5.60T-Sept 2017

Question 1

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES
1. DIKSHA PORTAL

Answer 1

 Recently, government has launched Diksha Portal - National Digital Infrastructure for Teachers.
 Implemented by HRD ministry
 The portal aims to equip all teachers across the nation with advanced digital technology
 Teacher can learn and train themselves for which assessment resources will be available

Question 2

2. FARMERZONE

Answer 2

 It is a collective open-source data platform for smart agriculture by using biological research and
data to improve lives of small and marginal farmers.
 It was announced by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of Ministry of S & T, at Smart Agriculture
Conclave in New Delhi
 The Smart Agriculture conclave was organised by DBT in partnership with UK’s Biotechnology and
Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Research Councils UK (RCUK)
 Farmer Zone will be a multi-purpose window which will provide solutions to farmer ranging from
climate change based information to weather predictions, soil, water, and seed requirements to
market linkages
 The information can be accessed by the farmers throughout the world
 It also includes Market Zone where farmers can directly sell their produce and the produce can also
be directly picked from their farms.
 It will also help to reduce technological gap in data acquisition & transfer from farm to cloud and vice
versa
 This also ensure localised technology based solutions and develop PPP based service delivery
mechanism

Question 3

3. SAUBHAGYA SCHEME

Answer 3

 The Ministry of Power launched Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA)
 Objective of the scheme is to achieve universal household electrification in all parts of country by
providing last mile electricity connectivity to all rural and urban households.
 The States and Union Territories are required to complete the works of household electrification by
the 31st of December 2018.
 Under the scheme, government will provide free electricity connection to all households identified
under Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data 2011
 Electricity connections will be given to APL families for Rs.500
 Nodal agency: The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC).
 For covering un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible areas, solar power packs
will be provided
 The scheme is being funded to the extent of 60% by central grants, 30% by bank loans and 10% by
states
 To ensure on-the-spot registration, mobile applications will be used.
 There will be no subsidy component for monthly electricity consumption
 Gram Panchayat and public institutions in the rural areas will be authorised to carry out billing and
collection tasks which have been pain points for the DISCOMs
SAUBHAGYA WEB PORTAL
 Launched to ensure every state to fill current status of progress of electrification works which will
enable accountability for State DISCOMs/utilities.
 It offers feature on village electrification camps that will be organised by DISCOMs in villages for
facilitating instant filling up of application forms and to complete requisite documentation to expedite
release of electricity connections to households

Question 4

. REVAMPED ‘KHELO INDIA’ PROGRAMME

Answer 4

 The Union cabinet has approved a revamped Khelo India scheme
 The Programme aims at mainstreaming sport as a tool for individual development, community
development, economic development, and national development.
 The revamped programme for period 2017-18 to 2019-20
 It aims to impact entire sports ecosystem, including infrastructure, talent identification, community
sports, coaching, competition structure and sports economy
 It provides for Pan Indian Sports Scholarship scheme, 20 Sports Universities, National physical
fitness drive

Question 5

5. INSTITUTIONS OF EMINENCE

Answer 5

 The University Grants Commission (UGC)announced the beginning of a 90-day application process
for universities — public and private — to seek the status of institutions of eminence, which will
provide them freedom from the regular regulatory mechanisms.
 Twenty institutions — 10 public and 10 private — will be given this status with the aim to give them
freedom to become world-class institutions.
 The 10 state-run institutions will have an additional benefit — provision of ₹10,000 crore over a period
of 10 years, over and above the regular grants.
 The aim of the scheme is to help institutions break into the top 500 global rankings in 10 years, and
then eventually break into the top 100 over time
 Eligibility to apply: top 50 universities of the National Institute Ranking Framework or those who have
secured ranking among top 500 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS
University Rankings or Shanghai’s Academic Ranking of World Universities
 The selected institutions will have the liberty to enrol up to 30% foreign students.
 Selected public institutions will be able to recruit up to 25% foreign faculty, while there will be no such
limit for selected private institutions
OTHER SUCH INITIATIVES IN EDUCATION SECTOR
 The Higher Education Finance Agency (HEFA),
 The Uchchatar Avishkar Yojana.
 The Prime Minister’s proposed scholarships of ₹75,000 a month
UGC
 Set up in 1953, and given statutory backing through an act of Parliament in 1956
 For,
o Promoting and coordinating university education, determining and maintaining standards of
teaching, examination and research in universities,
o Monitoring developments in the field of collegiate and university education;
o Disbursing grants to the universities and colleges.
o Serving as a vital link between the Union and state governments and institutions of higher
learning.
o Advising the Central and State governments on the measures necessary for improvement of
university education

Question 6

6. MODERNISATION OF POLICE FORCE SCHEME

Answer 6

 The Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) has approved implementation of umbrella scheme of
Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF)
 To be implemented from 2017 to 2020
 To strengthen country’s law and order mechanism, modernise police forces and effectively fight
against terrorism
 It has financial outlay of Rs.25,060 crore out of which Central Government share will be Rs.18,636
crore and states’ share will be Rs.6,424 crore
 It covers internal security, law and order, women security, availability of modern weapons, mobility of
police forces, upgradation of police wireless, logistics support, National Satellite Network, CCTNS
project, hiring of helicopters, E-prison project etc.
 Centre’s special outlay for J&K, North Eastern and LWE States
 Integration of Police Stations which will aid in integrating police stations to set up national data base
of crime and criminals’ records
 Upgrading forensic science laboratories and setting up of state-of art forensic science laboratory in
Amravati (Andhra Pradesh)

Question 7

7. DEENDAYAL HASTKALA SANKUL

Answer 7

 Recently, Prime Minister of India inaugurated Deendayal Hastkala Sankul – a trade facilitation centre
for handicrafts – at Varanasi.
 The Sankul will facilitate the weavers/artisans/exporters in promotion of handlooms/handicrafts in
both domestic and international markets.
 The Crafts Museum in the Sankul will preserve the traditional handloom/handicrafts products of
Varanasi and showcase the handloom & handicraft products

Question 8

8. JAN SAMPARK PROGRAM

Answer 8

 The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) of the Ministry of Women & Child Development has
started a monthly “Jan Sampark” program
 To enable the public to have interaction with its officials and staff for seeking information related to
adoption as well as flagging their concerns.
 Details pertaining to Immediate Placement and Special Needs Adoption Module of Child Adoption
Resource Information & Guidance System (CARINGS) as well as the newly launched Grievance/Query
portal will be shared with all the stakeholders.
 Also many of the Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) will be counselled and motivated to go for
adopting older children

Question 9

9. DAM REHABILITATON AND IMPOROVEMENT PLAN (DRIP)

Answer 9

 Objective: Repair and rehabilitation of Dams (Total 225) across seven states namely Jharkhand
(DVC), Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand (UJVNL)
 Started in April 2012
 It is an externally-aided project
 World Bank loan -80%, States and Centre – 20%
 It aimed to improve the safety and operational performance of selected existing dams and associated
appurtenances in a sustainable manner, and to strengthen the dam safety institutional setup of
participating States / Implementing Agencies

