1.46 T-May 2017

Question 1

POLITY AND GOVERNACE

1. PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ACT (PCA), 1960

Answer 1

 It was enacted, under Article 48 of the constitution, to prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain and
suffering on animals
 It deals with captive and domestic animals.
 Chapter IV of the act deals with the regulation of experimentation
 Chapter V requires mandatory registration of performing animals
 It regulates animal markets, dog breeders, aquarium and pet fish shop owner
 As per PCA Act, it is an offence against a person who incites any animal to fight with a view to provide
entertainment.
 The act also deals with restrictions on exhibition and training of performing animals
 It has also established Animal Welfare Board of India as a statutory body
 It extends to whole of India except J&K
ARTICLE 48 OF THE DPSP
 State shall “organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in
particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows
and calves and other milch and draught cattle.”
ANIMAL WELFARE BOARD OF INDIA
 Established in 1962 as a statutory body under PCA Act, 1960
 Comes under the jurisdiction of MoEFCC
 It consists of 28 Members, who serve for a period of 3 years
 Headquarters: Chennai
 Functions:
 Providing advice to the union government on matters relating to the promotion of animal
welfare and animal welfare laws
 Recognition of animal welfare organizations and providing financial assistance to them
 Prescribes changes to animal welfare laws and rules
 Working to raise awareness among the p

Question 2

2. INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON PROGRAM

Answer 2

It is a worldwide statistical initiative led by the World Bank under the auspices of the United Nations
Statistical Commission
 The main objective of it is to providing comparable price and volume measures of gross domestic
product (GDP) and its expenditure aggregates among countries within and across regions.
 Through a partnership with international, regional, sub-regional and national agencies, the ICP collects
and compares price data and GDP expenditures to estimate and publish purchasing power parities
(PPPs) of the world’s economies.
 The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MOSPI) is undertaking the data collection
of prices in rural and urban areas in India

Question 3

3. FUGITIVE ECONOMIC OFFENDERS BILL, 2017

Answer 3

The Union Law ministry has approved Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2017 to empower
government to confiscate property of economic offenders and defaulters who flee India
FEATURES
 It defines fugitive economic offender (FEO) as any individual against whom warrant for arrest in
relation to economic offence has been issued and person has left the country and refuses to return to
India to face criminal prosecution.
 The burden of proof for establishing that an individual is a FEO will be on authorities
 It is applicable in cases where the value of offences is over Rs.100 crore.
 It will allow Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), to file an application for declaration of FEO, for
confiscation of their assets
 The bill entrusts responsibility to try such cases to the courts under Prevention of Money Laundering
Act, 2002 (PMLA).
 The bill has provision for appointment of an administrator to dispose off property of FEO to pay off
the creditors.
 Besides, it has provisions to override provisions of other existing laws

Question 4

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

4. AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (AFDB)

Answer 4

 Prime Minister of India has inaugurated the 52nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the African
Development Bank (AfDB) in Gandhinagar.
 This is the first time that India is hosting the annual meetings of the AfDB
ABOUT AFDB
 It is also known as Banque Africaine de Developpment (BAD)
 Founded in 1964
 Headquarters: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
 Mission: To fight poverty and improve living conditions of the people of African continent by
promoting investment in government and private capital in development projects.
 The bank is made of three entities viz. African Development Bank, African Development Fund, and
Nigeria Trust Fund.
 The motto of the bank: “Building today, a better Africa tomorrow”
 Members: 78
 India had joined this bank in 1983

Question 5

5. SOUTH ASIA SATELLITE

Answer 5

 Launched by India for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region
 All SAARC countries viz., Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives except
Pakistan joined to use its services.
 The total cost of launching the satellite met by the Government of India
SALIENT FEATURES
 The satellite called GSAT-09 has been built and launched by ISRO, using GSLV MK-II launch vehicle
 It weighs 2,230 kg and is cuboid in shape, built around a central cylinder
 It has 12 Ku-band transponders
 It will have a mission life of over 12 years.
 Also, the launch is GSLV’s fourth consecutive flight with the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS)
engine
 The satellite will provide a full range of applications and services in the fields of telecommunication
and broadcasting applications, namely, Television, Direct-to-Home (DTH), Very Small Aperture
Terminals (VSATs), Tele-education, Telemedicine and Disaster Management Support

