NEO IAS Prelims Current Affairs Digest February 2018

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BRIEF NOTE ON NEO IAS Prelims CURRENT AFFAIRS
BRIEF NOTE ON NEO IAS PRELIMS CURRENT AFFAIRS DIGEST
Team Neo IAS brings you a unique and reliable current affairs digest to streamline your prelims
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The digest is a compiled, organized and improvised version of NEO TPS 2018 daily current affairs
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DIGEST
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INSIDE THE DIGEST
Brief note on NEO IAS Prelims Current Affairs Digest ........................................... 1
Current Affairs Grandmaster Challenge .................................................................. 7
Inside the digest

1 Social Sector ................................................................................................ 9
Social Sector: Health ........................................................................................ 9
1.1 AYUSHMAN BHARAT FOR A NEW INDIA -2022 ........................................................................................................................... 9
1.2 WORLD CANCER DAY ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
1.3 “HEALTHY STATES, PROGRESSIVE INDIA” REPORT ................................................................................................................... 10
1.4 SEX RATIO AT BIRTH ...............................................................................................................................................................11
1.5 SWACHH BHARAT SANITATION PARK ......................................................................................................................................11
1.6 INDIA HEALTH FUND ..............................................................................................................................................................11
1.7 SWAJAL YOJANA .................................................................................................................................................................. 12
1.8 VIRAL LOAD TESTING FOR ALL PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) ..................................................................................... 12
1.9 UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE .................................................................................................................................................. 13
1.10 AYURVEDIC DRUGS IN NEWS.................................................................................................................................................. 13
1.11 CENTRAL COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH IN AYURVEDIC SCIENCES (CCRAS) ........................................................................................ 13
1.12 MATURITY ONSET DIABETES OF THE YOUNG (MODY) ............................................................................................................... 14
Social Sector: Education ................................................................................. 15

1.13 EKLAVYA MODEL RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS (EMRS) ................................................................................................................... 15
1.14 PRIME MINISTER RESEARCH FELLOWS (PMRF) SCHEME .......................................................................................................... 15
1.15 REVITALISING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SYSTEMS IN EDUCATION (RISE) ........................................................................................ 15
1.16 N GOPALASWAMI COMMITTEE ............................................................................................................................................... 15
1.17 20TH CONFERENCE OF COMMONWEALTH EDUCATION MINISTERS (20CCEM) ............................................................................ 16
1.18 EXAM WARRIORS ................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Social Sector: Vulnerable Sections ................................................................... 17

1.19 SWADHAR GREH SCHEME ...................................................................................................................................................... 17
1.20 SHE-BOX ............................................................................................................................................................................. 17
1.21 PRADHAN MANTRI VAYA VANDANA YOJANA (PMVVY) ........................................................................................................... 18
2 Economy ................................................................................................... 20
Economy: Concepts ....................................................................................... 20
2.1 STANDING DEPOSIT FACILITY (SDF) ...................................................................................................................................... 20
2.2 INVERTED DUTY STRUCTURE (IDS) ......................................................................................................................................... 20
2.3 NEW CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFYING MSMES .............................................................................................................................. 20
2.4 KNOW YOUR CLIENT NORMS.................................................................................................................................................. 21
2.5 LETTERS OF UNDERTAKING AND NOSTRO ACCOUNT.................................................................................................................. 21
2.6 BUYERS CREDIT ................................................................................................................................................................... 22
2.7 SWIFT NETWORK ............................................................................................................................................................... 22
2.8 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INDEX .............................................................................................................................................23
2.9 STRESSED ASSETS & NPA .....................................................................................................................................................23
2.10 DEVELOPMENT IMPACT BOND (DIB) ..................................................................................................................................... 26
2.11 INDIAN STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE (ISPR).................................................................................................................... 26
2.12 ANGEL TAX ..........................................................................................................................................................................27
Economy: Schemes........................................................................................ 28
2.13 GOBAR-DHAN SCHEME ........................................................................................................................................................ 28
2.14 KUSUM SCHEME ................................................................................................................................................................ 28
2.15 STARTUP INDIA RANKING FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................................................. 29

2.16 DEVELOPMENT OF SOLAR CITIES ........................................................................................................................................... 30
2.17 LAGHU UDYOG BHARATI ...................................................................................................................................................... 30
2.18 MALEGAM COMMITTEE ........................................................................................................................................................ 30
2.19 DELHI MUMBAI INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR (DMIC) AND INDUSTRIAL CORRIDORS ............................................................................ 31
2.20 DEDICATED FREIGHT CORRIDORS (DFC) .................................................................................................................................32
2.21 NATIONAL URBAN HOUSING FUND (NUHF)............................................................................................................................33
2.22 ASH TRACK MOBILE APP ....................................................................................................................................................33
2.23 INDO-HCM......................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Inside the digest

2.24 ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING (ZBNF) .............................................................................................................................35
2.25 AUCTION OF COMMERCIAL COAL MINES ...................................................................................................................................35
2.26 LPG PANCHAYAT AND PMUY............................................................................................................................................... 36
2.27 ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA ..........................................................................................................................................................37
2.28 CHARDHAM MAHAMARG VIKAS PARIYOJNA ........................................................................................................................... 38
2.29 OMBUDSMAN SCHEME FOR NBFCS ....................................................................................................................................... 38
2.30 SRIJAN (STATION REJUVENATION INITIATIVE THROUGH JOINT ACTION) ................................................................................... 39
2.31 NAM (NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL MARKET) .......................................................................................................................... 39
Economy: Institutions .................................................................................... 40

2.32 DIFFERENT TYPES OF BANKS IN INDIA ..................................................................................................................................... 40
2.33 PAYMENT BANKS ................................................................................................................................................................. 41
2.34 CENTRAL BOARD OF INDERECT TAXES AND CUSTOMS(CBIC).................................................................................................... 42
2.35 INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES CENTRE (IFSC).............................................................................................................. 43
2.36 CRISIDEX ........................................................................................................................................................................... 43
2.37 MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE ................................................................................................................................................... 45
2.38 BODIES RELATED TO AGRICULTURE MARKETING ....................................................................................................................... 45
2.39 BANK BOARDS BUREAU ....................................................................................................................................................... 47
2.40 COMPETITION COMMISSION OF INDIA .................................................................................................................................... 47
2.41 ONGC VIDESH LIMITED ....................................................................................................................................................... 48
2.42 NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE FOR PORTS, WATERWAYS AND COASTS (NTCPWC) ............................................................... 48
2.43 NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL ....................................................................................................................................... 49
3 World Affairs .............................................................................................. 50

World Affairs: Issues ..................................................................................... 50
3.1 EIU DEMOCRACY INDEX ....................................................................................................................................................... 50
3.2 GLOBAL CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX .............................................................................................................................. 50
3.3 OPERATION CACTUS ............................................................................................................................................................. 51
3.4 GRAND COLLAR OF THE STATE OF PALESTINE ...........................................................................................................................52
3.5 THAR LINK EXPRESS..............................................................................................................................................................52
3.6 UN COMPREHENSIVE REFUGEE RESPONSE FRAMEWORK (CRRF) ..............................................................................................53
3.7 UN PEACEKEEPING MISSION..................................................................................................................................................53
3.8 INDIA-BANGLADESH 'FRIENDSHIP GATE' AND IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES OF INDIA ................................................55
World Affairs: Institutions .............................................................................. 55

3.9 G7 ......................................................................................................................................................................................55
3.10 FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE (FATF) .................................................................................................................................55
3.11 ASHGABAT AGREEMENT ....................................................................................................................................................... 56
3.12 INDIA-UN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP FUND ........................................................................................................................57
3.13 UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION (UNOSSC) ...................................................................................57
3.14 WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME ..................................................................................................................................................57
3.15 INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (IFAD) ........................................................................................... 58
3.16 ILO RECOMMENDATION NO: 205 AND ILO ............................................................................................................................ 59
3.17 NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT .......................................................................................................................... 60
3.18 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN IN RADIO AND TELEVISION (IAWRT) ....................................................................... 60
3.19 GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS (GANHRI) ............................................................................... 61
3.20 WORLD STEEL ASSOCIATION (WSA) ..................................................................................................................................... 62

World Affairs: Events ..................................................................................... 62
3.21 SOUTH ASIA REGION PUBLIC PROCUREMENT CONFERENCE ...................................................................................................... 62
3.22 WORLD GOVERNMENT SUMMIT ............................................................................................................................................ 63
3.23 JANADRIYAH FESTIVAL ......................................................................................................................................................... 63
3.24 WORLD SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT 2018............................................................................................................... 64
3.25 INDIA-UK WATER QUALITY PROGRAMME ................................................................................................................................ 64
3.26 WORLD CONGRESS ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (WCIT) 2018 AND WITSA ........................................................................ 64
3.27 ASEAN-INDIA RESEARCH TRAINING FELLOWSHIP (AIRTF)...................................................................................................... 65
Inside the digest

4 Geography ................................................................................................. 66
4.1 MARATHWADA ................................................................................................................................................................... 66
4.2 JOGIGHOPA......................................................................................................................................................................... 67
4.3 NETRAVATI RIVER................................................................................................................................................................ 67
4.4 KALESHWARAM LIFT IRRIGATION PROJECT ............................................................................................................................. 67
4.5 SIRUVANI DAM.................................................................................................................................................................... 68
4.6 SELA PASS AND VARTAK ....................................................................................................................................................... 68
4.7 TUIDIMJANG AND DISPUTED INTERNAL DAMS IN MANIPUR ...................................................................................................... 69
4.8 WAKHAN CORRIDOR ............................................................................................................................................................ 70
4.9 CITY OF MINYA.................................................................................................................................................................... 70
4.10 TONGA ................................................................................................................................................................................ 71
4.11 NADI AND FIJI ...................................................................................................................................................................... 71
4.12 DUQM PORT.........................................................................................................................................................................72
4.13 ZAKUM OILFIELD...................................................................................................................................................................73
4.14 SOUTH SUDAN .................................................................................................................................................................... 74
5 Environment .............................................................................................. 75
Environment: Institutions ............................................................................... 75
5.1 NATIONAL ADAPTATION FUND FOR CLIMATE CHANGE (NAFCC) ...............................................................................................75
5.2 MINAMATA CONVENTION ON MERCURY..................................................................................................................................75
5.3 CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT (CSE) .................................................................................................................... 76
5.4 UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME .......................................................................................................................................... 76
Environment: Biodiversity .............................................................................. 77

5.5 NEKNAMPUR LAKE ...............................................................................................................................................................77
5.6 DEEPOR BEEL...................................................................................................................................................................... 78
5.7 PELICAN FESTIVAL ................................................................................................................................................................ 78
5.8 GOLIATH GROUPER FISH ....................................................................................................................................................... 79
5.9 RHODODENDRON ................................................................................................................................................................ 79
5.10 WHITE NAPED TIT BIRD ........................................................................................................................................................ 79
5.11 EELS ................................................................................................................................................................................... 81
5.12 ORANGUTAN ....................................................................................................................................................................... 82
5.13 SHELLFISH REEFS................................................................................................................................................................. 82
5.14 NILGIRI MARTEN ................................................................................................................................................................. 83
5.15 FOREST OWLET.................................................................................................................................................................... 84
5.16 DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK ................................................................................................................................................... 84
5.17 SUNDERBANS MANGROVE FOREST......................................................................................................................................... 85
5.18 ECHIDNA ............................................................................................................................................................................ 85
5.19 DRYPETES KALAMII .............................................................................................................................................................. 86
5.20 CYCAS CIRCINALIS AND KEYSTONE FOUNDATION ...................................................................................................................... 86
5.21 MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS (MAPS) ......................................................................................................................... 87
Environment: Interventions ............................................................................ 87

5.22 INDIA STATE OF FOREST REPORT (SFR) AND FOREST SURVEY OF INDIA ..................................................................................... 87
5.23 WORLD WETLANDS DAY ...................................................................................................................................................... 88
5.24 SAL RIVER .......................................................................................................................................................................... 89
5.25 GREEN GOOD DEEDS CAMPAIGN ............................................................................................................................................ 89
5.26 CENTRAL GEOLOGICAL PROGRAMMING BOARD (CGPB) .......................................................................................................... 89
5.27 PHOSPHORUS POLLUTION .................................................................................................................................................... 90
5.28 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE BIOFUELS ....................................................................................................... 90
5.29 WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2018 ......................................................................................................................................... 92
5.30 CARBON TAX ...................................................................................................................................................................... 92
6 Security ..................................................................................................... 93
Security Assets .............................................................................................. 93
Inside the digest

6.1 INS CHAKRA ....................................................................................................................................................................... 93
6.2 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SSN AND SSBN.................................................................................................................................. 94
6.3 INS ARIHANT ...................................................................................................................................................................... 94
6.4 RUSTOM 2 .......................................................................................................................................................................... 94
Security: Institutions, Events and Schemes ....................................................... 95

6.5 NUCLEAR FUEL COMPLEX (NFC) ........................................................................................................................................... 95
6.6 ‘SECURITY CHECK KIYA’ CAMPAIGN ........................................................................................................................................ 95
6.7 DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION CORRIDOR ....................................................................................................................... 96
6.8 VINAY SHEEL OBEROI COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE PROCUREMENTS ............................................................................................... 96
6.9 MILAN 2018...................................................................................................................................................................... 96
6.10 MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY .................................................................................................................................................. 97
6.11 PROJECT SEABIRD................................................................................................................................................................ 97
6.12 ANTI-NARCOTICS SCHEME .................................................................................................................................................... 98
6.13 WATAN KO JANO ................................................................................................................................................................ 98
6.14 PASCHIM LEHAR .................................................................................................................................................................. 98
6.15 ENCORE ........................................................................................................................................................................... 99
7 Science and Technology ............................................................................. 100

Science and Technology: Concepts ................................................................. 100
7.1 ACETYLENE ........................................................................................................................................................................ 100
7.2 NOROVIRUS ........................................................................................................................................................................101
7.3 FLU-GAS DESULFURIZATION (FGD) .......................................................................................................................................101
7.4 HEAVY WATER AND HEAVY WATER BOARD ............................................................................................................................ 102
7.5 INSULATED-GATE BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR (IGBT) TECHNOLOGY ................................................................................................ 103
7.6 ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEM ............................................................................................................................................ 103
Science and Technology: Innovations.............................................................. 104

7.7 SPACEX FALCON HEAVY ...................................................................................................................................................... 104
7.8 GROWING HUMAN EGGS IN LABORATORY ............................................................................................................................... 104
7.9 EXPLORER 1 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 104
7.10 MALACIDINS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 105
7.11 JATAN AND DARSHAK ......................................................................................................................................................... 105
7.12 CO2 INJECTION TECHNOLOGY............................................................................................................................................... 106
7.13 SUPER CRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE BRAYTON TEST LOOP FACILITY ............................................................................................. 106
7.14 SARAS ............................................................................................................................................................................... 107
Science and Technology: Programs ................................................................ 108

7.15 GEOSPATIAL WORLD EXCELLENCE AWARD ............................................................................................................................ 108
7.16 INDIA TSUNAMI EARLY WARNING CENTRE (ITEWC) .............................................................................................................. 108
7.17 INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION (IOC) ................................................................................................. 109
7.18 VILLAGE RESOURCE CENTRES (VRCS) ................................................................................................................................... 109
7.19 INTEGRATED AUTOMATIC AVIATION METEOROLOGICAL SYSTEMS (IAAMS) ............................................................................. 109
7.20 NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY 2018 ..............................................................................................................................................110
8 Culture and History ............................................................................... 110

Culture ....................................................................................................... 110

8.1 SURAJKUND INTERNATIONAL CRAFTS MELA ...........................................................................................................................110
8.2 ‘SHEEN KHALAI’ COMMUNITY ...............................................................................................................................................110
8.3 DEMETRIOS GALANOS.......................................................................................................................................................... 111
8.4 INTERNATIONAL KALA MELA ................................................................................................................................................ 111
8.5 MAHAMASTAKABHISHEKA .................................................................................................................................................... 111
8.6 INTERNATIONAL THEATRE OLYMPICS ..................................................................................................................................... 113
8.7 SYNAGOGUES OF KOLKATA (CALCUTTA) ................................................................................................................................. 113
8.8 KHAJURAHO TEMPLE ........................................................................................................................................................... 113
Inside the digest

8.9 ENDANGERED LANGUAGES IN INDIA .......................................................................................................................................114
8.10 CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF INDIAN LANGUAGES (CIIL) .................................................................................................................. 115
8.11 MOTISHWAR SHIVA TEMPLE IN OMAN ................................................................................................................................... 115
History ........................................................................................................ 115

8.12 PRACHI VALLEY CIVILIZATION ................................................................................................................................................ 115
8.13 KOMAGATA MARU INCIDENT ................................................................................................................................................116
8.14 BASAVANNA ....................................................................................................................................................................... 117
9 Polity and Governance ............................................................................... 117

Polity .......................................................................................................... 117
9.1 TRIBUNALS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 117
9.2 CAUVERY RIVER WATER DISPUTE .......................................................................................................................................... 117
9.3 INTER-STATE RIVER WATER DISPUTES ...................................................................................................................................119
9.4 NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (NHRC) .................................................................................................................119
Governance ................................................................................................. 120

9.5 2ND NATIONAL MEET ON GRASSROOT INFORMATICS ............................................................................................................... 120
9.6 NITI FORUM FOR NORTHEAST .............................................................................................................................................. 121
9.7 21ST NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON E-GOVERNANCE ................................................................................................................... 121
9.8 BAAL AADHAAR ................................................................................................................................................................. 122
Grandmaster Challenge- Answers ......................................................................... 123
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CURRENT AFFAIRS GRANDMASTER CHALLENGE
Current Affairs Grandmaster Challenge

Given below are 50 statements on January 2018 Current Affairs. Shoot down at least
45 correctly and be a Current Affairs Grandmaster for February 2018!!
Statements
1 Green Good deeds campaign aims at creating awareness in Climate Change.

2 Biofuture Platform is initiated by Mexico.
3 Falcon Heavy recently in news refers to the world’s most powerful rocket by NASA.
4 Nuclear Fuel Complex is an industrial unit of Department of Atomic Energy,
headquartered in Chennai.
5 Project seabird is a program for enhancing surveillance in Indian Ocean.
6 Ayush-64 is an Ayurvedic drug for Malaria
7 Ekalavya Residential Schools are to cover each block in the country where tribal
population is more than 50 per cent.
8 High inverted duty structure enhances the competence of domestic
manufacturing sector.
9 Minimum Support Prices are announced at the beginning of the harvest season.
10 In Zero Budget Natural Farming, the cost of cultivation is zero.
11 LPG Panchayats are organised by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
12 Payment banks are not allowed to lend and to accept demand deposits.
13 Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommends MSPs for
Commercial crops too.
14 Ashgabat agreement facilitate the trade corridor between Persian gulf and central
Asia.
15 World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization are the outcomes
of World Food Conference, 1974
16 International Labour Organization was established through the Versailles Peace
Treaty.
17 Arunachal Pradesh has the largest forest cover in India in terms of area.
18 Theme of 2018 wetland day is “Wetland for a sustainable urban future”
19 Village Resource Centers are established by Ministry of Agriculture.
20 Nihali and Ruga are endangered languages from Maharashtra.
21 Prachi river is a tributary of Tapi river.
22 VIVID 2018 was a national meet on Cyber Security.
23 ‘Baal Aadhaar’, meant for kids under 6 years of age.
24 All Strategic Petroleum Reserves in India are located in its Western Coast.
25 Angel Tax is applicable to individual investors as well as venture capital funds.
26 Startup India ranking framework is brought out by NITI Aayog.
27 Solar cities aim to reduce the demand for conventional energy by 10 per cent by
2027.
28 Malegam Committee was in news in relation with the performance of banks.
29 Non- Scheduled banks are regulated under Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
30 South Sudan shares its southern borders with Sudan and Chad.

31 NABARD is the implementation agency for National Adaptation Fund for Climate
Change (NAFCC).
32 Minamata Convention puts ban on new mercury mines.
Current Affairs Grandmaster Challenge

33 Pelican festival is celebrated in Pulicat lake.
34 Jal Mahal is situated in Man Sagar lake.
35 Nilgiti Marten is an endangered species that reside in rocky patches.
36 Forest Owlet is endemic to western Ghats.
37 Swadhar Greh Scheme is launched by Ministry of Women and Child Development.
38 SWIFT is a cooperative society under Belgian law.
39 Intellectual Property Index is published by UNCTAD.
40 Indradanush framework for banks focuses on both private and public banks.
41 Regional Rural Banks are completely owned by central and state governments.
42 CriSidEx is the first sentiment index for Micro and Small enterprises.
43 Carbon dioxide injection reduces the viscosity of oil and helps to remove it from
rock pores.
44 Thar link express and Samjhauta express are the only rail connections between
India and Pakistan.
45 ‘Blue Helmets’ is a term often heard in the context of environment conservation.
46 Dawki-Tamabil is an international border between India and Bangladesh.
47 China, India and Russia are part of G-7.
48 Electric Propulsion is more mass efficient compared to Chemical propulsion.
49 Malacidins is an antibiotic capable of killing several antibiotic resistant
pathogens.
50 Jatan and Darshak are aimed at enhancing rooftop solar power efficiency.
To Know More About Economy Guru : https://goo.gl/11bJ8A

1 SOCIAL SECTOR
SOCIAL SECTOR: HEALTH
1.1 AYUSHMAN BHARAT FOR A NEW INDIA -2022
Why in news?
The Government announced two major initiatives in health sector, as part of Ayushman Bharat
programme.
Social Sector
The initiatives are:
1) Health and Wellness Centre:
 The National Health Policy, 2017 has envisioned Health and Wellness Centres as the foundation
of India’s health system.
 Under this 1.5 lakh centres will bring health care system closer to the homes of people.
 These centres will provide comprehensive health care, including for non-communicable diseases
and maternal and child health services.
 These centres will also provide free essential drugs and diagnostic services.
 The Budget has allocated Rs.1200 crore for this flagship programme.
 Contribution of private sector through CSR and philanthropic institutions in adopting these
centres is also envisaged.
2) National Health Protection Scheme:

 The scheme will cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore
beneficiaries) providing coverage upto 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary
care hospitalization.
 This will be the world’s largest government funded health care programme.
 Adequate funds will be provided for smooth implementation of this programme.
Key Facts
 The initiatives are aimed at making path breaking interventions to address health holistically, in
primary, secondary and tertiary care systems, covering both prevention and health promotion.
 These two health sector initiatives under Ayushman Bharat Programme will build a New India 2022 and
ensure enhanced productivity, well-being and avert wage loss and impoverishment.
 These schemes will also generate lakhs of jobs, particularly for women.
1.2 WORLD CANCER DAY

Why in News?
World Cancer Day was observed across the globe on February 4, 2018 with an aim to unite the world’s
population in the fight against cancer.
Key Facts
 The theme for the World Cancer Day 2016-2018 is ‘We can. I can.’
 The theme throws light on how everyone, as a collective or as individuals, can do their part to reduce the
global burden of cancer.
 The day is observed every year with an aim to save millions of preventable deaths by raising
awareness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world
to take action.
About World Cancer Day

 World Cancer Day was proclaimed by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), a leading
International non-governmental organisation.
 It was established to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration written in 2008.
 The primary goal of the day is to significantly reduce illness and death caused by cancer by 2020.
 It also aims at raising awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.

About Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)
 The Union for International Cancer Control (previously named International Union Against Cancer)
is a membership based, non-governmental organization (NGO) that exists to help the global health
community accelerate the fight against cancer.
 Founded in 1933 and based in Geneva, Switzerland, UICC has a membership of over 1000 organisations
in more than 160 countries, and features the world’s major cancer societies, ministries of health,
research institutes and patient groups.
Social Sector: Health

 UICC partners with its members, key partners, the World Health Organization (WHO), World Economic
Forum (WEF) and others to tackle cancer on a global scale.
 The organisation is dedicated to taking the lead in convening, capacity
building and advocacy initiatives that unite the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden,
promote greater equity, and integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda.
World Cancer Declaration 2013

 The world cancer declaration calls upon government leaders and health policy-makers to
significantly reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and integrate cancer
control into the world health and development agenda.
1.3 “HEALTHY STATES, PROGRESSIVE INDIA” REPORT

Why in News?
A comprehensive Health Index report titled, “Healthy States, Progressive India” was released by NITI
Aayog.
Key Facts
 `The report ranks states and Union territories
innovatively on their year-on-year incremental
change in health outcomes, as well as, their overall
performance with respect to each other.
 It is the first attempt to establish an annual
systematic tool to measure and understand the
heterogeneity and complexity of the nation’s performance
in Health.
 The report has been developed by NITI Aayog, with
technical assistance from the World Bank, and in
consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
 Health Index has been developed as a tool to leverage co-operative and competitive federalism to
accelerate the pace of achieving health outcomes.
 States and UTs have been ranked in three categories namely, Larger States, Smaller States, and
Union Territories (UTs), to ensure comparison among similar entities.
 The Health Index is a weighted composite Index, which for the larger States, is based on indicators
in three domains with each domain assigned a weight based on its importance. The domains are:
(a) Health Outcomes (70%);
(b) Governance and Information (12%); and
(c) Key Inputs and Processes (18%).
Among larger states:

 Kerala, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu ranked on top in terms of overall performance.
 Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh are the top three in terms of annual incremental
performance.
Among smaller states

 Mizoram ranked first followed by Manipur on overall performance.
 Manipur ranked first followed by Goa in terms of annual incremental performance.
Among UTs
 Lakshadweep showed both the best overall performance as well as the highest annual incremental
performance.

1.4 SEX RATIO AT BIRTH
Why in News?
A report has been released by the NITI Aayog named “Healthy States, Progressive India”.
Key Facts
 The sex ratio at birth (SRB) saw a decline in 17 out of 21 large states of the country, with Gujarat
recording an alarming dip of 53 points.

 The SRB in Gujarat fell to 854 females from 907 females per 1,000 males born registering a drop of
53 points from 2014-15 (base year) to 2015-16 (reference year).
 Gujarat is followed by Haryana (drop of 35 points), Rajasthan (32 points), and Uttarakhand (27 points)
respectively.
 According to the report, improvement in SRB was witnessed in Punjab, which registered a rise of 19
points, followed by Uttar Pradesh (10 points) and Bihar (9 points).
 The report also stated that there is a clear need for states to effectively implement the Pre-Conception
and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 and take measures to promote the value
of the girl child.
About SRB
 Sex ratio at birth (SRB) refers to number of female births per 1000 male births.
 Sex ratio at birth is an important indicator and reflects the extent to which there is reduction in
number of girl children born by sex-selective abortions.
1.5 SWACHH BHARAT SANITATION PARK

Why in News?
"Swachh Bharat Sanitation Park" was recently inaugurated in Delhi.
Key Facts
 It has been developed by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in collaboration with the
Environmental Sanitation Institute and Tata Trusts.
 The Sanitation Park was developed at CGO Complex in New Delhi with an objective to create
awareness on various safe technological options.
 The Park demonstrates various options pertaining to toilet technologies and solid and liquid waste
management technologies, with a brief description of these technologies.
 The Park also displays information regarding various interventions undertaken under the
Swachh Bharat Mission, capturing the success stories and impact created under the Mission across
the country.
 The park presents the opportunity for the visitors to understand the various components and initiatives
of SBM and familiarize themselves with different technologies.
1.6 INDIA HEALTH FUND

Why in News?
The India Health Fund (IHF), an initiative by Tata Trusts, in collaboration with the Global Fund has come
forward to financially support innovations and technologies designed to combat tuberculosis (TB) and
malaria.
Key Facts
 The IHF aims to support new products and strategies that impact
entire lifecycle of malaria and TB, from prevention to post-cure
recovery. It has recently invited project proposals.
 The IHF initiative will support individuals and organisations with
already germinated innovative strategies, services, products,
such that they become sustainable and scalable solutions in
addressing TB and malaria.
 The initiative is not a fellowship programme to do research from
scratch.

 It is long-term exercise aligned with country’s goal of eliminating TB by 2025 and malaria by 2030.
 It will promote innovative solutions such that they are widely accessible and are affordable.
Challenge
 TB and malaria pose long-standing health challenges for India.
 These two diseases account for over 4.23 lakh deaths and around 15 million lab-confirmed cases every
year.

Four research areas
 The four areas of research for which applications are invited are:
o Use of technology and data science to strengthen surveillance of TB and malaria, inform early
warning systems and improve early detection and prompt treatment.
o Promotion of robust molecular diagnostic facilities feasible for primary healthcare in low-resource
settings;
o Innovations on effective communication strategies that will prevent transmission of malaria and
TB and enable people to protect themselves from diseases.
o Research on innovative approaches to vector surveillance.
1.7 SWAJAL YOJANA

Why in News?
Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, launched the Swajal pilot project at Village Bhikampura,
Karauli, Rajasthan.
Key Facts
 Swajal is a community owned drinking water programme for sustained drinking water supply.
 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 by the local villagers.
 Besides ensuring the availability of clean drinking water to every household round the year, the project
would also generate employment.
1.8 VIRAL LOAD TESTING FOR ALL PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (PLHIV)
Why in News
Ministry of Health has launched free ‘Viral load testing for all people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV)’.
Key Facts
 Viral load kits are used to determine the severity of an infection before deciding on the treatment
regimen that is appropriate for HIV patients.
 The viral load is used to monitor the effectiveness of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) over time.
 It measures the amount of HIV genetic material (RNA) in the blood and reports how many copies
of the virus are present.
 The routine viral load testing will optimize the utilization of first line regimens, thus preventing drug
resistance and ensuring the longevity of people living with HIV.
Facts related to News

 India has the third largest population of people with HIV after South Africa and Nigeria, according to
UNAIDS.
 Only 49% of patients in India were on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2016.
 In 2017, India revised the ART treatment protocols to initiate all PLHIV on ART.
 The ‘treat all’ initiative was started to ensure that treatment is started early and the virus transmission
is curtailed both at the individual and the community level.
Mission Sampark
Already covered in NEO IAS Prelims Current Affairs Digest – December, 2017 (Topic: 1.2)

1.9 UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE
Why in News?
The International Conference on Unani Medicine was recently held in New Delhi.
More about News

 It was organised by Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), under Ministry of
AYUSH is organizing as part of celebration of Unani Day (February 11).

 The theme of the conference is Integration of Unani System of Medicine in main stream healthcare.
Unani Day
 The birthday of great Unani researcher Hakim Ajmal Khan i.e. 11th February is celebrated as Unani
Day.
 Hakim Ajmal Khan was eminent Indian Unani physician who was versatile genius, freedom fighter,
educationist and founder of scientific research in Unani Medicine.
 Born in 1868, this year was 150th Birth Anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan.
About Unani system of medicine

 Unani system of medicine is the term for Perso-Arabic traditional medicine as practiced in Mughal
India and in Muslim culture in South Asia and modern day Central Asia.
 It was introduced in India by the Arabs and Persians sometime around the eleventh century.
 As the name indicates, Unani system originated in Greece.
 The foundation of Unani system was laid by Hippocrates.
 Unani Medicines got enriched by imbibing what was best in the contemporary systems of
traditional medicines in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Persia, India, China and other Middle East countries.
 The Delhi Sultans (rulers) provided patronage to the scholars of Unani System and even enrolled some
as state employees and court physicians.
 After independence the Unani System along with other Indian systems of medicine received a fresh boost
under the patronage of the National Government and its people.
1.10 AYURVEDIC DRUGS IN NEWS

Why in news?
There is a discussion on the efficacy and safety of several newly introduced and vigorously marketed
Ayurvedic products prepared by Government Research institutes such as Central Council for Research in
Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) and CSIR.
More on new Ayurveda products:

Medicine Disease Major Ingredients
BGR-34 (Blood Glucose Diabetes Daruhaldi (Indian barberry)

Metaboliser)
IME–9 (Ayush 82) - Insulin Diabetes Amra, Karela
Management Expert
Dalzbone Fractures bones, Sheesham leaves
Osteoporosis
Ayush 64 Malaria
V-1 (Ayush SG) Arthritis
1.11 CENTRAL COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH IN AYURVEDIC SCIENCES (CCRAS)

Why in News?
CCRAS has developed and commercialized Ayurvedic drugs.
About Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS)

 The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), is an autonomous body under
Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India.

 It is an apex body in India for undertaking, coordinating, formulating, developing and promoting
research on scientific lines in Ayurvedic Sciences.
 The activities are carried out through its 30 Institutes/Centres/Units located all over India and also
through collaborative studies with various Universities, Hospitals and Institutes.
 The research activities of the Council include Medicinal Plant Research (Medico-Ethno Botanical
Survey, Pharmacognosy and Tissue Culture), Drug Standardization, Pharmacological Research, Clinical
Research, Literary Research & Documentation and Tribal Health Care Research Programme.

1.12 MATURITY ONSET DIABETES OF THE YOUNG (MODY)
Why in News
A team led by researchers in Chennai has isolated a gene that causes a rare form of diabetes, called
Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY). The discovery adds to the 14 known gene variants that
cause MODY and could advance the emerging field of precision diabetes, by helping personalize diabetes
care.
Key Facts
 MODY is a rare form of diabetes which is different from both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and runs
strongly in families.
 MODY is caused by a mutation (or change) in a single gene. If a parent has this gene mutation, any
child they have, has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting it from them.
 If a child does inherit the mutation they will generally go on to develop MODY before they’re 25, whatever
their weight, lifestyle, ethnic group etc.
 In MODY, any one of the 14 genes, if defective, can hamper the body’s insulin usage and trigger
Type-2 diabetes.
 Of the 14 MODY genes already identified, largely from European studies, MODY 1–3 are the most
common.
 Some forms of MODY can easily be treated with sulphonylurea, an inexpensive drug.
 In a paper published in the BMC Medical Genetics journal, researchers outlined that variants of
the NKX6-1 gene found in MODY patients were “functionally impaired”.
Key Facts
 Diabetes involves a disruption of how blood sugar is kept in check by the hormone insulin.
 In Type-2 diabetes, which is the most common form of the disorder, many genes and environmental
factors combine to cause this disruption.
DIABETES
 Diabetes mellitus (DM), commonly referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorders in which
there are high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period.
 It occurs when:
(i) the pancreas does not produce enough of the insulin hormone, which regulates blood sugar
(ii) The body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
 Patients with high blood sugar will typically experience polyuria (frequent urination), they will become
increasingly thirsty (polydipsia) and hungry (polyphagia).
 There are three main types of diabetes mellitus:
 Type 1 Diabetes - the body does not produce insulin. Approximately 10% of all diabetes cases
are type 1.
 Type 2 Diabetes - the body does not produce enough insulin for proper function. Approximately
90% of all cases of diabetes worldwide are of this type.
 Gestational Diabetes - this type affects females during pregnancy.
Facts related to Diabetes

 Mission Madhumeha: It was launched by Ministry of AYUSH to provide an effective check to the
menace of diabetes which itself is a root cause of many other health problems.
 “BGR34”: It is the trade name for the Anti-diabetic Herbal Composition for Type-2 diabetes mellitus
(NBRMAP-DB) developed by CSIR.

