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INDEXArt and Culture, Society, Social and National Issues1. SaptamatrikaPolity & Governance, Social Justice, Social Development2. Cabinet Committees3. Extraordinary powers under Article 142

4. Good Governance Index5. Multilingualism In Parliament Of India6. Run Through Files MechanismInternational Relations, India & the World and International Affairs7. Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)8. Gandhi Citizenship Prize9. Gandhi Legacy Bill10. Industrial Security Annex (ISA)

11. Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC)Indian Economy and Economic Development12. Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA)13. Operation Twist14. Railway Signaling System15. Vistadome TrainEnvironment and Ecology,Geography,Disaster Managment16. Locust Swarms

Science and Technology, Defense, Health,Education17. BrahMos18. Cancer Burden in India19. CarbonDot20. core melt localisation device (CMLD) or “core catcher”21. QUick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM)22. Sarvatra Bullet Proof jacket23. Signal Processing & Black Hole Physics

24. State level disease burden initiative25. Values & Ethics in Higher Education

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Art and Culture, Society, Social and National Issues

1. SaptamatrikaWhy in news?

In a significant find, the Epigraphy Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India has discovered the earliestepigraphic evidence so far for the Saptamatrika cult. It is also the earliest Sanskrit inscription to have beendiscovered in South India as on date.

About

In Hinduism, a group of seven mother-goddesses, each of whom is the shakti, or female counterpart, of a god.They are Brahmani (wife of Brahma), Maheshvari (wife of Shiva), Kaumari (wife of Kumara), Vaishnavi (wife ofVishnu), Varahi (wife of Varaha, or the boar, an avatar [incarnation] of Vishnu), Indrani (wife of Indra), and Chamunda,or Yami (wife of Yama).

Representations of the goddesses are found in shrines throughout India, frequently flanked by Virabhadra (aferocious form of Lord Shiva) on the left and the elephant-headed Ganesha on the right. The individual motherscan be identified by their weapons, ornaments, vahanas (“mounts”), and banner emblems, which are in each casethe same as those of their corresponding male deities. Groups devoted to the Saptamatrika may have existedbefore the 11th century.

According to a version of their origin, as narrated in Devi Mahatmya, it is said, the Matrka goddesses were createdby male Gods in order to aid Mahadevi in her battle against the demons Shumba and Nishumba.

The Matrkas emerge as Shakthis from out of the bodies of the gods:

They are armed with the same weapons, wear the same ornaments and ride the same vahanas and also carry thesame banners like their corresponding male Gods do. Saptamatrkas as a group indicate transformation of the maleidentities of gods into goddesses. These seven mother goddesses, celebrated as a group, are an embodiment of thefemale principle of prakrti, the counterpart of purusha.

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Polity & Governance, Social Justice, Social Development

2. Cabinet CommitteesWhy in News? The newly-formed Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth (CCIG) held its first meeting on Monday as the

government looks to boost spending to bring back a sputtering economy on track.

Cabinet Committees Cabinet committees are established to reduce the workload of the Cabinet Ministers. These committees facilitate

deep examination of the policy issue and effective coordination. Such committees are based on the principal ofdivision of labour. Recently NDA government added two new committees to generate employment and promoteskill development in the country.

1. Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC)

2. Cabinet Committee on Accommodation (CCA)

3. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)

4. Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA)

5. Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA)

6. Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)

Two new committees are

7. Cabinet committee on investment & growth

8. Cabinet Committee on Employment and skill development

Features of Cabinet Committees

1. The cabinet committees are an extra-constitutional body, which means they are not mentioned in theconstitution. ·

2. The Prime Minister sets up different cabinet committees with selected members of the Cabinet and assignsspecific functions to these committees. The Prime Minister may even change the numbers of committees andmodify the functions assigned to them.

3. If the Prime Minister is a member of any such committee, he acts as the head of the committee.

4. The membership varies from three to eight. Usually, only cabinet ministers are the member of these committees.But, sometimes non- cabinet ministers may also be the member or may be special invitees to the committee.

5. They solve issues and formulate proposals for the consideration of the cabinet and take decisions on mattersassigned to them. However, the cabinet is empowered to review such decisions.

