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BRIEF NOTE ON NEO IAS Prelims CURRENT AFFAIRS
BRIEF NOTE ON NEO IAS PRELIMS CURRENT AFFAIRS DIGEST
Team Neo IAS brings you a unique and reliable current affairs digest to streamline your prelims
preparation. With its exclusive and exhaustive focus on Prelims, the digest is your trustworthy
companion to score 140+ in UPSC CSE Prelims 2018.
The digest is a compiled, organized and improvised version of NEO TPS 2018 daily current affairs
series. Under it, detailed videos on daily current affairs are uploaded on a regular basis on our
DIGEST
YouTube channel. Hence, it is a tutorial backed current affairs material – the first of its kind.
The document is unique method of content preparation– Locate, Extend, Explore and Explain (L3E)
Method.
Locate accurately the most probable areas.
Extend from those areas to cover portions left out by the standard books.
Explore further for precise content.
Explain it in a reader friendly format.
One can distinguish the normal current affairs material and NEO IAS Current Affairs Digest as follows:
Neo IAS Current Normal Current
Features
Affairs Digest Affairs
No. of Prelims relevant topics
180- 230 70-80
per month
Prelims specific content
arrangement
Revision quiz challenge to
check learning
Videos on the same topic
Relevant past years questions
on the topic
Wide use of photographs and
tables for smart learning
For promising results you are required to read the digest three to four times along with your standard
textbooks.
We attempt to cover new issues every day and drop the issues which are already covered. Therefore
aspirants are advised to regularly follow NEO IAS Prelims Current Affairs Digests.
NEO IAS monthly digests are prepared by a proficient team. But we are also hungry to improve
ourselves in terms of content, style and presentation to suit your study methods. Feel free to contact us
with you suggestions at: neoiascurrentaffairs@gmail.com
Happy Learning!
2 Economy ................................................................................................... 20
Economy: Concepts ....................................................................................... 20
2.1 STANDING DEPOSIT FACILITY (SDF) ...................................................................................................................................... 20
2.2 INVERTED DUTY STRUCTURE (IDS) ......................................................................................................................................... 20
2.3 NEW CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFYING MSMES .............................................................................................................................. 20
2.4 KNOW YOUR CLIENT NORMS.................................................................................................................................................. 21
2.5 LETTERS OF UNDERTAKING AND NOSTRO ACCOUNT.................................................................................................................. 21
2.6 BUYERS CREDIT ................................................................................................................................................................... 22
2.7 SWIFT NETWORK ............................................................................................................................................................... 22
2.8 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INDEX .............................................................................................................................................23
2.9 STRESSED ASSETS & NPA .....................................................................................................................................................23
2.10 DEVELOPMENT IMPACT BOND (DIB) ..................................................................................................................................... 26
2.11 INDIAN STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE (ISPR).................................................................................................................... 26
2.12 ANGEL TAX ..........................................................................................................................................................................27
Economy: Schemes........................................................................................ 28
2.13 GOBAR-DHAN SCHEME ........................................................................................................................................................ 28
2.14 KUSUM SCHEME ................................................................................................................................................................ 28
2.15 STARTUP INDIA RANKING FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................................................. 29
5 Environment .............................................................................................. 75
Environment: Institutions ............................................................................... 75
5.1 NATIONAL ADAPTATION FUND FOR CLIMATE CHANGE (NAFCC) ...............................................................................................75
5.2 MINAMATA CONVENTION ON MERCURY..................................................................................................................................75
5.3 CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT (CSE) .................................................................................................................... 76
5.4 UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME .......................................................................................................................................... 76
6 Security ..................................................................................................... 93
Security Assets .............................................................................................. 93
Statements
Social Sector
The initiatives are:
1) Health and Wellness Centre:
The National Health Policy, 2017 has envisioned Health and Wellness Centres as the foundation
of India’s health system.
Under this 1.5 lakh centres will bring health care system closer to the homes of people.
These centres will provide comprehensive health care, including for non-communicable diseases
and maternal and child health services.
These centres will also provide free essential drugs and diagnostic services.
The Budget has allocated Rs.1200 crore for this flagship programme.
Contribution of private sector through CSR and philanthropic institutions in adopting these
centres is also envisaged.
Key Facts
The initiatives are aimed at making path breaking interventions to address health holistically, in
primary, secondary and tertiary care systems, covering both prevention and health promotion.
These two health sector initiatives under Ayushman Bharat Programme will build a New India 2022 and
ensure enhanced productivity, well-being and avert wage loss and impoverishment.
These schemes will also generate lakhs of jobs, particularly for women.
Key Facts
The theme for the World Cancer Day 2016-2018 is ‘We can. I can.’
The theme throws light on how everyone, as a collective or as individuals, can do their part to reduce the
global burden of cancer.
The day is observed every year with an aim to save millions of preventable deaths by raising
awareness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world
to take action.
Key Facts
`The report ranks states and Union territories
innovatively on their year-on-year incremental
change in health outcomes, as well as, their overall
performance with respect to each other.
It is the first attempt to establish an annual
systematic tool to measure and understand the
heterogeneity and complexity of the nation’s performance
in Health.
The report has been developed by NITI Aayog, with
technical assistance from the World Bank, and in
consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
Health Index has been developed as a tool to leverage co-operative and competitive federalism to
accelerate the pace of achieving health outcomes.
States and UTs have been ranked in three categories namely, Larger States, Smaller States, and
Union Territories (UTs), to ensure comparison among similar entities.
The Health Index is a weighted composite Index, which for the larger States, is based on indicators
in three domains with each domain assigned a weight based on its importance. The domains are:
(a) Health Outcomes (70%);
(b) Governance and Information (12%); and
(c) Key Inputs and Processes (18%).
Among UTs
Lakshadweep showed both the best overall performance as well as the highest annual incremental
performance.
Key Facts
The sex ratio at birth (SRB) saw a decline in 17 out of 21 large states of the country, with Gujarat
recording an alarming dip of 53 points.
About SRB
Sex ratio at birth (SRB) refers to number of female births per 1000 male births.
Sex ratio at birth is an important indicator and reflects the extent to which there is reduction in
number of girl children born by sex-selective abortions.
Key Facts
It has been developed by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in collaboration with the
Environmental Sanitation Institute and Tata Trusts.
The Sanitation Park was developed at CGO Complex in New Delhi with an objective to create
awareness on various safe technological options.
The Park demonstrates various options pertaining to toilet technologies and solid and liquid waste
management technologies, with a brief description of these technologies.
The Park also displays information regarding various interventions undertaken under the
Swachh Bharat Mission, capturing the success stories and impact created under the Mission across
the country.
The park presents the opportunity for the visitors to understand the various components and initiatives
of SBM and familiarize themselves with different technologies.
Key Facts
The IHF aims to support new products and strategies that impact
entire lifecycle of malaria and TB, from prevention to post-cure
recovery. It has recently invited project proposals.
The IHF initiative will support individuals and organisations with
already germinated innovative strategies, services, products,
such that they become sustainable and scalable solutions in
addressing TB and malaria.
The initiative is not a fellowship programme to do research from
scratch.
Challenge
TB and malaria pose long-standing health challenges for India.
These two diseases account for over 4.23 lakh deaths and around 15 million lab-confirmed cases every
year.
Key Facts
Swajal is a community owned drinking water programme for sustained drinking water supply.
Under the scheme, 90% of the project cost will be taken care by the Government and the remaining
10% of the project cost will be contributed by the community.
The Operations and management of the project will be taken care by the local villagers.
Besides ensuring the availability of clean drinking water to every household round the year, the project
would also generate employment.
1.8 VIRAL LOAD TESTING FOR ALL PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (PLHIV)
Why in News
Ministry of Health has launched free ‘Viral load testing for all people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV)’.
Key Facts
Viral load kits are used to determine the severity of an infection before deciding on the treatment
regimen that is appropriate for HIV patients.
The viral load is used to monitor the effectiveness of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) over time.
It measures the amount of HIV genetic material (RNA) in the blood and reports how many copies
of the virus are present.
The routine viral load testing will optimize the utilization of first line regimens, thus preventing drug
resistance and ensuring the longevity of people living with HIV.
Mission Sampark
Already covered in NEO IAS Prelims Current Affairs Digest – December, 2017 (Topic: 1.2)
Unani Day
The birthday of great Unani researcher Hakim Ajmal Khan i.e. 11th February is celebrated as Unani
Day.
Hakim Ajmal Khan was eminent Indian Unani physician who was versatile genius, freedom fighter,
educationist and founder of scientific research in Unani Medicine.
Born in 1868, this year was 150th Birth Anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan.
Key Facts
MODY is a rare form of diabetes which is different from both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and runs
strongly in families.
MODY is caused by a mutation (or change) in a single gene. If a parent has this gene mutation, any
child they have, has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting it from them.
If a child does inherit the mutation they will generally go on to develop MODY before they’re 25, whatever
their weight, lifestyle, ethnic group etc.
In MODY, any one of the 14 genes, if defective, can hamper the body’s insulin usage and trigger
Type-2 diabetes.
Of the 14 MODY genes already identified, largely from European studies, MODY 1–3 are the most
common.
Some forms of MODY can easily be treated with sulphonylurea, an inexpensive drug.
In a paper published in the BMC Medical Genetics journal, researchers outlined that variants of
the NKX6-1 gene found in MODY patients were “functionally impaired”.
Key Facts
Diabetes involves a disruption of how blood sugar is kept in check by the hormone insulin.
In Type-2 diabetes, which is the most common form of the disorder, many genes and environmental
factors combine to cause this disruption.
DIABETES
Diabetes mellitus (DM), commonly referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorders in which
there are high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period.
It occurs when:
(i) the pancreas does not produce enough of the insulin hormone, which regulates blood sugar
(ii) The body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
Patients with high blood sugar will typically experience polyuria (frequent urination), they will become
increasingly thirsty (polydipsia) and hungry (polyphagia).
There are three main types of diabetes mellitus:
Type 1 Diabetes - the body does not produce insulin. Approximately 10% of all diabetes cases
are type 1.
Type 2 Diabetes - the body does not produce enough insulin for proper function. Approximately
90% of all cases of diabetes worldwide are of this type.
Gestational Diabetes - this type affects females during pregnancy.
Key Facts
Under the scheme, the best students who have completed or are in the final year of B. Tech or
Integrated M.Tech or M.Sc. in Science and Technology streams from IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs/IIITs will be
offered direct admission in PhD programme in the IITs/IISc.
It will offer a fellowship of Rs.70,000/- per month for the first two years, Rs.75,000/- per month for the
3rd year, and Rs.80,000/- per month in the 4th and 5th years.
Apart from this, a research grant of Rs. 2lakh will be provided to each of the fellows for a period of 5
years to cover their foreign travel expenses for presenting research papers in international conferences
and seminars.
A maximum of 3000 fellows would be selected in a three year period, beginning 2018-19.
The scheme will go a long way in tapping the talent pool of the country for carrying out
research indigenously in cutting edge science and technology domains.
The research under the Scheme will address our national priorities at the one hand and shortage of
quality faculty in the premier educational institutions of the country, on the other.
Key facts
The aim of RISE scheme is to step up investments in research and related infrastructure in premier
educational institutions, including health institutions.
The RISE scheme will be financed via a restructured higher education financing agency (HEFA) that is
functioning for the last two months as a non-banking financial company.
It will have total investment of Rs 1 lakh crore in the next four years.
Key Facts
The theme for 20CCEM is ‘Sustainability and Resilience: Can education deliver?’
The theme was discussed in the context of three sub-themes:
Education for sustainable development;
Building resilience through education; and
Education governance and management.
The theme captures issues connected to the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In this regard, 20CCEM provided an opportune moment for ministers to not only review their
progress on SDG4 but also reaffirm their commitment to the achievement of the various targets
outlined under this goal.
2018 conference was the first Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) since the
global community adopted the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
20CCEM was also the first CCEM to be held in a Pacific Island country; the first CCEM being held in
the Pacific region in Australia in 1971.
Key Facts
The book is being published by Penguin Randon House India.
She-box portal:
It is an effort to provide speedier remedy to women facing sexual harassment at workplace as
envisaged under the SH Act.
Under the Scheme, Swadhar Greh will be set up in every district with capacity of 30 women
with the following objectives:
To cater to the primary need of shelter, food, clothing, medical treatment and care of the
women in distress and who are without any social and economic support.
