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Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS Preparation
01.08.2018
1. The Walled City of Jaipur, Rajasthan,
is proposed for UNESCO World Heritage
recognition
• As per Operation Guidelines 2017,
only one site can be nominated by the
state party each year.
• It impacts the local economy by giving
a boost to domestic and international
tourism, infrastructure and
augmentation of a sale of local
handicrafts, handlooms and heritage
memorabilia and to the prestige of the
country.
• There are a total of 37 World Heritage
sites in India at Present.
Related Information
Criteria for Selection of World Heritage
Sites
• These criteria are explained in the
World Heritage Convention, 1972.
• These criteria are regularly revised by
the World Heritage Committee to
reflect the evolution of the World
Heritage concept itself.
• Before revised Operational
Guidelines, World Heritage sites were
selected based on six cultural and
four natural criteria.
• With the adoption of the revised
Operational Guidelines, only one set
of ten criteria
Tentative lists of Heritage Sites-
• All countries are required to submit
their Tentative Lists of places which
they consider to be a cultural or
natural heritage of outstanding
universal value and therefore suitable
for inscription on the World Heritage
List.
• Tentative Lists is not considered
exhaustive and need to submit one
year prior to the submission of any
nomination.
• Countries are required to re-examine
and re-submit their Tentative List at
least every ten years.
• If any site is listed in World Heritage
Sites, then it must be removed from
the tentative list.
Topic-GS-1- Art and Culture
Source-PIB
2. Central Road and Infrastructure Fund
(CRIF)
• The Central Road and Infrastructure
Fund (CRIF) has been taken away
from the Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways and brought under the
domain of the Finance Ministry.
• It will now be under the Department
of Economic Affairs (DEA), Finance
Ministry.
• Budget 2018 amended the Central
Road Fund Act, 2000, and renamed
the Central Road Fund the Central
Road and Infrastructure Fund.
• The objective of the amendment was
to use proceeds of the road cess under
CRIF to finance other infrastructure
projects such as waterways, some
portion of the railway infrastructure
and even social infrastructure,
including education institutions and
medical colleges.
Related Information
• The CRF launched in 2000 is basically
a cess imposed along with excise duty
on petrol and diesel.
• The amendment prescribes that road
cess is first credited to the
Consolidated Fund of India and later,
after adjusting for the cost of tax
collection, should go to the CRIF.
• The share for each infrastructure
areas and projects from the CRIF shall
be finalised by a Committee headed
by the Finance Minister.
• The committee will prioritise the list of
infrastructure projects each year for
financing from the fund.
Topic-GS- 2-Development processes and the
development industry the role of NGOs,
SHGs, various groups and associations,
donors, charities, institutional and other
stakeholders.
Source- The Hindu
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3. The high range Idukki dam, one of the
highest arch reservoirs in Asia, is set to
be opened for the first time in 26 years.
• The dam's shutters were last opened
in 1981 and 1992. This is the first time
that it will attain its full level during
the South West Monsoon period.
• The arch reservoir comprises three
dams -Idukki, Cheruthoni and
Kulamavu, built for the Idukki
Hydroelectric Project.
• Idukki dam is used to store the water
while the latter two are meant to
route it to the powerhouse.
• An "Orange Alert" - a precautionary
messages to the public in light of the
possibility of water release from the
reservoir has been released by the
authorities.
Related Information
Idukki Dam
• Idukki dam in Kerala is constructed
across the Periyar river, the longest
river in Kerala.
• At 167.68 metres (550.1 ft), it is one
of the highest arch dams in Asia.
• It supports a 780 MW hydroelectric
power station in Moolamattom.
• The dam type is a concrete, double
curvature parabolic, thin arc dam.
• It was commissioned in the year 1973
with financial aid from Canada.
• It is built between two granite hills
such as Kuravanmala and
kuravathimala.
• It is owned and constructed by the
Kerala State Electricity Board.
• It supports a hydroelectric power
station in Moolamattom.
• The hydel project is receiving water
from two other dams at Cheruthoni
and Kulamavu.
Topic-GS-1-Physical Geography
Source- The Firstpost
4. Rajasthan first State to implement
biofuel policy
• Rajasthan has become the first State
in the country to implement the
national policy on biofuels unveiled by
the Centre in May this year.
• The desert State will lay emphasis on
increasing production of oilseeds and
establish a Centre for Excellence in
Udaipur to promote research in the
fields of alternative fuels and energy
resources.
• The policy on biofuels seeks to help
farmers dispose of their surplus stock
in an economic manner and reduce
the country’s oil import dependence.
• It has expanded the scope of raw
material for ethanol production by
allowing the use of sugarcane juice,
sugar-containing materials, starch-
containing materials and damaged
foodgrains like wheat, broken rice and
rotten potatoes for ethanol
production.
• The State Rural Livelihood
Development Council would also
encourage women’s self-help groups
to explore the scope for additional
income through the supply of
biodiesel.
Related Information
National Policy on Biofuels – 2018
• The Policy categorises biofuels as
"Basic Biofuels" viz. First Generation
(1G) bioethanol & biodiesel and
"Advanced Biofuels" - Second
Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal
Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels,
Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-
CNG etc. to enable the extension of
appropriate financial and fiscal
incentives under each category.
• It expands the scope of raw material
for ethanol production by allowing the
use of Sugarcane Juice, Sugar-
containing materials like Sugar Beet,
Sweet Sorghum, Starch-containing
materials like Corn, Cassava,
Damaged food grains like wheat,
broken rice, Rotten Potatoes, unfit for
human consumption for ethanol
production.
• It seeks to help farmers dispose of
their surplus stock in an economic
manner and reduce country’s oil
import dependence.
Topic-GS-1- Agriculture
Source- The Hindu
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5. First ‘Nepal-India Think Tank Summit'
• The first 'Nepal-India Think Tank'
summit will begin to foster greater
collaboration and knowledge-sharing
among the think tanks of the two
countries.
• Former Prime Miniter and Co-
chairman of Communist Party of
Nepal (CPN) Prachanda will
inaugurate the summit jointly hosted
by Asian Institute of Diplomacy and
International Affairs (AIDA) and
Nehru Memorial Museum Library.
• The summit, proposed to become an
annual feature for the participating
organisations, will be hosted
alternatively each year in Nepal and
India.
• The objective of the summit is to
support the networks and promote
mutual understanding through
institutional collaboration on resource
sharing for joint events/publications
among think tanks of the two
countries.
• The summit aims to facilitate
cooperation and knowledge-sharing
among think tank and to reflect on the
work of think tanks and the challenges
they are facing.
• Policymakers, government
representatives, diplomats,
academicians, businesses and media
personnel will participate in the
summit.
Topic –GS-3- International relations
Source- DD News
6. NASA’s new planet-hunting probe,
TESS, begins operations.
• NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet
Survey Satellite) probe will now take
over the mantle to find new planets in
the vicinity of our solar system.
• TESS is expected to transmit its first
series of science data back to Earth in
August, and thereafter periodically
every 13.5 days, once per orbit, as
the spacecraft makes it closest
approach to Earth.
Related Information
Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
• TESS is NASA’s latest satellite to
search for planets outside our solar
system, known as exoplanets.
• The mission will spend the next two
years monitoring the nearest and
brightest stars for periodic dips in
their light.
• These events, called transits, suggest
that a planet may be passing in front
of its star.
• TESS is expected to find thousands of
planets using this method, some of
which could potentially support life.
• Launch date: 18 April 2018
• Rocket: Falcon 9 Full Thrust
(B1045.1)
Topic-GS-3 –Science
Source- The Indian Express
7. Earthquake hits Indonesia's Lombak
island
Related Information
Lombak
• It is located to the east of Bali and is
a part of Indonesian group of Islands.
• It has triggered landslides from
Mt.Rinjani volcano.
• The volcano, which rises 3,726m
(12,224ft) above sea level and is the
second-highest one in Indonesia.
• Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due
to its location on the Pacific "Ring of
Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault
lines in the Pacific Basin.
• In December 2004, a massive
magnitude-9.1 earthquake off
Sumatra triggered a tsunami that
killed 230,000 people in a dozen
countries.
Ring of Fire
• The Ring of Fire is a major area in the
basin of the Pacific Ocean where many
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
occur.
• The Ring of Fire isn’t quite a circular
ring. It is shaped more like a 40,000-
kilometer (25,000-mile)
horseshoe.
Topic-GS-1- World Geography
Source- The Indian Express
8. Lok Sabha passes Homeopathy
Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018
• A bill seeking to replace the Central
Council of Homoeopathy (CCH) with a
board of governors and aimed at
bringing accountability and quality in
homoeopathy education system was
passed by the Lok Sabha.
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• The Bill, which seeks to replace an
Ordinance promulgated by the
President in May, was approved by a
voice vote after the House rejected
several unofficial amendments.
• As per the bill, the members of the
board of governor will replace the
existing functionaries of the CCH and
comprise seven eminent
homoeopathy practitioners and
administrators who will be appointed
by the government.
• The bill provides that the Central
Council will be reconstituted within
one year from the date of its
supersession and the Central
government will, in the interim period,
constitute a Board of Governors,
which will exercise powers of the
Central Council.
Topic- GS-2- Government Interventions
Source- Business Standards
02.08.2018
1. GI logo, tagline launched
• Commerce and Industry Minister
Suresh Prabhu launched a logo and
tagline for Geographical Indications
(GI) to increase awareness about
intellectual property rights (IPRs) in
the country.
Related Information
Geographical Indication
• A GI product is primarily an
agricultural, natural or a
manufactured product (handicraft and
industrial goods) originating from a
definite geographical territory.
• Darjeeling Tea, Tirupati Laddu,
Kangra Paintings, Nagpur Orange and
Kashmir Pashmina are among the
registered GIs in India.
• It ensures exclusivity.
• It covered as the element of
intellectual property rights (IPRs)
under the Paris Convention for
Protection of Industrial Property.
• GI is governed by WTO’s Agreement
on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
• GI tag in India is governed by
Geographical Indications of Goods
Registration and Protection Act),
1999.