The composition and functions of various cabinet committees are mentioned below:

1. Appointments Committee of the Cabinet The committee is headed by the Prime Minister. The Minister of Home Affairs and Minister in-charge

of the concerned Ministry are the members of this committee. The important functions of the.

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committee are:

(i) To take decision regarding all higher level appointments in the Cabinet Secretariat, public enterprises,banks and financial institutions.

(ii) To decide all cases of disagreement relating to appointments between the Department or Ministryconcerned and the Union Public Service Commission.

(iii) To consider and decide representations, appeals and memorials from officers of the rank or payequivalent to or higher than a Joint Secretary in the Central Government.

2. Cabinet Committee on Accommodation The committee is composed of cabinet ministers from various ministries with one of them as the head. The

important functions of the committee are:(i) To determine the guidelines or rules and terms and conditions to govern out-of-turn allotment of

government accommodation and allotment of accommodation to the members of the parliament(ii) To decide upon the allotment of government accommodation to various categories of non-eligible

persons and organizations and the rate of rent to be charged from them(iii) to consider proposals regarding shifting of the existing Central Government Offices to places outside

Delhi and the location of new offices in Delhi.

3. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs The Prime Minister is the head of this committee. Cabinet ministers of various ministries are its members.

Its important functions are:(i) To direct and coordinate the governmental activities in the economic sphere.(ii) To review economic trends and evolve consistent and integrated policy framework in the country.(iii) To review progress of activities related to rural development including those concerning small and

marginal farmers(iv) To deal with industrial licensing cases involving proposals from the Ministries for the establishment of

Joint Sector Undertakings(v) To consider issues relating to disinvestment

Other functions which have been allotted to the committee are:(i) To consider and decide on issues pertaining to the World Trade Organization.(ii) To consider issues relating to the Unique Identification Authority of India(iii) To monitor general prices, assess availability and export of essential and agricultural commodities and

to take measures for efficient Public Distribution System

4. Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs The committee is headed by the Prime Minister. Cabinet ministers of various ministries are its members. Its

important functions are:(i) To deal with problems relating to Centre-State relations(ii) To consider economic and political issues which have to be judged with a wider perspective(iii) To deal with policy matters concerning foreign affairs which do not have external or internal security

implications

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5. Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary AffairsThis committee is composed of cabinet ministers from various ministers. The Union Home Minister is the headof the committee. The functions of the committee are:

(i) To watch the progress of Government business in Parliament and to give directions necessary to securesmooth and efficient conduct of such business

(ii) To scrutinize and to consider the attitude of the government on non-official bills and resolutions to be presentedto Parliament

(iii) To review legislations undertaken by State Legislatures from an all-India point of view

(iv) To consider proposals to summon or discontinue the Houses of Parliament

6. Cabinet Committee on SecurityThe Prime Minister is the head of this committee. Cabinet ministers of Finance, Defense, Home Affairs andExternal Affairs are its members.

The important functions of the committee are:(i) To deal with all Defence related issues

(ii) To deal with issues relating to law and order, and internal security

(iii)To deal with policy matters concerning foreign affairs on security related issues

(iv) To deal with economic and political issues impinging on national security

(v) To review the manpower requirements relating to national security

(vi) To consider all matters relating to atomic energy

7. Cabinet Committee on InfrastructureThe committee is headed by the Prime Minister with various cabinet ministers as its members. The functions ofthe committee are as follows:

(i) To consider and take decisions in respect of all infrastructure related proposals costing more than rupeesthree hundred crores.

(ii) To consider and decide measures to facilitate private sector investment in specific projects.

(iii) To lay down annual parameters and targets for performance and review the progress of infrastructural projects.

(iv) To consider cases of increase in the firmed up cost estimates/revised cost estimates due to various reasons

3. Extraordinary powers under Article 142Why in News? Last week, the Supreme Court used extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to grant divorce in

a case of “irretrievable break down of marriage”.

Currently, Hindu marriage law does not include “irretrievable breakdown of marriage” as a ground for divorce.However, the apex court in a number of cases has provided the said relief using its extraordinary powers that allowit to do “complete justice”.

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What is Extraordinary Power? The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, lays down the law for divorce, which applies to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs.