Objectives
To enable them to regain their emotional strength that gets hampered due to their
encounter with unfortunate circumstances.
To provide them with legal aid and guidance to enable them to take steps for their
readjustment in family/society.
To rehabilitate them economically and emotionally.
To act as a support system that understands and meets various requirements of women
in distress.
To enable them to start their life afresh with dignity and conviction
The benefit of the component could be availed by women above 18 years of age of the following
categories:
Women who are deserted and are without any social and economic support;
Women survivors of natural disasters who have been rendered homeless and are
without any social and economic support;
Women prisoners released from jail and are without family, social and economic
Beneficiaries
support;
Women victims of domestic violence, family tension or discord, who are made to
leave their homes without any means of subsistence and have no special protection
from exploitation and/ or facing litigation on account of marital disputes; and
Trafficked women/girls rescued or runaway from brothels or other places where
they face exploitation and Women affected by HIV/AIDS who do not have any social
or economic support. (However such women/ girls should first seek assistance under
UJJAWALA Scheme in areas where it is in operation).
Women affected by domestic violence could stay up to one year. For other categories of
women, the maximum period of stay could be up to 3 years.
Swadhar Greh facilities could also be availed by the children accompanying women in the
above categories.
Economy
Background
The central bank had recommended this tool following demonetization when banks witnessed a surge in
cash deposit leading to a liquidity surplus of Rs.4 trillion in March 2017.
SDF was first proposed in the Urjit Patel committee report in January 2014, as part of measures to
improve the monetary-policy framework.
Economy: Concepts
Unit Annual turnover notification, vary turnover limits, which shall not
exceed thrice the limits specified in Section 7 of the
MSMED Act.
Micro enterprise Upto Rs. 5 Crore
At present the MSMED Act (Section 7) classifies the
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on the
Small enterprise Rs. 5 – 75 Crore basis of investment in plant and machinery for
manufacturing units, and investment in equipment for
service enterprises.
The criterion of investment in plant
Medium enterprise Rs 75 – 250 Crore and machinery stipulates self-declaration which in turn
entails verification if deemed necessary and leads to
transaction costs.
More about it
The Know Your Client norms are the standards in the investment industry that ensures investment
advisors know detailed information about their clients' risk tolerance, investment knowledge and
financial position.
KYC norms helps ensure that an investment adviser or broker does not make decisions that do not
conform to the client's intentions
In India, KYC norms apply to the venture capital funds (VCFs), collective investment schemes (CIS)
and mutual funds.
However, currently there is no specific format. As a result, the intermediaries use different KYC formats
and supporting documents.
Note: Know Your Employee and Know your partner are also brought into focus in the wake of PNB fraud.
Both relates to procedures undertaken by the banks for systematic background verification of employees
and partners.
A customer who require a short-term credit in a foreign country to import something can approach the
foreign exchange department of his/her bank and ask for an LoU.
Economy: Concepts
Benefits
The overseas bank lending to the borrower based on the LoU earns interest on the amount.
The bank issuing the LoU gets a fee
The borrower gets a credit facility at a place where she may not have banking relationships. Moreover,
Interest rates in India are higher compared to international benchmark rates. So the cost of loans is
cheap for the borrower.
Nostro account
Nostro account refers to an account that a bank holds in a foreign currency in another bank.
Nostros, a term derived from the Latin word for "ours," are frequently used to facilitate foreign exchange
and trade transactions.
Benefits
The exporter is paid in accordance with the terms of the sale contract with the importer, without undue
delays.
The availability of buyer’s credit also makes it feasible for the exporter to pursue large export orders.
The importer obtains the flexibility to pay for the purchases over a period of time, as stipulated in the
terms of the buyer’s credit facility, rather than up front at the time of purchase.
The importer can also request funding in a major currency that is more stable than the domestic
currency, especially if the latter has a significant risk of devaluation.
Economy: Concepts
SWIFT does not hold funds or manage accounts on behalf of customers.
Sibos is the annual conference hosted by SWIFT specifically aimed at the
financial services industry.
Last April, SWIFT published a detailed description of the mandatory and
advisory customer security controls. This framework describes a set of
controls for its customers to implement on their local infrastructure.
Many of the Indian banks are yet to adopt its norms.
Key facts
The index was released as part of the annual report prepared by the Global Innovation Policy Center
(GIPC) of the US Chambers of Commerce.
The report analyses IP climate in 50 world economies based on 40 unique indicators that benchmark
activity critical to innovation development surrounding patent, copyright, trademark and trade secrets
protection.
The US tops the list with 37.98 points, followed by United Kingdom (37.97) and Sweden (37.03).
Key Facts
Asset Quality Review initiated by RBI in 2015, and subsequent transparent recognition by banks
revealed high NPAs, which have impacted balance-sheets of several Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
For strengthening PSB balance-sheets, under Indradhanush plan, Government provided for Rs
70,000 crore till 2018-19, as a result of which despite high NPA and consequential provisioning, banks
were successful in complying with capital adequacy norms.
With the object of increasing credit off-take and promoting creation of jobs, in October 2017
Government announced, and has since initiated, recapitalisation of PSBs by Rs 2,11,000 crore within
two financial years to make banks weakened by NPAs strong.
Economy: Concepts
Difference between NPAs and Stressed Assets
Stressed Assets
o It is a broader term and comprises of NPAs, restructured loans and written off assets.
NPAs (Non-performing Assets)
o It is a loan or advance for which the principal or interest payment remained overdue for a
period of 90 days.
Restructured Loans
o Assets/loans which have been restructured by giving a longer duration for repayment, lowering
interest or by converting them to equity.
Written off Assets
o Assets/loans which aren’t counted as dues. They are compensated through some other way.
o It will advise the banks on how to raise funds and how to go ahead
with mergers and acquisitions.
o The bureau will have three ex-officio members and three expert
members, in addition to the Chairman.
o Banks are in need of capitalisation due to high NPAs and due to need
to meet the new BASEL- III norms.
Economy: Concepts
Governance Reforms o GyanSangam conferences between government officials and bankers
for resolving issues in banking sector and chalking out future policy.
**Not to be confused with Mission Indradhanush of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Economy: Concepts
4 years period to deliver range of operational models including principal and teacher training, direct
school management, and supplementary programmes.
The DIB is the largest bond of its type in South Asia.
It is the latest fundraising initiative by British Asian Trust (BAT), set up by British royal family 10 years
ago to fight poverty in South Asia.
The DIB was announced on occasion of celebration of 10th anniversary of BAT.
It was launched by trust with support of UK government’s Department for International Development
(DfID), Comic Relief, Mittal Foundation and UBS Optimus Foundation.
The DIB is intended as result-oriented way to attract new capital into development projects, with strong
emphasis on data and evidence.
It is intended to improve literacy and numeracy learning
What kind of Questions to expect
levels for primary school students from marginalised
(2017 Prelims)
communities in country.
Key Facts
The agreement covers the storage of 5.86 million barrels of ADNOC crude oil in underground
facilities, at the Karnataka facility.
The oil storage facility will help ensure India’s energy security, as well as enable ADNOC to efficiently
and competitively meet market demand in India and across the fast developing South East Asian
economies.
Economy: Concepts
Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), a Special Purpose
Vehicle, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oil Industry
Development Board (OIDB) under the Ministry of
Petroleum & Natural Gas.
Engineers India Limited (EIL) is taken as the Project
Management Consultant for all three projects.
The crude oil storages are constructed in underground
rock caverns and are located on the East and West coast
of India.
Underground rock caverns are considered as the safest means of storing hydrocarbons.
Crude oil from these caverns can be supplied to the Indian Refineries either through pipelines or through
a combination of pipelines and ships.
ANGEL INVESTOR
Angel investors invest in small startups or entrepreneurs.
Often, angel investors are among an entrepreneur's family and friends.
The capital angel investors provide may be a one-time investment to help the business propel or an
ongoing injection of money to support and carry the company through its difficult early stages.
Angel investors provide more favourable terms compared to other lenders, since they usually invest
in the entrepreneur starting the business rather than the viability of the business.
Angel investors are focused on helping startups take their first steps, rather than the possible profit they
may get from the business. Essentially, angel investors are the opposite of venture capitalists.
Angel investors are also called informal investors, angel funders, private investors, seed investors
or business angels.
VENTURE CAPITAL
Venture capital is financing that investors provide to startup companies and small businesses that
are believed to have long-term growth potential.
Economy: Schemes
Venture capital generally comes from well-off investors, investment banks and any other financial
institutions.
It does not always take just a monetary form; it can be provided in the form of technical or managerial
expertise.
Though it can be risky for the investors who put up the funds, the potential for above-average returns
is an attractive payoff.
The investors usually get equity in the company, and thus a say in company decisions.
One important difference between venture capital and other private equity deals is that venture capital
tends to focus on emerging companies seeking substantial funds for the first time, while private
equity tends to fund larger, more established companies that are seeking an equity infusion or a chance
for company founders to transfer some of their ownership stake.
ECONOMY: SCHEMES
2.13 GOBAR-DHAN SCHEME
Why in News?
Finance Minister in his budget speech announced the launch of Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources
Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN).
Key Facts
The scheme is an effort to make the villages open defecation free and aims to improve the lives of villagers.
The scheme will manage and convert cattle dung and solid waste in farms to compost, biogas and bio-
CNG.
It will also generate an alternate source of income for the farmers.
Economy: Schemes
farmers. It will be shared between Centre and States while
30% will be provided through bank loans. The balance cost
will be borne by farmers.
It focuses on enriching the Startup ecosystem through ethical behaviours and is currently followed
by 18 States and UTs.
It covers 95 good practises across 7 areas of intervention.
These are distilled into 38 action points including Incubation Support, Seed Funding, Angel & Venture
Funding, Startup Policy & Implementation, Simplified Regulations, Easing Public Procurement,
Awareness & Outreach.
Economy: Schemes
The Solar City aims at minimum 10% reduction in projected demand of conventional energy at the
end of five years, through a combination of enhancing supply from renewable energy sources in the
city and energy efficiency measures.
The basic aim is to motivate the local Governments for adopting renewable energy technologies and
energy efficiency measures.
In a Solar City all types of renewable energy based projects like solar, wind, biomass, small hydro, waste
to energy etc. may be installed along with possible energy efficiency measures depending on the need
and resource availability in the city.
Background
The committee was set up in the wake of Rs. 11,400 crore SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank
Financial Telecommunication)-related fraud in Punjab National Bank (PNB) and RBI’s drive of
strengthening supervisory framework in the country to avoid frauds.
Members of the committee includes Banking experts like RBI Central Board member, formed Public
Sector Banks MDs etc.
Objectives of the committee
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The committee will look into reasons for high divergence observed in asset classification and
provisioning by banks vis-à-vis RBI’s supervisory assessment.
It will suggest steps needed to prevent it, factors leading to increasing incidence of frauds in banks
and measures (including IT interventions) needed to curb and prevent it.
It will also look into role and effectiveness of various types of audits conducted in banks in mitigating
the incidence of such divergence and frauds.
Economy: Schemes
2.19 DELHI MUMBAI INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR (DMIC) AND INDUSTRIAL CORRI DORS
Why in News?
The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), a mega infrastructure project with an estimated investment
of $100 billion, has attracted interest from companies based out of Canada, the U.S., Singapore
and Taiwan.
Economy: Schemes
2.20 DEDICATED FREIGHT CORRIDORS (DFC)
The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and Eastern Dedicated Fright Corridor
The Dedicated Freight Corridors have two wings- the Western DFC and the Eastern DFC.
The Western Corridor connecting Dadri in NCR Delhi to Mumbai – Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT),
will go through six states- Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
It is the Western DFC that provides the
connectivity of the Delhi Mumbai
Industrial Corridor.
The Eastern Corridor, starting from
Dankuni in West Bengal will pass
through the states of Jharkhand, Bihar,
Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to
terminate at Ludhiana in Punjab.
Traffic on EDFC comprises of coal for the
power plants in the northern region of
India from Coalfields located in state of
Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal, finished
steel, food grains, cement, fertilizer,
limestone from Rajasthan to steel plants
in the east and general goods.
The Western DFC will join Eastern DFC
at Dadri.
Both these Dedicated Freight Corridors
offer high-speed connectivity for High
Axle Load Wagons (25 Tonne) of Double
Stacked Container supported by high power locomotives.