SOCIAL SECTOR: EDUCATION
1.13 EKLAVYA MODEL RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS (EMRS)
Why in news?
The government has proposed to establish Ekalavya Residential School in each block of the country where
Social Sector: Education

tribal people constitute a majority of the population. It has been decided that by the year 2022, every block
with more than 50% of ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an Ekalavya Model
Residential School.
About Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)

 Eklavya Model Residential School Scheme is an initiative to provide quality middle and high level
(class 6th to 12th) education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in remote areas.
 It was started in 1998 and the first school was started in the year 2000 in Maharashtra.
 EMRSs have been functioning as institutions of excellence for tribal students.
 A total of 259 schools have been sanctioned during the last 17 years, out of which, 72 EMRS were
sanctioned during last three years.
 As per existing EMRS Guidelines of 2010, at least one EMRS is to be set up in each Integrated Tribal
Development Agency (ITDA) / Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) having 50% of ST population
in the area.
1.14 PRIME MINISTER RESEARCH FELLOWS (PMRF) SCHEME

Why in News?
Union Cabinet has approved Prime Minister Research Fellows (PMRF) Scheme for Ph.D. Students at a
total cost of Rs.1650 crore for a period of seven years beginning 2018-19.
Key Facts
 Under the scheme, the best students who have completed or are in the final year of B. Tech or
Integrated M.Tech or M.Sc. in Science and Technology streams from IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs/IIITs will be
offered direct admission in PhD programme in the IITs/IISc.
 It will offer a fellowship of Rs.70,000/- per month for the first two years, Rs.75,000/- per month for the
3rd year, and Rs.80,000/- per month in the 4th and 5th years.
 Apart from this, a research grant of Rs. 2lakh will be provided to each of the fellows for a period of 5
years to cover their foreign travel expenses for presenting research papers in international conferences
and seminars.
 A maximum of 3000 fellows would be selected in a three year period, beginning 2018-19.
 The scheme will go a long way in tapping the talent pool of the country for carrying out
research indigenously in cutting edge science and technology domains.
 The research under the Scheme will address our national priorities at the one hand and shortage of
quality faculty in the premier educational institutions of the country, on the other.
1.15 REVITALISING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SYSTEMS IN EDUCATION (RISE)

Why in News?
In his Budget 2018 speech, the Union Finance Minister unveiled a new scheme called Revitalising
Infrastructure and Systems in Education (RISE).
Key facts
 The aim of RISE scheme is to step up investments in research and related infrastructure in premier
educational institutions, including health institutions.
 The RISE scheme will be financed via a restructured higher education financing agency (HEFA) that is
functioning for the last two months as a non-banking financial company.
 It will have total investment of Rs 1 lakh crore in the next four years.
1.16 N GOPALASWAMI COMMITTEE

Why in News?

Former Chief Election Commissioner, N Gopalaswami was appointed the chairperson of the committee
that will select 20 Institutions of Eminence.
More about News

 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister, also approved names of
Professor Tarun Khanna, director of the South Asia Institute at Harvard University, Renu Khator,
president of the University of Houston and the former director of IIM Lucknow, Pritam Singh, as
Social Sector: Education

members of the Empowered Expert Committee.
 The committee will select 20 Institutions of Eminence from among 104 institutions that have applied for
the status.
 The Institutions of Eminence are proposed to have greater autonomy compared to other higher education
institutions.
About Institutions of Eminence

Already covered in NEO IAS Prelims Current Affairs Digest – December, 2017 (Topic: 1.15)
1.17 20TH CONFERENCE OF COMMONWEALTH EDUCATION MINISTERS (20CCEM)

Why in News
The 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (20CCEM) was recently held in Nadi, Fiji.
Key Facts
 The theme for 20CCEM is ‘Sustainability and Resilience: Can education deliver?’
 The theme was discussed in the context of three sub-themes:
 Education for sustainable development;
 Building resilience through education; and
 Education governance and management.
 The theme captures issues connected to the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In this regard, 20CCEM provided an opportune moment for ministers to not only review their
progress on SDG4 but also reaffirm their commitment to the achievement of the various targets
outlined under this goal.
 2018 conference was the first Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) since the
global community adopted the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
 20CCEM was also the first CCEM to be held in a Pacific Island country; the first CCEM being held in
the Pacific region in Australia in 1971.
About Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM)

 The Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers is a high-level meeting that brings together
education Ministers from the 52 Commonwealth countries to discuss key issues on education.
 The Commonwealth education conference has been taking place every three years since 1959, when
the first meeting was held in Oxford.
 It is the second largest meeting organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat after the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
 Kenya has formally undertaken to host the 21st Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers
in 2021.
1.18 EXAM WARRIORS

Why in News?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's book, titled 'Exam Warriors', was released in New Delhi by Union Ministers
Prakash Javadekar and Sushma Swaraj.
Key Facts
 The book is being published by Penguin Randon House India.

 In the book, the PM has penned down almost 25 mantras for students as
well as their parents and teachers on how to tackle exams without stress
and anxiety.
 The book highlights issues of importance to students such as coping
with exam related stress, keeping calm during exams as well as what to do
Social Sector: Vulnerable Sections

after the exams get over, a statement by the publishing house reads.
 As the book has been written keeping young audiences in mind, it reads in
an informal and conversational manner.
 It has also addressed issues such as prioritizing knowledge over marks and
how to grapple with becoming responsible for the future.
SOCIAL SECTOR: VULNERABLE SECTIONS

1.19 SHE-BOX
Why in News?
So far, 107 complaints have been received through portal ‘SHe-box’. The government has all concerned
authorities to take appropriate actions.
About SHe-box
 Sexual Harassment e- Box is an online complaint management system for registering complaints
related to sexual harassment at workplace.
 It was launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
 The complaint management system has been developed to ensure the effective implementation of Sexual
Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (the SH Act),
2013.
 Once a complaint is submitted to the portal, it will be directly sent to the Internal Complaints
Committee (ICC) of the concerned Ministry/Department/PSU/Autonomous Body etc. having
jurisdiction to inquire into the complaint.
 Through this portal, WCD as well as complainant can monitor the progress of inquiry conducted by
the ICC.
She-box portal:
 It is an effort to provide speedier remedy to women facing sexual harassment at workplace as
envisaged under the SH Act.
Who can file a complaint?

 Any woman working in any office of Central Government (Central Ministries, Departments, Public
Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies and Institutions etc.) / State Government / Private
organisation can file complaint related to sexual harassment at workplace through this SHe-Box.
 Those who had already filed a written complaint with the concerned Internal Complaint Committee (ICC)
constituted under the SH Act are also eligible to file their complaint through this portal.
1.20 SWADHAR GREH SCHEME

Why in News?
Recently released government data shows that there are 559 Swadhar Greh presently functional in the
country with 17231 beneficiaries.
About Swadhar Greh Scheme:
 The Swadhar Greh scheme was launched by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development
for rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances.
 The scheme envisions a supportive institutional framework for women victims of difficult
circumstances so that they could lead their life with dignity and conviction.
 It envisages that shelter, food, clothing, and health as well as economic and social security are
assured for such women.

 It also envisions that the special needs of these women are properly taken care of and under no
circumstances they should be left unattended or abandoned which could lead to their exploitation
and desolation
 The implementing agencies are mainly NGOs.

Objectives and Beneficiaries of Scheme in detail:
Under the Scheme, Swadhar Greh will be set up in every district with capacity of 30 women
with the following objectives:
 To cater to the primary need of shelter, food, clothing, medical treatment and care of the
women in distress and who are without any social and economic support.
Objectives
 To enable them to regain their emotional strength that gets hampered due to their
encounter with unfortunate circumstances.
 To provide them with legal aid and guidance to enable them to take steps for their
readjustment in family/society.
 To rehabilitate them economically and emotionally.
 To act as a support system that understands and meets various requirements of women
in distress.
 To enable them to start their life afresh with dignity and conviction
The benefit of the component could be availed by women above 18 years of age of the following
categories:
 Women who are deserted and are without any social and economic support;
 Women survivors of natural disasters who have been rendered homeless and are
without any social and economic support;
 Women prisoners released from jail and are without family, social and economic
Beneficiaries
support;
 Women victims of domestic violence, family tension or discord, who are made to
leave their homes without any means of subsistence and have no special protection
from exploitation and/ or facing litigation on account of marital disputes; and
 Trafficked women/girls rescued or runaway from brothels or other places where
they face exploitation and Women affected by HIV/AIDS who do not have any social
or economic support. (However such women/ girls should first seek assistance under
UJJAWALA Scheme in areas where it is in operation).
 Women affected by domestic violence could stay up to one year. For other categories of
women, the maximum period of stay could be up to 3 years.
 Swadhar Greh facilities could also be availed by the children accompanying women in the
above categories.
1.21 PRADHAN MANTRI VAYA VANDANA YOJANA (PMVVY)

Why in News?
Budget 2018 has proposed to extend PM Vaya Vandana Yojana’s investment duration, and the limit of
Rs7.5 lakh per senior citizen would also be enhanced to Rs15 lakh.
Proposed Changes to PMVVY

 Investment Duration: It was earlier open for investment till 3 May 2018. The budget has now proposed
to keep it open for investment till March 2020.
 Limits:
o The limit of Rs7.5 lakh per senior citizen would also be enhanced to Rs15 lakh.
o Now, a couple—if both are senior citizens—can invest up to Rs15 lakh individually, or a maximum
Rs30 lakh as a couple in this scheme.
o While earlier the maximum pension that an investor would have earned per month under the
scheme was Rs5,000—or Rs60,000 a year—it will now increase to up to Rs10,000 a month or Rs1.2
lakh a year.
Other Details of PMVVY:

 The scheme can be purchased offline as well as online, through the Life Insurance Corporation of
India (LIC), which has been given the sole rights to operate it.

 The scheme provides an assured return of 8% to 8.30% per annum, depending on whether you choose
to get your pensions on a monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly basis.
 For the monthly option, the return is 8% and it is 8.30% for the annual option.
 The interest earned is taxable.
 If a pensioner survives the policy term (10 years), its purchase price along with final pension instalments

shall be payable.
 The scheme also allows premature exit or withdrawal for treatment of any critical or terminal illness
of self or spouse.
 On premature exit, 98% of the purchase price shall be refunded.
 On death of the pensioner during the policy term of 10 years, the purchase price shall be paid to the
beneficiary.
Know more about Current Affairs Plus:

https://neoias.com/index.php/current-affairs-plus-2018

2 ECONOMY
ECONOMY: CONCEPTS
2.1 STANDING DEPOSIT FACILITY (SDF)
Why in news?
In his budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the government is looking to amend the
Reserve Bank of India Act to introduce standing deposit facility or SDF, which will help banks with excess
funds to park it with RBI, without having to provide any collateral.
Economy
Background
 The central bank had recommended this tool following demonetization when banks witnessed a surge in
cash deposit leading to a liquidity surplus of Rs.4 trillion in March 2017.
 SDF was first proposed in the Urjit Patel committee report in January 2014, as part of measures to
improve the monetary-policy framework.
More about Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)

 Standing Deposit Facility will allow the RBI to absorb surplus funds from banks without collateral
and banks will continue to earn interest (though possibly lower than the existing reverse repo rate).
 The new tool will help RBI define a floor rate in the inter-bank market, especially in liquidity surplus
conditions.
 It also gives the central bank a window to intervene in both directions, when needed, to achieve the
operating interest rate target.
 The SDF will largely replace the Market Stabilization Scheme (MSS), which uses bonds issued outside
the government’s regular borrowings to mop up liquidity.
2.2 INVERTED DUTY STRUCTURE (IDS)

Why in News?
The Union Budget has reinforced the correction of the inverted duty structure (IDS) which has adversely
impacted manufacturing for decades.
About Inverted duty structure (IDS)

 IDS is a situation where import duty on finished goods is low compared to the import duty on raw
materials that are used in the production of such finished goods.
o For example, suppose the tariff (import tax) on the import What kind of Questions to expect
of tyres is 10% and the tariff on the imports of natural (2016 Prelims)
rubber which is used in the production of tyres is 20%; this
is a case of inverted duty structure.
 When the import duty on raw materials is high, it will be more
difficult to produce the concerned good domestically at a
competitive price. Several industries depend on imported raw
materials and components.
 On the other hand, foreign finished goods will be coming at a
reduced price because of low tax advantage.
 Manufactured goods by the domestic industry becomes
uncompetitive against imported finished goods.
 The disadvantage of the inverted duty structure increases with
the increased use of imported raw materials.
 An inverted duty structure discourages domestic value
addition.
2.3 NEW CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFYING MSMES

Why in News?
The Union Cabinet has approved change in the basis of classifying Micro, Small and Medium enterprises
(MSMEs) from 'investment in plant & machinery/equipment' to 'annual turnover'.

Key Facts
 The change will encourage ease of doing business, make the norms of classification growth oriented
and align them to the new tax regime revolving around GST (Goods & Services Tax).
 Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 will
accordingly be amended to define units producing goods and rendering services in terms of annual
turnover as given below:
 Additionally, the Central Government may, by
Economy: Concepts
Unit Annual turnover notification, vary turnover limits, which shall not
exceed thrice the limits specified in Section 7 of the
MSMED Act.
Micro enterprise Upto Rs. 5 Crore
 At present the MSMED Act (Section 7) classifies the
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on the
Small enterprise Rs. 5 – 75 Crore basis of investment in plant and machinery for
manufacturing units, and investment in equipment for
service enterprises.
 The criterion of investment in plant
Medium enterprise Rs 75 – 250 Crore and machinery stipulates self-declaration which in turn
entails verification if deemed necessary and leads to
transaction costs.
2.4 KNOW YOUR CLIENT NORMS

Why in news?
In the wake of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is
looking to formalize and then tighten its Know Your Client (KYC) norms for the capital markets.
More about it
 The Know Your Client norms are the standards in the investment industry that ensures investment
advisors know detailed information about their clients' risk tolerance, investment knowledge and
financial position.
 KYC norms helps ensure that an investment adviser or broker does not make decisions that do not
conform to the client's intentions
 In India, KYC norms apply to the venture capital funds (VCFs), collective investment schemes (CIS)
and mutual funds.
 However, currently there is no specific format. As a result, the intermediaries use different KYC formats
and supporting documents.
Note: Know Your Employee and Know your partner are also brought into focus in the wake of PNB fraud.
Both relates to procedures undertaken by the banks for systematic background verification of employees
and partners.
2.5 LETTERS OF UNDERTAKING AND NOSTRO ACCOUNT

Why in News?
PNB has alleged that two employees had “fraudulently issued Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) and transmitted
SWIFT instructions to the overseas branches of Indian Banks” to raise buyers credit for companies of
billionaire diamond jeweller Nirav Modi without “making entries in the bank system”.
More about LoU

 LoU is an undertaking provided by one bank to another bank, in favour of or on behalf of a
customer.
 LoUs are used by a bank’s customer to avail short-term credit in a foreign country.
 These are used in international banking transactions.
How LoU works?
 A customer who require a short-term credit in a foreign country to import something can approach the
foreign exchange department of his/her bank and ask for an LoU.

 In return, the bank would ask the customer for a collateral or a guarantee.
 If the bank is convinced, it will issue a LoU, which when given to an overseas branch of another Indian
bank would result in release of the amount in foreign currency.
 Released amount goes to a specific bank account of your banker back home, known as Nostro account.
Then, the customer can decide in whose favour the payment needs to be done.
 According to norms, the term of an LoU is 180 days, and can be rolled over once for six months.
 Since LoUs are a form of lending, they are typically backed by security.
Economy: Concepts
Benefits
 The overseas bank lending to the borrower based on the LoU earns interest on the amount.
 The bank issuing the LoU gets a fee
 The borrower gets a credit facility at a place where she may not have banking relationships. Moreover,
Interest rates in India are higher compared to international benchmark rates. So the cost of loans is
cheap for the borrower.
Nostro account
 Nostro account refers to an account that a bank holds in a foreign currency in another bank.
 Nostros, a term derived from the Latin word for "ours," are frequently used to facilitate foreign exchange
and trade transactions.
2.6 BUYERS CREDIT

Why in News?
PNB has alleged that two employees had “fraudulently issued Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) and transmitted
SWIFT instructions to the overseas branches of Indian Banks” to raise buyers credit for companies of
billionaire diamond jeweller Nirav Modi without “making entries in the bank system”.
More about Buyers Credit

 Buyers Credit is, typically, a short-term loan facility extended to an importer by a bank to import
goods and services into India.
 It is arranged through an overseas bank.
 Letter of Undertaking issued by the importers bank which guarantee the credit is provided to the
overseas bank.
 Based on these LoU, offshore bank credits the nostro account of importer’s bank and then the payment
is provided to exporter.
 The fund loaded in the nostro account is then used to make payment to the exporter’s bank.
 These transactions are facilitated through SWIFT platform.
Benefits
 The exporter is paid in accordance with the terms of the sale contract with the importer, without undue
delays.
 The availability of buyer’s credit also makes it feasible for the exporter to pursue large export orders.
 The importer obtains the flexibility to pay for the purchases over a period of time, as stipulated in the
terms of the buyer’s credit facility, rather than up front at the time of purchase.
 The importer can also request funding in a major currency that is more stable than the domestic
currency, especially if the latter has a significant risk of devaluation.
2.7 SWIFT NETWORK

Why in news?
There is a call to adopt mandatory and advisory security controls in financial transaction which is prescribed
by SWIFT network. One of the major reason behind Punjab National Bank fraud was its weak transaction
network infrastructure.
More about SWIFT

 Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) is a global member-owned
cooperative and the world’s leading provider of secure financial messaging services.
 It provides a messaging network that financial institutions use to securely transmit information and
instructions through a standardized system of codes.
 The majority of international interbank messages use the SWIFT network.
 SWIFT is a cooperative society under Belgian law and is owned and
controlled by its shareholders. Its Headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium
 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.
Economy: Concepts
 SWIFT does not hold funds or manage accounts on behalf of customers.
 Sibos is the annual conference hosted by SWIFT specifically aimed at the
financial services industry.
 Last April, SWIFT published a detailed description of the mandatory and
advisory customer security controls. This framework describes a set of
controls for its customers to implement on their local infrastructure.
 Many of the Indian banks are yet to adopt its norms.
2.8 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INDEX

Why in News?
India was ranked 44th out of 50 countries in the Intellectual Property (IP) Index released by US Chamber
of Commerce. Last year, India was ranked 43rd out of 45 countries in index.
Key facts
 The index was released as part of the annual report prepared by the Global Innovation Policy Center
(GIPC) of the US Chambers of Commerce.
 The report analyses IP climate in 50 world economies based on 40 unique indicators that benchmark
activity critical to innovation development surrounding patent, copyright, trademark and trade secrets
protection.
 The US tops the list with 37.98 points, followed by United Kingdom (37.97) and Sweden (37.03).
Facts related to India

 India’s overall score has increased substantially from 25 per cent (8.75 out of 35) in the 5th edition of
the Index to 30 per cent (12.03 out of 40) in the latest 6th edition.
 Despite improvement in score, India continues to remain towards bottom of ladder.
 For the first time, India has broken free of the bottom ten per cent of economies measured, and
its score represents the largest percentage improvement of any country measured.
 Several factors figure into the improved score. India passed guidelines to strengthen the patentability
environment for technological innovations, improved the protection of well-known marks, and initiated
IP awareness and coordination programmes, thereby implementing some tenets of the 2016 National
IPR Policy.
2.9 STRESSED ASSETS & NPA

Why in News?
 As per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, combined Gross NPAs (Non-performing Assets) of Scheduled
Commercial Banks (SCBs) have declined marginally from 10 per cent as on June 30, 2017 to 9.8 per
cent as on September 30, 2017.
Key Facts
 Asset Quality Review initiated by RBI in 2015, and subsequent transparent recognition by banks
revealed high NPAs, which have impacted balance-sheets of several Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
 For strengthening PSB balance-sheets, under Indradhanush plan, Government provided for Rs
70,000 crore till 2018-19, as a result of which despite high NPA and consequential provisioning, banks
were successful in complying with capital adequacy norms.
 With the object of increasing credit off-take and promoting creation of jobs, in October 2017
Government announced, and has since initiated, recapitalisation of PSBs by Rs 2,11,000 crore within
two financial years to make banks weakened by NPAs strong.

 To enable effective action in respect of defaulters, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 was
enacted, which provides for time bound resolution of stressed assets.
 Cases have been instituted under the Code in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in respect
of the 12 largest defaulters, amounting to about 25 per cent of the NPAs of the entire banking system.
 To safeguard against the misuse of the legal process, wilful defaulters and persons associated with
NPA accounts have been barred from participating in the process under way in NCLT.
Economy: Concepts
Difference between NPAs and Stressed Assets
 Stressed Assets
o It is a broader term and comprises of NPAs, restructured loans and written off assets.
 NPAs (Non-performing Assets)
o It is a loan or advance for which the principal or interest payment remained overdue for a
period of 90 days.
 Restructured Loans
o Assets/loans which have been restructured by giving a longer duration for repayment, lowering
interest or by converting them to equity.
 Written off Assets
o Assets/loans which aren’t counted as dues. They are compensated through some other way.
MISSION INDRADHANUSH FOR PSBS

 Mission Indradhanush aimed to revamp the functioning of public sector banks so that PSBs can
compete with the Private Sector Banks.
 The mission is a brainchild of PJ Nayak committee.
 It is launched by Ministry of Finance under the Department of Financial Services.
 It aims to clean up the balance sheets of PSBs to ensure banks remain solvent and fully comply with
global capital adequacy norms, Basel-III.
Components of Mission Indradhanush:

 Mission Indradhanush is a 7-pronged plan to address the challenges faced by public sector banks
(PSBs).
 The 7 parts include appointments, Banks board bureau, capitalisation, de-stressing, empowerment,
framework of accountability and governance reforms (ABCDEFG)
o Separation of posts of CEO and MD to check excess concentration of

Appointments power and smoothen the functioning of banks; also induction of
talent from private sector.
o It will replace the appointments board of PSBs.
o It will advise the banks on how to raise funds and how to go ahead
with mergers and acquisitions.
o It will be a step into eventual transition of the bureau into a bank

Bank Boards Bureau
holding company. It will separate the functioning of the banks from
the government by acting as a middle link.
o The bureau will have three ex-officio members and three expert
members, in addition to the Chairman.
o Capitalisation of the banks by inducing Rs 70,000 crore into the

Capitalisation banks in the next 4 years.
o Banks are in need of capitalisation due to high NPAs and due to need
to meet the new BASEL- III norms.
o Solve issues in the infrastructure sector to check the problem of

De-stressing
stressed assets in banks.

Empowerment o Greater autonomy for banks; more flexibility for hiring manpower.
o The banks will be assessed on the basis of new key performance

indicators. These quantitative parameters such as NPA
Framework of
management, return on capital, growth and diversification of business
accountability
and financial inclusion as well as qualitative parameters such as
human resource initiatives and strategic steps to improve assets
quality.
Economy: Concepts
Governance Reforms o GyanSangam conferences between government officials and bankers
for resolving issues in banking sector and chalking out future policy.
**Not to be confused with Mission Indradhanush of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
INSOLVENCY AND BANKR UPTCY CODE (IBC), 2016

 It was brought to reduce the delay in resolution of insolvency and bankruptcy due to multiplicity
of laws -Companies Act, SARFAESI Act, Sick Industrial Companies Act, and so on.
 IBC, 2016 will override other existing laws on matters pertaining to Insolvency and Bankruptcy.
Salient Features of the IBC, 2016:

 A unified code for greater legal clarity.
 Fixed a timeline of 180 days, extendable by another 90 days, to resolve cases of insolvency or
bankruptcy.
 A new regulator — Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) [under the Ministry of Corporate
Affairs] to exercise regulatory oversight over insolvency professionals, insolvency professional agencies
and information utilities.
 National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to adjudicate bankruptcy cases over companies, limited liability
entities while Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) to adjudicate cases over individuals and unlimited liability
partnership firms.
 It allows the debtor itself to initiate the insolvency-resolution process once it has defaulted on a
debt.
 Prioritization of claims by different classes of creditors and enabling provisions for solving cross border
insolvency.
To Know More About Economy Guru : https://goo.gl/11bJ8A

2.10 DEVELOPMENT IMPACT BOND (DIB)
Why in News?
Britain’s Prince Charles has launched a new 10-million-dollar Development Impact Bond (DIB) to help
improve education for over 200,000 children in India.
About Development Impact Bond (DIB):

 Under the initiative, DIB will provide funding to local not-for-profit delivery partners in India over
Economy: Concepts
4 years period to deliver range of operational models including principal and teacher training, direct
school management, and supplementary programmes.
 The DIB is the largest bond of its type in South Asia.
 It is the latest fundraising initiative by British Asian Trust (BAT), set up by British royal family 10 years
ago to fight poverty in South Asia.
 The DIB was announced on occasion of celebration of 10th anniversary of BAT.
 It was launched by trust with support of UK government’s Department for International Development
(DfID), Comic Relief, Mittal Foundation and UBS Optimus Foundation.
 The DIB is intended as result-oriented way to attract new capital into development projects, with strong
emphasis on data and evidence.
 It is intended to improve literacy and numeracy learning
What kind of Questions to expect
levels for primary school students from marginalised
(2017 Prelims)
communities in country.
About British Asian Trust (BAT)

 The British Asian Trust was founded in 2007 by the Prince of
Wales to tackle widespread poverty and hardship in South
Asia.
 Objective of BAT is to unlock the potential of disadvantaged
people in South Asia by maximising the impact and support from
the Asian diaspora and beyond.
 Four key areas of work:
 Anti-trafficking
 Education
 Livelihoods
 Mental Health / Disability
 Through cause-focussed funds, BAT bring together core
investments and key stakeholders. This brings greater impact for
both disadvantaged communities and donors.
2.11 INDIAN STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE (ISPR)

Why in News?
Finance Minister announced second phase of ISPR through which the Centre will build two more strategic
oil reserves with a combined capacity of 10 million metric tonnes (MMT) — at Chandikhole in Odisha and at
Bikaner in Rajasthan. This will take the strategic reserve capacity to 15.33 million tons.
Key Facts
 The agreement covers the storage of 5.86 million barrels of ADNOC crude oil in underground
facilities, at the Karnataka facility.
 The oil storage facility will help ensure India’s energy security, as well as enable ADNOC to efficiently
and competitively meet market demand in India and across the fast developing South East Asian
economies.
About Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (ISPR)

 The Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (ISPR) is an emergency fuel store of more than 5 MMT
(million metric tons) of strategic crude oil.
 The total 5.33 MMT reserve of Phase-I of the SPR programme is currently estimated to supply
approximately 10.5 days of India’s crude requirement according to the consumption during 2015-16.

 Strategic crude oil storages are at 3 underground locations in Mangalore and Padur (near Udupi) in
Karnataka and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
 These strategic storages would be in addition to the existing storages of crude oil and petroleum
products with the oil companies and would serve as a cushion during any external supply disruptions.
Process and Institutions involved

 The construction of the Strategic Crude Oil Storage
facilities is being managed by Indian Strategic
Economy: Concepts
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.
 Engineers India Limited (EIL) is taken as the Project
Management Consultant for all three projects.
 The crude oil storages are constructed in underground
rock caverns and are located on the East and West coast
of India.
 Underground rock caverns are considered as the safest means of storing hydrocarbons.
 Crude oil from these caverns can be supplied to the Indian Refineries either through pipelines or through
a combination of pipelines and ships.
2.12 ANGEL TAX

Why in News?
The government is considering exempting investments made by individuals in certain start-ups from the so-
called angel tax to provide a level playing field with other angel investors and to nudge high net worth
individuals to back innovation.
About Angel Tax

 Angel tax is applicable on the capital raised by unlisted companies from any individual against an issue
of shares in excess of the fair market value.
 The tax has been classified as ‘income from other sources’ under Section 56 (II) of the Income Tax
Act of India.
 The tax was introduced through the Finance Act, 2012 as an anti-abuse provision as the government
sought to stop the practice of issuing of shares in unlisted companies at a high premium.
 Simply put, the angel tax is a 30.9 % tax levied on investments made by external investors in startups
or companies.
 To clarify, the entire investment is not taxed – only the amount that is considered above “fair value”
valuations of the startup is taxed.
 Currently, the angel tax is applicable to individual investors, while venture capital funds are
exempted.
 However, angel investors are not recognised as venture capital funds.
Industry experts said angel tax is a major cause for a dip in angel investing in the country.
ANGEL INVESTOR
 Angel investors invest in small startups or entrepreneurs.
 Often, angel investors are among an entrepreneur's family and friends.
 The capital angel investors provide may be a one-time investment to help the business propel or an
ongoing injection of money to support and carry the company through its difficult early stages.
 Angel investors provide more favourable terms compared to other lenders, since they usually invest
in the entrepreneur starting the business rather than the viability of the business.
 Angel investors are focused on helping startups take their first steps, rather than the possible profit they
may get from the business. Essentially, angel investors are the opposite of venture capitalists.
 Angel investors are also called informal investors, angel funders, private investors, seed investors
or business angels.

 Angel investors typically use their own money, unlike venture capitalists who take care of pooled
money from many other investors and place them in a strategically managed fund.
VENTURE CAPITAL
 Venture capital is financing that investors provide to startup companies and small businesses that
are believed to have long-term growth potential.
Economy: Schemes
 Venture capital generally comes from well-off investors, investment banks and any other financial
institutions.
 It does not always take just a monetary form; it can be provided in the form of technical or managerial
expertise.
 Though it can be risky for the investors who put up the funds, the potential for above-average returns
is an attractive payoff.
 The investors usually get equity in the company, and thus a say in company decisions.
 One important difference between venture capital and other private equity deals is that venture capital
tends to focus on emerging companies seeking substantial funds for the first time, while private
equity tends to fund larger, more established companies that are seeking an equity infusion or a chance
for company founders to transfer some of their ownership stake.
ECONOMY: SCHEMES
2.13 GOBAR-DHAN SCHEME
Why in News?
Finance Minister in his budget speech announced the launch of Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources
Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN).
Key Facts
 The scheme is an effort to make the villages open defecation free and aims to improve the lives of villagers.
 The scheme will manage and convert cattle dung and solid waste in farms to compost, biogas and bio-
CNG.
 It will also generate an alternate source of income for the farmers.
2.14 KUSUM SCHEME

Why in News?
The Centre has announced a Rs. 1.4 lakh-crore Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahaabhiyan
(KUSUM) scheme. The Union Budget 2018-19 has allocated Rs. 48,000 crore for the scheme for the ten-
year period.
About KUSUM scheme:

 KUSUM scheme aims to promote solar farming i.e. decentralised solar power production of up to 28,250
MW to help farmers.
 It will start with building 10,000 MW solar plants on barren lands and providing 1.75 million off-grid
agricultural solar pumps.
 It will provide extra income to farmers, by giving them an option to sell additional power to grid through
solar power projects set up on their barren lands.
 It will help in de-dieselising the agriculture sector as India had about 30 million farm pumps that
include 10 million pumps running on diesel.
 The surplus electricity generated by farmers will be bought by state electricity distribution companies
(DISCOMs). Thus it will help boost the country’s emerging green economy.

Components of scheme
 Building 10,000 MW solar plants on barren lands.

 Providing sops to DISCOMs to purchase the electricity produced
(2016 Prelims)
 Solarising existing pumps of 7250 MW as well as government
tube wells with a capacity of 8250 MW
 Distributing 17.5 lakh solar pumps.
 Government will provide 60% subsidy on solar pumps to
Economy: Schemes
farmers. It will be shared between Centre and States while
30% will be provided through bank loans. The balance cost
will be borne by farmers.
Expected positive outcomes of the scheme:
 It will promote decentralised solar power production, reduce

of transmission losses of DISCOMs as well as provide support
to improve financial health of DISCOMs by reducing subsidy
burden to agriculture sector.
 It will also promote energy efficiency and water conservation
and provide water security to farmers.
2.15 STARTUP INDIA RANKING FRAMEWORK

Why in News?
Three new tools for States and Union Territories for ranking of startups in the country was launched by
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry. The tools are:
o the State and Union Territory Startup Ranking Framework,
o the Compendium of Good Practices for Promoting Startups in India and
o the Startup India Kit.
About Startup India Ranking Framework

 The key objective of the Startup States and UTs Ranking Framework is to encourage States and UTs
to take proactive steps towards strengthening the Startup ecosystems at the local level.
 The ranking framework will measure the impact of each step initiated at the local level for building a
strong Startup ecosystem.
 The state and UT Ranking Framework is based on the feedback collected from Startup ecosystem
stakeholders, which include startups, mentors, investors, accelerators, incubators and the government
bodies.
 Areas which should be given greater thrust like seed funding support, women entrepreneurship are given
more score.
 The parameters of this feedback focus on all the actions and initiatives undertaken by states on or
before March 2018.
 The Startup India Hub portal will provide a platform for the launch of the Ranking Framework.
 It is prepared by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under Commerce Ministry.
About Startup India Compendium of Good Practises
 It focuses on enriching the Startup ecosystem through ethical behaviours and is currently followed
by 18 States and UTs.
 It covers 95 good practises across 7 areas of intervention.
 These are distilled into 38 action points including Incubation Support, Seed Funding, Angel & Venture
Funding, Startup Policy & Implementation, Simplified Regulations, Easing Public Procurement,
Awareness & Outreach.
About Startup India Kit

 It is primarily a one-stop guide on all Startup India offerings.
 It offers vital information, advice and assistance through website links, statistics, tools, templates,
events, competitions and a glossary on startup terms.
 All the benefits available to startups from the Startup India initiative can be found in the kit.

