Easy to PICK – “UPSC Monthly Magazine" March-2018 MARCH 2018 PT-MAINS Easy to PICK – “UPSC Monthly Magazine" March-2018 S.No. Topics Page No. GS - 1 1 INTEGRATED SCHOOL EDUCATION SCHEME 2 2 RASHTRIYA UCHCHATAR SHIKSHA ABHIYAN 4 3 6TH EDITON OF INDIA BY THE NILE FESTIVAL 5 4 NATIONAL ACADEMIC DEPOSITORY (NAD) 6 5 NABAKALEBAR FESTIVAL 7 6 STATUS OF ANGANWADI CENTRES 8 7 HINDU NEW YEAR 10 8 JACKFRUIT TO BE KERALA’S STATE FRUIT 10 9 CHILD MARRIAGE NUMBERS DROP SHARPLY 11 10 ‘ADOPT A HERITAGE PROJECT’ 13 11 KARNATAKA GOVT CLEARS MINORITY STATUS FOR LINGAYATS 14 12 PASSIVE EUTHANASIA 15 13 NATIONAL CULTURAL AUDIOVISUAL ARCHIVES (NCAA) 17 14 MADHAVPUR MELA 18 DRAFT DIGITAL INFORMATION IN HEALTHCARE SECURITY ACT 19 15 (DISHA) 16 MP’S BLACK CHICKEN KADAKNATH WINS GI TAG 20 17 INDIA’S FALLING SEX RATIO 21 18 LAQSHYA PROGRAM 22 19 #YesIBleed Campaign 23 20 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2018 24 21 WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP PLATFORM 26 22 SUVIDHA 27 23 ‘WOMENINTECH’ FORUM 28 24 Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi 29 25 ANNUAL SURVEY OF INDIA’S CITY-SYSTEMS (ASICS) 30 26 GENDER PAY DISPARITY 32 27 ‘BOMB CYCLONE’ 34 28 GENDER VULNERABILITY INDEX 35 29 GEOMAGNETIC STORM 36 30 NIRBHAYA FUND 37 31 WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT 2018 38 32 KUTHIYOTTAM 39 33 SAORA PAINTINGS 40 GS – 2 1 PRASAR BHARATI 42 Easy to PICK – “UPSC Monthly Magazine" March-2018 2 THE PAYMENT OF GRATUITY (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2017 43 3 E-OFFICE 44 4 ANNUAL SURVEY OF INDIA’S CITY-SYSTEMS (ASICS), 2017 45 5 INDIA-FRANCE RELATIONS 46 6 INDIA GERMANY RELATIONS 48 7 INDIA-VIETNAM 50 8 ARBITRATION AND CONCILIATION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2018 52 9 INDIA JORDAN 53 10 INDIA AFRICA DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES 54 11 INDIA USA SOLAR DISPUTE 56 12 AFGHANISTAN MAKES A PEACE OFFER TO TALIBAN 57 13 NORTH EASTERN COUNCIL (NEC) SCHEMES 59 14 TIBET FACTOR IN INDIA CHINA RELATIONS 60 15 AMENDMENT IN CHINA'S CONSTITUTION 61 16 SOUTH ASIA COOPERATIVE ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM (SACEP) 63 17 INDUS WATER TREATY 64 18 ROOPPUR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT 65 19 ARUNACHAL’S 2-TIER PANCHAYATI RAJ 66 20 AUSTRALIA’S 457 VISA 67 21 TRANSFORMATION OF ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS 68 UN BROADBAND COMMISSION FOR SUSTAINABLE 70 22 DEVELOPMENT 23 VIDESH AYA PRADESH KE DWAAR 71 24 SPECIAL CATEGORY STATUS (SCS) 72 25 STUDY IN INDIA PROGRAM 73 26 RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 74 SOUTH ASIAN COOPERATIVE ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME 75 27 (SACEP) 28 3R REGIONAL FORUM IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 76 29 EXECUTIVE BOARD OF UNESCO 77 30 CUVETTE CENTRALE REGION 78 31 KISS to host ‘Commonwealth Big Lunch’ 79 32 AFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA 80 33 INDO-US TECHNOLOGY FORUM FOUNDATION DAY 81 34 INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION NETWORK 2018 82 35 PHILIPPINES WITHDRAWS FROM ICC 83 36 INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION (IATA) 84 37 INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE 85 38 NEW WORLD INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ORDER 86 39 DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET STRATEGY 87 Easy to PICK – “UPSC Monthly Magazine" March-2018 EUROPEAN BANK OF RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT 88 40 (EBRD) 41 DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY (DSB) 90 42 GLOBAL AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM (GAFSP) 91 43 GLOBAL STATUS REPORT 2017 92 44 CP TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 93 45 H-4 VISAS 95 46 INDIA DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION 