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TRANSCRIPT
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Prelims Booklet – I (2019)
This Documents was prepared under the supervision of Mr. Pramod Singh,
Director, IAS Edge
April 2019
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Index
1 Art and Culture ........................... 12
UNESCO World Heritage Site ........................... 12
Marigold - Colour of Sacrifice ........................... 12
Channar Revolt ........................... 12
Architecture ........................... 13
Statue of Equality ........................... 13
Statue of Unity ........................... 13
Buddha of Swat ........................... 13
World Peace Monument ........................... 13
Rani ki Vav ........................... 14
Restructuring of Shang-dongs into a stupa ........................... 14
Statue of Sir Chhotu ram ........................... 14
Festivals/Conference/Summit ........................... 15
Behdienkhlam Festival ........................... 15
Bathukamma Festival ........................... 15
International Arya Mahasammelan ........................... 15
Kumbh Mela ........................... 15
International Buddhist Conclave 2018 ........................... 16
Paryatan Parv 2018 ........................... 16
World Sanskrit Conference ........................... 16
11th World Hindi Conference ........................... 16
Battle of Haifa ........................... 17
Paintings ........................... 17
Cultural Scheme ........................... 17
PRASAD Scheme ........................... 17
Swadesh Darshan Scheme ........................... 18
Awards ........................... 18
Kalidas Samman ........................... 18
Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman ........................... 18
Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony ........................... 19
Statutory Body ........................... 19
2 Science and Technology ........................... 20
Space Technology ........................... 20
Chandrayaan-2 ........................... 20
Gaganyaan ........................... 20
SSLV ........................... 21
Green Propellants ........................... 21
Parker Solar Probe ........................... 22
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Voyager 2 ........................... 23
Insight Spacecraft ........................... 24
Bepi-Colombo mission ........................... 24
NASA‘s Orion spacecraft ........................... 25
Chang‘e 4 ........................... 25
NASA Balloon Mission ........................... 27
Telescope ........................... 28
MeerKAT ........................... 28
Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Project ........................... 28
Kepler Telescope ........................... 29
Gamma Ray Telescope in India ........................... 30
Black Beauty ........................... 30
Galileo ........................... 31
Defence ........................... 32
Aircrafts ........................... 32
Indian Missile System ........................... 33
Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) ........................... 35
HELINA ........................... 35
K9 Vajra-T Guns ........................... 36
Xingkong-2 or Stary Sky-2 ........................... 36
National Technical Research Organisation ........................... 37
Eyerovtuna ........................... 38
IT, Nanotechnology, Nuclear Technology & Others ........................... 38
LEAP Microscope ........................... 38
Fifth Generation (5G) Panel ........................... 40
Cyclone-30 ........................... 40
APSARA - U ........................... 40
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor
(ITER) ........................... 41
Health & Diseases ........................... 41
Rare Blood Type ........................... 42
Nipah Virus ........................... 42
West Nile Virus ........................... 42
Scrub Typhus ........................... 44
PEGylated Streptokinase ........................... 45
MCR 1 Gene ........................... 46
Scientific Phenomenon ........................... 47
Recent Developments ........................... 48
Govt. Initiatives ........................... 50
Indian Scientists & their Contributions/Awards ........................... 52
3 Social ........................... 54
Women and Children ........................... 54
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ReUnite App ........................... 54
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) ........................... 54
Genetic Screening To all Pregnant Women ........................... 54
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) ........................... 55
PENCIL Portal ........................... 56
WHO Report on Child Health ........................... 56
Stree Swabhiman Initiative ........................... 56
PM Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme ........................... 56
Internal Complaints Committee ........................... 56
NALSA compensation scheme ........................... 57
Youth ........................... 58
Design Univeristy for Gaming ........................... 58
Sports University ........................... 58
Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 ........................... 58
SC, ST Related Issues and Schems ........................... 59
Dalit Word ........................... 59
Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) ........................... 59
Van Dhan Scheme ........................... 59
Other Vulnearable Sections and Minorities ........................... 60
Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) ........................... 60
Draft National Policy for Domestic Workers ........................... 60
Religious minority status to Jews ........................... 60
India for Humanity initiative ........................... 60
Mission Shaurya ........................... 61
Education ........................... 61
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) ........................... 61
National Testing Agency (NTA) ........................... 61
Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Education
(RISE) Scheme ........................... 62
Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) ........................... 62
Institutions of Eminence ........................... 62
Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme ........................... 63
IMPRESS Scheme ........................... 63
SPARC Scheme ........................... 64
QS World University Ranking ........................... 64
Health ........................... 64
The Eat Right Movement ........................... 64
Swachh Sarvekshan Grameen ........................... 65
Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention ........................... 66
National Health Stack ........................... 66
Ayushman Bharat ........................... 66
Hip Replacement Surgery ........................... 67
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Ramon Magsaysay Award – 2018 ........................... 68
Nari Shakti Puraskar ........................... 68
4 Economy ........................... 69
Economic Genrel Terms/Concept/Development ........................... 69
Bond-i ........................... 69
Currency Monitoring List ........................... 69
India-United Nations Sustainable Development
Framework (UNSDF) ........................... 69
KITE Economy ........................... 70
GIG Economy ........................... 70
Line of Credit (LOCs ) ........................... 70
Indian Economy and Government Policy ........................... 71
Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) ........................... 71
Various Ranking ........................... 71
FDI Inflow & HDI ........................... 72
Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) ........................... 72
Financial Inclusion Index ........................... 73
International Round Table Conference ........................... 73
Startup Academia Alliance Programme ........................... 74
Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) ........................... 74
Banking ........................... 75
Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI) ........................... 75
Section 7 of the RBI Act 1934 ........................... 75
India Post Payments Bank ........................... 76
RRBs' recapitalisation scheme ........................... 76
Ombudsman ........................... 77
Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) ........................... 77
Project Sashakt ........................... 78
Public Credit Registry ........................... 78
Payments Regulatory Board (PRB) ........................... 78
Employment and Skill Development Schemes ........................... 79
Agriculture ........................... 82
PM-AASHA ........................... 83
GrAM Programme ........................... 82
Fair & Remunerative price (FRP) ........................... 84
Zero Budget Natural Farming ........................... 84
Women of India Organic Festival ........................... 84
Prizes & Awards ........................... 85
Jute-ICARE ........................... 85
Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development
Fund (FIDF) ........................... 86
e-Pashudhaan Haat Portal ........................... 86
Modern Fishing Harbour ........................... 86
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iCRAFPT 2018 ........................... 86
Manufacturing ........................... 87
World's largest mobile manufacturing plant ........................... 87
SAATHI ........................... 87
Chiller Star Labelling Program ........................... 87
Industrial licensing ........................... 87
‗One District One Product‘ Summit ........................... 88
Electronics Development Fund (EDF) ........................... 88
TReDS ........................... 88
Service ........................... 89
India Tourism Mart ........................... 89
Bureau of Indian Standards for Service Sector ........................... 89
Infrastructure ........................... 89
Concessional Financing Scheme (CFS) ........................... 89
Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) ........................... 90
NDCP-2018 ........................... 90
Transport ........................... 90
MOVE: Global Mobility Summit ........................... 90
Mobilise Your City Initiative ........................... 90
Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) ........................... 91
India‘s Longest River Bridge ........................... 91
World‘s Longest Sea Bridge ........................... 91
Signature Bridge ........................... 92
Pakyong Airport ........................... 93
International UDAN ........................... 93
Energy ........................... 93
Shale Gas ........................... 93
Strategic Petroleum Reserves ........................... 94
Integrate to Innovate Programme (i2i) ........................... 94
National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 ........................... 95
SATAT Initiative ........................... 95
Methanol Cooking Fuel Program ........................... 95
Unconventional hydrocarbons ........................... 96
India's first biofuel-powered flight ........................... 96
Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) initiative ........................... 96
SEEPI ........................... 96
RE-INVEST ........................... 97
Defence ........................... 97
Innovations for Defence Excellence' (iDEX) Initiative ........................... 97
Strategic Partnership Model (SPM) ........................... 98
Make II Scheme ........................... 98
5 Polity ........................... 99
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Governance ........................... 99
Mission Satyanishtha ........................... 99
Census 2021 ........................... 99
Electoral Reform ........................... 99
Electoral Bonds Scheme 2018 ........................... 99
Section 151A of RPA ........................... 100
Public Affairs Index 2018 ........................... 100
DISHA Initiative ........................... 101
Common Services Centers (CSCs) ........................... 101
Transformation of Aspirational Districts Programme ........................... 101
Coloured stickers to Indicate nature of fuel ........................... 102
Door Step Delivery Scheme (DSD) ........................... 102
National Database on Sex Offenders (NDSO) ........................... 102
Ease of Living Index ........................... 103
E-Governance ........................... 103
cVIGIL App ........................... 103
e-Vidhan ........................... 103
Jan Dhan Darshak ........................... 103
Loo Review Campaign ........................... 104
Digi Yatra ........................... 104
PARIVESH ........................... 104
Rail Heritage Digitization Project ........................... 104
Vidya Lakshmi Portal ........................... 104
Niryat Mitra ........................... 105
e-Sahaj ........................... 105
UPI 2.0 ........................... 105
Digilocker ........................... 105
Railsahyog ........................... 106
Khan Prahari ........................... 106
Coal Mine Surveillance & Management System (CMSMS) ........................... 106
UTTAM App ........................... 106
UMANG platform ........................... 106
e-Filing, e-Pay, and NSTEP applications ........................... 107
Working of Parliament and State legislature ........................... 107
Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) ........................... 107
National Register of Citizens (NRC) ........................... 108
Federal Issues ........................... 108
Mahadayi Water Disputes ........................... 108
Phulbari Dam ........................... 109
Gorkhaland Movement ........................... 109
Bru Tribes ........................... 109
West Bengal to Bangla ........................... 109
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Restricted Areas Permit ........................... 110
Judiciary ........................... 110
Verdict on Aadhaar Act ........................... 110
Sabarimala temple Verdict ........................... 110
Dowry Harrasment Law Judgement on Section 498 ........................... 111
Adultry Judgement on Section 497 ........................... 111
Decriminalization of Homosexuality ........................... 112
Acts & Bills ........................... 112
Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education
(Second Amendment) Bill, 2017 ........................... 112
Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 ........................... 113
Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 ........................... 114
The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017 ........................... 115
Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 ........................... 116
Commercial Courts (Amendment) Act, 2018 ........................... 116
Manipur People‗s Protection Bill, 2018 ........................... 116
Section 295A of Indian Penal Code ........................... 117
Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and
Protection) Bill, 2015 ........................... 117
Statutory Body ........................... 118
National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) ........................... 118
Central Adoption Resource Autohority(CARA) ........................... 118
About Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption,
1993 ........................... 118
Law Commission of India ........................... 119
Department of Official Language ........................... 119
Central Hindi Samiti ........................... 119
6 Internal Security ........................... 121
NCC and NSS ........................... 121
Student Police Cadet Project ........................... 121
Kargil Vijay Diwas ........................... 121
Parakram Parv ........................... 122
Defence Planning Committee (DPC) ........................... 122
Border Area Development Programme (BADP) ........................... 122
Smart fence pilot project ........................... 122
Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response ........................... 123
Cyber Shikshaa Initiative ........................... 123
All-women SWAT team ........................... 123
Drone Regulations ........................... 123
Shekatkar Committee ........................... 124
7 Environment ........................... 125
Bio-Diversity ........................... 125
Red Sanders ........................... 125
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Salicornia plant ........................... 125
Indian Star Tortoises ........................... 125
Koala bear ........................... 125
Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species ........................... 126
Norther River Terrapin ........................... 126
Clouded Leopard ........................... 126
Arabian Sea Humpback Whale ........................... 126
Red Panda ........................... 127
Nilgiri Tahr ........................... 127
Golden jackal ........................... 127
Black Spotted Turtles ........................... 127
Harrier birds ........................... 128
Dhole (Indian Wild Dog) ........................... 128
Gangetic Dolphin ........................... 128
Asiatic Lions ........................... 128
Amur Falcons ........................... 129
Portuguese man-of-wars ........................... 129
Vorombe titan ........................... 129
India's First Penguin ........................... 129
Hilsa ........................... 130
Bonnethead shark ........................... 130
Pondicherry Shark ........................... 130
Indian Bull Frog ........................... 130
Fall Armyworm ........................... 130
Environmental Pollution ........................... 131
SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting) ........................... 131
Breathe India ........................... 131
BS-VI engine certificate ........................... 131
Commute-Related pollution and Energy Consumption by
Indian Top Cities ........................... 131
Petcoke ........................... 132
Air Safety Oversight Score ........................... 132
Greenhouse Gas Emission ........................... 132
Status of Ambient Noise Level in India 2017 ........................... 133
Chromium Pollution ........................... 133
Pesticides ........................... 134
Environment Conservative Initiative ........................... 134
Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve ........................... 134
Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) ........................... 134
Cheetah Reintroduction Project ........................... 134
Singhphan Elephant Reserve ........................... 135
Nahargarh Biological Park ........................... 135
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Animal Kingdom as legal entities ........................... 135
Man-animal conflict to be listed as disaster under SDRF ........................... 135
Ecosystem Service Improvement Project ........................... 135
Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan ........................... 135
Hornbill Watch initiative ........................... 136
National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank (NWGRB) ........................... 136
India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) ........................... 136
International Initiave ........................... 137
Google teams up with UNEP to track environmental
changes ........................... 137
Earth Overshoot Day ........................... 137
Champions of the Earth ........................... 137
Climate Finance Leadership Initiative ........................... 138
Global Warming of 1.5°C ........................... 138
Common Risk Mitigation Mechanism ........................... 138
International Solar Alliance (ISA) ........................... 139
International Nitrogen Initiative ........................... 139
Whale Sanctuary ........................... 140
STAPCOR – 2018 ........................... 140
8 Geography ........................... 141
Sagar Nidhi ........................... 141
Banganga River & Bansagar Project ........................... 141
Lakhwar Multipurpose Project ........................... 141
Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai Hydroelectric Power Project ........................... 142
DRIP ........................... 142
Melting of Third Pole ........................... 143
Soil Moisture Map ........................... 143
Global Soil biodiversity Atlas ........................... 143
Rutland Island ........................... 144
Banni Grassland 144
Global Geoparks 145
Geological Sites in India 145
Deep Ocean Mission or ‗ISRO-like‘ ocean Mission ........................... 145
Kerala Project on Impact of Climate Change ........................... 145
O-SMART Scheme ........................... 146
Lombok Earthquake ........................... 146
Atal Bhujal Yojana ........................... 146
Kadaknath chicken ........................... 147
Shahi Litchi ........................... 147
Alphonso Mango ........................... 147
Pochampalli Sarees ........................... 147
Investors‘ Conference for the Holistic Development of
Islands ........................... 147
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Interlinking of Rivers ........................... 148
Hubballi–Ankola railway line ........................... 148
9 Disaster Management ........................... 149
Flash Flood Guidance System ........................... 149
Operation 'Madad' ........................... 149
Landslide warning system ........................... 149
AMCDRR 2018 ........................... 149
RIMES for Africa and Asia ........................... 150
State Disaster Response Fund ........................... 150
10 International Relations ........................... 151
International Development ........................... 151
Underwater museum on the bed of Lake Titicaca ........................... 151
Migingo Island ........................... 151
Global Disability Summit 2018 ........................... 151
International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018 ........................... 151
Israel‘s Nationality Law ........................... 152
Caspian Sea Resource Distribution Deal ........................... 152
South Pars ........................... 152
Bilateral Relations ........................... 153
Inida‘s Neighbour, ASEAN and South East Asia ........................... 153
Multilateral Organisation ........................... 157
Commonwealth of Nations ........................... 157
Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) ........................... 157
BIMSTEC ........................... 158
BRICS Summit ........................... 158
Quad ........................... 159
Indian Ocean Conference ........................... 159
The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) 159
Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) 160
U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) 160
Organisation of American States (OAS) ........................... 161
Global Insitiutions/Framework/Regulations ........................... 162
United Nations ........................... 162
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ........................... 163
IAEA Safeguards ........................... 163
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty ........................... 164
UN ECOSOC ........................... 164
Resolution 2427 ........................... 164
UNRWA for Palestinian Refugees ........................... 165
UNMOGIP ........................... 165
WIPO ........................... 165
Marrakesh Treaty ........................... 166
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Global Compact for Migration ........................... 166
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
(OPCW) ........................... 166
World Customs Organisation (WCO) ........................... 168
Defence Exercises ........................... 168
11 Committee and panels ........................... 172
12 International Day ........................... 173
13 Reports and Indexes ........................... 175
14 Miscelleneous ........................... 179
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Art and Culture
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Recently 'Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai' has been inscribed on
UNESCO's World Heritage list at the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee of
UNESCO at Manama in Bahrain.
This makes Mumbai city the second city in India after Ahmedabad to be inscribed on the
World Heritage List.
India now has overall 37 World Heritage Inscriptions with 29 Cultural, 07
Natural and 01 Mixed sites.
While India stands second largest in number after China in terms of number of
World Heritage properties in ASPAC (Asia and Pacific) region, it is overall sixth in
the world.
About World Heritage Site:
World Heritage site is classified as a natural or man-made area or a structure
that is of international importance, and a space which requires special protection.
These sites are officially recognised by the UN and the United Nations
Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, also known as UNESCO.
UNESCO believes that the sites classified as World Heritage are important for
humanity, and they hold cultural and physical significance.
Marigold - Colour of Sacrifice
Marigold flower is chosen as the symbol of remembrance for Indian soldiers martyred
in World War I. The world marks the centenary of the end of the First World War on
November 11.
The United Service Institution of India (USI) and the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission (CWGC) have launched „India Remembers‟ project. It aims to project and
to remember, honour and commemorate the valour and sacrifice of personnel of the
Indian Armed Forces in conflicts, both before and after independence. It proposes that
the Marigold flower join the poppy as a new Indian symbol of remembrance.
After the WW-I, poppy was adopted as the symbol of remembrance as it grew widely in
the Flanders fields in Europe. In India, the India Gate was built as the focal point to the
Remembrance with the names of over 72,000 soldiers inscribed over it. The government
and the Army have to formally adopt the marigold to make it an official effort.
Channar Revolt
Kerala Chief Minister has recently recalled an iconic civil rights protest, Channar
revolt. It was happened in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore in the early 19th
century. It is also referred to as Marumarakkal Samaram - Protest to cover the upper
body.
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It began when women from the Channar caste who had converted to Christianity sought
to cover the breasts, a right only Hindu upper caste women were allowed to exercise.
The diwan of Travancore state, Colonel Munro, issued an order favouring the demand.
The upper castes (Nairs) refused to allow the order to be followed and attacked (Nadar
Christian) women who sought to wear an upper garment. In the face of resistance from
the upper castes, the order was even amended to say that Nadar Christian women could
wear a jacket (blouse) that was different from the dress worn by Nair women.
The revolt exposed the caste fault-line that ran deep in the kingdom of Travancore.
Architecture
Statue of Equality
The Statue of Equality is a 216 feet tall monument at Hyederabad dedicated to the 11th
century Vaishnavaite Saint Ramanuja, commemorating 1000 years since his birth.
It is set to become the world‟s second tallest statue of a seated figure. Currently, the
Great Buddha of Thailand is the tallest statue, at 302-feet.
About Ramanuja: He was a philosopher and his philosophical foundations for
devotionalism were influential to the Bhakti movement. He is famous as the chief
proponent of Vishishtadvaita subschool of Vedanta. He wrote influential texts, such as
bhasya on the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, all in Sanskrit.
Statue of Unity
The Statue of Unity is a 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, has been
inaugrated on his birth anniversary.
The statue has benn built near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in the tribal-dominated
Narmada district, close to 200 kilometres from Ahmedabad. Once unveiled the statue
would be the world‟s tallest one, and the 182 metre height was decided to match the
number of assembly constituencies in the state.
The statue will be a tribute to Patel, who was the first Home minister of Independent
India, and is hailed as the ‗Iron Man‘ for his contribution to the unity and integrity of the
country.
Buddha of Swat
Buddha of Swat is restored recently by Italian government nearly 12 years after the
Afghan Talibans damaged it. It is located in Jahanabad, the epicentre of Swat‘s Buddhist
heritage, a beautiful valley in the foothills of the Himalayas.
It belongs to 7th century depicted in a lotus position at the base of a granite cliff in
northern Pakistan.
World Peace Monument
Vice President of India has recently inaugrated the world‟s largest dome at the
Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT). It is built atop the MIT World Peace
Library and the World Peace Prayer Hall in World Peace University Campus in MIT.
The structure is called World Peace Monument. It is 160ft in diameter and larger in area
than the dome at St. Peter‘s Basilica in Vatican City.
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MIT World Peace Library and Prayer Hall are named after the 13th century poet-saint
and philosopher Dnyaneshwar, a pivotal figure of the Bhakti movement in
Maharashtra.
Rani ki Vav
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released a new lavender Rs 100 currency note. The
banknote highlights the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India as it prominently
displays a photograph of 'Rani-ki-vav' (The Queen‘s Stepwell), an 11th century
architectural wonder located in Gujrat‘s Patan city.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and was awarded as the cleanest iconic place in
India in 2016.
It is located on the Banks of Saraswati River.
It was built by the Solanki dynasty‘s queen Udayamati in the 11th century as a memorial
to her deceased husband Bhimdev I.
It highlights the sanctity of water as it is designed as an inverted temple under the
earth‘s surface.
Restructuring of Shang-dongs into a stupa
Earlier this year, Buddhist monks in Leh‘s Chushul village restructured a shang-dong
into a stupa. This was a symbolic gesture to mark peace between man and wolf.
Shang-dong is a traditional contraption used by Changpa people of Leh to capture the
wolves that lift their prized pashmina goats. This wolf trap is made of stones and buried
in the ground. Once the wolves leap in, the conical walls ensure they can‘t clamber out.
Generally, these wolves are caught and stoned to death.
But researchers of the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), were long been concerned
by the threats these traps posed to large carnivores including snow leopards.
They found Buddhist communities had more positive attitude towards carnivores and
they integrated 'locally relevant religious philosophies' into conservation.
It was also important to tighten the traditional link between culture, livelihood and
conservation.
So the shang-dongs which are a part of Changpa culture were not destroyed but merely
dismantled. Additionally Pashmina wool produced by the people in the region are given
‗Snow Leopard Friendly‘ certificate by NCF, if it meets 15 conditions including
neutralising shang-dongs.
Others include rotational grazing, maintaining a village wildlife reserve where grazing
and hunting are prohibited, predator-proofing livestock corrals and stopping all
retaliatory killing of carnivores including wolves and snow leopards.
Statue of Sir Chhotu ram
A 64-foot-tall statue of peasant leader Sir Chhotu Ram has been unveiled at his native
village Sampla in Haryana‘s Rohtak district.
Chhotu Ram, who was born on November 24, 1881, was regarded as a messiah of
peasants and was instrumental in empowering farmers in pre-Independence era and
getting pro-farmers law enacted. He had fought for farmers‘ rights during the British
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rule. On political front, he was a co-founder of the National Unionist Party which
ruled all the time Panjab Province in per-Independent India and kept Congress and
Muslim League at bay.
Chhotu Ram was awarded the title of „Rao Bahadur‟. He was knighted in 1937 and
was popularly known as Deen Bandhu.
His legacy has been evoked by the formation of a new party, the National Unionist
Zamindara Party by guar farmers in Rajasthan in 2013.
Festivals/Confrence/Summit
Behdienkhlam Festival
'Bbeh dien' means to drive away with sticks and 'khlam' means plague. One of the most
colourful festivals of the Meghalaya, was celebrated in the Jaintia Hills. After sowing is
over behdienkhlam is celebrated to invoke the gods for a bumper harvest and drive away
plague.
Bathukamma Festival
For the first time ever the New South Wales Parliament in Sydney, Australia celebrated
the ethnic festival of Bathukamma.
Bathukamma that means „Mother Goddess come Alive‟ is a colourful floral festival of
Telangana celebrated towards the end of monsoon. Bathukamma is a beautiful flower
stack of different unique seasonal flowers most of them with medicinal value, arranged in
seven concentric layers in the shape of temple gopuram. The final day of Bathukamma,
known as Pedha or Saddula Bathukamma falls two days before Dussehra.
International Arya Mahasammelan
The global convention of the Arya Samaj, the International Arya Mahasammelan 2018
was recently inaugurated by the President of India in New Delhi.
The convention was started in 2006 and this year convention is the 11th such
mahasammelan.
It aims to spread a message of human welfare originating from the Vedas, promote
universal brotherhood and ensure safeguarding of social morals.
The Arya Samaj declared representatives from 32 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe
and North America will attend this global convention.
Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela is the largest congregation of pilgrims in the planet, held once in every 12
years in 4 places - Haridwar, Allahabad, Ujjain and Nashik.
It represents a syncretic set of rituals related to worship and ritual cleansing in holy
rivers in India.
The intergovernmental committee for the safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage under
UNESCO has recognised Kumbh Mela as an intangible heritage.
The '49 day Kumbh Mela' is going to be held in January, 2019.
The government has taken various measures to promote globally to attract foreign
tourists such as
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Launch of 'Chalo Kumbh Chalo' campaign across the country
Development of a designated area for flag hoisting for 192 countries visiting
Kumbh Mela
Organising the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas', 2019 in Varanasi to attract 'Pravasi
Bharatiya Delegates' to visit Kumbh, 2019.
International Buddhist Conclave 2018
The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated the '6th International
Buddhist Conclave (IBC), 2018' , which aims to showcase and project the Buddhist
Heritage in India and boost tourism to the Buddhist sites in the country and cultivate
friendly ties with countries and communities interested in Buddhism.
The delegates from 29 countries are participating in the International Buddhist
Conclave.
International Buddhist Conclave 2018 will have a religious / spiritual dimension, an
academic theme and a diplomatic and business component. Theme of IBC-2018 is
'Buddha Path – The Living Heritage'
IBC-2018 will feature presentations by the Ministry of Tourism and State Governments,
Panel discussion between scholars and monks and B2B meetings between the foreign
and Indian tour operators. The Ministry has also planned to organize an ‗Investors‘
Summit‘ during the Conclave to attract investments in developing world class
infrastructure at Buddhist sites.
Paryatan Parv 2018
Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with other Central Ministries, State Governments is
organizing the second edition of 'Paryatan Parv'. Paryatan Parv is being organized with
the objective of drawing focus on the benefits of tourism, showcasing the cultural
diversity of the country and reinforcing the principle of 'Tourism for All'. The three
components of Paryatan Parv, are:
Dekho Apna Desh: To encourage Indians to visit their own country
Tourism for All: Tourism Events at sites across all States in the country are being
organised
Tourism & Governance: Interactive Sessions & Workshops with Stakeholders on
varied themes will be organised across the Country
World Sanskrit Conference
It is being held in various countries across the globe once in every three years to
promote, preserve and practice the Sanskrit language.
So far it has been held thrice in India. The latest edition, 17th World Sanskrit Conference
was held at Vancouver,Canada.
11th World Hindi Conference
The 11th World Hindi Conference (WHC) has been organized in August 2018 in
Mauritius by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in association with
the Government of Mauritius.
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The event, held once in three years, is dedicated to Hindi language. It sees participation
from Hindi scholars, writers and laureates from different parts of the world who
contribute to the language.
The first World Hindi Conference was held in 1975 in Nagpur, India. Since then, ten
such Conferences have been held in different parts of the world.
The main theme of the Conference is 'Vaishvik Hindi Aur Bharatiy Sanskriti'.
The MEA has also set up the World Hindi Secretariat in Mauritius, with main objective
to promote Hindi as an international language and further its cause for recognition at the
United Nations as an Official Language.
Battle of Haifa
The Embassy of India held a ceremony in Haifa to mark the Centenary of the Battle of
Haifa when on 23 Sep 1918, Indian soldiers from the Jodhpur, Mysore and Hyderabad
Lancers liberated the city of Haifa.
The victory was more special as the Indian soldiers were armed only with lances (a kind
of spear) and swords while the Turks had in their possession advance artillery and
machine guns.
The Indian troops displayed exemplary cavalry skills and valour during what was
considered to be the last major cavalry campaign in military history. No more remarkable
cavalry action of its scale was fought in the whole course of the campaign.
As a symbolic gesture of friendship with Israel, India renamed the iconic Teen Murti
Chowk, a war memorial, during the visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as
Haifa Chowk.
Every year on September 23, the Indian Army celebrates ‗Haifa Day‘ to commemorate the
war dead during the Battle.
Paintings
Thanjavur painting
Thanjavur painting is a form of miniature painting that flourished during the late 18th
and 19th centuries. However, its origin can be traced back to early 9th century.
It is characterised by bold drawing, techniques of shading and the use of pure and
brilliant coloursalong with semi-precious stones, pearls and glass pieces. Gold is
extensively used in Thanjavur paintings as the glitter makes it more attractive as well as
prolongs the life of the painting.
It has also been granted Geographical identification tag.
Recently Raman Spectroscopy is now being used to ascertain if gold or gemstones on
Thanjavur paintings are fake or not.
Cultrual Scheme
PRASAD Scheme
The scheme is a National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual
Augmentation Drive (PRASAD).
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Launched By: Ministry of Tourism
Aims/Objectives: The scheme is aims to develop world class infrastructure in mission
mode in cities known for their rich heritage and cultural history.
Under the PRASAD scheme thirteen cites have been identified for development, namely:
Amritsar, Ajmer, Dwaraka, Mathura, Varanasi, Gaya, Puri, Amaravati, Kanchipuram,
Vellankanni, Kedarnath, Kamakhya and Patna.
Under the 'PRASAD' scheme the focus is on development and beautification of the
identified pilgrimage destinations.
Swadesh Darshan Scheme
It is one of the flagship scheme of Ministry of Tourism for development of thematic
circuits in the country in a planned and prioritised manner. It is a central sector
scheme.
The following thematic circuits have been identified, for development namely North-East
India Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit,
Desert Circuit, Tirtankar circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural
Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Sufi circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit.
The first project under the Scheme and North-East India Circuit is going to be
inaugrated in Manipur. The project covers two sites i.e. Kangla Fort (Imphal) and
Khongjom (Anglo-Manipur War, 1891 fought here).
The completion of the projects sanctioned under the scheme would result in increased
tourist inflow thereby creating employment opportunities for the local community.
It is different from "PRASAD" scheme of Ministry of Tourism, which focus on development
and beautification of the identified pilgrimage destinations.
Awards
Kalidas Samman
Anjolie Ela Menon awarded Kalidas Samman for visual arts in recognition of her
insightful and sensitive portrayal of the identity and spirit of women through her
meaningful paintings in a variety of media.
Kalidas Samman is prestigious arts award presented annually by Government of Madhya
Pradesh. It was presented in four fields (Classical Music, Classical Dance, Theatre and
Plastic Arts) every year.
Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman
There are two kinds of awards given by Indian president to language scholars (a)
Certificate of honour and (b) Maharishi Badrayan Vyas Samman.
Scholars in the Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Arabic, Persian, Classical Oriya, Classical
Malayalam, Classical Kannada and Classical Telugu languages are eligible.
A certificate of honour is for scholars aged 60 and above. Maharishi Badrayan Vyas
Samman is for scholars between 30-45 years of age. This distinction is conferred once a
year on the Independence Day in recognition of substantial contribution to these
languages.
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Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony
It is an annual award instituted by the Government of India during the commemoration
of 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
The first Tagore award was conferred on Pt. Ravi Shankar, the Indian Sitar Maestro in
the year 2012. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language,
caste, creed or sex.
Tagore award for the year 2014, 2015 and 2016 has been conferred upon prominent
Manipuri dancer Shri Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, Chhayanaut (a cultural organization of
Bangladesh) and one of India‘s greatest sculptors, Shri Ram Vanji Sutar, respectively.
Statutory Body
Archaeological Survey of India has decided to allow photography within the premises of
all centrally protected monuments/sites except three sites. Ajanta Caves and Leh Palace
having paintings, and Mausoleum of Taj Mahal.
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Science and Technology
Space
Mission/Project
Chandrayaan-2
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)‘s second moon mission to look for signs of
water and a nuclear fuel called Helium-3 in the moon‘s crust .
Chandrayaan-2 includes soft-landing on Moon and moving a rover on its surface. It is
an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan-1 mission. It consists of an orbiter,
lander and rover configuration.
It is planned to be launched as a composite stack into the earth parking orbit (EPO) by
GSLV-Mk II.
About Helium-3: It is an isotope of Helium, which is abundant on the moon, could
theoretically meet global energy demands for three to five centuries. It is an ideal
candidate fuel for nuclear fusion. It is light, non radioactive isotop of helium with
two proton and one neutron, hence it could be used in fusion reactors for nuclear energy
without dangerous nuclear by-products. Formed in the sun and carried through space
on solar winds, helium 3 is extremely rare on Earth.
Gaganyaan
Gaganyaan is India‘s ambitious manned spaceflight mission. It aims to send a three-
member crew to space for a period of five to seven days. It will be launched by ISRO by
2022.
It will make India the fourth nation in the world to launch a Human Spaceflight Mission
after USA, Russia and China.
ISRO has developed some critical technologies through demonstrations like Space
Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-2007), Crew module Atmospheric Reentry
Experiment (CARE-2014) and Pad Abort Test (2018).
The spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit of 300-400km. GSLV Mk-III launch
vehicle will be used to for the mission. It has the payload capacity of 4000 kg satellites in
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and 8000 kg payload to Low Earth Orbit.
Crew Escape System
Crew Escape System is an emergency escape measure to quickly pull the astronaut crew
out to a safe distance from launch vehicle during a launch abort.
To demonstrate this system, ISRO recently successfully carried a test named Pad Abort
Test (PAT).
PAT is the first in a series of tests to qualify a crew escape system technology of a
manned mission in the future. It is a small step closer to ISRO‘s ambition of sending
Indians to space (Gaganyaan).
The U.S, Russia and China have their own crew escape system in place.
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ISRO‟s AstroSat
Indian astrophysicists have discovered large ultraviolet lobes and jets, hurled out from a dying star- NGC 6302, popularly called the Butterfly Nebula, using data from AstroSat, the space observatory launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2015.
What is a planetary nebula? A planetary nebula is formed when a star like our Sun – or a few times heavier – is in its dying days. The term, a misnomer now, was coined by astronomers in the 19th century since the nebula looked like planets through their telescopes.
When hydrogen and helium fuel that kept the star shining gets exhausted, the star expands in size and becomes a red giant star. Such stars shed most of their outer layers which expands outwards, and the inner core, made of carbon and oxygen, shrinks further and becomes hotter. This hot core shines brightly in the ultraviolet, and ionises the expanding gas. This glowing ionised gas is what is seen as a planetary nebula.
About ASTROSAT:
ASTROSAT is India‘s first dedicated multi wavelength space observatory. This scientific satellite mission endeavours for a more detailed understanding of our universe.
ASTROSAT is designed to observe the universe in the Visible, Ultraviolet, low and high energy X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum simultaneously with the help of its five payloads.
Astrosat aims at understanding the high energy processes in binary star systems containing neutron stars and black holes, to estimate magnetic fields of neutron stars, to study star birth regions and high energy processes in star systems lying beyond the Milky Way galaxy.
This mission has put ISRO in a very exclusive club of nations that have space-based observatories. Only the United States, European Space Agency, Japan and Russia have such observatories in space.
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)
A small Indian satellite launch vehicle has been developed by ISRO, it costs looks set to
revolutionise the global satellite launch industry.
The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will be an on-demand rocket for small
satellites weighing about 500-700 kg, it will act as a quick response space vehicle.
It will be autonomous and highly intelligent, versatile and capable of adapting to different
launch situations and requirements.
Green Propellants
ISRO is developing green propellants for use in future rocket & satellite propulsion
systems.
It has made a beginning by developing an eco-friendly solid propellant to eliminate the
emission of chlorinated exhaust products from rocket.
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The propellants are based on Glycidyl Azide Polymer (GAP) as fuel and Ammonium Di-
Nitramide (ADN) as oxidizer.
ISRO is also carrying out various technology demonstration projects involving green
propellant combinations such as Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2), Kerosene, Liquid Oxygen
(LOX), Liquid Methane etc.
It has successfully developed ISROSENE, which is a rocket grade version of kerosene as
an alternative to conventional hydrazine rocket fuel.
It has already used Liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen combination in cryogenic upper
stage of GSLV MK-III.
Electric Propulsion System
Recently, ISRO has planned to launch GSAT-20, based on electric propulsion technology
which has helped in reducing the weight of the satellite to just 3.5 tonnes.
Electric Propulsion System (EPS) can reduce the dependence on chemical propellant
thereby increasing the payload capacity of the vehicle.
The new system converts solar energy available in the space into electrical energy and
later to kinetic energy by generating thrust that propels a satellite.
Electric Propulsion system helps in orbit correction of a satellite. It helps in maintaining
a satellite on its path during its entire life duration. This system provides small but
accurate thrust to a satellite in its orbit.
This system has been already tested by Russian Space Agency and NASA.
Two Stage to Orbit (TSTO) Space Transportation System
Recently India became the fifth nation to successfully conduct the flight demonstration
of a scaled down version of a winged-body reusable launch vehicle.
It is a stepping stone towards fully reusable Two Stage to Orbit (TSTO) space
transportation system.
TSTO launch vehicle can launch payload to Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) with 15 times
reusability.
It also validates the critical technologies such as autonomous navigation, guidance &
control, reusable thermal protection system and re-entry mission management.
Space Technology Incubation Centre
ISRO has recently launched a space technology incubation centre in Tripura capital
Agartala. It is the first of six such centres planned nationally to build capacity in new
locations (Jalandhar, Bhubaneswar, Tiruchrapalli, Nagpur and Indore).
The Centre was launched at the first edition of ‗Spacetronics‘ organised by the India
Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA). The centre will incubate start-ups
which would build applications, offer services and products which can be used internally
and expolit global opportunities.
Parker Solar Probe
The probe is named after Eugene Parker, a solar physicist, who first predicted the
existence of the solar wind.
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The Parker Solar Probe will perform the closest-ever observations of the Sun‘s outer
atmosphere, called the corona. The mission may also ascertain why the Sun occasionally
emits high-energy particles that are a danger to unprotected astronauts and spacecraft.
Voyager 2
NASA has recently reported that Voyager 2 is nearing heliosphere (Sun's outer border)
and could soon enter interstellar space. Voyager 2 is the space probe launched by NASA
in 1977 to study the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune).
Heliopause is the place where the sun‘s constant flow of material and magnetic field stop
affecting its surroundings. Heliopause marks the end of a region created by our sun that
is called the heliosphere. The sun creates heliosphere by sending a constant flow of
particles and a magnetic field out into space at over 670,000 miles per hour. This stream
is called the ‗solar wind.‘
Interstellar Space is the part of space that exists between stars with cold particles
around it. Inside the heliosphere, the solar particles are hot but less concentrated.
Outside of the bubble, they are very much colder but more concentrated. Once an object
arrive in interstellar space, there would be an increase of 'cold' particles around it.
New Horizons mission
Scientific data sent back by NASA‘s New Horizons spacecraft suggests that there could be
a hydrogen wall at the end of our solar system.
It is believed that this hydrogen wall is a signature of the furthest reaches of sun‟s
energy. It means that the charged particles which the sun sends outwards causes
hydrogen to release characteristic ultraviolet light. But as one keeps going away from the
sun its its influence wanes, which might create a pileup of interstellar hydrogen.
New Horizons was launched in 2006, and has been travelling through space for the past
nine years. The mission will complete what NASA calls the reconnaissance of the
classical solar system, and it makes the U.S. the first nation to send a space probe to
every planet from Mercury to Pluto.
The probe has traveled more than 3 billion miles to reach Pluto. New Horizon‗s core
science mission is to map the surfaces of Pluto and Charon, to study Pluto‗s atmosphere
and to take temperature readings. The spacecraft was launched in 2006, before the big
debate started over Pluto‗s status as a planet.
Opportunity Rover
NASA's mars orbiter has recently spotted Opportunity Rover on the red planet for the
first time since it went into hibernation after a dust storm. A high-resolution camera
aboard NASA‟s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the image of the rover in
Perseverance Valley in Mars.
Opportunity Rover was launched by NASA in 2003 to land in red planet Mars. It was
originally planned for 90-day mission. But it has far outlasted its planned mission by 55
times longer than originally planned.
Curiosity
It is a rover deployed by NASA in its Mars Exploration Program. It assesses whether
Mars ever had an environment able to support small life forms called microbes.
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The rover has recently spotted a 'foreign object debris', a very thin flake of rock in Mars
surface.
Previously, it captured mesas and buttes on mars geological layer called as Murray
formation, which is formed from the lakebed mud deposits.
Insight Spacecraft
InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and
Heat Transport, is designed to study deep interiors of Mars. The lander is expected to
rest on 'Elysium Planitia', which is a flat-smooth plain just north of the equator in Mars.
This mission is part of NASA's Discovery Program for highly focused science missions
that ask critical questions in solar system science.
It is the first outer space robotic explorer to study in-depth of Mars crust, mantle and
core.
It also measures tectonic activity and meteorite impacts on Mars.
It will be a first test of miniaturized CubeSat technology at another planet, which
researchers hope can offer new capabilities to future missions.
It has recently crossed halfway in its enroute to Mars and expected to land in November.
The instruments aboard the spacecraft include
A seismometer - used to detect quakes on Mars,
A self-hammering probe - To measure the amount of heat escaping from the
planet‘s interior.
Cameras to take a 'selfie' of the mission‘s equipment.
Hope Mission
It is a Space mission by UAE which planned to send an unmanned probe to orbit Mars
by 2021. It has become the first Arab Country to do so. The launching of the spacecraft
is going to be coincided with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE.
BepiColombo mission
It is a first mission of its kind by European Space Agency (ESA) to Mercury. A UK-built
spacecraft will determine if the nearest planet to the Sun contains water. The mission
will send two orbiters to explore the fiery world where the surface temperatures reach
about 450 degree C.
It is joint mission between ESA and Japan‘s JAXA, executing under ESA leadership.
Till now, only 2 spacecraft have been to Mercury, NASA's Mariner 10 and Messenger.
JUNO
NASA‘s Juno spacecraft has beamed back an image of a long, brown oval known as a
'brown barge'. Brown barge is an elusive atmospheric feature in Jupiter‘s South
Equatorial Belt.
The objective of Juno mission is to measure Jupiter's composition, gravity field, magnetic
field, and polar magnetosphere.
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It completed a close flyby of Jupiter and its Great Red Spot. Jupiter‗s Great Spot is a
16,000-km wide storm monitored since 1830 and possibly existing for more than 350
years.
Recently, the spacecraft reached "Perijove", the point at which an orbit comes closest to
Jupiter‗s centre.
OSIRIS-REx
The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith
Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft was launched in 2016.
Its target is Near-Earth Asteroid called Bennu. It will bring sample back to Earth for
study by 2023. It will help scientists investigate how planets formed and how life began,
as well as improve our understanding of asteroids that could impact Earth. It recently
began its final approach towards Bennu.
NASA‟s Orion spacecraft Europe‘s Airbus has delivered the ―powerhouse‖ for NASA‘s new Orion Spaceship that will take astronauts to the Moon and beyond in coming years, hitting a key milestone that should lead to hundreds of millions of euros in future orders.
Airbus‘s European Service Module will provide propulsion, power, thermal control and consumables to the Orion crew module, marking the first time that NASA will use a European-built system as a critical element to power an American spacecraft.
About Orion: NASA‘s Orion spacecraft is built to take humans farther than they‘ve ever gone before.
Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orion will launch on NASA‘s new heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System.
Orion will first fly with astronauts aboard during Exploration Mission-2, a mission that will venture near the Moon and farther from Earth than ever before, launching atop NASA‘s Space Launch System rocket — which will be the world‘s most powerful rocket.
Chang‟e 4
Chang'e 4 is a Chinese lunar exploration mission. The mission will incorporate an
orbiter, a robotic lander and rover.
It will reach the far side of the Moon, not visible from the Earth, a feat no country has
ever achieved. Chang'e-4 will follow China's successful Chang'e-3 mission which soft-
landed on the visible side of the Moon in 2013.
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Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on (GRACE-FO) Mission
The mission is a partnership between NASA and the German Research Centre for
Geosciences (GFZ). GRACE-FO is a successor to the original GRACE mission, which
began orbiting Earth on March 17, 2002.
The GRACE missions measure variations in gravity over Earth‟s surface, producing a
new map of the gravity field every 30 days.
GRACE-FO will carry on the extremely successful work of its predecessor while testing a
new technology designed to dramatically improve the already remarkable precision of its
measurement system. It will continue the work of tracking Earth‟s water movement to
monitor changes in underground water storage, the amount of water in large lakes and
rivers, soil moisture, ice sheets and glaciers, and sea level caused by the addition of
water to the ocean.
These discoveries provide a unique view of Earth‘s climate and have far-reaching benefits
to society and the world‗s population.
ICESAT-2
The Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) satellite is scheduled to be
launched by NASA in the month of September.
It is a laser-armed satellite which measures changes in the heights of Earth‘s polar ice.
It will measure the average annual elevation change of land ice covering Greenland and
Antarctica to within the width of a pencil, capturing 60,000 measurements per second.
Its Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) measures height by timing
how long it takes individual light photons to travel from the spacecraft to Earth and
back.
NASA started the ICESAT mission in the year 2003 and continued in 2009 with NASA‘s
Operation IceBridge.
ICESat-2 will also measure the height of ocean and land surfaces, including forests.
Aeolus Satellite
Aeolus is a European wind survey satellite launched by Arianespace, world‘s leading
satellite launch company.
It is part of the Copernicus project, a joint initiative of the European Union and the
European Space Agency (ESA) to track environmental damage and aid disaster relief
operations.
It is the fifth of the ESA's planned Earth Explorer missions and Arianespace‘s 50 launch
for ESA.
It was recently launched from French Guiana using Vega rocket.
It will use advanced laser technology to track global winds and improve weather
forecasts. The satellite is equipped with Doppler wind lidar, an advanced laser system
designed to accurately measure global wind patterns from space.
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It will probe the lowermost 30 kilometres of the atmosphere in measuring winds around
the Earth.
It is the world's first space mission to gather information on Earth's wind on a
global scale.
HY-1C satellite
It is a marine satellite launched by China recently launched by Long March-2C rocket.
It is a part of series of satellites. HY-1A was launched in 2002 and HY-1B satellite was
launched in 2007.
It was launched to help improve understanding of maritime waters and climate
change. HY-1C can detect chlorophyll and suspended sediment concentrations and
dissolved organic matter, which can affect ocean colour, as well as temperatures on the
sea surface.
The data will help survey fishery and aquaculture resources and environments, offering a
scientific basis for reasonable exploitation and utilization of marine resources.
Scientists will also use the data to study global environmental changes, the role of the
oceans in the global carbon cycle and the El Nino phenomenon.
NASA Balloon Mission
NASA has launched a balloon mission to improve weather forecasting. The NASA long-
duration balloon mission will observe clouds over the course of five days in the
mesosphere.
The images of a thin group of seasonal electric blue clouds on the cusp of our
atmosphere captured by a new NASA balloon mission may lead to improved weather
forecasting. Data from these clouds, known as noctilucent clouds or polar
mesospheric clouds (PMCs), may help scientists better understand turbulence in the
atmosphere, as well as in oceans, lakes and other planetary atmospheres.
RAMA (Reconstituting Asteroids into Mechanical Automata)
Made In Space‘s Project RAMA, Reconstituting Asteroids into Mechanical Automata, has
been designed to leverage the advancing trends of additive manufacturing (AM) and in-
situ resource utilization (ISRU).
The project aims to enable asteroid rendezvous missions in which a set of technically
simple robotic processes convert asteroid elements into very basic versions of spacecraft
subsystems (GNC, Propulsion, Avionics). RAMA, could one day enable space colonization.
NASA has announced it would give funds to Made In Space‗s project RAMA.
NASA‟s Dawn asteroid mission Dawn, a NASA spacecraft that launched 11 years ago and studied two of the largest objects in the asteroid belt, has ended its mission after running out of fuel.
