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hyperloop 2020

AUGUST 2019

Monthly Current Affairs for ESE 2020

&

Practice Questions

www.iesgeneralstudies.com www.adapala-academy.com

Current affairs – ESE 2020 August 2019


Contents 1. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES ................................................................................................................. 5

1.1 Social development ............................................................................................................................................... 5

1. Institutes of Eminence Scheme ............................................................................................................................ 5

3. Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas ..................................................................................................................................... 7

4. NISHTHA mission ................................................................................................................................................. 7

5. National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) gets Governance award ......................................................... 8

1.2 Industrial Development ......................................................................................................................................... 9

1. BIS certifies Pashmina products ........................................................................................................................... 9

2. Hyperloop ...........................................................................................................................................................10

3. TechEx- technology exhibition ............................................................................................................................10



4. Draft E-Commerce Norms 2019 ..........................................................................................................................11

5. Hiring app for farmers.........................................................................................................................................12

6. Zero Defect and Zero Effect Scheme ...................................................................................................................13

7. Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019 ................................................................................................................14

8. The Consumer Protection Act 2019.....................................................................................................................15

9. Policy Reforms for Startups ................................................................................................................................17

10. Four New Products get GI Tag ...........................................................................................................................17

11. Green Channel for Mergers and Acquisitions....................................................................................................18

12. The Rice Fortification ........................................................................................................................................18

13. Tech Saksham ...................................................................................................................................................19

14. India to become largest importer of coking coal ...............................................................................................19

1.3 Economic development ........................................................................................................................................20

1. National Time Release Study ..............................................................................................................................20

2. Framework for regulatory sandbox ....................................................................................................................21

3. Government plans to exit 23 CPSEs ....................................................................................................................21

4. Partial credit guarantee scheme to PSBs ............................................................................................................22

5. Gold Monetisation Scheme.................................................................................................................................23

6. Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) new norms .....................................................................................................23

7. Sabka Vishwas ....................................................................................................................................................24

8. Development financial institution (DFI) ..............................................................................................................24

9. Package to spur economic growth ......................................................................................................................25

10. Economic Capital Framework ...........................................................................................................................27

11. Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF) .......................................................................................................27

12. Amalgamation of National Banks .....................................................................................................................28

2. ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................................................................29

2.1 Environment .........................................................................................................................................................29

1. Water Stress in India ...........................................................................................................................................29

2. Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) ..............................................................................30

3. Global assessment of forest biodiversity by WWF ..............................................................................................31

4. Clearance of projects in Buffer zone ...................................................................................................................31

5. Sundarbans conservation ...................................................................................................................................32

6. National Resource Efficiency Policy 2019. ...........................................................................................................32



7. India largest emitter of SO2 in world ..................................................................................................................34

8. Disappearance of Okjokull glacier.......................................................................................................................35

9. India Fights to get Rosewood delisted from CITES ..............................................................................................35

10. Composite Water Management Index 2.0. .......................................................................................................36

11. Angikaar campaign ...........................................................................................................................................37

2.2 Energy ...................................................................................................................................................................37

1. Thermal Energy Technology ...............................................................................................................................37

2. World Biofuel Day 2019 ......................................................................................................................................38

3. Jaitapur nuclear power project ...........................................................................................................................38

4. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana ..........................................................................................................................39

5. Ocean Energy as renewable energy ....................................................................................................................39

6. Open Acreage Licensing Policy(OLAP) .................................................................................................................40

3. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY .................................................................................................41

1. Space Situational Awareness Control Centre ......................................................................................................41

2. PRAGATI .............................................................................................................................................................41

3. Software Defined Networking ............................................................................................................................42

4. e-Court ................................................................................................................................................................43

5. Big data to Mitigate the Impact of Disaster ........................................................................................................44

6. GramNet connectivity .........................................................................................................................................45

7. India Security Summit .........................................................................................................................................46

8. The Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) ........................................46

9. Shagun - Integrated Online junction for School Education .................................................................................47

10. Shillong Declaration ..........................................................................................................................................48

4 .GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ................................................................................................................................................49

1. J&K loses its special status, will be divided into two UTs ....................................................................................49

2. ZAYED Medal ......................................................................................................................................................50

3. The BASIC countries ............................................................................................................................................50

4. International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure ...............................................................................50

PRACTICE QUESTIONS .....................................................................................................................................................51

1. Social development ................................................................................................................................................52

2. Industrial development ..........................................................................................................................................52

3. Economic development ..........................................................................................................................................54



4. Environment ...........................................................................................................................................................57

5. Energy.....................................................................................................................................................................59

6. Information and Communication Technology ........................................................................................................59

7. GK and Other topics................................................................................................................................................61

1. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1.1 Social development

1. Institutes of Eminence Scheme

The UGC has considered the reports of the Empowered Expert Committee (EEC) appointed by

Government under the Chairmanship of Shri N Gopalaswami recommending (15) Public institutions

and (15) Private institutions for considering to give status of Institutions of Eminence.

About Institutions of Eminence scheme:

The institutes of eminence scheme under the Union human resource development (HRD)

ministry aims to project Indian institutes to global recognition.

The selected institutes will enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomy without

having to report to the University Grants Commission (UGC)

The selection was made through challenge method mode.



Only higher education institutions currently placed in the top 500 of global rankings or top 50

of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) are eligible to apply for the eminence

tag.

The private Institutions of Eminence can also come up as greenfield ventures-provided the

sponsoring organisation submits a convincing perspective plan for 15 years.

2. SANKALP Scheme

Review meeting of World Bank loan assisted “Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for

Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP)” programme was recently held.

About SANKALP Scheme:

It is an outcome-oriented centrally sponsored programme of Ministry of Skill Development &

Entrepreneurship (MSDE) with a special focus on decentralised planning and quality

improvement.

It focuses on the overall skilling ecosystem covering both Central & State agencies.

SANKALP aims to implement the mandate of the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM).

It is aligned to flagship Government of India programs such as Make in India and Swachhta

Abhiyan and aims at developing globally competitive workforce for domestic and overseas

requirements.

Under SANKALP four key result areas have been identified viz:

o Institutional Strengthening (at National, State & District level)

o Quality Assurance Quality Assurance of skill development programs.

o Inclusion of marginalised population in skill development

o Expanding Skills through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).

Improvement in Sex Ratio at Birth

According to the fourth National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) 2015-16, the sex ratio at birth (SRB) in

India has improved from 914 to 919.

Key Facts:

The highest improvement in SRB was noted in Punjab.

Kerala’s SRB - 1,047 in 2015-16 was the highest SRB among all states.

The sharpest decline was in Sikkim, where the SRB dropped 175 points to reach 809, the lowest

among all states in 2015-16.

SRB is defined as the number of female births per 1,000 male births.



3. Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas

The central government has decided to launch the People's Plan Campaign, also known as “Sabki

Yojana Sabka Vikas”from September 2019.

Key Facts:

It aims to draw up Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) in the country and place them

on a website where anyone can see the status of the various government’s flagship schemes.

Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) will include 48 indicators covering various aspects

such as health and sanitation, education etc.

The score for each GP will reflect the local needs and priorities.

The entire ranking exercise is meant to identify the gaps at the GP level, make an assessment

of where it stands, and accordingly plan the interventions.

About Gram Panchayat Development Plans

Gram Panchayats have been mandated for the preparation of GPDP for economic development

and social justice utilizing the resources available to them.

The People's Plan Campaign initiated under "Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas" is an intensive and

structured exercise for planning at Gram Sabha through convergence between Panchayati Raj

Institutions (PRIs) and concerned departments of the State.

4. NISHTHA mission

The Union Human Resource Development Ministry has launched ‘National Initiative for School Heads

and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA)’, a national mission to improve learning outcomes at

the elementary level.

About the mission:

NISHTHA is the largest teachers’ training programme of its kind in the world.

To motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students.

Teachers will get awareness and develop their skills on various aspects related to:

o Learning Outcomes

o Competency-Based learning and Testing

o Learner-centered Pedagogy

o School Safety and Security

o Personal-social qualities

o Inclusive Education

o ICT in teaching-learning including Artificial Intelligence



o Health and well-being including yoga

o Initiatives in School Education including library, eco-club, youth club, kitchen garden

o School Leadership qualities

o Environmental Concerns

o Pre-school, Pre-vocational Education and School-Based assessment.

It aims to build the capacities of around 42 lakh participants-

o Covering all teachers and heads of schools at the elementary level in all Government

schools,

o Faculty members of State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs) and

District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs),

o Block Resource Coordinators and Cluster Resource Coordinators in all States and UTs.

Training will be conducted directly by 33120 Key Resource Persons (KRPs) and State Resource

Persons (SRP) identified by the State and UTs, who will in turn be trained by 120 National

Resource Persons identified from National Council of Educational Research and Training

(NCERT), National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), etc.

A Mobile App and Learning Management System (LMS) based on MOODLE (Modular Object-

Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) have been developed by NCERT.

5. National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) gets Governance award

National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) was conferred the prestigious SKOCH Governance

Gold Award. The award has been conferred for its Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest

Subvention Access (PAiSA).

About About DAY- NULM:

National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) is renamed as Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana-(DAY-

NULM) and in Hindi as – Rashtriya Shahri Aajeevika Mission.

The scheme has two components one for urban India and other for rural India:

The Urban component named as Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana will be implemented by the

Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.

The rural component named as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana will be

implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.

Objectives of the mission are:

To reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households by enabling them to access

gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.



To provide the shelter equipped with essential services to the urban homeless in a phased

manner.

To address the livelihood concern of the urban street vendors

About PaiSA portal:

It was launched in November 2018.

It is a centralized IT platform which simplifies and streamlines release of interest subvention

under the Mission.

It is designed and developed by Allahabad Bank (Nodal bank).

It offers end to end online solution for processing, payment, monitoring and tracking of interest

subvent

1.2 Industrial Development

1. BIS certifies Pashmina products

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published an Indian Standard for identification, marking and

labeling of Pashmina products to certify its purity.

About Changthangi or Pashmina goat:

It is a special breed of goat indigenous to

the high altitude regions of Ladakh in

Jammu and Kashmir.

They are raised for ultra-fine cashmere

wool, known as Pashmina once woven.

These goats are generally domesticated and

reared by nomadic communities called the

Changpa in the Changthang region of

Greater Ladakh.