Question 10

10. VAJRA SCHEME

Answer 10

 The Ministry of S&T’s Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) FacultyScheme has received 260
applications from foreign scientists of whom 70 will be shortlisted.
ABOUT
 The scheme is meant to attract top international talent to country’s research and development (R&D)
ecosystem.
 Implemented by: The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) of DST
 The DST will look for scientists with experience in fields of renewable energy, water and other
technology in which Indian lack expertise.
 Public funded academic institutions and national laboratories are eligible to host VAJRA faculties.
 The residency period will be for minimum of month and maximum of three months.
 These institutions should appoint them as adjunct visiting faculty and involve them in co-guiding and
mentoring students and developing collaborative programmes.
 The faculty can also be allowed to participate in other academic activities.
 The applications received from interested foreign researchers will be evaluated by Selection
Committee of eminent scientists.
 The Committee will meet twice a year in January and July and make recommendations

Question 11

11. PADIT DEEN DAYAL UPADHAYAY VIGYAN GRAM SANKUL PARIYOJANA

Answer 11

 Recently, Ministry of Science and technology has launched Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Vigyan
Gram Sankul Pariyojana in Uttarakhand
 Under the scheme, Department of Science and Technology (DST) will adopt few clusters of villages in
Uttarakhand and transform them to become self-sustainable in time bound manner through tools of
S&T
 Local resources and locally available skill sets will be utilised using S&T under the scheme for
substantial value addition for local produce and services which can sustain rural population.
 The areas selected under these clusters will process and add value to milk, honey, horticulture and
local crops, herbal tea, mushroom, forest produce, medicinal & aromatic plants and traditional craft
and handloom.
 This project will also ensure, stringent product and process control interventions for energy and water
conservation.
 The project will also give emphasis to practice of agriculture, agro-based cottage industries and
animal husbandry in an eco-friendly manner.
 It will mainly undertake post-harvest processing of Kiwi, Cherry, Strawberry, Tulsi, Adrak, Badi Elaichi
through solar drying technology, extraction of apricot oil using cold press technology

Question 12

12. ZERO HUNGER PROGRAMME

Answer 12

 On occasion of World Food Day (October 16), India’s ambitious Zero Hunger Programme through
interventions in farm sector launched with focus on agriculture, nutrition and health in a symbiotic
manner
 Zero Hunger is one of the 17 globally accepted SDGs to be achieved by 2030
 The Programme will be initiated by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in association with
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), MS Swaminathan Research Foundation and
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
 The programme consists of organisations of farming system for nutrition, setting up genetic gardens
for bio-fortified plants and initiation of ‘Zero Hunger’ training.
 A genetic garden for bio-fortified plants contains germplasm of naturally bio-fortified crops through
plant breeding.
 It has plants and crops that help supplement micro-nutrient deficiencies, including iron, zinc, vitamin
A and iodine among others.
 The Programme initially will be launched in three districts – Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Koraput
(Odisha) and Thane (Maharashtra)
 The Programme will ensure suitable methods of measuring impact of intervention by identifying the
nutritional maladies in each district and applying appropriate agricultural/horticultural and animal
husbandry remedies
 It will be in addition government’s plan to deal with issue of malnutrition through various other
initiatives under its goal to make India malnutrition free by 2022

Question 13

13. FOSCORIS

Answer 13

 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has launched an online platform –
FoSCoRIS- to bring in transparency in food safety inspection and sampling.
 The web-based ‘FoSCoRIS’ system will help verify compliance of food safety and hygiene standards
by food businesses as per the government norms

Question 14

14. SWACCHTA HI SEVA

Answer 14

 Swachhta Hi Seva’ (cleanliness is service), is a nation-wide fortnight-long sanitation campaign to
highlight the cleanliness initiative Swachh Bharat Mission
 It was launched by President Ram Nath Kovind
 Started on 15th September, 2017
 The campaign was coordinated by Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
 Its objective is to mobilise people and reinforce janaandolan (mass movement) for sanitation to
contribute to a Clean India.
 There will be targeted cleaning of public and tourist places
 The government also asked companies to contribute 7 percent of their CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility) funds to Swacchta Hi Seva Campaign

Question 15

15. PRADHAN MANTRI LPG PANCHAYAT

Answer 15

 Launched by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
 It is backup scheme to existing Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
 The LPG Panchayat scheme aims at spreading awareness among LPG users about how to properly
use clean fuel and its useful benefits.
 It will provide platform to trigger discussion through sharing of personal experiences on benefits of
use of clean fuel compared to traditional fuels like cow dung, charcoal or wood
 Under it, one lakh LPG Panchayats will be activated across country to deal with issue of safe use of
LPG as well as discuss its various benefits on environment, health and how it empowers women.
 One panchayat will have around 100 LPG customers of nearby areas.
 The panchayats discuss issues such as safe practices, quality of service provided by distributors and
availability of refill cylinders
PRADHAN MANTRI UJJAWALA YOJANA
 It aims to provide 500 crore LPG connections to BPL families by 2019.
 LPG Connections under the scheme will be issued under the name of women of the household in
order to empower women.
 Identification of BPL families under the scheme will be done through Socio Economic Caste Census
Data

Question 16

16. WHIP IN INDIA

Answer 16

 Whip is an official appointed to maintain discipline among, secure attendance of, and give necessary
information to, members of his party.
 The implication of not to follow a Whip on Member’s part is to risk losing their seat in Parliament on
account of defection (Schedule X of the Constitution)
 The office of Whip, in India, is mentioned neither in the Constitution nor in the rules of the house, nor
in the Parliamentary statutes.
 It inherited from colonial British rule
 It also practiced in the USA and the UK
 In India, the party whip directs the party members to stick to the party’s stand on certain issues and
directs them to vote as per the direction of the party
 Whip cannot be used in Presidential poll
ANTI –DEFECTION LAW
 Anti-Defection Law is contained in the TenthSchedule to the Constitution
 It was introduced by the 52nd Amendment in 1985.
 It provides for the disqualification of a member if he defects from his party to some other party
 A Member of Parliament or state legislature was deemed to have defected if he either
voluntarilyresigned from his party or disobeyed the directives of the party leadership on a vote.
 The decision is that of the Speaker/Chairman is final, but it is subject to judicial review. There are two
exceptions, in which case no disqualification occurs:
o No member can be disqualified if a group of 1/3rd of the total members of a party decides to
split
o Or if a group of 2/3rd of the total members of a party decide to merge with some other party
 Independently elected members cannot a join in a party
 Nominated members who were not members of a party could choose to join a party within six
months; after that period, they were treated as a party member or independent member

Question 17

17. PRIVATE MEMBER’S BILL

Answer 17

 A private member’s billtabled in the Parliament that want MPs tomandatorily declare their assets at
the end of their tenure
 Private members are any member of the Parliament other than the ministers and presiding officers
 The bills introduced by them are called Private member’s bills unlike government bills which are
introduced by Ministers.
 The second half of every Friday, when parliament is in session, is reserved for debating private
member bills and resolutions introduced by them
 A private member does not require prior permission of the president to introduce a bill
 President enjoys absolute veto with respect to private members’ bills
 During the Question Hour, questions can also be asked to the private members if the subject matter
of the question relates to some Bill, resolution for which they are responsible
 Those questions are marked in yellow colour
 Private member can introduce ordinary bill, constitutional amendment bill but not money bill
 Only 14 private member’s bills have been passed in Parliament’s history and last one of them was in
1970
 The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2014 but it was reintroduced
with substantial changes in Lok Sabha and is currently pending with Parliamentary Standing
Committee
COMMITTEE ON PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
 This committee classifies bills and allocates time for the discussion on bills and resolutions
introduced by private members (other than ministers).
 This is a special committee of the Lok Sabha and consists of 15 members including the Deputy
Speaker as its chairman
 The Rajya Sabha does not have any such committee.
 The same function in the Rajya Sabha is performed by the Business Advisory Committee of that
House