Economy: Schemes
Why in News?
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has given approval for creation of National Urban Housing
Fund (NUHF) for Rs.60,000 crores.
Key Facts
The ASH TRACK App would be managing 200 million tonnes of fly ash by tracking coal based power
plants situated within 100 km and 300 km from given location and availability of fly ash, along with
prospective users within the same radius.
The App gives plant-wise, utility-wise and State-wise ash utilization status in the country.
The thermal plants would regularly update fly ash generation, utilization and stock on the web portal
and the app.
This would allow effective monitoring and reviewing for increasing ash utilization.
This would also help in protecting environment in terms of reduction in fugitive emissions, saving
of precious top soil and conservation of land for sustainable development.
For Consumers: o App shows coal based power plants situated within the radius of 100
km and 300 km from a given location
o User can select power station from where he wants to take fly ash
o Ash availability, distance from user’s location, details of contact person
will be displayed
o User can apply online for allocation of ash
o SMS will be sent to the applicant and the respective power plant
instantly
For Power Stations: o App shows perspective users within the radius of 100 km and 300 km
of power plants
o Power station can see the location of prospective ash users
surrounding the power plant like – cement plants, NHAI, Pradhan Mantri
Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) projects, brick producers, etc.
o Power plants can contact the prospective users for supply of ash
FLY ASH
Economy: Schemes
Fly ash: also known as Pulverised fuel ash is the light weight substance which tend to fly around in
hot flue gases.
It includes black soot occurring due to combustion of coal, vapourised particles of lead, cadmium,
nickel etc.
They are micron sized earth elements primarily consisting of silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide
(Al2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO).
The Fly ash causes air pollution; contaminate water and soil systems and the wet disposal of Fly ash
results in leaching of toxic heavy metals in ground water system.
Fly ash can be used as a replacement for some of the Portland cement contents of concrete.
It can be used in the prouction of bricks.
Flue Gases
2.23 INDO-HCM
Why in News?
The Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has released India’s first ever Highway Capacity
Manual, known as Indo-HCM, to guide road engineers and policy makers about road expansion.
About Indo-HCM:
The manual lays down guidelines for when and how to expand or manage different types of roads
and their intersections and level of services to be put in place.
It is designed to be useful tool for guiding road engineers and policy makers in country.
The manual has been developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) on basis of an
extensive, country-wide study of traffic characteristics on different categories of roads like single, two,
multi-lane urban roads, inter-urban highways and expressways and associated intersections on these
roads.
Economy: Schemes
About Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)
ZBNF is set of natural farming methods where cost of growing and harvesting plants is zero.
It is a farming practice that believes in natural growth of crops without adding any fertilizers and
pesticides or any other foreign elements.
It is different from organic farming.
The word Zero Budget refers to zero net cost of production of all crops.
The main aim of ZBNF is eliminate use of chemical pesticides and uses biological pesticides and
promote of good agronomic practices.
Background
Supreme Court in its September 2014 order had cancelled 204 coal mines and blocks allocated to various
Government and Private Companies since 1993 under the provisions of Coal Mines (Nationalisation)
Act, 1973.
Under the pursuance of this order, Parliament had enacted Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015
to bring transparency and accountability for allocation of coal mines by way of auction and allotment for
the sale of coal.
Significance
The methodology gives highest priority to transparency, ease of doing business and ensuring that
natural resources are used for national development.
It opens commercial coal mining for private sector and will help in boosting the economy.
Economy: Schemes
2.26 LPG PANCHAYAT AND PMUY
Why in News?
The President of India hosted a ‘LPG Panchayat’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
o Under it, one lakh LPG Panchayats will be activated across country to deal with issue
of safe use of LPG as well as discuss its various benefits on environment, health and how
it empowers women.
o LPG Panchayat will serve as an interactive platform between those who received LPG
cylinders under PMUY.
o One panchayat will have around 100 LPG customers of nearby areas, to discuss safe
and sustainable usage of LPG, its benefits and the link between clean fuel for cooking and
women’s empowerment.
o The panchayats discuss issues such as safe practices, quality of service provided by
distributors and availability of refill cylinders.
Economy: Schemes
2.27 ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA
Why in News?
In a major push to improve the groundwater situation and recharge of underground water tables, the Central
Government is speeding up the ambitious Rs 6000-crore Atal Bhujal Yojana.
Funding:
Rs 6,000 crore has been earmarked for this ambitious plan.
Half of the total cost of this central scheme will be supported by the World Bank as loan while the
remaining half (Rs 3,000 crore) will be funded by the government through budgetary support.
Implementation:
The government plans to give 50% of the money to states, including gram panchayats, as incentives
for achieving targets in groundwater management. That’s a first-ever move to encourage
community participation and behavioural changes.
The remaining 50% of the funds will be given to states for strengthening institutional arrangements
such as providing a strong database and scientific approach to help them accomplish sustainable
management of groundwater.
Key Facts
Economy: Schemes
The project will come along NH-134 (old NH-94) in Uttarakhand and will be built under Engineering,
Procurement and Construction (EPC) Mode.
It is a 4.531 km long bidirectional tunnel
The project will be implemented by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), through National
Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL).
Significance
The construction of this tunnel will provide all weather connectivity to Yamunotri, one of dham on
Chardham Yatra.
It will reduce travel distance from Dharasu to Yamunotri by about 20 km and travel time by about
hour.
Key Facts
The Scheme will offer a speedy and cost-free complaint redressal mechanism relating to deficiency in the
services by NBFCs.
The Scheme will be known as ‘Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies, 2018’.
According to the RBI, it will cover all deposit-taking NBFCs for now. Later it would extend the scheme
to cover those NBFCs who have the asset size of Rs. 100 crore and above with customer interface.
The Ombudsman Scheme will provide an Appellate mechanism under which the complainant/ NBFC
has the option to appeal against the decision of the Ombudsman before the Appellate Authority.
The Reserve Bank may appoint one or more of its officers in the rank of not less than General Manager
to be known as Ombudsman to carry out the functions for a period not exceeding three years at a
time.
The offices of the NBFC Ombudsmen will function at four metro centres — Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai
and New Delhi — and will handle complaints of customers in the respective zones.
Functioning
Economy: Schemes
when it becomes final and send a report in this regard to the Reserve Bank within 15 days of the
award becoming final.
In the event of non-implementation of settlement or the Award, the complainant may represent to the
RBI and the RBI may initiate such action under the provisions of RBI Act, 1934 as it deems fit.
Key Facts
SRIJAN (Station Rejuvenation Initiative by Joint Action) was launched by Indian Railway Stations
Development Corporation Limited (IRSDC) in partnership with MyGov, as a first-of-its-kind idea
crowdsourcing competition
What kind of Questions to expect
It was launched to invite innovative, scalable, low-cost and (2017 Prelims)
high-impact ideas from stakeholders for upgrading the look
and feel of the railway stations and thereby transform the
functional utility, raise the revenue generation capacity and
lower operations and maintenance cost of railway stations in
the IR network.
It will be the world’s largest-ever transit-oriented-development
and multi-modal-integration station development initiative
encompassing more than 600 stations, to begin with.
The winners shall receive letters of commendation, and
due credits shall be given when the idea is implemented.
Further, the participants shortlisted in ‘SRIJAN’ may be given
the opportunity to professionally associate with IRSDC.
Economy: Institutions
o New and improved Website with eLearning Module
o MIS Dashboard
o Grievance Redressal Management System for
Mandi Secretaries
o Integration with Farmer Database
o It was launched in 21 mandis across 8 states in April 2016 and now expanded
to 479 mandis across 14 states and 01 union territory.
o Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is operating the NAM as the
implementing agency with technical support from the Strategic Partner (SP).
Features o Farmers can showcase their produce online from their nearest market and
traders can quote price from anywhere.
o It will result in increased numbers of traders and greater competition.
o It will also ensure open price discovery and better returns to farmers.
Note:
Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) is a marketing board established by state
governments which forces the farmers to sell their produce only to middlemen approved by the
government in authorized Mandis (markets).
National Agriculture Market (NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing
Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis to create a unified national market for
agricultural commodities.
ECONOMY: INSTITUTIONS
2.32 DIFFERENT TYPES OF BANKS IN INDIA
Why in news?
There is an ongoing debate about privatizing public banks at the wake of Punjab National Bank fraud.
Finance Minister said that such privatization will be difficult due to lack of political consensus.
Any bank which is listed in the 2nd schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
scheduled Scheduled bank
Economy: Institutions
It includes all nationalized banks, private sector banks, regional rural banks,
foreign banks and some co-operative banks.
To qualify as a scheduled bank, the paid up capital and collected funds of the bank
must not be less than Rs5 lakh.
Scheduled banks are eligible for loans from the Reserve Bank of India at bank rate,
and are given membership to clearing houses.
Those banks which are not listed in the 2nd schedule of the RBI act, 1934.
These are also known as Local Area Bank.
banks
Non-scheduled banks are also subject to the statutory cash reserve requirement.
But they are not required to keep them with the RBI.
Non-
Unlike scheduled banks, they are entitled to borrow from the RBI only in emergency or
“abnormal circumstances.”
Jammu & Kashmir Bank is an example of a non-scheduled commercial bank.
All banks registered under the Cooperative Societies Act, 1912 are considered co-
Co-operative
operative banks.
banks
These are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India under the Banking Regulation
Act, 1949 and Banking Laws (Application to Co-operative Societies) Act, 1965.
It is an institution established on the basis of cooperative principles and dealing in
ordinary banking business with ‘No Profit No Loss Basis’.
These banks are located in the urban as well in the rural areas.
They serve the rural areas and agricultural sectors with basic banking and adequate
Regional Rural
financial services.
Banks
The RRBs are owned by the central government (50%), the state government (15%)
and the sponsor bank (35%).
Several commercial banks have sponsored RRBs. Eg: Maharashtra Gramin Bank
(sponsored by the Bank of Maharashtra).
Prathama Bank, based in Moradabad, established on 2 October 1975, is the first RRB.
Economy: Institutions
What is it? accelerate financial inclusion.
Capital The minimum paid-up equity capital for payments banks is Rs. 100 crore.
requirement
The payments bank should have a leverage ratio of not less than 3%, i.e., its
outside liabilities should not exceed 33.33 times its net worth (paid-up capital
Leverage ratio and reserves).
Background:
Economy: Institutions
Notably, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Urjit Patel earlier supported the need of a unified financial
regulatory framework providing for a single regulator for GIFT City.
Recently, GIFT-IFSC found a place in the top 15 emerging Global Financial Centres across the
world.
In September 2017 edition of Global Financial Centres Index 22 (GFCI) – London, GIFT-IFSC was
featured at the tenth place.
Currently, the financial services provided at GIFT-IFSC involves multiple regulatory bodies including
insurance regulator, IRDA, banking regulator RBI and stock market regulator SEBI.
The announcement of setting up of unified regulator for IFSC in India would help India achieve its full
potential in the Global Financial markets.
Globally, most of the financial centres host Unified Regulator in the same centre which helps it to
promote the financial centre.
The move is likely to contribute to better regulation and supervision of the financial entities in
the GIFT City.
What is an IFSC?
An IFSC caters to customers outside the jurisdiction of the
domestic economy.
Such centres deal with flows of finance, financial products and services across borders.
London, New York and Singapore can be counted as global financial centres.
Many emerging IFSCs around the world, such as Shanghai and Dubai, are aspiring to play a global role
in the years to come.
2.36 CRISIDEX
Why in News?
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has launched CriSidEx.
Economy: Institutions
About CRISIL
CRISIL (formerly Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited) is
a global analytical company providing ratings, research, and risk and
policy advisory services.
CRISIL’s majority shareholder is Standard & Poor's Credit Rating
Agency.
About SIDBI
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is an independent financial institution aimed to
aid the growth and development of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSME) in India.
The purpose is to provide refinance facilities and short term lending to industries.
Set up on April 2, 1990 through an act of parliament, it was incorporated initially as a wholly owned
subsidiary of Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI).
Currently the ownership is held by 34 Government of India owned / controlled institutions.
It is headquartered in Lucknow.
Economy: Institutions
investment in coconut cultivation and thereby production and productivity in the country.
The approval is based on recommendations of expert body Commission for Agricultural Costs and
Prices (CACP).