About BIS:

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India working under the

aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986.

The Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department having administrative control of the BIS is

the ex-officio President of the BIS.



Significance and the need for certification:

The certification will help curb the adulteration of Pashmina.

Protect the interests of local artisans and nomads.

Assure the purity of Pashmina for customers.

Discourage counterfeit or substandard products.

Motivate the younger generation to continue in this profession as well as encourage more

families to take up this occupation.

2. Hyperloop

The Virgin Hyperloop One has signed an agreement with the Maharashtra government to build a

Hyperloop.

About hyperloop transportation system:

It is a transportation system where a pod-like vehicle is propelled through a near-vacuum tube

at speeds matching that of an aircraft.

It is being designed to transport passengers and freight.

The custom-designed capsules or pods are expected to zip smoothly through continuous steel

tubes which are held at partial vacuum.

The pod sandwiches the passenger compartment between an air compressor upfront and a

battery compartment in the rear, and is supported by air caster skis at the bottom.

The skis float on a thin layer of air provided under high pressure, eliminating rolling resistance.

These capsules are expected to be driverless with estimated speeds of 1,000 km/h.

Linear induction motors that are placed along the tube control the speed of the pod.

Electronically-assisted acceleration and braking determines the speed of the capsule.

3. TechEx- technology exhibition

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has inaugurated the TechEx - technology

exhibition at IIT Delhi.

What is TechEx?

To demonstrate products and prototypes developed under the Ministry of Human Resource

Development’s IMPacting Research INnovation and Technology (IMPRINT) and Uchhatar Avishkar

Yojana (UAY) schemes.

About IMPRINT scheme:



IMPRINT scheme was launched in November, 2015 with a view to providing solutions to the

most relevant engineering challenges by translating knowledge into viable technology

(products or processes) in 10 selected technology domains.

142 projects were approved under the IMPRINT-I. These projects are funded jointly by MHRD

and the participating Ministry in the ratio of 50:50.

About Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana

Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY)

It was announced with a view to

promote innovation of a higher order

that directly impacts the needs of the

Industry and thereby improves the

competitive edge of Indian

manufacturing.

The scheme focuses on a viable

industry-academic collaboration where

industry shares a part of the cost of

research.

4. Draft E-Commerce Norms 2019

Ministry of Consumer Affairs has released the draft guidelines on e-commerce for consumer

protection.

Key facts:

The e-Commerce guidelines for Consumer Protection, 2019 will be applicable on all business-

to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce platforms.

These norms will act as the guiding principles for e-commerce business for preventing fraud,

unfair trade practices and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.

The key areas that have been covered in the rules include preventing price influencing,

addressing counterfeit, improving the integrity of reviews as well as increasing transparency of

terms e-commerce have with sellers and disclosure of seller information.

Key Guidelines

It is mandatory for e-commerce entities to accept returns in the event the products delivered

are defective, wrong or spurious or if they do not have the characteristics or features

advertised.



E-commerce companies will also have to display details about the sellers on their website,

especially the type of business furnished by the seller entity.

The draft guidelines propose to increase transparency in contracts signed between e-

commerce entities and the sellers, directing them to display terms of their contracts relating to

aspects like return, refund, exchange, warranties and guarantees, delivery and shipment, mode

of payments and redressing grievances.

The draft has also sought transparency on the procedure followed to address complaints,

directing e-commerce companies to publish contact details of their grievance officers on their

websites and setting a one-month timeline for them to redress issues from the time the

complaint is registered.

E-commerce platforms will not be allowed to directly or indirectly influence the price of the

products and services they offer.

E-commerce platforms cannot adopt any trade practice for the purpose of promoting the sale,

use or supply of any goods or services or use unfair and deceptive methods and practices that

may influence the consumer’s transactional decisions.

Guidelines aim to restrict sellers from falsely representing themselves as consumers or posting

reviews as well as misrepresenting and exaggerating the quality and features of products on

their sites.

5. Hiring app for farmers

The custom hiring centres (CHC) app by agricultural ministry is open for registrations by the

farmers, societies and entrepreneurs who run these centres.

Once the app is officially launched, farmers who wish to hire equipment can register using their

names, addresses and mobile numbers, and then enter their requirements.

This app will create an invaluable database for policy-makers, who can track the use and cost

of equipment.

The system would also help to track the usage of new technology that the government wants

to promote, such as the Happy Seeder that aims to prevent stubble burning that causes air

pollution, or solar dryers that can help farmers process and preserve their produce.

Farmers can increase productivity.



About Customer Hiring Centres:

Customer Hiring Centres (CHCs) are basically a unit comprising a set of farm machinery,

implements and equipment meant for hiring by farmers.

Marginal farmers (Farmers whose land holdings are less than two hectares of land), are unable

to own farm machinery.

Ideally, the CHCs should be located within a radius of 5 to 7 kms of land holdings.

6. Zero Defect and Zero Effect Scheme

The Government has launched a scheme namely “Financial Support to MSMEs in ZED Certification

Scheme”.

Key Facts:

For promotion of Zero Defect and Zero Effect (ZED) manufacturing amongst micro, small and

medium enterprises (MSMEs)

The ZED Assessment and their certification so as to:

o Develop an Ecosystem for Zero Defect Manufacturing in MSMEs.

o Promote adaptation of Quality tools/systems and Energy Efficient manufacturing.

Encourage MSMEs to constantly upgrade their quality standards in products and processes.

Adoption of Zero Defect production processes and without impacting the environment.

Support ‘Make in India’ campaign.

Develop professionals in the area of ZED manufacturing and certification.



There are 50 parameters for ZED rating and additional 25 parameters for ZED Defence rating

under ZED Maturity Assessment Model.

The MSMEs are provided financial assistance for the activities to be carried out for ZED

certification i.e., Assessment / Rating, Additional rating for Defence angle, Gap Analysis,

Handholding, Consultancy for improving the rating of MSMEs by Consultants and Re-

Assessment / Re-Rating.

Quality Council of India (QCI) has been appointed as the National Monitoring & Implementing

Unit (NMIU) for implementation of ZED.

7. Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019

The Act aims to make Indian roads safer, reduce corruption and use technology to overhaul the

country's transportation system.

Key Facts

The law has proposed stiffer penalties for traffic rule violations such as over-speeding,

dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and other offences such as not

wearing a helmet or driving without license.

The new law also allows the Centre to ask manufacturers to recall vehicles in case of defects

that cause harm to the environment.

The Centre, in consultation with the states, can frame a national transportation policy to

transform the rural and public road transportation system and improve last-mile connectivity.

The process for testing and certification for automobiles is proposed to be regulated more

effectively. The testing agencies issuing automobile approvals have been brought under the

ambit of the Act.

The driving training process has been strengthened enabling faster issuance of transport

licenses. This will help in reducing the shortage of commercial drivers in the country.

To bring harmony of the registration and licensing process, it is proposed to create National

Register for Driving Licence and National Register for Vehicle registration through “Vahan” &

“Sarathi” platforms. This will facilitate uniformity of the process across the country.

The Guardian / owner shall be deemed to be guilty in cases of offences by Juveniles and

Juvenile to be tried under JJ Act.

Improving delivery of services to the stakeholders using e-Governance is one of the major

focuses of this Act. This includes enabling online learning licenses, increasing validity period for

driving licenses, doing away with the requirements of educational qualifications for transport

licenses are some of the features.



8. The Consumer Protection Act 2019

The Consumer Protection Act 2019 will be more holistic and stringent.

Definition of Consumer:

A consumer is defined as a person who buys any good or avails a service for a consideration.

It does not include a person who obtains a good for resale or a good or service for commercial

purpose.

It covers transactions through all modes including offline, and online through electronic means,

teleshopping, multi-level marketing or direct selling.

Rights of consumers:

(i) Be protected against the marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property;

(ii) Be informed of the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods or services;

(iii) Be assured of access to a variety of goods or services at competitive prices; and

(iv) seek redressal against unfair or restrictive trade practice

Central Consumer Protection Authority:

The central government will set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to

promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers.

It will regulate matters related to violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and

misleading advertisements.

The CCPA will have an investigation wing, headed by a Director-General, which may conduct an

inquiry or investigation into such violations.

CCPA will carry out the following functions, including:

(i) inquiring into violations of consumer rights, investigating and launching prosecution at the

appropriate forum;

(ii) passing orders to recall goods or withdraw services that are hazardous, reimbursement of the

price paid, and discontinuation of the unfair trade practices, as defined in the Bill;

(iii) issuing directions to the concerned trader/ manufacturer/ endorser/ advertiser/ publisher to

either discontinue a false or misleading advertisement, or modify it;

(iv) imposing penalties, and;



(v) issuing safety notices to consumers against unsafe goods and services.

Penalties for misleading advertisement:

The CCPA may impose a penalty on a manufacturer or an endorser of up to Rs 10 lakh and

imprisonment for up to two years for a false or misleading advertisement.

In case of a subsequent offence, the fine may extend to Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment of up to

five years.

CCPA can also prohibit the endorser of a misleading advertisement from endorsing that

particular product or service for a period.

Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission:

Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (CDRCs) will be set up at the district, state, and national

levels. A consumer can file a complaint with CDRCs in relation to:

(i) unfair or restrictive trade practices;

(ii) defective goods or services;

(iii) overcharging or deceptive charging; and

(iv) the offering of goods or services for sale which may be hazardous to life and safety.

Complaints against an unfair contract can be filed with only the State and National commission

Appeals from a District CDRC will be heard by the State CDRC. Appeals from the State CDRC

will be heard by the National CDRC. Final appeal will lie before the Supreme Court.

Jurisdiction of CDRCs:

The District CDRC will entertain complaints where the value of goods and services does not

exceed Rs one crore.

The State CDRC will entertain complaints when the value is more than Rs one crore but does

not exceed Rs 10 crore.

Complaints with value of goods and services over Rs 10 crore will be entertained by the

National CDRC.

Product liability:

Product liability means the liability of a product manufacturer, service provider or seller to

compensate a consumer for any harm or injury caused by a defective good or deficient service.

To claim compensation, a consumer has to prove any one of the conditions for defect or

deficiency.



9. Policy Reforms for Startups

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has brought a slew of policy reforms to promote India's startup

environment.