Question 18

18. RAJYA SABHA ELECTIONS

Answer 18

 Recently, Supreme Court and the Election Commission upheld the use of NOTA in Rajya Sabha
elections.
THE RAJYA SABHA
 First constituted in 1952, it is a permanent body and not subject to dissolution.
 However, one-third of its members retire every second year.
 Their seats are filled up by fresh elections and presidential nominations (Total 12) at the beginning of
every third year.
 The retiring members are eligible for re-election and re-nomination any number of times.
 The Constitution has not fixed the term of office of members of the Rajya Sabha and left it to the
Parliament.
 Accordingly, the Parliament in the Representation of the People Act (1951) provided that the term of
office of a member of the Rajya Sabha shall be six years.
 The act also empowered the president of India to curtail the term of members chosen in the first
Rajya Sabha
 Only the members of the Legislative Assemblies participate in the election of the members of Rajya
Sabha
The elections are conducted through proportional representation with the single transferable voteand open
ballot system

Question 19

SOCIAL ISSUES

19. INFANT MORTALITY RATE (IMF)

Answer 19

 According to a recent study, IMR of India declined by three points from 37 per 1000 live births in 2015
to 34 per 1000 live births in 2016.
 IMR is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births of children under one year of age.
 The gender gap in India for child survival is also “reducing steadily”.
 The gender difference between female and male IMR has now reduced to less than 10%.
 Among the EAG (Empowered Action Group) States and Assam, all States except Uttarakhand, have
reported decline in IMR in comparison to 2015.
 There has been a decline of four points in Bihar; three points in Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh & Jharkhand; and two points decline in Chhattisgarh, Odisha & Rajasthan

Question 20

20. ANTARA AND CHHAYA

Answer 20

 Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched two new free contraceptives Antara
and Chayya in 10 states under Mission Parivar Vikas, a central family planning initiative.
 Antara is injectable contraceptive, effective for three months drug whereas Chayya is contraceptive
pill, effective for one week
Family Planning Logistics Management Information System (FP-LMIS)
 To help improve the supply and distribution of contraceptives, the health ministry recently launched
FP-LMIS, new software designed to provide robust information on demand and distribution of
contraceptives to health facilities and ASHAs
Mission Parivar Vikas.
 The mission launched to accelerate access to high quality family planning choices based on
information, reliable services and supplies within a rights-based framework.
 Its main objective is to bring down Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to 2.1, which is when population of
country starts stabilizing by 2025. .
 It will utilise reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCH+A) strategy,
FPLMIS and consumer friendly website on family planning.
 The mission is being implemented in 146 high focus districts that house 44% of country’s population,
with highest TFR of 3 and more in country

Question 21

21. PENCIL PORTAL

Answer 21

 Recently, the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment launched Platform for Effective
Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) Portal
 The PENCIL portal is an electronic platform to involve Centre, State, and District authorities, civil
society and general public in achieving the target of child labour free society

Question 22

22. DIVYANG SARATHI MOBILE APP

Answer 22

 The Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment has launched Divyang Sarathi—the accessible and
comprehensive mobile application for easy dissemination of information to ‘Divyangjans’.
 The mobile app aims to empower Divyangjans by providing them easier and convenient access to
information pertaining to schemes, scholarships, statutes, institutional support systems, jobs and
other crucial information.
 The app is integral part of Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan)
 The app has inbuilt unique feature of audio notes (text-to-voice conversion software) which converts
written information into audio file as well as the adjustable font size which can be altered as per
user’s requirement.
 It has been developed bilingually i.e. information is available in Hindi as well as English

Question 23

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

23. THIRD EASTERN ECONOMIC FORUM

Answer 23

 Minister of External Affairs of India visited Vladivostok, Russia to participate in the third Eastern
Economic Forum
 The Eastern Economic Forum is considered as the biggest international communication platform for
cooperation between businesses leaders and senior government representatives from Russia, the
Pacific Region and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
 Eastern Economic Forum is an international forum held each year in Vladivostok, Russia for the
purpose of encouraging foreign investment in the Russian Far East

Question 24

24. BRICS SUMMIT 2017

Answer 24

 9th BRICS Summit 2017 was held in Xiamen, China
 Theme:Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future
 Outcome:
 First time anti-India terror groups have been named in the BRICS declaration.
 It also called for expeditious finalization and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism (CCIT) by the United Nations General Assembly.
 The declaration also reaffirmed BRICS support to the people of Afghanistan
COMPREHENSIVE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM (CCIT)
 It is a proposed treaty which intends to criminalize all forms of international terrorism and deny
terrorists, their financiers and supporters access to funds, arms, and safe havens
 The treaty has no yet agreed because of differences over the definition of terrorism
 It proposed first by India in 1996
BRICS
 BRICS is an annual summit of five nations viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
 First summit was held at Yekaterinburg in 2009
 South Africa joined in2010
 eThekwini Declaration: In 2013, the BRICS countries declared creation of
o New Development Bank (NDB),
o Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA),
o BRICS Business Council
o BRICS Think Tank Council
 Fortaleza declaration: In 2014, the countries pledged $100 billion seed fund for the NDB and CRA
 The10th summit will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, the second time the South Africa has
hosted the summit after the 2013 summit
THE BRICS CONTINGENT RESERVE ARRANGEMENT (CRA)
 It is a framework that aims at providing support through additional liquidity and other means to
BRICS countries at a time of economic crisis
 CRA was established in 2015 during 7th BRICS summit in July 2015
 It will be providing support to BRICS countries through liquidity and precautionary instruments in
response to actual or potential short-term balance of payments pressures
 The initial total committed resources of the CRA will be 100billion dollars with individual
commitments
 Both CRA and NDB were announced as part of BRICS Fortaleza Declaration announced during 6th
BRICS summit held in Fortaleza, Brazil in July 2014
NEW DEVELOPMENT BANK
 Established by BRICS countries to provide financial support to public and private projects via loans,
guarantees, equity participation etc.
 HQ: Shanghai(AIIB - Beijing)
 Headed by K V Kamath.
 The authorized capital for NDB is $100 Billion while initial subscribed capital is $50 billion

