Post on 23-Mar-2020
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Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS Preparation
03.01.2018
Electoral bonds life 15 days, donor name
secret but KYC must
• The government unveiled key
features of electoral bonds which will
have a shelf-life of 15 days and can
be purchased only from specified
branches of State Bank of India.
• Electoral bonds can be bought for any
value, in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs
10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh or
Rs 1 crore.
• An Indian citizen or body incorporated
in India will be eligible to purchase the
bond.
• Electoral bonds can be used for
making donation only to the political
parties registered under section 29A
of the Representation of the People
Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and which
secured not less than one per cent of
the votes polled in the last general
election to the House of the People or
a Legislative Assembly.
• These bonds will not carry the
name of the payee.
• The bonds will be available for
purchase for 10 days each in the
months of January, April, July and
October.
• The window would be for an additional
30 days in the year of general
election.
Topic- GS-3- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation
Source- Indian Express
Haryana to safeguard vegetable growers
• The Haryana government launched a
price deficit compensation scheme,
Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana, to
ensure that vegetable farmers are
protected against a fall in crop prices.
• Tomato, onion, potato and cauliflower
have been included in the scheme.
• Farmers would be compensated by
the State if rates dropped below the
protected price.
• This would ensure that the farmers
received a fair price for their produce.
Look Further
Sericulture
• Rearing of silkworms for the
production of raw silk
Apiculture
• Maintenance of honey bee colonies,
commonly in hives, by humans
Viticulture
• Science, production and study of
grapes
Floriculture
• Cultivation of flowering and
ornamental plants for gardens
Horticulture
• The science of growing and
management of fruits, vegetables
including tubers, ornamental,
aromatic & medicinal crops, spices,
plantation crops and their processing,
value addition and marketing”.
Topic- GS-3- Agriculture
Source- The Hindu
Nagaland declared as ‘disturbed area’
for 6 more months
• A home ministry official said the
decision to continue the declaration of
Nagaland as “disturbed area” has
been taken.
• The entire Nagaland has been
declared as “disturbed area” for six
more months, under the controversial
AFSPA, which empowers security
forces to conduct operations
anywhere and arrest anyone without
any prior notice.
• In exercise of the powers conferred by
Section 3 of the Armed Forces
(Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No. 28 of
1958), the central government hereby
declares that whole of the said State
to be a ‘disturbed area’ for a period of
six months.
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• The AFSPA has been in force in
Nagaland for several decades.
Look Further
AFSPA
• Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts
(AFSPA), are Acts of the Parliament of
India that grant special powers to the
Indian Armed Forces in what each act
terms "disturbed areas".
• According to the Armed Forces Special
Powers Act (AFSPA), in an area that is
proclaimed as "disturbed", an officer
of the armed forces has powers to-
(a) After giving such due warning, Fire upon
or use other kinds of force even if it causes
death, against the person who is acting
against law or order in the disturbed area for
the maintenance of public order,
(b) To arrest without a warrant anyone who
has committed cognizable offences or is
reasonably suspected of having done so and
may use force if needed for the arrest.
(c) Army officers have legal immunity for
their actions. There can be no prosecution,
suit or any other legal proceeding against
anyone acting under that law.
(d) The government's judgment on disrupted
area is not subject to judicial review.
(e) On July 8, 2016, in a landmark ruling, The
Supreme Court of India ended the immunity
of the armed forces from prosecution under
AFSPA.
Greater Nagalim
• With the possibility of New Delhi
concluding a final agreement with the
NSCN(IM) have arisen fresh
apprehensions in Assam, Arunachal
Pradesh and Manipur that large
chunks of their territories may be lost
to a “Greater Nagalim”.
• The map of Greater Nagalim on the
NSCN(IM) website comprising “all
Naga-inhabited areas” shows a
1,20,000 sq km sprawl across the
Northeast and Myanmar.
• Greater Nagalism covers a
sizeable portion of Nagaland,
Assam, Arunachal, Manipur and
Myanmar.
NSCN (Nationalist Socialist Council of
Nagaland)
• The Nationalist Socialist Council of
Nagaland (abbreviated NSCN) is a
Greater Naga Revolutionist, Christian
Naga nationalist insurgent group.
• The main goal of the organisation is to
establish a sovereign Naga state,
"Nagalim", which would consist of all
the areas inhabited by the Naga
people in Northeast India and
Northwest Myanmar.
• Two major factions of NSCN include
NSCN (K), led by Khaplang; and NSCN
(I-M), led by Isak Chishi Swu and
Thuingaleng Muviah.
• The NSCN (K) has been designated a
terrorist organisation in India under
the Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
Act, 1967.
Topic-Gs-2 Indian Constitution
GS-1- Social empowerment, communalism,
regionalism & secularism
Source- The Hindu
Parker Solar Probe: Humanity’s First
Visit to a Star
• NASA's historic Parker Solar Probe
mission will revolutionize our
understanding of the sun, where
changing conditions can propagate
out into the solar system, affecting
Earth and other worlds.
• Parker Solar Probe will travel through
the sun’s atmosphere, closer to the
surface than any spacecraft before it,
facing brutal heat and radiation
conditions — and ultimately providing
humanity with the closest-ever
observations of a star.
• The Parker Solar Probe will use Venus’
gravity during seven flybys over
nearly seven years to gradually bring
its orbit closer to the sun.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- NASA
Why is the fiscal deficit widening?
• The government’s fiscal deficit up to
November came in at 112% of the
amount budgeted for the entire
financial year ending in March.
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What does it mean?
• The government missing its fiscal
deficit target for the year means that
either the revenue it collected fell
short of projections, or that its
expenditure was higher than planned.
• The data from the Controller General
of Accounts shows that the
governmenthas spent 9% of the
amount budgeted for the year, with
four months remaining.
• The data shows that the government’s
non-tax revenue, at only 5% of the
year’s target.
Are there any other factors at play?
• The government announced that it
would be borrowing an additional
₹50,000 crores during the remaining
part of the financial year.
• While it was assumed that this would
lead to a slippage in the fiscal deficit,
the government was quick to explain
that this would not happen.
• Government said that the additional
borrowing would be offset by
trimming down the collections from its
Treasury Bills.
Is a slippage such a bad thing?
• According to experts, even a 5%
slippage in the fiscal deficit would be
okay as long as it is being driven by
an increase in expenditure on
developmental activities such as rural
roads, irrigation, and low-cost
housing.
• Even though ratings agency Moody’s
recently upgraded India, it did say
that it would be tracking the fiscal
situation, so any significant slippages
could result in a downgrade in the
future.
Look Further
Fiscal Deficit-
• A fiscal deficit occurs when a
government's total expenditures
exceed the revenue that it generates,
excluding money from borrowings.
Topic- GS-2- Indian Economy and issues
relating to planning, mobilization of
resources, growth, development and
employment
Source- The Hindu
Two new Ginger species found in the
northeast
• Scientists have discovered two new
species of Ginger in easternmost
districts, Ukhrul in Manipur and
Tuensang in Nagaland, both bordering
Myanmar.
• Hedychium chingmeianum, the
species discovered in Tuensang
district, is an epiphytic plant and
grows on tall trees, while
Caulokaempferia dinabandhuensis
was found growing in rock crevices,
boulders and humus rich soil in the
Shirui Hills.
• Both the plants are from the family of
Zingiberaceae, to which the
commonly found Ginger (Zingiber
officinale) belongs.
Topic- GS-3- Biodiversity
Source- The Hindu
Smt Maneka Gandhi inaugurates online
portal ‘NARI’ for women empowerment
• In a path breaking initiative to
empower women, the Minister of
Women & Child Development, Smt
Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated
an online portal NARI in New Delhi.
• The portal will provide women citizens
with easy access to information on
government schemes and initiatives
for women.
• Further to provide a platform for
NGOs and Civil Societies to interact
with the Ministry of Women & Child
Development, e-Samvad portal has
also been developed which was
inaugurated by the WCD Minister.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
(PMMVY)
• Effective from 01.01.2017, the
Maternity Benefit Programme would
be implemented in all the districts of
the country in accordance with the
provision of the National Food
Security Act, 2013.
• The programme is named as ‘Pradhan
Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana’
(PMMVY).
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• Under PMMVY, a cash incentive of
₹ 5000/- would be provided directly in
the account of Pregnant Women and
Lactating Mothers(PW&LM) for first
living child of the family subject to
their fulfilling specific conditions
relating to Maternal and Child Health.
• The eligible beneficiaries would
receive the remaining cash incentives
as per approved norms towards
maternity benefit under Janani
Suraksha Yojana (JSY) after
institutional delivery so that on an
average, a woman will get ₹ 6000/-.
• PMMVY will be implemented using the
platform of Anganwadi Services
scheme of Umbrella ICDS.
Integrated Child Development Services
(ICDS)
• Launched in October 2, 1975.
• Provides food, education, and primary
healthcare to children under 6 years
of age and their mothers.
• Six services are provided under ICDS
which are-
(1) Supplementary nutrition (SNP) (2)
Immunization (3) Health check-up (4)
Referral services (5) Pre-school non-formal
education (6) Nutrition & health education
are provided.
• Anyone can visit to the Aanganwadi
centre and enroll these services.
Topic- GS-2- Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population by the Centre and
States and the performance of these
schemes
Source- PIB
04.01.2018
UNESCO enters Turkey's endangered
'bird language' in Intangible Cultural
Heritage list
• UNESCO has accepted the "bird
language" of Black Sea villagers as an
endangered part of world heritage in
need of urgent protection.
Look Further
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• It is a specialized agency of the United
Nations (UN) based in Paris.
• Its objective is to contribute to peace
and security by promoting
international collaboration through
educational, scientific, and cultural
reforms.
• It has 195-member states and ten
associate members.
Note: The United States announced its
intention to withdraw from UNESCO on
12 October 2017, accusing it of "anti-Israel
bias”. Later, Israel also announced it would
also be leaving UNESCO.
• UNESCO implements its activities
through the five programme areas:
education, natural sciences, social
and human sciences, culture, and
communication and information.
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Lists
• UNESCO established its Lists of
Intangible Cultural Heritage with the
aim of ensuring better protection of
important intangible cultural
heritages worldwide and the
awareness of their significance.
• This list is published by the
Intergovernmental Committee for the
Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural
Heritage and its members are elected
by State parties meeting in UN
General Assembly.
India in UNESCO Intangible Cultural
Heritage Lists
1. Koodiyattam, Sanskrit Theatre, Kerala
2. Mudiyett: a ritual theatre of Kerala
3. The Tradition of Vedic Chanting
4. Ramlila – the Traditional Performance of
the Ramayana
5. Ramman: religious festival and ritual
theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas
6. Kalbelia: folk songs and dances of
Rajasthan
7. Chhau dance: a tradition from eastern
India
8. Buddhist chanting of Ladakh
9. Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and
dancing of Manipur
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10. Traditional brass and copper craft of
utensil making among the Thatheras of
Jandiala Guru, Punjab
11. Yoga
12. Nowruz Navruz
13. Kumbh Mela
Topic- GS-1- Indian Culture
Source- Economic Times
Six countries enter UN Security Council
• Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast,
Kuwait, Peru, Poland and the
Netherlands formally joined the ranks
of the non-permanent members of the
United Nations Security Council.
• The UN Security Council has 15
members, including five with
permanent seats who have the power
to veto resolutions - Britain, China,
France, Russia and the United States.
• The six countries who left the UN
Security Council on December 31 are
Egypt, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine
and Uruguay.
Look Further
UNSC (United Nations Security Council)
• UNSC is one of the six principal organs
of the United Nations, charged with
the maintenance of international
peace and security.
• It has 15 Members, and each Member
has one vote. These 15 members
include 5 permanent members and 10
non-permanent members.
• Five permanent members have veto
powers.
• 10 non-permanent members, elected
on a regional basis to serve two-year
terms.
• It is the only UN body with the
authority to issue binding resolutions
to member states.
• The Security Council also
recommends to the General Assembly
the appointment of the Secretary-
General and the admission of new
Members to the United Nations.
• And, together with the General
Assembly, it elects the judges of the
International Court of Justice.
United Nations Security Council "power
of veto"
• The United Nations Security Council
"power of veto" refers to the veto
power wielded solely by the five
permanent members of the UNSC
enabling them to prevent the adoption
of any "substantive" resolution.
• Five permanent members are China,
France, Russia, United Kingdom, and
United States.
• Abstention or absence from the vote
by a permanent member does not
prevent a draft resolution from being
adopted.
G4 Nations
• The G4 nations comprising Brazil,
Germany, India, and Japan are four
countries which support each other’s
bids for permanent seats on the
United Nations Security Council.
Topic- GS-2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora- their
structure, mandate.
Source- The Hindu Business line + Wiki +
UNSC
India excludes Pakistan from a SAARC
initiative
• India has excluded Pakistan from the
list of SAARC member countries with
which it will be connecting its state-
of-the art National Knowledge
Network (NKN) for sharing scientific
databases and remote access to
advanced research facilities.
• The government has kicked off the
process of appointing a telecom
company that will connect and extend
the NKN to research and education
networks in six South Asian
Association of Regional Cooperation
member states.
• Pakistan is the only SAARC nation that
has been left out of this initiative.
Look Further
National Knowledge Network (NKN)
• NKN is a multi-gigabit pan-India
network which facilitates the
development of India's
communications infrastructure,
stimulates research and creates next
generation applications and services.
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• It enables collaboration among
researchers from different educational
networks such as TEIN4, GARUDA,
CERN and Internet2.
• It also enables sharing of scientific
databases and remote access to
advanced research facilities.
• NKN will be connected from
Afghanistan to Delhi or Mumbai, from
Bangladesh to Kolkata or Delhi, from
Bhutan to Kolkata or Delhi, from
Nepal to Kolkata or Delhi, from
Maldives to Chennai or Mumbai and
from Sri Lanka to Chennai or Mumbai.
SAARC
• The South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the
regional intergovernmental
organization and geopolitical union of
nations in South Asia.
• Its member states (8 countries)
include Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• SAARC was founded in Dhaka on 8th
December 1985.
• Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu,
Nepal.
• Amjad Hussain B. Sial is the current
Secretary General of SAARC.
Topic- GS-2- Bilateral, regional and global
groupings and agreements involving India
and/or affecting India’s interests
Source- Economic Times
First Blue Moon in 150 years, a total
eclipse, to occur this month
• A rare total lunar eclipse that involves
the second full moon of the month –
popularly referred to as a Blue Moon
– is set to take place on January 31
for the first time in over 150 years.
• This will be the first eclipse of 2018.
• The Pacific Ocean will be turned
towards the Moon at the time and the
eclipse will take place during the
middle of the night.
Look Further
Eclipse
• An eclipse happens when a planet or
a moon gets in the way of the sun’s
light. we can experience two kinds of
eclipses: solar eclipses and lunar
eclipses.
Solar Eclipse-
• A solar eclipse (as seen from the
planet Earth) is a type of eclipse that
occurs when the Moon passes
between the Sun and Earth, and when
the Moon fully or partially blocks
("occults") the Sun.
• This can happen only at new moon
when the Sun and the Moon are in
conjunction as seen from Earth in an
alignment referred to as syzygy.
• In a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun
is fully obscured by the Moon. In
partial and annular eclipses, only part
of the Sun is obscured.
Lunar Eclipse
• During a lunar eclipse, Earth gets in the
way of the sun’s light hitting the moon.
• That means that during the night, a
full moon fades away as Earth’s
shadow covers it up.
• The moon can also look reddish
because Earth’s atmosphere absorbs
the other colours while it bends some
sunlight toward the moon.
• Sunlight bending through the
atmosphere and absorbing other
colours is also why sunsets are orange
and red.
• During a total lunar eclipse, the moon
is shining from all the sunrises and
sunsets occurring on Earth.
Topic- GS-1- Physical Geography
Source- Indian Express + NASA
05.01.2018
‘Panchayat secretary’s certificate is no
proof’
• Certificates issued by the ‘gaon’ or
village panchayat secretary/Executive
Magistrate is no proof of Indian
citizenship.
• It is only a supporting document used
for the limited purpose of establishing
a linkage between the holder of the
certificate and the person(s) from
whom legacy is being claimed, the
Supreme Court has clarified.
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• Such proof (of citizenship) will come
only if the link between the claimant
and the legacy person (who has to be
a citizen) is established.
Look Further
Citizenship Provisions related to
Constitutions
• Articles 5-8 deal with the citizenship
of individuals who became citizens of
India at the commencement of the
Constitution. Also, these articles take
into account migration issues.
• No person shall be a citizen of India or be deemed to be a citizen of India, if he
has voluntarily acquired the citizenship
of any foreign state (Article 9).
• Every person who is or is deemed to
be a citizen of India shall continue to
be such citizen, subject to the
provisions of any law made by
Parliament (Article 10).
• Parliament shall have the power to
make any provision with respect to
the acquisition and termination of
citizenship and all other matters
relating to citizenship (Article 11).
• The Parliament enacted the
Citizenship Act, 1955, which has been
amended in 1986, 1992, 2003, and
2005 and most recently in 2015.
• The five modes of acquisition of
citizenship as per the citizenship act
are
(a) By Birth
(b) By Descent
(c) By Registration
(d) By Naturalization
(e) By acquisition of any other
territory into the Indian Union.
• Loss of Citizenship is by –
Termination, Renunciation and
Deprivation.
Constitutional Rights to the Indian
Citizens
• The Constitution confers the following
rights and privileges on the citizens of
India (and denies the same to aliens):
(a) Article 15, 16, 19, 29 & 30.
(b) Right to vote in elections to the
Lok Sabha and state legislative
assembly.
(c) Right to contest for the
membership of the Parliament and the
state legislature.
(d) Eligibility to hold certain public
offices, that is, President of India,
Vice-President of India, judges of the
Supreme Court and the high courts,
governor of states, attorney general
of India and advocate general of
states.
Topic- GS-2- Indian Constitution
Source- The Hindu + Indian Polity by
Lakshmikant
WHO approves Indian typhoid vaccine
“Bharat Biotech’s Typbar” for global use
• The World Health Organisation (WHO)
pre-qualified the first conjugate
vaccine for typhoid, “Bharat
Biotech’s Typbar”-TCV (Typhoid
conjugate vaccines)- believed to be
the only one safe for infants.
• Typbar TCV is the world's first
clinically proven TCV.
• Typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCVs)
are innovative products that have
longer-lasting immunity than older
vaccines, require fewer doses, and
can be given to young children
through routine childhood
immunization programs.
• WHO-SAGE (Study on global AGEing
and adult health) recommended the
use of typhoid conjugate vaccines for
use in infants between 6 and 23
months of age and catch up
vaccinations for children between 2
and 15 years of age.
Look Further
Typhoid
• Typhoid fever is caused by the
bacterium Salmonella Typhi (S.
Typhi), which infects humans due to
contaminated food and beverages
from sewage and other infected
humans.
World Health Organization
• The World Health Organization (WHO)
is a specialized agency of the United
Nations that is concerned with
international public health.
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• It was established on 22 July 1946
headquartered in Geneva,
Switzerland.
• The WHO is a member of the United
Nations Development Group.
• The WHO is responsible for the World
Health Report, the worldwide World
Health Survey, and World Health Day.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- Times now news
The National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development (Amendment) Bill,
2017
• The Bill seeks to amend the National
Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development Act, 1981.
• NABARD is responsible for providing
and regulating facilities like credit for
agricultural and industrial
development in the rural areas.