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Scientists have known for about a month that Dawn was essentially out of hydrazine, the fuel that kept the spacecraft‘s antennae oriented toward Earth and helped turn its solar panels to the Sun to recharge.
Dawn became the only spacecraft ever to orbit a cosmic body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter in 2011 when it began circling the asteroid Vesta.
Then it moved on to the dwarf planet Ceres in 2015, becoming the first spacecraft to visit a dwarf planet and the only spacecraft to orbit one.
The unmanned spacecraft has travelled 4.3 billion miles (6.9 billion kilometers) since its launch in 2007. It is expected to remain in orbit around Ceres for decades, but will no longer be able to communicate with Earth.
About the Dawn Mission: NASA‘s Dawn mission will study the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres, celestial bodies believed to have accreted early in the history of the solar system. The mission will characterize the early solar system and the processes that dominated its formation.
Dawn is the only mission ever to orbit two extraterrestrial targets. It orbited giant asteroid Vesta for 14 months from 2011 to 2012, then continued on to Ceres, where it has been in orbit since March 2015.
Telescope
MeerKAT
South Africa has unveiled MeerKAT, a super radio telescope. It is a follow up to the KAT
7 (Karoo Array Telescope), built in the vast semi-desert Karoo region north of Cape Town
to demonstrate South Africa‗s ability to host the SKA (Square Kilometer Array) Project.
It will be the biggest radio telescope of its kind in the southern hemisphere. It will
address some of the key science questions in modern astrophysics, how did galaxies
form, how are they evolving, how did we come to be here.
Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Project
Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Project is an international effort to build the world‘s largest
radio telescope, with eventually over a square kilometre (one million square metres) of
collecting area.
The SKA will eventually use thousands of dishes and up to a million low-frequency
antennas that will enable astronomers to monitor the sky in unprecedented detail and
survey the entire sky much faster than any system currently in existence. Its unique
configuration will give the SKA unrivalled scope in observations, largely exceeding the
image resolution quality of the Hubble Space Telescope.
MeerKAT will be incorporated into the complex Square Kilometre Array (SKA) instrument,
which when fully operational in the late 2020s would be the world„s biggest and most
powerful radio telescope.
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Exoplanet
An exoplanet is a planet which orbits a star outside the solar system. An exoplanet twice
as big as the Earth, Wolf 503b, was discovered with the help of NASA‟s Kepler space
telescope.
Exoplanet Wolf 503b is located in the Virgo Constellation. It is about 145 light years
away from Earth and orbits its star every 6 days.
Investigating the nature of this exoplanet will help to understand about the structure
and diversity of planets in the milky way galaxy.
Exomoon
Astronomers has recently discovered a moon outside the solar system, it size is about
that of Neptune. Our solar system's moons all are rocky or icy objects but the newly
discovered exomoon and the planet it orbits are both gaseous. The newly discovered
exomoon and the planet it orbits are located 8,000 light years from Earth.
Kepler Telescope
The Kepler telescope was originally launched in 2009 as part of NASA‟s Discovery
Program.
It is an observatory in space dedicated to finding planets outside our solar system. It
targets particularly alien planets that are around the same size as Earth in the
'habitable' regions of their parent star.
Kepler was the first telescope to find a planet (Kepler-69c) approximately the size of Earth
in the habitable region of a star. It examined the TRAPPIST-1 system which likely has
multiple Earth-sized planets in it between December 2016 and March 2017.
After the Kepler space telescope, TESS is the second spacecraft which will search for
planets outside our solar system, including those that could support life.
Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
NASA‘s newest planet hunter telescope, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
(TESS), has recently shared the first science image capturing exoplanets. The principal
goal of the TESS mission is to detect small planets with bright host stars in the solar
neighborhood. It will survey 200,000 of the brightest stars near the sun to search for
transiting exoplanets.
The spacecraft will be looking for a phenomenon known as a transit, where a planet
passes in front of its star, causing a periodic and regular dip in the star‟s
brightness.
It will do an all-sky survey from an orbit between the Earth and the moon. It is the next
step in the search for planets outside of our solar system, including those that could
support life.
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Chandra Telescope
Chandra X-ray observatory, a space based telescope, was launched by NASA in
1999.
It is specifically designed to detect X-ray emission from very hot regions of the universe
such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies, and matter around black holes. Since the
Earth's atmosphere absorbs the vast majority of X-rays, they are not detectable from
Earth-based telescopes.
It has recently entered a protective ‗safe mode‘, which interrupts scientific observations
and puts the spacecraft into a stable configuration.
It is one of the Great Observatories, along with the Hubble Space Telescope, Compton
Gamma Ray Observatory (1991–2000), and the Spitzer Space Telescope.
Gamma Ray Telescope in India
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
(BARC) are developing a new gamma ray telescope in Ladakh. It will be the second
such telescope to be available globally. The first one is in La Palma in Canary Islands
set up jointly by Switzerland and Germany in 2011. It will be located near the High
Altitude Gamma Ray (HAGAR) array at Hanle in Ladakh. HAGAR houses the Indian
Astronomical Observatory operated by Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru.
It will work in tandem with MACE (Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment), a gamma
ray imaging telescope which is also under installation at Hanle. It will be able to operate
in bright environment like twilight hours and moon-lit nights, unlike traditional
ones that operate only in dark hours of the night. It will be used to observe and monitor
spectacular celestial events like explosion of stars, falling of matter into black holes and
collision of extraterrestrial objects better.
Black Beauty
Black Beauty is a Martian meteorite from which mineral zircon can be extracted.
About Mars Structure: Mars is thought to have a dense metallic core with a radius of
about 1,800 km, consisting primarily of iron, nickel and sulphur. The core is
surrounded by a largely dormant mantle some 1,500 km thick made mainly of silicon,
oxygen, iron and magnesium.
Young Asteroids
Brazilian scientists have recently identified four young asteroids which are less than 7
million years old. It orbits between Mars and Jupiter as part of a grouping known as the
Main Asteroid Belt. The Main belt is an extraordinary niche of asteroids, with more than
700 known objects.
The key parameters used for identification are longitudes of pericentre and ascending
node. For a planet, comet or asteroid moving around the Sun in an elliptical orbit, the
pericentre is the point at which it comes closest to the Sun. The ascending node is the
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point at which the orbit crosses from the southern side of the ecliptic plane, to the
northern side.
Radio Galaxy
Radio galaxy are colossal galaxies with a super massive black hole in their centre that
actively accretes gas and dust from its surroundings. They are very rare objects in the
universe.
Most distant radio galaxy ever known, located at a distance of 12 billion light-years was
discovered by Indian Telescope. It was found using the Giant Metrewave Radio
Telescope (GMRT) in Pune, operated by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics.
The distance to this galaxy was determined using the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii
and the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona.
This discovery is important for understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies.
Monster Galaxy
Astronomers have captured the clearest image of Monster galaxy using Atacama Large
Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The monster galaxy called as COSMOS-AzTEC-1
is located 12.4 billion light-years away.
Monster galaxies, or starburst galaxies, form stars at a startling pace, 1000 times higher
than the star formation rate in Milky Way Galaxy. It has molecular clouds that are highly
unstable and leads to runaway star formation.
They are thought to be the ancestors of the huge elliptical galaxies in Universe.
Therefore, these findings pave the way to understand the formation and evolution of
such galaxies.
Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO)-India Project
The Environment Ministry has allowed scientists to test the suitability of land in
Maharashtra„s Hingoli district to host the India wing of the ambitious Laser
Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) project, known as the LIGO-India
project.
It is piloted by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Department of Science and
Technology (DST). The LIGO-India project will be jointly coordinated and executed by
three Indian research institutions: Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and
Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune; Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), Gandhinagar; and the
Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore.
Galileo
Galileo is a navigation satellite program being developed by the European Union as a
rival to the U.S. Global Positioning System. It was commissioned in 2003 and is due for
completion by 2020.
It is a project of the European Commission and European space agency.
It promises eventual real-time positioning to accuracy of one metre or less.
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The project has recently emerged as a flashpoint between Britain and the EU in the
Brexit process.
It is because of UK‘s access to sensitive security information could be restricted after
Brexit and Prime Minister Theresa May has given the green light to the development of a
British-made satellite-navigation system in the face of the country's imminent
exclusion from the European Galileo program.
Shakti- India‟s first indigenous microprocessor Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) researchers have designed India‘s first indigenous microprocessor called ‗Shakti‘.
About Shakti:
It is aimed at developing industrial-grade microprocessors and other components of the microprocessor ecosystem.
It was designed, developed and booted by IIT Madras with microchip fabricated in ISRO‘s Semi-Conductor Laboratory at Chandigarh.
It has been developed under project partly funded by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), as part of two-decade-old efforts to develop indigenous microprocessors.
Significance:
The microprocessor will reduce dependency on imported microchips especially in communication and defence sectors and thus eliminate risk of cyber-attacks. It can be used in mobile computing, wireless and networking systems. It may also provide power to mobile phones, smart meters and surveillance cameras
Defence
Tejas figher aircraft
Tejas is the first advanced fly-by-wire Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) designed,
developed and manufactured indigenously under Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)
programme, by state owned Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL).
It has been pegged as world‟s smallest and lightest supersonic fighter.
About LCA programme: It began in the 1980s to replace India‘s ageing MiG-21 fighters
About Design: It is powered by a single engine. It has tailless and compound delta wing
design. Equipped with satellite-aided Inertial Navigation System. It has digital
computer- based attack system and autopilot mode.
Target Capacity: It can fire Air to Air missiles, carry bombs and precision guided
ammunition. It has limited reach of a little over 400-km. It will be mainly used for close
air-to-ground operations.
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Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
It is India‗s next indigenous fighter and expected to make its first flight by 2032.
It is built under India„s only fifth generation aircraft programme. The aircraft will
feature geometric stealth which is different from material stealth feature. In material
stealth, radar-absorbing materials are used to absorb the radio waves thus reducing the
radar footprint. Whereas, in geometric stealth, the aircraft is designed at such angles to
deflect away maximum radar waves to minimise radar cross section. Thus, the fighter
will have low radar cross section, making it difficult for the enemy to spot it.
BrahMos
BrahMos is the supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from land, sea, sub-sea
and air based platforms.
Indo-Russia Partnership.
It is considered one of the world‟s fastest cruise missile currently in operational use.
The missile‘s range is currently 290km where an improvement is going on which is
estimated at around 300 to 400 kilometers with speeds of up to Mach 2.8 to 3.
Akash Missile
Akash is an indigenously developed medium-range, surface-to-air missile defence
system. DRDO developed Akash as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development
Programme initiated in 1984. It can target aircraft up to 30 km away, at altitudes up to
18,000 m. It consists of Rohini radar that detects incoming aircraft with a range of 120
km.
It can intercept fighter jets, cruise missiles as well as ballistic missiles. It soon will get an
upgraded variant and Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) gave its procedural approval to
the variant.
Recently, it was test fired with an indigenous radio frequency seeker. This is the first
surface-to-air missile with indigenous seeker that has been test fired. With this
success, India has achieved the capability of making any type of surface-to-air missile.
Barak 8
Barak 8 (the Hebrew word for Lightning), jointly developed by India and Israel, is a
long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM).
It is designed to defend against any type of airborne threat including aircraft, helicopters,
anti-ship missiles, and UAVs as well as cruise missiles and combat jets. It has two-way
data link, Active Radar Seeker Missile with 360- degree coverage and flexible command
and control system enabling Simultaneous Engagements on multiple targets in all
weather conditions.
Barak 8 missile defence system will be procured by the Israeli Navy to protect its
economic zones and strategic facilities.
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Supersonic Interceptor Missile
It is a full-fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile defense (BMD) system, capable of
destroying any incoming hostile ballistic missile. It is single stage solid rocket propelled
guided missile equipped with a navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro-
mechanical activator
The BMD consists of two interceptor missiles,
Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) for exo-atmospheric ranges and
Advanced Area Defence (AAD) missile for endo atmosphere for lower latitudes
Prahar Missile
Prahar is the surface-to-surface tactical missile developed by Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO). It is a contemporary weapon system capable of
carrying multiple types of warheads and neutralizing a wide variety of targets.
Astra Missile
Astra is the indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM)
by DRDO. It was successfully test fired from Su-30 aircraft.
Astra is the best in class weapon system. It comprises a launcher and a missile and it is
designed as a BVR missile with a long range of 110 km and short range of 20 km.
MiG-21 Fighter Jets
MiG is a product of Soviet Union which entered in to the service in 1959. India inducted
the MiG-21 in 1963 and got full technology transfer and rights to license-build the
aircraft in the country. It is the first supersonic fighter aircraft of the Indian Air
Force. Russia stopped producing the aircraft in 1985, while India continued operating
the upgraded variants.
In the upcoming India-Russia Bilateral summit, India is likely to gift 3 MiG fighter jets to
Russia. MiG-21 fighter jets will be phased out of service by 2021-22. Tejas, an
indigeneous fighter aircraft will replace the ageing MiG-21.
Mig-29
India recently upgraded Mig-29.
It is a combat aircraft which is flexible and can maneuver every situation. Mig 29 is a
twin-engine jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union compatible with latest
missiles and can launch multi-dimensional attacks
Upgraded Mig-29 has capability of taking off vertically; Multi-Functional Display (MFD)
screen; Air-to-Air refueling feature; Air-to-Air, Air-to-Ground and Anti-Shipping
Operation; and Glass cockpit having digital screens.
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Sukhoi Su-30MKI
The first indigenously overhauled Sukhoi Su-30MKI supersonic aircraft was recently
handed over to the Indian Air Force.
During the overhaul, the aircraft was stripped completely and rebuilt from scratch,
replacing certain worn out parts/components.
The aircraft was overhauled in country‘s only fighter aircraft repair depot 'Ojhar' in
Maharashtra.
Sukhoi Aircraft was developed by Russia. The license for building it was given to Indian
Air Force in the past 2 decades. It is twin-finned, twin-jet multi-role aircraft capable of
attaining speeds of Mach 2 at high altitudes. It can carry guns, missiles, bombs, rockets
and other weaponry.
S-400 Triumf systems
The Russian-built S-400 Triumf Air Defence System is considered much more effective
than the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system developed by the US.
The S-400 is a mobile system that integrates multifunction radar, autonomous
detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and a
command and control centre. It can be deployed within five minutes, and is capable of
firing three types of missiles to create a layered defense.
India is going ahead with the purchase of S-400 air defence systems from Russia despite
American concerns. The U.S. has passed the CAATSA (Countering America„s
Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) that proposes to impose sanctions on nations that
have significant defence relations with Russia.
While the U.S. Administration has said waivers will be incorporated in it to protect
friends and allies.
Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW)
It is an indigenously developed light weight glide bomb, capable of targeting large
enemy infrastructure, like airfields.
It was recently flight tested from Indian Air Force‘s Jaguar aircraft successfully.
It is an accurate bomb and is termed a precision-guided munition (PGM). It has
'Inertial navigation system' which guides it precisely to its target, typically an enemy
airfield up to 100 km away. This precisely guided one bomb is more economical than
traditional free fall bombs which are less accurate. It has another advantage that it can
release the bomb at a safer distance to enemy airfield and return without exposing itself
to enemy anti-aircraft defences.
HELINA
HELINA is an acronym for 'Helicopter Launched Nag' missile.
Nag is a third generation Anti-Tank guided missile indigenously developed under
'Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)' of DRDO.
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Anti-Tank Guided Missiles are primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored
military vehicles.
Helina is the helicopter launch variant of Nag, that can be fired from Dhruv advanced
light helicopter and HAL Rudra attack helicopter.
It is a heavier and longer-range version of the vehicle mounted Nag missile with a 7-km
range. Typically, a land version of Nag missile has a range of only 4 km.
The missile is guided by 'infrared imaging seeker', that homes in on the target‘s heat
signature.
IGMDP involves the development of Agni, Akash, Trishul, Prithvi and Nag missiles.
Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile
DRDO has recently successfully man-portable anti-tank guided missile from
Ahmednagar range.
It is the third generation Anti-tank Missile which will be used by Indian Army. It has
been developed by DRDO with private sector partnership. It is low weight missile with a
range of 2500 metres.
K9 Vajra-T Guns
It is a 155-mm, 52-calibre self propelled artillery gun with a maximum range of 40 km,
customised from the original K9 Thunder gun.
The fire control system has been customised for desert conditions to the requirements of
the Indian Army.
India is also planning to procure M777 ultra-light howitzers from U.S. The M777 is a
155-mm, 39-calibre towed artillery gun and weighs just four tonnes, making it
transportable under slung from helicopters.
Xingkong-2 or Stary Sky-2
China has successfully tested its first wave rider hypersonic aircraft "Xingkong-2 or
Stary Sky-2" that can carry nuclear warheads. It has the capability to penetrate any
current generation anti-missile defence systems. Its range is 30 kms in altitude and it
travels at Mach 5-5.6.
INS Trikand
INS Trikand is a state-of-the-art warship of the Indian Navy equipped with a versatile
range of weapons and sensors capable. It can address threats in all three dimensions -
air, surface and subsurface. Recently it has reached Sri Lanka in a goodwill visit.
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INS Tarangini
It is the first ship of the Indian Navy to have circumnavigated the globe in the year
2003-04.
It commenced Lokayan-18 from Kochi, to cover a distance of over 20,000 nautical miles
to display the Indian flag at 15 ports across 13 countries.
During its Lokayan voyage, it will participate in the prestigious „tall ship races - 2018‟
at Sunderland Port in the UK.
ICGS Varaha:
It is a new Offshore patrol vessel (OPV) launched by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). It is fourth in the series of 98 M OPVs designed and built indigenously by Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
Key features:
It is fitted with advanced technology navigation and communication equipment, sensor and machinery. Its weaponry includes one 30 mm and two 12.7 mm guns with fire control system. It has been designed to attain maximum speed of 26 knots and has endurance of 5,000 nautical miles.
It also equipped with an Integrated Bridge System (IBS), Automated Power Management System (APMS), Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), and High Power External Fire Fighting (EFF) system.
National Technical Research Organisation
India‘s first missile tracking ship is being built for NTRO by Hindustan Shipyard
Limited (HSL).
NTRO is India‟s technical intelligence agency. It is working under the supervision of
the Prime Minister‘s Office and the National Security Adviser. The organisation has the
same 'Norms of Conduct' as Intelligent Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing
(RAW). In 2017, ministry of home affairs through its notification, listed NTRO under The
Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985.
India‟s nuclear triad is complete India has declared that its nuclear triad, stated in its nuclear doctrine, is operational after indigenous ballistic missile nuclear submarine INS Arihant recently achieved a milestone by conducting its first deterrence patrol.
The submarine recently returned from its first deterrence patrol, completing the establishment of the country‘s survivable nuclear triad. INS Arihant is now capable of prowling the deep seas carrying ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads.
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Significance:
This places India in the league of the few countries that can design, construct and operate ship submersible ballistic nuclear (SSBN).
Given India‘s stated position of ‗No-First-Use‘ (NFU) in launching nuclear weapons, the ship submersible ballistic nuclear (SSBN) is the most dependable platform for a second-strike. Because they are powered by nuclear reactors, these submarines can stay underwater indefinitely without the adversary detecting it. The other two platforms — land-based and air-launched are far easier to detect.
About INS Arihant:
Arihant was commissioned into service in August 2016. It has a displacement of 6000 tonnes and is powered by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor with enriched uranium.
India‟s NFU:
In 1998, India conducted nuclear tests under Pokhran-II and in 2003, it declared its nuclear doctrine based on credible minimum deterrence and a NFU policy while reserving the right of massive retaliation if struck with nuclear weapons first.
Eyerovtuna
Eyerovtuna is India's first commercial remotely operated vehicle (ROV) underwater
robotic drone.
It has been designed and developed indigenously by Kochi-based start-up IROV
Technologies Pvt Ltd (EyeROV).
The robotic drone,can be navigated up to a depth of 50 meters to take real-time HD video
images. It will be helpful to examine ship hulls or undersea cables or bridge moorings,
eliminating the need for costlier and riskier manual inspection by divers. It can be put to
uses ranging from inspections of ship hulls, ports, dams and nuclear power plants, to
search and rescue, naval mine detection and ocean studies.
It will be used by the laboratory of DRDO.
IT, Nanotechnology, Nuclear Technology and Others
World‟s first remote Local Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP) microscope
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),Madras has commissioned remotely operable
Local Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP) microscope.
It is claimed to be world‘s first remotely operable LEAP microscope, as it can be remotely
operated through special terminal by researchers divided geographically.
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Significance: LEAP is high-performance microscope that can provide a precise atom-by-
atom view of materials. It provides atomic-scale insights into metallic, which will
influence wide spectrum of industries ranging from steel to automobiles and energy to
transportation sector. It will also give major thrust to research in nanotechnology, among
other fields.
Turnitin
It is the software to detect plagiarism (Stealing and publication of another author's ideas
or expressions) in research.
Recently Ministrty of Human Resource Development has asserted that this software will
be provided to all universities free of cost.
Net Neutrality
The basic principles of net neutrality is that nobody owns the internet and it is free and
open to all and that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must treat all internet traffic equally
without any regard to the type, origin or destination of the content or the means of its
transmission.
According to TRAI net neutrality principles, any form of discrimination or interference in
the treatment of content, including practices like blocking, degrading, slowing down or
granting preferential speeds or treatment to any content is prohibited.
Telecom Commission of India, the highest decision-making body in the Department of
Telecom has recently approved the principles of net neutrality recommended by TRAI last
year.
RISECREEK and Project Shakti
Computer scientists from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras have developed
first of family of six industry-standard microprocessors under Project Shakti.
Project Shakti was started in 2014 as IIT-M initiative and part of it is funded by Ministry
of Electronics and Information Technology.
Their design is open source and can be adapted by others.
These viable industry-grade microprocessors can operate at frequency of 350 MHz, thus
meets demands of defence and strategic equipment of country such as NAVIC (Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite) and Internet of Things (IoT) electronics. These processors
can also be tapped for future efforts in semiconductors
The Shakti plan started in 2014 as an IIT-M initiative. The Shakti project is not aimed at
only building processors. It also aims to build high speed interconnects for servers and
supercomputers based on variants of the RapidiIO and GenZ standards. These are key to
build large clusters of processors to get Petaflop and Exaflop level supercomputers.
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Fifth Generation (5G) Panel
A steering committee headed by Paulraj was formed by the government last year to make
fifth generation (5G) telecommunication services successful in India.
Its mandate is to formulate a road map for 5G services in India. The committee has
revealed that the advent of next-generation wireless services may unleash USD 1 trillion
economic opportunity for the country.
Under the spectrum policy, the committee has suggested that India‘s spectrum allocation
for public wireless services should be enhanced significantly.
It has also asked for setting up a Standing Committee with five-year term to advise on
building spectrum technology infrastructure.
While the US is likely to deploy 5G services later this year, or in the first quarter of 2019,
the India rollout may begin by 2020.
India‟s first indigenous anti-nuclear medical kit
Scientists at Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) claim to have
developed India‗s first indigenous medical kit that may ensure protection from serious
injuries and faster healing of wounds resulting from nuclear warfare or radioactive
leakage.
The kit has been developed for the armed, paramilitary and police forces only as they are
the first ones likely to get exposed to radiation, be it during nuclear, chemical and
biomedical (NCB) warfare or a rescue operation after a nuclear accident.
Cyclone-30
The country's biggest cyclotron facility Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC)
became operational recently. The cyclotron facility will produce radioisotopes vital for
diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Cyclone-30 is the machine housed at the Kolkata-based VECC under the Department of
Atomic Energy (DAE). It will produce radioisotopes for nuclear imaging specifically for
cancer detection. At present, many radioisotopes are imported while some are produced
in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and remaining in cyclotrons facilities run by
private hospitals.
APSARA - U
Apsara is the first research reactor in Asia became operational in Trombay campus of
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 1956 and the reactor was shut down in 2009.
Recently a swimming pool type research reactor 'Apsara-upgraded', of higher capacity
was setup at Trombay.
The reactor, made indigenously, uses plate type dispersion fuel elements made of Low
Enriched Uranium (LEU). This reactor will increase indigenous production or radio-
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isotopes for medical application by about fifty percent and would also be extensively used
for research in nuclear physics, material science and radiation shielding.
Nuclear Plant in M.P
Activist and villagers in Madhya Pradesh raised their concerns over the proposed nuclear
plant in Chutka. In 2009, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) has decided
to set up the atomic station in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh to generate 1,400 MW
power.
At present, there are 9 nuclear power reactors at various stages of construction.
Kakrapar (2 reactors) in Gujarat, Rawatbhata (2 reactors) in Rajasthan, Kudankulam (2
reactors) and Kalpakkam (1 reactor) in Tamil Nadu and Gorakhpur ( 1 reactor) in
Haryana. There are few nuclear power reactors accorded administrative approval and
financial sanction. Each site has 2 reactors. Gorakhpur in Haryana, Mahi-Banswara in
Rajasthan, Kaiga in Karnataka, Chutka in Madhya pradesh, Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu.
Fusion Energy Conference
The 27th edition of fusion energy conference was recently organised in Gandhinagar. It is
organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and hosted by the
Department of Atomic Energy and Gandhinagar-based Institute of Plasma Research.
It aims to provide a forum for the discussion of technology issues that are of direct
relevance to the use of nuclear fusion as a source of energy. Innovative concepts on
using nuclear fusion as a source of energy are discussed in this conference.
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)
ITER, the world‟s largest experimental fusion facility is in France. It is the most
complex science project in human history, started in 2010. It will use hydrogen fusion,
controlled by superconducting magnets, to produce massive heat energy.
This nuclear fusion facility is an international cooperation among the European Union,
Russia, the US, Japan, China, India and South Korea. It is the first industrial-scale
fusion reactor and it will illuminate the way to produce clean, cheap, and abundant
energy for millions of years. It will start generating a molten mass of electrically-charged
gas 'plasma' inside a core by 2025.
Health and Diseases
Medipix
New Zealand scientists have performed the first-ever 3-D, colour X-ray on a human,
using a technique that promises to improve the field of medical diagnostics. The
technique used is known as Medipix.
The technology is developed by European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). It
works like a camera detecting and counting individual sub-atomic particles as they
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collide with pixels while its shutter is open. This allows for high-resolution, high-contrast
pictures. The images very clearly show the difference between bone, muscle and
cartilage, it also tells abotu the position and size of cancerous tumours.
Rare Blood Type
A team of doctors have identified a rare blood group called ‗pp‘ or ‗P Null‘ phenotype
blood group.
A blood type is considered rare if fewer than 1 in 1,000 people have it. A person is said to
have rare blood group when he lacks the high frequency antigen or multiple common
antigens. ABO and Rh D are the commonly typed blood group systems. However, there
are more than 200 minor blood group antigens known besides A, B and Rh.
The rarest blood group world over is the Bombay (because phenotype first discovered in
Bombay) blood group. It is also called the HH group.
Scutoid
Scientists have discovered a new a twisted prism kind of shape called Scutoid during
their research on how nature moulds tissue to form the skin, cavity lining and the
building blocks of organ. Scutoid shape has five sides on one end and six on the other
and a triangular surface on one of its longer edges.
Significance: Scutoid shape allows the tissue to mould around organs.
Nipah Virus
According to WHO, the Nipah virus infection is a newly emerging zoonosis, that is, a
disease transmitted from animals to humans.
The natural host of the virus are fruit bats belonging to the family Pteropodidae. Pigs can
also act as intermediate hosts. In 2004, humans were affected after eating the date palm
contaminated by infected fruit bats. It was first identified in 1998 at Kampung Sungai
Nipah village, Malaysia. The virus is named after this village.
The symptoms of Nipah are similar to that of influenza: fever, muscle pain, and
respiratory problems.
Currently, there are no vaccines for both humans and animals.
West Nile Virus
Kerala Health department has suspected a viral infection similar to West Nile in a woman
from Kozhikode district.
West Nile Virus (WNV), typically spread by mosquitoes, can cause neurological disease
and death in people. It is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the same
family of Japanese encephalitis - Flaviviridae.
Its transmission cycle, by nature, revolves between birds and mosquitoes. Humans,
horses and other mammals can be infected.
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Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which circulate the virus
in their blood for a few days. Human infection is most often the result of bites from
infected mosquitoes.
To date, no human-to-human transmission of WNV through casual contact has been
documented.
It may be transmitted through contact with other infected animals, their blood or other
tissues.
No vaccine is available for humans.
It is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and West Asia.
It was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937. In India,
it was first noticed in 1956 and it had its presence in Kerala in 1973.
Zika Virus
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) surveillance system has recently detected
cases of Zika Virus in Jaipur. Zika virus is a member of the virus family Flaviviridae. It is
a mosquito-borne disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.
It can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection during pregnancy can
cause certain birth defects. Zika infection during pregnancy can cause a birth defect of
the brain called microcephaly and other severe brain defects. It is also linked to other
problems, such as miscarriage, stillbirth, and other birth defects.
There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika. The disease is currently being reported by 86
countries worldwide. Symptoms of Zika virus disease are similar to other viral infections
such as dengue, which include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain
and headache.
In India, the first outbreak was reported in Ahmedabad in January-February 2017 and
2nd outbreak in Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu. Both were successfully contained
through intensive surveillance and vector management.
According to WHO, Zika is no longer a public health emergency of international concern.
Diphtheria
Government hospitals in Delhi has reported a dozen diphtheria deaths in children over
the past two weeks. Diphtheria is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the
bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria.
It primarily infects the throat and upper airways and produces a toxin affecting other
organs. The toxin causes a membrane of dead tissue to build up over the throat and
tonsils, making breathing and swallowing difficult.
The disease is spread through direct physical contact or from breathing in the coughs or
sneezes of infected individuals. It can be fatal if left untreated, but has become
increasingly rare in recent decades due to high rates of vaccination.
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Scrub Typhus
Scrub Typhus is an acute illness in humans caused by a bacteria. It is transmitted by
the bite of infected mite larva present in the soil.
Gorakhpur in U.P is treated as a hub of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). Number of
patients affected by AES admitted in the Hospital has increased during Monsoon period.
To find out the reason behind this, researchers has identified the role of scrub typhus.
Almost, 65% of the AES patients got infected by Scrub Typhus. This finding is
important, given that scrub typhus can be treated easily if detected early. The increase in
infestation of rodents by mites during August-October explains why scrub typhus
incidence peaks during monsoon.
Leptospirosis
Health Department has recently given the warning about leptospirosis disease in the
post-flood period. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection in rodents and other wild and
domesticated species. It is a zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the genus
Leptospira. It is transmitted to humans by exposure through water contaminated by
urine from infected animals.
The infection in man is contracted through skin abrasions and the mucosa of the nose,
mouth and eyes. Human-to-human transmission is rare. In most of the cases,
leptospirosis only causes mild flu-like symptoms, such as headache, chills and muscle
pain.
However, in some cases the infection is more severe and can cause life-threatening
problems, including organ failure and internal bleeding.
Severe form of leptospirosis is known as Weil's disease. It is an emerging tropical
infectious disease. Without treatment, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage,
meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. It is often caused by a virus and Hepatitis B
and C, the two main types of the five different hepatitis infections (A, B, C, D, E) are
responsible for 96% of overall hepatitis mortality.
The most common modes of infection are through exposure to contaminated blood or
blood products and invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipments. It can
also be transmitted sexually and be passed from an infected mother to her baby.
Currently, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C; except Hepatitis C, all other hepatitis
viruses have safe and effective vaccination to prevent them.
Hepatitis B is included in India‘s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). According to
the WHO's Global Strategy of Viral Hepatitis, the goal to eliminate Hepatitis B and C
should be achieved by 2030.
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Formalin
Fish Samples in Chennai have shown the presence of Formalin. This is the first time,
samples of fish in Tamil Nadu have tested positive for formalin.
Formalin, a derivative of formaldehyde is a carcinogenic substance used to prolong the
shelf life of fish. It is harmful when consumed by humans. Once ingested, formalin
releases toxins into the body, and the sustained ingestion of formalin can eventually lead
to cancer.
Other Chemical used in Fishing: Sodium benzoate was a preservative that was mixed
when the ice was formed and Ammonia is also added to the ice, but it is done to prevent
the ice from melting.
PEGylated Streptokinase
CSIR has developed a Novel Biological Entity (NBE), new Clot buster, PEGylated
Streptokinase.
Novel Biological Entity (NBE) is a thrombolytic protein for ischemic stroke.
PEGylated Streptokinase would reduce the probability of haemorrhage over current
treatment regimens of thrombolytic drugs for acute stroke. This technology is all set to
revolutionize the treatment of ischemic strokes.
Ischemic Stroke
Ischemic stroke is a condition caused by a dysfunction in the supply of blood to the
brain. Deprived of oxygen and other nutrients, the brain suffers damage as a result of
the stroke. Ischemic stroke can be divided into two main types:
Thrombotic stroke - It occurs when diseased or damaged cerebral arteries become
blocked by the formation of a blood clot within the brain.
Embolic strokes - It is caused by a blood clot or plaque debris that develops
elsewhere in the body and then travels to one of the blood vessels in the brain
through the bloodstream.
Bio-electronic Medicine
Scientists have recently developed world‘s first bio-electronic medicine. It is an
implantable, biodegradable wireless device that speeds nerve regeneration and
improves the healing of a damaged nerve. It delivers regular pulses of electricity to
damaged peripheral nerves, accelerates the regrowth of nerves and enhance the ultimate
recovery of muscle strength.
This Bio-electronic medicine technology provides therapy and treatment directly at the
site for a relevant period of time, thereby reducing risks associated with conventional,
permanent implants.
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The ability of the device to degrade in the body eliminates the additional risk for surgery
to remove a non-biodegradable device.
Horizon 2020
It is a joint project by Indian government and European Union to develop a next
generation influenza vaccine to protect citizens worldwide.
It aims to develop cost-effective and affordable influenza vaccine rapidly without
compromising quality. It is expected to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable
Development Goal 3 to ensure health and well-being for all and boost the Indian
National Health Mission.
The project require minimum 3 applicants from European countries associated to
Horizon 2020 and minimum 3 applicants from India. It is also open to applicants from
other countries.
MCR 1 Gene
Mobilized colistin resistance (mcr-1) gene that confers multidrug resistance has now
been reported in Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria.
This gene endows resistance against last hope antibiotic, colistin.
Colistin, also known as polymyxin E, is an antibiotic produced by certain strains of the
bacteria Paenibacillus polymyxa. Colistin has also been used recently to treat ventilator-
associated pneumonia (VAP) and bacteremia caused by MDR bacteria, such as P.
aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae and A. Baumannii.
Bedaquiline
Bedaquiline is the powerful anti-TB drug used to treat Multi Drug Resistant- TB (MDR-
TB).
Fixed Dose Combination Drugs (FDCs)
FDCs is a drug which contains two or more active ingredients in a fixed dosage ratio. The
FDC formulation may have up to 5 or even more ingredients with or without rationality of
their presence and in the quantity.
Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has prohibited the
manufacture, sale or distribution of 328 fixed dose combinations (FDCs) for human use
with immediate effect.
Wolbachia
Wolbachia is a tiny bacterium that is present in 60% of all species of insects, including
several mosquito species. But the bacterium is not usually in the Aedes aegypti
mosquito, which is primarily responsible for transmitting dengue, chikungunya and
Zika.
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It is one of the world‘s most common parasitic microbes and the most common
reproductive parasite in the biosphere.
If this bacterium is introduced in mosquitoes, it could stop disease-spreading viruses
from replicating, growing and spreading the diseases. India and several countries are
carrying out experiments to look in to the possibility of breeding Wolbachia in Aedes
aegypti. The experiment has proved remarkably effective in a small town in Australia,
preventing fresh outbreaks of dengue.
At present, large-scale trials are under way in Brazil, Colombia and Indonesia.
oesophageal organoids
Scientists have successfully grown world's first oesophageal organoids using stem cells.
It was grown entirely from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), which can form any tissue
type in the body.
Oesophageal organoids are miniature, functional versions of the human food pipe. The
oesophagus is a muscular tube that actively passes food from the mouth to the stomach.
The organ can be affected by congenital diseases called oesophageal atresia - a narrowing
or malformation of the oesophagus caused by genetic mutations. The production of
organoids using stem cells paves new ways to study and test drugs against gut disorders.
Scientific Phenomenon
Einstein‟s theory of general relativity
Einstein predicted that when light passed close to a powerful source of gravity, it would
lose some of its energy. In a way, the light has to struggle to move through the field of
intense gravity.
Recently, this phenomenon got proved when one of the stars, called S2, recently passed
by the massive black hole (Sagittarius A- a super massive black hole in the Milky Way
Galaxy which is 4 million times heavier than sun.) at a speed of nearly 3% of the speed of
light. The passerby of the S2 was observed by Very Large Telescope (located in Chile) of
European Space Agency. The light form S2 star has shown that it does lose some of its
energy during its passage around the Black Hole.
IceCube Experiment
The IceCube experiment at the South Pole is a cubic kilometre in size and uses deep
arctic ice as a target for the neutrinos.
Neutrinos are one of the most abundant particles in the universe. They are incredibly
difficult to detect as they have very little interaction with matter. They generally do not
carry electric charge. However Neutrinos can produce a charged particle when they
occasionally do interact with the fundamental particles that make up ice. In
IceCube, this resulting particle travels through the ice and produces a trail of faint
light.
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Recent Development
World's Oldest Colors
Scientists have discovered the oldest color in the geological record, the bright pink
pigment aged 1.1 billion years old from the molecular fossils of chlorophyll that were
produced by ancient photosynthetic organisms (marine black shales) of the Taoudeni
Basin in Mauritania, West Africa.
Technology Summit
The technology summit is being organised by Ministry of Science and Technology every
year.
The 24th edition of this summit is going to be organised with Italy as the partner country.
In the past 18 years, several countries have become partner countries in this summit.
This is the first time that Italy has been selected as partner country. The Summit is
envisaged to serve as a wide-ranging knowledge-business partnership platform. It will
also facilitate a comprehensive convergence of key elements of knowledge economy of
India and Italy.
Aerospace, Clean tech, Cultural Heritage, Education, Healthcare, ICT and
Renewable are the seven focus sectors for this year‘s summit.
Bisphenol A (BPA)
BPA is commonly used to coat insides of food cans, bottle tops and water supply lines.
BPA that seeps into food and drink is considered safe in low doses, but prolonged
exposure is suspected of affecting the health of children and contributing to high blood
pressure.
Scientists at Rice University in the US have developed tiny spheres that can catch and
destroy bisphenol A (BPA). This new material helps in overcoming two significant
technological barriers for photocatalytic water treatment.
The micron-sized spheres has two-faced structure, with hydrophobic (water-avoiding)
cavity and hydrophilic (water-attracting) outer surface. BPA is hydrophobic and
naturally attracted to the cavity. Once trapped, reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced
by the spheres degrades BPA into harmless chemicals.
OneerTM
It is a water disinfection system developed by Council Scientific and Industrial Research
and Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow.
The system will eliminate all disease causing pathogens such as virus, bacteria, fungi,
protozoa to provide safe drinking water to communities. It is useful for continuous
treatment of water to meet National and International standards prescribed for potable
water (BIS, WHO etc.).
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The smaller unit of Oneer is particularly suitable for homes, street food vendors, and
small establishments.
Thermal Battery Plant
World‟s first-ever thermal battery plant was recently inaugurated in Amravati,Andhra
Pradesh.
It aims to create a new energy storage form with commercial applications, maintaining a
low carbon footprint and less dependent on external factors like weather. The plant will
begin its commercial operations from May 2019. It is supposed to create a battery
capacity of 1000MW. This is expected to be upgraded to a 10GW capacity by 2025.
This plant is based on technology patented in India by Dr Patrick Glynn in 2016.
Conventional battery technology is based on the system of charging/discharging cycles
that are driven by electricity. Eg. Lithium ion battery used in electronic devices.
Thermal batteries, use thermal energy to operate, i.e. the energy created by temperature
differences.
The energy transfer in thermal batteries helps store heat when heat travels from one part
of the battery setup to the other. It consists of two parts such as a cool zone known as
sink, and a hot source called source. Both these sides consist of compounds known as
phase-changing materials (PCMs), which can change their state of matter on basis of
physical and chemical reaction. When the sink of a thermal battery receives heat, it
transforms physically or chemically, thereby storing energy, while the source cools down.
During operation, the sink is cooled down, so it releases the stored energy, while the
source heats up.
Thermal Battery can be used in electric vehicles, telecom infrastructures, power intensive
industries etc.
Microcystallites
These are a new type of gold in the form of very small crystals developed by researchers
from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru.
The microcystallites were synthesised by decomposing an organic complex containing
gold and other ions under controlled conditions.
The newly formed microcystallites, about 3 micrometre in length were found to be of a
different crystal structure.
Normal gold has a (face-centered) cubic structure, while the new ones exhibit deformed
cubic structure, tetragonal and orthorhombic cells.
The microcrystal gold has been found to be nobler than gold as it do not dissolve in
mercury and Aqua regia (a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid), and showed the
least interaction with copper.
Microcystallites are also more stable than the normal gold.
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Hydrogen Powered Train
Germany has rolled out the world‘s first hydrogen-powered train. Hydrogen trains are
equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity through a combination of hydrogen and
oxygen, a process that leaves steam and water as the only emissions. Excess energy is
stored in ion lithium batteries on board the train. Thus, the technology is eco-friendly
when compared to polluting diesel trains.
WAYU
It is a device developed by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute
(NEERI), Nagpur-based laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR).
It is to address air pollution at high traffic zones, which have lot of buildings in the
neighbourhood leading to restricted flow of air called "Street Canyon" effect.
A fan sucks air around the device and pollutants like dust and particulate matter are
separate using three filters of different dimensions. The air is led into a specially
designed chamber where carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons content in the air are
oxidized. After oxidation, the pollutants will turn into less harmful carbon dioxide using
activated carbon coated with titanium dioxide. The purified air is then ejected with force
into the atmosphere so as to help dilute pollutant content in the outside air.
Government Initiatives
Scientific Research Infrastructure Management and Networks (SRIMAN)
The government has proposed a new policy SRIMAN, which plans to hire out to
researchers all lab equipment that cost more than Rs. 10 lakh.
Significance: It is expected to transform scientific instruments in government labs into
lucrative assets generating a steady rental income. It would also reduce the amount of
time such expensive instruments remain idle. Currently, the practice of researchers
bidding for time-slots to use lab instruments is typically seen more with very expensive
equipment, such as radio telescopes and particle-accelerators, which cost crores of
rupees.
Prime Minister‟s Research Fellows (PMRF) Scheme
The scheme was announced in the Budget Speech 2018-19. It will be implemented for
period of seven years beginning 2018-19 at total cost of Rs. 1650 crore.
Eligibility: Open to all potential researchers from 2019 (Earlier limited to candidates
from IISc, IITs, NITs, IIEST and IISERs).
Under it, best students who have completed or are in final year of B.Tech/Integrated
M.Tech/M.Sc courses in Science and Technology streams will be offered direct
admission in PhD programme in IITs/IISc. Maximum of 3000 Fellows would be
selected in three year period, beginning 2018-19.
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Selected students will be offered monthly fellowship ranging from Rs.70,000 to
Rs.80,000 and Rs.2.00 lakh research grant for period of 5 years.
PM-STIAC
Prime Minister‟s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC)
is a 21 member panel.
Scientific Advisory Committees (SAC) - Cabinet and SAC-PM are dissolved and replaced
by PM-STIAC.
It will advise the Prime Minister on all matters related to S&T, innovation and monitor
the implementation of PM‘s vision on the same. It is expected to act as a high-level
advisory body to several ministries and execute mission-oriented programmes.
It will be chaired by the government‘s Principal Scientific Advisor.
Secretaries of various scientific ministries such as education, environment and health
would be ‗special invitees‘ to the council meetings.
India International Science Festival
The fourth edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) is going to be organised in
Lucknow. It will be organised with its focal theme 'Science for Transformation'.
Ministry of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences in association with Vijnana Bharati
(VIBHA) is organising this festival since 2015.
The first and second edition of IISF were held in New Delhi and the third in Chennai.
World Record Attempts have been a key part of India International Science Festival since
2015.
This year, a World Record attempt will be made to 'isolate DNA' by 500 students from
class 8th to 10th standard.
IMPRINT India
Impacting Research Innovation And Technology (IMPRINT) is the first of its kind, Pan IIT
and IISC joint initiative supported by Ministry of HRD.
It aims to develop a roadmap for research to solve major engineering and technology
challenges in technology domains relevant to India.
The focus will be in direct research in the premier institutions into areas of social
relevance.
There are 142 research projects in implementation stage under IMPRINT-1.
The government has recently approved 122 new research projects under IMPRINT-2.
The proposals for new research projects is open for higher education institutions
including private institutions. The various areas covered under this research projects
are Energy, Security, Healthcare, Advanced Materials, ICT and Security/Defence
domains.
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Indian Scientist and Their Contributions/ Awards
Professor P. C. Mahalanobis
12th National Statistics Day celebrated on 29th June, the day marks 125th Birth
Anniversary of Professor P. C. Mahalanobis. On the eve of 12th Statistics Day (June
29th), a commemorative coin of Rs 125 and circulation coin of Rs 5 denomination have
been released.
In recognition of the notable contributions made by Late Professor Prasanta Chandra
Mahalanobis in the fields of statistics, statistical system and economic planning,
Government of India in 2007, has designated 29th June as the Statistics Day.
The objective of celebration of this Day is to create public awareness about the
importance of statistics in socio-economic planning and policy formulation, to
acknowledge the contribution of Prof. Mahalanobis, and to pay homage to him.
Theme this year: 'Quality Assurance in Official Statistics'
Fields Medal
The Fields medals are awarded every four years to the most promising mathematicians
under the age of 40. The prize was inaugurated in 1932 at the request of Canadian
mathematician John Charles Fields, who ran the 1924 Mathematics Congress in
Toronto.
Akshay Venkatesh, a renowned Indian-Australian mathematician, is one of four
winners of mathematics‘s prestigious Fields medal, known as the Nobel prize for math.
Nobel Prize-2018
The Nobel Prize is a set of six annual international awards by Swedish and Norwegian
institutions. The prizes are established by the will of Swedish inventor and industrialist
Alfred Nobel. The awards are given annually in recognition of academic, cultural, or
scientific advances. The prizes as established by his will are the Nobel Prize for Physics,
the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, the Nobel Prize
for Literature, and the Nobel Prize for Peace.
An additional award, the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of
Alfred Nobel, was established in 1968 by the Bank of Sweden. Although not technically a
Nobel Prize, it is identified with the award. The winners of Economic Sciences are
announced with the Nobel Prize recipients and it is presented at the Nobel Prize Award
Ceremony.
Scientists Arthur Ashkin (USA), Gerard Mourou (USA) and Donna Strickland (Canada)
won the 2018 Nobel Prize for Physics. Strickland , becomes only the third woman to
win a Nobel prize for physics. They are awarded for breakthroughs in the field of
lasers used for surgery as well as scientific study.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018 is awarded in two parts. One half of the prize is awarded
to Frances H. Arnold for the directed evolution of enzymes. In 1993, she conducted
the first directed evolution of enzymes, which are proteins that catalyse chemical
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reactions. The other half jointly to George P. Smith and Sir Gregory P. Winter for the
phage display of peptides and antibodies. In 1985, George Smith developed an elegant
method known as phage display, where a bacteriophage (a virus that infects bacteria),
can be used to evolve new proteins.
Nobel Peace Prize 2018 is awarded to Denis Mukwege from Republic of Congo and
Nadia Murad from Iraq. Denis Mukwege is a gynecologist helping victims of sexual
violence in his country. Nadia Murad, a Yazidi rights activist and survivor of sexual
slavery by Islamic State and she was a witness who tells of the abuses perpetrated
against herself and others.
Two immunologists, James Allison of the U.S. and Tasuku Honjo of Japan, won the
2018 Nobel Medicine Prize. They won for their work on a new approach to cancer
treatment. They figured out how to help the patient's own immune system tackle the
cancer more quickly. It contradicts with traditional forms of cancer treatment that
directly target cancer cells.
