2.43 T-Jun 2017 Flashcards
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. ADMINISTRATION OF UNION TERRITORIES
There is an ongoing tussle between the President appointed administrators and elected
representatives in union territories of Puducherry and Delhi
Articles 239 to 241 in Part VIII of the Constitution deal with the union territories (UT).
ARTICLE 239
The UTs are administered by the President through an administrator, who is appointed by him with a
suitable designation
The President may appoint a Governor of an adjoining state as administrator of a Union territory.
In such case the Governor works independently with regard to the administration of the Union
Territory.
ARTICLE 239A
This article was inserted via Constitution (Fourteenth Amendment) Act, 1962
Under it, Parliament was empowered to create a legislature or council of ministers or both for a UT
ARTICLE 239AA
It was inserted by 69 amendment act, 1991and it provides special provisions for the UT of Delhi
A legislative assembly for NCT of Delhi was provided.
The power to decide the number of the seats and reservation of the seats was vested in the
parliament.
The State Government of Delhi can make laws for whole or part of the NCT on all subjects in the State
List or Concurrent List except on public order, police, land, offences against the laws Jurisdiction
power of all courts
ARTICLE 239B
It gives the administrator of the UT of Puducherry the power of ordinance making.
It can be promulgate when the legislative assembly of Puducherry is not in session and only with
prior permission of President
ARTICLE 240
President may make regulations for the peace, progress and good government of the UTs of the
Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu except Puducherry
However, during the dissolution or suspension of the Puducherry Legislative assembly, the president
can regulate the peace, progress and good government.
- CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION (CIC)
The Central Information Commission (CIC) has ordered Committee of Administrators (CoA) to bring
the BCCI under the ambit of the RTI Act
ABOUT CIC
It is a statutory body established under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005
The CIC looks into the complaints made to it and decide the appeals.
COMPOSITION
It consist of a Chief Information Commissioner, and such number of Central Information
Commissioners, as may be deemed necessary, but not exceeding 10
APPOINTMENT
They are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee consisting of,
i. Prime Minister as Chairperson,
ii. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and
iii. A Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister
ELIGIBILITY
They should be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science
and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and
governance.
They should not be a Member of Parliament or Member of the Legislature of any State or Union
Territory.
They should not hold any other office of profit or connected with any political party or carrying on
any business or pursuing any profession.
TENURE
The Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner hold office for a term of 5
years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
They are not eligible for reappointment
REMOVAL
The CIC and other ICs can only be removed by the President
Note: The state information commissioners appointed and removed by the Governor
JURISDICTION
The decision of the Commission on an appeal is binding and is not subject to further appeal in a court
of law
The Act mandates the CIC to submit Annual Reports to the Parliament.
- PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGES
The Speaker of the Karnataka assembly had ordered the imprisonment of two journalists for a year
based on the recommendations of its privilege committee.
ABOUT
Article 105 of the Constitution is related to the powers, privileges, etc. of members and committees
of Parliament while Article 194 protects the privileges and powers of state legislature, their members
and committees
Articles 105 and 194 clearly lay down that the “power, privileges and immunities of the legislature
shall be as may from time to time be defined by the legislature, and until so defined, shall be those of
the House of Commons”
Other than this, Article 105(3) states that the powers, privileges and immunities of the members and
the committees of Parliament will be determined by law which shall be passed in Parliament.
However, in India, the legislators have not passed any law delineating the powers, privileges and
immunities of members and committees of Parliament.
- REORGANIZATION OF STATES
Recently, West Bengal’s government decision to impose Bengali language in all the schools from
class one to class tenth ignited months long agitation in Darjeeling
BACKGROUND
There is a demand for formation of separate Gurkhaland State from the Darjeeling hill districts
In 1988, a tripartite Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council accord was signed by Gorkhaland National
Liberation Front (GNLF), West Bengal and Union Government.
After this, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) came into existence and GNLF shelved its
demand for the separate state
DARJEELING GORKHA HILL COUNCIL (DGHC)
The DGHC was a semi – autonomous body
It was established to look after the administration of the hills of Darjeeling.
It has three main divisions namely Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong.
The Council was to function under the State Government.
GORKHA TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION ACT, 2012
GTA created in 2012 through a tripartite agreement signed by Government of India, Government of
West Bengal and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM)
The DGHC was replaced by the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA)
The GTA was given administrative, executive and financial powers but no legislative powers
45 Constituencies were announced by the west Bengal Government under the GTA.
The act also brought in the first election for the Gorkha land after the formation of the Council
ARTICLE 3
It enables Parliament to effect by law reorganization of the territories of the States constituting the
Indian Union.