• Under the 1981 Act, NABARD may
have a capital of Rs 100 crore. This
capital can be further increased to Rs
5,000 crore by the central
government in consultation with the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• The New Bill allows the central
government to increase this capital to
Rs 30,000 crore. The capital may be
increased to more than Rs 30,000
crore by the central government in
consultation with the RBI, if
necessary.
• Under the 1981 Act, the central
government and the RBI together
must hold at least 51% of the share
capital of NABARD.
• The Bill provides that the central
government alone must hold at least
51% of the share capital of NABARD.
• The Bill replaces the terms ‘small-
scale industry’ and ‘industry in the
tiny and decentralised sector’ with the
terms ‘micro enterprise’, ‘small
enterprise’ and ‘medium enterprise’
as defined in the MSME Development
Act, 2006.
Topic- GS-2- Parliament and State
Legislatures
Source- PRS
National Register of Citizens (NRC) of
the Assam
• Recently, Assam government
published the first draft of an updated
National Register of Citizens (NRC) of
the State.
• While the document is meant to
establish the credentials of a bona fide
citizen, there are several questions
surrounding the NRC.
• The publication of the first draft of the
NRC by December 31, 2017 was
ordered by the Supreme Court.
Why was it necessary to bring out an
NRC in Assam?
• The NRC is being updated in Assam to
detect Bangladeshi nationals, who
may have illegally entered the State
after the midnight of March 24, 1971,
the cut-off date.
What will happen to those persons who
don’t find their names in the draft
register?
• The list published is the first draft of
the updated NRC.
• Another list is expected to come soon,
with more names and details.
• However, if a citizen’s name is
missing, he or she can file an
objection and request that the name
be included after submitting the
requisite documents to the NRC.
Should persons of Assam living in other
parts of the country also have their
names in the register?
• NRC is a process by which a bona fide
Indian citizen can be distinguished
from a foreigner.
• If a person from Assam is living or
working in another part of the
country, it is advisable to get oneself
registered and establish one’s legacy
as an “inhabitant” of Assam.
Topic- GS-2- Indian Polity
Source- The Hindu
Zojila tunnel project will be Asia’s
longest 2-lane bi-directional pass
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs approved the construction of
the strategic Zojila Pass tunnel in
Jammu and Kashmir at an estimated
cost of Rs 6,089 crore.
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• The project will reduce the travel time
between Srinagar and Leh to 15
minutes from the current 3.5 hours
with providing all-weather
connectivity to the region.
• Zojila Pass tunnel will be Asia’s
longest 2-lane bi-directional pass.
Topic- GS-1- Indian Geography
Source- Indian Express
06.01.2018
India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher
education up by 0.7%
• The country’s Gross Enrolment Ratio
or GER in higher education has
registered an increase from 24.5% in
2015-16 to 25.2% in 2016-17,
according to the latest edition of All
India Higher Education Survey
(AIHES).
• India aims to attain a GER of 30% by
2020.
• According to AIHES of 2016-17, Tamil
Nadu has the highest GER in the
country at 46.9%, which is higher
than the national average.
• Bihar is on the bottom with just
14.9% of its eligible population (in the
age group of 18 to 23 years) pursuing
higher education.
• The college density in the top three
states is 49 in Puducherry, 59 in
Telangana and 53 in Karnataka.
• Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, on
the other hand, are at the bottom of
the pile with seven, eight and 11
colleges, respectively for every one
lakh students in the state.
• There is a marginal improvement in
the number of foreign students —from
45,424 in 2015-16 to 47,575 in 2016-
17 — studying in the country.
Look Further
GER (Gross Enrolment Ratio)
• GER is a statistical measure for
determining the number of students
enrolled in undergraduate,
postgraduate and research level
studies within the country and is
expressed as a percentage of the
population.
Topic- GS-2- Issues relating to development
and management of Social Sector/Services
relating to Health, Education, Human
Resources.
Source- Indian Express
NASA to launch two missions to explore
nearest space
• NASA has announced that it would
launch two missions to explore the
little-understood area of 96 km above
Earth’s surface.
• These two missions are (a) GOLD
Mission and (b) ICON mission
• The Global-scale Observations of
the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission
will be launched in January 2018, and
the Ionospheric Connection
Explorer (ICON) will be launched
later this year.
• GOLD and ICON will team up to
explore the ionosphere, a boundary
area between Earth and the space
where particles have been cooked into
a sea of electrically-charged electrons
and ions by the Sun’s radiation.
• NASA said the two missions were
complementary.
• ICON will be in low-Earth orbit, at 560
km above Earth, like a close-up
camera while GOLD will be in a
geostationary orbit over the Western
Hemisphere, about 35,398 km above
the planet’s surface.
• The two missions can cooperate with
each other when ICON passes through
GOLD’s field of view and each mission
can get a snapshot of the same
region.
• This overlap in their data makes it
easier to identify reasons for changes
in the upper atmosphere at a given
time.
• One of the missions’ goals is to
measure how upper atmosphere
changes in response to hurricanes and
geomagnetic storms.
Look Further
Layers of Earth Atmosphere
• Earth atmosphere can be divided into
five layers. These are-
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11
(1) Troposphere
• Height 18 km on Equator and 8 Km on
the poles
• Temperature decreases with
increasing height in this layer of
atmosphere at the rate of 1 degree
Celsius for every 165 m of height. It
is called Normal Lapse Rate.
(2) Stratosphere
• Height of this layer extends up to 50
Km.
• Upper part of this layer temperature
increase with increasing in height due
to presence of Ozone Particles.
• Weather related phenomenon do not
take place in this layer so this is ideal
for flying of aircraft.
(3) Mesosphere
• Height of this layer extends up to 80-
90 Km.
• Most of the meteors burn up in this
layer of atmosphere.
• Temperature decreases with
increasing height in this layer.
(4) Thermosphere (Ionosphere)
• Height of this layer extends up to 400
Km.
• This layer contains ions.
• Temperature increase with increasing
in height due to Ionizations by solar
radiations.
• Radio waves transmitted from the
earth ground reflected by this layer so
this help in radio transmissions.
(5) Exosphere
• Uppermost layer of the earth
atmosphere
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu
Atal Pension Yojana
• The Pension Fund Regulatory and
Development Authority of India
(PFRDA) run Atal Pension Yojana
(APY) has reached a subscriber base
of 80 lakh.
• Launched in 2015
• Focussed on all citizens in the
unorganised sector
• Age- min 18 years, Max- 40 years
• The Union Govt. would also co-
contribute 50% of the subscriber’s
contribution or Rs. 1000 per annum,
whichever is lower.
• Under the scheme, a subscriber will
receive a minimum guaranteed
pension of 1000 to 5000 rupees per
month, depending on his contribution,
from the age of 60 years.
Topic- GS-2- Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population by the Centre and
States and the performance of these
schemes
Source- AIR
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
(PMVVY)
• Government has launched the
‘Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
(PMVVY)’ to provide social security
during old age and to protect elderly
persons aged 60 and above against
a future fall in their interest income
due to uncertain market conditions.
• The scheme enables old age income
security for senior citizens through
provision of assured pension/return
linked to the subscription amount
based on government guarantee to
Life Insurance Corporation of India
(LIC).
• The scheme provides an assured
return of 8% per annum for 10 years.
• The scheme is open for subscription
till 3rd May 2018.
Topic- GS-2- Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population by the Centre and
States and the performance of these
schemes
Source- PIB
Manodhairya scheme: Don’t delay
compensation due to technicalities,
Bombay HC tells govt
• More than 1,300 survivors of serious
crimes, like rape and acid attack, who
were sanctioned compensation under
the Maharashtra state-run
Manodhairya scheme from October
2013 to January 2017, were not paid
the amount.
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• The Bombay High Court said that the
Maharashtra government should look
at cutting down red-tapism and
procedural technicalities while
awarding monetary compensation to
victims of rape and acid attacks.
Manodhairya scheme
• The scheme, called 'Manodhairya
Yojana', was launched on October 2,
2013 and envisages providing
between Rs two and three lakh to the
victim of rapes and acid attacks etc.
• The victims would receive not only
medical treatment but also legal aid,
counselling and help for rehabilitation
from the state government as part of
the scheme.
• The Manodhairya scheme came into
being in the aftermath of the brutal
gangrape of a photo-journalist in
Mumbai’s Shakti Mills in August 2013.
• Under the revised Manodhairya
scheme, rape victims, children who
are victims of sexual assault and acid
attack victims have to be
compensated up to Rs 10 lakh, and
their medical expenses have to be
met by the government.
Topic- GS-2- Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population by the Centre and
States and the performance of these
schemes
Source- Indian Express
Important schemes for development of
women and children are being
implemented by WCD Ministry
For Women empowerment:
(a) Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)
• Implemented to address the declining
Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and related
issues of empowerment of women
over a life-cycle continuum.
(b) Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana
Yojana (PMMVY)
• Maternity Benefit Programme has
been contributing towards better
enabling environment by providing
cash incentives for improved health
and nutrition to pregnant and nursing
mothers.
(c) Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra
scheme
• Promote community participation
through involvement of Student
Volunteers for empowerment of rural
women.
(d) Scheme for Adolescent Girls
• Aims at girls in the age group 11-18,
to empower and improve their social
status through nutrition, life skills,
home skills and vocational training.
(e) National Creche Scheme
• To provide day care facilities to
children of age group of 6 months to
6 years of working women who are
employed.
(f) Rastriya Mahila Kosh (RMK)
• Provide micro-credit to poor women
for various livelihood support and
income generating activities at
concessional terms in a client-friendly
procedure to bring about their socio-
economic development.
(g) Swadhar Greh
• Provide relief and rehabilitation to
destitute women and women in
distress.
(h) Ujjawala
• A Comprehensive Scheme for
prevention of trafficking and for
rescue, rehabilitation, re-integration
and repatriation of victims of
trafficking for commercial sexual
exploitation.
(I) Working Women Hostels
• For ensuring safe accommodation for
women working away from their place
of residence.
(J) Schemes of One Stop Centre (OSC)
and Women Helpline (WH)
• Implemented to facilitate access to an integrated range of services including
medical aid, police assistance, legal aid/
case management, psychosocial
counselling and temporary support
services to women affected by violence.
For Child Development
(a) Integrated Child Development
Services (ICDS)
• Implemented through States/UTs
with the aim of holistic development
of children upto 6 years of age and to
meet nutritional needs of pregnant
women and lactating mothers.
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(b) National Nutrition Mission (NNM)
• The NNM, as an apex body, will
monitor, supervise, fix targets and
guide the nutrition related
interventions across the Ministries.
• The programme through the targets
will strive to reduce the level of
stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia
and low birth weight babies.
Topic- GS-2- Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population by the Centre and
States and the performance of these
schemes
Source- PIB
08.01.2018
Medaram’s Jatara to get national tag
• Central government is likely to
declare Medaram’s Sammakka-
Sarakka/Saralamma Jatara a national
festival this year.
• Union government had in 2015
declared Vanaj, a tribal dance and
music festival, as national festival.
• Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual
Oram is expected to announce the
Centre’s decision on Jatara’s national
status on January 31 when he visits
Medaram.
Look Further
Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara
• It is held by forest dwelling Koya tribe
of Telangana and surrounding States,
is the biggest Tribal festival in Asia.
• The festival is celebrated to honour
the twin goddesses Sammakka and
her daughter Sarakka.
• Once declared a national festival,
Jatara can be considered for
‘intangible cultural heritage of
humanity’ tag of United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO).
• UNESCO had given the tag to Kumbh
Mela, which is world’s biggest festival.
Medaram
• It is a village in Warangal district,
Telangana, India.
• A popular religious congregation or
Jatara called "Samakka sarakka"
jatara takes place for three days
biennially in this village.
Topic- GS-1 Indian Culture
Source- The Hindu
Government proposes rolling out e-
Sansad and e-Vidhan in Parliament and
State Legislatures
• The Government has proposed rolling
out of e-Sansad in Parliament and e-
Vidhan in State Legislatures to
digitize and make their functioning
paperless.
• e-Sansad and e-Vidhan are mission
mode projects of Government of India
under Digital India, to make the
functioning of Parliament and State
Legislatures paperless.
• MoPA is the Nodal Ministry for
implementation of both the projects.
• These projects would make the
functioning of Parliament and State
Legislatures participative, responsive,
transparent, productive and more
accountable to the public and make
the entire Legislative process more
efficient.
• Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth
Kumar inaugurated the 18th All India
Whips’ Conference in Udaipur,
Rajasthan and had considered rolling
out of e-Sansad and e-Vidhan in
Parliament and State Legislatures.
Look Further
Whip
• A whip is a member of a political
party's parliamentary body
responsible for discipline within the
party.
• Their main job is ensuring that their
members in Parliament and
legislature vote in line with the party's
official policy on important issues.
Topic- GS-2- Important aspects of
governance, transparency and
accountability, e-governance- applications,
models, successes, limitations, and potential
etc.
Source- AIR
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SpaceX successfully launches secretive
Zuma Mission for US Government
• Space X successfully launched
secretive Zuma mission — for US
Government took off from Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida
on a Falcon 9 rocket.
Look Further
Space X
• Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
(SpaceX), is a private American
aerospace manufacturer and space
transport services company
headquartered in Hawthorne,
California.
• It was founded in 2002 by
entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal
of reducing space transportation costs
and enabling the colonization of Mars.
• SpaceX has since developed the
Falcon launch vehicle family and
the Dragon spacecraft family,
which both currently deliver payloads
into Earth orbit.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- Indian Express
10% gender gap in Jan Dhan accounts
• A World Bank paper has noted a 10%
gender gap in opening accounts under
the country’s flagship financial
inclusion programme — Jan Dhan
Yojana — with 73 % men applying for
accounts against 63 % women.
• Madhya Pradesh recorded the largest
gender gap of 21%.
• The share of wage earners (72%) was
higher than the share of adults who
are out of the workforce and applied
for an account (64%).
PMJDY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan
Yojana)
• Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana
(P.M.J.D.Y) is India's National Mission
for Financial Inclusion to ensure
access to financial services, namely
Banking Savings & Deposit Accounts,
Remittance, Credit, Insurance,
Pension in an affordable manner.
• It was announced by the Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 15th
August 2014 and Mega launch was
done by him on 28th August 2014
across the country.
Topic- GS-2- Issues relating to development
and management of Social Sector
Source- The Hindu
Iceland has become the first country in
the world to enforce equal pay between
men and women
• The legislation, which took effect on
January 1 2018, means larger firms
will have to prove their male staff are
not paid more than their female
employees of face fines.
• Companies with 25 members of staff
and over are obliged to obtain
government certification of their
equal-pay policies or face being
slapped with financial penalties.
Topic- GS-3- International Relations
Source- Daily Mail
The Negotiable Instruments
(Amendment) Bill, 2017
• The Negotiable Instruments
(Amendment) Bill, 2017 was
introduced in Lok Sabha.
• It seeks to amend the Negotiable
Instruments Act, 1881.
• The Act defines promissory notes, bills
of exchange, and cheques. It also
specifies penalties for bouncing of
cheques, and other violations with
respect to such negotiable instruments.
• Interim compensation: The Bill inserts
a provision allowing a court trying an
offence related to cheque bouncing, to
direct the drawer (person who writes
the cheque) to pay interim
compensation to the complainant.
• Deposit in case of appeal: The Bill
inserts a provision specifying that if a
drawer convicted in a cheque
bouncing case files an appeal, the
appellate court may direct him to
deposit a minimum of 20% of the fine
or compensation awarded by the trial
court during conviction.
• Returning the interim compensation:
In case the drawer is acquitted
(during trial or by the appellate
court), the court will direct the
complainant to return the interim
compensation (or deposit in case of an
appeal case), along with an interest.
Topic- GS-3- Indian Economy
Source- PRS India
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15
75th Golden Globe Awards Winners
• Golden Globe Awards are accolades
bestowed by the 93 members of the
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
beginning in January 1944,
recognizing excellence in film and
television, both domestic and foreign.
• The 75th Golden Globe Awards
winners are-
(a) Best motion picture, drama- Three
Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
(b) Best motion picture, musical or
comedy- Lady Bird
(c) Best motion picture, animated-
Coco
(d) Best motion picture, foreign
language- In the Fade
(e) Best director, motion picture-
‘Guillermo del Toro’ for ‘The Shape of
Water’
Topic-Important for PCS exams
Source- Wiki
09.01.2018
Union Minister of Earth Sciences
dedicates India’s first multi-petaflop
supercomputer 'Pratyush' to nation
• Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr
Harsh Vardhan dedicated India’s
fastest and first multi-petaflops
supercomputer to the nation in Pune.
• The supercomputer named as
‘Pratyush’ meaning the Sun, will be
a national facility for improving
weather and climate forecasts and
services.
Topic- GS-3-Achievements of Indians in
science & technology; indigenization of
technology and developing new technology
Source- AIR
Three-days Flamingo festival begins at
Pulicat area
• Three days Flamingo festival has
begun at area around Pulicat Lake
area (on the border of Andhra Pradesh
and Tamilnadu).
• Nearly 80 varieties like flamingos,
which arrive from as far off as Siberia
and the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat,
were present in the lake.
• It was because of the biodiversity in
the lake that the location of the
proposed Dugarajapatnam port was
shifted to Tupilipalem village so that
there would be no threat to the
habitat of the winged visitors.
Look Further
Pulicat Lake
• Pulicat Lake is the second largest
brackish water lake or lagoon in India,
after Chilika Lake.
• It straddles the border of Andhra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states with
over 96% of it in Andhra Pradesh and
4% in Tamil Nadu situated on the
Coromandal Coast in South India.
• The lake encompasses the Pulicat
Lake Bird Sanctuary.
• The barrier island of Sriharikota
separates the lake from the Bay of
Bengal and is home to the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre.
East Coast of India
• Coast along the Orissa= Utkal Coast
• Coast along the Utkal Plain to Andhra
Plain= Andhra Coast
• Coast along the south of Andhra
Plain= Tamil Nadu Coast
• Andhra coast and Tamil Nadu cost
together= Coromandal Coast
West Coast of India
• Konkan Coast= Coast along
Maharashtra and Goa
• Malabar Coast= Coast along
Karnataka and Kerala
Topic- GS-1- Indian Culture
GS-1- Indian Geography
Source- The Hindu
Mankidia denied habitat in Simlipal
• Mankidia, one of the 13 Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in
Odisha, were denied habitat rights
inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve
(STR).
• Mankidia, a marginalised group that
critically depends on making rope with
siali fibre that’s richly available in
Similipal, would now be deprived of
the non-timber forest produce.
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• Under the historic Scheduled Tribes
and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act,
2006, as the State Forest Department
has objected on grounds that tribals
could be attacked by wild animals,
especially tigers.
• Habitat rights would create barriers
for free movement of tigers and other
animals.
Look Further
PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
Groups)
• 75 tribal groups have been
categorized by Ministry of Home
Affairs as Particularly Vulnerable
Tribal Groups (PVTG)s.
• PVTGs reside in 18 States and UT of
A&N Islands.
• Mankidia is one of the tribe in PVTG.
• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs
implements the Scheme of
“Development of Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)”
exclusively for them.
• Under the scheme, Conservation-
cum-Development (CCD)/Annual
Plans are to be prepared by each
State/UT for their PVTGs based on
their need assessment, which are
then appraised and approved by the
Project Appraisal Committee of the
Ministry.
Simlipal National Park
• It is a national park and a tiger
reserve in the Mayurbhanj district in
the Indian state of Odisha.
• It is part of the Similipal-Kuldiha-
Hadgarh Elephant Reserve popularly
known as Mayurbhanj Elephant
Reserve, which includes three
protected areas — Similipal Tiger
Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary
and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Simlipal National Park derives its
name from the abundance of semul
(red silk cotton trees) that bloom
here.