Under Section 13 of the Act, the grounds for divorce include: “voluntary sexual intercourse with any personother than his or her spouse”; “cruelty”; desertion “for a continuous period of not less than two years immediatelypreceding the presentation of the petition”; “ceas(ing) to be a Hindu by conversion to another religion”; andbeing “incurably of unsound mind”.

In addition, Section 13B provides for “divorce by mutual consent”.

Section 27 of The Special Marriage Act, 1954 provides the grounds for grant of divorce in the case of marriagessolemnised under that Act.

However, neither of the two Acts provide for “irretrievable breakdown of marriage” as a ground for divorce.

Irretrievable breakdown of marriage In its order passed on December 17, a Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph said: “We may

note that in a recent judgment of this Court, in ‘R. Srinivas Kumar v. R. Shametha’, to which one of us (SanjayKishan Kaul, J.) is a party, divorce was granted on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage, afterexamining various judicial pronouncements. It has been noted that such powers are exercised… in rare cases,in view of the absence of legislation in this behalf, where it is found that a marriage is totally unworkable,emotionally dead, beyond salvage and has broken down irretrievably.”

In the present case, the court said that it believed that “not only is the continuity of this marriage fruitless, butit is causing further emotional trauma and disturbance to both the parties”, and “the sooner this comes to anend, the better it would be, for both the parties”.

Article 142, the court said, “provide(s) a unique power to the Supreme Court, to do “complete justice” betweenthe parties, i.e., where at times law or statute may not provide a remedy, the Court can extend itself to put aquietus to a dispute in a manner which would befit the facts of the case. It is with this objective that we find itappropriate to take recourse to this provision in the present case.”

The Bench noted that “there are various judicial pronouncements where this Court, in exercise of its powersunder Article 142 of the Constitution, has granted divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage;not only in cases where parties ultimately, before this Court, have agreed to do so but even otherwise. Thereis, thus, recognition of the futility of a completely failed marriage being continued only on paper”.

It added that “In numerous cases, where a marriage is found to be a dead letter, the Court has exercised itsextraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution of India to bring an end to it.”

The Law Commission of India has twice recommended that “irretrievable breakdown” of marriage be includedas a new ground for granting divorce to Hindus under the provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act and the SpecialMarriage Act.

The Commission first suggested an amendment in 1978 in its 71st report, and in 2009 in the 217th report.

Article 142 of the Constitution Under Article 142(1), “The Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such

order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it, and any decree so passedor order so made shall be enforceable throughout the territory of India in such manner as may be prescribed by orunder any law made by Parliament and, until provision in that behalf is so made, in such manner as the Presidentmay by order prescribe”.

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The provision vests sweeping powers in the Supreme Court for the end of ensuring “complete justice” and isusually used in cases involving human rights and environmental protection. Last month, it was also used during theAyodhya judgment, making the first such case where it was invoked for a civil dispute over an immovable propertythat involved private parties.

4. Good Governance IndexWhy in news? The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions has launched the ‘Good Governance Index’.

About Index The GGI is a uniform tool across States to assess the Status of Governance and impact of various interventions

taken up by the State Government and UTs.

The objectives of GGI are to provide quantifiable data to compare the state of governance in all states and UTs,enable states and UTs to formulate and implement suitable strategies for improving governance and shift to resultoriented approaches and administration.

Various principles have been kept in mind while selecting the indicators, i.e. it should be easy to understand& calculate, citizen-centric & result driven, leading to improved results and applicable to all states and UTs,among others.

Various consultation meetings were held with the stakeholders, including consultations with sector experts,ministries, states & UTs.Good Governance

Good governance can be referred as an effective and efficient process of decision making and the process bywhich decisions are implemented (or not implemented) keeping the amelioration of citizens as the topmost priority.Resource allocation, creation of formal establishments, setting up rules and regulations etc., are part of achievingthis goal.

Sectors accounted under GGI These ten Governance Sectors are measured on total 50 indicators:

a. Agriculture and Allied Sectors,

b. Commerce & Industries,

c. Human Resource Development,

d. Public Health,

e. Public Infrastructure & Utilities,

f. Economic Governance,

g. Social Welfare & Development,h. Judicial & Public Security,

i. Environment and

j. Citizen-Centric Governance

The states and UTs are divided into three groups: a. Big States, b). North-East & Hill States and c). UTs.

