Post on 11-Oct-2020
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LAC:
It refers to the Line of Actual Control. LAC is the effective
border between India and China. It is the demarcation that
separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled
territory. The LAC is 4,057-km long and it is divided into 3
sectors which are the eastern sector which spans Arunachal
Pradesh and Sikkim, the middle sector in Uttarakhand and
Himachal Pradesh and the western sector in Ladakh and Kashmir.
Recently there were reports of the movement of hundreds of army vehicles parked just 25 to 30 KM
away from Indian side of the LAC over the past few weeks. The troop movement of Chinese military
comes at a time when both the countries are in a stand-off along the Line of Actual Control at
Pangong Tso and the Galwan river valley. Additionally, the Chinese PLA troops completed the
construction of a 3 km long road on the north bank of Pangong Tso lake from Finger 5 to Finger 8. At
present, as tensions continue between India and China along the LAC the Indian and Chinese armies
are in talks to address the issue of LAC and sort the differences over the border area in eastern
Ladakh.
The reason for the continuous disputes between china and India are that for India, the LAC is 3,488
km long, however for China, it is just 2,000 km long. The major disagreements between India and
China are over the LAC in the Western sectors (Ladakh). There is no clarification on the LAC
boundary.
China and India have signed 4 agreements on this boundary issue. These agreements were signed in
September 1993, November 1996, April 2005 and October 2013. Indian & Chinese bilateral talks on
border disputes are held on the basis of these four agreements. However, these agreements are
considered to be flawed and are unable to resolve the boundary issue between the countries.
LAC & LOC: The LAC is the Line of Actual Control between India and China where as LOC is the Line of
Control between India & Pakistan. The LAC is not located in the map of both the countries and there
is no agreements regarding this where as the LOC is located on the map of both the countries and is
backed by the Shimla Agreement.
THAAD:
It refers to Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. THAAD is a
transportable, ground-based missile defense system. This anti-ballistic
missile defence system is designed to shoot down short, medium and
intermediate ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of their approach
to a target and it is alarmed about incoming missiles by space-based
satellites with infrared sensors. The THAAD system consists of five
major components namely interceptors, launchers, radar, a fire control
unit and support equipment. It has been designed and manufactured
by the US company Lockheed Martin.
International
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Recently, China has been objecting to the presence of the US THAAD missile defence system in South
Korea. According to China's foreign ministry, the THAAD system will harm peace and stability in the
region, despite its ability to detect and shoot down North Korean missiles.
However, THAAD is not only deployed in South Korea but also in UAE, Guam, Israel and Romania.
THAAD missile defense system is operated by the US army stationed in its army base in Osan, South
Korea.
India & Australia:
Recently, an India-Australia Bilateral Virtual Summit was held
between PM Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott
Morrison. This is the first ever virtual bilateral summit to be held
by India.
During their meet both the leaders signed several agreements
and the COVID-19 measures being implemented in their respective countries was also discussed.
The agreements signed by both India and Australia are:-
1. Framework Arrangement on Cyber Enabled critical Technology
2. MoU on cooperation in processing of Critical and Strategic minerals
3. MoU on cooperation in mining and processing of strategic minerals.
4. Implementing arrangement related to cooperation in Defence
5. MoU on the field of Governance Reforms and Public Administration
6. MoU on understanding water resource management
7. MoU on cooperation of training and vocational education
The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) signed by both the countries will allow them to
have access to each other’s military bases. They agreed to broaden defence cooperation by
enhancing the scope and complexity of their military exercises and engagement activities. They also
agreed to boost cooperation in the maritime domain.
India and Australia held their first bilateral naval exercise in 2015. The exercise was called AUSINDEX.
Both the countries also hold bilateral army exercises called AUSTRAHIND.
India has already signed similar agreements with the US, France and Singapore.
USA:
It refers to the United States of America. USA is a country consisting of
50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and
various possessions. The 50 states covers a vast swath of North America,
with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence
into the Pacific Ocean. The capital of US is Washington, D.C. The currency
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used in USA is United States dollar - USD also abbreviated US$. The current President of US is Donald
Trump.
Recently, the US President Trump signed an executive order regarding liability protections for social
media companies such as Twitter and Facebook for content posted on these platforms. This order
will scrap some of the legal protections accorded for social-media platform.
Under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, tech companies currently enjoy broad
immunity from civil lawsuits stemming from what users post because they are treated as
“platforms” rather than “publishers”. However, as per the executive order, online platforms are
engaging in “selective censorship” and that Twitter’s labeling of Trump’s Tweets shows “political
bias”.
The move is seen as a retaliation by Trump against social media giants after Twitter factchecked him
for the first time over a false assertion that mail-in voting leads to widespread voter fraud. Trump
said the fact checks were editorial decisions by Twitter and amounted to political activism.
This executive order aims to narrow their protections from liability over the content posted on their
services. Trump’s executive order is designed to pressure regulators, including the Federal
Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, to come up with new rules that
would curtail that immunity.
CDA: It refers to Communication Decency Act. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act
(CDA) of 1996 is a piece of Internet legislation in the United States. It provides immunity from
liability for providers and users of an "interactive computer service" who publish information
provided by third-party users.
An Executive Order: An executive order is a written directive issued by the President and is one of
the most common presidential documents. Such orders are not legislations and don’t require the
approval of the Congress, which also means that the Congress cannot overturn them. According to
the American Bar Association, Congress may pass legislation that makes it difficult or impossible to
carry out an executive order, such as removing funding. However, ultimately, only a sitting US
president can overturn an executive order by issuing another one to that effect
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MSP:
It refers to Minimum Support Prices. The Union Government recently
gave nod to historical decisions aimed at helping the farmers by
announcing the MSP of 14 crops for the Kharif season 2020-21 based on
the recommendation of CACP. The Government has hiked the MSP for
14 Kharif crops upto 83% to ensure better returns for their farm
produce
The Cabinet has also approved extension of repayment date for short term loans for agriculture and
allied activities till the end of August this year. This move will help all farmers whose loan repayment
due dates were between 1st March and 31st of August.