Question 6

6. UN-HABITAT

Answer 6

 India has been unanimously elected as the President of the UN-Habitat
ABOUT
 UN-Habitat, also known as United Nations Human Settlements Program
 It is a UN agency responsible for sustainable urban development and human settlements.
 It was established in 1978
 Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.
 It is mandated by the UNGA to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities
with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
 It is also a member of UNDP.
 UN-Habitat works in more than 70 countries in five continents focusing on seven areas: Urban
Legislation, Land and Governance; Urban Planning and Design; Urban Economy; Urban Basic Services;
Housing and Slum Upgrading; Risk Reduction and Rehabilitation; Urban Research and Capacity
Development
 The Governing Council of UN-Habitat is an inter-governmental policy making and decision making
body
NEW URBAN AGENDA
 It was adopted by the world community at HABITAT III conference held in Quito, Ecuador
 It would focus on inclusive, sustainable and adequate housing for a better future and sustainable
urbanization and integrated human settlements
MOST CROWDED CITIES
 Named by World Economic Forum citing UN-Habitat data
 Top 9: Dhaka, Mumbai, Medellin, Manila, Casablanca, Lagos, Kota, Singapore, Jakarta
 It has been estimated that more than half of the world’s population resides in urban areas
 UN expects this to increase to 66% by 2050 with around 90% increase concentrated in Asia and Africa

Question 7

7. GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (GPDRR)

Answer 7

 The 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) summit was held in Cancun, Mexico
from May 22- 26, 2017.
ABOUT GPDRR
 GPDRR is a biennial global forum for strategic advice, coordination, partnership development and
review of progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
(SFDRR) 2015-2030
 It will also provide a platform for all stakeholders to galvanize their efforts in sustainable development
and climate change adaptation, sharing of experiences, discussing innovative solutions, and charting
out the course for an integrated approach at the international, regional, national and local levels
SENDAI FRAMEWORK FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (SFDRR) 2015-2030
 It was adopted during the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai,
Japan in March 2015
 It is a 15-year non-binding agreement
 Its adaptation involves adopting integrated and inclusive institutional measures in order to work
towards preventing vulnerability to disaster.
 It also seeks to increase preparedness for response and recovery and strengthen resilience in case of
disaster.
 It says that state has the primary role to reduce disaster risk but that responsibility should be shared
with other stakeholders including local government and the private sector
 It is improved version of the existing Hyogo Framework

Question 8

8. FORUM FOR INDIA PACIFIC ISLANDS CO-OPERATION (FIPIC)

Answer 8

 It is a multinational grouping developed in 2014 for cooperation between India and 14 Pacific
Islands nations
 The first meet of these countries was held in Suva, Fiji in November 2014
 FIPIC-II summit held in August 2015, in Jaipur, India

Question 9

9. BBIN

Answer 9

 Recently, Bhutan, opts out of BBIN
ABOUT BBIN
 It is an initiative of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal with the aim to facilitate movement of
vehicles in each other’s territory
 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been providing technical, advisory, and financial support to
it as part of its assistance to the south Asia sub-regional economic cooperation (SASEC) programme
 SASEC is a projects-based economic cooperation initiative that brings together the BBIN countries,
Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar

Question 10

10. G-7 MEETING

Answer 10

 The Group of Seven (G7) annual meeting took place at Taormina, Italy.
 This was the sixth time that Italy has taken over the rotating G7 Presidency.
ABOUT G-7
 It is an informal bloc of industrialized democracies - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the
United Kingdom, and the United States.
 It meets annually to discuss issues such as global economic governance, international security and
energy policy
 Its current members make up nearly 50 percent of the world economy and represent more than 60
percent of net global wealth.
 The first summit in 1975 was attended by France, Germany, the US, Britain, Japan and Italy.
 Canada, Russia joined later and Russia was suspended due to Crimean crisis

Question 11

11. MILITARY EXERCISES

Answer 11

SIMBEX
 It is an annual bilateral naval exercise conducted by the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore
Navy (RSN)
 Started in 1994
 Recently, both countries conducted the 24th Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in
the South China Sea
CORPAT
 The Indonesian Navy and the Indian Navy have been participating in coordinated patrol (CORPAT)
twice a year since 2002
 Its objective is to keep the vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial
shipping and international trade
 Recently, the 29th series of CORPAT has begun at Port Blair
INDO-THAILAND/SIAM BHARAT
 This is the second such exercise to be held between the Indian Air Force and the Royal Thailand Air
Force
 It was Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Table Top Exercise 2017 held in Chiang
Mai, Thailand.
 The aim of the bilateral exercise is to evolve SOPs for planning and executing relief missions during
unforeseen natural calamities like Tsunami, earthquakes, cyclones, floods etc.

