Academy for Civil Services

CURRENT
AFFAIRS
2019
Jan-April
2019
 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (1-3)
CONTENT S-400 Air Defence Missile System | Australia Group | India-US 2+2
Dialogue Gulf Cooperation Council | Panmunjon Declaration |
Organization of Islamic Cooperation | Military exercises

POLITY (4-8)
Reservation In Promotions | Office of Profit | Witness Protection Scheme | Limbs | Northeast Council |
Composite Water Management Index | Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System | MyGov 2.0 |
125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019: Sixth Schedule Areas | Medical Council (amendment) Ordinance,
2018 Electoral Bond Scheme | National Policy On Domestic Workers | The Constitution (one Hundred And
Third Amendment) Act, 2019 | The Right Of Children To Free And Compulsory Education (Amendment) Act,
2019 | National Commission For Homoeopathy (NCH) Bill, 2018 | DNA Technology (Use and Application)
Regulation Bill – 2019 | Registration Of Marriage Of Nri Bill 2019

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (9-12)

West Nile Virus | 5G | Digital North East Vision 2022 | Repurpose Used
Cooking Oil (RUCO) | Petya Ransomware Attack | National Digital
Communications Policy 2018 | National Policy on Software Products – 2019
National Policy on Electronics, 2019 | Gaganyaan Programme | Mission
Shakti | EMISAT

ENVIRONMENT (13-16)
Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve | Zero Budget Natural Farming | Parivesh | Environmental
Performance Index (epi) | Cheetah Reintroduction Project
India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) | The Champions Of The Earth Award
Across Scheme | Deep Ocean Mission | National Clean Air Program (NCAP)
Asiatic Lion Conservation Project | India Submits Sixth National Report To The Convention Of
Biological Diversity (CBD) | Conference of Parties (COP) on CMS

ECONOMICS (17-19)
Angel Tax | Prompt Corrective Action(PCA) | Leads Index
Operation Greens | E-way Bill | Fame-II Scheme

SOCIAL ISSUES (20-22)

Delhi Declaration | Poshan Abhiyan | HAUSLA-2018 | Supreme Court
Verdict on Sabarimala Temple Case | Instant Triple Talaq | Muslim Women
(Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance of 2018 | National Annual Rural
Sanitation Survey (NARSS) 2018-19

MISCELLANEOUS (23-24)
Project navlekha | Lingayats | Kumbh Mela | E-drishti
INDUS FOOD-II | Sea Vigil | SATAT | Battle of Kagla Tongbi
 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1-3

CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019 FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES

S-400 Air Defence Missile System

 The Russian-built S-400 Triumf identified by NATO as the SA-21 Growler is the world‗s most dangerous
operationally deployed modern long-range surface-to-air missile system, and is considered much more
effective than the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system developed by the US.
 The S-400 is a mobile system that integrates a multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems,
anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and a command and control centre.
 It can be deployed within five minutes, and is capable of firing three types of missiles to create a layered defence.
 It can engage all types of aerial targets including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and ballistic and cruise
missiles within a range of 400 km, at an altitude up to 30 km.
 It can simultaneously track 100 airborne targets, including super fighters such as the US-built F- 35, and engage
six of them at the same time

Australia Group
 India has been admitted as 43rd member to Australia group.
 Group was formed in 1985 in response to use of chemical weapons by Iraq in Iran-Iraq war of 1984.
 It is a Multilateral Export control Regime and an informal forum of 43 countries (Including EU) which, through
the harmonisation of export controls, seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of
chemical or biological weapons.
 Coordination of national export control measures also assists member countries to fulfil their obligations under
the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.
 It issues Australia group Common Control Lists related to chemical weapon precursors, Dual- Use chemical and
biological related technologies, Human and Animal pathogens etc.

India-US 2+2 Dialogue

 India hosted inaugural 2+2 Dialogue with United States in New Delhi.
 During the dialogue, COMCASA (the India-specific formulation of CISMOA) was signed.
 The two side also discussed the progress of a Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) which is in
negotiating stage. BECA would enable them to share advance satellite datafornavigation and missile targeting.
 The two sides also discussed issues ranged from the Indian purchase of the S-400 from Russia, the sanctions this
action may attract under CAATSA, and whether the U.S. President will grant India a waiver; and whether India
will get a waiver from another set of US sanctions if it does not reduce oil imports from Iran to Zero by November
4.
 While COMCASA was signed during the meeting, there was no positive or definite commitment from the U.S. on
any of the other issues.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

 The GCC, established in 1981 in Abu Dhabi,
comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
 It is basically a political and economic alliance
of six countries in the Arabian Peninsula which
promotes economic, security, cultural and
social cooperation among member countries.
 The presidency shifts among the six members
based on the Arabic alphabet.
 Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain have constitutional
monarchies while Saudi Arabia and Oman have
absolute monarchies, and the United Arab
Emirates has federal monarchy.

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Panmunjon Declaration
Recently, North Korea and South Korea signed the Panmunjom Declaration.
 Outcomes of the Declaration:
o Nuclear weapons- The two Koreas confirmed the common goal of realizing, through complete
denuclearisation, a nuclear free Korean Peninsula and greed to carry out their respective roles and
responsibilities in this regard.
o Peace deal - Both sides pledged to seek a peace treaty replacing the Korean War armistice via multilateral
consultations with China and the United States.
o Family visits- The two sides agreed to hold reunion programmes (for families divided due to war in the two
countries) on 15 August, the day both Koreas celebrate their independence from Japanese colonisation.
o Demilitarised zone- The declaration said each side would cease propaganda broadcasts, hold regular military
meetings, and take other measures to reduce tensions along the border and turn this zone into a ―peace zone.
o Inter-Korean communication- Both pledged to increase direct inter-Korean exchanges and dialogue,
including between lower-level political officials.

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

 India invited to OIC meet as ‗guest of honour‘.
 The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (is an international organization founded in 1969,
 Consists of 57 member states
 It is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations.
 The organisation states that it is ―the collective voice of the Muslim world‖ and works to ―safeguard and protect the
interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony―.
 The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union.

Military Exercises
 IBSAMAR: It is a joint Multi – National Maritime Exercise between the Indian, Brazilian and South African
Navies. Its sixth edition was held at Simons Town, South Africa.

 JIMEX-18: It is a bilateral maritime exercise between India and Japan held at Visakhapatnam. It was
conducted after five years. It comprised of harbour phase (professional and social interactions between the crews
of ships) and a sea phase (warfare exercises) of four days each.

 SAHYOG HOP TAC-2018:It is a maiden joint exercise of between Coast Guards of India and Vietnam held in
the Bay of Bengal off the Chennai coast. The exercise encompassed a scenario of hijacking of an oil tanker and
subsequent rescue of its crew in a coordinated anti-piracy joint operation as well as preventive efforts for marine
environment protection.

 SHINYUU Maitri-18: This is the first air exercise between The Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) and
Indian Air Force, recently conducted in Agra. The theme of the exercise was joint Mobility/Humanitarian
Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) on Transport aircraft.

 Exercise Sea Vigil: The Indian Navy will conduct this large-scale coastal defence exercise to test the
robustness of the entire coastal security apparatus. It will involve all stake holders across mainland and Island
territories with participation of all operational ships, submarines and aircraft as well as units of Indian coast
guards, Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy.

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 Hand-in-Hand: India and China recently conducted 7th round of their 'Hand-in-Hand' military drills after a gap
of one year as they could not be held last year because of the standoff at Doklam in the Sikkim sector.

 Indra Navy: The 10th edition of Indo-Russian maritime exercise Indra Navy 2018 took place in Visakhapatnam.

 Aviaindra: This is the second in the series of bilateral joint exercise between Indian Air Force and Russian
Federation Aerospace Force (RFSAF).