MeitY:
It refers to the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology. It
is an executive agency of the Union Government of the Republic of
India. It is responsible for IT policy, strategy and development of
the electronics industry. The current Union Minister of Electronics
& Information Technology is Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Minister
of State Electronics & Information Technology, Communications
and Human Resource Development is Shri Sanjay Dhotre
Recently, the Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Law and Justice and Communications Ravi
Shankar Prasad launched National “Artificial Intelligence Portal” of India called www.ai.gov.in. and a
National Program for the youth, “Responsible AI for Youth”. Both the online portal and the program
were launched on the occasion of the first anniversary of the second tenure of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi-led government.
National “Artificial Intelligence Portal” of India: This portal has been jointly developed by Ministry of
Electronics and IT along with NASSCOM from the IT industry. It will be jointly run by the National e-
Governance Division of Ministry of Electronics and IT along with National Association of Software
and Service Companies (NASSCOM) from the IT industry.
The main objective of the portal is to aid the development of solutions based on Artificial
Intelligence (AI). It will be responsible for sharing of resources like articles, investment funds in AI,
startups, companies and educational institutions related to AI, and hence will act as a one stop
digital platform for AI related developments in India.
National Program for the youth, “Responsible AI for Youth”: This Program has been created and
launched by the National e-Governance Division, Ministry of Electronics & IT in collaboration with
Intel India, with support from Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of
Human Resource Development. DoSE&L will help reach-out to State Education Departments to
nominate teachers as per eligibility criteria.
National
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The program not only aims to give the young students of the nation a platform and empower them
with appropriate new age tech mind-set, relevant AI skill-sets and access to required AI tool-sets to
make them digitally ready for the future but also empower the youth to become AI ready and help
reduce the skill gap, while enabling youth to create meaningful social impact solutions.
The Program is designed to reach out to students from Government schools pan India and provide
them with an opportunity to become part of the skilled workforce in an inclusive manner.
Ministry of Rural Development:
The Ministry of Rural Development is a branch of the Government of
India (GoI). This ministry was founded in June 2011. It is entrusted with
the task of accelerating the socio-economic development of rural
India. Its focus is on health, education, drinking water, housing and
roads. The ministry has two departments i.e., Department of Rural
Development and Department of Land Resources. The current Union
Minister for Rural Development is Narendra singh Tomar and for the State is Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.
Recently, the Union Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and
Panchayati Raj, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar chairs the 21st meeting of Central Employment
Guarantee Council (CEGC).
During the meet, GoI highlighted the work done under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, by providing employment to rural people.
All time high amount was allocated to MGNREGA during the COVID-19 times. The GoI allocated
around Rs 61,500 and an additional amount of Rs 40,000 was also allocated under Atma Nirbhar
Bharat Abhiyan.
CEGC: It refers to the Central Employment Guarantee Council. CEGC was constituted under Section
10 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREG Act), 2005. The
tenure of CEGC members is 1 year. The CEGC is chaired by the Rural Development Minister and
comprises both official and non-official members. The Council is responsible for monitoring,
redressal mechanism, and to advise the government about the implementation strategy of the
scheme. CEGC prepares Annual Reports on the implementation of MGNREGA for submission to
Parliament.
#iCommit:
It is an initiative launched by Minister of State (IC) (Power, New &
Renewable Energy) Raj Kumar Singh. The initiative was launched on
the occasion of World Environment Day for building an energy resilient
future.
The initiative is a clarion call to all stakeholders and individuals to
continue moving towards energy efficiency, renewable energy, and
sustainability to create a robust and resilient energy system in the future.
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The initiative is driven by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EFFSL) under the administration of
Ministry of Power. Under the initiative, the task of EEFSL is uniting a diverse set of players such as
governments, corporates, think tanks, multilateral and bilateral organizations, governments, etc.
The initiative will also promote key undertakings of Government of India which are National Electric
Mobility Mission 2020, FAME 1 and FAME 2, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, Saubhagya
Scheme, Ujwala DISCOM Assurance Yojna (UDAY), Pradhan mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan
Mahaabhiya (PM-KUSUM), Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LED for All (UJALA), Atal JyotiYojna (AJAY) etc.
PCIM&H:
It refers to the Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine &
Homoeopathy. PCIM&H is an autonomous body under the aegis of
Ministry of AYUSH established since 2010.
Recently, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi has given its approval to re-establish Pharmacopoeia
Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) as Subordinate Office under Ministry of
AYUSH.
The commission has been set up by merging into it two Central Laboratories- Pharmacopoeia
Laboratory for Indian Medicine (PLIM) and Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory (HPL) located
at Ghaziabad. The two central laboratories were established at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh in 1975.
The main objective of this merger is to optimise the use of resources of the 3 organizations for
enhancing the standardization outcomes of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy drugs
towards their effective regulation and quality control.
The merger will accord legal status to the merged structure of PCIM&H and its laboratory by virtue
of making amendments in the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
The decision in this regard has been taken after consulting the Director General Health Services,
Drugs Controller General and Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Drugs Technical Advisory Board
(ASUDTAB).
ASUDTAB: It refers to the Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Drugs Technical Advisory Board. ASUDTAB
advises the central and state governments in regulatory matters of Accelerated Shelf Life Testing
(ASLT) drugs.
Indian policy News
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KCC:
It refers to Kisan Credit Card. The Government of India (GoI,) recently
launched Kisan Credit Card (KCC) campaign to help farmers. Under
this campaign, the KCC are to be provided to 1.5 crore dairy farmers
who come under the category of milk unions and milk producing
companies within the next two months under a special drive. The
government has taken this action for dairy farmers under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Package for farmers
in India.