Highlights:

The move is likely to help start-ups raise funds, while allowing promoters to retain control over

their companies.

It removed the earlier requirement of distributable profits for three years for a company to be

eligible to issue shares with differential voting rights.

Indian companies are now allowed to issue more shares with Differential Voting Rights (DVR).

About Differential Voting Rights (DVRs):

Promoters or founders of a startup, often lose control of the firm when they dilute their stakes

to raise multiple rounds of funding. This issue can be resolved by Differential Voting Rights

(DVRs).

A DVR share is like an ordinary equity share, but it does not follow the common rule of one

share-one vote.

It enables promoters to retain control over the company even after many new investors come

in, by allowing shares with superior voting rights and lower or fractional voting rights to public

investors.

10. Four New Products get GI Tag

The Geographical Indication (GI) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade

has recently registered 4 new Gis - Palani Panchamirtham from Palani Town in Dindigul District of

Tamil Nadu State, Tawl Lohan and Mizo Puanchei from the state of Mizoram and Tirur Betel leaf from

Kerala

Key Facts:

PalaniPanchamirtham, a Prasadam, from Palani Town is one of the main offerings in the

Arulmigu Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple.

Tawlhlohpuan, a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram is

known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & intricate designs that are made by hand.

Mizo Puanchei, a colourful Mizo shawl/textile, from Mizoram, is considered as the most

colourful among the Mizo textiles.

Tirur betel vine from Kerala, is valued both for its mild stimulant action and medicinal

properties.



11. Green Channel for Mergers and Acquisitions

The Competition Commission of India has introduced a green channel route for clearing certain

categories of mergers and acquisitions.

Highlights:

The green channel concept — recommended by the high level panel that reviewed the

competition law .

The 'Green Channel' would allow automatic approval for certain M&A agreements based on

specified criteria and pre-filing consultation.

The concept of a Green Channel is a step towards improving ease of doing business.

About mergers and Acquisitions

A merger is an agreement that unites two existing companies into one new company.

There are several types of mergers and also several reasons why companies complete mergers.

Mergers and acquisitions are commonly done to expand a company's reach, expand into new

segments, or gain market share.

An acquisition is when one company purchases most or all of another company's shares to gain

control of that company.

Purchasing more than 50% of a target firm's stock and other assets allows the acquirer to make

decisions about the newly acquired assets without the approval of the company's

shareholders.

12. The Rice Fortification

The NITI Aayog seeks creation of roadmap by Department of Food and Public Distribution for taking

the Rice Fortification Pilot Scheme Pan India.

About Rice Fortification:

Fortification is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient,

i.e. vitamins and minerals (including trace elements) in a food, so as to improve the nutritional

quality of the food supply.

Fortified rice are contains Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Iron and Zinc.

Benefits of fortification:

If consumed on a regular and frequent basis, fortified foods will maintain body stores of

nutrients more efficiently and more effectively than will intermittent supplements.

Fortification can be an excellent way of increasing the content of vitamins in breast milk.



Fortification of widely distributed and widely consumed foods has the potential to improve the

nutritional status of a large proportion of the population.

Food fortification in India:

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has formulated a comprehensive

regulation on fortification of foods namely ‘Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods)

Regulations, 2016’.

These regulations set the standards for food fortification and encourage the production,

manufacture, distribution, sale and consumption of fortified foods.

The regulations also provide for specific role of FSSAI in promotion for food fortification and to

make fortification mandatory. This sets the premise for the national summit on fortification of

food.

13. Tech Saksham

The Union Ministry for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched a project named

‘Tech Saksham’ to accelerate MSME growth through technology enablement.

Key facts:

It is a Ministry of MSME and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) partnered project which

brings together technology majors Dell Technologies India, HP India, etc to address

technological gaps faced by MSMEs in their growth.

The Vision is to bridge the gap in technology adoption for MSMEs so as to provide an impetus

for them to be competitive on a global scale, increase their contribution to country exports and

leverage cost efficiencies.

It is a three-year-long comprehensive project which, in its first phase, will focus on sectors that

are labour-intensive and have the propensity to respond positively to tech-adoption.

14. India to become largest importer of coking coal

India's coking coal consumption to grow at an annual average rate of 5.4% between 2019 and 2028,

driven by an expansion in steel production.

About Coking Coal:

Coking coal, also known as metallurgical coal, is used to create coke.

Coke is used as a fuel and as a reducing agent in smelting iron ore in a blast furnace (converting

iron oxide (hematite) into iron metal).

There are many varieties of coal in the world, ranging from lignite to anthracite.

Process of Coking:



Coke is a solid fuel made by heating coal in the absence of air so that the volatile components

are driven off in a process known as carbonization or coke making.

The chemical composition alone cannot be used to predict whether a coal is suitable for

coking. Coking coals generally have volatile matter contents of 20% to 32% – i.e., the low- and

medium-volatile bituminous ranks.

1.3 Economic development

1. National Time Release Study

The Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance is conducting India’s first national Time Release

Study (TRS).

About the study:

The TRS is an internationally recognized tool advocated by the World Customs Organization to

measure the efficiency and effectiveness of international trade flows.

The exercise will be institutionalized on an annual basis, during the same period every year

hereafter.

The exercise will be conducted at the same time across 15 ports including sea, air, land and dry

ports.

The national TRS will establish baseline performance measurement and have standardized

operations and procedures across all ports.

The aim is to identify and address bottlenecks in the trade flow process and take the

corresponding policy and operational measures required to improve the effectiveness and

efficiency of border procedures, without compromising efficient trade control.

The initiative is on ground lead by the Central Board of Indirect Tax and Customs.



Benefits:

This initiative will help India maintain the upward trajectory on Ease of Doing Business,

particularly on the Trading Across Borders indicator.

Expected beneficiaries of this initiative will be export oriented industries and MSMEs

Greater standardization of Indian processes with comparable international standards.

The government agencies associated with cross border trade will be able to diagnose existing

and potential bottlenecks which act as barriers to the free flow of trade, and take remedial

actions for reducing the cargo release time.

2. Framework for regulatory sandbox

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the final framework for regulatory sandbox in order to enable

innovations in the financial technology space.

About regulatory sandbox:

A regulatory sandbox usually refers to live testing of new products or services in a

controlled/test regulatory environment for which regulators may permit certain regulatory

relaxations for the limited purpose of the testing.

The objective of the sandbox was to foster responsible innovation in financial services,

promote efficiency and bring benefits to consumers.

Minimum net worth:

RBI will launch the sandbox for entities that meet the criteria of minimum net worth of ₹25

lakh as per their latest audited balance sheet.

The entity should either be a company incorporated and registered in the country or banks

licensed to operate in India.

While money transfer services, digital know-your customer, financial inclusion and cyber

security products are included, crypto currency, credit registry and credit information have

been left out.

3. Government plans to exit 23 CPSEs

Government has given ‘in-principle’ approval for strategic disinvestment of 23 central public sector

enterprises (CPSEs) including subsidiaries, units and joint ventures.



Difference between disinvestment and strategic disinvestment

In case of disinvestment, the Govt sells shares of a company so that it can fetch some money. But

strategic disinvestment involves sale of substantial volume of shares so that, part of the control of the

company and or management passes to the private shareholder.

Why government plans strategic disinvestment?

The government should not be in the business

When a turnaround has been attempted but was unsuccessful

Types of Disinvestment Methods in India

Minority Disinvestment/Token Disinvestment: A minority disinvestment is one where the

government retains a majority stake in the company, typically greater than 51%, thus ensuring

management control.

Majority Disinvestment/Strategic Disinvestment: The government retains a minority stake in

the company i.e. it sells off a majority stake. It is also called Strategic Disinvestment.

Complete Privatisation: Complete privatisation is disinvestment wherein 100% control of the

company is passed on to a buyer.

What is CPSE?

Central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) are those companies in which the direct holding of the

Central Government or other CPSEs is 51% or more.

4. Partial credit guarantee scheme to PSBs

The Government has issued a scheme regarding partial credit guarantee.

Highlights:

The scheme provides for a one-time partial credit guarantee to PSBs for purchase of pooled

assets of financially sound NBFCs.

It addresses temporary asset liability mismatches of otherwise solvent NBFCs/HFCs without

having to resort to distress sale of their assets for meeting their commitments.

The Department of Economic Affairs will provide government guarantee of up to 10% of the

fair value of assets purchased by a bank from a stressed NBFC or HFC.

The Department of Financial Services will obtain information on transactions in a prescribed

format from PSBs and send a copy to the budget division of the Department of Economic

Affairs. The government will settle claims by banks within five working days.



NBFCs will have to pay a fee to the government, at 0.25% per annum of the fair value of assets

sold to banks.

5. Gold Monetisation Scheme

In a move to revive the flagging Gold Monetisation Scheme, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made

it easier for depositors to hand over their holdings of Gold.

Key Facts:

RBI has liberalised the GMS, 2015, allowing depositors to directly deposit their bullion with

banks, refiners or Collection and Purity Testing Centres (CPTCs).

Temples, High Networth Individuals (HNIs) and entities like fund houses, trusts and even

government entities would now find it easier to deal directly with banks instead of CPTCs.

Banks may accept the deposit of gold at designated branches.

All designated banks have now been mandated by the RBI to give adequate publicity to the

scheme through their branches, websites and other channels.

About Gold Monetisation Scheme

The scheme was launched in November 2015 along with sovereign gold bonds and India gold

coins.

It facilitates the depositors of gold to earn interest on their metal accounts.

The objective of the scheme is to mobilize the gold held by households and institutions in the

country to put this gold into productive use.

And in the long run to reduce the current account deficit by reducing the country’s reliance on

imports of gold to meet the domestic demand.

6. Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) new norms

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has released new norms that sought to simplify the

compliance and operational requirements for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs).

Key Facts:

FPIs have been withdrawing from Indian equities after the government introduced higher tax

surcharge on the super-rich in the Budget 2019.

FPI regulations have been redrafted based on the recommendation of H R Khan Committee.

Revised norms:

SEBI decided to do away with the requirement that every FPI should have at least 20 investors.

Simplification of the KYC (Know-Your-Customer) document requirement for overseas investors.



SEBI has also allowed central banks of countries that are not members of Bank for International

Settlement (BIS) to register as FPIs in India.