Question 25

25. 12th INDIA-JAPAN ANNUAL SUMMIT

Answer 25

 Held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on September 14, 2017.
 India and Japan signed 15 agreements for enhancing bilateral cooperation in several key areas
including investment promotion, civil aviation, and science and technology.
 They also laid the foundation for the country’s first high-speed rail corridor between Mumbai and
Ahmedabad
 Inked MoU to set up India Japan Act East Forum to enhance connectivity and promote developmental
projects in Northeast India
INDIA-JAPAN
 Both countries have signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2011
 They also participate in annual trilateral Malabar exercises
 They also concluded civil nuclear agreement(Other countries with which India signed civil nuclear
agreement are: the US, Russia, South Korea, Mongolia, France, Namibia, Argentina, Canada,
Kazakhstan and Australia)
 Both are part of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)
 The Asia-Africa Growth Corridor
o It is an economic cooperation agreement between the governments of India and Japan.
o It aims for Indo-Japanese collaboration to develop quality infrastructure in Africa,
complemented by digital connectivity, which would undertake the realization of the idea of
creating free and open Indo-Pacific Region.
o The AAGC will give priority to development projects in health and pharmaceuticals, agriculture
and agro-processing, disaster management

Question 26

26. ROHINGYA CRISIS

Answer 26

 According to the UN estimates, over 450,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar’s Rakhine state
into Bangladesh since August 25, 2017 when a fresh wave of violence erupted
 Rohingya isan ethnic Muslim minority group, living primarily in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state.
 They differ from Myanmar’s dominant Buddhist groups religiously, ethnically and linguistically
 Myanmar considers Rohingya’s as illegal Bengali immigrants, despite fact that many they have
resided in Rakhine province of Myanmar for centuries
 Myanmar government refuses to grant them citizenship status, and as a result they do not have any
legal documentation, effectively making them stateless
 UN has often described Rohingyas as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world
 OPERATION ‘INSANIYAT’:
 The Ministry of External Affairs has started Operation Insaniyat to provided assistance to
Bangladesh in response to humanitarian crisis being faced by it due to large influx of
Rohingya refugees from Myanmar
CONVENTIONS ON STATELESSNESS
 The 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.
 Defines statelessness and ensures minimum human rights such as right to education,
employment and housing. Importantly, right to identity, travel documents and administrative
assistance
 83 states are currently party to it
 The 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness
 It aims to prevent statelessness and thereby reduce it over time
 They are complemented by international human rights treaties and provisions relevant to the right to a
nationality

Question 27

27. NORTH KOREA

Answer 27

 North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test, which it said was an advanced
hydrogen bomb for a long-range missile, marking a dramatic escalation of the regime’s stand-off with
the United States and its allies

Question 28

28. WTO: INDIA-CHINA JOINT PROPOSAL

Answer 28

 India and China have jointly submitted a proposal to the WTO calling for the elimination of the most
trade-distorting form of farm subsidies(Aggregate Measurement of Support or Amber Box subsidies)
by the developed countries as a prerequisite for consideration of other reforms in domestic support
negotiations
There are three box subsidies pertain to domestic support clause of Agreement on Agriculture, concluded in
1993. These are,
GREEN BOX SUBSIDIES
 These subsidies don’t distort the trade practices
 Ex: Those given on research funding; environment protection; domestic food aid; disaster relief;
farmer training programmes; pest and disease control programmes etc.
 The WTO pacts don’t place any limit on such subsidies
 However, these subsidies should be government funded and must not involve price support.
AMBER BOX SUBSIDIES
 These subsidies distort the international trade by making products of a particular country cheaper in
comparison to same product in another country.
 Ex: Input subsidies such as electricity, seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, minimum support prices etc.
BLUE BOX SUBSIDIES
 These are also similar to amber box but they tend to put limits on the production.
 Ex: Subsidy on minimum support price will increase with production, so it would be placed in amber
box; but at the same time, subsidy fixed on area of farms will not increase with production – so would
be placed in blue box
ISSUE
 Under the WTO norms, the developed countries are allowed to provide amber box subsidies up to 5%
of agriculture production in 1986-88, while the developing countries are allowed to provide 10% of
agriculture production in 1986-88.
 However, the aggregate amount of such subsidies provided by developed countries is much higher
than developing countries.
 Thus, the recent India-China document calls the AMS as trade distorting and calls for its elimination.
THE AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE (AOA)
 It is one of the trade agreements negotiated and agreed as part of the WTOduring Uruguay Round
 The Agreement allows governments to support their rural economies, but preferably through policies
that cause less trade “distortions”.
 The Agreement on Agriculture applies to,
 Basic agricultural products (Ex: wheat and live animals),
 Products derived from them (Ex: lour and meat),
 Most processed agricultural products (Ex: Chocolate and sausages).
 Wines, spirits and tobacco products, and fibres (Ex: Cotton).
 Fish and fish products are not included, nor are forestry products.
 These products are covered by the Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA)
 Agreement on Agriculture has three pillars
 Market Access
 Domestic Support
 Export Competition

Question 29

29. EXIM BANK SIGNED THE AGREEMENTS UNDER BRICS MECHANISM

Answer 29

 The Cabinet has approved the signing of the Interbank Local Currency Credit Line Agreement and
Cooperation Memorandum Relating to Credit Ratings by Exim Bank under BRICS Interbank
Cooperation Mechanism
COOPERATION MEMORANDUM RELATING TO CREDIT RATINGS
 It enables sharing of credit ratings amongst BRICS member banks, based on request received from
another bank
 It serves as ideal mechanism to mitigate credit risks associated with cross-border financing
 Itcould also serve as precursor to the proposal of having an alternate rating agency by BRICS nations.
INTERBANK LOCAL CURRENCY CREDIT LINE AGREEMENT
 It is a framework mechanism to extend credit lines in local currencies to the BRICS’ Interbank
Cooperation Mechanism (ICM) members
 It is a non-binding umbrella agreement which would serve as an enabler to enter into bilateral
agreements with member banks subject to national laws, regulations and internal policies of the
signatories
INTERNATIONAL ROAD FEDERATION (IRF)
 The IRF is global non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation
 Mission: To encourage and promote development and maintenance of better, safer and more
sustainable roads and road networks.
 Founded in 1948.
 Motto: Better Roads. Better World.
 HQ: Washington, DC, United States

Question 30

30. WORLD NUCLEAR INDUSTRY STATUS REPORT 2017

Answer 30

 According to it, India is third in the world in the number of nuclear reactors being installed.
 China topped the list with 0 installed reactors
According to the report, global nuclear power generation increased by 1.4% in 2016 due to a 23% increase in
China, although the share of nuclear energy in electricity generation in the world is stagnated at 10.5%

Question 31

31. GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS INDEX (GCI)

Answer 31

 Released by WEF
 India was placed at 40th place among 137 countries
 India has slipped by one position compared to 39th spot in 2016
 Top 5: Switzerland (1st), United States (2nd), Singapore (3rd), Netherlands (4th) and Germany (5th).
 BRICS Countries: China (27th), Russia (38th), India (40th), South Africa (61st) and Brazil (80th)
 According to report, India remains most competitive country in South Asia
 India has increased its competitiveness in the fields of infrastructure, higher education and training,
and technological readiness
ABOUT
 It assesses competitiveness of countries to provide insight into drivers of their productivity and
prosperity.
 GCI scores are calculated on basis of 12 categories called ‘pillars of competitiveness which covers
both business and social indicators
 It includes pillars such as institutions, infrastructure, health and primary education, labour market
efficiency, financial market development, technological readiness and market size
 It highlights vulnerability of financial sector and unpreparedness of innovation and automation
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
 It is an international institution that works to improve the state of the world through public-private
cooperation
 It was established in 1971
 HQ: Geneva, Switzerland
 The Forum is best known for its annual meeting at the end of January in Davos
 It committed to improving state of world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders
of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas
 It works closely with other international organizations
REPORTS OF WEF
 The Global Competitiveness Report
 The Global Information Technology Report
 The Global Gender Gap Report
 The Global Risks Report
 The Global Travel and Tourism Report
 The Financial Development Report
 The Global Enabling Trade Report
 The Risk Response Network
 The Global Human Capital Index
 The Global Manufacturing Index
 The Inclusive Development Index
 The Global Energy architecture Performance Index Report

