCMC would also help indigenise on a large scale, metro, toll and other payment gates, command and control systems and many other systems + aim would be to ensure that new metros have only the indigenous systems. BEL would engage small and medium industries to manufacture the devices  Article 371(A) = guarantees special status for the people of the north-eastern state Nagaland + safeguards the customary rights of the Nagas + (“Land and its resources

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in Nagaland belong to the people and not the government. Landowners usually wield the provisions in Article 371(A) to prevent the government from carrying out developmental activities on their land,”)  Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Status/GSP Status is a preferential tariff system extended by developed countries (also known as preference giving countries or donor countries) to developing countries (also known as preference receiving countries or beneficiary countries). It involves reduced MFN Tariffs or duty-free entry of eligible products exported by beneficiary countries to the markets of donor countries.(Presently 28 countries has extended GSP status to India.These are Japan, NZ, Canada, Russia, 17 EU countries etc)(PLEASE REMEMBER ABOVE MENTIONED IMPORTANT COUNTRIES) + GSP measure was adopted at UNCTAD Conference in 1968 and later enacted by General Agreement on Trade and Tariff (now WTO) in 1971 [USA Recenty withdrawn this status from India]  Generalized System of Preferences(GSP Programme)[of USA] = which sets zero tariffs for certain goods from a set of 121 developing countries to foster their trade and economic development + accounts for some $5.6 billion of India’s exports to the U.S., making India the largest GSP beneficiary + Chemicals, gems and jewellery, engineering and textiles are among the Indian industrial sectors that benefit from the GSP + USA Recently withdrawn the GSP status from India + 60-day period is there after which the GSP decision come into effect after announcement + US Trade representative(USTR) reviews GSP programme periodically  Crispr-Cas9 = gene editing tool + an acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, harnesses the 6 natural defence mechanisms of bacteria to alter an organism’s genetic code + It’s likened to a pair of molecular scissors, a cut-and-paste technology, that can snip the two DNA strands at a specific location and modify gene function + The cutting is done by enzymes like Cas9, guided by pre-designed RNA sequences, which ensure that the targeted section of the genome is edited out.  Chinese scientist who created the world’s first gene-edited babies experiment, in which he sought to immunise a pair of twins from HIV by tinkering with a gene called CCR5(However, while protecting against HIV, a deactivated CCR5 gene can also make people more susceptible to West-Nile Fever)  National Statistical Commission (NSC) = established in 2005 + on the recommendation of C. Rangarajan Economic Advisory Council + The objective of its constitution is to reduce the problems faced by statistical agencies(CSO and NSSO) in the country in relation to collection of data + NSC has four Members besides a Chairperson + MoSPI(Ministry of statistics and policy implementation)  Periodic Labour force survey = launched in 2017 by the NSSO + regular survey for generating estimates of various labour force indicators on quarterly basis for urban areas and annual basis for both rural and urban areas, at State/UT and all-India level + would supply data not only about the formal sector, but also about the informal sector + PLFS is designed to generate the indicators of labour market operations using two approaches( Usual Status (US) approach and Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach) + In this survey, Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) Method has been

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adopted with field operators using tablets to enter the data. This would generate more accurate and timely information.  Black box = available in aircrafts + black box, being introduced for the first time by Indian Railways, has a powerful multi-dimensional communication interface to provide information on passengers and coach condition on real-time basis  Spyder = surface to air missile system + IAF’s Israeli-origin  MCA-21 Database = e-governance initiative + launched in 2006 + allow firms to electronically file their financial results and advance filing of corporate accounts, to calculate national accounts + It also include addition to the volume index of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and establishment-based dataset of Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) + maintained by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs + under the revised GDP series that was introduced in 2015, financial data from companies that filed their accounts with the government even just once in three years were considered sufficient to help make GDP growth estimations (this changed in 2015 when the government introduced a new GDP series with 2011-12 as the base year (from the previous base year of 2004-05) and introduced the MCA-21 database as the mainstay for calculating GDP figures)  Identification friend or Foe (IFF) system = There are a range of methods used to identify friendly aircraft. These include visual sightings, radio transmission, designated entry and exit points for friendly aircraft and a transponder-based + With supersonic aircraft and long range radars, the IFF system is the predominant method used in both civil and military aviation to identify aircraft + IFF is a transponder- based identification device that communicates with ground radars and exchanges encrypted codes to indicate that the aircraft is a friendly one + Some modes of 7 transponders also indicate the speed and specific coordinates of the aircraft which are used by civil air traffic controllers to identify commercial aircraft .  Opto-electronic properties = combination of optics and electronics + key property of these materials is photoluminescence, in which the material absorbs light and re-emits it as a spectrum + Consisting of practically one layer of atoms, these materials are two-dimensional in structure. Photoluminescence properties can be used in various devices such as quantum LEDs which can be used in communication and computation + electrons in semiconductors occupy bands of energy known as valence bands. As long as they live in these bands, they do not move and contribute to conduction. If excited by a small energy input, they get kicked into what is called the conduction band where they can actually be delocalised and contribute to the conduction by moving around + When an electron jumps from the valence to the conduction band, it leaves behind a shadow called a “hole.” The electron in the conduction band and the hole in the valence band can bind together and form a composite object (or pseudoparticle) known as an exciton. Photoluminescence in tungsten selenide is a result of such excitons + There can be two ways in which an exciton can form – when the spins of the component electron and hole are opposite to each other and when they are aligned in teh same direction. The former is called a bright exciton and the latter, a dark exciton (dark excitons are longer lived than the bright excitons).  Plasmonic effect = The plasmonic effect is the interaction between free electrons in metal nano particles and incident light.  Dzhezkazgan (Zhezkazgan) = Karaganda Region ->Kazakhstan

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 International Space Station (ISS) = space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit + 1998(expected to work till 2030) + in low earth orbit(sometimes can be seen by naked eye) + serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory + It is a joint project among five participating space agencies: NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada) + China launched its first experimental space station, Tiangong 1, in September 2011  What are the factors that may go to affect the body biology in space in contrast to these on earth = zero gravity or micro gravity + exposure to ionising radiation or IR(This arises from cosmic rays, solar flares and such, which will affect the circumnavigating astronaut. On Earth, the atmosphere and the magnetic field of Earth protect us earthlings reasonably efficiently)  New species of dung beetle = discovered in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh + Enoplotrupestawangensis, is shining dark blue in colour + relatively bigger than most of the dung beetles + Dung beetles belong to the super family scarabaeoidea, having clubbed antennae and pro-tibiae (pro-legs) modified for burrowing dung inside the soil + characteristic of this species is the strong sexual dimorphism, with the fronto- clypeal horn shorter in females than males. Three more species of dung beetles from the group Geotrupidae, which roughly means earth borers, were discovered by the same scientists in the past three years. One of them, Odontotrypestawangensis, black with metallic lustre, was also discovered in Tawang in 2016 +Bolbocerasdarjeelicans, measuring about 10 mm, dark brown in colour, from Darjeeling in West Bengal; and Bolbocerasbilaspuricans from Chhattisgarh[DON’T Take THESE TYPE OF NEWS LIGHTLY]  National Registrar of citizens(NRC) = It is a list of all bona fide Indian citizens of 8 Assam, the only state with such a document + It will include persons whose names appear in any of the electoral rolls upto the midnight of 24th March, 1971 or National Register of Citizens, 1951 and their descendants. + The Citizenship Act of 1955 was amended after the Assam Accord for all Indian-origin people who came from Bangladesh before January 1, 1966 to be deemed as citizens + Those who came between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971 were eligible for citizenship after registering and living in the State for 10 years + while those entering after March 25, 1971, were to be deported. However, nothing much happened over the decades + In 2014, the Supreme Court asked the state government to update the 1951 NRC in a time-bound manner + Present exercise is being conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court + The NRC is being updated as per the provisions of The Citizenship Act, 1955 and The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003 + The process of verification involved house-to-house field verification, determination of authenticity of documents, family tree investigations in order to rule out bogus claims of parenthood, and linkages and separate hearings for married women + Excluded people in the draft have scope for filing claims and objections, for which forms of correction would be available at various NRC seva kendras (IMPORTANT TOPIC)  P-8I long-range maritime surveillance aircraft = P-8I aircraft is a variant of the P- 8A Poseidon aircraft that Boeing developed as a replacement for the US Navy’s ageing P-3 fleet + recently used by India for anti-piracy sorties from Salalah in Oman to patrol the Gulf of Aden + With this Indian Navy expands its mission-based