Forest Rights Act
• The Scheduled Tribes and Other
Traditional Forest Dwellers
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act,
2006, is a key piece of forest
legislation passed in India on 18
December 2006.
• It has also been called the Forest
Rights Act, the Tribal Rights Act, the
Tribal Bill, and the Tribal Land Act.
• Eligible People-
(a) Those who “primarily reside in
forests” and who depend on forests
and forest land for a livelihood.
(b) Either the claimant must be a member of
the Scheduled Tribes scheduled in that area
or must have been residing in the forest for
75 years.
Rights given under Forest Rights Act
(a) Title rights
• Ownership - to land that is being
farmed by tribal or forest dwellers as
on 13 December 2005, subject to a
maximum of 4 hectares
• ownership is only for land that is
actually being cultivated by the
concerned family as on that date,
meaning that no new lands are
granted.
(b) Use rights
• To minor forest produce (also
including ownership), to grazing
areas, to pastoralist routes, etc.
(c) Relief and development rights
• To rehabilitation in case of illegal
eviction or forced displacement and to
basic amenities, subject to
restrictions for forest protection.
(d) Forest management rights
• To protect forests and wildlife
Topic- GS-1- Social Issues
Source- The Hindu
For carbon sink target, India looks at
catchment area plan
• Indian have committed to a target of
creating an additional carbon sink the
equivalent of 2.5 billion to 3 billion
tonnes carbon dioxide by 2030 under
Paris Agreement.
• India now anticipates that it might not
be able to meet that through forests
alone.
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17
• It is now looking at the soil of
catchment areas as an additional
alternative to bridge the gap.
• Catchment areas, the alternative that
is being planned, can be natural
carbon sinks that, if properly
managed, can sequester substantial
amounts of atmospheric carbon
dioxide in the form of organic carbon
in the soil.
Look Further
Carbon Sink
• A carbon sink is a system that absorbs
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Carbon Footprint
• Total emission of Greenhouse
emissions over a period of time by any
individual, group, organization etc.
Carbon Offsetting
• Reduction of emission of GHGs to
compensate for the emission of GHGs
made elsewhere or, offset emission of
GHGs.
Carbon Credit
• It is basically a carbon market.
• The countries are given permission to
emit certain tonnes of GHGs.
• They in turn distribute this quota
within their own units.
• Those unit who hasn't utilized the
emission quota can trade it with other
players, privately or in international
market.
Paris Climate Accord-
• The Paris climate accord or Paris
climate agreement, is an agreement
within the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse
gas emissions mitigation, adaptation
and finance starting in the year 2020.
• The agreement was adopted by
consensus on 12 December 2015.
• The contributions that each individual
country should make in order to
achieve the worldwide goal are
determined by all countries
individually and called "nationally
determined contributions" (NDCs).
India’s target in Nationally Determined
Contributions (INDCs)
• India had promised to reduce its
emissions intensity- greenhouse gas
emissions per unit of GDP- by 33
to 35 per cent below 2005 levels
by the year 2030.
• It had also promised to ensure that at
least 40 percent of its energy in
2030 would be generated from
non-fossil fuel sources, like solar,
wind or bio-fuels.
• In addition, it had said it would rapidly
increase its forest cover so that an
additional carbon sink equivalent
to 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon
dioxide is created by the year
2030.
Topic- GS-3- Environment
Source- Indian Express
India’s second FTII to be set up in
Arunachal
• Arunachal Pradesh would get its first
Film and Television Institute, being
set up by the Union Government.
• This would be the second such one in
the country.
• The first Film and Television Institute
of India (FTII) was set up in Pune, an
autonomous institute operating under
the Information and Broadcasting
Ministry.
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- The Hindu
11.01.2018
Ancient rock drawing could be oldest
image of a supernova
• The carving was found in the
Burzahama region in Kashmir, India,
in the 1960s and is believed to date
back to between 2100 and 4100 BC.
• The drawing shows a stick figure
underneath two light-emitting objects
that have previously been interpreted
as either the sun and the moon or two
stars in close proximity.
• But a new paper published in the
Indian Journal of the History of
Science makes a case that the carving
depicts the moon next to a supernova.
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18
• They found one, Supernova HB9,
which would have been visible on
Earth in 3600 BC with a brightness
comparable to that of the moon.
Look Further
Supernova
• A supernova is the explosion of a star.
• It is the largest explosion that takes
place in space.
• Supernovas are often seen in other
galaxies.
• But supernovas are difficult to see in
our own Milky Way galaxy because
dust blocks our view.
• A supernova happens where there is a
change in the core, or centre, of a
star.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- CNET + NASA
H-1B visa extensions to continue: U.S.
• USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services) clarified that it
is not considering a regulatory change
that would force H-1B visa holders to
leave the United States by changing
our interpretation of section 104(c) of
AC-21, which provides for H-1B
extensions beyond the 6-year limit.”
• AC-21 or the American
Competitiveness in the Twenty First
Century Act is the law passed by the
U.S Congress in 2000, which also
governs the extension of H-1B visas.
• The USCIS is reviewing the H-1B visa
programme, and will come up with
changes later this year.
• The work permit for spouses of H-1B
visa holders and the lottery system
that selects beneficiaries of the
programme every year are governed
by executive decisions.
Look Further
H-1B visa
• The H-1B is a visa in the United States
under the Immigration and
Nationality Act, section 101(a) (15)
(H) which allows U.S. employers to
employ foreign workers in specialty
occupations.
• The duration of stay is three years,
extendable to six years.
Topic- GS-2- Effect of policies and politics of
developed and developing countries on
India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
Source- The Hindu
FDI policy further liberalized in key
sectors
Key Points
• 100% FDI under automatic route for
Single Brand Retail Trading
• 100% FDI under automatic route in
Construction Development
• Foreign airlines allowed to invest up to
49% under approval route in Air India
• FIIs/FPIs allowed to invest in Power
Exchanges through primary market
• Definition of ‘medical devices’
amended in the FDI Policy- amended
in Drugs and Cosmetics Act
Look Further
Primary (New Issue Market)
• In this, securities issued by issuer and
purchased by Public. Purchase of new
or fresh securities are carried in this.
• In primary market if any company
issues share for the first time, it is
called as Initial Public
offering(IPO).
• If any company that has already
issued shares, they again issues
shares to raise additional fund it is
known as Follow on Public Offering
(FPO).
Secondary (Old Issue Market)
• Buying and selling of securities which
are already issued in New issue
(Primary) market.
• There are two platforms for the
trading in this market which are- (1)
Stock Exchanges (Only listed
securities), (2) Over the Counter
Exchanges (Securities which are not
listed in any stock exchange)
FPI (Foreign Portfolio Investment)
Foreign portfolio investment (FPI)-
• Foreign portfolio investment (FPI)
consists of securities and other
financial assets passively held by
foreign investors.
www.gradeup.com
19
• It does not provide the investor
with direct ownership of financial
assets and is relatively liquid
depending on the volatility of the
market.
• Foreign Investors portfolio are
managed by financial professionals.
• FPI is part of a country’s capital
account and shown on its balance of
payments (BOP).
FDI (Foreign Direct Investment)
• A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an
investment in the form of a
controlling ownership in a
business in one country by an
entity based in another country.
• There are two routes by which India
gets FDI.
(1) Automatic route- By this route
FDI is allowed without prior approval
by Government or Reserve Bank of
India.
(2) Government route- Prior
approval by government is needed via
this route. Foreign Investment
Promotion Board (FIPB) which was the
responsible agency to oversee this
route was abolished on May 24, 2017.
Topic- GS-3- Indian Economy and issues
relating to planning, mobilization of
resources, growth, development and
employment.
Source- PIB + Wiki
India misses Kala Azar elimination
deadline
• India has missed the 2017 deadline
that Finance Minister had announced
for elimination of Kala Azar (black
fever) in his Budget speech last year.
• Elimination is defined as reducing the
annual incidence of Kala Azar (KA) to
less than 1 case per 10,000 people at
the sub-district level.
• A little-known skin condition called
Post Kala Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis
(PKDL) — a red flag for transmission
of KA — has been growing steadily
over the past few years.
• Endemic to the Indian subcontinent in
119 districts in four countries
(Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and
Nepal), India itself accounts for half
the global burden of the disease.
Look Further
Kala Azar
• KA is a slow progressing indigenous
disease caused by a single-celled
parasite of the Leishmania family.
Topic- GS-2- Issues relating to development
and management of Social Sector/Services
relating to Health, Education, Human
Resources.
Source- Indian Express + The Hindu
'Rocket Man' K. Sivan appointed as ISRO
chief
• The government appointed eminent
scientist K Sivan as new Chairman of
Indian Space Research Organisation.
• He will replace present chairman A. S.
Kiran Kumar.
• He will serve as chairman for three
years.
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- DD News
World Economic Forum hails India ahead
of Davos Summit
• World Economic Forum hails PM
Modi's economic policies; says India
will play a key role in determining
world's destiny.
• The World Bank in its latest Global
Economic Prospects report has said
that –
(a) Indian economy will grow at 7.3%
in 2018
(b) It will further grow at 7.5% for the
next 2 years
• World bank emphasized Indis
landmark reforms undertaken in
recent years such as GST
implementation, increased digital
commerce after demonetisation,
increased investment, labour reforms
and higher govt spending on
education and health.
Look Further
World Economic Forum (WEF)-
• The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a
Swiss non-profit foundation, based in
Geneva, Switzerland.
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20
• The Forum is best known for its
annual meeting at the end of January
in Davos.
• Important report published by WEF-
(a) Global Competitive Index
(b) Global Gender Gap Report
(c) Global Travel and Tourism Report
(d) Global Risk Report
(e) Global Information Technology
Report
• WEF Summit 2017 will be held on
Davos (Switzerland) on 17-20
January.
• The theme of the WEF Summit 2017
will be “Responsive and Responsible
Leadership”.
Topic- GS-3- Economic Development
GS-2- Important International institutions
Source- DD News + Wiki
BharatNet Phase 1 target to cover one
lakh gram panchayats achieved
• Government has achieved a
significant milestone under the
BharatNet by completing Phase-1 of
the project by connecting over one
lakh Gram Panchayats (GP) across the
country with high speed optical fibre
network.
Look Further
Bharat Net
• Bharat Net Project is the new name of
National Optical Fibre Network
(NOFN) which was launched in
October, 2011 to provide broadband
connectivity to all 2.5 Lakh Gram
Panchayats.
• NOFN was renamed as Bharatnet in
2015.
• It will be implemented in three
phases.
• First phase envisages providing one
lakh gram panchayats with
broadband connectivity by laying
underground optic fibre cable (OFC)
lines by Dec 2017 (previous march
2017).
• The second phase will provide
connectivity to all 2,50,500-gram
panchayats in the country using an
optimal mix of underground fiber,
fiber over power lines, radio and
satellite media. It is to be completed
by December 2018.
• In the third phase from 2018 to
2023, state-of-the-art, future-proof
network, including fiber between
districts and blocks, with ring topology
to provide redundancy would be
created.
Topic- GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- PIB
12.01.2018
India a top borrower from China-
sponsored AIIB in 2017
• India has emerged as a top borrower
from the China-sponsored Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank
(AIIB) with USD 1.5 billion worth of
loans last year and USD three billion
more in the pipeline.
• Next to India, Indonesia has emerged
as the second largest borrower with
about USD 600 million loans.
• China is the largest shareholder with
26.06 per cent voting shares in the
bank.
• India is the second largest
shareholder with 7.5 per cent followed
by Russia 5.93 per cent and Germany
with 4.5 per cent.
Look Further
AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank)-
• The Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral
development bank that aims to
support the building of infrastructure
in the Asia-Pacific region.
• The bank currently has 56 members
states.
• It is headquartered in Beijing, China.
• Current President of AIIB is Jin Liqun.
Topic-GS-2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora- their
structure, mandate.
Source- Economics Times
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21
ISRO successfully launches PSLV,
carrying Cartosat-2F, 30 other satellites
• The ISRO successfully launched the
PSLV-C40, carrying weather
observation satellite Cartosat-2F and
30 other satellites, from the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota,
Andhra Pradesh.
• Out of the 31 Satellites, 28 belonging
to 6 other countries which are
Canada, Finland, France, Korea, UK
and US.
• The weather observation Cartosat-2
series satellite will provide high-
resolution scene specific spot
imageries.
• The images will be used for
cartographic applications, urban and
rural applications, coastal land use
and regulation, road network
monitoring, water distribution,
creation of land use maps among
other things.
Look Further
Cartosat
• The Cartosat series of satellites are a
type of earth observation satellites
indigenously built by India.
• Up till now 8 Cartosat satellites have
been launched by ISRO.
• The Cartosat series is a part of the
Indian Remote Sensing Programme.
Till now Cartosat series Launched by
ISRO-
Cartosat satellite series Launch Vehicle
Cartosat-1 PSLV-C6
Cartosat-2 PSLV-C7
Cartosat-2A PSLV-C9
Cartosat-2B PSLV-C15
Cartosat-2C PSLV C-34
Cartosat-2D PSLV-C37
Cartosat-2E PSLV-C38
Cartosat- 2F PSLV-C40
Topic-
Source- Indian Express + Wiki
The report ‘Rajyapal –Vikas Ke Rajdoot:
Catalytic Role of Governors as Agents for
Change in Society’
• The Committee of Governors
submitted a report on best practices
to President Ram Nath Kovind.
• The report focuses on key work areas
of development and the role that
governors can play in taking this
forward.
• The report, titled ‘Rajyapal –Vikas Ke
Rajdoot: Catalytic Role of Governors
as Agents for Change in Society’, was
overseen by the committee that was
constituted in October 2017 during
the 48th conference of governors.
• This Committee was constituted to
examine the role of Governors in
taking forward the developmental
process.
• The report deals with best practices
that offices of governors have been
adopting, issues and an action-
outcome framework to deal with
them.
• All five member of the committee is
E.S.L.Narasimhan (Andhra Pradesh
and Telangana), Banwarilal Purohit
(Tamil Nadu), Ram Naik (Uttar
Pradesh), Tathagata Roy (Tripura)
and Acharya Devvrat (Himachal
Pradesh).
Topic- GS-2- Structure, organization and
functioning of the Executive
Source- Livemint
US reaffirms support to India’s NSG bid
• US Ambassador to India Kenneth
Juster said that Washington was
working closely with partners to
secure New Delhi’s membership in the
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
• India is expected to soon become the
member of Australia group after it
joined the Wassenaar Arrangement, a
global grouping that regulates
transfer and access to conventional
weapons and dual-use technologies.
• India has applied for the membership
to the 48-member group which
controls international nuclear trade.
• However, China has been opposing
India’s bid on the grounds that New
Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
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22
• China’s opposition has made India’s
entry into the group difficult as it is
guided by the consensus principle.
Look Further
NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty)
• The NPT is an international treaty
whose objective is to prevent the
spread of nuclear weapons and
weapons technology, to foster the
peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and
to further the goal of disarmament.
• Opened for signature in 1968, the
treaty entered into force in 1970.
• Four UN member states have never
accepted the NPT, these are India,
Israel, Pakistan and South Sudan.
• Currently there are 190 members
after North Korea acceded in 1985.
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
• It is a group of 48 nuclear supplier
countries that seek to prevent nuclear
proliferation by controlling the export
of materials, equipment and
technology that can be used to
manufacture nuclear weapons.
• The NSG was founded in response to
the Indian nuclear test in May 1974
and first met in November 1975.
Australia Group
• The Group is an informal group of
countries established in 1985 (after
the use of chemical weapons by Iraq
in 1984) to help member countries to
identify those exports which need to
be controlled so as not to contribute
to the spread of chemical and
biological weapons.
• With the incorporation of Mexico on
August 12, 2013, it now has 42
members, including Australia, the
European Commission, all 28-
member states of the European
Union, Ukraine, and Argentina.
• Australia manages the secretariat.
Topic- GS-2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora- their
structure, mandate.
Source- Indian Express
National Youth Day: Remembering
Swami Vivekananda on his birth
anniversary
• The National Youth Festival is
celebrated on 12 January on the
occasion of birth anniversary of
Swami Vivekananda.
Swami Vivekananda
• Vivekananda was born as Narendra on
12 January in 1863 in Calcutta.
• He was a chief disciple of the 19th-
century Indian mystic Ramakrishna.
• He was a key figure in the introduction
of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta
and Yoga to the Western world.
• Vivekananda founded the
Ramakrishna Math and the
Ramakrishna Mission.
• He is perhaps best known for his
speech which began, "Sisters and
brothers of America ..," in which he
introduced Hinduism at the
Parliament of the World's Religions in
Chicago in 1893.
Ramakrishna Mission
• It is an Indian socio-religious
organisation which forms the core of
a worldwide spiritual movement
known as the Ramakrishna Movement
or the Vedanta Movement.
• It was founded by Ramakrishna's
chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on
1 May 1897.
• The mission is headquartered near
Kolkata at Belur Math in Howrah, West
Bengal.
• It aims at the harmony of religions
and promoting peace and equality for
all humanity.
Ramakrishna Math
• Ramakrishna Math is a religious
monastic order, considered part of the
Hindu reform movements.
• It was set up by Swami Vivekananda
based.
• The headquarters of Ramakrishna
Math and its twin organisation,
Ramakrishna Mission is at Belur Math
(in West Bengal, India).
Topic- GS-1- Indian History
Source- DD News + Wiki
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23
Ministry of Railway launches SFOORTI
Application
• Ministry of Railways have launched
Smart Freight Operation Optimisation
& Real Time Information (SFOORTI)
App for Freight Managers which
provides features for monitoring and
managing freight business using
Geographic Information System (GIS)
Views and Dashboard.
Topic- GS-2- Important aspects of
governance, transparency and
accountability, e-governance- applications,
models, successes etc.
Source- PIB
World's largest solar thermal plant to be
built in South Australia
• The world's largest solar-thermal
power plant has been given
development approval by the South
Australian government.
• The capacity of the plant will be 150-
megawatt.
• The construction of power plant will
begin in 2018 at an estimated cost of
$509 million.
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- Economic Times
All you need to know about
Cryptocurrency
• A cryptocurrency is a digital asset
designed to work as a medium of
exchange using cryptography to
secure the transactions and to control
the creation of additional units of the
currency.
• Cryptocurrencies are classified as a
subset of digital currencies and are
also classified as a subset of
alternative currencies and virtual
currencies.
Bitcoin (BTC)
• Bitcoin became the first decentralized
cryptocurrency in 2009.
• It uses cryptography to ensure the
security of transactions —
authentication and prevention of
duplicate transactions — and to
control the creation of new units of
currency.
• These transactions are verified by
network nodes and recorded in a
public distributed ledger called a
blockchain.
• Bitcoin was invented by Satoshi
Nakamoto.
• It is the first largest cryptocurrency in
terms of market cap.
Litecoin (LTC)
• Founded in 2011 by ex-Google
employee Charlie Lee.
• Litecoin is often referred to as the
silver to Bitcoin’s gold.
• This is one of the go-to currencies
used today for transactions, thanks to
its faster block time of around 2.5
minutes, compared to Bitcoin’s 10
minutes, enabling much faster
exchanges between users.
Ether (ETH)
• Ether is second-largest
cryptocurrency in terms of market
cap.
• It is the cryptocurrency used in the
Ethereum network, which is
essentially a decentralised computing
platform, upon which ‘smart
contracts’ can be built and executed.