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The states and UTs are ranked on all indicators separately, at the same time composite ranking is also calculatedfor these states and UTs under their respective groups based upon these indicators.

These sectors will be assessed on the basis of over 50 indicators, which have been assigned different weights.Scores will be summed up to reach composite scores. Rankings

OVERALL RANKINGS

BIG STATES N-E & HILL STATES1. Tamil Nadu 5.6 1. Himachal 5.222. Maharashtra 5.4 2. Uttarakhand 4.873. Karnataka 5.1 3. Tripura 4.54. Chaattisgarh 5.04 4. Mizoram 4.415. Andhra 5.05 5. Sikkim 4.216. Gujarat 5.04 6. Assam 4.077. Haryana 5 7. J & K 4.048. Kerala 4.98 8. Manipur 3.939. MP 4.85 9. Meghalaya 3.8110. W. Bengal 4.84 10. Nagaland 3.55

UNION TERRITORIES1. Puducherry 4.69

2. Chandigarh 4.68

3. Delhi 4.39

4. Daman & Diu 4.33

5. A & N Islands 4.12

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5. Multilingualism In Parliament of India

Why in News? As we all know India is a country where its people speak 22 major languages written in 13 different scripts, with

over 720 dialects. The official Indian languages are Hindi (with approximately 420 million speakers), and English,a widely spoken and officially recognized associate language. In addition, several states in India have their ownofficial languages, spoken in their respective areas. This linguistic diversity along with other cultural diversities isone of the striking features of a great country like India.

Demand for inclusion of languages in the Eighth Schedule: At present, there are demands for inclusion of 38 more languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

These are:- (1) Angika, (2) Banjara, (3) Bazika, (4) Bhojpuri, (5) Bhoti, (6) Bhotia, (7) Bundelkhandi (8)Chhattisgarhi, (9) Dhatki, (10) English, (11) Garhwali (Pahari), (12) Gondi, (13) Gujjar/Gujjari (14) Ho, (15)Kachachhi, (16) Kamtapuri, (17) Karbi, (18) Khasi, (19) Kodava (Coorg), (20) Kok Barak, (21) Kumaoni (Pahari),(22) Kurak, (23) Kurmali, (24) Lepcha, (25) Limbu, (26) Mizo (Lushai), (27) Magahi, (28) Mundari, (29) Nagpuri,(30) Nicobarese, (31) Pahari (Himachali), (32) Pali, (33) Rajasthani, (34) Sambalpuri/Kosali, (35) Shaurseni(Prakrit), (36) Siraiki, (37) Tenyidi and (38) Tulu.

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6. Run Through Files Mechanism

Why in News? To ensure that important government matters don’t get delayed owing to conflicting hierarchical and departmental

priorities, the Haryana government has introduced a “Run Through Files” mechanism.

“Run Through Files” mechanism Haryana government has introduced a new provision of “Run Through Files’’ in the Centralised File Movement and

Tracking Information System (CFMS).

It would be personally monitored by Chief Minister of Haryana.

A file shall be marked as Run Through Files only by the CM in the CFMS.

Every file marked as RTF has to be cleared on priority greater than that is currently being accorded to the filesmarked top priority.

At whichever level any contribution other than mere signing on the file is made, the same will also be uploaded onCFMS portal.

A system generated SMS and email will automatically be sent on each downward or upward movement of the file.

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International Relations, India & the World and International Affairs

7. Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)Why in News? Russia is looking forward to India concluding a new Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic

Union (EAEU)

Eurasian Economic Union Is an economic union of states located in central and northern Asia and Eastern Europe. The Treaty on the Eurasian

Economic Union was signed on 29 May 2014 by the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, and came intoforce on 1 January 2015.

The Eurasian Economic Union has an integrated single market of 180 million people and a gross domestic productof over Int$5 trillion

The EAEU encourages the free movement of goods, services and provides for common policies in themacroeconomic sphere, transport, industry and agriculture, energy, foreign trade and investment, customs, technicalregulation, competition and antitrust regulation. Provisions for a single currency and greater integration areenvisioned in future.

The union operates through supranational and intergovernmental institutions. The Supreme Eurasian EconomicCouncil is the supreme body of the Union, consisting of the Heads of the Member States. The second level ofintergovernmental institutions is represented by the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council (consisting of the Headsof the governments of member states). The day-to-day work of the EAEU is done through the Eurasian EconomicCommission, the executive body of the Union. There is also a judicial body – the Court of the EAEU.