 Vajra Prahar: It is an Indo-US joint military training exercise conducted alternately in India and the US.

 KONKAN-18: It is a joint naval exercise between India and the United Kingdom.

 Lamitye2018: Joint military exercise 'Lamitye' was held between India and Seychelles. It is conducted biennially
between the two countries. The aim of Lamitye 2018 was fighting insurgency, terrorism and piracy threats.

 Varuna-18: The navies of India and France conducted a joint bilateral exercise, "Varuna-18", in the Arabian Sea
off the Goa coast. It was meant to explore the measures to facilitate the operational-level interactions between
their respective armed forces and increase mutual cooperation, considering the common global threats. It was
conducted in three sea areas -- the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the South WesternIndian Ocean.

 Harimau Shakti 2018:A joint training exercise between India and Malaysia HARIMAU SHAKTI was conducted in
the dense forests of Sengai Perdik, Hulu Langat, Malaysia

 Gagan Shakti-2018:The Indian Air Force conducted pan India Exercise Gagan Shakti-2018 from 08 to 22 April,
2018.

 Sahyog-Hyeoblyeog 2018: The Indo-Korean joint anti-piracy exercise 'Sahyog-Hyeoblyeog 2018' was conducted in
April off the Chennai coast.

 Desert Tiger 5: The UAE and Malaysia concluded "Desert Tiger 5" joint military exercise aimed at sharing
expertise and enhancing joint military actions. The drill was also aimed at raising the level of performance and
combat efficiency and working together based on a strategy to improve the overall ability and combat readiness of
the ground forces.

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 POLITY 4-8

CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019 FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES

Reservation in promotions
 A five-judge Constitution bench in the case of Jarnail Singh v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta allowed for grant of
quota for promotions in the government jobs to SCs and STs without the need to "collect quantifiable data"
reflecting the backwardness among these communities as mandated by the Nagaraj judgement of 2006.
 Article 16(4A) allows for reservation in matters of promotion, with consequential seniority, in favour of the
Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes which are not adequately represented.

Office of Profit:
 Articles 102(1) a and 191 (1)(a) of the Constitution mention disqualifications on the basis of Office of Profit but it
is neither defined in the constitution nor under Representation of People„s Act.
 Supreme Court in Pradyut Bordoloi vs Swapan Roy case, the Supreme Court outlined the following questions for
the test for Office of Profit:
o Whether the government makes the appointment;
o Whether the government has the right to remove or dismiss the holder;
o Whether the government pays the remuneration;
o What are the functions of the holder and does he perform them for the government; and
o Does the government exercise any control over the performance of those functions
 Further in Jaya Bacchan v. Union of India case SC defined it as ―an office which is capable of yielding a profit or
pecuniary gain.‖ thus it is not the actual receipt of profit but the potential‗ for profit that is the deciding factor in
an Office of Profit‗ case.

Witness Protection Scheme

 The Supreme Court has approved the Centre‗s draft witness protection scheme and directed all states and union
territories to implement it until Parliament passes a legislation. It shall be a law under Article 141/142 of the
Constitution.
 Objective of the Scheme: is to ensure that the investigation, prosecution and trial of criminal offences is not
prejudiced because witnesses are intimidated or frightened to give evidence without protection from violent or
other criminal recrimination. The specific provisions for witness protection are already there in the National
Investigation Agency (NIA) Act.
 Key Provisions:
o The draft witness protection scheme provides for protection based on the level of threat perception, for a
specific duration, subject to review.
o The scheme, formulated by the Union Home Ministry, assigns three categories of threat perception:
o Threat to life of witness or family members, during or after investigation or trial;
o Threat to safety, reputation or property of the witness or family members; and
o A moderate threat extending to harassment or intimidation of the witness or family members.
o There shall be a Fund, namely, the Witness Protection Fund from which the expenses incurred during the
implementation shall be met.
o The protection measures ensure that the witness is not exposed to any confrontation with the accused and
also provides for close-proximity protection.
o The measures also include monitoring of phone calls, e-mails, installation of CCTV cameras in their houses,
concealment of their identities and relocation to a new place.

LIMBS
 LIMBS stands for Legal Information Management and Briefing System and is a Ministry of Law and Justice
initiative.
 Purpose: The idea is to reduce government litigation and make government litigation more efficient. At the
moment, LIMBS is applicable only to the civil cases.

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 Single platform: Earlier, information about cases involving 64 ministries / departments was scattered in different
places typically in the form of physical files. That information is now available on a single platform in electronic
form. In June 2017, about 135060 cases were part of LIMBS. That number is now 265272.
 Beneficial Use of the Data: Once data are available in this form several issues can be resolved such as the delay,
the financial implication, clubbing, settling dispute outside court, ensuring distribution of cases is even across
advocates, analyzing track record of specific advocates etc.
 Prioritizing cases: LIMBS assign priority to the cases such as contempt cases, on their financial implication on
the government.
 SMS reminders: It also sends SMS prompts to the concerned officials for a timely action.

Northeast Council
 The Union Cabinet decided to bring the North Eastern Council under the direct control of Home Ministry.
 The council, which is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North Eastern region, was
till now chaired by the Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Minister.
 Thus, Home Minister will be the ex-officio chairperson of the Council.
 The DoNER Minister will be the Vice Chairman and all the Governors and Chief Ministers of North Eastern
States as Members.

Composite Water Management Index

 In pursuit of cooperative and competitive federalism, NITI Aayog has come up with an important tool, Composite
Water Management Index (CWMI), to assess and improve the performance of States/ Union Territories in
efficient management of water resources. Simultaneously a web portal on the subject has also been launched.
 Key Features of the Index:
o CWMI has been developed by comprising 9 broad sectors with 28 different indicators covering various aspects
of ground water, restoration of water bodies, irrigation, farm practices, drinking water, policy and governance.
o This has been done through a first of its kind water data collection exercise in partnership with Ministry of
Water Resources, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and all the States/ Union Territories.
o The index will provide useful information for the states and also for the concerned Central ministries, enabling
them to formulate and implement suitable strategies for better management of water resources.
o The purpose of releasing these ranks is to push the states to increase their supply of drinking water for
all rural and urban areas and contain the contamination of this water. This report is meant to increase
the efficiency of water resources in all states.
o For the purposes of analysis, the reporting states were divided into two special groups – (I) North Eastern and
(II) Himalayan states and Other States, to account for the different hydrological conditions across these
groups.

Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETBPS)

 The ETPBS was recently used in Chengannur (Kerala) Assembly bye-poll for service voters. More about ETPBS:
 It was developed by the Election Commission with the help of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing
(C-DAC) to provide an alternative method of quick dispatch of Postal Ballot paper electronically (earlier
delivered by post) to the entitled Service Voters.
 It uses QR codes for uniqueness of the Service Voters and the secrecy in transmission is ensured by the use of
OTP and PIN.
 The postal ballots are delivered in electronic data format to voters on a real time basis. The voters can download
the postal ballot and votes so cast would be received by the returning officer through post.
 It was first used in Nellithope by-elections in Puducherry in 2016.

MyGov 2.0.
 Government‗s biggest official digital platform MyGov has recently decided to scale up both the quality and quantity
of its audience reach. Labelled as MyGov 2.0 the project is a refurbished hi-tech attempt to engage with 50 crore
Indians after the first phase of reach out to 53 lakh registered users.
 New Characteristic Features:
 It will focus on Enhanced Personalised Engagement both Offline and Online and more personal communication
framed from behaviour driven personas. It will also have newer features such as hash tags; polls, interactive
discussion forums and social media account integration.