FPIs shall be permitted for off-market transfer of securities which are unlisted, or illiquid, to a

domestic or foreign investor.

Sebi has also permitted offshore funds floated by Indian asset management companies to

register themselves as FPIs and invest in Indian markets.

Sebi has decided that FPIs may be re-categorized into two categories - Categories I and II -

instead of the present requirement of three categories.

Apart from changes in FPIs regulations, SEBI has amended the Prohibition of Insider Trading

regulations to include a clause to reward whistle-blowers.

About Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs):

Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) consists of securities and other financial assets held by investors in

another country. It does not provide the investor with direct ownership of a company's assets and is

relatively liquid depending on the volatility of the market.

7. Sabka Vishwas

Sabka Vishwas is a legacy dispute resolution scheme notified by Government for closing pending

disputes relating to legacy Service Tax and Central Excise cases.

Key Facts:

The Scheme would continue till 31st December 2019.

The two main components of the Scheme are dispute resolution and amnesty.

The dispute resolution component is aimed at liquidating the legacy cases of Central Excise and

Service Tax that are subsumed in GST and are pending in litigation at various forums.

The amnesty component of the Scheme offers an opportunity to the taxpayers to pay the

outstanding tax and be free of any other consequence under the law.

The scheme provides substantial relief in the tax dues for all categories of cases as well as full

waiver of interest, fine, and penalty.

The Scheme is especially tailored to free the large number of small taxpayers of their pending

disputes with the tax administration.

8. Development financial institution (DFI)

The government has proposed to set up a development financial institution (DFI) to solve the

infrastructure financing needs of the country.

Reasons for DFIs to Fund Infrastructure:



To boost economic growth this would increase capital flows and energise capital markets.

To improve long term finances.

To provide credit enhancement for infrastructure and housing projects

The establishment of such an institution is considered as a positive step as banks do not have

the long-term funds to finance such projects.

Debt flow towards infrastructure projects would be improved.

About Development Finance Institution:

These are specialized institutions set up primarily to provide development/ Project finance

especially in developing countries.

These DFIs are usually majority-owned by national governments.

The source of capital of these banks is national or international development funds.

It ensures their creditworthiness and their ability to provide project finance in a very

competitive rate.

It strikes a balance between commercial operational norms as followed by commercial banks

on the one hand, and developmental responsibilities on the other.

DFIs are not just plain lenders like commercial banks but they act as companions in the

development of significant sectors of the economy.

Classification of development Financial Institutions:

Sector specific financial institutions: These financial Institutions focusses on a particular sector

to provide project finance. Ex: NHB is solely related to Housing projects, EXIM bank is oriented

towards import export operations.

Investment Institutions: These are specialized in providing services designed to facilitate

business operations, such as capital expenditure financing and equity offerings, including initial

public offerings (IPOs).Ex: LIC, GIC and UTI

9. Package to spur economic growth

Finance ministry has announced measures to revive growth, boost consumption and uplift investor

and consumer sentiment.

Measures in different sectors:

Investors:

Enhanced surcharge on FPIs stands withdrawn. Surcharge on domestic investors in equity

markets also withdrawn.

Aadhaar-based KYC for opening demat accounts and investment in mutual funds.



Industry:

CSR violation would be treated as a civil offence, not a criminal offence.

All pending GST refunds till now shall be paid in 30 days. Future GST refunds to be paid in 60

days.

Simplify the GST system

Auto sector:

BS-IV cars purchased till March 2020 to remain operational for the entire period of registration.

Govt asks its departments to replace old vehicles.

Higher vehicle registration fee deferred to June next year.

Higher depreciation for all vehicles: Depreciation increased to 30 per cent for all vehicles

purchased till March 2020.

MSMEs:

Govt withdraws angle tax provision for startups and their investors.

One-time settlement policy for MSME loans.

Laws to be amended to ensure one MSME definition.

Home, auto loans:

Banks to make home, auto loans cheaper. Banks have agreed to pass on the rate cut

announced by RBI to customers. Banks to launch Repo Rate linked loans.

Online tracking system for home, auto loans.

PSBs to return loan documents to customers within 15 days of loan closure.

Income Tax:

From October 1, all Income Tax notices must be disposed of within 3 months.

For NBFCs:

NBFC can now use Aadhaar-based KYC.

Prepayment notices issued to NBFCs will be monitored by banks.

Additional liquidity to support Housing Finance Companies by National Housing Board

increased.

Govt to release Rs 70,000 crore upfront for PSBs recapitalisation.



10. Economic Capital Framework

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to transfer Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the Central government.

The Rs 1.76 lakh crore includes the central bank’s 2018-19 surplus of ₹1.23 lakh crore and Rs 52,637

crore of excess provisions identified as per the revised Economic Capital Framework

About Economic Capital Framework:

The RBI had formed a committee chaired by former Governor Bimal Jalan to review its

economic capital framework and suggest the quantum of excess provision to be transferred to

the government.

The panel recommended a clear distinction between the two components of the economic

capital of RBI i.e. Realized equity and Revaluation balances.

Revaluation reserves comprise of periodic marked-to-market unrealized/notional gains/losses

in values of foreign currencies and gold, foreign securities and rupee securities, and a

contingency fund.

Realized equity, which is a form of a contingency fund for meeting all risks/losses primarily

built up from retained earnings. It is also called the Contingent Risk Buffer (CBR).

The Jalan committee has given a range of 5.5-6.5% of RBI's balance sheet for Contingent Risk

Buffer.

If CBR is below the lower bound of requirement, risk provisioning will be made to the extent

necessary and only the residual net income (if any) transferred to the Government.

11. Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF)

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has constituted an ‘Advisory Board for Banking Frauds

(ABBF)’ to examine bank fraud of over ₹50 crore and recommend action.

About ABBF:

It headquartered in Delhi

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will provide required secretarial services, logistic and analytical

support along with the necessary funding to the board.

Besides the chairman, the Board consists of three other members.

The Functions are:

The board’s jurisdiction would be confined to those cases involving the level of officers of

General Manager and above in the Public Sector Banks.



It would function as the first level of examination of all large fraud cases before

recommendations or references are made to the investigative agencies by the respective

public sector banks (PSBs).

Lenders would refer all large fraud cases above ₹50 crore to the board and on receipt of its

recommendation or advice, the bank concerned would take further action in such matter.

The Central Bureau of Investigation may also refer any case or matter to the board where it has

any issue or difficulty or in technical matters with the PSB concerned.

It would also periodically carry out frauds analysis in the financial system and give inputs for

policy formulation related to the fraud to the RBI.

12. Amalgamation of National Banks

In a major reform measure, the Central government announced the merger of 10 public sector banks

(PSBs) into four entities.

Key Facts:

Amalgamation of Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India with Punjab National

Bank.

Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank will be merged into one entity.

Union Bank of India, Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will be amalgamated into a single

entity.

Indian Bank and Allahabad Bank will become one entity.

Only 12 PSBs will be left in India from the 27 earlier.

Benefits of amalgamation:

The consolidation of PSBs helps in strengthening its presence globally, nationally and

regionally.

The government's intention is not just to give capital but also give good governance.

Post-consolidation, boards will be given the flexibility to introduce the chief general manager

level as per business needs.

It has the potential to reduce operational costs due to the presence of shared overlapping

networks. And this enhanced operational efficiency will reduce the lending costs of the banks.

All merged banks in a particular bucket share common Core Banking Solutions (CBS) platform

synergizing them technologically.

Larger banks have a better ability to raise resources from the market rather than relying on

State exchequer.



With the number of PSBs coming down after the process of merger – capital allocation,

performance milestones, and monitoring would become easier for the government.

2. ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

2.1 Environment

1. Water Stress in India

According to the data released by the World Resources Institute (global research non-profit

organization), India is ranked 13th among the 17 most water stressed countries of the world.

Global Findings:

One-quarter of the world’s population faces extremely high levels of baseline water stress.

Twelve out of the 17 most water-stressed countries are in the Middle East and North

Africa(MENA) region and the reason for this can be attributed to the geographical conditions

(hot and dry) of the region.

India’s specific findings:

Northern India faces severe groundwater depletion.



Chandigarh tops this list, followed by Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat,

Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

India’s water crisis challenges extend beyond Chennai, which was recently reported to have

run out of water.

Consequences

Water is key to food security as agriculture requires large quantities of water for irrigation.

The loss of livelihood due to increasing water scarcity and variability could force those affected

to migrate.

2. Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF)

The Environment Ministry has unveiled a draft Environmental and Social Management Framework

(ESMF).

Highlights

The draft plan will dictate how prospective infrastructure projects situated along the coast

would be assessed before they can apply for clearance

Guidelines for coastal States to adopt when they approve and regulate projects in coastal

zones.

The ESMF draft plan is a part of a World Bank-funded project

It helps in enhancing coastal resource efficiency and resilience, by building collective capacity

(including communities and decentralised governance) for adopting and implementing

Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan(ICZMP).

About Society of Integrated Coastal Management:

Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) has been established under the aegis of

the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

SICOM is the national project management unit in strategic planning, management, execution,

monitoring and successful implementation of the ICZMP-Phase-I.

About Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan:

ICZM is a process for the management of the coast using an integrated approach, regarding all

aspects of the coastal zone, including geographical and political boundaries, in an attempt to

achieve sustainability.

It is a World Bank assisted project and is being implemented by the Department of Forests and

Environment with assistance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate

Change (MoEFCC).



The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai, is providing

scientific and technical inputs.

3. Global assessment of forest biodiversity by WWF

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has released the first-ever global assessment of forest

biodiversity.

Key Findings:

There has been a 53% decline in the number of forest wildlife populations since 1970.

While the decline was consistent in these years among mammals, reptiles and amphibians

(particularly from the tropical forests), it was less among birds (especially from temperate

forests).

Threats:

Loss of habitat due to logging, agricultural expansion, mining, hunting, conflicts and spread of

diseases accounted for almost 60 per cent of threats.

Nearly 20 per cent of threats were due to overexploitation.

Climate change, on the other hand, threatened to 43 per cent of amphibian populations, 37

per cent of reptile populations, 21 per cent of bird populations but only 3 per cent of mammal

populations.

4. Clearance of projects in Buffer zone

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change have relaxed the procedure for

environmental clearances of developmental activities in the buffer zone.

Key Facts:

Buffer Zone is an area supposed to reinforce conservation of protected area.