Topic- GS-3- Economic Development
Source- The Hindu + Wiki
13.01.2018
What Aadhaar’s new 16-digit Virtual
Identity means, how it seeks to add
security
• The Unique Identification Authority of
India (UIDAI), which is facing criticism
in the light of alleged data breaches,
announced a new method of
identification called Virtual Identity
(VID) in short.
• It also introduced what it described as
a system of “Limited KYC” (Know Your
Customer) to reduce the storage of
Aadhaar numbers with the
Authentication User Agencies (AUAs),
while still letting them do paperless
authentications.
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24
• The new VID system will hide the
Aadhaar number from the
authenticating agency, while still
confirming the identity of the user.
What is VID? How will it be different
from the Aadhaar number itself?
• UIDAI has said VID will be a 16-digit
number, which will be temporary in
nature.
• So, unlike the 12-digit Aadhaar
number that is permanent, the VID
will have a certain period of validity,
at the end of which it will expire, and
the user will have to generate a new
one.
• The UIDAI has said that VID will help
confirm your identity to the AUA (for
example, a bank), it will not
necessarily share your Aadhaar
number and other data with the AUA.
How will the public generate the VID?
• The users will be able to generate the
VID from the Aadhaar resident portal,
Aadhaar Enrolment Centres, and the
mAadhaar app on Android.
• The circular says that once the new
system comes into effect, all agencies
will have to provide this as an option,
instead of just relying on the Aadhaar
number.
Limited KYC
• New VID method is complicated and
confusing.
• UIDAI has also introduced a Limited
KYC, which is supposed to allow
“paperless” authentication, while
ensuring at the same time that the
Aadhaar database is not accessed.
• For this AUAs will be divided into two
separate categories: “Global AUAs”
and “Local AUAs”.
• The Global AUAs will have complete
access to the full eKYC (Aadhaar
number), and will also be able to store
Aadhaar numbers in their systems.
• Local AUAs, on the other hand, will
have “Limited KYC”, and will only get
a UID token which they can use to
identify customers.
• This UID will be unique for each
Aadhaar number — a 72-character
alphanumeric string.
• Each Aadhaar will have a unique UID
for each particular AUA entity.
• Till now UIDAI no decided the names
in Global and local AUAs lists.
What happens to an Aadhaar that has
already been shared with several
agencies?
• Local AUAs will have to change their
systems to “replace Aadhaar number
within the databases with this UID
token”.
Topic- GS-2- Indian Polity
Source- Indian Express
Dispute over waters of the Mahadayi
Mahadayi River (Called Mandovi in Goa)
• The river rises in the Bhimgad Wildlife
Sanctuary in the Western Ghats, in
Khanapur taluk of Karnataka’s
Belagavi district, and flows in a
general westerly direction, entering
Goa in the Sattari taluk of North Goa
district.
• It is joined by a number of streams
along the way, growing in volume to
become the Mandovi, one of Goa’s
two major rivers, before emptying
itself into the Arabian Sea at Panaji.
• About two-thirds (76 km) of the
Mahadayi’s (also called Mandovi in
Goa) 111-km length is in Goa.
• The sweet-water Mandovi is crucial to
the state’s water security, ecology,
and as an important source of its
staple diet of fish.
The Dispute
• The dispute started in the 80s- and
tensions between Goa and Karnataka
escalated through the early 90s, as
Karnataka designed a chain of dams
and canals to channel the Mahadayi’s
water to the basin of the Malaprabha,
tributary of the Krishna.
• In 2002, Goa sought the setting up of
a Tribunal to adjudicate the dispute.
• In 2006, it moved the Supreme Court
to press its demand.
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• After attempts at negotiation failed,
the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal
was set up on November 16, 2010.
The Ecology
• The non-saline, tidally insulated basin
is home to the extremely fragile,
ancient tropical freshwater Myristica
swamps, considered to be the most
primitive flowering plants on Earth.
• Draining the swamps could lead to
floods and erosion, with catastrophic
consequences for the ecology of the
Western Ghats, say ecologists.
• Dudhsagar waterfall which is in Goa
may disappear.
• On the health of the Mahadayi also
depends that of at least three
protected habitats — the Bhimgad
Wildlife Sanctuary, Mahadayi Wildlife
Sanctuary, and the Salim Ali Bird
Sanctuary.
Look Further
Inter-state Water Dispute Act, 1956-
• Under the Inter State Water Dispute
Act, 1956, which provides legal
framework to address such issues, a
tribunal can be formed after a state
government approaches the Union
government with such a request and
the Centre is convinced of the need to
form the tribunal.
• Only three out of the eight existing
tribunals have given awards accepted
by the states concerned.
• Tribunals like those on the Cauvery
and Ravi-Beas rivers have been in
existence for over 25 years without
any award.
• There is no time-limit for adjudication
by a tribunal.
Topic- GS-2- Indian Polity
Source- Indian Express
EC panel to suggest changes to
Representation of the People Act
• Election Commission has constituted a
14-member committee to suggest
changes to Section 126 of the
Representation of the People Act in
view of social media expansion.
• The Act prohibits poll campaign in the
last 48 hours of voting.
• The Committee chaired by Senior
Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh
Sinha will study the impact of social
media during the silence period and
suggest modifications to the election
law and model code of conduct.
Look Further
Representation of People Act (RPA),
1950
• Representation of People Act (RPA),
1950 is an act of parliament enacted
to provide following provisions-
(a) Qualification of voters
(b) Preparation of electoral rolls
(c) Delimitation of constituencies
(d) Allocation of seats in the
Parliament and state legislatures.
Representation of People Act (RPA),
1951
• The Representation of People Act,
1951 is an act of Parliament of India
to provide
(a) Conduct of elections of the Houses of
Parliament
(b) Conduct of elections of Houses of the
Legislature of each State
(c) The qualifications and disqualifications for
membership
The Act was enacted by the provisional
parliament under Article 327 of Indian
Constitution, before the first general election.
(d) By Elections
(e) Election Disputes
Amendments in RPA, 1952
• The Representation of the People
(Amendment) Act, 1966, which
abolished the election tribunals and
transferred the election petitions to
the high court’s whose orders can be
appealed to Supreme Court.
• However, election disputes regarding
the election of President and Vice-
President are directly heard by the
Supreme Court.
Topic- GS-2- Salient features of the
Representation of People’s Act.
Source- AIR + Wiki
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Supreme Court to review Section 377:
Here’s what you need to know
• Section 377 criminalises sexual acts
“against the order of nature” and has
undergone many twists and turns
ever since the Delhi High Court
decriminalised it in 2009.
• Later, in 2013, the Supreme Court
overturned the decision.
• But, with the apex court deciding to
revisit its decision recently, there is a
renewed hope among the members of
the LGBT community.
What is Section 377?
• Section 377 of IPC – which came into
force in 1862 – defines unnatural
offences.
• It says, “Whoever voluntarily has
carnal intercourse against the order of
nature with any man, woman or
animal, shall be punished with
imprisonment for life, or with
imprisonment of either description for
a term which may extend to 10 years,
and shall also be liable to fine.”
What was the High Court ruling on
Section 377 in 2009?
• Following a PIL by Delhi-based Naz
Foundation, an NGO fighting for gay
rights, the Delhi HC on July 3, 2009,
struck down Section 377 of the IPC,
holding that it violated the
fundamental rights of life and liberty
and the right to equality as
guaranteed in the Constitution.
• The court said Section 377 violates
the Articles 21 (Right to Protection of
Life and Personal Liberty), Article 14
(Right to equality before law) and
Article 15 (Prohibition of
discrimination on grounds of religion,
race, caste, sex or place of birth) of
the Constitution.
Supreme Court reverse the High Court
verdict
• The Supreme Court reversed the HC
verdict in December 2013 and upheld
the constitutional validity of Section
377 of IPC.
What was the Supreme Court verdict on
transgenders?
• In the April 2014 verdict, hailed by
gender rights activists, the apex court
directed the government to declare
transgenders a ‘third gender’ along
with male and female.
• It also asked the Centre to include
them in the OBC quota.
• SC said transgenders should have all
rights under the law, including
marriage, adoption, divorce,
succession, and inheritance.
What happens now?
• Recently Supreme Court decided to
re-examine the constitutional validity
of Section 377 and said the matter
would be referred to a larger bench.
Topic- GS-2- Indian Polity
Source- Indian Express
15.01.2018
Ministry refuses captive breeding of
Chiru antelope
• The Ministry of Environment and
Forests has refused to Parliament
Panel to allow captive breeding of the
Tibetan antelope, whose underfur is
used for making the famous
shahtoosh shawls.
• The shawls’ sale and possession are
banned in India and in many
countries.
• China and Mongolia are breeding
Chiru goats (Tibetan antelope) for its
wool, which is very expensive.
• The Parliament panel was of the view
that the ministry should conserve and
breed the Chiru goat, which can then
be given to shawl makers for
collecting hair.
• This would increase the number of
these goats but would also add to the
sustainable livelihood opportunities of
the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Chiru is assessed as ‘Near
Threatened’ by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature
2017.
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27
Look Further
Captive Breeding
• Captive breeding is the process of
breeding animals in controlled
environments within well-defined
settings, such as wildlife reserves,
zoos and other commercial and non-
commercial conservation facilities.
• Sometimes the process includes the
release of individual organisms to the
wild, when there is sufficient natural
habitat to support new individuals.
IUCN (International Union for
Conservation of Nature)-
• The International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an
international organization working in
the field of nature conservation and
sustainable use of natural resources.
• The organization is best known to the
wider public for compiling and
publishing the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.
• IUCN has an observer and
consultative status at the United
Nations.
• Its headquarter is located in Gland,
Switzerland.
• Different Categories in Red List are-
(a) EXTINCT — the last individual in the
species has died.
(b) EXTINCT IN THE WILD — it now lives only
in captivity and not in its natural habitat.
(c) CRITICALLY ENDANGERED — facing an
extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
(d) ENDANGERED — facing a very high risk
of extinction in the wild.
(e) VULNERABLE — facing a high risk of
extinction in the wild.
(f) NEAR THREATENED — likely to qualify for
a threatened category in the near future.
(g) LEAST CONCERN — it is widespread and
abundant in the wild.
(h) DATA DEFICIENT — inadequate
information.
(i) NOT EVALUATED — not yet been
evaluated against the criteria.
CITES
• CITES (the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also
known as the Washington
Convention) is a multilateral treaty
to protect endangered plants and
animals.
• It was drafted as a result of a
resolution adopted in 1963 at a
meeting of members of the
International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN).
• The convention was opened for
signature in 1973 and CITES entered
into force on 1 July 1975.
• Each protected species or population
is included in one of three lists,
called Appendices.
• Currently, 183 countries are the
signatory to the CITES.
Topic- GS-3-Biodiversity
Source- New Indian Express + Wiki
Historians oppose Monuments Bill
• Historians and archaeologists have
expressed concern over amendments
proposed to the Ancient Monuments
and Archaeological Sites and Remains
Act (1958).
• The Act, which originally instituted
conservation measures and banned
construction activities near protected
monuments, is now sought to be
amended so that public works could
be allowed within the 100-m
prohibited zone.
• The Lok Sabha passed the
amendments to the Act, but the Bill is
yet to be cleared by the Rajya Sabha.
• Historians have concerned that due to
the pressures of urban development
more and more historical monuments
are coming under threat due to
development activities around them.
Topic- GS-2- Parliament and State
Legislatures
Source- The Hindu
India ranks 30th on WEF global
manufacturing index
• The World Economic Forum (WEF)
released its Global Manufacturing
Index putting India on the 30th
position.
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28
• Japan topped the rankings on the
back of developing the best structure
of production followed by South
Korea, Germany, Switzerland, China,
Czech Republic, the US, Sweden,
Austria and Ireland in the top 10.
• The report has categorised 100
countries into four major groups for
its ranking which include, Leading,
High Potential, Legacy (strong current
base, at risk for future) etc.
World Economic Forum (WEF)-
• The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a
Swiss non-profit foundation, based in
Geneva, Switzerland.
• The Forum is best known for its
annual meeting at the end of January
in Davos.
• Important report published by WEF-
(a) Global Competitive Index
(b) Global Gender Gap Report
(c) Global Travel and Tourism Report
(d) Global Risk Report
(e) Global Information Technology Report
(f) Global Manufacturing Index
Topic- GS-3- Economic Development
GS-2- Important International institutions
Source- Indian Express
Farthest known galaxy in the universe
discovered: Nasa
• Nasa scientists have spotted the
farthest known galaxy in the universe,
a primitive cluster of stars just 500
million years old.
• An intensive survey deep into the
universe by Nasa’s Hubble and Spitzer
space telescopes has yielded the
image of the galaxy named
SPT0615-JD, stretched and
amplified by a phenomenon called
gravitational lensing.
• SPT0615-JD was identified in Hubble’s
Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey
(RELICS) and companion S-RELICS
Spitzer programme.
• RELICS was designed to discover
distant galaxies like these that are
magnified brightly enough for detailed
study.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- Livemint
Saksham (Sanrakshan Kshamta
Mahotsav)-2018
• Saksham is an annual flagship event
for creating focused attention on fuel
conservation through people centric
activities and to sensitize the masses
about the conservation and efficient
use of petroleum products leading to
better health and environment.
• The event is organizing by Petroleum
Conservation Research Association
(PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of
Petroleum & Natural Gas, Govt. of
India.
Topic- GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation
Source- PIB
NASA's cargo spacecraft back down to
earth with heavy payload
• SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft
splashed down in the Pacific Ocean
after nearly four weeks in space.
• Dragon splashed down completing the
second resupply mission to and from
the International Space Station (ISS)
with a commercial spacecraft.
• The spacecraft lifted off from U.S.
state of Florida on Dec. 15 carrying
about 4,800 pounds of supplies and
scientific cargo on the company’s 13th
commercial resupply mission to the
station.
Look Further
International Space Station (ISS)
• It is a space station, or a habitable
artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit.
• The ISS is the largest human-made
body in low Earth orbit and can often be
seen with the naked eye from Earth.
• The ISS serves as a microgravity and
space environment research
laboratory in which crew members
conduct experiments in biology,
human biology, physics, astronomy,
meteorology, and other fields.
• The ISS programme is a joint project
among five participating space
agencies: NASA (US), Roscosmos
(Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA
(European Union), and CSA (Canada).
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Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- DD News + Wikipedia
Mayon volcano or Mount Mayon
• The Philippines raised the alert at its
restive Mayon volcano, citing signs of
rising magma that could lead to
hazardous eruptions.
• Mayon's most destructive eruption
was in February 1841, when lava
flows buried a town and killed 1,200
people.
• It last erupted in 2014, spewing lava
and forcing thousands of people to
evacuate.
• It is located on the large island of
Luzon in the Philippines.
Topic- GS-1- World Geography
Source- AIR
Haryana logs best child sex ratio in 16
years
• For the first time in past 16 years,
Haryana has logged the highest ever
child sex ratio of 914 girls against
1,000 boys in 2017.
• The sex ratio at birth (SRB) was 900
in 2016 and 876 in 2015.
• In the 2011 Census, the child sex ratio
in the age group of 0-6 years was the
lowest in the country, at 834 girls
against 1,000 boys.
Look Further
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)-
• Launched by the PM on January 22,
2015, at Panipat, Haryana.
• Objective- Improve Child Sex Ratio,
Protection and education of girl child.
• Three ministries are involved which
are -Ministries of Women and Child
Development, Health & Family
Welfare and Human Resource
Development.
• Enforcement of Pre-Conception and
Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques
(PCP&DT) Act, 1994.
Topic-
Source- Indian Express
16.01.2018
Government plans to auction 'enemy'
properties worth Rs 1 lakh crore
• Over 9,400 'enemy' properties, worth
more than Rs 1 lakh crore, are set to
be auctioned with the home ministry
starting the process of identifying all
such estates.
• The properties were left behind by
people who took citizenship of
Pakistan and China.
• The move came after the amendment
of the 49-year-old Enemy Property
(Amendment and Validation) Act.
• The act ensured that the heirs of
those who migrated to Pakistan and
China during Partition and afterwards
will have no claim over the properties
left behind in India.
• Among the 9,280 properties left
behind by Pakistani nationals, the
highest 4,991 properties are located
in Uttar Pradesh followed by West
Bengal which has 2,735 such estates.
• Among the 126 properties left behind
by Chinese nationals, the highest 57
are located in Meghalaya followed by
West Bengal with 29.
Look Further
• After the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965,
the Enemy Property Act was enacted
in 1968, which regulates such
properties and lists the custodian's
powers.
• The government has vested these
properties in the Custodian of Enemy
Property for India, an office instituted
under the central government.
• The government amended the Act in
the wake of a claim laid by the heirs
of Raja of Mahmudabad, on his
properties spread across Uttar
Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Topic- GS 2- Indian Polity
Source- Times of India
Delhi’s Teen Murti Chowk renamed after
Israeli city Haifa
• The iconic Teen Murti Chowk has been
renamed after the Israeli City Haifa.
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• The announcement comes after the
scheduled visit of Israel Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu to India.
• The Teen Murti Chowk renamed as
Teen Murti Haifa Chowk, in the
centenary year of the Battle for
Haifa as a symbol of friendship
between the people of India and
Israel.
• The Israeli city was liberated from
Ottoman occupation by Indian
soldiers during World War I.
Topic- GS 2- International relations
Source- Indian Express
BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement Regains
Momentum
• Bangladesh, India and Nepal have
agreed on the text of the operating
procedures for passenger vehicle
movement in the sub-region under
the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal
(BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement
(MVA) signed in June 2015.
• A Bhutanese official delegation also
attended the meeting as observers.
BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement
• Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal
(BBIN) signed a framework Motor
Vehicle Agreement (MVA) in June
2015 to enable movement of
passenger and cargo vehicles across
borders among the four countries.
• Bhutan, being one of the signatories
to the BBIN MVA, has not yet ratified
the Agreement for its entry into force.
• Pending ratification, however, Bhutan
has given its consent for the BBIN
MVA to enter into force amongst the
other 3 countries i.e. Bangladesh,
India and Nepal, who have already
ratified it.
• The agreement will permit the
member states to ply their vehicles in
each other's territory for
transportation of cargo and
passengers, including third country
transport and personal vehicles.
SASEC
• The South Asia Sub Regional
Economic Cooperation (SASEC)
Program, set up in 2001.
• It brings together Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar,
Nepal and Sri Lanka in a project-
based partnership to promote regional
prosperity by improving cross-border
connectivity, boosting trade among
member countries, and strengthening
regional economic cooperation.
• The Manila, Philippines-based Asian
Development Bank (ADB) serves as
the Secretariat for the SASEC member
countries.
Topic- GS-2- Bilateral, regional and global
groupings and agreements involving India
and/or affecting India’s interests
Source- PIB + Wiki
CIPAM-DIPP launches IP (Intellectual
Property) competition for college &
university students
• The Cell for IPR Promotion and
Management (CIPAM), Department of
Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP), in collaboration with
ASSOCHAM and ERICSSON India, has
launched Intellectual Property (IP)
Competition ‘IPrism’ for college and
university students.
• This competition invites students to
submit films on piracy &
counterfeiting under two categories of
30 and 60 seconds.
• Another category in the competition is
for a mobile gaming app on IP.
• National IPR Policy was adopted on
12th May, 2016 to create a vibrant IP
ecosystem in the country.
Look Further
Intellectual property
• Intellectual property (IP) refers to
creations of the intellect for which a
monopoly is assigned to designated
owners by law.