For the first time in decades no Nobel Prize for literature will be given this year. This
is due to a scandal over sexual misconduct allegations against members of the board of
the Swedish Academy that awards it.
2018 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences rewards the design of methods that
addresses sustainable growth in the global economy and welfare. This year, it is
awarded to William D. Nordhaus and Paul M.Romer from USA. Nordhaus is known for
persuading governments to address climate change, preferably by imposing a tax on
carbon emissions. Paul M. Romer is known for integrating technological innovations into
long-run macro-economic analysis.
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Social
Women and Child
ReUnite App
The app is multiuser where parents and citizens can upload pictures of children, and
provide detailed description like name, birth mark, address, report to the police station,
search and identify missing kids.
Developed By: Non- Government Organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan and Capgemini
has developed this app. Amazon Recognition, web facial recognition service, is being used
to identify missing kids.
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) launched in 2016 for achieving
SDG for Maternal Mortality Rate below 70 by 2030.
Objectives: It aims to improve the quality and coverage of Antenatal Care (ANC)
including diagnostics and counselling services as part of the Reproductive Maternal
Neonatal Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) Strategy.
Strategy: The program will provide assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal
care, free of cost, universally to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month. It
guarantees a minimum package of antenatal care services to women in their 2nd/3rd
trimesters of pregnancy at designated government health facilities. The health check-up
includes a minimum package of prenatal care/antenatal care services i.e care given
during pregnancy and medicines such as IFA supplements, calcium supplements etc
would be provided to all pregnant women. The programme follows a systematic
approach for engagement with private sector which includes motivating private
practitioners to volunteer for the campaign.
IPledgeFor9 Achievers Awards have been devised to celebrate individual and team
achievements and acknowledge voluntary contributions for PMSMA in states and
districts across India by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Genetic Screening To all Pregnant Women
The Centre has prepared a draft policy proposing compulsory genetic screening of all
pregnant women to prevent inherited disorders such as thalassemia (blood disorder
characterised by less oxygen-carrying protein (haemoglobin) and fewer red blood cells in
the body than normal) and sickle cell anaemia (cause red blood cells to become
misshapen and break down). Thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia are variants of
Haemoglobinopathies.
Hemoglobinopathy is a kind of genetic defect that results in abnormal structure of one of
the globin chains of the hemoglobin molecule. Thalassemia usually results in
underproduction of normal globin proteins, often through mutations in regulatory genes.
The abnormality results in improper oxygen transport and destruction of red blood cells.
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It has wide-ranging effects on the human body like iron overload, bone deformities and in
severe cases can cause heart diseases.
The disease has no cure and people living with thalassemia require regular blood
transfusions as an effective measure to prolong life.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme was launched in January, 2015, which aimed
at promoting gender equality and the significance of educating girls.
The Scheme is targeted at improving the Child Sex Ratio through multi sectoral
interventions including prevention of gender biased sex selection and promoting girls‘s
education and her holistic empowerment.
It is a tri-ministerial effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health &
Family Welfare &Human Resource Development.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
The Union Government has reduced minimum yearly deposit required under popular girl
child savings scheme, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to Rs 250 from Rs 1,000 earlier to
enable more people to enjoy benefits of this scheme.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a small deposit scheme for the girl child launched
as a part of the ‗Beti Bachao Beti Padhao‘ Campaign.
A Sukanya Samriddhi Account can be opened any time after birth of girl till she turns
10, with minimum deposit of Rs 250 and a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh can be deposited
during the ongoing financial year. The account can be opened in any post office or
authorised branches of commercial banks.
The account will remain operative (maturity period) for 21 years from the date of its
opening or till the marriage of the girl after she turns 18.
To meet the requirement of her higher education expenses, partial withdrawal of 50% of
the balance is allowed after she turns 18.
Interest rate of deposit of the saving scheme is currently at 8.1 per cent and provides
income-tax benefit under section 80 C of the Income Tax Act,1961. Even the returns are
tax free in the scheme.
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV )
KGBV scheme under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) provides residential elementary
educational facilities at upper primary level to girls belonging to Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minority communities and families below the
poverty line in Educationally Backward Blocks.
Under the newly launched Integrated Scheme of School Education-Samagra Shiksha,
provision has been made to upgrade the existing KGBVs at upper primary level to upto
senior secondary level in convergence with the erstwhile Girls Hostel Scheme.
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PENCIL Portal
An electronic platform that bring all the stakeholders together to achieve child labour
free society. It strives for effective implementation of Child Labour Act and National Child
Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme. It is developed by Ministry of Labour and Employment.
WHO Report on Child Health
World Health Organisation has recently released report on 'Air Pollution and Child
Health'.
According to the report, every day around 93% of the world‘s children under the age of
15 years (1.8 billion children) breathe air that is so polluted it puts their health and
development at serious risk.
The report highlights the reason why children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of
air pollution.
children breathe more rapidly than adults and so absorb more pollutants.
pollutants are often more concentrated nearer to ground level.
their developing organs and nervous system are also more susceptible to long-
term damage than those of adults.
The study found that in poorer countries, 98% of all children under five are exposed to
PM2.5 above WHO guidelines.
The report is being launched on the eve of WHO‟s first ever Global Conference on Air
Pollution and Health in Geneva.
Stree Swabhiman Initiative
Stree Swabhiman is an initiative under Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology for promoting women’s menstrual health and hygiene.
Under this initiative, Common Service Centre, Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV) will
provide access to affordable, reliable and modern (eco-friendly) sanitary napkins to
adolescent girls and women in rural areas.
Under this initiative, semi-automatic and manual sanitary napkin manufacturing units
will be set up at CSC for producing sanitary napkins. These micro manufacturing units
will be operated by women entrepreneurs and generate employment for 8-10
women.
PM Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme
It is a centrally sponsored scheme which aims to empower rural women through
community participation implemented by Ministry of Women and Child
Development under umbrella mission for 'Protection and Empowerment for Women'.
The duration of the scheme is from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
Under the scheme, community engagement through student volunteers is envisioned in
the backward districts at block level. Student volunteers will help in awareness
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generation regarding various important government programmes as well as social issues.
Improving the child sex ratio, survival of new born girl child, girl education and empower
them through several initiatives are the main motives.
It is envisioned in 115 aspirational districts as part of the Block Level initiatives. It will
give a strong foothold to BBBP in 640 districts.
Internal Complaints Committee
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act,
2013 makes it mandatory for the consititution of Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to
probe sexual harassment allegations at workplaces.
It is mandatory for any organisation with 10 or more employees to constitute an ICC. An
employer who doesn‘t do so could face a fine of up to Rs. 50,000.
An ICC should consist of a presiding officer, who is a woman employee at a senior level in
the same organisation, at least two employees 'preferably committed to the cause of
women', and a member from an NGO or a person 'familiar with issues relating to sexual
harassment.'
The committee would have powers similar to those of a civil court and would have to
complete its inquiry within 90 days.
Recently, the Corporate Affairs Ministry has amended the Companies (Accounts) Rules,
2014, which mandates companies to disclose whether they have constituted an ICC.
National Legal Services Authority‟s (NALSA) compensation scheme
Supreme Court ordered that minor survivors of rape or sexual assault will get
compensation on par with women victims. The apex court extended to minor children the
National Legal Services Authority‘s (NALSA) compensation scheme for women rape and
sexual assault survivors.
The NALSA scheme would be made applicable to minor victims from October 2 until
the Centre frames compensation guidelines under the POCSO. Special Judges under the
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act should disburse compensation
to minor victims of sex abuse.
As per NALSA‘s scheme, victim of gangrape in any part of the country would now get a
minimum compensation of Rs 5 lakh and up to a maximum of Rs 10 lakh.
Similarly, in case of rape and unnatural sexual assault, the victim would get a
minimum of Rs 4 lakh and maximum of Rs 7 lakh as compensation.
The scheme also says that victim of acid attacks, in case of disfigurement of face,
would get a minimum compensation of Rs 7 lakh, while the upper limit would be Rs 8
lakh.
In acid attack cases, if the injury was more than 50 per cent, a minimum
compensation of Rs 5 lakh would be given, while the maximum would be Rs 8 lakh.
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Youth
Design Univeristy for Gaming
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) will be
setting up a ‗Design University for Gaming‘ in Visakhapatnam. Recenlty UNESCO has
entered into an agreement with Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB)
to establish a „Gaming Digital Learning Hub‟ in Vishakhapatnam.
Significance: The Design University for Gaming will help UNSECO to develop edutech
gaming in state, with the target of providing 50,000 jobs in 10 years.
Sports University
The National Sports University Bill, 2018 was recently passed by Lok Sabha. The bill
seeks to establish a National Sports University headquartered in Manipur.
The university, first of its kind, aims to promote sports education in the areas of sports
sciences, sports technology, sports management and sports coaching.
It will undertake research on physical education, strengthen sports training
programmes, and collaborate internationally in the field of physical education. As per the
bill, key powers of the university includes,
Prescribing courses of study and conducting training programmes,
Granting degrees, diplomas, and certificates,
Providing facilities through a distance education system, and
Conferring autonomous status on a college or an institution.
The central government will review and inspect the functioning of the University.
It will maintain a fund which is contributed by the central, state governments, UGC,
income from fees and others sources.
The government has signed an agreement with two Australian Universities to make
the sports university a world-class institution.
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985
The Punjab Government has demanded to amend NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substance) Act to bring death penalty for first time offenders and has
declared it mandatory for its employees to undergo screening for drug use.
The Act was passed in a bid to criminalize the cultivation, and possession of narcotic
drugs.
The death penalty was introduced in the Act in 1989, to deter narco-terrorism.
The law also provides a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for offences involving
commercial quantities of drugs.
This determination assumes that people found with commercial quantities of drugs are
drug traffickers.
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Under the law, proving possession alone is sufficient, the prosecution does not have to
prove intent to lead to conviction.
Since intent is harder to prove than a criminal act alone, strict liability ensures higher
convictions.
Scheduled Caste and Tribes and related Issues and Schems
Dalit Word
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has told the media to 'refrain from using the
word Dalit' and, instead, use only the Constitutional term, ‗Scheduled Caste‘.
Dalit (broken down) is a social term for depressed class. Whereas schedule caste is a
constitutional term mentioned in Article 341 for depressed class.
Earlier Nagpur bench of Bombay high court, directed government, to take decision on not
using the word Dalit by media. In Response Government official in center and state will
not use the term Dalit in official discourse.
Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs)
It is an initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs. It is not a new initiative, however, in
Budget 2018, the government has expanded its scope.
Objective: Ekalavya Residential Schools aims to provide education to tribals in their
local environment.
Target: Ekalavya schools in every block with more than 50% ST population and at least
20,000 tribal persons by 2022.
Ekalavya schools will be on a par with Navodaya Vidyalayas. It will have special
facilities for preserving local art and culture, besides providing training in sports and
skill development.
Van Dhan Scheme
It aims at economic development of tribal involved in collection of Minor Forests Produce
(MFPs).
Van Dhan Vikas Kendras will be established under scheme will provide for skill
upgradation, capacity building training and setting up of primary processing and value
addition facility.
The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED) under
Ministry of Tribal Affairs will establish Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, which engaged in
marketing development of tribal products and provides marketing support to the
products made by tribal through a network of retail outlets.
First Van Dhan Vikas Kendra was opened in Bijapur, Chattishgarh.
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Other Vulnearable Sections and Minorities
Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI)
Ministry of Health and Familiy welfare launched LASI. It would be used to develop a
scientifically validated data needed for elderly health, economic and social analysis of the
older population and for framing an evidence-based policy for elderly citizens.
It is jointly funded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, United Nations
Population Fund -India and United States National Institute on Ageing.
Draft National Policy for Domestic Workers
Salient Features for
Inclusion of domestic workers in the existing legislations.
Registration of domestic workers.
Right to form their own associations, trade unions.
Right to have minimum wages, access to social security, protection from abuse,
harassment, violence.
Right to enhance their professional skills.
Protection of domestic workers from abuse and exploitation.
Domestic workers to have access to courts, tribunals, etc.
Establishment of a mechanism for regulation of placement agencies
Religious minority status to Jews
Gujarat becomes the third state in India to grant religious minority status to Jews after
West Bengal and Maharashtra.
Six religious communities (Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians
(Parsis) and Jains) have been notified in Gazette of India as minority communities by
Union Government all over India according to National Commission for Minorities
Act, 1992.
India for Humanity initiative:
Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has launched India for Humanity initiative to
commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and honour of his service
to humanity.
It will feature year-long series of artificial limb fitment camps in a number of countries
spanning globe. For this initative, MEA has collaborated with renowned charitable
organisation Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS).
It aims to provide physical, economic and social rehabilitation of differently-abled around
world.
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State Initiative
Mission Shaurya
It is initiative of the Adivasi Vikas Vibhag of the Maharashtra State Government to scale
Everest by tribal students.
Saura Jalnidhi scheme
Odisha Government has launched Saura Jalnidhi scheme to encourage use of solar energy in irrigation by farmers.
Key features of the scheme:
The beneficiary of this scheme will be farmers who have valid farmer identity cards and have minimum 0.5 acres of agricultural land.
Under this scheme, farmers will be given 90% subsidy and 5,000 solar pumps. This will provide irrigation benefits in 2,500 acres of the state.
In the first phase, this scheme will be available in those areas where electricity is not available for running the pump set.
Education
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
India recently decided to end its boycott of the PISA.
PISA was introduced in the year 2000 by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation
Development (OECD). It tests the learning levels of 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics
and science. The test is carried out every three years.
India decided to stay away from PISA on account of its dismal performance in 2009. The
'out of context' questions were stated as a reason for the poor show. in 2012 and 2015,
when it was placed 72nd among the 74 participating countries.
India, subsequently, chose to not participate in the 2012 and 2015 cycle.
The ministry will negotiate India‟s terms of participation in 2021 with OECD. Unlike
2009, when schools in Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh had participated, the Union
government will request OECD to administer the test across all schools in Chandigarh in
2021. Chandigarh was selected for three reasons: Compact area; to keep number of
languages in which the test has to be administered to a minimum; and Chandigarh‘s
record of performing well in learning assessments.
National Testing Agency (NTA)
National Testing Agency(NTA) would work as an autonomous and self sustained premier
testing organisation to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions
such as NET,NEET,JEE (Mains) for higher educational institutions. The NTA would also
conduct National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Common Management Admission Test
(CMAT) and Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test(GPAT). .
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It will be chaired by an educationist appointed by Human Resource Development
Ministry.
Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Education (RISE) Scheme
RISE scheme was announced in 2018 budget to revitalize the infrastructure of higher
educational institutions with a total investment of one lakh crore in the upcoming 4
years.
It will be financed via a restructured HEFA.
This scheme will cover all centrally funded institutes (CFIs) including central
universities, IITs, IIMs, NITs and IISERs.
Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA)
HEFA was formed as a non-banking financial company, to give a major push for creation
of high quality infrastructure in premier educational institutions thorugh mobilisation of
Rs. 1 lakh crore to fund research and academic infrastructure in higher educational
institutions by 2022.
It was set up as a joint venture between the HRD Ministry and Canara Bank.
It will raise funds from the market and mobilize CSR funds from PSUs/Corporates. It will
also have equity share from Central government (Rs. 5000 crore) and Canara Bank.
The funding will also be available to government-run schools KendriyaVidyalayas and
Jawahar NavodayaVidyalayas.
All the Centrally Funded Institutions will have to repay the borrowed amount (loans) in a
time frame of over 10 years.
Institutions of Eminence
The Government has shortlisted Six Institutions of Eminence (IoEs) including 3 from
Public Sector and 3 from Private Sector.
Public Sector - Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, IIT Bombay and IIT, Delhi.
Private Sector - Jio Institute (Reliance Foundation), Pune, Birla Institute of
Technology & Sciences, Pilani, Rajasthan; and Manipal Academy of Higher
Education, Manipal, Karnataka.
These institutes were selected based on the recommendations of Empowered committee
(N Gopalaswami committee) set up for this purpose.
Benefits to IoE:
These institutions will get financial assistance up to Rs. 1000 Crore over the period of
five years under this scheme.
These Institutions shall be provided with greater autonomy such as
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to admit foreign students up to 30% of admitted students;
to recruit foreign faculty upto 25% of faculty strength;
to offer online courses upto 20% of its programmes;
to enter into academic collaboration with top 500 in the world ranking Institutions
without permission of UGC;
free to fix and charge fees from foreign students without restriction;
flexibility of course structure in terms of number of credit hours and years to take
a degree;
complete flexibility in fixing of curriculum and syllabus, among others.
The apex higher educational regulators such as UGC and AICTE will lose powers to
regulate those institutions.
These institutions are expected to make into top 500 world rankings in a decade.
Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme
The scheme is initiated by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
It is launched with an intent to enhance India‟s competitiveness in knowledge
intensive sectors.
Its objective is to enhance the number of PhDs in Electronics System Design &
Manufacturing (ESDM) and IT/IT Enabled Services (IT/ITES) sectors in the country.
It provides 25% more fellowship amount than most of the other PhD Schemes. Part-time
PhD candidates get one time incentive on completion of the PhD. Scheme also supports
200 Young Faculty Research Fellowships in the areas of ESDM and IT/ITES with the
objective to retain and attract bright young faculty members in these sectors.
IMPRESS Scheme
Impactful Policy Research in Social Science (IMPRESS) has been launched by the
Ministry of Human Resource and Development.
It aims to promote policy research in social science. The objective is to identify and fund
research proposals in social sciences with maximum impact on the governance and
society. For Eg: State and democracy, Urban Transformation etc.
It will provide an opportunity to researchers from all universities (Central and State),
private institutions with 12(B) status conferred by UGC.
Under this, 1,500 research projects will be awarded for two years to support social
science research in the higher educational institutions.
The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) has been entrusted with the
task of implementing and monitoring the scheme.
Each project under the scheme will conclude in 3 years.
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SPARC Scheme
A webportal for the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration
(SPARC) was recently launched by Union Human Resource ministry. It is a scheme for
promotion of academic and research collaboration.
It aims at improving the research ecosystem of India‘s higher educational institutions by
facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian and foreign
institutions.
The quality benchmark for SPARC is that only such Indian institutes can apply which
are in top 100 NIRF ranking or top 100 NIRF subject ranking. For foreign universities the
benchmark is either top 500 of QS ranking or top 200 of QS subject ranking.
IIT-Khargapur is the national Coordinating Institute to implement the SPARC
programme.
QS World University Ranking
QS, the global higher education think tank, has recently released its first standalone
ranking of India's higher education institutions. Indian University ranking by this think
tank is the second country-specific rankings, after it released one for China earlier.
The rankings include Public Universities, Private Universities and deemed universities.
The ranking looks in to the Indian university system with an international lens.
According to the recent ranking, IIT Bombay is named India's leading institution. Indian
Institute of Science, Bangalore secured the second spot followed by IIT Madras in the
third place. Interestingly, while IISc was India‗s best institution in the QS World
University Rankings released earlier this year, the domestic league has pegged IIT-
Bombay at first place. This variation is because of the difference in criteria taken in
global and domestic level.
Health
The Eat Right Movement
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has unveiled ‗The Eat Right
Movement‘ with a view to get industry on board for implementation of draft food labelling
regulation and to promote safe and healthy food.
The movement aims to cut down salt/sugar and oil consumption by 30% in three years.
It is built on two broad pillars of ‗Eat Healthy‘ and ‗Eat Safe‘. It also aims to engage and
enable citizens to improve their health and well-being by making the right food choices.
FSSAI has also undertaken „Safe and Nutritious Food (SNF)‟ initiative to promote
awareness towards consumption of safe and nutritious food
About FSSAI
It is an autonomous body headquarted at Delhi, established under the Ministry
of Health & Family Welfare. It has been established under the Food Safety and
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Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and
regulation in India.
FSSAI is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the
regulation and supervision of food safety
Swachh Survekshan Grameen
Swachh Survekshan Grameen, 2018 is a nationwide survey of rural India to rank
cleanest & dirtiest States and districts conducted by independent survey agengy
covering all districts commissioned by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. This
is the first comprehensive survey for rural India, which has been launched after three
successful editions of a similar survey in urban India.
The ranking will be based on qualitative and quantitative evaluation on three basic
parameters:
1. Direct observation of public places by independent surveyors,
2. Service-level progress using data from the Swachh Bharat Mission‘s information
system and
3. Citizens‘ feedback.
As per the ranking, Haryana was ranked as the best State while Satara District of
Maharashtra was ranked as the best district. Uttar Pradesh was rewarded for maximum
citizens‘ participation and Nashik was ranked first in maximum citizens' participation in
district wise.
ODF Protocol under Swachh Bharat Mission Urban
The original ODF protocol, issued in March 2016, said, ―A city/ward is notified as ODF
city/ward if, at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating in the open‖.
The ODF+ and ODF++ protocols are the next step for the SBM-U and aim to ensure
sustainability in sanitation outcomes.
The ODF+ protocol says that a city, ward or work circle could be declared ODF+ if, ―at
any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating and/or urinating in the
open, and all community and public toilets are functional and well-maintained.‖
The ODF++ protocol adds the condition that ―faecal sludge/septage and sewage is safely
managed and treated, with no discharging and/or dumping of untreated faecal
sludge/septage and sewage in drains, water bodies or open areas.‖
Thus, the SBM ODF+ protocol focuses on sustaining community/ public toilet usage by
ensuring their functionality, cleanliness and maintenance while SBM ODF++ will focus
on achieving sanitation sustainability by addressing complete sanitation value chain,
including safe containment, processing and disposal of faecal sludge and septage.
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Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention
It will be launched at the 150th anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi. It will be a
first-of-its-kind International Sanitation Convention. Ministers from over 70 countries
will be invited and taken on a ‗Gandhi Trail‘ in Gujarat.
The Foreign Ministry will coordinate this mega exercise along with the Ministry of
Drinking Water and Sanitation.
The objectives are to identify technological and business process innovations, endorse
viable business models suitable for cities of different sizes and geographies, and pilot test
shortlisted technologies and solutions in select project cities and bridge the gap between
innovators or manufacturers and beneficiaries such as urban local bodies and citizens in
the field of sanitation.
National Health Stack
NITI Aayog has proposed the creation of a National Health Stack to make both personal
health records and service provider records available on cloud-based services using
the internet.
Vision: A centralized health record for all citizens of the country in order to streamline
the health information and facilitate effective management of same.
This nationally shared digital healthcare infrastructure will be usable by both the Centre
and states across public and private sectors.
The proposed India Health Stack will have four key components
1. Electronic health registries of health service provide and beneficiaries,
2. A coverage and claims platform,
3. A federated personal health records framework and
4. A national health analytics platform.
Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan (PMJAY)
This scheme was earlier announced in 2018 budget speech as PM Jan Arogya Abhiyan
within the umbrella scheme of Ayushman Bharat (National Health Protection Mission).
Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan AarogyaYojana (AB-PMJAY) was recently
launched in Ranchi, Jharkhand. It is the 'world‘s largest government funded healthcare
program' targeting more than 50 crore beneficiaries.
It provides universal Healthcare through access of Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs)
at the primary level and engagement of public and private sector at the secondary &
tertiary levels.
The first component Health and Wellness centers covers both maternal and child health
services and non-communicable diseases, including free essential drugs and diagnostic
services.
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First 'health and wellness centre' has been inaugurated in Bijapur district in
Chhattisgarh.
The second component is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), which aims to
reduce out of pocket hospitalisation expenses. It will provide a cover of up to Rs. 5 lakhs
per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. It will provide
cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service.
The scheme is creating a cadre of certified frontline health service professionals called
Pradhan Mantri Aarogya Mitras (PMAMs). PMAM will be primary point of facilitation for
the beneficiaries to avail treatment at the hospital and thus, act as a support system to
streamline health service delivery.
A miniature version of this scheme is already going on in Telangana from years.
PMJAY primarily targets the poor, deprived rural families and identified occupational
category of urban workers‘ families as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census
(SECC) data for both rural and urban areas as well as the active families under the
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY).
There is no cap on family size and age as well as restriction on pre-existing conditions.
National Health Agency will be its implementing authority. The cashless benefits can be
availed from any public or private empaneled hospital across India. PMJAY has become
first healthcare scheme with Privacy policy.
States are free to choose the mode of implementation, which could either be insurance-
based, trust-route or mixed model.
For giving policy directions and fostering coordination between Centre and States, it is
proposed to set up Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission Council
(AB-NHPMC) at apex level Chaired by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister.
Hip Replacement Surgery
In total hip replacement, body parts are replaced with prosthetic components, which are
metal on metal, with cobalt, chromium and molybdenum as major constituents.
It is commonly called the ' Acetabular Surface Replacement or ASR hip implant'
High failure rate was observed in devices which causes releases of metallic debris into
the bloodstream leading to complications, sometimes requiring revision surgery.
The implant known as DePuy ASR was sold in India by DePuy International, a unit of
Johnson and Johnson has come under severe scrutiny of government agencies.
Later the Indian unit of global pharma giant Johnson and Johnson () Pvt. Ltd will initiate
a new 'India-specific" reimbursement programme for those Indian patients who have
been affected by its Acetabular Surface Replacement (ASR), or hip implants, the company
has told the government.
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Awards
Ramon Magsaysay Award – 2018
Two Indians Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk are among six winners of 2018
Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Bharat Vatwani was awarded for restoring health and diginty to trouble lives.
Sonam Wangchuk was awarded for harnessing nature, culture and eduction for
community progress.
Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in 1957 by trustees of the New York City
based Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Philippine government in the memory of
Philippines‘s third President Ramon Magsaysay.
It is awarded annually to individuals or organizations from Asia region for their altruistic
and philanthropic service. It is Asia‘s highest honour and is often regarded as the
region‘s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
Nari Shakti Puraskar
It is the Highest Civilian Honour for women in India given by the Ministry of Women and
Child Development on eminent women and institutions in recognition of their service
towards the cause of women empowerment.
The Puraskars are open to all Indian Institutions, organisations and individuals. It is
conferred every year on the occasion of International Women‘s Day.
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Economy
Economic Genrel Terms/Concept/Development
Bond-i
Bond-i, an acronym standing for Blockchain Offered New Debt Instrument is the
world‘s first public bond created and managed using only blockchain.
It is launched by World Bank and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia is the sole
manager of the deal. It is viewed as an initial step in moving bond sales away from
manual processes towards faster and cheaper automation.
Blockchain technology refers to the distributed ledger technology that securely records
all transactions made on the chain. This can help simplify raising capital and trading
securities, improve operational efficiencies and enhance regulatory oversight.
Currency Monitoring List
Currency Monitoring List is maintained by Department of Treasury, USA. The countries
are placed in this list which have potentially questionable foreign exchange policies.
India was placed for the first time in April this year, in this list. The other countries in
the list are China, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland.
India-United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF)
India and United Nations will sign India-United Nations Sustainable Development
Framework (UNSDF) for 2018-2022.
The NITI Aayog is the national counterpart for the UN in India for the operationalization
of the UNSDF.
SDF 2018-2022 outlines the work of UN agencies in India, to support the achievement of
key development outcomes that are aligned to the national priorities. The seven priority
areas outlined in the UNSDF are,
▪ Poverty and Urbanization;
▪ Health, Water, and Sanitation;
▪ Education and Employability;
▪ Nutrition and Food Security;
▪ Climate Change, Clean Energy, and Disaster Resilience;
▪ Skilling, Entrepreneurship, and Job Creation; and
▪ Gender Equality and Youth Development.
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National Monitoring Framework on SDG
Union Cabinet has recently approved the constitution of a High Level Steering Committee
for monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with associated targets. The
committee will periodically review and refine the National Indicator Framework (NIF) for
SDG.
The committee will be chaired by Chief Statistician of India and Secretary, Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
KITE Economy
Knowledge and information technology-based, intellectual property focussed and
entrepreneurially-led economy
GIG Economy
In a gig economy, temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace and companies tend toward
hiring independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees.
Letter of Undertaking (LOUs )
LOUs is a bank guarantee under which a bank allows its customer to raise money from
another Indian bank‗s foreign branch in the form of short-term credit. The loan is used to
make payment to the customer‗s offshore suppliers in foreign currency.
Line of Credit (LOCs )
LOCs is a standing amount of money, similar to a loan, that a bank extends to a
customer. A customer may draw upon the available line of credit, provided that the
amount does not exceed the limit.
Society for worldwide interbank financial telecommunication
The SWIFT is a global member-owned cooperative that is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. It was founded in 1973 by a group of 239 banks from 15 countries which formed a co-operative utility to develop a secure electronic messaging service and common standards to facilitate cross-border payments. It carries an average of approximately 26 million financial messages each day. In order to use its messaging services, customers need to connect to the SWIFT environment.
Functions:
SWIFT does not facilitate funds transfer: rather, it sends payment orders, which must be settled by correspondent accounts that the institutions have with each other.
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The SWIFT is a secure financial message carrier — in other words, it transports messages from one bank to its intended bank recipient.
Its core role is to provide a secure transmission channel so that Bank A knows that its message to Bank B goes to Bank B and no one else. Bank B, in turn, knows that Bank A, and no one other than Bank A, sent, read or altered the message en route. Banks, of course, need to have checks in place before actually sending messages.
Significance of SWIFT:
Messages sent by SWIFT‘s customers are authenticated using its specialised security and identification technology. Encryption is added as the messages leave the customer environment and enter the SWIFT Environment. Messages remain in the protected SWIFT environment, subject to all its confidentiality and integrity commitments, throughout the transmission process while they are transmitted to the operating centres (OPCs) where they are processed — until they are safely delivered to the receiver.
Indian Economy and Government Policy
Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB)
It was constituted on September 15, 2003 by the Indian Government to hear and resolve
the appeals against the decisions of registrar under the Indian Trademarks Act, 1999
and the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
Since April 2, 2007, IPAB has been authorized to hear and adjudicate upon the appeals
from most of the decisions, orders or directions made by the Patent Controller under the
Patents Act.
Ease of doing business ranking for states
Released By: Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion functioning under the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
The top rankers are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana.
The rankings are based on the performance of states in implementing the Business
Reform Action Plan (BRAP).
DIPP, Ministry of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the World Bank
conducted an annual reform exercise for all States and UTs under the Business Reform
Action Plan (BRAP) with an aim to improve delivery of various Central Government
regulatory functions and services in an efficient, effective and transparent manner.
India became the world‟s sixth largest economy
India has become the world's sixth-biggest economy, pushing France into seventh place,
according to updated World Bank figures for 2017.
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India's gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to $2.597 trillion at the end of last year,
against $2.582 trillion for France.India becomes world's sixth largest economy, muscles
past France in World Bank ranking
Large economies: The US remains the world‗s largest economy followed by China, Japan,
Germany and Britain.
Just in the last decade, India has doubled the size of its economy outpacing that of
France.
According to World Bank, India‘s GDP has risen by an average 8.3% over the decade.
FDI Inflow
According to RBI data, total FDI inflow in to India stood at USD 37.36 billion in 2017-18
financial year. It is a marginal rise over the USD 36.31 billion recorded in the previous
fiscal.
Mauritius remained the top source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India in 2017-
18 followed by Singapore.
FDI in Manufacturing sector witnessed a substantial decline, whereas in Communication
services, retail and wholesale trade, financial services sector witnessed a rise.
These data reflect the global interest in new areas, including online marketplaces and
financial technologies.
Human Development Index
Human Development Index (HDI) is a tool to measure country‘s overall achievement
social and economic dimensions. It considers 4 indicators: life expectancy for health;
expected years of schooling; mean of years of schooling for education ; and Gross
National Income per capita for standard of living.
It is calculated by United Nation Development Programme (UNDP).
In the latest ranking, India ranked 130 among 189 countries. The value of India‘s HDI is
0.640, which denotes that India is in the medium human development category. In
2016, India's HDI value of 0.624 put it at 131 rank.
Between 1990 and 2017, India‘s HDI value increased from 0.427 to 0.640, an increase of
nearly 50 per cent. Bangladesh and Pakistan, countries with similar population
sizeranked 136 and 150 respectively.
Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Ireland and Germany lead the ranking.
Niger, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Chad and Burundi have the lowest
scores.
Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)
The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is an international measure of acute
poverty covering over 100 developing countries. It complements traditional income-based
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poverty measures by capturing the severe deprivations that each person faces at the
same time with respect to education, health and living standards.
The MPI measures multiple deprivations in the same households in education, health
and living standards and 10 indicators , namely nutrition, child mortality, years of
schooling, school attendance, sanitation, cooking fuel, drinking water, electricity,
housing and assets.
A person is identified as multidimensionality poor if deprived in at least one third of the
dimensions. The MPI is calculated by multiplying the incidence of poverty (the percentage
of people identified as MPI poor) by the average intensity of poverty across the poor. So,
it reflects both the share of people in poverty and the degree to which they are
deprived.
The global MPI was developed by Oxford Poverty and Human Depvelopment Initiative
(OPHI) with the UNDP for inclusion in UNDP‘s flagship Human Development Report
(HDR) in 2010. It has been published in the HDR ever since.The MPI measures
Incidence of poverty: the proportion of the population who are poor according to
the MPI (those who are deprived in at least one third of the weighted indicators).
Average intensity of poverty: the average share of deprivations people
experience at the same time.
MPI value: The MPI value, which ranges from zero to one, is calculated by
multiplying the incidence of poverty by the average intensity of poverty.
According to the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)-2018 covers 105 countries
in total, which are home to 75 per cent of the world‘s population, or 5.7 billion people.
Financial Inclusion Index
Department of Financial Services under Ministry of Finance has launched Financial
Inclusion Index (FDI). The index has taken into account three factors: Access to financial
services; Usage of financial services; and Quality of financial services.
The index will be a measure of access and usage of various financial products and
services. The services includes savings, remittances, credit, insurance and pension
products. It enables fulfilment of G20 Financial Inclusion Indicators requirements.
International Round Table Conference
Ministry of Statistics &Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is organising a two-day
International Round Table Conference, „Data for New India‟ at New Delhi during 9-10th
July, 2018.
The objective of the Round Table Conference is to identify innovative ideas for improving
the statistical system in India, taking cue from the best practices followed in advanced
countries like Canada, UK and Australia.
Such a Conference is being organized in India for the first time, the conference is
expected to suggest measures paving way for initiating the reform process in the Indian
Statistical System.
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Startup Academia Alliance Programme
Startup India under Ministry of Commerce and Industry has recently launched the
Startup Academia Alliance programme.
It is a unique mentorship opportunity between academic scholars and startups
working in similar domains.
It aims to reduce the gap between scientific research and its industrial applications in
order to increase the efficacy and impact of these technologies.
The first phase of the programme was launched in partnership with Regional Centre for
Biotechnology and TERI.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana Scheme
It is a flagship financial inclusion scheme launched in 2014 for a period of 4 years.
The scheme facilitates the opening of bank accounts with zero balance for every
household to ensure access to financial services in an affordable manner. There are some
special benefits like free accident insurance cover, over draft facility for the Jan Dhan
account holders. The first phase of the scheme focused on opening basic bank accounts
and RuPay debit card with inbuilt accident insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh.
The 2nd phase (2015-2018) planned to provide micro-insurance to the people and
pension schemes to unorganised sector workers through Business Correspondents.
Union Finance Ministry has recently announced that it plans to make the scheme open
ended with more incentives.
It has decided to provide the facility of opening zero balance account from every
household to every adult.
The accident insurance cover and overdraft facility have been increased from Rs.
5000 to Rs. 10,000.
The free accident insurance cover for those opening Jan Dhan accounts has been
doubled to Rs 2 lakh.
There will be no conditions attached for over-draft of up to Rs 2,000.
Also, the upper age limit for availing the facility has been hiked to 65 from the
earlier 60 years.
Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN)
GSTN provides the technological support to the GST.
It handles massive amounts of data and deals with crucial data sets such as indirect tax
returns
and refunds.
Union Cabinet has recently approved increasing the government stake in GSTN to
100 per cent.
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At present, The government holds a 49% stake, with Centre and states share of 24.5%
each. The balance 51% is held by five non-government institutions. Thus, the
government will acquire the entire 51 per cent equity held by the non-government
institutions. The stake will be acquired equally by the Central and state governments.
The Cabinet also decided to allow change in the existing composition of the GSTN board.
It will have a total of 11 directors including a Chairman and a Chief Executive (CEO).
While 3 directors each will be nominated by the Central and state governments, 3 other
independent directors would be nominated by the board of directors.
Banking
Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI)
BCSBI is an independent banking industry watchdog that protects consumers of banking
services in India. The board oversee compliance with the Code of Bank‗s Commitment to
Customers.
BCSBI has in collaboration with the Indian Banks‗ Association (IBA), evolved two codes,
which set minimum standards of banking practices for member banks to follow when
they are dealing with individual customers and micro and small enterprises.
Code of Bank‗s Commitment to Customers and
Code of Bank‗s Commitment to Micro and Small Enterprises
Section 7 of the RBI Act 1934
Recently there is concerns that the government might invoke so far never-used Section 7
of the RBI Act 1934, in which it will issue an order to the RBI to take into account the
government instructions in the public interest which might impact autonomy of RBI.
According to the section, the Central government may issue directions to the RBI as it
may consider necessary in public interest after consultation with the RBI Governor.
Section 7 deals with management of RBI. It also states that Subject to any such
directions, the general superintendence and direction of the affairs and business of the
Bank shall be entrusted to a Central Board of Directors which may exercise all powers
and do all acts and things which may be exercised or done by the Bank.
Reserve Bank's affairs are governed by a central board of directors which is appointed for
period of four years by the Government of India. It Composes of:
Official Directors: Full-time: Governor and not more than four Deputy Governors
Non-Official Directors: Nominated by Government: ten Directors from various
fields and two government Official
Others: four Directors- one each from four local boards.
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India Post Payments Bank
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has been launched with the focus on providing banking
and financial services to people in rural areas, by leveraging the reach of 1.55 lakh post
office branches.
The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) is a public sector company under the department
of posts and ministry of communication with a 100 per cent equity of the government of
India, and governed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
It will provide services like savings and current accounts, money transfer, direct benefit
transfers, bill and utility payments, and enterprise and merchant payments. It is also
allowed to link around 17 crore postal savings bank (PSB) accounts with its accounts.
It can deal in remittance services and accept deposits of up to Rs 1 lakh.
It can accept demand deposits with maximum balance of Rs. 100,000 per individual
customer.
It can issue ATM/debit cards but not credit cards.
Distribution of non-risk sharing simple financial products like mutual fund units and
insurance products, etc. is allowed.
RRBs' recapitalisation scheme
Union cabinet has recently approved the extension of the scheme of recapitalization of
RRBs for the next 3 years upto 2019-20. This will enable the RRBs to maintain the
minimum prescribed Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 9% to ensure
financial stability of RRBs which will enable them to play a greater role in financial
inclusion and meeting the credit requirements of rural areas.
The scheme of Recapitalization of RRBs started in FY 2010-11 and was extended twice in
the year 2012-13 and 2015-16.
About Regional Rural Banks (RRB)
RRBs were set up with the objective to provide credit to the small and marginal farmers,
agricultural labourers, artisans and small entrepreneurs in rural areas for development
of productive activities.
RRBs are jointly owned by Government of India, the concerned State Government and
Sponsor Banks with the issued capital in the ratio of 50:15:35 respectively.
Bank Consolidation
The government has decided that Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank shall be
'amalgated' making the new entity India‘s third Largest Bank.
Narasimham committee of 1991 had recommended a restructuring of Indian banks with
3-4 large banks that could be positioned as global banks and 8- 10 smaller ones with a
national footprint.
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The P J Nayak committee in 2014 suggested that government should privatise or merge
some PSBs.
In 2017, the government had approved the 'merger' of SBI‘s five associate banks and
later of the Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) with SBI.
Banking Ombudsman Scheme
Banking Ombudsman is a quasi-judicial authority to enable the resolution of
customer‘s complaint relating to services rendered by Bank.
All Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Scheduled Primary Co-
operative Banks are covered under the Scheme. RBI, earlier this year (2018), has
extended the scheme to deposit taking Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC).
The authority does not charge any fee for filing and resolving customers‘ complaints. Any
person aggrieved by the decisions of Banking ombudsman can approach the Appellate
Authority, which is vested with a Deputy Governor of the RBI.
Internal Ombudsman
RBI has recently issued guidelines tightening the Banking Ombudsman scheme to
strengthen the grievance redressal mechanism.
In its recent notification, RBI has asked all commercial banks having 10 or more
banking outlets to have an independent internal ombudsman (IO).
IO will review customer complaints that are either partly or fully rejected by the banks.
This guideline is not applicable for Regional Rural Banks sponsored by commercial
banks.
The Internal Ombudsman Scheme of 2018 mandates banks to grant IO, a fixed term of
three to five years, which cannot be renewed. The IO can be removed only with prior
approval from RBI.
The remuneration would have to be decided by the customer sub-committee of the board
and not by any individual. The implementation of the scheme will be monitored by the
bank‘s internal audit mechanism apart from regulatory oversight by RBI.
Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA)
ICA is an agreement among banks that have dues from a borrower in stress, mandates
the lead bank to formulate a resolution plan that will be executed in a time bound
manner.
Binding Condition: If a two-third (66%) of the lenders in terms of aggregate exposure
approve, then the pact is binding on all the lenders. Disenting lenders will have an exit
route, either selling their exposure at adiscount or buying exposure of the other lenders
at a premium.
The inter-creditor agreement is aimed at the resolution of loan accounts with a size of
₹50 crore and above that are under the control of a group of lenders.
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It is part of the Project Sashakt Plan based on recommendation by the Sunil Mehta
committee (that looked into resolution of stressed assets), approved by the government
to address the problem of resolving bad loans.
Project Sashakt
It aims to strengthen the credit capacity, credit culture and credit portfolio of public
sector banks.
It is a five-pronged strategy towards resolution of stressed assets, as recommended by
Sunil Mehta Committee.
1. Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) resolution approach- It is applicable for loan
exposure up to Rs.50 crore.
2. Bank-led resolution approach- It is for loans between Rs.50 crore and Rs.500
crore resolution, led by a consortium of lenders, needs to be completed within 180
days, failing which the asset would be referred to the National Company Law
Tribunal (NCLT) for insolvency proceedings.
3. AMC/AIF led resolution approach- Under this, loans above Rs.500 crore would be
resolved through an independent Asset Management Company (AMC) which would
be funded by Alternative Investment Fund (AIF).
4. NCLT/IBC approach- It also envisages invocation of IBC if other options fail. The
resolution route is also applicable to larger assets already before the National
Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and any other asset whose resolution is still
pending.
5. Asset- Trading platform to be created for trading of both performing and NPAs.
Public Credit Registry
A public credit registry is an information repository that collates all loan information of
individuals and corporate borrowers.
A credit repository helps banks distinguish between a bad and a good borrower and
accordingly offer attractive interest rates to good borrowers.
PCR will address issues such as information asymmetry, improve access to credit and
strengthen the credit culture among consumers. A PCR may also help raise India‘s rank
in the global ease of doing business index.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had formed a high-level task force on public credit
registry (PCR) for India. The task force was chaired by Y M Deosthalee. The task force
has suggested the registry should capture all loan information and borrowers be able to
access their own history.
Payments Regulatory Board (PRB).
Inter- Ministerial Committee headed by Subhash Chandra Garg submitted draft
Payment and Settlement System Bill, 2018, which seeks to setup independent Payments
Regulatory Board (PRB).
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Draft bill seeks to consolidate laws relating to payments.
Bill seeks to setting up Independent Payments Regulatory Board (PRB) and changes to
the composition of the PRB and recommended that the chairperson appointed by the
government in consultation with RBI.
Misc
Axis Bank has become the first bank in the country to introduce Iris Scan Authentication
feature for Aadhaar-based transactions through its micro ATM tablets.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) commissioned The Economist
Intelligence Unit (London Based Economic Think Tank) to evaluate methodologies for
calculating city-level gross domestic product (GDP), and to assess their applicability to
India.
The Odisha government has proposed to come up with a single revenue act by merging
various revenue laws enacted at different point in times.
An International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) is about to be setup at Dwarka, New
Delhi. IICC will reflect India‘s economic progress, rich cultural heritage and its
consciousness towards protection of the environment. IICC will give a new identity to
India in the sphere of meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) which is
a multibillion business.
Employment and Skill Development
Prime Minister‟s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)
PMEGP Scheme is a credit linked subsidy scheme, for setting up of new micro-
enterprises and to generate employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas
of the country.
It is enabled through KVIC, State Khadi & Village Industries Board (KVIB) and District
Industries Centre (DIC).
Under the PMEGP, general category beneficiaries can avail of margin money subsidy of
25% of the project cost in rural areas and 15% in urban areas.
For beneficiaries belonging to SC/ST/Women/PH/Minorities/Ex-Servicemen/North East
Region(NER), the margin money subsidy is 35% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas.
The maximum cost of projects is Rs.25 lakh in the manufacturing sector and Rs.10 lakh
in the service sector.
Global Skills Park (GSP)
Global Skills Park is going to be established in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is funded
by Asian Development Bank (ADB). ADB and Government of India recently signed a
$150 million loan agreement to establish the park.
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GSP is the first multi-skills park in India. It aims to enhance the quality of Technical
and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) System in the State and create a more
skilled workforce.
The GSP campus will be in Bhopal which consists of Core Advanced Training Institutes
including the Center for Occupational Skills Acquisition, Center for Advanced
Agricultural Training and Other support services focusing on entrepreneurship, training
of trainers, and skill-related research.
National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) for Women
A permanent campus of National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) for Women is going to be
built at Mohali, Punjab.
This is the first NSTI Institute for Punjab and only one of its kind in India which is
exclusively for women. It is launched under "Skill India" Mission.
Indian Institute of Skills
Union Cabinet has recently approved the setting up of Indian Institute of Skills (IISs) at
different locations across the country in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
IISs shall augment the global competitiveness of key sectors providing high quality skill
training, applied research education.
Union government has already setup country‘s first Institute of skills at Kanpur. It was
setup by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in partnership with the
Institute of Technical Education, Singapore.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK)
PMKK is established by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) across India.
It aims to provide skill training for unemployed youth through its short-term training
(STT) module and contribute to the capacity building of municipal employees through
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program.
PMKK for differently abled person is going to be launched in Mohali. It is also a first of its
kind in India.
National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET)
Union Cabinet has recently approved the merging of two skill institutes [National Council
for Vocational Training (NCVT) and the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA)] to
form National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET).
NCVET is envisaged as an institution which will perform the regulatory functions so far
vested in NCVT and NSDA.
It will regulate the functioning of entities engaged in short-term and long-term
vocational education and training.
It will establish minimum standards for the functioning of such entities.
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It will operationalize the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) to ensure
that quality and standards meet sector specific requirements.
Regulatory functions currently being carried out by the National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC) through the Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) will
also be housed in the NCVET.
Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna
Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) under Ministry of Labour and
Employment has recently rolled out Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna. The scheme covers
Insured Persons (IP) covered under the Employees‘ State Insurance Act, 1948.
It aims to provide cash relief to unemployed insured person. The relief will be payable in
cash directly to their Bank Account in case of unemployment and while they search for
new engagement.
National Rural Livelihoods Mission
The Union cabinet has recently approved extension of special financial package for
implementation of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission for Jammu and Kashmir for
one year (2018-19).
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is assisted
by investments from World Bank.
It aims at enabling rural poor to increase household income through sustainable
livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services.
It focus on Universal Social Mobilisation, at least one woman member from each
identified rural poor household, is to be brought under the Self Help Group (SHG)
network.
Target Group is identified through the Participatory Identification of Poor (PIP) method
and it is delinked from BPL.
The responsibility of identification of poor must be vetted by the Gram Sabha and
approved by the Gram Panchayat.
NRLM provides Revolving Fund (RF) and Community Investment Fund (CIF) as
resources in perpetuity to the institutions of the poor to strengthen their institutional
and financial management capacity.
It promotes financial literacy among the poor.
Udyam Abhilasha
It is a National Level Entrepreneurship Awareness Campaign organised by Small
Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in 115 Aspirational Districts identified by
NITI Aayog in 28 States and reaching to around 15,000 youth.