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125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019: Sixth Schedule Areas
 The government has introduced the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Parliament to increase the
financial and executive powers of the 10 Autonomous Councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the north-
eastern region.
 Features of the Amendment Bill:
o It will impact one crore tribal people in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
o It provides for elected village municipal councils, ensuring democracy at the grass-root level.
o It empowers the village councils to prepare plans for economic development and social justice.
o It mandates the Finance Commission to recommend devolution of financial resources to these autonomous
councils. The Autonomous Councils are dependent on grants from Central ministries and the State
government for specific projects.
o It also reserves one-third of the seats for women in the village and municipal councils in the Sixth Schedule
areas of Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura.

Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018

 Salient Features of Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018:
 The ordinance dissolves the Medical Council of India (MCI) and replacing it with a seven-member Board of
Governors (BoG) led by NITI Aayog Member Dr. V.K. Paul. The BoG will continue to perform till a council is
constituted.
 The National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2017 is still pending in Parliament.
 National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2017:
 The bill would replace the existing apex medical education regulator Medical Council of India (MCI)with a new
body named National Medical Commission.
 Structure of commission: The commission will have government nominated chairman and members. A search
committee under the Cabinet Secretary will select the board members. There will five elected and 12 ex-officio
members in the commission.
 It provides for the constitution of four autonomous boards under the National Medical Commission which would
be entrusted with conducting undergraduate and postgraduate education, assessment and accreditation of
medical institutions and registration of practitioners.
 To get practicing licences all medical graduates will have to clear a common entrance exam and licentiate exam.
 No permission would be required to add new seats or to start postgraduate courses.
 The deterrence for non-compliance with maintenance of standards is in terms of monetary penalty

Electoral Bond Scheme

 The Government of India has notified the Electoral Bond Scheme 2018 vide Gazette Notification No. 20 dated 02nd
January 2018.
 As per provisions of the Scheme, Electoral Bonds may be purchased by a person, who is a citizen of India or
incorporated or established in India.
 A person being an individual can buy Electoral Bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.
 Only the Political Parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951)
and which secured not less than one per cent of the votes polled in the last General Election to the House of the
People or the Legislative Assembly of the State, shall be eligible to receive the Electoral Bonds.
 The Electoral Bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank account with the
Authorized Bank.
 Electoral Bonds shall be valid for fifteen calendar days from the date of issue and no payment shall be made to
any payee Political Party if the Electoral Bond is deposited after expiry of the validity period.
 The Electoral Bond deposited by an eligible Political Party in its account shall be credited on the same day

National Policy on Domestic Workers

Why in News
 The Ministry of Labour & Employment is considering to formulate a National Policy on Domestic Workers which is
in the draft stage.
Salient Features
 Inclusion of Domestic Workers in the existing legislations.
 Domestic workers will have the right to register as unorganized workers. Such registration will facilitate their
access to rights & benefits.
 Right to form their own associations/unions.
 Right to minimum wages, access to social security.

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 Right to enhance their skills.
 Protection of Domestic Workers from abuse and exploitation.
 Domestic Workers to have access to courts, tribunals for grievance redressal.
 Establishment of a mechanism for regulation of private placement agencies.
 Establishment of a grievance redressal system for domestic workers.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) ACT, 2019

Context The President of India Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to The Constitution (One Hundred and Third
Amendment) which aims to provide reservation in public employment and higher education for economically weaker
sections.
What is the Amendment?
 Article 15 in The Constitution Of India: Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or
place of birth.
 However Article 15(4) Says: Nothing in this article or in clause ( 2 ) of Article 29 shall prevent the State from
making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens
or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes
 Article 16 in The Constitution Of India: Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.
What has been proposed
 Economic reservation in jobs and education is proposed to be provided by inserting clause (6) in Articles 15 and
16 of the Constitution.
 Education Institutions:
o The proposed Article 15(6) enables State to make special provisions for advancement of any economically
weaker section of citizens, including reservations in educational institutions.
o It states that such reservation can be made in any educational institution, including private institutions,
whether aided or unaided, except minority educational institutions covered under Article 30(1).
o It further states that the upper limit of reservation will be ten percent, which will be in addition to the existing
reservations.
 Job Reservations:
o As regards job reservations, the proposed Article 16(6) enables State to make provision for reservation in
appointments, in addition to the existing reservations, subject to a maximum of ten percent.

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Act, 2019
About the Act
 It is an Act further to amend the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. It shall come into
force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
 In the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act),
for section 16, the following section shall be substituted, namely:—
o There shall be a regular examination in the fifth class and in the eighth class at the end of every academic
year.
o If a child fails in the examination referred to in sub-section (1), he shall be given additional instruction and
granted opportunity for re-examination within a period of two months from the date of declaration of the
result.
o The appropriate Government may allow schools to hold back a child in the fifth class or in the eighth class or
in both classes, in such manner and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, if he fails in the re-
examination referred to in sub-section (2): Provided that the appropriate Government may decide not to hold
back a child in any class till the completion of elementary education.
o No child shall be expelled from a school till the completion of elementary education.

National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) Bill, 2018

 National Commission for Homoeopathy, Bill, 2018,seeks to replace the existing regulator Central Council for
Homoeopathy (CCH) with a new body to ensure transparency.
 It aims at bringing reforms in the medical education of Homoeopathy in lines with the National Medical
Commission proposed for setting up for Allopathy system of medicine

DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill – 2019

 The purpose of this Bill is to expand the application of DNA-based forensic technologies to support and strengthen
the justice delivery system of the country.

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 The Bill seeks to ensure that with the proposed expanded use of this technology in this country, there is also the
assurance that the DNA test results are reliable, and furthermore that the data remain protected from misuse or
abuse in terms of the privacy rights of our citizens.
The key components of this Bill include:
 Establishment of a DNA Regulatory Board.
 Accreditation of DNA laboratories undertaking DNA testing, analyzing, etc.
 Establishment of the National and Regional DNA Data Banks, as envisaged in the Bill, will assist in forensic
investigations.
 The Bill will add value in empowering the criminal justice delivery system by enabling the application of DNA
evidence, which is considered the gold standard in crime investigations.

Registration of Marriage of NRI Bill 2019

 Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the introduction of Registration of Marriage
of Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Bill, 2019.
 The Bill provides for amendment of the legal framework to act as a deterrent to the erring NRI spouses and
creating more accountability and offer protection against exploitation of Indian Citizens married to NRIs.
 Once the Bill is passed, marriages performed by NRIs would be registered in India or Indian Missions & Posts
abroad, and necessary changes would be carried out in the:
o Passports Act, 1967; and
o Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 by insertion of Section 86A.
 Serving judicial summons for Court proceedings in India is a major problem, which would be taken care of by this
Bill by amending the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

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 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 9-12

CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019 FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES

West Nile Virus (WNV)/Fever

 West Nile fever is a viral infection typically spread by mosquitoes.
 West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne disease, mostly reported in the continental United States.
 Rarely the virus is spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, or from mother to baby during
pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.
 There is no human vaccine.
 The virus was discovered in Uganda in 1937.
 A section of the media has reported that a seven year old boy from Malappuram District of Kerala is suffering from
a West Nile Virus (WNV)

5G
 TRAI gives nod for sale of 5G spectrum
 The government has set up a high level forum to evaluate roadmaps and formulate a strategy to adopt 5G in the
country by 2020.
 5G is a wireless communication and next generation mobile networks technology after 4G LTE networks.
 The final standard for 5G will be set up by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
 India lacks a strong backhaul to transition to 5G.
 Backhaul is a network that connects cells sites to central exchange.

Digital North East Vision 2022

 Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recently released The Digital North East Vision 2022 in
Guwahati, Assam.
 The vision document emphasizes on leveraging digital technologies to transform lives of people of north east and
enhance ease of living.
 It identifies eight digital thrust areas namely, Digital Infrastructure, Digital services, Promotion of Electronics
Manufacturing, Digital empowerment, Promotion of IT and ITes including BPOs, Digital Payments, Innovation &
Startups and Cyber security.