Question 12

GOVT SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES

12. PRADHAN MANTRI KISAN SAMPADA YOJANA (PMKSY)

Answer 12

 The SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing
Clusters) scheme has been renamed as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)
 The SAMPADA scheme was approved in May 2017 for the period of 2016-20
 The objective of the scheme is to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease
agricultural-waste
ABOUT PMKSY
 PMKSY is an umbrella scheme which incorporates all ongoing schemes of the Union Ministry of Food
Processing Industries (MoFPI)
 It includes schemes such as Mega Food Parks, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure,
Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, etc.
 It also includes new schemes like Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages, Infrastructure for
Agro-processing Clusters, Creation/Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities

Question 13

13. PUSA KRISHI APP

Answer 13

 It was developed by Indian Agricultural Research Institute
 The Pusa Krishi app gives information about
 The varieties of products available to farmers
 Technology that can be used to yield better crops
 Information about produce and the region it is best suited for
 Information about animal feed and bio-fertilizers
 There is a feedback section which enables the agricultural scientists to have a real time conversation
with the stakeholders

Question 14

14. E-KRISHI SAMVAD

Answer 14

 It is an online interface to provide direct solution to the problem faced by farmers in the agriculture
sector.
 With this facility, farmers can directly connect to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
website and get the appropriate solutions from the experts through web or SMS.
 Stakeholders can upload photographs related to diseases of the crops, animals or fishes for
diagnostics and remedial measures instantly from the specialists

Question 15

15. SHAKTI POLICY

Answer 15

 The Scheme to Harness and Allocate Koyla Transparently in India (SHAKTI) is a new coal linkage
policy to ensure adequate supply of the fuel to power plants through reverse auction

Question 16

16. SEVA APP

Answer 16

 The Saral Eindhan Vitaran Application (SEVA) app launched by Union Minister of state for Power,
Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines for power sector consumers
 It has been developed by Coal India Limited
 It is aimed at increasing the Consumer Connect as well as the transparency and accountability in coal
dispatch
 It would initially cover only those coal mines that are associated with power generation.
 In later stages non power coal mines would also be added to it.
 It would work with SEVA Dashboard which provides summary of quantity of coal dispatched along
with grades for a day, month, and the latest yearly updates as well.
 The app also provides information on rake movement including latest status of indents of rake,
allotment and loading.
 This would help consumers making advance logistics planning

Question 17

17. PANDIT DEENDAYAL UPADHYAYA SANCHAR KAUSHAL VIKAS PRATISTHAN SCHEME

Answer 17

 It has been launched by the Ministry Of Communications and IT
 It a skill development scheme that will train rural youth to maintain mobile towers, repair optical
fibres and fix other communication technologies across India.
 Under this Scheme, the ministry will impart training to 10,000 people from 10 States/UTs in the first
phase
 The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) also plans to establish more than 1,000 Sanchar
Kaushal Vikas Pratisthan in future.
 Besides, BSNL’s satellite phone service and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence
Award Scheme were also launched.
 Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Award has been instituted to recognize achievers
and talents in Telecom sector

Question 18

18. PHASED MANUFACTURING PROGRAMME (PMP)

Answer 18

 The Centre has introduced Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP) to make India a mobile
manufacturing hub of the world in the next few years
 The PMP scheme would promote domestic mobile phones production by providing tax relief and
incentives on components and accessories used for the devices
 This would be rolled out over a period of time in a phase-wise manner

Question 19

ECONOMY

19. CANOLA CROP

Answer 19

 Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is pushing farmers to adopt Canola farming
 The PAU is encouraging farmers to establish Canola Villages which produces canola crop along with
extraction of canola oil through oil extraction units located within the village itself
ABOUT
 Canola quality varieties are commonly developed from two species - Brassica napus and Brassica
campestris
 It is look similar to rapeseed
 It has a relatively shorter duration of crop
 It is also a livestock feed and is light cooking oil too
 The prevailing agro-ecological condition of India is favourable for several oilseeds, including edible
like canola, groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soybean, sunflower, safflower, sesame and niger and nonedible oilseeds like castor and linseed
 India is the largest producer of castor and sesame and second largest producer of groundnut and
rapeseed-mustard