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deployments (MBD) in the Indian Ocean region + This was the second time the P-8I operated from Salalah for anti-piracy this year + Under the MBD concept, the Navy now maintains a ship at every choke point in the IOR at any point of time + the navy has deployed 73 ships till date on anti-piracy patrols + P-81 has electro-optical and infra-red sensors to penetrate thickly forested areas  Under the “Neighbourhood First” policy, the Navy undertakes Joint Exclusive Economic Zone surveillance with the Maldives, the Seychelles and Mauritius and coordinated patrols with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.  Divorce bill = BREXIT + for Britain’s exit from European Union  Government borrowing has steadily increased over the last five year (the centre’s share has remained fairly constant during this period, borrowings by state governments have risen with each passing fiscal year + state fiscal deficit levels increased until FY17 and declined subsequently in the next two years (however their gross borrowings increased continuously over this period. Fiscal deficit of the centre has seen a steady fall)  Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India scheme/FAME Scheme = part of its NEMMP + The scheme has four focus areas: technology development, pilot project, charging infrastructure and demand creation + Ministry of heavy Industries  2nd Phase of FAME-India = implemented over the period of 3 years from 2019-20 to 2021-22 + main objective of the scheme is to encourage faster adoption of electric & hybrid vehicle by the way of market creation and indigenization + Electrification of the public & shared transport + Local manufacturing: Special incentives will be given for local manufacturing of critical components for electric vehicles, especially the lithium ion batteries + Establishment of charging infrastructure + 9 stresses upon theindigenization of the entire EV value chain + Offering incentives to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to invest in setting up a charging network + Under FAME -2 scheme, withdrawal of subsidies on EVs using lead acid batteries & low-speed electric two-wheelers + FAME-Phase 2 has been introduced to achieve the target of more than 30% electric vehicles by 2030( a more realistic goal in comparison to the earlier target of 100% EVs by 2030)  Difference between Non banking financial company(NBFC) and Bank = Provides Banking services to People without holding a Bank license + An NBFC cannot accept Demand Deposits + An NBFC is not a part of the payment and settlement system + An NBFC cannot issue Cheques drawn on itself + Deposit insurance facility of the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available for NBFC depositors, unlike banks + An NBFC is not required to maintain Reserve Ratios (CRR, SLR etc.) + An NBFC cannot indulge Primarily in Agricultural, Industrial Activity, Sale-Purchase, Construction of Immovable Property  Xylotrechus quadripes/Coffee White stem borer = is a species of beetle + considered a pest and known for its habit of boring through the stems of coffee plants in plantations  Medicine Nobel Prize = for research into how the body’s natural defences can fight cancer + discovery led to treatments targeting proteins (Example: Protien named Ligand PD-1) made by some immune system cells that act as a “brake” on the body’s natural defences killing cancer cells(READ ABOUT T- CELLS FROM STATIC)

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 Great Grey Owl = is a very large owl, documented as the world's largest species of owl by length + Least Concern + It is distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, and it is the only species in the genus Strix found in both Eastern and Western Hemispheres  Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems(CCTNS) = Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan of Government of India + aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing through adopting of principle of e-Governance and creation of a nationwide networking infrastructure for evolution of IT-enabled-state- of-the-art tracking system around ‘Investigation of crime and detection of criminals + project was unveiled in 2015 to connect all police stations in the state  Section 376E of Indian Penal Code (IPC) = under which life imprisonment or death penalty can be awarded to repeat offenders in rape cases + The provision was introduced by the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, on the basis of recommendations of the Justice J.S. Verma Committee, which was formed to consider changes in law to deal more sternly with offenders in sexual offence cases + (Shakti mills case, 2013 = Bombay high court upholds law + case challenging the constitutional validity of Section 376E (punishment for repeat offenders) of the IPC under which they were sentenced to death by a sessions court)  National security adviser (NSA) = no clear term of appointment + the NSA’s post was first created in 1998 + first NSA to get cabinet status in the table of precedence + in his previous stint as an NSA he had the stature of a minister of state (MOS)  H1-B visa = by USA + the ones that allow tech companies to bring in highly-skilled workers from abroad + according to some estimates about 75% of all H1-B visa 10 holders are Indians.  Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2019 = 9th edition + Hague, Netherlands + number of entrepreneurs from across the world, including 27 from India + being hosted by the governments of the United States of America and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and is the first edition of the event to be held in the European Union + GSE 2017 event in India focussed on the issue of ‘Women First, Prosperity for All’. It was the first edition of the GES to take place in South Asia, and more than 50% of the delegates at the event were women.  Bird flu = H5N1  Operation Blizzard = Coordinated by Interpol + to counter Illegal reptile trade  Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) = It is the national regulatory body for Indian pharmaceuticals & medical devices under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare + responsible for approval of New Drugs, Conduct of Clinical Trials, laying down the standards for Drugs  Swachh Survekshan 2020 league = part of annual Swachh Survekshan or sanitation survey of cities and towns + by Union housing and urban affairs ministry + a quarterly assessment of cleanliness  South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) = to promote welfare of the peoples of South Asia & to improve their quality of life; to accelerate economicgrowth, social progress and cultural development in the region + 8 members(Nepal + Bhutan + India + Maldives + Afghanistan + Bangladesh + Pakistan + Sri lanka) + China has a status of an observer state