96 47 AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION 97 48 INDO-FRENCH KNOWLEDGE SUMMIT 98 49 MAHANADI WATER DISPUTES TRIBUNAL 99 50 KARNATAKA GOVT. UNVEILS STATE FLAG 100 51 NO CONFIDENCE MOTION 101 52 RAJYA SABHA ELECTIONS 102 53 OFFICE-OF-PROFIT 103 54 SPECIAL STATUS TO ANDHRA PRADESH 104 55 COOPERATIVE ELECTION AUTHORITY 105 56 INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL 106 57 NATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING AUTHORITY 107 58 NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY AUTHORITY 108 59 GM SOYBEAN 109 60 INDIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (IREDA) 110 61 NATIONAL CRIME RECORDS BUREAU (NCRB) 111 CENTRAL COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH IN AYURVEDIC SCIENCES 112 62 (CCRAS) 63 NATIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION (NBCC) 113 64 “E-TRIBES INDIA” 114 65 SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME 115 66 BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO 116 67 SCHEME FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS 117 68 TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS BILL, 2018 118 RAJASTHAN PASSES BILL TO GIVE DEATH PENALTY FOR CHILD 120 69 RAPE 70 80:20 GOLD SCHEME 121 71 DRAFT POLICY ON DEFENCE PRODUCTION 122 72 NEW VEHICLE SCRAPPAGE POLICY 123 73 ENEMY PROPERTIES 124 74 ATAL INNOVATION MISSION 125 75 DIABETES HAS FIVE TYPES, SAY SCIENTISTS 126 Easy to PICK – “UPSC Monthly Magazine" March-2018 76 FESTIVAL OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP 127 77 ‘SATHE’ PROGRAM 128 78 60 HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS GRANTED AUTONOMY 129 79 KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRAS 130 80 E-CIGARETTES 131 GS – 3 1 LETTERS OF UNDERTAKING (LoUs) 133 2 E-WAY BILL 124 3 DRAFT AGRICULTURE EXPORT POLICY 135 4 FARM MSP MODELS BY NITI AAYOG 137 5 NUTRIENT BASED SUBSIDY SCHEME 139 6 PMEGP 140 7 ACTION PLAN FOR CHAMPION SECTORS IN SERVICES 141 8 PRIVATISATION OF PSBs 142 9 FERTILISER SUBSIDY 143 10 CITY COMPOST SCHEME 144 11 EDIBLE OIL EXPORT 145 12 MEGA FOOD PARK 146 NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE FEDERATION OF 147 13 INDIA LTD. (NAFED) 14 SUKHAD YATRA APP 148 15 NATIONAL E-MOBILITY PROGRAMME 149 16 MAJOR PORT AUTHORITIES BILL 150 17 FINANCE BILL 2018 152 18 CHANGES IN PRIORITY SECTOR LENDING 153 19 NATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING AUTHORITY 155 20 WEF ENERGY TRANSITION INDEX 156 21 SILVER COPPER TELLURIDE (AGCUTE) 157 22 GBI SUBMARINE CABLE 158 23 RARE MINERAL DISCOVERED IN PLANTS FOR FIRST TIME 159 24 RYDBERG POLARONS 160 25 HT COTTON 161 26 NEUTRINO PROJECT 162 27 NITI AAYOG PANEL ON GOLD MARKET 165 28 INTEGRATED SCHEME FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SILK INDUSTRY 166 29 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) 167 30 MUNICIPAL BONDS 169 31 DEFENCE INDSTRIAL CORRIDOR 171 32 FIRST 'CRIME FREE ZONE' ON INDIA-BANGLADESH BORDER 172 Easy to PICK – “UPSC Monthly Magazine" March-2018 33 MALWARES 173 34 BRAZZAVILLE DECLARATION 174 35 CONSERVATION ASSURED | TIGER STANDARDS (CA|TS) 176 36 NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME 177 37 UN WORLD WATER DEVELOPMENT REPORT 178 38 STATE OF GLOBAL CLIMATE REPORT, 2017 180 INTERSTITIUM: THE LATEST ORGAN DISCOVERED IN HUMAN 181 39 BODY 40 CIMON (CREW INTERACTIVE MOBILE COMPANION) 182 41 PARKER SOLAR PROBE 183 NEWTON-BHABHA FUND FOR ARSENIC RESEARCH IN GANGA 185 42 BASIN 43 INDIA’S FIRST COASTAL POLICING ACADEMY 186 44 ARMED FORCES (SPECIAL POWERS) ACT (AFSPA), 1958 187 45 CHIPKO MOVEMENT 188 46 ONE PLANET ONE CITY CHALLENGE OF WWF 189 47 E-WASTE (MANAGEMENT) AMENDMENT RULES, 2018 190 48 BIO-MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT RULES, 2018 191 49 STEPHEN HAWKING 193 50 GSAT-6A 194 51 MICRO-LED: THE NEXT-GEN DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY 195 GS – 4 1 ORGAN DONATION 197 2 VANDALISM 198 1 Easy to PICK – “UPSC Monthly Magazine" March - 2018 GS - I 2 Easy to PICK – “UPSC Monthly Magazine" March - 2018 INTEGRATED SCHOOL EDUCATION SCHEME Why in news? secondary levels and pre-school levels Government has decided to subsume Sarva in support for school education for the Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik first time. Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education Enhanced Capacity Building of (TE) which were operational since more than 15 Teachers through strengthening years under an integrated school education Teacher Education Institutions like State scheme. Council of Educational Research and Objectives of the Scheme Training (SCERT) and District Institute The integrated scheme will be in place from 2018 for Education and Training (DIET). to 2020, with an estimated allocation of Rs. 75,000 It would lead to an optimal utilization crores over the period, a 20% increase over the of budgetary allocations and effective current allocation. The objectives include: use of human resources and institutional Provision of quality education and structures created for the erstwhile enhancing learning outcomes of Schemes. students; Other benefits include an enhanced use Bridging Social and Gender Gaps in of technology in education, support School Education; ‘Swachh Vidyalaya’, improved Ensuring equity and inclusion at all quality of infrastructure in schools, preference to levels of school education; Educationally Backward Blocks, etc. Ensuring minimum standards in Sarva Sikhsa Abhiyan (SSA) schooling provisions; SSA is being implemented since 2001 for Promoting vocationalization of universalization of elementary education. After education; enactment of Right to Free and Compulsory Support States in implementation of Education Act 2009 which confers the right to Right of Children to Free and elementary education on all children, in the age Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, group of 6-14 years, SSA became the central 2009; and programme to fulfil its objectives. Strengthening and up-gradation of State Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Councils for Educational Research and RMSA was launched in 2009 with the Training (SCERTs)/State Institutes of objective to enhance access to secondary Education and District Institutes for education and improve its quality. Education and Training (DIET) as nodal The scheme envisages to enhance the agencies for teacher training. enrolment by providing a secondary school Potential Benefits with a reasonable distance of habitation, Flexibility to States/UTs to plan and with an aim to ensure GER of 100 per cent prioritize their interventions within the and universal retention by 2020. scheme norms and the overall resource Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Teacher envelope available to them. Education: Integrated administration looking at Strengthening Teacher Education: The 'school' as a continuum- It will help Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Teacher improve the transition rates across the Education was initiated in 1987 pursuant various levels of school education and to the formulation of the National Policy of aid in promoting universal access to Education, 1986. It aims to establish children to complete school education. District Institutes of Education and There has been inclusion of senior Training (DIETs) in all districts created up to 2011, strengthen Colleges of Teacher 3 Easy to PICK – “UPSC Monthly Magazine" March - 2018 Education (CTEs), Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education (IASEs) and establish Block Institutes of teacher education (BITEs) in identified SC/ST/ minority concentration districts.