Parliament is empowered or enact law to reorganize the existing States by,
o Establishing new States, or
o By uniting two or more States or parts of States, or
o By uniting any territory to a part of any State; or
o By altering their boundaries, or.
o By separating territory from, or increasing or diminishing the area of, or by changing the name
of, a State
- TELE – LAW SCHEME
Recently, the Union Ministry of Law & Justice in association with the National Legal Service Authority
(NALSA) launched ‘Tele-Law’ scheme in Bihar.
ABOUT
The scheme aims at providing legal aid services to marginalised communities and citizens living in
rural areas through digital technology.
It is continuation to the Access to Justice Project to Marginalised Persons implemented by United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2008
The scheme is an initiative of the Union Law Ministry and Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeITY)
TELE – LAW PORTAL
It has been launched as part of the scheme.
It is available across the Common Service Centre (CSC) network at panchayat levels.
The portal will connect the citizens from rural areas to have access to legal consultation with the
help of para-legal volunteers (PLVs)
It will enable people to seek legal advice from lawyers through video conferencing.
The NALSA will also provide a panel of lawyers from state capitals
The scheme would help poor people in getting legal aid easily
The services of the Right of Public Service Act and Public Grievance Redressal Act will be also made
available at CSCs.
Besides, various other services like making Aadhaar card, PAN, applying for passports, reservation of
train berths and bill payments can be done from CSCs.
GOVT SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES
6. MGNREGA NATIONAL AWARD
The Ministry of Rural Development has selected Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh for effective
implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act during 2015-16
- SATH PROGRAMME
NITI Aayog has launched SATH-‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital’ with the State
Governments
ABOUT
The aim of this programmes is to initiate transformation in education and health sectors by providing
technical support to states from NITI Aayog.
The program will be implemented by NITI along with McKinsey & Company and IPE Global
consortium.
The programme aims to build three selected states viz. Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka as
future ‘role model’ states for health systems.
Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha were selected for transforming their education sector.
These six states were chosen after a rigorous competitive process based on comprehensive metrics
to determine potential for impact and likelihood of success
Under it, NITI Aayog will work in close collaboration with state machinery in these six selected states
to achieve the end objectives.
- DAY-NRLM
Recently an assessment study of Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission
(DAY-NRLM) was conducted by Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA)
ABOUT DAY-NRLM
It replaced the National Rural Livelihood Mission (Ajeevika) and National Urban Livelihood Mission
SALIENT FEATURES
Its objective is to organize the rural poor, particularly women into Self Help Groups (SHGs), and
nurture and support them till improve their quality of life and come out of poverty
It is partially supported by World Bank.
SHGs are provided Revolving Fund and Community Investment Fund
Members are provided small interest loans (7%) for both consumption expenditure and taking up
livelihoods activities
It also include financial inclusion initiatives such as bank linkage and working with banks to ensure
credit flow to the SHGS
The difference is the interest subvention provided through NRLM
START UP VILLAGE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMME (SVEP)
To continue strengthening of livelihoods, a new livelihoods vertical, SVEP has been launched by my
Government.
The programme aims at helping the poor to set up enterprises and provided support till the
enterprises stabilize.
MAHILA KISAN SASHKITIKARAN PARIYOJNA (MKSP)
It is one of the components of NRLM.
It seeks to strengthen the existing agriculture based livelihoods of the poor and participation of
women in agriculture and improve productivity
- STARTUP INDIA HUB
Ministry of Commerce & Industry recently launched the Startup India Virtual Hub.
It is a common online platform for all stakeholders of the entrepreneurial ecosystem like startups,
investors, mentors, academia, incubators, accelerators, corporates, Government bodies in India, etc.
to discover, connect and engage with each other.
- HILL AREA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Recently, the Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) launched the “Hill Area
Development Programme” (HADP) for North-East India.
ABOUT HADP
The mission will be implemented on a pilot basis in the hilly districts of Manipur.
Out of 80 districts of Northeast, 3 districts of hilly areas, which ranked lowest in the Composite
District Infrastructure Index, belonged to Manipur
The mission has following two approaches:
i. Ensure equitable development of every area, tribe and every section in the North Eastern
Region.
ii. Bring the eight North Eastern Region States at par with the more developed states of India
COMPOSITE DISTRICT INFRASTRUCTURE INDEX
It is an index prepared by Ministry of DoNER to aid in better targeting of schemes and projects within
the North Eastern region (NER) for reducing intra-regional disparity.
The index is prepared based on 7 indicators, namely, transport facilities, energy, water supply,
education, health facilities, communication infrastructure and banking facilities.
It acts as a benchmark in formulating and implementing various policies by the ministry
- INAM-PRO+
The Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping launched INAM-Pro + in New Delhi.
INAM-PRO
It is a web portal designed by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd
It is a common platform to bring cement buyers and sellers together.