Question 20

20. WPI AND IIP

Answer 20

 The base year of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and Wholesale Price Index (WPI) has been
changed from 2004-05 to 2011-12 by the CSO and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP) respectively
 Previously, the base year of Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and
Gross Value Addition (GVA ) etc. has been changed to 2011-12
 The basket of goods and their weightage have also been overhauled.
ABOUT IIP
 It is a ratio that measures the growth of various sectors in the economy and shows general level of
Industrial activity in the country
 The First IIP was published in 1950 by Office of Economic Advisor, with base year 1937
 Currently IIP data is released every month by CSO
 It does not show volume of activity
 It only shows the magnitude which represents the status of production in the industrial sector for a
given period of time as compared to a reference period of time
 The items included in IIP fall into three sectors Viz., Mining, manufacturing and electricity sectors
 Sector wise items and weightages:
o Manufacturing (405 items),
o Mining (1 items)
o Electricity (1 item)
o The weights of the three sectors are 77.63%, 14.37%, 7.9% respectively
 The weightage of 8 core Industries have been revised to 40.27% in the IIP
 Order of weightage of core industries
o Petroleum Refinery production (weight: 28.04%),
o Electricity generation (19.85%),
o Steel production (17.92 %),
o Coal production (10.33 %),
o Crude Oil production (8.98 %),
o Natural Gas production (6.88 %),
o Fertilizer production (2.63 %)
ABOUT WPI
 It is computed by the Office of the Economic Adviser in Ministry of commerce & Industry
 It is released monthly
 The decreasing order of three groups of items in terms of weightage in WPI is:
o Manufactured products > Primary articles > Fuel & power
 Among manufactured products, the highest weightage is of chemicals and chemical products.
 WPI does not take into consideration the retail prices or prices of the services
ABOU CPI
 It is released at national level into 3 categories
o CPI for Industrial Workers - released by the Labour Bureau, MoLE
o CPI for Agricultural Labourers / Rural Labourers - released by the Labour Bureau, MoLE
o CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined) – released by CSO
 RBI uses CPI (combined) released for inflation purpose
 CPI basket is broader than WPI basket
 The items in CPI are divided into 6 main groups as follows:
o Food and beverages - 54.18%
o Pan, Tobacco and Intoxicants - 3.26%
o Clothing & Footwear - 7.36%
o Fuel & Light - 7.94%
o Miscellaneous - 27.26%

Question 21

21. TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION SUPPORT CENTRES (TISC)

Answer 21

 These are set up by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the World
Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) TISC program
 Their objective is to stimulate dynamic, vibrant and balanced Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)
system in India to foster creativity and innovation
 India’s first Technology and Innovation Support Centre (TISC) set to be established at Patent
Information Centre, Punjab
 Second TISC will be established at Centre for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR), Anna University,
Chennai
 The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) has been designated as the National Focal
Point (NFP) for the TISC national network
 CIPAM will identify potential host institutions, assess their capacities and support them in joining the
TISC program.
 It will also act as the main intermediary between WIPO and TISC host institutions and
coordinate all the activities of the national TISC network.
 Services offered by TISC will include, inter alia, access to online patent and non-patent resources and
IP-related publications; training in database search; monitoring technology and competitors;
technology commercialization and marketing, etc.
ABOUT CIPAM
 The CIPAM is nodal professional agency under DIPP, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
 Its mandate is to effectively implement National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy adopted in
May 2016.
 It has been actively involved in activities such as a nationwide IPR awareness campaign,
strengthening IP ecosystem in country etc.
 In January, 2018, CIPAM, in collaboration with DIPP, has launched ‘IPrism’ – an intellectual property
competition for college and university students
ABOUT WIPO
 It is the global body for promotion and protection of intellectual property rights (IPR)
 It was established in 1967
 Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
 Members: 191 countries
 It a specialized and self-funding agency of the United Nations
 It publishes the World Intellectual Property Report for every two years
 Also publishes Global Innovation Index in collaboration with Cornell University and INSEAD
ABOUT WIPO’S TISC PROGRAM
 It provides innovators in developing countries with access to locally based, high quality technology
information and related services.
 It helps them to exploit their innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their IPRs

Question 22

22. NUCLEAR POWER

Answer 22

 Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the construction of 10 indigenous Pressurised Heavy
Water Reactors (PHWR)
 The reactors will have a capacity of 700 MW.
ABOUT PHWR
 It produce electricity and plutonium
 It use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water (D2O) as both moderator and coolant
 India’s first PHWR was constructed at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan in technical cooperation with the
Atomic Energy Canada Ltd (AECL)
 India’s first nuclear power plant with a different design was built at Tarapur in Maharashtra.
 PHWR units are in operation in Rawatbhata, Kaiga, Kakrapar, Kalpakkam and Narora

Question 23

23. BHARTIYA NIRDESHAK DRAVYA

Answer 23

 Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201) is India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference
standard
 Launched by India Government Mint (IGM) in collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
(BARC) and CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (NPL), National Centre for Compositional
Characterisation of Materials (Hyderabad)