• This Act is administered by
Controller General of Patents,
Designs and Trade Marks.
Topic-GS-1- Culture
Source- The Hindu
2. Government launched the scheme
“Seva Bhoj Yojna”
• The Ministry of Culture, Government
of India has launched the new scheme
“Seva Bhoj Yojna”.
• The scheme envisages to reimburse
the Central Government share of
Central Goods and Services Tax
(CGST) and Integrated Goods and
Service Tax (IGST) so as to lessen the
financial burden of such as Religious/
Charitable Institutions who provide
Food/Prasad/Langar free of cost
without any discrimination to
Public/Devotees.
• Religious/ Charitable Institution shall
first register with Darpan Portal of
NITI Aayog and get Unique ID
generated by Darpan Portal.
Topic –GS- 2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source-PIB
3. Cabinet approves the policy
framework for the exploitation of
unconventional hydrocarbons
• The Union cabinet approved a policy
framework for exploration and
exploitation of unconventional
hydrocarbons, a change that would
allow private companies to exploit
unconventional hydrocarbons
including shale gas and Coal Bed
Methane (CBM) from their existing
blocks.
• Prior to the new policy, field operators
were not allowed to explore and
exploit CBM, shale gas and other
unconventional hydrocarbons from
the allotted licensed area.
• Similarly, contractors with CBM fields
were not allowed to exploit any other
hydrocarbons except CBM.
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• An additional 10 Percent profit
petroleum will be levied for new CBM
discoveries and National Oil
Companies (NOCs) will be allowed to
explore and exploit unconventional
hydrocarbons under the existing fiscal
and contractual terms of exploration
or lease license.
• India currently has around 100-200
Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) of shale gas
reserves in five sedimentary basins
and there is a strong possibility of
shale reserves in Cambay basin,
Krishna-Godavari Basin and Cauvery
basin among others.
Topic-GS- 3-Infrastructure
Source- The Hindu
4. Union Cabinet approves the
extension of CFS for
infrastructure projects abroad.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the
first extension of Concessional
Financing Scheme (CFS) to support
Indian Entities bidding for
strategically important infrastructure
projects abroad for another five years
from 2018 to 2023.
• The scheme envisages the
government to provide the counter-
guarantee and interest equalisation of
2 Percent to EXIM Bank to offer
concessional finance to any foreign
government or foreign government-
owned or controlled entity, if any
Indian entity, succeeds in getting a
contract for the execution of a project.
• Prior to the introduction of CFS, Indian
entities were not able to bid for large
projects abroad since the cost of
financing was very high for them and
bidders from other countries such as
China, Japan, Europe and US were
able to provide credit at superior
terms, i.e., lower interest rate and
longer tenures which works to the
advantage of bidders from those
countries.
• Under this Scheme, the Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA) selects the
specific projects keeping in view the
strategic interest of India and sends
the same to the Department of
Economic Affairs (DEA).
Topic-GS-3-Infrastructure
Source-PIB
5. Lok Sabha passed the bill for
speedy disposal of commercial
disputes.
• A bill to amend the law for the speedy
disposal of commercial disputes and
seeking to reduce the pecuniary
jurisdiction of commercial courts from
Rs 1 crore to Rs 3 lakh was passed by
the Lok Sabha.
• The bill allows state governments to
establish commercial courts at the
district level, even in territories where
high courts have ordinary original civil
jurisdiction.
• It will provide an opportunity to the
parties to resolve commercial
disputes outside the ambit of courts
through authorities constituted under
the Legal Services Authorities Act.
• The law will be given prospective
effect so that the authority of the
judicial forum at present adjudicating
the commercial disputes is not
affected.
Topic –GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source –Economic Times
6. Army’s Smerch systems to roll on
Indian wheels
• For the first time, an Indian vehicle
manufacturer "Ashok Leyland" will
deliver heavy duty, high mobility
vehicles for the Army’s Russian-built
Smerch Multi-Barrel Rocket launchers
(MBRL) as well to carry strategic
missiles developed by the Defence
Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).
Related Information
Smerch MBRL - Multiple Barrel Rocket
Launchers
• Smerch is designed to defeat soft and
hard-skinned targets, artillery and
missile systems.
• It has an automatic rocket range of
90km.
• Developed by Russia in the early
1980s and entered service with the
Russian Army in 1988.
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• India placed an order in 2005 for 38
systems and deliveries began in May
2007.
Topic-GS-3- Defence
Source – The Hindu
7. China launches high-resolution
Earth observation satellite
• China successfully launched an optical
remote sensing satellite, as part of its
high-resolution Earth observation
project which will also provide data for
the Belt and Road Initiative.
Related Information
Gaofen-11
• Gaofen-11, a sub-meter resolution
optical satellite, will become part of
the China High-resolution Earth
Observation System (CHEOS),
initiated in 2010 to provide all-
weather, all-day coverage by 2020
with optical and synthetic aperture
radar satellites.
• Gaofen-11 was developed by the
China Academy of Space Technology
(CAST), a spacecraft and satellite
maker under CASC.
• The satellite can be used for land
survey, urban planning, road network
design, agriculture, and disaster
relief.
Topic-GS-3- Science and technology
Source- Economic Times
8. Mauritius’s SBM gets RBI
approval for the subsidiary
• Mauritius-based SBM Group has
received Reserve Bank of India’s
approval to operate in the country
through a wholly-owned subsidiary
route — the first foreign lender to
receive such a licence after local
incorporation was introduced in 2013.
• Singapore’s DBS Bank is another
lender which is awaiting final approval
from the RBI to convert its 12
branches into a wholly owned
subsidiary.
• The bank will soon operate as a
banking subsidiary of SBM Group in
India under the name of SBM Bank
(India) Ltd.
• SBM, which has been in India since
1994, currently operates through four
branches, in Mumbai, Chennai,
Hyderabad and Ramachandrapuram.
Topic –GS-3- Banking
Source – The Hindu
9. Scientists discover new shape
called scutoid after studying human cells
• Scientists have discovered a new
shape called scutoid while studying
nature’s way of moulding tissue to
form the skin, cavity linings and the
building blocks of organs.
• The shape has five sides on one end
and six on the other and a triangular
surface on one of its longer edges.
• Scientists have referred to it as a
twisted prism kind of shape that
allows the tissue to mould around
organs.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- Hindustan Times
03.08.2018
1. The government launched the ‘State
Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’
• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency
(BEE) and Ministry of Power
(MOP) launched the 1st edition of
State Energy Efficiency
Preparedness Index (SEEPI)
wherein five states came in the
topmost category of ‘front-runner’
states: Andhra Pradesh, Kerala,
Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan.
• The composition of the index has been
developed considering each state’s
energy consumption, its energy
saving potential and its influence in
implementing energy efficiency in
buildings, industry, municipalities,
transport, agriculture and distribution
companies.
• It has classified states into four
categories - front-runner, achiever,
contender and aspirant, based upon
their efforts towards energy
efficiency.
• Front runners states are:
(a) Kerala
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Andhra Pradesh
• The second best category of ‘achiever’
states is Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu and Haryana.
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Related Information
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency is an
agency of the Government of India,
under the Ministry of Power created in
March 2002 under the provisions of
the nation's 2001 Energy
Conservation Act.
• The mission of the Bureau of Energy
Efficiency is to assist in developing
policies and strategies with a thrust
on self-regulation and market
principles, with the primary objective
of reducing the energy intensity of the
Indian economy.
Topic-GS-3- Infrastructure: Energy
Source- The Indian Express
2. Ujjwala Yojana achieved its target of
providing 5 cr free LPG connections to
poor families
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet
project Ujjwala Yojana achieved its
target of providing 5 crores free LPG
connections to poor families.
• Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan
handed over the Ujjwala Connection
No. 5 crore to the selected
beneficiary.
• The government achieved this target
nearly eight months ahead of
schedule.
• Encouraged by the rapid progress, the
government in February raised the
target to eight crore poor households
by 2020 with an additional outlay of
4,800 crore rupees.
Related Information
Ujjwala Yojana
• Ujjwala scheme of the Ministry of
Petroleum & Natural Gas for
providing LPG connections to women
from Below Poverty Line (BPL)
households.
• It aims at bringing clean cooking fuel
to poor households, identified
according to the Socio-Economic
Caste Census (SECC). More than 44
per cent of Ujjwala beneficiaries is
currently are from SC/ST
communities.
• The scheme was launched by the
Prime Minister on May 1, 2016, in
Ballia district of Uttar
Pradesh with a target to provide free
LPG connections to five crore poor
households by March 31, 2019, with a
budgetary allocation of 8,000 crore
rupees.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- AIR
3. Famous Kadaknath chicken meat from
Jhabua of MP gets Geographical
Indication tag
• The famous Kadaknath chicken meat
from Jhabua district of Madhya
Pradesh has now got a Geographical
Indication (GI) tag.
• The tag denotes that the product
comes from a particular geographical
area, and often enhances its
commercial value.
• The Gramin Vikas Trust of Krishak
Bharati Cooperative (KRIBHCO) had
sought GI tag.
Related Information
Kadaknath Chicken
• The Kadaknath or Kali Masi is an
Indian breed of chicken local to
Jhabua and Dhar districts of eastern
Madhya Pradesh, where it is known as
"Kali masi".
• Due to its high protein and very low
fat and cholesterol levels, it is in high
demand.
• It is black coloured meat of Kadaknath
variety of chicken.
GI Tag awarded in 2018
• Araku coffee (Andhra Pradesh)
• Kadaknath Chicken (Madhya Pradesh)
• Adilabad Dokra (Telangana)
• Warangal Durries (Telangana)
Topic-GS-2- Statutory, regulatory and
various quasi-judicial bodies.
Source- Financial Express
4. Cabinet clears Bill to restore the
provisions of SC/ST Act.
• The Centre has decided to introduce a
Bill to restore the original provisions
of the Scheduled Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act, 1989, which the
Supreme Court had struck down in a
March ruling.