The portal facilitated comparison of price, availability of materials etc. and made it very convenient for
the prospective buyers to procure cement at reasonable rates in a transparent manner.
INAM-PRO+
It is an upgraded version of INAM-PRO to include everything related to construction materials,
equipment/machinery and services like purchase/hiring/lease of new/used products and services in
the domains of Construction Materials
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
12. QATAR DIPLOMATIC CRISIS
Recently, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen, Libya, Bahrain and the
Maldives have suspended their diplomatic relationship with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
To normalise ties with Qatar, the Arab countries had put a 13-points demand list.
Also, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have formed new economic and partnership group named Joint
Cooperation Committee, separate from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The committee is assigned to cooperate and coordinate between UAE and Saudi Arabia in all military,
political, economic, trade and cultural fields
GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC)
It is a political and economic alliance of Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE
It was established in 1981 after the signing of Charter of GCC
It promotes economic, security, cultural and social cooperation between the six states.
It holds annual summit to discuss cooperation and regional affairs.
Headquarters: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
ARAB LEAGUE
It is a voluntary regional organization of Arab countries in and around North Africa, the Horn of Africa
and Arabia.
Formed in 1945
Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt
Founding members: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria
Members: 22 members including Syria (Currently suspended), Palestine
Objective: strengthen ties among member states, coordinate their policies and direct them towards a
common good
- SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO)
The SCO Summit took place in Astana, Kazakhstan on June 8-9, 2017
India and Pakistan inducted as full members of the SCO
India has been an observer at the SCO since 2005
ABOUT SCO
It is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation
Its objective is to jointly preserve and safeguard regional peace, security and stability
SCO is primarily centred on its member nations’ Central Asian security-related concerns, often
describing the main threats it confronts as being terrorism, separatism and extremism
It was founded in 2001
Members 8: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, India, Pakistan
Observers: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia
Dialogue partner: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Nepal
It was an outcome of The Shanghai Five grouping established in 1996 by Kazakhstan, China,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan
In 2001 Uzbekistan was invited to join it and the SCO was officially born
Headquarters: Beijing, China.
Astana Summit, 2005: SCO has emerged as a regional security organization
The 18th SCO Summit (2018) – it will be held in Qingdao, China
- DOKLAM STANDOFF
The 72 day standoff between India and China at Doklam, the tri-junction of the Indian, Chinese and
Bhutanese borders, was resolved peacefully.
ABOUT DOKLAM
Doklam (Doko La) is a strategically located tri-junction between India, Bhutan and China.
It is a disputed territory and claimed by both China and Bhutan
In June, Chinese PLA’s attempt to build a road in the strategically located area objected by Bhutan
and India and it led to a military standoff between Indian and Chinese army
It is very close to India’s narrow Siliguri corridor, the Chicken’s Neck.
TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION BETWEEN INDIA AND BHUTAN, 1949
It was signed on August 8, 1949.
The treaty provides for, among other things, perpetual peace and friendship, free trade and commerce
and equal justice to each other’s citizens.
The treaty also established free trade and extradition protocols.
Under it, Bhutan to take India’s guidance on foreign policy with broader sovereignty and require
Bhutan to obtain India’s permission over arms imports
INDIA-BHUTAN FRIENDSHIP TREATY, 2017
Both countries have revised the 1948 treaty in 2007
Under this treaty, both countries have agreed to cooperate closely with each other on issues relating
to their national interests
The new treaty replaced the provision requiring Bhutan to take India’s guidance on foreign policy with
broader sovereignty and not require Bhutan to obtain India’s permission over arms imports.
INDIA–CHINA BORDER
India shares a total 3500 km long boundary, second largest boundary after Bangladesh, with china
Indian states Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh
share border with China
The total boundary is divided in to 3 zones
o Western Sector – Jammu and Kashmir
o Middle Sector - Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
o Eastern Sector – Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh
- 18th INDIA-RUSSIA ANNUAL SUMMIT
It held in St Petersburg, Russia
India and Russia have inked 5 pacts
o Agreement on cultural exchanges
o Agreement on construction of the third stage of the Kudankulam NPP
o Agreement between the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) and the CSIR to
provide access to the Indian Digital Library of Traditional Knowledge (TKDL)
o Contract between JSC (Russian Railways) and the Ministry of Railways on the preparation of
the justification for the implementation of the high-speed service at the NagpurSecunderabad
o Memorandum of cooperation between ALROSA Joint Stock Company and the Council for the
Promotion of the Export of Precious Stones and Jewellery of India
ECONOMY
16. UN TIR CONVENTION
India had ratified United Nations Transports Internationaux Routiers Convention, a universal transit
system for goods to improve its trade prospects in the region.
India has thus become the 71st country to ratify the United Nations TIR Convention
India had ratified United Nations Transports Internationaux Routiers Convention, a universal transit
system for goods to improve its trade prospects in the region.