Members: Armenia, belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia

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8. Gandhi Citizenship Prize

Why in News?

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Thursday announced the setting up of a Gandhi Citizenship EducationPrize while attending the second meeting of the National Committee for the Commemoration Mahatma Gandhi’s150th Birth Anniversary, chaired by President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

9. Gandhi Legacy Bill

Why in news?

An American Congressman John Lewis introduced a Bill in the US House of Representatives that aims to promote

the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Junior.

Gandhi Legacy Bill

The aim of this Bill is to affirm the friendships of the governments of the US and India and to establish a bilateral

partnership, “for collaboration to advance the development and shared values, and for other purposes”.

It proposes for the establishment of a Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange initiative with an allocation of over $2

million for five years until 2025.

10. Industrial Security Annex (ISA)

Why in News?

The Industrial Security Annex (ISA), signed between India and the U.S. at the second 2+2 dialogue in Washington,

will open the door for U.S. defence companies to partner with the Indian private sector for several multi-billiondollar deals in the pipeline, including the one for 114 fighter jets. The two sides also took stock of the steps beingtaken to operationalise the foundational agreement, the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement(COMCASA).

About

The ISA is a part of the General Security Of

Information Agreement (GSOMIA), which India signed with the U.S. long back. It became critical as India opened

up the defence sector to the private sector and the Strategic Partnership policy, which has few big military platformsand is reserved for the Indian private sector.

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11. Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

Why in News?

The 57-member Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a statement of “concern” on Sunday,criticising the government over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the Babri Masjid verdict of theSupreme Court. In a statement, the general secretariat of the Jeddah-based OIC, which is led by the Kingdomof Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, said it was closely following “recent developments affecting [the]Muslim minority in India.”

OIC Is an international organization founded in 1969, consisting of 57 member states, with a collective population of

over 1.8 billion as of 2015 with 53 countries being Muslim-majority countries. The organisation states that it is“the collective voice of the Muslim world” and works to “safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim worldin the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony”

The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union. The official languages of theOIC are Arabic, English, and French.

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Indian Economy and Economic Development

12. Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA)

Why in News? Aviation consultancy CAPA estimates a full-year loss of $500-600 million for Indian carriers primarily due to a

sharp fall in airfares on some of the most profitable routes as the airlines mounted additional capacity in a bid tocapture coveted airport slots owned by the now defunct Jet Airways.

Highlights During the first nine months of financial year 2020, the sector also witnessed a moderation in growth with both

domestic and international traffic volumes being flat as capacity expansion by different carriers went towardsreplacing the seats lost in the sector due to the collapse of Jet Airways.

In February, CAPA had estimated a full-year profit of $400-500 million for IndiGo which has now been slashed toa sixth, at $70-90 million,primarily due to a newaccounting standard adopted bythe air line as well as anincrease in maintenance coststowards its older A320neos.

Further, a lack of financialsupport for Air India from thegovernment has resulted in asmany as 26 of its planes beinggrounded due to a shortage offunds to replace engines aswell as buy spare parts.

CAPA estimates Air India topost a loss of $500 millionin FY 2020 after posting anet loss of $1.2 billion in thelast fiscal.

The consultancy recommendsthat the government review thechallenges before the sectorfollowing the demise of JetAirways and subject airlines toan annual review where theymay be required to prove thatthey have sufficient cashreserves to continue flying.

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About CAPA  CAPA - Centre for Aviation, part of the Aviation Week Network, is one of the world’s most trusted sources of

market intelligence for the aviation and travel industry. Our unrivalled reputation for independence and integritymeans you get the whole story, with powerful data and in-depth insights on the news, issues and trends that areshaping our industry.

Since its establishment in 1990, CAPA has developed a formidable global network of aviation researchers andanalysts located across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. We provide Members with access to more than400 News Briefs each day, as well as Analysis Reports, Research Publications and a comprehensive Data Centrewith extensive company profiles, airline and airport databases, and more.