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• The Amendment Bill seeks to insert
three new clauses after Section 18 of
the original Act.
1. The first stipulates that for the
purposes of the Act, “preliminary
enquiry shall not be required for
registration of a First Information
Report against any person.”
2. The second stipulates that the
arrest of a person accused of having
committed an offence under the Act
would not require any approval.
• The third says that the provisions
of Section 438 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure — which deals
with anticipatory bail — shall not
apply to a case under this Act,
“notwithstanding any judgment or
order of any Court.”
Related Information
The Scheduled Castes and Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities), 1989
• The Scheduled Castes and Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act is
popularly known as POA, the SC/ST
Act, or the Prevention of Atrocities Act
was enacted on 9th September 1989.
• Under this Act, protection is provided
from social disabilities such as denial
of access to certain places and to use
customary passage, personal
atrocities like forceful drinking or
eating of inedible food sexual
exploitation, injury etc, atrocities
affecting properties, malicious
prosecution, political disabilities and
economic exploitation.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- The Hindu
5. India ranks 56th in early initiation of
breastfeeding
• A new report released by UNICEF and
the World Health Organisation (WHO)
has ranked Sri Lanka at the top of the
list of countries with early initiation of
breastfeeding.
• India ranks 56th among the 76
countries that were analysed.
• The report says that only two in five
newborns are breastfed within the
first hour of life across the world.
• Putting newborns to the breast within
the first hour after birth gives them
the best chance to survive, grow and
develop to their full potential says the
report, which emphasises on
exclusive breastfeeding.
• Countries like Kazakhstan, Rwanda,
Bhutan and Uruguay have fared much
better than India, making it into the
top 10. Azerbaijan, Pakistan and
Montenegro are at the bottom.
Topic-GS-2- Issues relating to development
and management of Social Sector/Services
relating to Health, Education, Human
Resources.
Source- The Hindu
6. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant
launched an initiative to help find
solutions to challenges in public and
private transport and road safety.
• NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant
launched an initiative to help find
solutions to challenges in public and
private transport and road safety.
• The initiative, named as Move Hack,
aims to crowdsource solutions for the
future of mobility in India. The
hackathon will be open to individuals
from all countries.
Topic-GS-2- Statutory, regulatory and
various quasi-judicial bodies.
Source- AIR
7. Oxytocin
• The Union Health Ministry’s ban on the
retail sale and private manufacture of
oxytocin, expected to kick off on
September 1.
• The drug, a synthetic version of a
human hormone, is a life-saver for
women.
• Doctors use it to induce labour in
pregnant women and to stem the
postpartum bleeding.
• So critical is its role in maternal health
that the World Health Organization
recommends it as the drug of choice
in postpartum haemorrhage.
• It is being banned because oxytocin
stimulates lactation in cattle, dairy
farmers inject the drug
indiscriminately to increase milk
production. This has spawned several
unlicensed facilities that manufacture
the drug for veterinary use.
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Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- The Hindu
8. Mukhyamantri Yuva Nestam.
• The Andhra Pradesh Government has
approved the "Mukhyamantri Yuva
Nestam" scheme that makes
unemployed youth in the state,
eligible of receiving Rs 1000 per
month from the government.
• 12 lakh youth in the age bracket of
22-35 years will be benefitted through
the scheme.
• The unemployed youth will have to
register themselves through a
website.
Topic-GS-2-Welfare schemes
Source- Business standards
04.08.2018
1. Constitution (123rd amendment) Bill
passed in Lok Sabha
• The Lok Sabha passed the
Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill
with over two-third majority.
• The Bill was passed superseding the
amendments by the Rajya Sabha
which seeks to grant constitutional
status to the National Commission for
Backward Classes (NCBC).
Features of the Bill
• The bill provides for the grant of
constitutional status to NCBC on par
with National Commission for SCs and
National Commission for STs.
• It states that the President may
specify the socially and educationally
backward classes in the various states
and union territories. He may do this
in consultation with the Governor of
the concerned states.
• The duties of the NCBC include
investigating and monitoring how
safeguards provided to the backward
classes under the Constitution and
other laws are being implemented and
probe specific complaints regarding
violation of rights.
• NCBC will have the powers of a civil
court while probing the complaint.
Related Information
• The Bill will insert Article 338B into the
Constitution after Articles 338 and
338A which deal with the National
Commission for Scheduled Castes
(SC) and National Commission for
Scheduled Tribes (ST) respectively.
Topic GS-2- Functions and responsibilities of
various Constitutional Bodies.
Source: Times of India
2. India successfully test-fires Advanced
Air Defence interceptor missile off
Odisha coast
• India on successfully test-fired the
endo-atmospheric Advanced Air
Defence (AAD) interceptor missile,
which is a part of the country's
ballistic missile defence (BMD) shield
against a multiple target scenario.
• It was the first time that the AAD was
tested against multiple targets, and it
constitutes a major milestone in
India’s quest to develop a home-
grown ballistic missile defence
system.
• The missile is 24.6 feet long and is
equipped with a state-of-the-art
navigation system. It is a single-
stage, solid fuel, rocket-propelled
guided missile that can track its target
independently.
• It is capable of intercepting incoming
targets at an altitude of 15 to 25 km
and against multiple simulated
targets of 1500 km class ballistic
missile.
Related Information
Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor
missile
• The AAD missile is part of India’s
planned two-layered ballistic missile
defence (BMD) system.
• Both PAD (Prithvi Air Defence (PAD))
and PDV (Prithvi Defence Vehicle) are
designed for the mid-course
interception in other words
intercepting the incoming ballistic
missile in space after the rocket burns
out.
• AAD constitutes the second-tier
defence against ballistic missile
threats.
Topic GS-3- Challenges to internal security
Source-India TV
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3.WHO thumbs up for Swachh Bharat’s
rural component
• It is estimated that the Swachh
Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) will
result in preventing more than three
lakh deaths due to diarrhoea and
protein-energy malnutrition between
2014-October 2019, notes a World
Health Organisation (WHO) report.
• The report notes that under the SBM-
G, 19 States and Union Territories
were declared Open Defecation Free
(ODF) and 7.9 crore toilets were built,
while 421 districts were declared ODF.
Also, more than 4.9 lakh villages in
the country were declared ODF.
• The WHO study showed that before
the initiation of SBM-G, unsafe
sanitation caused 199 million cases of
diarrhoea annually and that by 2019,
the initiative aims to achieve 100%
sanitation coverage.
Related information
Swachh Bharat Mission
• The objectives of Swachh Bharat
include eliminating open defecation
through the construction of
household-owned and community-
owned toilets and establishing an
accountable mechanism of monitoring
toilet use.
• Run by the Government of India, the
mission aims to achieve an Open-
Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2
October 2019, the 150th anniversary
of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The mission contains two sub-
missions: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
("Gramin" or rural), which operates
under the Ministry of Drinking Water
and Sanitation; and Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan (Urban), which operates
under the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs
Topic- GS-2- Welfare schemes for vulnerable
sections of the population
Source-The Hindu
4. Lok Sabha passes National Sports
University Bill
• The Lok Sabha on passed a Bill
establishing a National Sports
University in Manipur as part of a
vision to enhance country’s standing
in sports.
• The National Sports University Bill,
2018, which sought to replace an
Ordinance promulgated on May 31,
was passed by a voice vote.
Features
• The Bill seeks to set up a specialised
university in Manipur, which would be
the first of its kind, to promote sports
education in the areas of sports
sciences, sports technology, sports
management and sports coaching.
• The proposed university would also
function as the national training
centre for select sports disciplines by
adopting best international practices.
• A sportsperson will be the university
vice-chancellor, while its academic
council will also comprise sports
personalities.
• The legislation proposes to empower
the university to establish ‘Outlying
Campuses’ throughout the country
and also outside India.
Topic-GS 2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors
Source-The Hindu
5. Ayushman Bharat Yojana under
PMRSS Mission to be implemented in MP
• In Madhya Pradesh, the Ayushman
Bharat Yojana under the Pradhan
Mantri Rashtriya Swasthya Suraksha
Mission will be implemented in the
state from August 15 this year.
• A MoU has been signed with the
National Health Agency for the
implementation of the scheme.
• The benefit of the scheme will be
given in cashless form through
government and private hospitals.
Related Information
Ayushman Bharat
• National Health Protection Mission will
be an entitlement based scheme with
entitlement decided on the basis of
deprivation criteria in the SEC (Socio
Economic Census) database.
• The beneficiaries can avail benefits in
both public and empanelled private
facilities.
• To control costs, the payments for
treatment will be done on the package
rate (to be defined by the Government
in advance) basis.
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• One of the core principles of
Ayushman Bharat - National Health
Protection Mission is to co-operative
federalism and flexibility to states.
• For giving policy directions and
fostering coordination between Centre
and States, it is proposed to set up
Ayushman Bharat National Health
Protection Mission Council (AB-
NHPMC) at apex level Chaired by
Union Health and Family Welfare
Minister.
• States would need to have the State
Health Agency (SHA) to implement
the scheme.
Topic GS2: Issues relating to development
and management of Social Sector
Source: AIR
6. Vidyalakshmi Portal for Education
Loan
• Vidya Lakshmi Portal was launched by
the Government on August 15, 2015,
to ensure that students can avail
loans easily through single window
system of banks for education loans.
• Banks follow Indian Banks’
Association (IBA) guidelines in this
regard which stipulates that education
loan applications have to be disposed
of, in the normal course, within a
period of 15 to 30 days.
• Students can view, apply and track
the education loan applications to
banks anytime, anywhere by
accessing the portal.
• The portal also provides linkages to
National Scholarship Portal.
Topic- GS-2- Issues relating to development
and management of Social Sector
Source-PIB
7. ‘Paryatan Parv’
• The Ministry of Tourism, Government
of India in collaboration with other
Central Ministries, State Governments
and Stakeholders is organizing
a “Paryatan Parv” across the
country from the 16th to 27th
September 2018.