India has thus become the 71st country to ratify the United Nations TIR Convention
- TAXATION OF AGRICULTURE INCOME
NITI Aayog in its three-year action agenda has proposed the idea of taxation of agricultural income
above a certain threshold
INCOME TAX ACT, 1961
As per Section 10(1) of the Act, agricultural income is exempted from taxation and not included under
total income
However, state governments can tax agricultural income as agriculture is listed as a State List
subject in the VII schedule
- CAPITAL GAINS TAX
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued a notification specifying that the securities
transactions where the securities transaction tax (STT) hasn’t been paid would attract capital gains
tax (CGT)
ABOUT STT
It is levied on all the transactions done on the stock exchange.
This tax is levied on purchase of equity, sale of equity, derivatives, equity oriented funds and equity
oriented Mutual Funds.
ABOUT CGT
Capital gain refers to the gain or profit from the sale of property or an investment.
Investment may be in shares, equity, gold, real estate or valuables like paintings
India classifies this tax into short term (less than 36 months) and long term capital gains (more than
36 months)
However, the definition of short term and long term capital gains varies for various products
From, 2017-18 the holding period of 24 months has been specified for unlisted shares and
immovable property to be considered as Long Term Capital Gains
Some assets are considered short-term capital assets when these are held for 12 months or less.
This rule is applicable if the date of transfer is after 10th July, 2014
In the 2018-19 budget, the Long Term Capital Gains reintroduced on stocks
- NATIONAL BIOPHARMA MISSION
Launched by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology
Under this mission, the ministry also launched Innovate in India (i3) program
ABOUT INNOVATE IN INDIA (I3) PROGRAM
The programme is a collaboration between Government of India and World Bank.
To make India a hub for design and development of novel, affordable and effective biopharmaceutical
products and solutions.
It promises to boost the growth of domestic biopharma industry
It encourages collaboration between industry and academia, and support entrepreneurial ecosystem.
It will strive to increase India’s global biopharmaceutical market share from current 2.8% to 5%
The program offer young entrepreneurs an avenue to engage with the best in the industry.
ABOUT NATIONAL BIOPHARMA MISSION
It aims to make India’s biopharmaceuticals’ technological and product development capabilities to be
globally competitive over the next decade
It will also seek to improve the India’s health standards through affordable product development
It also focus on Industry-Academia collaboration to achieve these objectives
The mission will be implemented by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)
The mission will concentrate on development of specific products such as vaccines, medical devices,
bio-therapeutics and diagnostics etc.
It will help in building and strengthening domain specific knowledge and management skills at the
same time creating and enhancing technology transfer capabilities in public and private sector
GENERICS VS BIOSIMILAR
Generics: It is a drug produced with same Active Pharma Ingredients (API) when the original product
goes off patent in same amount/proportions
The development cost of generics is low and regulatory approval is easy compared to biosimilar
Biosimilar: It is a generic versions of drug where the active ingredient is made only by an engineered
organism
When drugs made by engineered organisms go off patent there is no legal requirement for the patent
holder to give his engineered organism to anyone else.
Due to their complexity and the need to prove their therapeutic efficacy, the regulatory requirements
are more stringent than the generic drugs
- PRITHVI-2 MISSILE
The land version of the short range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Prithvi-II was successfully
test-fired
ABOUT PRITHVI-II
It is a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed indigenously by DRDO
It is the first missile to be indigenously developed Integrated Guided Missile Development Program
(IGMDP).
It is capable of carrying 500 kg-1,000 kg of nuclear as well as conventional warheads.
Range: 350 km.
It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its target.
The missile was inducted into Indian armed forces in 2003.
It is designed in such a way that it can be taken close to the forward line over any kind of terrain
ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
21. UN OCEAN CONFERENCE
Recently, the UN had hosted the first large-scale ocean conference devoted for protecting and saving
the oceans in New York
It is co-hosted by the Governments of Fiji and Sweden
Theme: Our oceans, our future: partnering for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal
14
The conference served as a platform for the world community to discuss innovative ways to
sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
OUTCOMES
It resulted in adoption of a 14-point Call for Action by the participating Heads of State
The leaders also pledged their commitment to conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas and marine
resources.
Formation of a task force on marine litter by the International Solid Waste Association
The Global Ocean Commission had made recommendations to improve the oceanic ecosystem by
checking illegal and unregulated fishing activities; ending harmful subsidies in seas and establishing
binding international safety standards
THE WORLD OCEANS DAY (WOD)
It is observed every year on June 8
Objective: To raise global awareness of the benefits derived from the oceans and the current
challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans.