The aim behind this scheme for dairy farmers is to provide adequate credit facility and additional
liquidity of worth Rs 5 lakh crore to farmers that are suffering from COVID-19 economic crisis.
KCC Scheme: The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme was launched in 1998. It was launched with the
aim of providing short-term formal credit to farmers.
IBC:
It refers to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was
introduced in Rajya Sabha by the Minister of Finance, Ms.
Nirmala Sitharaman, on 24 July 2019. The Bill amends the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code, has been amended thrice. Insolvency is a
situation where individuals or companies are unable to repay
their outstanding debt.
Recently, the Union Government promulgated an ordinance to amend Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Code (IBC) for six months, which could be extended up to a year. The amendments to IBC were
promulgated by President Ramnath Kovind through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Ordinance,
2020. The new rules come into effect immediately, as of 5th June 2020.
Under its new rule, the Government of India (GoI) has effectively suspended fresh bankruptcy
proceedings against persons impacted because of COVID-19 for at least six months, up to a
maximum of one year. It means that the lenders will not be able to drag borrowers into insolvency
for any debt default for 6 months beginning March 25 where as the burrowers too will not be able to
declare bankruptcy in this period.
GoI suspended IBC Sections 7, 9 and 10, to provide relief to borrowers from being dragged into
insolvency amid the struggle with the impact of the lockdown.
Section 7 of the IBC allows a financial creditor to initiate corporate insolvency resolution process
against a corporate debtor.
Section 9 provides for application of insolvency by an operational creditor, while Section 10 is for
initiation of insolvency resolution proceedings by a corporate applicant.
Section 10 is for initiation of insolvency resolution proceedings by a corporate applicant.
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The move is expected to allow companies to get their business back on track without the fear of
being dragged into insolvency.
TULIP:
It is an abbreviation for The Urban Learning Internship
Programme. TULIP is an online portal which is the first of its
kind initiative jointly launched by the Ministry of Human
Resource Development (MoHRD), the Ministry of Housing &
Urban Affairs, and All India Council for Technical Education
(AICTE).
TULIP has been launched with an aim to provide internship opportunities to fresh graduates in all
Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Smart Cities across the country. Under the programme, they will get
opportunities to work with 4,400 urban local bodies and 100 smart cities in India. Any graduate who
have completed B. Tech, B. Arch, B. Plan, BSc are eligible for this programme.
TULIP platforms will not only provide an opportunity for youth to generate new ideas to reform
Urban local bodies through modern techniques and innovative methods but also help to create a
potential talent pool in diverse fields like financing, urban planning, environmental planning,
sanitation and infrastructure, environmental engineering etc.
TULIP was announced by Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in the Budget 2020-21 under the
theme ‘Aspirational India’.
Trojan Asteroid:
These are Jupiter trojans, commonly called Trojan asteroids or
simply Trojans . They are a large group of asteroids that share the
planet Jupiter's orbit around the Sun. Relative to Jupiter, each
Trojan librates around one of Jupiter's two stable Lagrange points:
L4, lying 60° ahead of the planet in its orbit, and L5, 60° behind.
Recently, astronomers at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy (UH IfA) have spotted a
new asteroid with a comet-like tail moving in the same orbit as Jupiter. It is described as something
between an asteroid and a comet. The object has been called an active asteroid.
They are usually known as Trojan asteroids. However, it is the first one of its kind to be seen with a
comet-like-tail. The object has been called an active asteroid because these objects appear to be
asteroids at first, but later develop activity, such as tails, like that of comets.
The object was first discovered in June 2019 and given the name 2019 LD2. It was discovered using
the university's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), which was funded by NASA
and developed to search space for objects that may pose threats to the Earth. It was discovered
Science and Technology
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moving in the same orbit travelled by Jupiter around the sun. These asteroids follow the same orbit
like that of a planet. But it remains 60 degrees ahead of or behind along the orbit.
The Jupiter Trojan asteroids orbit the Sun in two huge swarms, one swarm orbiting ahead of the
planet (where 2019 LD2 was found) and one swarm orbiting behind it.
As per the researchers, the Trojan asteroids have been captured into these orbits by Jupiter's strong
gravity. 2019 LD2 is the first-of-its-kind as because most Jupiter Trojans were captured billions of
years ago.
Ultra Swachh:
It is a disinfection unit named Ultra Swachh to disinfect a
wide range of materials, including Personal Protective
Equipment (PPEs), electronics items, fabrics, etc. It has been
developed by Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).
DRDO's Delhi based Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied
Sciences (INMAS) developed this product with industry partner M/s Gel Craft Healthcare Private Ltd,
Ghaziabad in compliance with International Standards of Industrial, Occupational, Personal and
Environmental Safety.
The Ultra Swachh comes in two variants namely Ozonated Space and Trinetra Technology. Trinetra
technology is the combination of Ozonated space and radical dispenser. Treatment is optimised with
automation for quick disinfection cycle. The system uses an advanced oxidative process comprising
of Ozonated Space Technology and uses the advanced oxidative process for disinfection process.
The system is double layered with specialised Ozone sealant technology assuring trapping of ozone
for the necessary disinfection cycle. It also has catalytic converter to ensure environment friendly
exhaust i.e. only oxygen and water.
SpaceX:
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., trading as SpaceX, is an
American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation
services company. It was founded on 6 May 2002 by Elon Musk
with the goal of reducing space transportation costs to enable
the colonization of Mars. It is headquartered in Hawthorne,
California. The SpaceX founder & CEO is Elon Musk. The current
SpaceX president & COO is Gwynne Shotwell.