• The Parv is being organized with the
objective of drawing focus on the
benefits of tourism, showcasing the
cultural diversity of the country and
reinforcing the principle of “Tourism
for All”.
• Paryatan Parv will have three main
components as like last year,
viz. Dekho Apna Desh, Tourism for
All andTourism & Governance.
Topic-GS-1-Indian Culture
Source-PIB
8. India elected president of Asia-Pacific
Institute for Broadcasting Development
• India has been elected as the
President of the Asia-Pacific Institute
for Broadcasting Development (AIBD)
for a period of two years.
• India got elected against Iran during
voting which took place at the 44th
annual gathering of AIBD.
Related Information
Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting
Development
• AIBD, established in 1977 under the
auspices of UNESCO, is a unique
regional inter-governmental
organisation and is mandated to
achieve a vibrant and cohesive
electronic media environment in the
Asia-Pacific region through policy and
resource development
• Full membership of the AIBD is
confined to sovereign states and they
are invited to designate the
broadcasting authority of the country
to be the beneficiary.
• The Institute enjoys a membership of
26 countries, 94 affiliates and 58
partners in Asia, Pacific, Europe and
North America
Topic- GS-2- Important International
institutions
Source-AIR
06.08.2018
1. NCAER's State Investment Potential
Index(N-SIPI)
• Delhi has emerged the most-
attractive State for investors,
improving its position on the think-
tank National Council for Applied and
Economic Research (NCAER)’s 2018
State Investment Potential Index.
• Gujarat, previously No 1, slipped two
places to the third position.
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• N-SIPI was constructed with six pillars
that were classified into four broad
categories:
(i) Factor-driven (land and labour)
(ii) Efficiency-driven (infrastructure)
(iii) Growth-driven (economic climate,
political stability and governance)
(iv) Perceptions-driven (responses to
the survey)
• Researchers at NCAER contacted
1,049 business enterprises of
different sizes in the manufacturing
and services sector for the survey.
• In the overall rankings, the most
attractive States to do business were:
(1) Delhi
(2) Tamil Nadu
(3) Gujarat
• While the least attractive were:
(1) Odisha
(2) Uttar Pradesh
(3) Assam
Related Information
National Council of Applied Economic
Research (NCAER)
• National Council of Applied Economic
Research (NCAER), Delhi based non-
profit think tank on economics has
launched this index in 2016.
• It ranks 20 states and 1 UT (Delhi)
based on six parameters.
Topic-GS- 3- Investment models
Source- The Hindu
2. Govt launches e-pashu Haat
portal, for farmers.
• The government has launched e-
Pashu Haat portal for connecting
breeders and farmers of indigenous
breeds.
• Through the portal, farmers can
obtain information on the location of
quality indigenous germplasm in the
form live animals, semen doses and
embryos.
• This portal will play crucial role in the
development and conservation of
indigenous breeds.
• It is launched under the National
Mission on Bovine Productivity for
connecting breeders and farmers of
indigenous breeds.
Related Information
National Mission on Bovine Productivity
• National Mission on Bovine
Productivity has been launched
in November 2016 with the aim of
enhancing milk production and
productivity and thereby making
dairying more remunerative to the
farmers.
Topic- GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- The Hindu
3. Portuguese man-of-war
• The Drishti Marine, Goa Tourism’s
beach safety agency has issued an
advisory for tourists as well as
residents to refrain from venturing
into the sea on Baga beach, as
lifeguards have spotted a cluster
of Portuguese man-of-war, a
jelly-like marine organism, washed
ashore on the popular beach in north
Goa.
Related Information
• The Portuguese man-of-war is a jelly
is a marine organism is commonly
known as ‘bluebottle’ or ‘floating
terror’.
• While most jellyfish stings are
harmless to humans and cause only a
mild irritation, species like the
bluebottle are venomous and can
cause harm to contact.
• Vinegar is also known to diffuse the
poison present in the tentacles.
Topic-GS-1- Flora and Fauna
Source- The Hindu
4. Govt approves research projects
worth over Rs 100 crore under
‘IMPRINT-2’ scheme.
• The government has approved 122
new research projects of 112 crore
rupees under its Impacting Research
Innovation and Technology ‘IMPRINT-
2’ scheme.
• The initiative aims to advance
research in energy, security, and
healthcare domains in the high
education institutions.
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Related Information
IMPRINT
• IMPRINT is the first of its kind MHRD
supported Pan-IIT + IISc joint
initiative to address the major science
and engineering challenges that India
must address and champion to
enable, empower and embolden the
nation for inclusive growth and self-
reliance. This novel initiative with the
twofold mandate is aimed at:
(a) Developing new engineering
education policy
(b) Creating a roadmap to pursue
engineering challenges
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source-AIR
5. Telangana, Tech Mahindra ink
MoU for India’s first Blockchain
district.
• Tech Mahindra and the Telangana
government signed an agreement to
establish the Blockchain district, the
first-of-its-kind Centre of Excellence
for Blockchain.
Related Information
Blockchain
• A blockchain is a growing list of
records, called blocks, which are
linked using cryptography.
• It is a decentralizes information
without it being copied.
• The database is not stored on physical
servers but on the cloud, which makes
it easy to store unlimited data.
• Information held on blockchain is
accessible on the real-time basis.
Topic-GS-Science
Source- The Hindu
6. Hiroshima marks the 73rd
anniversary of the atomic
bombing in WWII.
• Hiroshima marked the anniversary of
the Aug. 6, 1945, atomic bombing
with a somber ceremony to remember
the people killed and injured and a call
to eliminate nuclear weapons amid
hopes of denuclearizing North Korea.
Related Information
Hiroshima’s atomic bombing
• On August 6, 1945, during World War
II (1939-45), an American B-29
bomber dropped the world’s first
deployed atomic bomb over the
Japanese city of Hiroshima.
• The explosion wiped out 90 Percent of
the city and immediately killed 80,000
people.
• Three days later, a second B-29
dropped another A-bomb on
Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000
people.
• Japan’s Emperor Hirohito announced
his country’s unconditional surrender
in World War II.
Topic-GS-3-Security
Source- The Hindu
07.08.2018
1. SC adjourns hearing on pleas
challenging the Constitutional validity of
Article 35A.
• The Supreme Court (SC) adjourned a
scheduled hearing on PILs challenging
the validity of Article 35A of the
Constitution It will now be heard in
week commencing 27th of this month.
• Apex Court said that the three-judge
bench hearing case has to decide
whether the issue of Article 35A has
to be referred to the constitutional
bench.
Related Information
Article 35A
• Article 35A of the Indian Constitution
is an article that empowers the
Jammu and Kashmir state's
legislature to define “permanent
residents” of the state and provide
special rights and privileges to those
permanent residents.
• It prohibits non-permanent residents
of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) from the
permanent settlement in the state,
and from acquiring immovable
property, government jobs,
scholarships and aid there.
• It was added to the Constitution
through a Presidential Order, i.e., The
Constitution (Application to Jammu
and Kashmir) Order, 1954.
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Article 370
• Article 370 of the Indian constitution
is an article that grants special
autonomous status to the state of
Jammu and Kashmir.
• The article is drafted in Part XXI of the
Constitution: Temporary, Transitional
and Special Provisions.
• The State's Constituent Assembly was
empowered to recommend the
articles of the Indian constitution to
be applied to the state or to abrogate
the Article 370 altogether.
• After the state Constituent Assembly
has dissolved itself without
recommending abrogation, the Article
370 was deemed to have become a
permanent feature of the Indian
Constitution.
Topic-GS-2- Separation of powers between
various organs dispute redressal mechanisms
and institutions.
Source- The Hindu
2. Opening Ceremony of Indo - Thailand
Joint Exercise Maitree 2018 held in
Thailand.
Exercise Maitree
• Exercise Maitree is a joint military
exercise between the Indian Army and
Royal Thai Army which will be
conducted from 06 to 19 August 2018
in Thailand.
• It is a platoon level exercise which
comprises of infantry component. The
opening ceremony started with the
familiarization of organisation and
display of weapons & equipment of
both armies.
• The exercise will emphasize to hone
the tactical and technical skills in joint
counter-insurgency and counter-
terrorism operations in the rural and
urban scenario under UN mandate.
Topic-GS-3- Various Security forces and
agencies and their mandate.
Source-PIB
3. China successfully tests first
hypersonic aircraft that can carry
nuclear warheads.
• The test of the Xingkong-2, or Starry
Sky-2, was conducted in a target
range located in northwest China, the
state-run China Academy of
Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA).
• Launched by a multi-stage rocket,
China's hypersonic aircraft wave rider
was released in the air after about 10
minutes.
Related Information
Wave rider
• Wave rider is a flight vehicle that flies
in the atmosphere and uses
shockwaves generated by its own
hypersonic flight with the air to glide
at high speed.
• The hypersonic aircraft was designed
by the CAAA in collaboration with the
China Aerospace Science and
Technology Corporation.
• The current generation of anti-missile
defence systems is mainly designed to
intercept cruise and ballistic missiles,
which are either slower or easier to
predict, making them possible to
intercept.
Topic-GS-3- Challenges to internal security.
Source- Times of India
4. IACHR has recently given its advisory
opinion on the issue of the institution of
asylum and its recognition as a Human
Right
• IACHR gave a ruling that all nations
have an obligation to ensure safe
passage for asylum seekers to their
final territory of asylum.
• This came in the light of asylum of
Julian Assange, Editor-in-chief of Wiki
Leaks, in the Ecuadorian embassy in
U.K.
• Julian Assange got political asylum
and citizenship by Ecuador in 2012.
• But he is unable to come out of the
embassy in U.K because of the arrest
warrant issued by U.K court in the
charges of sexual assault and rape
allegations.
• In this scenario, the advisory opinion
by IACHR gives him the moral victory.
• This ruling means that U.K. has an
obligation to allow safe passage for
Julian Assange to Ecuador, where he
has been granted political asylum as
well as citizenship.