GLOBAL OCEAN COMMISSION
Launched in 2013
It is an international initiative that seek to raises awareness and promotes action to address the
degradation of the ocean and help restore it to full health and productivity.
Its focus is on the high seas, the vast ocean areas that lie beyond the Exclusive Economic Zones
(EEZs) of individual states.
- NILGIRI TAHR
The first ever State-wide population estimation of Nilgiri tahrs, has put the total population of the
endangered species at 1,420
ABOUT
It is a stocky goat endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the
states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
They are confined to a narrow belt of higher elevation of Shola Forest, cliffs, grass-covered hills, and
open terrain in the Western Ghats.
Largest population of Nilgiri Tahr is found within the Eravikulam National Park, Munnar, Kerala
IUCN status: Endangered
Protected under Schedule I by the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu
- BIODIVERSITY OF INDIA
According to the Animal Discoveries 2016, New Species and Records, brought out by the Zoological
Survey of India and Plant Discoveries 2016, by the Botanical Survey of India, 499 new species have
been discovered from various parts of the country
PLANTS
Most plant discoveries were made in the Western Ghats (17%), followed by the Eastern Himalayas
(15%), the Western Himalayas (13%), the Eastern Ghats (12%) and the west coast (8%)
ANIMALS
Of the new discoveries, 258 are invertebrates and 55 are vertebrates.
Around 97 are insects, 27 are fish, 12 are amphibians, 10 are Platyhelminthes, and nine are Crustacea,
six species of reptiles, 61 species of moths and butterflies and 38 of beetles.
The new species are known to occur in the four biological hotspots of the country, namely, the
Himalayas, the northeast, the Western Ghats and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- IMPORTANT BIRD AND BIODIVERSITY AREAS
Recently, BirdLife International has recognised three new sites in Goa as hotspots for protection
The sites have been added to their list of “Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas” (IBBA)
The 3 new sites are:
i. Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary
ii. Navelim Wetlands and
iii. Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary
Existing designated IBBA sites in Goa are:
i. Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park,
ii. Carambolim Wetlands,
iii. Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary and
iv. Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary
The updated list has been published by the Bombay Natural History Society.
BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY (BNHS)
It is a non-governmental organization in India engaged in conservation research
It collaborated with technology company Accenture to create Internet of Birds.
Internet of Birds: online tool for birdwatchers that identifies birds based on their photos
BIRD LIFE INTERNATIONAL
It is a worldwide alliance of nongovernmental organizations that promotes the conservation of birds
and their habitats
Formed in 1922
Headquarter: Cambridge, UK
It publishes a quarterly magazine, Bird Life - The Magazine
Bird Life International is the official Red List authority for birds, for the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
It currently has 121 BirdLife partners worldwide, one per country or territory
It works with gross root level communities for conservation of birds and their habitats
Key Biodiversity Area (KBA): These are sites that contribute to the global persistence of biodiversity,
including vital habitat for threatened plant and animal species in terrestrial, freshwater and marine
ecosystems.
Important Bird and Biodiversity area (IBA): These are those KBAs which are identified for birds using
internationally agreed criteria applied locally by BirdLife Partners and experts
- AMEENPUR LAKE
It was declared a ‘Biodiversity Heritage Site’ (BHS) by Telangana in Nov 2016, under the Biological
Diversity Act 2002
It has become the first water body in the country to be declared a BHS
ABOUT
It is located in Hyderabad, Telangana
It is a man-made lake
It was constructed during the reign of Ibrahim Qutb Shah, who ruled the kingdom of Golconda
between 1550 and 1580.
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ACT – 2002
It was enacted for giving effect to the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Objective: Regulate the access to genetic resources and protection of biodiversity.
This act provides for establishment of,
o National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
o State Biodiversity Boards (SBB)
o National and State Biodiversity Funds
o Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC)
Violation of this act invites imprisonment up to five years or fine up to ten lakh rupees or both
Any dispute between the NBA and SBB can be appealed to the Central Government
Its jurisdiction also include the Union Territories
NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY AUTHORITY (NBA)
It is a statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act (BDA), 2002
Headquarters: Chennai.
It shall have the same powers as are vested in a civil court under the Code
Composition: One chairman, seven Ex-officio members and five non-official members
Appointment: All are appointed by central government and can be removed by centre
Functions: NBA approvals are required for,
o Obtaining Biological Resources from India by foreign nationals
o Transferring knowledge / research and material to foreigners by Indian individuals/entities.
o Any kind of IPR based on research conducted on biological material and or associated
knowledge obtained from India.
STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD (SBB)
The BDA, 2002 mandates each state to notify its SBA.
Functions:
o To advise state governments on matters of biodiversity conservation
o Regulate commercial use of bio-resources in the state by Indians. This has two exceptions:
Vaids and Hakims, who are practicing Indian medicinal system.