2.16 DEVELOPMENT OF SOLAR CITIES
Why in News?
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under its scheme “Development of Solar Cities” has
approved/sanctioned 60 Cities including 13 Pilot and 5 Model Cities up to 12th Five-year Plan period. The
‘Development of Solar Cities’ scheme is implemented by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
What is a Solar City?
Economy: Schemes
 The Solar City aims at minimum 10% reduction in projected demand of conventional energy at the
end of five years, through a combination of enhancing supply from renewable energy sources in the
city and energy efficiency measures.
 The basic aim is to motivate the local Governments for adopting renewable energy technologies and
energy efficiency measures.
 In a Solar City all types of renewable energy based projects like solar, wind, biomass, small hydro, waste
to energy etc. may be installed along with possible energy efficiency measures depending on the need
and resource availability in the city.
Objectives of the Solar City programme

 To enable and empower Urban Local Governments to address energy challenges at City - level.
 To provide a framework and support to prepare a Master Plan including assessment of current energy
situation, future demand and action plans.
 To build capacity in the Urban Local Bodies and create awareness among all sections of civil society.
 To involve various stakeholders in the planning process.
 To oversee the implementation of sustainable energy options through public - private partnerships.
2.17 LAGHU UDYOG BHARATI

Why in News?
A national level meeting was recently convened by the Government of India with the members of Laghu
Udyog Bharati.
About Laghu Udyog Bharati:

 Laghu Udyog Bharati is a registered all India organization of Micro and
Small Industries in India since 1994.
 The Government of India has authorised Laghu Udyog Bharati to issue
Certificate of Origin to exporting units.
 Currently, Laghu udyog Bharati has its membership spread over the length
and breadth of the country.
 It has membership in more than 400 Districts with 250 Branches all over
the Country.
 In a genuine effort to organise MSE sector Laghu Udyog Bharati is fighting
the various ills plaguing the sector and to remove impediments coming in
the way to MSEs.
2.18 MALEGAM COMMITTEE

Why in News?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted an expert committee under the chairmanship of Y H
Malegam, a former member of the Central Board of Directors of RBI, to look into the entire gamut of issues
relating to classification of bad loans, rising incidents of frauds and effectiveness of audits.
Background
 The committee was set up in the wake of Rs. 11,400 crore SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank
Financial Telecommunication)-related fraud in Punjab National Bank (PNB) and RBI’s drive of
strengthening supervisory framework in the country to avoid frauds.
 Members of the committee includes Banking experts like RBI Central Board member, formed Public
Sector Banks MDs etc.
Objectives of the committee
 The committee will look into reasons for high divergence observed in asset classification and
provisioning by banks vis-à-vis RBI’s supervisory assessment.
 It will suggest steps needed to prevent it, factors leading to increasing incidence of frauds in banks
and measures (including IT interventions) needed to curb and prevent it.
 It will also look into role and effectiveness of various types of audits conducted in banks in mitigating
the incidence of such divergence and frauds.
Economy: Schemes
2.19 DELHI MUMBAI INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR (DMIC) AND INDUSTRIAL CORRI DORS
Why in News?
The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), a mega infrastructure project with an estimated investment
of $100 billion, has attracted interest from companies based out of Canada, the U.S., Singapore
and Taiwan.
Integrated Industrial Corridors

 Integrated Industrial Corridors is a major infrastructure project that aims to accelerate the growth in
manufacturing sector and to facilitate scientifically planned urbanization.
 These are undertaken in partnership with State Governments.
 Corridors planned/developed are
o Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)
o Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC)
o Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIG)
o Bengaluru- Mumbai Economic Corridor (BMEC)
o Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC)
About Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)

 The objective is to expand India's Manufacturing & Services base and develop DMIC as a "Global
Manufacturing and Trading Hub".
 ‘High Speed – High Capacity’ connectivity under the
Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) provides the
backbone of the project.
 In addition to new Industrial Cities, the programme
envisages development of infrastructure linkages
like power plants, assured water supply, high capacity
transportation and logistics facilities as well as softer
interventions like skill development programme for
employment of the local populace.
 In the first phase eight new industrial cities are being
developed.
 The programme has been conceptualized in partnership
and collaboration with Government of Japan.
Project Influence Area

 A band of 150 km to 200 km has been chosen on both
the sides of the Freight corridor to be developed as the
Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
 Accordingly, the Project Influence Region of DMIC
includes parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan,
Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
DELHI MUMBAI INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR

DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LTD.
(DMICDC)
 DMICDC is a special purpose company, which was
incorporated to establish, promote and facilitate
development of DMIC project.

 It undertakes project development services for investment regions / industrial areas / economic
regions / industrial nodes and townships, for various central government agencies and also assists state
governments.
 DMICDC undertakes various Project Development activities like Preparation of Master Plans,
Feasibility Reports, Detailed Project Reports etc. and acts as an intermediary for the purpose of
development and establishment of infrastructure projects.
Economy: Schemes
2.20 DEDICATED FREIGHT CORRIDORS (DFC)
Why in news? What kind of Questions to

Work relating to eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) has run into expect (2014 Prelims)
problem in Etmadpur block of Agra district as farmers are not willing to
surrender their land for the project.
Dedicated Freight Corridors

 Dedicated freight corridors are mega rail transport projects to create
world-class rail freight infrastructure with advanced technology to
increase transportation capacity, cost efficiency and service quality.
 Initially, the construction of two freight corridors – the Western
DFC connecting the states of Haryana and Maharashtra, and Eastern
DFC connecting the states Punjab and West Bengal – is being
undertaken.
 Construction responsibility of DFCs is with Dedicated Freight Corridor
Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL).
The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and Eastern Dedicated Fright Corridor
 The Dedicated Freight Corridors have two wings- the Western DFC and the Eastern DFC.
 The Western Corridor connecting Dadri in NCR Delhi to Mumbai – Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT),
will go through six states- Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
 It is the Western DFC that provides the
connectivity of the Delhi Mumbai
Industrial Corridor.
 The Eastern Corridor, starting from
Dankuni in West Bengal will pass
through the states of Jharkhand, Bihar,
Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to
terminate at Ludhiana in Punjab.
 Traffic on EDFC comprises of coal for the
power plants in the northern region of
India from Coalfields located in state of
Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal, finished
steel, food grains, cement, fertilizer,
limestone from Rajasthan to steel plants
in the east and general goods.
 The Western DFC will join Eastern DFC
at Dadri.
 Both these Dedicated Freight Corridors
offer high-speed connectivity for High
Axle Load Wagons (25 Tonne) of Double
Stacked Container supported by high power locomotives.
Other freight Corridors

Following freight corridors are in the planning stage:
 East-West Corridor (Kolkata-Mumbai)
 North-South Corridor (Delhi-Chennai)
 East Coast Corridor (Kharagpur-Vijayawada)
 Southern Corridor (Goa-Chennai).
DEDICATED FREIGHT CORRIDOR CORPORATION OF INDIA (DFCCIL)
 DFCCIL is a Special Purpose Vehicle set up under the administrative control of Ministry of Railways.
 It aims to undertake planning & development, mobilization of financial resources and construction,
maintenance and operation of the Dedicated Freight Corridors.
 DFCCIL was incorporated in October 2006 under Indian Companies Act 1956.
2.21 NATIONAL URBAN HOUSING FUND (NUHF)
Economy: Schemes
Why in News?
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has given approval for creation of National Urban Housing
Fund (NUHF) for Rs.60,000 crores.
More about News

 The fund will be situated in Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), an
autonomous body registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 under the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Affairs.
 The Ministry has so far sanctioned 39.4 lakh houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
 NUHF will facilitate raising requisite funds in next four years so that flow of Central Assistance under
different verticals i.e. Beneficiary Linked Construction (BLC), Affordable Housing in Parternership (AHP),
In-Situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR) and Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) is sustained and
construction of houses to address the gap in Urban Sector progresses smoothly.
2.22 ASH TRACK MOBILE APP

Why in News?
Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R.K Singh, launched a Web based
monitoring System and a Fly Ash mobile application named ASH TRACK.
Key Facts
 The ASH TRACK App would be managing 200 million tonnes of fly ash by tracking coal based power
plants situated within 100 km and 300 km from given location and availability of fly ash, along with
prospective users within the same radius.
 The App gives plant-wise, utility-wise and State-wise ash utilization status in the country.
 The thermal plants would regularly update fly ash generation, utilization and stock on the web portal
and the app.
 This would allow effective monitoring and reviewing for increasing ash utilization.
 This would also help in protecting environment in terms of reduction in fugitive emissions, saving
of precious top soil and conservation of land for sustainable development.
Features of ASH TRACK Mobile App
For Consumers: o App shows coal based power plants situated within the radius of 100
km and 300 km from a given location
o User can select power station from where he wants to take fly ash
o Ash availability, distance from user’s location, details of contact person
will be displayed
o User can apply online for allocation of ash
o SMS will be sent to the applicant and the respective power plant
instantly
For Power Stations: o App shows perspective users within the radius of 100 km and 300 km
of power plants
o Power station can see the location of prospective ash users
surrounding the power plant like – cement plants, NHAI, Pradhan Mantri
Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) projects, brick producers, etc.
o Power plants can contact the prospective users for supply of ash

Ash Utilisation Data: o App gives plant wise, utility wise and state wise ash utilization
status in the country
o Shows details of real time ash generation and utilization
FLY ASH
Economy: Schemes
 Fly ash: also known as Pulverised fuel ash is the light weight substance which tend to fly around in
hot flue gases.
 It includes black soot occurring due to combustion of coal, vapourised particles of lead, cadmium,
nickel etc.
 They are micron sized earth elements primarily consisting of silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide
(Al2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO).
 The Fly ash causes air pollution; contaminate water and soil systems and the wet disposal of Fly ash
results in leaching of toxic heavy metals in ground water system.
 Fly ash can be used as a replacement for some of the Portland cement contents of concrete.
 It can be used in the prouction of bricks.
Flue Gases
Refer to Section 8. 3.1 to read more about flue gas.
FLY ASH UTILIZATION POLICY

 Maharashtra is the first state in the country to adopt the Fly Ash Utilization Policy.
 The policy paves the way for prosperity by generating wealth from waste and also environment
protection.
 The policy seeks 100% use of fly ash generated from thermal power plants and biogas plants for
construction activities.
 Facilitates use of fly ash to make bricks, blocks, tiles, wall panels, cement and other construction
materials.
 The policy extends use of fly ash to 300 kms radius of power plant from earlier 100 kms radius of
power plant.
 It will help in environment protection and save soil excavation.
 It will also make raw material available for construction at low cost to help government’s ‘Housing
for All’ projects.
2.23 INDO-HCM
Why in News?
The Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has released India’s first ever Highway Capacity
Manual, known as Indo-HCM, to guide road engineers and policy makers about road expansion.
About Indo-HCM:
 The manual lays down guidelines for when and how to expand or manage different types of roads
and their intersections and level of services to be put in place.
 It is designed to be useful tool for guiding road engineers and policy makers in country.
 The manual has been developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) on basis of an
extensive, country-wide study of traffic characteristics on different categories of roads like single, two,
multi-lane urban roads, inter-urban highways and expressways and associated intersections on these
roads.
Significance of this manual:

 It has been developed based on the unique nature and diversity of traffic on Indian roads.
 The manual will help in the scientific planning and expansion of road infrastructure in country.
 This is first time that manual has been developed in India. Other countries like USA, China, Malaysia,
Indonesia and Taiwan have developed their own Highway Capacity Manuals long time back.

2.24 ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING (ZBNF)
Why in news?
Himachal Pradesh Government has launched Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) project to promote
organic farming. The project aims to increase agriculture produce and the income of farmers by the
year 2022.
Economy: Schemes
About Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)
 ZBNF is set of natural farming methods where cost of growing and harvesting plants is zero.
 It is a farming practice that believes in natural growth of crops without adding any fertilizers and
pesticides or any other foreign elements.
 It is different from organic farming.
 The word Zero Budget refers to zero net cost of production of all crops.
 The main aim of ZBNF is eliminate use of chemical pesticides and uses biological pesticides and
promote of good agronomic practices.
Four Wheels of ZBNF

1) Bijamrita (Seed Treatment using local cowdung and cow urine),
2) Jiwamrita (applying inoculation made of local cowdung and cow urine without any fertilizers and
pesticides)
3) Mulching (activities to ensure favorable microclimate in the soil)
4) Waaphasa (soil aeration)
2.25 AUCTION OF COMMERCIAL COAL MINES

Why in News?
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) recently approved the methodology for auction of coal
mines/blocks for sale of the commodity.
More about News

 CCEA has approved methodology for auction of coal mines/blocks for sale of coal to private sector under
Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act,
1957.
 This decision opens coal sector to commercial mining by private entities, ending 41 year old
monopoly of state owned Coal India Ltd (CIL).
 It will allow power cement and steel producers to source fuel more efficiently.
Background
 Supreme Court in its September 2014 order had cancelled 204 coal mines and blocks allocated to various
Government and Private Companies since 1993 under the provisions of Coal Mines (Nationalisation)
Act, 1973.
 Under the pursuance of this order, Parliament had enacted Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015
to bring transparency and accountability for allocation of coal mines by way of auction and allotment for
the sale of coal.
About Approved Methodology for Auction

 The auction — on an online transparent platform — will be an ascending forward auction whereby the
bid parameter will be the price offer in rupees per tonne, which will be paid to the State government
on the actual production of coal.
 There shall be no restriction on the sale and/or utilization of coal from the mine.
 Moreover, the entire revenue from auction of coal mines will accrue to coal bearing States. It will
incentivise these states to utilize this increased revenue for growth and development of backward areas
and their inhabitants including tribals.
Significance
 The methodology gives highest priority to transparency, ease of doing business and ensuring that
natural resources are used for national development.
 It opens commercial coal mining for private sector and will help in boosting the economy.

 It is most ambitious coal sector reform since the nationalisation of this sector in 1973.
 It will bring efficiency by moving coal mining from era of monopoly to competition and enable use of
best possible technology.
 It will also attract higher investments and create more jobs in mining sector.
 It will also lead to the availability of low cost power as 70% of India’s electricity is generated from
thermal power plants.
 States in Eastern part of the country will be especially benefited from this new methodology.
Economy: Schemes
2.26 LPG PANCHAYAT AND PMUY
Why in News?
The President of India hosted a ‘LPG Panchayat’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
About LPG Panchayat scheme

 The LPG Panchayat is organised by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with an aim to provide
a platform for LPG consumers to interact with each other, promote mutual learning and share
experiences.
 LPG Panchayat is a backup scheme to the existing Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).
o It will provide platform to trigger discussion through sharing of personal experiences on

benefits of use of clean fuel compared to traditional fuels like cowdung, charcoal or wood.
Key Features
o Under it, one lakh LPG Panchayats will be activated across country to deal with issue
of safe use of LPG as well as discuss its various benefits on environment, health and how
it empowers women.
o LPG Panchayat will serve as an interactive platform between those who received LPG
cylinders under PMUY.
o One panchayat will have around 100 LPG customers of nearby areas, to discuss safe
and sustainable usage of LPG, its benefits and the link between clean fuel for cooking and
women’s empowerment.
o The panchayats discuss issues such as safe practices, quality of service provided by
distributors and availability of refill cylinders.
PRADHAN MANTRI UJJWA LA YOJANA (PMUY)
o It aims at providing Free LPG connections to Women from BPL

Households across the country.
o Empowering women and protecting their health.
Objectives o Reducing the serious health hazards associated with cooking based on
fossil fuel.
o Reducing the number of deaths in India due to unclean cooking fuel.
o Women in BPL (Below Poverty Line) households across the country

o Under the scheme, Rs 8000 crore has been earmarked for providing five
Target crore LPG connections to BPL households.
o Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has decided to extend the benefits
groups/Areas under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to the people of all Hilly States
including North-East States by treating them as ‘Priority States’.
o Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (the first welfare programme

Implementing
implemented by the ministry.)
Ministry o Launched on 1st May, 2016.
o This scheme would be implemented over three years, namely, the FY

Key features 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19.

o The release of LPG connection under this Scheme shall be in the name of
the women belonging to the BPL family.
o The scheme is being partly funded from the savings of the GiveItUp
initiative.
o The scheme provides a financial support of Rs 1600 for each LPG
connection to the BPL households.
Economy: Schemes
2.27 ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA
Why in News?
In a major push to improve the groundwater situation and recharge of underground water tables, the Central
Government is speeding up the ambitious Rs 6000-crore Atal Bhujal Yojana.
More about News

 The scheme, after Cabinet’s clearance, will soon be launched in water-stressed states: Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Haryana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
 The focus is to cover 78 districts, 193 blocks and more than 8,300 gram panchayats across these states.
About Atal Bhujal Yojana:

 The scheme is aimed at efficient management of available water resources and strengthening of
recharge mechanism through community participation.
 The emphasis of the scheme will be on recharge of ground water sources and efficient use of water
by involving people at the local level.
Funding:
 Rs 6,000 crore has been earmarked for this ambitious plan.
 Half of the total cost of this central scheme will be supported by the World Bank as loan while the
remaining half (Rs 3,000 crore) will be funded by the government through budgetary support.
Implementation:
 The government plans to give 50% of the money to states, including gram panchayats, as incentives
for achieving targets in groundwater management. That’s a first-ever move to encourage
community participation and behavioural changes.
 The remaining 50% of the funds will be given to states for strengthening institutional arrangements
such as providing a strong database and scientific approach to help them accomplish sustainable
management of groundwater.
To Know More about Economy Guru: https://goo.gl/11bJ8A

2.28 CHARDHAM MAHAMARG VIKAS PARIYOJNA
Why in News?
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved construction of 4.531 km long 2-Lane Bi-
Directional Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel in Uttarakhand as part of ‘Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana’.
Key Facts
Economy: Schemes
 The project will come along NH-134 (old NH-94) in Uttarakhand and will be built under Engineering,
Procurement and Construction (EPC) Mode.
 It is a 4.531 km long bidirectional tunnel
 The project will be implemented by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), through National
Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL).
Significance
 The construction of this tunnel will provide all weather connectivity to Yamunotri, one of dham on
Chardham Yatra.
 It will reduce travel distance from Dharasu to Yamunotri by about 20 km and travel time by about
hour.
About Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna

 Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna project aims at improving the connectivity to Char Dham
pilgrimage centres in the Himalayas, making journey to these centres safer, faster and more
convenient.
 It includes developing 900 km of national highways in Uttarakhand at total cost of Rs. 12000 crores.
 The entire length of highways under it will be
two-laned with paved shoulder and with
minimum width of 10 metres.
 It will also have tunnels, bypasses, bridges,
subways and viaducts to prevent traffic
bottlenecks.
 Environment friendly techniques are being
incorporated in design to make the route.
 It will also have wayside amenities and
public facilities including parking spaces
and helipad for emergency evacuation.
2.29 OMBUDSMAN SCHEME FOR NBFCS

Why in News?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched ‘Ombudsman Scheme’ for non-banking financial companies
(NBFC) for redressal of complaints against them.
Key Facts
 The Scheme will offer a speedy and cost-free complaint redressal mechanism relating to deficiency in the
services by NBFCs.
 The Scheme will be known as ‘Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies, 2018’.
 According to the RBI, it will cover all deposit-taking NBFCs for now. Later it would extend the scheme
to cover those NBFCs who have the asset size of Rs. 100 crore and above with customer interface.
 The Ombudsman Scheme will provide an Appellate mechanism under which the complainant/ NBFC
has the option to appeal against the decision of the Ombudsman before the Appellate Authority.
 The Reserve Bank may appoint one or more of its officers in the rank of not less than General Manager
to be known as Ombudsman to carry out the functions for a period not exceeding three years at a
time.
 The offices of the NBFC Ombudsmen will function at four metro centres — Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai
and New Delhi — and will handle complaints of customers in the respective zones.
Functioning

 For redressal of grievance under Ombudsman Scheme, the complainant must first approach the
concerned NBFC.
 NBFC Ombudsman will not charge any fee for filing and resolving customers’ complaints.
 If the NBFC does not reply within a period of 30 days (one month) after receipt of the complaint from
complainant or the NBFC rejects the complaint, or if the complainant is not happy with the reply given
by the NBFC, then the complainant can file the complaint with the NBFC Ombudsman.
 According to the RBI, it should be the obligation of the non-banking financial company concerned
to implement the settlement arrived with the complainant or the Award passed by the Ombudsman
Economy: Schemes
when it becomes final and send a report in this regard to the Reserve Bank within 15 days of the
award becoming final.
 In the event of non-implementation of settlement or the Award, the complainant may represent to the
RBI and the RBI may initiate such action under the provisions of RBI Act, 1934 as it deems fit.
Types of NBFCs not covered under this scheme

 The Non-banking Financial Company (NBFC) - Infrastructure Finance Company (NBFC-IFC)
 Core Investment Company (CIC)
 Infrastructure Debt Fund - Non-banking Financial Company (IDFNBFC)
 NBFC under liquidation
Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)

 Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) means a ‘non-banking financial company’, as defined in
Section 45-I(f) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, and registered with the Reserve Bank under
Section 45-IA of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, which:
(a) Is authorized to accept deposits, or
(b) Has customer interface, with assets size of one billion rupees or above as on the date of the
audited balance sheet date of the previous financial year, or of any such asset size as the RBI
may prescribe.
2.30 SRIJAN (STATION REJUVENATION INITIATIVE THROUGH JOINT ACTION)

Why in News
‘SRIJAN’ (Station Rejuvenation through Joint ActioN) has been launched at MyGov portal.
Key Facts
 SRIJAN (Station Rejuvenation Initiative by Joint Action) was launched by Indian Railway Stations
Development Corporation Limited (IRSDC) in partnership with MyGov, as a first-of-its-kind idea
crowdsourcing competition
 It was launched to invite innovative, scalable, low-cost and (2017 Prelims)
high-impact ideas from stakeholders for upgrading the look
and feel of the railway stations and thereby transform the
functional utility, raise the revenue generation capacity and
lower operations and maintenance cost of railway stations in
the IR network.
 It will be the world’s largest-ever transit-oriented-development
and multi-modal-integration station development initiative
encompassing more than 600 stations, to begin with.
 The winners shall receive letters of commendation, and
due credits shall be given when the idea is implemented.
 Further, the participants shortlisted in ‘SRIJAN’ may be given
the opportunity to professionally associate with IRSDC.
2.31 NAM (NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL MARKET)

Why in News?

The Union Minister of Agriculture launched six new features of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM)
Platform to make it more users friendly.
More about News (2017 Prelims)
 The six new features include:
o e-NAM Mobile App
o BHIM payment facility
Economy: Institutions
o New and improved Website with eLearning Module
o MIS Dashboard
o Grievance Redressal Management System for
Mandi Secretaries
o Integration with Farmer Database
About NAM (National Agricultural Market)
NAM is a whole-India electronic trading portal to facilitate farmers, traders,

What is it? buyers, exporters and processors with a common platform for trading commodities.
The e-NAM model aims at revolutionising agri-markets by ensuring better price

Objective discovery, bringing in transparency and competition to enable farmers to get
improved remuneration for their produce moving towards One Nation, One Market.
Concerned o Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.

Ministry
o Farmers:NAM promises more options for selling produce and making

competitive returns.
o Traders: NAM will provide access to larger national market for secondary
Stakeholders trading.
o Buyers, Processers & Exporters: NAM will enable direct participation in the
local mandi trade, reducing intermediation cost
o It was launched in 21 mandis across 8 states in April 2016 and now expanded
to 479 mandis across 14 states and 01 union territory.
o Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is operating the NAM as the
implementing agency with technical support from the Strategic Partner (SP).
Features o Farmers can showcase their produce online from their nearest market and
traders can quote price from anywhere.
o It will result in increased numbers of traders and greater competition.
o It will also ensure open price discovery and better returns to farmers.
Note:
 Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) is a marketing board established by state
governments which forces the farmers to sell their produce only to middlemen approved by the
government in authorized Mandis (markets).
 National Agriculture Market (NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing
Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis to create a unified national market for
agricultural commodities.
ECONOMY: INSTITUTIONS
2.32 DIFFERENT TYPES OF BANKS IN INDIA
Why in news?
There is an ongoing debate about privatizing public banks at the wake of Punjab National Bank fraud.
Finance Minister said that such privatization will be difficult due to lack of political consensus.
More about Different types of banks in India

Commercial Banks
 Commercial Banks refer to both scheduled and non-scheduled commercial banks which are regulated
under Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
 Commercial banks operate on a ‘for-profit’ basis.
 Any bank which is listed in the 2nd schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
scheduled Scheduled bank
is considered a scheduled bank.
 It includes all nationalized banks, private sector banks, regional rural banks,
foreign banks and some co-operative banks.
 To qualify as a scheduled bank, the paid up capital and collected funds of the bank
must not be less than Rs5 lakh.
 Scheduled banks are eligible for loans from the Reserve Bank of India at bank rate,
and are given membership to clearing houses.
 Those banks which are not listed in the 2nd schedule of the RBI act, 1934.
 These are also known as Local Area Bank.
banks
 Non-scheduled banks are also subject to the statutory cash reserve requirement.
But they are not required to keep them with the RBI.
Non-
 Unlike scheduled banks, they are entitled to borrow from the RBI only in emergency or
“abnormal circumstances.”
 Jammu & Kashmir Bank is an example of a non-scheduled commercial bank.
 All banks registered under the Cooperative Societies Act, 1912 are considered co-
Co-operative
operative banks.
banks
 These are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India under the Banking Regulation
Act, 1949 and Banking Laws (Application to Co-operative Societies) Act, 1965.
 It is an institution established on the basis of cooperative principles and dealing in
ordinary banking business with ‘No Profit No Loss Basis’.
 These banks are located in the urban as well in the rural areas.
 They serve the rural areas and agricultural sectors with basic banking and adequate
Regional Rural
financial services.
Banks
 The RRBs are owned by the central government (50%), the state government (15%)
and the sponsor bank (35%).
 Several commercial banks have sponsored RRBs. Eg: Maharashtra Gramin Bank
(sponsored by the Bank of Maharashtra).
 Prathama Bank, based in Moradabad, established on 2 October 1975, is the first RRB.
2.33 PAYMENT BANKS

Why in News?
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) will enable more than 17 crore What kind of Questions to expect
active account-holders of Post Office Savings Bank to make (2016 Prelims)
interoperable digital payments including the benefit of NEFT,
RTGS, UPI and bill payment services by April 2018.
More about News

 IPPB will enable acceptance of digital payments across post
offices in the country in line with the digital payments initiative
of the government.
 Once the proposed expansion is completed, IPPB will be
providing the largest financial inclusion network in the
country, covering both urban as well as rural hinterland with
ability to provide digital payment services at the doorstep with
the help of Postmen and Gramin Dak Sewaks (GDS)
 All 1.55 lakh post office branches will operate as access
points and 650 payments bank branches will provide them
back-end support.

About Payments banks
Nachiket Mor Committee recommended creation of Payment Banks.

India's first payments bank was launched by Airtel.
Background
Payment banks are non-full service banks, whose main objective is to
What is it? accelerate financial inclusion.
Capital The minimum paid-up equity capital for payments banks is Rs. 100 crore.
requirement
The payments bank should have a leverage ratio of not less than 3%, i.e., its
outside liabilities should not exceed 33.33 times its net worth (paid-up capital
Leverage ratio and reserves).
The promoter’s minimum initial contribution to the paid-up equity capital of

Promoter’s such payments bank shall at least be 40% for the first five years from the
contribution commencement of its business.
 Payments banks will mainly deal in remittance services and accept

deposits of up to Rs 1 lakh.
 They will not lend to customers and will have to deploy their funds in
Activities of government papers and bank deposits.
 They can accept demand deposits.
Payment Banks  They 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.
About India Post Payments Bank

 The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has been incorporated as a Public Limited Company under the
Department of Posts with 100% Government of India (GOI) equity.
 India Post Payments Bank is the third entity to receive payments bank permit after Airtel and Paytm.
2.34 CENTRAL BOARD OF INDERECT TAXES AND CUSTOMS(CBIC)

Why in News?
Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs announced that the name of Central Board of Excise and
Customs (CBEC) will be changed to Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), as the rollout
of GST has subsumed indirect taxes. The necessary changes in law for this are proposed in the Finance Bill.
More about CBEC

 Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry
of Finance, Government of India.
 It deals with the tasks of formulation of policy concerning levy and collection of Customs & Central
Excise duties and Service Tax, prevention of smuggling and administration of matters relating to
Customs, Central Excise, Service Tax and Narcotics to the extent under CBEC's purview.
 The Board is the administrative authority for its subordinate organizations, including Custom Houses,
Central Excise and Service Tax Commissionerates and the Central Revenues Control Laboratory.

2.35 INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES CENTRE (IFSC)
Why in News?
Finance minister Arun Jaitley recently proposed a unified regulator for the International Financial
Services Centre (IFSC) in India. The announcement is set to benefit the Country’s first IFSC set up at
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) near Gandhinagar.
Background:
 Notably, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Urjit Patel earlier supported the need of a unified financial
regulatory framework providing for a single regulator for GIFT City.
 Recently, GIFT-IFSC found a place in the top 15 emerging Global Financial Centres across the
world.
 In September 2017 edition of Global Financial Centres Index 22 (GFCI) – London, GIFT-IFSC was
featured at the tenth place.
 Currently, the financial services provided at GIFT-IFSC involves multiple regulatory bodies including
insurance regulator, IRDA, banking regulator RBI and stock market regulator SEBI.
Significance of the move:
 The announcement of setting up of unified regulator for IFSC in India would help India achieve its full
potential in the Global Financial markets.
 Globally, most of the financial centres host Unified Regulator in the same centre which helps it to
promote the financial centre.
 The move is likely to contribute to better regulation and supervision of the financial entities in
the GIFT City.
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City)

 It has been set up by the Gujarat state government as the
country’s first IFSC that brings together world class
infrastructure, connectivity, people and technology on a single
platform for businesses across the world.
 IFSC at GIFT City is probably the first such centre to be launched
after the 2008 global financial crisis.
What is an IFSC?
 An IFSC caters to customers outside the jurisdiction of the
domestic economy.
 Such centres deal with flows of finance, financial products and services across borders.
 London, New York and Singapore can be counted as global financial centres.
 Many emerging IFSCs around the world, such as Shanghai and Dubai, are aspiring to play a global role
in the years to come.
Can an IFSC be set up in a special economic zone (SEZ)?

 The SEZ Act 2005 allows setting up an IFSC in an SEZ or as an SEZ after approval from the central
government.
2.36 CRISIDEX
Why in News?
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has launched CriSidEx.
More about CriSidEx

 It is India’s first sentiment index for micro and small enterprises (MSEs) developed jointly by CRISIL
& SIDBI.(Sentiment Index aims to show how a group feels about the market, business environment or
other factor).
 CriSidEx is a composite index based on a diffusion index of 8 parameters and measures MSE
business sentiment on a scale of 0 (extremely negative) to 200 (extremely positive).

