1 http://www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com I N D E X APRIL 2018 - GS COMPILATION G.S PAPER II ..............................................................................................3 9.2 Southern States Concern on 15th FC’s Decision .............................39 1. Polity .......................................................................................................3 9.3 SEBI Acts on Kotak Committee Recommendations .........................40 1.1 SC’s verdict on PoA Act ......................................................................3 9.4 MPC’s Bi-Monthly Review ................................................................40 1.2 T.N. Protests over Cauvery Issue .......................................................3 9.5 Making GSTN Government-owned...................................................41 1.3 Issues with Shifting of IPL Matches ....................................................4 9.6 Concerns with RBI’s Measures to Tackle Bad Debts .......................42 1.4 TN Governor’s Misadventure ..............................................................5 9.7 Cash Crunch in ATMs .......................................................................42 1.5 Simultaneous Elections ......................................................................6 9.8 Rising Current Account Deficit ..........................................................43 1.6 Concerns with SC judgments on Master of Roster .............................7 9.9 India’s Waning Lust for Gold .............................................................44 1.7 All About Impeachment of CJI ............................................................7 9.10 Effects of Downsizing CCI ................................................................45 1.8 Addressing the Concerns with ToR in 15th FC ...................................9 9.11 Need for Cost–Plus Pricing in Petroleum Industry ...........................46 2. GOVERNMENT ACTS, POLICIES AND INTERVENTIONS ................10 9.12 Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance ..........................................46 2.1 National Institutional Ranking Framework, 2018 ..............................10 10. INFRASTRUCTURE ..........................................................................47 2.2 Pending National Sports University Bill ...........................................10 10.1 Rejigging our R&D landscape ...........................................................47 2.3 Aspirational Districts Programme .....................................................11 10.2 Rethinking India’s mining policies .....................................................48 2.4 Aligning Minimum Agricultural Wages and MGNREGA Wages .......12 10.3 Strategic Partnerships for Defence Manufacturing ...........................49 2.6 PMFBY – The Implementation Challenges.......................................13 10.4 Addressing the Concerns in Indian Steel Industry ............................50 2.7 Amending Anti-Rape Laws ...............................................................14 10.5 Re-modelling our DISCOMs .............................................................50 3. SOCIAL ISSUES ...................................................................................16 11. AGRICULTURE...................................................................................51 3.1 Social Progress Index - 2017 ............................................................16 11.1 Challenges in Coffee Cultivation in India ..........................................51 3.2 Impacts of Poor Work Environments ................................................16 11.2 A2 Milk and Indian Native Cattle .......................................................51 3.3 Handling Child Rape Cases ..............................................................17 11.3 Challenges in the Indian Dairy Sector ..............................................52 4. GOVERNANCE .....................................................................................18 12. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ........................................................53 4.1 Concerns with PSU recruitments ......................................................18 12.1 ODL - A New Class of Anti-biotic ......................................................53 4.2 Law Commission on BCCI ................................................................19 12.2 Ayushman Bharat – The Challenges ................................................54 4.3 Cooling Off Period for Officials .........................................................19 13. Environment ......................................................................................56 5. HEALTH ................................................................................................20 13.1 Rhino Population in Kaziranga National Park ...................................56 5.1 India’s Health Sector - The Challenges ............................................20 13.2 Draft National Forest Policy 2018 .....................................................57 5.2 Behaviour change for Universal Health ............................................21 13.3 Draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 2018 ....................................59 5.3 Addressing the Nutrition Crisis .........................................................22 13.4 Internal Climate Migration .................................................................60 6. INDIA AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD ......................................................23 13.5 Plantations are Forests – Says Forest Survey .................................61 6.1 India’s Conciliatory Neighborhood Policy .........................................23 13.6 IMD - Monsoon Forecast ..................................................................62 6.2 Concerns with Rohingya Refugee Repatriation ................................24 13.7 DISCOMs and Solar Rooftop Capacity.............................................62 6.3 Reviving India’s China Outreach ......................................................25 14. Internal Security ................................................................................64 6.4 The History Siachen Glacier .............................................................26 14.1 Concerns with Cryptocurrencies ......................................................64 7. BILATERAL RELATIONS ....................................................................27 PRELIM BITS ................................................................................................ 67 7.1 India - Azerbaijan and NSTC ............................................................27 HISTORY ...................................................................................................67 7.2 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ...............................28 POLITY ......................................................................................................67 7.3 Wuhan Meet –Hopes Brighten for the Asian Century .......................29 ART AND CULTURE ................................................................................68 7.4 Rationale for the Wuhan Summit (India-China) ................................29 GEOGRAPHY ...........................................................................................70 8. INETRNATIONAL ISSUES ...................................................................30 HEALTH ....................................................................................................71 8.1 Korean Peace - A Comprehensive Analysis .....................................30 GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES ...................................................................72 8.2 US Invasion of Iraq and After Effects................................................32 GOVERNMENT SCHEMES ......................................................................75 8.3 Chemical Weapons and Nerve Agents .............................................33 NATIONAL INSTITUTES/BODIES IN NEWS ...........................................76 8.4 US Congressional Hearings .............................................................34 INTERNATIONAL ISSUES AND EVENTS ...............................................77 8.5 U.S. Missiles upon Damascus ..........................................................35 ECONOMY ................................................................................................78 8.6 Concerns for Britain on Brexit Bill .....................................................36 ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................80 8.7 Ending the ‘Great Game’ in Afghanistan ..........................................36 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ...............................................................86 8.8 North Korea's Denuclearisation ........................................................37 REPORTS AND INDICES .........................................................................88 G.S PAPER III ............................................................................................... 38 MISCELLANEOUS....................................................................................91 9. ECONOMY ............................................................................................38 2 http://www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com APRIL 2018 G.S PAPER II 1. POLITY 1.1 SC‟s verdict on PoA Act Why in news? A nationwide protest against the Supreme Court‘s decision on SC/ST Act has resulted in violence. What is the recent verdict of SC on the PoA?