Intellectual property rights
• Intellectual property rights (IPRs) are
the rights granted to the creators of
IP, and include trademarks, copyright,
patents, industrial design rights, and
in some jurisdictions trade secrets.
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31
DIPP (Department of Industrial Policy &
Promotion)
• The Department of Industrial Policy &
Promotion was established in 1995
and has been reconstituted in the year
2000 with the merger of the
Department of Industrial
Development.
• Role and Functions-
(a) Formulation and implementation of
industrial policy
(b) Formulation of Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) Policy and promotion, approval and
facilitation of FDI
(c) Formulation of policies relating to
Intellectual Property Rights etc.
CIPAM (Cell for IPR Promotion and
Management)
• A professional body under the aegis of
Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion (DIPP) which ensures
focused action on issues related to
IPRs.
• CIPAM assists in simplifying and
streamlining of IP processes, apart
from undertaking steps for furthering
IPR awareness, commercialization
and enforcement.
Topic-GS-3- Intellectual property rights
Source- PIB + DIPP + CIPAM
Indo-US joint military exercise ‘Vajra
Prahar’ to be held in Seattle
• In line with the increasing military
cooperation between India and the
US, yet another edition of the joint
military exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ will be
held at Seattle, Washington in US.
• ‘Vajra Prahar’ is an Indo-US Special
Forces joint training exercise
conducted alternately in India and the
US.
• Though the exercise began in 2010,
there was a gap of three years
between 2012 and 2015. The last
edition was held in Jodhpur in March
2017.
• The aim of the exercise is to promote
military relations between the two
countries by enhancing
interoperability and mutual exchange
of tactics between Special Forces.
Topic- GS-3- Defence
Source- Indian Express
Israeli PM Netanyahu to inaugurate 3rd
edition of geo-political conference
Raisina Dialogue
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu will inaugurate the third
edition of the geo-political conference
- Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj will also be a part of the
inaugural session of the three-day
event.
Raisina Dialogue
• The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral
conference held annually in New
Delhi.
• Since its inception in 2016, the
conference has emerged as India’s
flagship conference on geopolitics and
geo-economics.
• The conference is hosted by the
Observer Research Foundation, an
independent think tank, in
collaboration with the Ministry of
External Affairs of India.
• The theme of the dialogue this year is
'Managing Disruptive Transitions:
Ideas, Institutions and Idioms.'
Topic-GS-3- Economic Development
Source- AIR + Wiki
17.01.2018
India attends its first SCO military
cooperation meeting
• India, for the first time, took part in a
meeting of the international military
cooperation departments of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO) since joining the bloc last year.
Look Further
SCO (Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation)
• The Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian
political, economic, and security
organisation.
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32
• The Shanghai Five grouping was
created 26 April 1996 with the signing
of the Treaty on Deepening Military
Trust in Border Regions in Shanghai,
China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia and Tajikistan.
• In 2001, the annual summit was held
in Shanghai. There the five-member
nations admitted Uzbekistan in the
Shanghai Five mechanism (thus
transforming it into the Shanghai Six).
• India and Pakistan have joined SCO as
full members on 9 June 2017 in
Astana, Kazakhstan.
• Currently, in SCO, there are 8-
member states and 4 observer states
(Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran,
Mongolian).
Topic- GS-2- Bilateral, regional and global
groupings and agreements involving India
and/or affecting India’s interests
Source- Times of India
How the complaint by four Supreme
Court judges goes beyond the judicial
sphere
• This complaint from four senior-most
judges different is that it doesn’t
involve a single judge.
• This is the entire Collegium, minus the
Chief Justice, airing differences.
• These judges are not a group, with
similar ideas on how the judiciary
must function.
• One is the putative successor after the
present Chief Justice demits office.
Collegium System
• The Collegium system is one where
the Chief Justice of India and a forum
of four senior-most judges of the
Supreme Court recommend
appointments and transfers of judges.
• However, it has no place in the Indian
Constitution. The system was evolved
through Supreme Court judgments in
the >Three Judges Cases (October
28, 1998).
Controversial cases in Judiciary
• The appointment of Justice AN Ray, as
Chief Justice in April, 1973,
superseding three senior judges. His
proximity to then-PM Indira Gandhi
raised serious questions over the
judiciary’s role in the Emergency.
• The famous Kesavanand Bharti
judgement in April, 1973, gave India
the ‘basic structure’ or parameters for
the legislature to amend the
Constitution. Nothing that seeks to
change the ‘basic structure’ or spirit of
the Indian Constitution would be
allowed.
• The infamous ‘ADM Jabalpur vs
Shivkant Shukla’ case (April 28,
1976), which essentially upheld the
government’s right to limit the
fundamental rights of Indians in an
Emergency, had a sole dissenter.
• Justice Soumitra Sen is the only judge
to have been impeached by the Rajya
Sabha in 2011 — he resigned before
the Lok Sabha could vote on the
matter.
• NJAC Bill was struck down by the
Supreme Court in 2015 (Justice
Chelameswar being the lone
dissenter), appointments again fall in
the judiciary’s domain.
Look Further
NJAC (National Judicial Appointments
Commission)
• NJAC is a constitutional body
proposed by the government to
replace the present Collegium system
of appointing judges.
• It will consist of six people — the Chief
Justice of India, the two most senior
judges of the Supreme Court, the Law
Minister, and two ‘eminent persons’.
• These eminent persons are to be
nominated for a three-year term by a
committee consisting of the Chief
Justice, the Prime Minister, and the
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok
Sabha, and are not eligible for re-
nomination.
Topic- GS-2- Judiciary
Source- Indian Express + The Hindu
INTACH plan to retrace heritage along
Mahanadi in Odisha
• The Indian National Trust for Art and
Cultural Heritage (INTACH) will
document tangible and intangible
heritage sites along both sides of
Mahanadi river.
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• Tangible heritage like temples,
palaces and forts have come up along
Mahanadi while intangible heritage
like folklore, songs and dances, tribal
art and craft have also thrived along
the river.
• The cultural mapping of Mahanadi will
be done under the project.
• It will serve as a road map for those
into conservation, history and
research.
Look Further
INTACH
• The Indian National Trust for Art and
Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is a non-
profit charitable organisation
registered under the Societies'
Registration Act, 1860.
• The Indian National Trust for Art and
Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was
founded in 1984 in New Delhi with the
vision to spearhead heritage
awareness and conservation in India.
• Since 1984, INTACH has pioneered
the conservation and protection of
India's natural and cultural heritage.
Topic-GS-1-Indian Culture
Source- New Indian Express
Odisha government announces Mukhya
Mantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana
• The state government announced an
assistance scheme for artists working
for popularising and spreading art and
culture of Odisha.
• The scheme named as the Mukhya
Mantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana
(MMKSJ) will provide 50,000 artists
from across the state a monthly
assistance of Rs 1,200.
• Under the new scheme, a male artist
will be eligible for the assistance after
50 years instead of the present 60
years while the age criteria for female
artist has been reduced to 40 years
from 50 years.
Topic- GS-2- Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population by the Centre and
States
Source- New Indian Express
Government to revisit Malimath report
on criminal justice system
• A 2003 report of a Committee on
reforms in the criminal justice system
that recommended admissibility of
confessions made before a police
officer as evidence in a court of law is
being revisited by the Centre.
• The Committee on Reforms of the
Criminal Justice System, or the
Justice Malimath Committee, was
constituted by the Home Ministry in
2000.
• The Malimath panel had made 158
recommendations but these were
never implemented.
• The Committee also suggested
constituting a National Judicial
Commission and amending Article 124
to make impeachment of judges less
difficult.
• The committee also said that except
constituting benches and assigning
work, Chief Justice of High Court does
not exercise any authority over his
colleagues.
• It had suggested that Section 54 of
Evidence Act be substituted by a
provision to the effect that in criminal
cases, evidence of bad character and
antecedents is relevant.
Topic-GS 2-Indian Polity
Source- The Hindu
18.01.2018
Simplified ‘Make-II’: Major Steps
Towards ‘Make in India’ in Defence
Production
• As a major boost to ‘Make in India’ in
Defence, the Defence Acquisition
Council, chaired by defence minister,
has cleared a simplified ‘Make-II’
procedure which will enable greater
participation of industry in acquisition
of defence equipment.
• This process will greatly help import
substitution and promote innovative
solutions.
• This simplified ‘Make-II’ procedure
will amend the existing ‘Make
Procedure’ in Defence Procurement
Procedure (DPP)-2016.
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• ‘Make-II’ procedure reduces the total
time from in-principle approval to
placing of order by 50 percent. The
estimated time to finish the whole
process has come down to 69 to 103
weeks.
• Projects involving developmental cost
of less than three crores will be
reserved for MSME.
• There is no limit to the number of
industry players who may show
interest and offer prototype.
Look Further
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)
• The DAC is Defence Ministry’s highest
decision-making body for capital
acquisition proposals forwarded by
the Indian armed forces.
• It was set up in 2001 as part of the
post-Kargil reforms in defence sector.
• It is headed by defence minister.
• It approves the long-term integrated
perspective plan for the forces,
accords acceptance of necessity
(AON) to begin acquisition proposals,
and grant’s its approval to all major
deals through all their important
phases.
Topic- GS-3- Defence
Source- PIB
Megalithic era sarcophagus (stone
coffin) unearthed at Viyur
• A rare sarcophagus (stone coffin),
said to be 2,000-year old from the
Iron Age–Megalithic era, was
discovered from a rock-cut cave at
Viyur village of Kollam, near
Koyilandy, in Kozhikode district,
Kerala.
• The coffin containing bone fragments
was found during an excavation.
• So far, such a rare finding has been
discovered only from two sites in
Kerala.
• Both these sarcophagi were recovered
from Megalithic sites at Chevayur and
Atholi, also in Kozhikode district.
• The bone fragments could be either a
man or a woman.
• The entrance of the cave was on the
eastern side.
• Different types of pottery, mostly
four-legged jars and iron implements,
were found in the cave.
Look Further
Year Event Importance
2 Million BC to 10,00 BC 2 Million BC to 50,000 BC 50,000 BC to 40,000 BC 40,000 BC to 10,000 BC
Palaeolithic Period Lower Palaeolithic Middle Palaeolithic Upper Palaeolithic
Fire was discovered Tools made of limestones were used. They are found in Chotanagpur plateau and Kurnool district
From 10,000 BC
The Mesolithic Age
Hunters and Herders Microlith tools were used
7000 BC The Neolithic age
Food producers Use of polished tools
Pre-Harappan Phase – 3000 BC
Chalcolithic Age
Use of Copper – first metal
2500 BC Harappan Phase
Bronze age civilization, development of Urban culture
Note-
Megalithic age is considered from later
Mesolithic age to pre Harrapan age.
Topic- GS-1- Indian Culture
Source- The Hindu
Haj subsidy cancelled: All you need to
know about the 85-year-old policy
• The government abolished the
subsidy being given to Haj pilgrims
every year.
• The government said it will use the
subsidy funds to empower the
minorities.
• The policy to support Muslims in
making the pilgrimage to Mecca in
Saudi Arabia, can be traced back to
1932, when the British enacted the
Port Haj Committees Act.
• In 2012, a Supreme Court order
directed the Haj subsidy to be
gradually phased out in the coming
ten years.
• In 2017, a Central Haj Committee
meeting decided to do away with the
subsidy by the following year.
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35
Look Further
What is the Haj subsidy?
• The Haj subsidy refers to discounted
airfares given by the government-
owned airlines, Air India.
• It also includes assistance to Muslim
pilgrims for domestic travel to reach
specially designed Haj departure
airport terminals, lodging, medical
care and meal.
• Since 1984, all the traffic for Haj from
India to Saudi Arabia has been shared
between Air India and Saudi, both of
which are the government funded
carriers of their respective countries.
What are the criticisms against the Haj
subsidy?
• The Haj subsidy has come under
heavy criticism, particularly because
of the monopoly formed by Air India
in carrying out the pilgrimage.
• Allegedly, the government subsidies
have resulted in major profits for Air
India, benefiting the airlines far more
than the pilgrims.
What are the other religious pilgrimages
that are offered government subsidy in
India?
• A number of other religious tours are
supported by the government.
• These subsidies provided in Kumbh
Melas in Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik and
Allahabad, Kailash Manasarovar yatra
etc.
Topic-
Source- Indian Express
10th Global Forum for Food &
Agriculture, Berlin, Germany
• Union Minister of State for Agriculture
& Farmers Welfare, is leading the
Indian delegation to 10th Global
Forum for Food & Agriculture from 18-
20 January, 2018 which includes the
10th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’
Conference.
• The theme of this year’s event is
“Shaping the future of livestock –
sustainably, responsibly, efficiently”.
• The discussions will focus on
sustainable and productive animal
production among other issues.
Look Further
Global Forum for Food and Agriculture
(GFFA)
• The Global Forum for Food and
Agriculture (GFFA) is an international
conference that focuses on central
questions concerning the future of the
global agri-food industry.
• The forum gives representatives from
the worlds of politics, business,
science and civil society an
opportunity to share ideas and
enhance understanding on a selected
topic of current agricultural policy.
• The GFFA is organised by the Federal
Ministry of Food, Agriculture and
Consumer Protection (BMEL) in
cooperation with GFFA Berlin.
• The main events are the Berlin
Agriculture Ministers’ Conference
hosted by the BMEL, and the
International Business Panel
Discussion hosted by GFFA Berlin.
Topic- GS-3-Agriculture
Source- PIB
International Solar Alliance Forum at
World Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi
• On receipt of 15 ratifications, the
International Solar Alliance (ISA)
Framework Agreement entered into
force on the 6th December, 2017
thereby making ISA a de jure treaty
based international
intergovernmental organisation.
• The ISA hosted a two-Day Event
‘International Solar Alliance Forum’
during 17-18th January, 2018 at the
Future World Energy Summit (WFES)
2018.
Look Further
International Solar Alliance (ISA)
• The ISA is an Indian initiative, jointly
launched by the Prime Minister of
India, Shri Narendra Modi and the
President of France on 30th November
2015 in Paris, on the side-lines of
COP-21, the UN Climate Conference.
• The ISA, headquartered in India, has
its Secretariat located in the
Gwalpahari, Gurgaon, Haryana.
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36
• India has offered to meet ISA
Secretariat expenses for initial five
years.
• ISA is an alliance of more than 121
countries, most of them being
sunshine countries, which come either
completely or partly between the
Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of
Capricorn.
• The alliance's primary objective is
work for efficient exploitation of solar
energy to reduce dependence on fossil
fuels.
Programmes by ISA
• Current Programme
(1) Scaling Solar Applications for Agriculture
Use
(2) Affordable Finance at Scale
(3) Scaling Solar Mini-grids
• Future Programme
(1) Scaling Solar Rooftops
(2) Scaling Solar E-mobility and Storage.
(3) Common Risk Mitigating Mechanism
(CRMM) for de-risking and reducing the
financial cost of solar projects in the ISA
member countries
(4) Digital Infopedia which will serve as a
platform to enable policy makers, Ministers
and corporate leaders from ISA countries to
interact, connect, communicate and
collaborate with one another.
Topic-GS-2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora- their
structure, mandate.
Source- PIB
Home Ministry pitches for Budapest
Convention on cyber security
• Making a strong pitch to sign the
Budapest Convention on cyber-crime,
the Ministry of Home Affairs flagged
the need for international cooperation
to check cyber-crime, radicalisation
and boost data security.
Look Further
Budapest Convention
• The Convention on Cybercrime, also
known as the Budapest Convention is
the first international treaty seeking
to address Internet and computer
crime by harmonizing national laws,
improving investigative techniques,
and increasing cooperation among
nations.
• The Convention has 56 members,
including the US and the UK.
Issue
• Intelligence Bureau (IB) is opposing
this on the grounds that sharing data
with foreign law enforcement
agencies infringes on national
sovereignty and may jeopardise the
rights of individuals.
Topic- GS-3- Cyber Security
Source- Indian Express + Wiki
India Japan Coastguards conduct joint
search and rescue exercise
• A joint Search and Rescue exercise
named SAREX-18 was conducted in
the Bay of Bengal off Chennai
between Indian and Japan Coast
Guards.
• The highlights of the exercise
encompassed the scenario of the
hijacking of a cruise vessel and
subsequent mass rescue of the
passengers in a joint Coast Guard
operation of both the countries.
Topic- GS-2- Defence
Source- AIR
19.01.2018
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva
Abhiyan (PMSMA) Crosses One Crore
Mark
• Recently Pradhan Mantri Surakshit
Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) crosses
one crore mark in antenatal check-
ups.
Look Further
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva
Abhiyan (PMSMA)
• The PMSMA programme was launched
in 2016 to fulfil his vision and ensure
comprehensive and quality antenatal
checkups to pregnant women across
India.
• The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit
Matritva Abhiyan has been launched
by the Ministry of Health & Family
Welfare (MoHFW), Government of
India.
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37
• The program aims to provide assured,
comprehensive and quality antenatal
care, free of cost, universally to all
pregnant women on the 9th of every
month.
• The main objective of the program is
to improve the quality and coverage
of Antenatal Care (ANC) including
diagnostics and counselling services
as part of the Reproductive Maternal
Neonatal Child and Adolescent Health
(RMNCH+A) Strategy.
Topic- GS-2- Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population by the Centre and
States and the performance of these
schemes
Source- PIB
Secrets of longevity protein revealed
• Scientists have unveiled the 3D
structure of a protein linked to longer
lives, paving the way for new
therapies to treat a wide range of
medical conditions, including
diabetes, obesity and certain cancers.
• Named after the Greek goddess who
spun the thread of life, Klotho
proteins play an important role in the
regulation of longevity and
metabolism.
• The three-dimensional structure of
one of these proteins, beta- Klotho,
illuminating its intricate mechanism
and therapeutic potential.
• The proteins bind to a family of
hormones, designated endocrine
FGFs, that regulate critical metabolic
processes in the liver, kidneys, and
brain, among other organs.
• First, beta-Klotho is the primary
receptor that binds to FGF21, a key
hormone produced upon starvation.
• When bound to beta-Klotho, FGF21
stimulates insulin sensitivity and
glucose metabolism, causing weight
loss.
Topic- GS-3-Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu
Self-healing fungi concrete could help
repair buildings
• Scientists have used fungi to create a
self-healing concrete that could repair
cracks in ageing buildings and save
crumbling infrastructure.
• If micro-cracks of buildings expand
and reach the steel reinforcement, not
only the concrete will be attacked, but
also the reinforcement will be
corroded, as it is exposed to water,
oxygen, possibly CO2 and chlorides,
leading to structural failure.
• This new method was originally
inspired by the miraculous ability of
the human body to heal itself of cuts,
bruises and broken bones.
• For the damaged skins and tissues,
the host will take in nutrients that can
produce new substitutes to heal the
damaged parts.
• Researchers identified a fungus called
Trichoderma reesei which lies
dormant when mixed with concrete -
until the first crack appears.
• The fungal spores, together with
nutrients, will be placed into the
concrete matrix during the mixing
process.
• When cracking occurs, water and
oxygen will find their way in. With
enough water and oxygen, the
dormant fungal spores will germinate,
grow and precipitate calcium
carbonate to heal the cracks.
• When the cracks are completely filled
and ultimately no more water or
oxygen can enter inside, the fungi will
again form spores.
Topic- GS-3-Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu
Electoral bonds will not solve
transparency issues in political funding:
CEC
• Electoral bonds will not solve all
problems pertaining to transparency
in political funding but it will be a step
in the “right direction”, Chief Election
Commissioner A K Joti said.
Issues raised by CEC
• Changes made in the election laws
after the introduction of the bonds
would compromise transparency in
political funding’s.