Repurpose used cooking oil (RUCO)

 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil).
 It is an initiative that will enable collection and conversion of used cooking oil to bio-diesel.
 Total Polar Compounds (TPC) - TPC is used to measure the quality of oil, level of TPC increases every time oil is re-
heated.
 Higher level of TPC in cooking oil leads to health issues like hypertension, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer‗s disease and
liver disease.

Petya Ransomware Attack

 Petya ransomware was part of a new wave of cyber-attacks that had hit computer servers all across Europe,
locking up computer data and crippling enterprise services in the corporate sector.
 Ransomware is a type of malware that blocks access to a computer or its data and demands money to release it.
 When a computer is infected, the ransomware encrypts important documents and files and then demands a
ransom, typically in Bitcoin, for a digital key needed to unlock the files
 Ukraine and Russia are the worst affected, though the attack has also impacted some companies in the US and
other Western European countries

National Digital Communications Policy 2018

 The Union Cabinet approved the new Telecom Policy which aims to create four million jobs, draw $100 billion of
investments into the telecom industry by 2022, boost sectoral contribution to 8% of GDP from 6% in 2017,
besides backing principles of net neutrality.
 In pursuit of accomplishing these objectives by year 2022, the National Digital Communications Policy 2018
envisages three Missions:

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 Connect India: Creating Robust Digital Communications Infrastructure to promote Broadband for All as a tool for
socioeconomic development, while ensuring service quality and environmental sustainability.
 Propel India: Enabling Next Generation Technologies and Services through Investments, Innovation and IPR
generation; To harness the power of emerging digital technologies, including 5G, AI, IoT, Cloud and Big Data to
enable provision of future ready products & services; and to catalyze 4th industrial revolution by promoting
Investments, Innovation and IPR.
 Secure India: Ensuring Sovereignty, Safety and Security of Digital Communications To secure the interests of
citizens and safeguard the digital sovereignty of India with a focus on ensuring individual autonomy and choice,
data ownership, privacy and security; while recognizing data as a crucial economic resource.

National Policy on Software Products – 2019

 The Union Cabinet has approved the National Policy on Software Products - 2019 to develop India as a Software
Product Nation.
 Initially, an outlay of Rs.1500 Crore is involved to implement the programmes/ schemes envisaged under this
policy over a period of 7 years.
 Rs1500 Crore is divided into Software Product Development Fund (SPDF) and Research & Innovation Fund.
Background
 The Indian IT Industry has predominantly been a service Industry. However, a need has been felt to move up the
value chain through technology-oriented products and services.
 To create a robust software product ecosystem the Government has approved the National Policy on Software
Products - 2019, which aims to develop India as the global software product hub, driven by
o Innovation
o improved commercialization
o sustainable Intellectual Property (IP)
o promoting technology startups
o specialized skill sets.
 Further, the Policy aims to align with other Government initiatives such as Start-up India, Make in India and
Digital India, Skill India etc so as to create Indian Software products Industry of USD ~70-80 billion with direct &
indirect employment of ~3.5 million by 2025.
Implementation strategy and targets
 The Policy will lead to the formulation of several schemes, initiatives, projects and measures for the development
of Software products sector in the country as per the roadmap envisaged therein.
 To achieve the vision of NPSP-2019, the Policy has the following five Missions:
 To promote the creation of a sustainable Indian software product industry, driven by intellectual property (IP),
leading to a ten-fold increase in India share of the Global Software product market by 2025.
 To nurture 10,000 technology startups in the software product industry, including 1000 such technology startups
in Tier-II and Tier-III towns & cities and generating direct and indirect employment for 3.5 million people by 2025.
 To create a talent pool for software product industry through (i) up-skilling of 1,000,000 IT professionals, (ii)
motivating 100,000 school and college students and (iii) generating 10,000 specialized professionals that can
provide leadership.
 To build a cluster-based innovation-driven ecosystem by developing 20 sectoral and strategically located software
product development clusters having integrated ICT infrastructure, marketing, incubation, R&D/testbeds and
mentoring support.
 In order to evolve and monitor scheme & programmes for the implementation of this policy, the National Software
Products Mission will be set up with participation from Government, Academia and Industry.

National Policy on Electronics, 2019

Why in news
 The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to the National Policy on Electronics 2019 (NPE 2019), proposed by the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
 The Policy envisions positioning India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing - (ESDM)
by encouraging and driving capabilities in the country for developing core components, including chipsets, and
creating an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally.
Implementations and target
 The Policy will lead to the formulation of several schemes, initiatives, projects and measures for the development
of ESDM sector in the country as per the roadmap envisaged therein.
 Promote domestic manufacturing and export in the entire value-chain of ESDM for economic development to
achieve a turnover of USD 400 billion

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Salient features
 Promoting domestic manufacturing and export in the entire value-chain of ESDM.
 Provide incentives and support for manufacturing of core electronic components.
 Provide special package of incentives for mega projects which are extremely high-tech and entail huge
investments, such as semiconductor facilities display fabrication.
 Promote Industry-led R&D and innovation in all sub-sectors of electronics, including grass root level innovations
and early stage Start-ups in emerging technology areas such as 5G, loT/ Sensors, Artificial Intelligence (Al),
Machine Learning, Virtual Reality (VR), Drones, Robotics, Additive Manufacturing, Photonics, Nano-based devices,
etc.
 Special thrust on Fabless Chip Design Industry, Medical Electronic Devices Industry, Automotive Electronics
Industry and Power Electronics for Mobility and Strategic Electronics Industry.
 Create Sovereign Patent Fund (SPF) to promote the developmentand acquisition of IPs in ESDM sector.

Gaganyaan Programme
Why in News
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Gaganyaan Programme with
demonstration of Indian Human Spaceflight capability to low earth orbit for a mission duration ranging from one
orbital period to a maximum of seven days.
 A human rated GSLV Mk-lll will be used to carry the orbital module.
 ISRO will collaborate extensively with National agencies, laboratories, academia and industry to accomplish the
Gaganyaan Programme objectives.
Background
 ISRO has completed the development of launch vehicle GSLV Mk-lll which has the necessary payload capability to
launch a 3-member crew module in low earth orbit.
 ISRO has developed and demonstrated most of the baseline technologies essential for undertaking human
spaceflight mission. Globally also, there is a renewed interest in undertaking manned exploration initiatives.
Implementation Strategy and Targets
 It will be a national effort in collaboration with Industry, Academia and other scientific agencies and laboratories
as stake holders along with ISRO.
 ISRO will be responsible for realizing the flight hardware through Industry. National agencies, laboratories and
Academia will participate in crew training, human life science technology development initiatives as well as design
reviews.
 Total fund requirement for the Gaganyaan Programme is within Rs.10,000 crore and includes cost of technology
development, flight hardware realization and essential infrastructure elements.
 Two unmanned flights and one manned flight will be undertaken as part of Gaganyaan Programme.

Mission Shakti
Why in News
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the DRDO-developed anti-satellite system A-SAT successfully
destroyed a live satellite in the Low Earth Orbit.
 With this test, dubbed as Mission Shakti, India is only the fourth country after the U.S., Russia and China to have
the technology.
What are anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons?
 They are missile-based systems to attack moving satellites.
 So far the United States, China and Russia were the only ones who‘ve reported the ability to shoot down space
objects from ground or airborne sources.
 There are different kinds of systems
 those that can be launched from the ground
 those vaulted from planes.
Background
 During the Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union, these first came into the forefront.
 In the Cold War/Space Race era, 1985 was the last time that the United States had used an anti-satellite system
to destroy its P-781 satellite that had instruments aboard to study solar radiation.
 Anti-satellite weapons came back into popular currency after China conducted an anti-satellite missile test on
January 11, 2007.
 In 2008, the United States launched ‗Operation Burnt Frost,‘ the code name to intercept and destroy a non-
functioning U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) satellite named USA-193.