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It provides entrepreneurship training to the aspiring youths across these districts thus
encouraging them to enter the segment of entrepreneurs. It focuses on women aspirants
in these aspirational districts to encourage women entrepreneurship.
The campaign will be delivered through common service centres (CSC) in these districts.
SIDBI has partnered with a CSC Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV). CSC e-Governance
Services India Limited is set up by the Ministry of Electronics & IT.
Atal Innovation Mission
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is NITI Aayog‘s flagship initiative to promote a culture of
innovation and entrepreneurship in India.
AIM has been established to create and promote an ecosystem of innovation and
entrepreneurship in a holistic manner through various initiatives at school, university
and industry levels.
The Atal Innovation Mission has thus two core functions:
Innovation promotion: To provide a platform where innovative ideas are
generated.
Entrepreneurship promotion: Wherein innovators would be supported and
mentored to become successful entrepreneurs at Incubation Centers.
Recently a MoU was exchanged between India‘s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and the
Russian Federation‘s SIRIUS, to promote innovative cooperation between students of
India and Russia.
Agriculture
Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
The Scheme is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce as
announced in the Union Budget for 2018. It is an umbrella scheme which ensures that
the increase in MSP will be translated to farmer‘s income by way of robust procurement
mechanism in coordination with the State Governments. The new Umbrella Scheme
includes the mechanism of ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers and is comprised
of
Price Support Scheme (PSS): In Price Support Scheme (PSS), physical
procurement of pulses, oilseeds and Copra will be done by Central Nodal Agencies
with proactive role of State governments. It is also decided that in addition to
NAFED, Food Cooperation of India (FCI) will take up PSS operations in states
/districts. The procurement expenditure and losses due to procurement will be
borne by Central Government as per norms.
Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS): Under Price Deficiency Payment
Scheme this scheme (PDPS), it is proposed to cover all oilseeds for which MSP is
notified. In this direct payment of the difference between the MSP and the
selling/modal price will be made to pre-registered farmers selling his produce in
the notified market yard through a transparent auction process. All payment will
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be done directly into registered bank account of the farmer. This scheme does not
involve any physical procurement of crops as farmers are paid the difference
between the MSP price and Sale/modal price on disposal in notified market. The
support of central government for PDPS will be given as per norms.
Pilot of Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPPS): In it the selected
private agency shall procure the commodity at MSP in the notified markets during
the notified period from the registered farmers in consonance with the PPSS
Guidelines
Gramin Agriculture Markets (GrAM) Programme
Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) was announced in Budget 2018-19 to develop and
upgrade existing 22,000 rural haats into Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs).
Physical infrastructure to be strengthened using MGNREGS and other Government
Schemes.
PMGSY (Phase-III) to be used for strengthening road linkages from habitations to GrAMs.
Setting up of Agri–Market Infrastructure Fund with a corpus of Rs. 2000 crore
to develop and upgrade agricultural marketing infrastructure in 22,000 GrAMs
Strengthening 585 APMC market
GrAMs to be linked to e-NAM. GrAMs to be outside the APMC Act regulation.
Recently Centre has identified 1,878 rural haats for modernisation and development of
infrastructure through MGNREGA till March 2019 under Gramin Agriculture Markets
(GrAM) programme in the first phase.
Of this in the first phase, Centre has identified around 1,878 rural haats, which
includes, the maximum around 564 haats in Andhra Pradesh, followed by 188 in
Gujarat, 186 in Rajasthan, 182 in Tamil Nadu and 176 in Telangana.
These rural haats are owned by Local Bodies (Panchayats/councils), Agricultural/
Horticultural Departments of State Governments, Cooperatives, Marketing
Boards/APMCs and Private Sector.
As per information provided by State Agricultural Marketing Boards/State Governments,
there are 22941 Rural Haats where Under local Bodies including Councils have 11811
haats followed by Under Private sector (Trust, individuals, etc.), which have 9856 haats
then followed by Under Marketing Board/APMCs which has 1274 haats.
Hike in MSP for Kharif crops
Giving a major boost for the farmers‘ income, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all kharif crops for
2018-19 Season.
Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs announces MSP for various crops at the
beginning of each sowing season based on the recommendations of the Commission for
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Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). CACP takes into account demand and supply, the
cost of production and price trends in the market among other things when fixing MSPs.
Fair & Remunerative price (FRP)
FRP is the minimum price that the sugar mills have to pay to farmers. It is supposed to
signal to farmers the need to plant more or less cane for the coming year.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP)
of sugarcane for each sugar season on the recommendation of CACP.
The FRP has been determined on the basis of recommendations of Commission for
Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and after consultation with State Governments and
other stake-holders. Recommended FRP has been arrived at by taking into account
various factors such as cost of production, overall demand-supply situations. FRP also
takes domestic and international prices, inter-crop price parity, terms of trade prices of
primary by-products, and likely impact of FRP on general price level and resource use
efficiency into account.
Zero Budget Natural Farming
NITI Aayog has advised States to adopt zero budget natural farming.
ZBNF is a set of natural farming methods where the cost of growing and harvesting
plants is zero. It is a farming practice that believes in the natural growth of crops without
adding any fertilizers and pesticides or any other foreign elements.
Farmers use earthworms, cow dung, urine, plants, human excreta and such biological
fertilizers for crop protection. It reduces farmers‘ investment. It also protects the soil from
degradation.
Future Policy Gold Award
This award is given by UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and co-organised by
World Future Council (WFC) and IFOAM Organics International. The award is nicknamed
the "Oscar for best policies".
It recognises the world's best laws and policies promoting agroecology.
Sikkim State has won the 2018 award for its achievement in becoming the world's first
totally organic agriculture state. Sikkim beat out 51 other nominees from around the
world for the award. Brazil, Denmark, Quito and Ecuador shared the Silver award.
World Future Council is an independent body with 50 eminent members from
governmental bodies, civil society, business, science and the arts headquartered in
Hamburg, Germany. It focuses on policy solutions that serve the interests of future
generations.
Women of India Organic Festival
The Ministry of Women and Child Development is organizing the 5th edition of the
Women of India Organic Festival in New Delhi. It is the country's largest organic festival.
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The festival is aimed to boost organic culture and promote women organic farmers and
entrepreneurs.
World Agriculture Prize
The first world agriculture prize was instituted by the Non-Governmental organisation
Indian Council of Food and Agriculture. The prize was launched recently as a part of the
Global Agriculture Leadership Summit and AgroWorld 2018 in New Delhi. It is going to
be presented annually to an individual or institution, who played seminal role in
transforming agriculture globally and saving the humanity from the curse of hunger. Any
individual or institution, private or public organization, may apply or submit a
nomination for this prize.
Professor M.S. Swaminathan (Father of Green Revolution in India), founder of the M.S.
Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), was awarded the first World Agriculture
Prize.
Jute-ICARE
Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise for Jute (Jute-ICARE) was launched
in 2015 to popularize/introduce some of the better agronomic practices and recently
developed microbial assisted retting among farmers intensively in a few blocks in West
Bengal and Assam on pilot basis.
The improved agronomic practices include:
line sowing of jute using seed drill to increase yield by 10-15%;
weed management in jute by wheel hoeing/nail weeder instead of hand weeding
for reducing the cost of weeding;
and distribution of quality certified seeds at 50% subsidy.
Central Research Institute for Research in Jute and Allied Fibres (CRIJAF) developed a
microbial consortium called SONA, to enhance the quantity of fibre yield by 20% as well
as its quality in terms of grade by at least one and half grades.
Agricultural Scientists' Recruitment Board (ASRB)
Union Cabinet has recently approved the proposal of restructuring of ASRB.
ASRB is an independent recruitment agency to various scientific positions in Indian
Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), the premier agency for agricultural research
and education in the country.
After the recent restructuring, the budget head ASRB would be delinked from ICAR and
be attached with Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE). It will now
be a 4-member body and have its own cadre of administrative staff.
It will be done to ensure the autonomy and efficient functioning of the institutions.
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Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund
The fund was recently inaugurated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers‘ Welfare.
The fund will be set with an outlay of Rs.10000 crore. The amount will be sourced from
NABARD as a loan and end borrower contribution (as interest for the loan).
The fund will be disbursed to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and National
Dairy Development Corporation (NCDC).
It funds the project focussing on building an efficient milk procurement system through
building proper infrastructure and equipments. These projects will be implemented by
NDDB and NCDC through milk unions and dairy cooperatives. Milk cooperatives (end
borrowers) will be provided financial assistance in the form of loan at 6.5% interest
which will be reimbursed over a period of 10 years.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF)
Union cabinet has recently approved creation of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF).
The nodal loaning entities for the fund are National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD), National Cooperatives Development Corporation (NCDC) and All
scheduled Banks.
The fund would provide concessional finance to take up investment activities of fisheries
development.
The beneficiaries are State Governments / UTs and State entities, cooperatives,
individuals and entrepreneurs etc.,
e-Pashudhaan Haat Portal
Government has launched e-Pashu Haat portal for connecting breeders and farmers of
indigenous breeds. e -Trading Market portal for livestock germplasm and additional
related services will connect farmers with breeders - Central, State, Co-operative and
private agencies.
Modern Fishing Harbour
The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to construct a modern fishing harbour at
Pudimadaka, about 50 km from Vishakapatnam. The Central Institute of Coastal
Engineering for Fishery (CICEF), Bengaluru, is preparing a detailed project report.
It is the State government‘s initiative to encourage organised fishery and improve the
livelihood of traditional fishermen.
International Conference on Recent Advances in Food Processing Technology
(iCRAFPT) 2018
iCRAFPT-2018 is being held at Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology,
Thanjavur in Tamilnadu with theme as 'Doubling farmers„ income through food
processing'.
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Manufacturing
World's largest mobile manufacturing plant
South Korea in partnership with India recently inaugurated Samsung‗s mobile
manufacturing plant, touted as the biggest in the world, in Noida.
It will almost double its manufacturing capacity to 120 million by 2020 from 68 million
now.
Sustainable and Accelerated Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help Small Industries (SAATHI) Initiative
SAATHI is a joint initiative by Ministries of Power and Textiles.
It aims to accelerate the adoption of energy efficient textile technologies in the powerloom
sector and promote cost savings. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a public
sector unit under Ministry of power will help in implementing the inititative. EESL will
replace old inefficient electric motors with energy efficient motors. It would procure
energy efficient powerlooms and other kits in bulk and provide them to the small and
medium powerloom units at no upfront cost.
Chiller Star Labelling Program
Ministry of Power, Government of India launched Chiller Star Labelling Program, an
ambitious program to encourage the deployment of Energy Efficient chiller systems in
the country.
Chillers are used extensively for space conditioning of buildings and for industrial
process cooling applications. Chillers, being energy intensive system, contribute more
than 40% of the total energy consumption in commercial buildings. Therefore, it is
important to optimize energy performance of chillers and create awareness amongst the
end users to adopt transition towards energy efficient chillers.
The Chiller Star Labelling Program has been formulated by Bureau of Energy Efficiency
(BEE). The program envisages providing star rating in terms of its energy performance.
Initially, the program is launched on voluntary basis and will be valid upto 31st
December 2020.
This initiative will promote advancement technology for central HVAC (Heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning) systems and will also facilitate energy efficient solutions
for the large commercial and industrial applications.
Industrial licensing
Recently, the home ministry has got the power to issue industrial licences for defence
manufacturing from Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP). The defence
manufacturing includes electronic aerospace and defence equipment manufacturing.
The following are the 6 industries which require compulsory licensing
Arms and ammunition, explosives and allied items of defence equipment,
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Defence aircraft and warships,
Atomic substances,
Narcotics and psychotropic substances,
Hazardous chemicals, distillation and brewing of alcoholic drinks,
Cigarettes/cigars and manufactured tobacco substitutes.
„One District One Product‟ Summit
The President of India has recently inaugurated ‗One District One Product‘ Summit in
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
‗One District One Product‘ is a scheme developed by U.P state government to
popularise products produced by MSME sector. is aimed at giving a major push to
traditional industries synonymous with the respective districts of the state. Under the
scheme, the government has set a goal of providing employment to 25 lakh people in 5
years through the financial assistance of Rs. 25,000 crores.
The objective of the scheme is to optimise production, productivity and income,
preservation and development of local crafts, promotion of art, improvement in product
quality and skill development to improve the economic progress of MSME artisans by
improving the skills of local people and increasing the reach of products.
Electronics Development Fund (EDF)
It is a „Fund of Funds‟ contributing 15 per cent of the value of professionally managed
‗Daughter Funds‘, required to raise the remaining 85 per cent from the market.
The funds choose and fund start-ups for developing technologies in electronics, nano-
electronics and information technology.
The MeitY nominated Canara Bank Venture Capital to select the Daughter Funds.
These must be private- or government-run funds following SEBI rules.
TReDS
TReDS is online electronic institutional mechanism for facilitating the financing of trade
receivables of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) through multiple financiers.
RXIL is India‗s first TreDS platform operating since January 2017. It is promoted by
National Stock Exchange (NSE), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI),
State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank and Yes Bank.
It enables MSMEs to gain control of their receivables with enhanced visibility and
timeliness.
In October 2017, Union Government had mandated all major PSUs to join TReDS
platform to facilitate payments to MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) vendors.
State-owned aerospace and defence manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) became
the first public sector enterprise (PSU) to make transaction on RXIL TReDS platform.
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Service
India Tourism Mart
The „first ever‟ India Tourism Mart (ITM) will be organised by Tourism Ministry in
partnership with the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality
(FAITH) and with the support of State /UT Governments.
The objective of the event is to create an annual Global Tourism Mart for India in line
with major international travel marts being held in countries across the world.
It will provide a platform for all stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industries to
interact and transact business opportunities.
It will include pavilion for States & Union Territories to showcase their unique tourism
destinations and products.
Bureau of Indian Standards for Service Sector
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standard body of India which sets the
quality regulations for various product.
BIS is set to formulate new standards to measure quality of services offered to
consumers across different sectors.
The initial focus will be the 12 champion services sectors identified by the government.
These include IT, tourism and hospitality, transport and logistics, accounting and
finance services, legal services, communication services and construction.
A framework for quality services will be provided to consumers and a benchmark to deal
with consumer complaints will be set by BIS.
Infrastructure
Concessional Financing Scheme (CFS)
Cabinet has approved first extension of Concessional Financing Scheme (CFS) for
another five years from 2018 to 2023 to support Indian Entities bidding for strategically
important infrastructure projects abroad. The scheme also has been liberalized, allowing
any Indian company, irrespective of ownership eligible to benefits of it.
Under CFS, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) selects specific projects keeping in view
strategic interest of India and sends same to Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).
The Scheme is presently being operated through EXIM Bank, which raises resources
from market to provide concessional finance. Union Government provides counter
guarantee and interest equalization support of 2% to EXIM Bank to offer concessional
finance to any foreign Government or its owned or controlled entity, if any Indian entity,
succeeds in getting contract for execution of project. EXIM Bank can extend credit at rate
not exceeding LIBOR (avg. of sixmonths) + 100 bps. The repayment of loan is guaranteed
by foreign government.
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Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs)
These are mutual fund like institutions that enable investments into the infrastructure
sector by pooling small sums of money from multitude of individual investors for directly
investing in infrastructure so as to return a portion of the income to unit holders of
InvITs, who pooled in the money. InvITs are regulated by Securities and Exchange Board
of India
Communication
National Digital Communications Policy-2018 (NDCP-2018)
Union Cabinet approved the National Digital Communications Policy-2018 (NDCP-2018)
and redesignated Telecom Commission as the 'Digital Communications Commission'.
NDCP-2018, focus on three strategies mission.
Connect India: Establishing a ‗National Broadband Mission – Rashtriya Broadband
Abhiyan‘ to secure universal broadband access
Propel India: Catalysing Investments for Digital Communications sector by according
Telecom Infrastructure the status of Critical and Essential Infrastructure, reforming the
licensing and regulatory regime to catalyse Investments and Innovation
Secure India: Core strategies include establishing a strong, flexible and robust Data
Protection Regime, assuring Security of Digital Communications by formulating a policy
on encryption and data retention, Instituting a sectoral Cyber Security Incidence
Response System (CSIRT).
Transport
MOVE: Global Mobility Summit
NITI Aayog has organized India‘s First Global Mobility Summit, in collaboration with
various ministries and industry partners in New Delhi.
This Summit will help drive government‘s goals for vehicle electrification, renewable
energy integration and job growth and also speed up India‗s transition to a clean energy
economy.
It will see participation from major global players offering first-hand perspective on
automotive solutions, upcoming trends in the logistics sector.
NITI Aayog has also been working towards evolving a National Strategy for Transforming
Mobility.
Mobilise Your City Initiative
It is an international initiative supported by the French and German governments. It was
launched as a part of COP 21 UNFCCC Paris climate conference.
It seeks to provide support to 100 cities worldwide in 3 years to engage in sustainable
urban mobility planning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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It will be financed by the European Union under its Asia Investment Facility (AIF)
through French Development Agency (AFD). AFD (AgenceFrancaise du Development),
French Development Agency is a Paris based public financial institution, which imposes
the policies stated by the French government.
India is one of the very first countries to benefit from this initiative. Kochi, Nagpur and
Ahmadabad are the 3 cities selected for the project.
India and France have recently signed an implementation agreement under this
initiative.
This initiative will be implemented by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs.
Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF)
The administrative control of Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) has been
transferred to the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Finance Ministry. So far, it was
under the domain of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The Central Road Fund (CRF) was launched in 2000, it is basically a cess imposed along
with excise duty on petrol and diesel. The cess revenue was accrued to the CRF which
was uniquely created and out of this major road projects were financed ever since its
launch.
The budget 2018 has amended the Central Road Fund Act, 2000, and has renamed the
Central Road Fund as Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF). Main purpose of the
amendment is to use the proceeds of the road cess under CRIF to finance other
infrastructure projects including waterways, some portion of the railway infrastructure
and even social infrastructure including education institutions, medical colleges etc.
The amendment prescribes that road cess is first credited to the Consolidated Fund of
India and later, after adjusting for the cost of tax collection, should go to the CRIF. As
per the amendment, the share for each infrastructure areas and projects from the CRIF
shall be finalised by a Committee, constituted by the Central government. Committee will
be headed by the Finance Minister.
India‟s Longest River Bridge
Union Government has recently announced that India‘s longest river bridge across the
River Brahmaputra is going to be commenced soon. It will run between Dhubri in
Assam and Phulbari in Meghalaya, which is close to the Bangladesh border.
At 19.3 km, the new bridge will be twice as long as the Dhola-Sadiya bridge, which at
present, is the longest in the country. The new bridge is likely to be completed by the
year 2026-27. It is going to be funded by Japanese funding agency JICA.
World‟s Longest Sea Bridge
The world‘s longest sea bridge was recently inaugurated by China after 9 years of
construction. It is a 55-kilometre stretch that connects Hong Kong and Macau to
Zhuhai in the Mainland China.
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Signature Bridge
The Signature Bridge is constructed over the Yamuna river, meant to link north and
northeast Delhi with Ghaziabad. It is 675 metres long and has taken nine years to
complete with a budget of over Rs. 6 million.
Dedicated Freight Corridors
Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) project is a broad gauge freight corridor being
constructed by the Indian Railways.
It aims to provide an efficient and reliable transportation system through construction of
six freight corridors traversing the entire country. Dedicated Freight Corridor
Corporation of India (DFCCIL) is a Special Purpose Vehicle of the railways which has
been entrusted with the job to develop DFCs in the country.
The commissioning of Western and Eastern DFCs is targeted in phases by 2019/2020.
Western DFC runs from Dadri near Delhi to Jawahar Lal Nehru Port Trust in
Mumbai. It covers the States of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and
Maharashtra. It is funded by World Bank.
Eastern DFC is from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni in West Bengal. It covers the
States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It is
funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
All the freight traffic that is currently on the rail routes between Delhi and Mumbai and
Delhi and Kolkata would be moved to these corridors in parts to decongest the existing
lines.
Other DFC - East-West DFC (Kolkata-Mumbai), North-South DFC (Delhi-Chennai),
East Coast DFC (Kharagpur-Vijaywada) and the Southern DFC (Chennai-Goa).
Sagarmala initiative
The prime objective of the sagarmala project is to promote port-led development and to
provide infrastructure to transport goods quickly, efficiently and cost effectively.
It intends to enhance the capacity of major and non-major ports.
It also strives to ensure sustainable development of the population living in the coastal
economic zones.
Community Development Fund will be created for projects and activities which strive to
bring development for coastal communities.
Its features are:-
Establishment of rail / road linkages with the port terminals
Multi-modal connectivity including rail, inland water, coastal and road services
Logistics parks, warehousing, maritime zones/services
Port based and coastal tourism and recreational activities
Modernizing the existing ports and development of new ports
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Aviation
Cabinet approves renaming of Agartala Airport, Tripura as Maharaja Bir Bikram
Manikya Kishore Airport, Agartala. Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore ascended
the throne of the erstwhile Tripura Princely State in 1923, was an enlightened and
benevolent ruler. Agartala Airport was constructed in 1942 on the land donated by
Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) will set up a Civil Aviation Research Organisation
(CARO) at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad, which aimed at finding indigenous solutions‖ to
meet the challenges posed by the growing air traffic.
Pakyong Airport
Sikkim is now part of India‘s aviation map as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated
the State‘s first airport at Pakyong. With it all the state in the country comes in India‘s
Air Map. This is also the 100th airport in the country.
International UDAN
International UDAN, a new international air connectivity scheme is an extension of the
domestic UDAN scheme.
Domestic UDAN seeks to boost air connectivity by linking up un-served and under-
served airports in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with the big cities. This is done by offering
cheap tickets to passengers and the Central and State governments paying a subsidy to
the airlines to enable them to offer cheap tickets.
Under International UDAN, the plan is to connect India‟s smaller cities directly to
some key foreign destinations in the neighbourhood. The scheme seeks to make use
of the open skies policy that India has with other Asian countries that allows direct and
unlimited flights to and from these nations to 18 Indian destinations.
Unlike in domestic UDAN where both the Centre and the State government share the
subsidy, it is only the State government that will provide the financial support for flights
under international UDAN.
Like the domestic UDAN, the financial support and flying exclusivity on the route will be
for three years.
Only Indian carriers can participate in the international UDAN scheme, and only aircraft
with capacity of 70 seats or more can fly the foreign routes.
Energy
Hydrocarbon definition Now Include shale
Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has amended Petroleum and Natural Gas
Rules 1959 to include shale in definition of petroleum. The updated definition of
petroleum means naturally occurring hydrocarbons, whether in form of natural gas or in
liquid, viscous or solid form, or mixture thereof, occurring in association with petroleum
or coal or shale but does not include coal, lignite, and helium.
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This change will allow private companies to explore and produce the resource in the
blocks they already operate.
Strategic Petroleum Reserves
To ensure energy security, the Government of India had decided to set up 5 million
metric tons (MMT) of strategic crude oil storages at three locations namely,
Visakhapatnam, Mangalore and Padur (near Udupi).
These strategic storages would serve as a cushion during any external supply
disruptions.
In the 2017-18 budget, it was announced that two more such caverns will be set up
Chandikhole in Jajpur district of Odisha and Bikaner in Rajasthan as part of the second
phase.
The construction of the Strategic Crude Oil Storage facilities is being managed by Indian
Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), a Special Purpose Vehicle which is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB) under the Ministry of
Petroleum & Natural Gas.
Integrate to Innovate Programme (i2i)
The programme aims to provide opportunity for Indian energy startups to pilot their
products with corporates. It will provide startups, a unique lab-to-market opportunity
housed at the corporate premises. The corporates would offer startups access to
technology, technical and commercial mentorship and access to potential customers
through the corporate network of partners.
The duration of the programme would be three months.
It is developed by Invest India and energy sector companies.
The selected startups will receive a cash prize grant of upto Rs. 5 Lakh per startup.
Innovators from across various stages of the energy life-cycle - generation, transmission
and distribution, storage and consumption and in multiple sectors such as households,
farm, industry, infrastructure, building, utility and transport are included.
Biofuels
Biofuels are fuels produced directly or indirectly from organic material biomass,
including plant materials and animal waste.
Primary Biofuels are organic materials used in an unprocessed form, primarily for
heating, cooking or electricity production.Ethanol Bio-refineries.
Ethanol is a secondary biofuel which is produced through processing of biomass.
First generation biofuels are produced directly from food crops.
Second Generation (2G) biofuels are produced from marginal croplands unsuitable for
food production.
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In the National Policy on Biofuels 2018, Government has allowed B grade heavy
molasses, sugarcane juice and damaged food grains as feedstocks to increase availability
of ethanol.
In 2016, the foundation stone of India's first 2G ethanol biorefinery in Bathinda,
Punjab has been laid.
Rajasthan became first state in the country to implement National Policy on Biofuels,
2018.
National Policy on Biofuels, 2018
The policy categorises of biofuels into first generation (1G), second generation (2G) and
third generation (3G) to enable extension of appropriate financial and fiscal incentives
under each category.
It seeks to help farmers dispose of their surplus stock in economic manner and reduce
country‗s oil import dependence.
It has expanded scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of
sugarcane juice, sugar containing materials like sweet sorghum, sugar beet, starch
containing materials like corn, cassava, damaged food grains like broken rice, wheat,
rotten potatoes, unfit for human consumption for ethanol production.
It also encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from
non-edible oilseeds, used cooking oil, short gestation crops.
SATAT Initiative
It is an initiative by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
It is aimed at providing a Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation
(SATAT).
It will promote the use of Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) production plants and make
available CBG in the market for use in automotive fuels.
It is developmental effort that would benefit both, vehicle-users as well as farmers and
entrepreneurs. It will also help tackling the problem of polluted urban air due to farm
stubble-burning and carbon emissions.
It will be launched in association with PSU oil marketing companies, which invites
potential entrepreneurs to set up CBG plants.
Methanol Cooking Fuel Program
Northeast and Assam Petro-chemicals, a state-owned company has launched Asia's
first canisters based and India's first "Methanol Cooking Fuel Program".
1.2 liters of gaseous form of Methanol canisters can last for full five hours on twin
burners and 8 such Canisters as rack can last for one month for a family of three. The
cooking medium can directly substitute LPG, Kerosene, Wood, Charcoal and any other
fuel for cooking.
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The cost of energy equivalent of one cylinder of LPG for Methanol is Rs. 650, compared to
Rs. 850 per cylinder resulting in a minimum of 20% Savings.
This provides for an excellent alternative as household fuel and commercial, institutional
and fuel for restaurants.
Policy framework for exploitation of Unconventional hydrocarbons
The Union Cabinet has approved the policy to permit exploration and exploitation of
unconventional hydrocarbons such as Shale oil/gas, Coal Bed Methane (CBM) etc.
With the approval of this policy, there will be complete shift from ‗One hydrocarbon
Resource Type‘ to ‗Uniform Licensing Policy‘ which is presently applicable in
Hydrocarbon Exploration & Licensing Policy (HELP) and Discovered Small Field (DSF)
Policy.
India's first biofuel-powered flight
India has now joined the small league of nations with the US and Australia to have flown
a biofuel-powered aircraft. SpiceJet flew the Bombardier Q400 (VT-SUI) on biofuel from
Dehradun to Delhi.
Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) initiative
RUCO is an initiative launched by The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI).
It will enable collection and conversion of used cooking oil to bio-diesel. Under this
initiative, 64 companies at 101 locations have been identified to enable collection of used
cooking oil.
FSSAI is also working in partnership with Biodiesel Association of India and the food
industry to ensure effective compliance of used cooking oil regulations.
The cooking oil regulation mandates that the maximum permissible limits for Total
Polar Compounds (TPC) have been set at 25 per cent, beyond which the cooking oil is
unsafe for consumption. TPC is one of the reliable variable to keep track of the changes
in quality of oil during frying process.
The repeated use of oil at high temperatures result in oxidative, polymerization and
thermal degradation reactions. These reaction will lead to changes in their physical,
chemical, nutritional and sensory properties which increases the TPC of oil.
State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index (SEEPI)
The 1st edition of the SEEPI was recently released jointly by the Bureau of Energy
Efficiency (BEE) and NITI Aayog.
The index accessed state policies and programmes aimed at improving energy efficiency
in five key sectors. The sectors are buildings, industries, municipalities, transportation,
agriculture and electricity distribution.
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The criteria taken into account includes, Sector-wise energy consumption; Energy saving
potential and States‘ influence in implementing energy efficiency.
It has classified states in to four categories - front runner, achiever, contender and
aspirant, based upon their efforts towards energy efficiency.
Kerala topped the list followed by Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. These states are
categorized as front runners. Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Haryana have been
categorised in the second best category of ‗achiever‘ states.
RE-INVEST
RE-INVEST is a global platform to explore strategies for development and deployment of
renewables. It showcases India‘s clean energy market and the Government‘s efforts to
scale up capacity to meet the national energy demands in sustainable ways.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is organising 2nd global RE-INVEST expo in
Greater Noida, UP. It will build upon the success of RE-INVEST 2015. It provides an
international forum to established players as well as new segments of investors and
entrepreneurs to engage, ideate and innovate.
Defence
Defence India Startup Challenge
Defence India Startup Challenge is part of iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence)
scheme announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April meant to build an eco-
system of innovation and entrepreneurship in India for the defence sector to make India
self-reliant.
It is an initiative to tap startups for finding safe and futuristic Indian solutions to critical
needs of the three Armed Forces. A list of 11 technologies that the Army, the Navy, and
the Air Force need.
Those that come up with prototypes of usable products would be supported with ₹1.5
crore each and friendly procurement procedures from the Ministry under SPARK or
Support for Prototype & Research Kickstart in Defence.
Innovations for Defence Excellence' (iDEX) Initiative
It is initiative of Minstry of Defence.
iDEX is aimed at creating an ecosystem which fosters innovation and encourages
technology development in Defence by engaging R&D institutes, academia, industries,
Startups and even individual innovators.
iDEX will be funded and managed by a Defence Innovation Organization (DIO).
iDEX will function as the executive arm of DIO, carrying out all the required activities
while DIO will provide high level policy guidance to iDEX.
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Strategic Partnership Model (SPM)
The model, whose concept was first suggested by the Dhirendra Singh Committee,
visualises designating a few private companies as Strategic Partners (SPs) that would not
only assume the role of system integrators but also lay a strong defence industrial
foundation.
Strategic Partnership Model aims to revitalize defence industrial ecosystem and
progressively build indigenous capabilities to design, develop and manufacture complex
weapon systems for the future needs of the Armed Forces.
It aims to promote Joint ventures between indigenous private sector and global defence
majors.
The government aims to achieve a turnover of Rs 1,70,000 crore in military goods and
services by 2025 .
All procurements under the SP Model would be executed by specially constituted
Empowered Project Committees (EPC). It is to provide focused attention and ensure
timely execution.
Make II Scheme
Department of Defence production under Ministry of Defence has recently cleared 31
projects and has given them in-principle approval under the Make-II scheme.
Make II Scheme corresponds to Make in India initiative in Defence production.
The provision of 'Make' category in Defence procurement Procedure is a pillar for
realising the vision behind Make in India. Make Scheme fosters indigenous capabilities
through design & development of required defence equipment/product/upgrades by both
public and private sector industry in a faster time frame.
Make I scheme is Government-funded and the projects under ‗Make-I‘ sub-category will
involve Government funding of 90%.
Make II scheme is Industry-funded and the projects involve development of
products/equipment for which no government funding will be provided for development
purposes.
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Polity
Governance
Mission Satyanishtha
It is launched by Indian Railways. It aims at sensitizing all railway employees about the
need to adhere to good ethics and to maintain high standards of integrity at work.
It is the first ever such mission by any government organisation.
Census 2021
The data collected during the 2021 Census will be stored electronically for the first time
since the decennial census began in Independent India in 1951. The decision for saving
data electronically was notified by Registrar General of India (RGI)
Tampering with any information will be punished under the IT Act this time onwards
since it is now being electronically saved.
Census 2021 will for the first time collect data on Other Backward Classes. Use of
maps/geo-referencing will be considered in the process.
The correct data will help to get the correct perspective on their social status such as
which community has developed as which has not.
The 2011 caste data collected as part of the Socio-economic Caste Census (SECC) is yet
to be released.
Electoral Reform
Election Commission to take strong step to address online Political Advertising with help
of Google.
The Election Commission is the nodal body for pre-certification of advertisements of a
political nature, released by either an individual or an organization
Electoral Bonds Scheme 2018
Union government has announced the sales of electoral bond, which is designed to be a
bearer instrument like a Promissory Note in effect, it will be similar to a bank note that is
payable to the bearer on demand and free of interest.
Electoral Bonds may be purchased by a person, who is a citizen of India or incorporated
or established in India.
A person being an individual can buy Electoral Bonds, either singly or jointly with other
individuals.
Political Parties which are eligible for receiving the electoral bonds must satisfy two
criteria,
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The party must be registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the
People Act, 1951 .
It should secure not less 1% of the votes polled in the last General Election to the
House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State.
The electoral bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank
account with the Authorized Bank.
The bonds shall be valid for 15 calendar days from the date of issue and no payment
shall be made to any payee Political Party if the Electoral Bond is deposited after expiry
of the validity period.
Search Committee for Lokpal
Government has constituted eight-member search committee headed by former Supreme
Court judge, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, to recommend names for posts of Lokpal
chairperson and members. The selection process of Lokpal is underway as per guidelines
of laid down in Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
Section 151A of RPA
Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act deals with time limit within which
casual vacancies in Parliament and State Legislatures should be filled through bye-
elections by Election Commission of India (ECI). The section mandates ECI to fill the
vacancies within 6 months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy provided that the
remainder of the term of a member in relation to a vacancy is one year or more.
There is a recent controversy in conducting bye-elections in Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh to fill vacancies in the Lok Sabha. The term of 16th Lok sabha is upto 3rd June,
2019. ECI has started the process to fill the vacancies in Karnataka alone. This is
because the vacancies in the seats of Lok Sabha from Karnataka occurred in the Month
of May, 2018. Whereas, in A.P, the vacancies occurred in the month of 20th June, 2018.
Thus, there is no need for conducting bye-election in A.P as the remaining term of the
Lok Sabha is less than 1 year from the date of occurrence of vacancies. However, if ECI
in consultation with the Central Government certifies that it is difficult to hold the bye-
election within the said period, then the section 151A can be overruled.
Public Affairs Index 2018
The index was released by the think tank Bengulure based Public Affairs Centre (PAC).
Among large States, Kerala has topped the list, followed by Tamil Nadu, Telangana,
Karnataka and Gujarat, whereas Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar ranked the
lowest, indicating higher social and economic inequalities in the states.
Among smaller States (with population less than two crore), Himachal Pradesh topped
the list followed by Goa, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura. Nagaland, Manipur and
Meghalaya were ranked at bottom of the index among small states.
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2018 PAI also included separate index on children of India, giving measure of how child-
friendly each of the states are. In this category of providing better living conditions for all
children, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram topped the index.
DISHA initiative
District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDCMC) is named as
DISHA by the Ministry of Rural Development. It is for effective development coordination
of almost all the programmes of Central Government. It monitors the implementation of
28 schemes and programmes of Ministry of Rural Development and other Ministries to
promote synergy and convergence for greater impact.
The main purpose of this committee is to coordinate with Central and State and local
Panchayat Governments.
Chairperson of the committee will be the senior most Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha)
elected from the district, nominated by the Ministry of Rural Development. The other
Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha) representing the district will be designated as Co-
Chairpersons.
Common Services Centers (CSCs)
Common Services Centers (CSCs) are a strategic cornerstone of the Digital India
programme.
They are the access points for delivery of various electronic services to villages in India,
thereby contributing to a digitally and financially inclusive society. CSCs enable the
three vision areas of the Digital India programme: Digital infrastructure as a core utility
to every citizen; Governance and services on demand; and Digital empowerment of
citizens.
Transformation of Aspirational Districts Programme
Union Government had selected 115 backward (aspirational) districts for rapid
transformation by 2022 in line with Government‗s vision to create ‗New India‘.
NITI Aayog had selected these districts on six socio-economic parameters, pertaining to
1. Health & Nutrition,
2. Education,
3. Agriculture & Water Resources,
4. Financial Inclusion
5. Skill Development, and
6. Basic Infrastructure.
These 115 backward districts include 35 districts affected by Left Wing Extremists (LWE)
violence, 55 districts just affected by LWE and another 15 including districts in Jammu
and Kashmir and northeast affected by terrorism. Jharkhand has most aspirational
district that is 19.
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For this government will leverage Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), aided by technology
to bring radical transformation of these aspirational districts.
Colour for Registration Mark of Battery Operated Vehicles
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified amendments to Central Motor
Vehicles Rules, 1989. As per the rules, all Battery Operated Vehicles shall now exhibit
their registration mark in Yellow colour on Green background for transport vehicles
and for all other cases, in White colour on Green background.
Coloured stickers to Indicate nature of fuel
Supreme Court has accepted Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)
proposal to use hologram-based coloured stickers on vehicles, plying in Delhi-National
Capital Region (NCR) to indicate the nature of the fuel used. It also clarified that this
colour-coding will only be applicable in Delhi and NCR.
With this approval, Delhi will be first city in India to have hologram-based coloured
stickers on according to fuel they run on. This move aims to counter air pollution in
national capital.
Under this colour scheme proposed by MoRTH, light-blue colour will be used for
vehicles running petrol and CNG-run vehicles while orange colour sticker will be used
for diesel-driven vehicles. These hologram-based stickers will also contain registration
date of the vehicle.
Door Step Delivery Scheme (DSD)
The scheme is launched by the Delhi government.
It aims to provide 40 essential government services at the door step of the people.
The residents of Delhi will get delivery of various government services, including driving
licence, marriage certificate and ration card, at the place of their choice. In the first
phase, 40 services will be provided for a nominal charge of Rs 50.
National Database on Sex Offenders (NDSO)
India became the ninth country in the world to have a National Database on Sexual
Offenders (NDSO).
It is accessible only to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of 'investigation and
monitoring'.
The database is for those convicted for sexual offences 2005 onwards.
It includes name, address, photograph and fingerprint details of the convict.
The database will be maintained by the National Crime Records Bureau, that will also
track whether the State police were updating the records on time.
The database will include offenders convicted under charges of rape, gang rape,
Protection of Children from Sexual Offenders Act (POCSO) and eve teasing.
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Ease of Living Index
It is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
It aims to help the cities assess their liveability vis-à-vis national and global benchmarks.
Ministry has recently released State wise ranking based on this index.
Andhra Pradesh topped the charts followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.
The ranking of cities based on four pillars namely Institutional, Social, Economic and
Physical.
Three cities in Maharashtra - Pune, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai topped the
first Ease of Living Index. The national capital, New Delhi, is ranked 65 among 111
cities, while Chennai is in 14th place. Kolkata did not participate in the survey.
E-Governance
cVIGIL App
cVIGIL is a mobile app launched by Election Commission of India. It enables citizens to
report on violation of code of conduct during elections.
e-Vidhan
e-Vidhan is a Mission Mode Project to digitize and make the functioning of State
Legislatures paperless. It is part of Digital India Programme.
Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is the Nodal Ministry for this project.
The Ministry desires to roll out e-Vidhan as National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA),
covering all 40 Houses including two Houses of Parliament and State legislatures. It is to
be used by the Legislatures as well as all the Government Departments.
This project was first executed in Himachal Pradesh which made the Shimla Legislative
Assembly the first Assembly in India to go paperless in 2014.
The mNeVA (NeVA-mobile app) is a user-friendly app that has made information on
conduct of business in Legislatures accessible anytime, anywhere to everyone.
It is a work-flow based app deployed in Cloud (Meghraj).
It helps the Chair of the House to conduct the proceedings of the House smoothly and
the members to carry out their duties in the House efficiently.
Jan Dhan Darshak
It is a mobile application launched by the Finance Ministry as a part of Financial
Inclusion. It is jointly developed by National Informatics Centre and Ministry of Finance.
The app provide a citizen centric platform for locating financial service touch points across
all providers such as banks, post office, CSC, etc at a given location in the country.
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Loo Review Campaign
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, under Swachh Bharat Mission Urban (SBM-
U) program, has partnered with Google to launch the Loo Review campaign to encourage
all local guides in India to rate and review public toilets on Google Maps
Digi Yatra
The government is set to introduce the ‗Digi Yatra facility‘ to ease passenger travel by
one-time verification at an airport.
It is voluntary facility, which would require passengers to initially register themselves at
a web portal by providing an identity proof.
The individual„s facial identity would then be captured and mapped onto a newly
created Digi Yatra profile and a distinct identification number would be generated after
one-time verification at an airport. Passengers would then have to provide this
identification number at the time of purchasing an air ticket, to avail the paperless
access facility.
The Digi Yatra programme would comply with the European Union‘s Data Protection
Regulation
PARIVESH
Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental
Single-window Hub was recently launched by the Prime Minister of India.
It is a Single-Window Integrated Environmental Management System, launched on
the occasion of World Biofuel Day.
It has been designed, developed and hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change (MOEFCC), with technical support from National Informatics Centre,
(NIC).
It has been rolled out for online submission, monitoring and management of proposals
seeking various types of environment clearances from Central, State and district-level
authorities.
It enables project proponents, citizens to view, track and interact with scrutiny officers,
generates online mail alerts to state functionaries in case of delays beyond stipulated
time for processing of applications.
Rail Heritage Digitization Project
Railways Minister has launched 'Rail Heritage Digitization Project' of Indian Railways in
collaboration with Google Arts & Culture. The project is an effort to showcase country‘s
Rail Heritage to National and International audience in an online storytelling platform.
Vidya Lakshmi Portal
Vidya Lakshmi Portal was launched by the Government in 2015 to ensure that students
can avail education loans easily through single window system of banks.
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It has been developed under the guidance of Ministry of Finance, Human Resource
Development and Indian Bank Association.
The portal has been developed and being maintained by NSDL e-Governance
Infrastructure Limited.
Through this portal, students can vew, apply and track the education loan applications
to banks anytime, anywhere. The portal also provides linkages to National Scholarship
Portal.
Niryat Mitra
Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched this app to provide wide range of
information required to undertake international trade. The information includes policy
provisions for export and import, applicable GST rate, available export incentives, tariff,
preferential tariff.
This app works internally to map the ITC HS code of other countries with that of India
and provides all the required data without the users bothering about the HS code of any
country. ITC (HS) code refers to Indian Trade Clarification (ITC) and are based on
Harmonized System (HS) of Coding, It was adopted in India for import-export operations.
e-Sahaj
It is a portal launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs to enable individuals and private
companies to submit application for security clearances and view its status online. The
Home ministry is the nodal authority for granting security clearances in certain sensitive
sectors.
UPI 2.0
Unified Payment Interface is a platform created by the National Payments Corporation
(NPCI) to facilitate faster and smoother digital payments. UPI 2.0 is an upgraded version
with several new features added to UPI.
It allows scheduling payment transfers at a later date with pre-authorisation.
It allows customers to link their overdraft (OD) account with UPI. In the Earlier version,
only current and savings account can linked.
It will also let users verify UPI credentials using a QR code. Customers can now receive
invoices from merchants directly in the inbox to verify the authenticity of credentials.
NPCI is an umbrella organization for all retail payments system in India. It was set up
with the guidance and support of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian
Banks‗ Association (IBA).
Digilocker
DigiLocker is a secure cloud based platform for storage, sharing and verification of
documents & certificates launched by Ministry of Electronics and Information
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Technology. However, the documents uploaded by the user himself/herself will not be
considered as a valid proof of identity.
Railsahyog
Indian Railways has launched a web portal www.railsahyog.in, It will provide a platform
for the Corporates and PSUs to contribute to creation of amenities at/near Railway
Stations through Corporate Social Responsibility funds.
Khan Prahari
It is a mobile application is launched by Ministry of Coal for tracking illegal mining. It is
a tool for reporting any activity taking place related to illegal coal mining like rat hole
mining, pilferage etc. Citizens can upload geo-tagged photographs of the incident along
with textual information directly to the system.
Coal Mine Surveillance & Management System (CMSMS)
CMSMS is a web based GIS application through which location of sites for unauthorised
mining can be detected. The system will use satellite data to detect changes by which
unauthorised mining activity extending beyond the allotted lease area can be detected
and suitable action can be taken on it.
It is developed by a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL) and Bhaskarcharya Institute of
Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG)
UTTAM App
UTTAM stands for – Unlocking Transparency by Third Party Assessment of Mined Coal .
Developed By : Ministry of Coal and Coal India Limited (CIL) developed the app.
Purpose : It aims to provide for all citizens and coal consumers to monitor the process of
Third Party Sampling of coal across CIL subsidiaries. Hence ensures transparency and
efficiency in the coal quality monitoring process and brings coal governance closer to
people.
UMANG platform
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has integrated its Mobile Apps namely DND 2.0 &
MyCall with UMANG Platform. UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age
Governance) is developed by National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
It provides a single platform for all Indian Citizens to access pan India e-Gov services
ranging from Central to Local Government bodies and other citizen centric services.
It provides a unified approach where citizens can install one application to avail multiple
government services.
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The services live on the app include Aadhaar, DigiLocker, Bharat Bill Payment System
(BBPS) among others.
Citizens will be able to access Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) services,
apply for a new PAN, and can register under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
e-Filing, e-Pay, and NSTEP applications
e-Filing, e-Pay, and National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes (NSTEP) have
been created under the eCourts project Phase II.
e-Filing application is meant for online registration of lawyers and litigants. Through the
application, one can file cases from any part of India to any court on registration.
Portfolio management of cases of litigants and lawyers is provided on the portal and one
can get updates from time to time about filed cases, cases under objection or rejected
cases. The facility of e-Sign is provided on the application for those who cannot afford to
purchase token for making digital signatures.e-Filing application.
e-Pay application is a unified portal wherein facility to pay online court fees is provided.
National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes (NSTEP) is a transparent and
secure system for transmission of process from one location to another and will address
delays in process. NSTEP will lead to secured auto generation of processes with unique
QR Code through CIS, publishing processes on portal and transmission of processes to
other court complexes.
The eCourts Mission Mode Project is a national eGovernance project for ICT
enablement of district and subordinate courts of the country.
The major objectives of the Project are to make whole judicial system ICT enabled by
putting in place adequate and modern hardware and connectivity; automation of
workflow management in all courts; electronic movement of records from taluka/trial to
appeal courts; installation of video conferencing (VC) facility and recording of witness
through Video Conferencing.
Working of Parliament and State legislature
Upper House in the Arena of Foreign Policy
Rajya Sabha has, for the first time in 76 years since it came into being, entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a foreign counterpart for promoting inter-
parliamentary dialogue.
Shri Venkaiah Naidu, has, in the process, become the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha
to sign such an agreement when he inked an MOU with the visiting President of the
Senate of the Republic of Rwanda, Mr. Bernard Makuza.
Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).
It was established in 1943 by group of Indian intellectuals as think tank. It was declared
Institution of National Importance by Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), 2001
enacted by Parliament.
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ICWA is devoted exclusively for the study of international relations and foreign affairs. It
had conducted historic international conferences like Asian Relations Conference in
1947 under leadership Sarojini Naidu and United Nations and New World Order in 1994.
The Vice President of India is the ex-officio President of ICWA, while the Minister of
External Affairs is its Vice-President.
National Register of Citizens (NRC)
National Register of Citizens was introduced to identify illegal immigrants from
Bangladesh and recognise the Indian citizens in Assam. It is a list of Indian citizens
which is meant to decide who is a bona fide Indian citizen and those who fail to enlist in
the register will be deemed illegal migrants.
First list was made in 1951 across India according to the census of that year to record
citizens, their houses and holdings.
Updating the NRC to root out foreigners was a demand during the Assam Agitation
(1979-1985). The Citizenship Act of 1955 was amended after the Assam Accord for all
Indian-origin people who came from Bangladesh before January 1, 1966 to be deemed as
citizens. Those who came between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971 were eligible for
citizenship after registering and living in the State for 10 years and those entering after
March 25, 1971, were to be deported.
The Assam Accord of 1985 that ended the six-year anti-foreigners' agitation decided
upon the midnight of March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date.