Our sought-after events are hosted in key markets throughout the year and attract the highest calibre of thoughtleaders and decision makers globally. With valuable networking opportunities and high-level agendas showcasingan incomparable level of expertise and strategic insight, you’ll stay informed and connected to industry leadersaround the world.

  In addition to our series of global summits, we also capture insights straight from the source on our CAPA TVchannel and produce a bi-monthly journal, Airline Leader, that provides airline CEOs and senior executives withinsights on the latest trends, challenges and changes facing the industry.

  As a global leader in aviation knowledge, our aim is to make a difference by providing news, analysis and data thatbusinesses need to stay ahead of the competition. We remain committed to providing CAPA Members with thehighest standards of service, giving you

13. Operation TwistWhy in News?  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will simultaneously buy and sale government securities worth ¹ 10,000 crore

each on December 23 under its open market operations — a move aimed at managing the yields.  The RBI will purchase the longer-term maturities, that are trading at a spread of 150 bps (basis points) over the

repo rate, so that the yield of these papers will soften and sell the shorter duration ones.  Operation Twist is a move taken by U.S. Federal Reserve in 2011-12 to make long-term borrowing cheaper.

14. Railway Signaling SystemWhy in News? The Railways will roll out its new signalling system from April 2020 onwards.About Signaling System·

About Signaling System The modernisation of the signalling system will include implementation of technologies such as the automatic

train protection system that helps in adhering to permissible speed limits without driver intervention and the4G-based mobile train radio communication system, which can be used for emergency communications.

15. Vistadome TrainWhy in News? The Railways on Wednesday started a seven-coach glass-enclosed vistadome train on the heritage Kalka-

Shimla route. The ‘Him Darshan’ train has a seating capacity of over 100 passengers and the bookings are full over the next few

days in view of the peak tourist season and New Year being round the corner,

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Environment and Ecology,Geography,Disaster Managment

16. Locust SwarmsWhy in News? A massive swarm of locusts spread in approximately 10 square kilo metre area has arrived in Tharad, the last taluka

before the India-Pakistan border The farmers under seige are hiring workers and using age old techniques like beating drums and vessels to scare

the locusts away without much success. It’s a massive issue in Banaskantha, Patan, Kutch and parts of Sabarkantha and Mehsana. Originally, the locusts emerged in February this year from Sudan and Eritrea on Africa’s Red Sea Coast and travelled

through Saudi Arabia and Iran to enter Pakistan, where they invaded the Sindh province and from there they movedinto Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Aerial Pest

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Science and Technology, Defense, Health, Education

17. BrahMos

Why in News? Last week, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out two successful tests of the

latest variant of the BrahMos missile, one from the land platform and the other from air. BrahMos, developedthrough a collaboration between India and Russia, is one of the most advanced weapons in India’s armoury.

About BrahMos is a cruise missile, meaning it can be guided towards a pre-determined land- or sea-based target. With a

capability to attain speeds 2.8 times that of sound (Mach 2.8), BrahMos is classified as supersonic cruise missile.A newer version under development is aimed at flying at speeds greater than Mach 5. These are called hypersoniccruise missiles. Besides decreasing the reaction time of the enemy, higher speeds also substantially reduce thechances of the missile getting intercepted.

18. Cancer Burden in IndiaWhy in News? A study tracing the growing burden of cancer in India states that most of the increase in cancer incidences are

attributable to its epidemiological transition and improvement in the use of cancer diagnostics.

About Study Study in paper History of Growing burden of Cancer in India: From Antiquity to 21st century.

The paper was published in the Journal of Global Oncology which is promoted by the American Society of ClinicalOncology.

Highlights The country’s cancer burden will continue to increase as a result of the ongoing ageing of India and improving

access to cancer diagnostics in rural India,

The study has stated that while cancer-like diseases were documented since antiquity, recording of cancer in Indiabegan in the 19th century when the Western practices of biopsy and pathological examination came to India duringthe colonial British regime.

Cancer is primarily a disease of older people, hence, as life expectancy went up, cancer incidences too went up,

Maximum increases will occur in the most populous and least developed States, where the facilities for cancerdiagnostics and treatment are inadequate.

the present study offers lessons for planning cancer care in States as well as other countries experiencingepidemiological transition. In India the fastest epidemiological transition happened in Kerala, whereas Uttar Pradeshremained in the slowest group

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A direct comparison of the demographic and social variables, available health care facilities and leading causes ofmortality in these two States shows how the low incidences of infectious diseases in Kerala has given rise to morecancer compared to U.P., which is still battling high mortality from communicable diseases.