Question 24

24. DHOLA SADIYA BRIDGE

Answer 24

 It is India’s longest river bridge constructed on Lohit river, a tributary of Brahmaputra river, in Assam
 It renamed as Bhupen Hazarika Bridge
BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER SYSTEM
 It originates from the Angsi Glacier of Tibet as the Yarlung Tsangpo River
 It enters India after taking a turn at Namcha Barwa Syntaxial bend and flows in Arunachal Pradesh
 It is called as Dihang River or Siang River when it enters into India
 After the confluence of Dihang, Diband and Lohit rivers it called as Brahmaptra river
 The waters of the River Brahmaputra are shared by China, India, and Bangladesh
OTHER TRIBUTARIES
SECURITY AND DEFENCE
25. WANNACRY RANSOMWARE
 It is a global cyberattack considered as the biggest ransomware attack of its kind infected more than
100000 computers all over the world in May, 2017
 Ransomware is a type of malicious software when infected restricts the user access until a ransom is
paid to unlock it
 Hackers have spread ransomware known as WannaCry, WanaCrypt0r 2.0, WannaCry and WCry, often
through emails
NORTH BANK TRIBUTARIES SOUTH BANK TRIBUTARIES
Subansiri, Jiandhal, Siang, Kameng,
Dhansiri (North), Puthimari, Pagladiya,
Manas, Champamati, Tista, Raidak,
Saralbhanga, The Aie, The Sankosh,
etc.
Noa Dehing, Buri Dehind, Debang,
Dikhow, Dhansiri (South), Kopili,
Digaru, Dudhanai, Krishnai etc.

Question 25

SECURITY AND DEFENCE

25. WANNACRY RANSOMWARE

Answer 25

 It is a global cyberattack considered as the biggest ransomware attack of its kind infected more than
100000 computers all over the world in May, 2017
 Ransomware is a type of malicious software when infected restricts the user access until a ransom is
paid to unlock it
 Hackers have spread ransomware known as WannaCry, WanaCrypt0r 2.0, WannaCry and WCry, often
through emails.
The country most affected by WannaCry is UK, where National Health Service trusts were impacted,
causing widespread disruption to health services
 CERT-IN in this context issued a “critical alert” and advised the installation of relevant “patches” to
protect against any data breaches.
PETYA RANSOMWARE
 It is similar to the Wannacry ransomware and has infected computer servers across the world in June,
2017
 In India, the ransomware has crippled the operations at one of the terminals of the Jawaharlal Nehru
Port Trust
CERT-IN (INDIAN COMPUTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM)
 CERT-In was established in January 2004
 To enhance the security of India’s Communications and Information Infrastructure through proactive
action and effective collaboration
 It functions under Ministry of Information and communication Technology
 The main function of CERT-In is to provide early security warning and effective incident response
 It is aimed at catering to the needs of critical sectors, law enforcement & judiciary and e-governance
project owners.
 In the Information Technology (Amendment) Act 2008, CERT-In has been designated to perform
several functions in the area of cyber security

Question 26

26. NATIONAL TECHNICAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION (NTRO)

Answer 26

 It’s a premier scientific agency under the National Security Adviser
 It was set up in 2004.
 It was originally known as the National Technical Facilities Organisation (NTFO), is highly specialized
technical intelligence gathering agency.
 The agency develops technology capabilities in aviation and remote sensing, data gathering and
processing, cyber security, cryptology systems, strategic hardware and software development and
strategic monitoring
 Recently, it listed under the Intelligence Organizations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985 which aim to
prevent leakage of information by intelligence agencies

Question 27

ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

27. BONN CLIMATE CHANGE COFERENCE - 2017

Answer 27

 The 23rd CoP of UNFCCC was held from November 6 to 17, 2017 at Bonn, Germany
 It was presided by Government of Fiji
 It concluded with countries putting in place a roadmap for ‘Talanoa Dialogue’, a year-long process to
assess countries’ progress on climate actions
 The Conference also made progress on framing rules for implementing 2015 Paris Agreement on
climate change and
 It also brought rich nations on board on their pre-2020 commitments as demanded by developing
nations.
TALANOA DIALOGUE
 It is a traditional approach used in Fiji and other Pacific islands to engage in an inclusive, participatory
and transparent dialogue to resolve differences without putting any blame on any one.
 It is yearlong process which will help parties to UNFCCC review their actions and discuss way forward
in terms of raising ambitions before 2020.
 It will consider efforts of Parties on mitigation action and financial and technical support, as
appropriate, as one of its elements, in the pre-2020 period under 1997 Kyoto Protocol
UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC)
 It is an international treaty adapted in 1992 during the Earth summit
 It’s a legally non-binding agreement and did not contain any enforcement mechanism
 Objective: stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in atmosphere at such a level that would
prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
 It outlined that after successful negotiations, the specific protocols of this treaty would set legally
binding targets for all the parties to this convention.
 The Kyoto protocol was thus later adopted as a legally binding instrument to this treaty
CONFERENCE OF PARTIES (COP)
 COP is the supreme decision-making body of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC).
 All States that are Parties to UNFCCC are represented at COP.
 At COP, all parties review implementation of Convention and take decisions necessary to promote the
effective implementation of Convention
 First such conference was held in 1995 at Berlin in Germany.
 Major COPs - Outcomes
o COP-3 (1997) at Kyoto, Japan - Kyoto Protocol was adopted
o COP-7 (2001) at Marrakech, Morocco - Establishment of Adaptation Fund
o COP-16 (2010) at Cancun, Mexico - Announcement Green Climate Fund
o COP-21 (2015) at Paris, France - Adoption of the Paris Agreement
o COP-24 at Katowice, Poland in December, 2018
PARIS AGREEMENT
 The Paris Agreement on climate change is a legally-binding climate deal
 It sets out a global action plan to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well
below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature rise to 1.5°C.
 It entered into force on 4 November 2016
 195 UNFCCC Parties have signed the Agreement and 169 have ratified it so far