Cooperatives - National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) and
National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF) - would continue to act as central
nodal agencies to undertake price support operations at the MSP in the coconut growing states.
MSP is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to insure agricultural producers
against any sharp fall in farm prices.
The minimum support prices are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the
sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural
Costs and Prices (CACP).
The minimum support prices are a guarantee price for their produce from the Government.
The major objectives are to support the farmers from distress sales and to procure food grains for
public distribution.
In case the market price for the commodity falls below the announced minimum price due to bumper
production and glut in the market, government agencies purchase the entire quantity offered by the
farmers at the announced minimum price.
The prices are decided by CCEA on the basis of recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural
Costs and Prices (CACP).
Why in news
There was a hike in the MSP of Copra as per the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs
& Prices (CACP). National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) and
National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF) act as central nodal agencies to
undertake price support operations at the MSP in the coconut growing states.
Composition
Currently, the Commission comprises a Chairman, Member Secretary, one Member (Official) and two
Members (Non-Official).
The non-official members are representatives of the farming community and usually have an active
association with the farming community.
Commodities covered
As of now, CACP recommends MSPs of 23 commodities, which comprise
o 7 cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, barley and ragi)
CACP submits its recommendations to the government in the form of Price Policy Reports every
year, separately for five groups of commodities namely Kharif crops, Rabi crops, Sugarcane, Raw Jute
Economy: Institutions
and Copra.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of the Union government takes a final decision on
the level of MSPs and other recommendations made by CACP.
NAFED is the national level marketing agency for agricultural products in the Cooperative Sector.
NAFED was established on 2nd October 1958.
Nafed is registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies
Act.
Nafed was setup with the object to promote Co-operative
marketing of Agricultural Produce to benefit the farmers.
Agricultural farmers are the main members of Nafed, who have the
authority to say in the form of members of the General Body in the
working of Nafed.
The objectives of the NAFED shall be:
o to organize, promote and develop marketing, processing and storage of agricultural,
horticultural and forest produce,
o distribution of agricultural machinery, implements and other inputs,
o undertake inter-state, import and export trade, wholesale or retail as the case may be and
o To act and assist for technical advice in agricultural, production for the promotion and the working
of its members, partners, associates and cooperative marketing, processing and supply societies in
India.
Economy: Institutions
o Helping formation and growth of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) / Farmer Producer
Companies (FPCs);
o Improving availability of working capital and development of business activities of FPOs/FPCs
through Equity Grant and Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme (EGCGS);
o Implementation of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Electronic Trading platform.
Background
It was alleged that Google is indulging in abuse of dominant position in the
market for online search through practices leading to search bias and
search manipulation, among others.
Economy: Institutions
2.41 ONGC VIDESH LIMITED
Why in News?
ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) and its partners have acquired a 10 per cent in a large offshore oilfield in Abu
Dhabi for USD 600 million.
2.42 NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE FOR PORTS, WATERWAYS AND COASTS (NTCPWC)
Why in News
Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga
Rejuvenation laid the foundation stone for setting up of a National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways
and Coasts (NTCPWC), at IIT Chennai.
Economy: Institutions
Key Facts
It is the 60th Anniversary of the National Productivity Council and is being celebrated as Diamond
Jubilee Year.
"Industry 4.0 Leapfrog Opportunity for India” has been selected as the theme for the National
Productivity Week -2018.
Industry 4.0 or the fourth industrial revolution as it is called, is emerging globally as a powerful force
and is being called as the next industrial revolution.
It is characterized by the increasing digitization and interconnection of products, value chains
and business models.
World Affairs
Key Facts
The decrease in rank of India is attributed to the rise of conservative religious ideologies and increase
in vigilantism and violence against minorities as well as other dissenting voices.
India has moved down from 32nd place last year and remains classified among "flawed democracies".
Top three positions occupied by the Scandinavian countries- Norway, Iceland and Sweden.
Despite India's dip in the ranking, it remained the top in South Asia region.
Those named as "authoritarian regimes" include China (139th), Myanmar (120th), Russia (135th) and
Vietnam (140th).
North Korea is ranked the lowest at 167th, while Syria is a notch better at 166th place.
Key Facts
This year, the index found that more than two-thirds of countries score below 50, with an average score
of 43.
This year, New Zealand and Denmark rank highest with scores of 89 and 88 respectively.
Syria, South Sudan and Somalia rank lowest with scores of 14, 12 and 9 respectively.
The best performing region is Western Europe with an average score of 66.
The worst performing regions are Sub-Saharan Africa (average score 32) and Eastern Europe and
Central Asia (average score 34).
In the latest ranking New Zealand and Denmark were placed the highest.
On the other hand, Somalia was ranked lowest followed by South Sudan and Syria respectively.
About Maldives
The Maldives officially the Republic of Maldives, is a South
Asian island country, located in the Indian Ocean, situated
in the Arabian Sea.
It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India.
Comprising a territory spanning roughly 298 square
kilometres (115 sq mi), the Maldives is one of the world's
most geographically dispersed countries, as well as
the smallest Asian country by both land area and population,
with around 427,756 inhabitants.
Malé is the capital and most populated city, traditionally
called the "King's Island" for its central location.
The Maldives archipelago is located atop the Chagos-
Maldives-Laccadive Ridge, a vast submarine mountain range
in the Indian Ocean, which also forms a terrestrial ecoregion,
together with the Chagos and the Lakshadweep.
PALESTINE
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine is a de jure sovereign state in the Middle East claiming
the West Bank (bordering Israel and Jordan) and Gaza Strip (bordering Israel and Egypt) with East
Jerusalem as the designated capital although its administrative center is located in Ramallah.
Most of the areas claimed by the State of Palestine have been occupied by Israel since 1967 in the
consequence of the Six-Day War.
The State of Palestine is recognized by 136 UN members and since 2012 has a status of a non-
member observer state in the United Nations – which amounts to a de facto, or implicit, recognition
of statehood.
It is a member of the Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), G77, and
the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
LOCATION OF TANZANIA
Tanzania is a sovereign
state in eastern Africa
within the African Great
Lakes region.
It borders Kenya and
Uganda to the north;
Rwanda, Burundi, and
the Democratic Republic
of the Congo to the west;
Zambia, Malawi, and
Mozambique to the south;
and the Indian Ocean to
the east.
Mount Kilimanjaro,
Africa’s highest mountain,
is in north-eastern
Tanzania.
About UN Peacekeeping:
United Nations Peacekeeping was created in 1948.
South Sudan
Refer to Section 4.14
What is it?
The Group of Seven (G-7) is a forum of the world's seven most industrialized economies viz. Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US.
The G-6 was formed in 1975 and consisted of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the
United Kingdom; Canada was invited to join the group in 1976.
Russia made the G-7 into the G-8 from 1998 to 2014. In 2014, Russia was suspended from the group
after the annexation of Crimea and tensions in Ukraine.
G-7 Summit
G-7 officials meet to discuss international economic and monetary issues on an annual basis in a
rotating member country.
The European Union is also represented at the G7 summit
The first meeting with all G-7 nations was held in Puerto Rico in 1976, hosted by the United States.
The 43rd G7 summit was held in Taormina, Italy in May 2017.
The44th G7 summit will be held on June 8 and 9, 2018 in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada.
Note: Ashgabat is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan in Central Asia, situated between the
Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag mountain range.
The Ashgabat Agreement, aims to develop a shortest trade route between Central Asian countries
and Iranian and Omani ports.
The transit agreement provides for a transit corridor across Central Asia and the Middle East through
the continuous landmass between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran before reaching
the Persian Gulf and into Oman.
The agreement was initially signed among Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Oman and Qatar back in
April 2011.
Qatar had withdrawn from the agreement in 2013.
Kazakhstan has joined this arrangement subsequently.
Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan (ITK) railway line will be the major route according to the Ashgabat
Agreement, which became operational in 2014.
Note
South-South cooperation is a broad framework of collaboration among developing countries of the
South in the spheres of political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and technical domains.
The International Labour Organisation was created in 1919 by the Versailles Peace Treaty ending
World War I.
After the demise of the League of Nations, the ILO became the first specialized agency associated with
the UN.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the United Nations agency for the world of work.
It sets international labour standards, promotes rights at work and encourages decent
employment opportunities, the enhancement of social protection and the strengthening of
dialogue on work-related issues.
Unlike other United Nations specialized agencies, the ILO has a tripartite governing structure –
representing governments, employers, and workers.
The ILO has 187 member States.
Organizational Structure
The ILO’s Secretariat has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and a global network of technical
experts and field offices in more than 40 countries.
The International Labour Conference (ILC) meets once a year to adopt new international labour
standards and to approve the ILO’s work plan and budget.
The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO and meets three times a year in Geneva.
In 1988, the international labour conference adopted the ― “Declaration on Fundamental Principles
and Rights at Work”. It aims to eliminate all forms of forced or compulsory labour, abolition of child
labour and the elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation.
About IAWRT:
IAWRT is a global organization formed by professional women working in electronic and allied
media with a mission to strengthen initiatives towards ensuring women’s views and values are integral
part of programming and to advance the impact of women in media.
IAWRT organizes conferences, implements projects undertakes activities collaborates with and media
organizations.
It is in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
IAWRT is managed by international board, which oversees funding initiatives for a number of local
chapters and member activities.
About GANHRI
The Global Alliance for National Human Rights
Institutions (GANHRI), is a global network of national human
rights institutions (NHRIs) – administrative bodies set up to
promote, protect and monitor human rights in a given country.
It was formerly known as the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights
Institutions (ICC).
It is unique as the only non-UN body whose internal accreditation system, based on compliance
with the 1993 Paris Principles, grants access to UN committees.
Functions
It Facilitates and supports NHRI engagement with the UN Human Rights Council and Treaty Bodies.
It undertakes accreditation of NHRIs in accordance with the Paris Principles.
It promotes the role of NHRIs within the United Nations and with States and other international
agencies.
Offers capacity building, assists NHRIs under threat and assist the governments to establish NHRIs.
Levels of accreditation
There are currently three levels of accreditation:
“A” Voting member : complies fully with the Paris Principles
“B” Observer member: does not fully comply with the Paris Principles or has not yet submitted
sufficient documentation to make that determination
“C” Non-member: does not comply with the Paris Principles
PARIS PRINCIPLES
The United Nations Paris Principles provide the international benchmarks against which national
human rights institutions (NHRIs) can be accredited by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights
Institutions (GANHRI).
According to recent report published by World Steel Association (WSA), India has overtaken US to become
the world’s third largest steel producer in 2017.
Key Facts
India's crude steel production grew by 6.2 per cent to 101.4 million tonnes (MT) in 2017 compared to
95.5 MT in the previous year.
China is the largest global steel producer, followed by Japan.
Key Facts
Janadriyah is the annual national heritage and culture
festival of Saudi Arabia, named after the village on the
northern outskirts of Riyadh.
The festival encourages Saudis to celebrate their heritage
and to bolster cultural exchange.
The festival was begun in 1985 under the patronage of the
ruling monarch.
2018 marks the 32nd edition of the festival.
Organised every year by the Saudi National Guard, a
primary goal of this festival is to highlight Saudi Arabia's
Islamic identity, display its national heritage and help preserve it for generations to come.
It also aims to acquaint its people with the cultures of other countries. For this purpose, every year
the country nominates a "Guest of Honour" at its festival.
SAUDI ARABIA
Key Facts
Key Facts
The theme of this edition of conference was ‘Future Enterprises.’
It was hosted by Telangana Government, in association with country’s top IT body, National Association
of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) and global IT organization World Information
Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA).
Geography
There have been no major central government projects in the region.
It will also create an industrial ecosystem in the drought prone region boosting shift from agriculture
to industry.
Maharashtra Government has offered several concessions including in land, taxes and etc.
4.2 JOGIGHOPA
Why in News?
Jogighopa, a small town in Assam, is set to become India’s gateway to South-East Asia as well as the
rest of the North-East with the road ministry gearing up to develop a multimodal logistics park (MMLP)
there with road, rail, waterways and air transport facilities.
Where is Jogighopa located?
Jogighopa is a small town located on the banks of the Brahmaputra River in the Bongaigaon district
Geography
in the state of Assam.
Within the city are the remains of the five rock cut rock-
cut caves, examples of Salasthambha period
architecture.
Geography
More about the Dam
Siruvani dam is located in the Palakkadu district of Kerala.