The Wildlife Conservation Strategy of 2002 recommends a buffer of 10 km around sanctuaries.

The basic aim here is to regulate certain activities around national parks and wildlife

sanctuaries.

As per an office memorandum (OM), the projects outside the boundary of the notified Eco-

Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of a sanctuary or national park but within 10 km radius of the park will not

need prior clearance from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).

Such proposals will now get environmental clearance from the ministry’s Expert Appraisal

Committee (EAC).



About National Board for Wildlife

As per Wildlife (Protection) Act, National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), replaced the Indian Board

for Wildlife.

The National Board for Wildlife has 47 members with the Prime Minister in the Chair.

The Board is responsible for promotion of conservation and development of wildlife and

forests.

5. Sundarbans conservation

Discovery India and World Wide Fund (WWF) India have partnered with the Government of West

Bengal and local communities in the Sundarban to help save the world’s only mangrove tiger habitat.

The Project:

The project will use technology to solve several of the issues faced in the region.

The initiative focuses on enhancing farmland productivity through low-cost measures and

adjusting crop calendars to deal with climate change.

The initiative will also include work towards securing habitats for tigers and prey species.

The project at Sundarbans is part of a global movement, Project CAT (Conserving Acres for

Tigers), aimed at building healthy habitats for Tigers.

About the Sundarbans:

The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the largest such forests in the world, lies across India

and Bangladesh on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of

Bengal.

The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of

salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological

processes.

The area is known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and

other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.

6. National Resource Efficiency Policy 2019.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change had proposed a draft National Resource

Efficiency Policy 2019.



Key features of the policy:

It seeks to set up a National Resource Efficiency Authority (NREA) with a core working group housed

in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and a members group with

representations from different ministries, state/union territory, and other stakeholders.

Functions of NERA :

Develop and implement resource efficient strategies for material recycling, reuse and land-

filling targets for various sectors.

Set standards for reuse of secondary raw materials to ensure quality.

Maintain a database of material use and waste generated, recycled and land filled, across

various sectors and different regions and monitor the implementation.

The authority would be supported by an Inter-Ministerial National Resource Efficiency Board.

It also plans to offer tax benefits on recycled materials, green loans to small and medium

Enterprises (SMEs) and soft loans to construct waste disposal facilities, apart from setting up

Material Recovery Facilities (MRF).

Manufacturers and service providers would also be required to use more recycled or

renewable materials and awareness would be created among consumers to indicate the shift.

Objectives

Idea of the national policy is to drive the country towards circular economy through efficient

use of available material resources, based on principle of 6R and ‘green public procurement’.

The 6R stands for reduce, reuse, recycle, redesign, re-manufacture and refurbish

Idea of ‘green public procurement’ is to procure products with lower environmental footprints

such as secondary raw materials and locally sourced materials.

Moving towards ‘zero landfill’ approach in the country, hinting at possibility of imposing

‘landfill taxes’ and ‘high tipping fees’ for bulk generators of waste.

About Resource Efficiency:

Through a life-cycle approach, it leads to minimizing impact on environment & the associated societal

burdens, transforming ‘waste’ into ‘resources’ fostering circular economy, and strengthening resource

security.

Strategy on Resource Efficiency:



NITI Aayog in collaboration with the European Union delegation have released the Strategy on

Resource Efficiency.

This strategy is the first policy document to emphasize resource productivity in the country.

The Strategy emphasizes on Sustainable Public Procurement (SSP) as an action agenda.

It is developed with the recommendations from the Indian Resource Efficiency Programme

(IREP), launched by the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC)

and Indian Resource Panel (InRP) in April 2017.

7. India largest emitter of SO2 in world

India is the largest emitter of anthropogenic sulphur dioxide in the world, as per the data released by

environmental NGO Greenpeace.

Key findings:

The SO2 hotspots were detected by the OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) satellite.

India has over 15 percent of all anthropogenic sulphur dioxide (SO2) hotspots in the world.

The main SO2 hotspots in India include the coal mining regions.

Sources of SO2:



The greatest source of SO2 in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels in power plants and

other industrial facilities.

Other sources include industrial processes such as extracting metal from ore, natural sources

such as volcanoes, and locomotives, ships and other vehicles and heavy equipment that burn

fuel with high sulphur content.

Efforts taken:

The Environment Ministry had introduced SO2 emission limits for coal power plants.

The deadline was later extended till December 2019 after a request from the Ministry of

Power.

8. Disappearance of Okjokull glacier

Iceland has been commemorating the country’s first glacier lost to climate change, with a memorial

plaque warning of the effects of global warming being installed at the site.

Key Facts:

The disappearance of Okjokull is being seen as directly due to the warming of the climate

caused by human activity.

9. India Fights to get Rosewood delisted from CITES

India, with the help of Bangladesh and Nepal, is trying to de-list ‘Dalbergia sissoo’, from the list of

threatened varieties in order to protect the livelihood of handicraft manufacturers and farmers in the

Sub-continent.

About Rosewood:

Dalbergia sissoo is commonly known Rosewood, Shisham and is a medium to large deciduous

tree, native to India.

It is native to the foothills of the Himalayas.

It can withstand average annual rainfall up to 2,000 millimetres (79 in) and droughts of 3–4

months.

Soils range from pure sand and gravel to rich alluvium of river banks; shisham can grow in

slightly saline soils.

It is used as firewood, timber, poles, posts, tool handles, fodder, erosion control and as a

windbreak.

Oil is extracted from the seed and tannin from the bark.

It is best known internationally as a premier timber species.



Dalbergia sissoo is currently part of Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES.

Appendix II says that the species is not necessarily threatened with extinction, but the trade

must be controlled to avoid utilisation incompatible with their survival.

About CITES:

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is an

International agreement to regulate worldwide commercial trade in wild animal and plant

species.

It restricts trade in items made from such plants and animals, such as food, clothing, medicine,

and souvenirs.

It was signed on March 3, 1973 (Hence world wildlife day is celebrated on march 3).

It is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

CITES is legally binding on state parties to the convention, which are obliged to adopt their own

domestic legislation to implement its goals.

It classifies plants and animals according to three categories, or appendices, based on how

threatened. They are.

Appendix I: It lists species that are in danger of extinction. It prohibits commercial trade of

these plants and animals except in extraordinary situations for scientific or educational

reasons.

Appendix II species: They are those that are not threatened with extinction but that might

suffer a serious decline in number if trade is not restricted. Their trade is regulated by permit.

Appendix III species: They are protected in at least one country that is a CITES member states

and that has petitioned others for help in controlling international trade in that species.

Conference of the Parties (COP18) was held at Geneva recently.

10. Composite Water Management Index 2.0.

NITI Aayog in association with Ministry of JAL Shakti and Ministry of Rural Development released

Composite Water Management Index 2.0. CWMI 2.0 ranks various states for the reference year 2017-

18 as against the base year 2016-17.

Key Findings:

Gujarat (continues to hold on to its rank one in the reference year (2017-18), followed by

Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.



80% of the states have shown improvement in their water management scores over the last

three years.

About the Index:

NITI Aayog first launched and conceptualized the Composite Water Management Index in 2018

as a tool to instill a sense of cooperative and competitive federalism among the states.

It provided actionable guidance to States on where they were doing well absolutely and

relatively and what they needed to focus on to secure their water

The index comprises 9 themes.

11. Angikaar campaign

The government has launched “angikaar” a campaign for change management.

About Angikaar campaign:

Angikaar has been launched for social behaviour change, focusing on issues such as water &

energy conservation, waste management, health, tree plantation, sanitation and hygiene.

The campaign will be initiated in all target cities on 2nd October 2019 commemorating 150th

Gandhi Jayanti after preparatory phase and culminate on the occasion of Human Rights Day,

10th December, 2019.

It has been launched for beneficiaries of completed houses under PMAY (U), through

community mobilisation and IEC activities.

The campaign will converge with schemes and Missions of other Ministries dealing with these

subjects.

The convergence would especially focus on Ujjwala for gas connection and Ayushman Bharat

for health insurance to the beneficiaries of PMAY (U).

The campaign will include door to door activities, ward and city level events.

2.2 Energy

1. Thermal Energy Technology

The National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) and the United Nations Industrial Development

Organization (UNIDO) have signed an agreement to initiate a skill development programme for

different levels of beneficiaries in the solar thermal energy sector as part of the ongoing MNRE-GEF-

UNIDO project

About the project:



The GEF-UNIDO’s project aims to support capacity building and skill development of technical

manpower in the Concentrated Solar Thermal Energy Technologies (CST) which are being used

to replace conventional fossil fuels e.g. coal, diesel, furnace oil etc.

Different concentrating technologies have been developed or are currently under development

for various commercial and industrial applications.

For industrial processes where temperatures above 80°C are required, concentrating solar

collectors such as parabolic trough or dish collectors, non-imaging concentrators or a Linear

Fresnel system are required to be used.

The industries showing good potential for implementation of solar concentrators are food

processing, paper and pulp, fertilizer, breweries, electroplating, pharmaceutical, textiles,

refineries, rubber and desalination sectors.

About United Nations Industrial Development Organization

It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for

poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability.

It is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.

2. World Biofuel Day 2019

World Biofuel Day is observed every year on the 10th of August to create awareness about the

importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and highlight the various

efforts made by Government in the biofuel sector.

Theme: “Production of Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil (UCO)”.

India’s initiatives:

The National Policy on Biofuels, released by the Government of India in 2018, envisages

production of biofuel from UCO.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is implementing a strategy to divert UCO

from the food value chain and curb current illegal usage.

The benefits of transformation of UCO will help bring health benefits as there would be no

recycling of the UCO, employment generation, infrastructural investment in rural areas &

cleaner environment with reduced carbon footprint.

3. Jaitapur nuclear power project

India remains politically committed to the completion of the Jaitapur nuclear power project, which is

being built in partnership with France.

About the project:



Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project is a proposed nuclear power plant in India. If built, it would be

the largest nuclear power generating station in the world by net generation capacity, at 9,900

MW.

The power project is proposed by Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and would be

built at Madban village of Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra.

4. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is hailed as a timely intervention to rectify the harm caused by

Household Air Pollution (HAP).

About the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana:

It aims to provide LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections to poor households.

Under the scheme, an adult woman member of a below poverty line family identified through

the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) is given a deposit-free LPG connection.