Concept of D-Voters (Dubious or Doubtful Voters), is a category of voters disenfranchised
owing to the lack of citizenship documents. D voters are tried by special tribunals under
the Foreigners„ Act and send to six detention camps and are marked as declared
foreigners if they fail to defend their case.
Federal Issues
Mahadayi Water Disputes
The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal which has been hearing the tussle over sharing
of the Mahadayi or Mandovi river between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra, has
delivered its final verdict.
The tribunal has allowed Karnataka access to 13.4 tmc of water for its consumptive use
(5.4 tmc) and power generation (8.02 tmc). The share of Goa was pegged at 24 tmc with
the Tribunal allowing it for the state‘s municipal water needs, irrigation water
requirements and industrial water demands. Maharashtra got the lowest share of 1.33
tmc for meeting its in-basin needs with respect to five projects.
The tribunal also directed the Centre to set up the Mahadayi Water Management
Authority to implement its report and final decision.
The Mahadayi river basin drains an area of 2032 square kilometres of which 375 square
km lies in Karnataka, 77 sq km in Maharashtra and the remaining in Goa.
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The dispute arose since Goa was opposed to Karnataka‘s plans to divert waters from the
tributaries of the river, which Karnataka justified was for drinking water purposes.
The tribunal was constituted in November 2010.
Phulbari Dam
The 23rd meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council was held recently at Kolkata under the
Chairmanship of the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh. The Council reviewed
progress of unresolved items of the last meeting relating to Phulbari Dam under the
Agreement of 1978 between Bihar and West Bengal.
Gorkhaland Movement
The Gorkhaland movement is a long-standing quest for a separate State of Gorkhaland
within India for Nepali-speaking Indian citizens (often known as ‗Gorkhas‘). With roots
dating back over a century, Gorkhaland is a classic sub-nationalist movement, the
movement is neither separatist nor anti-nationalist rather by demanding Gorkhaland,
the people of Darjeeling-Kalimpong are opting out of West Bengal‗s domination, and
opting in to the democratic frameworks of India writ large.
Gorkhas (or Gurkhas) are Nepali-origin people who take their name from the 8th century
Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath and from the Nepal hill town of Gorkha. In a
notification issued on August 23, 1988, the Home Ministry clarified that Gorkhas
domiciled in India at the time of commencement of the Constitution, and those born in
India, or born to one or both parents born in India, are citizens of India.
Bru Tribes
A landmark agreement signed among the Centre, state governments of Mizoram and
Tripura, and the Mizoram Bru Displaced People‗s Forum on the repatriation of members
of the Bru tribe to Mizoram.
West Bengal to Bangla
The West Bengal Assembly recently passed a resolution to change the name of the State
as ‗Bangla‘ in three languages - Bengali, English and Hindi.
The proposal has been pending since August 2016, But the Centre rejected the proposal
of having 3 names in 3 different languages. Upon the fresh proposal to Union Home
ministry by state, the ministry will prepare a note for the union cabinet for an
amendment to the Schedule 1 of the Constitution.
To change the name of the State, a Constitution Amendment Bill (an amendment to the
Schedule 1 of the Constitution) must be introduced in Parliament, which has to approve
it with a simple majority, before the President gives his assent to it, under the Article 3
of the Constitution.
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Restricted Areas Permit
Under the Foreigners (Restricted) Areas Order, 1963, entire Andaman & Nicobar
Islands and part of the Sikkim State have been declared as ‗Restricted‘ Areas.
A foreign national (except Bhutan) is not normally allowed to visit the restricted areas.
They require a special permit from the competent authority delegated with powers to
issue such a special permit or from Ministry of Home affairs.
Some areas are notified by the Union Government from time to time that allows
foreigners to visit restricted areas with a view to promote tourism.
Union Home Ministry has recently excluded 29 Andaman& Nicobar Islands from the
Restricted Area Permit (RAP) till December 31, 2022.
It was notified subject to condition such as,
Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan would continue to require RAP to visit
the UT,
Citizens of Myanmar will continue to require RAP, which shall be issued only with
the prior approval of the Home ministry,
Separate approvals of the competent authority would be required for visiting
reserved forests, wildlife sanctuaries and tribal reserves.
Judiciary
Verdict on Aadhaar Act
A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India by a 4:1
majority upheld the validity of Aadhaar but with certain caveats.
Supreme court upheld that provisions of the Aadhaar Act 'do not tend to create a
surveillance state' as there is security of the biometric data under supervision of UIDAI,
which has mandated only registered devices to conduct biometric-based authentication
transactions.
According to SC, Aadhaar is required for welfare schemes (PDS, LPG, MGNREGA etc.), I-
T returns, linking to PAN card.
Aadhaar is not compulsory for banks accounts, SIM cards, Private companies, School
admissions and college admission based on NEET, UGC, CBSEetc.
Sabarimala temple Verdict
The Supreme Court in Indian Young Lawyers‘ Association v/s State of Kerala Case
declared Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry)
Act of 1965, which authorizes restriction on womens of menstruating age, as ultra vires
the Constitution.
Supreme Court set aside a Kerala High Court judgment of 1991 that upheld the
prohibition, pointing that the celibate nature of the deity was a vital reason for imposing
this restriction on young women.
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SC upheld that Sabrimala ban on women violets Article 14, Article 15, Article 17 and
Article 25.
The Essentiality Doctrine was evolved by the Supreme Court to determine whether a
religious practice was protected under Article 25. The essential practice of a religion is
beyond interference by the State and subject only to the restrictions on the basis of the
grounds contained in Article 25. On the other hand, a non-essential religious practice is
not a fundamental right and can be restricted by the State on any reasonable ground.
Dowry Harrasment Law Judgement on Section 498
Supreme Court restored an immediate arrest provision in the dreaded Section 498A, IPC
The Supreme Court last year ordered that family welfare committees to be set up in
districts and these committees were supposed to act as a vanguard against disgruntled
wives using the anti- dowry harassment provision of Section 498-A of the Indian Penal
Code (IPC) as a 'weapon' against their husbands and in-laws, young and old, rather than
as a shield.
Supreme Court in its latest verdict held that such panels had no place under the
established criminal procedural law and they were beyond the Code of Criminal
Procedure Code. It restored police‘s power to immediately register an FIR and act on a
dowry harassment complaint filed by a married woman.
Those arrested for cruelty to a married woman over dowry can approach the courts for
bail to prevent the alleged misuse of the law. The offence is both non-cognisable and
non-bailable, which implies that bail can only be granted at the discretion of a
magistrate.
The bail petitions will be heard the same day as far as possible.
Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty, whoever, being the
husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty
shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and
shall also be liable to fine.
Adultry Judgement on Section 497
Supreme Court unanimously struck down Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)
that makes adultery a punishable offence.
Supreme Court held that the 158-year-old law was unconstitutional and fell foul of
Article 21 (Right to life and personal liberty) and Article 14 (Right to equality).
It destroys and deprives women of dignity and offends sexual freedom of women.
Section 497 says that whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he
knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or
connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is
guilty of the offence of adultery.
The offence of adultery entailed a maximum punishment of five years, or with fine, or
both.
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The apex court had earlier on three separate occasions, in 1954, 1985 and 1988, upheld
the constitutionality of Section 497.
Decriminalization of Homosexuality
In a landmark judgment (Navtej Singh Johar v/s Union of India case), a five-judge
Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra,
unanimously decriminalised homosexuality, with a prayer to the LGBTQ community
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) to forgive history for subjecting them to
―brutal‖ suppression.
Constitution Bench declared the 156-year-old ―tyranny‖ of Section 377 ―irrational,
indefensible and manifestly arbitrary.‖ Section 377 thus far punished homosexuality
with 10 years of imprisonment.
The court, however, held that the Section would apply to “unnatural” sexual acts
like bestiality. Sexual act without consent continues to be a crime under Section
377.
Earlier Stand of Judiciary on Section 377:-
Naz Foundation Judgement, a landmark decision on 2009, the Delhi High Court
decriminalized Section 377, ruling that consenting intercourse between two adults
was not illegal. The verdict declared that Section 377 of IPC was violative of
Articles 21, 14 and 15 of the Constitution.
Suresh Kumar Koushal (2013), a two-member Bench overturned a reasoned
judgment of the Delhi High Court reading down Section 377 of the IPC on
specious grounds, that there was nothing wrong in the law treating people having
sex ―against the order of nature‖ differently from those who abide by ―nature‖, and
SC left it to Parliament to consider the desirability and propriety of deleting
Section 377 IPC from the statute book or amend the same., if it so wished.
National Legal Services Authority (2014), a case recognised the rights of
transgender people, the court ruled that there could be no discrimination on the
basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
In Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (2017), or the ‗privacy case‘, a nine-judge Bench
ruled that ―Equality demands that sexual orientation of each individual in society
must be protected on an even platform. The right to privacy and the protection of
sexual orientation lie at the core of the FRs guarented by Article 14,15, and 21 of
the constitution‖
Acts and Bills
Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017
The Act was having provision of no detention policy in any class until completion of
elementary school (classes 1-8).
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The Bill amends provision related to no detention policy in the parent Act to empower
central or state government to allow schools to hold back child in class 5, class 8, or in
both classes.
It mandates conducting, regular examination in class 5 and class 8 at end of every
academic year.
In case, child fails class 5, class 8 examinations, he will be given additional instruction
and opportunity for a re-examination (within two months from the declaration of the
result). If child fails again in re-examination, he may be held back in class 5, class 8, or
in both classes.
The Bill empowers Union and State governments to decide whether to not hold back
child in any class till completion of elementary education. Further, Union or State
governments will decide manner and conditions subject to which child may be held back.
Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018
The Act amends Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedure Code, Protection of
Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Indian Evidence Act.
Amendments to Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860:
Enhanced punishment for rape: Under IPC, 1860, the offence of rape is punishable
with a rigorous imprisonment of at least seven years up to life imprisonment, along with
a fine. The minimum imprisonment has been increased from seven years to ten years.
New offences: The Bill creates new offences to increase punishment for rape of minor
girls
Age Offence IPC 1860 2018 Act
Below 12 years
Rape
Minimum: 10 years Minimum: 20 years
Maximum: life imprisonment
Maximum: life imprisonment or
death
Gang Rape
Minimum: 20 years Minimum: life
imprisonment
Maximum: life imprisonment
Maximum: life imprisonment or
death
Below 16 years
Rape
Minimum: 10 years Minimum: 20 years
Maximum: life imprisonment
No Change
Gang Rape
Minimum: 20 years Minimum: life imprisonment
Maximum: life imprisonment
No Provision
16 Years and Above Rape
Minimum: 7 Years Minimum: 10 Years
Maximum: life imprisonment
No change
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Repeat offenders: IPC, 1860 states that a person who commits rape for the second time
may be punished with life imprisonment or death. This provision has been extended to
cover rape under the new offences.
Amendments to Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012:
The POCSO, 2012 contains provisions for punishment of rape of minors. It states that
the punishment which is higher between the POCSO, 2012 and the IPC, 1860 will apply
to rape of minors. This provision has been extended to cover the new offences.
Amendments to Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973:
Time-bound investigation: The CrPC, 1973 states that an investigation into rape of a
child must be completed within three months. The Bill reduces the time for completion
of investigation to two months. Further, the Bill extends this timeline to all offences of
rape (i.e. irrespective of age of victim).
Appeal: The Bill states that any appeal against a sentence related to rape cases must be
disposed of within six months.
Anticipatory Bail: The CrPC, 1973 lists conditions for grant of anticipatory bail. The
Bill makes the provision of anticipatory bail not applicable to rape and gang rape of
minor girls below 16 years of age.
Compensation: The CrPC, 1973 provides that all rape victims will be given free medical
treatment and compensation by state government. This provision has been extended to
cover rape and gang rape of minor girls below 16 years of age.
Prior sanction: The CrPC, 1973 states that prior sanction is required for prosecution of
all public servants, except for certain offences, like rape. This provision has been
extended to cover rape and gang rape of minor girls below 16 years of age.
Amendments to Indian Evidence Act, 1872: Under Evidence Act, in determining
whether the act was consensual or not, past sexual experience or character of the victim
is disregarded. This provision has been extended to cover rape and gang rape of minor
girls below 16 years of age.
It has provision for maintaining national database and profile of sexual offenders by
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
This data will be regularly shared with States/UTs for monitoring, tracking and
investigation including verification of antecedents by police.
Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018
It termed bribe as ‗Undue advantage‘, defined as ‗gratification other than legal
renumeration‘. The term ‗gratification‘ has been clarified to include all forms of
gratifications estimable in money besides pecuniary gratification.
Time extensions- To conclude the investigation and trial within 2 yrs, extendable up to 6
month at a time and upto a 4 yrs.
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It seeks to punish bribe-givers and bribe-takers. At the same time, protection has been
built-in against coercive bribery (bribery given under compulsion), as long as the victim
comes forward within 7 days. For the first time, the giving of bribe has now been
made a direct offence on par with taking of bribe.
It criminalized coporate bribery, now superiors to be held if employee/agent has bribed
with their approval, for advancement of the organisation‗s interests.
It provides for jail terms of 3 to 7 years (from the earlier 6 months, with extension up to 3
yrs.), besides fine, to those convicted of taking or giving bribes to public officials.
The Act introduces powers and procedures for the attachment and forfeiture of property
of public servants accused of corruption. Law enforcement empowered for immediate
attachment & forfeiture of illegal property of a public servant, invoking provisions of the
Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017
It seeks to grant the National Commission on Backward Classes (NCBC) constitutional
status, at par with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and the
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
Role of NCSC: Currently, under the Constitution the NCSC has the power to look into
complaints and welfare measures with regard to Scheduled Castes, backward classes
and Anglo-Indians. The Bill seeks to remove the power of the NCSC to examine matters
related to backward classes.
Constitutional status to National Commission for Backward Classes: The NCBC is a
body set up under the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993. It has the
power to examine complaints regarding inclusion or exclusion of groups within the list of
backward classes, and advise the central government in this regard. The Bill seeks to
establish the NCBC under the Constitution, and provide it the authority to examine
complaints and welfare measures regarding socially and educationally backward classes.
Note that this Bill was introduced alongside the National Commission for Backward
Classes (Repeal) Bill, 2017 that seeks to repeal the National Commission for Backward
Classes Act, 1993.
Backward classes: The Constitution Amendment Bill states that the President may
specify the socially and educationally backward classes in the various states and union
territories. He may do this in consultation with the Governor of the concerned state.
However, a law of Parliament will be required if the list of backward classes is to be
amended.
Composition and service conditions: Under the Constitution Amendment Bill, the
NCBC will comprise of five members appointed by the President. Their tenure and
conditions of service will also be decided by the President through rules.
Functions: Under the Constitution Amendment Bill, the duties of the NCBC will
include: (i) investigating and monitoring how safeguards provided to the backward
classes under the Constitution and other laws are being implemented, (ii) inquiring into
specific complaints regarding violation of rights, and (iii) advising and making
recommendations on socio-economic development of such classes. The central and state
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governments will be required to consult with the NCBC on all major policy matters
affecting the socially and educationally backward classes.
The NCBC will be required to present annual reports to the President on working of the
safeguards for backward classes. These reports will be tabled in Parliament, and in the
state legislative assemblies of the concerned states.
Powers of a civil court: Under the Constitution Amendment Bill, the NCBC will have
the powers of a civil court while investigating or inquiring into any complaints. These
powers include: (i) summoning people and examining them on oath, (ii) requiring
production of any document or public record, and (iii) receiving evidence.
Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018
Act seeks to prevent big economic offenders fleeing the country to evade the legal
process.
The act allows for a person to be declared as a fugitive economic offender (FEO) if an
arrest warrant has been issued against him for any specified offences where the value
involved is over Rs 100 crore, and he has left the country and refuses to return to face
prosecution.
Commercial Courts (Amendment) Act, 2018
The Commercial Courts Act, 2015 provides for commercial courts and commercial
divisions of high courts to adjudicate commercial disputes with a value of at least one
crore rupees. The amendment reduces this limit to three lakh rupees.
The Amendment allows state governments to establish commercial courts at the district
level, even in territories where high courts have ordinary original civil jurisdiction.
In areas where high courts do not have original jurisdiction, state governments may set
up commercial appellate courts at the district level to consider appeals from commercial
courts below the level of a district judge.
Manipur People„s Protection Bill, 2018,
The Manipur People‗s Protection Bill, 2018 seeks to regulate the entry and exit of
outsiders on the lines of the British-era inner-line permit system prevalent in three
other north-eastern states (Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland).
The bill sets 1951 as the base year to identify locals and prevent an influx of outsiders.
According to the bill, Manipur people include Meitis, the Pangal Muslims, scheduled
tribes as listed under the Constitution in terms of Manipur and all those citizens of India
who have been living in Manipur before 1951.
The rest have been put in the category of non-Manipuris and will have to register
themselves within one month of the notification of the law.
They will be issued a pass extendable up to six months. While those who have trade
licences can get a pass extendable up to five years, which will have to be renewed every
year.
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Any outsider visiting Manipur would need a pass.Inner Line Permit (ILP).
About Inner Line Permit:
The Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the Government of
India to grant inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.
It is obligatory for Indians residing outside those states to obtain permission prior to
entering the protected areas.
Currently, the Inner Line Permit is operational in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and
Nagaland. The document has been issued under the Bengal Eastern Frontier
Regulation, 1873 and the conditions and restrictions vary from state to state.Inner Line
Permit (ILP).
However these rules are not valid for central government employees and security
forces.
Section 295A of Indian Penal Code
Section 295A says that Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious
feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs. Whoever, with deliberate
and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of citizens of India,
by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise,
insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be
punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three
years, or with fine, or with both.
Punjab cabinet has proposed to amend Section 295A of Indian Penal Code. It will
introduce a new section 295AA in IPC. It proposes life imprisonment for whosoever
cause injury, damage or sacrilege to four religious texts, that is the Guru Grant Sahib,
the Quran, the Bhagwat Geeta and the Bible.
Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2015
President has recently given assent to the Assam government‗s bill against witch
hunting.
The bil considers the act of witch hunting as cognizable, non-bailable and non-
compoundable offense.
It prescribes a prison term of up to seven years and up to Rs. 5 lakh in fine for calling
a person witch.
The Bill also contains provisions about various measures that the administration and
police need to initiate along with NGOs and civil society to educate people about witch
hunting.
According to the bill, the fine realised as punishment for an offence shall be paid to the
victim or his/her next of kin as compensation by following the procedures.
About Witch Hunting: Witch-hunting involves casting a spell on women victims to gain
control over them by magic. The victim who is branded as a witch is subjected to
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numerous forms of torture, beatings, burns, paraded naked through the village, forced to
eat human excrement and sometimes even raped. In India, witch hunting dates back
hundreds of years. It emanated in the Morigaon district of Assam which is now
infamously known as the 'Indian Capital of Black Magic'.
Statutory Body or Watchdog Body or other Regulator
National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK)
NCSK was constituted in 1994 as a Statutory Body by National Commission for Safai
Karamcharis Act, 1993. But with the lapse of the act in 2004, the commission is acting
as a Non-Statutory body of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Its
tenure is extended from time to time through government resolutions.
With the enactment of, The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and
Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, the mandate and scope of the commission has also
been enlarged.
The commission will monitor the implementation of the act and take suo-moto notice of
matter relating to non-implementation of the Act. The commission will also advice central
and state government for effective implementation. The commission is also envision to
work for welfare of both Safai Karamcharis and Manual Sacavengers.
Central Adoption Resource Autohority(CARA)
It is a statutory body of Ministry of Women & Child Development under Juvenile Justice
Act, 2015.
It functions as the nodal body for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to
monitor and regulate in country and inter-country adoptions.
CARA is designated as the central authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in
accordance with the provisions of Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption,
1993, ratified by Government of India in 2003.
CARINGS is an online platform, building bridges and creating links through robust web
based management system.
About Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993
The Hague Convention protects children and their families against the risks of illegal,
irregular, premature or ill-prepared adoptions abroad. Hague Convention places the
following mechanism:
Safeguards in place to make sure that all intercountry adoptions are in the best
interests of the child and respects their human rights,
A system in place of cooperation among countries to guarantee that these
safeguards are respected, and to prevent the abduction of, sale of, or traffic in
children.
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For Hague adoptions, the authorities in both countries must agree to go ahead
with the adoption.
For Non- Hague adoptions, requirements may vary from one country to another.
Law Commission of India
It is an executive body established by an order of the Government of India.
Its major function is to work for legal reform. Its membership primarily comprises legal
experts, who are entrusted a mandate by the Government.
The Commission is established for a fixed tenure and works as an advisory body to the
Ministry of Law and Justice.
The first Law Commission was established during the British Raj era in 1834 by the
Charter Act of 1833. After that, three more Commissions were established in pre-
independent India.
The first Law Commission of independent India was established in 1955 for a three-year
term.
Department of Official Language
It is under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Union Home Minister has recently chaired the first review meeting of the Department of
Official Language. The officials discussed the functioning and issues related to
implementation of Hindi language in official work.
An E-learning platform called the 'Pravah' is being developed by the department for use
in 16
Indian languages including English. It will enable anybody learn Hindi through his/her
mother tongue with the help of this E-learning platform.
A software called 'Kanthasth' has also been developed by the department. It is for
translating the all kinds of official files from English to Hindi and vice versa to make the
translation work simpler and quicker.
Central Hindi Samiti
31st meeting of the Central Hindi Committee was recently held in New Delhi under the
chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
The Kendriya Hindi Samiti was constituted in the year 1967.
Chaired by PM, it is the apex policy making body which lays the guidelines for the
propagation and progressive use of Hindi as official language of the union.
Bharat Ke Veer
The government has granted the status of a trust to ‗Bharat Ke Veer‘.
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Bharat Ke Veer is a fund-raising initiative by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of
India on behalf of members of the Indian Armed Forces.
Contributions to Bharat Ke Veer have been exempted from Income Tax.
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Internal Security
National Cadet Corps (NCC) and National Service Scheme (NSS)
Government has decided to set up a committee under the Chairmanship of Shri Anil
Swarup to suggest measures to strengthen National Cadet Corps (NCC) and National
Service Scheme (NSS).
The Committee will deal with on issues like expansion, strengthening training
infrastructure, rationalizing resources, reducing manpower deficiency affecting NCC and
NSS.
National Service Scheme (NSS)
NSS is a Centrally Sector Scheme. The Scheme was launched in the year 1969 with the
primary objective of developing the personality and character of the student youth
through voluntary community service. The ideological orientation of the NSS is inspired
by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. The motto of NSS is 'NOT ME, BUT YOU'. The design
of the NSS envisages that each educational institution (Senior Secondary Schools,
Colleges and Universities) covered under the Scheme has at least one NSS unit
comprising of normally 100 student volunteers, led by a teacher designated as
Programme Officer (PO). Each NSS unit adopts a village or slum for taking up its
activities. NSS volunteers work on issues of social relevance, which keep evolving in
response to the needs of the community, through regular and special camping activities.
National Cadet Corps (NCC) is a youth development movement. It came into existence
under the National Cadet Corps Act XXXI of 1948. It is a Tri-Services Organization,
comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force, engaged in grooming the youth of the country
into disciplined and patriotic citizens. It has enormous potential for nation building. The
NCC provides opportunities to the youth of the country for their all-round development
with a sense of Duty, Commitment, Dedication, Discipline and Moral Values so that they
become able leaders and useful citizens. The NCC provides exposure to the cadets in a
wide range of activities, with a distinct emphasis on Social Services, Discipline and
Adventure Training. NCC is open to all regular students of schools and colleges on a
voluntary basis. The students have no liability for active military service.
Student Police Cadet Project
The programme designed for students of Class VIII and IX to start a project on tolerance,
moral values, patience and ethics among others. The programme is aimed at making
them better citizens and seeks to build a bridge between the police and the larger
community through school students. It will be implemented first in government schools.
It seeks to cover issues like community policing, fight against social evils, safety of
women and children, fight against corruption and disaster management.
Kargil Vijay Diwas
Indian Army declared the Kargil mission successful on July 26, 1999; since then the day
has been celebrated annually as Kargil Vijay Diwas.
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India launched ‗Operation Vijay‘ to clear the Kargil sector of infiltration by Pakistani
soldiers and Kashmiri militants on the Indian side of the Line of Control. Safed Sagar,
the Indian Air Force‘s operation, was a major part of the Kargil war. It used air power at
the height of 32,000 feet for the first time.
Parakram Parv
It is being observed from 28-30 September 2018 to showcase the courage, valour, and
sacrifice of Armed Forces during surgical strikes conducted in 2016 aftermath of Uri
Attack.
Defence Planning Committee (DPC):
Recently, the government set up a Defence Planning Committee (DPC) to assist in the
creation of national security strategy, international defence engagement strategy,
roadmap to build a defence manufacturing ecosystem, strategy to boost defence exports,
and priority capability development plans etc.
It is a permanent body headed by National Security Advisor, is intended to facilitate a
comprehensive and integrated planning for defence matters.
Border Area Development Programme (BADP)
India‘s border areas face poor accessibility, inadequate infrastructure, depressed
economic growth, rampant poverty and a sense of insecurity among the people.
The development of border areas has therefore been envisaged as an important element
in border management. Towards this end, the BADP was initiated as early as 1987 as a
Centrally Sponsored Scheme. It has three primary objectives: to create
infrastructure; provide economic opportunities to the border people; and to instil a sense
of security among them.
BADP covers 111 border districts in 17 States to meet special development needs of
border population with focus on people living within 50 kilometres of the International
Border.
The implementation of BADP is on participatory and decentralized basis through the
Panchayati Raj institutions, Autonomous Councils and local bodies.
Smart fence pilot project
India‘s first ‗smart fence‘ pilot project has been launched along the India-Pakistan
International Border in Ploura, Jammu and Kashmir under the comprehensive
integrated border management system (CIBMS) programme.
The pilot project involves deploying of laser-activated fences and technology-enabled
barriers to plug vulnerable gaps along the frontiers. The smart fencing uses a number of
devices for surveillance, communication and data storage.
The innovative system provides for round-the-clock surveillance on the border, even in
different weather conditions be it dust storm, fog or rain.
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It also reportedly comprises automated surveillance technology and alarm detection
systems.
Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response (ICR-ER)
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is about to setup of state-of-the-art
Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response (ICR-ER) in Ministry of Home Affairs.
ISRO will render its technical expertise for setting up of proposed ICR-ER whereas the
project will be executed under overall supervision of MHA.
The ICR-ER will cater to the requirement of Disaster Management as well as Internal
Security. ICR-ER will address the requirement of receipt of information on near real-time
basis, strategic level monitoring, situation awareness, command and control,
preparedness and response in the diverse internal security situation and disaster related
emergencies. Resultantly, it will increase the operational effectiveness and will be helpful
in rendering timely response / assistance during various emergency situations.
Cyber Shikshaa Initiative
Project Cyber Shikshaa focus on skilling women engineering graduates in the niche
field of Cyber Security. It is launched by Microsoft & Data Security Council of India (DSCI)
in association with Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY). The primary objective is to connect
with underserved women from Tier 2 / Tier 3 cities and to align a career path for them in
Cyber Security.
Centre of Advance Computing (CDAC) will impart training to the selected women
candidates from all over India. Initially, the project will be rolled out in Noida, Patna,
Hyderabad and Mohali, followed by other cities in the next phase.
The program will be a 4-months interactive training course with combination of theory,
case studies practical hands-on and projects.
All-women SWAT team
Recently, Delhi Police inducted 36 women as part of an all-women Special Weapons and
Tactics (SWAT) team to fight against terrorists.
This is the first time that any police force in the country has created an all-women
SWAT team.
Drone Regulations
The government has announced the Drone Regulations to enable the safe, commercial
usage of drones . They are intended to enable visual line-of-sight daytime-only and a
maximum of 400 ft altitude operations.
All Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) except nano and those owned by NTRO, ARC
and Central Intelligence Agencies are to be registered and issued with Unique
Identification Number (UIN).
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Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) shall be required for RPA operators except
for nano RPAS operating below 50 ft., micro RPAS operating below 200 ft., and those
owned by NTRO, ARC and Central Intelligence Agencies.
For flying in controlled Airspace, filing of flight plan and obtaining Air Defence Clearance
(ADC) /Flight Information Centre (FIC) number shall be necessary.
Minimum manufacturing standards and training requirements of Remote Pilots of small
and above categories of RPAS have been specified in the regulation.
The regulation defines 'No Drone Zones' around airports; near international border, Vijay
Chowk in Delhi; State Secretariat Complex in State Capitals, strategic locations/vital and
military installations; etc.
Operations of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) to be enabled through Digital Sky
Platform. RPAS operations will be based on NPNT (No Permission, No Take off).
There will be different colour zones visible to the applicant while applying in the digital
sky platform, viz, Red Zone: flying not permitted, Yellow Zone (controlled airspace):
permission required before flying, and Green Zone (uncontrolled airspace):
automatic permission.
Shekatkar Committee
Committee was formed by Ministry of Defence in the year 2016. It focused on
enhancing combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure. Some of the
recommendations taken by the ministry include:
Better utilization of Supply and Transportation echelons and Animal Transport
Units.
Closure of Military Farms and Army Postal Establishments in peace locations.
Enhancement in standards for recruitment of clerical staff and drivers in the
Army.
Improving the efficiency of the National Cadet Corps.
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Environment
Biodiversity
Red Sanders
Found in Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests and Deccan Thorn Scrub Forests. It is endemic
to South Eastern portion of Indian peninsula. Majorly found in the Palakonda and
Seshachalam hill ranges of Andhra Pradesh.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has reclassified Red Sanders
as nearly threatened from endangered shifting it to a better conserved category.
Salicornia plant
Salicornia is a plant that grows in salty marshes in the mangrove wetlands. The plant
can be used as a substitute to salt with low sodium content. The patients suffering
from hypertension, diabetes and gastric related ailments prefer the Salicornia salad and
salt.
The production of the salt substitute has come down drastically in Gujarat with the
scarcity of the Salicornia. Thus India is forced to import it from Israel and Scandinavian
countries.
Recently, Andhra Pradesh government has intensified the efforts to tap commercial
benefits from the plant through cultivation as well as extraction. The government has
documented the presence of the Salicornia along the coastline of Krishna district,
exploring the possibilities to extract the salt substitute through various methods.
Indian Star Tortoises
A star tortoise is one of the most expensive reptiles in the international pet market in
countries in Asia, like Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as well as in
Europe and America.
Indian star tortoise is native to India (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Tamil Nadu),
Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
It naturally inhabits scrub forests, grasslands, and some coastal scrublands of arid and
semi-arid regions.
Conservation Status: It has been included on Appendix II of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is placed
under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. It is listed as Vulnerable in
IUCN red list. It is also prohibited for export under the Foreign Trade Policy.
Koala bear
It is a tree-dwelling marsupial of coastal eastern Australia. They have exceptional
parental care and strange eating habits that they enjoy the leaves of eucalyptus that
would be toxic or even fatal to most mammals. They are born after just 34-36 days of
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gestation without an immune system and spend almost six months developing in the
pouch.
IUCN Status: ‗Vulnerable‘.
Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species
National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has recently added four species, Northern River
Terrapin, Clouded Leopard, Arabian Sea Humpback Whale and Red Panda into
Centre‘s Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species.
The progamme is one of the three components of Centrally Funded Scheme,
Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) started in 2008-09. IDWH is
meant for providing support to protected areas (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries,
Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves except tiger reserves), protection of
wildlife outside protected areas and recovery programmes for saving critically endangered
species and habitats.
So far, 17 species were identified under this recovery programme. These are Snow
Leopard, Bustard (including Floricans), Dolphin, Nilgiri Tahr, Hangul, Marine Turtles,
Edible Nest Swiftlet, Dugongs, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar Megapode, Manipur Brow-
antlered Deer, Vultures, Malabar Civet, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Lion, Swamp Deer
and Jerdon‘s Courser
Norther River Terrapin
It is species of riverine turtle found in rivers that flow in Eastern India. It is native of
Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Threat: It is hunted for its meat and carapace.
IUCN Status: Critical Endangerd
Clouded Leopard
It is found in Himalayan foothills.
Threat: It is threatened due to habitat loss, poaching for its skin and is also as a live pet
trade.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Arabian Sea Humpback Whale
It is a species found in all of major oceans. This species migrates from the Oman coast
through the Arabian sea, along the Indian coasts till the Sri Lankan coast.
Threat: Ship strikes, unforgiving fishing gear and siesmic exploarations pose grave threat
to it.
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Red Panda
It is closely associated with montane forests with dense bamboo-thicket. It is found
Sikkim, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh.
Threat: It is poached for its meat, and for use in medicines, and as a pet.
IUCN Staus: Endangered
Nilgiri Tahr
As per the latest studies, climate change is threatening the Nilgiri tahr.
It is estimated that the endangered wild goat could lose approximately 60% of its
habitat, starting from the 2030s. There are only around 2,500 tahrs left in the wild and
their population 'small and isolated, making them vulnerable to local extinction' shows a
'decreasing' trend, as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Conservation Status: Listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972,
IUCN : Endangered.
Endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the
states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Southern India.
It is the State animal of Tamil Nadu.
Currently, the only populations with more than 300 individuals are in Eravikulam
National Park, Kerala and in the Grass Hills in Anamalai.
Golden jackal
Threat: Destruction of mangrove cover in the Bandar Reserve Forest is forcing the
golden jackal out of its habitat, triggering a conflict with the local communities.
Conservation status : Least concern in IUCN, Included in CITES Appendix III (in India);
feature on Schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) of India and are afforded the
least legal protection (mainly to control trade of pelts and tails).
It preys on wild crab and fish. The Golden Jackal is widespread in North and north-east
Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Eastern Europe and the entire Indian Subcontinent. In India,
jackal populations achieve high densities in pastoral areas such as Kutch, Maharashtra,
Rajasthan, and Haryana.Golden Jackel. It is present in all protected areas of India except
for those in the high elevation regions of the Himalayas.
Black Spotted Turtles
According to a recent report by TRAFFIC, India accounts for 29% of black spotted turtles
seized from across seven countries in South Asia.
Black spotted turtle or spotted pond turtle is a medium-sized freshwater turtle and
native to South Asia. The species was once smuggled for its meat and is now sought after
as an exotic pet.
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According to TRAFFIC, in turtles seizure rate, India is followed by Thailand (19%) and
Hong Kong (17%),Bangladesh (12%).
IUCN Status : Vulnearable
Harrier birds
Threat: decline as grasslands disappear, either to urbanisation or to agriculture;
Excessive use of pesticides in farms in and around the roosting sites.
Harrier birds, a migratory raptor species that regularly visits vast swathes of India, are
declining. This may foretell lurking dangers to the country‘s grasslands.
Recent reports highlights that the numbers of birds visiting the site are declining. While
a general declining trend was observed in all the monitored sites, researchers noted the
most dramatic changes at the Rollapadu Bustard Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh's
Kurnool district. In Hessarghatta on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Western Marsh
Harriers declined significantly, leaving the area nearly deserted.
Dhole (Indian Wild Dog)
Dhole is native to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao People's
Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand. With less than 2,500
individuals surviving in the wild globally, the dhole is already extinct in about 10 Asian
countries.
Conservation Status: Included in CITES, Appendix II (2013); IUCN status as Endangered.
Gangetic Dolphin
The population of Gangetic Dolphin has declined at Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin
Sanctuary, Bihar due to noise pollution through large ship propellers and dredging.
Gangetic Dolphin (susu) is national aquatic animal of India. It is a freshwater habitat
and inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli – Sangu river systems of
Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Asiatic Lions
At present Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat is the only abode of the
Asiatic lion.
The asiatic lions in Gir Sanctuary, has recently been succumbed to the deadly infection
of canine distemper virus (CDV) and tick-borne babesiosis. Canine Distemper Virus is
a contagious and serious disease that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and
nervous systems of species of cats and dogs family. Babesiosis is caused by a parasite
that infects red blood cells and transmitted by ticks.
Conservation Status: It is listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, in
Appendix I of CITES and as Endangered on IUCN Red List.
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Amur Falcons
Amur falcons are the world‟s longest travelling raptors. They migrate annually during
winter from their breeding grounds in Mongolia, South-east Russia and northern China
to warmer South Africa through India and across the Arabian Sea.
They feed on dragonflies that follow a similar migration path over Arabian Sea. Generally
Doyang Lake near Pangti village in Nagaland‘s Wokha district is better known as a
stopover for the Amur falcons during their annual migration.
But a flock of these falcons has been seen since 2010 in Umru village on the Assam-
Meghalaya border. Umru in Block II is one of 12 disputed areas along the Assam-
Meghalaya border, since Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972.
Both Gorkha and Khasi tribal communities have made common cause in protection of
the Amur falcons and have fixed a fine of Rs.25,000 for anyone caught ensnaring or
killing the birds. Amur Falcon Festival is also been organised since 2015.
Portuguese man-of-wars
Portuguese man-of-war is a jelly-like marine organism, commonly known as „bluebottle‟
or „floating terror‟. While most jellyfish stings are harmless to humans and cause only a
mild irritation, species like the bluebottle are venomous and can cause harm on contact.
It was recently spotted on the popular beach in North Goa. Goa Tourism‘s beach safety
agency has issued an advisory for tourists as well as residents to refrain from venturing
into the sea.
Vorombe titan
According to a study released by Zoological Society of London, it is one of species of
Elephant Bird and is believed to be 3 meters high and weighs upto 800 kg, mainly found
in Madagascar and is extinct now. They were most important birds in the history of
islands evolution.
Vorombe titan was named the world‘s largest bird because large bodied animals have
impact on the wider ecosystem as they control it via controlling vegetation through eating
plants, spreading biomass and dispersing seeds through defecation. The ecosystem of
Madagascar still has impact of the extinction of the bird. Elephant birds are an extinct
group of colossal flightless birds that roamed Madagascar during the Late Quaternary.
Earlier, Aepyornis Titan was known as largest ever Elephant Bird in the year 1984.
India's First Penguin
India's first penguin was born on Independence day in Byculla zoo in Mumbai. It belongs
to the category of Humbolt Penguin, named after cold water current in the coastal areas
of Chille and Peru in South America. In 2016, 8 humbolt penguins were imported to
Mumbai from South Korea for capitive breeding.
The species is listed as "Vulnerable" in IUCN list of threatened species.
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Hilsa
It is the most priced variety of fish, originates in the coastal waters of Myanmar. It travels
to the mouth of the Ganga in West Bengal, Padma and Meghna rivers in Bangladesh to
lay eggs in fresh water during the monsoon.
It is a sensitive species and its breeding ground is mostly concentrated at the confluence
of river and oceanic waters. After breeding in freshwater, the fish makes its way to
seawater by undertaking a return journey to the confluence points.
It belongs to the family of Clupeidae. It is known as 'King of Fish' due to its soft oily
texture and mouthwatering flavour.
Bonnethead shark
According to researchers from the University of California, Bonnethead Shark is the first
known omnivore shark. One possible reason for the shark's omnivorous lifestyle is
potentially avoiding conflict with other species such as bull sharks or nurse sharks for
food.
Pondicherry Shark
Pondicherry shark is an endangered species protected under the provisions of the
Wildlife (Protection) Act. It is locally known as Pala Sora.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangerd
Indian Bull Frog
It is an invasive specie to Andman Islands. The Indian bull frog, a recent arrival from the
mainland, is steadily occupying the Andaman islands‘ ecosystem and threatening the
local economy.
Fall Armyworm
It is an invasive agricultural pest discovered in the Maize field in the State of
Telangana.
It was first reported in Karnataka by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research.
It is a major maize pest in North America and it arrived in Africa in 2016.
It has spread to Central and Western Africa in 2016 and has proved very hard to control.
It prefers Maize, but can feed on 80 species of plants, including rice, sorghum, millet,
sugarcane and cotton.
It can be controlled with insecticides, through natural enemies or by inter-cropping.
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Environmental Pollution
SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting)
Union Environment Ministry has recently unveiled the most advanced System of Air
Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) in New Delhi.
SAFAR was developed indigenously by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM),
Pune and operationalized by India Meteorological Department (IMD).
It has been introduced for greater metropolitan cities of India to provide location-
specific information on air quality in near real time and its forecast 1-3 days in
advance for the first time in India.
It is integral part of India‘s first Air Quality Early Warning System operational in Delhi.
It will monitored pollutants like PM1, PM2.5, PM10, Ozone, CO, NOx (NO, NO2), SO2,
BC, Methane (CH4), Non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), VOCs, Benzene, Mercury.
Meteorological parameters like UV Radiation, rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind
speed, wind direction, solar radiation will also be monitored by SAFAR.
Breathe India
It is a 15-point action plan for combating air pollution in ten most polluted cities in
the country, namely Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Varanasi, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow, Agra,
Gurugram, Muzaffarnagar proposed by NITI Aayog.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) global air pollution database, India
has 14 out of the 15 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM 2.5 concentrations.
BS-VI engine certificate
International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) releases first Bharat Stage -VI
engine certificate for a heavy-duty engine model. It is much ahead of the
implementation date of 1st April 2020 for rolling out of Bharat Stage-VI norms in the
country. Thus, it gives sufficient time for product stabilization in terms of making it more
robust and cost competitive for the end consumers.
ICAT is the first of new world class centers established under the National
Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP).
It is under the administrative control of Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public
Enterprises.
Its main objective is to carry out Research & Development in the field of Automotive
Engineering.
Commute-Related pollution and Energy Consumption by Indian Top Cities
A report, titled ‗The Urban Commute and How it Contributes to Pollution and Energy‘,
compiled by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), is an analysis of 14 cities in
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India on how they fare when it comes to pollution and energy consumption from urban
commuting.
Kolkata, which comes in at the sixth place on overall emissions, won among the six
megacities. Delhi and Hyderabad are the two cities that fare at the bottom of the table in
terms of pollution and energy use. In terms of overall emissions and energy
consumption, Bhopal was followed by Vijayawada, Chandigarh and Lucknow.
In fact, smaller cities such as Ahmedabad and Pune ranked below Kolkata for overall
emissions. Delhi ranked at the bottom of the table for overall emission. Hyderabad,
Bengaluru and Chennai fared a little better than Delhi.
Petcoke
Petroleum coke, the bottom-of-the-barrel leftover from refining crude oil and other heavy
oils. It is cheaper and burns hotter than coal. But it also contains more planet-warming
carbon and far more heart- and lung damaging sulphur.
India recently banned the import of petcoke for use as fuel. Environment Protection
(Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) in April 2017 had asked for the ban on use of
furnace oil and pet-coke in NCR region. Supreme Court had banned its use in Delhi and
NCR in October, 2017. Following which the Central government decided to ban pet coke
nationwide.
Though the Import of petcoke for fuel purpose is prohibited. It is allowed only for cement,
lime kiln, calcium carbide and gasification industries, when used as the feedstock or in
the manufacturing process on actual user condition.
Air Safety Oversight Score
A report on "Air Safety Oversight Score" was recently released by International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
It seeks to identify if countries have effectively and consistently implemented the critical
elements of a safety-oversight system. India has slipped below its previous ranking of
66% to 57%. India is one of the 15 countries that are below the minimum target
rates. India's score is lower than that of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka, Nepal and even North Korea in the Asia-Pacific region.
The only countries that rank below India are small and little known such as Papua New
Guinea, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and Samoa.
A downgrade would mean Indian airlines won‘t be able to mount new flights to the US or
form alliances with US airlines. This can stifle Indian carriers' plans of global expansion.
Greenhouse Gas Emission
According to a recent study, rice farming across the world could be responsible for up to
twice the level of climate impact. The study found that intermittently flooded rice farms
can emit 45 times more nitrous oxide as compared to the maximum from continuously
flooded farms that predominantly emit methane.
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Methane and Nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from rice farms could have the same long-
term warming impact as about 600 coal plants.
India, china, Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh are the world‘s biggest producers of
rice.
The emissions from intermittently flooded rice farms contribute to global warming far
more than the previous estimate of 10%. The researchers also found an inverse
correlation between methane and N2O emissions from rice farming. Water and organic
matter management techniques that reduce methane emissions can increase N2O
emissions. N2O is a long-lived greenhouse gas that traps several times more heat in the
atmosphere than methane over 20 and 100 year time frames.
Status of Ambient Noise Level in India 2017
It is a report published by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to the report, Delhi is ranked as the noisiest metro followed by Kolkata,
Bengaluru and Chennai.
As per the National Environment Policy (NEP)-2006, ambient noise is included as an
environmental quality parameter and has to be monitored in specified urban areas
regularly. Thus, CPCB has developed National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network
Programme which includes installation of Noise Monitoring Stations all over India.
The cities include Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and
Mumbai.
Chromium Pollution
According to the survey by Central Groundwater Board, groundwater in 5 districts of
Tamil Nadu are contaminated by chromium ( >0.05 mg/ltr) which is above Bureau of
Indian Standards limits.
Chromium is a naturally occurring heavy metal that is commonly used in industrial
processes and can cause severe health effects in humans. It can exist in air, water, soil,
and food, and common exposure pathways include ingestion, inhalation, or dermal
contact.
It is commonly found in two forms - trivalent chromium (Cr III) and hexavalent
chromium (Cr VI).
Cr III is the most stable form of the element and occurs naturally in animals, plants,
rocks, and soils and non-toxic. Cr VI rarely occurs in nature and is usually the product
of anthropogenic activities and it is neurotoxic, genotoxic and a carcinogen.
Chromium is used in the manufacture of alloys, inhibitory paints, wood preservatives,
fixatives for dyes and tanning, photographic sensitisers and as anticorrosive in cooking
systems and boilers. The industries with the largest contribution include leather tanning
operations, metal processing, stainless steel welding, chromate production, and chrome
pigment production.
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Pesticides
Government of India recently banned 18 toxic pesticides citing the harmful effects they
could cause humans and animals on the recommendation of Anupama Verma
Committee. However, the Verma panel did not review the use of endosulfan, as it is
being examined by the Supreme Court
Environment Conservative Initiative
Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve
The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve has become the 11th Biosphere Reserve from
India to be included in the UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves
(WNBR).
It is one of the highest ecosystems in the world and located at trijunction of India
(Sikkim), bordering Nepal to the west and Tibet (China) to the north-west.
The Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP), which comprises the core area of the KBR,
was inscribed as India‘s first ‗Mixed World Heritage Site‘ in 2016.
Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS)
BHS are defined areas that are unique, ecologically fragile ecosystems.
Under Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (BDA), the State Government in consultation with
local bodies may notify in the official gazette, areas of biodiversity importance as
Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS).
The State Government in consultation with the Central Government may frame rules for
the management and conservation of BHS.
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) issues the guidelines for selection and
management of the BHS. It covers terrestrial, coastal and inland waters and, marine
ecosystems having rich biodiversity.
Ameenpur lake in Telangana is the first waterbody in the country to be declared as
a BHS.
Cheetah Reintroduction Project
Madhya Pradesh forest department has written to National Tiger Conservation Authority
(NTCA) to revive its Cheetah Reintroduction Project to reintroduce Cheetahs in
Nauradehi sanctuary located in Sagar district of state.
The ambitious project was conceived in 2009 but had hit roadblock for want of funds.
Madhya Pradesh Government seeks revival of Cheetah Reintroduction Project. According
to earlier action plan, around 20 cheetahs were to be translocated to Nauradehi from
Namibia in Africa. However, State was not ready to finance plan contending that it was
the Centre‗s project. Nauradehi sanctuary was found to be most suitable area for
reintroduction of Cheetahs as its forests are not very dense to restrict fast movement of
Cheetahs and also has abundant prey base.
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Cheetah, fastest land animal was declared extinct in India in 1952. This species was
hunted into extinction by British colonial officers and Indian royalty.
Singhphan Elephant Reserve
Nagaland Government declared the Singphan Wildlife Sanctuary as an Elephant Reserve,
with the approval of central government. After the declaration it became the 30th
Elephant Reserve in the country.
Nahargarh Biological Park
Nahargarh Biological Park is part of Nahargarh sanctuary in Jaipur. It is located in the
foot hills of Aravalli. The park is known for breeding centre of lions. State's first lion
safari was recently inaugrated in this park.
Animal Kingdom as legal entities
Uttarakhand High Court has declared entire animal kingdom i.e. all animals, including
avian and aquatic species as legal entities with rights, duties and liabilities of living
person.
