2 INDEX 1.GEOGRAPHY………………………………4 9.3 Tax Revenue - Record GST Collections ...... 29 1.1 Cyclone Fani - An Unusual Storm ............... 4 9.4 SEBI's Order on NSE ................................... 30 2.POLITY……………………………………6 9.5 New Income Tax Rule for Senior Citizens . 31 2.1 L-G Role in Puducherry Administration ..... 6 9.6 RBI Draft Rules for NBFCs ......................... 32 2.2 Concerns over Judicial Appointments ......... 7 9.7 Tariff Issues in Indo-US Trade ................... 33 2.3 SC Order on Karnataka Reservation .......... 8 9.8 Assessing India's Trade Policy ................... 34 2.4 Recording Dissenting Opinion in EC ........... 9 9.9 Crisis in WTO's Appellate Body.................. 36 3.GOVERNMENT ACTS & POLICIES.10 9.10 Boosting Private Investments .................... 37 3.1 Issues with Universal Debt Relief 10.AGRICULTURE……………………….39 Programme .............................................................. 11 10.1 PepsiCo and Potato Farmers Case ............. 39 4.SOCIAL JUSTICE……………………….12 11.SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY……….40 4.1 Women Workforce Participation ................ 12 11.1 Blockchains for Internet of Things ............. 40 5.HEALTH…………………………………..13 11.2 RISAT-2B Launch ........................................ 42 5.1 Report on Economic Impacts of 12.ENVIRONMENT…………………….43 Antimicrobial Resistance ........................................ 13 12.1 IPBES Report ............................................... 43 5.2 Under-Five Mortality and Low Birth Weight - Lancet Global Health ............................................ 14 12.2 Global Concentration of Atmospheric CO246 12.3 CEA’s Plan on Renewable Energy .............. 47 6.INDIA & ITS NEIGHBORHOOD…..16 6.1 Masood Azhar as Global Terrorist ............. 16 12.4 India and Arctic Council ............................. 48 6.2 Indian Ocean Region - China's Strategy and 13.DISASTER MANAGEMENT………..49 India's Response ...................................................... 17 13.1 Lessons from Fani Cyclone ......................... 49 7.BILATERAL RELATIONS…………….19 13.2 Surat Fire Tragedy ...................................... 50 7.1 Developments with the Indo-Pacific - New 14.INTERNAL SECURITY………………51 MEA Division ........................................................... 19 14.1 Gadchiroli Maoist Attack .............................51 7.2 Emerging Significance of BIMSTEC ........... 21 14.2 Extension of Ban on LTTE .......................... 53 8.INTERNATIONAL ISSUES………….23 14.3 Human Rights Violation in J&K ................ 54 8.1 Proposal on Muslim Brotherhood as Foreign PRELIM BITS……………………………..56 Terrorist Organisation........................................... 23 Charminar ............................................................... 56 8.2 Iran's Decision on Nuclear Deal ................ 24 Denisovans .............................................................. 56 8.3 Yemen - Ceasefire Broken ........................... 25 Vedanta Desikan ..................................................... 56 9.ECONOMY……………………………27 Sri Vaishnava philosophy ...................................... 56 9.1 Economic Slowdown - May 2019 ............... 27 Geography .................................................................................................................. 57 9.2 Rise in Forex Reserve, April 2019 .............. 28 Mango showers ....................................................... 57 http://www.shankariasacademy.com ||www.iasparliament.com 3 Cyclone Fani............................................................ 57 Anti-dumping Duty ................................................ 66 Pacific Decadal Oscillation .................................... 57 Environment……………………………….66 Government Initiatives………………..58 Ross Ice Shelf ........................................................... 66 Global Food Policy Report ..................................... 58 Beluga Whale .......................................................... 66 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Initiative Kashmiri Stag ......................................................... 67 .................................................................................. 58 Grizzled Giant Squirrel .......................................... 67 IPBES ....................................................................... 58 Asiatic Lion .............................................................. 67 FCRA license ........................................................... 58 Cryptozoology ......................................................... 67 Government Schemes………………….60 Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem cVIGIL App.............................................................. 60 Services .................................................................... 68 MANAV .................................................................... 60 Discovery of Orchid ................................................ 68 National Institutes in News…………..60 World Migratory Bird Day .................................... 68 PM-STIAC ............................................................... 60 UN Accord on Plastic Waste .................................. 69 International organisations……………60 UNEP Report ........................................................... 69 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Database for Indian Rhino .................................... 69 Development ........................................................... 60 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY………70 WTO .......................................................................... 61 Chandrayaan – II ................................................... 70 Dispute Settlement Body in WTO ........................... 61 Types of Orbit........................................................... 71 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization..... 61 Marsquake............................................................... 72 BCIM Economic Corridor ...................................... 62 Double Asteroid Redirection Test .......................... 72 Projects under Belt and Road Initiative of China 62 Square Kilometre Array ......................................... 72 Other projects in which India is a member .......... 62 Hubble Space Telescope ......................................... 72 CHRI ........................................................................ 63 Terra and Aqua Satellites ...................................... 73 Harare Commonwealth Declaration .................... 63 Monkeypox Virus .................................................... 73 Universal Declaration on Human rights .............. 63 DEFENCE……………………………………73 Basel Convention .................................................... 63 Varuna ..................................................................... 73 Economy……………………………………64 India’s Aircraft Carrier .......................................... 73 Interest Rate Parameters ....................................... 64 INS VELA................................................................. 74 Repo Rate and Reverse Repo rates ....................... 64 Apache Guardian Attack Helicopters ................... 74 NATRIP Project ...................................................... 65 SDG India Index...................................................... 74 ICAT ......................................................................... 65 Services Trade Restrictiveness Index .................... 75 Foreign Direct Investment ..................................... 65 International Religious Freedom Report.............. 75 Generalised System of Preferences ....................... 65 http://www.shankariasacademy.com ||www.iasparliament.com 4 MAY 2019 G.S PAPER I 1. GEOGRAPHY 1.1 Cyclone Fani - An Unusual Storm What is the issue? A powerful cyclonic storm named Fani is headed towards the Odisha coast. As a cyclone in Bay of Bengal in April-May season, of this nature, is unusual, it is essential to understand the causes. How do tropical cyclones form? Cyclones are formed over slightly warm ocean waters. It depends on the temperature of the top layer of the sea, up to a depth of about 60 metres. This has to be at least 28°C to support the formation of a cyclone. This explains why the April-May and October-December periods are conducive for cyclones. Secondly, the low level of air above the waters needs to have an ‘anticlockwise’ rotation in the northern hemisphere and vice versa. During these periods, there lies the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) (a low pressure zone) in the Bay of Bengal region, which shifts with seasons. The southern boundary of the zone experiences winds from west to east and the northern boundary from east to west. The ITCZ and the resultant wind pattern induce the anticlockwise rotation of air. Once formed, cyclones in this area usually move northwest. As it travels over the sea, the cyclone gathers more moist air from the warm sea, and adds to its strength. How prevalent are tropical cyclones in India? Cyclones are a normal event in the eastern coast of India. On an average, five to six significant cyclonic storms emerge in the Bay of Bengal region every year. The prime seasons for tropical cyclones are i. the months of April and May, just before the start of the summer monsoon ii. October to December, immediately after the end of the summer monsoon http://www.shankariasacademy.com ||www.iasparliament.com 5 Cyclones emerging in April-May are usually much weaker than those during October-December. Most of the cyclones in April-May move northeast to hit Bangladesh,