Question 28

28. WORLD BIODIVERSITY DAY

Answer 28

 It is celebrated every year on 22nd May
 The date commemorates the date of Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological
Diversity at UNEP Headquarters, Nairobi on 22 May 1992
 Earlier it was celebrated on December 29.
 2017 Theme: Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism

Question 29

29. CYCLONE MORA

Answer 29

 Recently Cyclone Mora affected Sri Lanka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bangladesh, Myanmar etc.
 This is second cyclone in the Bay of Bengal after Cyclone Maarutha
TROPICAL CYCLONES
 A cyclone represents a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over
tropical or subtropical waters
 It is characterized by low atmospheric pressure, high winds, and heavy rain
 Based on their latitude, the cyclones may be tropical cyclones or temperate cyclones
 The tropical cyclones rotate anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere
 Conditions for formation of cyclones,
o High ocean surface temperature i.e., 26.5 °C or warmer
o A pre-existing atmospheric circulation must be located near the surface warm layer
o The atmosphere must cool quickly enough with height to support the formation of deep
convective clouds
o The middle atmosphere must be relatively humid at a height of about 5,000 metres above the
surface.
o The developing system must be at least 500 km away from the Equator etc.

Question 30

30. GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD (GIB)

Answer 30

 The Rajasthan government has decided to set up a captive breeding centre for the great Indian
bustard
ABOUT GIB
 It is listed as critically endangered in IUCN Red List
 It also listed in schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
 Once it was found in large number across the grasslands of India and Pakistan
 But, now it is restricted to small and isolated fragments in three Indian western states of Rajasthan,
Gujarat and Maharashtra.
 Threats: Hunting, destruction of its habitat, lack of policy to protect ‘lekking’ and nesting sites, lack of
awareness and support from local communities

Question 31

31. INDIAN WILD DOGS (DHOLES)

Answer 31

 The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) is the first zoo in India to have a conservation breeding
centre for the endangered wild dog.
ABOUT DHOLE
 It is also called as Asiatic wild dog or Indian wild dog
 The highly social and cooperative animal lives in large clans which occasionally split up into small
packs to hunt.
 Classified as an endangered species by the IUCN
 In India, the Dholes are protected under Schedule 2 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
 Threats: habitat loss, depletion of its prey base, competition from other predators, persecution and
possibly diseases from domestic and feral dogs
WILDLIFE (PROTECTION) ACT, 1972
 It is first umbrella act to protect plants and animals
 Amended in 2003 and 2006
 The act extends to the whole of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir which has its own
wildlife act.
 It provides for prohibition on use of animal traps except under certain circumstances
 It provides for protection of hunting rights of the Scheduled Tribes in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
 The act constitutes a National Board for Wildlife
 It defines five types of protected areas viz. National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Community
Reserves, Conservation Reserves and Tiger Reserves.
 The act has six schedules with varying degrees of protection to different kinds of animals and plants.
SIX SCHEDULES OF THE ACT
 Schedule I and part II of Schedule II - provide absolute protection and offences under these are
prescribed the highest penalties.
 Schedule III and Schedule IV – Though penalties are less, animals are protected by these schedules.
 Schedule V - Includes the animals which may be hunted.
o Viz., Common crow, Fruit bats, Mice & Rats only.
 Schedule VI - It contains the following plants, which are prohibited from cultivation and planting.
o Beddomes’ cycad (Critically Endangered)
o Blue Vanda
o Kuth
o Ladies slipper orchids
o Pitcher plant
o Red Vanda
 According to National Board of Wild Life guideline only the chief wildlife warden of a state can permit
hunting of man-eaters.
TIGER RESERVES
 These are declared and managed by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) via Wild Life
(Protection) Amendment Act, 2006
 The 2006 amendment gave statutory status to Project Tiger
 To declare an area as Tiger Reserve, the state governments can forward their proposals in this regard
to NTCA.
 Central Government via NTCA may also advise the state governments to forward a proposal for
creation of Tiger Reserves.
 No alternation of boundary can be done without the recommendation of National Board for Wild Life
and without the advice of the Tiger Conservation Authority.
WILD LIFE SANCTUARY
 It is defined by state Government via a notification and no need of enactment of a law
 Fixation and alternation of boundary can be done by state legislature via resolution with prior approval
of NBWL
 Limited human activities are permitted in the sanctuary
NATIONAL PARKS
 It is defined by state government via notification.
 The state government can fix and alter boundaries of the National Parks with prior consultation and
approval with National Board of Wildlife.
 No human activities are permitted in a National Park
CONSERVATION RESERVES
 The State Government after consultations with local communities can declare any area owned by the
Government
 The government constitutes a Conservation Reserve Management Committee to manage and
conserve the conservation reserve.
COMMUNITY RESERVES
 The State Government can, in consultation with the community or an individual who have volunteered
to conserve wildlife, declare any private or community land as community reserve
 A Community Reserve Management Committee shall be constituted by State Government for
conserving and managing the reserve.
WILDLIFE CRIME CONTROL BUREAU (WCCB)
 It is statutory multi-disciplinary body under the MoEFCC to combat organized wildlife crime in the
country
 It was established in 2007 by amending the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
 Headquarter: New Delhi
NATIONAL BOARD FOR WILDLIFE
 It is a statutory body constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
 The board advises the Central Government on framing policies and measures for conservation of
wildlife in the country.
 It serves as apex body to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around
national parks and sanctuaries
 Chairman of NBFW: Prime Minister of India
 Vice chairman: Minister of Environment.
 Primary function of the Board is to promote the conservation and development of wildlife and forests
 It has power to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around national parks
and sanctuaries.
 No alternation of boundaries in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries can be done without approval
of the NBWL