It is constructed across the Siruvani River.
Major purpose of the dam is to supply drinking water to the city of
Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
Why in News?
Finance Minister recently announced the government's plan to build a tunnel through the Sela Pass in
Arunachal Pradesh.
Significance:
Background:
While the Border Roads Organization (BRO) of India works to keep the Pass open throughout the year,
it shuts down temporarily after landslides and during heavy snow.
The BRO’s Project Vartak has already started land acquisition and double landing of the national
highway as part of the larger plan. Two tunnels — of lengths 475 m and 1,790 m — will be constructed
by BRO.
Project Vartak
Raised in Feb 1960, TUSKER was the first Project of the BRO which was renamed as VARTAK in Jun
1963.
It was raised with the aim of provision and maintenance of vital strategic road communication in
Arunachal Pradesh for efficient management of India-China border and socio-economic development
of remote areas.
Deployed in the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, the Project is poised to undertake and manage
Geography
works to the tune of Rs 120 Crore per year.
VARTAK has constructed 2776 Km of new roads, 150 permanent bridges and prestigious building
projects.
The Project has 1690 Km of roads under construction & 2134 Km under maintenance.
With its motto 'Patience, Perseverance and Performance' VARTAK dauntlessly continues to keep
road communications trafficable; despite incessant rains and heavy landslides.
VARTAK is a name to reckon within the economic progress of Arunachal Pradesh.
Key Facts
Residents of Khangtung village reported to district officials about the dam being built by Myanmar
authorities barely 100 metres from the zero line separating the two countries.
International rules warrant border countries to check activities in No Man’s Land – a 150-metre strip
on either side of the boundary line.
The dam, called Tuidimjang, is being built on the Twigem River.
Twigem River flows into Myanmar from Manipur.
Khangtung, inhabited by the Thadou tribe, is 137 km south of Manipur capital Imphal.
Concerns
If the dam comes up, Khangtung and other Indian villages will be submerged.
Villagers will have to be relocated and rehabilitated.
This may have huge negative social, cultural and economic impact on the residents.
4.7.1.1 MAPITHEL
Mapithel dam is located on river Thoubal.
Mapithel dam, initially known as Thoubal Multipurpose Project, aimed to produce 7.5MW of power.
Irrigation and providing drinking water were also the objectives.
Despite inking an understanding with the State government, the villagers were not facilitated with a
proper relocation site.
In June 2015, a tribal village named Chadong in Ukhrul district was submerged.
4.7.1.3 TIPAIMUKH
Geography
decades of conflict that have devastated their country.
Minya
Minya is the capital of the Minya Governorate in Upper Egypt.
It is located approximately 245 km (152 mi) south of Cairo on the western bank of the Nile River,
which flows north through the city.
The name of the city is derived from its Ancient Egyptian name Men'at Khufu, meaning the nursing city
of Khufu, linking it to the Pharaoh Khufu or Cheops, builder of the Great Pyramid at Giza.
Minya is dubbed by the locals "Bride of Upper Egypt", in reference to its strategic location in Middle
Egypt as a vital link between the north and the south of Egypt.
About Tonga
Geography
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago comprising
169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited.
Tonga is a constitutional monarchy.
Located in Oceania, Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, directly south of Samoa.
Its 169 islands are divided into three main groups – Vava'u, Ha'apai, and Tongatapu – and cover an
800-kilometre (500-mile)-long north-south line.
The largest island, Tongatapu, on which the capital city of Nukuʻalofa is located, covers 257 square
kilometres (99 sq mi).
In Tonga, agriculture and forestry (together with fisheries) provide the majority of employment, foreign
exchange earnings and food.
About Nadi
Nadi is the third-largest conurbation(extended urban area) in Fiji.
It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu.
Geography
Subramaniya temple. Muslims worship at the Nadi
Mosque and the Ahmadiyyahs worship at the
Ahmadiya Mosque.
Nadi International Airport located 9 kilometres from the town, is the largest airport in Fiji.
FIJI
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in
Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,100 nautical miles
(2,000 km; 1,300 mi) northeast of New Zealand's North Island.
Its closest neighbours are Vanuatu to the west, New Caledonia to
the southwest, New Zealand's Kermadec Islands to the southeast,
Tonga to the east, the Samoas and France's Wallis and Futuna
to the northeast, and Tuvalu to the north.
Fiji is an archipelago of more than 330 islands, of which 110
are permanently inhabited, and more than 500 islets, amounting
to a total land area of about 18,300 square kilometres (7,100 sq
mi).
The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for
87% of the total population.
The capital, Suva on Viti Levu, serves as Fiji's principal cruise
port.
The climate in Fiji is tropical marine and warm year round with minimal extremes.
Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific due to an abundance of forest, mineral,
and fish resources.
Key Facts
The Indian Navy will now be able to use the facilities
at Duqm port in Oman following the signing of a pact
between the two countries.
The port will act as India's entry point for wider West
Asia and Eastern Africa.
The services of Duqm port and dry dock will be available
for maintenance of Indian military vessels.
Geography
Why in News?
ONGC Videsh led Indian Consortium has been awarded 10% Stake in Lower Zakum Concession, Offshore
Abu Dhabi.
Key Facts
The Concession award by the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC), on behalf of the Abu Dhabi government,
to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the Indian Consortium, is the first time that
Indian oil and gas companies have been given a
stake in the development of Abu Dhabi’s
hydrocarbon resources.
The Indian Consortium comprising of Indian
Petroleum Sector Public Enterprises is led by
ONGC’s international arm ONGC Videsh and
includes Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) and
the international arm of Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Limited
(Bharat PetroResources Limited).
The Indian Consortium would contribute a sign-up
bonus of USD 600 million to enter the concession
for a 10% stake.
The Lower Zakum Oil Field is located 84 km north-
west of Abu Dhabi Islands.
Background:
Due to lower and fall in global oil prices, oil-rich nations had resorted to ways of reducing risk and
balancing their budget deficits by selling their prime oil and gas assets and diversifying into non-oil
sectors of economy.
OMAN
Geography
It includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd, formed by the White
Nile and known locally as the Bahr al Jabal.
Major tribes involved in ethnic conflict are Dinkar, Nuer and Murle.
South Sudan has suffered ethnic violence and has been in a civil war since 2013.
Environment
About National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC)
NAFCC is a Central Sector Scheme which was set up in the year 2015-16.
The overall aim of NAFCC is to support concrete adaptation What kind of Questions to expect
activities which mitigate the adverse effects of climate (2017 Prelims)
change.
The activities under this scheme are implemented in a project
mode.
The projects related to adaptation in sectors such as agriculture,
animal husbandry, water, forestry, tourism etc. are eligible for
funding under NAFCC.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
is the National Implementing Entity (NIE).
The States/UTs are required to prepare the project proposal in
consultation with NIE i.e. NABARD.
The project proposals are required to be approved by the State
Steering Committee on Climate Change to be eligible for
consideration under NAFCC.
It is the discretion of the State Government to engage any
organization to assist in project preparation, as per their
requirement”
Environment: Institutions
factory, which continued from 1932 to 1968.
This highly toxic chemical bioaccumulated in shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui
Sea, which when eaten by the local populace resulted in mercury poisoning.
The disease caused deaths of humans along with cat, dog, and pig.
The animal effects were severe enough in cats that they came to be called “dancing cat fever”.
Environment: Biodiversity
and research bodies, bringing together nations and the environmental community to tackle the greatest
challenges of our time. These include the following:
Conventions Purpose
Convention on Biological Diversity
ENVIRONMENT: BIODIVERSITY
5.5 NEKNAMPUR LAKE
Why in News?
On the eve of World Wetland Day on February 2nd, a floating island of 2,500 sq.ft with about 3,500 wetland
plants will be introduced on the Neknampur Lake in Hyderabad.
Key Facts
It will be introduced by Dhruvansh, a voluntary organisation working for protection of water bodies.
The ‘island platform’ has been designed using styrofoam, bamboo, gunny bags, coir and so on and
could bear the weight of four persons.
Wetland plants planted are said to be a combination of mosquito repelling, water cleaning and
biodiversity increasing plants.
The floating island would be installed close to inlet and since the lake is total sewage water, different
layers have been planned for cleaning.
First layer is of floating aquatic weed which is already floating in the lake, second layer is of typhas
and phragmites and then subsequent layers are to be introduced.
The floating island would help the fish and also help reduce algae by stopping sun rays from seeping
through.
It would provide an ideal habitat for nesting of birds and other animals.
Environment: Biodiversity
A permanent freshwater lake in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River, of great biological
importance.
It is also essential as the only major storm water storage basin for the city of Guwahati.
It is also called a wetland under the Ramsar Convention which has listed the lake in November 2002,
as a Ramsar Site for undertaking conservation measures on the basis of its biological and environmental
importance.
The name Deepor Beel is stated to be derivative of the Sanskrit word dipa which means elephant and
the beel means wetland or large aquatic body in Assamese language, inhabited by elephants.
The beel is a staging site on migratory flyways and some of the largest concentrations of aquatic birds
in Assam can be seen, especially in winter.
Some globally threatened birds are supported, including Spotbilled Pelican, Lesser and Greater
Adjutant Stork, and Baer's Pochard.
Potential threats include over-fishing and hunting pressure upon waterbirds, pollution from pesticides
and fertilizers, and infestation by water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes.
Background:
Thousands of pelicans, painted storks and other birds will visit the lake
during winter season, roost, breed and fly with their off springs.
Recently, officials identified that Atapaka is one of the largest
pelicanery in the world.
Environment: Biodiversity
grouper was discovered by a team of experienced divers and diving
instructors in the sea off Bheemunipatnam, 45 km from
Visakhapatnam. The latest find is said to be located at 23 metres
below the sea surface and is a much larger one spread over 180
metres.
5.9 RHODODENDRON
Why in News?
Foundation stone of Rhododendron Park was laid in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Tawang
district was once home to about 100 species of rhododendron but now they have been reduced to only 50
plus species due to construction activities in border areas.
About Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of 1,024 species of woody plants in
heath family (Ericaceae).
It is either evergreen or deciduous.
Most species of Rhododendron have brightly coloured flowers
which bloom from late winter through to early summer.
Found in varied habitats from subtropical forest to alpine
shrubs, rhododendrons range from dwarf shrubs to large
trees.
It is also found mainly in Asia and also widespread throughout
highlands of Appalachian Mountains of North America.
It is the national flower of Nepal.
Environment: Biodiversity
in the north-west, and
Eastern Ghats of southern Andhra Pradesh, northern Tamil
Nadu and Karnataka in the south.
It is considered vulnerable to extinction because of the scarcity of
suitable habitats.
About TWSI
It is a non- government and non-profit organization set up in late 1970s.
Rajasthan is the most arid state of India with average yearly rainfall less that 100 cm.
However, Rajasthan has a large number lakes mostly artificial as well as historical, signifying a tradition
of conserving natural resources and respecting nature.
The lakes in Rajasthan can divided into types Saline and Fresh water lakes.
Environment: Biodiversity
Lanchi Bai, the Rani of Maharaval Jagmal Singh. (2014 Prelims)
o Located in the eastern part of Banswara, it is surrounded by holy
trees known as ‘Kalpa Vriksha’, famous for fulfilling the wishes of
visitors.
Rajsamand Lake, Rajsamand
Maharana Raj Singh an able administrator of the fifth generation
of Maharana Pratap constructed Rajsamand Lake in 1662 AD,
which is a beautiful example of sculpture and public utility works.
The banks known as “Nouchoki” consist of 25 carved stone ‘Raj
Prashashti’ the longest stone inscription in Sanskrit in the world.
Jaisamand Lake, Udaipur
Jaisamand Lake is known for being the second largest man-made
sweet water lake in Asia.
This lake boasts of a large island, which is home to various species
of birds, at its centre.
5.11 EELS
Why in News?
Scientists have discovered three new species of eel along the northern Bay of Bengal coast in the past
few months.
Background
With these new discoveries, the Bay of Bengal coast has yielded at least five new species of eel.
In 2016, an edible species named Gymnothorax indicus was identified.
In 2015, a short brown unpatterned moray eel, named Gymnothorax mishrai (Bengal moray eel), was
discovered from the coast of Bay of Bengal.
About eels
Eels are found mostly at the bottom of rivers and seas.
Across the world about 1,000 species of eels have been identified.
In India, the number is around 125.