 CriSidEx will have 2 indices, one for the ‘survey quarter’ and another for the ‘next quarter’ once a
trend emerges after few rounds of the survey, providing independent time series data.
 The crucial benefit of CriSidEx is that its readings will flag potential headwinds and changes in
production cycles and thus help improve market efficiencies.
 It also allows capturing the sentiment of exporters and importers, thereby offering actionable
indicators on foreign trade.
About CRISIL
 CRISIL (formerly Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited) is
a global analytical company providing ratings, research, and risk and
policy advisory services.
 CRISIL’s majority shareholder is Standard & Poor's Credit Rating
Agency.
About SIDBI
 Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is an independent financial institution aimed to
aid the growth and development of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSME) in India.
 The purpose is to provide refinance facilities and short term lending to industries.
 Set up on April 2, 1990 through an act of parliament, it was incorporated initially as a wholly owned
subsidiary of Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI).
 Currently the ownership is held by 34 Government of India owned / controlled institutions.
 It is headquartered in Lucknow.
To Know More about Economy Guru : https://goo.gl/11bJ8A

2.37 MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE
Why in News?
Cabinet approves up to Rs 1,000 per quintal hike in copra minimum support price (MSP) for the 2018
season.
More about the News

 The MSP of copra is expected to ensure appropriate minimum prices to the farmers and step up
investment in coconut cultivation and thereby production and productivity in the country.
 The approval is based on recommendations of expert body Commission for Agricultural Costs and
Prices (CACP).
 Cooperatives - National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) and
National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF) - would continue to act as central
nodal agencies to undertake price support operations at the MSP in the coconut growing states.
MINIMUM SUPPORT PRIC E (MSP)
 MSP is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to insure agricultural producers
against any sharp fall in farm prices.
 The minimum support prices are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the
sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural
Costs and Prices (CACP).
 The minimum support prices are a guarantee price for their produce from the Government.
 The major objectives are to support the farmers from distress sales and to procure food grains for
public distribution.
 In case the market price for the commodity falls below the announced minimum price due to bumper
production and glut in the market, government agencies purchase the entire quantity offered by the
farmers at the announced minimum price.
 The prices are decided by CCEA on the basis of recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural
Costs and Prices (CACP).
2.38 BODIES RELATED TO AGRICULTURE MARKETING
Why in news
There was a hike in the MSP of Copra as per the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs
& Prices (CACP). National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) and
National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF) act as central nodal agencies to
undertake price support operations at the MSP in the coconut growing states.
COMMISSION FOR AGRIC ULTURAL COSTS AND PRICES (CACP)

 The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) is an attached office of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
 It came into existence in January 1965.
 It is mandated to recommend minimum support prices (MSPs) to incentivize the cultivators to adopt
modern technology, and raise productivity and overall grain production in line with the emerging demand
patterns in the country.
Composition
 Currently, the Commission comprises a Chairman, Member Secretary, one Member (Official) and two
Members (Non-Official).
 The non-official members are representatives of the farming community and usually have an active
association with the farming community.
Commodities covered
 As of now, CACP recommends MSPs of 23 commodities, which comprise
o 7 cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, barley and ragi)

o 5 pulses (gram, tur, moong, urad, lentil)
o 7 oilseeds (groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soyabean, seasmum, sunflower, safflower, nigerseed)
o 4 commercial crops (copra, sugarcane, cotton and raw jute)
Method of MSP determination
 CACP submits its recommendations to the government in the form of Price Policy Reports every
year, separately for five groups of commodities namely Kharif crops, Rabi crops, Sugarcane, Raw Jute
and Copra.
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of the Union government takes a final decision on
the level of MSPs and other recommendations made by CACP.
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE CONSUMERS' FEDERATIO N OF INDIA LIMITED (NCCF)
 NCCF was established in 1965 to function as the apex body of consumer

cooperatives in the country.
 It is registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002.
 It operates through a network of 29 Branch Offices located in different parts of
the country.
 NCCF Headquarters is situated in New Delhi.
 The management of NCCF vests in the Board of Directors.
 The ultimate authority of NCCF vests in the hands of the General Body.
NATIONAL AGRICULTURA L COOPERATIVE MARKETING FEDERATION OF INDIA LIMITED (NAFED)
 NAFED is the national level marketing agency for agricultural products in the Cooperative Sector.
 NAFED was established on 2nd October 1958.
 Nafed is registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies
Act.
 Nafed was setup with the object to promote Co-operative
marketing of Agricultural Produce to benefit the farmers.
 Agricultural farmers are the main members of Nafed, who have the
authority to say in the form of members of the General Body in the
working of Nafed.
 The objectives of the NAFED shall be:
o to organize, promote and develop marketing, processing and storage of agricultural,
horticultural and forest produce,
o distribution of agricultural machinery, implements and other inputs,
o undertake inter-state, import and export trade, wholesale or retail as the case may be and
o To act and assist for technical advice in agricultural, production for the promotion and the working
of its members, partners, associates and cooperative marketing, processing and supply societies in
India.
SMALL FARMERS’ AGRIB USINESS CONSORTIUM (SFAC)
 Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is an

Autonomous Society promoted by Ministry of Agriculture,
Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.
 It was registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860
on 18th January, 1994
 The Society is also registered as Non-Banking Financial
Institution by Reserve Bank of India.
 The Society is governed by Board of Management which is
chaired, ex-officio, by Hon’ble Union Minister for Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare as the President and the Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and
Farmers Welfare, Government of India, is the ex-officio Vice-President.
 The role of State SFACs is to aggressively promote agribusiness project development in their
respective States.
 The main functions of SFAC are:
o Promotion of development of small agribusiness through Venture Capital Assistance
(VCA)scheme;
o Helping formation and growth of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) / Farmer Producer
Companies (FPCs);
o Improving availability of working capital and development of business activities of FPOs/FPCs
through Equity Grant and Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme (EGCGS);
o Implementation of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Electronic Trading platform.
2.39 BANK BOARDS BUREAU

Why in News?
The Banks Board Bureau (BBB), a body set up by the government for holistic makeover of the banks, is
likely to shut down in March 2018. The tenure of all its members will come to an end on March 31,
2018.
About Bank Boards Bureau (BBB)

 The BBB was set up under the government’s Indradanush programme to reform public sector banks
(PSBs).
 It started operations in April 2016 as an autonomous recommendatory body.
 The BBB was conceived by the PJ Nayak committee and was seen as a step taken towards reforming
the boards of public sector banks.
 The committee, in its report, had recommended that the government should distance itself from the
appointment process of top management and board members of PSBs — a function that could be
performed by the BBB.
 Headed by former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai, BBB has representatives from
government and RBI apart from independent banking professionals.
Functions of the Banks Board Bureau:

 selection and appointment of Board of Directors in PSBs and Financial Institutions (Whole-time
Directors and Non-Executive Chairman);
 Advising the central government in matters of banking governance at the higher levels and their
training and management.
 Building a data bank containing data relating to the performance of PSBs/FIs, its senior management
and the Board of Directors and share the same with Government;
 To help banks in terms of developing business strategies and capital raising plan etc.
2.40 COMPETITION COMMISSION OF INDIA

Why in News?
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a fine of Rs. 136 crore on search engine major
Google for unfair business practices in the Indian market for online search. The penalty is being imposed
on Google for “infringing anti-trust conduct”.
Background
It was alleged that Google is indulging in abuse of dominant position in the
market for online search through practices leading to search bias and
search manipulation, among others.
About Competition Commission of India

 CCI is quasi-judicial statutory body established under The
Competition Act, 2002.

 It was established in October 2003 and became fully functional in May 2009.
 It aims to eliminate practices that adversely affect competition in different industries and protect
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.
 CCI consists of a Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government.
2.41 ONGC VIDESH LIMITED
Why in News?
ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) and its partners have acquired a 10 per cent in a large offshore oilfield in Abu
Dhabi for USD 600 million.
About ONGC Videsh Limited

 ONGC Videsh Ltd., a Miniratna Schedule “A” Central Public Sector
Enterprise (CPSE) of the Government of India is under the administrative
control of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
 It is the wholly owned subsidiary and overseas arm of Oil and Natural
Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), the flagship national oil company of
India.
 The primary business of ONGC Videsh is to prospect for oil and gas
acreages outside India, including exploration, development and production of oil and gas.
 ONGC Videsh has stake in 39 oil and gas projects in 18 Countries.
 ONGC Videsh has produced about 23.4% of oil and 18.9% of India’s domestic oil and natural gas
production respectively in FY’17.
 In terms of reserves and production, ONGC Videsh is the second largest petroleum Company of India,
next only to its parent ONGC.
2.42 NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE FOR PORTS, WATERWAYS AND COASTS (NTCPWC)
Why in News
Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga
Rejuvenation laid the foundation stone for setting up of a National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways
and Coasts (NTCPWC), at IIT Chennai.
More about News

 NTCPWC is being set up under the Shipping Ministry’s flagship programme Sagarmala.
 The centre will act as a technology arm of the Ministry of Shipping for providing engineering and
technological inputs and support for Ports, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and other
institutions.
 It will carry on applied research in the areas of 2D and 3D Modelling of ocean, coastal and estuarine
flows, sediment transport and morphodynamics, navigation and maneuvering, dredging and siltation,
port and coastal engineering-structures and breakwaters, autonomous platforms and vehicles,
experimental and CFD modeling of flow and hull interaction, hydrodynamics of multiple hulls and ocean
renewable energy.
 The centre will provide indigenous software and technology, make technical guidelines and
standards and address port and maritime issues with models and simulations.
 The centre will not only help generate new technology and innovations but also work towards their
successful commercialization.
 It will provide learning opportunities for the people working in Ministry of Shipping.
 NTCPWC is being set up at a cost of Rs 70.53 crore to be shared by Ministry of Shipping, IWAI and the
Major Ports.
 The setting up of NTCPWC would give a boost to the development of indigenous technology relevant
to the port and maritime sector in India.

 This would also be a major shot in the arm for the Government’s ‘Make in India” programme, and
provide a push to its Sagar Mala programme.
2.43 NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL

Why in News?
The National Productivity Council observed National Productivity Day on February 12th.
Key Facts
 It is the 60th Anniversary of the National Productivity Council and is being celebrated as Diamond
Jubilee Year.
 "Industry 4.0 Leapfrog Opportunity for India” has been selected as the theme for the National
Productivity Week -2018.
 Industry 4.0 or the fourth industrial revolution as it is called, is emerging globally as a powerful force
and is being called as the next industrial revolution.
 It is characterized by the increasing digitization and interconnection of products, value chains
and business models.
Four Industrial Revolutions
About National Productivity Council

 NPC is national level organization to promote productivity culture in India.
 Established by the Ministry of Industry, Government of India in 1958, it is an autonomous,
multipartite, non-profit organization with equal representation from employers’ & workers’
organizations and Government, apart from technical & professional institutions and other interests.
 NPC is a constituent of the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an Inter-Governmental
Body, of which the Government of India is a founder member.
 NPC teams up with its clients to work out solutions towards accelerating productivity, enhancing
competitiveness, increasing profits, augmenting safety and reliability and ensuring better quality.
 The Union Minister for Industry is the President of the NPC, and the Secretary (Industrial Policy
and Promotion) is its Chairman.

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3 WORLD AFFAIRS
WORLD AFFAIRS: ISSUES
3.1 EIU DEMOCRACY INDEX
Why in news?
India has slipped to 42nd place on the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual Global Democracy Index.
World Affairs
Key Facts
 The decrease in rank of India is attributed to the rise of conservative religious ideologies and increase
in vigilantism and violence against minorities as well as other dissenting voices.
 India has moved down from 32nd place last year and remains classified among "flawed democracies".
 Top three positions occupied by the Scandinavian countries- Norway, Iceland and Sweden.
 Despite India's dip in the ranking, it remained the top in South Asia region.
 Those named as "authoritarian regimes" include China (139th), Myanmar (120th), Russia (135th) and
Vietnam (140th).
 North Korea is ranked the lowest at 167th, while Syria is a notch better at 166th place.
About Global Democracy Index (GDI)

 The index ranks 165 independent states and 2 territories on basis of 60 indicators grouped in five
different categories viz. electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, the functioning of government,
political participation and political culture.
 It categories countries into four broad categories viz. full democracy, flawed democracy, hybrid regime
and authoritarian regime based on their score on a scale from 0 to 10.
 It is released by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) – analysis wing The Economist Magazine.
3.2 GLOBAL CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX

Why in News?
India has been ranked 81st in the global corruption perception index for 2017, released by
Transparency International.
Key Facts
 This year, the index found that more than two-thirds of countries score below 50, with an average score
of 43.
 This year, New Zealand and Denmark rank highest with scores of 89 and 88 respectively.
 Syria, South Sudan and Somalia rank lowest with scores of 14, 12 and 9 respectively.
 The best performing region is Western Europe with an average score of 66.
 The worst performing regions are Sub-Saharan Africa (average score 32) and Eastern Europe and
Central Asia (average score 34).
 In the latest ranking New Zealand and Denmark were placed the highest.
 On the other hand, Somalia was ranked lowest followed by South Sudan and Syria respectively.
Facts related to India What kind of Questions to

 India has been ranked 81st in the global corruption perception index for expect (2014 Prelims)
2017 out of 180 countries.
 In 2016, India was in the 79th place among 176 countries.
 India’s score is 40 in in the latest ranking..
 India was among the countries named "worst offenders" in terms of graft
and press freedom in the Asia Pacific region.
About Global Corruption Perception Index

 The index ranks 180 countries and territories (divided into 5 main
regions) by their perceived levels of public sector corruption.
 Various regions:
o Asia Pacific
o Sub-Saharan Africa

o Middle East & Northern Africa
o Americas
o Europe & Central Asia
 The index uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.
World Affairs: Issues

TRANSPARENCY INTERNA TIONAL (TI)
 Transparency International is an international non-governmental organization which is based in
Berlin, Germany and founded in 1993.
 Its purpose is to take action to combat global corruption and prevent
criminal activities arising from corruption.
 Transparency International consists of chapters – locally
established, independent organisations – that address corruption in
their respective countries.
 It publishes the Global Corruption Barometer, the Corruption
Perceptions Index and the Global Corruption Report.
3.3 OPERATION CACTUS

Why in News?
The ongoing political crisis in the Maldives has expectedly raised concerns in India over the stability of
this important island nation. 30 years ago, in 1988, an intervention by the Indian armed forces -
codenamed 'Operation Cactus' - trounced an attempted coup on the island nation.
About Operation Cactus

 In 1988, a Maldivian group led by Abdullah Luthufi attempted to overthrow the government in Maldives.
 The group was aided by armed mercenaries of the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam
(PLOTE), a Sri Lankan Tamil secessionist organisation.
 Then-President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who was able to escape capture, requested military
intervention from several countries, including India.
 Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi responded to Gayoom's call, dispatching paratroopers and naval warships
to the island nation.
 Operation Cactus started on the night of 3 November 1988, hours after the request for intervention.
 The Indian paratroopers rescued the President and soon returned control of the capital to the Maldivian
government. Some of the mercenaries were captured and handed over to the government.
About Maldives
 The Maldives officially the Republic of Maldives, is a South
Asian island country, located in the Indian Ocean, situated
in the Arabian Sea.
 It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India.
 Comprising a territory spanning roughly 298 square
kilometres (115 sq mi), the Maldives is one of the world's
most geographically dispersed countries, as well as
the smallest Asian country by both land area and population,
with around 427,756 inhabitants.
 Malé is the capital and most populated city, traditionally
called the "King's Island" for its central location.
 The Maldives archipelago is located atop the Chagos-
Maldives-Laccadive Ridge, a vast submarine mountain range
in the Indian Ocean, which also forms a terrestrial ecoregion,
together with the Chagos and the Lakshadweep.

3.4 GRAND COLLAR OF THE STATE OF PALESTINE
Why in News?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the ‘Grand Collar of the State of Palestine’ by President
Mahmoud Abbas, recognizing his key contribution to promote relations between India and Palestine.
Mr. Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to make an official visit to Palestine.
About Grand Collar of the State of Palestine

 The Grand Collar is the highest order given in Palestine to foreign dignitaries — Kings, Heads of
State/Government and persons of similar rank.
 It has in the past been awarded to King Salman of Saudi Arabia, King Hamad of Bahrain, President Xi
Jinping of China, amongst others.
PALESTINE
 Palestine, officially the State of Palestine is a de jure sovereign state in the Middle East claiming
the West Bank (bordering Israel and Jordan) and Gaza Strip (bordering Israel and Egypt) with East
Jerusalem as the designated capital although its administrative center is located in Ramallah.
 Most of the areas claimed by the State of Palestine have been occupied by Israel since 1967 in the
consequence of the Six-Day War.
 The State of Palestine is recognized by 136 UN members and since 2012 has a status of a non-
member observer state in the United Nations – which amounts to a de facto, or implicit, recognition
of statehood.
 It is a member of the Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), G77, and
the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
3.5 THAR LINK EXPRESS

Why in news?
The Thar Link Express that connects Khokhrapar in Pakistan and Munabao in Rajasthan received an
extension for three more years from 1 February 2018 to 31 January 2021.
About Thar Link Express

 The weekly train connects Jodhpur and the bordering region of Rajasthan with the province of Sindh
in Pakistan.
 It is the second rail link between India and Pakistan.
 The Munabao-Khokhrapar link was destroyed during the 1965 war between the two countries. The
service was revived after 41 years in February 2006.
 The agreement to run the Thar Link Express was signed in 2006 and is one of the cheapest means of
transport between the two rival countries.
 The rail link facilitates people-to-people
Samjhauta Express
contacts which are essential for improving
 Commonly called the Friend Express, is a twice-
relations between both the countries.
weekly train (Wednesday and Sunday) that runs
Trans-border trains between India and Pakistan between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in
The two sides currently have only two trans- Pakistan.
border trains.
 The word Samjhauta means "agreement",
 The Samjhauta Express operates on the Delhi-
"accord" and "compromise" in
Lahore route via the Attari-Wagah border
crossing and carries both passengers and both Hindi and Urdu.
freight.  Until the reopening of the Thar Express, this was
 The Thar Express links Jodhpur and Karachi the only rail connection between the two
via the Munabao-Khokhrapar border crossing countries.
and carries only passengers.

3.6 UN COMPREHENSIVE REFUGEE RESPONSE FRAMEWORK (CRRF)
Why in News?
Tanzania has decided to withdraw from UN refugee programme for reasons of security and lack of funds.
Tanzania has long been considered a safe haven for refugees, particularly from Burundi and the Democratic
Republic of Congo.

About UN Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF):
 The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, also known as New York Declaration, which
was adopted by all 193 Member States of the United Nations in September 2016, sets out the elements
of a Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF).
 The Declaration requests UNHCR to work closely with States and all relevant stakeholders towards
its implementation and further development in situations involving large movements of refugees.
 The CRRF specifies key elements for a comprehensive response to any large movement of refugees.
These include:
1. rapid and well-supported reception and admission measures;
2. Support for immediate and ongoing needs (e.g. protection, health, education);
3. assistance to national/local institutions and communities receiving refugees and
investment in the resilience of refugees and local communities (livelihoods); and
4. Expanded opportunities for durable solutions.
 The CRRF provides lasting solutions for refugees, including integration into host communities.
 Its approach is based on the idea that refugees should be included in their host communities.
 According to framework, once refugees get access to education and right to work legally, they can develop
their own skills and be more self-reliant, contributing to local economy.
LOCATION OF TANZANIA
 Tanzania is a sovereign
state in eastern Africa
within the African Great
Lakes region.
 It borders Kenya and
Uganda to the north;
Rwanda, Burundi, and
the Democratic Republic
of the Congo to the west;
Zambia, Malawi, and
Mozambique to the south;
and the Indian Ocean to
the east.
 Mount Kilimanjaro,
Africa’s highest mountain,
is in north-eastern
Tanzania.
3.7 UN PEACEKEEPING MISSION

Why in News?
The Indian Army, one of the largest contributors to United Nations Peacekeeping Missions, is contributing
approximately 2300 personnel to support United Nations Peacekeeping Missions to South Sudan
(UNMISS) in order to bring peace and normalcy in the war-torn country.
More about News

 It includes deployment of seven Garhwal Rifles Infantry battalion group of the Indian Army.
 The deployment of Indian peacekeepers in South Sudan is under Chapter VII which entails Peace
Enforcement.

India and UNMISS:
 The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is the newest UN Peacekeeping Mission.
 India, with 2,237 troops, is the highest contributor in terms of troops to UNMISS.
 In addition to India, 53 nations from around the world have contributed troops to the peacekeeping
mission.
About UN Peacekeeping:
 United Nations Peacekeeping was created in 1948.

 Its first mission involved the establishment of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), which
served to observe and maintain ceasefire during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
 UN Peacekeeping maintains three basic principles:
1. Consent of the parties,
2. Impartiality and non-use of Force except in self-defence and
3. Defence of the mandate.
 The UN Peacekeepers are led by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).
 UN Peacekeepers are from diverse backgrounds, from areas all around the world. They include police,
military and civilian personnel.
 UN Peacekeepers are often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets
or helmets.
 The UN Peacekeeping Force won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988.
 The United Nations Charter gives the United Nations Security Council the power and responsibility to
take collective action to maintain international peace and security. For this reason, the international
community usually looks to the Security Council to authorize peacekeeping operations.
South Sudan
Refer to Section 4.14

3.8 INDIA-BANGLADESH 'FRIENDSHIP GATE' AND IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL
BOUNDARIES OF INDIA
Why in News?
Meghalaya Governor inaugurated the "Friendship Gate" constructed with an aim to have a Wagah-like
beating retreat ceremony for the Indian and Bangladesh border guards. The Friendship Gate has been
World Affairs: Institutions

constructed near Integrated Check post (ICP) Dawki, 90 km South of capital Shillong on border with
Bangladesh.
Important International Borders of India

Wagah Border Punjab (India- Pakistan)
Moreh Manipur (India- Myanmar)- India-Myanmar friendship gate
Nathu La Pass Sikkim (India- China)
Attari Punjab (India- Pakistan)
Longewala Rajasthan (India- Pakistan)
Dawki-Tamabil Meghalaya (India- Bangladesh)
Jaigaon West Bengal (India – Bhutan)
WORLD AFFAIRS: INSTITUTIONS

3.9 G7
Why in News?
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary on February 23 decided to put Pakistan back on the “grey
list,” subjecting it to direct monitoring and intense scrutiny by the International Co-operation Review Group
(ICRG) on terror financing, pending further review in June. FATF is an initiative of G7.
What is it?
 The Group of Seven (G-7) is a forum of the world's seven most industrialized economies viz. Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US.
 The G-6 was formed in 1975 and consisted of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the
United Kingdom; Canada was invited to join the group in 1976.
 Russia made the G-7 into the G-8 from 1998 to 2014. In 2014, Russia was suspended from the group
after the annexation of Crimea and tensions in Ukraine.
G-7 Summit
 G-7 officials meet to discuss international economic and monetary issues on an annual basis in a
rotating member country.
 The European Union is also represented at the G7 summit
 The first meeting with all G-7 nations was held in Puerto Rico in 1976, hosted by the United States.
 The 43rd G7 summit was held in Taormina, Italy in May 2017.
 The44th G7 summit will be held on June 8 and 9, 2018 in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada.
3.10 FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE (FATF)

Why in News?
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary on February 23 decided to put Pakistan back on the “grey
list,” subjecting it to direct monitoring and intense scrutiny by the International Co-operation Review Group
(ICRG) on terror financing, pending further review in June.
More about News
 Pakistan was previously on the grey list for three years from 2012 to
2015.
 Pakistan will, under a “Compliance Document,” now be required to
furnish a fresh report to the International Co-operation Review Group

(ICRG).
About FATF
 The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental
body established in 1989 on the initiative of the G7.
 It is a “policy-making body” which works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national
legislative and regulatory reforms in various areas of international financial system.
 FATF Plenary acts as the decision making body of FATF and it meets three times a year.
Objectives
 Set standards and take measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other
related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
 Monitor the progress of its members in implementing necessary measures.
 Reviews money laundering and terrorist financing techniques and counter-measures.
 In collaboration with other international stakeholders, the FATF works to identify national-level
vulnerabilities with the aim of protecting the international financial system from misuse.
3.11 ASHGABAT AGREEMENT

Why in News?
India has joined the Ashgabat agreement which envisages setting up of an international transport and
transit corridor between Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
More about News

 Turkmenistan, as depository State of Ashgabat Agreement, informed India that all the four founding
members have consented to the accession of India (to the agreement).
 India's accession to the Agreement will enter into force on 3 February 2018.
 Accession to the Agreement would diversify India's connectivity options with Central Asia and have
a positive influence on India's trade and commercial ties with the region.
 Upon receipt of approval of the Union Cabinet for India's accession to the Ashgabat Agreement, India
had deposited the Instrument of Accession with Turkmenistan in April 2016.
About Ashgabat agreement

 Ashgabat agreement is an International transport and transit corridor facilitating transportation of
goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.
Note: Ashgabat is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan in Central Asia, situated between the
Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag mountain range.
 The Ashgabat Agreement, aims to develop a shortest trade route between Central Asian countries
and Iranian and Omani ports.
 The transit agreement provides for a transit corridor across Central Asia and the Middle East through
the continuous landmass between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran before reaching
the Persian Gulf and into Oman.
 The agreement was initially signed among Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Oman and Qatar back in
April 2011.
 Qatar had withdrawn from the agreement in 2013.
 Kazakhstan has joined this arrangement subsequently.
 Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan (ITK) railway line will be the major route according to the Ashgabat
Agreement, which became operational in 2014.

3.12 INDIA-UN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP FUND
Why in News?
India has contributed additional $1 million to India-UN Development Partnership Fund, earmarked for
South-South cooperation. The contribution aims to intensify its partnerships with other developing
countries in south.

Background
 India has pledged multi-year contribution of $100 million to the fund established in June 2017.
 India has already provided $6 million within the seven months since launch of fund.
About India-UN Development Partnership Fund

 The India-UN Development Partnership Fund is a dedicated facility within the United Nations Fund for
South-South Cooperation established in 2017.
 It is supported and led by India, managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation
(UNOSSC), and implemented in collaboration with the United Nations system.
 The Fund supports Southern-owned and led, demand-driven, and transformational sustainable
development projects across the developing world, with a focus on least developed countries (LDCs)
and Small Island developing states (SIDS).
 United Nations agencies implement the Funds projects in close collaboration with partnering
governments.
 Its first project is a Climate Early Warning System for Pacific Island Countries.
3.13 UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION (UNOSSC)
 The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC)

was established with an objective to promote, coordinate and
support South-South and triangular cooperation across the world
and within the United Nations system.
 UNOSSC has its genesis in 1974 when the United Nations General
Assembly endorsed the establishment of a special unit to promote
technical cooperation among developing countries within the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
 In 2012, the special unit was given the name UNOSSC by the General
Assembly through a resolution.
 UNOSSC receives policy directives and guidance from the
General Assembly.
Note
 South-South cooperation is a broad framework of collaboration among developing countries of the
South in the spheres of political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and technical domains.
3.14 WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

Why in News?
Sweden has singed Strategic Partnership Agreement with United Nations for committing record $370 million
dollars to UN World Food Programme.
More about News

 The contribution is for next four years i.e. 2018-2021.
 It is the biggest ever contribution made by donor within a WFP Strategic Partnership Agreement.
 Sweden has been the largest donor of flexible and predictable funds to WFP for almost a decade.

About World Food Programme (WFP)
 Assisting 80 million people in around 80
countries each year, the World Food Programme (WFP)
is the leading humanitarian organization fighting
hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in
emergencies and working with communities to

improve nutrition and build resilience.
 It was established in 1961 after the 1960 Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Conference.
 It is headquartered in Rome (Italy) and has more than 80 country offices around the world.
 WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special
operations.
 WFP is governed by a 36-member Executive Board.
 It works closely with its two Rome-based sister organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) of the UN and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
 WFP partners with more than 1,000 national and international NGOs to provide food assistance and
tackle the underlying causes of hunger.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION (FAO)
 The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is specialized agency

of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat
hunger.
 It was established in 1945 with the objective of eliminating hunger
and improving nutrition and standards of living by increasing
agricultural productivity.
 It’s secretariat in Rome, Italy.
 Its motto is “Let there be bread”.
 FAO’s aim is to achieve food security for all and make sure that
people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead
active, healthy lives.
 With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
 FAO meet the demands posed by major global trends in agricultural development and challenges faced
by member nations.
 It helps countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices,
ensuring good nutrition and food security for all.
3.15 INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (IFAD)

Why in News
According to the ‘One Family at a Time’ study conducted by the UN International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), Indians working across the world had sent home USD 62.7 billion in 2016 making
India the top remittance-receiving country surpassing China.
More about IFAD

 The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a
specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an
international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major
outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference.
 IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing
countries.
 Its goal is to empower poor rural men and women in developing
countries to achieve higher incomes and improved food security.
 IFAD is managed by the two main governing bodies i.e. the
Governing Council and the Executive Board.
 The Governing Council is the highest decision-making body of IFAD.

3.16 ILO RECOMMENDATION NO: 205 AND ILO
Why in News?
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for placing the new Instrument adopted by International Labour
Organization (ILO) Recommendation concerning “The Employment and Decent Work for Peace and
Resilience (No.-205)” before the Parliament.

Background
 The International Labour Conference of ILO at its 106th Session
held in Geneva in June, 2015 adopted the Recommendation.
 India supported the adoption of Recommendation.
 Each member state of ILO is required to submit the instruments
so adopted before the competent authority (the Parliament in
case of India).
 The adoption and placing of the Instrument for the information of the Parliament does not create any
immediate obligation.
 An ILO Recommendations is a non-binding instrument which seeks to serve as a guiding principle
for national policy process.
About the Recommendation No. - 205

 The Recommendation provides guidance to member States on the measures to be taken to generate
employment and decent work for the purposes of prevention, recovery, peace and resilience with
respect to crisis situations arising from conflicts and disasters.
 It also emphasizes the need to ensure respect for all human rights and the rule of law, including
respect for fundamental principles and rights at work and for international labour standards, in
particular those rights and principles relevant to employment and decent work.
 It states that Members should adopt a phased multi-track approach implementing coherent and
comprehensive strategies for promoting peace, preventing crises, enabling recovery and building
resilience.
 The Recommendation No. 205 is applicable to all workers and jobseekers, and to all employers, in
all sectors of the economy affected by crisis situations arising from conflicts and disasters and to
workers engaged in crisis response, including in the immediate response.
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION (ILO)
 The International Labour Organisation was created in 1919 by the Versailles Peace Treaty ending
World War I.
 After the demise of the League of Nations, the ILO became the first specialized agency associated with
the UN.
 The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the United Nations agency for the world of work.
 It sets international labour standards, promotes rights at work and encourages decent
employment opportunities, the enhancement of social protection and the strengthening of
dialogue on work-related issues.
 Unlike other United Nations specialized agencies, the ILO has a tripartite governing structure –
representing governments, employers, and workers.
 The ILO has 187 member States.
Organizational Structure
 The ILO’s Secretariat has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and a global network of technical
experts and field offices in more than 40 countries.
 The International Labour Conference (ILC) meets once a year to adopt new international labour
standards and to approve the ILO’s work plan and budget.
 The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO and meets three times a year in Geneva.
 In 1988, the international labour conference adopted the ― “Declaration on Fundamental Principles
and Rights at Work”. It aims to eliminate all forms of forced or compulsory labour, abolition of child
labour and the elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation.

3.17 NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Why in news?
Negotiators from the U.S., Mexico and Canada open a new round of talks Sunday on overhauling the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

More about NAFTA
 The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a comprehensive trade agreement that sets the
rules of trade and investment between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
 It entered into force on January 1, 1994.
 NAFTA was supplemented by two other regulations: the North American Agreement on Environmental
Cooperation (NAAEC) and the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC). These side
agreements were intended to prevent businesses from relocating to other countries to exploit lower
wages, lenient worker health and safety regulations and looser environmental regulations.
 The agreement eliminated most tariffs on trade between these nations.
3.18 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN IN RADIO AND TELEVISION (IAWRT)

Why in News?
India’s first radio festival was recently held in Delhi.
More about News

 The festival was organised by the International
Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT),
in collaboration with UNESCO.
 The event touched on the 2018’s theme of World Radio
Day – sports and radio – and traced the journey of
creativity, music and social changes on the radio.
About IAWRT:
 IAWRT is a global organization formed by professional women working in electronic and allied
media with a mission to strengthen initiatives towards ensuring women’s views and values are integral
part of programming and to advance the impact of women in media.
 IAWRT organizes conferences, implements projects undertakes activities collaborates with and media
organizations.
 It is in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
 IAWRT is managed by international board, which oversees funding initiatives for a number of local
chapters and member activities.

3.19 GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS (GANHRI)
Why in News
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has retained its ‘A’ status of accreditation given by
Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) for fourth consecutive term.
More about News

 The Sub Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of GANHRIs had recommended that NHRC be reaccredited
with “A” status.
 NHRC was awarded ‘A’ status for first time in 1999 which it retained in 2006 and 2011 reviews.
 The accreditation is given to those human rights institutions, which after rigorous process of review
every five years are found fully compliant with UN-mandated Paris Principles.
 ‘A’ status accreditation also grants participation in the work and decision-making of the GANHRI, as
well as the work of the Human Rights Council and other UN mechanisms.
About GANHRI
 The Global Alliance for National Human Rights
Institutions (GANHRI), is a global network of national human
rights institutions (NHRIs) – administrative bodies set up to
promote, protect and monitor human rights in a given country.
 It was formerly known as the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights
Institutions (ICC).
 It is unique as the only non-UN body whose internal accreditation system, based on compliance
with the 1993 Paris Principles, grants access to UN committees.
Functions
 It Facilitates and supports NHRI engagement with the UN Human Rights Council and Treaty Bodies.
 It undertakes accreditation of NHRIs in accordance with the Paris Principles.
 It promotes the role of NHRIs within the United Nations and with States and other international
agencies.
 Offers capacity building, assists NHRIs under threat and assist the governments to establish NHRIs.
GANHRI ACCREDITATION SYSTEM

 The GANHRI accreditation system has evolved and been strengthened over past years, guided by the
principles of transparency, rigor and independence.
 NHRIs are reviewed on periodic basis of 5 years, appeal process for NHRIs to ensure greater transparency
and due process, more rigorous review of each application, more focused recommendations and wider
distribution.
 Accreditation confers international recognition, and protection, of the NHRI and its compliance with
the Paris Principles.
 A status accreditation also grants participation in the work and decision-making of the GANHRI, as
well as the work of the Human Rights Council and other UN mechanisms.
Levels of accreditation
 There are currently three levels of accreditation:
 “A” Voting member : complies fully with the Paris Principles
 “B” Observer member: does not fully comply with the Paris Principles or has not yet submitted
sufficient documentation to make that determination
 “C” Non-member: does not comply with the Paris Principles
PARIS PRINCIPLES
 The United Nations Paris Principles provide the international benchmarks against which national
human rights institutions (NHRIs) can be accredited by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights
Institutions (GANHRI).

 Adopted in 1993 by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Paris Principles require NHRIs
to:
o Protect human rights, including by receiving, investigating and resolving complaints, mediating
conflicts and monitoring activities; and
o Promote human rights, through education, outreach, the media, publications, training and
capacity building, as well as advising and assisting the Government.
 The Paris Principles set out six main criteria that NHRIs require to meet:
World Affairs: Events

o Mandate and competence: a broad mandate, based on universal human rights norms and
standards;
o Autonomy from Government;
o Independence guaranteed by statute or Constitution;
o Pluralism;
o Adequate resources; and
o Adequate powers of investigation.
3.20 WORLD STEEL ASSOCIATION (WSA)

Why in News?
According to recent report published by World Steel Association (WSA), India has overtaken US to become
the world’s third largest steel producer in 2017.
Key Facts
 India's crude steel production grew by 6.2 per cent to 101.4 million tonnes (MT) in 2017 compared to
95.5 MT in the previous year.
 China is the largest global steel producer, followed by Japan.
About World Steel Association (WSA)

 WSA is a non-profit organisation.
 The World Steel Association (worldsteel) was founded as the International Iron and Steel Institute on
10 July 1967. It changed its name to the World Steel Association on 6 October 2008.
 Its headquartered is in Brussels, Belgium.
 It is one of the largest industry associations in world. Its members represent approximately 85% of
the world’s steel production.
 It includes over 160 steel producers with 9 of the 10 largest steel companies, national and regional steel
industry associations, and steel research institutes.
WORLD AFFAIRS: EVENTS

3.21 SOUTH ASIA REGION PUBLIC PROCUREMENT CONFERENCE
Why in News?
The Fifth edition of South Asia Region Public Procurement Conference was held in New Delhi.
About the conference

 It was hosted by the Government of India (GOI), through the Public Procurement Division (PPD) of
Ministry of Finance and All India Management Association (AIMA).
 The theme of the Fifth Conference is “Public Procurement and Service Delivery”.
 The objective of the Conference is to enable the Heads of Public Procurement and other key
stakeholders in the eight South Asian countries to meet and learn from one another and from
experts in the field of public procurement.
 The Conference is held under the auspices of the South Asia Region Public Procurement Network
(SARPPN), which is sponsored and facilitated by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and
Islamic Development Bank.
 The First Conference was held in Kathmandu in 2010, the second in Islamabad in 2014, the third in
Dhaka 2015 and the fourth in Sri Lanka 2017.