Objectives of the scheme:

Empowering women and protecting their health.

Preventing young children from significant number of acute respiratory illnesses caused due to

indoor air pollution by burning the fossil fuel.

Reducing the number of deaths in India due to unclean cooking fuel.

5. Ocean Energy as renewable energy

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has declared Ocean Energy as renewable energy.

Key facts:

The various forms of ocean energy such as tidal, wave, ocean thermal energy conversion

among others shall be considered as renewable energy and shall be eligible for meeting the

non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO).

According to MNRE, the total identified potential of tidal energy is about 12,455 MW, with

potential locations identified at Khambhat & Kutch regions (Gujrat) and large backwaters,

where barrage technology could be used.

The total theoretical potential of wave energy in India along the country’s coast is estimated to

be about 40,000 MW.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) has a theoretical potential of 180,000 MW in India

subject to suitable technological evolution.

The sector has the potential to grow.

Ocean Energy:



Ocean energy is used in the form of Tidal, Wave, Current Energy and Ocean Thermal Energy.

Tidal Energy: The difference in water height from low tide and high tide is stored in the form of

potential energy.

Wave Energy: Wave energy is generated by the movement of a device either floating on the

surface of the ocean or anchored to the ocean floor.

Current Energy: Kinetic energy can be captured from marine currents and other tidal currents

with submerged turbines.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC): Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion uses ocean

temperature differences from the surface to depths lower than 1,000 meters, to extract

energy.

About Renewable Purchase Obligation:

This is a mechanism by which the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions are obliged to

purchase a certain percentage of power from renewable energy sources.

RPO is being implemented throughout the country to create demand for renewable energy.

6. Open Acreage Licensing Policy(OLAP)

Government offers seven oil and natural gas blocks for bidding under OALP-IV.

About OLAP:

The OALP, a critical part of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy.

It provides uniform licences for exploration and production of all forms of hydrocarbons,

enabling contractors to explore conventional as well as unconventional oil and gas resources.

Fields are offered under a revenue-sharing model and throw up marketing and pricing freedom

for crude oil and natural gas produced.

Under the policy, once an explorer selects areas after evaluating the National Data Repository

(NDR) and submits the EoI, it is to be put up for competitive bidding and the entity offering the

maximum share of oil and gas to the government is awarded the block.

Data received through the National Seismic Programme, an in-depth study of 26 sedimentary

basins, are continuously being added to the NDR.

About HELP:

The main features of HELP are Revenue Sharing Contract, single Licence for exploration and

production of conventional as well as unconventional Hydrocarbon resources, marketing &

pricing freedom, etc.



3. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

1. Space Situational Awareness Control Centre

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has laid the foundation stone for the Space Situational

Awareness Control Centre in Bengaluru.

About the centre:

The control centre would host a range of activities related to the protection of Indian space

assets from inactive satellites, pieces of orbiting objects, near earth asteroids and adverse

space weather conditions.

It would also assimilate the tracking data of inactive satellites from indigenous observation

facilities and generates useful information from bare observations through analysis.

Space Situational Awareness & Management (SSAM) has become an internationally significant

area due to the rise of man made space debris and the increased collision threat with

operational spacecraft.

2. PRAGATI

Prime Minister chairs 30th interaction through 'PRAGATI' platform.



About PRAGATI:

The PRAGATI - the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely

Implementation.

It is a unique integrating and interactive platform aimed at addressing the common man’s

grievances.

It monitors and reviews important programmes and projects of both central and state

governments.

It is a three-tier system - PMO, Union Government Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries of the

States

It is incorporated with three latest technologies:

o Digital data management,

o Video-conferencing and

o Geo-spatial technology.

It is also a robust system for bringing e-transparency and e-accountability among the key

stakeholders.

3. Software Defined Networking

Software Defined Networking (SDN) is a network architecture approach that enables the network to

be intelligently and centrally controlled, using software applications.

Need of SDN:

o The monumental growth in multimedia content,the impact of increasing mobile usage, and

increasing competition, pressuresizes the business to reduce costs.

o To keep pace, many global technology companies are turning to SDN technology to

revolutionize network design and operations.

How SDN can bring a paradigm shift?

o By opening up traditionally closed network platforms and implementing a common SDN

control layer, operators can manage the entire network and its devices consistently.This will

allow optimum use of resources.

o By decoupling the hardware from the software, operators can introduce innovative,

differentiated new services rapidly— free from the constraints of closed and proprietary

platforms.

o SDN architectures usher in a new era of openness—enabling multi-vendor interoperability.



o SDN can manage the network efficiently, thereby improving the performance of Big Data

applications.

o SDN can greatly facilitate big data acquisition, transmission, storage and processing.

o SDN too can benefit from big data, in terms of traffic engineering and countering security

attacks.

4. e-Court

The High Court of Punjab and Haryana to launch its first virtual court (e-Court) at Faridabad.

Key Facts:

o The e-Court would deal with traffic challan cases from across the State.

o The project will be launched under the guidance of e-Committee of the Supreme Court of

India.

o Virtual courts will remove the need for the litigant to be present in the court and facilitate

adjudication of the case online through the use of Information and Communication Technology

(ICT).

About E-committee:

E-committee is a body constituted by the Government of India in pursuance of a proposal received

from the supreme court of India for assistance in formulating a National policy on computerization of

Indian Judiciary and advise on technological communication and management related changes.

About e-Courts Project

o The e-Courts project was conceptualized on the basis of the “National Policy and Action Plan

for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary

– 2005”submitted by e-Committee, Supreme Court of India with a vision to transform the

Indian Judiciary by ICT enablement of Courts.

o The e-Courts Mission Mode Project, is a Pan-India Project, monitored and funded by the

Department of Justice,Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India for the District Courts

across the country.

The following are the functions of e-Courts Project:

o To provide efficient & time-bound citizen-centric services delivery as detailed in e-Court Project

Litigant's Charter.

o To develop, install & implement decision support systems in courts.

o To automate the processes to provide transparency in the accessibility of information to its

stakeholders.



o To enhance judicial productivity, both qualitatively & quantitatively, to make the justice

delivery system affordable, accessible, cost-effective, predictable, reliable and transparent.

5. Big data to Mitigate the Impact of Disaster

According to the report by the UN‘s Asia-Pacific social agency, technological innovations like big data

can better predict disasters in the Asia-Pacific region and help to reduce its impact.

The report:

o Further, disasters also cause more damage in Asia and the Pacific, measured as a percentage of

GDP, than the rest of the world, and this gap has been widening.

o In this context, technologies intervention caused by big data can help identify and locate those

most at risk, to warn people ahead of a disaster, and deliver targeted relief afterwards.

o This data can come from a range of sources, including satellite imagery, drone videos,

simulations, crowdsourcing, social media and global positioning systems.

Application of Big Data in Disaster Risk Reduction:

A Big Data-driven sensor network can help mitigate disaster in the following ways:

o Flood and cyclone forecasting now rely on computer simulations, machine learning can help

predict the location and severity of floods.

o Sensor webs and the Internet of Things can enable efficient earthquake early-warning systems.

o Remote sensing via satellites and drones provide quick assessments of damage and people

affected so that disaster response can be prioritized.

o Public data like India’s digital ID system (Aadhar) can help deliver targeted benefits to millions

of small and marginal farmers affected by drought.

o Big data applications have led to substantial reductions in mortalities and economic losses due

to typhoons in the north and east Asia.

About Big Data:

o Big Data, broadly characterize data sets so large they cannot be stored and analysed by the

traditional data storage and processing methods.

o It has three characteristics, referred to as the three V’s – Volume, Velocity and Variety, that

distinguish Big Data from other forms of data.

o The emergence of Big Data has primarily been due to the decrease in the cost of sensory and

mass digitization of systems and processes around the globe.



6. GramNet connectivity

The Government has reiterated its commitment to provide Wi-Fi in all the villages through GramNet

with connectivity between 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps speed.

Key Facts:

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) announced that BharatNet also plans to

provide 1 GBPS connectivity, which can be expanded up to 10 GBPS.

C-DOT also launched three latest innovations during Foundation Day Celebration, which are as

follows:

o XGSPON (10 G Symmetrical Passive Optical Network)

It can fulfil the increasing demands of high network speeds emanating from the new

dimensions of user applications like IPTV, HD Video Streaming, Online Gaming.

It can also be a host of other cloud-based services that necessitate the seamless availability of

high bandwidth.

o 2. C-Sat-Fi (C-DOT Satellite WiFi)

It is based on the optimal utilization of wireless and satellite communication to extend

connectivity.

It offers the ease of deployment, which is ideally suited to addressing disasters and

emergencies when no other means of communication are available.

It does not require the expensive Satellite Phones and can work on any WiFi-enabled phone.

o 3. CiSTB (C-DOT’s Interoperable Set-Top Box):

Based on a portable smart card like a mobile SIM, this solution will revolutionize the

experience of the Cable TV operators by offering them a high degree of choice, ease and

convenience without having to replace the once installed STB.

About GramNet:

GramNet is a part of National Broadband Mission (Rashtriya Broadband Abhiyan) to secure universal

broadband access. Apart from this, there are other initiatives being taken under the same. Few being:

o BharatNet– Providing 1 Gbps to Gram Panchayats upgradeable to 10 Gbps

o NagarNet– Establishing 1 Million public Wi-Fi Hotspots in urban areas

o JanWiFi– Establishing 2 Million Wi-Fi Hotspots in rural areas

About Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT):

o It is an autonomous Telecom R&D centre of DoT, Government of India.

o It was established in 1984.



o It is a registered public-funded research institution with the Department of Scientific and

Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India.

o C-DOT is working towards realising the objective of various flagship programmes of Govt. of

India which include Digital India, BharatNet, Smart Cities etc.

7. India Security Summit

The 12th India Security Summit with the theme “Towards New National Cyber Security Strategy” was

held on the 28th of August, 2019 in New Delhi.