Question 32

32. COBRA LILY

Answer 32

 It is a rare species of lily
 It was rediscovered in the western Nilgiris after a gap of 84 years
 It is scientifically known as Arisaematranslucenshas
 One species of the lilies were found in Thia Shola while the other was spotted in the Pennant Valley
forest area of the Nilgiris
 The cobra lilies have a distinctive translucent spathe, using bloom of which the indigenous Toda tribe
is capable of predicting the early arrival of monsoon
 The Toda tribe has an embroidery motif called ‘podwarshk’ resembling the cobra lilies.
 Only a few hundred cobra lily plants are found in the wild in a very small area measuring less than 10
square kilometres in the Nilgiris.
 These lilies are found in shola tree patches.
 Threat: Disappearance of the Shola tree patches, commercial trade in exotic plants

Question 33

33. INDIAN STAR TORTOISES

Answer 33

 Recently, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) has successfully rehabilitated Indian star tortoises seized
from smugglers
 Thus, it become only rehabilitation centre for star tortoises in the country
ABOUT THE INDIAN STAR TORTOISES
 It is found in dry areas and scrub forest of India and Sri Lanka.
 Treat: Exotic pet trade, habitat destruction
 IUCN status: Vulnerable
 Included in Appendix II CITES to regulate its trade
 In India, they have been included in Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972
CHINNAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
 It is a located in the rain shadow region in the eastern slope of Western Ghats in Idukki in Kerala.
 The area is diverse in eco systems and rich in ethnic cultural heritage.
 It is a well-known repository of medicinal plants.
 It supports a population of grizzled giant squirrel, star tortoise, tufted grey langur, gaur, spotted deer,
slender Loris, wild elephant, crocodile, tiger, leopard and many a birds, insects and plants.

Question 34

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

34. TARANG SANCHAR PORTAL

Answer 34

 It is launched by the Department of Telecommunications.
 It is a web portal that will allow tracking of radiation emitted from mobile towers within their locality
and check for their compliance with the Electromagnetic field (EMF) emission norms
 The web portal is aimed at myths and misconceptions about mobile towers and emissions from them

Question 35

35. MYCOBACTERIUM INDICUS PRANII (MIP)

Answer 35

 It is an indigenous vaccine for leprosy, developed by National Institute of Immunology
 This vaccine is to be administered to those living in close contact with infected people.
 It is also the first vaccine on leprosy and has shown capability to bring down cases by 60% in next
three years.
 With the launch of this vaccine, a software called Nikusth was also launched to keep track on leprosy
patients in the country
 MIP is now being introduced into the National Leprosy Elimination Programme (NLEP)
LEPROSY
 It is caused by a slow-growing type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae
 The bacterium has a long incubation period
 The disease affects nerve endings and destroys the body’s ability to feel pain and injury.
 It mainly affects skin and peripheral nervous system.
 It is curable with multidrug therapy (MDT).
 The World Leprosy Day is observed internationally every year on last Sunday of January month to
raise global awareness of Leprosy
NATIONAL LEPROSY ERADICATION PROGRAMME
 The National Leprosy Control Programme started in 1955 based on “Daps one” immunotherapy.
 The Programme was re-designated the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) in 1983
based on Multi Drug Therapy
 The programme has been integrated with NRHM