 8 South Asian countries are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and
Afghanistan
3.22 WORLD GOVERNMENT SUMMIT

Why in News?
The sixth Edition of World Government Summit will be held in in Dubai, UAE.

About World Government Summit
 The World Government Summit is a non-government body that aspires to improve the lives of citizens
across the world by empowering organizations with the knowledge to shape a better future.
 Each year, the Summit sets the agenda for the next generation of governments with a focus on how they
can harness innovation and technology to solve universal challenges facing humanity.
 It functions as a thought leadership platform and networking hub for policymakers, experts, and
pioneers in human development.
 The Annual Gathering of the World Government Summit is an annual convention of the Summit.
 Taking place in February at the iconic Madinat Jumeirah, the annual gathering is a global platform
dedicated to the enhancement of government around the world.
3.23 JANADRIYAH FESTIVAL

Why in News?
Saudi Arabia is celebrating the annual Janadriyah festival. Giving due recognition to the strategic
partnership, close ties and historical linkages between the two countries, for the first time, India was
accorded the ‘Guest of Honour’ status at the Festival.
Key Facts
 Janadriyah is the annual national heritage and culture
festival of Saudi Arabia, named after the village on the
northern outskirts of Riyadh.
 The festival encourages Saudis to celebrate their heritage
and to bolster cultural exchange.
 The festival was begun in 1985 under the patronage of the
ruling monarch.
 2018 marks the 32nd edition of the festival.
 Organised every year by the Saudi National Guard, a
primary goal of this festival is to highlight Saudi Arabia's
Islamic identity, display its national heritage and help preserve it for generations to come.
 It also aims to acquaint its people with the cultures of other countries. For this purpose, every year
the country nominates a "Guest of Honour" at its festival.
SAUDI ARABIA
 Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is

a sovereign Arab state in Western Asia constituting the bulk of
the Arabian Peninsula.
 Saudi Arabia is geographically the fifth-largest state in Asia and
second-largest state in the Arab world after Algeria.
 Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the
north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain and the United
Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast and Yemen to
the south.
 It is separated from Israel and Egypt by the Gulf of Aqaba.
 It is the only nation with both a Red Sea coast and a Persian
Gulf coast and most of its terrain consists of arid desert and
mountains.

3.24 WORLD SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT 2018
Why in News?
The Prime Minister inaugurated 18th edition of World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) at
Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
Key Facts

 WSDS is the flagship forum of
The Energy and Resources
Institute (TERI).
 It seeks to bring together on
a common platform, global
leaders and thinkers in the
fields of sustainable
development, energy and
environment sectors.
 The theme of the Summit this
year is ‘Partnerships for a
Resilient Planet’.
 WSDS 2018 seeks to create
action frameworks to resolve
some of the most urgent challenges facing developing economies in the backdrop of climate change.
 The ‘Greenovation Exhibition’ at WSDS 2018 will showcase the latest technological advancements to
meet Sustainable Development Goals.
3.25 INDIA-UK WATER QUALITY PROGRAMME

Why in News?
United Kingdom and India have launched joint research projects on ‘Water Quality Research’ and ‘Energy
Demand Reduction in Built Environment’.
More about News

 The ‘Water Quality Research’ programme has 8 projects and ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built
Environment’ programme has 4 projects, with total joint investment of up to £15 million.
 These projects aim to deliver mutual benefits and research solutions not only to UK and India but
also to address shared global sustainable development goals – clean water and clean energy.
About India-UK water quality programme

 This India-UK water quality programme is supported jointly by Department of Science and Technology
(DST) in India and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council (EPSRC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in UK.
 It aims to equip local communities, policymakers, regulators and businesses with information and
solutions they need to secure provision of clean water, rejuvenate rivers and restore ecosystems.
3.26 WORLD CONGRESS ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (WCIT) 2018 AND WITSA

Why in News?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated World Information Technology Congress (WITC) 2018 in
Hyderabad, Telangana via video conference.
Key Facts
 The theme of this edition of conference was ‘Future Enterprises.’
 It was hosted by Telangana Government, in association with country’s top IT body, National Association
of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) and global IT organization World Information
Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA).

 This is for first time India is hosting WCIT. What kind of Questions to expect
 It will second time that the event will be taking place in Asia (2017 Prelims)
after it was hosted in Kualalumpur, Malaysia in 2008.
 Representatives from IT industries from around 80 countries
took part in the conference.
About World Information Technology Congress (WITC)

 WITC is a biennial event and considered as the biggest event of

its kind.
 It aims provide single platform to IT experts, policy and
decision makers and Government officials from all over the
world together to discuss various challenges and possible
solutions to them.
 It is unique in its global perspective on ICT issues and its ability
to draw users, providers, media and academia from around the
world.
 It was first held in 1978 since then held after every two years.
WORLD INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICE S ALLIANCE (WITSA)

 The World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA)
is a leading consortium of ICT industry association members
from over 80 countries/economies around the world.
 WITSA was founded in 1978 as the World Computing Services
Industry Association, and participates in advocacy in
international public policy that affects the "global information
infrastructure".
 WITSA's members represent more than 90 percent of the world ICT
market.
 WITSA's motto is "Fulfilling the Promise of the Digital Age".
 It conducts Awarding signature events - WITSA World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) -
to member countries from around the world;
 It also organizes Global ICT Excellence Awards to recognize outstanding ICT users.
3.27 ASEAN-INDIA RESEARCH TRAINING FELLOWSHIP (AIRTF)

Why in News?
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has entered into partnership with
Department of Science and Technology (DST) to implement and execute the ASEAN India Research Training
Fellowship (AIRTF).
About ASEAN India Research Training Fellowship (AIRTF)

 The AIRTF scheme was introduced to promote scientific cooperation between India and ASEAN
member countries.
 It provides opportunities to researchers from ASEAN member countries to undertake research and
training for period of 6 months at Academic and Research Institutions in India.
 Its objective is to support and facilitate mobility of young talented researchers from ASEAN member
countries to India to conduct short term research and training under guidance of Indian host scientists.
 It aims at capacity building of 50 young researchers annually from ASEAN member countries in
S&T domain and provide complete financial support including to and fro travel, sustenance allowance
and research contingency for period of 6 months.
 AIRT Fellowship is offered broadly in different areas which are in line with ASEAN Plan of Action on
Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) 2016-2025.

4 GEOGRAPHY
4.1 MARATHWADA
Why in news?
The Indian Railways announced the setting up of a coach factory in Maharashtra’s Latur district to
manufacture EMUs (electric multiple units) for suburban trains and coaches for metros.
More about News

 District Latur in the Marathwada region is one of the most backward areas of Maharashtra.
Geography
 There have been no major central government projects in the region.
 It will also create an industrial ecosystem in the drought prone region boosting shift from agriculture
to industry.
 Maharashtra Government has offered several concessions including in land, taxes and etc.

About Marathwada Region

 Marathwada is a region of the Indian
state of Maharashtra.
 The region coincides with the Aurangabad
Division of Maharashtra.
 It borders the states of Karnataka and Telangana,
and it lies to the east of the Vidarbha and Khandesh
regions of Maharashtra.
 Marathwada region is one of the most backward
areas of Maharashtra.
 The region suffers from heavy migration to other
parts of the country.
 Marathwada Statutory Development
Board releases annual report assessing problems
within various districts of Marathwada, and also
monitors development work and expenditure
 The largest city of Marathwada is Aurangabad.
 The people in Marathwada region speak Marathi and Dakhini.
To know more about Focus Prelims: https://goo.gl/WmWjVx


4.2 JOGIGHOPA
Why in News?
Jogighopa, a small town in Assam, is set to become India’s gateway to South-East Asia as well as the
rest of the North-East with the road ministry gearing up to develop a multimodal logistics park (MMLP)
there with road, rail, waterways and air transport facilities.
Where is Jogighopa located?
 Jogighopa is a small town located on the banks of the Brahmaputra River in the Bongaigaon district
Geography
in the state of Assam.
 Within the city are the remains of the five rock cut rock-
cut caves, examples of Salasthambha period
architecture.
What’s the project?

 Under the project, all four types of transportation—
road, rail, air and waterways—will be available.
 The development includes railway sidings, container
terminals, warehousing, non-cargo processing, a truck
terminal, common facilities, support infrastructure and
equipment.
 A special purpose vehicle, backed by the Asian
Development Bank (ADB), will be created to execute the
project, which will be executed in two phases.
4.3 NETRAVATI RIVER

Why in News?
An unplanned development path adopted by “unscrupulous decision-makers” is threatening the ecologically
sensitive regions in the Netravathi river basin in the State of Karnataka, according to a study report
released by a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
About Netravati River

 It originates in Bangrabalige valley, Yelaneeru Ghat of Kudremukh in Chikkamagaluru district,
Karnataka.
 Netravathi having a catchment area of 4,409 sq. km covers 11 taluks in Chikkamagaluru, Hassan,
Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
 The basin is part of the ecologically fragile Western Ghats, one among the 35 global hotspots of
biodiversity.
 It is the lifeline of Dakshina Kannada region supporting the enormous population with rich resource
base and diverse cultures.
 This river flows through the famous Hindu pilgrimage place Dharmasthala and is considered as one of
the Holy rivers of India.
 It merges with the Kumaradhara River at Uppinangadi before flowing to the Arabian Sea, south
of Mangalore city.
4.4 KALESHWARAM LIFT IRRIGATION PROJECT

Why in news
According to Telangana Forest department’s estimate, 22 Lakh trees will be hacked to set up Kaleshwaram
Lift Irrigation Project.
More about the project

 The Kaleshwaram project is an off-shoot of the original Pranahitha-Chevella Lift Irrigation Scheme.
 The project is designed to irrigate 7,38,851 hectares (over 18.47 lakh acres) uplands in the erstwhile
districts of Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal, Medak, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy,
 It is claimed to be the costliest irrigation project to be taken up by any State till date with an estimated
cost of Rs. 80,500 crore.

 Present Status: Telangana government is pursuing various clearances and permissions simultaneously
with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest and the Central Water Commission.
 Pranahita Chevella lift irrigation scheme is a lift irrigation scheme to harness the water of Pranhita
tributary of Godavari river for use in the Telangana state.
4.5 SIRUVANI DAM

Why in news?
Tamilnadu protest against the decision of the Kerala government to withdraw excess water from Siruvani
dam. It is seen as violation of the 1973 agreement between both the states.
Geography
More about the Dam
 Siruvani dam is located in the Palakkadu district of Kerala.
 It is constructed across the Siruvani River.
 Major purpose of the dam is to supply drinking water to the city of
Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
Short note on Rivers of Kerala

 Kerala has 44 rivers among which only three are east flowing
rivers.
 Kabani, Bhavani and Pampar are the rivers flowing east.
4.6 SELA PASS AND VARTAK
Why in News?
Finance Minister recently announced the government's plan to build a tunnel through the Sela Pass in
Arunachal Pradesh.
Significance:
 The construction of the tunnel will

ensure faster movement of troops in
Tawang, a strategically- located town
in Arunachal Pradesh bordering China.
 According to the Defence Ministry, the
approval for the construction of Sela
pass in Arunachal Pradesh has given
further impetus to the defence
preparedness.
 The proposed Sela Pass tunnel would
be an all-weather transport tunnel
and hence, would enable movement
throughout the year.
Background:
 While the Border Roads Organization (BRO) of India works to keep the Pass open throughout the year,
it shuts down temporarily after landslides and during heavy snow.
 The BRO’s Project Vartak has already started land acquisition and double landing of the national
highway as part of the larger plan. Two tunnels — of lengths 475 m and 1,790 m — will be constructed
by BRO.
About Sela Pass:

 The Sela Pass is located at a height of 13700 ft. between the strategically-located Tawang and West
Kameng Districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
 The Pass is considered crucial from strategic perspective.
 Sela Lake, near the summit of the pass, is one of approximately 101 lakes in the area that are sacred in
Tibetan Buddhism.

 It crosses a sub range of the Himalayas that separates Tawang District, which borders China, from the
rest of India.
Project Vartak
 Raised in Feb 1960, TUSKER was the first Project of the BRO which was renamed as VARTAK in Jun
1963.
 It was raised with the aim of provision and maintenance of vital strategic road communication in
Arunachal Pradesh for efficient management of India-China border and socio-economic development
of remote areas.
 Deployed in the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, the Project is poised to undertake and manage
Geography
works to the tune of Rs 120 Crore per year.
 VARTAK has constructed 2776 Km of new roads, 150 permanent bridges and prestigious building
projects.
 The Project has 1690 Km of roads under construction & 2134 Km under maintenance.
 With its motto 'Patience, Perseverance and Performance' VARTAK dauntlessly continues to keep
road communications trafficable; despite incessant rains and heavy landslides.
 VARTAK is a name to reckon within the economic progress of Arunachal Pradesh.
4.7 TUIDIMJANG AND DISPUTED INTERNAL DAMS IN MANIPUR

Why in News?
A dam being constructed by Myanmar across a river close to the boundary with India has stoked fears of
submergence and water scarcity among border villagers in Kengjoi subdivison of Manipur’s Chandel
district.
Key Facts
 Residents of Khangtung village reported to district officials about the dam being built by Myanmar
authorities barely 100 metres from the zero line separating the two countries.
 International rules warrant border countries to check activities in No Man’s Land – a 150-metre strip
on either side of the boundary line.
 The dam, called Tuidimjang, is being built on the Twigem River.
 Twigem River flows into Myanmar from Manipur.
 Khangtung, inhabited by the Thadou tribe, is 137 km south of Manipur capital Imphal.
Concerns
 If the dam comes up, Khangtung and other Indian villages will be submerged.
 Villagers will have to be relocated and rehabilitated.
 This may have huge negative social, cultural and economic impact on the residents.
DISPUTED INTERNAL DA MS IN MANIPUR
4.7.1.1 MAPITHEL
 Mapithel dam is located on river Thoubal.
 Mapithel dam, initially known as Thoubal Multipurpose Project, aimed to produce 7.5MW of power.
 Irrigation and providing drinking water were also the objectives.
 Despite inking an understanding with the State government, the villagers were not facilitated with a
proper relocation site.
 In June 2015, a tribal village named Chadong in Ukhrul district was submerged.
4.7.1.2 KHUGA DAM

 Taken up in 1980, the project lies south of Manipur’s Churachandpur town.
 Lying dormant until 2002, it led to a cost escalation from the initial Rs. 15 crore to more than Rs. 350
crore in 2009.
 The project sanction by the Planning Commission was said to have inherent flaws.
 Resultantly, the power component of 1.5MW incorporated in the initial design was scrapped despite
near-completion of a powerhouse.
4.7.1.3 TIPAIMUKH

 It is a mega hydroelectric project proposed on river Barak in Manipur 35 years ago.
 Bangladesh is against this project, as Barak flows into it from Manipur through southern Assam.
 It feeds the Surma and Kushiara rivers in Bangladesh.
4.8 WAKHAN CORRIDOR

Why in News?
Afghanistan’s mountainous Wakhan Corridor, a region so remote that its residents are untouched by the
Geography
decades of conflict that have devastated their country.
About Wakhan Corridor
 Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip of

inhospitable and barely accessible land
in Afghanistan bordered by the mountains
of what is now Tajikistan and Pakistan,
and extending all the way to China.
 The corridor is also known by its Persian
name Bam-e-Dunya, or “roof of the
world.”
 The area is populated by the Wakhins
(known in Afghanistan itself as Pamiris)
who are the members of a nomadic tribe in
the region.
 Created in the 19th century as a Great Game buffer zone between tsarist Russia and British India, the
corridor has since remained untouched by any kind of government.
 It can be reached from surrounding countries through the “Pamir Knot”, where three of the highest
mountain ranges in the world converge.
4.9 CITY OF MINYA

Why in News?
Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry has announced the discovery of an ancient necropolis near the Nile Valley
city of Minya, south of Cairo.
More about News

 The necropolis is host to members of different families
and is believed to date back to the Pharaonic Late
Period and the Ptolemaic era.
 The large cemetery is located north of Tuna al-Gabal
area, a vast archaeological site on the edge of the western
desert.
 It includes several burial shafts and hosts more than
1,000 statues and some 40 sarcophagi as well as other
artefacts.
Minya
 Minya is the capital of the Minya Governorate in Upper Egypt.
 It is located approximately 245 km (152 mi) south of Cairo on the western bank of the Nile River,
which flows north through the city.
 The name of the city is derived from its Ancient Egyptian name Men'at Khufu, meaning the nursing city
of Khufu, linking it to the Pharaoh Khufu or Cheops, builder of the Great Pyramid at Giza.
 Minya is dubbed by the locals "Bride of Upper Egypt", in reference to its strategic location in Middle
Egypt as a vital link between the north and the south of Egypt.

4.10 TONGA
Why in News?
India has contributed USD one million for the rehabilitation efforts in Tonga after the Tropical Cyclone
Gita caused massive destruction in the Pacific island nation. Of that $500,000 would be given as immediate
relief to Tonga and another $500,000 would be allocated to it from the India-UN Development Partnership
Fund (I-UNDPF).
About Tonga
Geography
 Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago comprising
169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited.
 Tonga is a constitutional monarchy.
 Located in Oceania, Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, directly south of Samoa.
 Its 169 islands are divided into three main groups – Vava'u, Ha'apai, and Tongatapu – and cover an
800-kilometre (500-mile)-long north-south line.
 The largest island, Tongatapu, on which the capital city of Nukuʻalofa is located, covers 257 square
kilometres (99 sq mi).
 In Tonga, agriculture and forestry (together with fisheries) provide the majority of employment, foreign
exchange earnings and food.
4.11 NADI AND FIJI

Why in News
20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers is being held at Nadi, Fiji.
About Nadi
 Nadi is the third-largest conurbation(extended urban area) in Fiji.
 It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu.

 Nadi is multiracial with many of its
inhabitants Indian or Fijian, along with a large
transient population of foreign tourists.
 Along with sugar cane production, tourism is a
mainstay of the local economy.
 With its large Indo-Fijian population, Nadi is a centre
for Hinduism and Islam in Fiji.
 It has the largest Hindu temple in the Southern
hemisphere, and is a site for pilgrims called Sri Siva
Geography
Subramaniya temple. Muslims worship at the Nadi
Mosque and the Ahmadiyyahs worship at the
Ahmadiya Mosque.
 Nadi International Airport located 9 kilometres from the town, is the largest airport in Fiji.
FIJI
 Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in
Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,100 nautical miles
(2,000 km; 1,300 mi) northeast of New Zealand's North Island.
 Its closest neighbours are Vanuatu to the west, New Caledonia to
the southwest, New Zealand's Kermadec Islands to the southeast,
Tonga to the east, the Samoas and France's Wallis and Futuna
to the northeast, and Tuvalu to the north.
 Fiji is an archipelago of more than 330 islands, of which 110
are permanently inhabited, and more than 500 islets, amounting
to a total land area of about 18,300 square kilometres (7,100 sq
mi).
 The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for
87% of the total population.
 The capital, Suva on Viti Levu, serves as Fiji's principal cruise
port.
 The climate in Fiji is tropical marine and warm year round with minimal extremes.
 Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific due to an abundance of forest, mineral,
and fish resources.
4.12 DUQM PORT

Why in News?
In a strategic move to expand its footprint in the Indian
Ocean Region, India has secured access to the key Port of
Duqm in Oman for military use and logistical support.
Key Facts
 The Indian Navy will now be able to use the facilities
at Duqm port in Oman following the signing of a pact
between the two countries.
 The port will act as India's entry point for wider West
Asia and Eastern Africa.
 The services of Duqm port and dry dock will be available
for maintenance of Indian military vessels.
Note: With the Assumption Island being developed in

Seychelles and Agalega in Mauritius, Duqm fits into India’s
proactive maritime security roadmap.
About Duqm port

 The port is situated on the southeastern seaboard of the Sultanate of Oman, overlooking the Arabian
Sea and the Indian Ocean.
 It has the potential to develop into one of the Middle East’s largest ports over the long term.
 Oman is currently developing Duqm port along with a special economic zone as a regional economic
hub.
 At the heart of Port of Duqm’s appeal is its strategic geopolitical location.
4.13 ZAKUM OILFIELD
Geography
Why in News?
ONGC Videsh led Indian Consortium has been awarded 10% Stake in Lower Zakum Concession, Offshore
Abu Dhabi.
Key Facts
 The Concession award by the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC), on behalf of the Abu Dhabi government,
to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the Indian Consortium, is the first time that
Indian oil and gas companies have been given a
stake in the development of Abu Dhabi’s
hydrocarbon resources.
 The Indian Consortium comprising of Indian
Petroleum Sector Public Enterprises is led by
ONGC’s international arm ONGC Videsh and
includes Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) and
the international arm of Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Limited
(Bharat PetroResources Limited).
 The Indian Consortium would contribute a sign-up
bonus of USD 600 million to enter the concession
for a 10% stake.
 The Lower Zakum Oil Field is located 84 km north-
west of Abu Dhabi Islands.
Background:
 Due to lower and fall in global oil prices, oil-rich nations had resorted to ways of reducing risk and
balancing their budget deficits by selling their prime oil and gas assets and diversifying into non-oil
sectors of economy.
OMAN
 Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country on

the south-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia.
 Its capital is Muscat
 Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of
the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United
Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west,
and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine
borders with Iran and Pakistan.
 The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and
the Gulf of Oman on the northeast.
The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by the UAE
on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz (which it shares
with Iran) and Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal
boundaries.
 Oman's official religion is Islam.
 Oman is an absolute monarchy.

4.14 SOUTH SUDAN
 South Sudan is a landlocked country in East-Central Africa.

 It gained its independence from (North) Sudan in 2011.
 Its capital and largest city is Juba.
 South Sudan is bordered by Sudan to the north, Ethiopia to the
east, Kenya to the southeast, Uganda to the south, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo to the southwest, and the
Central African Republic to the west.
Geography
 It includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd, formed by the White
Nile and known locally as the Bahr al Jabal.
 Major tribes involved in ethnic conflict are Dinkar, Nuer and Murle.
 South Sudan has suffered ethnic violence and has been in a civil war since 2013.


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5 ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENT: INSTITUTIONS
5.1 NATIONAL ADAPTATION FUND FOR CLIMATE CHANGE (NAFCC)
Why in News?
Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma in a written reply to a
question in Rajya Sabha provided the details of National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).
Environment
About National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC)
 NAFCC is a Central Sector Scheme which was set up in the year 2015-16.
 The overall aim of NAFCC is to support concrete adaptation What kind of Questions to expect
activities which mitigate the adverse effects of climate (2017 Prelims)
change.
 The activities under this scheme are implemented in a project
mode.
 The projects related to adaptation in sectors such as agriculture,
animal husbandry, water, forestry, tourism etc. are eligible for
funding under NAFCC.
 National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
is the National Implementing Entity (NIE).
 The States/UTs are required to prepare the project proposal in
consultation with NIE i.e. NABARD.
 The project proposals are required to be approved by the State
Steering Committee on Climate Change to be eligible for
consideration under NAFCC.
 It is the discretion of the State Government to engage any
organization to assist in project preparation, as per their
requirement”
5.2 MINAMATA CONVENTION ON MERCURY

Why in News?
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the proposal for ratification of Minamata
Convention on Mercury and depositing the instrument of ratification enabling India to become a Party of
the Convention. The approval entails Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury along with
flexibility for continued use of mercury-based products and processes involving mercury compound up to
2025.
About Minamata Convention on Mercury

 The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the
environment from the adverse effects of mercury.
 The convention is named after Minamata, a city in Japan where serious health damage occurred as a
result of mercury pollution in the mid-20th Century.
 It was agreed at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on mercury in
Geneva, Switzerland on 19 January 2013 and adopted later that year on 10 October 2013 at a
Diplomatic Conference (Conference of Plenipotentiaries), held in Kumamoto, Japan.
 Controlling the anthropogenic releases of mercury throughout its lifecycle has been a key factor in
shaping the obligations under the Convention.
 Major highlights of the Minamata Convention include a ban on new mercury mines, the phase-out of
existing ones, the phase out and phase down of mercury use in a number of products and processes,
control measures on emissions to air and on releases to land and water, and the regulation of the
informal sector of artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
 The Convention also addresses interim storage of mercury and its disposal once it becomes waste,
sites contaminated by mercury as well as health issues.

MINAMATA DISEASE
 Minamata, a city in Japan, is known worldwide due to Minamata disease.

 Minamata disease is a neurological disorder caused by mercury poisoning.
 The disease was discovered in 1956.
 It was caused by the release of methyl mercury in the industrial wastewater from a local chemical
Environment: Institutions
factory, which continued from 1932 to 1968.
 This highly toxic chemical bioaccumulated in shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui
Sea, which when eaten by the local populace resulted in mercury poisoning.
 The disease caused deaths of humans along with cat, dog, and pig.
 The animal effects were severe enough in cats that they came to be called “dancing cat fever”.
5.3 CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT (CSE)

Why in News?
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has been ranked the top environment policy think tank
in India.
More about News
 The rank was given by The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the Lauder Institute
at the University of Pennsylvania.
 TTCSP conducts a research on the role policy institutes play in
governments and civil societies around the world.
 CSE has secured the 16th position in global rankings, climbing up
two positions from the last year.
About Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)

 The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is a public interest
research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi.
 CSE researches into, lobbies for and communicates the urgency of
development that is both sustainable and equitable.
 Established in 1980, CSE uses knowledge-based activism to
create awareness about problems and propose sustainable solutions.
5.4 UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME

Why in News?
India will be the global host of 2018 World Environment Day What kind of Questions to expect
which will take place on June 5, 2018. (2017 Prelims)
In this regard, Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed between India
and UN Environment in New Delhi.
More about UNEP

 The United Nations Environment Programme (UN
Environment) is the leading global environmental
authority.
 It sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the
coherent implementation of the environmental
dimension of sustainable development within the United
Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for
the global environment.
 UN Environment works with governments, the private
sector, civil society and with other UN entities and
international organizations across the world.
 It is Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
 Their work is categorized into seven broad thematic areas:
1. climate change
2. disasters and conflicts
3. ecosystem management
4. environmental governance
5. chemicals and waste
6. resource efficiency
7. environment under review
 UN Environment also host the secretariats of many critical multilateral environmental agreements
Environment: Biodiversity
and research bodies, bringing together nations and the environmental community to tackle the greatest
challenges of our time. These include the following:
Conventions Purpose
Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora
Minamata Convention on Mercury Prevention of anthropogenic emissions and releases

of mercury and mercury compounds.
Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm

Conventions Managing from hazardous chemicals and wastes.
Vienna Convention and the Montreal

Protocol for the Protection of Ozone Layer
Bonn Convention The Convention on Migratory Species
Carpathian Convention Protection and Sustainable Development of the

Carpathians region
Bamako Convention Treaty of African nations prohibiting the import of

any hazardous (including radioactive) waste
Tehran Convention Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian

Sea
ENVIRONMENT: BIODIVERSITY
5.5 NEKNAMPUR LAKE
Why in News?
On the eve of World Wetland Day on February 2nd, a floating island of 2,500 sq.ft with about 3,500 wetland
plants will be introduced on the Neknampur Lake in Hyderabad.
Key Facts
 It will be introduced by Dhruvansh, a voluntary organisation working for protection of water bodies.
 The ‘island platform’ has been designed using styrofoam, bamboo, gunny bags, coir and so on and
could bear the weight of four persons.
 Wetland plants planted are said to be a combination of mosquito repelling, water cleaning and
biodiversity increasing plants.
 The floating island would be installed close to inlet and since the lake is total sewage water, different
layers have been planned for cleaning.
 First layer is of floating aquatic weed which is already floating in the lake, second layer is of typhas
and phragmites and then subsequent layers are to be introduced.
 The floating island would help the fish and also help reduce algae by stopping sun rays from seeping
through.
 It would provide an ideal habitat for nesting of birds and other animals.

5.6 DEEPOR BEEL
Why in news?
Assam chief minister said that a lot of railway lines have been laid in the state without any planning because
of which elephants have been harmed as in the case near Deepor Beel,
More about Deepor Beel
 A permanent freshwater lake in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River, of great biological
importance.
 It is also essential as the only major storm water storage basin for the city of Guwahati.
 It is also called a wetland under the Ramsar Convention which has listed the lake in November 2002,
as a Ramsar Site for undertaking conservation measures on the basis of its biological and environmental
importance.
 The name Deepor Beel is stated to be derivative of the Sanskrit word dipa which means elephant and
the beel means wetland or large aquatic body in Assamese language, inhabited by elephants.
 The beel is a staging site on migratory flyways and some of the largest concentrations of aquatic birds
in Assam can be seen, especially in winter.
 Some globally threatened birds are supported, including Spotbilled Pelican, Lesser and Greater
Adjutant Stork, and Baer's Pochard.
 Potential threats include over-fishing and hunting pressure upon waterbirds, pollution from pesticides
and fertilizers, and infestation by water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes.
5.7 PELICAN FESTIVAL

Why in News?
‘Pelican Bird Festival-2018’ was recently organized at Kolleru Lake. It was jointly organised by the Andhra
Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) and Krishna district administration.
Background:
 Thousands of pelicans, painted storks and other birds will visit the lake
during winter season, roost, breed and fly with their off springs.
 Recently, officials identified that Atapaka is one of the largest
pelicanery in the world.
About Kolleru lake:

 Kolleru Lake is one of the largest fresh water lakes in the country and is
located in Andhra Pradesh.
 It is located between Krishna and Godavari delta.
 It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1999.
 It is a Ramsar site and is also listed as an Important Bird Area.
 The lake is known to amateur birdwatchers and professional
ornithologists as a Pelicanery — a location were the Grey Pelicans, a large magnificent bird, nest and
breed.
 Grey pelicans had vanished from the lake in 1973 for nearly 35 years and returned to it to nest again in
December 2006.
About Grey pelican

 The spot-billed pelican or grey pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) is a member of the pelican family.
 It breeds in southern Asia from southern Pakistan across India east to Indonesia.
 It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large lakes.
 It’s IUCN Status is Near Threatened.
ATAPAKA BIRD SANCTUARY

 It is located in Kolleru Lake on the borders of Krishna and West Godavari districts.
 It is a natural habitat for birds in Andhra Pradesh.
 It has been identified as the largest spot-billed pelican home in the world.

 As per the Asian Water Bird Census, about 22,000 grey headed pelicans are spread across the globe, of
which about 35 to 40 per cent were roosting at Atakapa Bird Sanctuary.
5.8 GOLIATH GROUPER FISH

Why in News?
A second shipwreck with a critically endangered species of Goliath
grouper was discovered by a team of experienced divers and diving
instructors in the sea off Bheemunipatnam, 45 km from
Visakhapatnam. The latest find is said to be located at 23 metres
below the sea surface and is a much larger one spread over 180
metres.
About Goliath grouper fish

 It is a giant fish of the grouper family.
 This fish is entirely protected from harvest in the U.S.
 It is recognised as a critically endangered species by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation
of Nature).
 It is considered to be the keystone species of an ecosystem.
5.9 RHODODENDRON
Why in News?
Foundation stone of Rhododendron Park was laid in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Tawang
district was once home to about 100 species of rhododendron but now they have been reduced to only 50
plus species due to construction activities in border areas.
More about News

 The park will be built in total area of 1.15 hectares.
 It will be partly funded under border area development programme (BADP).
 More than 30 species of rhododendrons would be planted and conserved in park where terrace cutting
to raise the beauty and scenic component.
 The park will also have modern nursery, information center on rhododendron, resting sheds, public toilet
facility, vehicle parking facility, signage and lightings and iron security gate.
 It will add to the scenic enhancement of city and also offer an opportunity for conservation of
rhodo species, which are under serious threat due to various ongoing road and land acquisition
projects.
About Rhododendron
 Rhododendron is a genus of 1,024 species of woody plants in
heath family (Ericaceae).
 It is either evergreen or deciduous.
 Most species of Rhododendron have brightly coloured flowers
which bloom from late winter through to early summer.
 Found in varied habitats from subtropical forest to alpine
shrubs, rhododendrons range from dwarf shrubs to large
trees.
 It is also found mainly in Asia and also widespread throughout
highlands of Appalachian Mountains of North America.
 It is the national flower of Nepal.
5.10 WHITE NAPED TIT BIRD

Why in News?
White-naped tit, the elusive bird which is believed to be in distress, was the centre of attention at the 21st
Indian Birding Fair, which ended at the Man Sagar Lake, Rajasthan.

About White Naped Tit bird:
 White-Naped is a robust, strongly patterned, mainly black-and-
white coloured bird with yellow in the flanks and sides of the breast.
 This species is endemic to India, where it occurs in two isolated
populations:
 Central and southern Rajasthan, Kutch and northern Gujarat
in the north-west, and
 Eastern Ghats of southern Andhra Pradesh, northern Tamil
Nadu and Karnataka in the south.
 It is considered vulnerable to extinction because of the scarcity of
suitable habitats.
About Man Sagar Lake:

 Man Sagar Lake is located north of Jaipur.
 It was constructed by damming Darbhawati River around 1610 A.D. by Raja Man Singh I, the then
ruler of Amer, for irrigation and recreation.
 A palace (Jal Mahal) was built in the middle of the lake, and a temple on its northwestern end.
 The lake is flanked by hills on western, northern and eastern sides.
INDIA BIRDING FAIR (IBF)
 IBF is held every year in the city of Jaipur, Rajasthan.