11
About India‟s ASAT system
 The satellite was about 300 km away from earth but no details were shared regarding its ownership and what the
satellite was used for and what were the reasons for choosing that particular satellite for the test.
 Dr V.K. Saraswat, Director-General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation stating in 2012 that
India had "all the building blocks necessary" to integrate an anti-satellite weapon to neutralise hostile satellites in
low earth and polar orbits.
 However, there was never any formal announcement of such a mission.

Emisat
 The full form of EMISAT is Electronic Intelligence Satellite.
 It was made by ISRO and DRDO together.
 It is put in Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit.
 EMISAT is a satellite built around ISRO‘s Mini Satellite-2 bus weighing about 436 kg. The satellite is intended for
electromagnetic spectrum measurement.
 The payloads carried by PS4 are
 Automatic Identification System from ISRO
 Automatic Packet Repeating System from AMSAT

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 ENVIRONMENT 13-16

CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019 FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES

Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve

 The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve has become the 11th Biosphere Reserve from India that has been
included in the UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
 Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim is one of the highest ecosystems in the world.
 It includes a range of ecoclines, varying from subtropics to Arctic, as well as natural forests in different biomes
 The core zone – Khangchendzonga National Park was designated a World Heritage Site in 2016 under the ‗mixed‗
category
World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR):
 a program under Man and Biosphere program consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites of excellence
 Composed of 686 biosphere reserves in 122 countries, including 20 trans boundary sites.
 UNESCO‗s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an Intergovernmental Scientific Programme that aims to
establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.
 11 of India‗s 18 biosphere reserves are a part of WBNR.

Zero Budget Natural Farming

 NITI Aayog has advised States to adopt zero-budget natural farming.
 ZBNF is a set of natural farming methods where the cost of growing and harvesting plants is zero.
 It is a farming practice that believes in the natural growth of crops without adding any fertilizers and pesticides or
any other foreign elements.
 Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is also a grassroots peasant movement.
 It has attained wide success in southern India, especially the southern Indian state of Karnataka where it first
evolved.
 The word budget‗ refers to credit and expenses, thus the phrase 'Zero Budget' means without using any credit,
and without spending any money on purchased inputs.
 Zero budget‗ farming promises to end a reliance on loans and drastically cut production costs, ending the debt
cycle for desperate farmers.

PARIVESH
 The Prime Minister, recently launched PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous
and Environmental Single-window Hub) on the occasion of World Biofuel Day.
 PARIVESH is an Environmental Management System, developed in pursuance of the spirit of Digital India‗
 It is a single window hub for Environment, Forest, Wildlife and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances.
 PARIVESH is a workflow based application, based on the concept of web architecture.

Environmental Performance Index (EPI)

• India ranked 177 out of 180 in EPI2018, making it fourth worst performer incurbing environmental pollution.
About EPI
 This index has been developed by Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with the World
Economic Forum and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.
 It is calculated on the basis of data gathered from 24 individual metrics of environmental performance. •These 24
individual metrics are then aggregated into a hierarchy that begins with 10 major environmental issues categories.

Cheetah Reintroduction Project

 Madhya Pradesh forest department has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to revive the
plan to reintroduce cheetahs in the state's Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary.
 National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), is nodal agency for the Cheetahs reintroduction plan
 The country‗s last spotted feline died in Chhattisgarh in 1947. Later, the cheetah which is the fastest land animal
was declared extinct in India in 1952.
 Nauradehi was found to be the most suitable area for the cheetahs as its forests are not very dense to restrict the
fast movement of the spotted cat. Besides, the prey base for cheetahs is also in abundance at the sanctuary. As
per the earlier action plan, around 20 cheetahs were to be translocated to Nauradehi from Namibia in Africa.

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 MP houses six major reserves for the tiger and is often called as the 'tiger state'. Prominent among them are
Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kanha tiger reserves.

India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)

 The overarching goal of ICAP is to provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all while securing
environmental and socio-economic benefits for the society.
 India is the first country in world to develop such a document (ICAP), which addresses cooling requirement across
sectors and lists out actions which can help reduce the cooling demand.
 The broad objectives of the India Cooling Action Plan include –
o Reduction of cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25 % by year 2037-38.
o Reduction of refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by year 2037-38.
o Training of 100,000 service sector technicians by 2022-23 under Pradhan MantraCausal Vikas Yojana

The Champions of the Earth award

 It is the United Nations highest environmental honor recognizing visionary people and organizations all over the
world that exemplify leadership and advocate action on sustainable development, climate change and a life of
dignity for all. It was launched in 2005 and is awarded by UNEP. Past Indians who won it include: Afroz Shah,
who led the world‗s largest beach cleanup (2016).

ACROSS Scheme
 The Cabinet Committee has approved continuation of the nine sub-schemes of the umbrella scheme Atmosphere
& Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services(ACROSS)‖ during 2017-2020.
 ACROSS scheme pertains to the atmospheric science programs of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
 It addresses different aspects of weather and climate services, which includes warnings for cyclone, storm surges,
heat waves, thunderstorms etc.
 Each of these aspects is incorporated as nine sub-schemes under the umbrella scheme ACROSS and is
implemented in an integrated.

Deep Ocean Mission

 In a recently unveiled Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) blueprint, Centre has drawn up a five year, Rs. 8000 Crore plan
to explore deep resources of the ocean on lines of ISRO in designing and launching satellite.
 DOM aims to explore the depths of the Ocean for the possibilities of deep-sea mining. Its focus will be on
technologies for deep-sea mining, under water vehicles, under water robotics and ocean climate change advisory
services, among others.
Key deliverables to achieve these goals:
 Offshore tidal energy desalination plant that will work with tidal energy.
 Developing a submersible vehicle to explore depths of at least 6000 Meters with three people on board.
Significance of DOM for India
 India‗s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) spreads over 2.2 Million Km2. EEZ are boundaries prescribed by the
UNCLOS which give special rights to a state regarding the exploration and use of marine resources.
 India has been allotted a site of 75,000 Km2in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the UN International Sea
Bed Authority for exploitation of Poly-Metallic nodules (PMN). A First Generation Mine-site (FGM) with an area of
18,000 Km2 has been identified. Latest technologies for extraction of metals from the minerals have also been
developed.

National Clean Air Program (NCAP)

 Why in News
 A time bound national level strategy for pan India implementation to tackle the increasing air pollution problem
across the country in a comprehensive manner in the form of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is launched
by The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
 Collaborative and participatory approach involving relevant Central Ministries, State Governments, local bodies
and other Stakeholders with focus on all sources of pollution forms the crux of the Programme.
About NCAP
 NCAP will be a mid-term, five-year action plan with 2019 as the first year.
 Dovetailing of the existing policies and programmes including the National Action Plan on Climate Change
(NAPCC) and other initiatives of Government of India in reference to climate change will be done while execution of
NCAP.

14
 The NCAP is envisaged to be dynamic and will continue to evolve based on the additional scientific and technical
information as they emerge.
 The NCAP will be institutionalized by respective ministries and will be organized through inter-sectoral groups.
 The program will partner with multilateral and bilateral international organizations, and philanthropic
foundations and leading technical institutions to achieve its outcomes.
Other features of NCAP include,
o increasing number of monitoring stations in the country including rural monitoring stations
o technology support
o emphasis on awareness and capacity building initiatives
o setting up of certification agencies for monitoring equipment
o source apportionment studies
o emphasis on enforcement
o Specific sectoral interventions etc.
 The tentative national level target of 20%–30% reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 2024 is proposed
under the NCAP taking 2017 as the base year for the comparison of concentration.