Recently, marking the beginning of a new era in the United States (US) space programme, NASA
astronauts Robrt Behnken and Douglas Hurley docked the SpaceX capsule with the International
Space Station (ISS). The two NASA astronauts made history on Saturday as they became the first
Americans to launch on a US rocket from American soil to the space station in nearly a decade.
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The SpaceX’s Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon capsule – Endeavour designed and built by Elon Musk’s
SpaceX lifted off on May 30 at 3:22 p.m (1.50 am Sunday in India) from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy
Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is the same launch pad, which was used during the Apollo
mission to the moon a half-century ago. With this, SpaceX has become the first private company to
fly astronauts into orbit.
SAI:
It is the acronym for sports Authority of India. SAI is the apex national
sports body of India. It was founded by Ministry of Youth Affairs and
Sports of Government of India (GoI) on 25 January 1984 as a Society
under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It was set up with a twin
objective of broad-basing of sports and to achieve excellence at the
national and international level. It is headquartered in New Delhi. The current Director General of
SAI is Sandip Pradhan.
Recently, Sports Authority of India (SAI) in collaboration with National Sports Federations (NSF)
launched India’s first ever sports e-pathshala named as Khelo India e-Pathshala. The programme was
inaugurated by the Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, Kiren Rijiju and Union Minister of
Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda via a webinar which featured the participation of young archers, archery
coaches as well as experts from across the nation.
Coaching of total 21 sports will be given via this e-sports learning platform. The 21 games includes
athletics, archery, football, gymnastics, hockey, judo, kayaking & canoeing, kabaddi, para games,
rowing, shooting, taekwondo, boxing, cycling, fencing, table tennis, Volleyball, weightlifting,
wrestling and wushu.
This initiative aims to provide an online coaching and education programme by eminent athletes and
senior coaches for the grassroot level athletes across India via Khelo India e-pathshala.
Sports News
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The AFC Women's Asian Cup:
The AFC Women's Asian Cup formerly known as the AFC Women's
Championship is a quadrennial competition in women's football for
national teams which belong to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
It is the premier women's football competition in the AFC region for
national teams. The competition is also known as the Asian Women's
Football Championship and the Asian Women's Championship. It was founded in 1975. Nineteen
tournaments have been held till now. The current champions are Japan women's national football
team. The competition also serves as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Recently, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has granted All India Football Federation (AIFF) the
rights to host the AFC Women''s Asian Cup 2022 finals. The decision was taken at the AFC Women''s
Football Committee. India will be hosting the event for the second time. India for the first time had
hosted the event in 1979. The event will serve as the final qualification tournament for the 2023 FIFA
Women's World Cup.
AIFF: It refers to All India Football Federation. AIFF is the governing body of association football in
India. It was formed on 23 June 1937. The federation was one of founding members of the Asian
Football Confederation, the overseer of football in Asia. It sanctions and runs all competitive football
tournaments and leagues at a national level, namely the Indian Super League, I-League and Super
Cup. It indirectly manages local football competitions through the state associations and is also
responsible for managing the India national football team, as well as the women's team and the
various youth national sides. The federation is currently based in Dwarka, Delhi. The current
President of Aiff is Praful Patel.
AFC:
It refers to Asian Football Confederation. AFC is one of the 6
continental confederations within FIFA. It is the governing body of
association football in Asia and Australia. The AFC was officially
formed on 8 May 1954 in Manila, Philippines, on the sidelines of the
second Asian Games.
Recently, All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced that the Indian Super League (ISL) league
stage winners ATK-Mohun Bagan, FC Goa, Bengaluru FC will represent India in AFC Club
competitions. The football competitions are to be held in 2021.
Goa FC has qualified for the group stages of the AFC Champions League as the winner of the league
phase in Indian Super League.
ATK-Mohun Bagan secured a spot in the group stage of the AFC Cup on the virtue of being winners
of the I-League.
The AFC Cup play-off slot goes to Bengaluru FC who finished third in the ISL league phase in 2019-20.
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MSMEs:
It refers to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The Union
Cabinet, recently, gave nod to historical decisions aimed at
helping the MSMEs. The Cabinet has further revised the
definition of MSMEs, a decision which will lead to inclusion of
many industrial units under it's ambit.
As per the Cabinet's decision, those enterprises with
investment up to Rs 50 crore and turnover of up to Rs 250 crore will be able to avail the benefits of
the MSME sector. All export turnovers of such enterprises will also remain exempted from the total
turnover.
The Cabinet has also approved distressed MSME fund of 20 thousand crore for extending helping
hand to the enterprises in distress. This decision seeks to benefit over two lakh units in the country.
MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari highlighted the decision of creation of Fund of Funds with initial outlay
of 50 thousand crore rupees. The amount will be infused in the MSME sector through equity route.
CHAMPIONS:
It stands for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes
for Increasing the Output and National Strength. It is a technology-based
solution recently launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New
Delhi to empower MSMEs. The technology-based CHAMPIONS platform
is based on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the
entire ICT architecture for this platform is developed by the National Informatics Center (NIC) at no
cost. This platform is aimed to provide one stop solution to all the Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises in the country.
CHAMPIONS platform will address grievance redressal to resolve the issues of MSMEs including
those of finance, raw materials, labour, regulatory permissions etc particularly within the COVID
created a difficult situation. It will also help businesses to capture new opportunities including
manufacturing of medical equipment and accessories like PPEs, masks, etc and provide them in
National and International markets. Furthermore, this ICT based system will help encourage and
identify sparks which means the portal will help identify national and international champions that
are able to withstand the current situation.
The system is enabled by Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Analytics and Machine Learning for
providing quick solutions to the participating members. As part of the system a network of control
rooms is created in a Hub & Spoke Model. The Hub is situated in New Delhi in the Secretary MSME’s
office while the spokes are situated in the States in various offices and institutions of MSME
Ministry.