 It is the only event of its kind in India.
 Conducted on the shores of Man Sagar Lake, Rajasthan, it is mainly held during winter, when the
migratory species are present.
 The fair presents an opportunity for education & awareness activities that benefit bird resource in India.
 It is attended by nearly 3,000 persons each year.
 It is dedicated to a cause or threatened species.
 Main Organizer is Tourism & Wildlife Society of India (TWSI)
About TWSI
 It is a non- government and non-profit organization set up in late 1970s.
MAJOR LAKES IN RAJAS THAN
 Rajasthan is the most arid state of India with average yearly rainfall less that 100 cm.
 However, Rajasthan has a large number lakes mostly artificial as well as historical, signifying a tradition
of conserving natural resources and respecting nature.
 The lakes in Rajasthan can divided into types Saline and Fresh water lakes.
Types of Lakes in Rajasthan:

 Saline (Salt) Water lakes: This are considered as remains of Tethys Sea.
 Fresh (Sweet) Water lakes: They have either developed naturally or artificially and get replenished
by rainwater.
Some important lake in Rajasthan

 Sambhar Lake
 It is a freshwater lake situated in Phulera, Jaipur
 It is a Ramsar Wetland
 Largest in-land salt-lake in India
 Rivers mantha, rupangarh, khari, khandela drain their water into this lake.
 The lake produces 8.7% of Salt produced in India.
 Lake is managed by Sambhar Salts Limited, a joint venture of Hindustan Salts and the Government
of Rajasthan.
 Pushkar Lake, Pushkar
o It is a saltwater lake situated in Pushkar , near Ajmer
o According to Hindu scriptures, the sacred Pushkar Lake is described as ‘Tirtha Raj’, the king of all
pilgrimage sites.
o No pilgrimage is considered to be complete without a dip in in the holy Pushkar Lake.
 Anand Sagar Lake, Banswara
o This artificial lake, also known as Bai Talab was constructed by What kind of Questions to expect
Lanchi Bai, the Rani of Maharaval Jagmal Singh. (2014 Prelims)
o Located in the eastern part of Banswara, it is surrounded by holy
trees known as ‘Kalpa Vriksha’, famous for fulfilling the wishes of
visitors.
 Rajsamand Lake, Rajsamand
 Maharana Raj Singh an able administrator of the fifth generation
of Maharana Pratap constructed Rajsamand Lake in 1662 AD,
which is a beautiful example of sculpture and public utility works.
 The banks known as “Nouchoki” consist of 25 carved stone ‘Raj
Prashashti’ the longest stone inscription in Sanskrit in the world.
 Jaisamand Lake, Udaipur
 Jaisamand Lake is known for being the second largest man-made
sweet water lake in Asia.
 This lake boasts of a large island, which is home to various species
of birds, at its centre.
5.11 EELS
Why in News?
Scientists have discovered three new species of eel along the northern Bay of Bengal coast in the past
few months.
More about the News

The three new species discovered are:
 Gymnothorax pseudotile
o It is Dark brown in colour with white dots on the dorsal side.
o It is about 1 feet to 1.5 feet long.
o It is a beautiful species and can be used as an ornamental species for aquarium
 Gymnothorax visakhaensis
o It is uniformly brown.
o It is about a foot long.
 Enchelycore propinqua
o Has reddish brown body mottled with irregular creamy white spots.
o It is the smallest of all three measuring less than a foot.
Background
 With these new discoveries, the Bay of Bengal coast has yielded at least five new species of eel.
 In 2016, an edible species named Gymnothorax indicus was identified.
 In 2015, a short brown unpatterned moray eel, named Gymnothorax mishrai (Bengal moray eel), was
discovered from the coast of Bay of Bengal.
About eels
 Eels are found mostly at the bottom of rivers and seas.
 Across the world about 1,000 species of eels have been identified.
 In India, the number is around 125.
 For species belonging to the family Muraenidae, referred commonly as Moray eels, there are records of
about 200 species of which more than 30 species are found in India.

5.12 ORANGUTAN
Why in News?
Researchers has recently found that Orangutan population
is under threat at Borneo Island.
More about News
 The research found about 50 percent drop out in the
orangutan population on the island of Borneo from
1999 to 2015.
 The reasons behind the decreasing population of
Orangutan includes -
(a) Hunting by people
(b) Habitation destruction by oil palm, paper, logging
and mining industries
About Orangutan
 The orangutans are three extant species of great apes
native to Indonesia and Malaysia.
 Three Extant species are-
(a) Bornean orangutan
(b) Sumatran orangutan
(c) Tapanuli orangutan
 Orangutans currently inhabit lowland forests on Borneo, an island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and
Brunei, and Indonesia's island of Sumatra.
 Orangutans are the most arboreal of the great apes and spend most of their time in trees.
 Orangutans are among the most intelligent primates; they use a variety of sophisticated tools and
construct elaborate sleeping nests each night from branches and foliage.
 All three orangutan species are considered to be critically endangered.
BORNEO ISLANDS
 It is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia.
 It is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi (Island in Indonesia), and east of Sumatra.
 The island is politically divided among three countries: Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and
Indonesia to the south.
 Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory.
 Antipodal to an area of Amazon rainforest, Borneo is itself home to one of the oldest rainforests in the
world.
5.13 SHELLFISH REEFS

Why in News?
Recently a study led by the Nature Conservancy found that between 90 and 99 % of Australia’s shellfish
reefs have vanished since British colonisation 230 years ago.
More about News

 Virtually all of Australia’s shellfish reefs have disappeared, making them the country’s most threatened
ocean ecosystem.
 Shellfish reefs are made up of oysters & mussels.
 They accrete dead shell material such that the reef grows in size and mass over time.
 Just like coral reefs, they support the growth of important fish species whilst also helping to
improve water quality and increase biodiversity.
 The shellfish reef plays a crucial role in water filtration, increased local fish production, bank
stabilization and sustaining biodiversity.
 Shellfish reefs have declined by up 99% since British colonization.
 The reason behind the decline are
o Early destruction for lime for mortar used in the construction of roads
o Overharvesting of shellfish for food and oysters

o Destructive fishing practices
o Introduction of non-native shellfish
o Habitat loss from coastal development.
CORAL REEFS
 The Corals are marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria.
 They typically live in compact colonies of many identical individual polyps.
 The Coral reefs are built by and made up of thousands of tiny animals—coral “polyps”—that are related
to anemones and jellyfish.
CORAL BLEACHING
 The Coral bleaching occurs when coral polyps expel algae that live in their tissues.
 Normally, coral polyps live in an endosymbiotic relationship with the algae and that relationship is
crucial for the coral and hence for the health of the whole reef.
 Bleached corals continue to live. But as the algae provide the coral with 90% of its energy, after
expelling the algae the coral begins to starve.
 Above-average sea water temperatures caused by global warming have been identified as a leading cause
of coral bleaching worldwide.
5.14 NILGIRI MARTEN

Why in news?
A team of researchers has found that Pampadum Shola National Park is a safe haven of rare and most
elusive Nilgiri Marten.
More about News

 With the 42 independent sightings in Pampadum Shola, the researchers feel the area and its extended
forest stretches in Kerala and Tamil Nadu constitute the largest haven of the elusive mustelids(family of
otters and badgers).
 The researchers found that the species can be spotted as pairs and triplets as well. (Earlier information
was that Nilgiri Marten was a solitary animal).
 The Nilgiri Martens often engage in allo-grooming(social grooming of each other) and resting on fallen
tree trunks.
 The researchers were able to gather information on the dietary habits of the carnivorous animal.
 The team had also recorded their sounds and also their hunting patterns.
About Nilgiri Marten

 The Nilgiri marten is the only species of marten found in southern
India.
 Endemic to the Western Ghats, it occurs in the hills of the
Nilgiris and parts of the Western Ghats.
 Nilgiri Marten looks like a civet or a mongoose and it most prefers
higher altitudes.
 During day time, they remain restless and active.
 The species is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.
 The global population of the Nilgiri Marten is estimated below 1000.
 It is listed in Schedule II part II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and has been placed on Appendix
III of CITES by India.
About Pampadum shola National Park

 It is located on the southern portion of Western Ghats.

 It is the smallest national park in Kerala state.
 Coming under Munnar Wildlife Division,
Pampadum Shola enjoys proximity of
Kurunjimala Wildlife Sanctuary and
Palani hills of Tamil Nadu.
 The park protects a moderate amount of
montane evergreen shola forest that is
associated with the wildlife rich
Eravikulam National Park.
 Nilgiri marten is the keystone
species here.
5.15 FOREST OWLET

Why in News?
The century old debate on forest owlet’s genetic relationship with spotted owlet
is resolved.
More about News
 The taxonomy of the forest owlet (Heteroglaux blewetti), which
resembles the spotted owlet (Athene brama), has always been a mystery.
 Taxonomists placed it in a separate genus Heteroglaux and sometimes
in Athene; others saw it as more closely related to another species, the
jungle owlet.
 According to a recent paper published in PLoS ONE, the forest owlet
belongs to the same genus (Athene) as the spotted owlet and the bird
can now be known as Athene blewetti.
About Forest owlet

 The forest owlet is an owl endemic to the central Indian forests (north-western Maharashtra, south-
eastern Madhya Pradesh and western Orissa).
 It is sedentary resident with recent sightings from fairly open dry deciduous forest dominated by teak.
 The species faces a number of threats such as forest loss and degradation as a result of illegal logging
and human encroachment, forest fires and minor irrigation dams.
 IUCN Status is Endangered and it is included under CITES Appendix 1.
5.16 DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK

Why in News?
A three-day International bird festival will be held at the Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh from
February 9 with nearly 200 leading ornithologists expected to attend.
Key Facts
 The purpose behind the international bird festival is to promote eco-tourism in Dudhwa and to give it
a distinct International identity besides highlighting its traditional Tharu arts, culture and heritage.
 During the three-day event, the bird experts would visit various parts of Dudhwa to gather information
about the 450 bird species existing there.
About Dudhwa National Park

 Located on the Indo-Nepal border in the district Lakhimpur-Kheri in Uttar Pradesh.

 It represents one of the few remaining
examples of a highly diverse and Tharu people
productive Terai ecosystem,
 They are an ethnic group indigenous to the southern
supporting a large number
of endangered species, obligate foothills of the Himalayas.
species of tall wet grasslands and  Most of the Tharu people live in the Nepal
species of restricted distribution. Terai; Some Tharu groups also live in
 Dudhwa National Park, together with the Indian Terai, foremost in Uttarakhand, Uttar
Kishanpur and Katerniaghat
Wildlife Sanctuaries, have been
Pradesh and Bihar.
jointly constituted into Dudhwa  The Tharus are recognized as an official nationality by
Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger. the Government of Nepal.
 The Suheli and Mohana streams  The Government of India recognizes the Tharu people
(tributaries of the Ghagra River) flow
as a scheduled tribe.
in the Dudhwa National Park.
5.17 SUNDERBANS MANGROVE FOREST

Why in News?
Unique ecosystem that hosts a sizeable tiger population is unable to expand due to developmental pressures
and sea level rise.
Key Facts
 According to the India State of Forest Report (SFR) 2017, the Indian Sunderbans that comprise almost
43% of total mangrove cover have shown only a marginal rise of 8 sq km, at 2,114 sq km from 2,106
sq km in the 2015 SFR report.
 Large areas of mangrove forest in the Indian Sunderbans fall under Sunderban Tiger Reserve where
human activities are prohibited.
 The Indian part of Sunderbans covers 4,263 sq km out of which 2,584 sq km is core and buffer area of
the tiger reserve.
 ‘State of Art Report on Biodiversity in Indian Sundarbans’ published by World Wide Fund for Nature,
India (WWF), outlines the threats facing the ecosystem.
 The threats are climate change, habitat degradation due to industrial pollution and human disturbance,
fuel-wood collection.
MANGROVES
 Mangroves are classified as plants having salt tolerance mechanisms like salt glands, aerial roots in
the form of pneumatophores and viviparous germination (germinating before detaching from parent).
 They grow mostly in the inter-tidal spaces and are dispersed by water buyout propagules (seeds or
spores).
 There are several prominent mangrove species.
 Heritiera fomes or Sundari trees from which the Sundarbans draws its name, has a very restricted
distribution in South Asia and is classified as Endangered in the IUCN Red list.
5.18 ECHIDNA
Why in News?
Recently, it was reported that though listed as “least concern”, the echidnas are suffering the impact of
habitat loss and land clearing.
Features of Echidnas
 One of the world’s oldest surviving mammals.
 They have the biggest frontal cortex in relation to their body size of all mammals (including
humans).They can climb, burrow, run rapidly, and are mostly solitary animals.
 They are egg-laying mammals and keep their young — puggles — in the mother’s pouch.
 They are found in wildly different environments, from the desert to the snow. They are likely to have
much lower body temperature than all other mammals — around 30C — which can fluctuate by up
to 10C in a single day.

 Echidnas, also called spiny anteaters are found in places such
as Australia and New Guinea
Threats
 Though it is listed as ‘least concern’ in IUCN classification,
echidnas are threatened by land clearing and habitat loss.
 Echidnas travel great distances and have very large home
ranges. So land clearing and rapid developments affects their
viable habitat.
 Other major threats to echidnas include traffic, feral cats and
potentially the rapidly changing climate.
5.19 DRYPETES KALAMII

Why in News
Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have identified a new plant species from Buxa and
Jaldapara National Parks in West Bengal.
Key Facts
 The new species has been named after former President of
India, Dr APJ Kalam.
 Named Drypetes kalamii, it is a small shrub found to be
shorter version of its close relative Drypetes ellisii.
 There are about 220 species of Drypetes identified across the
globe of which 20 have been reported from India.
About Drypetes kalamii

 Standing just 1 metre tall, the newly described plant is unisexual in nature, which means they have
separate male and female plants.
 The new species is a close relative of a medicinal plant known in Sanskrit as Putrajivah
 Scientists have provisionally assessed plant to be “Critically Endangered” as per IUCN (International
Union for Conservation of Nature) rules.
 The new species is found in wet, shaded areas of subtropical moist semi-evergreen forests, at a
height ranging 50-100 metres.
 With pale yellow flowers in clusters and bright orange to red fruits, the plant is exclusive to the two
national parks.
 The species faces threat from forest fires and grazing.
5.20 CYCAS CIRCINALIS AND KEYSTONE FOUNDATION

Why in News
Cycas circinalis, a ‘living fossil’ found only in the Western Ghats,
faces the threat of extinction due to the over-harvesting of its leaves
for commercial purposes.
Key Facts
 There are nine species of Cycas found across the country,
almost all of which are classified as being endangered.
 The Cycas circinalis, found at altitudes between 1,500 and 1,800
meters, has traditionally been used by tribal communities for a
variety of purposes.
 In the Nilgiris and other parts of the Western Ghats, where the
plant is found, the seed is sometimes soaked in water (to remove
a strong poison contained within) and ground into flour, after
which it is eaten.
 The seed is also said to be used in traditional, indigenous
medicine.

 The leaves of the circinalis are used for ornamental purposes like for setting up ‘pandals’.
 Circinalis plants do not grow in large numbers in the wild, and the over exploitation of the leaves from
the plant has caused a further decline over the last few decades.
 Circinalis is an ideal host plant for ants, cupid butterflies and bats.
 The protection of Cycas circinalis was a vital aspect of protecting the ecology of the Western Ghats in
the long run.
Environment: Interventions
KEYSTONE FOUNDATION
Why in News
The Keystone Foundation has been trying to promote the conservation of the Cycas circinalis by
encouraging forest-dependent communities to sustainably harvest the leaves from the circinalis.
About Keystone Foundation

 It is a Nilgiris-based NGO.
 Since 1993, the Keystone Foundation has been working
in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) with indigenous
communities on improving their lives, livelihoods, and
maintaining their unique cultures.
 Through a holistic approach towards livelihoods, conservation, and enterprise, Keystone maintains
the principles of eco-development.
 They aim to support and empower indigenous groups to realize a better future, for many
generations to come.
5.21 MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS (MAPS)

Why in News
An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) has been set up for the North
Eastern Region (NER).
More about News

 The IMC will facilitate coordination among Ministries and Departments in various programmes being
implemented on conservation, sustainable management and development of MAPs in NER for enhancing
the livelihood and economic transformation.
 The Ministry of Development of North-East Region (MDoNER) will be the coordinator for the IMC of
MAPs.
 The IMC will suggest actionable measures for enhancing the livelihood and economic transformation
based on cultivation and sustainable management of MAPs resource in North East Region.
About Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (MAPs)

 Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (MAPs) are botanical raw materials, also known as herbal drugs, that are
primarily used for therapeutic, aromatic and/or culinary purposes as components of cosmetics,
medicinal products, health foods and other natural health products.
 They are also the starting materials for value-added processed natural ingredients such as essential oils,
dry and liquid extracts and oleoresins.
ENVIRONMENT: INTERVENTIONS
5.22 INDIA STATE OF FOREST REPORT (SFR) AND FOREST SURVEY OF INDIA
Why in News?
The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017 was released by Environment Minister.
About ISFR
 It is a biennial report, prepared by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), a body under MoEFCC.
 ISFR 2017 is the 15th edition of the report.
Highlights of the Report

 India posted a marginal 0.21% rise in the area under forest between 2015 and 2017.
 The document says that India has about 7,08,273 square kilometres of forest, which is 21.53% of
the geographic area of the country (32,87,569 sq. km).
 Forest and Tree Cover of the country has increased by 8,021 sq km (1 %) as compared to assessment
of 2015.
 Water bodies inside forests have increased over a decade. The survey, which has for the first time
assessed water bodies, said that these bodies inside forest cover have increased by 2,647 sq. km during
last decade.Maharashtra (432 sq kms), Gujarat (428 sq kms), Madhya Pradesh (389 sq kms) are top
three states showing increase in water bodies within forest areas.

Category Findings
Largest forest cover in Madhya Pradesh (77,414 sq. km) followed by Arunachal Pradesh
terms of area: (66,964 sq. km) and Chhattisgarh (55,547 sq. km).
Highest percentage of Lakshadweep (90.33%) followed by Mizoram (86.27%) and Andaman

forest cover: and Nicobar Island (81.73%)
State wise maximum Andhra Pradesh (2,141 sq kms), Karnataka (1,101 sq kms), Kerala
increase in forest (1,043 sq kms), Odisha (885 sq kms) and Telangana (565 sq kms).
cover:
State wise maximum Mizoram (531 sq km), Nagaland (450 sq km), Arunachal Pradesh
decrease in forest (190 sq km), Tripura (164 sq km) and Meghalaya (116 sq km).
cover:
Mangrove cover of the It has increased by 181 sq kms. Maharashtra is the top gainer in
country terms of Mangrove cover.
FOREST SURVEY OF INDIA (FSI)
 Forest Survey of India (FSI), is a premier national organization under the union Ministry of
Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
 It is responsible for assessment and monitoring of the forest resources of the country regularly.
 In addition, it is also engaged in providing the services of training, research and extension.
 Established on June 1, 1981, the Forest Survey of India succeeded the "Preinvestment Survey of
Forest Resources" (PISFR), a project initiated in 1965 by Government of India with the sponsorship of
FAO and UNDP.
 In its report in 1976, the National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) recommended for the creation of
a National Forest Survey Organization for a regular, periodic and comprehensive forest resources survey
of the country leading to creation of FSI.
5.23 WORLD WETLANDS DAY

Why in News?
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in collaboration with Department of
Forests, Assam government is organising the national-level celebration of World Wetlands Day (WWD),
2018 at Deepor Beel, a Ramsar Site in Assam.
More about News

 The 2018 theme: ‘Wetlands for a sustainable urban future’.
 The 2018 theme marks the role of healthy wetlands play in making cities and towns liveable,
through their role in groundwater recharge, buffering floods, filtering wastewater, enhancing landscape
aesthetics, providing income generation opportunities and ultimately supporting well-being.

Background:
 Every year, February 2 is celebrated as World Wetlands Day, to mark the date of adoption of Ramsar
Convention on Wetlands.
What are Wetlands?

 A wetland is a place where the land is covered by water.
 Marshes, ponds, the edge of a lake/ocean, the delta at the mouth of a river, low-lying areas that
frequently flood — all of these are wetlands.
 Wetlands of international importance are also known as Ramsar sites.
5.24 SAL RIVER

Why in News?
The Centre sanctioned a new project to control pollution in River Sal at Navelim town in Goa.
About Sal River

 The third largest river in Goa, the Sal River is based in South Goa and starts in Cavelossim.
 It is one of the nine major rivers of Goa.
 It passes through Margao, Dramapur, Chinchinim, Navelim and Assolna, before leading into the
Arabian Sea at Betul in Goa.
 The Sal River measures 35 kilometers in length and has a basin size of 301 square kilometers.
 It is the only river that flows in a north-south direction prior to flowing in to the Arabian and runs parallel
to the western coast of India.
 The Sal River flows on a flat plain and its morphology makes the river basin extremely vulnerable to
the impact of rising sea levels.
 The Sal River starts as a small stream, which is now facing danger of extinction due to development.
 The stream is located at the ancient site of Mahalsa temple on the Verna hills.
5.25 GREEN GOOD DEEDS CAMPAIGN

Why in News?
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched Green Good
Deeds campaign.
Key Facts
 It was launched by the Environment Ministry to sensitise the people and students, in particular, about
climate change and global warming.
 The campaign aims to broad its base with involvement of teachers, students and other voluntary
organisations.
 The people-oriented campaign was launched keeping one objective in mind - the moral responsibility
‘to restore and return the clean and green environment to the next generation”.
 A mobile application – ‘Dr Harsh Vardhan’ has been devised to reach out to people across India on the
campaign, has also been launched recently.
 Environment Minister also underlined need for ‘Green Sainiks’ on the lines of ‘Polio Sainiks’ to broaden
the ‘Green Good Deeds’ campaign and take it to the grassroots level.
5.26 CENTRAL GEOLOGICAL PROGRAMMING BOARD (CGPB)

Why in News?
The 57th Meeting of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) was recently held.
About CGPB:
 The Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) is the apex body at the national level to overview
the programme of geoscientific activities including mineral exploration in the country.

 It was established through Government of India Resolution in 1966, and subsequently revamped in
2009 with the constitution of 12 theme based committees.
 CGPB meetings are held twice in a year.
 Composition:
 The Secretary (Mines) is the chairman of CGPB.
 Geological Survey of India (GSI) is the nodal department and the State Geology and Mining
departments and Central Government institutions are its participating members.
 Functions:
 CGPB coordinates activities on geological mapping, mineral prospecting, exploration and
exploitation in the country.
 It is responsible for providing the general strategic direction of geosciences activity; advising on
geosciences partnerships between GSI, and State and Central – level agencies; and approving five-
year detailed sub-sectoral targets on a rolling plan basis.
5.27 PHOSPHORUS POLLUTION

Why in News?
India ranks second in global phosphorus pollution by human activity according to a new report in Water
Resources Research.
More about News

 The study points out that globally, due to human activities, about 1.5 teragrams of phosphorus (one
teragram is equal to one billion kilograms) were dumped in a year into the freshwater systems.
 Calculating the total global anthropogenic (caused by human activity) phosphorus pollution, China
contributed the most with 30%, followed by India (8%), the USA (7%) and Spain and Brazil (6% each).
Point pollution
 The researchers analysed the pollution from point sources first. i.e., the pollution from a single
identifiable source like sewage pipes.
 Breaking it down by country, the largest contributor was China, followed by USA and then India.
Non-point sources of pollution

 Non-point sources of pollution like erosion, run-off and leaching contributed to the other half of the
pollution.
 The domestic sector was the largest contributor of phosphorus accounting for 54%, followed by
agriculture (38%) and industry (8%).
 The report points out that the phosphorus load from agricultural fields increased by 27% over the study
period (2002 to 2010) due to the extensive use of mineral fertilizers and manure.
Grey-water footprints
 Grey-water footprint is the amount of freshwater required to dilute the pollutants.
 It can also indicate whether the water body can handle the pollution or get affected by it.
 Eutrophication (sudden increase in nutrients in a water body leading to outburst in algae, floating
plants, microbes etc.) due to phosphorus pollution causes algal blooms, which can lead to the mortality
of fish and plants due to lack of oxygen and light.
 It also reduces the use of the water for human purposes.
 The global grey-water footprint increased by about 15% within the study period.
Polluted river basins

 The researchers assessed the phosphorus-related water pollution levels in 20 river basins across the
globe.
 The Huang He river basin of China ranked first, followed by the Indus river basin.
 The Ganges basin ranked fourth in the list of polluted river basins.
5.28 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE BIOFUELS

Why in news?
A two- day International Conference on Sustainable Biofuels will be organized on 26 th and 27th February.
More about the conference
 It is jointly being organized by Department of
Biotechnology, Govt. of India on behalf of Mission
Innovation and Biofuture Platform at New Delhi.
 The event will bring together experts from Biofuels
sector to take stock of current knowledge, share
information and best practices, and build consensus on
the actions most needed to move forward.
 The Sustainable Biofuel is one of the Seven Mission
Innovation Challenges and India Co-leads this along
with other countries Brazil, Canada and China.
SEVEN MISSION INNOVATION CHALLENGES

 Mission Innovation put forth seven Innovation Challenges to fight against climate change.
 Innovation Challenges aims at accelerating research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) in
technology areas.
 The Innovation Challenges are each advanced by a voluntary coalition of participating MI members,
under the co-leadership of two to four countries.
 These innovation challenges are:
1. Smart Grids Innovation Challenge – to enable future grids that are powered by affordable,
reliable, decentralised renewable electricity systems – India is a lead country.
2. Off-Grid Access to Electricity Innovation Challenge – to develop systems that enable off-grid
households and communities to access affordable and reliable renewable electricity. – India is a
lead country.
3. Carbon Capture Innovation Challenge – to enable near-zero CO2 emissions from power plants
and carbon intensive industries
4. Sustainable Biofuels Innovation Challenge – to develop ways to produce, at scale, widely
affordable, advanced biofuels for transportation and industrial applications –India is a lead
country.
5. Converting Sunlight Innovation Challenge – to discover affordable ways to convert sunlight
into storable solar fuels
6. Clean Energy Materials Innovation Challenge – to accelerate the exploration, discovery, and
use of new high-performance, low-cost clean energy materials
7. Affordable Heating and Cooling of Buildings Innovation Challenge – to make low-carbon
Mission Innovation
Already covered in NEO IAS Prelims Current Affairs Digest – November, 2017 (Topic: 8.3)
BIOFUTURE PLATFORM
 The Biofuture Platform is a 20-country effort to promote an advanced low carbon bio-economy that
is sustainable, innovative and scalable.
 The ultimate purpose of the Biofuture Platform is to help in the global fight against climate change.
 The Biofuture Platform has been proposed by the
government of Brazil to several leading countries in all five
continents.
 India is a founding member.
 As a multistakeholder initiative, international
organizations, academia, and private sector associations
are also involved and engaged as official partners.
 By request of its members, the government of Brazil is serving as the interim secretariat/facilitator of
the Biofuture Platform since its launch in 2016.

5.29 WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2018
Why in News?
India will be the global host of 2018 World Environment Day which will take place on June 5, 2018.
In this regard, Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed between India and UN Environment in New Delhi.
Key Facts
 2018 Theme is “Beat Plastic Pollution”.
 The theme for World Environment Day 2018, urges governments, industry, communities, and
individuals to come together and explore sustainable alternatives and urgently reduce the
production and excessive use of single-use plastic polluting our oceans, damaging marine life and
threatening human health.
Background
 World Environment Day (WED) observed annually on 5th June for encouraging worldwide awareness
and action for the protection of our environment.
 It was established by United Nations General Assembly to mark opening of United Nations Conference
on the Human Environment in 1972.
 The first World Environment Day was observed in 1974 and since then it is being held every year with
different themes on emerging environment issues.
5.30 CARBON TAX

Why in News?
Singapore recently announced to impose a carbon tax from year 2019 to cut its greenhouse gas emissions
and make companies more competitive as global agreements on climate change take effect.
More about News

 The tax would be levied on all facilities producing 25,000 tonnes or more of greenhouse gas
emissions a year.
 Singapore ranks 26th out of 142 countries in terms of emissions per capita based on the latest
International Energy Agency data.
Facts Related to News

Plastic Pollution facts:
 Carbon Tax is a fee for making users of fossil fuels pay
 Every year the world uses 500 billion plastic
for climate damage their fuel use imposes by releasing
bags.
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and for motivating
 Each year, at least 8 million tonnes of plastic
switches to clean energy.
end up in the oceans, the equivalent of a full
 Carbon Footprint refers to the Total emission of
garbage truck every minute.
Greenhouse emissions over a period of time by any
individual, group, organization etc.  In the last decade, we produced more plastic
 Carbon Offsetting is the Reduction of emission of than in the whole last century.
GHGs to compensate for the emission of GHGs made  50 percent of the plastic we use is single-
elsewhere or, offset emission of GHGs. use or disposable.
 Carbon Credit  We buy 1 million plastic bottles every
minute.
o It is a critical component in carbon market.
 Plastic makes up 10% of all of the waste we
o The countries are given permission to emit certain
generate.
tonnes of GHGs.
o They in turn distribute this quota within their own
units.
o Those unit who hasn't utilized the emission quota can trade it with other players, privately or in
international market in the form of carbon credit.

6 SECURITY
SECURITY ASSETS
6.1 INS CHAKRA
Why in News?
Russian authorities have demanded over $20 million for rectifying the damage suffered by nuclear
submarine INS Chakra.
About INS Chakra
Security
 INS Chakra is a nuclear-powered submarine which was
taken by India on lease from Russia in 2012 for a period
of 10 years.
 Unlike conventional diesel submarines that India operates
which need to surface to charge their batteries often -
sometimes as frequently as 24 hours - INS Chakra can stay
under as long as it wants.
 INS Chakra is propelled by a 190 MW nuclear reactor.
 It is a Akula Class submarine which will carry conventional
weapons.
 INS Chakra is one of the quietest nuclear submarines
around, with noise levels next to zero.
AKULA CLASS SUBMARINES

 Akula-class submarines are considered one of the most silent SSNs in service and are capable of
sailing at speeds up to 35 knots.
 They are nuclear powered but are armed with conventional land attack missiles.
 India had earlier leased first Akula-II class nuclear attack submarine (SSN) for a period of 10 years from
Russia.
 It was inducted into service as INS Chakra (formerly known as K-152 Nerpa) in April 2012. Its lease
expires in 2021.
To Know more About Economy Guru : https://goo.gl/11bJ8A

6.2 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SSN AND SSBN
Why relevant?
SSN and SSBN are two important technical terms that is often heard in the discussions of attack
submarines.
SSN SSBN
Security Assets
Abbreviation SSN is an abbreviation for Submersible SSBN stands for the Submersible Ship
Ship Nuclear. Ballistic Missile Nuclear.
Attack It is used to attack the assailants in the It is used to launch missile attacks to far
distance nearby distance. distances.
Where-about It is war prone, as it looks to destroy the It keeps its position secret from other ships
enemy ships. or submarines.
Attack It is general all-purpose attack It carries out strategic attacks.

submarine.
6.3 INS ARIHANT

Why in news?
Indigenously built nuclear ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant, which suffered extensive damage
because of human error over a year ago, is yet to be back to active sailing.
More about INS Arihant

 INS Arihant is nuclear submarine capable of carrying nuclear tipped ballistic missiles. Thus it belongs
to class referred to as Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN).
 Its design is based on the Russian Akula-1 class submarine. It was
built with Russia’s help under Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) What kind of Questions to expect
project started in the 1980s. (2014 Prelims)
 It weighs 6000 tonnes and is 112 metre long.
 It is powered by 83 MW pressurised light water nuclear reactor
with enriched uranium fuel.
 It will be armed with the K-15 Sagarika missiles with a range of 750
km. Later it will be armed with much longer range K-4 missiles (3,500
km range) being developed by DRDO.
 INS Arihant was formally commissioned in August 2016. However, it
was kept secret owing to strategic significance.
 With its induction, India has completed its nuclear triad.
 The Arihant is harder to detect than India’s nuclear weapons
platforms on land and in the air, giving it a “second-strike”
capability. This would allow India to retaliate against an enemy who managed to destroy the rest of its
nuclear arsenal in a first-strike.
6.4 RUSTOM 2
Why in News
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the test flight of its
Rustom 2 drone at the Aeronautical Test Range.
Key facts:
 RUSTOM–II is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
 It was developed on the lines of predator drones of the United States.