For species belonging to the family Muraenidae, referred commonly as Moray eels, there are records of
about 200 species of which more than 30 species are found in India.
Environment: Biodiversity
The research found about 50 percent drop out in the
orangutan population on the island of Borneo from
1999 to 2015.
The reasons behind the decreasing population of
Orangutan includes -
(a) Hunting by people
(b) Habitation destruction by oil palm, paper, logging
and mining industries
About Orangutan
The orangutans are three extant species of great apes
native to Indonesia and Malaysia.
Three Extant species are-
(a) Bornean orangutan
(b) Sumatran orangutan
(c) Tapanuli orangutan
Orangutans currently inhabit lowland forests on Borneo, an island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and
Brunei, and Indonesia's island of Sumatra.
Orangutans are the most arboreal of the great apes and spend most of their time in trees.
Orangutans are among the most intelligent primates; they use a variety of sophisticated tools and
construct elaborate sleeping nests each night from branches and foliage.
All three orangutan species are considered to be critically endangered.
BORNEO ISLANDS
It is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia.
It is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi (Island in Indonesia), and east of Sumatra.
The island is politically divided among three countries: Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and
Indonesia to the south.
Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory.
Antipodal to an area of Amazon rainforest, Borneo is itself home to one of the oldest rainforests in the
world.
CORAL REEFS
The Corals are marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria.
Environment: Biodiversity
They typically live in compact colonies of many identical individual polyps.
The Coral reefs are built by and made up of thousands of tiny animals—coral “polyps”—that are related
to anemones and jellyfish.
CORAL BLEACHING
The Coral bleaching occurs when coral polyps expel algae that live in their tissues.
Normally, coral polyps live in an endosymbiotic relationship with the algae and that relationship is
crucial for the coral and hence for the health of the whole reef.
Bleached corals continue to live. But as the algae provide the coral with 90% of its energy, after
expelling the algae the coral begins to starve.
Above-average sea water temperatures caused by global warming have been identified as a leading cause
of coral bleaching worldwide.
Environment: Biodiversity
montane evergreen shola forest that is
associated with the wildlife rich
Eravikulam National Park.
Nilgiri marten is the keystone
species here.
The century old debate on forest owlet’s genetic relationship with spotted owlet
is resolved.
More about News
The taxonomy of the forest owlet (Heteroglaux blewetti), which
resembles the spotted owlet (Athene brama), has always been a mystery.
Taxonomists placed it in a separate genus Heteroglaux and sometimes
in Athene; others saw it as more closely related to another species, the
jungle owlet.
According to a recent paper published in PLoS ONE, the forest owlet
belongs to the same genus (Athene) as the spotted owlet and the bird
can now be known as Athene blewetti.
Key Facts
The purpose behind the international bird festival is to promote eco-tourism in Dudhwa and to give it
a distinct International identity besides highlighting its traditional Tharu arts, culture and heritage.
During the three-day event, the bird experts would visit various parts of Dudhwa to gather information
about the 450 bird species existing there.
Environment: Biodiversity
species of restricted distribution. Terai; Some Tharu groups also live in
Dudhwa National Park, together with the Indian Terai, foremost in Uttarakhand, Uttar
Kishanpur and Katerniaghat
Wildlife Sanctuaries, have been
Pradesh and Bihar.
jointly constituted into Dudhwa The Tharus are recognized as an official nationality by
Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger. the Government of Nepal.
The Suheli and Mohana streams The Government of India recognizes the Tharu people
(tributaries of the Ghagra River) flow
as a scheduled tribe.
in the Dudhwa National Park.
Key Facts
According to the India State of Forest Report (SFR) 2017, the Indian Sunderbans that comprise almost
43% of total mangrove cover have shown only a marginal rise of 8 sq km, at 2,114 sq km from 2,106
sq km in the 2015 SFR report.
Large areas of mangrove forest in the Indian Sunderbans fall under Sunderban Tiger Reserve where
human activities are prohibited.
The Indian part of Sunderbans covers 4,263 sq km out of which 2,584 sq km is core and buffer area of
the tiger reserve.
‘State of Art Report on Biodiversity in Indian Sundarbans’ published by World Wide Fund for Nature,
India (WWF), outlines the threats facing the ecosystem.
The threats are climate change, habitat degradation due to industrial pollution and human disturbance,
fuel-wood collection.
MANGROVES
Mangroves are classified as plants having salt tolerance mechanisms like salt glands, aerial roots in
the form of pneumatophores and viviparous germination (germinating before detaching from parent).
They grow mostly in the inter-tidal spaces and are dispersed by water buyout propagules (seeds or
spores).
There are several prominent mangrove species.
Heritiera fomes or Sundari trees from which the Sundarbans draws its name, has a very restricted
distribution in South Asia and is classified as Endangered in the IUCN Red list.
5.18 ECHIDNA
Why in News?
Recently, it was reported that though listed as “least concern”, the echidnas are suffering the impact of
habitat loss and land clearing.
Features of Echidnas
One of the world’s oldest surviving mammals.
They have the biggest frontal cortex in relation to their body size of all mammals (including
humans).They can climb, burrow, run rapidly, and are mostly solitary animals.
They are egg-laying mammals and keep their young — puggles — in the mother’s pouch.
They are found in wildly different environments, from the desert to the snow. They are likely to have
much lower body temperature than all other mammals — around 30C — which can fluctuate by up
to 10C in a single day.
Threats
Though it is listed as ‘least concern’ in IUCN classification,
echidnas are threatened by land clearing and habitat loss.
Environment: Biodiversity
Echidnas travel great distances and have very large home
ranges. So land clearing and rapid developments affects their
viable habitat.
Other major threats to echidnas include traffic, feral cats and
potentially the rapidly changing climate.
Key Facts
The new species has been named after former President of
India, Dr APJ Kalam.
Named Drypetes kalamii, it is a small shrub found to be
shorter version of its close relative Drypetes ellisii.
There are about 220 species of Drypetes identified across the
globe of which 20 have been reported from India.
Key Facts
There are nine species of Cycas found across the country,
almost all of which are classified as being endangered.
The Cycas circinalis, found at altitudes between 1,500 and 1,800
meters, has traditionally been used by tribal communities for a
variety of purposes.
In the Nilgiris and other parts of the Western Ghats, where the
plant is found, the seed is sometimes soaked in water (to remove
a strong poison contained within) and ground into flour, after
which it is eaten.
The seed is also said to be used in traditional, indigenous
medicine.
Environment: Interventions
KEYSTONE FOUNDATION
Why in News
The Keystone Foundation has been trying to promote the conservation of the Cycas circinalis by
encouraging forest-dependent communities to sustainably harvest the leaves from the circinalis.
ENVIRONMENT: INTERVENTIONS
5.22 INDIA STATE OF FOREST REPORT (SFR) AND FOREST SURVEY OF INDIA
Why in News?
The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017 was released by Environment Minister.
About ISFR
It is a biennial report, prepared by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), a body under MoEFCC.
ISFR 2017 is the 15th edition of the report.
Environment: Interventions
assessed water bodies, said that these bodies inside forest cover have increased by 2,647 sq. km during
last decade.Maharashtra (432 sq kms), Gujarat (428 sq kms), Madhya Pradesh (389 sq kms) are top
three states showing increase in water bodies within forest areas.
Category Findings
Largest forest cover in Madhya Pradesh (77,414 sq. km) followed by Arunachal Pradesh
terms of area: (66,964 sq. km) and Chhattisgarh (55,547 sq. km).
State wise maximum Andhra Pradesh (2,141 sq kms), Karnataka (1,101 sq kms), Kerala
increase in forest (1,043 sq kms), Odisha (885 sq kms) and Telangana (565 sq kms).
cover:
State wise maximum Mizoram (531 sq km), Nagaland (450 sq km), Arunachal Pradesh
decrease in forest (190 sq km), Tripura (164 sq km) and Meghalaya (116 sq km).
cover:
Mangrove cover of the It has increased by 181 sq kms. Maharashtra is the top gainer in
country terms of Mangrove cover.
Forest Survey of India (FSI), is a premier national organization under the union Ministry of
Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
It is responsible for assessment and monitoring of the forest resources of the country regularly.
In addition, it is also engaged in providing the services of training, research and extension.
Established on June 1, 1981, the Forest Survey of India succeeded the "Preinvestment Survey of
Forest Resources" (PISFR), a project initiated in 1965 by Government of India with the sponsorship of
FAO and UNDP.
In its report in 1976, the National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) recommended for the creation of
a National Forest Survey Organization for a regular, periodic and comprehensive forest resources survey
of the country leading to creation of FSI.
Environment: Interventions
Marshes, ponds, the edge of a lake/ocean, the delta at the mouth of a river, low-lying areas that
frequently flood — all of these are wetlands.
Wetlands of international importance are also known as Ramsar sites.
Key Facts
It was launched by the Environment Ministry to sensitise the people and students, in particular, about
climate change and global warming.
The campaign aims to broad its base with involvement of teachers, students and other voluntary
organisations.
The people-oriented campaign was launched keeping one objective in mind - the moral responsibility
‘to restore and return the clean and green environment to the next generation”.
A mobile application – ‘Dr Harsh Vardhan’ has been devised to reach out to people across India on the
campaign, has also been launched recently.
Environment Minister also underlined need for ‘Green Sainiks’ on the lines of ‘Polio Sainiks’ to broaden
the ‘Green Good Deeds’ campaign and take it to the grassroots level.
About CGPB:
The Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) is the apex body at the national level to overview
the programme of geoscientific activities including mineral exploration in the country.
Environment: Interventions
departments and Central Government institutions are its participating members.
Functions:
CGPB coordinates activities on geological mapping, mineral prospecting, exploration and
exploitation in the country.
It is responsible for providing the general strategic direction of geosciences activity; advising on
geosciences partnerships between GSI, and State and Central – level agencies; and approving five-
year detailed sub-sectoral targets on a rolling plan basis.
Point pollution
The researchers analysed the pollution from point sources first. i.e., the pollution from a single
identifiable source like sewage pipes.
Breaking it down by country, the largest contributor was China, followed by USA and then India.
Grey-water footprints
Grey-water footprint is the amount of freshwater required to dilute the pollutants.
It can also indicate whether the water body can handle the pollution or get affected by it.
Eutrophication (sudden increase in nutrients in a water body leading to outburst in algae, floating
plants, microbes etc.) due to phosphorus pollution causes algal blooms, which can lead to the mortality
of fish and plants due to lack of oxygen and light.
It also reduces the use of the water for human purposes.
The global grey-water footprint increased by about 15% within the study period.
Environment: Interventions
sector to take stock of current knowledge, share
information and best practices, and build consensus on
the actions most needed to move forward.
The Sustainable Biofuel is one of the Seven Mission
Innovation Challenges and India Co-leads this along
with other countries Brazil, Canada and China.
Mission Innovation
Already covered in NEO IAS Prelims Current Affairs Digest – November, 2017 (Topic: 8.3)
BIOFUTURE PLATFORM
The Biofuture Platform is a 20-country effort to promote an advanced low carbon bio-economy that
is sustainable, innovative and scalable.
The ultimate purpose of the Biofuture Platform is to help in the global fight against climate change.
The Biofuture Platform has been proposed by the
government of Brazil to several leading countries in all five
continents.
India is a founding member.
As a multistakeholder initiative, international
organizations, academia, and private sector associations
are also involved and engaged as official partners.
By request of its members, the government of Brazil is serving as the interim secretariat/facilitator of
the Biofuture Platform since its launch in 2016.
Key Facts
Environment: Interventions
2018 Theme is “Beat Plastic Pollution”.
The theme for World Environment Day 2018, urges governments, industry, communities, and
individuals to come together and explore sustainable alternatives and urgently reduce the
production and excessive use of single-use plastic polluting our oceans, damaging marine life and
threatening human health.
Background
World Environment Day (WED) observed annually on 5th June for encouraging worldwide awareness
and action for the protection of our environment.
It was established by United Nations General Assembly to mark opening of United Nations Conference
on the Human Environment in 1972.
The first World Environment Day was observed in 1974 and since then it is being held every year with
different themes on emerging environment issues.
Security
INS Chakra is a nuclear-powered submarine which was
taken by India on lease from Russia in 2012 for a period
of 10 years.
Unlike conventional diesel submarines that India operates
which need to surface to charge their batteries often -
sometimes as frequently as 24 hours - INS Chakra can stay
under as long as it wants.