Measures Taken to Counter Cyber Threats

o Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): This scheme has been rolled out by the Ministry

of Home Affairs (MHA)for the period 2018-2020, to combat cybercrime in the country, in a

coordinated and effective manner.

o Cyber Swachhta Kendra: The "Cyber Swachhta Kendra" (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis

Centre) is a part of the Government of India's Digital India initiative under the Ministry of

Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

o It intends to create a secure cyberspace by detecting botnet infections in India and to notify,

enable cleaning and securing systems of end users so as to prevent further infections.

o It has been set up in accordance with the objectives of the National Cyber Security Policy,

which envisages creating a secure cyber ecosystem in the country.

o This centre is being operated by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)

under the provisions of Section 70B of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

o The Central Government has taken steps to spread awareness on cybercrime, issue cyber-

related alerts/ advisories, capacity building/ training of law enforcement officers/ judges/

prosecutors, improving cyber forensics facilities etc. to prevent cybercrime and expedite

investigations.

8. The Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER)

SAMEER’s vast experience in the areas of Electromagnetic Interference, Compatibility and Pulse

(EMP/EMC/EMI) can help Defence Services, academic institutions, public and private industries to

evolve better.

About Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)

o When the radio frequency spectrum is disturbed by an external source it affects an electrical

circuit by electromagnetic induction,it is called as Electromagnetic Interference.

o The disturbance may degrade the performance of the circuit or even stop it from functioning.



o Both man-made and natural sources can be generated by changing electrical currents and

voltages which can create EMI.

o It can be used intentionally for radio jamming especially in electronic warfare.

About Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC):

o It is the ability of electrical equipment and systems to function acceptably in their

electromagnetic environment.

o It works by limiting the unintentional generation, propagation and reception of

electromagnetic energy which may cause unwanted effects such as electromagnetic

interference (EMI) or even physical damage in operational equipment.

o The goal of EMC is to maintain regular operation of different equipment in a common

electromagnetic environment.

About Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP):

o An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a short burst of electromagnetic energy interference caused

by an abrupt and rapid acceleration of charged particles, which can damage electronic

components by short-circuiting them.

o An EMP can contain many energy components of the electromagnetic spectrum, from the very

low frequency waves to the ultraviolet wavelengths.

o One very common cause of EMP is lightning strikes, which supercharge ions in the atmosphere

and cause electricity in the power lines to surge.

About SAMEER:

o The Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) was set up

as an autonomous R & D laboratory under the then Department of Electronics, Government of

India.

o It aims to undertake R & D work in the areas of Microwave Engineering and Electromagnetic

Engineering Technology.

o It has R&D centres at Mumbai,Chennai and Kolkata.

9. Shagun - Integrated Online junction for School Education

The Human Resource Development Ministry launched one of the world's largest Integrated Online

Junction for – School Education ‘Shagun’.

About Shagun:



o School Education Shagun (URL: htpp://shagun.govt.in/) is an over-arching initiative to improve

school education system by creating a junction for all online portals and websites relating to

various activities of the Department of School Education and Literacy in the Government of

India and all States and Union Territories.

o The word Shagun is coined from two different words- ‘Shala’ meaning Schools and ‘Gunvatta’

meaning Quality and this online junction of different websites and portals into a single

platform will enhance the accessibility of information relating to schools and will ensure a

holistic approach to transform the education sector.

o The portal seeks to provide a very robust feedback mechanism which will increase public

participation and will ensure accountability and transparency.

o The portal seeks to connect approximately 92 lakh teachers and 26 crore students.

o About Integrated National School Education Treasury

o Union Human Resource Development Minister has also announced the setting up of the

Integrated National School Education Treasury (INSET).

o It will envisage a fully integrated, accessible and seamless information network for all

parameters relating to the students, teachers, and schools in the country.

o The main focus will be on the following areas:

o Reinforcing and cleaning the data of the Integrated Online Junction through feedback

from Stakeholders

o Ensuring full inter-operability among the websites, portals and applications which are

already hosted in the junction

o Creating high quality e-contents, including quizzes and puzzles to enhance learning and

also for teachers in aiding classroom transactions

o Using artificial intelligence and deep machine learning in a variety of ways to enhance

the quality of school education including for designing evidence based inventions.

10. Shillong Declaration

The 22nd National Conference on e-Governance adopts ‘Shillong Declaration’ with focus on Northeast.

The declaration has outlined the future trajectory that would be taken in terms of e-governance with a

focus on improving connectivity in Northeast.

Key highlights of Shillong declaration:

● Improve the citizen’s experience with Government services by promoting timely

implementation of India Enterprise Architecture (IndEA).

● Consolidate the plethora of successful State level e-Governance projects with a focus to

replicate them as a common application software.



● Take steps to further improve connectivity in North Eastern States by addressing the issues of

telecommunications connectivity at grassroot level.

● Take steps to enhance the activities of Electronics Sector Skill Council in North Eastern States

and explore the possibility for opening an electronics skill center in Shillong.

● Promote use of e-Office and move towards less paper State Secretariats in the North-Eastern

States and in the District level offices.

4 .GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

1. J&K loses its special status, will be divided into two UTs

The Union government changed the terms of engagement with Jammu and Kashmir by doing away

with the special status the state enjoyed under Article 370, scrapping Article 35A and splitting the

sensitive border state into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

Key Facts:

● The first resolution informed the House that the President had used his powers under Article

370 to fundamentally alter the provision, extending all Central laws, instruments and treaties to

Kashmir. However, the drastically altered Article 370 will remain on the statute books.

● The proposed J&K UT will, like Delhi and Puducherry, have a legislature while the one designed

for Ladakh, like Chandigarh, will not have one. Ladakh has an executive council, which itself is

the result of a long battle for UT status that began close to three decades ago, and this will

continue.

Major changes:

● Jammu and Kashmir will no longer have separate constitution, flag or anthem. The citizens of

Jammu and Kashmir will not have dual citizenship-they will be citizens of India alone.

● As the new union territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be subject to the Indian Constitution, its

citizens will now have the Fundamental Rights enshrined in that document-until now, this was

not the case. Article 360, which can be used to declare a Financial Emergency, will now also be

applicable.

● All laws passed by Parliament will be applicable in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Right to

Information Act and the Right to Education Act.

● The Indian Penal Code will replace the Ranbir Penal Code of Jammu and Kashmir

● As the government has modified the Article 370, diluting special status to Jammu and Kashmir,

Article 35 (A), which originates from the provisions of Article 370 stands null and void. Any

Indian citizen from any part of the country can now buy property in Jammu and Kashmir, take a



state government job and enjoy scholarships and other government benefits. Children of a

woman marrying outside Jammu and Kashmir will not lose property rights.

2. ZAYED Medal

The United Arab Emirates(UAE) has awarded ZAYED Medal, the highest civilian award to the Prime

Minister of India for consolidating the long-standing friendship and joint strategic cooperation between

the two nations.

About Zayed Medal:

● The Order of Zayed is awarded to the Head of Government/Head of State for their international

relations with UAE.

● The order is in the name of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE.

● It consists of a collar cantered by a medallion bearing the name 'Zayed’.

3. The BASIC countries

The BASIC countries recently held their 28th Ministerial meeting on Climate Change in Sao Paulo,

Brazil.

About BASIC Countries:

● The BASIC group was formed as the result of an agreement signed by the four countries on

November 28, 2009.

● They are a bloc of four large newly industrialized countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and

China.

● The signatory nations have a broadly common position on reducing greenhouse gas emissions

and raising the massive funds that are needed to fight climate change.

● The BASIC countries constituted one of the parties in the Copenhagen Accord reached with the

US-led grouping; the Accord, was, however, not legally binding.

● The BASIC group wields considerable heft purely because of the size of the economies and

populations of the member countries.

● Brazil, South Africa, India and China put together has one-third of the world’s geographical area

and nearly 40% of the world’s population, and when they unitedly speak in one voice this shows

their determination.

● BASIC is one of several groups of nations working together to fight climate change and carry out

negotiations within the UNFCCC.

4. International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for the Establishment of an International Coalition

for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).



Key Facts:

● The CDRI is proposed to be launched at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York.

● Organized by the UN Secretary General, this event will bring together the largest number of

Heads of States to generate commitments for combating the effects of climate change and

resulting disasters, and will provide the high-level visibility required for the CDRI.

Major Impact:

● The CDRI will serve as a platform where knowledge is generated and exchanged on different

aspects of disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure.

● It will bring together technical expertise from a multitude of stakeholders.

● It will create a mechanism to assist countries to upgrade their capacities and practices, with

regard to infrastructure development in accordance with their risk context and economic needs.

● This initiative will benefit all sections of society.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS



1. Social development

Q.1. Consider the below statements with reference to Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood (SANKALP):

1. It is a Central Sector Scheme being implemented in mission mode through United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

2. The scheme aims to implement the mandate of the National Skill Development Mission Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2 Answer:b)

Explanation: SANKALP is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented in mission mode through World Bank support. The scheme aims to implement the mandate of the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM). It will focus on the overall skilling ecosystem covering both Central (MSDE, NSDA and NSDC) and State agencies, and outcomes will be measured through Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs).

Q.2. The main pillars of Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0:

1. Sustaining investment on ODF 2. A faecal sludge management 3. Plastic waste management 4. Solid and liquid waste management support to villages

Select the correct answer code:

a. 1 and 2 b. 1,2 and 3 c. 2 and 3 d. 1,2,3 and 4 Answer: d)

Explanation: All are correct.

2. Industrial development

Q.1. Consider the below statements with reference to Hyperloop transportation system:

1. It is a transportation system where a pod-like vehicle is propelled through a near-vacuum tube connecting cities at speeds matching that of an aircraft.

2. The system is being designed to transport passengers only Which of the above statements is/are correct?



a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: a)

Explanation: The Hyperloop is a transportation system where a pod-like vehicle is propelled through a near-vacuum tube connecting cities at speeds matching that of an aircraft. The hyperloop system is being designed to transport passengers and freight.

Q.2.The key guidelines of Draft E-Commerce Norms 2019 are:

1. It is mandatory for e-commerce entities to accept returns in the event the products delivered are defective, wrong or spurious.

2. E-commerce platforms will not be allowed to directly or indirectly influence the price of the products and services they offer.

3. There should be transparency in contracts signed between e-commerce entities and the sellers.


a. 1 and 2 b. 1,2 and 3 c. 2 and 3 d. 1 and 3 Answer: b)


Q.3.Consider the following statements with reference to Customer Hiring Centres:

1. They aim to enable farmers to hire agricultural machinery. 2. They are basically a unit providing insurance services to marginal farmers.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: a)

Explanation: Customer Hiring Centres (CHCs) are basically a unit comprising a set of farm machinery, implements and equipment meant for hiring by farmers. In order to bring farm machinery available within the reach of small/marginal holdings, collective ownership or Custom Hiring Centres are being promoted in a big way.