 The UAV has been designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of the
DRDO, and aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) are its
production partners.
Security: Institutions, Events and Schemes

Purpose
 The objective of this drone is to carry out
surveillance for the armed forces with an
endurance of 24 hours.
 The drone was developed for use by all three
services of the Indian armed forces, primarily
for intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
Features
 The medium-altitude prototype can fly at over
22,000 ft. and is a long-endurance (MALE) UAV that has an approximate flight time of 20 hours.
 It can fly at around 280 km/h and carry a variety of payloads like Medium Range Electro Optic (MREO),
Long Range Electro Optic (LREO) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
 It can also carry Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), Communication Intelligence (COMINT) and Situational
Awareness Payloads (SAP) to perform missions during day and night.
 Rustom 2 can fly missions on manual as well as autonomous modes.
 The on-board way-point navigation system allows the drone to conduct missions autonomously.
 Rustom 2 is part of the Rustom line of UAVs that includes Rustom-I, Rustom-H and Rustom-C.
SECURITY: INSTITUTIONS, EVENTS AND SCHEMES

6.5 NUCLEAR FUEL COMPLEX (NFC)
Why in news?
Dr Dinesh Srivastava, distinguished nuclear scientist, took over as the chief executive of the Nuclear Fuel
Complex.
About Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC)

 It is a major industrial unit of Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.
 It was established in the year 1971.
 It is headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana.
 NFC is responsible for the supply of nuclear fuel bundles and reactor core components for all the
nuclear power reactors operating in India.
 It is a unique facility where natural and enriched uranium fuel, zirconium alloy cladding and reactor
core components are manufactured under one roof starting from the raw materials.
 Its products are supplied to DAE, Indian Navy, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and other defence
organisations, as well as chemical, fertilizer industries.
6.6 ‘SECURITY CHECK KIYA’ CAMPAIGN

Why in News?
Google has launched #SecurityCheckKiya campaign in India to safeguard internet users.
Key Facts
 It was launched on the occasion of Safer Internet Day (6 February).
 The campaign aims to protect first-time web users from account hijacking, safeguard Android devices
from malicious apps and secure all their personal data if they lose their device.
 Under campaign, Google has recommended a three-step action for Internet safety.
o To protect account hijacking, all Android devices and Gmail users can review their security settings
and Google account activity with one click “Google Security”. This automatically scans for any
vulnerability and guides users to keep their account safe.

o To safeguard Android devices from malicious apps, users can scan and check Android device for
any harmful apps through Google Play Protect. Google Play Protect scans all apps for malware
before and after you install them and is automatically enabled on your device.

o To secure all personal data if an Android device is lost, users can download “Find My Device”
app. It will help you to easily locate a lost Android device and keeps device and information secure.
6.7 DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION CORRIDOR

Why in News?
Defence Minister stated that India’s first defence corridor will be built starting from Tamil Nadu, linking
Chennai and Bengaluru.
About Defence Industrial Production Corridor

 A defence corridor refers to a route or a path along which domestic productions of defence
equipment by public sector, private sector and MSMEs are lined up.
 Apart from improving the connectivity of the defence forces, it will encourage domestic production of
defence equipments and benefit all small and medium manufacturers along the corridor.
 It will link Chennai and Bengaluru and will pass through Coimbatore and several other industrial
clusters.
6.8 VINAY SHEEL OBEROI COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE PROCUREMENTS

Why in News?
To expedite capital acquisitions in defence procurement, Defence Minister has constituted a 13-
member Raksha Mantri Advisory Committee on Ministry of Defence Capital Projects (RMCOMP).
Key Facts
 It will be headed by former secretary Vinay Sheel Oberoi.
 The committee will monitor and expedite capital acquisition projects for modernisation of armed
forces and bolster armed forces preparedness.
 The committee will have tenure until the end of August 2018.
 It will have to present initial status report on identified projects to Defence Minister by March 31,
2018.
 The report shall include — apart from the current status of the projects — issues, remedial measures
and follow-up strategy.
 The terms of reference include the mandate to undertake independent review and status check of
identified ongoing critical capital projects above ₹500 crore in various categories under the Defence
Procurement Procedure.
6.9 MILAN 2018

Why in News
The Indian Navy is going to host 16 countries for multi-national 2018 MILAN exercise at Port Blair in
Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) islands from March 6 to 13, 2018.
Key Facts
 The eight-day mega naval exercise will be held under aegis of Andaman and Nicobar Command with
theme of ‘Friendship across the Seas’.
 Milan 2018 will witness diverse mix of professional exercises and seminars, social events and
sporting fixtures.
 The interactions at event encompass sharing of views and ideas on maritime good-order and enhancing
regional cooperation for combating unlawful activities at sea.
 The social interactions planned in Milan 2018 include display by bands of the Indian Navy and Indian
Army, ship visits and colourful cultural evenings.
 Milan 2018 aims to showcase the rich heritage and pristine natural beauty of A&N Islands to
foreign visitors.

Participating Countries

Asia Pacific Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand,
Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia
South Asia India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives
Africa Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania
West Asia Oman
About MILAN Exercise

 MILAN is congregation of littoral navies conducted biennially by Indian Navy under aegis of the
Andaman and Nicobar Command.
 It was first held in 1995.
 In the first edition, only four littoral navies had participated in it.
 MILAN Exercise has now grown into prestigious international event and encompasses participation
by maritime forces from not just Bay of Bengal and South East Asia but larger Indian Ocean Region
(lOR).
 It provides effective forum to participating navies to come together to discuss common concerns in
the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and forge deeper cooperation among friendly navies.
6.10 MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY

Why in News?
The Maratha Light Infantry celebrated 250 years of its existence on 4 February 2018.
About Maratha Light Infantry

 The Maratha Light Infantry is infantry regiment of the Indian Army.
 It is one of the oldest and most decorated regiments of the Indian Army with 56 battle honours and
10 theatre honours.
 It is the only regiment of the Army from which two battalions were converted into Special Forces, the
2 & 21 Para Special Forces.
 The regiment has a long history of gallantry and sacrifice and has a
string of honours, including two Victoria Crosses in World War II to
prove it.
 During the World War I the regiment was honoured with 15 battle
honours.
 At present, it has around 21 regular battalions, four Rashtriya
Rifles battalions, and two Territorial Army battalions
Key Facts
 The first battalion of the Regiment was raised as ‘second battalion
Bombay Sepoys’ in 1768 which was later known as ‘jangi paltan’.
 February 4 is celebrated as “Maratha Light Infantry Day” across the regiment throughout the country.
 The date holds historic significance as on this day in 1670, Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji
conquered famous Kondana Fort famously known as Sinhgarh, near Pune, Maharashtra.
6.11 PROJECT SEABIRD

Why in news?
Defence minister distributed cheques worth almost 5 crore for 30 households (96 persons) who were
rehabilitated under Operation Seabird (Naval Project).
What is it?

 It is an ambitious initiative of Indian navy to develop the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka.
 Under the project, the Karwar base will become one of the largest naval bases of India.
 It will house various warships including India’s largest warship and aircraft carrier INS

Vikramaditya.
 It will be executed in two phases. Phase II will be completed in 2020.
 Under phase II, the naval station will get an airbase, armament depot, dockyard complex and missile
silos apart from additional jetties, berthing facilities etc.
 INS Kadamba is the Indian Navy base situated near Karwar.
6.12 ANTI-NARCOTICS SCHEME

Why in News?
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Anti-Narcotics Scheme for 3 more years -
from 2017-18 to 2019-20 - with an estimated budget of Rs 21 crore.
About the scheme:

 The scheme aims to combat illicit trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substance.
 The purpose of the scheme is to assist state governments and Union Territories which are
contributing in controlling the inter-state and cross border drug trafficking.
 The main strategy under the scheme includes reduction of both supply and demand of drugs and
psychotropic substances.
 The supply reduction will include enforcement activities and demand reduction will involve rehabilitation
and de-addiction measures.
 Financial assistance will be provided to all the anti- narcotics agencies and for all capacity building
activities.
 The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) being the national nodal agency for drug administration will
process the requests from state governments and UTs for financial assistance for improving their
enforcement capabilities in dealing with the supply side of the drug menace.
NARCOTICS CONTROL BU REAU (NCB)
 The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is the nodal drug law enforcement and intelligence agency of
India responsible for fighting drug trafficking and the abuse of illegal substances.
 The Narcotics Control Bureau was created on 17 March 1986 to enable the full implementation of
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and fight its violation through
the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988.
 Narcotics Control Bureau's national headquarters is located in Delhi.
 The chief purpose of the Narcotics Control Bureau is to fight drug trafficking on an all-India level.
6.13 WATAN KO JANO

Why in News?
Union Home Minister meets J&K youth under Youth Exchange Programme ‘Watan ko Jano’.
Key Facts
 The programme has been organized by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
 “Watan Ko Jano” aims to give exposure to the youth and children of Jammu and Kashmir about
the cultural and socio-economic development taking place in other parts of the country.
 Youth and children hit by militancy and from weaker sections of the society have been identified for the
purpose.
 Around 200 youth from the state are on a visit to different places of the country as part of the programme
from 11th Feb-20th Feb, 2018.
6.14 PASCHIM LEHAR

Why in News?
A joint exercise of the army, the navy and the air force was conducted in the Arabian Sea.
Key Facts
 'Paschim Lehar' is a tri-service maritime exercise off India's western coast.

 The objective of the exercise conducted to build interoperability between Army, Navy and Air Force.
 Exercise ‘Paschim Lehar’ is led by the Western Naval Command and involves the participation of more
than 40 warships, submarines and aircraft.
 Units from Eastern Naval Command, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Coast Guard are also
participating to build interoperability.
 This is the second edition of Exercise Paschim Lehar (XPL). It follows the first that was concluded only
three months back in November, 2017.
6.15 ENCORE
Why in News?
The Eastern Naval Command Operational Readiness Exercise (ENCORE), Theatre Level Readiness and
Operational Exercise was recently concluded on the Eastern Seaboard.
Key Facts
 The exercise was conducted in phases to test various facets of war-fighting capabilities of the combat
units to respond to given threat situations.
 The month long exercise saw participation of over 40 ships and submarines including those ships from
the Western Naval Command, Andaman & Nicobar Command and Indian Coast Guard and assorted
naval and IAF aircraft.
 The exercise was conducted in real time covering a vast expanse of Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
 The exercise provided an apt-opportunity to test the combat capability of the Eastern Naval Command
(ENC) and refine action plans and contingencies for operations in complex maritime conflict zone.
To know more about Focus Prelims: https://goo.gl/WmWjVx

7 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: CONCEPTS
7.1 ACETYLENE
Why in News?
Science and Technology

The blast on ONGC ship in Cochin Shipyard may have been caused by Acetylene leak.
More about News

 A preliminary inspection points to a leak in the huge quantity of acetylene that was being stored for
welding work.
 It is inflammable in the 3% to 100% range, meaning it triggers an explosion even when oxygen is absent.
About Acetylene
 Acetylene (C2H2) It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne.
 This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block.
 It is unstable in its pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution.
 Pure acetylene is odorless, but commercial grades usually have a marked odor due to impurities.
 Acetylene is mainly manufactured for chemical synthesis. The second most common application of
acetylene is welding and cutting.
Main applications of acetylene
o Acetylene was used to light a portable lamp called carbide or acetylene

gas lamp in the late 19th century.
Portable lighting o These lamps were used in homes, on bicycles and cars.
o They were also used extensively by miners.
o Many hunters or cavers still use these lamps for terrain activities.
Welding, Cutting, and o Acetylene is most commonly used in welding and cutting.
o Acetylene used in welding is called as oxy-fuel cutting or gas cutting.
Heat Treating o It is applied on materials that require temperatures as high as 3,500
degree Celsius for cutting or welding.
o Acetylene is known for producing the hottest flame. It is for this
reason that it is used for heat treating metals and other materials.
o The gas can be used for manufacturing several inorganic

compounds.
Production of o It finds application in the synthesis of certain vitamins including
Chemicals Vitamin A and E.
o It is also capable of producing certain constituents of perfumes,
solvents, etc.
o It is also used in the production of produce acetic acid, 1,4-butanediol
(BDO), several acetylenic alcohols, etc.
o Although PVC, PVDF and polyethylene plastics are produced from

Used in Production of ethylene or methane but both of them are derived from the acetylene.
o It is also used in another production process where it is mixed with
Polyethylene Plastics elements like chlorine, hydrochloric acid, etc. to produce different
variants of plastic like PVC, PVDF, etc.
o The archaeological material is treated with lithium metal in a specialized

Used in volatilization furnace to produce lithium carbide (also called lithium acetylide).
of carbon in o The carbide is then reacted with water to form acetylene gas which is
radiocarbon dating used in a mass spectrometer to measure the isotopic ratio of carbon-
14 to carbon-12.

7.2 NOROVIRUS
Why in News?
The ongoing 23rd Olympic Winter Games at the South Korean city of Pyeongchang, has been hit by an
extraordinary outbreak of disease caused by Norovirus.
Science and Technology: Concepts

What is norovirus?
 Norovirus is a group of related viruses in the Caliciviridae family.
 The norovirus is also referred to as the “winter vomiting bug.”
 It’s a common virus that people across all age groups and is highly contagious.
 A common way the virus is transmitted is through close contact with an infected person.
o Primary route is oral-faecal.

Transmission o Also through contaminated food, water and surface.
o Sudden onset of vomiting and/or diarrhoea

o Nausea and abdominal pain headaches
Symptoms o Body aches and fever
o Extreme cases, loss of fluids could lead to dehydration.
Vaccine o At present not available.
o Precautionary hand washes after using lavatory and before cooking and
Prevention eating.
o Disinfecting the surfaces are the ways to prevent it.
7.3 FLU-GAS DESULFURIZATION (FGD)

Why in News?
The state owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has bagged major order worth Rs. 560 crore from
the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for setting up flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) system at
National Capital Power Station (capacity 2×490MW) at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.
Key Facts
 The system is aimed at controlling various harmful emissions, as per stringent emission norms
declared by the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
 It will be the 13th order for desulphurization unit being executed by BHEL as part of Make in India
programme and Intended Nationally Determined Contributions scheme to reduce carbon footprint.
Flu-Gas Desulfurization (FGD)

 FGD is a set of technologies used to remove sulphur-dioxide (SO2) from exhaust flue gases of
fossil-fuel power plants, as well as from the emissions of other SOx emitting processes.
 Common methods used in it are wet scrubbing method, Wet and Dry lime scrubbing method, Spray-dry
scrubbing method, SNOX method, Dry sorbent injection method, etc.
The chemistry behind FGD

 SO2 is an acidic gas. Therefore, the most common large-scale FGD systems use an alkaline sorbent such
as lime or limestone to neutralize and remove the SO2 from the flue gas. Since lime and limestone are
not soluble in water, they are used either in the form of an aqueous slurry or in a dry, powdered form.
 When using an aqueous slurry of sorbent, the FGD system is referred to as a wet scrubber.
 When using a dry, powdered sorbent, the system is referred to as a dry system.
 An intermediate or semi-dry system is referred to as a spray-dry system
 Aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), known as caustic soda or simply caustic, may also be
used to neutralize and remove SO2 from flue gases.
 For a typical coal-fired power station, FGD system may remove 90% or more of the SO2 in the flue
gases.
 SO2 emissions are a primary contributor to acid rain and have been regulated by every industrialized
nation in the world.

FLUE GASES
 Flue Gases is mixture of gases produced by combustion of fuel and other materials in power
stations and various industrial plants and released via flu (ducts) in atmosphere.
 It largely contains oxides of nitrogen derived from combustion of air, sulphur oxides, carbon

dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapour, excess oxygen, particulate matter like soot.
7.4 HEAVY WATER AND HEAVY WATER BOARD

Why in news?
Heavy Water Board signed an agreement with Clearsynth company for sale of 20 tonnes of Heavy Water in
a year.
Significance of the agreement

 The sale of heavy water will enable development of deuterium labeled compounds, NMR Solvents, d-
labeled Active Pharma Ingredients (APIs).
 During the previous years Indian industries have imported deuterated compounds and Heavy Water to
the tune of 9 Million USD.
 This Agreement will initiate import substitution for the deuterated compounds and Heavy Water.
What is heavy water?

 Heavy water is water with the chemical formula of D2O or deuterium oxide.
 Heavy water contains mostly deuterium oxide D 2O and some hydrogen-deuterium oxide (HDO) and a
smaller number of ordinary hydrogen oxide H 2O molecules.
 The hydrogen isotope deuterium is heavier and less stable than hydrogen.
Physical properties
 It is an odorless pale blue transparent liquid.

 Heavy water is relatively more viscous than H2O.
 It has higher melting and boiling points while differences in other physical properties are not marked.
Applications
 Medicine:
o Deuteration of anticancer drugs reduces side effects while retaining their therapeutic efficacy.
o Thermo stability of certain vaccines e.g. oral polio vaccine or other macromolecules which need
freezing temperature can be enhanced using Deuteration.
 Nuclear Reactor: Heavy water is commonly used in nuclear reactors, where it is used as a ‘neutron
moderator’. It is also used as a coolant.
 Industrial application:
o Optical fibres - improved intensity and better transmission characteristics of deuterated PMMA
(Poly methyl meta acrylate) compared to conventional one.
o Optical recording systems - improved storage capacity as a result of sharper and uniform
optical recording density with deuterated polymeric substance.
o Better quality semi-conductors with reduced stress induced leakage currents across the metal
oxide gates.
o Deuterated compounds like lubricant additives have also been reported to provide excellent
properties vis-a-vis the normal lubricants.
o Used for chemical tagging and may be useful as a future fusion fuel.
Is it harmful?
 If 25-50% of the water in the body is heavy water it becomes harmful.

 It has no radio activity property.
More about Heavy Water Board

 Heavy Water Board (HWB), a constituent unit of Industries and Minerals Sector under Department of
Atomic Energy.
 It is primarily responsible for production of Heavy Water (Deuterium Oxide-D2O) which is used in the
nuclear power as well as research reactors.

 HWB is operating six Heavy Water Plants in the country.
 HWB also has been successful in engineering / setting up and operating the boron isotope enrichment
units based on different technologies to meet the requirements of fast breeder reactor programme.

7.5 INSULATED-GATE BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR (IGBT) TECHNOLOGY
Why in News
Indian Railways in collaboration with General Electric (GE) has inducted two Digitally Enabled
Locomotives based on state of art insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) technology.
More about the News

 The two High Horse Power (HHP) prototypes locomotives were wholly designed in India under Make
in India program and manufactured under Public Private Partnership (PPP) through MoU with GE.
 The first GE manufactured Diesel locomotive No 49001 for Indian Railways, shipped from USA, landed
in the country on 11th October 2017 and was put to extensive trials.
Background
 GE is providing locomotive technology to Indian Railway and by 2025, through Joint Venture
Company it will manufacture 1000 fuel-efficient locomotives (100 per year) for freight traffic hauling of
4500 HP and 6500 HP.
 Initially 40 fuel efficient diesel locomotives will be manufactured in GE facility at Erie, Pennsylvania,
US and rest 960 diesel locomotives will be manufactured in Marhoura, Saran District, Bihar.
 The locomotive is also the first fully digitally enabled locomotive with greater reliability and
availability and is also provided with a device to manage disasters.
About IGBT Technology

 It has three-terminal power semiconductor device primarily used as electronic switch.
 It gives combined advantages of high efficiency and fast switching.
 It offers greater power gain than standard bipolar type transistor combined with the higher voltage
operation and lower input losses.
7.6 ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEM

Why in News?
ISRO to make use of Electric propulsion system in an effort to reduce the cost of its satellite and launch
vehicle missions.
More about Electric propulsion system

 Electric Propulsion (EP) is a class of space propulsion which makes use of electrical power to
accelerate a propellant by different possible electrical and/or magnetic means.
Benefits
 The use of electrical power enhances the propulsive performances of the EP thrusters compared with
conventional chemical thrusters.
 Unlike chemical systems, electric propulsion requires very little mass to accelerate a spacecraft.)(less
propellant is required)
 The propellant is ejected up to twenty times faster than from a classical chemical thruster and therefore
the overall system is many times more mass efficient.
 Due to limited electric power the thrust is much weaker compared to chemical rockets, but electric
propulsion can provide a small thrust for a long time.
 Electric propulsion can achieve high speeds over long periods and thus can work better than chemical
rockets for some deep space missions
 However, electric propulsion is not a method suitable for launches from the Earth's surface, as the thrust
for such systems is too weak.
 The propellant used in EP systems varies with the type of thruster and can be a rare gas (i.e. xenon
or argon), a liquid metal or, in some cases, a conventional propellant.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: INNOVATIONS
7.7 SPACEX FALCON HEAVY
Science and Technology: Innovations

Why in News?
SpaceX successfully launched the world's most powerful rocket Falcon Heavy on its first test flight.
Key Facts
 The mission is a test flight, pioneered by rocket firm SpaceX which is helmed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
 The rocket is loaded with Mr Musk’s own red Tesla roadster. At the wheel is a mannequin dressed in a
spacesuit nicknamed Starman (named as a tribute to the late singer David Bowie’s famous song Space
Odyssey).
 It is the first time that a car is being sent to the space.
 If the Tesla roadster survives its five-hour journey through
the Van Allen Belt – a region of high radiation where it will
be pelted with charged particles – it will attempt a final
burn toward Mars.
About Falcon Heavy:

 Falcon Heavy is the most powerful operational rocket in
the world with the ability to lift into orbit nearly 64
metric tons.
 Only the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973,
delivered more payload to orbit.
 It is propelled by 27 rocket engines.
 The new rocket is essentially constructed from three Falcon 9s bolted together side by side.
 Falcon Heavy is being considered mainly as a potential equipment carrier to deep space
destinations.
7.8 GROWING HUMAN EGGS IN LABORATORY

Why in News?
Scientists from Britain and United States for first time have succeeded in growing human eggs in laboratory
from earliest stages in ovarian tissue all way to full maturity.
Key Facts
 This is the first time human eggs have been developed outside the human body from their earliest stage
to full maturity.
 The new technique could one day help in developing regenerative medicine therapies and new
infertility treatments.
 Being able to fully develop human eggs in the lab could widen the scope of available fertility
treatments.
 It can help cancer patients wishing to preserve their fertility while undergoing chemotherapy treatment,
improve fertility treatments, and deepen scientific understanding of the biology of the earliest stages of
human life.
7.9 EXPLORER 1
Why in news?
Commemorating what is widely considered to be the greatest achievement of space exploration, NASA
celebrated the 60th anniversary of the launching of the first moon to orbit Earth.
About Explorer 1
 Explorer 1 was the first satellite of the United States, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1958
as part of its participation in the International Geophysical Year.
 It was the first spacecraft to detect the Van Allen radiation belt.
 It was a two-metre long satellite carrying a scientific instruments.

 Electrical power was provided by batteries that made up 40% of the total weight.
7.10 MALACIDINS
Why in News?

Scientists from The Rockefeller University in New York have reported discovery of a new class of antibiotics
called malacidins. It has been produced by microorganisms living in soil and dirt and is capable of
killing off several antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
Key Facts
 Malacidins are distinctive class of antibiotics that are commonly encoded in soil microbiomes.
 They have never been reported in culture-based NP (Natural Products) discovery efforts.
 Malacidins are active against multidrug-resistant pathogens. It sterilised methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin infections in animal wound but did not select for resistance in
laboratory conditions.
 The malacidins was tested on rats with MRSA skin infections. The condition was cured, and even after
20 days of continued contact with malacidins, the rodents did not experience any side effects.
Concern
 Malacidins only target gram-positive bacteria with a very thick cell wall.
 It is ineffective against gram-negative bacteria which cause cholera, pneumonia, sexually transmitted
diseases, and plague.
 Thus, it does not make an universal cure against all bacteria.
GRAM STAINING
 Gram staining is a special technique which is used to stain bacteria developed by Christian Gram in
1884.
 Chemically Gram stain is a weakly alkaline solution of crystal violet or gentian violet.
 Gram staining differentiates bacteria by the chemical and physical properties of their cell walls by
detecting the properties of peptidoglycan.
 On the basis of cell wall structure and its stain ability with Gram stain, bacteria are grouped into two
categories. They are Gram positive bacteria and Gram negative bacteria.
 The bacteria which retain the colour of the stain because of a thick layer of peptidoglycan are called
Gram positive bacteria.
 The bacteria which lose the colour of the stain are called Gram negative bacteria.
7.11 JATAN AND DARSHAK

Why in News?
Centre for Development for Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, has developed software named “Jatan”
and “Darshak” that are set to revolutionize museum experience.
About Jatan:
 The objective of the software is to make a digital imprint of all the objects preserved in museums.
 It will help researchers, curators and also people interested in the field.
About Darshak:
 It is 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 artefacts simply by scanning a QR
code placed near the object.
CENTRE FOR DEVELOPME NT OF ADVANCED COMPU TING (C-DAC)

 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.
 The setting up of C-DAC in 1988 was to build Supercomputers in context of denial of import of
Supercomputers by the USA.

 Since then C-DAC has been undertaking to build multiple generations of Supercomputer starting from
PARAM with 1 GF in 1988.
 C-DAC had also started building Indian Language Computing Solutions with setting up of GIST group
(Graphics and Intelligence based Script Technology).
 C-DAC has today emerged as a premier R&D organization in IT&E (Information Technologies and
Electronics) in the country working on strengthening national technological capabilities in the context
of global developments in the field and responding to change in the market need in selected foundation
areas.
7.12 CO2 INJECTION TECHNOLOGY

Why in News?
State owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is planning to introduce carbon dioxide (CO2) injection
technology in its Gandhar oil field in Gujarat.
Key Facts
 It will be first large scale CO2-injected project in Asia.
 Its purpose is to recover extra 20 million barrels of crude oil under enhanced oil recovery (EOR)
programme.
 EOR programme aims at recovering up to 20% of residual oil from ageing oil fields to improve
India’s energy security.
Gandhar Oil Field

 Gandhar located in Gujarat is one of ONGC’s major brownfields and was discovered in 1983.
 The field produces approximately 30,000 barrels of oil per day and is on the decline.
 Under this project, ONGC plans to invest $75 million in CO2 capture and another $200 million in injector
producer network to recover an extra 15% of residual oil currently valued at $1.36 billion.
 It will be operational in 20 months.
 ONGC is in talks with National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for utilising nearly 5 million tonnes
of emitted gas (CO2) from the latter’s Gandhar plant.
About CO2 injection technology

 CO2 injection technology is a proven concept in the West specially the US and Canada.
 Under it, CO2 gas is injected with residual oil in the ageing field in which total oil production has
been declining.
 It reduces its viscosity and makes it easier to displace oil from the rock pores.
 CO2 gas also swells oil, thereby pushing it towards the producing well for extraction.
7.13 SUPER CRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE BRAYTON TEST LOOP FACILITY

Why in News
Indian scientists have developed a Super critical carbon dioxide Brayton test loop facility that would help
generate clean energy from future power plants including solar thermal.
What is it?
 Supercritical carbon dioxide-based power generation uses supercritical CO2 (SCO2) instead of steam
to generate more power and offers an efficient alternative to conventional steam-based power plants.
 ‘Supercritical’ refers to a state of carbon above its critical temperature and pressure (31 Degree
Celsius and 73 atmospheres).
 Under these conditions, the CO2 gas is twice as dense as steam, resulting in a high power density.
This allows power to be drawn from the gas by a turbine ten times smaller than its steam equivalent,
with significant improvement in the efficiency.
Indian context

 India’s first test-bed for super critical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle test loop for power generation was
developed indigenously by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
 The technology is perhaps the first test loop coupled with solar heat source in the world.
 The efficiency of energy conversion could be significantly increased by as much as 50% or more if S-CO2

is operated in a closed loop Brayton cycle.
Significance
 It’s a next generation technology which is efficient,
compact, waterless and useful for meeting the energy
needs of the country.
 Power plants with closed cycle CO2 as the working fluid
have the potential to replace steam based nuclear and
thermal power plants, thus reducing the carbon foot
print significantly.
 It will make power plants cheaper with lower
operating costs.
 It will be indigenous initiative for setting up next
generation of solar thermal power plants. This gives
India opportunity to become world leader in this
technology, and fulfil major objective of National Solar
Mission which emphasizes indigenous manufacturing.
7.14 SARAS
Why in News?
India’s indigenous developed light transport aircraft SARAS PT1N has successfully completed second
test-flight.
Saras aircraft programme

 The aircraft programme is named after Indian crane Saras.
 It was first conceptualised in 1990s to establish short-
haul civil aviation market.
 The original design of plane included maximum take-off
weight of 6,100kg and a maximum payload of 1,232kg.
 The first prototype of the plane had made its first flight in
May 2004.
 SARAS PT1N is upgraded version of plane, after second
prototype of SARAS that had crashed during test flight
killing all three crew members on board in March 2009.
About SARAS PT1N

 SARAS PT1N is first Indian multi-purpose civilian aircraft in What kind of Questions to expect
light transport aircraft category as designed by the CSIR- (2017 Prelims)
National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL).
 Its development is seen as culmination of efforts of CSIR-NAL,
IAF-ASTE, Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification
(CEMILAC), HAL and Directorate General of Aeronautical
Quality Assurance (DGAQA).
 SARAS PT1N upgraded version of envisioned Saras aircraft
programme aircraft.
 It is 14-seater and the production version aircraft will have 19-seat capacity.
 It weighs 7-tonne and has been designed to travel at 425 km/h.
 It has maximum continuous flight time of around five hours.
More about News

 It was the second of the 20 test flights planned for SARAS PT1N, before it is frozen to production
version.

 The first successful test was carried out in January 2017.
 Indian Air Force (IAF) has committed to induct 15 aircrafts initially.
 NAL proposes to get the Saras-Mk 2 certified initially for military and subsequently for civil version.
 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been identified as the production agency for the military
Science and Technology: Programs

version of Saras.
 The production of civil version will be given to identified private industries.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: PROGRAMS

7.15 GEOSPATIAL WORLD EXCELLENCE AWARD
Why in News?
Odisha has bagged Geospatial World Excellence Award-2018 for successful IT application on tracking of
mineral production, dispatch and value accrued on real time basis through its i3MS website based
software.
About i3MS web-based software:

 i3MS(integrated Mines and Mineral Management System) is GPS-linked web-based software
designed by scientists of Odisha Space Applications Centre (ORSAC), Bhubaneswar.
 This system has enabled for the first time in India to fix GPS devices on large number of moving objects
in the mining sector.
About Geospatial World Excellence Awards:

 Initiated in 2007, Geospatial World Awards is an internationally-acclaimed private award
recognizing exemplary innovations and practices in the global geospatial industry.
 With the ceremony taking place at Geospatial World Forum every year, Geospatial World Awards have
recognized over 150+ individuals and organizations till date.
 It is given in three categories viz.
 Geospatial Application Excellence Awards,
 Geospatial Technology Innovation Awards and
 Geospatial Policy Implementation Awards.
7.16 INDIA TSUNAMI EARLY WARNING CENTRE (ITEWC)

Why in News?
In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth
Sciences stated that latest scientific techniques have been added to ITEWC to provide early warnings
for an impending tsunami to all countries in the Indian Ocean region.
About ITEWC:
 The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) is established at
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Sciences, (INCOIS
– ESSO) Hyderabad.
 It has the latest scientific techniques to provide early warnings for an
impending tsunami to all countries in the Indian Ocean region.
 Indian Tsunami Early Warning System comprises a real-time
seismic monitoring network of broadband seismic stations.
 ITEWC receives data in real time from 350 seismic stations, 50 tsunami buoys and 300 tide gauges
established in the Indian as well as the other oceans by other countries and international agencies.
 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO has designated ITEWC as the Tsunami
Service Provider (TSP) for the entire Indian Ocean Region.
 Since 2012, ITEWC is providing tsunami advisories and related services to about 25 countries.
INDIAN NATIONAL CENTR E FOR OCEAN INFORMATION SCIENCES (INCOIS)
 ESSO-INCOIS was established as an autonomous body in 1999 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences
(MoES) and is a unit of the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO).
 ESSO- INCOIS is mandated to provide the best possible ocean information and advisory services
to society, industry, government agencies and the scientific community through sustained ocean
observations and constant improvements through systematic and focussed research.
Science and Technology: Programs

7.17 INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION (IOC)
 The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), established in 1960 as
a body with functional autonomy within UNESCO, is the only competent organization for marine
science within the UN system.
 It promotes international cooperation and coordinates programmes in marine research, services,
observation systems, hazard mitigation, and capacity development in order to understand and
effectively manage the resources of the ocean and coastal
areas.
 Beginning with the International Indian Ocean Expedition in 1960,
the Commission has coordinated and promoted programmes and
activities in ocean observations, ocean science, and reduction of
marine hazards.
 IOC coordinates ocean observation and monitoring through the
Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) which aims to develop a
unified network providing information and data exchange on the physical, chemical, and biological
aspects of the ocean.
 IOC sponsors the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the IOC’s GOOS serves as the
ocean component of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), which supports the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
 UNESCO-IOC is co-convener with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) of the World Climate
Change Conference which aims to systematically make the existing knowledge on climate science
available to a wide variety of potential users.
 IOC also coordinates and fosters the establishment of regional intergovernmental coordinating
tsunami warning and mitigation systems in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, in the North East Atlantic,
Mediterranean and Caribbean seas.
7.18 VILLAGE RESOURCE CENTRES (VRCS)

Why in News?
To demonstrate the potential of satellite technology for development of rural areas, ISRO established
Village Resource Centres (VRCs) on a pilot scale, in association with selected NGOs, Trusts and State
Government Departments.
Key Facts
 This is one of the unique initiatives that uses Satellite Communication (SATCOM) network and Earth
Observation (EO) satellite data in a judicious combination to address the needs of the local people in
villages.
 VRCs use a combination of SATCOM and EO to reach out to the villages and provides wide varieties
of services, like, agricultural advisories, non-formal education, computer education, skill development
and so on.
 About Rs 18 crores was spent for establishing 473 VRCs.
7.19 INTEGRATED AUTOMATIC AVIATION METEOROLOGICAL SYSTEMS (IAAMS)

Why in News?
Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological Systems (IAAMS) was inaugurated at INS Garuda.
Key Facts
 INS Garuda is the fourth air station to have been installed with this integrated system.
 IAAMS is an ambitious project of the Indian Navy to modernise the Meteorological infrastructure of
the nine Naval Air Stations.
 The IAAMS project at INS Garuda will give a major fillip to aviation safety through automation of
weather monitoring process.