Uttarakhand high court in March last year accorded the status of 'living entity' to the
Ganga and Yamuna rivers, a decision subsequently stayed by the Supreme Court.
Invoking Article 21 of the Constitution, the court said, Article 21 of the Constitution,
while safeguarding the rights of humans, protects life and the word ‗life‘ means animal
world.
Man-animal conflict to be listed as disaster under SDRF
In a first of its kind, the UP government has given its in principle approval to bring man
animal conflict under listed disasters in State Disaster Response Fund.
Ecosystem Service Improvement Project
It is project to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Departments of Forestry and
Community Organisations to enhance forest ecosystem services and improve the
livelihoods of forest dependent communities in Central Indian Highlands.
Recently India signed Global Environment Facility (GEF) Grant Agreement with the
World Bank for 'Ecosystem Service Improvement Project'.
Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is running 'Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan' in
five main Ganga basin states, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West
Bengal.
Initiative is a part of the Forest Interventions in Ganga (FIG) component of Namami
Gange programme.
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Hornbill Watch initiative
It is an interactive web interface that allows a person to report on hornbills anywhere in
India. It was launched by Scientists from Nature Conservation Foundation and
Conservation India. Hornbills play essential roles in forest ecosystems as dispersers of
seeds of forest plants. There are nine hornbill species in India out of which four are
found in the Western Ghats. They are, Indian Grey Hornbill (endemic to India), the
Malabar Grey Hornbill (endemic to the Western Ghats), Malabar Pied Hornbill (endemic
to India and Sri Lanka) and Widely distributed but endangered Great Hornbill.
India also has one species that has one of the smallest ranges of any hornbill, the
Narcondam Hornbill, found only on the island of Narcondam.
The hornbills were reported from 70 protected areas in the country.
National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank (NWGRB)
In a step that would further the cause of conservation of endangered and protected
animals, India has got its first scientific and most modern national wildlife genetic
resource bank.
It is located in Hyderabad at the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered
Species (LaCONES), a research wing of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology
(CCMB). LaCONES is India's only facility for conservation of endangered species. It is a
dedicated facility of CSIR‘s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in
Hyderabad. It supports both in-situ habitat preservation and Ex-situ conservation
through captive breeding in controlled environment to restock original wild populations.
It is the only laboratory in India that has developed methods for collection and
cryopreservation of semen and oocytes from wildlife and successfully reproducing
endangered blackbuck, spotted deer and Nicobar pigeons.
India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)
Union Environment Ministry has recently released India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP). ICAP
addresses cooling requirement across sectors and lists out actions which can help
reduce the cooling demand. India is the first country in world to develop such a
document.
Its goal is to provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all while securing
environmental and socio-economic benefits for the society. This will help in reducing
both direct and indirect emissions. The interventions under the action plan includes,
▪ Recognition of 'cooling and related areas' as a thrust area
▪ Reduction of cooling demand across sectors
▪ Reduction of refrigerant demand
▪ Reduction of cooling energy requirements
▪ Training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by the year 2022-
23, in synergy with Skill India Mission.
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International Initiave
Google teams up with UNEP to track environmental changes
The UNEP has entered into a partnership with Google to monitor the impacts of human
activity on global ecosystems by using sophisticated online tools.
The aim of the partnership is to develop a platform to enable governments, NGOs and the
public to track specific environment related development targets with a user-friendly
Google frontend.
It has its initial focus on freshwater ecosystems including mountains, forests, wetlands,
rivers, aquifers and lakes. These areas account for 0.01% of the world‘s water but
provide habitat for almost 10% of the world‘s known species and evidence suggests a
rapid loss of freshwater biodiversity.
Google will periodically produce geospatial maps and data on water related ecosystems
by employing massive parallel Cloud computing technology. Satellite imagery and
statistics will be generated to assess the extent of change occurring to waterbodies, and
made freely accessible to ensure nations have the opportunity to track changes, prevent
and reverse ecosystem loss.
Earth Overshoot Day
It is date when humanity annual demand on nature exceeds what Earth can regenerate
over the entire year. It is calculated by Global Footprint Network and World Wide Fund
for Nature (WWF).
In 1963, we used 78% of the Earth‘s biocapacity. However by the early 1970s we began
to consume more energy than the planet could produce. By 10 years ago, we were using
144% of the Earth‘s biocapacity.
2018 Earth Overshoot Day falls on August 1, two day earlier than the last year and the
earliest date since ecological overshoot began in early 1970s.
Global Footprint Network is an international nonprofit organization founded in 2003
to enable a sustainable future where all people have opportunity to thrive within the
means of one planet.
Champions of the Earth
It is the UN's highest environmental honor. It was launched in the year 2005 by UNEP.
It recognizes exemplary individuals and organisations whose actions created positive
impact on environment. It recognizes laureates in the following categories,
▪ Lifetime Achievement
▪ Policy Leadership
▪ Action and Inspiration
▪ Entrepreneurial Vision
▪ Science and Innovation
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In its 2018 edition, Indian Prime Minister and France President has been awarded
under Policy Leadership category for their International Solar Alliance (ISA)
initiative.
Indian PM Modi has also been awarded for his pledge to eliminate single use plastic in
India by 2022.
Cochin International Airport has also been honored with the award for
Entrepreneurial Vision, for its leadership in the use of sustainable energy.
Climate Finance Leadership Initiative
The Climate Finance Leadership initiative support a global mobilisation of private capital
in response to the challenge of climate change. It work to fulfill the private financing
objectives included in the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.
Paris agreement reaffirmed the goal of mobilizing at least $100 billion per year by 2020
through a combination of public development finance and private foreign direct
investment.
It will draw members from top international financial firms and corporations. It focus on
catalysing scaled-up investments in clean energy and climate resilience projects around
the world, in both developed and emerging markets.
The initiative will have a one-year term culminating in a UN Climate Summit to be held
in September 2019.
It will work closely with the government of France and will provide a first report to G7
Finance Ministers by July 2019.
Global Warming of 1.5°C
The IPCC has released its Special Report titled 'Global Warming of 1.5°C', first in a series
of Special Reports to be produced in the IPCC‘s Sixth Assessment Cycle. The report
documents glaring evidence of the devastating impacts of climate change on the poor and
on developing countries.
Present global warming status
Impacts of global warming at 1.5°C
Impact of transition from 1.5°C to 2°C
Limited availability of Carbon Budget
Effect of limiting global warming to 1.5°C
Common Risk Mitigation Mechanism
It is under the International Solar Alliance.
It will be formally announced at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 24) to be held in Poland in December.
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It has been taken over by the World Bank and it has mobilised $1 million for preparatory
work.
The objective of CRMM is de-risking and reducing the financial cost of renewable energy
projects in ISA-member countries. It will act as a pooled insurance with limited liability.
Banks and multi-lateral institutions can contribute to the fund for a marginal premium.
International Solar Alliance (ISA)
ISA, an Indian initiative, was launched jointly by India and France on the sidelines of
COP21 of UNFCCC held in Paris. It opened ISA Framework Agreement for signature
in Marrakech, Morocco in 2016, on the side-lines of COP-22.
After ratification by 15 countries, ISA became the first full-fledged treaty based
international intergovernmental organization headquartered in India at Gurugram.
Delhi Solar Agenda was adopted in the founding conference of ISA held in 2018. In the
agenda, ISA member States have agreed to pursue an increased share of solar energy in
the final energy consumption in respective national energy mix.
The first assembly will lay the foundation of Delhi Solar Agenda.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has organised the First Assembly of
International Solar Alliance (ISA) in New Delhi. It has been inaugurated in the
presence of Secretary General of United Nations. The assembly is the supreme decision
making body of ISA.
Initially, ISA envisaged 121 countries situated between the tropics of Cancer and
Capricorn as its members. In the assembly, India has proposed to make all United
Nations members eligible for ISA membership. It will help induction of countries -
Germany, Italy, Spain, Tunisia, Nepal and Afghanistan, which have shown interest in
becoming ISA members.
International Solar Alliance has recently approved Solar Technology Application
Resource Centre (STAR C) project in its first assembly.
The aim of the project is to set up 121 centres, one in each presently eligible member-
country. Under the STAR-C, 500 personnel from 121 member countries would be trained
in India on solar infrastructure. ISA has also provisionally approved the Work Plan 2019,
under which agricultural pumps, finance mobilisation, mini grid, rooftop solar, and solar
e-mobility and storage.
International Nitrogen Initiative
International Nitrogen Initiative was established in 2003 under sponsorship of the
Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) and International
Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP).
The key aims of the INI is to optimize nitrogen‘s beneficial role in sustainable food
production, and to minimize nitrogen‘s negative effects on human health and the
environment resulting from food and energy production.
The INI holds a conference every three years to discuss ideas and exchange knowledge on
nitrogen issues. The last INI conference was held in Melbourne, in December 2016,
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adopting Melbourne declaration. The next INI conference will be held in Berlin, Germany,
in 2020.
The 5th International Nitrogen Conference in 2010 (N2010) was organized by INI and its
South Asia regional centre inNew Delhi. N2010 enabled INI to bring together its
contributions to the Global Nitrogen Assessment. Under this, Indian Nitrogen Group has
released 'The Indian Nitrogen Assessment', India‘s first-ever such attempt to study
nitrogen pollution.
INI is coordinated by a Steering Committee, led by a chair and six regional centre
directors representing, Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, South Asia and
East Asia.
Recently, Indian scientist-academician, N Raghuram, has been elected Chair of the
Steering Committee of INI.
Whale Sanctuary
Whale Sanctuary was proposed in South Atlantic by 39 countries in International
Whaling Commission. It was meant to provide haven for endangered marine mammals.
The idea was proposed by Brazil in 2001 in IWC meeting. It was co-sponsored by
Argentina, Gabon, South Africa and Uruguay. In the recently concluded session of IWC
in Brazil, pro-whaling nations blocked the proposal of setting up of sanctuary. Pro-
whaling nations include Japan and Russia.
The headquarters of the IWC is in Impington, near Cambridge, England. Currently, 88
nations are members to this commission including India.
In 1982 the IWC adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling, which is opposed by
Japan, Russia, and other nations. It allows non-zero whaling quotas for aboriginal
subsistence and member nations may issue 'Scientific Permits' to their citizens.
STAPCOR – 2018
The International Conference on Status and Protection of Coral Reefs (STAPCOR –
2018) is being held at Bangaram coral Island of Territory of Lakshadweep with theme as
'Reef for Life'.
It was jointly organized by Department of Environment and Forest, Union Territory of
Lakshadweep Administration with the technical support of Zoological Survey of India
(ZSI) and in association with Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEFCC), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Environmental
Information System (ENVIS) with declaration of year 2018 as 3rd decadal International
year of Reefs.
The effect of climate change and global warming along with El-Nino on the corals has
lead to heavy bleaching internationally during the year 1998. This led to the foundation
of STAPCOR with a decision to have a international conference in every 10 years to
review the status and progress of coral reefs all over the world.
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Geography
Sagar Nidhi
Sagar Nidihi is an ice class vessel Indian Ocean Research Vehicle (IORV) and is the first
Indian vessel to navigate Antarctic waters.
Sagar Nidhi is part of Indo-US expedition seeking to find answers about the
unpredictability of south-west monsoon, which has vigourous intra-seasonal variations
of dry and week spells. The project is funded by India‘s Ministry of Earth Science and the
US Office on Naval research.
Sagar Nidhi will sail through the Bay of Bengal collecting data on Ocean conditions at
different depths and locations and study the underlying principles of interaction of the
uppermost layer of ocean with the atmosphere. It will also use radiosondes to gather
meteorological data.
Banganga River
Banganga River originates from the Aravalli hills, near Bairath in Jaipur and drains into
Yamuna.
Ramgarh dam has been constructed across the river in Jaipur.
Bansagar canal project
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the Bansagar canal project in
Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.
Bansagar Dam project is a joint venture between Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and
Bihar.
Bansagar Dam is a multipurpose river Valley Project on Son River situated in the
Ganges Basin in Madhya Pradesh. The total canal network under it is 171 kms long.
Canals under this project will bring waters from Shahdol district in Madhya Pradesh for
Adwa Barrage, Meza Dam and Jirgo reservoir.
The project aims to provide a big boost to irrigation in the region. It promises to be
greatly beneficial for the farmers of Mirzapur and Allahabad districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Lakhwar Multipurpose Project
The Centre has signed MOU with Uttarakhand, UP, HP, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi
for Construction of Lakhwar Multipurpose Project on Yamuna Near Dehradun.
It will benefit all six states in terms of river flow, drinking water, irrigation and electricity.
The focus is also on abating pollution in River Yamuna under Clean Ganga Mission, that
the 34 projects are being taken up on the river out of which 12 are in Delhi which will
ensure that the water going to Haryana and Rajasthan is Nirmal.
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While Lakhwar project will provide adequate water to all six States, the interventions
being made under Namami Gange programme will ensure pollution abatement in
Yamuna serving the twin purpose.
The Lakhwar project envisages construction of a 204 m high concrete dam across river
Yamuna near Lohari village in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand with a live storage
capacity of 330.66 MCM.
This storage will provide irrigation for 33,780 hectares land and availability of 78.83
MCM water for domestic, drinking and industrial use in the six basin states.
The project will also generate 300 MW of power.
North Koel Reservoir Project
Union Cabinet has given its approval to complete the balance works of the North Koel
Reservoir Project in Jharkhand and Bihar.
It is an irrigation project to cater to drought prone areas areas of Palamu & Garhwa
districts in Jharkhand and Aurangabad & Gaya districts in Bihar.
It seeks to reduce the submergence and to protect Betla National Park (Chota Nagpur
Plateau) and Palamau Tiger Reserve(Bihar).
Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai Hydroelectric Power Project
The 1,000 megawatt Pakal Dul hydroelectric power project on Marusadar River, a
tributary of Chenab River, in Jammu and Kashmir. It is the largest hydroelectric power
project in the state
Lower Kalnai hydro project on Lower Kalnai Nalla, a tributary of river Chenab, are being
built.
Dam Rehabilitation Improvement Project (DRIP)
Dam Rehabilitation Improvement Project (DRIP) was commenced in the year 2012 as a 6-
year project. Later, Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation extended the project period with a revised closure date by June, 2020.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has recently approved the revised cost estimate
of DRIP.
The project aims to improve safety and operational performance of 198 Dams, along with
strengthening of institutions. The funds for this project will be shared by World Bank,
State Implementing agencies and Central Water Commission.
The primary beneficiaries are communities dependent on reservoir and downstream
communities, who are prone to risk associated with dam failure or operational failure. It
also focusses on capacity building of staff for effectiveness of Dam Safety Organisation to
make dams safe from structural and operational point of view.
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Melting of Third Pole
Scientists conducting research in the third pole area have warned of disturbing global
warming trends, and how, if they continue, they could affect the lives of 1.3 billion
people. The glacier has lost 60% of its mass and shrunk 250 m since 1982.
Baishui Glacier in China is one of the world‟s fastest melting glaciers.
The rate of warming in the Third Pole region is significantly higher than the global
average, and the rate is higher at higher altitude, suggesting a greater vulnerability of the
cryosphere environment to climate change. This trend is expected to continue.
The Hindu Kush-Himalayan region spans an area of more than 4.3 million square
kilometres in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and
Pakistan. The region stores more snow and ice than anywhere else in the world outside
the polar regions, hence known as the Third Pole.
Soil Moisture Map
India Meteorological Department (IMD), for the first time, has provided a country wide
soil moisture forecast. This forecast is a joint exercise by IIT Gandhinagar and the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) which provides soil moisture forecast at seven and 30-
day lead times.
The product, termed ‗Experimental Forecasts Land Surface Products‘ has been
developed using the „Variable Infiltration Capacity‟ model that takes into consideration
soil, vegetation, land use and land cover among other parameters.
The countrywide forecast prepared at the end of the monsoon season suggests deficit soil
moisture conditions are likely in Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and southern
Andhra Pradesh.
It also indicates that soil moisture conditions in western Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand,
and Chhattisgarh are likely to be normal or surplus at the start of the Rabi sowing
season.
Global Soil biodiversity Atlas
It placed India among countries whose soil biodiversity faces the highest level of risk.
It is a joint venture of the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative and the European
Commission Joint Research. Its findings were published as part of the Living Planet
Report, 2018 which is published by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) every two years.
The Atlas indicates risk index which takes in to account,
threats from loss of above-ground diversity,
pollution and nutrient over-loading,
over-grazing, intensive agriculture,
fire,
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soil erosion,
desertification and
climate change.
The two key drivers of biodiversity loss were the over exploitation of natural resources
and agriculture.
The report highlighted that, while India‘s per capita ecological footprint was less than
1.75 hectares/person (which is in the lowest band, among countries surveyed) its high
population made it vulnerable to an ecological crisis.
Rutland island
Union Environment Ministry has recently given nod to DRDO to set up its surveillance
sytem including long range missile test range in Rutland island in South Andaman.
Rutland Island is located at a vintage location of about 200 km from the Strait of
Malacca that connects Indian Ocean with South China Sea.
As of now, long-range missile tests are being carried out from the Odisha coast and are
tracked by naval vessels. DRDO requires a land-based test area as well to accurately
track its longrange missiles, with the island in the Andamans being ideally located due to
its distance from mainland.
The project involves the diversion of forest area from Mahatma Gandhi Marine National
Park and reserve forest within 10km of the Eco Sensitive Zone.
Banni Grassland
The Banni grassland of Gujarat (near Rann of Kutch) is the largest natural grassland in
the Indian subcontinent known for its scarce rainfall and semi-drought conditions.
The land of Banni is formed out of ocean clay, so it includes an element of salt from very
beginning. This land is formed out of alluvial and clayey sand.
Migratory pastoralism has been followed here from centuries with a broader geographical
landscape that included Sindh in Pakistan and even extended into parts of Baluchistan
and Afghanistan.
Now, Banni is divided into eastern and western parts separated by National Highway
341, which leads to the India-Pakistan International Border.
There are 22 ethnic communities living in the area called Maldhari pastoralists (‗mal‘
means animal stock and ‗dhari‘ means keeper)
A huge freshwater lake locally known as Chhari- Dhand is a prominent feature of the
Banni grassland.
It has been identified as one of the best area for reintroduction of Cheetah by Wild Life
Institute of India as the area includes Kala Dungar or Black hills where large number of
jackals are present.
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Global Geoparks
Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of
international geological significance are present. It is a designation given by UNESCO.
In 2004, 17 European and 8 Chinese geoparks came together at UNESCO headquarters
in Paris to form the Global Geoparks Network (GGN). In 2015, the 195 Member States of
UNESCO ratified the creation of a new label, the UNESCO Global Geoparks.
The Geopark tag is akin to that of a ‗World Heritage Site‘ for historical monuments that
can bring famed geological features to the global stage. Global Geopark uses its
geological heritage, in connection with all other aspects of the area‘s natural and cultural
heritage, to enhance awareness and understanding of key issues facing society.
At present, there are 140 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 38 countries. There is no site
from India in the list.
Geological Sites in India
Geological Survey of India has nominated two sites in India for the first time for Global
Geoparks status. The sites are Lonar Lake in Maharashtra and St. Mary‟s Island and
Malpe beach in coastal Karnataka.
Lonar Lake is an ancient circular lake created by a meteorite strike. It is the only known
meteorite crater in basaltic rock and is world famous. It became a geo-heritage site in
1979. A meteorite estimated to weigh two-million-tonnes slammed into the Earth,
creating a 1.83-km diameter crater where the lake formed.
St. Mary‘s island, also known as coconut island, is a unique phenomenon where a
hexagonal mosaic of basaltic rocks are present. It was declared as a national geo-heritage
site in 1975. It is estimated to be an 88-million-year-old formation that goes back to a
time when Greater India broke away from Madagascar.
Deep Ocean Mission or „ISRO-like‟ ocean mission
The Central government has drawn up a 5-year plan to explore the deep ocean.
Ministry of Earth Sciences has been tasked with coordinating the exercise. The ministry
has recently unveiled the blueprint of "Deep Ocean Mission".
The mission proposes to explore the deep ocean similar to the space exploration started
by ISRO about 35 years ago. The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) allotted to India (2.2
million sq.km) in the international waters will be covered under this mission.
The focus will be on technologies for deep-sea mining, underwater vehicles, underwater
robotics and ocean climate change advisory services. Mission incorporates offshore
desalination plant that will work with tidal energy, and developing a submersible vehicle
that can go to a depth of at least 6,000 metres with three people on board.
Kerala Project on Impact of Climate Change
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is considering a Rs. 79-crore proposal to study impact
of climate change on Kerala.
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The project has been proposed by the National Institute of Science Communication and
Information Resources (NISCAIR) under Council of Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR).
CSIR-NISCAIR is the nodal institute to develop climate change adaptation programmes
for islands and coastal ecosystems as part of the 12th Five Year Plan programme
approved by the CSIR.
The Kerala project will analyse the trends in climatic elements, their spatial pattern and
its relationship with extreme events such as El Nino, cyclones etc. The objective of the
project is to develop a framework and decision support tool to assess the climate change
impact on livelihood and developmental processes.
The ambitious project, spread over a period of three years, will assess the impact of
climate change on agriculture, fisheries, industries, health, transport, tourism,
biodiversity, forestry, and landslips.
O-SMART Scheme
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved umbrella scheme ‗O-
SMART‘ of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
It seek to encompass number of projects addressing ocean development. The scheme will
help in addressing Sustainable Development Goal, 14, which aims to conserve use of
oceans, marine resources for sustainable development.
Lombok Earthquake
It is a part of Indonesian group of Islands and located to east of Bali. An earthquake of
6.4 magnitude has recently struck the island and triggered landslides in a volcano Mt.
Rinjani, the second-highest one in Indonesia.
Atal Bhujal Yojana
It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
It aims to improve ground water management in priority areas in the country
through community participation.
The emphasis will be on recharge of ground water sources and efficient use of water by
involving people at the local level.
The priority areas identified under the scheme represents 25% of the total number of
over-exploited, critical ground water blocks. Those states are Gujarat, Haryana,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
It is to be implemented over a period of five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23, with World
Bank assistance. The funding pattern is 50:50 between Government of India and the
World Bank.
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Kadaknath chicken
The famous Kadaknath chicken meat from Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh has now
got a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Kadaknath is famous for its delicious black meat („kali-masi‟), which is supposed to be
invigorating and full of medicinal properties.
The Indian poultry breed is famous for its unique black colour of feathers as well as
black meat, which is claimed to contain low cholesterol level as compared to the routine
table chicken.
Kadaknath is found mainly in the tribal district of Jhabua. This poultry is reared mainly
by the tribal community of Bhil & Bhilala in the districts of Jhabua and Dhar. It is
locally known as Kalamasi and is used for treatment of many diseases, besides being
considered an aphrodisiac.
Shahi Litchi
Shahi Litchi is mostly grown in Muzaffarpur and neighbouring districts in Bihar. It has
recently got Geographical Indication Tag.
It is known for its sweet, juicy, unique flavour and aroma. Other known GI from Bihar -
Katrani rice, Jardalu mango and Magahi paan (betel vine).
Alphonso Mango
The king of mangoes, Alphonso, better known as „Hapus‟ in Maharashtra, is in demand
in domestic and international markets not only for its taste but also for pleasant
fragrance and vibrant colour. It has long been one of the world's most popular fruit and
is exported to various countries including Japan, Korea, Europe, USA and Australia have
recently opened up.
Recently the Alphonso mango from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and other adjoining areas in
Maharashtra have been accorded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Ministry of
Commerce.
Pochampalli Sarees
The art originated in 18th Century in Pochampally town of Telangana and is locally called
as Chitku. The town is popularly known as the silk city of India. These sarees are
culturally popular for the Ikat styling and designs (geometrical) imprinted on this
fabric.
The Poochampalli Ikat Sarees also have GI tag in their name.
Investors‟ Conference for the Holistic Development of Islands
NITI Aayog, together with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the UT Administrations of
Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep hosted the conference.
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Island Development Agency (IDA), an apex body, under the chairmanship of Union
Home Minister, was constituted in June 2017.
NITI Aayog has been mandated to steer the Holistic Development of Islands program,
along with the respective UT administration/ State Governments.
Under the said program in the first phase 10 Islands in Andaman & Nicobar and
Lakshadweep have been taken up for holistic development.
The IDA has listed 11 anchor tourism projects and several other infrastructure projects
such as Ro-Ro ferry services, desalination plants, digital connectivity, green energy in the
first phase of holistic development of these islands.
Interlinking of Rivers
15th Meeting of Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers was recently Held.
During the meeting, it was stressed on the need for developing consensus amongst the
concerned states on interlinking of rivers so that the water draining unutilized into the
sea could be utilized for the needy areas.
Steps have been taken for early implementation of five interlinking projects and
Memorandum of Agreement for implementation of these projects is being finalised in
consultation with the concerned state governments. These five projects include
▪ Ken-Betwa link project,
▪ Damanganga-Pinjal link project,
▪ Par-Tapi-Narmada link project,
▪ Godavari-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link project and
▪ Parvati-Kali Sindhu-Chambal link.
National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has been entrusted to prepare feasibility
reports of intra-State links as proposed by the States.
The successful completion of these projects will lead to reduction in disaster during
floods, improved irrigation facilities, employment generation in rural agriculture, and
increase in exports and decrease in migration from villages.
Hubballi–Ankola railway line
National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is soon expected to deliver the fate of the controversial
Hubballi–Ankola railway line, in Karnataka. It is been opposed because will claim nearly
1,300 acres of pristine forest land apart from the cutting of 1.73 lakh trees, spanning
three elephant corridors in Dharwad, Yellapur, and Karwar.
In June 2017 the Regional Empowered Committee of the MoEF&CC recommended the
Stage-1 clearance for the project. Also, earlier in 2018, the National Tiger Conservation
Authority (NTCA) rejected the proposal, saying it would have repercussions on tiger and
other wildlife in the area.
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Disaster Management
Flash Flood Guidance System
India has been designated as a nodal centre for preparing flash-flood forecasts by the
World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
India will develop a customised model that can issue advance warning of floods in
Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.
The system is called the Flash Flood Guidance System which aims to provide forecasts
six hours in advance. Flash Flood Guidance System with global coverage consists of
eight regional FFGS.
Operation 'Madad'
The operation ‗Madad‘/ ‗Sahyog‘ has been launched by the Southern naval command at
kochi.
It is for assisting the state administration of Kerala and undertaking disaster relief
operations due to the unprecedented flooding experienced in many parts. Flooding in
many parts is due to incessant rainfall and release of excess water from Idukki and other
dams.
INHS Sanjivani has been deployed for rendering medical assistance.
Landslide warning system
A real-time landslide warning system has been set up in the Sikkim-Darjeeling belt of
north-eastern Himalayas. It will help in saving lives and loss to property by issuing
advance alerts by 24 hours. The warning system consists of over 200 sensors that can
measure geophysical and hydrological parameters like rainfall, pore pressure and seismic
activities.
It has been deployed by the researchers of Kerala based Amrita University in
collaboration with the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority and partly funded by
the Ministry of Earth Sciences. University had earlier installed a landslide warning
system in Kerala's Munnar district
Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2018
The conference was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Established in 2005, AMCDRR is a
biennial conference jointly organized by different Asian countries and the UNISDR. India
hosted the second AMCDRR in New Delhi in 2007.
Theme of the AMCDRR 2018 is ‗Preventing Disaster Risk: Protecting Sustainable
Development‘.
It will enable governments and stakeholders to review progress made against the
commitments at the AMCDRR 2016, i.e. the New Delhi Declaration, the Asia Regional
Plan. It will provide a unique forum for those countries and cities that have not yet
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developed and/or updated their Disaster Risk Reduction strategies under the Sendai
framework.
Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES)
It is an intergovernmental institution for the generation and application of early
warning information. It was established in 2009, evolved from the efforts of countries in
Africa and Asia, in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
It works with a multi-hazard framework for the generation and communication of early
warning information and capacity building for preparedness and response to trans-
boundary hazards. It operates from its regional early warning center in Thailand.
The State government of Odisha has recently entered into a collaboration with
RIMES. It is to enhance early warning system for effective management of all kinds of
disasters like flood, drought, heat wave, lightning and road accidents.
State Disaster Response Fund
Under Disaster Management Act 2005, a financial mechanism has been set up by way of
National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) at national level and State Disaster Response
Fund (SDRF) at state level to meet rescue and relief expenditure during any notified
disaster.
SDRF has been constituted in each State in which Centre, so far, had been contributing
75% for General Category States and 90% for Special Category States of hilly regions
every year.
Recently, Central government will contribute 90% and all States will contribute
10% to the SDRF. SDRF is resource available to States to meet expenses of relief
operations of immediate nature, for range of specified disasters. In case of any natural
calamity beyond coping capacity of State, additional financial assistance is provided by
Central Government from NDRF as per norms in which 100% funding is by Central
Government.
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Internatioanl Relations
International Developments
Underwater museum on the bed of Lake Titicaca
Bolivia is going to build an underwater museum in its sacred Lake Titicaca in
partnership with Belgium and UNESCO would contribute $2 million to the project.
It will be both a tourist complex and a centre for archaeological geological and
biological research which will make it the only one in the world.
Migingo Island
Migingo is a small rock island, located in lake Victoria, which is the largest lake in Africa
and the largest tropical lake in the world.
For over a decade, Migingo has been a source of tension between Kenya and Uganda.
Global Disability Summit 2018
The first ever Global Disability Summit was recently held in London. It was organised
by the UK
Department for International Development along with International Disability Alliance
and the Government of Kenya.
The motto of the Conference was to firm up the commitments of the country leaders
towards the cause of persons with disabilities.
International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018
It was held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The theme of 3-day summit was 'Equality begins with Economic Empowerment'.
It was organised by the South Asian Women Development Forum
The main objective of the summit was to bring together achievers, women business
leaders, professionals, international service providers, resource organizations, experts,
government representatives and other stakeholders with a focus on innovative economic
transformation through discussions and collaborations. It had seen participation of
delegates from SAARC, ASEAN, EU, Africa, Arab countries and China.
South Asian Women Development Forum (SAWDF)
SAWDF is an autonomous, nonprofit organization based in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was
granted the status of SAARC Recognized Body. It is first SAARC Recognized Body
organisation working on women entrepreneurs issues. It represents national women
entrepreneurs‘ associations or organizations, institutions working towards economic
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issues of women entrepreneurs in SAARC Region. Its membership is based on
organizations with extensive work around women‘s entrepreneurship.
Israel‟s Nationality Law
Israel‗s parliament has adopted a law defining the country as the nation state of the
Jewish people, provoking fears it could lead to blatant discrimination against Arab
citizens.
The law speaks of Israel as the historic homeland of the Jews and says they have a
unique right to self-determination there.
The legislation makes Hebrew the country„s national language and defines the
establishment of Jewish communities as being in the national interest. Arabic, previously
considered an official language, was granted only special status.
It also establishes the flag, the national symbol and anthem. The legislation becomes
part of the country‗s basic laws, which serve as a defacto constitution.
Caspian Sea Resource Distribution Deal
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed inland body of water on Earth by area, variously
classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea.
It is an endorheic basin (a basin without outflows) located between Europe and Asia.
It is bounded by Kazakhstan to the northeast, Russia to the northwest, Azerbaijan to the
west, Iran to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southeast.
Recently the five nations which shares borders with Caspian Sea has signed a landmark
deal to share the resource-rich Caspian Sea after more than two decades of dispute.
South Pars
South Pars is the world‟s single largest natural gas field located in Iran. It is being
developed in several phases with foreign collaboration.
French Energy company had previously held 80% of the stake in this project. But
following the US sanctions, it has reduced its shares. China National Petroleum
Corporation (CNPC), the world‘s third-largest oil and gas firm has replaced french
company's stake.
Crypto-Pegged Forex rate
Venezuela has recently announced a single exchange rate based on its cryptocurrency.
Petro is a cryptocurrency launched by the government earlier this year.
The President has effectively devaluated the petrocurrency by 96 per cent.
Exchange rates, salaries, pensions and prices are pegged to Petro.
Now, one petro would equal $60 and have the equivalent of 360 million bolivars (official
currency of Venezuala).
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Since 2003 Venezuela has had strict currency controls, identified by economists as a
major cause of its economic crisis.
It has led to hyperinflation and rendered the bolivar currency near worthless.
Seoul Peace Prize
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with the Seol peace prize 2018. It was
established in 1990 to commemorate success of the 24th Olympic Games held in Seoul,
South Korea. It was established to crystallize Korean people‗s yearning for peace on
Korean Peninsula and in the rest of the world.
It is awarded biennially to those individuals who have made their mark through
contributions to harmony of mankind, reconciliation between nations and world peace.
PM Modi has been selected for award in recognition of his dedication for improving
international cooperation, raising global economic growth, accelerating Human
Development of people in India by fostering economic growth and furthering development
of democracy through anti-corruption and social integration efforts.
Bilateral Relations
Inida‟s Neighbour and South East Asia
Mattala airport
India has agreed to form a joint venture with Sri Lanka to operate the country‗s loss-
making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.
It is dubbed the as world‟s emptiest airport due to a lack of flights. India would operate
the airport as a Sri Lanka-India joint venture. The airport infrastructure was funded
through high interest Chinese commercial loans.
Border Haats
In 2010, India and Bangladesh agreed to open haats in remote border areas trade, of
locally produced commodities, completely free from duties and taxes. They are market
places organised by the two countries one day each week. The border haats aim at
promoting the wellbeing of the people dwelling in remote areas across the borders of two
countries, by establishing traditional system of marketing the local produce through
local markets. The border haats are managed by Haat Management Committees (HMCs).
Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link Project
It is a 45-km dual gauge line between Agartala in Tripura and Akhaura, a sub-district
of Chittagong in Bangladesh. The project is developed as a part of India‘s $4.5 billion
third line of credit extended to Bangladesh for its infrastructure and social sector
development.
The Agartala-Akhaura rail project will lend full connectivity from east to west of
Bangladesh, apart from enabling trade relations between the two neighbours. Once
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completed, the railway link is expected to cut the distance between Agartala and Kolkata
by more than 1,000 km, it will also enhance India‘s access to Chittagong port in
Bangladesh.
India-Bangladesh Friendship Product Pipeline Project
This project was recently inaugrated jointly by India and Bangladesh.
This 130-kilometre pipeline project will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and
Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The capacity of the pipeline will be one
million metric tonnes per annum. Through this pipeline, refined diesel will be supplied to
Bangladesh from India
Of the total stretch, six-kilometre will be in Indian side and remaining 124 kilometres will
in Bangladesh.
Sabang Port
Sabang port is in Sumatra island of Indonesia. Indonesia has recently agreed to give
India access to its port for operational turnaround for Indian Navy. It will increase the
Indian Navy‗s footprint in the region.
Delhi Dialogue
India hosted the 10th edition of the Delhi Dialogue (DD X) under the theme
'Strengthening India-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation' in New Delhi.
Delhi Dialogue is a premier annual event to discuss politico-security, the economic and
socio-cultural engagement between India and ASEAN.
It was the first major event to be organised after the ASEAN-India Commemorative
Summit, which was held earlier in 2018, marking 25 years of India-ASEAN ties. The
Delhi Declaration was released after the summit.
India and Africa
Girinka programme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted 200 cows to villagers from Rweru villages as part of
Rwandan Government„s Girinka Programme.
The programme is based on premise that providing dairy cow to poor, transforms
livelihoods, reconciles communities improving agricultural productivity through use of
manure as fertilizers.
The program has contributed to increase in agricultural production in Rwanda,
especially milk production and products and has reduced malnutrition and increased
incomes.
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Joint Issue of Postage stamp between India and South Africa
The Union Cabinet was recently apprised of joint issue of Postage Stamps on India-South
Africa on the theme, '20 Years of Strategic Partnership between India and South
Africa'. The Commemorative Postage Stamps on India-South Africa depicts image of
Deendayal Upadhyaya and Oliver Reginald Tambo of South Africa.
e-Vidya Bharati& e-Arogya Bharati Network (e-VBAB Network)
India has recently launched digital bridge called e-Vidya Bharati& e-Arogya Bharati
Network between India and Africa.
The network covers 48 african countries and operates based on satellite technology.
It aims at providing quality tele-education and tele-medicine facility by linking select
Indian Universities, Institutions and Super Specialty Hospitals to African educational
institutions and hospitals.
The e-VBAB Network Project will be completely funded by the Government of India for its
entire duration and will be open for participation to all our partner countries in Africa.
India-USA
US-India Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 (STA-1)
India has become the first South Asian nation to get the Strategic Trade Authorisation-
1 (STA-1) status.
STA-1 provides India with greater supply chain efficiency, both for defence, and for other
high-tech products. This exception from the export control regime will allow the US to
export sensitive technology to India without individual licences.
It is a privilege hitherto reserved only for 36 countries, mostly NATO members or key
allies like Japan and South Korea.
It is being seen as a reaffirmation of US support for India‘s NSG membership bid.
Till recently India was designated as STA-2 countries along with Israel and 6 other
countries.
2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
Recently the ‗2+2‘ dialogue between India‘s foreign and defense ministers and US
secretaries of state and defense has been concluded.
India and the United States signed the landmark Communications Compatibility and
Security Agreement (COMCASA), earlier known as the Communications and Information
Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA).
With COMCASA, till now, India has concluded three of the four foundational agreements
with U.S.:
General Security Of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2002
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The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 and
The Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) in 2018
Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), the fourth and last foundational
agreement is still in negotiation.
COMCASA will lead to a new generation of bilateral military partnership and facilitate
India to access advanced defence systems. It will allow the U.S. to transfer specialised
equipment for encrypted communications for U.S.-origin platforms like C-17, C-130 and
P-8I aircraft. COMCASA will allow to specially designate a person-in-charge in U.S.
Central Command for coordination between India and the United States.
India and the U.S. will also hold a first-ever tri service joint exercise on the east coast of
India in 2019.
India – Russia
Logistics Agreement with Russia
India and Russia are in the process of concluding a logistics agreement. Logistics
agreements are administrative arrangements facilitating access to each other‘s military
facilities for fuels and rations between countries.
The proposed agreement is expected to be on the lines of those signed with U.S and
France.
It also calls for mutual agreement on simplifying logistical support and increasing
operational turnaround of military.
India signed Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with U.S. in
August 2016.
India has also concluded such an agreement with France, Oman, The Philippines,
Singapore and Indonesia.
This is basically aimed at increasing operational flexibility with long-term partner.
India-Japan
Currency Swap Arrangement
India and Japan has agreed to enter in to currency swap arrangement of $75 billion.
Currency swap arrangement means one country exchanges its national currency for that
of another or even a third currency. Under this arrangement, India can acquire dollars
from Japan in exchange for rupees. So, India can acquire yen or dollars from Japan upto
$75 billion in exchange for rupees under a fixed exchange rate. This exchange has to be
reversed after an agreed period. Conversely, Japan can also seek dollars from India in
exchange for yen. This facility will serve as a line of defence for our country‘s foreign
exchange reserve.
It has sevelral advantages such as
short term liquidity mismatches can be met quickly;
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It will help stabilize the rupee, which has witnessed the steepest fall in recent
years;
It improves market sentiment, curbs speculative pressure on the rupee;
Foreign Investors will draw comfort from the arrangement.
Multilateral Organisation
Commonwealth of Nations
It is a sui genreris political association of 53 member states, nearly all of them were
territories of the former British Empire however Mozambique and Rwanda are also its
members, who were never colonies of Britain. It is headquarted at London.
This was set up after the second world war (in 1949) by Britain, to maintain close
economic ties with its erstwhile colonies that were now rapidly becoming independent
It is not a trade block. It aims to promote democracy, human rights, world peace etc.
Commonwealth countries in theory do not consider each other ‗foreign‘, and hence send
‗High Commissioners‘ and not ‗Ambassadors‘, hence in non-commonwealth countries,
commonwealth countries can seek assistance at the British embassy, in case their own
country does not have consular services in that country.
Some Initiative of the Organisation
Commonwealth Innovation Index was launched as part of a new Commonwealth
Innovation Hub on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting (CHOGM), 2018. It has been created in partnership with the United
Nations World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and its annual Global
Innovation Index (GII).
◦ It is aimed at providing a tool that allows member states, organizations and
citizens to benchmark themselves against 53 countries of the Commonwealth.
◦ India was ranked 10th on a new Commonwealth Innovation Index, The index
was topped by the UK, Singapore, and Canada
The CIF (Commonwealth Innovation Fund) will deploy grant, equity, and debt
investments to support innovators across the Commonwealth to accelerate the
development, testing and scaling up of evidence-based and market-tested
innovations
Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)
Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), previously named the Bangkok Agreement, was
signed in 1975 as an initiative of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) for trade expansion through exchange of tariff
concessions.
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The six member countries are Bangladesh, China, India, Laos, South Korea and Sri
Lanka.
Being the oldest preferential trade agreement among developing countries in Asia-Pacific,
APTA aims to promote economic development through the adoption of mutually
beneficial trade liberalization measures that will contribute to intra-regional trade
expansion and provides for economic integration through coverage of merchandise goods,
services, investment and trade facilitation.
BIMSTEC
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC) is an international organisation involving a group of countries in South Asia
and South East Asia. Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and
Nepal are its members.
It was established in 1997 in Bangkok. It is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The main objective of BIMSTEC is technological and economic co-operation among south
Asian and south east Asian countries along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Free Trade
Agreement among the members is yet to be finalised.
The fourth edition of Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has been held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
It uses the alphabetical order for the Chairmanship. Accordingly, Nepal formally took
over the new Chairmanship as on 2014. The previous summit was held in Myanmar in
2014. And the next summit to be held in SriLanka. Bhutan has never been chairman
(Skipped itself)
BRICS Summit
The 2018 BRICS summit, the tenth such annual summit, was held in South Africa.
Theme of the summit was 'BRICS in Africa:Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and
Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution'.
The new areas of BRICS cooperation as proposed by South Africa, are as follows:
Establishment of a Working Group on Peacekeeping.
Establishment of a Vaccine Research Centre for Collaboration with BRICS
vaccine innovation and development partners.
Establishment of a BRICS Gender and Women„s Forum.
Establishment of a BRICS Tourism Track of Cooperation.
The First BRIC Summit was held in June 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia and the Ninth
BRICS Summit was held in Xiamen, China.
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About BRICS
BRICS is an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa.The BRICS members are all leading developing or newly
industrialized countries, but they are distinguished by their large, sometimes fast-
growing economies and significant influence on regional affairs. All five are G-20
members.
BRICS developed New Development Bank (NDB) which will have capital of US$50 billion
with each country contributing US$10 billion, while the monetary fund will have US$100
billion at its disposal.
Since 2012, the BRICS group of countries have been planning an optical fibre submarine
communications cable system to carry telecommunications between the BRICS
countries, known as the BRICS Cable.
Quad
Regional coalition known as the ‗Quad‘, the quadrilateral formation includes Japan,
India, United States and Australia. All four nations find a common ground of being the
democratic nations and common interests of unhindered maritime trade and security.
The idea was first mooted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007. However, the
idea couldn‗t move ahead with Australia pulling out of it.
Indian Ocean Conference
It is an initiative to bring the state leaders, diplomats and bureaucrats from across the
Indian ocean region under one roof to strengthen the understanding among each other.
It is organised by India Foundation, an independent research centre along with the
partners from Singapore, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Earlier, the conference was held in
Singapore and Sri Lanka in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
The 3rd edition of Indian Ocean Conference was organised recently in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The theme of this year‘s conference is „Building Regional Architectures‟, particularly
with regards to trade and commerce, security and governance.
The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) was set up with the objective of strengthening
regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean Region.
The association comprises 21 Member States and 7 Dialogue Partners. India, Australia,
Iran, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Sri Lanka,
Tanzania, Bangladesh, Singapore, Mauritius, Madagascar, UAE, Yemen, Seychelles,
Somalia, Comoros and Oman are members of IORA. Neither Pakistan nor Myanmar are
member of IORA.
The Coordinating Secretariat of IORA is located at Ebene, Mauritius. The apex body is
the Council of (Foreign) Ministers (COM).
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Recently India hosted 2nd IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial meet in October, 2018 at
New Delhi. It adopted "Delhi Declaration on Renewable Energy in the Indian Ocean
Region". Delhi Declaration calls for collaboration among IORA member states in
Meeting the growing demand for renewable energy in the Indian Ocean littorals,
Development of a common renewable energy agenda for the Indian Ocean region
and
Promote regional capacity building
As per the declaration, IORA member nations will collaborate with the ISA member
nations to exchange knowledge and share potential interests in the renewable energy
sector.
Global Renewable Energy Atlas is the world‘s largest-ever joint renewable resource data
project. IORA countries will undertake the expansion of Atlas which will be coordinated
by International Renewable Energy Agency(IRENA).
The first Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in the year
2014.
Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM)
The 12th Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) is going to be held in Brussels, Belgium. The
theme of this year's ASEM Summit is 'Global Partners for Global Challenges'.
ASEM is an exclusively Asian–European forum, established in 1996 at the first summit
in Bangkok, Thailand. It currently has 51 nations from the European Union and South
Asia and 2 regional organisations (ASEAN, EU) as partners. India is also a member.
The 3 pillars of ASEM are Political, Economic, Socio Cultural and Educational. ASEM
involves biennial meetings of Heads of State and Government, alternately in Europe and
Asia, and biennial meetings of Foreign Ministers as well as political, economic, and socio-
cultural meetings and events at various levels.
The grouping is a platform for non-binding discussion on economic and trade issues.
U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
USMCA is the recently concluded agreement among the countries to replace 25-year-old
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It gives the U.S greater access to the
dairy markets of canada and mexico and allows extra imports of canada cars. Canada
managed to preserve the dispute settlement mechanism as a protection for its wood
industry.
This deal covers more than $1 trillion trade. It is intended to last 18 years and will be
reviewed every 6 years.
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Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR)
The IACHR is an independent, multinational court that handles the human rights cases
of people affected by the laws of countries that are members of the Organisation of
American States (OAS).
It has recently given its advisory opinion on the issue of institution of asylum and its
recognition as a Human Right.
It has ruled that all nations have an obligation to ensure safe passage for asylum seekers
to their final territory of asylum.
This assumes significance in the light of asylum of Julian Assange, Editor-in-chief of
Wiki Leaks, in Eucadorian embassy in U.K. He has been granted political asylum and
citizenship by Eucador in 2012. But he is unable to come out of the embassy in U.K
because of the arrest warrant issued by U.K court in the charges of sexual assault and
rape allegations. In this scenario, the advisory opinion by IACHR gives him the moral
victory.
The ruling would meant that, U.K. has an obligation to allow safe passage for Mr.
Assange to Ecuador, where he has been granted political asylum as well as citizenship.
Organisation of American States (OAS)
OAS is the world‘s oldest regional organization, which came into being in 1948.
OAS brings together all 35 independent Nation-States of the Americas.
It constitutes the main political, juridical, and social governmental forum in the
Hemisphere.
In addition, it has granted permanent observer status to 69 States, as well as to the
European Union (EU). The Organization‘s four main pillars are democracy, human
rights, security, and development.
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
The government has set up a four-member group of ministers (GoM) headed by Union
Minister of Commerce and Industry, Suresh Prabhu to advise prime minister Narendra
Modi on whether to continue with or withdraw from the 16-member Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations.
RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the ten member states of the
ASEAN and the six states with which ASEAN has existing free trade agreements.
Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
The arrangement is also open to any other external economic partners, such as nations
in Central Asia and remaining nations in South Asia and Oceania.
RCEP will cover trade in goods, trade in services, investment, economic and technical
cooperation, intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement and other issues.
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Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and military organisation which was founded by
the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It is
headquarted in Beijing, China.
India and Pakistan has recently become members of SCO in its 2017 meeting held at
Astana, Kazhakhstan.
The official working languages of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are Chinese
and Russian.
The Council of Heads of State is the top decision-making body in the SCO.
The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), headquartered in Tashkent,
Uzbekistan, is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of
member states against terrorism, separatism and extremism.