Economic News
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Mudra Shishu loan:
Mudra Shishu loan is a scheme for small businesses. The Central
government, recently, announced the launch of ‘Mudra Shishu
loan’ for small businesses and cottage industries so that
shopkeepers do not suffer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move is expected to bring much-needed relief to small
borrowers by helping small businesses, who won’t be able to make regular payments for the loans
they have taken for the next few months. The businesses are already on the verge of shut down due
to a lack of revenue and demand.
Under Mudra Shishu loan, a 1500 crore interest subvention for small business and cottage industries
has been announced. Under this scheme, one lakh beneficiaries can avail interest benefit of 2% for a
year and small borrowers under the Mudra Shishu loans up to ₹50,000 will also be benefited.
Earlier, the Mudra Shishu loan was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with a
slew of other measures aimed at reviving the Indian economy amid the crisis during the
announcement of the Centre’s 20 lakh crore Atmanirbhar Bharat economic package.
MoHUA:
It refers to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. MoHUA is a
federal ministry of Government of India with executive authority
over the formulation and administration of the rules and regulations
and laws relating to the housing and urban development in India. It
was founded in 1952. The current Minister responsible for MoHUA
is Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge)
Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs recently launched a Special Micro-Credit Facility
Scheme - PM SVANidhi for providing affordable loans to street vendors. PM SVANidhi is an acronym
for PM Street Vendor's Atma Nirbhar Nidhi.
Under this scheme, the vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is
repayable in monthly installments in the tenure of one year. On timely and early repayment of the
loan, an interest subsidy at the rate of 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of
beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on six monthly basis.
Over 50 lakh street vendors including hawkers, thelewalas, rehriwala, theliphadwala etc. in different
areas or contexts are likely to benefit from this scheme. The duration of the scheme is till March
2022.
It is for the first time in India’s history that street vendors from peri- urban and rural areas have
become beneficiaries of an urban livelihood programme. It is also for the first time that MFIs, NBFCs,
SHG Banks have been allowed in a scheme for the urban poor due to their ground level presence.
The scheme was announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 14 May to enable street
vendors to resume their livelihoods, which have been hit hard due to the national lockdown.
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Union Cabinet:
Recently, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri
Narendra Modi gave its approval for setting up of an “Empowered
Group of Secretaries (EGoS) and Project Development Cells (PDCs) in
Ministries and Departments of Government of India for attracting
investments in India.
This new mechanism seeks to reinforce India’s vision of becoming a
five trillion economy by 2024-25. It will make India a more investment-friendly destination and give
fillip to domestic industries. It also aims to bring about synergies between Ministries and
Departments and among the Central and State Governments in investment and related incentive
policies.
EGoS: It is an acronym for Empowered Group of Secretaries. The EGoS comprises of
1. Cabinet Secretary (Chairperson)
2. CEO, NitiAayog (Member)
3. Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and 4. Internal Trade (Member Convenor)
5. Secretary, Department of Commerce (Member)
6. Secretary, Department of Revenue (Member)
7. Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (Member)
8. Secretary of Department concerned (to be co-opted).
The main objectives of EGoS are to provide investment support to global investors by bringing
synergies and ensure timely clearances from different departments and Ministries.
PDC: It is an acronym for Project Development Cell. PDC is also approved for the development of
investible projects in coordination between the Central Government and State Governments and
thereby grow the pipeline of investible projects in India and in turn increase FDI inflows.
Under the guidance of the Secretary, an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary of each
relevant central line Ministry, who will be in-charge of the PDC will be tasked to conceptualize,
implement, and disseminate details with respect to investable projects.
The main Objectives of PDC are to create projects with all approvals, land available for allocation and
with the complete Detailed Project Reports for adoption/investment by investors and to identify
issues that need to be resolved in order to attract and finalise the investments and put forth these
before the Empowered Group.
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Bihar:
Bihar is a state in East India, bordering Nepal. Bihar celebrates its
foundation day as Bihar Diwas. It was formed on 22nd March
1912. The capital of Bihar is Patna. The current Governor and the
Chief Minister of Bihar are Phagu Chauhan and Nitish Kumar
respectively.
Recently, Centre approved Annual action plan for Bihar under Jal Jeevan mission (JJM). As per the
plan approved by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the State has provided 100% coverage of all households
with functional tap water connections by 2020-21. Centre has allocated Rs. 1832.66 crore for
implementation of JJM in Bihar during 2020-21.
This move has been initiated by the state due to the abundance of groundwater and surface water in
Bihar. It is planning to provide tap connections to the remaining 1 crore 50 lakh households in 2020-
21. A proper plan is in place for 100% coverage of all 38 districts during 2020-21 has been prepared
by the State government.
JJM: It refers to Jal Jeevan Mission. JJM is a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal
Shakti. This mission aims to ensure access of piped water for every household in India. The Union
Cabinet on 13 August 2019 had approved the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to provide Functional
Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household by 2024. JJM has been launched in
partnership with States, to enable every household in villages to have a FHTC within the premises by
2024.
As a mission target, all states are presenting their implementation plans to the National level
Committee headed by Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Govt. of India for
approval.
Kerala:
It is a state on the southwestern Malabar Coast of India. It was formed
on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States
Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the
erstwhile states of Travancore-Cochin and Madras. It is bordered by
Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and
south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. Its capital is Thiruvananthapuram. The current
Governor and Chief Minister of Kerala are Arif Mohammad Khan and Pinarayi Vijayan respectively.
Recently, the Kerala government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayanhas announced its ambitious
broadband project ‘Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON)’ project. The main aim of K-FON project is to
provide free high-speed Internet to all the citizens below poverty live in Kerala and those who
cannot afford will be provided high speed Internet at a subsidized rate. Rs 1500 crore K-FON project
which is being implemented by Kerala State IT Infrastructure Limited and Kerala State Electricity
Board will kickstart from December 2020.