Related Information
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
(IACHR)
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• The Inter-American Court of Human
Rights is an autonomous judicial
institution based in the city of San
José, Costa Rica.
• It makes up the human rights
protection system of the Organization
of American States (OAS), which
serves to uphold and promote basic
rights and freedoms in the Americas.
• Founded in 1979.
Topic-GS-2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora, their
structure, mandate.
Source- The Hindu
5. RISECREEK: IIT-Madras develop first
indigenous microprocessors
• Computer scientists and a student
team from the IIT- Madras have
developed the first of a family of six
industry-standard microprocessors.
• The initial batch of 300 chips, named
RISECREEK were produced under
Project Shakti.
• The IIT team says its microprocessors
can be adapted by others, as the
design is open source. They optimise
power use and compete with
international units such as the Cortex
A5 from Advanced RISC Machines
(ARM).
Related Information
Project Shakti
• Project Shakti was started in 2014 as
IIT-M initiative and part of it is funded
by Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology.
Source- The Hindu
6. Bhoomi Rashi- PFMS linkage
• The government has proposed to
integrate Bhoomi Rashi with Public
Financial Management System
(PFMS).
• With the integration of Bhoomi Rashi
with PFMS, payment of Compensation
by the Ministry to the beneficiaries will
be just-in-time, and without any
parking of funds.
Bhoomi Rashi
• Bhoomi Rashi, the portal developed
by MoRTH and NIC, comprises the
entire revenue data of the country,
right down to 6.4 lakh villages.
• The entire process flow, from
submission of draft notification by the
State Government to its approval by
the Hon. Minister of State for RT&H
and publication in e-Gazette, is online.
• The portal, created for expediting the
process of publication of notifications
for LA, is now being fully utilised for
issuing the notifications.
• Bhoomi Rashi portal has been
instrumental in reducing the time
taken for approval and publication of
notifications pertaining to land
acquisition.
The Public Financial Management
System (PFMS)
• The Public Financial Management
System (PFMS) is a web-based online
software application developed and
implemented by the Office of
Controller General of Accounts
(CGA) and is administered by the
Department of Expenditure.
• The primary objective of PFMS is to
facilitate sound public financial
management system for Government
of India (GoI) by establishing an
efficient fund flow system as well as a
payment cum accounting network.
• PFMS provides various stakeholders
with a real-time, reliable and
meaningful management information
system and an effective decision
support system, as part of the Digital
India initiative of GoI.
Topic-GS-2- E-governance- applications,
models, successes, limitations, and potential.
Source-PIB
7. Parliament passes Criminal Law
(Amendment) Bill, 2018
• The Parliament passed the Criminal
Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 which
ensures stringent punishment for
those convicted of raping girls below
12 years of age.
• The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill,
2018 stipulates a minimum jail term
of 20 years which may go up to life in
prison or death sentence, for the rape
of a girl under 12 years.
• While perpetrators involved in the
gangrape of a girl below 12 years of
age will get life imprisonment or
death.
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• In case of rape of a girl below 16
years, the minimum punishment has
been increased from 10 to 20 years
and it is extendable to life
imprisonment.
• The punishment for the gang-rape of
a girl below 16 years of age will
invariably be imprisonment for the
rest of the life of the convict.
• It has also provided for a six-month
time limit for disposal of appeals in
rape cases.
• Fast-track special courts will be set up
to exclusively deal with rape cases.
• Only a woman judge will hear the
rape case and a woman police officer
will record the statement of rape
victims.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- AIR
8. Chandrayaan-2 launch postponed
• The launch of India's second lunar
mission 'Chandrayaan-2', slated for
next month, has been postponed to
October. This will be second time
mission has been postponed.
• The delay may make India lose the
fourth position in the world for soft-
landing on the moon to Israel as it too
planning to launch moon mission in
December 2018.
Related Information
Chandrayaan-2
• Chandrayaan-2 is a totally indigenous
mission comprising an orbiter, lander
and rover.
• The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft
weighing around 3,290 kg would orbit
around the moon and perform the
objectives of remote sensing the
moon.
• The payloads will collect scientific
information on lunar topography,
mineralogy, elemental abundance,
lunar exosphere and signatures of
hydroxyl and water-ice.
• ISRO had launched its maiden lunar
mission Chandrayaan-1 in 2008.
Topic-GS-3- Achievements of Indians in
science & technology; indigenization of
technology and developing new technology.
Source- Economic Times
9. Man-animal conflict to be listed as the
disaster under SDRF by UP govt
• In possibly the first-of-its-kind move,
the Uttar Pradesh government has
given its in-principle approval to bring
man-animal conflict under listed
disasters in State Disaster Response
Fund to ensure better coordination
and relief during such incidents.
• The Uttar Pradesh government has
given the nod to bring man-animal
conflict in the list of disasters.
• It is to ensure better coordination and
relief during such incidents.
• This move will give proper guidelines
to handle situations when wild
animals venture in human
inhabitation.
Note- The Wildlife Protection Act does not
have provision for compensation in case any
human being or cattle is killed by a wild
animal within a protected area.
Topic-GS-1- Flora and Fauna
Source- The Statesman
10. Ajay Data, first Indian in ICANN
• The nominating committee of Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN) has selected Ajay
Data as a new council member of
Country Code Supporting
Organisation (ccNSO).
• The members of ccNSO, which is
ICANN’s policy development body for
ccTLD (country code top-level
domains) issues, are all country code
top-level domain operators from
around the world.
Related Information
Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN)
• The Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN) is
a nonprofit
organization responsible for
coordinating the maintenance and
procedures of several databases
related to the namespaces and
numerical spaces of the Internet,
ensuring the network's stable and
secure operation.
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• ICANN was incorporated on
September 30, 1998.
• It is headquartered in the Playa
Vista neighbourhood of Los Angeles,
US.
The Country Code Names Supporting
Organization (ccNSO)
• The Country Code Names Supporting
Organization (ccNSO) is a body within
ICANN created by and for country
code top-level domains (ccTLD)
managers.
• It provides a forum for topical issues
relating to ccTLDs from a global
perspective.
• Founded in 2003.
Topic-GS- 2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora, their
structure, mandate.
Source- Indian Express.
08.08.2018
1. Russian scientists discovered new
mineral "Uakitite"
• The mineral came from the Uakit
meteorite, named for the Russian
location where it was found.
• The researchers predicted that
uakitite is between 9 and 10 on the
Mohs hardness scale, meaning it's
very hard — a diamond falls at 10.
• The scientists say that the meteorite
had been subjected to temperatures
of over 1,000 degrees centigrade
forming troilite-daubreelite
associations, one of whose early
minerals is uakitite.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Sources- Live Science
2. Thermal battery plant unveiled in
Andhra Pradesh.
• India became home to the world’s
first-ever thermal battery plant,
that was inaugurated in Andhra
Pradesh.
• The plant aims to create a new energy
storage form that is expected to have
commercial applications, while also
maintaining a low carbon footprint,
and being less dependent on external
factors like weather.
• Owned by Bharat Energy Storage
Technology Private Limited
(BEST).
• At the initial stage of commercial
operations, set for May 2019, BEST
plans to create a battery capacity
of 1000MW. This is expected to be
upgraded to a 10GW capacity by
2025.
Related Information
Thermal batteries
• Thermal batteries use thermal energy
to operate, i.e., the energy created by
temperature differences.
• Therefore, the energy transfer in
thermal batteries helps store heat
when heat travels from one part of the
battery setup to the other.
Topic-GS-3-Science and Technology.
Source- Indian Express
3. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India launches integration & availability
of TRAI Mobile Apps on UMANG
platform.
• TRAI has now integrated its Mobile
Apps namely DND 2.0 & MyCall with
UMANG Platform with the objective of
reaching out to consumers and
safeguarding their interests.
(a) TRAI MyCall App
• TRAI MyCall is an intuitive and user-
friendly application for Crowdsourced
Voice Call Quality Monitoring.
• The Application helps Mobile phone
users to rate their experience about
voice call quality in real time and help
TRAI gather consumer experience
data along with Network data.
• A pop-up requests the user to rate the
call after it ends.
• Callers simply select their rating in the
form of stars and indicate if the calls
were made in indoor, outdoor or while
travelling.
• Callers can also provide additional
details such as noise or audio delay or
mark a call-drop.
(b) DND 2.0 App
• DND (Do Not Disturb) Services App
enables smartphone users to register
their mobile number under DND and
report spam messages or calls to
avoid Unsolicited Commercial
Communication (UCC)/Telemarketing
Calls/SMS.
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Related Information
Umang
• UMANG or Unified Mobile
Application for New-age
Governance, is a Government of
India all-in-one single unified secure
multi-channel multi-platform multi-
lingual multi-service freeware mobile
app for accessing over 1,200 central
and state government services in
multiple Indian languages over
Android, iOS, Windows and services
such as AADHAR, DigiLocker, Bharat
Bill Payment System, PAN, passport
and much more.
• This a key component of the Digital
India government initiative to make
all traditional offline government
services available 24/7 online through
the single unified app.
• The app is initially available in 13
languages and will replace or
compliment 1500 apps launched by
the government so far.
• On 23 November 2017, this app
service was launched by the Prime
Minister Narendra Modi at the fifth
edition of the Global Conference on
Cyberspace in New Delhi.
Topic-GS- 2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source-PIB
4. Rajyavardhan Rathore flags off an all-
women expedition to Mt. Manirang.
• The Minister of State (I/C) for Youth
Affairs and Sports & Information and
Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan
Rathore flagged off an all-women
expedition to Mt. Manirang (6593Mt/
21631 ft) in Himachal Pradesh.
• The expedition commemorates
the silver jubilee of 1993 Women
Everest expedition.
• The 19-member expedition team to
Mt. Manirang is being led by Ms
Bimla Negi, a veteran mountaineer
who was a member of the 1993 team.
• The expedition is expected to make
the summit attempt around 24th
August, 2018.
Related Information
• The Indo-Nepalese women’s Everest
expedition in 1993 was the first all-
women expedition, launched by
Indian Mountaineering Foundation,
funded by the Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports.