Question 32

32. GLOBAL HUMAN CAPITAL INDEX, 2017

Answer 32

 India ranked 103rd out of 130 countries
 Released byWorld Economic Forum’s (WEF)
 India ranked 105th in 2016
 Top 5: Norway (1st), Finland (2nd), Switzerland (3rd), United States (4th), Denmark (5th),
 BRICS: India is ranked lower than its BRICS peers
 Russia (16th), China (34th), Brazil (77th) and South Africa (87th).
 South Asian countries: India was ranked lower than Sri Lanka (70) and Nepal (98)
 But it ranked higher than neighbouring Bangladesh (111) and Pakistan (125)
 India ranks last among G-20 countries
 The GHCI measures countries’ ability to nurture, develop and deploy talent for economic growth
against four key areas of human capital development;
 Capacity (determined by past investment in formal education),
 Deployment (accumulation of skills through work),
 Development (reskilling and continued upskilling of existing workers) and
Know-how (specialised skills-use at work)

Question 33

ECONOMY

33. THE CODE ON WAGES BILL, 2017

Answer 33

 Recently, the wage code bill 2017 introduced in Lok Sabha
 Labour and labour reforms come under the concurrent list except exceptional matters related to
labour in safety mines and oil fields (which come under union list)
FEATURES
 It will subsume four existing laws viz. Minimum Wages Act, 1948; Payment of Wages Act, 1936;
Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 and Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
 It will be applicable to all industry, trade, business, and manufacturing or occupation establishments –
including government as well as private ones.
 The central and state governments will make wage related decisions / rules for their respective
institutions
 A national minimum wage for the country can be notified by the centre or it may fix different national
wages for different states or geographical areas.
 Central or state governments will fix the number of working hours
 Establishment of advisory boards in centre and states
 It also specifies penalties for offences committed by an employer

Question 34

34. DOMESTIC SYSTEMICALLY IMPORTANT BANK (D-SIB)

Answer 34

 Recently, RBI listed HDFC as Domestic – Systemically Important Bank (DSIB).
 HDFC Bank is third bank in country to be added in list of D-SIBs after State Bank of India (SBI) and
ICICI Bank which were added in 2016.
G-SIB
 In the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2007, the G-20 has created Financial Stability Board
to design sophisticated regulation measures for banks to prevent future bank failure
 Accordingly, Financial Stability Board (FSB) in consultation with Basel Committee on Banking
Supervision (BCBS) identifies the Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs)
 Beside this, the central banks of each country identify Domestic Systemically Important Banks (DSIBs)
 These banks are perceived as ‘Too Big To Fail (TBTF) because of their size, cross-jurisdictional
activities, complexity and lack of substitute and interconnection
 The criteria for selecting D-SIBs are similar to that of G-SIFIs
D-SIB
 The central banks of each country identify Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs)
 Banks whose assets cross 2% of the GDP are considered D-SIBs
 The framework of D-SIB also requires that D-SIBs may be placed in four buckets depending upon their
Systemic Importance Scores (SISs)
 Based on bucket in which D-SIB is placed, an additional common equity requirement has to be applied
to these listed banks, as mentioned in framework
 State Bank of India - Bucket 3
 HDFC and ICICI - Bucket 1
G20
 It is adeliberating forum for the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies
on economic issues and other important development challenges.
 It was started in1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the aftermath
of the Southeast Asian (Tiger economies) financial crisis.
 First G20 Leaders’ Summit was held in Washington DC, (2008)
 2017 Summit – Hamburg, Germany
 2018 Summit – Buenos Aires, Argentina
 It comprises total 19 countries plus the European Union (EU), representing 85% of global GDP, 80% of
international trade, 65% of world’s population
 Members: Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, India, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan,
South Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Turkey, South Africa, UK, US and EU

Question 35

35. BANKING SECTOR REFORMS

Answer 35

 Recently, government has startedconsolidation of PSBs aimed at meeting credit needs of growing
Indian economy and building capacity in PSB
 M. Narasimham and P J Nayak committees recommended the merger of banks in their
recommendations
 Recently the merger of SBI and its associate banks has been completed
P J NAYAK COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
 The PSBs must have independent directors
 Repealingof old laws like the Bank Nationalisation Acts of 1969 and 1980, the State Bank of India Act,
and SBI (Subsidiary Banks) Act
 Reduce the government’s shareholding in banks to less than 50 per cent
 Constitution of Bank Board Bureau (BBB), which will decide on management and board-level
appointments in public sector banks
NARASIMHAM COMMITTEE REPORT – I – 1991
 Reduction in the Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)
 Phasing out Directed Credit Programme
 Redefined the priority sector to include the marginal farmers, tiny sector, small business and
transport sector, village and cottage industries etc.
 Deregulation of the Interest Rates
 Asset Classification, defining the Non-Performing Assets (or bad debts)
 Removal of Dual control on the Banks as they were earlier controlled by RBI and MoF
 Autonomy in banking operations
NARASIMHAM COMMITTEE REPORT-II – 1998
 Strengthening banks in India bymerger of public sector banks
 Introduced “Narrow Banking Concept” where weak banks will be allowed to place their funds only in
short term and risk free assets
 Raise the Capital adequacy ratio for the banks
 It recommended a review of functions of boards and enabled them to adopt professional corporate
strategy.
 Review of banking laws
 A three-tier banking structure
 Setting up large number of local bank for banking penetration

Question 36

36. CONTINGENCY FUND (CF) OF RBI

Answer 36

 It is maintained by RBI to overcome unforeseen contingencies
 It also acts as cushion against events such as unprecedented forex and gold fluctuations or other
valuation losses in bond holdings etc.
 RBI has built up the CF and other buffers such as an Asset Development Reserve
 However, presently there exists a disagreement between the Centre and RBI over the amount of funds
to be transferred to the Contingency Fund
 Recently, the RBI set aside Rs.13,500 crore for its CF resulting in lower transfer of surplus from the
earnings of the central bank to the centre than the previous year
 For three years — 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 — RBI transferred 99.99% of its surplus to the
government
 Y. H. Malegam Committee in 2012-13 had recommended that Central Bank should transfer entire
surplus to the government.