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Kerala has become the first state to declare the internet as a fundamental right of the citizen, by
providing free high speed broadband to the poor people.
Telangana Formation Day:
Telangana State Formation Day is celebrated on the formation of
Telangana state in India on 2 June every year since 2014.
Telangana state officially came into existence under the Andhra
Pradesh Reorganisation Act of Parliament in 2014. Kalvakuntla
Chandrashekar Rao was elected as the first chief minister of
Telangana, following elections in which the Telangana Rashtra
Samithi party secured a majority and E S L Narasimhan became the first Governor of the State.
Hyderabad is the capital city of Telangana. Telangana mainly means the place where the Telugu
language is spoken.
Recently, Telangana State Formation Day 2020 was celebrated not so grandly due to COVID-19
Pandemic. This year marked the sixth anniversary of the Telangana Formation Day.
Telangana: It is a state in India situated on the centre-south stretch of the Indian peninsula on the
high Deccan Plateau. It was founded on 2 June 2014. Its Capital city is Hyderabad. Its official
language is Telegu.The current Governor and Chief Minister of Telangana are Tamilisai
Soundararajan and K. Chandrashekar Rao respectively.
Chhattisgarh:
Chhattisgarh is a heavily forested state in central India known for its
temples and waterfalls. It is one of the fastest-developing states in
India. The state was formed on 1st November 2000 by partitioning
ten Chhattisgarhi and six Gondi-speaking southeastern districts of
Madhya Pradesh. The capital city of Chattisgarh is Raipur. The
current Chief Minister and Governor of Chhattisgarh are Bhupesh Baghel and Anusuiya Uikey
respectively.
Recently, the Government of Chhattisgarh launched Spandan Campaignfor police. The campaign
aimed to contain fratricide and suicide involving police personnel.
Under this campaign, the authorities will be conducting interactive programmes and arranging
counseling sessions, music and yoga therapies for the police personnels. The campaign has also
made medical treatment and counseling of depressed officers mandatory. Senior police officers have
been instructed to visit police lines, police stations and armed forces companies to interact with the
personnel to know about problems being faced by them. A mobile application is also being prepared
for monitoring the problems of police personnel.
The decision to launch the campaign was taken after the state reported over 50 cases of suicide by
police personnel and a number of incidents of policemen attacking their colleagues in the last 2
years.
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Pradip Kumar Tripathi:
He is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1987
batch of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre. He has recently taken
over the charge as the Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Govt. of
India. His appointment in the Ministry of Steel was approved by
the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) in April 2020.
He took over as Secretary upon the superannuation of present
incumbent Binoy Kumar. Prior to this, Shri Tripathi had been posted as Special Secretary and
Establishment officer in Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
Binoy Kumar: He is a 1983 batch officer. He had taken over as Secretary, Ministry of Steel on 1
September 2018. He retired on 30 May 2020.
Ministry of Steel: The Ministry of Steel is an executive branch agency of the Government of India
(GoI). It was founded in 2017. It is responsible for formulating all policies regarding steel production,
distribution and pricing in India. Currently, the ministry is headed by a minister of cabinet rank,
Dharmendra Pradhan and is assisted by a Minister of State, Faggan Singh Kulaste.
Syama Prasad Mookerjee (1901 – 1953):
He was an Indian politician, barrister and academician. He
served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in PM Jawaharlal
Nehru’s cabinet. He served as the Minister for Industry and
Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet. He quit
the Union Government because of differences of opinion with
the Nehru-led government. He founded Bharatiya Jan Sangh
(BJS) in 1951 with the help of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is a predecessor to the
Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). He was also the President of Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha from 1943
to 1946. He fought for Kashmir greatly contributing to National Integration. He passed away in 1953
in the custody of Jammu & Kashmir Police.
Recently, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval to
rename Kolkata Port as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port. The decision was made by the Board of
Trustees of Kolkata Port Trust in its Meeting held on 25 February 2020. The mission was launched on
February 21, 2016 to commemorate 4th anniversary of the legend.
Kolkata Port Trust: Kolkata Port Trust is situated on the left bank of the Hooghly River, about 203
kilometres from the sea. It is the first Major Port as well as the only riverine port of the country. The
port was commissioned in 1870. It came to be governed by a Trust in 1870 on appointment of the
Commissioners for Improvement of the Port of Calcutta as per Act V of 1870. It features at Serial
Number 1 in The First Schedule, Part I—Major Ports of the Indian Ports Act, 1908 and is governed by
the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. Kolkata Port has been India's gateway to trade, commerce, and
economic development.
The other ports renamed by the Central Government are as follows:
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Nhava Sheva Port Trust was renamed as Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust by the Government in the year
1989.
The Tuticorin Port Trust was renamed as O. Chidambaranar Port Trust in the year 2011.
The Ennore Port Limited has been re-named as Kamarajar Port Limited in the honour of K Kamarajar,
eminent freedom fighter and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Kandla Port was re-named as Deendayal Port in 2017 .
Krishnendu Majumdar:
He is an Emmy-winning TV producer who has become the first
person of colour to be named as BAFTA Chairman in its 73 year-
long history. He will succeed Pippa Harris and he also becomes the
youngest person to hold the role in 35 years. Harris will now
continue as deputy chairperson.
Majumdar born in South Wales to Bengali parents who arrived in the UK from India in the 1960s has
been closely working with BAFTA for 14 years. He also served as the chair of the Learning and New
Talent Committee (2006-2010), the chair of the Television Committee (2015-2019) and a member of
the board of trustees for 9years.