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 BIMSTEC = Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) + involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia(Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand) + A BIMSTEC free trade agreement is under negotiation + Leadership is rotated in alphabetical order of country names + The permanent secretariat is in Dhaka(The organisation did not even have a secretariat until 2014) + founded in 1997 with BIST(Bangla,India,srilanka,thailand) + Bhutan and Nepal joined in 2004 + meeting took place after 4 years inNepal(Kathmand)(4th Summit) + leaders of BIMSTEC nations have held summits just four times in 22 years + One of BIMSTEC’s two founding principles is: “Cooperation within BIMSTEC will constitute an addition to and not be a substitute for bilateral, regional or multilateral cooperation involving the Member States.” + Its official literature describes it as a bridge between South and South East Asia” and a “platform for intra-regional cooperation between SAARC and ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] members.  Motor Vehicle Agreement = between India, Myanmar and Thailand (under negotiations) + This agreement is necessary to utilise physical road infrastructure on IMT Trilateral Highway  Motar Vehicle Agreement = between BBIN  South Asia Satellite/GSAT-9 = a Geostationary Communication satellite launched byISRO to provide various communication applications over South Asian countries. Some other applications include: Tele-medicine, Disaster Management, Banking, e-governanceetc + (India will set up five ground stations and more than 500 terminals in five neighboring countries – Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh and 11 Sri Lanka +infrastructure is being created as an extension of the South Asia Satellite launched in 2017)  Most FavouredNation(MFN) status = While the term suggests special preference for the country given MFN status, it actually means it would be treated equally as all others + According to the World Trade Organisation(WTO) rules, countries cannot normally discriminate between their trading partners. If one country is granted a trade concession such as, for example, lower import duties, then all WTO members must be extended the same concessions. This principle is known as the Most Favoured Nation treatment +India recently revoked MFN status to Pakistan bestowed in 1996  Regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP) = Proposed FTA between the 10-member ASEAN bloc and its six FTA partners— India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand + Once concluded,RCEP will create the largest regional trading bloc, making up 25% of GDP, 30% ofglobal trade, and 26% of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows + RCEP ‘guiding principles and objectives state that the “negotiations on trade in goods, trade in services,investment and other areas will be conducted in parallel to ensure a comprehensive and balanced outcome”  National Tutors programme = may be launched soon + Ministry of Human resource and Development(MHRD) + under this thousands of professionals from various fields and retired university teachers, who are willing to join “voluntarily”, will be engaged to provide complementary teaching to higher education students

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 2 + 2 Dialogue = already had with Australia, Japan and USA +BETWEEN External affairs ministry and defence ministry(I.e, two ministries and two countries)  Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 = governs the election symbols reservation, allocation order and registration of Political parties in India + The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 empowers the EC to recognise political parties and allot symbols  Golfinho-Atum gas field = Mozambique  Organisation of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) = 1969 founded + 57 member states including Iran and Pakistan + Hq at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia + Objective is to Raise the collective voice of the Muslim world + OIC has permanent delegations to United Nations and the European Union + In this organisation, India is a blocked country, though it has about 12% of the world’s Muslim population. India has been blocked by Pakistan from joining the OIC over Kashmir issue + OIC regard parts of Kashmir as “occupied byIndia” + It is second largest inter-governmental organization after UN  Khartoum = City in Sudan  Bharat bill payment system (BBPS) = BBPS is an integrated bill payment system in India offering interoperable and accessible bill payment service to customers + owned by NPCI  2019 Global Economic prospects (GEP) report = World bank + semi-annual  Remdesivir dose = experimental drug + an experimental Ebola cure may also protect against Nipah virus + antiviral drug + Remdesivir, is also being tested against the Ebola virus in the outbreak now under way in the Democratic Republic of Congo + The only current treatment for Nipah virus infection is a monoclonal antibody that is 12 still experimental; (it was tested during an outbreak in India last year) + Ebola and Nipah belong to different viral families, but Remdesivir — made by Gilead Sciences and also known as GS-5734 — appears effective against both + the drug has also shown some effectiveness against two other pandemic threats: Lassa fever and MERS coronavirus. It is also effective against Respiratory Syncytial virus, which infects children all over the world + Nipah virus, which causes encephalitis and pneumonia, is lethal in about 70% of cases.  SDG gender index = India ranked 95th out of a total 129 countries + first-ever + which measures strides made in achieving gender commitments against internationally set targets + index has been developed by Equal Measures 2030 + index finds that no country has fully achieved the promise of gender equality and that the global average score of 65.7 out of 100 is “poor” + A score of 100 indicates the achievement of gender equality in relation to the underlying indicators. (A score of 50 would indicate that a country is about halfway to meeting its goal). India’s score of 56.2 means that it is among 43 countries in the ‘very poor’ category + India scores the highest in health (79.9), followed by hunger (76.2) and energy ( 71.8). Among the SDGs, on which the country performs poorly are patnerships (18.3), industry, infrastructure and innovation (38.1) and climate (43.4).  Committee on Investment and Growth = to be Chaired by PM + consists of Home Minister, Finance Minister, Minister for Road Transport and Highways and MSME and Railways Minister + This committee will be a focussed group to take measures to bring investments and spur growth in the critical sectors including infrastructure,

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manufacturing and agriculture, as the economy is passing through a highly volatile period  Committee on Employment and Skill Development = to be chaired by PM + 10- member Cabinet + committee will prepare a road map to bring the economy back on growth trajectory  Olive ridley turtles = VULNERABLE + performs Arribada( synchronized, large- scale nesting) + India’s odisha and Andhra pradesh coast are famous for their nesting(Gahirmatha beach + rushikulya river mouth etc are some famous sites) + Bahuda river mouth(Odisha) is another site + (A proposal has been made to establish a permanent research centre near the Rushikulya rookery on the Odisha coast to study the mass nesting of Olive Ridleys and the environmental factors related to it + Forest Department is planning to have it in the Khallikote forest range, near the Rushikulya rookery + The centre would be involved in a detailed study of the habits and the habitat of the turtles and the coastal flora and fauna. It would have a museum for the general public where skeletons and eggs of different marine turtles would be displayed. It would also include models and interactive displays)  Sabarmati river = Sabarmati is counted among the most polluted rivers in the country, under the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) National Water Quality Programme + Sabarmati is amongst the most polluted rivers in the country, and among the top three polluted rivers in Gujarat, the other two being Amlakhadi and Khadi.  Swine flu = Influenza A H1N1 +H1N1 influenza (or swine flu) is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses do not normally infect 13 humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred + Children younger than five years old and adults who are 65 years and above, patients with chronic pulmonary condition (including asthma), , neurological, neuromuscular or metabolic disorders (including diabetes), obese adults and pregnant women are in the high risk group  Doctors 4 doctors (D4D) = IMA has launched + aimed at preventing burn out, addressing mental health challenges and reducing incidents of suicide among residents and clinicians.  (Mechuka advanced landing ground (ALG) = Arunachal Pradesh) + (Pari-Adi Mountain = Arunachal Pradesh)  INS Rajali = located at Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu  In the solar panel manufacturing sector, the Indian government allows 100% foreign investment as equity and it qualifies for automatic approval = The government is also encouraging foreign investors to set up renewable energy-based power generation projects on build-own-operate basis.  Everyday giving in India report 2019 = Sattva Foundation undertook a first-of-its- kind study on the everyday giving ecosystem in India, with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies  World Giving Index of 2018 = by the U.K.-based Charities Aid Foundation + India tops the list of countries in the number of people donating money (although it ranks only 89th for participation rates when calculated as a proportion of the population).