Question 37

37. ECONOMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL

Answer 37

 A five member Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) is constituted.
 Chairman: Bibek Debroy
 PMEAC is a non-constitutional and non-statutory, non-permanent and independent body
 Its primary job is to give advice on economic and related issues to the PM

Question 38

38. SHELL COMPANY

Answer 38

 Recently, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) have
signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for automatic and regular exchange of tax information
 This is to curb the menace of shell companies, money laundering and black money in the country and
prevent misuse of corporate structure by shell companies for various illegal purposes
 Shell companies are companies without active business operations with significant assets.
 A shell company may be legal or illegal.
 They are not defined under Companies Act, 2013 or any other legislation
 The current procedures are done under Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016;
Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and Companies Act, 2013

Question 39

39. ASHOK DALWAI COMMITTEE

Answer 39

 It is constituted to prepare a blueprint for doublingfarmers’ income by 2022
 Agriculture Ministry has recently released a blueprint having 7-point strategy to achieve the vision of
doubling farmer’s income by 2022 and it included a few of Ashok Dalwai committee
recommendations

Question 40

40. OIL DISCOVERY IN ARABIAN SEA

Answer 40

 RecentlyONGC has made oil discovery west of Mumbai High fields in Arabian Sea
 The well is estimated to hold in-place reserve of about 20 million tonnes
 First oil well of India was drilled by Assam Railway & Trading Company in 1865
 First discovery of oil took place in Digboi in Assam in 1889
MUMBAI HIGH
 It is ONGC’s flagship oil producing assets.
 It along with other small fields along western offshore contribute to 44% of India’s total crude oil
production

Question 41

41. INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITS)

Answer 41

 Recently. the NITI Aayog and International Road Federation (IRF), Geneva have signed Statement of
Intent (SoI) to cooperate in field of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
 It is the application of computer, electronics, and communication technologies and management
strategies in an integrated manner to provide traveller information to increase the safety and
efficiency of the surface transportation systems.
 These systems involve vehicles, drivers, passengers, road operators, and managers all interacting
with each other and the environment, and linking with the complex infrastructure systems to improve
the safety and capacity of road systems

Question 42

SECURITY AND DEFENCE

42. REFUGEE CRISIS

Answer 42

 Recently, centre has cited various intelligence reports about the potential threat of Rohingya
immigrants to India’s security in an affidavit filed to the Supreme Court
INDIA’S STAND
 According to Article 19, which applies only to Indians, the right to reside and settle in any part of India,
is not available to the Rohingya
 India is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the
1967Protocol Relating to Status of Refugees and thus provision of non-refoulement does not extend
to immigrants
 The Foreigners Act of 1946
 It deals with entry and exit of foreign nationals
 Statutorily empowers the Central government to deport a person who is an illegal immigrant
 It does not recognise refugees as a special category needing humanitarian protection
GENEVA CONVENTION 1951 - CONVENTION RELATING TO THE STATUS OF REFUGEES
 It is a UN multilateral treaty that defines who is a refugee, and sets out the rights of individuals who
are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum.
 It also sets out which people do not qualify as refugees, such as war criminals.
 It also provides for some visa-free travel for holders of travel documents issued under the convention.
 The Convention builds on Article 14 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which
recognizes the right of persons to seek asylum from persecution in other countries
 A refugee may enjoy rights and benefits in a state in addition to those provided for in the Convention
DUBLIN REGULATION
 It is an EU law which aims to determine a EU member state thatshall beresponsible to examine an
application for asylum, when an application for international protection is pending before EU, under
the Geneva Convention and the EU Qualification Directive
WORLD REFUGEE DAY – JUNE 20
UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)
 It is a United Nations agency
 Established in 1950
 HQ: Geneva, Switzerland
 UNHCR Head: Filippo Grandi (UNHRC head: Joaquín Alexander MazaMartelli; OHCHR head: Prince
Zeid bin Ra’ad)
 Mandate: Safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees
 It is a member of the UNDP
 It has won two Nobel Peace Prizes (1954, 1981)
 It also chosen for 2015 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development.
 Zannah Mustapha (Nigeria), has won the 2017 UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Nansen
Refugees Award for his crucial mediating role and efforts to help children affected by the insurgency
in the country
UNHCR REPORTS
 The Global Report
 The Global Appeal
 The Global Trends
INDIRA GANDHI PRIZE FOR PEACE, DISARMAMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
 Constituted in1986
 Accorded annually by Indira Gandhi Trust
 Awarded to individuals or organizations in recognition of their creative efforts towards promoting
international peace, development.
 It is also bestowed upon them for creating new international economic order and ensuring that
scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity and enlarging the scope of freedom.
 The prize consists of monetaryaward of 25 lakh and a citation.
 Recent awardees: Angel Merkel (2013), ISRO (2014), UNHCR (2015), Manmohan Singh (2016)

Question 43

43. ASTRA MISSILE

Answer 43

 Recently, the IAF successfully conducted developmental trials of Astra,beyond visual range air-to-air
missile (BVRAAM), over the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha
 It is an air-to-air beyond visual range missile
 It is single stage solid fuelled missile and has payload capacity of 15 kg conventional explosive
 It is indigenously developed by the DRDO together with the IAF
 It is also one of the smallest weapon system developed by DRDO
 It is an all-weather weapon’s system capable of destroying an enemy target 60 to 70 km far away
 It can be launched from different altitudes and is capable of engaging targets at varying range and
altitudes
 It possesses high Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) making it highly reliable.
 It has advance on-board electronic counter-measures that jam radar signals from enemy radar,
making tracking of the missile difficult

Question 44

44. NAG MISSILE

Answer 44

 The DRDO has successfully test fired Nag, the 3rd generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) in
Rajasthan
 With successful testing of land based version, complete functionality of the Nag missile has been
established with NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier)
ABOUT
 It is one of five missile systems developed indigenously by DRDO under integrated guided missile
development programme (IGMDP).
 The other four missiles are Agni, Akash, Trishul and Prithvi
 It works on “fire and forget” principle
 It has been equipped with highly advanced Imaging Infrared Radar (IRR) seeker along with integrated
avionics.
 It can be launched from land and air-based platforms.
 It has operational range of 500m to 4km (Land version) and 7-10km (Air version)
 The helicopter launched version known as Helicopter-Launched NAG (HELINA)

Question 45

45. MILITARY EXCERCISES

Answer 45

 YUDH ABHYAS 2017
 It is a joint military exercise conducted by the Indian and US armies
 Recently its 13th edition conductedWashington, USA
 SURYA KIRAN EXERCISE
 It is a joint military exercise conducted between India and Nepal
 Recently, its 12th edition conducted in Nepal.
 These are heldalternately in India and Nepal
 SLINEX-2017
 The fifth edition of SLINEX-2017, a bi-lateral naval exercise between India and Sri Lanka was
conducted at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