India is going to host Shanghai Cooperation Organisation‟s meeting on Urban
Disaster Handling. Pakistan has accepted India‘s invitation for the meeting. It involves
the joint mock exercise on urban earthquake search and rescue by National Disaster
Response Force (NDRF). It will provide an opportunity to member-countries to validate
their preparedness and resilience to various disasters and making humanitarian
assistance in disaster response more effective.
Global Insitiutions/Framework/Regulations
United Nations
UN has 6 main Organs
1.General Assembly (UNGA)
2.Security Council (UNSC)
3.Secretariat
4.Trusteeship Council
5.International Court of Justicec (ICJ)
6.Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC)
United Nation General Assembly (UNGA)
UN Disarmament Commission
The United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) is a deliberative body and a
subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly which is mandated to consider and make
recommendations on various disarmament related issues
The Disarmament Commission was re-established at the first Special Session of the
General Assembly devoted to Disarmament in 1978 to succeed an earlier Disarmament
Commission, which ceased to convene after 1965.
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Since 1978, the Disarmament Commission has dealt with numerous disarmament
related questions, both nuclear and conventional and has submitted guidelines and
principles on various subject items, appropriate types of confidence-building measures,
regional approaches to disarmament
Recently India has voiced opposition to the 'weaponization' of outer space, it should
not become an area of conflict collective efforts to strengthen safety and security of the
space-based assets.
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
UN chief has recently reiterated his appeal to eight nations, including India and the US,
to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
CTBT is a multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear explosions, for both civilian and
military purposes, in all environments.
It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996. It can
only enter into force after it is ratified by eight countries with nuclear technology
capacity, namely China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United
States.
China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the United States have signed but not ratified the Treaty.
India, North Korea and Pakistan have not signed it.
According to CTBT, each State Party undertakes not to carry out any nuclear weapon
test explosion or any other nuclear explosion, and to prohibit and prevent any such
nuclear explosion at any place under its jurisdiction or control. The Preparatory
Commission for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), an
international organization headquartered in Vienna, Austria, was created.
IAEA Safeguards
India has decided to place four more reactors under the IAEA safeguards.
Two Russian-designed Pressurised Light Water Reactors and two Pressurised Heavy
Reactors being built with Indian technology will be covered. With this, a total of 26
Indian nuclear facilities will be under the international nuclear energy watchdog.
IAEA is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear
energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons and
materials.
It was established as an autonomous organization which is not under direct control of
the UN, but reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
Unlike most other specialized international agencies, the IAEA does much of its work
with the Security Council, and not with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
It is widely known as the world„s Atoms for Peace organization. It is headquartered at
Vienna with 168 member nations.
North Korea has withdrawn its candidature from IAEA.
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Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The treaty was signed in the year 1987 between United States and Soviet Union. It
required both countries to eliminate and permanently disown all of their nuclear and
conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500
kilometers. It did not cover sea-launched missiles.
The treaty marked the first time the superpowers had agreed to reduce their nuclear
arsenals, eliminate entire category of nuclear weapons. As a result of this treaty,
superpowers destroyed a total of 2,692 short, medium and intermediate-range missiles
by the treaty's implementation deadline of June 1, 1991.
In 2014, United States has alleged that Russia violated the treaty and it has deployed the
non-compliant missile. Recently, US announced that it is withdrawing from the treaty.
UN ECOSOC
The United Nations Economic and Social Council is one of the six principal organs of the
United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic, social, and related work of 15
UN specialized agencies.
The ECOSOC has 54 members, it serves as the central forum for discussing international
economic and social issues.
Resolution 2427
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted Resolution 2427, it is aimed at
further crystalizing the protection of children in armed conflicts, including by
combating their recruitment by non-State armed groups and treating formerly recruited
children primarily as victims. It strongly condemns the recruitment and use of children
by parties to armed conflict as well as their re-recruitment, killing and maiming, rape
and other forms of sexual violence, and abductions.
UNHRC
India was elected to the UNHRC for a period of 3 years beginning January 1, 2019,
getting 188 votes in the Asia-Pacific category. UNHRC has 47 seats with a term of 3
years. No member may occupy a seat for more than 2 consecutive terms.
The UN General Assembly elects the members by absolute majority. The 18 new
members (for next 3 years) were elected by absolute majority through a secret ballot.
Countries needed a minimum of 97 votes to get elected to the Council.
India was vying for a seat in the Asia Pacific category and got highest number of votes
among all candidates. India had previously been elected for the 2011-2014 and 2014-
2017 term.
Along with India, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Fiji and Philippines had also staked a claim in
the same regional group.
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Untied Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)
UNRWA is relief and Human Development Agency of UN which supports more than 5
million registered Palestinian refugees, and their descendants.
It is only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from specific region or conflict and is
separate from UNHCR. It provides aid in five areas of operation: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria,
the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem; and aid for Palestinian
refugees outside these five areas is provided by UNHCR. It was established December
1949 following 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict by UN General Assembly Resolution. Originally,
it was intended to provide jobs on public works projects and direct relief, but now it
provides services like education, health care, and social services to population it
supports.
It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states. It also
receives some funding from regular budget of UN, which is used mostly for international
staffing costs.
India has pledged $5 million for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian
Refugees (UNRWA).
United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)
UNMOGIP, one of the oldest UN mission, was deployed in January 1949 to supervise the
ceasefire between India and Pakistan in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
The tasks of UNMOGIP have been to observe, to the extent possible, developments
pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire of 17 December 1971 and to report
thereon to the Secretary-General.
The group, based in Rawalpindi, is composed of 43 military observers and 23
international civilian personnel.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
WIPO is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. It was created in 1967
to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property
throughout the world.
It administers 26 international treaties, and is headquartered in Geneva,
Switzerland.World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
India is a member of WIPO and party to several treaties administered by WIPO.
Rrecently Union Cabinet approves accession to WIPO Copyright Treaty, 1996 and
WIPO Performance and Phonograms Treaty, 1996.
The treaty extends coverage of copyright to the internet and digital environment. It is
seen as a step towards the objective laid in the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
Policy, 2016. The policy aims to get value for IPRs through commercialization by
providing guidance and support to IPR owners about commercial opportunities of e-
commerce through Internet and mobile platforms.
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Marrakesh Treaty
European Union has recently ratified Marrakesh Treaty to ease access to reading
material for print-disabled people. Marrakesh Treaty was adopted by United Nations -
World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). With the ratification of European Union,
the treaty now expands to 70 countries. India was among the earliest to ratify the
Marrakesh treaty in June 2014.
The governments that are party to the Marrakesh treaty are obliged to adopt laws
authorising the conversion of books into accessible formats such as braille, e-text, audio
and large print by designated organisations. They are also allowed to exchange these
alternative formats across national borders without clearance by copyright owners.
Global Compact for Migration
United Nations has created Global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration for the
first time. It is the first intergovernmental negotiated agreement under the auspices of UN
to cover all dimensions of migration. Global compact agreement agreed upon by all the UN
member states minus the United States.
The agreement was signed by adopting a non-binding political declaration "New York
Declaration for Refugees and Migrants" in 2016.
Its objective is to address the challenges fo migration, strengthen migrant rights. Under
the agenda, member States committed to cooperate internationally to safe facilitate
migration.
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
The OPCW is an independent, autonomous international organisation with a working
relationship with the United Nations.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is the implementing body of
the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force in 1997.
As of today OPCW has 192 Member States, who are working together to achieve a world
free of chemical weapons.
The organisation was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize 'for its extensive efforts to
eliminate chemical weapons'.
The Convention contains four key provisions:
Destroying all existing chemical weapons under international verification by the
OPCW.
Monitoring chemical industry to prevent new weapons from re-emerging.
Providing assistance and protection to States Parties against chemical threats.
Fostering international cooperation to strengthen implementation of the
Convention and promote the peaceful use of chemistry.
Recently OPCW meeting in The Hague, voted 82-24 in favor of the proposal to grant the
new powers, surpassing the two-thirds requirement needed for passage.
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The British-led motion was supported by the United States and European Union, but
opposed by Russia, Iran, Syria, and their allies. Russian officials said the change will
undermine the organization and threaten its future and that UN Security Council was
the only place to discuss such matters.
Until now, OPCW could only say whether chemical weapons were used but not who had
used them. The new power allows it to assign blame for attacks.
International Criminal Court
ICC is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal headquartered
in The Hague in the Netherlands.
ICC has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide,
crimes against humanity, crime of aggression and war crimes.
ICC is the world‟s first permanent international criminal court.
States which become party to the Rome Statute becomes member of ICC, thus totalling
123 members. The co-operation of the non-party states with the ICC is of voluntary
nature.
But when a case is referred to the ICC by the UN Security Council all UN member states
are obliged to cooperate, since its decisions are binding for all of them.
India is not a signatory to the Rome Statute.
ICC has recently opened preliminary probe into Myanmar crimes against Rohingya
muslims. ICC judges has previously ruled that though Myanmar has not signed up to the
Hague-based ICC, the court still has jurisdiction over crimes against the Rohingya
because Bangladesh is a member.
A preliminary examination can lead to a formal investigation by the ICC.
The UN fact-finding mission also repeated suggestions that crimes against the Rohingya
be referred to the ICC.
UNHRC and UNDP has recently been given permission for the first time to enter northern
Rakhine to access local conditions in the state since last year.
Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
Financial Action Task Force in its recently concluded meet in Paris agreed to implement
the decision adopted earlier in February to place Pakistan in grey list. Previously,
Pakistan has been placed in grey list from 2012 -2015.
FATF was set up in 1989 by the western G7 countries, with headquarters in Paris.
Currently FATF has 37 members that include all 5 permanent members of the Security
Council, and other countries with economic influence. Two regional organisations, the
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Commission (EC) are also its
members. India became a full member in 2010.
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The objectives of FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of
legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist
financing and other related threats to the integrity of international financial system.
It is empowered to curtail financing of UN-designated terrorist groups. It can publicly
sensor countries that are not abiding by its norms.
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
EBRD is an international financial institution founded in 1991 as a multilateral
developmental investment bank.
Initially focused on the countries of the former Eastern Bloc it expanded to support
development in more than 30 countries from central Europe to central Asia. Similar to
other multilateral development banks, the EBRD has members from all over the world,
with the biggest shareholder being the United States, but only lends regionally in its
countries of operations.
Headquartered in London, the EBRD is owned by 65 countries and two EU institutions.
Despite its public sector shareholders, it invests in private enterprises, together with
commercial partners.
Recently India has joined the EBRD as the 69th shareholder, paving the way for more
joint investment with Indian companies across the EBRD‘s regions.
India takes a shareholding in the EBRD but will not be a recipient of EBRD financing.
But it may benefit indirectly through EBRD projects or if Indian companies invest
alongside the bank.
World Customs Organisation (WCO)
India has become the Vice-Chair (Regional Head) of the Asia Pacific Region of WCO for a
period of two years (2018-2020).
WCO established in 1952, is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to
enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations. WCO is the only
international organization with competence in Customs matters.
It is headquarted at Brussels, Belgium.
It represents 182 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively process
approximately 98% of world trade.
The organisation has divided its membership into six regions. Each of the regions is
represented by an elected vice-chairperson to the WCO council.
It is considered as the voice of the International Customs community.
Defence Excercise
SLINEX-2018: India, Sri Lanka joint naval exercise, which recently held at
Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.
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KAZIND-2018: Kazind is an Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Army Exercise. The third edition of
this exercise has been conducted in Otar region, Kazakhstan. 2nd Edition (2017) was
organised in India. Its aim is to build and promote bilateral Army relations and exchange
skills and experiences. Prabal Dostyk is another joint military exercise between India
and Kazakhstan.
IOWave 18: Indian Ocean Wave Excercise 2018 is a Indian Ocean wide Tsunami mock
drill organized by Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. India along
with 23 other nation participated in the excercise.
Nomadic Elephant: It is an annual Indo-Mongolia joint military exercise. The 2018
edition of the exercise will be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It aims to improve the
tactical and technical skills in counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations in
rural and urban scenario.
MILEX – 2018: MILEX is a military field exercise of countries of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technological and Economic Cooperation).Its aim is to
practice the BIMSTEC nations in planning and conduct of counter terrorist operations.
The exercise focusses on counter-terrorism operation in semi-urban setting.
Pitch Black 2018: Exercise Pitch Black is a Biennial multi-national large force
employment warfare exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The
Indian Air Force for the first time participated with fighter aircraft in Exercise Pitch Black
2018 (PB-18).
Exercise KAKADU 2018: Biennial exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)
and supported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It is Australia's Largest
Maritime Exercise. Indian Naval ship Sahyadri participated in KAKADU excercise held at
Darwin Port.
RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise) 2018: It is the world‘s largest international
maritime exercise. The 26th edition of RIMPAC was hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific
Command (INDOPACOM) at the Hawaii coast. India has participated in this edition and
represented by INS Sahyadri. Israel, Sri Lanka and Vietnam joined RIMPAC for the first
time. China is absent this year as it was dis-invited from participating by the U.S, citing
China‘s military actions in the South China Sea. China participated in the exercise in
2014 and 2016.
YudhAbhyas: It is a military training exercise which is part of the Indo-US defence
cooperation held at Chaubattia, in Uttrakhand. The joint exercise will simulate both
nations to work together in counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment in
mountainous terrain under United Nation charter.
Cope India Exercise: It is an air exercise between India and USA and first conducted in
2004. India, Japan and US are set to elevate this bilateral exercise to trilateral format.
With this elevation, it is becoming similar to Malabar navy exercise among the three
countries.
Exercise Aviaindra-18: It is a bi-annual Air Force level exercise between India and
Russian Federation. Exercise Aviaindra 2018 is being conducted at Lipetsk, Russia and
Jodhpur, India. The exercise is focused towards anti-terrorist operations in a bi-lateral
scenario.
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Hand-in-Hand: It is an annual joint army exercise between India and China. The
exercise was cancelled last year due to tense relations in the aftermath of the Doklam
standoff. This year (7th edition), it will resume in Chengdu region in China. It is seen as a
sign of normalising relationship between India and China.
Exercise Dharma Guardian: It is a joint military exercise between India and Japan. It is
the first ever such exercise and the first edition is going to be held in India. The exercise
will execute a series of drills to neutralise the threats faced in urban warfare scenario.
This exercise is seen as a yet another step in deepening strategic ties between the
countries.
Exercise Maitree -2018: It is a joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal
Thai Army. It will emphasize in joint counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations
in rural and urban scenario under UN mandate. It is going to be held in Thailand this
year.
Sahyag HOP TAC: It is a naval joint exercise between India and Vietnam. It was recently
conducted off the Coast of Chennai. It was aimed at enabling the Coast Guard units to
acquaint themselves with each other‘s capabilities, strengthening the working-level
relationship to rescue lives at sea and refining joint operation procedures.
IND-INDO CORPAT: 32nd edition of India and Indonesia coordinated patrol is being held
in Belawan, Indonesia.
Operation Samudra Maitri: It is a massive humanitarian operation of India to provide
assistance to earthquake and tsunami victims in Indonesia. Under this operation, India
has dispatched two aircraft C-130J and C-17 and three naval ships carrying relief
material and personnel to the country.
IBSAMAR: It is a joint Multi-National Maritime Exercise between the Indian, Brazilian
and South African Navies. The 6th edition of IBSAMAR is being held at Simons Town,
South Africa.
SCO Peace mission: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Peace Mission Exercise
is conducted biennially for SCO member states. The joint exercise for the year 2018 has
conducted at Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk, Russia by Central Military Commission of Russia.
The upcoming peace mission is considered as a historic occasion due to participation of
India after becoming a full member in 2017. It will involve tactical level operations in an
international counter insurgency or counter terrorism environment under SCO Charter.
Exercise Vostok 2018: Russia and China are conducting Russian military exercise
Vostok 2018 along with Mongolia in Russia‘s Far East and Pacific Ocean. The exercise is
proclaimed as a rapprochement move by Russia to ensure strategic partnership between
China and Russia. It is the biggest military exercise by Russia since 1981.
Rapid Trident: It is a joint-annual military exercise between Ukraine and NATO. It will
be held in western Ukraine region and it is seen as a response to Russia‘s biggest
military exercise Vostok. Ukraine‘s tension with Russia remain high over the Kremlin-
backed insurgency in its eastern region. NATO is an Alliance that consists of 29
independent member countries across North America and Europe. And latest one is
Columbia, first Latin American Country to become member of NATO. NATO‘s
headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium.
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Tri-Service Military Exercise: India and France are in discussions for a bilateral tri-
service military exercise to take forward the strategic cooperation. This will be India‟s
third such joint exercise. The first joint tri-service exercise (Ex. INDRA) was held with
Russia in October last year. India has recently finalised one with the U.S. to be held next
year. Current Military Exercises with France - Shakti, Varuna and Garuda respectively
for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
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Committee or Panel
Panel / Committee for
Key Mandate Constitued by Whom Headed by
To probe the process by which CBSE conducts exams and suggest reform
Assess potential weakness in the system, including transportation of questions paper from printing presses to examinees. Suggest ways to secure the system
with the use of technology and minimising human intervention.
MHRD V. S. Oberoi and Pavnesh Kumar
to identify and support potential medal prospects for 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games under the TOP scheme.
Ministry of Youth Affairs
Abinav Bindra Committee
to upgrade the norms for computation of economic data at states and districts level in the backdrop of plans to revise the base year from 2011 to 2017 for National Accounts or GDP calculation.
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI)
A 13 member committee headed by Ravindra Dholakia
High level committee
to check mob lynching
Ministry of Home
Affairs
Rajiv Gauba
Committee
enhancing combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure.
Minstry of Defence Shekatkar Committee
Committee for Prision Reform
Supreme Court Justice Amitava Roy
Panel for adopting UN model on cross-border insolvency
Minstry of Corporate Affairs
Injeti Srinivas
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International Day
International Day
Day Declared By Theme About
World Population Day 2018
11th July United Nations Family Planning is a Human right
Aim to spread awareness on issues such as overpopulation, under population and birth control
World Heritage day also called
as International Monument and Sites Day
18th April International Council on
Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) announced and approved by the General Assembly of UNESCO
Heritage for Generations
World Hepatitis Day
28th July Eliminate Hepatitis
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by blood borne Hepatitis Virus. There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Global Tiger Day, often called International Tiger Day`
29th July Global Tiger Forum created in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit.
World Biofuel Day
10th August On this day in 1893, Sir Rudolph Diesel (inventor of the diesel engine) for the first time successfully ran mechanical engine with Peanut Oil.
World Ozone Day or International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
16th September UNGA announced to commemorate the date of signing of Montreal Protocol on Substances that
Keep Cool and Carry On: The Montreal Protocol
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deplete the Ozone Layer
International Day for Disaster Reduction 2018
13th October Reducing Disaster Economic Losses
The 2018 theme continues as part of the 'Sendai Seven' campaign, centred on the seven targets of the Sendai Framework. This year focuses on Target C of the Sendai Framework, which is, ‗reducing disaster economic losses in relation to global GDP by 2030‟.
World Food Day 16th October Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Our Action are our Future. A Zero Hunger World by 2030 is possible.
Union Government has launched national campaign „Swasth Bharat Yatra‟ on occasion of World Food Day to sensitise people about eating safe food and be
healthy. The campaign has been launched in association with states and led by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
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Reports and Indexs
Report Organisation India‘s Rank About
Report Organisation India‘s Rank About
Index of Economic Freedom
Heritage Foundation, an American think-tank
India moved up to the 130th spot out of 186 countries, up from 143 in 2017. It is topped by Hongkong.
Economic freedom is measured based on 12 quantitative and qualitative factors, grouped into four broad categories of economic freedom namely Rule of Law, Government Size,
Regulatory Efficiency and Open Markets.
FDI Confidence Index
AT Kearney, an American Global Management Consulting Firm
India ranks 11 in the 2018 down from 8 in 2017 and 9 in 2016.
The report by AT kearney highlighted that the fall in rank is due to troubles in the implementation of the goods and services tax and the government‗s demonetisation decision in 2016. It also highlighted several of the reforms such as removing the Foreign Investment Promotion Board and liberalising FDI limits in key sector.
E-Government Development Index 2018
United Nations India ranked 96th place
Evaluate countries on parameters of e-governance taking in
cognizance; 1. Quality of services provided 2. Literacy rate and level of education 3. Access to internet and phones
Logistic Performance Index 2018
World Bank LPI ranking of India has decreased from 35th in 2016 to 44th in 2018. Germany topped the list.
The score of India has reduced significantly for all the LPI six parameters.
Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2018
India has moved up just one spot from 36 in 2016 to 35 in 2018. UK topped the
Depending on their overall performance, markets are assigned to one of five
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list. transparency tiers (Highly Transparent, Transparent, Semi Transparent, Low and Opaque ) Indian Real Estate market is assigned as ‗Semi-Transparent‘
Global Innovation Index 2018
jointly released by Cornell University, INSEAD and World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
India placed at the 57th position among 130 countries, it moved up 3 places. It is topped by Switzerland.
India is a top performer in the lower middle income group, where it is ranked at fifth position. It is the most innovative country in its region of central and southern Asia.
Global slavery Index 2018
Australia-based human rights group Walk Free Foundation
North Korea is at the top of the list with 104.6 per 1,000 and Japan registering the lowest prevalence rate of 0.3 per 1,000. Among 167 countries, India ranked 53. However, in absolute numbers, India topped the list on prevalence.
Varieties of Democracy Report (V-Dem) 2018
V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden backed by the European Union
India has been classified among 'flawed democracies' with 42nd rank on the Democracy Index
and it has moved down from 32nd place last year.
India retains a system of free & fair multi-party elections and thus, qualifies as an electoral
democracy. But it has seen major erosion in indicators such as Freedom of Expression, Rule of Law and Freedom of Association
Global Liveability Index 2018
Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), research and analysis wing of "The Economist" group, headquartered in London
Vienna is the most liveable city in the world. Indian cities Delhi and Mumbai ranked at 112 and 117 respectively. This index is in contrast with the Ministry of Housing
It quantifies the challenges that might be presented to an individual's lifestyle in the cities worldwide.
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and Urban Affairs‗ Ease of Living Index for 111 Indian cities wherein Mumbai ranked at number 3, far ahead of New Delhi at a low 65th rank.
Commitment to Reduce Inequality Index
Oxfam and Development Finance International
India fared poorly, ranked 147 out of 157 countries, in terms of its commitment to reducing inequality. Regionally, India ranks 6th among the eight South Asian nations. Denmark topped the list in reducing inequality. Nigeria, Singapore, India and Argentina are among a group of governments that are fueling inequality.
The Index ranks countries on their policies on social spending, tax, and labour rights.
Global Competitiveness Index 2018
World Economic Forum
United States ranked first. India ranks 58th, has been improved by five spots from last year. India witnessed the largest gain among the G20 nations and highest among South Asian Countries. As for the BRICS nations, China
topped the list at 28th position followed by Russian Federation, India, South Africa and Brazil respectively.
Global Hunger Index 2018
Welthungerhife (German based Non Profit Group) and Concern Worldwide (Irish NGO)
India has been ranked at the 103rd position among 119 countries on the GHI worse than 2017 where it stand at 100th position. India is among the 45 countries that have "serious levels of hunger".
The GHI score is a multidimensional index composed of four indicators, 1. proportion of undernourished in the population. 2. mortality rate of children under the age of five (deaths per 1000 live births).
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3. proportion of children under five suffering from wasting (low weight for height). 4. proportion of children under five suffering from stunting (lower height than typical for age).
Human Capital Index World Bank as a part of World Development report 2019
The HCI (given as a fraction of value of 1) for India has been estimated at 0.44 and India is ranked at 115 position in the index out of 157 countries. It seeks to measure the amount of human capital that a child born today can expect to attain by age 18. Means, a child born in India today will be only 44 percent as productive when she grows up as she could be if she enjoyed complete education and full health.
The theme of this year's world development report is 'The Changing Nature of Work'. The components of HCI are, 1. Survival - measured by under-5 mortality rates 2. Expected years of Quality-adjusted school - measured by quantity and quality of education 3. Health environment - measured by Adult survival rates and rate of stunting for children under 5
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Miscelleneous
Happy cities summit
The 2018 Happy Cities Summit is being held in Andhra Pradesh by Government of
Andhra Pradesh with event partners Confederation of Indian Industries, and Centre for
Liveable Cities (Singapore).
The first ‗Happy Cities Summit: Amaravati 2018‘ is a unique event bringing the best of
minds in urban innovation across the world. Thinkers, designers, architects, planners,
city leaders, and entrepreneurs will discuss and share best practices, innovations and
ideas for enhancing societal happiness in the cities of the 21st century.
Golden Globe Race 2018
The Golden Globe Race (GGR) is a solo sailing race around the globe in a watercraft with
no kind of modern technology such as GPS, electronic watches and electronic compass.
There were 18 participants in the event, belonging to 13 countries in 2018.
The indigenously built sailing vessel ‗Thuriya‘, built by M/s Aquarius Shipyard Ltd at
Goa was used by Indian sailor (Commander Abhilash Tomy) in GGR.
Thuriya showcased India‘s boat building capability on the world forum promoting the
‗Make in India‘ initiative.
UN Habitat: The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–Habitat) is the United Nations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1978 as an outcome of the First UN Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat I) held in Vancouver, Canada in 1976.
It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
The mandate of UN-Habitat derives from the Habitat Agenda, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996. The twin goals of the Habitat Agenda are adequate shelter for all and the development of sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing world.
As an inter-governmental policy making and decision making body, the Governing Council of UN-Habitat seeks to promote integral and comprehensive approach to human settlements, assist the countries and regions in addressing human settlement problems and strengthen cooperation among all countries on human settlement issue.
UN-Habitat reports to the United Nations General Assembly.
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Ease of Doing Business Report
The World Bank has released its latest Doing Business Report (DBR, 2019). The report ranks 190 economies based on how easy it is to do business there, taking into account trading regulations, property rights, contract enforcement, investment laws, the availability of credit and a number of other factors. The first report was published in 2003.
The top five overall are: New Zealand, Singapore, Denmark, Hong Kong and Korea. The U.S. ranks 8th, down from 6th last year.
As per the latest report, Afghanistan had moved up the most, by 16 spots, from 183th in last year‘s ranking to 167th this year.
China and India — two economies with the largest populations — are among top 10 improvers this year.
Afghanistan, Djibouti, Azerbaijan, Togo, Kenya, Côte d‘Ivoire, Turkey and Rwanda rounded out the top 10 most improved list. In addition, Djibouti and India are the only economies to make the 10 top most improved list for the second consecutive year.
Performance of India:
India climbed 23 spots from a year ago to rank 77 out of 190 countries in the World Bank‘s latest report on the ease of doing business.
It was also among the top 10 most improved economies along with countries such as China, Djibouti and Azerbaijan.
The ease of doing business in India improved notably after a series of reforms made it easier for companies to get construction permits, pay taxes and trade across borders.
Kepler Mission:
Launched in 2009, the Kepler mission is specifically designed to survey our region of the Milky Way galaxy to discover hundreds of Earth-size and smaller planets in or near the habitable zone and determine the fraction of the hundreds of billions
of stars in our galaxy that might have such planets.
Since the launch of the observatory in 2009, astronomers have discovered thousands of extra-solar planets, or exoplanets, through this telescope alone. Most of them are planets that are ranging between the size of Earth and Neptune (which itself is four times the size of Earth). Most of these planets were discovered in a small region of the constellation Cygnus, at which Kepler was pointed for the first four years of its mission.
As of March 2018, Kepler had found 2,342 confirmed planets; add potential planets, and its find of exoworlds stands at 4,587.
What is the habitable zone?
If a planet is too close to the star it orbits, any water on the surface quickly boils off, forming a steam atmosphere. If the planet is too far from the star, any water on the surface freezes.
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The habitable zone (or ―Goldilocks zone‖) is the range of orbital distances from a star at which liquid water can exist on the surface of a planet.
This range of distances changes depending on the size and temperature of the star.
Earth is in the habitable zone of the sun – one of the reasons our planet has liquid water like oceans and lakes.
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas:
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was observed on 31st October across the nation. It marks the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The government, in 2015, decided to observe Sardar Patel Jayanti Day as Ekta
Diwas. This occasion provides an opportunity to re-affirm the inherent strength and resilience of the nation to withstand the threats to its unity, integrity and security.
VAHAN:
VAHAN is a highly flexible and comprehensive system that takes care of all the activities of Vehicle Registration, leaving the Transport Department to deal with more important business issues. The software enables the processes at RTO/DTO/MLO/SDM involving vehicle registration, fitness, taxes, permits and enforcement to get computerised.
World‟s first sovereign Blue Bond by Seychelles
The Republic of Seychelles has launched the world‘s first Sovereign Blue Bond, a financial instrument designed to support sustainable marine and fisheries projects. With this, Seychelles became the first nation to pioneer such a novel financing instrument.
The bond raised USD 15 million from international investors. The bond demonstrates the potential for countries to harness capital markets for financing the sustainable use of marine resources.
Key features and uses of the Blue Bond:
The Blue Bond is a part of an initiative that combines public and private investment to mobilise resources for empowering local communities and businesses. It will greatly assist Seychelles in achieving a transition to sustainable fisheries and safeguarding oceans.
The Seychelles blue bond is partially guaranteed by a USD 5 million guarantee from the World Bank (IBRD) and is further supported by a USD 5 million concessional loan from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which will partially cover interest payments for the bond.
Proceeds from the bond will be utilised for the expansion of marine protected areas, improved governance of priority fisheries and the development of the Seychelles‘ blue economy.
Proceeds from the bond will also contribute to the World Bank‘s South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Governance and Shared Growth Program, which supports
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countries in the region to sustainably manage their fisheries and increase economic benefits from their fisheries sectors.
Grants will be provided through the Blue Grants Fund and will be managed by the Seychelles‘ Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT).
Loans will be provided through the Blue Investment Fund and will be managed by the Development Bank of Seychelles (DBS).
The Seychelles is an archipelagic nation consisting of 115 granite and coral
islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa.
As one of the world‘s biodiversity hotspots, Seychelles is balancing the need to develop economically and protect its natural resources.
After tourism, the fisheries sector is the most important industry in the country, contributing significantly to annual GDP and employing 17 percent of the population. Fish products make up around 95% of the total value of domestic exports.
Agni –I:
Agni-I is a short-range ballistic missile developed by DRDO of India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.
Agni-I missile has a specialised navigation system which ensures it reaches the target with a high degree of accuracy and precision.
It is sleek single-stage missile, powered by solid propellants developed after the Kargil War to fill the gap between 250 km range of Prithvi-II and 2,500 km range of Agni-II.
Agni-I was developed by advanced systems laboratory, the premier missile development laboratory of the DRDO.
The 15-metre-long Agni-I, which can carry payloads up to 1000 kg, has already been inducted into the Indian Army.
BioGenome Project (EBP):
The Earth BioGenome Project plans to record the genomes — the DNA blueprint of life — of 1.5 million species of animal, plant, protozoa and fungi within a decade.
So far, 19 research institutions around the world have signed up to take part in the EBP and more plan to join.
They expect to read the full DNA sequence of all the world‘s eukaryotic species — organisms whose cells have a nucleus enclosed by membranes. These are animals, plants, fungi and protozoa, which encompass all of life except simple microbes (bacteria and archaea).
Participating institutions aim to raise the required funds from governments, foundations and charities. The project‘s first phase — producing a reference genome for each of the 9,000 taxonomic families of eukaryotic life — will require $600m, of which about one-third has already been provided.
UK participants, led by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, will sequence the genetic codes of all 66,000 species known to inhabit Britain in a £100m national effort called the Darwin Tree of Life, as well as helping the broader international project.
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Government to set up National Sports Stadium for differently-abled in Meghalaya:
The centre has announced that a stadium of international standard for differently-abled persons will be set up in Meghalaya.
World‟s longest DNA sequence decoded:
A team of UK scientists have claimed the record for decoding the world‟s
longest DNA sequence. The new holder of the trophy for world‘s longest DNA read is a team led by Matt Loose at Nottingham University.
The scientists produced a DNA read that is about 10,000 times longer than normal, and twice as large as a previous record holder, from Australia.
Turga Pumped Storage project:
The Turga Pumped Storage Project on Turga nala is a closed loop type Pumped Storage Project located in Purulia district of West Bengal.
The Turga Pumped Storage Project envisages utilization of rainfall in the catchment of the Turga Nala in Ayodhya hills for peak power generation for a Pumped Storage type project development.
The project envisages construction of Upper Dam across Turga Nala, a tributary of Subarnarekha river and a water conductor system with an underground Power House on the downstream of Upper Dam and a Lower Dam having intermediate catchment of 4.37 sq. km.
The objective of the Project is to strengthen the capability to respond to fluctuation in supply and demand of power and to improve stability of the power supply by constructing the pumped storage facilities, thereby contributing to the Industrial Development and Living Standard Improvement in the State of West Bengal.
Dharma Guardian 2018 It is a joint military exercise between India and Japan.The first edition of this joint military exercise is being held in Mizoram.The exercise is aimed at developing mutual understanding and respect between militaries of both countries, as also facilitate in tracking worldwide phenomenon of terrorism.
Competition Commission of India The Competition Commission of India (CCI) was established under the Competition Act, 2002 for the administration, implementation and enforcement of the Act, and was duly constituted in March 2009. Chairman and members are appointed by the central government.
The following are the objectives of the Commission:
To prevent practices having adverse effect on competition.
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To promote and sustain competition in markets.
To protect the interests of consumers.
To ensure freedom of trade.
Functions of the commission:
It is the duty of the Commission to eliminate practices having adverse effect on competition, promote and sustain competition, protect the interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India.
The Commission is also required to give opinion on competition issues on a reference received from a statutory authority established under any law and to undertake competition advocacy, create public awareness and impart training on
competition issues.
The Competition Act:
The Competition Act, 2002, as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007, prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises and regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control and M&A), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.
Palau becomes first country to ban sunscreen to save coral reefs:
The Western Pacific nation of Palau has become the first country to ban many kinds of sunscreen, in a move to protect its coral reefs from chemicals that scientists say cause significant damage.
Under the ban, which will take effect in 2020, ―reef-toxic‖ sunscreen — defined as containing one of 10 prohibited chemicals, a list that could grow later — can be confiscated from tourists when they enter the country, and retailers who sell it can be fined up to $1,000.
OPERATION GREENS
Ministry of Food Processing Industries(MoFPI) has approved the operationalisation strategy for Operation Greens.
Short term Price Stabilisation Measures:
NAFED will be the Nodal Agency to implement price stabilisation measures.
MoFPI will provide 50 percent of the subsidy on transportation of Tomato Onion Potato (TOP) Crops from production to storage; and hiring of appropriate storage facilities for TOP Crops.
Long Term Integrated value chain development projects:
Capacity Building of FPOs & their consortium.
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Quality production.
Post-harvest processing facilities.
Agri-Logistics.
Marketing / Consumption Points.
Creation and Management of e-platform for demand and supply management of TOP Crops.
About Operation Greens:
Operation Greens was announced in the Budget speech of 2018-19 with an outlay of Rs 500 crores to stabilize the supply of Tomato, Onion and Potato(TOP) crops and to ensure availability of TOP crops throughout the country round the year without price volatility.
Major objectives of “Operation Greens” are as under:
Enhancing value realisation of TOP farmers by targeted interventions to strengthen TOP production clusters and their FPOs, and linking/connecting them with the market.
Price stabilisation for producers and consumers by proper production planning in the TOP clusters and introduction of dual use varieties.
Reduction in post-harvest losses by creation of farm gate infrastructure, development of suitable agro-logistics, creation of appropriate storage capacity linking consumption centres.
Increase in food processing capacities and value addition in TOP value chain with firm linkages with production clusters.
Setting up of a market intelligence network to collect and collate real time data on demand and supply and price of TOP crops.
National Tiger Conservation Authority The National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body under the Ministry of
Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions
of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it under the said Act.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority has been fulfilling its mandate within the ambit of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 for strengthening tiger conservation in the country by retaining an oversight through advisories/normative guidelines, based on appraisal of tiger status, ongoing conservation initiatives and recommendations of specially constituted Committees.
The functions of NTCA are as follows:
Ensuring normative standards in tiger reserve management
Preparation of reserve specific tiger conservation plan
Laying down annual/ audit report before Parliament
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Instituting State level Steering Committees under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister and establishment of Tiger Conservation Foundation.
According approval for declaring new Tiger Reserves.
Chabahar port The US has imposed ―the toughest ever‖ sanctions on a defiant Iran aimed at altering the Iranian regime‘s ―behaviour‖. The sanctions cover Iran‘s banking and energy sectors and reinstate penalties for countries and companies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere that do not halt Iranian oil imports.
Iran‘s Chabahar port is located on the Gulf of Oman and is the only oceanic port of the
country. The port gives access to the energy-rich Persian Gulf nations‘ southern coast and India can bypass Pakistan with the Chabahar port becoming functional.
Why Chabahar port is crucial for India?
The first and foremost significance of the Chabahar port is the fact that India can bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to Afghanistan. Chabahar port will boost India‘s access to Iran, the key gateway to the International North-South Transport Corridor that has sea, rail and road routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia.
Chabahar port will be beneficial to India in countering Chinese presence in the Arabian Sea which China is trying to ensure by helping Pakistan develop the Gwadar port. Gwadar port is less than 400 km from Chabahar by road and 100 km by sea.
With Chabahar port being developed and operated by India, Iran also becomes a
military ally to India. Chabahar could be used in case China decides to flex its navy muscles by stationing ships in Gwadar port to reckon its upper hand in the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Middle East.
With Chabahar port becoming functional, there will be a significant boost in
the import of iron ore, sugar and rice to India. The import cost of oil to India will also see a considerable decline. India has already increased its crude purchase from Iran since the West imposed ban on Iran was lifted.
Chabahar port will ensure in the establishment of a politically sustainable connectivity between India and Afghanistan. This is will, in turn, lead to better economic ties between the two countries.
From a diplomatic perspective, Chabahar port could be used as a point from where humanitarian operations could be coordinated.
Earth has three moons The presence of the dust „moons‟ or Kordylewski clouds had been inferred by researchers since long before. But the first glimpse of the clouds was seen only in 1961 by Polish astronomer Kazimierz Kordylewski, after whom the dust clouds were named.
Facts about the newly discovered dust moons:
The new findings note that each Kordylewsky cloud is about 15 by 10 degrees wide, or equal to 30 by 20 lunar disks in the night sky.
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They are spread over a space area that is almost nine times the width of Earth — about 65,000 by 45,000 miles in actual size.
The dust ‗moons‘ are huge but they are made of tiny dust particles that barely measure one micrometre across.
When sunlight hits the dust particles, they glow very faintly, much like the zodiacal light we receive from the dust scattered in between planetary orbits.
Since these satellite dust clouds emit an extremely faint light, they are very difficult to find amidst the star light, sky glow, galactic light and zodiacal light in the sky though they are as close to us as the moon.
About Kordylewski clouds: The Kordylewski clouds are always changing. They might be stable in orbit and may have existed for millions of years, but the ingredients that make the clouds — the dust particles — are always getting swapped for others. Some escape to gravitational pulls from Earth or the moon, while others come from interplanetary spaces and meteor showers.
How Lagrange points in space helped find the extra „moons‟? Speculations about Earth having multiple moons have taken turns in astronomer circles for years. It was realised that if extra moons did exist, they could only do so in stable points in Earth‘s orbit.
Lagrange points are sweet spots in a planetary orbit where the pull of gravity working from two opposing celestial bodies is balanced due to the centripetal force of their orbits. Thus, an object at a Lagrange point will remain fixed at a constant distance from both the moon and Earth.
In the 1950s, Kordylewski searched two Lagrange points — L4 and L5 — where he found the first glimpse of the two dust clouds orbiting Earth.
These huge clouds of dust could add much to space exploration efforts when it comes to
fuel consumption and safety issues. Sometimes, satellites need to be parked at the Lagrange points so that the spacecraft consumes minimal fuel and can still stay in orbit.
The James Webb Space Telescope will be set up at the L2 Lagrange point in 2020 for this purpose. Moreover, space agencies are also planning to use Lagrange points as transfer stations for Mars missions.
Ganga Gram Project Ganga Gram vision is an integrated approach for holistic development of villages situated on the banks of River Ganga with active participation of the villagers.
The objectives of Ganga Gram Project include solid and liquid waste management, renovation of ponds and water resources, water conservation projects, organic farming, horticulture, and promotion of medicinal plants.
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About Namami Gange Programme:
Namami Gange programme was launched as a mission to achieve the target of cleaning river Ganga in an effective manner with the unceasing involvement of all stakeholders, especially five major Ganga basin States – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. The programme envisages: River Surface Cleaning, Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure, River Front Development, Bio-Diversity, Afforestation and Public Awareness.
World Food Programme (WFP)
“World Hunger Map”:
Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba will work with WFP to develop digital ―World Hunger Map‖. The map will help to monitor global hunger and operations to end scourge by 2030 which is one of UN‘s key Sustainable Development goals. It also aims to boost efficiency of interventions and shorten emergency response times.
About WFP:
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the food assistance branch of the United Nations and the world‟s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security.
The WFP strives to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, with the ultimate goal in mind of eliminating the need for food aid itself. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its Executive Committee.
Born in 1961, WFP pursues a vision of the world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. The WFP is governed by an Executive Board which consists of representatives from member states.
The WFP operations are funded by voluntary donations from world
governments, corporations and private donors. WFP food aid is also directed to
fight micronutrient deficiencies, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat disease, including HIV and AIDS.
Bionic mushrooms In their latest feat of engineering, researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology have taken an ordinary white button mushroom from a grocery store and made it bionic, supercharging it with 3D-printed clusters of cyanobacteria that generate electricity and swirls of graphene nanoribbons that can collect the current.
Researchers used a robotic arm-based 3D printer to first print an ―electronic ink‖ containing the graphene nanoribbons. This printed branched network serves as an electricity-collecting network atop the mushroom‘s cap by acting like a nano-probe — to access bio-electrons generated inside the cyanobacterial cells.
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Next, they printed a‖ bio-ink‖ containing cyanobacteria onto the mushroom‘s cap in a spiral pattern intersecting with the electronic ink at multiple contact points. At these locations, electrons could transfer through the outer membranes of the cyanobacteria to the conductive network of graphene nanoribbons. Shining a light on the mushrooms activated cyanobacterial photosynthesis, generating a photocurrent.
Significance and applications of Bionic mushrooms: This bionic mushroom produces electricity. By integrating cyanobacteria that can produce electricity, with nanoscale materials capable of collecting the current, researchers were able to better access the unique properties of both, augment them, and create an entirely new functional bionic system.
The amount of electricity these bacteria produce can vary depending on the density and alignment with which they are packed, such that the more densely packed together they are, the more electricity they produce.
International Space Station (ISS):
The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit. The ISS is now the largest artificial body in orbit.
The ISS consists of pressurised modules, external trusses, solar arrays and other components. ISS components have been launched by Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets as well as American Space Shuttles.
The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology and other fields.
The station is suited for the testing of spacecraft systems and equipment required for missions to the Moon and Mars.
The ISS maintains an orbit with an altitude of between 330 and 435 km by means of reboost manoeuvres using the engines of the Zvezda module or visiting spacecraft. It completes 15.54 orbits per day.
ISS is the ninth space station to be inhabited by crews, following the Soviet and
later Russian Salyut, Almaz, and Mir stations as well as Skylab from the US.
The ISS programme is a joint project among five participating space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA.
The ownership and use of the space station is established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements. The station is divided into two sections, the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) and the United States Orbital Segment (USOS), which is shared by many nations.
Central Tribal University:
Union Cabinet has approved setting up of Central Tribal University.
The proposed university will come up in Andhra Pradesh after necessary amendment in the Central Universities Act, 2009.
It will be set up in Relli village of Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh. It will be established under Thirteenth Schedule to Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
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Beyond Fake News Project:
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has devised a new campaign that is aimed at fighting back against disinformation and fake news. It lays a major focus on global media literacy, including workshops and debates in countries like India. The most highlighted initiatives under the Project includes:
In-depth research of Funding Sharing online behaviors,
Rolling out media literacy workshops globally
BBC Reality Check for upcoming elections
Global Cooling Innovation Summit
The Summit is a first-of-its-kind solutions-focused event that will bring together leaders from around the world to explore concrete means and pathways to address the climate threat that comes from the growing demand from room air conditioners.
The event is jointly organized by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, along with Rocky Mountain Institute, Alliance for An Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), Conservation X Labs and CEPT University.
Global Cooling Prize:
The summit will also see the launching of Global Cooling Prize— Mission Innovation challenge that aims to spur development of a residential cooling solution that has at least five times (5x) less climate impact than today‘s standard.
Global Cooling Prize is a competition with global reach and participation to achieve dramatic breakthroughs in cooling technologies. The objective of this competition would be to develop a cooling technology that requires radically less energy to operate, utilizes refrigerants with no ozone depletion potential and with low global warming potential, and has the potential to be cost-effective at scale.
Significance:
This awards programme will call world-wide attention to the most promising ideas across the globe. This award will celebrate successes and facilitate endeavours of innovators through providing recognition, encouragement and support.
The award will also be able to build a collaborative platform that can utilize the potential of researchers so that public research contributes towards fostering innovation and create impact which is of social and economic good.
This recognition will not only recognise the eminent contributions to clean energy research development and demonstration, but would also motivate younger researchers to focus on innovations needed in clean energy domain to make world a better place to live.
SIMBEX 18 – marks Silver Jubilee this Year:
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The 25th edition of SIMBEX, an acronym for ―Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise‖ is being held off Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal. SIMBEX 2018 will be the largest edition since 1994 in terms of scale and complexity.
World‟s first AI news anchor debuts in China: The world‘s first artificial intelligence (AI) news anchor made ―his‖ debut at the ongoing fifth World Internet Conference in east China‘s Zhejiang province. Key facts:
The AI news anchor has a male image with a voice, facial expressions and actions of a real person.
He learns from live broadcasting videos by himself and can read texts as naturally as a professional news anchor.
The AI news anchor was jointly developed by Xinhua and the Chinese search engine company, Sogou.com. The AI anchor has become a member of reporting team and can work 24 hours a day on its official website and various social media platforms, reducing news production costs and improving efficiency.
INSPIRE 2018:
INSPIRE 2018 has been organised in collaboration with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), Asian Development Bank (ADB), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI).
The event is bringing together policy-makers, influencers, innovators, thought leaders, researchers, leading energy-efficient companies, government agencies, business leaders and other stakeholders to deliberate on key energy policies, market transformation strategies, and sustainable business models that will help leverage the full potential of energy efficiency and bring its multiple co-benefits to the fore.
Energy Efficiency Revolving Fund (EERF):
Alongside, to support investments in new, innovative and scalable business models, EESL and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed an agreement for a Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant of USD 13 million to establish an Energy Efficiency Revolving Fund (EERF).
EERF aims to expand and sustain investments in the energy efficiency market in India, build market diversification, and scale up existing technologies.
About EESL: Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the administration of Ministry of Power, Government of India, is working towards mainstreaming energy efficiency and is implementing the world‘s largest energy efficiency portfolio in the country.
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Driven by the mission of Enabling More – more transparency, more transformation, and more innovation, EESL aims to create market access for efficient and future-ready transformative solutions that create a win-win situation for every stakeholder. By 2020, EESL seeks to be a US$ 1.5 billion (INR 10,000 crore) company.
EESL has pioneered innovative business approaches to successfully roll-out large-scale programs that allow for incentive alignment across the value chain and rapidly drive transformative impact. EESL aims to leverage this implementation experience and explore new overseas market opportunities for diversification of its portfolio. As on date, EESL has begun its operations in UK, South Asia and South-East Asia.
NASA to send organs on chips to space:
NASA is planning to send small devices containing human cells in a 3D matrix — known as tissue chips or organs-on-chips — to the International Space Station
(ISS) to test how they respond to stress, drugs and genetic changes.
The ―Tissue Chips in Space‖ initiative seeks to better understand the role of microgravity on human health. Made of flexible plastic, tissue chips have ports and channels to provide nutrients and oxygen to the cells inside them.
National Green Tribunal (NGT):
NGT has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. The tribunal deals with matters relating to the enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property.