The types of cancers in India are also undergoing a transition, similar to a report from Japan five decades ago.There has been a decline of cancers caused by infections, such as cervical, stomach, and penile cancer, and anincrease in cancers associated with energy intake, physical activity imbalance and ageing, such as breast, colorectaland prostate cancers.

Cancer transitions can influence the requirements for site-specialized cancer surgeons

For example Kerala will need more breast oncologists and U.P. will need more gynecological oncologists

The association of tobacco chewing with cancer were published over a century ago. But the habit is now estimatedto cause a fifth of all cancers in India,

Out-of-pocket expenditure is three times higher for private inpatient cancer care in India. Approximately 40% ofcancer costs are met through borrowing and contributions from friends and relatives.

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19. Carbon DotWhy in News? In an extraordinary waste-to-wealth feat, researchers from Assam have used the commonly found invasive plant

water hyacinth to produce carbon nanoparticles.

Quantum Dots The extreme case of this process of size reduction in which all three dimensions reach the low nanometer range

A quantum dot is a semiconductor nanostructure that confines the motion of conduction band electrons, valenceband holes, or excitons (bound pairs of conduction band electrons and valence band holes) in all three spatialdirections.

Electron confinement zero dimension

Features These carbon dots were able to give a green fluore scence under UV light.

These extremely tiny (less than 10 nanometres) particles can be used for detecting a commonly used herbicide —pretilachlor.

The nanoparticles were found to be selective and sensitive for the detection of the herbicide.

Some teams are exploring if its fibre can be used to make furniture.

20. core melt localisation device (CMLD) or “core catcher”Why in News? The Moscow-based Rosatom State Corporation Engineering Division has installed a core melt localisation device

(CMLD) or “core catcher” at Tamil Nadu’s Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP).

What is the protective “core catcher” device? Molten core material, or corium, is lava-like material that gets formed in the core of a nuclear reactor in the event

of a meltdown accident. Such an accident occurs when the nuclear fission reaction taking place inside a reactor is not sufficiently cooled,

and the buildup of heat causes fuel rods to melt down. The corium so formed can remain radioactive for several decades, even centuries. In the past, meltdown accidents have occurred at Chernobyl in Russia in 1986 and at Fukushima in Japan in 2011. The device has improved seismic resistance, hydro-dynamic and shock strength as well as equipped with flood

protection and simplified installation and assembly technology.

Its construct The core catcher is a cone shaped metal structure that weighs about 800 tonnes. The structure is double walled, with the gap between the two walls filled with FAOG (ferric and aluminium

oxide granules).

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Notes

The core catcher is filled with a ceramic mixture also including ferric oxide and aluminium oxide, called‘sacrificial material’.

The sacrificial material prevents the corium from trickling through and also acts as a cooling mechanism.

Installation The core catcher device is installed at the bottom of the nuclear station’s protective shell. It is designed to save the latter as well as exude radioactive emission in the environment in case of a

serious accident.

21. QUick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM)

Why in News?

The Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully conducted twin tests of the Quick ReactionSurface to Air Missile (QRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur off the Odisha coast

22. Sarvatra Bullet Proof jacketWhy in News?

Maj. Anoop Mishra was felicitated by Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat with the Army Design Bureau (ADB) excellenceaward for indigenously developing Sarvatra bulletproof jacket that can provide protection against various ammunitionincluding that of sniper rifles.

About the Project The project was sanctioned in June 2017 and initially the design and development of a Level IIIA soft body armour

suit was sanctioned and was subsequently revised to include a Level IV hard armour panel inserts, The suit was named Sarvatra Kawach, it provides protection from neck to ankle and upper arms,”

Dual-use technologies. “A large number of equipment has now been changed to commercial specifications so that what is built by the

industry if it is not ordered by the military and the orders are sinking they can go for civil use.”