Question 46

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

46. COASTAL EROSION

Answer 46

 According to a study, Parali I island, one of biodiversity-rich uninhabited islands part of Lakshadweep
has disappeared due to coastalerosion
 The assessment was carried out using geospatial techniques such as Remote Sensing (RS) and
Geographic Information System (GIS) to confirm the claim.
 Parali I island, part of Bangaram atoll which was 0.032 square km in 1968 has been eroded to an
extent of 100%, resulting in its inundation.
 Apart from Parali I, net erosion was higher in Parali II (80%), followed by Thinnakara (14.38%), Parali III
(11.42%) and Bangaram (9.968%)
LAKSHADWEEP
 Lakshadweep is an archipelago consisting of 12 atolls, 3 reefs and 6 newly formed/ submerged sand
banks.
 The Inhabited islands are Kavaratti, Agatti, Bangaram, Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlat, Bitra, Andrott,
Kalpeni and Minicoy
 Smallest island: Bitra
 Capital: Kavaratti
 Minicoy is Largest & Southernmost Island of Lakshadweep.
 8 Degree Channel separates - Lakshadweep & Maldives
 9 Degree Channel separates - Minicoy & Lakshadweep
 11 Degree Channel separates - Amini Island & Cannanore Island
o Note: 10 Degree Channel separates - Andaman & Nicobar
o Duncan Pass Separates - Little Andaman & South Andaman
 Language: Malayalam(In Minicoy – Mahl language of Maldives)
 The entire indigenous population classified as Scheduled Tribes.
 Religion: Islam
 Each island of Lakshadweep is fringed by coral sands
 Elevation: 0.5-7.0 m above mean sea level, thereby increasing thevulnerability to adversaries of
climate change

Question 47

47. CONSERVATION OF ELEPHANTS

Answer 47

 Recently, the wildlife wardens of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal have
inaugurated a new regional plan to tackle human-elephant conflict in eastern and central India
PROJECT ELEPHANT
 Launched in 1992
 It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme
 Implemented in 13 states
 The focus of the scheme include
o Protection of wild elephants, their habitat and corridors
o Address the issue of man-animal conflict and
o welfare of domesticated elephants
 Maximumnumber of elephants recorded in Karnataka (2017)
 Elephant Corridor: It is a narrow strips of land that allow elephants to move from one habitat to
another
o Maximum Elephant Corridors – Meghalaya
o Maximum inter-state corridors shared by – Odisha and Jharkhand
o Maximum international corridors shared with –Bangladesh
 Elephants have been declared as national heritage animals

Question 48

48. ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ACT, 1986

Answer 48

 Recently, the MoEFCC has proposed an amendment to the Environment Protection Act, 1986 to
impose fines of up to Rs.1 crore on polluters
 Currently maximum fine of Rs.1 lakh along with a jail sentence of up to five years is applicable
 Violation is treated as a criminal offence, making the whole process cumbersome
THE ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION) ACT, 1986
 It was enacted in 1986
 Objective: protection and improvement of the environment
 The act was enacted by Parliamentunder Article253 of the Indian Constitution. The act empowers the Central Government to establish authorities with the mandate of preventing
environmental pollution in all its forms
IMPORTANT MEASURES
 National Ganga River Basin Authority formed under thisact
 Eco Sensitive Zones (ESZ) are established under various sections of this act
o Note:The act does not explicitly mention ESZ.
o However it contains various sections which allows centre to restrict the location of industries,
processes etc. on the basis of considerations like the biological diversity of the area,
proximity to protected areas etc.
o Based on these, centre notifies ESZ, No Development Zone etc.
 It is one of the seven acts listed in the Schedule 1 of National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
 Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)constituted
o It is an apex body created under the MoEFCC, under the act
o It deals with approval of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and
recombinants such Genetically Modified crops etc.
 Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)
o The EIA process is statutory backed by the Environment Protection Act in 1986, which
contains various provisions on EIA methodology and process.
 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notifications also issued under this act
 T S R Subramanian Committee constituted to review the environmental laws of the country and it
recently submitted its report to the centre recommending the overhaul of the environmental laws

Question 49

49. CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Answer 49

 India is exploring the possibility of carbon capture utilization storage (CCUS), as part of its climate
change commitments
 It is a process that captures carbon dioxide emissions and either reuses or stores it so it will not enter
the atmosphere
IMPORTANT FACTS
 Farming practices that help in the Carbon Sequestration are
o Mulching - it helps the soil to retain moisture and organic matter
o ZeroTillage - helps in stopping release of soil carbon
o CropRotation- helps by increasing soil organic content
o Strip Cropping & Contour Bunding - Increase carbon inputs by soil minimising soil erosion
o Rotational grazing and Pasture Management
o Intercropping
 Soilcarbon is the largest terrestrial pool of carbon
 Blue carbon: It refers to the carbon captured by living organisms in oceans and stored in the form of
biomass and sediments from mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses

Question 50

50. FAUNA OF SUNDARBANS

Answer 50

 Recently, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has published first of its kind compendium on the fauna of
Indian Sundarbans
 Title: Fauna of Sundarban Biosphere Reserve
 It has consolidated and updated information of faunal diversity of Sundarbans.
 According to it, Sundarbans ecosystem region hosts 2,626 animal species
SUNDARBANS
 It is a mangrove forest in the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal
 It covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres of area of which 60% is in Bangladesh with the
remainder in India.
 It is the largest tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.
 It was recognized as UNESCOWorldHeritageSite and RamsarSite
 Sundarban forests are known for its self- Royal Bengal Tiger and other numerous species of animals,
including Chital Deer, Crocodile and Snakes.
ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
 It was established in 1916
 Its objective is to promote the survey, exploration, research and documentation on various aspects of
animal taxonomy in Indian subcontinent.
 It has been declared as the designated repository for the National Zoological Collection as per
section 39 of the National Biodiversity Act, 2002
 Its headquarters are at Kolkata, it has 16 regional centres spread across the country.
 ZSI publishes Red Data Book on Indian Animals (Since 1983)

Question 51

51. SNOW LEOPARD

Answer 51

 Recently, International Union of Concerned Scientists (IUCN)downgraded conservation status of
snow leopard from “endangered” to “vulnerable”
 IUCN has also categorized the ChristmasIslandPipistrelle (a bat species that is found only in
Australia’s Christmas Island) as officially extinct
ABOUT
 Snow leopard is a largest cat native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia- including
Himalayas, and Russia’s remote Altai mountains.
 In India, they are found in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and
Arunachal Pradesh states
 Threats: Poaching, habitat destruction and climate change.
 It is National Heritage Animal of Pakistan and Afghanistan
 Status of Snow Leopard:
o Schedule I under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972
o Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES)
o Appendix I Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
 The Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP)
o Under this program, snow leopard range countries have committed to securing 20
landscapes across the cat’s range by 2020
 Save Our Snow Leopards (SOS)
o It is a project launched by WWF India, in partnership with Tata Housing Development
Company in January 2014.
 SECURE Himalaya
o Launched by centre
o The key focus areas of the project is protection of snow leopard and other endangered
species and their habitats and also securing livelihoods of people in region and enhancing
enforcement to reduce wildlife crime
PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD
 Launched in 2009
 To safeguard and conserve India’s unique natural heritage of high-altitude wildlife populations and
their habitats by promoting conservation through participatory policies and actions
 Project is operational in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal
Pradesh