Asiatic Lion Conservation Project

Why in News
 The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India has launched the ―Asiatic Lion
Conservation Project‖ with an aim to protect and conserve the world‘s last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion
and its associated ecosystem.
Details of the Project
 ―The Asiatic Lion Conservation Project‖ will strengthen the ongoing measures for conservation and recovery of
Asiatic Lion with the help of state-of-the –art techniques/ instruments, regular scientific research studies, disease
management, Modern surveillance/ patrolling techniques.
 Total budget of the project for 3 years that amounts to nearly Rs. 9784 lakh will be funded from the Centrally
Sponsored Scheme- Development of Wildlife Habitat (CSS-DWH) with the contributing ratio being 60:40 of Central
and State share.
Background
 Asiatic lions that once ranged from Persia (Iran) to Palamau in Eastern India were almost driven to extinction by
indiscriminate hunting and habitat loss.
 A single population of less than 50 lions persisted in the Gir forests of Gujarat by late 1890's.With timely and
stringent protection offered by the State Government and the Center Government, Asiatic lions have increased to
the current population of over 500 numbers.
 The last census in the year 2015 showed the population of 523 Asiatic Lions in Gir Protected Area Network of
1648.79 sq. km. that includes Gir National Park, Gir Sanctuary, Pania Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary adjoining
reserved forests, Protected Forests, and Unclassed Forests.
About Asiatic Lions
 The Asiatic lion is a Panthera leo leo population in India.
 Its range is restricted to the Gir National Park and environs in the Indian state of Gujarat.
 On the IUCN Red List it is listed under its former scientific name Panthera leo persica as Endangered because of
its small size and area of occupancy.
 Until the 19th century, it occurred in eastern Turkey, Iran, Mesopotamia, and from east of the Indus River to
Bengal and Narmada River in Central India.
 The lion is one of five pantherine cats inhabiting India, along with the Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, snow
leopard and clouded leopard.
 It was also known as "Indian lion" and "Persian lion".

India submits Sixth National Report to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD)
Why In News
 India has recently submitted its Sixth National Report (NR6) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
 India is among the first five countries in the world, the first in Asia and the first among the biodiversity rich mega
diverse countries to have submitted NR6 to the CBD Secretariat.
Background
 While globally, biodiversity is facing increasing pressure on account of habitat fragmentation and destruction,
invasive alien species, pollution, climate change and oversuse of resources, India is one of the few countries where
forest cover is on the rise.
 Submission of national reports is a mandatory obligation on Parties to international treaties, including CBD.

15
 As a responsible nation, India has never reneged on its international commitments and has earlier submitted on
time five National Reports to the CBD. Parties are required to submit their NR6 by 31 December 2018.

About Sixth National Report

 The NR6 provides an update of progress in achievement of 12 National Biodiversity Targets (NBT) developed under
the Convention process in line with the 20 global Aichi biodiversity targets.
 India has exceeded/overachieved two NBTs, it is on track to achieve eight NBTs and in respect of the remaining
two NBTs also, India is striving to meet the targets by the stipulated time of 2020.
 With well over 20 percent of its total geographical area under biodiversity conservation, India has exceeded the
terrestrial component of 17 percent of Aichi target 11, and 20 percent of corresponding NBT relating to areas
under biodiversity management.
 India has also made noteworthy achievement towards NBT relating to access and benefit sharing (ABS) by
operationalising the Nagoya Protocol on ABS.
 India has done well on raising awareness about biodiversity, which is an important thrust area in several
programmes of the Government.

Conference of Parties (COP) on CMS

Why in news
 The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals
(CMS), an environmental treaty under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme, is going to be hosted
by India in 2020 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
 Representatives from 129 Parties and eminent conservationists and international NGOs working in the field of
wildlife conservation are expected to attend the COP.
About conservation of migratory species (cms)
 It is an environmental treaty under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme.
 CMS provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats.
 CMS brings together the States through which migratory animals pass, the Range States, and lays the legal
foundation for internationally coordinated conservation measures throughout a migratory range.
 As the only global convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and migration
routes, CMS complements and co-operates with a number of other international organizations,
 NGOs and partners in the media as well as in the corporate sector.
 The agreements may range from legally binding treaties (called Agreements) to less formal instruments, such as
Memoranda of Understanding, and can be adapted to the requirements of particular regions.

16
 ECONOMY 17-19

CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019 FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES

Angel tax
Why in news
 Government recently proposed in tax rules for investments made by Indian residents in startups, also known as
Angel Tax.
 Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) issued notification in April 2018 for easing the
norms for providing tax exemption to the Startup companies and further amended the notification on 4th
February 2019.
What has been declared
 Registered start-ups are exempted from giving Angel Tax.
 If Angel investment is upto 25 Crore Rupees then, Angel tax is exempted
 A listed company with net worth of at least 100 crore or turnover Rs 250 Crore Rupees will also not be taxed if
they make investment in a strat up
 Investments by NRI into StartUps will also not attract any Angel Tax.
 Earlier they were taxed as Other Properties of The Investor. This is done to provide a safeguard to the investors in
StartUps which indeed a very risky as well as credit starved sections of business.
Definition of a start up
 Up to a period of seven years from the date of incorporation/registration, if it is incorporated as a
 Private limited company (as defined in the Companies Act, 2013) or
 Registered as a partnership firm (registered under section 59 of the Partnership Act, 1932) or
 A limited liability partnership (under the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008) in India.
 In the case of Startups in the biotechnology sector, the period shall be upto ten years from the date of its
incorporation and registration.
 Turnover of the entity for any of the financial years since incorporation/ registration has not exceeded Rs. 25
crore.
 Entity is working towards innovation, development or improvement of products or processes or services, or if it is
a scalable business model with a high potential of employment generation or wealth creation.
Angel Investors
 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.

Prompt Corrective Action(PCA)

 PCA is a process or mechanism to ensure that banks don‗t go bust.
 It was first introduced after global economy incurred huge losses due to failure of financial institutions during
1980s-90s.
 The Reserve Bank has specified certain regulatory trigger points, as a part of prompt corrective action (PCA)
Framework, in terms of three parameters,
o capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR),
o net non-performing assets (NPA)and
o Return on Assets (RoA)
 These parameters used for initiation of certain structured and discretionary actions in respect of banks hitting
such trigger points.
 The PCA framework is applicable only to commercial banks and not extended to co-operative banks, non-banking
financial companies (NBFCs)and FMIs.

LEADS Index
 LEADS-Logistics Ease Across Different States‖ released by Ministry of commerce is a first ever sub-national
logistics performance index.

17
 The state logistics performance is arrived at using ranking methodology for stakeholder engagement based on a
series of meetings and online surveys in the key area of logistics: infrastructure, services, Timelines, Traceability,
competitiveness, security, operating environment and efficiency of regulation.
 LEADS is loosely based on World Bank‗s biannual Logistics Performance Index (LPI) on which India was ranked 35
among 160 countries in 2016, up from 54 in 2014.
 It aims to serve as an indicator of efficiency of logistical services necessary for promoting exports in particular and
economic growth in general
 The list was topped by Gujarat followed by Punjab and Andhra Pradesh.
 Among the Union Territories, Daman & Diu occupied top slot followed by NCT Delhi and Chandigarh.

Operation Greens
 In the budget speech of Union Budget 2018-19, a new Scheme ―Operation Greens was announced on the line of
―Operation Flood, with an outlay of Rs.500 crore to promote Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs ), agri-
logistics, processing facilities and professional management.
 Accordingly, the Ministry has formulated a scheme for integrated development of Tomato, Onion and Potato
(TOP) value chain.
 Long Term Integrated value chain development projects
o Capacity Building of FPOs & their consortium
o Quality production
o Post-harvest processing facilities
o Agri-Logistics
o Marketing / Consumption Points
o Creation and Management of e-platform for demand and supply management of TOP Crops.