• The 21-member team was led
by achendri Pal.
• The historic expedition set up several
world records at the time which
included the largest number of
persons (18) of a single expedition to
climb Mount Everest, the largest
number of women (six) from a single
country to climb Mount Everest.
• Santosh Yadav, the member of the
team, became the first woman in the
world to climb Mount Everest, while
Miss Dicky Dolma became the
youngest women (19) years in the
world to climb the highest peak in the
world.
Topic- GS- 1- Social Empowerment.
Source- PIB
5. Startup Academia Alliance
Programme.
• For promoting the spirit of
entrepreneurship and to fulfil the
central government’s mission in the
country, Startup India under Ministry
of Commerce and Industry has
launched the Startup Academia
Alliance programme, a unique
mentorship opportunity between
academic scholars and startups
working in similar domains.
• The Startup Academia Alliance aims to
reduce the gap between scientific
research and its industrial applications
in order to increase the efficacy of
these technologies and to widen their
impact.
• The first phase of Startup Academia
Alliance kickstarted through
partnering with Regional Centre for
Biotechnology, The Energy and
Resources Institute (TERI),
Council on Energy, Environment
and Water, and TERI School of
Advanced Studies.
www.gradeup.com
20
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source-PIB
6. Maharashtra set to kick off biggest
land survey exercise using drones.
• The State government will soon
launch a ₹346-crore land survey
project in which drones will play a
pivotal role.
• The State government, along with the
Survey of India, had initiated a
project, which will survey about 1.20
lakh hectares using drones. In three
years, 40,000 villages will be
extensively surveyed using drones.
• Even if current methods with
Electronic Total Stations (ETS) are
used, it will take 30 years to survey
such a big area.
• With drones, a team would be able to
cover two villages daily and over three
years all the villages would be
surveyed.
• ETS is a field instrument for surveying
of land, which establishes maps and
boundaries for landowners.
Topic-GS- 2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- The Hindu
7. Andaman rule eased for tourism
• The Union home ministry has
excluded 29 inhabited islands in
Andaman and Nicobar from Restricted
Area Permit (RAP) with an aim to
boost tourism.
• Foreigners are not allowed to enter
most of the hundreds of Andaman
&Nicobar Islands and they are
required to obtain a RAP to visit the
islands.
Related Information
Restricted Area Permit (RAP)
• A foreign national is not normally
allowed to visit a Protected /
Restricted Area unless it is established
to the satisfaction of the Government
that there are extraordinary reasons
to justify such a visit.
• Every foreigner, except a citizen of
Bhutan, who desires to enter and stay
in a Protected or Restricted Area, is
required to obtain a special permit
from a competent authority delegated
with powers to issue such a special
permit to a foreigner, on the
application.
• The RAP is notified under Foreigners
(Restricted Areas) Order, 1963.
• Citizens of Afghanistan, China and
Pakistan and foreign nationals of
Pakistani origin are the exception and
are not allowed to enter such areas.
Topic-GS-3- Challenges to internal security.
Source- Times of India
09.08.2018
1. Indian telescope discovers most
distant radio galaxy ever
• Astronomers have used an Indian
telescope to discover the most distant
radio galaxy ever known, located at a
distance of 12 billion light-years.
• The galaxy from a time when the
universe was only seven per cent of
its current age was found using the
Giant Meter-wave Radio Telescope
(GMRT) in Pune.
• GMRT is an array of thirty fully
steerable parabolic radio telescopes of
45-metre diameter. It is operated by
the National Centre for Radio
Astrophysics.
Related Information
• Radio galaxies are very rare objects in
the universe.
• They are colossal galaxies with a
supermassive black hole in their
centre that actively accretes gas and
dust from its surroundings.
• This activity initiates the launch of
high-energy jet streams, which are
capable of accelerating charged
particles around the supermassive
black hole to almost the speed of
light.
Topic-GS-3-Science and Technology
Source-DD News
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21
2. Scrub typhus is key encephalitis cause
in eastern U.P.
• Scrub Typhus is an infectious disease
which is transmitted by the bite of an
infected mite larva present in the soil.
• It is not caused by a virus, but by a
parasite called Orientia
tsutsugamushi.
• Almost, 65% of the Acute Encephalitis
Syndrome (AES) patients got infected
by Scrub Typhus (Gorakhpur in U.P is
treated as a hub of AES).
• This disease is more common during
monsoon season when the mites lay
eggs.
Topic-GS- 2- Issues related to health
Source- The Hindu
3. New sensor developed to measure sea
surface temperatures
• Sea surface temperature (SST) is an
important parameter for
oceanographic and atmospheric
studies and to monitor biological
habitations in the marine
environment.
• Indian scientists have developed a
new sensor to measure ocean
temperatures.
• The negative temperature coefficient
(NTC) thermistor-based sensor,
developed by scientists at the
Chennai-based National Institute of
Ocean Technology (NIOT) and School
of Engineering at Vels University,
Chennai, can be deployed on drifting
buoys on the sea.
• India has deployed buoys named
Pradyu which communicate with
Indian satellite INSAT for real-time
data telemetry.
• Twenty such buoys equipped with the
new sensor have been deployed in the
Arabian Sea from the research vessel,
SagarManjusha.
• They were used to collect sea surface
temperature data for about one
month.
Topic-GS-3-Science and Technology
Source-DD News
4. ISRO developing eco-friendly
propellants for its rockets.
• The Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO) is developing
green propellants for future rockets,
considering the harmful effects of
exhausts released by rockets on the
earth's atmosphere.
• The propellants that are being used
have a very reactive effect on the
ozone layer due to the release of
chlorinated exhaust products.
• This, along with other chemicals
released, wreaks havoc on the
sensitive ozone layer.
• The new propellant has the capacity
to eliminate chlorinated exhaust from
rocket motors. The solid propellant is
based on Glycidyl Azide Polymer as
fuel and Ammonium Di-Nitamide
as an oxidiser.
• ISRO has already been using
LOX/Liquid Hydrogen and
LOX/Kerosene-based propulsion
systems for launch vehicles, and
electric propulsion for spacecraft.
• The LOX/Liquid Hydrogen
combination is already being used in
the upper stages of the
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (GSLV) and GSLV Mk-III.
Related Information
India-UN Small Satellites Programme'
(INDOUNSSP)
• India announced a capacity building
programme, INDOUNSSP (India UN
Small Satellites Programme) on small
satellites development in COPUOS
(Committee on the Peaceful Uses
of Outer Space)” at Vienna in
February 2017.
• INDOUNSSP will be held for the first
time this year.
• A combination of theoretical
coursework and hands-on training on
Assembly, Integration and Testing
(AIT) will be conducted.
• Training for selected students will be
conducted at U R Rao Satellite Centre
in Bengaluru for the next three years.
• 30 candidates from 15 developing
nations will be selected and each of
the 45 nations under INDOUNSSP will
nominate two students.
Topic-GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- Indian Express
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22
5. Illegal trade flourishes, smugglers
breeding star tortoises.
• Captive breeding has become
rampant owing to the heavy demand
for the vulnerable species from South
East Asian Countries in AP and
Karnataka.
Related Information
Star Tortoises
• The Indian star tortoise is a
threatened species of tortoise found in
dry areas and scrub forest in India and
Sri Lanka.
• Star Tortoises mostly eat grass and
medicinal plants due to which people
in South East Asian Countries believe
that it has medicinal properties and
use it in soups. They are also raised
as pets.
• They need 52 days to hatch.
• Female lays eggs by digging half-a-
foot to nine inches into the sand and
covering eggs.
• They mate only during the monsoon
as their male genitals retract in dry
weather.
Topic-GS- 3- Conservation, environmental
pollution and degradation, environmental
impact assessment.
Source- Times of India
6. Union Minister of Commerce &
Industry and Aviation Suresh Prabhu
launched Niryat Mitra – mobile App.
• The app developed by
the Federation of Indian Export
Organisations (FIEO) is available
both on Android and on IOS
platforms.
• It provides a wide range of
information required to undertake
international trade right from the
policy provisions for export and
import, applicable GST rate, available
export incentives, tariff, preferential
tariff, market access requirements –
SPS and TBT measures.
• The most interesting part is that all
the information is available at tariff
line.
• The app works internally to map the
ITC HS code of other countries with
that of India and provides all the
required data without the users
bothering about the HS code of any
country.
• Presently the app comes with the data
from 87 countries.
• Human Resource tool of the app
enables candidates with interest in the
international trade sector to register
and apply against the vacancies
arising in the sector.
• Companies can also search the
profiles of the candidates and engage
them.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source-PIB
7. INTACH bats for heritage buildings.
• The Indian National Trust for Art and
Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has called
for transforming heritage buildings in
Rajasthan into “economic assets” for
the society.
• Economic benefits could be derived
from these properties as an
alternative to paying for their upkeep
on a regular basis.
• The Indian National Trust for Art and
Cultural Heritage is a non-profit
charitable organisation registered
under the Societies' Registration Act,
1860.
• Founded: 27 January 1984
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• In 2007, the United Nations awarded
INTACH a special consultative status
with United Nations Economic and
Social Council.
• INTACH has pioneered the
conservation and protection of India's
natural and cultural heritage and is
today the largest membership
organisation in the country dedicated
to conservation.
Topic-GS- 1- Indian culture
Source- The Hindu
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23
10.08.2018
1. Parliament passes Sports University
Bill
• The bill seeks to establish a National
Sports University in Manipur to
promote education in sports sciences,
technology, management and
coaching.
• The bill was a major step towards
developing a world-class 360-degree
sports ecosystem in India.
• The government will focus on each
and every need of budding
sportspersons and will enhance their
stipends and food and supplement
allowances.
• The varsity Chancellor will be from
the sports field and even its Academic
Council, as well as academic
activities, will have members from the
sports field.