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 Safeguard duty = Tariff imposed to restrict imports of a product temporarily (take “safeguard” actions) if its domestic industry is injured or threatened with injury caused by a surge in imports  Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) = An EVM consists of a "control unit" and a "balloting unit". The control unit is with the Election Commission-appointed polling officer; the balloting unit is in the voting compartment into where voter casts her vote in secret + It runs on a single alkaline battery fitted in the control unit, and can even be used in areas that have no electricity + manufactured by Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) + EVMs were 1st used in 1982 Kerala Assembly elections (by-election) + RP Act 1951 was amended in 1988 to allow usage of EVMs + In 1999, they were used for the 1st time in the entire state for Goa Legislative Assembly elections + In 2004, EVMs were used for the 1st time in Lok Sabha elections.  Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) = independent verification system designed to allow voters to verify that their votes were cast correctly + a paper slip is generated bearing name and symbol of the candidate along with recording of vote in CU + The printed slip is visible (for 7 seconds) in a viewing window attached to BU in voting compartment + Subramaniam Swamy vs ECI (2014)(SC said VVPAT is necessary for transparency in voting and must be implemented by ECI. In General Elections 2019, VVPATs will be used in all the constituencies)  Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Abhiyan (PMJAA) =alsoknown as Ayushmann bhar at- National Health Protection Mission + world’s largest healthcare scheme, aims to provide a cover of ₹5 lakh per family annually, benefiting more than 10 crore poor families + for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization + People in SECC 14 will get automatically enrolled in this scheme + only individuals with a valid Aadhar card will be eligible + National health agency will be the implementing agency  Garuda Exercise = Indian and French air force + week-long mega air exercise  Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) = Eurasian political, economic, and security organization + formed in 2001 + headquartered in Beijing + SCO comprises eight-member states, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russian, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan(NO TURKMENISTAN) + RATS + 4 observer states and 6 dialogue partners  RATS(Regional anti terrorist structure) = SCO + permanent organ + It is headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Head of RATS is elected to three-year term. Each member state also sends permanent representative to RATS  Shanghai cooperation organization (SCO) summit = 19th + Bishkek Kyrgyzstan  Nal se Jal scheme = aims to provide piped drinking water to every rural home by 2024, in response to studies showing that 84% of rural homes have no access to piped water, with more than 70% of the country’s water contaminated.  Indian navy Environment conservation (INECR) = formulated by Indian Navy towards achieving the goal of Clean and Green Navy + Under the INECR, numerous policies aimed at reduction of energy consumption and environment sustenance have been formulated and disseminated to all ships, as well as shore establishments.  Yellow Sea = surrounded by China, North Korea and South Korea(Mark on Map)  Monetary Policy Committee(MPC) = Targeting inflation is to be the core objective + committee was mooted by the Urjit Patel committee + MPC will be a 6 member

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committee:3 by Govt and 3 by RBI(Governor don’t have a veto power but enjoy a casting vote in case of a tie) + MPC will meet four times in 1 year + CRR(Cash reserve ratio) is not in ambit of MPC  The change of stance to accommodative from neutral by MPC = means there is a possibility of further monetary easing in the months ahead + (Calibrated Tightening = this is a type of rate cycle in which only two options possible i.e,MPC will increase interest rates or keep them constant (but won’t decrease))  Short wave transmissions = short wave is the only effective way to reach any part of the world where FM and other modes don’t work(Read more about shortwave from static)  Chaukhandi stupa = Sarnath, Uttar Prdesh + has been declared to be of national importance by the Archaeological survey of India.  Competition Commission of India = established under Competition Act,2002 + to eliminate practices having adverse effect on competition + to promote & sustaincompetition(protect the interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India)  Sambar deer = Vulnerable + State animal of Odisha + Native range : Indian subcontinent, southern China, and Southeast Asia  As per DPP-2016(Defence procurement procedure), there are two sub-categories of ‘Make’ Procedure: • Make-I (Government Funded): It will involve Government funding of 90%, released in a phased manner. • Make-II (Industry Funded): Under this, private industry funds the research for the product on its own and develops a prototype. There will be no government funding 15  New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) = a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russia + Formal name :Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms + signed in 2010, entered into force on 2011,It is expected to last at least until 2021  Sinai Peninsula = Egypt  Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) = Designation Given by RBI to banks which are too big to fall + SBI, ICICI and HDFC are in this Category  The plants discovered this year includes close wild relatives of many potential horticulture, agriculture, medicinal and ornamental plants. The discoveries include plants belonging to groups Amomum (wild cardamom), Cycads, Rubus (raspberry), Syzygium (wild jamun), Terminalia, Balsams, Zingibers and also seven trees and 10 orchids + 224 new species of plants and 372 animal species discovered in India last year  Kapu = refers to a social grouping of agriculturists found primarily in the southernIndian state of Andhra Pradesh  Marginal Cost of Funds Based Lending Rate (MCLR) System = (MCLR) refers to theminimum interest rate of a bank below which it cannot lend, except in some cases allowed by the RBI. + it is an internal benchmark or reference rate for the bank. + Baserate calculation is based on cost of funds, minimum rate of return, i.e. margin or profit, operating expenses and cost of maintaining cash reserve ratio while the MCLR is basedon marginal cost of funds, tenor premium, operating expenses and cost of maintaining cash reserve ratio. + Calculation of

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marginal cost under MCLR: Marginal cost is chargedon the basis of following factors interest rate for various types of deposits, borrowings and return on net worth. Therefore, MCLR is largely determined by marginal cost of funds and especially by deposit rates and repo rates  Territorial Army = Territorial Army (TA) is a second line of defence after the Regular Indian Army + it is not a profession, occupation or a source of employment + organized under the Territorial act,1948  Thulabharam = a Hindu ritual in which a person is weighed against a commodity such as flowers, grains, fruits and similar articles in temples and the equal value or quantity is offered as donation  National testing agency = National Testing Agency (NTA) has been established as a premier, specialist, autonomous and self-sustained testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for admission/fellowship in higher educational institutions + It will be society registered under Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860  Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) = A group of banks, including public sector, privatesector and foreign banks, signed an inter-creditor agreement + It is part of the “Sashakt” plan approved by the government to address the problem of resolving bad loans. + framed under the aegis of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and follows the recommendations of the Sunil Mehta Committee on stressed asset resolution + ICA is an agreement among banks that have dues from a borrower in stress.The pact mandates the lead bank to formulate a resolution plan that will be executed in a time bound manner + Applicable to all corporate loan above 50 crore + if 2/3rd of the lenders in terms of aggregate exposure approve then the pact is binding on all lenders +In joint lenders’ 16 forum there was to arrive at a consensus among creditors which is not so in ICA + holdout problem, where the objections of a few lenders prevent a settlement between themajority lenders, will be solved through the inter-creditor agreement  SEBI and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate seamless sharing of data and information for carrying out scrutiny, inspection, investigation and prosecution + This assumes significance as the MCA has the database of all registered firms while SEBI only regulates listed entities that may have unlisted subsidiaries, with the MCA having access to all the data of such unlisted entities.  Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) = chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis and syphilis(These are some examples)  DS-160 and DS-260 forms = DS-260 is an immigrant visa application and is filed after the immigrant visa petition while The DS-160 is a non-immigrant visa application  5G = next generation cellular technology that will provide faster and more reliable communication with ultralow latency + with 5G, the peak network data speeds are expected to be in the range of 2-20 Gigabits per second (Gbps). This is in contrast to 4G link speeds in averaging 6-7 Megabits per second (Mbps) in India as compared to 25 Mbps in advanced countries + But once 5G becomes commercial, users will be required to change their current devices in favour of 5G-enabled ones + ultra low latency offered by 5G makes the technology desirable for such use cases. Latency is the amount of time data takes to travel between its source and destination + even after