INS Chakra is propelled by a 190 MW nuclear reactor.
It is a Akula Class submarine which will carry conventional
weapons.
INS Chakra is one of the quietest nuclear submarines
around, with noise levels next to zero.
SSN SSBN
Security Assets
Abbreviation SSN is an abbreviation for Submersible SSBN stands for the Submersible Ship
Ship Nuclear. Ballistic Missile Nuclear.
Attack It is used to attack the assailants in the It is used to launch missile attacks to far
distance nearby distance. distances.
Where-about It is war prone, as it looks to destroy the It keeps its position secret from other ships
enemy ships. or submarines.
6.4 RUSTOM 2
Why in News
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the test flight of its
Rustom 2 drone at the Aeronautical Test Range.
Key facts:
RUSTOM–II is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
It was developed on the lines of predator drones of the United States.
Features
The medium-altitude prototype can fly at over
22,000 ft. and is a long-endurance (MALE) UAV that has an approximate flight time of 20 hours.
It can fly at around 280 km/h and carry a variety of payloads like Medium Range Electro Optic (MREO),
Long Range Electro Optic (LREO) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
It can also carry Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), Communication Intelligence (COMINT) and Situational
Awareness Payloads (SAP) to perform missions during day and night.
Rustom 2 can fly missions on manual as well as autonomous modes.
The on-board way-point navigation system allows the drone to conduct missions autonomously.
Rustom 2 is part of the Rustom line of UAVs that includes Rustom-I, Rustom-H and Rustom-C.
Key Facts
It was launched on the occasion of Safer Internet Day (6 February).
The campaign aims to protect first-time web users from account hijacking, safeguard Android devices
from malicious apps and secure all their personal data if they lose their device.
Under campaign, Google has recommended a three-step action for Internet safety.
o To protect account hijacking, all Android devices and Gmail users can review their security settings
and Google account activity with one click “Google Security”. This automatically scans for any
vulnerability and guides users to keep their account safe.
Key Facts
It will be headed by former secretary Vinay Sheel Oberoi.
The committee will monitor and expedite capital acquisition projects for modernisation of armed
forces and bolster armed forces preparedness.
The committee will have tenure until the end of August 2018.
It will have to present initial status report on identified projects to Defence Minister by March 31,
2018.
The report shall include — apart from the current status of the projects — issues, remedial measures
and follow-up strategy.
The terms of reference include the mandate to undertake independent review and status check of
identified ongoing critical capital projects above ₹500 crore in various categories under the Defence
Procurement Procedure.
Key Facts
The eight-day mega naval exercise will be held under aegis of Andaman and Nicobar Command with
theme of ‘Friendship across the Seas’.
Milan 2018 will witness diverse mix of professional exercises and seminars, social events and
sporting fixtures.
The interactions at event encompass sharing of views and ideas on maritime good-order and enhancing
regional cooperation for combating unlawful activities at sea.
The social interactions planned in Milan 2018 include display by bands of the Indian Navy and Indian
Army, ship visits and colourful cultural evenings.
Milan 2018 aims to showcase the rich heritage and pristine natural beauty of A&N Islands to
foreign visitors.
Key Facts
The first battalion of the Regiment was raised as ‘second battalion
Bombay Sepoys’ in 1768 which was later known as ‘jangi paltan’.
February 4 is celebrated as “Maratha Light Infantry Day” across the regiment throughout the country.
The date holds historic significance as on this day in 1670, Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji
conquered famous Kondana Fort famously known as Sinhgarh, near Pune, Maharashtra.
What is it?
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is the nodal drug law enforcement and intelligence agency of
India responsible for fighting drug trafficking and the abuse of illegal substances.
The Narcotics Control Bureau was created on 17 March 1986 to enable the full implementation of
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and fight its violation through
the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988.
Narcotics Control Bureau's national headquarters is located in Delhi.
The chief purpose of the Narcotics Control Bureau is to fight drug trafficking on an all-India level.
Key Facts
The programme has been organized by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
“Watan Ko Jano” aims to give exposure to the youth and children of Jammu and Kashmir about
the cultural and socio-economic development taking place in other parts of the country.
Youth and children hit by militancy and from weaker sections of the society have been identified for the
purpose.
Around 200 youth from the state are on a visit to different places of the country as part of the programme
from 11th Feb-20th Feb, 2018.
6.15 ENCORE
Why in News?
The Eastern Naval Command Operational Readiness Exercise (ENCORE), Theatre Level Readiness and
Operational Exercise was recently concluded on the Eastern Seaboard.
Key Facts
The exercise was conducted in phases to test various facets of war-fighting capabilities of the combat
units to respond to given threat situations.
The month long exercise saw participation of over 40 ships and submarines including those ships from
the Western Naval Command, Andaman & Nicobar Command and Indian Coast Guard and assorted
naval and IAF aircraft.
The exercise was conducted in real time covering a vast expanse of Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The exercise provided an apt-opportunity to test the combat capability of the Eastern Naval Command
(ENC) and refine action plans and contingencies for operations in complex maritime conflict zone.
About Acetylene
Acetylene (C2H2) It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne.
This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block.
It is unstable in its pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution.
Pure acetylene is odorless, but commercial grades usually have a marked odor due to impurities.
Acetylene is mainly manufactured for chemical synthesis. The second most common application of
acetylene is welding and cutting.
Welding, Cutting, and o Acetylene is most commonly used in welding and cutting.
o Acetylene used in welding is called as oxy-fuel cutting or gas cutting.
Heat Treating o It is applied on materials that require temperatures as high as 3,500
degree Celsius for cutting or welding.
o Acetylene is known for producing the hottest flame. It is for this
reason that it is used for heat treating metals and other materials.
o Precautionary hand washes after using lavatory and before cooking and
Prevention eating.
o Disinfecting the surfaces are the ways to prevent it.
Key Facts
The system is aimed at controlling various harmful emissions, as per stringent emission norms
declared by the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
It will be the 13th order for desulphurization unit being executed by BHEL as part of Make in India
programme and Intended Nationally Determined Contributions scheme to reduce carbon footprint.
Physical properties
Applications
Medicine:
o Deuteration of anticancer drugs reduces side effects while retaining their therapeutic efficacy.
o Thermo stability of certain vaccines e.g. oral polio vaccine or other macromolecules which need
freezing temperature can be enhanced using Deuteration.
Nuclear Reactor: Heavy water is commonly used in nuclear reactors, where it is used as a ‘neutron
moderator’. It is also used as a coolant.
Industrial application:
o Optical fibres - improved intensity and better transmission characteristics of deuterated PMMA
(Poly methyl meta acrylate) compared to conventional one.
o Optical recording systems - improved storage capacity as a result of sharper and uniform
optical recording density with deuterated polymeric substance.
o Better quality semi-conductors with reduced stress induced leakage currents across the metal
oxide gates.
o Deuterated compounds like lubricant additives have also been reported to provide excellent
properties vis-a-vis the normal lubricants.
o Used for chemical tagging and may be useful as a future fusion fuel.
Is it harmful?
Background
GE is providing locomotive technology to Indian Railway and by 2025, through Joint Venture
Company it will manufacture 1000 fuel-efficient locomotives (100 per year) for freight traffic hauling of
4500 HP and 6500 HP.
Initially 40 fuel efficient diesel locomotives will be manufactured in GE facility at Erie, Pennsylvania,
US and rest 960 diesel locomotives will be manufactured in Marhoura, Saran District, Bihar.
The locomotive is also the first fully digitally enabled locomotive with greater reliability and
availability and is also provided with a device to manage disasters.
Benefits
The use of electrical power enhances the propulsive performances of the EP thrusters compared with
conventional chemical thrusters.
Unlike chemical systems, electric propulsion requires very little mass to accelerate a spacecraft.)(less
propellant is required)
The propellant is ejected up to twenty times faster than from a classical chemical thruster and therefore
the overall system is many times more mass efficient.
Due to limited electric power the thrust is much weaker compared to chemical rockets, but electric
propulsion can provide a small thrust for a long time.
Electric propulsion can achieve high speeds over long periods and thus can work better than chemical
rockets for some deep space missions
However, electric propulsion is not a method suitable for launches from the Earth's surface, as the thrust
for such systems is too weak.
The propellant used in EP systems varies with the type of thruster and can be a rare gas (i.e. xenon
or argon), a liquid metal or, in some cases, a conventional propellant.
Key Facts
The mission is a test flight, pioneered by rocket firm SpaceX which is helmed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
The rocket is loaded with Mr Musk’s own red Tesla roadster. At the wheel is a mannequin dressed in a
spacesuit nicknamed Starman (named as a tribute to the late singer David Bowie’s famous song Space
Odyssey).
It is the first time that a car is being sent to the space.
If the Tesla roadster survives its five-hour journey through
the Van Allen Belt – a region of high radiation where it will
be pelted with charged particles – it will attempt a final
burn toward Mars.
Key Facts
This is the first time human eggs have been developed outside the human body from their earliest stage
to full maturity.
The new technique could one day help in developing regenerative medicine therapies and new
infertility treatments.
Being able to fully develop human eggs in the lab could widen the scope of available fertility
treatments.
It can help cancer patients wishing to preserve their fertility while undergoing chemotherapy treatment,
improve fertility treatments, and deepen scientific understanding of the biology of the earliest stages of
human life.
7.9 EXPLORER 1
Why in news?
Commemorating what is widely considered to be the greatest achievement of space exploration, NASA
celebrated the 60th anniversary of the launching of the first moon to orbit Earth.
About Explorer 1
Explorer 1 was the first satellite of the United States, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1958
as part of its participation in the International Geophysical Year.
It was the first spacecraft to detect the Van Allen radiation belt.
It was a two-metre long satellite carrying a scientific instruments.
7.10 MALACIDINS
Why in News?
Key Facts
Malacidins are distinctive class of antibiotics that are commonly encoded in soil microbiomes.
They have never been reported in culture-based NP (Natural Products) discovery efforts.
Malacidins are active against multidrug-resistant pathogens. It sterilised methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin infections in animal wound but did not select for resistance in
laboratory conditions.
The malacidins was tested on rats with MRSA skin infections. The condition was cured, and even after
20 days of continued contact with malacidins, the rodents did not experience any side effects.
Concern
Malacidins only target gram-positive bacteria with a very thick cell wall.
It is ineffective against gram-negative bacteria which cause cholera, pneumonia, sexually transmitted
diseases, and plague.
Thus, it does not make an universal cure against all bacteria.
GRAM STAINING
Gram staining is a special technique which is used to stain bacteria developed by Christian Gram in
1884.
Chemically Gram stain is a weakly alkaline solution of crystal violet or gentian violet.
Gram staining differentiates bacteria by the chemical and physical properties of their cell walls by
detecting the properties of peptidoglycan.
On the basis of cell wall structure and its stain ability with Gram stain, bacteria are grouped into two
categories. They are Gram positive bacteria and Gram negative bacteria.
The bacteria which retain the colour of the stain because of a thick layer of peptidoglycan are called
Gram positive bacteria.
The bacteria which lose the colour of the stain are called Gram negative bacteria.
About Jatan:
The objective of the software is to make a digital imprint of all the objects preserved in museums.
It will help researchers, curators and also people interested in the field.
About Darshak:
It is a mobile-based application aimed at improving the museum visit experience among the
differently-abled.
It allows real-time museum visitors gather all details about objects or artefacts simply by scanning a QR
code placed near the object.
Key Facts
It will be first large scale CO2-injected project in Asia.
Its purpose is to recover extra 20 million barrels of crude oil under enhanced oil recovery (EOR)
programme.
EOR programme aims at recovering up to 20% of residual oil from ageing oil fields to improve
India’s energy security.
7.14 SARAS
Why in News?
India’s indigenous developed light transport aircraft SARAS PT1N has successfully completed second
test-flight.
About ITEWC:
The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) is established at
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Sciences, (INCOIS
– ESSO) Hyderabad.
It has the latest scientific techniques to provide early warnings for an
impending tsunami to all countries in the Indian Ocean region.
Indian Tsunami Early Warning System comprises a real-time
seismic monitoring network of broadband seismic stations.
ITEWC receives data in real time from 350 seismic stations, 50 tsunami buoys and 300 tide gauges
established in the Indian as well as the other oceans by other countries and international agencies.