BAFTA: It is an acronym for British Academy of Film and Television Arts. BAFTA is an independent
charity that supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image (film, television and
games) in the United Kingdom (UK). In addition to its annual awards ceremonies, BAFTA has an
international programme of learning events and initiatives offering access to talent through
workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the United Kingdom and
the United States. It started out as the British Film Academy. It was founded in 1947 by a group of
directors namely, David Lean, Laurence Olivier, Alexander Korda, Roger Manvell, Emeric Pressburger,
Michael Powell, Michael Balcon, Carol Reed, and other major figures of the British film industry.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw:
She is the founder and the Executive Chairperson of Biocon. She has been
named the EY World Entrepreneur of the year 2020 one of its kind virtual
entrepreneurship award ceremony. She has been honoured with the award
for her contribution in improving universal access to affordable life-saving
medicine and transforming the world. Her company Biocon has in the last 15 years supplied more
than 2 billion affordable doses of insulins (biosimilar insulins).
She was selected among 46 other entrepreneurs from 41 countries.
She has become the second woman to win the award after Olivia Lum of Hyflux, Singapore. She is
also the third Indian to win the award after Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra in 2014 and Narayana
Murthy of Infosys in 2005.
Biocon: It is a bio-enzymes company. Biocon was founded 1978 by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw. This
Indian biopharmaceutical company is headquartered in Bangalore, India. The Company
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manufactures generic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that are sold in the developed
markets of the United States and Europe. The company which began its journey with just two
employees and an investment of 500 USD, today, has become one of the strongest innovation driven
biotech companies in Asia with more than 11,000 people.
Biosimilar medicines: A biosimilar medicine is a biologic medical product which is highly similar to
another already approved biological medicine. Biosimilars are approved according to the same
standards of pharmaceutical quality, safety and efficacy that apply to all biological medicines.
Biosimilars also help to bring down the prices of medicines greatly.
Puri:
Is a city and a Municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern
India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is
situated on the Bay of Bengal, 60 kilometres south of the
state capital of Bhubaneswar. Puri is known by several names
since the ancient times, and was locally known as "Sri
Kshetra" and Sri Jagannatha Dhama after the 12th-century
Jagannatha Temple located in the city. Lord Jagannatha temple is also known as "Badadeula".It is
one of the original Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus. The heirs of the Gajapati Dynasty of
Khurda perform the ritual duties of the temple.
5th June 2020: The famous Deba Snana Purnima ritual of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord
Balabhadra began in Odisha on 5th of June 2020 at the Jagannath temple in Odisha's Puri. Snana
Yatra is a ceremonial grand shower festival celebrated on the Purnima (full moon day) of the Hindu
month of Jyeshtha.
Every year, the 'Snana Jatra' ceremony are witnessed by people, drawn from across the state and
outside, at the 'Snana Mandap' (bathing altar) where the priests pour 108 pitchers of herbal and
aromatic water on them. The water used for bathing is taken from the golden well 'Suna Kua' inside
the temple. During the process of fetching water from the well, priests cover their mouths with a
piece of cloth so as to not contaminate the water with their breath.
The legend from the Skanda Purana says that King Indradyumna, who installed the wooden deities of
the Lords, bathed the deities before they were worshipped in the 12th-century shrine. The Lord's
bathing also indicates the arrival of monsoon in Odisha and it also marks the beginning of the annual
Rath Yatra in Puri. This year, due to Corona pandemic it is being celebrated without public gathering.
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Lieutenant General Manoj Pande:
Lieutenant General Manoj Pande AVSM, VSM, assumed charge
as the 15th Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman & Nicoar
Command (CLINICIAN) on 1 June 2020. He will replace Lieutenant
General Podali Shankar Rajeshwar PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC.
Lieutenant General Manoj Pande is an alumnus of National
Defence Academy, the General Officer was commissioned into
the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers) in December 1982.
He is a graduate of Staff College, Camberley (United Kingdom) and attended the Higher Command
Course at Army War College, Mhow and National Defence College (NDC) at Delhi.
During his 37 years of distinguished service, Pande has taken active part in Operation Vijay and
Operation Parakram.
He commanded an Engineer Regiment along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir, an
Engineer Brigade as part of the Strike Corps, an Infantry Brigade along LoC, a Mountain Division in
High Altitude Area of Western Ladakh and a Corps deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as
also in Counter Insurgency Operations area in the North East.
He dealt with subjects of Discipline, Ceremonial and Welfare, prior to assuming the present
appointment.
Major Suman Gawani:
She is an Indian Army officer who served as a women peacekeeper
with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) from
November 2018 to December 2019. She was awarded the
prestigious “United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the year
Award” on 29 May 2020. She received the award from the UN
Secretary General Mr Antonio Guterres during an online ceremony
being organised at the UN Headquarters, New York on the occasion
of International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. This is the first time that an Indian
peacekeeper is being given the UN Military Gender Advocate award. She has been awarded for her
outstanding contribution to peacekeeping efforts in the UNMISS.
Major Suman will be receiving this award alongwith a Brazilian Naval Officer Commander Carla
Monteiro de Castro Araujo.
Major Suman encouraged participation in joint military patrols to maintain gender balance,
irrespective of the hardships under extreme field conditions. She visited various mission team sites
across South Sudan to integrate gender perspective into the planning and military activity in the
mission. She was also selected to attend a specialised training on Conflict Related Sexual Violence at
Nairobi. She participated in various UN forums to demonstrate how a gender perspective can help in
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protecting civilians, especially from conflict related sexual violence. Apart from supporting the
UNMISS Force initiatives, she also trained the South Sudan government forces on Conflict Related
Sexual Violence related aspects. The officer also commanded the UN Peacekeepers Day Parade
organised at UNMISS.