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the entry of 5G into the Indian networks, the earlier generation mobile technologies (2G, 3G and 4G) will continue to remain in use and that it may take 10 or more years to phase them out + South Korea and the U.S. became the first countries to commercially launch 5G services + Ericsson has also installed a 5G test bed at IIT Delhi for developing applications in the broadband and low latency areas + Besides the spectrum, 5G will require a fundamental change to the core architecture of the communication system. Simply upgrading the existing Long Term Evolution core will not be able to support the various requirements of all 5G use cases + Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the apex decision making body at the telecom department oversee 5G trials  Abhay Karandikar panel = on offering experimental/trial spectrum for 5G  Amundsen sea[Locate on MAP]  New paper-based test kit for malaria detection = IIT Guwahati + One of the aptamers selectively captures the antigen (P. falciparum glutamate dehydrogenase - PfGDH) from the P. falciparum strains, while the other captures another antigen (Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase - PLDH) that is common to all the Plasmodium species.  IIT Mandi indicate that nanostructures made of gold embedded with silver show zero resistance to the flow of electric current through them + this happens at the relatively high temperatures, between 240 K and 275 K, that is, approximately between -33 degrees Celsius and 2 degrees Celsius.  Scientists have created high-resolution maps of points around the globe where groundwater meets the oceans + the first such analysis of its kind that may help protect both drinking water and the seas + nearly one-half of fresh submarine 17 groundwater discharge flows into the ocean near the tropics + regions near active fault lines send greater volumes of groundwater into the ocean than regions that are tectonically stable + dry, arid regions have very little groundwater discharge, opening the limited groundwater supplies in those parts of the world to saltwater intrusion.  Mula-Mutha river cleaning project = Pune, Maharashtra  Sariska tiger reserve = Rajasthan  Chandrayaan -2 Mission = the country first moon lander and rover mission + 2019 + ISRO + The first Indian moon landing spacecraft of the Chandrayaan-2 mission will be known as ‘Vikram’ + It is ISRO’s first inter-planetary mission to land rover on any celestial body + soft landing is the most challenging part of the mission + robotic rover, named Pragyan + The moon’s constantly sunny side gets light for 14 Earth days or one lunar day. The lander and the rover are expected to work for just that duration + 3500 kg + will be launched on the heavy-lift GSLV-MK III rocket + The tests related to the lander were conducted at the Challakere multi-agency campus where ISRO, DRDO, BARC and the IISc facilities are located  Challekere = place in karnataka + artificial lunar site created here to test the sensors of Chandrayaan-2  Economic Advisory Council(EAC-PM) = independent body which provides advice on economic issues to the government, specifically to the Prime Minister + non- constitutional and non-statutory, non-permanent and independent body + It advise can be either suo-motu or on reference from prime minister or anyone else

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 Life ball = Life Ball in Vienna is the biggest charity event in Europe supporting people with HIV or AIDS. The event is organized by the nonprofit organization AIDS LIFE  Ranbir Penal Code(RPC) = J&K + related to sexual harrasment + Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), to insert a section to provide for the offence of “sextortion.” + J&K has become the first State in the country to bring a law to prevent people in power from exploiting subordinates sexually  Banks will now have a review period of 30 days after a borrower defaults to decide on the resolution strategy, as compared to the one-day norm earlier + They will also have the freedom to decide whether or not to drag a defaulter to the insolvency court if resolution does not take place within 180 days of default.(Banks had no such option earlier)  India became the world's first to successfully perform a telerobotic coronary intervention(robotic method of performing heart surgery. With the help of the internet and a robotic tower, a surgeon is able to treat patients from a distance)  National strategy for Artificial Intelligence = NITI Aayog  International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) = setup in 1957 + Headquarter at Vienna+ Objective is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for anymilitary purpose, including nuclear weapons + Though independent of UN it reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council + Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 + UN atomic watchdog  National Data Warehouse = MOSPI + leveraging big data analytical tools to further improve the quality of macro-economic aggregates  Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) and Hypoglycaemic encephalopathy = AES in 18 short, is a basket term used for referring to hospital, children with clinical neurological manifestations which include mental confusion, disorientation, convulsion, delirium or coma + (Meningitis caused by virus or bacteria + encephalitis (mostly Japanese encephalitis) caused by virus + encephalopathy, cerebral malaria, and scrub typhus caused by bacteria are collectively called acute encephalitis syndrome) + While microbes cause all the other conditions, encephalopathy is biochemical in origin, and hence very different from the rest. There are different types of encephalopathy + In the present case of Bihar, the encephalopathy is associated with hypoglycaemia and hence called hypoglycaemic encephalopathy + It is an observed fact that malnourished children between two to 10 years fall ill and die due to hypoglycaemic encephalopathy. It is not known why older children or adu lts do not suffer the same way + (A virus does not discriminate by age, and children younger than two years too are affected by Japanese encephalitis)  How encephalitis different from hypoglycaemic encephalopathy = Fever on the first day is one of the symptoms of encephalitis before the brain dysfunction begins. While fever is seen in children in the case of hypoglycaemic encephalopathy, fever is always after the onset of brain dysfunction (actually due to the brain dysfunction). And not all children exhibit fever. Some children have no fever, while others may have mild or very high fever + The blood sugar level is usually normal in children with encephalitis but is low in children with hypoglycaemic encephalopathy + In the case of encephalitis, fever (due to virus infection) for a day or two is followed by the onset of symptoms caused by the brain getting affected. However, in hypoglycaemic

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encephalopathy, children go to bed without any illness but manifest symptoms such as vomiting, convulsion and semi-consciousness early next morning (between 4 a.m. to 7 a.m.)At that time, the blood sugar level is low, hence the name hypoglycaemic encephalopathy + The most important difference between the two is the presence of white blood cells in the cerebrospinal fluid. In encephalitis, there are more white blood cells per unit volume of cerebrospinal fluid, which is a reflection of inflammation in the brain. In contrast, no increase in white blood cells is seen in hypoglycaemic encephalopathy as there is no inflammation in the brain.

19  Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) = is locally known as Chamki bukhar (brain fever)  Hypoglycaemia = causes abnormally low-levels of sugar in the blood or a Deticiency of sodium or potassium in the blood  Hypoglycin A = naturally present in litchi fruit + methylenecyclopropylglycine MCPG  Hypoglycaemia (when the level of glucose in the blood falls below normal) is usually due to an overdose of insulin in children with diabetes + It is easily corrected with oral sugar or intravenous glucose + The easily available 5% glucose solution suffices. Hypoglycaemic encephalopathy, however, is different from simple hypoglycaemia + Jamaican Vomiting Disease, a form of hypoglycaemic encephalopathy. It is triggered when unripe ackee fruits are eaten. These fruits contain a substance, methylene cyclopropyl alanine, which blocks a biochemical process called fatty acid oxidation, or gluconeogenesis + ackee and litchi belong to one plant family.  Group of Twenty (G 20) = international forum for the governments and central bankgovernors from 19 countries and the European Union + first G20 Summit was held inBerlin in December 1999 and was hosted by the finance ministers of Germany and Canada + was formed in 1999 to discuss policies relating to financial stability + Its agenda was expanded since 2008 including heads of governments / heads of