Local People, who use the bio-resources for local use.
NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY FUND (NBF)
The money received by NBA as fees, fines etc. and money from grants is kept in the NBF
The fund is used for the benefit the claimers and promotion of conservation and socio-economic
development in source areas
STATE BIODIVERSITY FUND (SBF)
This fund has to be created at state level to credit any grants and loans made to the SBB by the NBA
and money from other sources
The fund is used,
o In the management and conservation of heritage sites;
o Compensating or rehabilitating any section of the people economically affected when an area
is declared BHS; and
o Conservation and promotion of biological resources.
BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE SITES (BHS)
The State Government in consultation with local bodies may notify areas of biodiversity importance
as BHS
BHS are well defined areas that are unique, ecologically fragile ecosystems – terrestrial, coastal and
inland waters and, marine having rich biodiversity
BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (BMC)
It is constituted by a local body within its area for the purpose of promoting conservation, sustainable
use and documentation of biological diversity
The NBA and the SBBs are need to consult the BMC while taking any decision relating to the use of
biological resources and knowledge within jurisdiction of the BMC
The BMCs may levy charges by way of collection fees from any person for accessing or collecting any
biological resource for commercial purposes from areas falling within its territorial jurisdiction.
PEOPLE’S BIODIVERSITY REGISTER (PBR)
The BMCs have been mandated to prepare PBR in consultation with local people.
This register would have comprehensive information on availability and knowledge of local biological
resources, their medicinal or any other use or any other traditional knowledge associated with them
CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD)
It is a legally binding treaty , which was as an outcome of Earth Summit, 1992
It is commonly known as “Biodiversity Convention“
Secretariat: Montreal, Canada
It operates under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Objectives:
o Conservation of biological diversity
o Sustainable use of its components
o Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources
The governing body of CBD is the Conference of the Parties (COP), meet biennially
COP 1 – held in Nassau, Bahamas (1994)
COP 13 – held in Cancun, Mexico (2016)
COP 14 – to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt (2018)
PROTOCOLS TO CBD
There are two protocols adopted under CBD Viz., Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and Nagoya
Protocol.
CARTAGENA PROTOCOL
It is a legally binding protocol
It was adopted in 2000
It deals with biosafety concerns related to import & export of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) and
commodities made from them
There are two major components of Cartagena Protocol viz. Advanced Informed Agreement (AIA)
Procedure and Biosafety Clearing House.
NAGOYA PROTOCOL
It was adopted in 2010 and entered into force in 2014
It is a legally binding treaty
It recognises the right to get a share in benefits reaped by foreign bio-prospectors from genetic
resources of source countries
It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three
objectives of the CBD:
o The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic
resources
It also called as the Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing
of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the CBD
This protocol does not apply to human genetic material
It does not make reference to patents or other Intellectual property rights
Nagoya protocol ends up with a strategic plan with 20 targets called “Aichi Target”
- GSLV MK III
Recently, GSLV MK III D1 rocket was launched successfully
It put 3200 kg GSAT–19 satellite into space
It is the heaviest rocket ever made by ISRO which is capable of carrying heavy payloads
It can carry payloads of up to 4000 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and 10000 kg into the
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
It is a three stage vehicle with an indigenous cryogenic upper stage engine which uses Liquid Oxygen
(LOX) and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) as fuel
GSAT-19 will help to improve telecommunication and broadcasting areas
- CRYPTOCURRENCY
Recently, China, South Korea and Japan have adopted use of bitcoins with regulations.
ABOUT BITCOIN
Bitcoin is a form of virtual currency created and held electronically
It is not backed by any central bank unlike fiat money such as Rupee, Euro, and Dollar etc.
It earned by using software that solves complex mathematical problems.
It is also called a “cryptocurrency” since it is decentralized and uses cryptography to prevent doublespending, a significant challenge inherent to digital currencies.
It can also be traded on an open market and its exchange rate fluctuates based on demand
- BIO INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, 2017
It was held in San Diego, USA in June, 2017
It is hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)
It is the largest global event for the biotechnology industry that offers key networking and partnering
opportunities and provides insights and inspiration on the major trends affecting the industry
- KELT-9B
It is the recently discovered hottest known exoplanet
The planet orbits a massive star KELT-9
The planet’s day-side temperature is 4,326 degree Celsius and is only 926 degree Celsius cooler than
the Sun
The planet is located 650 light years from Earth
The Jupiter-like planet is 2.8 times more massive than Jupiter
However, it is only half as dense as that of the Jupiter
It is tidally locked to its star
Tidal locking: It is the name given to the situation when an object’s orbital period matches its
rotational period. Ex: Moon
- CARTOSAT 2
ISRO has successfully launched its sixth CartoSat-2 series satellite.