Question 36

36. DEEP OCEAN MISSION

Answer 36

 It is an inter-ministerial and interdisciplinary project aims to explore and harness mineral resources
beneath the ocean floor.
 It is set be launched in early 2018 by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)
 It will also involve the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Biotechnology.
 Major components of the project are deep ocean energy, desalination plant along the Chennai coast,
deep sea science and fisheries, minerals and polymetallic nodules.
 The exclusive economic zone allotted to India will be covered under the mission

Question 37

37. DISARIB

Answer 37

 It is a noble small molecule, designed and synthesised by Indian researchers, has shown promise in
targeted killing of cancer cells.
 It works by binding itself to a protein called BCL2, which suppresses death of cancerous cells.
 While BCL2 protein is produced in excess in cancer cells, its expression is almost undetectable in
normal cells.
 Hence, Disarib targets and kills only cancer cells while sparing normal cells

Question 38

38. YUEGONG-1

Answer 38

 Also, called as Lunar Palace, it is a Chinese research facility for developing a moon base
 It is an environmentally closed facility where occupants can simulate a long-duration self-contained
mission with no outside inputs other than power/energy

Question 39

39. QUASARS

Answer 39

 Recently, astronomers have created the first map of the large-scale structure of the universe based
entirely on the positions of quasars.
ABOUT QUASARS
 These are the bright and distant points of light powered by super-massive black holes.
 Quasars are so bright and can be seen all the way across the universe. This makes them the ideal
objects to use to make the biggest map yet.
 The brightness of quasars is due to the supermassive black holes found at their centres.
 Visible light, ultraviolet rays, infrared waves, X-rays, and gamma-rays are emitted by these objects.

Question 40

SOCIAL ISSUES

40. EVIN PROJECT

Answer 40

 Electronic vaccine intelligence network (eVIN) is an indigenously developed technology system in
India that digitises vaccine stocks and monitors the temperature of the cold chain through a
smartphone application.
 It is a project of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
 It is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
 By streamlining vaccine flow network, it strengths health systems by easy and timely availability of
vaccines

Question 41

41. SWACHH SURVEKSHAN 2017

Answer 41

 It was conducted by Quality Council of India in 434 cities and towns to monitor the progress of the
Swachh Bharat Mission
 Cleanest city - Indore, Madhya Pradesh
 Dirtiest city: Gonda in Uttar Pradesh
 Top 10: Indore (1), Bhopal (2), Visakhapatnam (3), Surat (4), Mysuru (5), Tiruchirapally (6), New Delhi
(7), Navi Mumbai (8), Tirupati (9), Vadodara (10)

Question 42

42. GI TAG

Answer 42

 Recently, It has been granted to Banganapalle Mango and Bandar Laddu, both belonging to Andhra
Pradesh

Question 43

43. PUBLIC AFFAIRS INDEX

Answer 43

 It is released by Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Bengaluru
 It is a not for profit think tank which aims to improve the governance in India.
 The survey has been based on 10 themes, 26 focus subjects and 82 indicators
 Kerala and Tamil Nadu have secured first and second rankings, followed by Gujarat, Karnataka and
Maharashtra in governance indicators
 The last four positions among the large states has been occupied by Bihar (18th), Jharkhand (17th),
Odisha (16th) and Assam (15th)

Question 44

44. INDIAN EXCLUSION REPORT (IXR), 2016

Answer 44

 It has been released by the Centre for Equity Studies (CES)
 It reviews exclusion with respect to four public goods: pensions for the elderly, digital access,
agricultural land, and legal justice for under trials
 It also profiles four highly vulnerable groups in terms of their access to these goods
 According to report , in terms of exclusion from access to public goods, Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims
continue to remain the worst-hit communities

Question 45

45. WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY

Answer 45

 Every year, May 31 marks the World No Tobacco Day
 It has been designated by the WHO
 This day promotes and encourages abstinence from any sort of tobacco products

Question 46

46. WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX 2017

Answer 46

 It was launched on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day (May 3) which is recognised by the
UNGA
 India is ranked 136 (133 in 2016)
 Norway is at the top and North Korea at the bottom of the 180-strong list of nations.
 China has acquired 176th position among 180 nations and is described as the “world’s leading prison
for citizen journalists
 The report highlights the danger of a tipping point in the state of media freedom, especially in leading
democratic countries.
 The obsession with surveillance and violations of the right to the confidentiality of sources have
contributed to the continuing decline of many countries previously regarded as virtuous
WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX
 The Report is published annually by Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontiers) since
2002
 The WPFI ranks the performance of countries according to index calculated based upon various
parameters.
 These parameters include media pluralism and independence, respect for the safety and freedom of
journalists, and the legislative, institutional and infrastructural environment in which the media
operate.
 WPFI aims to promote and defends freedom of information and freedom of the press