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states as well as finance ministers and foreign ministers + For the first time, India will host the annual G-20 Summit in 2022 + India is conducting trilateral meetings independently for the first time simultaneously at the summit level (Russia-India-China (RIC) meeting or Japan- America –India (JAI) meeting)  Recent G20 summit = 11th + also known as Osaka summit(Japan) + The G20 Summit is formally known as the “Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy”[MORE WILL BE COVERED IN UPDATED VERSION]  QUAD = (India + Japan + USA + Australia) + India is not a military alliance partner while the other three are + initiated in 2007 + Inter-governmental security forum  Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project = Telangana + Godavari river  National crisis management committee = headed by Cabinet secy + to handle disaster and other emergency situations + Home ministry  Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) = Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) + indigenously developed + technology demonstrator vehicle to prove a number of critical technologies for futuristic missions from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha  Information Fusion Centre (IFC) = for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) + 24/7 regional information sharing center + Through this Centre, information on “white shipping”, or commercial shipping, will be exchanged with countries in the region to improve maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean +IFC has been established at the Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram  Pencil Portal = platform for effective enforcement of no child labour + Ministry of 20 Labour  Eastern economic forum = international forum held each year in Vladivostok, Russia, for the purpose of encouraging foreign investment in the Russian Far East  Arctic: territory of dialogue forum = provides one of the key platforms for discussing the problems and prospects of the Arctic region at the global level + The event is held with direct support from the Government of the Russian Federation + Russia is keen that India joins the Arctic: Territory of Dialogue Forum.  Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) = proposed by India in1996 + NOT adopted yet by UN + CCIT defined terrorism and enhanced “normative processes for the prosecution and extradition of terrorists.”  International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) = is the ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia + Initiatedby Russia, India and Iran in 2000 + to improve trade connectivity  Ashgabat Agreement = multimodal transport agreement that envisages the creation of an International Transport and Transit Corridor connecting Central Asia with the PersianGulf + The corridor being multimodal will consist of road, rail and sea transport + India has acceded to the Ashgabat Agreement + Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran,India, Pakistan Oman(IIT-UK-PO)  Consumer confidence survey = by RBI  Bimal Jalan committee = looking into the size of capital reserves that the RBI should hold.  Cyclone Vayu = Saurashtra region + Gujrat + Places such Dwarka, Junagarh, Naliya, Rajkot and Shore of Veraval, Gujarat are affected

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 Cyclone Fani = Odisha  Herbicide Tolerant (HT) Bt cotton = Hundreds of farmers joined in what they termed as the ‘civil disobedience’ movement to protest central government’s indecisiveness in approving the next generation of Genetically Modified (GM) cotton by sowing the seeds of the illegal HTBt cotton + Sowed illegally by farmers in Maharashtra + unauthorised GM crop  Nipah Virus = zoonotic disease (disease transmitted to humans from animals) that causes severe disease in both animals and humans + first identified in 1999 during outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore + Fruit bats of the genusPteropus/Pteropodidae are the natural reservoirs of NiV + may lead to coma + Encephalitis may present as acute or late onset + currently no Vaccine available to treat + the virus was found in countries which never saw an outbreak, such as Thailand, and the only known outbreaks so far have been in Malaysia, Bangladesh and India + Nipah is situated in malaysia + (Alappuzha coast = Kerala) + (Kovalam beach = Kerala)  Buddhist circuit = Gaya, Patna and Varanasi are included in the circuit  Middle east peace process = Israeli–Palestinian peace process  GM brinjal = Bacillus Thuringiensis Brinjal + Coalition for a GM-Free India (CGFI) have alleged that Bt brinjal is being cultivated illegally in Haryana + created by India's seeds company Mahyco in collaboration with American multinational Monsanto, claims to improve yields and help the agriculture sector  Strait of Hormuz[Locate on MAP]  Gulf of Oman = Gulf lies between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula + Besides Iran and Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq also share the Gulf 21 coastline + Strait of Hormuz is a choke-point between the Gulf and the open ocean + With Iran on its northern coast and the UAE and an Omanian enclave on the south  Kokuka Courageous = Japan’s vessel being attacked in Gulf of Oman  Fujairah port = UAE  Chagangkha Lhakhang (temple) = Bhutan  Joint comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) = Iran’s nuclear deal + between (P5+1) and Iran + Iran’s ‘clandestine nuclear weapons programme  Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) = Implemented by Bureau of pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) + campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses + PMBJP stores have been set up to provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive branded drugs  Uighurs = Turkish ethnic people + living primarily in china  Black softshell turtle(nilssonia nigricans) = Extinct in the wild + few that remain are in the ponds of some temples in Assam(Ugratara temple)  Hayagriva Madhava temple = Hajo in Assam  Economic performance index = IMF  Article 243P(c) of the Constitution defines ‘metropolitan areas’ as those having “population of ten lakhs [a million] or more, comprised in one or more districts and consisting of two or more municipalities/panchayats/ other contiguous areas, specified by the governor through public notification to be a metropolitan area + It recognises metropolitan areas as multi-municipal and multi-district entities + It mandates the

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formation of a Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) for preparing draft development plans, considering common interests between local authorities, objectives and priorities set by Central and State governments, and investments likely to be made in the area by various agencies + To ensure the democratic character of the MPC, it is mandated that at least two-thirds of the members of the committee must be elected by and from among the elected members of the municipalities and chairpersons of the panchayats in the metropolitan area, proportionate to the ratio of their respective populations.  United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) = India for the first time will host the 14th session of the Conference of Parties (COP-14) + At the previous edition of the COP, India had committed to restore 13 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by the year 2020, and an additional 8 million hectares by 2030 + The Bonn Challenge is a global effort to bring 150 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded land under restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030 + The United Nations has three major Conventions: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) + Established in 1994, the UNCCD is the only legally binding international agreement linking environment and development issues to the land agenda  Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) = to reduce the flow of conflict diamonds or ‘blood diamonds’ used to finance wars against governments around the world, mostly in African countries + India is the KP chair for 2019 + Fifty-five members representating 82 countries + India, supported by the Gem and Jewellery 22 Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), is hosting this event for the first time + Every rough diamond is accompanied by a certificate confirming its non-conflict origin, and export-import procedures in most of the countries are now subject to rigorous control.  Use of cryptocurrency Bitcoin emits 22 megatonnes of carbon dioxide annually, says a study + For a Bitcoin transfer to be executed and validated, a mathematical puzzle must be solved by an arbitrary computer in the global Bitcoin network. The network, which anyone can join, rewards the puzzle solvers in Bitcoin + The computing capacity used in this process — known as Bitcoin mining  Virtual biopsy device = scientist have developed + that can quickly and non- invasively determine whether a skin tumour is cancerous and needs to be removed surgically + Using sound vibrations and pulses of near-infrared light + The first-of- its-kind experimental procedure, called vibrational optical coherence tomography (VOCT), creates a 3D map of the legion’s width and depth under the skin with a tiny laser diode.  Joint Monitoring Programme report by UNICEF and WHO shows India has increased the percentage of its population with access to a protected drinking water source less than 30 minutes away, from 79% in 2000 to 93% in 2017 + However, the percentage of households getting piped water has remained stagnant at 44% over the 17-year period.  National Zoological Park + better known as Delhi zoo + has not had a single giraffe for the last four years + The zoo authorities have now written to three zoos in Thailand for the animal through an exchange programme.