The Cartosat series satellites are the earth observation satellites in a sun-synchronous orbit
- ANTARCTICA POLICY
Ministry of Earth Sciences is tasked with drafting a dedicated Antarctica policy
The new policy is expected to come up with clear policy objectives regarding infrastructure, research,
tourism, etc. in Antarctica.
The new law will be drafted in concurrence with the Antarctica Treaty to which India has acceded
ANTARCTICA TREATY
It was signed by 12 countries on 1 December 1959 and entered into force in 1961
The 12 countries were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway,
South Africa, the Soviet Union, The United Kingdom, and the United States.
The total number of parties to the treaty now stands at 53.
The treaty has been framed to ensure that Antarctica shall remain exclusively for peaceful purposes
and shall not be an object of international discord
The treaty prohibits military activity, nuclear explosions, disposal of nuclear waste and holds all
territorial claims in abeyance.
India is involved in rebuilding and expanding its research station, Maitri,
India’s first base, Dakshin Gangotri, was established in 1984 has weakened and acts just as a supply
base
SOCIAL ISSUES
32. THE WORLD POPULATION PROSPECTS: THE 2017 REVISION
According to it India with 1.3 billion inhabitants would surpass China’s population of 1.4 billion by
2024, to become the World’s populous country
HIGHLIGHTS
The world’s total population, currently at 7.6 billion, to hit 9.8 billion by 2050 and surpass 11.2 billion
in 2100
The increase in population was spurred by the relatively high levels of fertility in developing countries
The birth rates in African countries are expected to at least double by 2050, despite fertility rates
falling from 5.1 births per woman up to 2005 to 4.7 births in the five years following.
In contrast, birth rates in Europe are seeing an increase which has increased up to 1.6 births per
woman, up from 1.4 births in 2000-2005
Nigeria is expected to become the third most populous country by 2050 replacing the US
ABOUT WORLD POPULATION PROSPECTUS: THE REVISION
It is the twenty-fifth round of official United Nations population estimates prepared by the Population
Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat.
The findings are presented for each development group, income group, region, sub-region and country
or area for the period 1950-2100.
- QS WORLD UNIVERSITIES RANKING 2018
The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2018 has been released in June 2017.
For the first time three Indian universities, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Delhi and IISc, Bengaluru, have made it to
the top 200 global universities
Top 3: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University and Harvard University
respectively
The Quacquarelli Symonds is a British agency that annually ranks higher educational institutes
across the world based on six performance parameters such as Research, Teaching, Employability
and Internationalisation, in addition to a 40 point weightage to the institute`s stature
- TIMES WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2018
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) retained top position among Indian Universities in the Times
World University Rankings 2018, released in September, 2017
Top 5: Oxford University (1st, UK), Cambridge University (2nd, UK), California institute of Technology
(3rd, US), Stanford University (4th, US), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (5th, US)
No Indian university featured in the top 100, while 8 feature in top 500 and 3 in top 200 (IIT Delhi, IIT
Bombay, and IISc Bangalore)
- TRANSGENDER SPORTS MEET
India’s First Transgender Sports meet was organised by the Kerala State Sports Council at
Thiruvananthapuram.
Kerala was also the first state which formulated the Transgender Policy to enforce the constitutional
rights of transgender
- CHILD MARRIAGES
According to National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Rajasthan has reported
the highest incidence of child marriages
ABOUT NCPCR
It was set up in 2007 under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005
It is under administrative control of the Ministry of Women & Child Development
Its mandate is to ensure that all Laws, Policies and Administrative Mechanisms are in consonance
with Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution and also the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child.
It is prohibited from inquiring into any matter which is pending before a State Commission for
Protection of Child Rights or any other Statutory Commission
It has a chairperson and six members of which at least two should be women.
They are appointed by Central Government for three years
The maximum age to serve in commission is 65 years for Chairman and 60 years for members.
The Central Government can remove the Chairperson from his office on the ground of proved
misbehaviour or incapacity
- CHILD LABOUR
Recently, India has ratified two key International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions for
combating child labour Viz., the Minimum Age Convention and the Worst Forms of Child Labour
Convention
THE MINIMUM AGE CONVENTION
The convention requires the party States to pursue a national policy for abolition of child labour and
raise progressively the minimum age for employment.
It is concerned with minimum age for admission to employment.
So far, it has been ratified by 169 countries.
WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOUR CONVENTION
It is concerned with the prohibition and immediate action for elimination of the worst forms of Child
Labour
It has been ratified by 180 countries.
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO)
It is United Nations agency dealing with labour issues, particularly international labour standards,
social protection, and work opportunities for all.
It was established in 1919 as an agency of the League of Nations
Members: 187
Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland.
India is a founder member of the ILO.