About IAAMS
 It is equipped with the state of the art Meteorological Sensors viz., Radar Vertical Wind Profiler,
Transmissometer, Ceilometer and Automatic Weather Observation System.
 IAAMS undertakes automatic and continuous recording of relevant weather parameters that are
vital for accurate weather forecasting.
 It has a special alarm feature that alerts the duty staff about any abnormal change of weather
parameters that may affect safe flying operations.
Culture and History

 The system can also provide automatic dissemination of routine weather reports of the air station
as per World Meteorological Organization (WMO) standards to other Air Stations and to ATC tower
without human intervention.
7.20 NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY 2018

Why in News?
National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February.
Key Facts
 NSD is celebrated on 28th February to commemorate discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’, which led to Sir
C.V. Raman winning the Noble Prize.
 The theme of NSD-2018 is “Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future”, which has been
chosen for the purpose of raising public appreciation of the scientific issues involved.
 National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC) of Department of Science &
Technology (DST) is nodal agency to support catalyze and coordinate celebration of the NSD
throughout the country.
 On this occasion National Awards will also be conferred on the awardees for 2017 for their outstanding
contribution in communication of S&T and promoting scientific temper.
8 CULTURE AND HISTORY

CULTURE
8.1 SURAJKUND INTERNATIONAL CRAFTS MELA
Why in News?
The 32nd edition of Surajkund International Crafts Mela was held at Faridabad, Haryana.
Key Facts
 The mela is being hosted jointly by the Haryana Tourism Corporation and Surajkund Mela Authority,
in collaboration with the Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs.
 For the 32nd edition of the fair, Uttar Pradesh is chosen as the theme state and Kyrgyzstan as the
partner nation.
 Uttar Pradesh, which is the theme state for the first time, is focusing on religious tourism, rural
tourism and spiritual tourism apart from showcasing its art, culture and heritage in the mela.
 The 32nd edition of the international crafts mela will showcase Ghats of Varanasi.
 Launched in 1987 to showcase richness and diversity of the handicrafts and cultural heritage of India,
the mela has attained international stature with about 29 countries participating this year.
8.2 ‘SHEEN KHALAI’ COMMUNITY

Why in News?
Former President Hamid Karzai meets the small, forgotten Afghan ‘Sheen Khalai’ community in India on
whom a film is being made.
About ‘Sheen Khalai’ Community

 It is an Afghan community in India who fled with their families from the tribal areas between
Afghanistan and Pakistan during the Partition in 1947.
 The women are part of a community of Pushtun Hindus that lived in the Baloch areas of Quetta, Loralai,
Bori and Maikhter, and belong to the Kakari tribes still living in afghan.
 Pushtuns are an Iranic ethnic group who mainly live in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
 They speak the Pashto language and adhere to Pashtunwali, which is a traditional set of ethics guiding
individual and communal conduct.
8.3 DEMETRIOS GALANOS

Why in News?
The International Conference on 'Demetrios Galanos and His Legacy’ was recently inaugurated at IGNCA
in New Delhi.
Culture
More about News
 Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is organizing
the 8-days International Conference on, 'Demetrios Galanos and
His Legacy'.
 The 8-day long convention is being held in Delhi and Varanasi, in
addition to organizing the exhibition and folk music of Greece.
About Demetrios Galanos

 He was the earliest recorded Greek Indologist.
 Born in Athens, Ottoman Empire (present-day Greece) in 1760.
 He spent 47 years in India, and except for the first seven years when he lived in Calcutta, for 40 years
he lived in the city of Varanasi.
 He translated the Bhagvad Gita into Greek among many other Sanskrit texts.
 His major contribution was the compilation of a Sanskrit-English-Greek lexicon of about 9000 words.
 He died on 3 May 1833 in Varanasi.
INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE AR TS
 Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi (IGNCA) is a premier government-funded arts
organization in India.
 It is an autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Culture.
 The IGNCA was launched on 19th November, 1985
 Established in memory of Smt. Indira Gandhi, IGNCA is visualized as a centre encompassing the study
and experience of all the arts—each form with its own integrity, yet within a dimension of mutual
interdependence, interrelated with nature, social structure and cosmology.
8.4 INTERNATIONAL KALA MELA

Why in News?
The First ever International Kala Mela was inaugurated by the Vice President of India.
Key Facts
 The International Kala Mela has been organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi in partnership with IGNCA
of the Ministry of Culture.
 More than 800 artists from across the world are taking part in the Festival.
 This is for the first time that the Akademi has planned the International Kala Mela at such a large scale.
 It is going to prove a boon to especially those artists who cannot afford to exhibit their works of art in
the Art Galleries.
8.5 MAHAMASTAKABHISHEKA
Why in News?
President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated 88th Mahamastakabhisheka of Lord Gommateshwara by
unveiling an idol of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola in Hassan district, Karnataka.

About Mahamastakabhisheka
 Mahamasthakabhisheka is the head anointing ceremony of the Lord Gommateshwara Bahubali.
 It is observed once every 12 years in Jain Dharmic cycle.
 It is one of biggest festivals for Jain community and it honors Lord Bahubali, a revered Jain icon.
 The ceremony of 2018 is the 88th in the series that commenced in the year 981 A.D.
About Lord Bahubali

 Bhagwan Bahubali is the son of Rishabanatha, the first of twenty four Jain Tirthankaras, is
worshipped for living with exceptional qualities that he displayed during all stages of his life from
conception, birth, renunciation, enlightenment and salvation.
Culture
 According to Jain texts, Bahubali had attained liberation from cycle of births and deaths (moksha)
at Mount Kailash and is revered as a liberated soul (Siddha) by Jains.
About Gommateshwara statue

 The carving and consecration of the Bahubali statue in
Shravanabelagola is ascribed to the great Chamunda Raja
(Chavundaraya) who was the commander-in-chief as well
as the Prime Minister of the Ganga King Rachamalla
during the later period of 10th century A.D.
 It is a 57-foot monolith, making it one of largest free-
standing statues in world.
 The body and the surrounding of the statue elicit Buddhist
principles and traditions.(Eg: His facial features are perfectly chiselled with a faint touch of a smile
at the corner of the lips that embody a calm inner peace and vitality. Also, there is an anthill in the
background which signifies his incessant penance.)

8.6 INTERNATIONAL THEATRE OLYMPICS
Why in News?
The Vice President of India Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has recently inaugurated the 8th international Theatre
Olympics 2018 at the Red Fort in New Delhi.
More about International Theatre Olympics
 The Theatre Olympics was established in 1993 at Delphi, Greece.

 Being an international theatre festival, the Theatre Olympics presents some of the greatest theatre
practitioners from around the world.
Culture
 It is a platform for theatrical exchange, a gathering place for students and masters, where a dialogue
despite ideological, culture and language differences is encouraged.
 Since 1993, the Theatre Olympics has been held seven times in the following countries: Japan (1999),
Russia (2001), Turkey (2006), South Korea (2010), China (2014), Poland (2016).
More about Eighth ITO

 The 51-day-long event was hosted in India by the National School of Drama under the aegis of
Ministry of Culture.
 It is being held in India for the first time.
 The theme of the 8th Theatre Olympics is “Flag of Friendship” that aims to bridge borders and bring
people of different cultures, beliefs and ideologies together through the medium of theatrical art.
 The festival is considered the biggest international celebration of theatre in terms of plays,
participants, performances and number of days.
NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DRAMA
 The National School of Drama is one of the foremost theatre training institutions in the world and
the only one of its kind in India.
 It was set up by the Sangeet Natak Akademi as one of its constituent units in 1959.
 In 1975, it became an independent entity and was registered as an autonomous organization under
the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860, fully financed by the Ministry of Culture, Government of
India.
8.7 SYNAGOGUES OF KOLKATA (CALCUTTA)

Why in News?
A long-pending refurbishment of two synagogues in Kolkata has triggered a renewed interest among
members of the Jewish community who had left the city of their birth nearly 60 years ago.
Background
 Jews were one of the last communities to arrive in Calcutta (Kolkata) but within a short span of time
they made their presence felt by controlling a large section of the trade in Calcutta (Kolkata).
 As the Jews community in Kolkata (Calcutta) grew in number and power they started building
Synagogues.
 The first Synagogue Neveh Shalome Synagogue came up in 1831 (it was rebuilt in 1910) followed
by Beth El Synagogue (1856), Magen David Synagogue (1884), Magen Aboth Synagogue (1897)
and Shaare Rasoon Synagogue (1933).
 The independence of India in 1947 and the birth of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948 marked the decline
of Jewish population in Calcutta (Kolkata).
 The two synagogues, Beth El & Magen David, of Calcutta (Kolkata) still stands. Declared as protected
monuments they are looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
8.8 KHAJURAHO TEMPLE

Why in News
The 44th edition of Khajuraho Dance Festival was held at Khajuraho temple, a UNESCO world heritage
site in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh.

More about News
 Khajuraho Dance Festival was organised by the culture
department of Madhya Pradesh state government.
 The Festival is annual cultural festival that highlights
richness of various Indian classical dance styles.
 During the festival, dances were performed in an open- air
auditorium, in front of Vishwanatha Temple dedicated to
Lord Shiva and Chitragupta Temple dedicated to Sun God.
Culture
About Khajuraho Temple
 It is a group of Hindu and Jain Temples in Madhya Pradesh build by Chandela Dynasty between 950
and 1050 AD.
 They are recognized as UNESCO World heritage Site.
 The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.
 The largest temple at Khajuraho is the Kandariya Mahadeva temple which is attributed to king Ganda.
 All the towers or shikhara of temple rise high, upward in curved pyramidal fashion, emphasizing temple’s
vertical thrust ending in horizontal fluted disc called Amalaka topped with Kalasha or vase.
8.9 ENDANGERED LANGUAGES IN INDIA

Why in News?
More than 40 languages or dialects in India are considered to be endangered and is believed to be heading
towards extinction as only a few thousand people speak them.
More about News

 According to a report of the census directorate, there are 22 scheduled languages and 100 non-
scheduled languages in the country which are spoken by a large number of people - one lakh or more.
 However, there are around 42 languages which are spoken by less than 10,000 people. These are
considered endangered and may be heading towards extinction.
 A list prepared by UNESCO has also mentioned about the 42 languages or dialects in India which are
endangered.
Endangered languages in India
State/UT Endangered language/dialects

Andaman andNicobar Great Andamanese, Jarawa, Lamongse, Luro,
Islands Muot, Onge, Pu, Sanenyo, Sentilese, Shompen and
Takahanyilang
Manipur Aimol, Aka, Koiren, Lamgang, Langrong, Purum
and Tarao
Himachal Pradesh Baghati, Handuri, Pangvali and Sirmaudi
Odisha Manda, Parji and Pengo
Karnataka Koraga and Kuruba
Andhra Pradesh Gadaba and Naiki
Tamil Nadu Kota and Toda
Arunachal Pradesh Mra and Na
Assam Tai Nora and Tai Rong
Uttarakhand Bangani
Jharkhand Birhor
Maharashtra Nihali
Meghalaya Ruga

West Bengal Toto
Facts related to News

 Apart from the 22 scheduled languages, there are 31 other languages in the country which were given
the status of official language by various state governments and Union territories.
 According to the census data, there are 1,635 rationalised mother tongues, 234 identifiable mother
tongues and 22 major languages in the country.
8.10 CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF INDIAN LANGUAGES (CIIL)
History
Why in News?
More than 40 languages or dialects in India are considered to be endangered and is believed to be heading
towards extinction as only a few thousand people speak them. The Central Institute of Indian Languages,
Mysore, has been working for the protection and preservation of endangered languages of the country,
under a central scheme.
About CIIL
 The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) is based in Mysore and is part of the Language
Bureau of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
 It was founded on 17 July 1969.
 CIIL was established to co-ordinate the development of Indian Languages, to bring about the
essential unity of Indian languages through scientific studies, Promote inter-disciplinary research,
contribute to mutual enrichment of languages, and thus contribute towards emotional integration of
people of India.
 Aims and Objectives:
o Advices and Assists Central as well as State Governments in the matters of language.
o Contributes to the development of all Indian Languages by creating content and corpus.
o Protects and Documents Minor, Minority and Tribal Languages.
o Promotes Linguistic harmony by teaching 15 Indian languages to non-native learners.
8.11 MOTISHWAR SHIVA TEMPLE IN OMAN

Why in News?
Prime Minister visited the Shiva Temple in Muscat (Oman) also known as Motishwar Mandir.
Key Facts
 The temple is situated in Muscat near Sultan’s Palace, about 35km from Seeb Airport.
 It is believed to have been constructed by the Bhatia merchant community from Kutch, which settled
in Muscat as early as 1507.
 The temple was constructed 125 years ago and was subsequently renovated in 1999.
 The temple has three deities -- Shri Adi Motishwar Mahadev, Shri Motishwar Mahadev and Shri
Hanumanji.
 During auspicious days more than 15,000 devotees visit the temple for prayers.
HISTORY
8.12 PRACHI VALLEY CIVILIZATION
Why in News?
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered pottery pieces, and tools made of stones and bones
believed to be of the pre-Christian era from a mound in Jalalpur village of Cuttack district, Odisha.
More about News

 Excavation carried out in 12 acres of land in the Jalalpur village has unearthed remnants of axe, adze,
celts and thumbnail scrappers chiselled from stones, harpoons, point and stylus made of bones and
potteries with marks of paintings.
 Discoveries of ancient artefacts indicated that a rural settlement might have thrived in that period.
 In these latest discoveries, the researchers have found continuity in the progress of rural culture
from a pre-historic era.
 These settlements could have had cultural and trade ties with other settlements in the Prachi
Valley that had come up around the Prachi River, which gradually disappeared.
About Prachi Valley Civilization
History
 Prachi Valley Civilization flourished on the banks of Prachi River.
 The civilisation is believed to be earlier than that of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
 Prachi Valley civilisation has contributed a lot towards amalgamation, assimilation and proliferation of
different religious faiths and cults.
PRACHI RIVER
 The Prachi River originates about 10 kms from Bhubaneswar.

 It is a tributary of the Mahanadi and flows through the districts of Puri, Khurda, Cuttack and
Jagatsinghpur, and the entire region of the river is termed as the Prachi Valley.
 It falls into the sea near Keutajanga village of Kakatpur.
 The river now runs dry for most of the year apart from a few months in the monsoons.
 Earlier in November, 2017, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has
launched a project to document the monuments of Prachi Valley.
8.13 KOMAGATA MARU INCIDENT

Why in News?
In 2016, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau had issued a formal statement of apology for the
injustice faced by the victims of Komagata Maru incidence. The Komagata Maru incident has been frequently
in news due to Justin Trudeau's recent visit to India.
About Komagata Maru Incident

 The Komagata Maru was a Japanese steamship that sailed from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada
via Japan in May, 1914.
 It was carrying 376 passengers who were immigrants from Punjab, India.
 Upon reaching Vancouver, the Komagata Maru was denied entry with all its passengers due to the
exclusion law set by Canada as a way to keep out Asian immigrants.
 Of these, only 20 were granted admittance in Canada when the ship docked in Vancouver. At that
time, Canada had laws restricting entry of migrants of Asian origin.
 Following a two month stalemate, the ship and its remaining passengers were escorted out of the dock
by the Canadian military and forced to sail back to India.
 The ship returned to Calcutta on 27 September and was stopped by the British.
 The passengers were put under guard and the ship was allowed to dock in Budge Budge, Calcutta.
 The British believed that the passengers were law breakers and political agitators.
 When the police sought to arrest the persons it viewed as leaders of the group, there was resistance
and a riot ensued.
 The police fired shots and 19 passengers were killed.
 Baba Gurdit Singh, who was one of the persons the British wanted to arrest, escaped with some other
persons. Baba Gurdit Singh later surrendered to the police.
 Most of the remaining passengers were either arrested or sent back to Punjab.
 The ‘Komagata Maru’ incident was widely cited at the time by Indian groups to highlight discrepancies
in the Canadian immigration laws.
 The inflamed passions in the wake of the incident were widely cultivated by the Indian revolutionary
organisation, the ‘Ghadar Party’, to rally support for its aims.

8.14 BASAVANNA
Why in news
As the assembly election nears in Karnataka, political leaders are evoking the ideals and principles of
Basavanna, renowned 12th century reformer from Karnataka.
More about Basavanna
Polity and Governance

 Basavanna was a saint devoted to Shiva and was the chief founder of
the reformist Virashaiva or Lingayat Community.
 He was a social reformer who opposed temple ritual and the caste
system
 He lived during the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in
Karnataka.
 Basavanna’s poems, also known as the Vachana Sahitya in Kannada
Language, expresses the ideals of Bhakti.
 He declared that one’s own body is true temple of Shiva, not some
stone shrine.
 He gave two more very important socio-economic principles. They
are- Kayaka (Work-Divine work) and Dasoha (Distrubution-Equal
distribution)
 Other innovative concepts he introduced are Sthavara and Jangama which laid foundation for his
ideas.
 A full account of Basava's life and ideas are narrated in a 13th-century sacred Telugu text of the south
Indian Hindu Lingayat community, the Basava purana by Palkuriki Somanatha.
9 POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

POLITY
9.1 TRIBUNALS
Why in News?
The Supreme Court effectively stayed the applicability of provisions of the Central Tribunal, Appellate
Tribunal and other Authorities (Qualification, experience and other conditions of service of members)
Rules, 2017 which gave the government primacy in making key appointments to tribunals, including CAT
and NGT.
Background
 The Finance Act, which came into effect from 1st April, led to the framing of the Tribunal, Appellate
Tribunal and other Authorities Rules, 2017.
 And they allegedly gave unbridled powers to the Executive to decide Constitution, qualifications of
members, their appointments and removal, among others.
 A plea was filed by an NGO, said the Act would destroy independent functioning of 19 tribunals,
including the National Green Tribunal.
 The Supreme Court in July 2017 issued notice to the Centre on a petition challenging the constitutional
validity of Finance Act, 2017, as it “purports to” change the constitution of tribunal and adversely affect
“functioning and independence” of the body.
About Tribunals
 Article 323-A and Article 323-B of the constitution deals with the Tribunals.
 These articles were added through 42nd amendment Act, 1976 as Part XIV-A in the constitution.
 Article 323-A authorizes parliament to setup administrative tribunals for the purpose of setting
disputes & complains involving civil services.
 Article 323-B deals with tribunals for other matters.
9.2 CAUVERY RIVER WATER DISPUTE

Why in News?

The Supreme Court has pronounced its verdict on the sharing of Cauvery water among Tamil Nadu,
Puducherry, Karnataka and Kerala.
More about News
 The Court declared Cauvery a

“national asset”.
 It upheld the principle of
equitable apportionment of
inter-State river water among
riparian States.
Polity
 The judgment concluded that
the Cauvery Water Disputes
Tribunal (CWDT) did not take into account Tamil Nadu's stock of an “empirical” 20 TMC of ground water.
 Accordingly, Karnataka was "entitled to marginal relief".
 In its present verdict, the Supreme Court has thus reduced the allocation of Cauvery water from
Karnataka to Tamil Nadu.
 Karnataka will now release only 177.25 TMC Cauvery water from its Billigundlu site to Mettur dam in
Tamil Nadu.
 This means a reduction of 14.75 TMC quota of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from the earlier 192 TMC
as stipulated by the tribunal.
Cauvery River water dispute

 The sharing of waters of the Cauvery River has been the source of a serious conflict between the two
states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
 Tamil Nadu has been accusing Karnataka of not releasing its due share of water.
 Whereas, Karnataka has expressed its inability to release the stipulated quantum of water owing to the
drought situation in the state.
 Kerala and Puducherry are the other two states party to the dispute.
 The dispute was adjudicated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in 2007.
Cauvery Water Disputes tribunal

 Owing to Tamil Nadu government’s appeal to the Central government in 1986 to constitute a tribunal
for solving the issue under Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956, the Cauvery Waters Tribunal was
established on June, 2, 1990.
 In 2007, after sixteen years of hearing and an interim order later, the Tribunal announced its final
order.
 It concluded that the water availability in Cauvery stood at 740 tmcft.
 In 2007, the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) had ordered 419 TMC for Tamil Nadu, 270 TMC
for Karnataka, 30 TMC for Kerala & 7 TMC for Puducherry.
 The actual release of water by Karnataka to Tamil Nadu is to be 192 TMC annually. Further, Kerala will
get 30 TMC and Puducherry 7 TMC.
 The tribunal’s order was challenged by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.in the Supreme Court.
CAUVERY RIVER
 Kaveri or Cauvery flows in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and covers a distance of about 765 km.
 On its journey to the Bay of Bengal, the river is joined by a number of tributaries.
 Talacauvery (also Talakaveri) located in Coorg district of Karnataka, is considered the source of the
Cauvery.
 The river then flows through Mysore district where two islands Srirangapatnam and Shivanasamudram
are formed.
 At Sivasamudram the river drops 98 meters forming famous falls known as Gagan Chukki and Bara
Chukki.
 Hogenakkal is a major landmark on the course of the Cauvery in Tamil Nadu.
 Trichy and Thanjavur are other important towns on the banks of the Cauvery.

 The river after covering a distance of 765 km merges into the Bay of Bengal through two principal
mouths.
Tributaries
 Amaravati, Arkavathy, Bhavani, Chinnar, Hemavati, Honnuhole, Kabini, Kannika, Kollidam, Lakshmana
Tirtha, Lokapavani, Noyyal, Pambar, Shimsha, Sujyothi.
Riparian States and UTs

 Karnataka, Kerala, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu.
9.3 INTER-STATE RIVER WATER DISPUTES
Polity
Why it is relevant?
In the context of CAvery River Water Dispute verdict by the Supreme court
Water in the Constitution of India

Water is a State subject as per entry 17 of State List and thus states are empowered to enact legislation
on water.
 Entry 17 of State List deals with water i.e. water supply, irrigation, canal, drainage, embankments,
water storage and water power.
 Entry 56 of Union List gives power to the Union Government for the regulation and development of
interstate rivers and river valleys to the extent declared by Parliament to be expedient in the public
interest.
Article 262 of Indian constitution:
In the case of disputes relating to waters, Article 262 provides:
 Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use,
distribution or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-State river or river valley.
 Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, Parliament may, by law provide that neither the Supreme
Court nor any other court shall exercise jurisdiction in respect of any such dispute or complaint.
Parliament has enacted two

laws according to Article
262:
1) River Board Act, 1956
 The purpose of this Act
was to enable the
Union Government to
create Boards for
Interstate Rivers and
river valleys in
consultation with
State Governments.
 The objective of Boards
is to advise on the
inter-state basin to
prepare development
scheme and to prevent the emergence of conflicts.
2) Inter-State River Water Disputes Act (IRWD), 1956

In case, if a particular state or states approach to Union Government for the constitution of the tribunal:
 Central Government should try to resolve the matter by consultation among the aggrieved states.
 In case, if it does not work, then it may constitute the tribunal.
9.4 NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (NHRC)

Why in news?
The National Human Rights Commission retained its 'A' status of accreditation with the Global Alliance of
National Human Rights Institutions.

More about NHRC
 NHRC is an autonomous public body constituted on 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human
Rights Ordinance of 28 September 1993.
 It was given a statutory basis by the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (TPHRA).
 The NHRC is the National Human Rights Commission of India
responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights, defined
by the Act as "rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the
individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the
Governance
International Covenants".
 President appoints the Chairman and members of the NHRC on
the recommendation of the high-powered committee headed by the
Prime Minister.
Composition
 The NHRC consists of:
o A Chairperson, should be retired Chief Justice of India
o One member who is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court
of India
o One member who is, or has been, the Chief Justice of a High Court
o Two members to be appointed from among persons having knowledge of, or practical experience in,
matters relating to human rights
o In addition, the Chairpersons of four National Commissions (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
Tribes, Women and Minorities) serve as ex officio members.
 The sitting Judge of the Supreme Court or sitting Chief Justice of any High Court can be appointed only
after the consultation with the Chief Justice of Supreme Court.
Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions

Refer to Section 3.20
GOVERNANCE
9.5 2 N D NATIONAL MEET ON GRASSROOT INFORMATICS
Why in News?
National Informatics Centre (NIC) has recently organized a three-day National Meet on Grassroot
Informatics- VIVID 2018, at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
Key Facts
 It was aimed at showcasing the various initiatives of NIC in creating and enhancing the Digital
Infrastructure in the country.
 VIVID 2018 was an extensive platform for knowledge sharing which would empower 240 NIC District
officials from across the country to interact and leverage on each other’s experience and best practices.
 The Theme for VIVID 2018 is “Cyber Security and Innovation”.
NATIONAL INFORMATICS CENTRE (NIC)

 NIC was established in 1976, and has since emerged as a "prime builder" of e-Government / e-
Governance applications up to the grassroots level as well as a promoter of digital opportunities for
sustainable development.
 NIC, through its ICT Network, "NICNET", has institutional linkages with all the Ministries /Departments
of the Central Government, 36 State Governments/ Union Territories, and about 708 District
administrations of India.
 NIC has been instrumental in steering e-Government/e-Governance applications in government
ministries/departments at the Centre, States, Districts and Blocks, facilitating improvement in
government services, wider transparency, promoting decentralized planning and management, resulting
in better efficiency and accountability to the people of India.

 "Informatics-led-development" programme of the government has been spearheaded by NIC to
derive competitive advantage by implementing ICT applications in social & public administration.
 The following major activities are being undertaken:
o Setting up of ICT Infrastructure
o Implementation of National and State Level e-Governance Projects
o Products and Services
o Consultancy to the government departments
o Research and Development
o Capacity Building
Governance
9.6 NITI FORUM FOR NORTHEAST
Why in News?
The Union Government has issued order setting up the ‘NITI Forum for North-East’.
About NITI Forum for Northeast

 The NITI Forum for Northeast is tasked to identify various constraints on the way of accelerated,
inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the North East Region (NER) of the country and to
recommend suitable interventions for addressing identified constraints.
 It will also review the development status in the NER.
 The Forum may examine and address any other issues which are of importance but not specifically
spelt out in its Terms of Reference.
 It may devise its own procedure to conduct its business/meetings/fields visits or constitution of Sub-
Groups etc.
Composition of the Forum:

 The forum will be co-chaired by the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog and Minister of State (I/C),
Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER).
 The forum will have its Secretariat in the Ministry of DoNER.
 Members of the Forum will include Secretaries of Ministries of Road Transport & Highways, Railways,
Power, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, New & Renewable Energy, Health
& Family Welfare, Human Resource Development, Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
 Chief Secretaries of North-eastern states of Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura,
Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram will also be members of the Forum.
 Secretary, North East Council (NEC), Shillong will be Member Secretary.
 Joint Secretary (NE), MHA, besides a number of experts from various fields will also be members of the
Forum.
9.7 21ST NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON E-GOVERNANCE

Why in News
The 21st National Conference on e-Governance is to be held on February 26- 27, 2018 in Hyderabad,
Telangana.
More about News

 The conference is organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
(DARPG), GoI, along with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, GoI in association
with Government of Telangana.
 The theme of the Conference this year is, ‘Technology for accelerating Development’.
 The conference serves as a forum in which Secretaries of Administrative Reforms and Information
Technology of the State Governments, IT Managers of the Central Government, and software solution
providers would exchange opinions, discuss issues and analyse various solution frameworks.
 The Conference is also a forum to showcase best practices, innovative technologies and ICT
solutions.
NATIONAL E-GOVERNANCE AWARDS

 The National e-Governance Awards recognize and promote excellence in implementation of e-
Governance initiatives taken by various government departments and also initiatives of public sector
units and Non- Government Institutions.
 The awards will be presented during the National Conference on e-Governance.
 National e-Governance Awards is presented in 8 categories concerning various aspects of e-
Governance comprising of Gold and Silver in each category.
 The Awards are given for:
 excellence in Government Process Reengineering,
 Citizen- Centric Service Delivery,
Governance
 Innovations in existing projects of Government Departments other than PSUs,
 Best district level initiatives through ICT,
 Use of Spatial Technology and GIS in eGovernance,
 Innovative use of ICT by Central Government PSUs/ State Government PSUs,
 Outstanding initiatives in e-Governance by Academic/ Research Institutions and NGOs
including Cooperatives/ Federations/ Societies and
 Replication/ adaptation of the best e-Governance projects/ practices awarded.
9.8 BAAL AADHAAR

Why in News
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the nodal authority for issuing Aadhaar cards has rollout
‘Baal Aadhaar’, meant for kids under 5 years of age.
Key Facts
 Baal Aadhaar literally means Children’s Aadhaar.
 It will have blue colour to differentiate it with regular Aadhaar.
 It will be linked with one of parent’s Aadhaar card.
 Bal Aadhaar will have no biometric identification, like Iris scan or fingerprint scans, as their parents
will be accompany their ward when such identification is required.
 Baal Aadhaar will be issued to children below 5 years and when the child does become 5, then he/she
has to submit biometric authentication. Failing to do so within the next 7 years would result in
suspension of the Aadhaar card. Though there is no compulsion to register for Aadhaar at such a
young age, it will be required to be eligible for overseas education or to get government
scholarships.

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GRANDMASTER CHALLENGE- ANSWERS
Grandmaster Challenge- Answers

Statements
1 Green Good deeds campaign aims at creating awareness in Climate Change.

2 Biofuture Platform is initiated by Mexico.
3 Falcon Heavy recently in news refers to the world’s most powerful rocket by NASA.
4 Nuclear Fuel Complex is an industrial unit of Department of Atomic Energy,
headquartered in Chennai.
5 Project seabird is a program for enhancing surveillance in Indian Ocean.
6 Ayush-64 is an Ayurvedic drug for Malaria
7 Ekalavya Residential Schools are to cover each block in the country where tribal
population is more than 50 per cent.
8 High inverted duty structure enhances the competence of domestic
manufacturing sector.
9 Minimum Support Prices are announced at the beginning of the harvest season.
10 In Zero Budget Natural Farming, the cost of cultivation is zero.
11 LPG Panchayats are organised by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
12 Payment banks are not allowed to lend and to accept demand deposits.
13 Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommends MSPs for
Commercial crops too.
14 Ashgabat agreement facilitate the trade corridor between Persian gulf and central
Asia.
15 World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization are the outcomes
of World Food Conference, 1974
16 International Labour Organization was established through the Versailles Peace
Treaty.
17 Arunachal Pradesh has the largest forest cover in India in terms of area.
18 Theme of 2018 wetland day is “Wetland for a sustainable urban future”
19 Village Resource Centers are established by Ministry of Agriculture.
20 Nihali and Ruga are endangered languages from Maharashtra.
21 Prachi river is a tributary of Tapi river.
22 VIVID 2018 was a national meet on Cyber Security.
23 ‘Baal Aadhaar’, meant for kids under 6 years of age.
24 All Strategic Petroleum Reserves in India are located in its Western Coast.
25 Angel Tax is applicable to individual investors as well as venture capital funds.
26 Startup India ranking framework is brought out by NITI Aayog.
27 Solar cities aim to reduce the demand for conventional energy by 10 per cent by
2027.
28 Malegam Committee was in news in relation with the performance of banks.
29 Non- Scheduled banks are regulated under Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
30 South Sudan shares its southern borders with Sudan and Chad.

31 NABARD is the implementation agency for National Adaptation Fund for Climate
Change (NAFCC).
32 Minamata Convention puts ban on new mercury mines.
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33 Pelican festival is celebrated in Pulicat lake.
34 Jal Mahal is situated in Man Sagar lake.
35 Nilgiti Marten is an endangered species that reside in rocky patches.
36 Forest Owlet is endemic to western Ghats.
37 Swadhar Greh Scheme is launched by Ministry of Women and Child Development.
38 SWIFT is a cooperative society under Belgian law.
39 Intellectual Property Index is published by UNCTAD.
40 Indradanush framework for banks focuses on both private and public banks.
41 Regional Rural Banks are completely owned by central and state governments.
42 CriSidEx is the first sentiment index for Micro and Small enterprises.
43 Carbon dioxide injection reduces the viscosity of oil and helps to remove it from
rock pores.
44 Thar link express and Samjhauta express are the only rail connections between
India and Pakistan.
45 ‘Blue Helmets’ is a term often heard in the context of environment conservation.
46 Dawki-Tamabil is an international border between India and Bangladesh.
47 China, India and Russia are part of G-7.
48 Electric Propulsion is more mass efficient compared to Chemical propulsion.
49 Malacidins is an antibiotic capable of killing several antibiotic resistant
pathogens.
50 Jatan and Darshak are aimed at enhancing rooftop solar power efficiency.
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ourselves in terms of content, style and presentation to suit your study methods. Feel free to
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© Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 1

Inside the digest

Social Sector: Education ................................................................................. 15

Social Sector: Vulnerable Sections ................................................................... 17

© Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 2

Inside the digest

Economy: Institutions .................................................................................... 40

3 World Affairs .............................................................................................. 50

World Affairs: Institutions .............................................................................. 55

© Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 3

Inside the digest

Environment: Biodiversity .............................................................................. 77

Environment: Interventions ............................................................................ 87

Inside the digest

Security: Institutions, Events and Schemes ....................................................... 95

7 Science and Technology ............................................................................. 100

Science and Technology: Innovations.............................................................. 104

Science and Technology: Programs ................................................................ 108

8 Culture and History ............................................................................... 110

© Neo IAS  0484-4030104 | 9446331522 | 9446334122 | www.neoias.com 5

Inside the digest

History ........................................................................................................ 115

9 Polity and Governance ............................................................................... 117

Governance ................................................................................................. 120

Grandmaster Challenge- Answers ......................................................................... 123

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Current Affairs Grandmaster Challenge

1 Green Good deeds campaign aims at creating awareness in Climate Change.

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Current Affairs Grandmaster Challenge

To Know More About Economy Guru : https://goo.gl/11bJ8A

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2) National Health Protection Scheme:

1.2 WORLD CANCER DAY

About World Cancer Day

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Social Sector: Health

World Cancer Declaration 2013

1.3 “HEALTHY STATES, PROGRESSIVE INDIA” REPORT

Among larger states:

Among smaller states

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Social Sector: Health

1.5 SWACHH BHARAT SANITATION PARK

1.6 INDIA HEALTH FUND

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1.7 SWAJAL YOJANA

Facts related to News

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Social Sector: Health

About Unani system of medicine

1.10 AYURVEDIC DRUGS IN NEWS

More on new Ayurveda products:

BGR-34 (Blood Glucose Diabetes Daruhaldi (Indian barberry)

V-1 (Ayush SG) Arthritis

1.11 CENTRAL COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH IN AYURVEDIC SCIENCES (CCRAS)

About Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS)

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