The E-way bill

 The E-way bill, or the electronic way bill, is a document to be generated online under the GST system, when goods
of the value of more than Rs. 50,000 are shipped inter-State or intra-State.
 The E-way bill must be raised before the goods are shipped and should include details of the goods, their
consignor, recipient and transporter.
 According to the McKinsey report speed- breakers cost Indian Economy an extra $45 Billion or 4.3% of the GDP
every year so the GST e-way Bill is expected to trim the logistic cost by 20%. If a consignment is found without an
E-way bill, a penalty of 10,000 or tax sought to be evaded, whichever is greater, can be levied.
 E-way bill helps in reducing Tax-Evasion since every e-way bill generated by the sender or buyer of goods is to be
automatically updated in the outward sales return (GSTR) of the supplier, leaving little scope for tax evasions on
shipments.
 The LPI (Logistics Performance Index) Survey by World Bank in 2014 put logistics costs at 14 percent of the total
value of goods in India, while it is only 6-8 per cent in other major countries. Thus, e-way bill will help to reduce
the logistic cost and it will help in increasing ease of doing business in India.

FAME II Scheme
Why in News
 The NITI Aayog and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) released a report on opportunities for the automobile
sector and government under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles II (FAME II) scheme.
 The technical report titled „India‟s Electric Mobility Transformation: Progress to Date and Future
Opportunities‟ quantifies the direct oil and carbon savings that the vehicles incentivized under FAME II will
deliver.
 RMI is an Indian and global non-profit organisation focused on driving the efficient and restorative use of
resources.
About the Report
 The report quantifies the catalytic effect that FAME II and other measures could have on the overall Electric
Vehicle(EV) market.
 According to the analysis, if FAME II and other measures – in public and private space - are successful, India
could realize EV sales penetration of 30% of private cars, 70% of commercial cars, 40% of buses and 80% of two
and three-wheelers by 2030.
 Extrapolating from the same, the lifetime cumulative oil and carbon savings of all-electric vehicles deployed
through 2030 could be many-fold larger than the direct savings from FAME II.
About FAME II
 The FAME II scheme was notified by the Union Cabinet in February 2019.

18
 It aims to further accelerate the government of India‘s commitment to a clean mobility future, sees the
electrification of transportation as a primary focus area.
 FAME intends to catalyze the market for faster adoption of EVs to ensure durable economic growth and global
competitiveness for India‘s automotive industry.
Key Highlights
 There are considerable energy and CO2 savings associated with the two, three, and four-wheeled vehicles and
buses covered by FAME II over their lifetime, as well as the potential savings associated with greater adoption
levels by 2030.
 The electric buses covered under FAME II will account for 3.8 billion vehicle kilometres travelled (e-vkt) over their
lifetime
 In order to capture the potential opportunity in 2030, batteries must remain a key focal point as they will continue
to be the key cost driver of EVs.
 Vehicles eligible under FAME II scheme can cumulatively save 5.4 million tonnes of oil equivalent over their
lifetime worth Rs 17.2 thousand crores.
 India needs the auto industry's active participation to ease electric mobility transition. The auto and battery
industries could collaborate to enhance customer awareness, promote domestic manufacturing, promote new
business models, conduct R&D for EVs and components, consider new business models to promote EVs
 The government should focus on a phased manufacturing plan to promote EVs, provide fiscal and non-fiscal
incentives for phased manufacturing of EVs and batteries. Different government departments can consider a
bouquet of potential policies, such as congestion pricing, ZEV credits, low emission/exclusion zones, parking
policies, etc. to drive adoption of EVs.

National Mineral Policy, 2019

Objective:-
 The aim of National Mineral Policy 2019 is to have a more effective, meaningful and implementable policy that
brings in further transparency, better regulation and enforcement, balanced social and economic growth as well
as sustainable mining practices.
Details:
 The National Mineral Policy 2019 includes provisions which will give boost to mining sector such as
 introduction of Right of First Refusal for RP/PL holders,
 encouraging the private sector to take up exploration,
 auctioning in virgin areas for composite RP cum PL cum ML on revenue share basis,
 encouragement of merger and acquisition of mining entities and
 Transfer of mining leases and creation of dedicated mineral corridors to boost private sector mining areas.
 The 2019 Policy proposes to grant status of industry to mining activity to boost financing of mining for private
sector and for acquisitions of mineral assets in other countries by private sector
 It also mentions that Long term import export policy for mineral will help private sector in better planning and
stability in business
 The Policy also mentions rationalize reserved areas given to PSUs which have not been used and to put these
areas to auction, which will give more opportunity to private sector for participation
 The Policy also mentions to make efforts to harmonize taxes, levies & royalty with world benchmarks to help
private sector.

19
 SOCIAL ISSUES 20-22

CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019 FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES

Delhi Declaration
 Ministers and government officials from over 35 countries committed to accelerate and implement the
appropriate digital health interventions to improve health of their population at national and sub-national
levels by 2023.
 The Delhi Declaration outlines that digital health is key to attaining sustainable development goals and improving
the health and well-being of citizens.
 It encourages countries to update, implement and scale-up their digital health strategies and interventions, at
national and sub-national levels.
 In promoting equitable, affordable and universal access to health for all, the Declaration calls for rapid and full
use of digital health innovations to strengthen the health sector through public-private partnership.
 It also stresses on the need for norms and standards to address interoperability of data and systems, and cyber
security.
 Delhi Declaration calls for the WHO to establish a road map and assist Member countries in realizing their digital
health strategies.
 Member countries are rapidly adopting patient-level digital health applications and services, including electronic
medical records, telemedicine and mHealth apps and solutions, for patients and health care providers. These are
particularly helpful for reaching remote communities.
 At the Seventy-First World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, India had successfully introduced and
facilitated the unanimous adoption of Resolution on Digital Health. This resolution highlights global attention to
the potential, challenges and opportunities of Digital Health interventions and the need for closer collaboration on
the issue globally.

POSHAN Abhiyaan
 The POSHAN Abhiyaan aims to reduce malnutrition from the country in a phased manner, through the life cycle
concept, by adopting a synergized and result oriented approach.
 The Abhiyaan will ensure mechanisms for timely service delivery and a robust monitoring as well as intervention
infrastructure.
 The POSHAN Abhiyaan through the targets will strive to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia
and low birth weight babies.
 It will create synergy, ensure better monitoring, issue alerts for timely action, and encourage States/UTs to
perform, guide and supervise the line Ministries and States/UTs to achieve the targeted goals.
 Convergence, organizing Community Based Events, IEC and Advocacy, Jan Andolan, Incremental Learning
training, ICDS-CAS etc. are core components of POSHAN Abhiyaan which will also help to bring down stunting in
children.

HAUSLA-2018
 The event is organised by Ministry of Women and Child Development.
 The idea behind the entire event is to provide a national platform for the children from CCIs (Child Care
Institutions) across India to showcase their talent, to make them realise the hidden talent they possess and to
help take it forward in their life.
 The event aimed to showcase the talent of the children from the CCIs.
 The theme for the event is “Child Safety”

Supreme Court Verdict on Sabarimala Temple Case

 A five Judge Supreme Court Constitutional Bench, (in Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala)
has struck down a rule that disallowed girls and women in the 10-50 age group from entering the Sabarimala
temple in Kerala on ground that temple rule violated their right to equality and right to worship.
 Supreme Court observed that ―The right to pray being a woman, is equal to that of a man and it is not
dependent on a law to enable you to do that.”