Q.4. With reference to Zero Defect and Zero Effect Scheme, which of the following statements is/are correct:

1. They develop an ecosystem for Zero Defect Manufacturing in MSMEs. 2. They promote adaptation of Quality tools/systems. 3. They support ‘Make in India’ campaign. 4. It aims to reduce the environmental pollution.


a. 1,2 and 3 b. 2,3 and 4 c. 1,3 and 4 d. 1,2,3 and 4 Answer: d)

Explanation: All are correct

Q.5.With reference to the, Coking coal, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It is also known as metallurgical coal, is used to create coke, one of the key inputs for the production of steel

2. Coke is used as a fuel and as a reducing agent in smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. 3. India is the largest importer of Coking coal


a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 1 and 3 d. None of the above Answer: a)

Explanation: Coking coal, also known as metallurgical coal, is used to create coke, one of the key inputs for the production of steel. Coke is used as a fuel and as a reducing agent in smelting iron ore in a blast furnace (converting iron oxide (hematite) into iron metal). According to a report published by Fitch Solutions Macro Research, India will overtake China as the largest importer of coking coal by 2025. It is estimated that India's coking coal consumption to grow at an annual average rate of 5.4% between 2019 and 2028, driven by an expansion in steel production.

3. Economic development

Q.1. With reference to strategic disinvestment, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1) It involves transfer of substantial control of the company to the private property.

2) The management will be held back under Government control.



Which of the above statements is/are INCORRECT?

a) 1 Only

b) 2 Only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: b)

Explanation: Strategic disinvestment involves sale of substantial volume of shares so that, part of the

control of the company and or management passes to the private shareholder.

Q.2. If interest rate is negative,

1) The financial institutions are required to pay interest for parking excess reserves with the

central bank.

2) It will narrow the margin financial institutions earn from lending.

3) It will weaken a country’s currency rate by making it a less attractive investment than that of

other currencies.


a) 1 and 2

b) 2 and 3

c) 1 and 3

d) 1,2 and 3

Answer: d)


Q.3. Consider the following statements with reference to Gold Monetization Scheme:

1) It facilitates the depositors of gold to earn interest on their metal accounts.

2) They are government securities denominated in grams of gold.


a) 1 Only

b) 2 Only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: a)



Explanation: Gold Monetization Scheme was launched in November 2015 along with sovereign gold

bonds and India gold coins. It facilitates the depositors of gold to earn interest on their metal

accounts. It facilitates the depositors of gold to earn interest on their metal accounts. Once the gold is

deposited in metal account, it starts earning interest on the same. Sovereign Gold Bonds are

government securities denominated in grams of gold. They are substitutes for holding physical gold

and was introduced to reduce the demand for physical gold and shift a part of the domestic savings,

used for the purchase of gold, into financial savings.

Q.4. The World Economic Outlook is released by:

a) The World Bank

b) International Monetary Fund

c) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

d) None of the above

Answer: b)

Explanation: The World Economic Outlook is a survey by the International Monetary Fund (IMF),

usually published twice a year. It presents the analyses of global economic developments during the

near and medium term.

Q.5. With reference to Amalgamation of National Banks, consider the following statements:

1) The consolidation of public sector banks helps in strengthening its presence globally, nationally

and regionally.

2) Consolidation helps in tackling the non-performing assets issue.

3) It will increase the operational expenses of banks.


a) 1 and 2

b) 1 and 3

c) 1,2 and 3

d) 2 and 3

Answer: a)

Explanation: The consolidation of PSBs helps in strengthening its presence globally, nationally and

regionally. Consolidated entity can reduce the operational expenses.

Q.6. The scheme ‘Sabka Vishwas’, is related to



a. Communal harmony b. Legacy dispute resolution c. Confidence building measures in J&K d. None of the above Answer: b)

Explanation: Sabka Vishwas is a legacy dispute resolution scheme notified by Government for closing pending disputes relating to legacy Service Tax and Central Excise cases. It is to be operationalized from 1st September 2019.

Q.7. With reference to Economic Capital Framework, consider the following statements:

1. Bimal Jalan committee was set up to review the economic capital framework of the Reserve Bank of India.

2. It decided about the transfer of surplus from RBI for the Government to meet its fiscal deficit target.


a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: c)

Explanation: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with the government, has set up a six-member committee headed by the former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan to review the economic capital framework of the Reserve Bank of India. The transfer of surplus capital may help the government meet its fiscal deficit target as it can be used to provide fiscal stimulus to a slowing economy, reduce off-balance-sheet borrowings or meet the expected shortfall in revenue collections, etc..

4. Environment

Q.1.With reference to Integrated Coastal Zone Management, consider the following statements:

1. The project being implemented by the Ministry of Shipping. 2. The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai, provides

scientific and technical inputs for the project. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: b)



Explanation: Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Project is a World Bank assisted project being implemented by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC). ICZM is a process for the management of the coast using an integrated approach, regarding all aspects of the coastal zone, including geographical and political boundaries, in an attempt to achieve sustainability. The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai, is providing scientific and technical inputs for the project.

Q.2.The global assessment of forest biodiversity report is released by:

a. The World Bank b. The World Wide Fund for Nature c. The Global Environment Facility d. None of the above

Answer: b)

Explanation: The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has released the first-ever global assessment of forest biodiversity.

Q.3.With reference to Sundarbans, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. The Sundarbans mangrove forest lies across India and Bangladesh. 2. It is a wetland conserved under Ramsar convention.



Answer: c)

Explanation: Both are correct.

Q.4. Consider the following statements with reference to CITES:

1. It an International agreement to regulate worldwide commercial trade in wild animal and plant species.

2. It is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme 3. It is legally binding on state parties to the convention, which are obliged to adopt their own

domestic legislation to implement its goals. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 1 and 3



d. 1,2 and 3 Answer: d)


5. Energy

Q.1. With reference to the Ocean Energy, consider the following statements:

1. Recently, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has declared Ocean Energy as renewable energy.

2. Ocean energy is used in the form of only Tidal Energy. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1nor 2

Answer: a)

Explanation: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has declared Ocean Energy as renewable energy. Ocean energy is used in the form of Tidal, Wave, Current Energy and Ocean Thermal Energy.

Q.2. With reference to Open Acreage Licensing Policy , which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It provides uniform licences for exploration and production of all forms of hydrocarbons 2. It enables contractors to explore only conventional oil and gas resources. 3. It is a critical part of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy

Which of the above statements is/are INCORRECT?

a. 1 and 2 b. 2 Only c. 1,2 and 3 d. 1 and 3

Answer: b)

Explanation: Open Acreage Licensing Policy(OLAP) provides uniform licences for exploration and production of all forms of hydrocarbons, enabling contractors to explore conventional as well as unconventional oil and gas resources.

6. Information and Communication Technology

Q.1. With reference to Software Defined Networking, which of the above statements is/are correct?



1. It is a network architecture approach that enables the network to be intelligently and centrally controlled, using software applications.

2. It enables network behaviour to be controlled by the software that resides beyond the networking devices that provide physical connectivity.



Answer: c)

Explanation: Software Defined Networking (SDN) is a network architecture approach that enables the network to be intelligently and centrally controlled, using software applications. SDN enables network behaviour to be controlled by the software that resides beyond the networking devices that provide physical connectivity.

Q.2. With reference to Big Data, consider the following statements:

1. Big data applications can help in natural disasters management 2. Bigdata has three V’s – Volume, Velocity and Variety, that distinguish Big Data from other

forms of data. Which of the above statements is/are correct?


Answer: c)

Explanation: Both are correct.

Q.3. Match the following:

Missions Objective

1. GramNet A. Connecting all key rural development institutions with 10 Mbps-upgradeable to 100 Mbps.

2. BharatNet B. Establishing Wi-Fi Hotspots in rural areas 3. JanWiFi C. Provide 10 Gbps connectivity to all Gram Panchayats of India by

2022.



Which of the pairs given above is/are INCORRECTLY matched?

a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 1 and 3 d. 1,2 and 3

Answer: b)

Explanation:

1. GramNet – Connecting all key rural development institutions with 10 Mbps upgradeable to 100 Mbps.

2. BharatNet- Provide 1 Gbps connectivity to all Gram Panchayats of India by 2020 and 10 Gbps by 2022.

3. JanWiFi – Establishing 2 Million Wi-Fi Hotspots in rural areas. Hence, only 3rd option is correctly matched.

Q.4. Consider the following statements with reference to Electromagnetic Compatibility: 1. It is the ability of electrical equipment to function using any electromagnetic spectrum. 2. It is a short burst of electromagnetic energy. 3. It aims to maintain regular operation of different equipment in a common electromagnetic

environment. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 and 2 b. 1 and 3 c. 2 and 3 d. 3 only

Answer: d) Explanation: Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) is the ability of electrical equipment and systems to function acceptably in their electromagnetic environment. It works by limiting the unintentional generation, propagation and reception of electromagnetic energy which may cause unwanted effects such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) or even physical damage in operational equipment. The goal of EMC is to maintain regular operation of different equipment in a common electromagnetic environment.

7. GK and Other topics

Q.1. The major changes in the President order with respect to Jammu and Kashmir are: 1. Jammu and Kashmir will no longer have separate constitution, flag or anthem. 2. All laws passed by Parliament will be applicable in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Right to

Information Act and the Right to Education Act. 3. The Indian Penal Code will replace the Ranbir Penal Code of Jammu and Kashmir.




a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 1,2 and 3 d. 1 and 3

Answer: c) Explanation: All are correct. Q.2.Consider the following statements with reference to Zayed Medal:

1. It is the highest civilian award of Saudi Arabia. 2. Prime Minister of India has become the first head of any Asian country to win the medal. 3. The award has been named after the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of

the Saudi Arabia. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 and 2 b. 1 and 3 c. 1 Only d. 2 and 3

Answer: b) Explanation: Recently, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has awarded ZAYED Medal, the highest civilian award to the Prime Minister of India for consolidating the long-standing friendship and joint strategic cooperation between the two nations. The award has been named after the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE.



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