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• The amendment in section 29 C of the
Representation of the People Act,
1951 making it no longer necessary to
report details of donations received
through electoral bonds is a
retrograde step as transparency of
political funding would be
compromised as a result of the
change.
Look Further
Electoral Bond
• These bonds will have a shelf-life of
15 days.
• It can be purchased only from
specified branches of State Bank of
India.
• Electoral bonds can be bought for any
value, in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs
10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh or Rs 1
crore.
• An Indian citizen or body incorporated
in India will be eligible to purchase the
bond.
• Electoral bonds can be used for
making donation only to the political
parties registered under section 29A
of the Representation of the People
Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and which
secured not less than one per cent of
the votes polled in the last general
election to the House of the People or
a Legislative Assembly.
• These bonds will not carry the
name of the payee.
CEC (Chief Election Commissioner)
• Election Commissioners of India are
members of Election Commission of
India, a body constitutionally
empowered to conduct free and fair
elections to the national and state
legislatures.
• Until 1989, the commission was a
single member body, but later two
additional Election Commissioners
were added.
• Thus, the Election Commission
currently consists of a Chief Election
Commissioner and two Election
Commissioners.
• The appointment of the Chief Election
Commissioner and other Election
Commissioners shall be made by the
President.
• The chief election commissioner or an
election commissioner shall hold office
for a term of 6 years or age of 65
years, whichever is earlier.
• The Chief Election Commissioner of
India can be removed from his office
by the Parliament with a two-thirds
majority in both the Lok Sabha and
the Rajya Sabha on the grounds of
proved misbehaviour or incapacity.
• Other Election Commissioners can be
removed by the President of India on
the recommendation of the Chief
Election Commissioner.
Topic- GS-2-Indian Polity
Source- Indian Express
China Opens 'World's Largest Air
Purifier' to combat air pollution
• China has built a 100-metre-high,
nearly 328 feet tall air purifier, urged
to be world's largest, to combat the
deadly pollution in the country.
• The world's largest air purifier is built
in Xian in Shaanxi province of
northern China.
Topic- Important for PCS Exam
Source- NDTV
20.01.2018
EC recommends disqualification of 20
AAP MLAs over ‘office of profit’ charge
• The Election Commission has
recommended the disqualification of
20 AAP MLAs finding them guilty of
holding an ‘office of profit’.
• The 20 AAP legislators were accused
of being unconstitutionally appointed
as parliamentary secretaries to assist
various ministers of the Delhi
government.
Look Further
What is ‘office of profit’?
• The word ‘office’ has not been defined
in the Constitution or the
Representation of the People Act of
1951.
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39
• But different courts have interpreted
it to mean a position with certain
duties that are more or less of public
character.
What are the basic criteria to disqualify
an MP or MLA?
• Basic disqualification criteria for an MP
are laid down in Article 102 of the
Constitution, and for an MLA in Article
191.
• They can be disqualified for:
(a) Holding an office of profit under
government of India or state
government
(b) Being of unsound mind
(c) Being an undischarged insolvent
(d) Not being an Indian citizen or for
acquiring citizenship of another
country
Did AAP’s parliamentary secretaries
enjoy office of profit?
• According to the Constitution,
Members of Parliament or legislators
are prohibited from accepting
government positions which carry
some financial remuneration or any
other benefit such as office space,
accommodation, or even a car.
• Any violation of this provision attracts
disqualification of the legislator for
holding an office of profit.
• The aim of this provision is to
preserve the independence of the
legislature by keeping its members
away from any temptations from the
executive.
What was the first office of profit case
referred to the EC?
• One of the earliest cases was in 1953.
• The EC had to decide whether MLAs of
the Vindhya Pradesh Assembly should
be disqualified for appointment as
members of the district advisory
council.
• The EC was of the opinion that only
members living in the district
headquarters and receiving allowance
were deemed to hold office of profit,
and 12 of 60 were disqualified.
What are the recent instances of
disqualification of legislators for holding
office of profit?
• In March 2006, President APJ Abdul
Kalam disqualified Jaya Bachchan of
the SP from Rajya Sabha with
retrospective effect from July 14,
2004, for holding an office of profit as
chairperson of the UP Film
Development Council.
• In January 2015, UP MLAs Bajrang
Bahadur Singh (BJP) and Uma
Shankar Singh (BSP) were
disqualified from the assembly after
they were indicted by the Lokayukta
for bagging government construction
contracts by misusing their position.
Topic- GS-2- Indian Polity
Source- Indian Express
Indian became the 43rd member of the
Australia Group
• On 19 January 2018 India formally
became the 43rd member of the
Australia Group), an important non-
proliferation regime which seeks to
ensure that exports do not contribute
to the development of chemical or
biological weapons.
• After the Missile Technology Control
Regime (MTCR) and the Wassenaar
Arrangement (WA), the membership
in another major export control
regimes are expected to give India a
boost in its bid to secure a berth in the
48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group.
• China is not a member of the MTCR,
the WA and the AG.
Look Further
Australia Group
• The Group is an informal group of
countries established in 1985 (after
the use of chemical weapons by Iraq
in 1984) to help member countries to
identify those exports which need to
be controlled so as not to contribute
to the spread of chemical and
biological weapons.
• With the incorporation of India on
January 19, 2018, it now has 43
members, including Australia, the
European Commission, all 28-
member states of the European
Union, Ukraine, and Argentina.
• Australia manages the secretariat.
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40
NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty)
• The NPT is an international treaty
whose objective is to prevent the
spread of nuclear weapons and
weapons technology, to foster the
peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and
to further the goal of disarmament.
• Opened for signature in 1968, the
treaty entered into force in 1970.
• Four UN member states have never
accepted the NPT, these are India,
Israel, Pakistan and South Sudan.
• Currently there are 190 members
after North Korea acceded in 1985.
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
• It is a group of 48 nuclear supplier
countries that seek to prevent nuclear
proliferation by controlling the export
of materials, equipment and
technology that can be used to
manufacture nuclear weapons.
• The NSG was founded in response to
the Indian nuclear test in May 1974
and first met in November 1975.
Topic- GS-2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora- their
structure, mandate.
Source- Indian Express + Wiki
Mauritius largest source of FDI in India-
RBI
• Mauritius was the largest source of
foreign investment in India with 21.8
percent share at market value,
followed by the US, UK, Singapore
and Japan according to a census by
the Reserve Bank.
• The Census on Foreign Liabilities and
Assets of Indian Direct Investment
Companies 2016-17, released by RBI
recently.
Look Further
Recent changes in FDI policy in India
Key Points
• 100% FDI under automatic route for
Single Brand Retail Trading
• 100% FDI under automatic route in
Construction Development
• Foreign airlines allowed to invest up to
49% under approval route in Air India
• FIIs/FPIs allowed to invest in Power
Exchanges through primary market
• Definition of ‘medical devices’
amended in the FDI Policy- amended
in Drugs and Cosmetics Act
FDI (Foreign Direct Investment)
• A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an
investment in the form of a
controlling ownership in a
business in one country by an
entity based in another country.
• There are two routes by which India
gets FDI.
(1) Automatic route- By this route
FDI is allowed without prior approval
by Government or Reserve Bank of
India.
(2) Government route- Prior
approval by government is needed via
this route. Foreign Investment
Promotion Board (FIPB) which was the
responsible agency to oversee this
route was abolished on May 24, 2017.
Foreign portfolio investment (FPI)-
• Foreign portfolio investment (FPI)
consists of securities and other
financial assets passively held by
foreign investors.
• It does not provide the investor
with direct ownership of financial
assets and is relatively liquid
depending on the volatility of the
market.
• Foreign Investors portfolio are
managed by financial professionals.
• FPI is part of a country’s capital
account and shown on its balance of
payments (BOP).
Topic- GS-3- Indian Economy
Source- Economic Times
India to set up $350 mn fund for solar
projects to meet renewable energy
target
• Power and New and Renewable
Energy Minister RK Singh have
announced around USD 350 million
Solar Development Fund by the
government for Solar Projects
Financing at ISA (International Solar
Alliance) Forum in Abu Dhabi.
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41
• India will set up a $350 million fund to
finance solar projects, as the country
steps up efforts to achieve its
ambitious target of adding 175
gigawatts (GW) in renewable energy
by 2022.
• India expects renewable energy to
make up 40% of installed power
capacity by 2030, compared with
18.2% at the end of 2017.
• Installed renewable power capacity is
currently about 60 GW, and India
plans to complete the bidding process
by the end of 2019/20 to add a further
115 GW of installed renewable energy
capacity by 2022.
Topic- GS-3- Infrastructure: Energy, Ports,
Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Source- The Hindu
MEITY (Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology) launches
Cyber Surakshit Bharat to strengthen
Cybersecurity
• Recognizing the need to strengthen
the cybersecurity ecosystem in India,
MeitY announced the Cyber
Surakshit Bharat initiative in
association with National e-
Governance Division (NeGD) and
industry partners.
• The mission to spread awareness
about cybercrime and building
capacity for safety measures for Chief
Information Security Officers (CISOs)
and frontline IT staff across all
government departments.
• Cyber Surakshit Bharat will be
operated on the three principles of
Awareness, Education and
Enablement.
• Cyber Surakshit Bharat is the first
public-private partnership of its kind
and will leverage the expertise of the
IT industry in cybersecurity.
Topic- GS-3- Cyber Security
Source- Business Standards
NASA’s small nuclear reactor
‘Kilopower’ to power a habitat on Mars
• To provide safe and plentiful energy
for future robotic and human missions
for Mars and beyond, NASA is
conducting experiments on
Kilopower – a small nuclear reactor
that can generate a reliable power
supply.
• This pioneering space fission power
system could provide up to 10
kilowatts of electrical power – enough
to run two average households –
continuously for at least 10 years.
• When astronauts someday venture to the Moon, Mars and other destinations,
one of the first and most important
resources they will need is power.
• On Mars, the Sun’s power varies
widely throughout the seasons, and
periodic dust storms can last for
months. On the Moon, the cold lunar
night lives for 14 days.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- Indian Express
22.01.2018
Mercedes-Benz unveils locally made
India's first BS-VI car
• German auto major Mercedes-Benz
unveiled a BS-VI-compliant S-Class
produced at its Pune facility, more
than two years ahead of the
government deadline of April 2020 for
switching to new emission norms.
• The government in a move to fight the
growing pollution, had in October
2016 decided to skip one stage and
migrate to BS-VI directly from BS-IV
from April 2020.
• At present, all new vehicles being
registered are BS- IV-emission
compliant.
Look Further
Bharat stage emission standards
• Bharat stage emission standards
(BSES) are emission standards
instituted by the Government of India
to regulate the output of air pollutants
from internal combustion engines and
Spark-ignition engines equipment,
including motor vehicles.
• The standards and the timeline for
implementation are set by the Central
Pollution Control Board under the
Ministry of Environment & Forests and
climate change.
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42
• The standards, based on European
regulations were first introduced in
2000.
• Bharat Stage IV emission norms have
been enforced for entire country since
April 2017.
• In 2016, the Indian government
announced that the country would
skip the BS-V norms altogether and
adopt BS-VI norms by 2020.
• BS-VI fuel will bring down sulphur
by 5 times from the current BS-IV
levels—a whopping 80 percent
reduction and would make fuel
extremely clean.
Decreasing order of gases in terms of
percentage in greenhouse gas emissions
• CO2> CH4> N2O
Decreasing order of countries in terms of
greenhouse gas emissions
• China> US> EU> India> Russia
Topic- GS-3- Environment
Source- Times of India
Centre to declare 2018 as ‘national year
of millets’
• Nutrient-rich millets have got a boost
with the Union government deciding
to declare 2018 as the ‘national year
of millets’.
• This decision has been taken following
a request by Karnataka, which is the
country’s leader in the millet sector.
Topic- GS-3- Agriculture
Source- The Hindu
Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust wins
prestigious UNWTO Award
• Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust, located
on the banks of Chilika Lake in
Odisha, has won the prestigious
United Nations World Tourism
Organisation Awards.
• The trust was honoured with the
coveted award for "Innovation in
Tourism Enterprise" at the 14th
UNWTO Awards ceremony held in
Madrid.
• Based on the principles of community
ownership and Eco Tourism, UNWTO
award for 'Innovation in Tourism
Enterprise' recognises Mangalajodis
business model that is both
economically viable and
environmentally sustainable.
Look Further
UNWTO
• The World Tourism Organization
(UNWTO) is the United Nations
agency responsible for the promotion
of responsible, sustainable and
universally accessible tourism.
• Currently 156 countries are the
members of UNWTO.
• Its headquarter is located in Madrid.
Topic- GS-2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora- their
structure, mandate.
Source- Business Standards
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban Launches
Smart Star-Rating for Garbage Free
Cities
• The star-rating initiative, developed
by the Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban
will be rating cities on a 7-star rating
system based on multiple cleanliness
indicators for solid waste
management.
• Cities can be rated as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and
7 stars based on their compliance with
the protocol conditions specified for
each of the rating.
• Further city should be ODF (Open
Defecation Free) before it could be
given rating of 3 star or above.
• The SMART rating (Single metric,
Measurable, Achievable, Rigorous
verification, Targeted towards
outcomes) is characterized by Trust
and verify model and sustainability
(progressive and to be recertified
every year).
Look Further
Swachh Bharat Mission-
• The Swachh Bharat Mission was
launched on 2 October 2014 at the
birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The mission was divided into two
parts — urban and rural.
• The Swachh Bharat Mission Urban is
managed by the Ministry of Urban
Development, while the Swachh
Bharat Mission Gramin (Rural) is led
by the Ministry of Drinking Water and
Sanitation.
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43
Swachh Survekshan
• It is a ranking exercise taken up by
the Government of India to assess
rural and urban areas for their levels
of cleanliness and active
implementation of Swachhata mission
initiatives in a timely and innovative
manner.
• The Ministry of Urban Development,
Government of India takes up the
Swachh Survekshan in urban areas
and the Ministry of Drinking Water
and Sanitation in rural areas.
• The Quality Council of India (QCI) has
been commissioned the responsibility
of carrying out the assessment.
Swachh Survekshan 2017
• Indore has emerged as the India’s
Cleanest City in the Swachh
Survekshan-2017 conducted in 434
cities and towns.
Topic- GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- PIB + Vikaspedia
India’s automated ocean pollution
system to begin this year
• India is all set to have its own
automated ocean pollution
observation system this year.
• It will help in monitoring the pollution
level of the ocean water and the
impact of climate change.
• It will also provide data that will help
scientists to understand how the
marine system is changing.
• According to the INCOIS (Indian
National Centre for Ocean Information
Services), the system will become
functional by April this year and the
cost of the project is estimated to be
at Rs 100 crore.
• The new ocean data acquisition
system, called automated moorings,
will do away with the present practice
of collecting water samples from sea
and studying their pollution levels
thereafter.
Look Further
INCOIS
• Indian National Center for Ocean
Information Services (INCOIS) is an
autonomous organization of the
Government of India, under the
Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• It is located in Pragathi Nagar,
Hyderabad.
• It provides the best possible ocean
information and advisory services to
society, industry, government
agencies and the scientific
community.
Topic- GS-3- Disaster Management
Source- Indian Express
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister
Inaugurates World War II Memorial
Museum at Jairampur
• In Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister
Pema Khandu inaugurated the World
War II Memorial Museum in Jairampur
in Changlang District.
• The war memorial has the collection
of the remnants of world war 2,
personal belongings of the soldiers
and other persons involved.
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- AIR
63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018
Category Winner
Best Film Hindi Medium
Best Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari for
(Bareilly Ki Barfi)
Best Actor
(Female)
Vidya Balan (Tumhari
Sulu)
Best Actor
(Male)
Irrfan Khan (Hindi
Medium)
Best Playback
Singer (Male)
Arijit Singh (Roke na
ruke naina) 'Badrinath
Ki Dulhania'
Best Playback
Singer
(Female)
Meghna Mishra ('Nachdi
phira') - 'Secret
Superstar'
Best Music
Album Pritam (Jagga Jasoos)
Critics' Award
for Best Film Newton
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- Times of India
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44
23.01.2018
Australia, Canada Were Once Connected
as part of Supercontinent Nuna
• Over the past few million years, the
world’s continents have been sliding
around the surface of Earth in various
combinations and collisions.
• A recent study suggests new
information regarding Australia’s
history, indicating that a small area of
the country was once part of Canada
– forming a supercontinent named
• The rocks found in these areas
striking resemblance to those found in
Canada, and it turns out that the two
areas were once combined as part of
a supercontinent known as Nuna.
Look Further
Nuna
• Nuna, also known as Columbia, was
estimated to be around 12900 km
from North to South.
• Nuna was made up of more than just
Canada and parts of Australia,
however, with the eastern coast of
India attached to western North
America as well.
• At this point in our planet’s history,
South America was rotated in such a
way that the western edge of Brazil
ended up lined up with eastern North
America.
• The stitching together of these
combined land masses gave us the
supercontinent known as Nuna.
Continental Drift Theory-
• This theory was suggested by Alfred
Wegener in 1920’s.
• According to Wegener’s Continental
Drift Theory, there existed one big
landmass which he called Pangaea
which was covered by one big ocean
called Panthalassa.
• A sea called Tethys divided the
Pangaea into two huge landmasses:
Laurentia (Laurasia) to the north and
Gondwanaland to the south of Tethys.
• Later, continent Gondwanaland and
Laurasia continued to break into
several smaller continents that exist
today.
Topic- GS-1- Physical Geography
Source- ValueWalk + Wiki
Manipur CM launches health assurance
scheme for poor & disabled people
• Manipur Chief Minister launched the
Chief Minister-gi Hakshelgi
Tengbang (CMHT), a pioneering
health assurance scheme for the poor
and disabled people.
• The CMHT will provide cashless
treatment to the poor at government
hospitals, health centres and other
empanelled selected private hospitals.
• The scheme will provide cover up to
Rs 2 lakh per eligible family identified
from the Socio-Economic Caste
Census (SECC) in the treatment of
seven critical identified critical
ailments - cardiovascular diseases.
• The beneficiaries may get themselves
enrolled for the scheme with the help
of ASHA workers at the kiosks opened
in nearby PHCs, CHCs and District
Hospitals.
Look Further
Prime Minister Jana Aushadhi
Programme (PMJAY)
• Objective- To bring down the
healthcare budget of every citizen of
India through providing Quality
Generic Medicines at Affordable
Prices.
• BPPI (Bureau of Pharma PSUs of
India), under Department of
Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of
Chemicals& Fertilizers, Government
of India is the implementation agency
for the PMJAY.
Topic- GS-2- Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population by the Centre and
States
Source- Business Standards
WEF ranks India at 62nd place on
Inclusive Development Index
• India ranked at the 62nd place among
emerging economies on an Inclusive
Development Index, much below
China’s 26th position and Pakistan’s
47th.
www.gradeup.com
45
• Norway remains the world’s most
inclusive advanced economy, while
Lithuania again tops the list of
emerging economies.
• The index was released by the World
Economic Forum (WEF).
• The 2018 index, which measures
progress of 103 economies have been
divided into two parts. The first part
covers 29 advanced economies and
the second 74 emerging economies.
• The index has also classified the
countries into five sub-categories in
terms of the five-year trend of their
overall Inclusive Development Growth
score—receding, slowly receding,
stable, slowly advancing and
advancing.
• Despite its low overall score, India is
among the ten emerging economies
with ‘advancing’ trend.
• India was ranked 60th among 79
developing economies last year, as
against China’s 15th and Pakistan’s
52nd position.