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 Indian grey wolf = carnivore + it inhabits semi-arid and arid areas + grey wolf (Canis lupus Pallipes) + It has a wide distribution range that extends from the Indian subcontinent to Israel + Least Concern  World Investment Report 2019 = by UNCTAD(United Nations Conference on Trade and Development)  World population prospects 2019 report = by UN/UNDESA(United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs)  Libra = Facebook’s cryptocurrency + facebook and other partners released a prototype of libra + libra association debuted with 28 members including Mastercard, Visa + Facebook is separately building a digital wallet called Calibra + Bitcoin and Libra are both based on block chain technology, which refers to a form of distributed ledger — not centralised — of transactions + Libra is an initiative of 28 influential corporate.  India VIX = volatility index based on the NIFTY Index Option prices  Government e-Marketplace (GeM) = An online platform for government users which leverages technology to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement +It provides the tools of e-bidding, reverse e-auction and demand aggregation to facilitate the government users, achieve the best value of their money + It is paperless, cashless and contactless platform giving end to end solution + Ministry of Commerce & Industry  A water clinic for elephants = opens in Mathura, UP + India has opened its first specialised hydrotherapy treatment for elephants suffering from arthritis, joint pain and foot ailments + near the Wildlife SOS’ Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC) 23  Mallanna sagar project = Telangana  Cess = cess is levied on the tax payable and not taxable income + a cess can be levied on both direct and indirect taxes + cess is levied to meet a specific purpose + its proceeds cannot be spent on any kind of government expenditure + Recent examples of cess are: infrastructure cess on motor vehicles, clean environment cess, Krishi Kalyan cess (for the improvement of agriculture and welfare of farmers), and education cess. To make the point clear, the proceeds from the education cess cannot be used for cleaning the environment and vice versa + the proceeds of all taxes and cesses are credited in the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI) + While the tax proceeds are shared with the States and Union Territories according to the guidelines by the Finance Commission, the cess proceeds need not be shared with them + (The education cess, at 2%, which was first proposed in 2004, was aimed at improving primary education. In 2007, an additional cess of 1% was introduced to fund secondary and higher education (SHEC). And recent ly, in the 2019 Union Budget, a 4% health and education cess was announced which incorporates the previous 3% education cess as well as an additional 1% to provide for the health of rural families + dedicated fund for primary education is the ‘Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh’, or PSK, (created in October 2005, a year after the cess was introduced) while that for higher and secondary education is the ‘Madhyamik and Uchchtar Shiksha Kosh’ (set up in August 2017))  Operation hidden Idol = In 2015, Operation Hidden Idol was launched by USA’s Homeland Securities Investigation Department to recover and repatriate looted

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Artifacts and Antiquities numbering 2600 by Subhash Kapoor worth an estimated Rs.650 Crores ($100 million)  India Pride Project = A Voluntary Initiative of private individuals interested in protecting Indian antiquities, that has been instrumental in the repatriation of several works of incalculable archaeological and aesthetic value  Status of forces Agreement (SOFA) is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing military forces in that country WHILE Visiting forces agreement is an agreement between a country and a foreign nation having military forces visiting in that country  Back to the village programme = by Jammu and Kashmir govt + Under the program, the entire administrative apparatus of the state government is going to visit all the 4483 Panchayat halqas to get the grassroots level feedback from general public  Yoga = word yoga was first mentioned in the Rigveda + philosophy science and Grammer were first provided by Patanjali in his magnum opus, Patanjali yoga sutra.  Project-75I = Project of Indian Navy + follow-on of the Project 75 Kalvari-class submarine for the Indian navy + is approved for six advanced submarines(6 diesel- electric submarines, which will feature advanced Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems) worth ₹40,000 crore through the Strategic Partnership (SP) model of the Defence Procurement Procedure  Washi paper = japan + UNESCO Intangible cultural heritage tag  Operation Bandar = code name of Balakot strike  Visakhapatnam warship = an under construction warship of the Indian navy at Mazgaon Dockyard Ltd + It is the first of four stealth guided missile destroyers to be 24 built under Project 15-B Class of the Indian Navy +Mormugao, Imphal and Porbandar are the others under construction.  Rajaji and Corbett Tiger reserves = Uttarakhand  Indian elephant = Schedule-I animal under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and Section 9 of the Act prohibits their capture from the wild. Capturing of wild elephants is permitted only under very limited circumstances as provided in Section 11 and 12 of the Act + Endangered  Nilachal hills/Kamagiri Hills = Assam  Notice to airmen (NOTAM) = is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the safety of the flight  Curiosity Rover = NASA + Mars + NASA Curiosity’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) has detected the highest ever levels of methane in the course of its mission on Mars  Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, 2019 = U.S. State Department has released + India was placed (i.e., remained) in Tier 2, which comprises “countries whose governments do not fully meet the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards.”  Unique flood hazard Atlas = Odisha has come out + on the basis of historic flood inundation captured through satellite imagery from 2001 to 2018 + National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Hyderabad, conducted the study on flood hazard zonation for Odisha + Vast areas of

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the State are inundated every year due to the flooding of major rivers — Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Subarnarekha and Rushikulya. Other rivers, like the Vamsadhara and the Budhabalanga, also cause flash floods.  Operation Sankalp = Indian Navy + to re-assure Indian-flagged vessels operating/transiting through persian gulf and gulf of Oman  Yak = Vulnerable + it can tolerate temperatures as low as -40 degree Celsius + associated with the Himalayan tahr and white-bellied musk deer + restricted to higher Himalayas of Asia, the Tibetan plateau and parts of north Russia  Nagarhole National park = Karnataka + in the Nilgiris-Eastern Ghats in southern India  Bandipur Tiger Reserve = constitutes an important component of a forest landscape comprising Nagarahole (Karnataka), Mudumalai and Sathyamangalam (Tamil Nadu) and Wayanad (Kerala)  Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) = which is measured remotely from satellite data. This has been used to estimate the amount of food abundance available to herbivorous animals, for example, elephants. The NDVI is used, for instance, in attempts to track the presence of elephants using the vegetation they consume  Bangkok Declaration on Combating marine debris = by ASEAN + on fighting maritime waste — a first of its kind — which promises to “prevent and significantly reduce marine debris,”  Arogyapacha(Trichopuszeylanicus) = Scientists decode genome + ‘miracle plant’ + known for its medicinal properties + endemic to the Agastya hills in the southern Western Ghats + known for its traditional use by the Kani tribal community to combat 25 fatigue + Studies have also proven its anti-oxidant, aphrodisiac, anti-microbial, anti- inflammatory anti-tumour, anti-ulcer, hepatoprotective and anti-diabetic properties.  Herbicide tolerant Bt (HTBT) or Bt3 cotton = unlicensed + farmers who sow this variety + Farmers additionally need to use glyphosate, a banned weed killer which the Bt3 variety tolerates.  National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) = It has been constituted under Section 171 of the Central GST Act, 2017 + is the institutional mechanism under GST law to check the unfair profit-making activities by the trading community + recently tenure extended by 2 years + Non-Permanent body  LOOK ISRAEL PALESTINE MAP(ALSO MAP GOLAN HIEGHTS and WEST BANK(Ramallah is in WB)(ALSO THE COUNTRIES TOUCHING)))  Golan heights = Israeli seized from Syria in 1967 + bordering countries (Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon) + area houses the Jordan River’s drainage basin, Lake Tiberias, the Yarmuk River + Israel's main source of fresh water (Sea of Galilee) is located a few hundred metres to the east of the shore.  HSN (Harmonised system of nomenclature) code = an internationally adopted commodity description and coding system developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO) + HSN code is used by more than 200 countries as a basis for their customs tariffs  Krishnapatnam port = Andhra Pradesh + private sector  Garzweiler lignite coal mine = Germany