• Its key objectives would be research,
development and dissemination of
knowledge in physical education and
sports sciences, strengthening
training programmes, generating
knowledge capabilities and training
talented athletes.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- AIR
2. 'Study Webs of Active Learning
for Young Aspiring Minds'
(SWAYAM)
• The Ministry of HRD has embarked on
a major and new initiative Project
called 'Study Webs of Active Learning
for Young Aspiring Minds' (SWAYAM),
which will provide one integrated
platform and portal for online courses.
• This covers all higher education
subjects and skill sector courses.
• The objective is to ensure that every
student in our country has access to
the best quality higher education at
the affordable cost.
Related Information
• The programmes Swayam and
Swayam Prabha -- for making
education more accessible -- and the
depository were conceived and
executed by the Ministry of Human
Resource Development.
• Swayam Prabha would tap into the
potential of Direct to Home Service
wherein a person can install a dish
antenna for about Rs 1,500 and have
access to 32 digital educational
channels run by the HRD Ministry.
Topic-GS-1- Social Empowerment.
Source-PIB
3. PM Modi to address World Bio-
Fuel Day conference
• World Biofuel Day is observed every
year on 10th August to create
awareness about the importance of
non-fossil fuels as an alternative to
conventional fossil fuels and to
highlight the various efforts made by
the Government in the biofuel sector.
Related Information
National Policy on Biofuels
• Under Ministry of New & Renewable
Energy
• The Policy categorises biofuels as
"Basic Biofuels" viz. First Generation
(1G) bioethanol & biodiesel and
"Advanced Biofuels" - Second
Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal
Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels,
Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-
CNG etc. to enable the extension of
appropriate financial and fiscal
incentives under each category.
• The policy has the objective of
reaching 20 per cent ethanol-blending
and five per cent biodiesel-blending
by the year 2030.
Topic-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors
Source-PIB
4. Global Innovation Index, GII-
2018 launched in India
• India's rank on the Global Innovation
Index (GII) has improved from 60th
last year to 57th this year.
• Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden,
the United Kingdom, Singapore, the
United States of America, Finland and
Denmark lead the 2018 rankings.
www.gradeup.com
24
Related Information
Global Innovation Index
• The Global Innovation Index (GII) is
an annual ranking of countries by
their capacity for, and success in,
innovation.
• It is published by Cornell University,
INSEAD, and the World Intellectual
Property Organization, in partnership
with other organisations and
institutions.
• The index was started in 2007 by
INSEAD and World Business, a British
magazine.
• The GII is computed by taking a
simple average of the scores in two
sub-indices, the Innovation Input
Index and Innovation Output Index.
Topic-GS-2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora- their
structure, mandate.
Source-PIB
5. Ease of Living Index
• The Ease of Living Index will be
launched along with an Ease of Living
Index dashboard by Shri Hardeep S
Puri, Minister of State (I/C), Housing
& Urban Affairs.
• Apart from presenting the overall
national ranking of 111 cities, the
dashboard will present ranking of the
cities across pillars, category,
geographical zone and population
classifications.
• Ease of Living framework comprises
four pillars namely Institutional,
Social, Economic and
Physical which are further broken
down into 15 categories and 78
indicators. The dashboard will also
have a comparison feature that will
allow users to analyze the
performance across cities on various
liveability parameters.
Related Information
• The Ease of Living Index is an
initiative of the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to help
cities assess their liveability vis-à-vis
global and national benchmarks and
encourage cities to move towards an
‘outcome-based’ approach to urban
planning and management.
Topic-GS-3- Sustainable Development
Source- Economic Times
6. Swachh Manch web portal
• Shri Hardeep S Puri, Minister of State
(I/C), Housing & Urban Affairs will
launch Swachh Manch web portal.
• Swachh Manch web portal, a web-
based platform which aims to bring
together every stakeholder
contributing to the Swachh Bharat
Mission under a common platform.
• It is going to be launched as part of
Swachh Survekshan 2019.
• The platform will allow stakeholders to
create/invite/participate in
volunteering opportunities around
neighbourhoods.
• Swachh Manch will enable uploads of
pictorial evidence of citizens and
organizations participating in the
initiatives, as well as record the
number of hours volunteered, as an
acknowledgement of citizens’/
organizations’ efforts and
contributions to the cause of
‘Swachhata’.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source-PIB
7. ICAR sounds alarmed with the
discovery of deadly foreign maize
pest in Karnataka
• The Indian Council for Agricultural
Research (ICAR) has sounded the
alarm after the invasive agricultural
pest Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera
frugiperda) was discovered in
Karnataka this July.
• A major maize pest in North America,
the Fall Armyworm arrived in Africa in
2016. Since then, it has threatened
the continent’s maize crop.
• The Karnataka finding is the first
report of the pest in Asia. The
discovery is more worrisome because
the pest feeds on around 100 different
crops, such as vegetables, rice, and
sugarcane.
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25
Related Information
Important ICAR institutions
Indian Agricultural
Research Institute New Delhi
Indian Veterinary
Research Institute
Bareilly, Uttar
Pradesh
National Dairy Research
Institute Karnal, Haryana
Central Institute of
Fisheries Education
Mumbai,
Maharashtra
Central Institute for
Research on Buffaloes Hissar, Haryana
Central Institute of Cotton
Research
Nagpur,
Maharashtra
Central Sheep and Wool
Research Institute
Avikanagar,
Rajasthan
Indian Institute of
Horticultural Research
Bengaluru,
Karnataka
Indian Institute of Spices
Research Calicut, Kerala
Indian Institute of
Sugarcane Research
Lucknow, Uttar
Pradesh
Topic-GS-2- Conservation
Source- The Hindu
8. Delhi High Court decriminalizes
begging in the national capital.
• The act of begging in the national
Capital was made a criminal offence
after the Bombay Prevention of
Begging Act, 1959, was extended to
Delhi by a Central government
amendment in 1960.
• The law prescribes a penalty of three
years of detention in beggar homes in
case of first conviction for begging
and the person can be ordered to be
detained for 10 years in subsequent
conviction.
• In India, 20 States and two Union
Territories have either enacted their
own legislation or adopted the
legislation enacted by other States.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- The Hindu
9. Cabinet approved construction of
New 4 - Lane Bridge on Kosi river
at Phulaut, Bihar
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister
Shri Narendra Modi, approved the
project for construction of 6.930 km
long 4-lane bridge at Phulaut in Bihar.
• There is a 10 km long-missing link
between Phulaut and Bihpuro in NH-
106 and falling in the catchment area
of Kosi River.
Related Information
Kosi River
• The Kosi river has its source in Tibet
that includes the world's highest
upland it then drains a large part of
Nepal before emerging onto the
Gangetic plains.
• Its three major tributaries, the Sun
Kosi, Arun and Tamur meet at one
point just upstream of 10 km gorge
cut through the Himalayan foothills.
• The Koshi is 720 km long and drains
an area of about 74,500 km2 in Tibet,
Nepal and Bihar.
• The Koshi River is known as the
"Sorrow of Bihar" as the annual floods
affect about 21,000 km2 of fertile
agricultural lands thereby disturbing
the rural economy.
• It meets in Ganga near Kursela, Bihar,
India.
Topic-GS-3- Infrastructure: Energy, Ports,
Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Source-PIB
11.08.2018
1. Exercise SCO Peace Mission 2018
• As part of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) initiatives, SCO
Peace Mission Exercise is conducted
biennially for SCO member states.
• The joint exercise for the year 2018
will be conducted by Central Military
Commission of Russia from 22 August
to 29 August 2018 at Chebarkul,
Chelyabinsk, Russia.
• This will be a historic occasion due to
the maiden participation of India post
becoming a full member of the SCO in
June 2017.
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26
• The exercise will involve tactical level
operations in an international
counter-insurgency or counter-
terrorism environment under SCO
Charter.
• Indian contingent of 200 personnel is
primarily composed of troops from
infantry and affiliated arms & services
along with Indian Air Force.
Related Information
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO)
• The Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO), or Shanghai
Pact, is a Eurasian political, economic,
and security alliance.
• Founded on 15th June 2001, in
Shanghai, China by the leaders of
China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
• India and Pakistan joined SCO as full
members on 9 June 2017 at a summit
in Astana, Kazakhstan.
• First Summit-2001- China, Shanghai.
• 2018 summit- China, Qingdao.
• 2019 summit- Kyrgyzstan.
Topic-GS-2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora- their
structure, mandate.
Source-PIB
2. ‘Operation Madad and Sahyog’:
Navy, army turn saviours after
Kerala rains, floods
‘Operation Madad’
• Operation “Madad” has been launched
by the Southern Naval Command
(SNC).
• The operation began at Kochi since 09
Aug 2018.
• For assisting the state administration
and undertaking disaster relief
operations due to the unprecedented
flooding experienced in many parts of
Kerala, owing to incessant rainfall and
release of excess water from Idukki
and other dams.
‘Operation Sahyog’
• By the Indian army.
• For disaster relief and rescue
operations at Kannur, Kozhikode,
Wayanad and Idukki after incessant
rain and landslides hit various
northern districts of the state.
Topic-GS-3- Disaster and disaster
management.
Source-PIB
3. Digital North East Vision 2022
• Union Minister for Electronics &
Information Technology Ravi Shankar
Prasad will release the document
‘Digital North East Vision 2022’
Guwahati.
• The Document emphasizes leveraging
digital technologies to transform the
lives of people of the northeast and
enhance the ease of living.
• The Document identifies eight digital
thrust areas - Digital Infrastructure,
Digital services, Digital
empowerment, Promotion of
Electronics Manufacturing, Promotion
of IT and ITES including BPOs, Digital
Payments, Innovation & Startups and
Cybersecurity.
• State-wise roadmaps for
implementing digital initiatives in the
North East States have also been
developed.
• The Vision Document aims to
empower the people of the North
Eastern region.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- AIR
4. NASA poised to blast off the first
spacecraft to explore Sun
• The first-ever spacecraft to fly directly
toward the Sun is poised to blast off,
on a mission to plunge into our star’s
sizzling atmosphere and unlock the
mysteries of the centre of the solar
system.