Sanctioned strength: currently, 10 expert members and 10 judicial members (although the act allows for up to 20 of each).
Chairman: is the administrative head of the tribunal, also serves as a judicial member and is required to be a serving or retired Chief Justice of a High Court or a judge of the Supreme Court of India.
Selection: Members are chosen by a selection committee (headed by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court of India) that reviews their applications and conducts interviews. The Judicial members are chosen from applicants who are serving or retired judges of High Courts.
Expert members are chosen from applicants who are either serving or retired bureaucrats not below the rank of an Additional Secretary to the Government of India (not below the rank of Principal Secretary if serving under a state government) with a minimum administrative experience of five years in dealing with environmental matters. Or, the expert members must have a doctorate in a related field.
Other facts:
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The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.
The Tribunal‘s dedicated jurisdiction in environmental matters shall provide speedy environmental justice and help reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts.
The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavour for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.
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Government Schemes: Part 1.
1. MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana
It is a direct market intervention scheme of the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
Its objective is to make available quality generic medicines at affordable prices to all, especially the poor, throughout the country, through outlets known as Jan Aushadhi Stores (JASs).
It also encourages doctors to prescribe generic medicines and reduces unit cost of treatment per person.
The State Governments are required to provide space in Government Hospital premises or any other suitable locations for the running of the JAS‘.
Any Civil Society with experience of minimum 3 years of successful operation in welfare activities can also open the JAS outside the hospital premises.
PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendras may also be opened by any Government agencies in any Government building owned by Government bodies like Railways/ State Transport Department/ Urban Local Bodies/Panchayati Raj Institutions/ Post Offices/ Defense/ PSUs etc.
Individual Entrepreneurs/Pharmacist/Doctor can also open the Jan Aushadhi Kendra at outside of the hospital premises or any other suitable place.
Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is the implementing agency which will provide one-time assistance in furnishing and establishment costs of the outlet.
It is a self-sustaining business model not dependent on continuous government subsidies or assistance.
Earlier, only medicines manufactured by Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSU) were being supplied to Kendra. Later medicines which the CPSU‘s not able to supply are being made from private manufacturers.
Pharma Jan Samadhan Scheme
The scheme provides a web based system for redressal of consumers‘ grievances relating to pricing and availability of medicines
It would serve as a robust e-governance tool for protection of consumers‘ interests through effective implementation of the Drugs (Price Control) Order 2013
National pharmaceutical pricing authority (NPPA) will initiate action on any complaint within 48 hrs of its receipt.
2. MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik
UDAN/Regional Connectivity Scheme‘s objective is to facilitate affordable regional air connectivity.
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Airports Authority of India (AAI) is the implementing agency.
It offers concessions to the airlines to encourage them to fly on regional routes.
Concession include operating subsidies like levies or charges imposed by the airport operators, excise duty at 2% and VAT at 1% on aviation turbine fuel, parking charges at airports and exempting these operations from the GST net.
The maximum airfare has been capped at Rs 2500 for a one-hour journey of approximately 500 kilometre on an aircraft or for a 30-minute journey on a helicopter.
The selected airlines will have to commit 50% of the seats on RCS flights (3-7 operational flights/week) and all seats up to 13 passenger seats on helicopters as RCS seats.
A Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF) will be created to subsidise operations under the RCS.
The central government will fund 80% of the losses incurred and the rest will be covered by the states.
This is provided through the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to the selected airline operators from RCF, and state governments will be required to reimburse the applicable share.
VGF will be provided for three years from the date of commencement of operations of such RCS flights.
In general, central and state contributions for VGF are 80:20 and for the north-eastern states & union territories it is 90:10.
Benefits under the Scheme will be available for a period of 10 years from the date of its notification.
RCS will be made operational only in states and at airports which are willing to provide concessions required under the Scheme.
Earlier, there was a requirement of 150 km minimum distance between two airports to be qualified for operations under the scheme. But later it was abolished.
Maharashtra is the first state to sign agreement with centre for RCS.
The third round of bidding under the RCS for domestic routes was recently concluded.
Digi Yatra
The initiative aims to bring together entire aviation industry to develop a digital ecosystem that will deliver Indian air travellers a seamless, consistent and paperless service experience.
All aviation stakeholders – airlines, airport operators, security and immigration agencies, cab operators, retail establishment and others are working to devise digital standards which can enable seamless exchange of data.
e.g It uses facial recognition technology to enable faster check-ins without requiring any paper-based interventions
NABH Nirman Scheme
NextGen Airports for Bharat (NABH) Nirman is an initiative to expand airport capacity by more than five times to handle a billion trips a year.
The three aspects of NABH Nirman are building of airport capacity through, i. fair and equitable land acquisition, ii. long-term master plan for airport and regional development, iii. balanced economics for all stakeholders
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3. MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Start Up India Scheme It aims at fostering entrepreneurship and promoting innovation by creating an ecosystem
that is conducive for growth of Start-ups. According to the scheme, an entity headquartered in India shall be considered as a Startup
up to 7 years from the date of its incorporation/ registration. However, in the case of Startups in the Biotechnology sector, the period shall be up to 10
years. The annual turnover should also not exceed INR 25 crore in any preceding financial year
and Entity should not have been formed by splitting up or reconstructing a business already in existence.
It provides - i. Simple Compliance Regime for startups based on Self-certification. ii. Single window clearance based on mobile App. iii. Startup India Hub to handhold startups during various phases of their
development iv. Legal support and fast-track patent examination by reducing 80% of the patent
cost. v. Faster exit for startups through modified new bankruptcy code ensuring 90 days
exit window. vi. Credit Guarantee Fund for startups through Small Industries Development Bank
of India (SIDBI). vii. Providing funding support through a Fund of Funds with a corpus of Rupees
10,000 crore viii. Tax exemption on capital gains invested in Fund of Funds. ix. Tax exemption to startups for 3 years. x. Exemption from labour inspection for 3 years. xi. Launch of innovation hub through Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) with Self –
Employment and Talent Utilization (SETU) Program of NITI Aayog xii. Harnessing private sector expertise for setting up incubators.
No letter of recommendation from an incubator/industry association shall be required for either recognition or tax benefits.
The initiative is also aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among SCs/STs, women communities.
Rural India's version of Startup India was named the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Swaniyojan Yojana, which is developed by Rural development ministry backed by MUDRA loans.
The Swaniyojan Yojana will be funded by the existing National Rural Livelihood Mission of the rural development ministry.
Startup Academia Alliance Programme Startup India has recently launched the Startup Academia Alliance programme. It is a unique mentorship opportunity between academic scholars and startups working in
similar domains. It aims to reduce the gap between scientific research and its industrial applications in order
to increase the efficacy and impact of these technologies. The first phase of the programme was launched in partnership with Regional Centre for
Biotechnology and TERI.
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Integrate to Innovate Programme It is a 3-month corporate acceleration programme for energy startups housed at the
corporate premises. The selected startups will receive a cash prize grant of upto ₹ 5 Lakh per startup along with
an opportunity to pilot their product with corporates. The corporates would offer startups access to technology, technical and commercial
mentorship and access to potential customers through the corporate network of partners. It is developed by Invest India and energy sector companies.
Scheme for IPR awareness
A 'Scheme for IPR awareness – Creative India; Innovative India' has been launched by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM).
It aims at raising IPR awareness amongst students, youth, authors, artists, budding inventors and professionals to inspire them to create, innovate and protect their creations and inventions across the country.
Area of Coverage of the scheme - Pan India, including Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 cities as well as rural areas.
Total project Duration - 3 years (2017 – 2020). CIPAM - It is a professional body under the aegis of Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion. It works to take forward the implementation of the National IPR policy and creates public
awareness about IPR in the country.
Niryat Bandhu Scheme
The objective of the Niryat Bandhu Scheme is to reach out to the new and potential exporters and mentor them to get into international trade and boost exports from India.
Schemes under Foreign Trade policy of India: Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS)
MEIS aims to accelerate the export of manufactured products from India. Vishesh Krishi and Gram Udyog Yojana (VKGUY)
Under this scheme, Duty Credit Scrip benefits are granted with an aim to compensate high transport costs and to offset other disadvantages to promote exports of agricultural produce, minor forest produce etc.
The duty credit scrip is a pass that allows the holder to import commodities by not paying a specified amount in import duties and the scrip can also be traded in the market.
Exporters are given this duty exemption scrips pegged at a certain percentage of the total value of their exports.
Focus Market Scheme
It aims to increase the competitiveness of exports to global markets by reducing freight cost and other duties.
The exporters will get duty credit scrip as an economic incentive. It is available only for the export of goods and not for services and only for specified
markets.
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Focus Product Scheme Focus Product Scheme incentivizes export of such products which have high export
intensity / employment potential, in order to offset infrastructure inefficiencies and other associated costs involved in marketing of these products.
Served from India Scheme
Served from India Scheme helps to accelerate growth in export of services. All Indian Service Providers who have free foreign exchange earning of at least Rs. 10 Lakhs
and individual Indian Service providers with minimum foreign exchange earnings of Rs. 5 lakh in preceding financial year / current financial year shall qualify for Duty Credit Scrip.
The Duty Credit Scrip will be equivalent to 10% of foreign exchange earned during current financial year.
4. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanraks Han Abhiyan PM-AASHA is a new umbrella scheme aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the
farmers for their produce. The three components that are part of AASHA are:
1. Price Support Scheme 2. Price Deficiency Payment Scheme 3. Pilot of Private Procurement and Stockist Scheme
The other existing schemes of Department of Food and Public Distribution for procurement of paddy, wheat and nutri-cereals/coarse grains and of Ministry of Textile for cotton and jute will be continued for providing MSP to farmers for these crops.
PSS - Under the PSS, physical procurement of pulses, oilseeds and copra will be done by Central Nodal Agencies.
Besides, NAFED and Food Cooperation of India will also take up procurement of crops under PSS.
The expenditure and losses due to procurement will be borne by the Centre. PDPS - Under the PDPS, the Centre proposes to cover all oilseeds for which MSP is notified. The difference between the MSP and actual selling/modal price will be directly paid into
the farmer's bank account. Farmers who sell their crops in recognised mandis within the notified period can benefit
from it. This scheme does not involve any physical procurement of crops as farmers are paid the
difference between the MSP price and Sale/modal price on disposal in notified market. PPSS - In the case of oilseeds, States will have the option to roll out PPSSs in select districts. Under this, a private player can procure crops at MSP when market prices drop below MSP
and whenever authorized by the state/UT government to enter the market. The private player will then be compensated through a service charge up to a maximum of
15% of the MSP. Operation Green
It was launched on the lines of Operation Flood. The idea behind Operation Greens is to double the income of farmers by end of 2022. It aims to promote farmer producers organizations, agri-logistics, processing facilities and
professional management.
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It is essentially a price fixation scheme that aims to ensure farmers are given the right price for their produce.
The main objective of the project is to reduce price volatility in agriculture commodities such as vegetables.
Initially, Government has decided to start focusing on three basic vegetables namely tomatoes, onions and potatoes.
Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan
The Ministry of Agriculture and farmers‘ welfare has launched the Krishi kalyan Abhiyaan to aid, assist and advice farmers on how to improve their farming techniques and raise their incomes.
The Krishi kalyan Abhiyaan will be undertaken in 25 Villages with more than 1000 population each in Aspirational Districts identified in consultation with Ministry of Rural Development as per directions of NITI Ayog.
The overall coordination and implementation in the 25 villages of a district is being done by Krishi Vigyan Kendra of that district.
Various activities to promote best practices and enhance agriculture income are being undertaken under this plan such as:- 1. Distribution of Soil Health Cards to all farmers 2. 100% coverage of bovine vaccination for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in each village 3. 100% coverage of Sheep and Goat for eradication of Peste des Petits ruminants (PPR ) 4. Distribution of Mini Kits of pulses and oilseeds to all 5. Distribution of Horticulture/Agro Forestry/Bamboo plant @ 5 per family(location appropriate) 6. Artificial insemination saturation 7. Demonstration program on Micro- irrigation
Green Revolution - Krishonnati Yojana
It is an umbrella scheme comprises of 11 Schemes/Missions which looks to develop the agriculture and allied sector in a holistic manner to increase the income of farmers.
The 11 schemes/missions are,
1. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture aims to promote holistic growth of horticulture sector.
2. National Food Security Mission including National Mission on Oil Seeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP), aims to increase production of rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and commercial crops, through area expansion and productivity enhancement.
3. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture aims at promoting sustainable agriculture practices best suitable to the specific agro-ecology.
4. Submission on Agriculture Extension aims to strengthen the ongoing extension mechanism of State Governments, local bodies etc., achieving food and nutritional security.
5. Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material aims to increase production of certified / quality seed, to increase SRR, to upgrade the quality of farm saved seeds.
6. Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization aims to increase the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers and to the regions where availability of farm power is low.
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7. Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plan Quarantine aims to minimize loss to quality and yield of agricultural crops from the ravages of insect pests, diseases, weeds, nematodes, rodents, etc.
8. Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census, Economics and Statistics aims to undertake the agriculture census, study of the cost of cultivation of principal crops etc.,
9. Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation aims to provide financial assistance for improving the economic conditions of cooperatives, remove regional imbalances.
10. Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Marketing aims to develop agricultural marketing infrastructure and to establish a nationwide marketing information network.
11. National e-Governance Plan (NeGP-A) aims to improve access of farmers to information &services throughout crop-cycle and integrate the existing ICT initiatives of Centre and States.
All these schemes/missions were appraised and approved independently as separate scheme/mission.
In 2017-18, it has been decided to club all these schemes / missions under one umbrella scheme 'Green Revolution - Krishonnati Yojana'.
Soil Health Card Scheme It was launched in 2015 in Rajasthan. The card informs farmers about nutrients status of the soils along with the
recommendation on appropriate dosage of nutrients to improve soil health and fertility. The card will be issued once in every 3 years to a farm so that nutrients deficiency can be
regularly detected and improved. The aim is to provide Soil Health Card to all 120 million farm holdings by Dec, 2017. In the first phase of the scheme (2015-17), 100 million SHC have been distributed. The second phase began on May 1, 2017, and will continue for the year 2017 to 2019. Recently, the government has updated the funding pattern for soil health card scheme
implemented by Ministry of Agriculture under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture.
Accordingly, the fund sharing pattern would be 90:10 for North Eastern and Himalayan States and 60:40 for other states and 100% borne by central government in UTs.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana It is to provide comprehensive insurance coverage against crop loss. It is compulsory for farmers availing crop loans for notified crops in notified areas and
voluntary for non-loanee farmers. Premium rate - There is no capping in premium and one premium rate on pan-India basis.
It is 1.5%, 2% and 5% for all Rabi, Kharif and annual horticultural/commercial crops, respectively.
There is no upper limit on the government subsidy i.e the difference between premium and insurance charges paid by the farmer.
Losses covered - Non-Preventable risk such as Natural Fire, Storm, Hailstorm, Cyclone and Inundation has also been included as a localized calamity. Post Harvest losses also covered.
A cluster approach will be adopted under which a group of districts with variable risk profile will be allotted to an insurance company
Use of Remote Sensing Technology, Smart phones & Drones for quick estimation of crop losses to ensure early settlement of claims.
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Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana It is to promote organic farming and the products will be linked with the market. It will be implemented in a cluster based approach and farmers will be funded to meet the
expenditure from farm to market. There is no liability for farmers for expenditure on certification.
Electronic National Agriculture Market
e-NAM is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC mandis (physical market) to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
It is a virtual market but it is connected to a mandis at the back end and promotes genuine price discovery.
Funding - Funded by Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) which is set up through the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC).
License - Liberal licensing of traders and commission agents by state authorities and one license for a trader is valid across all markets in the state.
Market Fee - Single point levy on the first wholesale purchase from the farmer. Implementation - A Central Sector Scheme. Willing states enact suitable provisions in their
APMC act for integration with the e-platform. Soil Testing Laboratories available in the mandis itself. SFAC will be the lead agency for the development of the National e-Market by the Ministry
of Agriculture, and they will select a service provider through open bidding. National Food Security Mission
It is a centrally sponsored scheme. It is launched to enhance the production of Rice, Wheat, Pulses, Coarse Cereals and
commercial crops (Cotton, jute and Sugarcane). Targets - Production of rice, wheat and pulses would be increased by 10, 8, 4 million
tonnes respectively and Coarse cereals by 3 million tonnes. Funding - 50:50 by Centre and State for food crops and 100% centre funding for cash crops. It would be implemented through cluster demonstration, distribution of high yield seeds
with farm mechanization, & Integrated pest management.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
End to end solution on source creation, distribution, management, field application and extension activities.
It is formulated by amalgamating ongoing schemes Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) - Ministry of Water Resources, River
Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR). Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) - Department of Land Resources
(DoLR), Ministry of Rural Developement. On Farm Water Management (OFWM) - Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC). Implementation - Decentralised manner through State Irrigation Plan and District Irrigation
Plan. Micro Irrigation Fund - The fund was set up with a initial corpus of Rs.5,000 crore under the
scheme with NABARD. NABARD will extend the loan to State Governments to mobilise resources to achieve the
annual target of about 2 million ha/year during the remaining period of 14th Finance commission.
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It would supplement the efforts of Per Drop More Crop Component (PDMC) of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras
KVKs are agricultural extension centers created by ICAR to provide various types of farm support.
It is created to serve as a single window mechanism for addressing the technology needs of farmers and acts as a link among researchers, extension functionaries like NGOs and farmers.
The farm support includes farm advisory service including climate resilient technologies, training programme for NGOs and front line demonstration and on Farm testing.
KVK operates under the administrative control of State Agricultural University (SAU) or central institute.
Mera Gaon - Mera Gaurav
The scheme envisages scientists to select villages and provide information to the farmers on technical and other related aspects.
It includes scientist functioning at the various centers and institutes of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and working with state agricultural universities.
They may function with the help of KVKs and Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA).
RKVY-RAFTAAR Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) is an ongoing centrally sponsored scheme started from
XI Five Year Plan period. RKVY has been approved to continue as RKVY- Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture
and Allied sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) for three years i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20. The scheme will incentivize States in enhancing more allocation to Agriculture to achieve
4% growth rate. It will provide considerable flexibility and autonomy to states in planning and executing
programmes for investment in agriculture and allied sectors. The funds would be shared by 60:40 between Centre and States (90:10 for North Eastern
States and Himalayan States). The allocations are based up on the State plan expenditure for Agricultural sectors which is
determined based on the average expenditure incurred by the State Government during the three years prior to the previous year.
The preparation of the District and State Agriculture Plans is mandatory and encourages convergence with other programmes such as NREGS.
It will also strengthen farmer‘s efforts through creation of agriculture infrastructure that help in supply of quality inputs, market facilities etc.
Sub-schemes under RKVY include 1. Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI) 2. Additional Fodder Development Programme (AFDP) 3. Saffron Mission 4. Crop Diversification Program 5. Livestock Health & Disease Control / Foot & Mouth Disses (FMD) 6. Beekeeping 7. Targeting Rice Fallow Areas (TRFA)
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Pt Deendayal Upadhyay Unnat Krishi Shiksha Scheme It was launched to promote agricultural education. Under the scheme 100 centres are opened with an objective of providing complete
knowledge and skill on processing, value addition and marketing of coconut and banana products through capacity building programmes involving research and development organizations.
Attracting and retaining youth in Agriculture (ARYA)‖ is another project sanctioned by the Indian Council of Agriculture (ICAR) and is being implemented at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs).
Project CHAMAN
It is a pioneer project to provide strategic development to the horticulture sector, so as to increase farmers‘ income.
This project is being implemented by National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) using remote sensing technology and is likely to be completed in March 2018 in all the states.
The Geo-Spatial Studies like crop intensification, orchard rejuvenation and aqua-horticulture are deployed for preparing reliable estimates of crop production.
Mission Fingerling
A juvenile fish that are typically about the size of fingers with developed scales and working fins is called a fingerling.
Fish Fingerling production is the single most important critical input to achieve fish production targets under the Blue Revolution.
Under this mission, potential states will be identified to strengthen the fish seed infrastructure and facilitate the establishment of hatcheries and Fingerling rearing pond.
The mission aims to meet the targets under the Blue revolution by 2020-21.
Har Medh Par Ped Under ―Har Medh Par Ped‖, agro forestry is being promoted for supplementing farm
income, increase risk management and climate resilient agriculture as an important component of Integrated Farming Systems.
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
NMSA seeks to transform Indian agriculture into a climate resilient production system through suitable adaptation and mitigation measures in domains of both crops and animal husbandry.
Features - 1. Promotes location specific integrated/Composite Farming Systems; 2. Conserve natural resources through appropriate soil and moisture conservation measures; 3. Adopt comprehensive soil health management practices; 4. Optimize utilization of water resources through efficient water management to expand coverage for achieving ‗more crop per drop; 5. Develop capacity of farmers & stakeholders.
There are three major components of the mission such as 1. Rainfed Area Development (RAD) 2. Soil Health Management (SHM) 3. Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture: Monitoring, Modeling and Networking (CCSAMMN).
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Various dimensions of the mission have been embedded in to schemes of Ministry of Agriculture through a process of restructuring of various schemes/missions implemented and convergence with other related programmes of Central/State Governments.
Rashtriya Gokul Mission The mission is launched for conservation and development of indigenous breeds in a
focused and scientific manner. It is a project under National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development. The objectives of this mission include Conservation of indigenous breeds and their
development to improve their genetic makeup, enhancing the milk productivitiy and distribution of disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service.
Rashtriya Gokul Mission is being implemented through State Implementing Agencies (SIA) viz Livestock Development Boards.
Pashudhan Sanjivani An animal wellness programme encompassing provision of Animal Health Cards - "Nakul
Swasthya Patra". It also issues UID identification of animals in milk and establishes a National Database for
controlling the spread of animal disease and keep tracking of trade in livestock and its products.
E-Pashudhan Haat Portal
It is launched under the National Mission on Bovine Productivity for connecting breeders and farmers of indigenous breeds.
This portal helps farmers to be aware about breed wise information on indigenous breeds. Farmers/breeders can sale animals of indigenous breeds through this portal.
“Quality Mark” award scheme
The National Dairy Development Board with the support of Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries has initiated ―Quality Mark‖ award scheme for dairy cooperatives.
It is to promote and encourage enhancement of safety, quality and hygiene of milk and milk products manufactured by dairy cooperatives.
It is aimed at bringing about process improvement in the entire value chain from producer to the consumer to ensure availability of safe and quality of milk and products both for the domestic and foreign market.
Zero Hunger Programme
On the occasion of world food day (October 16), three districts in India have initiated India's 'Zero Hunger' programme through interventions in farm sector.
Those districts are Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Koraput in Odisha and Thane in Maharashtra.
It will be initiated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
These three districts would act as a model of an integrated approach adopting suitable agricultural/horticultural practices.
The programme consists of organisations of farming system for nutrition, setting up genetic gardens and initiation of ‗Zero Hunger‘ training.
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A genetic garden for biofortified plants/crops contains the germplasm of naturally biofortified crops or such crops through plant breeding.
It has plants and crops that help supplement micro-nutrient deficiencies, including iron, iodine, vitamin A and zinc among others.
Pusa Krishi It is a new mobile app for farmers in order to take the technology to farm fields.
The app will provide farmers with information related to new varieties of crops developed by ICAR, resource conserving cultivation practices as well as farm machinery and its implementation will help in increasing returns to farmers.
Kisan Suvidha
It is a mobile app developed by Ministry of Agriculture that aims at providing information to farmers on weather, market prices, farm machinery as well as identification and management of crop pest and diseases.
Kisan Credit Card to Fishermen and Cattle Owners
Union Budget 2018-19 has expanded the scope of kisan credit card to fishermen and cattle owners.
Extending KCC is particularly relevant as the coverage of institutional credit delivery in these sectors is considerably lower compared to crop sector.
The scheme will benefit the credit-starved emerging entrepreneurs in the area of open sea and coastal cage farming.
Kisan Credit Card - The scheme aims at providing adequate and timely credit support from the banking system under a single window with flexible.
1. It deploys simplified procedure to give credit to the farmers for their cultivation and other needs such as
2. To meet the short term credit requirements for cultivation of crops;
3. Post-harvest expenses;
4. Produce marketing loan;
5. Consumption requirements of farmer household;
6. Working capital for maintenance of farm assets and activities allied to agriculture;
7. Investment credit requirement for agriculture and allied activities.
The KCC scheme also provides the facility of ATM enabled RuPay Card, one-time documentation, built-in cost escalation in the limit and any number of drawals within the limit.
The farmers eligible under the KCC scheme include small farmers, marginal farmers, share croppers, oral lessee and tenant farmers.
The Self Help Groups (SHGs) or Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) are also eligible for availing benefits under the said scheme.
Sahakar-22 It is a mission launched by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
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The objective of the mission is to double the farmers‘ income through providing new employment opportunities generated through cooperatives.
It focusses on strengthening the farmers economic condition by augmenting their income and fast track the pace of development in the State.
Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund The fund will be set with an outlay of Rs.10000 crore.
The amount will be sourced from NABARD as a loan and end borrower contribution (as interest for the loan).
The fund will be disbursed to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and National Dairy Development Corporation (NCDC).
It funds the project focussing on building an efficient milk procurement system through building proper infrastructure and equipments.
These projects will be implemented by NDDB and NCDC through milk unions and dairy cooperatives.
Milk cooperatives (end borrowers) will be provided financial assistance in the form of loan at 6.5% interest which will be reimbursed over a period of 10 years.
5. MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATION
Bharat Net It is an ambitious programme of department of telecommunication to provide network
infrastructure with affordable broadband connectivity on a non-discriminatory basis to all households in the country.
It aimed to realize the vision of Digital India, in partnership with States and the Private Sector.
The programme, previously called as the National Optical Fibre Network, was approved in October 2011.
It is implemented in three phases 1. First phase - providing broadband connectivity to one lakh gram panchayats by 2017 2. Second Phase – providing broadband connectivity to 2 lakh gram panchayats by 2019 3. Third Phase – providing state-of-art network using fibers between districts and block with reduced redundancy by 2023.
Implementation will be done by the states, state agencies, private sector companies and central PSUs.
All the Service Providers like Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), ISPs, Cable TV operators etc. will be given non-discriminatory access to the National Optic Fibre Network and can launch various services in rural areas.
It is funded from Universal Service Obligation Fund, which will be its nodal agency. Bharat Broadband Network, a SPV created under companies Act, mandated to create
NOFN in India.
Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana The aim is to give rural people affordable life insurances services. Under the scheme, at least one village (having a minimum of 100 households) will be
identified in each districts and provide with a minimum of one Rural Postal Life Insurance policy for each households.
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Coverage of all households in the identified village is the primary objective of this scheme. All villages under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana will be brought under its ambit.
Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby (SPARSH) is a pan
India Scholarship programme to children of Standard VI to IX having good academic record and also pursuing Philately as a hobby.
The selection would be based on the evaluation of Project work on Philately & performance in Philately Quiz conducted by the Circles.
DARPAN Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India (DARPAN) is aimed at realizing
financial inclusion of un-banked rural population. The Project shall increase the rural reach of the Department of Posts and enable Branch
Post Offices to increase traffic of all financial remittances, savings accounts, Rural Postal Life Insurance, and Cash Certificates etc.
It intends to provide a low power technology solution to each branch postmaster to improve service delivery.
The application will also be used for the reimbursement of social security benefits such as MNREGS, old age pension and DBT.
Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Sanchar Kaushal Vikas Pratisthan
It is a skill development scheme that will train rural youth to maintain mobile towers, repair optical fibres and fix other communication technologies across India.
Department of Telecommunication will train people through skill training centres to supplement the telecom skill manpower creation for the growth of telecom sector.
The scheme will be initially implemented in UP, Bihar, Odisha, Punjab and Haryana. The skill training will be based on National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).
6. MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
National Food Security Act, 2013 It aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately 2/3rd of India's population i.e
75% in rural areas and 50% in urban areas will be covered under TPDS, with uniform entitlement of 5 kg/person/month.
It converts the various existing food security schemes into legal entitlements (i.e.) from welfare based approach to rights based approach.
It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, ICDS scheme, the PDS and also recognizes maternity entitlements.
Under NFSA, each beneficiaries is entitled to 5 kilograms of food grains per month at Rs. 3 ,Rs. 2 , Rs. 1 per kg for rice, wheat and coarse grains respectively. It has been decided by the Government to continue the above mentioned subsidized prices up to June, 2019.
Thereafter prices will be as fixed by the Central Government from time to time, not exceeding MSP.
However, the beneficiaries under Antyodaya Anna Yojana will keep receiving the 35 kg/household/month at same rates.
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NFSA also guarantees age appropriate meal, free of charge through local anganwadi for children up to 6 months and one free meal for children in age group 6-14 years in schools.
Every pregnant and lactating mother is entitled to a free meal at the local anganwadi as well as maternity benefits of Rs.6,000, in installments.
These maternal benefits are not extended to Government employees, since other similar benefits are provided.
The identification of eligible households is left to state governments. It also has provisions for food security allowance to entitled beneficiaries in case of non-
supply of entitled foodgrains/meals. Jago Grahak Jago
It is a country wide multimedia awareness campaign on various issues related to consumer rights and responsibilities across diverse subjects.
The programme is launched jointly in partnership with the related government departments.
Consumer protection Act
It provides consumers with speedy and inexpensive redressal grievances mechanism and specific relief or award of compensation.
It recognizes six of the eight rights of the consumer as provided in the UN charter. It envisages rights of consumers such as Right to Protection, Right of Information, Right of
Choice, Right of Hearing, Right of Redressal and Right of Education.
Antyodaya Anna Yojana The scheme aims to make Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) more focused and
targeted towards the poorest section of population. Beneficiary families under the scheme are distributed 35 kg of rice and wheat at the rates
of Rs. 3 per kg and Rs. 2 per kg respectively. Coarse grains, on the other hand, are distributed at the rate of Rs. 1 per kg.
Other families that are not part of AAY but are covered under NFSA receive grains at the rate of Rs. 5 per kg.
Under the scheme, subsidies are fully borne by the central government and States/UT bears the distribution cost.
The scheme has been expanded to cover 2.50 Cr households and scale of issue has been increased to 35 kg/family/month.
7. MINISTRY OF CULTURE
Seva Bhoj Yojna It is a Central Sector Scheme under which the CGST and Central Government‘s share of
IGST paid by Charitable Religious Institutions on purchase of specific raw food items shall be reimbursed to them.
The charitable religious institutions include Temples, Gurudwara, Dharmik Ashram, Mosques, Dargah, Church, Matth, Monastries etc.
The objective of the scheme is to lessen the financial burden of such Charitable Religious Institutions who provide food at free of cost without any discrimination.
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Such institutions applying for financial assistance are required to produce a certificate from District Magistrate indicating that they are involved in charitable religious activities.
These institutions must be distributing free food to public for last 3 years on daily/monthly basis.
In case of mis-use of funds, it provides for penalties such as black listing the organisations, recovering the financial assistance with penal interest apart from taking criminal action as per law.
Intangible Heritage Scheme
Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India is a new scheme for revitalizing various institutions, groups, individuals, NGOs, researchers and scholars to engage in activities for preserving and promoting the rich Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India.
The scheme is being implemented through Sangeet Natak Akademi, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture.
It covers all recognized domains of ICH such as
-oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage,
-Performing arts, Social practices, rituals and festive events,
-Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe,
-traditional craftsmanship etc.
Assistance under the scheme will be provided in the form of non-recurring grants, honoraria, infrastructure grants for the survival and propagation of all forms of ICH.
Assistance will also be provided for short research and referencing work of relevance to ICH.
It also support initiative of Ministry of HRD in setting up Sector Skill Councils relating to art under National Vocational Educational Qualifications Framework (NVEQF).
Project Mausam
Project ‗Mausam‘ is to showcase a Transnational Mixed Route (including Natural and Cultural Heritage) on the World Heritage List.
It aims to understand how the knowledge and manipulation of the monsoon winds has shaped interactions across the Indian Ocean and led to the spread of shared knowledge systems, traditions, technologies and ideas along maritime routes.
Archaeological Society of India (ASI) is the nodal agency and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is its Research Unit and National Museum & IGNCA are its Associate bodies.
The project collates archaeological and historical research and document the diversity of cultural, commercial and religious interactions among the 39 Indian Ocean countries.
Goals - Reviving lost linkages with nations, Creating links to existing World Heritage sites, Redefining ‗Cultural Landscapes‘, Achieving transnational nomination under World Heritage.
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8. MINISTRY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EAST REGION
North East Rural Livelihood Project
It is a central Sector scheme externally aided by World Bank and implemented in four North Eastern States namely Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
The objective is to improve livelihoods of the poor, especially that of women and the disadvantaged people in the project area.
The identification of Districts for the project was done by the State Governments based on social and economic backwardness.
It is supported by World Bank.
Desired Outcomes - 1. Making the SHGs promoted and supported by the project sustainable,
2. Increasing the income level of the members of the SHGs (at least 60% of them) and disadvantaged households by 30% in real term
3. Providing jobs or self employment to the unemployed youths through various skill trainings, entrepreneurship development trainings, vocational trainings and management development trainings.
The more vulnerable tribal groups like Reang in Tripura and Lepsha and Bhutias in Sikkim will also benefit from it.
North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme
The Union Cabinet has recently approved new scheme NESIDS to fill up the gaps in creation of infrastructure in specified sectors till March, 2020.
It is a central sector scheme which will be funded 100% by the Central Government.
It covers,
i. Physical infrastructure relating to water supply, power, connectivity and specially the projects promoting tourism
ii. Infrastructure of social sectors of education and health.
Thus it will not only strengthen health care and education facilities in the region but will also encourage tourism and employment opportunities for local youth.
9. MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION
GOBAR-Dhan Yojana
Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme was first announced in Budget 2018.
The scheme would focus on managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste in farms to compost, biogas and bio-CNG.
It wiill help in keeping the village clean while increasing the income of farmers and cattle herders.
Under it, villagers will be mobilized to create self-help groups (SHGs) and creative societies that will help in clean energy and green jobs initiative.
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Under this scheme, one village in every district of the country would be selected for its implementation.
Nearly 700 districts would be covered during the current fiscal. Swajal Yojana
It was launched in 115 aspirational districts in the country.
It is a community owned drinking water programme for sustained piped drinking water supply powered by solar energy.
It ensures the availability of clean drinking water to every household round the year.
The scheme will train hundreds of rural technicians for operation and maintenance of Swajal units which generates employment in the rural areas.
Under the scheme, 90% of the project cost will be taken care by the Government and the remaining 10% of the project cost will be contributed by the community.
The Operations and management of the project will be taken care of by the local villagers. Swachh Bharat Mission
SBM is intended at accelerating the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage.
It aims at achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) nation and a Swachh Bharat (Clean India) by 2nd Oct, 2019, the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
SBM is being implemented by the Ministry of Urban Development in Urban areas and by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in Rural areas.
Objectives
1. Elimination of open defecation
2. Eradication of Manual Scavenging 3. Modern and Scientific Municipal Solid Waste Management
4. To effect behavioral change regarding healthy sanitation practices
5. Generate awareness about sanitation and its linkage with public health
6. Capacity Augmentation for ULB‘s
7. Creating an enabling environment for private sector participation.
Components
1. Household toilets, including conversion of insanitary latrines into pour-flush latrines;
2. Community toilets
3. Public toilets
4. Solid waste management
5. Public Awareness and IEC (Information, Education and Communication).
Implementation - Behaviour change is the primary focus and fundamental tool for achievement of ODF outcomes.
This is carried out through the Ministry's focused Information, Education and Communication (IEC) programme.
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It also promotes gender sensitive information, behaviour change guidelines and various mass education activities.
Funding - States will contribute a minimum of 25% funds towards all components to match 75% Central Share. This will be 10% in the case of North East and special category States.
Swachh Manch
It is a web-based platform which aims to bring together every stakeholder contributing to the Swachh Bharat Mission under a common platform.
It will allow stakeholders to create/invite/participate in volunteering opportunities around neighborhoods.
It will enable uploads of pictorial evidence of citizens and organizations participating in the initiatives as acknowledgement of their efforts and contributions to the cause of ‗swachhata‘.
It will also be integrated with the existing Swachhata App to act as a citizens‘ grievance redressal platform.
It is going to be launched as part of Swachh Survekshan 2019. SBM ODF Plus and ODF Plus Plus Protocol
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), urban areas of 18 states, and a total of 3,223 cities have become Open Defecation Free (ODF) , and 2,712 cities among them have been certified as ODF through an independent third party.
To make ODF achievements sustainable and address the issue of holistic sanitation, there is a need to address the entire sanitation value chain.
SBM ODF Plus (ODF+) & ODF Plus Plus (ODF ++) are geared towards achieving this objective.
The SBM ODF Plus (ODF+) protocol focuses on sustaining community/ pubic toilet usage by ensuring their functionality, cleanliness and maintenance.
The SBM ODF Plus Plus (ODF ++) will focus on achieving sanitation sustainability by addressing complete sanitation value chain, including safe containment, processing and disposal of fecal sludge and septage.
Jal Mani Programme
This programme is launched to provide value and quality addition to the ongoing Rural Drinking Water Supply Programme to mainly address the water quality in rural areas.
It involves installation of Stand Alone Purification System in rural Schools.
It is implemented by the State Governments through the Gram Panchayat/Village Water and Sanitation Committees/Self Help Groups.
Har Ghar Jal
It refers to the government‗s commitment to provide safe tap water on a sustained basis in every household by 2030 as per the United Nations sustainable development goals.
It also focuses on accomplishing mission of providing safe drinking water to about 28,000 habitations affected by arsenic and fluoride contaminations in the country by 2021.
Swachhathon 1.0
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Swachhathon 1.0, the first ever Swachh Bharat Hackathon, was organized to crowd source solutions to some of the Sanitation and Hygiene challenges faced in various parts of the country.
It invited innovators from schools and colleges, institutions, start-ups and others to come up with solutions for problems like monitoring usage of toilets, triggering behaviour change, Solution for early decomposition of faecal matter, toilet technologies in difficult terrains etc.
Swachh Iconic Place
Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai has been adjudged the best ‗Swachh Iconic Place‘ (clean place) in India.
It is a special clean-up initiative focused on select iconic heritage, spiritual and cultural places in the country.
The initiative is being coordinated by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (nodal ministry) in association with the Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism and the concerned State governments.
National Rural Drinking Water Programme
It was started in 2009 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with 50-50 fund sharing between the Centre and the States.
Recently, the cabinet has approved the continuation and restructuring of the programme to make it more flexible and result oriented.
The programme will cover all the rural population across the country to reach the goal of increasing coverage of sustainable piped water supply.
NRDWP will be continued co-terminus with the 14th Finance Commission cycle till March 2020.
There will be 2% earmarking of funds for Japanese Encephalitis (JE) /Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) affected areas.
A new sub-programme ―National Water Quality Sub-Mission (NWQSM)‖ to cover all rural population in Arsenic/Fluoride affected habitations with clean drinking water on a sustainable basis by March 2021.
Ganga Gram
Ganga Gram is a project for sanitation based integrated development of all 4470 villages along the River Ganga.
The works include rural sanitation, development of water bodies and river ghats, construction/ modernization of crematoria, etc.
These works are done in coordination with NMCG (National Mission for Clean Ganga).
Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is the nodal agency for implementation of the Ganga Gram Project.
Swachh Bharat Kosh
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It is been set up to attract Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds from Corporate Sector and contributions from individuals and philanthropists to achieve the objective of Clean India by the year 2019.
10. MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCE
ACROSS Scheme
Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS) scheme was recently approved by the Cabinet Committee.
It is an umbrella scheme with 9 sub schemes.
Its objective is to provide a reliable weather and climate forecast for betterment of society.
It pertains to the atmospheric science programs of the MoES and addresses different aspects of weather and climate services, which includes warnings for cyclone, storm surges, heat waves, thunderstorms etc.
Each of the above aspects is incorporated as 9 sub-schemes under the umbrella scheme "ACROSS".
The schemes will be implemented in an integrated manner by 4 institutes –
1. India Meteorological Department (IMD),
2. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM),
3. National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), and
4. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service (INCOIS) O-SMART
Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and Science (O-SMART) is an umbrella scheme for the development of ocean activities.
It encompasses a total of 16 sub-projects addressing ocean development activities by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Its implementation period is from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
It aimed at stepping up ocean research and setting up early warning weather systems.
The important deliverables under the scheme are,
i. Strengthening of ocean observations, modelling, ocean services for fishermen,
ii. Setting up marine coastal observatories for tracking marine pollution in 2018,
iii. Setting up Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plant (OTEC) in Kavaratti in Lakshadweep.
iv. Setting up of the state-of-the-art Early Warning Systems to deal with ocean disasters like tsunami, storm surges.
The technologies developed under this Scheme will help in harnessing the vast ocean resources of both living and non-living resources from the seas.
Sagar Vani
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Sagar Vani is an integrated information dissemination system that primarily serves fishermen community with advisories and alerts towards their livelihood as well as their safety at Sea.
The information to be disseminated is given by INCOIS under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
Services will be disseminated in local languages using advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities.
It uses power of television and cable network mediums for alert dissemination services.
The system also has the facility to provide access to various stakeholders, NGOs, State Fishery Departments, Disaster Management Authorities to further disseminate these information and alerts.
Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva
The scheme is implemented by India Meteorological Department in collaboration with State Agricultural Universities /Indian Council of Agricultural Research etc.
It issues crop and location specific weather based agro advisories for the benefit of farming community.
The Agro-meteorological Advisory Services (AAS) under the GKMS is operated to prepare biweekly weather based bulletins.
The information is transmitted through multimedia channels and SMS to help farmers plan farm operations accordingly.
11. MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS & IT
Stree Swabhiman
Stree Swabhiman is an initiative for promoting women‘s menstrual health and hygiene.
Under this initiative, Common Service Centres (CSC) will provide access to affordable, reliable and modern (eco-friendly) sanitary napkins to adolescent girls and women in rural areas.
The initiative is driven by awareness and personalized outreach by women entrepreneurs who produce and market sanitary napkins by village level entrepreneus (VLE) and self help groups.
VLE will distribute the pads to girls in the primary and secondary schools in their village, encompassing girls from 7th to 12th grade.
Under this initiative, semi-automatic and manual sanitary napkin manufacturing units will be set up at CSC for producing sanitary napkins.
The manufacturing unit will be operated by women entrepreneurs and generate employment for women.
Thus the scheme is conceptualized to create avenues for the rural and semi-urban women to become self-reliant and also progress towards a healthy eco-friendly lifestyle.
UMANG App
Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) mobile app allow citizens to access government services on a single platform.
The services live on the app include Aadhaar, DigiLocker, Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) among others.
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It is expected to provide access to over 1,200 services of various government organisations in states and at the Centre as well as utility payments.
Using the app, citizens will be able to access Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) services, apply for a new PAN, and can register under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
The app is developed and operated by National e-Governance Division of MeitY.
National Supercomputing Mission
The mission aims to connect national academic and R&D institutions with a supercomputing grid of over 70 high-performance computing facilities.
Supercomputers will be installed across the country and will be networked on the National Supercomputing grid over the National Knowledge Network (NKN).
It will be implemented by the Department of Science and Technology and Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) through Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and IISc, Bangalore.
The Mission also includes development of highly professional High Performance Computing (HPC) aware human resource for meeting challenges of development of these applications.
The NKN is another programme of the government which connects academic institutions and R&D labs over a high speed network.
India has recently granted contract to French technology firm to build 70 supercomputers under the National Supercomputing Mission.
Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme
M-SIPS scheme aims to provide a special incentive package to boost domestic electronic product manufacturing sector and move towards Union Government‘s goal of ‗Net Zero imports‘ in electronics by 2020.
It promotes large scale manufacturing in the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector by 1. Providing subsidy for capital expenditure upto 20% for investment in SEZ and 25% in non-SEZs. 2. Providing reimbursement of duties and central taxes for projects with high capital investments.
The incentives will be available for investments made within 5 years from the date of approval of the project.
Unit receiving incentive will provide undertaking to remain in commercial production for at least 3 years.
Jatan and Darshak
Centre for Development for Advanced Computing (C-DAC), has developed software named ―Jatan‖ that is set to revolutionize museum experience.
The latest technology will help online visitors get a 3-Dimensional (3D) view of hundreds of artifacts displayed at the museums. The software will enable virtual tours to museums.
The group has developed ―Darshak‖, a mobile-based application, aimed at improving the museum visit experience among the differently-abled.
It allows real-time museum visitors gather all details about objects or artifacts simply by scanning a QR code placed near the object.
C-DAC is the premier R&D organization of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for carrying out R&D in IT, Electronics and associated areas.
Digital India
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It is a programme to transform India into digital empowered society and knowledge economy.
The scheme is coordinated by the department of Electronics and IT and implemented by all government departments.
The scheme is to be monitored by a Digital India committee comprised of several ministers.
The programme will be implemented in phases from the current year till 2018.
Digital India has three core components. These includes 1. The creation of digital infrastructure, 2. Delivering services digitally, 3. Digital literacy
Nine Key points of Digital India Programme are 1. Universal Access to Phones 2. Broadband Highways 3. Public Internet Access Programme 4. e-Governance – Reforming government through Technology 5. e-Kranti – Electronic delivery of services 6. Information for All 7. Electronics Manufacturing – Target NET ZERO Imports 8. IT for Jobs 9. Early Harvest Programmes
It is an umbrella programme which includes the hitherto National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN) to connect 2,50,000gram Panchayats by providing internet connectivity to all citizens.
Digital India includes development of an electronic development fund and envisages Net-Zero Electronics Import Target by 2020.
Common Service Centres (CSC)
Common Services Centers (CSC) scheme is one of the mission mode projects under the Digital India Programme, Ministry of Electronics and IT.
CSCs are the access points for delivery of Government to Citizen essential public utility services, social welfare schemes, healthcare, financial, education and agriculture services, apart from host of B2C services to citizens in rural and remote areas of the country.
Cyber Swachhta Kendra
It is a malware analysis centre aims to create a secure cyber space by detecting botnet infections in India and to notify, enable cleaning and securing systems of end-users to prevent further infections.
The systems will be scanned by the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) for free of all those users who register to the CSK website.
This centre will work in coordination with the internet service providers (ISPs) and Industry.
This Kendra will also enhance awareness among citizens regarding botnet and malware infection along with measures to be taken to secure their devices.
It is part of Digital India initiative.
Cyber Surakshit Bharat
It aims to spread awareness about cybercrime and building capacity for safety measures for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT staff across all government departments.
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It is the first PPP of its kind and will leverage the expertise of the IT industry in cybersecurity.
It aims to conduct a series of training programs for departments in State and Union governments, Public Sector Banks, and technical arms of the Air Force, Army and Navy.
Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan
PMGDISHA is the new scheme to make rural households digitally literate by 2019.
This scheme is initiated under Digital India Programme and expected to be one of the largest digital literacy programs in the world.
It would empower the citizens by providing them access to information, knowledge and skills for operating computers/digital access devices.
India BPO Promotion Scheme
IBPS aims at setting up business process outsourcing (BPO) units in rural areas to secure balanced regional growth of the industry.
It is under the Digital India Programme to create employment opportunities for the youth living in rural areas so that they do not need to migrate to urban clusters.
It provides capital support along with special incentives up to Rs 1 lakh in the form of viability gap funding (VGF) to companies to create BPO units.
Disbursement of financial support under the schemes is directly linked with employment generation.
It provides special incentives for employment to women and Divyang, setting up operations in towns other than capital towns, generating employment beyond target and promoting local entrepreneurship.
There are also special provisions for the Himalayan states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
Metro cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, National Capital Region (NCR), and Pune, along with their urban agglomeration were excluded.
Digi Locker
A secure dedicated personal electronic space for storing the documents of resident Indian citizens will be created.
It is to provide citizens a shareable private space on a public cloud.
The space can be utilized for storing personal documents like University certificates, PAN cards, voter id cards, etc., and the URI's of the e-documents issued by various issuer departments.
It is a platform for issuance and verification of documents & certificates in a digital way, thus eliminating the use of physical documents.
There is also an associated facility for e-signing documents.