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 Complaint Management System (CMS) = Launched by RBI + online portal to facilitate bank customer grievance redressal processes + The CMS portal can be accessed on RBI’s website and complaints can be lodged against any of the entities regulated by the central bank.  Ocean cleanup project = started in pacific ocean + Ocean Cleanup is a non- profit organisation which is developing advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastics + It is directed at cleaning The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) which is a zone between Hawaii and California  2017-18 Composite Health Index = Kerala secured the highest score + prepared by the NITI Aayog + which incorporates 23 indicators + among bigger state, Andhra Pradesh gained six ranks (biggest jump) and Tamil Nadu dropped six places (biggest fall) + the Indicators include neonatal mortality, immunisation coverage and case notification rates.  Antigua and Barbuda[Locate on MAP]  Campaign zero chance = Australian government + to raise awareness among people trying to enter the country illegally by boats + Australia has so far turned back 847 people on 35 vessels trying to enter Australia illegally as part of the operation sovereign borders that has been implemented since 2013.  Impressed Tortoise (Manouriaimpressa) = A tortoise considered beautiful enough to be named ‘impressed’ has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh + Yazali area of the Lower Subansiri district + This is the first record of the tortoise in India, taking the count to five and the non-marine chelonian count to 29 + Chelonian is an order of reptile that includes turtles, terrapins and tortoises + “There are only two species of tortoises under the Manouria genus. India was known to be the home of only the 26 Asian Forest Tortoise (Manouriaemys) until the discovery of the Impressed Tortoise,+ The Asian Forest Tortoise, the largest in mainland Asia, is found only in the northeast, as are 20 of the other 28 species of chelonians + “The male Impressed Tortoise is smaller than the female which is 30 cm in length. This Manouria species is one-third the size of the Asian Forest Tortoise,”  Prison statistics India = published by the national crime records bureau (NCRB)  Industrial Security Annex (ISA) = Negotiations started between India and USA + It would allow Indian private sector to collaborate with the U.S. defence industry(ISA is particularly essential as the Indian industry looks for a greater role in defence manufacturing. It allows sharing of classified information from the U.S. government and American companies with the Indian private sector, which is so far limited to the Indian government and the defence public sector undertakings)  U.K Sinha Committee = committee formed by the reserve bank of India (RBI) + recommened a RS 5000 Crore distressed asset fund for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)  Rio Grande River = Southwest USA and N. Mexico  Dongria kondhs = Indigenous + Niyamgiri hills + Odisha  ‘75 Student Satellites Mission 2022’ = Up to 75 tiny satellites built by students of Indian universities could fly to the skies between late next year and 2022 in batches + ITCA, a technology promotion body based in Bengaluru, has roped in around 40 engineering colleges to form a consortium.

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 Buddhist relic unearthed in A.P. village = 3rd century A.D. relic + Buddhist relic has been unearthed on the right bank of the Gundlakamma river,Andhra Pradesh + is carved with half lotus medallions at the centre and top portions on all the four sides in the Amaravati school of Art of the Ikshwaku times + pillars carved in the Ikshwaku style were earlier noticed inside the Siva temple at Manikeswaram  Jal shakti scheme = to ramp up rainwater harvesting and conservation efforts in 255 water-stressed districts + water is a state issue + campaign will be coordinated by 255 central IAS officers of Joint or Additional Secretary-rank, drawn from ministries + Jal Shakti Abhiyan would aim to accelerate water harvesting, conservation and borewell recharge activities already being carried out under the MGNREGA and the Integrated Watershed Management Programme of the Rural Development Ministry, along with existing water body restoration and afforestation schemes being undertaken by the Jal Shakti and Environment Ministries + Progress would be monitored in real time through mobile applications and an online dashboard at indiawater.gov.in + the Jal shakti abhiyan is a time-bound, mission-mode water conservation and irrigation efficiency campaign for water security in rural India.  Bhore committee = 1943 + to assess health condition in India  Health index 2019 = released by NITI Aayog + Aayog produced its first first ranking for 2015-16  Natural Language Translation Mission = Ministry of Electronics and IT(MEITY) + identified by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) + The proposal is part of the 100-day action plan charted out by MeitY + The national mission on natural language translation aims to make science and technology accessible to all by facilitating access to teaching and researching 27 material bilingually — in English and in one’s native Indian language + To achieve this, the government plans to leverage a combination of machine translation and human translation.  Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR) = by IMF + Semi annual report + (while at India level FSR is prepard by RBI)  Vesper saurus paranaensis = desert-based carnivorous dinosaur that used claws to capture small prey 90 million years ago has been unearthed in southern Brazil + Vespersaurus was a theropod, a group of two-footed, meat-eating dinosaurs that included the better known Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor.  Mekedatu project = across the Cauvery river + Karnataka + CWC gives nod for feasibility report on Mekedatu project + balancing reservoir cum drinking water project  Resilient Kerala programme = Government of India, Government of Kerala and the world bank have signed a loan agreement of $250 million + programme which represents the maiden state partnership of the world bank of India, is the first of two development policy operations to mainstream disaster and climate resilience into critical infrastructure and services.  “Data Free Flow with Trust, (DFFT)” = The initiative for free flow of data + announced by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in January + came after the Reserve Bank of India’s guidelines mandating that the storage of all financial data, including by multinational companies, must be kept on servers in India.

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 JL-3 = Ballistic missile + China has successfully tested its latest submarine launched ballistic missile  Dragonfly mission = NASA + will launch in 2026 and land in 2034 + to fly a drone copter to Saturn’s largest moon titan in search of the building blocks of life + titan is the only celestial body besides our planet known to have liquid rivers, lakes and seas on its surface, through these contain like methane and ethane not water  Kartarpur corridor = 4 km from the border with India + shrine on the banks of the Ravi river in Pakistan + Gurdwara was ordered by Maharaja of Patiala between 1921- 1929 and is believed to be place where Nanak ji spent about last 18 years of his life  Muvattupuzha project = Irrigation project + Kerala  Nirbhaya Fund = fund is created by Ministry of Finance in 2013 with a corpus of Rs 1000 crore + Non-Lapsable + It is being monitored by Empowered Committee of Officers under Secretary of Women and Child Development Ministry + It is an inter- ministerial committee which appraises and recommends various projects (schemes) proposed by different ministries to be funded from Nirbhaya Fund + The Fund is administered by Department of Economic Affairs of the finance ministry[REMEMBER DEPARTMENT] + The key schemes under which the States have been allocated money include Emergency Response Support System, Central Victim Compensation Fund, Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children, One Stop Scheme, Mahila Police Volunteer, and Universalisation of Women Helpline Scheme(REMEMBER THE NAMES of these schemes being funded by Nirbhaya Fund)[ALL SCHEMES TO BE COVERED IN LATER EDITIONS]  Fast Radio Burst = In radio astronomy, a fast radio burst (FRB) is a 28 transient radio pulse of length ranging from a fraction of a millisecond to a few milliseconds, caused by some high-energy astrophysical process not yet identified.  Cosmic radio waves = In a first, Australian scientists have determined the precise location of a powerful one-off burst of cosmic radio waves + A team of researchers made a high-resolution map showing that the burst originated in the outskirts of a Milky Way- sized galaxy about 3.6 billion light-years away  ‘One nation, one ration card’ scheme = will ensure all beneficiaries especially migrants can access PDS across the nation from any PDS shop of their own choice + Ration card – Aadhar linkage is must to access the benefits of the scheme + Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution  Mahatma Gandhi IT and Biotechnology Park = a dedicated free trade zone built with India’s assistance, has been inaugurated in Cote d’Ivoire  PUNCH mission = NASA + will image the Sun + This is a landmark mission that will image regions beyond the Sun’s outer corona + PUNCH, which stands for “Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere,” + The mission is expected to be launched in 2022 + Indian scientist will be Co-Investor in NASA’s PUNCH mission + [Other SOLAR MISSIONS like Aditya L-1, Parker solar probe, Solar orbiter etc to be covered in later editions]

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