India has so far ratified 6 out of 8 core conventions of ILO
- INCLUSIVE INDIA INITIATIVE
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in collaboration with key partners had organised a
conference called Inclusive India Initiative: Towards an Inclusive India, for addressing intellectual
and developmental disabilities (IDDs)
National Trust will be the nodal agency for the initiative
FEATURES
The initiative aims to cater to the persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The objective of the imitative is to include people with disabilities in the mainstream as well as in all
important aspects of social life, namely education, employment etc.
The three core focus areas of the initiative are Inclusive Education, Inclusive Employment and
Inclusive Community Life
The conference stressed need to take advantage of all 10 schemes of the national trust namely;
o DISHA: Early Intervention and School Readiness Scheme
o VIKAAS: Day care scheme for persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and
multiple disabilities.
o SAMARTH: It offers respite home for orphans, families in crisis, Persons with Disabilities
(PwD) from BPL etc.
o GHARAUNDA: Group home for adults with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and
Multiple Disabilities
o NIRMAYA: Health Insurance Scheme providing cover up to 1 lakh
o SAHIYOGI: Caregiver training scheme to care for Person with Disabilities (PwD) and their
families.
o GYAN PRABHA: Educational support for pursuing educational/ vocational courses.
o PRERNA: Marketing assistance scheme for sale of products produced by persons with
disabilities.
o SAMBHAV: Scheme to collect and collate aids and assistive devices.
o BADHTE KADAM: scheme aimed at creating community awareness, sensitisation, social
integration and mainstreaming of disabled persons.
NATIONAL TRUST
It is a statutory body functioning under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
It was set up under the “National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy,
Retardation and Multiple Disabilities” Act.
Its core mission is to provide opportunities for capacity development of Persons with Disabilities and
their families.
It works towards creating an inclusive society and facilitate the creation of an enabling environment
- NATIONAL MISSION ON CULTURAL MAPPING AND ROADMAP
Launched by Ministry of Culture
This mission is included under the umbrella programme “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat”
FEATURES
The mission involves the transfer of knowledge of our cultural arts & heritage through digital world by
designing a web-portal to maintain a database of cultural assets and resources.
It involves Cultural Mapping, collecting, recording, analysing and synthesising the information of
available local cultural assets and resources with the help of local artists.
It aims for statistical data collection of various art forms, about individual artists, communities,
cultural organisations and spaces, festivals and events, heritage properties, etc.
It envisages creation of cultural knowledge centres as well as facilitating the structural and functional
changes in the existing zonal cultural centres.
The mission also seeks to open a channel for direct communication between artists and the
Government
- GLOBAL PEACE INDEX 2017
Sydney-based think tank, The Institute for Economics and Peace, has published its Global Peace
Index
India has been ranked at 137 among 163 countries
India was ranked at 141st place in 2016
Maoist movements are one of the biggest threats to India’s internal security, sporadic conflict with its
neighbours also threatens the country’s external security
South Asia: Bhutan-13, Sri Lanka-80, Bangladesh-84, India-137, Pakistan-152 and Afghanistan-162
Syria is the least peaceful country in the world for the fifth year running.
The index is being topped by Iceland since 2008
The other four most peaceful countries are New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, and Denmark
- TOTAL YOGA VILLAGE
Kunnamthanam in Kerala has become a complete yoga village with at least one member of each
family in the panchayat trained in yoga
- GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX 2017
In the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2017, India got 60th place among 130 countries
This is the 10th edition of the Global Innovation Index 2017 (GII)
HIGHLIGHTS
Top 10: Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, the US, the UK, Denmark, Singapore, Finland, Germany
and Ireland.
The index is dominated by high-income economies which took 24 of the top 25 spots except for China
which is ranked at 22nd spot
India’s neighbours: Sri Lanka-90, Nepal-109, Pakistan-113, Bangladesh-114.
BRICS countries: Brazil-69, Russia-45, China-22, South Africa-57
India has made improvements in the rankings after five continuous years of decline in the ranking
ABOUT GII
It published by Cornell University, INSEAD and World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
GII surveys are conducted every year which analyses 130 economies and aims to capture the multidimensional facets of innovation
The index makes use of a dozen parameters ranging from patent filings to education spending
- WORLD INVESTMENT REPORT 2017
Released by UNCTAD
According to it, India ranked 10th in terms of FDI inflows in 2016
HIGHLIGHTS
India will be behind only the U.S. and China in terms of investment attractiveness until 2019
Global foreign direct investment (FDI) is expected to rise by 5%, to almost $1.8 trillion in 2017.
UNCTAD
It is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the UNGA in 1964
Headquarter : Geneva, Switzerland
It is part of the UN Secretariat
It reports to the UNGA and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) but has its own membership,
leadership, and budget
It is also part of the United Nations Development Group