Look Further
World Economic Forum (WEF)
• The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a
Swiss non-profit foundation, based in
Geneva, Switzerland.
• The Forum is best known for its
annual meeting at the end of January
in Davos.
• Important report published by WEF-
(a) Global Competitive Index
(b) Global Gender Gap Report
(c) Global Travel and Tourism Report
(d) Global Risk Report
(e) Global Information Technology Report
(f) Global Manufacturing Index
Topic- GS-3- Indian Economy
GS-2- Important International institutions.
Source- The Hindu
Over 130 babies born in 4 years of 'Jiyo
Parsi' scheme
• Over 130 babies were born since the
government launched the 'Jiyo Parsi'
scheme in 2013 to address the Parsi
community's declining population.
• The population of Parsis plunged from
1.14 lakh in 1941 to 57,264 in 2011.
• Demographically speaking, 31
percent of the Parsis are aged above
60 years and 30 per cent are
unmarried.
• The total fertility rate (TFR) of the
community is 0.8, that is, a Parsi
woman in her total child bearing age
has less than one child on an average.
Look Further
Jiyo Parsi
• Jiyo Parsi is a Government of India
supported scheme to arrest the
decline in population of the Parsi
Zoroastrian Community in India.
• The Government of India through
Ministry of Minority Affairs had
initiated the Jiyo Parsi Scheme in
September 2013.
• The scheme will continue in the
remaining period of the 14th Financial
Commission, i.e., next three years
(2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20).
• Under the scheme government
provide financial assistance for the
Infertility treatment.
• (a) A Parsi family having an annual
income of Rs 15 lakh and below will
get 100 per cent assistance from the
government.
(b) A Parsi family having yearly
income between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 25
lakh will get 75 per cent assistance
(c) A Parsi family members earning
more than Rs 25 lakh and above
annually are entitled to get 50 per
cent assistance for medical treatment
required.
Topic- GS-2- Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population by the Centre and
States
Source- Times of India
An app “Roadkills” to report roadkill
• Wildlife Conservation Trust launched a
mobile-based application,
‘Roadkills’, which will help citizens to
report such wildlife deaths by
uploading geo-tagged photographs to
a public forum.
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46
• The information generated from the
application can help identify crucial
sections of roads or railway lines
where animal deaths are high to
pinpoint regions that require urgent
mitigation measures.
• The data can also help determine
what species are more at risk on
specific road or rail stretches and plan
the ideal mitigation measures suited
for the location.
Topic- GS-3- Environment
Source- The Hindu
Anandiben Patel sworn in as Madhya
Pradesh Governor
• Anandiben Patel was sworn in as the
Governor of Madhya Pradesh on 23
January 2018.
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- The Hindu
24.01.2018
Moss that can remove lead from water
identified
• Scientists have identified a type of
moss that can efficiently absorb a
large amount of lead, providing a
green alternative for decontaminating
polluted water and soil.
• Lead-contaminated water is a serious
environmental concern that has
recently proved to be disastrous when
left untreated.
• Compounding the problem, the typical
way to remove lead or other heavy
metals from water requires fossil fuels
and a tremendous amount of energy.
• As an alternative to these typical
processes, phytoremediation is a
method that uses photosynthesising
organisms to clean up soil or water
contamination.
• Scientist found a moss (Funaria
hygrometrica) that is known to grow
well in sites contaminated with metals
like copper, zinc, and lead.
• This moss absorbs the metals much
higher than any of the other metals.
Look Further
Phytoremediation
• Phytoremediation refers to the
technologies that use living plants to
clean up soil, air, and water
contaminated with hazardous
chemicals.
• Phytoremediation is a cost-effective
plant-based approach of remediation
that takes advantage of the ability of
plants to concentrate elements and
compounds from the environment and
to metabolize various molecules in
their tissues.
• It refers to the natural ability of
certain plants called
hyperaccumulators to bioaccumulate,
degrade, or render harmless
contaminants in soils, water, or air.
Topic- GS-3- Environment
Source- The Hindu + Wiki
India's richest 1% corner 73% of wealth
generation: Survey
• The richest 1 percent in India
cornered 73 percent of the wealth
generated in the country last year-
International rights group Oxfam
survey.
• A new survey, presenting a worrying
picture of rising income inequality.
• Besides, 67 crore Indians comprising
the populations poorest half saw their
wealth rise by just 1 per cent.
• Last year survey had showed that
India's richest 1 per cent held a huge
58 percent of the country’s total
wealth.
Look Further
Oxfam International
• Oxfam is an international
confederation of charitable
organizations focused on the
alleviation of global poverty.
• Oxfam works to find practical,
innovative ways for people to lift
themselves out of poverty and thrive.
• Its headquarter is in Oxfam, United
Kingdom.
Topic- GS-3- Indian Economy and issues
relating to planning, mobilization of
resources, growth, development and
employment.
Source- Business Today
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47
India pushes for concluding balanced
RCEP deal that includes services pact
• India insisted on concluding a
“balanced and collectively
satisfactory” Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership (RCEP)
agreement that includes a services
pact.
• To mark 25 years of dialogue
partnership, India has invited leaders
of all 10 ASEAN countries to New Delhi
for a commemorative summit on 25
January.
• On 26 January, all 10 ASEAN leaders
will be chief guests at India’s 69th
Republic Day celebrations.
• India is pushing for greater
liberalization in services sectors,
especially for easier movement of its
professionals to RCEP member
countries.
Look Further
RCEP (Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership)-
• RCEP aims at liberalising norms for
trade in goods and services and boost
investment among 16-member
countries.
• The members comprise 10 ASEAN
members and their six FTA partners -
India, China, Japan, South Korea,
Australia and New Zealand.
• RCEP negotiations were formally
launched in November 2012 at the
ASEAN Summit in Cambodia.
• RCEP is viewed as an alternative to
the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
ASEAN
• Established in 1967 in Bangkok via
Bangkok Declaration.
• Currently there are 10-member states
and 2 observer states are part of it.
• The Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) is a regional
intergovernmental organisation
comprising ten Southeast Asian
states which promotes
intergovernmental cooperation and
facilitates economic, political,
military, educational and cultural
integration amongst its members and
Asian states.
• Its headquarter is in Jakarta,
Indonesia.
• India is not member of it.
• The 10-member states of ASEAN are
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.
Topic- GS-3- Economic Development
GS-2- Important International institutions,
agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
Source- Livemint + Wiki
Supreme Court asks Centre to set up
Mahanadi water tribunal
• The Supreme Court has directed the
Centre to set up a tribunal within a
month to resolve the dispute between
Odisha and Chhattisgarh over the
sharing of water from river Mahanadi.
• The river Mahanadi flows through the
states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
• Odisha has been opposing
Chhattisgarh's plans to build 13
barrages and seven pick up weirs
across Mahanadi, in a plan to extract
more water.
Look Further
CWC (Central Water Commission)-
• Central Water Commission (CWC), an
apex organization in the country in
the field of Water Resources.
• CWC advise the Government of India
in respect of Water Resources
Development, regarding rights and
disputes between different States
which affect any scheme for the
conservation and utilization and any
matter that may be referred to the
Commission in connection with river
valley development.
Inter-state Water Dispute Act, 1956-
• Under the Inter State Water Dispute
Act, 1956, which provides legal
framework to address such issues, a
tribunal can be formed after a state
government approaches the Union
government with such a request and
the Centre is convinced of the need to
form the tribunal.
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48
• Only three out of the eight existing
tribunals have given awards accepted
by the states concerned.
• Tribunals like those on the Cauvery
and Ravi-Beas rivers have been in
existence for over 25 years without
any award.
• There is no time-limit for adjudication
by a tribunal.
Mahadayi River water dispute
• The river rises in the Western Ghats,
in Karnataka’s Belagavi district, and
flows in westerly direction, entering
Goa in the Sattari taluk of North Goa
• The dispute started in the 80s and
escalated through the early 90s, as
Karnataka designed a chain of dams
and canals to channel the Mahadayi’s
water to the basin of the Malaprabha,
tributary of the Krishna.
• In 2002, Goa sought the setting up of
a Tribunal to adjudicate the dispute.
• In 2006, it moved the Supreme Court
to press its demand.
• After attempts at negotiation failed,
the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal
was set up on November 16, 2010.
Kaveri River water dispute
• The sharing of waters of the Kaveri
River has been the source of a serious
conflict between the two states of
Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
• Tamil Nadu has been accusing
Karnataka of not releasing its due
share of water.
• Whereas, Karnataka has expressed its
inability to release the stipulated
quantum of water owing to the
drought situation in the state.
• Kerala and Puducherry are the
other two states party to the dispute.
Ravi-Beas River Water Dispute
• Ravi- Beas Waters Tribunal was
constituted in 1986 for verification of
the quantum of usage of water
claimed by Punjab, Haryana and
Rajasthan regarding their shares in
remaining waters.
Topic- GS-2, Inter-state Relations
Source- AIR + Wiki
Raipur organizes nation's first 'Kachra
Mahotsav'
• The Raipur Municipal Corporation has
organized the three-day India's first
garbage festival 'Kachra Mahotsav
2018’ at Raipur in Chhattisgarh.
• The objective of the festival is to
increase awareness of use the waste
generated in the city creatively and to
showcase multiple techniques for
reusing things that are labelled as
garbage.
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- New Indian Express
25.01.2018
Govt announces 4 new schemes (TARE,
Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship of
SERB, DIA, AWSAR) to promote young
scientists
• The government has announced four
new schemes to promote young
scientists and researchers in the
country.
Teacher Associateship for Research
Excellence (TARE) Scheme
• It will connect the educators to
leading public funded institutions like
IIT, IISc or national institutions like
CSIR to pursue research.
Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship
• It offers support to 100 PhD scholars
for training in
universities/laboratories abroad up to
12 months during their doctoral
research.
Distinguished Investigator Award (DIA)
• It offers a maximum of 100
fellowships to principal investigators
of Science and Engineering Research
Board and Department of Science and
Technology projects.
Augmenting Writing Skills for
Articulating Research (AWSAR) scheme
• It aims to encourage science writing.
• The schemes focus on youth to
empower, recognise and motivate
them, the Minister said while
announcing the schemes.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- AIR
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World Bank, India ink $120 mn pact for
improved water supply in Uttarakhand
• Multilateral lending agency World
Bank and India inked $ 120 million
loan agreement which will help
increase access to improved water
supply services in peri-urban areas in
Uttarakhand.
• It will help the state increase water
supply coverage as well as ensure
sustainable service delivery, the
statement said.
Look Further
World Bank
• The World Bank is an international
financial institution that provides
loans to countries of the world for
capital programs.
• The World Bank was created at the
1944 Bretton Woods Conference,
along with three other institutions,
including the International Monetary
Fund (IMF).
• It’s headquarter is in Washington,
D.C., United States.
• It comprises two institutions- the
International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (IBRD), and the
International Development
Association (IDA).
• The World Bank is a component of the
World Bank Group.
World Bank Group
• The World Bank is different from the
World Bank Group, an extended
family of five international
organizations:
(a) International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD)
(b) International Development
Association (IDA)
(c) International Finance Corporation
(IFC)
(d) Multilateral Investment Guarantee
Agency (MIGA)
(e) International Centre for
Settlement of Investment Disputes
(ICSID)
Important reports published by World
Bank
• Ease of doing Business
• World Development Report
• Global Economic Prospect
• Global Financial Development Report
• Commodity Markets Outlook
Topic- GS-3- Economic Development
GS-2- Important International institutions
Source- Business Standard
India to host 16th International Energy
Forum meet
• The 16th International Energy Forum
(IEF) Ministerial meeting will be held
in New Delhi on April 10 to 12.
• India had last hosted the IEF
ministerial conference in 1996.
Look Further
International Energy Forum (IEF)
• It is the world's largest recurring
gathering of energy ministers.
• It is unique in that participants not
only include IEA and OPEC countries,
but also key international actors such
as Brazil, China, India, Mexico,
Russia, and South Africa.
• The IEF is promoted by a permanent
Secretariat based in the Diplomatic
Quarter of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
International Energy Agency
• The International Energy Agency
(IEA) is a Paris-based autonomous
intergovernmental organization
established in the framework of the
Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD) in
1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis.
• IEA member countries are required to
maintain total oil stock levels
equivalent to at least 90 days of the
previous year's net imports.
• Currently there are 29 states are part
of it.
• India is not a member of it.
Topic- GS-2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora- their
structure, mandate.
Source- Business Standards + Wiki
India ranked 177 out of 180 in
Environmental Performance Index (EPI)
• Failure to check air pollution has made
India the fourth worst country in the
world in terms of curbing
environmental pollution, according to
Environmental Performance Index’s
latest rankings.
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50
• India ranked 177 out of 180 countries,
in contrast to the rank of 141 two
years ago.
• Low scores on the EPI are indicative of
the need for national sustainability
efforts on a number of fronts,
especially cleaning up air quality,
protecting biodiversity, and reducing
GHG emissions.
• Switzerland emerged the leading
country in overall environmental
performance with a score of 87.42.
Environmental Performance Index (EPI)
• EPI rankings is a bi-annual report
produced by researchers at Yale and
Columbia Universities in collaboration
with the World Economic Forum.
Topic- GS-3- Environment
Source- Indian Express
73 new airport and helipads to be set up
under regional connectivity scheme
UDAN
• Civil Aviation Minister Ashok
Gajapathi Raju announced the name
of 73 new airports and helipads to be
set-up under the Regional
Connectivity Scheme UDAN.
UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik)
• It is a regional airport development
and "Regional Connectivity Scheme
(RCS)"
• Indian prime minister Narendra Modi
launched the scheme on 27th May
2017.
• The scheme was flagged off the
regional flights between Delhi and
Shimla, and also between Kadapa-
Hyderabad-Nanded.
Look Further
UDAAN
• It provides exposure to the youth of
J&K to the best of corporate India and
corporate India to the rich talent pool
available in the State.
• The scheme not only provides skill
enhancement and job opportunity
but also connects these bright youths
from the J&K with the vibrant
corporate sector of India.
Topic- GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors
Source- AIR
27.01.2018
Telangana, Tokyo body sign MoU for
municipal waste incineration
• The Telangana government signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with
the Clean Authority of Tokyo in
connection with municipal solid waste
incineration.
Look Further
Methods of treatment and disposal of
solid waste
(a) Open dumps
• It refers to uncovered areas that are
used to dump solid waste of all kinds.
• In this method the waste is untreated,
uncovered, and not segregated.
(b) Landfills
• In this a pit is dug in the ground.
Then, garbage is dumped and the pit
is covered with soil.
• These sites can thereafter be
developed as a parking lot or a park.
(c) Sanitary landfills
• It is built in a methodical manner to
solve the problem of leaching in
landfills.
• The boundaries are made with
materials that are impermeable such
as plastics and clay and are also built
over the impermeable soil.
(d) Incineration plants
• The process burning of waste in large
furnaces at high temperature is
known as incineration.
• Recyclable material is segregated and
the rest of the material is burnt and
ash is produced.
• Mainly used for treating the infectious
waste.
(e) Pyrolysis
• The Process of combustion in absence
of oxygen.
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51
• The gas and liquid thus obtained can
be used as fuels.
• Applicable waste in these categories
are- Carbonaceous wastes like
firewood, coconut, palm waste, corn
combs, cashew shell, rice husk paddy
straw etc.
(f) Composting
• The Biological process in which micro-
organisms, decompose degradable
organic waste into the environment-
friendly product in the presence of
oxygen.
• The finished product is rich in carbon
and nitrogen and is an excellent
medium for growing plants.
Topic- GS-3- Environment
Source- Business Standards + Wiki
Rapid Reporting System for the Scheme
for Adolescent Girls launched by
Ministry of Women and Child
Development
• Ministry of Women and Child
Development launched the Phase -1
i.e. the beneficiary module of the
Rapid Reporting System for the
Scheme for Adolescent Girls - a
web based on line monitoring for the
Scheme for Adolescent Girls in New
Delhi.
• The RRS will facilitate the monitoring
of the scheme and taking corrective
measures by ensuring faster flow of
information, accurate targeting of the
beneficiaries and reduction of
leakages.
Look Further
Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG)
• SAG aims at empowering out of school
adolescent girls of 11 to 14 years by
improving their nutritional and health
status, upgrading their skills.
• The scheme is being implemented
using the platform of Integrated Child
Development Services Scheme.
Integrated Child Development Services
(ICDS)
• Launched in October 2, 1975.
• Provides food, education, and primary
healthcare via Anganwadi Centres to
children under 6 years of age and
their mothers.
• Six services are provided under ICDS
which are-
(1) Supplementary nutrition (SNP) (2)
Immunization (3) Health check-up (4)
Referral services (5) Pre-school non-formal
education (6) Nutrition & health education
are provided.
Other schemes for women and Child
development
(a) Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)-
• Launched by the PM on January 22,
2015 at Panipat, Haryana.
• Objective- Improve Child Sex Ratio,
Protection and education of girl child.
• Three ministries are involved which
are -Ministries of Women and Child
Development, Health & Family
Welfare and Human Resource
Development.
(b) Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana
Yojana (PMMVY)
• Maternity Benefit Programme has
been contributing towards better
enabling environment by providing
cash incentives for improved health
and nutrition to pregnant and nursing
mothers.
(c) Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra
scheme
• Promote community participation
through involvement of Student
Volunteers for empowerment of rural
women.
(d) National Creche Scheme
• To provide day care facilities to
children of age group of 6 months to
6 years of working women who are
employed.
(e) Rastriya Mahila Kosh (RMK)
• Provide micro-credit to poor women
for various livelihood support and
income generating activities at
concessional terms in a client-friendly
procedure to bring about their socio-
economic development.
(f) Swadhar Greh
• Provide relief and rehabilitation to
destitute women and women in
distress.
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52
(g) Ujjawala
• A Comprehensive Scheme for
prevention of trafficking and for
rescue, rehabilitation, re-integration
and repatriation of victims of
trafficking for commercial sexual
exploitation.
(h) Working Women Hostels
• For ensuring safe accommodation for
women working away from their place
of residence.
(i) Schemes of One Stop Centre (OSC)
and Women Helpline (WH)
• Implemented to facilitate access to an
integrated range of services including
medical aid, police assistance, legal
aid/ case management, psychosocial
counselling and temporary support
services to women affected by
violence.
(J) Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahayog
Yojana-
• Provide financial aid of Rs 6,000 to
pregnant women who undergo
institutional delivery for hospital
admission.
• Across 650 districts of the country.
• The scheme provided cash transfer to
pregnant women above the age of 18
years for up to two live births.
(k) ‘SABLA’ Scheme-
• Also known as Rajiv Gandhi Scheme
for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls.
• Launched in 2010.
• Development of adolescent girls of
11-18 years by making them ‘self-
reliant’.
• Focus areas- Nutrition, Skill
development and Health.
(l) Tejaswini Project-
• Initially the project has been
implemented in 17 districts in
Jharkhand.
• Tejaswini Socio-Economic
Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and
Young Women (AGYW) Project.
• Project is financed by World Bank.
Topic- GS-2-Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population by the Centre and
States
Source- PIB
Tamilnadu CM received UNESCO award
for Srirangam temple
• Tamilnadu Chief Minister Edappady K.
Palaniswami received the UNESCO
Award of Merit awarded to the iconic
Ranganathaswamy temple in
Srirangam (Tiruchy), in November
2017.
• The Award of Merit, 2017, was given
by UNESCO Asia Pacific region for the
cultural heritage conservation
activities taken up at the temple
without altering its original splendour.