23. Signal Processing & Black Hole Physics

Signal Processing

Ramanujan Contribution

Identifying & separating the periodic portion by Fourier analysis Using Ramanujan Sums for this process is much less known. “A Ramanujan Sum is a sequence like c(1), c(2),

c(3) … This sequence itself repeats periodically

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Notes

Black Hole Physics Partition of integers

Ramanujan related this counting problem to some special functions called “modular forms”. A modular form is symmetric, in the sense that it does not change, under a set of mathematical operations

called “modular symmetry”. A geometric analogy for such a function would be a circle which does not change its shape under rotations

[circular symmetry]. Using this symmetry, Ramanujan and G.H. Hardy found a beautiful formula to compute the number of partitions

of any integer.

Ramanujan Contribution A separate concept in physics, entropy, explains why heat flows from a hot body to a cold body and not the

other way around. The mock theta functions of Ramanujan have come to play an important role in understanding the very quantum

structure of space-time – in particular the quantum entropy of a type of Black Hole in string theory. Stephen Hawking showed that when we take into account quantum effects, a Black Hole is not quite black, it is

rather like a hot piece of metal that is slowly emitting Hawking radiation. Thus, one can associate thermodynamic quantities like temperature and entropy to a Black Hole.

24. State level disease burden initiativeWhy in News?

first comprehensive estimates of disease burden attributable to mental health from 1990 prepared by the IndiaState-Level Disease Burden Initiative and published in the Lancet Psychiatry.

About the Initiative Mental Health

roughly one in seven Indians, or 197 million persons, suffered from mental disorders of varyingseverity in 2017.

Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh account for a higher prevalence of mental disordersthat manifest primarily during adulthood in depression and anxiety

Mental Disorders include: depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, idiopathicdevelopmental intellectual disability, conduct disorders, and autism

contribution of mental disorders to the disability adjusted life year (DALY) — the sum of total years of lifelost and years lived with disability — has doubled between 1990 and 2017 increasing from 2.5% to 4.7%.Mental disorders were the second leading cause of disease burden in terms of years lived with disability(YLDs) and the sixth leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in the world in 2017.

In total, 45.7 million people had depressive disorders, as one in three years lost due to a mental disorder wasdue to depression. This was followed by anxiety — a total of 44.9 million people suffered from it and itaccounted for the loss of 1 in 5 years.

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Notes

Three Categories of State

In its State-wise analysis, the study divides different States into three categories on the basis of theirsocio-demographic index (SDI), i.e low, medium and high SDI States.

The SDI is a composite measure of per-capita income, mean education, and fertility rate in women younger than 25years and is calculated on a scale of one.

Prevalence of depressive disorders was highest in Tamil Nadu (loss of 836 years per 1 lakh population ), Kerala(loss of 641 years), Goa (loss of 626 years) and Telangana (loss of 756 years) in the high SDI State group andAndhra Pradesh (loss of 793 years) in the middle SDI State group.

Similarly, anxiety disorders were found to be more common in Kerala (loss of 383 years per 1 lakhpopulation), Himachal Pradesh (loss of 329 years), Tamil Nadu (loss of 325 years), Karnataka (loss of324 years), Telangana (loss of 324 years), and Maharashtra (loss of 324 years) in the high SDI Stategroup and Andhra Pradesh (loss of 328 years), Manipur (loss of 360 years), and West Bengal (loss of331 years) in the middle SDI State group.

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Notes

Road Fatalities: in Lancet Public health Road injury was the leading cause of death in India among 15 to 39-year-old men in 2017 and was the second

leading cause for both sexes combined,

Of the 2,19,000 road injury deaths in India in 2017, 77% were of men, with the death rate three times higheras compared to women. The death rate standardised for age was 17.2 deaths per 1 lakh population, but it was25.7 deaths per 1 lakh male population and 8.5 deaths per 1 lakh women.

In 2017, pedestrians in India accounted for 35.1% (76,729) of all deaths due to road injuries and older adultswere the largest casualties. Motorcyclists accounted for 30.9% (67,524) of all road fatalities, motor vehicleoccupants accounted for 26.4% (57,802) and cyclists 7% (15,324) of road fatalities.

Motorcyclist and cyclist road injury death rates were 69% and 33% higher in India as compared tothe global average.

The study noted that if the estimeted trends of road injury deaths up to 2017 were to continue, noneof the States are likely to meet the SDG 2020 target of reducing such deaths by half from 2015 to2020 or even by 2030.

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