United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the year Award: The United Nations Military Gender
Advocate of the Year Award was created in 2016. The award recognises the dedication and effort of
an individual peacekeeper in promoting the principles within the United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1325.
Union Cabinet:
The Union Council of Ministers exercises executive authority in
the Republic of India. It consists of senior ministers, called 'cabinet
ministers', junior ministers called 'ministers of state' and, rarely,
deputy ministers. Cabinet includes the Prime Minister and
approximately 19 ministers who are part of the executive
government. It is led by the Prime Minister. It is the supreme
decision-making body in India. Cabinet ministers are responsible for major government
departments. The members of the cabinet, including the prime minister, are either chosen from
parliament or elected thereto within six months of assuming office. The prime minister and ministers
of the rank of cabinet minister can only be the members of the Union Cabinet in accordance with
Article 75. The cabinet as a whole is responsible to the Lok Sabha.
Recently, the Union Cabinet approved historic amendment the Essential Commodities Act, 1955
liberalise the regulatory environment for the farmers. The amendment was made during the cabinet
meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash
Javadekar said that this is a visionary step towards transformation of agriculture and raising farmers’
income. This move was a step towards One Nation One Market initiative of the Government.
The amendment made through the ordinance has freed the farmers from the constraints of the
Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC). It means that the farmers have the freedom to
sell the product anywhere to anyone who makes a better payment. Under the amendment the
agricultural commodities such as pulses, cereals, onions oil seeds and potatoes have been
deregulated. The new framework will include enabling barrier-free inter-state trade as well as e-
trading of agricultural produce in the country.
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Gulf of Mannar:
The Gulf of Mannar is a large shallow bay forming part of the
Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean. It lies between the west coast
of Sri Lanka and the southeastern tip of India, in the Coromandel
Coast region. The chain of low islands and reefs known as
Ramsethu which is also called the Adam’s Bridge includes
Mannar Island that separates the Gulf of Mannar from Palk Bay,
which lies to the north between Sri Lanka and India. Gulf of Mannar is endowed with three distinct
Coastal ecosystems namely coral reef, seagrass bed and mangroves is considered one of the world's
richest region from a marine biodiversity perspective, is known for its unique biological wealth and is
a store house of marine diversity of global significance. According to the Marine Conservation
Society it is made up of about 21 islets lying off the coast of Tamil Nadu.
Recently, a rare bandtail scorpion fish was found camouflaged within the sea grass meadows off
Sethukarai coast in the Gulf of Mannar. It was found during an underwater exploratory survey of the
sea grass ecosystem in the region by the researchers at the Central Marine Fisheries Research
Institute (CMFRI). The specimen has been deposited in the National Marine Biodiversity Museum of
the CMFRI. This was the first time that the particular species was found alive in Indian waters.
SCORPAENOSPSIS NEGLECTA: It is the biological name of the rare bandtail scorpion fish. It is a rare
marine species well-known for its stinging venomous spines and for its ability to change colour and
blend with its surrounding environment to not only escape from predators but also while preying. It
is called scorpion fish because of its spines which contain neurotoxic venom and if the spines pierce
an individual, then the venom gets injected immediately which is extremely painful. Eating this fish
would lead to death.
Sethukarai: It is the famous pilgrimage centre in Tamil Nadu. It is connected to Indian mythology
where it is believed that Lord Ram constructed a bridge over the sea from Sethukarai to Sri Lanka
called Ram Setu. Ram Setu is also known as the Adam's Bridge worldwide.
CMFRI: It refers to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. CMFRI was established by the
Government of India (GOI) on 3 February 1947, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare and later it joined the ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) family in 1967. During
the course of over 65 years the Institute has emerged as a leading tropical marine fisheries research
institute in the world. It is headquartered in Kochi, Kerala. The current Director of CMFRI is Dr. A.
Gopalakrishnan.
Nisarga:
Nisarga is a severe cyclonic storm to strike the Indian state of
Maharashtra in the month of June since 1891. It was also the first
cyclone to impact Mumbai since Cyclone Phyan of 2009. Nisarga,
the third depression and second named cyclone of the annual
cyclone season originated as a depression in the Arabian Sea and
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moved generally northward. Recently, Nisarga made a landfall in Maharashtra with winds of 110
km/h (68 mph), Nisarga became the strongest storm to strike the state in the month of June since
1891. Before Nisarga, only two depressions had struck Maharashtra in the month of June, in 1948
and 1980 respectively.
Nisarga was the second cyclone to strike the Indian subcontinent within two weeks time, after
Cyclone Amphan, the first super cyclonic storm occurred in the Bay of Bengal in the 21st century, hit
the state of West Bengal in May 2020.
WED:
It refers to the World Environment Day. This day is observed
globally every year on the 5th of June. It was established by the UN
General Assembly in 1972 on the first day of the Stockholm
Conference on the Human Environment, resulting from discussions
on the integration of human interactions and the environment. Two
years later, in 1974 the first WED was held with the theme "Only
One Earth". It is the biggest annual event in the world run by the
United Nations to mark the environmental awareness among the people. The main aim of
celebrating this day is to raise awareness to protect nature and look at various environmental issues
that are growing day by day.
Recently, the World Environment Day 2020 was celebrated across the globe on the 5th of June amid
the COVID_19 Pandemic. This year Colombia hosted WED 2020 in collaboration with Germany. The
theme for World Environment Day 2020 is biodiversity– a concern that is both urgent and
existential.
In 2019, China hosted World Environment Day and the theme was "Beat Air Pollution".
In India, the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change held virtual celebrations of World
Environment Day 2020. The main focus as per this year's theme was on Nagar Van, Urban Forests.
Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar relaunched a scheme for creating urban forest in
200 corporations and cities because all these cities have gardens but not forest. The urban forest will
help in creating and enhancing the lung capacities of these cities.