Look Further
About Ranganathaswamy Temple
• The ancient Sri Ranganathaswamy
Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu
who is seen in reclining form.
• The temple which is among the 108
Divya Desams, is spread on a
sprawling ground of over 156 acres
and it is one of the largest temples in
worship in the world.
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• It is a specialized agency of the United
Nations (UN) based in Paris.
• Its objective is to contribute to peace
and security by promoting
international collaboration through
educational, scientific, and cultural
reforms.
• It has 195-member states and ten
associate members.
• UNESCO implements its activities
through the five programme areas:
education, natural sciences, social
and human sciences, culture, and
communication and information.
UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage awards
• UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards
(since 2000) are given with as the
strategic purpose of UNESCO with in
the region Asia Pacific.
• The objective is to motivate the
protection of Cultural Heritage sites,
which are initiated by any individual
organization under private sector or
institutional organization.
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53
• The awards are classified under four
categories namely
(1) Award of Excellence
(2) Awards of Distinction
(3) Awards of Merit
(3) Award for New Design in Heritage
Context
Topic- GS-1- Indian Culture
Source- Deccan chronicle
Six crore toilets in three lakh villages,
300 districts declared ODF: Govt
• A total of 6 crore toilets have been
constructed across 3 lakh villages in
rural India with 300 districts being
declared open defecation free.
• Since the mission’s launch in 2014,
the states and Union Territories of
Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Arunachal
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Sikkim,
Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana,
Chandigarh and Daman & Diu have
been declared ODF (Open defecation
free) under Swachh Bharat Mission.
• Sikkim was declared first ODF state.
Look Further
Swachh Bharat Mission-
• The Swachh Bharat Mission was
launched on 2 October 2014 at the
birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The mission was divided into two
parts — urban and rural.
• The Swachh Bharat Mission Urban is
managed by the Ministry of Urban
Development, while the Swachh
Bharat Mission Gramin (Rural) is led
by the Ministry of Drinking Water and
Sanitation.
Topic- Indian Economy and Social
Development.
Source- Indian Express + Wiki
29.01.2018
Today's Daily Current Affairs for UPSC
IAS - Jan 29th, 2018
1. Rotavac vaccine - First India-designed
vaccine passes WHO test
• For the first time, a vaccine conceived
and developed in India has been “pre-
qualified” by the World Health
Organisation.
• The Rotavac vaccine, developed by
the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech
Limited, was included in India’s
national immunisation programme.
• To be “pre-qualified” means that the
vaccine can be sold internationally to
several countries in Africa and South
America.
Look Further
Rotavac vaccine
• The Rotavac vaccine protects against
childhood diarrhoea caused by the
rotavirus.
• India included the Rotavac in its
national immunisation in 2016.
Rotavirus
• Rotavirus is the most common cause
of diarrhoeal disease among infants
and young children.
• It is a genus of double-stranded RNA
viruses in the family Reoviridae
• Rotavirus is responsible for an
estimated 200,000 deaths in low- and
middle-income countries.
Topic- GS-3- Achievements of Indians in
science & technology
Source- The Hindu
2. Jammu & Kashmir Student Exchange
Programme ‘Maitreyi Yatra’ concludes
Maitreyi Yatra
• The Student Exchange Programme
organized by Ministry of Human
Resource development provides a
good opportunity for the youth of J&K
to be acquainted with culture,
language and development story of
different parts of the country.
• The objective of this programme was
to integrate the youth of Jammu and
Kashmir to the rest of the country and
to promote brotherhood and
harmony.
Topic- GS-1- Indian Culture
Source- PIB
3. India is the leading country in coconut
production and productivity in the world
• The Union Agriculture Minister said
that India is leading in the global
coconut production and productivity.
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54
• He said that the annual coconut
production is 2395 crore from 20.82
lakh hectare and the productivity is
11505 coconuts/hectare.
• Coconut contributes to about
Rs.27900 crore to the country’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP).
Look Further
• Top states producers of coconuts in
the year 2015-16 are-
Kerala> Tamilnadu> Karnataka
• Top countries producers of coconuts
in the year 2014 are-
Indonesia> Philippines > India
Topic- GS-3- Agriculture
Source- PIB
4. List of MoUs/Agreements signed
between Indian and Cambodia
• Cultural Exchange Programme with
Cambodia for the year 2018-2022.
• Credit Line Agreement between the
EXIM Bank, Government of India and
the Government of Cambodia for a
Line of Credit to finance the Stung Sva
Hab Water Resource Development
Project for US$ 36.92 million.
• Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal
Matters.
• MoU on Cooperation for Prevention of
Human Trafficking.
Topic- GS-2- Bilateral, regional and global
groupings and agreements
Source- PIB
5. India has highest incidents of fraud
globally in IP, stocks, piracy: Report
• Fraud, cyber, and security risks are at
an all-time high with India witnessing
a significant increase in fraud cases in
the last five years, according to a
Global Fraud & Risk Report.
• The study states that 89 percent of
executives have reported that their
companies were victim to at least one
instance of fraud over the past one
year.
• The report pointed out India has also
witnessed the highest incidence of
fraud globally across three categories
–
(a) Theft of physical asset or stock (40
percent)
(b) IP theft, piracy or counterfeiting
(36 percent)
(c) Corruption and bribery (31
percent)
Topic- GS-3- Cyber Security
Source- Indian Express
6. Republic Day parade: Maharashtra’s
Shivaji coronation float gets first prize
• Maharashtra’s tableau at the 69th
Republic Day parade depicting the
grand coronation of Maratha warrior
king Chhatrapati Shivaji was awarded
the first prize.
• The state also emerged the winner in
the cultural category and the inter-
state dance competition held as part
of the parade.
• There were tableaux from 14 states
across India.
• Among the states that participated
were Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab,
Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand,
Assam, Tripura, Manipur,
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka, Kerala and the Union
Territory of Lakshadweep.
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- Indian Express
7. Ashok Chakra and Padma Awards
2018
Ashok Chakra 2018
• President Ram Nath Kovind awarded
India's highest peacetime military
decorationAshok Chakra
posthumously to Indian Air Force
(IAF) Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala
(from Bihar).
• Jyoti Prakash Nirala laid down his life
after gunning down two terrorists in
Jammu and Kashmir.
Note-
Param Vir Chakra- Highest military
award (During wartime)
Padma awards 2018
• President Ram Nath Kovind has
announced the names of recipients
(85 persons) of the year 2018 Padma
awards, Padma Vibhushan (3), Padma
Bhushan (9), and Padma Shri (73).
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55
• Out of these selected 85 persons,
women (14), while 3 are posthumous
awardees.
Padma Vibhushan (Second-highest
civilian award after Bharat Ratna) 2018
awardees
Winner Category
Ilayaraja Art-Music
Ghulam Mustafa Khan Art-Music
P. Parameswaran Literature & Education
Important personalities of Padma
Bhushan (Third highest civilian award)
2018
Winner Category
Pankaj Advani Sport (Billiards/Snooker)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni Sports (Cricket)
Ved Prakash Nanda Literature and Education
Alexander Kadakin (Foreigner/Posthumous)
Public Affairs
Laxman Pai Art (Painting)
Arvind Parikh Art (Painting)
Sharda Sinha Art (Painting)
Philipose Mar Chrysostom Others
(Spiritualism)
Ramachandran Nagaswamy
Others (Archaeology)
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- PIB + Indian Express
8. India cheapest country to live in after
South Africa
• India is ranked second only to South
Africa as the cheapest country to live
or retire, according to a recent survey
of 112 countries.
• Nations were ranked on local
purchasing power, rent, groceries,
and consumer price index metrics.
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- DD News
9. ‘Aadhaar’ is Oxford dictionary’s Hindi
word of 2017
• Oxford Dictionaries has chosen
‘Aadhaar’ as the Hindi word of 2017.
• The word gained popularity due to
Aadhaar card, which was in news last
year and is likely to remain in
highlight this year as well.
• The announcement was made during
the Jaipur Literature Festival.
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- Indian Express
10. WEF launches Global Centre for
Cybersecurity
• In a bid to safeguard the world from
hackers and growing data breaches,
World Economic Forum (WEF),
announced a new Global Centre for
Cybersecurity.
• The centre is headquartered in
Geneva and will become operational
from March.
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- The Hindu
11. Kolkata becomes first Indian metro
to get a floating market
• Kolkata is now witnessed to a floating
market, the first of its kind across any
metro city.
Topic- Important for PCS Exams
Source- The Hindu Business Line
30.01.2018
Super Blue blood moon and total lunar
eclipse on January 31
• On January 31, the world will witness
a rare super blue blood moon, which
is called so because it is coinciding
with a total lunar eclipse and a
blue moon.
What is this Super blue blood moon?
• Super moons occur when the full
moon coincides with the Moon’s
closest orbit point (perigee) to the
planet.
• During a super moon, the Moon
appears up to 14 percent larger and
30 percent brighter, according to
NASA.
Note-
The farthest distance between the moon and
the Earth is termed ‘apogee’, while the
perigee is the nearest point between planet
Earth and its satellite moon.
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56
• On January 31, two events are
coinciding-
(a) Total lunar eclipse
(b) Blue moon
Look Further
Eclipse
• An eclipse happens when a planet or
a moon gets in the way of the sun’s
light. we can experience two kinds of
eclipses: solar eclipses and lunar
eclipses.
Solar Eclipse-
• A solar eclipse (as seen from the
planet Earth) is a type of eclipse that
occurs when the Moon passes
between the Sun and Earth, and
when the Moon fully or partially blocks
("occults") the Sun.
• This can happen only at new moon
when the Sun and the Moon are in
conjunction as seen from Earth in an
alignment referred to as syzygy.
• In a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun
is fully obscured by the Moon. In
partial and annular eclipses, only part
of the Sun is obscured.
Lunar Eclipse
• During a lunar eclipse, Earth gets in
the way of the sun’s light hitting
the moon.
• That means that during the night, a
full moon fades away as Earth’s
shadow covers it up.
• Blood Moon or Copper Moon-
During a lunar eclipse the moon looks
reddish because Earth’s atmosphere
absorbs the other colours while it
bends some sunlight toward the
moon. It is Known as Blood Moon or
Copper Moon
What is a blue moon
• When a full moon occurs twice in a
month, the second full moon is called
a blue moon.
Super Moon
• The coming lunar eclipse will be more
spectacular because during the
eclipse, the Moon will be near its
perigee and hence it will look larger
than an average full Moon, and is
termed a Super Moon.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- Indian Express
Indian, Vietnamese armies hold first
military exercise “VINBAX”
• For the first time, armies of India and
Vietnam began a six day-long military
exercise in Jabalpur in Madhya
Pradesh.
• India and Vietnam have been
exploring ways to strengthen defence
cooperation.
• India and Vietnam had signed a
protocol on defence cooperation in
1994.
• The partnership was thereafter
elevated to strategic level in 2007 and
a pact on boosting bilateral defence
cooperation was signed in 2009.
• The strategic partnership was
elevated to a comprehensive strategic
partnership in September 2016.
Look Further
Strategic Partnership
• A strategic partnership is where two
entities come together to form an
alliance focused on a strategic gain.
• This is generally restricted to one or
few areas.
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
• A Comprehensive strategic
partnership is where two entities
come together to form an alliance
focused on multiple areas.
Topic- GS-3- Defence
Source- Economic Times
International Bird Festival at Dudhwa
National Park
• A three-day international bird festival
will be held at the Dudhwa National
Park in February 2018.
• The purpose behind the international
bird festival is to promote eco-tourism
in Dudhwa and to give it a distinct
international identity besides
highlighting its traditional Tharu arts,
culture and heritage.
• During the festival, the bird experts
would visit various parts of Dudhwa to
gather information about the 450-bird
species existing there.
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57
Dudhwa National Park
• The Dudhwa National Park is a
national park in the Terai of Uttar
Pradesh.
• It is part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
• It is located on the Indo-Nepal border
in the Lakhimpur Kheri District.
Topic-GS-3-Environment
Source- Business Standards
Over Rs 5 lakh crore allocated for
Bharatmala project
• President Ram Nath Kovind said that
Rs 5,35,000 crore have been allocated
for the Bharatmala Project aimed at
boosting road connectivity in the
country.
Bharatmala Project-
• Bharatmala is an umbrella
programme of the Centre that seeks
to improve efficiency of road traffic
movement in the country by bridging
critical infrastructure gaps.
• Bharatmala Project was cleared by the
Union Cabinet on October 25, 2017.
• It is the second largest highways
construction project in the country
since NHDP, under which almost
53,000 km or highway roads were
targeted across the country.
• The ambitious umbrella programme
for roads, Bharatmala, will subsume
all existing highway projects including
the flagship National Highways
Development Project (NHDP),
launched by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee
government in 1998.
• Bharatmala highway project includes
connecting border areas, improving
international, port and coastal
connectivity besides improving
highway corridors connecting key
economic and commercial hubs.
Topic- GS-3- Infrastructure: Energy, Ports,
Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Source- Indian Express + Economic Times
First ever estimate of the number of
‘unwanted’ girls in India
• The Economic Survey presents the
first ever estimate of the number of
‘unwanted’ girls in India (girls whose
parents wanted a boy but had a girl
instead) is at 21 million.
• The number has been arrived at by
looking at the sex ratio of the last
child (SRLC) which is heavily male-
skewed, indicating that parents keep
having children until they get the
desired number of sons.
• The biologically determined natural
sex ratio at birth is 1.05 boy for every
girl.
• The Survey points out that in India,
the sex ratio of the last child is skewed
towards male all throughout — for
first-born, it is 1.82, 1.55 for second
born, 1.65 for third child and so on.
• The report compares India’s heavily-
skewed-in-favour-of-boys SRLC to
that of Indonesia, where the sex ratio
at birth is close to the biological ideal.
• The Survey looks at both SRB (Sex
ratio at birth) and SRLC to state that
in Meghalaya, both indicators are
close to the ideal benchmark.
Topic- GS-2- Issues relating to development
and management of Social Sector/Services
relating to Health, Education, Human
Resources.
Source- Indian Express
31.01.2018
1. Allahabad High Court judge Narayan
Shukla to be impeached
• Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra
recommended the impeachment of
Justice Shri Narayan Shukla, senior
judge of the Allahabad High Court,
following an adverse report about him
by an in-house panel.
• The panel was set up by the CJI and
led by led by Madras High Court Chief
Justice Indira Banerjee.
• The CJI has set the process in motion
with a letter to the Prime Minister for
the impeachment of the judge.
Look Further
Background
• Justice Shukla orders in the cases of
blacklisted private medical colleges in
Lucknow had come under the scanner
of the CJI Bench last year.
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58
• Allahabad high court bench headed by
Justice Shukla’s in an interim order
restrained the Medical Council of India
from de-listing Prasad Education
Trust’s medical college.
• It was against the Supreme court
judgement to blacklisting some
medical college.
• It led to a scandal that sent shock
waves across the judiciary and
compelled the CJI to re-affirm his
authority as the master of the roster.
Impeachment of Judges
• When the impeachment motion is
moved in Parliament, an investigation
is conducted.
• If the findings of guilt are confirmed,
the impeachment motion will be put
to vote for the removal of the judge
by a special majority in both house of
Parliament.
Note
Special Majority- It is a majority of the total
membership of that House and a majority of
not less than two-thirds of the members of
that House present and voting.
Topic- GS-2- Indian Polity
Source- The Hindu
2. India became the world's third-
largest steel producer
• India's crude steel production grew by
6.2 percent to 101.4 million tonnes
(MT) in 2017, a report by World Steel
Association said.
• China remained the world leader in
producing 831.7 MT in 2017.
• Japan, the second largest global steel
producer, witnessed a negative
growth as steel output declined by 0.1
percent to 104.7 MT in 2017.
• India has overtaken the US to become
the world's third-largest steel
producer and the country is now
looking to bag the second spot from
Japan.
Topic- GS-3- Economic Development
Source- Deccan Chronicle
3. Stree Swabhiman Initiative launched
for Women Health and Hygiene
• ‘Stree Swabhiman’ aims to create a
sustainable model for providing
adolescent girls and women with an
access to affordable sanitary products
by leveraging common services
centres (CSCs).
• Under the ‘Stree Swabhiman’ project,
sanitary napkin micro manufacturing
units are being set up at CSCs across
India, particularly those operated by
women entrepreneurs.
• Besides promoting women’s health
and hygiene, the initiative will also
provide employment opportunities to
women in rural communities.
Topic- GS-2- Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population by the Centre and
States
Source- Livemint
4. NASA’s interest in India-made
technology for spacecraft
• A new thermal spray coating
technology used for gas turbine
engine in spacecraft developed by a
Rajasthan-based research has caught
the attention of a NASA scientist.
• The controlled segmented Yttria-
Stabilised Zirconia (YSZ)-Plasma
sprayed coating technology is
developed by chief scientist Dr. Tailor
while working at Jodhpur-based
Metallizing Equipment Company
(MEC).
• This Indian technology is cost-
effective and reduces the thermal
spray coating cost by almost 50%.
• Vertical cracks (segmentation) in the
coating are beneficial for gas turbine
engine application used in spacecraft.
Topic- GS-3- Achievements of Indians in
science & technology; indigenization of
technology
Source- The Hindu
5. Tribal festival “Sammakka
Saaralamma Jathara”
• Sammakka Saralamma Jatara or
Medaram Jatara is a tribal Hindu
festival of honouring the goddesses
celebrated at Medaram in the state of
Telangana, India.
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59
• Medaram is a remote place in the
Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a
part of Dandakaranya, the largest
surviving forest belt in the Deccan.
• During the festival, the tribals worship
'Sammakka', the tribal folk goddess.
Topic- GS-1- Indian Culture
Source- Times of India
6. Himachal governor launches project
for zero-budget farming
• Himachal governor launched project
zero-budget farming from the
Palampur agriculture university.
• Under the project, the university has
dedicated 25-acre land to practice the
zero-budget farming model.
Look Further
Zero Budget Farming
• In this method of natural farming, we
use uses biological pesticides and
fertilizers instead of chemical-based
fertilizers.
• The cost of biological pesticides and
fertilizers is almost negligible
compared to chemical fertilizers. So,
this method of natural farming also
called Zero Budget Farming.
• These biological pesticides and
fertilizers include earthworms, cow
dung, urine, plants, human excreta
etc.
Topic- GS-3- Agriculture
Source- Tribune India
7. India ranks sixth in the list of
wealthiest countries
• According to a report by New World
Wealth, India was the best-
performing wealth market globally in
2017.
• India’s total wealth swelled from
6,584 billion dollars in 2016 to 8,230
billion dollars in 2017, registering a 25
percent growth.
• The report noted that the United
States is the wealthiest country in the
world followed by China at the second
place and Japan at third.
• Total wealth refers to the private
wealth held by all the individuals living
in each country. The report, however,
excludes government funds from its
figures.
Topic- GS-3- Economic Development
Source- AIR
8. Indian Navy launches 3rd Scorpene
class submarine Karanj
• Indian Navy launched the third
Scorpene class submarine Karanj.
Look Further
• The Navy will have six such
submarines by the year 2020.
• These six Scorpene-class stealth
submarines are being built under the
Project 75, in collaboration with
DCNS, France and manufactured
by Mazagon Dock Limited.
o 1st Scorpene Submarine –
Kalvari
o 2nd Scorpene Submarine-
Khanderi
o 3rd Scorpene Submarine-
Karanj
• The six submarines will replace the
Indian Navy's ageing Sindhughosh
and Shishumar class of submarines.
Topic- GS-3- Defence
Source- AIR
***