Question 52

52. NEW WETLAND CONSERVATION RULES

Answer 52

 Recently, Central government notified Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017
SALIENT FEATURES
 Setting up of State Wetland Authority in each State/UTs headed by State’s environment minister
 The rules prohibit activities like conversion of wetland for non-wetland uses
 Mandatory for state authorities to prepare list of all wetlands and list of wetlands to be notified within
six months.
 A comprehensive digital inventory of all wetlands will be created and will be updated every ten years
 Setting up of National Wetlands Committee, headed by MoEFCC Secretary, to monitor
implementation of these rules
WETLAND
 It is transitional land between terrestrial and aquatic eco-systems where water table is usually at or
near surface or it may be land covered by shallow water
 It supports rich biodiversity and provides wide range of ecosystem services such as water storage,
water purification, flood mitigation, erosion control, aquifer recharge etc.
 It may be manmade or artificial wetland
 In India, there are 26 sites identified as wetlands of international importance under
RamsarConvention
RAMSAR CONVENTION
 It is an internationalintergovernmental treaty for conservation of wetlands
 It is formally known as Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especiallyas Waterfowl
Habitat.
 It was signed on 2ndFebruary1971 at Ramsar in Iran
 World WetlandDay – 2ndFebruary
 2017Theme: “Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction
 HQ: at IUCN headquarters i.e., Gland, Switzerland
 It is not a legally binding treaty
 This convention is not part of United Nations
 India designates its Ramsar sites under National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP)
 MaximumRamsar sites are located in UK
 The Largestarea covered by Ramsar Sites is in Canada.
 Montreux Record:
o It is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where
changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result
of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.
o It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List
 The Ramsar convention also makes the countries cooperate in matters of conservation of the transboundary wetlands, shared water systems, and shared or migratory species, and to share expertise
and resources with Parties less able to meet their commitments.
NATIONAL PLAN FOR CONSERVATION OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS (NPCA)
 It was launched in 2013
 By mergingNational Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) and National Wetlands Conservation
Programme (NWCP)
 It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme
 Objective: Holistic conservation & restoration of lakes & wetlands for achieving desired water quality
enhancement, besides improvement in biodiversity and the ecosystem.

Question 53

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

53. BREAKTHROUGH LISTEN PROJECT

Answer 53

 Recently, it detected 15 fast radio bursts (FRBs) coming from a dwarf galaxy about 3 million light
years away from earth.
 It was emitted from FRB 121102, a mysterious source associated with galaxy in the distant universe.
 This detection brings the total of known FRBs from this strange object to more than 150 since 2012
 Fast radio bursts (FRB) is brief, bright pulse of radio emission from distant galaxies
ABOUT
 Breakthrough Listen Project (BLP) is a global astronomical initiative launched in 2015 by Internet
investor Yuri Milner and Astro-physicist Stephen Hawking.
 It has teams from around the world to find signs of intelligent life in universe.
 The 10-year programme aims to survey 1,000,000 closest stars to Earth by scanning entire galactic
plane of Milky Way.
 It will listen for messages from the 100 closest galaxies at 10 billion different frequencies originated
beyond our galaxy

Question 54

54. QUANTUM COMPUTING

Answer 54

 The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is planning to fund project to develop quantum
computers.
ABOUT
 Quantum computer is a computer design which uses principles of quantum physics to increase
computational power beyond attainable limits of traditional computer.
 It employs complex principles of quantum mechanics to store information in ‘qubits’ (quantum bit)
instead of the typical binary ‘bits’ of 1 and 0

Question 55

55. XFEL

Answer 55

 The world’s largest and powerful X-ray laser- European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) was unveiled
in Hamburg, Germany

Question 56

56. ARTIFICIAL LEAF

Answer 56

 Recently, CSIR scientists have developed an ultra-thin wireless device that mimics plant leaves to
produce energy using water and sunlight.
 The artificial leaf absorbssunlight to generate hydrogenfuelfromwater.
 In advance, this artificial leaf may provide clean energy for powering eco-friendly cars in the future.
 The artificial leaf or the wireless device consists of semiconductors stacked in manner to simulate
natural leaf system.
 When visible light strikes semiconductors, electrons move in one direction and produce electric
current.
 The current almost instantaneously splits water into hydrogen – making it one of cleanest forms of
fuel as its main by-product is water

Question 57

57. MONKEY FEVER

Answer 57

 Monkey Fever or Kyasanur Forest Disease is a tick-borne viral disease
 It is caused by Kyasanur forest disease virus (KFDV), a member of the virus family Flaviridae, which
also causes dengue and yellowfever.
 It is endemic to South Asia and was first detected in 1957 in Kyasanur Forest of Karnataka.
 Monkey fever is so named because it primarily affects black-faced langurs and red-faced bonnet
monkeysand result in their death.
 KFD causes seasonal outbreaks between December and May along Western Ghats mostly striking
farmers in Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
 Transmission: The vector responsible for its transmission is ticks (Hemaphysalis spinigera).
 Symptoms: High fever with headache, followed by haemorrhagic symptoms such as bleeding from
nose, throat and gums.
 It also causes gastrointestinal bleeding, muscle stiffness, tremors, absent reflexes and
mental disturbances.
 Prevention: Its spread can be prevented through vaccination

Question 58

58. JEEVAN BINDI

Answer 58

 It is medically enhanced version of regular bindi, embedded with iodine
 It delivers the daily requirement of iodine i.e., 100-150 micro grams, absorption through the skin
 These are being supplied in Maharashtra to iodine deficient people, particularly tribals
 This initiative is supplemented with iodine pills available at community health centre

Question 59

59. OSIRIS-REX

Answer 59

 Recently, NASA’sOsiris-Rex spacecraft successfully swung by Earth to put it on desired trajectory
towards near earth asteroid Bennu using Earth’s gravity
 It passed within 17,237 kilometres from Earth above Antarctica
 During closest flyby, Osiris-Rex’s science instruments were tested by scanning Earth and moon as a
practice for its operations at Bennu
ABOUT MISSION
 OSIRIS-Rex stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith
Explorer.
 It is an unmanned spacecraft and NASA’s first mission to collect samples from asteroid
101955Bennu, a carbonaceous asteroid near to earth
 Primary aim of the mission is to studythe asteroid andreturnasample at least 60 grams dirt and
debris from its surface to Earth in 2023 for detailed analysis
 NASA scientists feel that the Bennu asteroid hold clues to the origin of the solar system and the
source of water and organic molecules found on Earth.
 OSIRIS-Rex is NASA’s third planetary science mission selected in the New Frontiers Program, after
Juno and New Horizons

Question 60

60. CASSINI MISSION

Answer 60

 Cassini mission to Saturn has ended with a spectacular suicidal dive into Saturn’s atmosphere
ABOUT
 Cassini–Huygens is an unmanned spacecraft sent to the planetSaturn.
 It was launched into space in October1997.
 It is a joint endeavour ofNASA, European Space Agency (ESA) and Italian space agency, Agenzia
Spaziale Italiana (ASI).
 Cassini was the fourth space probe to visit Saturn and the first to enter its orbit.
 The Robotic spacecraft included a Saturn orbiter and an atmospheric probe/lander called Huygens
for the Saturn’s moon Titan which entered and landed on it in 2005.
 Findings of Cassini and Huygens have revealed the existence ofearth-like geographic features, great
lakes of liquid nitrogen gas on Titan’s surface.
 Cassini also found evidence for the existence of underground ocean on the moon Enceladus and
some sort of life underneath it