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 Even if it is assumed that entry of women in Sabarimala temple is barred by an “essential religious practice‟, it
does not mean that the rights guaranteed to women under Articles 14 and 15 have to yield to the right of
denominations under Article 26.
About Sabarimala Temple
 Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage centre located in the Western Ghats mountain ranges in Pathanamthitta
District of Kerala.
 The Periyar Tiger Reserve is situated around the temple.
 The shrine at Sabarimala is an ancient temple of Ayyappan.
 The presiding deity Lord Ayyapa is being worshipped as a Naishtika Brahmachari, that forms the celibate nature
of the deity

Instant Triple Talaq

 SC has declared practice of Triple Talaq as unconstitutional, illegal and void and not protected by Article 25
(Freedom of Religion).
Background of Triple Talaq Judgement
 In the very famous case of ShayaraBano v. Union of India which has popularly come to be known as the ―triple
talaq case, the constitutional validity of certain practices of Muslim personal law such as triple talaq, polygamy,
and nikah-halala has been challenged.
 The SC verdict in this case, on the question of the amount of maintenance to be provided to a divorced Muslim
woman, was overturned by parliament through enactment of the Muslim women (Protection of Rights on Divorce)
Act 1986.
 In Shamim Ara vs State of UP judgment of 2002 and subsequent orders from various High Courts. Triple Talaq
was rendered legally invalid but this has not stopped the practice; many Muslim women were unaware of the
judgments.
Three forms of Talaq
o Ahsan, Hasan and Talaq-e-Biddat (triple or instant talaq).
o Ahsan and Hasan are revocable.
o Biddat— pronouncing divorces in one go by the husband is irrevocable.
o Biddat is considered ‗sinful‗ but permissible in Islamic law.

Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance of 2018

 The ordinance makes the pronouncement of triple talaq cognizable.
 It says criminal action will be taken against the offending husband as soon as his wife or her relative by blood or
marriage informs the police.
 It allows a married Muslim woman to retain the custody of her minor children in the event of pronouncement of
instant triple talaq.
 According to the Ordinance, the accused husband can be released on bail only after the wife is given an
opportunity to be heard by the Magistrate. The court should be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for
granting bail to him.

National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS) 2018-19

Why in News
 The second National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS 2018-19) was conducted by an independent
verification agency (IVA) between November 2018 and February 2019. This was done to establish the progress over
the baseline established by NARSS 2017-18 with respect to the Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLI) for the
World Bank project support to the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), namely
 Reduction in prevalence of Open Defecation
 Sustaining ODF Status in villages
 Increase in population with Solid and Liquid Waste Management.
About The NARSS 2018-19
 IPE Global, in Joint Venture with Hindustan Thompson Ltd represented by Kantar Public, was selected to
undertake the NARSS after a competitive bidding process.
 The NARSS2018-19 is the largest independent sanitation survey in the country to date, with a sampling
framework that covers more than six thousand villages, 92040 households, and 5782 schools, 5803 Anganwadi
centres, 1015 Public toilets and 6055 Public spaces, making it the most representative sanitation survey in the
country.
 The selection of villages, as well as households within each village is random.

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Methodology Used
 The methodology and processes of the NARSShave been developed and approved by an empowered and
independent Expert Working Group comprising leading experts on statistics and sanitation which include Prof.
Amitabh Kundu, Dr N. C Saxena, World Bank, UNICEF, BMGF, Water Aid India, Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation (MOSPI), among others.
 Over 5% of the total sample was back checked to ensure that the findings are credible.
 This level of rigour and neutrality by external experts makes the NARSS data the most credible data available on
sanitation in India.
 Data was collected using CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing) and was stored in a secured cloud-based
server

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 MISCELLANEOUS 23-24

CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019 FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES

Project Navlekha
 It is a project by Google.
 Its target is to bring India‗s 135,000 Indic language publications online in a hassle-free manner.

Lingayats
 They are the followers of the 12th century social reformer-philosopher-poet Basaveshwara who defied the caste
system and Vedic rituals.
 The terms Lingayatism and Veerashaivism have been used synonymously, and Lingayats also referred to as
Veerashaivas.
 They argue that the premise of this rebellion was rooted in opposition to the established Hindu order.
 Lingayats worship Shiva. Some in favour of re-categorisation say the concept of ‗IshtaLinga‗ (personal god) and
rules of conduct prescribed by Basaveshwara cannot be equated to the Hindu way of life.
 On the other hand, those opposed to the re-categorization, including sections in the community, say the rebellion
was reformist, like the Bhakti movement, and not aimed at breaking away from the Hindu fold.
 Lingayatism emphasizes qualified monism and bhakti (loving devotion) to Shiva.

Kumbh: Historical Significance

 The Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj is held in the month of Magh of Hindu calendar when Jupiter is in Aries and Sun
and Moon are in Capricorn or Jupiter is in Taurus and Sun in Capricorn.
 At Prayagraj Kumbh Mela held at every 6 years and Maha Kumbh at every 12 years. Earlier they were known as
Ardh Kumbh and Kumbh.
 But this year Uttarakhand Pradesh government has announced the Ardh Kumbh will be known as Kumbh and
Kumbh as Maha Kumbh.
 The exact dates of bathing during Kumbh are determined according to Hindu astrology

E-Drishti Software
 This software includes an interface which provides summary information on punctuality of trains for the previous
day.
 There is also an interface which provides information on current train running on the Indian Railway network.
 There are interfaces providing details of freight earning, freight loading and passenger earnings for the previous
day & month and cumulative for the year, in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year.

INDUS FOOD-II
 INDUS FOOD-II with the theme of ‗World Food Supermarket‘ will be held at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida.
 The event is aimed at promoting India as a strong and reliable exporter of food and beverage products to the
world.
 INDUS FOOD 2019 will promote value addition to India‘s agriculture exports and integrate Indian farmers and
agricultural products with global value chains.
 INDUS FOOD is a platform of its kind exclusively devoted to enhancing Indian exports in F&B sector.

Sea Vigil
 The first coastal defence Exercise Sea Vigil, conducted by the Navy and Coast Guard, in close coordination with
State Governments and Union Territories has concluded recently.
 It was the largest such exercise the country had ever witnessed in recent times and saw participation by more
than 100 ships, aircraft and patrol boats manned and operated by various security agencies.

SATAT
 SATAT is an initiative aimed at providing a Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation as a
developmental effort that would benefit both vehicle-users as well as farmers and entrepreneurs.
 SATAT was launched with a four-pronged agenda of

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 utilising more than 62 million metric tonnes of waste generated every year in India
 cutting down import dependence
 supplementing job creation in the country
 reducing vehicular emissions and pollution from burning of agricultural / organic waste.

Battle of Kangla Tongbi

 The Platinum Jubilee of the Battle of KanglaTongbi War was commemorated on 07 Apr 2019 by Army Ordnance
Corps at KanglaTongbi War Memorial near Imphal honouring the valiant brave hearts of Ordnance Personnel of
221 Advance Ordnance Depot who made their supreme sacrifice in the line of duty during the battle of World War-
II on the night of 6/ 7 April 1944.
About the Battle
 It is regarded as one of the fiercest battles of World War II.
 It was fought by Ordnance personnel of 221 Advance Ordnance Depot (AOD) on the night of 6/7 April 1944
against Japanese forces.
o Japanese forces had planned a three-pronged offensive to capture Imphal and the surrounding areas.
o In their attempt to extend their line of communication to Imphal, the 33rd Japanese Division cut in behind
the 17th Indian Division at Tiddim (Myanmar) and establishing themselves firmly on the main Kohima –
Manipur highway, started advancing towards KanglaTongbi.
 However, the combatant role of AOD personnel shook the enemy and forced the Japanese to withdraw.

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