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO has designated ITEWC as the Tsunami
Service Provider (TSP) for the entire Indian Ocean Region.
Since 2012, ITEWC is providing tsunami advisories and related services to about 25 countries.
ESSO-INCOIS was established as an autonomous body in 1999 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences
(MoES) and is a unit of the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO).
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ESSO- INCOIS is mandated to provide the best possible ocean information and advisory services
to society, industry, government agencies and the scientific community through sustained ocean
observations and constant improvements through systematic and focussed research.
Key Facts
This is one of the unique initiatives that uses Satellite Communication (SATCOM) network and Earth
Observation (EO) satellite data in a judicious combination to address the needs of the local people in
villages.
VRCs use a combination of SATCOM and EO to reach out to the villages and provides wide varieties
of services, like, agricultural advisories, non-formal education, computer education, skill development
and so on.
About Rs 18 crores was spent for establishing 473 VRCs.
Key Facts
INS Garuda is the fourth air station to have been installed with this integrated system.
IAAMS is an ambitious project of the Indian Navy to modernise the Meteorological infrastructure of
the nine Naval Air Stations.
The IAAMS project at INS Garuda will give a major fillip to aviation safety through automation of
weather monitoring process.
Key Facts
NSD is celebrated on 28th February to commemorate discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’, which led to Sir
C.V. Raman winning the Noble Prize.
The theme of NSD-2018 is “Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future”, which has been
chosen for the purpose of raising public appreciation of the scientific issues involved.
National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC) of Department of Science &
Technology (DST) is nodal agency to support catalyze and coordinate celebration of the NSD
throughout the country.
On this occasion National Awards will also be conferred on the awardees for 2017 for their outstanding
contribution in communication of S&T and promoting scientific temper.
Key Facts
The mela is being hosted jointly by the Haryana Tourism Corporation and Surajkund Mela Authority,
in collaboration with the Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs.
For the 32nd edition of the fair, Uttar Pradesh is chosen as the theme state and Kyrgyzstan as the
partner nation.
Uttar Pradesh, which is the theme state for the first time, is focusing on religious tourism, rural
tourism and spiritual tourism apart from showcasing its art, culture and heritage in the mela.
The 32nd edition of the international crafts mela will showcase Ghats of Varanasi.
Launched in 1987 to showcase richness and diversity of the handicrafts and cultural heritage of India,
the mela has attained international stature with about 29 countries participating this year.
Culture
More about News
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is organizing
the 8-days International Conference on, 'Demetrios Galanos and
His Legacy'.
The 8-day long convention is being held in Delhi and Varanasi, in
addition to organizing the exhibition and folk music of Greece.
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi (IGNCA) is a premier government-funded arts
organization in India.
It is an autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Culture.
The IGNCA was launched on 19th November, 1985
Established in memory of Smt. Indira Gandhi, IGNCA is visualized as a centre encompassing the study
and experience of all the arts—each form with its own integrity, yet within a dimension of mutual
interdependence, interrelated with nature, social structure and cosmology.
Key Facts
The International Kala Mela has been organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi in partnership with IGNCA
of the Ministry of Culture.
More than 800 artists from across the world are taking part in the Festival.
This is for the first time that the Akademi has planned the International Kala Mela at such a large scale.
It is going to prove a boon to especially those artists who cannot afford to exhibit their works of art in
the Art Galleries.
8.5 MAHAMASTAKABHISHEKA
Why in News?
President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated 88th Mahamastakabhisheka of Lord Gommateshwara by
unveiling an idol of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola in Hassan district, Karnataka.
Culture
According to Jain texts, Bahubali had attained liberation from cycle of births and deaths (moksha)
at Mount Kailash and is revered as a liberated soul (Siddha) by Jains.
Culture
It is a platform for theatrical exchange, a gathering place for students and masters, where a dialogue
despite ideological, culture and language differences is encouraged.
Since 1993, the Theatre Olympics has been held seven times in the following countries: Japan (1999),
Russia (2001), Turkey (2006), South Korea (2010), China (2014), Poland (2016).
The National School of Drama is one of the foremost theatre training institutions in the world and
the only one of its kind in India.
It was set up by the Sangeet Natak Akademi as one of its constituent units in 1959.
In 1975, it became an independent entity and was registered as an autonomous organization under
the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860, fully financed by the Ministry of Culture, Government of
India.
Background
Jews were one of the last communities to arrive in Calcutta (Kolkata) but within a short span of time
they made their presence felt by controlling a large section of the trade in Calcutta (Kolkata).
As the Jews community in Kolkata (Calcutta) grew in number and power they started building
Synagogues.
The first Synagogue Neveh Shalome Synagogue came up in 1831 (it was rebuilt in 1910) followed
by Beth El Synagogue (1856), Magen David Synagogue (1884), Magen Aboth Synagogue (1897)
and Shaare Rasoon Synagogue (1933).
The independence of India in 1947 and the birth of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948 marked the decline
of Jewish population in Calcutta (Kolkata).
The two synagogues, Beth El & Magen David, of Calcutta (Kolkata) still stands. Declared as protected
monuments they are looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Culture
About Khajuraho Temple
It is a group of Hindu and Jain Temples in Madhya Pradesh build by Chandela Dynasty between 950
and 1050 AD.
They are recognized as UNESCO World heritage Site.
The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.
The largest temple at Khajuraho is the Kandariya Mahadeva temple which is attributed to king Ganda.
All the towers or shikhara of temple rise high, upward in curved pyramidal fashion, emphasizing temple’s
vertical thrust ending in horizontal fluted disc called Amalaka topped with Kalasha or vase.
History
Why in News?
More than 40 languages or dialects in India are considered to be endangered and is believed to be heading
towards extinction as only a few thousand people speak them. The Central Institute of Indian Languages,
Mysore, has been working for the protection and preservation of endangered languages of the country,
under a central scheme.
About CIIL
The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) is based in Mysore and is part of the Language
Bureau of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
It was founded on 17 July 1969.
CIIL was established to co-ordinate the development of Indian Languages, to bring about the
essential unity of Indian languages through scientific studies, Promote inter-disciplinary research,
contribute to mutual enrichment of languages, and thus contribute towards emotional integration of
people of India.
Aims and Objectives:
o Advices and Assists Central as well as State Governments in the matters of language.
o Contributes to the development of all Indian Languages by creating content and corpus.
o Protects and Documents Minor, Minority and Tribal Languages.
o Promotes Linguistic harmony by teaching 15 Indian languages to non-native learners.
Key Facts
The temple is situated in Muscat near Sultan’s Palace, about 35km from Seeb Airport.
It is believed to have been constructed by the Bhatia merchant community from Kutch, which settled
in Muscat as early as 1507.
The temple was constructed 125 years ago and was subsequently renovated in 1999.
The temple has three deities -- Shri Adi Motishwar Mahadev, Shri Motishwar Mahadev and Shri
Hanumanji.
During auspicious days more than 15,000 devotees visit the temple for prayers.
HISTORY
8.12 PRACHI VALLEY CIVILIZATION
Why in News?
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered pottery pieces, and tools made of stones and bones
believed to be of the pre-Christian era from a mound in Jalalpur village of Cuttack district, Odisha.
History
Prachi Valley Civilization flourished on the banks of Prachi River.
The civilisation is believed to be earlier than that of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
Prachi Valley civilisation has contributed a lot towards amalgamation, assimilation and proliferation of
different religious faiths and cults.
PRACHI RIVER
Background
The Finance Act, which came into effect from 1st April, led to the framing of the Tribunal, Appellate
Tribunal and other Authorities Rules, 2017.
And they allegedly gave unbridled powers to the Executive to decide Constitution, qualifications of
members, their appointments and removal, among others.
A plea was filed by an NGO, said the Act would destroy independent functioning of 19 tribunals,
including the National Green Tribunal.
The Supreme Court in July 2017 issued notice to the Centre on a petition challenging the constitutional
validity of Finance Act, 2017, as it “purports to” change the constitution of tribunal and adversely affect
“functioning and independence” of the body.
About Tribunals
Article 323-A and Article 323-B of the constitution deals with the Tribunals.
These articles were added through 42nd amendment Act, 1976 as Part XIV-A in the constitution.
Article 323-A authorizes parliament to setup administrative tribunals for the purpose of setting
disputes & complains involving civil services.
Article 323-B deals with tribunals for other matters.
Polity
The judgment concluded that
the Cauvery Water Disputes
Tribunal (CWDT) did not take into account Tamil Nadu's stock of an “empirical” 20 TMC of ground water.
Accordingly, Karnataka was "entitled to marginal relief".
In its present verdict, the Supreme Court has thus reduced the allocation of Cauvery water from
Karnataka to Tamil Nadu.
Karnataka will now release only 177.25 TMC Cauvery water from its Billigundlu site to Mettur dam in
Tamil Nadu.
This means a reduction of 14.75 TMC quota of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from the earlier 192 TMC
as stipulated by the tribunal.
CAUVERY RIVER
Kaveri or Cauvery flows in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and covers a distance of about 765 km.
On its journey to the Bay of Bengal, the river is joined by a number of tributaries.
Talacauvery (also Talakaveri) located in Coorg district of Karnataka, is considered the source of the
Cauvery.
The river then flows through Mysore district where two islands Srirangapatnam and Shivanasamudram
are formed.
At Sivasamudram the river drops 98 meters forming famous falls known as Gagan Chukki and Bara
Chukki.
Hogenakkal is a major landmark on the course of the Cauvery in Tamil Nadu.
Trichy and Thanjavur are other important towns on the banks of the Cauvery.
Tributaries
Amaravati, Arkavathy, Bhavani, Chinnar, Hemavati, Honnuhole, Kabini, Kannika, Kollidam, Lakshmana
Tirtha, Lokapavani, Noyyal, Pambar, Shimsha, Sujyothi.
Polity
Why it is relevant?
In the context of CAvery River Water Dispute verdict by the Supreme court
Governance
International Covenants".
President appoints the Chairman and members of the NHRC on
the recommendation of the high-powered committee headed by the
Prime Minister.
Composition
The NHRC consists of:
o A Chairperson, should be retired Chief Justice of India
o One member who is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court
of India
o One member who is, or has been, the Chief Justice of a High Court
o Two members to be appointed from among persons having knowledge of, or practical experience in,
matters relating to human rights
o In addition, the Chairpersons of four National Commissions (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
Tribes, Women and Minorities) serve as ex officio members.
The sitting Judge of the Supreme Court or sitting Chief Justice of any High Court can be appointed only
after the consultation with the Chief Justice of Supreme Court.
GOVERNANCE
9.5 2 N D NATIONAL MEET ON GRASSROOT INFORMATICS
Why in News?
National Informatics Centre (NIC) has recently organized a three-day National Meet on Grassroot
Informatics- VIVID 2018, at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
Key Facts
It was aimed at showcasing the various initiatives of NIC in creating and enhancing the Digital
Infrastructure in the country.
VIVID 2018 was an extensive platform for knowledge sharing which would empower 240 NIC District
officials from across the country to interact and leverage on each other’s experience and best practices.
The Theme for VIVID 2018 is “Cyber Security and Innovation”.
Governance
9.6 NITI FORUM FOR NORTHEAST
Why in News?
The Union Government has issued order setting up the ‘NITI Forum for North-East’.
Governance
Innovations in existing projects of Government Departments other than PSUs,
Best district level initiatives through ICT,
Use of Spatial Technology and GIS in eGovernance,
Innovative use of ICT by Central Government PSUs/ State Government PSUs,
Outstanding initiatives in e-Governance by Academic/ Research Institutions and NGOs
including Cooperatives/ Federations/ Societies and
Replication/ adaptation of the best e-Governance projects/ practices awarded.
Key Facts
Baal Aadhaar literally means Children’s Aadhaar.
It will have blue colour to differentiate it with regular Aadhaar.
It will be linked with one of parent’s Aadhaar card.
Bal Aadhaar will have no biometric identification, like Iris scan or fingerprint scans, as their parents
will be accompany their ward when such identification is required.
Baal Aadhaar will be issued to children below 5 years and when the child does become 5, then he/she
has to submit biometric authentication. Failing to do so within the next 7 years would result in
suspension of the Aadhaar card. Though there is no compulsion to register for Aadhaar at such a
young age, it will be required to be eligible for overseas education or to get government
scholarships.
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