• NASA’s car-sized, $1.5 billion Parker
Solar Probe is scheduled to launch
on a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape
Canaveral, Florida.
• The unmanned probe’s main goal is to
unveil the secrets of the corona, the
unusual atmosphere around the Sun.
• The Parker Solar Probe will help do a
better job of predicting when a
disturbance in the solar wind could hit
Earth.
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27
• Knowing more about the solar wind
and space storms will also help
protect future deep space explorers as
they journey toward the Moon or
Mars.
• The goal of the Parker Solar Probe is
to make 24 passes through the corona
during its seven-year mission.
Topic-GS-3-Science and Technology.
Source- The Hindu
5. Cabinet approves raising of four
additional battalions of National
Disaster Response Force.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given
the approval for raising of four (4)
additional battalions of National
Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to
strengthen India's disaster response
set up at an estimated cost of Rs 637
crore.
• The objective of raising four additional
battalions is to reduce the response
time keeping in view the vast
geographic area of the country.
• These four battalions will initially be
raised as two battalions in Indo-
Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and one
battalion each in Border Security
Force (BSF) and Assam Rifles (ARs).
• Later these four battalions will be
converted into NDRF battalions.
Based on the vulnerability profile,
these four battalions will be placed in
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi
National Capital Region.
Related Information
National Disaster Response Force
• NDRF is a specialized force, which has
been created in the year 2006 for the
purpose of specialist response during
the natural and man-made disaster or
threatening situation.
• At present, there are 12 battalions in
NDRF which are deployed strategically
across the country to provide an
immediate response.
Topic-GS-3- Security challenges and their
management in border areas.
Source- PIB
6. Indian telescope spots distant
radio galaxy.
• Indian telescope spot the most distant
radio galaxy ever known, located at a
distance of 12 billion light-years.
• The galaxy, from a time when the
universe was only 7% of its current
age was found using the Giant
Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in
Pune.
• The distance to this galaxy was
determined using the Gemini North
telescope in Hawaii and the Large
Binocular Telescope in Arizona.
• The galaxy is perceived as it looked
when the universe was only a billion
years old.
• This also means that the light from
this galaxy is almost 12 billion years
old.
• This activity initiates the launch of
high-energy jet streams, which are
capable of accelerating charged
particles around the supermassive
black hole to almost the speed of
light.
Related Information
• Radio galaxies are very rare objects
in the universe. They are colossal
galaxies with a supermassive black
hole in their centre that actively
accretes gas and dust from its
surroundings.
• Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope
(GMRT) is an array of thirty fully
steerable parabolic radio telescopes of
45-metre diameter. It is operated by
the National Centre for Radio
Astrophysics.
Topic-GS-3- Science and Technology.
Source- The Hindu
7. National Energy Storage Mission
In February 2018, an Expert Committee
under the chairpersonship of Secretary,
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, with
representatives from relevant Ministries,
industry associations, research institutions
and experts was constituted by the Ministry
of New & Renewable Energy to propose draft
for setting up National Energy Storage
Mission (NESM) for India.
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28
Highlights of the National Energy
Storage Mission:
• The draft National Energy Storage Mission
expects to kick-start grid-connected
energy storage in India, set up a
regulatory framework, and encourage
indigenous manufacture of batteries.
• The draft sets a “realistic target” of
15-20 gigawatt hours (GWh) of grid-
connected storage within the next five
years.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- The Hindu
8. One District One Product scheme.
• To give a major push to Uttar
Pradesh's micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSME) and cottage
industries, the UP Government
launched ‘One District One Product
scheme’(ODOP).
• The ODOP scheme seeks to promote
traditional industries synonymous
with their respective districts to spur
the local economy and create jobs.
• The ODOP Summit is stated to be
the first of its kind in the country
and is expected to give a big boost to
the MSME and handicraft in the state.
• The aim is to optimise production,
productivity and income, preservation
and development of local crafts,
promotion of art, improvement in
product quality and skill development.
• The state government will sign a
memorandum of understandings
(MoUs) with e-retailor giant Amazon
for marketing of products of artisans,
and Quality Control of India (QCI) that
will ensure the quality of products.
Topic-GS-1- Social Empowerment.
Source-Business Standards
9. CCEA approves the continuation
of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana beyond 12th Five Year
Plan period
Related Information
• The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana (PMGSY) is a nationwide plan
in India to provide good all-weather
road connectivity to unconnected
villages.
• This Centrally Sponsored Scheme was
introduced in 2000 by the then-prime
minister of India Atal Behari
Vajpayee.
• Under the authority of the Ministry of
Rural Development.
• The aim was to provide roads to all
villages
1. with a population of 1000 persons and
above by 2003
2. with a population of 500 persons and
above by 2007
• In hill states, tribal and desert area
villages with a population of 500
persons and above by 2003
1. in hill states, tribal and desert area
villages with a population of 250
persons and above by 2007
Topic-GS- 3- Infrastructure: Energy, Ports,
Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Source-PIB
10. Bill to allow proxy voting by NRIs
passed by Lok Sabha
• A bill to extend the facility of 'proxy
voting' to overseas Indians, on the
lines of service voters, was passed by
the Lok Sabha.
• As of now, overseas Indians were free
to cast their votes in the
constituencies where they were
registered.
• The Bill seeks to give them the option
of proxy voting until now was only
available to service personnel.
• Another provision in the amendment
bill relates to the spouses of service
voters. As of now, an army man's wife
is entitled to be enrolled as a service
voter, but a woman army officer's
husband is not, according to the
provisions in the electoral law.
• The bill proposes to replace the term
'wife' with 'spouse', thus making the
provision gender neutral.
• Members of the armed forces, central
armed police forces, personnel of
state police forces posted outside
their state and employees of the
centre posted outside India are
eligible to be enrolled as service
voters.
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Topic-GS- 2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
Source- Economic Times
13.08.2018
1. First genetic bank for rare species
inaugurated in Hyderabad.
• Union Minister for Science and
Technology Harsh Vardhan
inaugurated a genetic resource
storage facility at the Laboratory for
Conservation of Endangered Species
(LaCONES).
• So far, genetic resources from 23
species of Indian wild animals have
been collected and preserved.
• This facility would increase the
collection of genetic resources from
wildlife through collaboration with
zoos in India.
• This facility would also facilitate the
exchange of genetic material between
Indian zoos for maintaining genetic
diversity and conservation
management.
Note- CCMB-LaCONES is the only
laboratory in India that has developed
methods for collection and
cryopreservation of semen and
oocytes from wildlife and successfully
reproducing endangered blackbuck,
spotted deer and Nicobar pigeons.
Related Information
The Laboratory for the Conservation of
Endangered Species (LaCONES)
• The Laboratory for the Conservation
of Endangered Species (LaCONES) is
a dedicated laboratory of the CSIR-
Centre for Cellular and Molecular
Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad.
• It is the only institute in the country
working towards conservation of
endangered wildlife using modern
biotechnologies to save endangered
wildlife species of India.
Wildlife Genetic Resource Banking
(GRB)
• Wildlife Genetic Resource Banking
(GRB) is the systematic collection and
preservation of tissues, sperm, eggs
and embryos, genetic material
(DNA/RNA).
Topic-GS-3- Conservation,
environmental pollution and
degradation, environmental impact
assessment.
Source- The Hindu
2. First ever planned reintroduction
of the Indian mouse deer.
• The Telangana Forest
Department, Central Zoo
Authority, Nehru Zoological Park
and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and
Molecular Biology (CCMB),
Hyderabad. have joined hands to
conduct the first-ever planned
reintroduction of the Indian spotted
chevrotain (Moschiola indica), also
known as Indian mouse deer.
• This follows more than seven years of
conservation breeding of the elusive
species at a dedicated facility in the
premises of Nehru Zoological Park,
which increased the captive mouse
deer population to around 230
individuals till March this year.
Related Information
Indian Mouse Deer
• The Indian spotted chevrotain
(Moschiola indica) is found in India
and possibly Nepal.
• It lives in rainforests and is nocturnal.
• Categorized Least Concern in the
IUCN Red List.
Topic-GS-1- Flora and fauna and the
effects of such changes.
Source- The Hindu
3. Axis Bank introduces iris
authentication for Aadhaar-based
transactions.
• Axis Bank has become the first bank
in the country to introduce Iris Scan
Authentication feature for Aadhaar-
based transactions through its micro
ATM tablets.
• This service requires a customer to
scan their iris on a tablet.
• Micro ATMs completely eliminate the
requirement of debit cards,
passwords, PINs, and user IDs, and
empower consumers to avail banking
services using only their Aadhaar
numbers and biometrics (iris
scan/fingerprint scan).
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• The bank has deployed highly secure
iris powered micro ATM tablets which
are STQC certified and UIDAI
compliant registered devices with
completely integrated iris sensors.
Note- Iris scan technology is
completely contactless and provides
up to 98.2 per cent authentication
success rate (as per the study
conducted by the International Centre
for Biometric Research) and offers an
edge over other prevalent biometric
modes.
Topic-GS-3- Banking
Source- Business Standards.
4. PARIVESH” – an environmental
single window hub for
Environment, Forest, Wildlife and
CRZ clearances launched.
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra
Modi, launched PARIVESH (Pro-Active
and Responsive facilitation by
Interactive, Virtuous and
Environmental Single-window Hub)
on the occasion of World Biofuel Day.
• PARIVESH is a Single-Window
Integrated Environmental
Management System, developed in
pursuance of the spirit of ‘Digital
India’ initiated by the Prime Minister
and capturing the essence of
Minimum Government and Maximum
Governance.
• It is a workflow based application,
based on the concept of web
architecture.
• The system has been designed,
developed and hosted by the
Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change, with
technical support from the
National Informatics Centre,
(NIC), New Delhi.
Highlights of PARIVESH include:
• Single registration and single sign-in
for all types of clearances (i.e.
Environment, Forest, Wildlife and
CRZ).
• Unique-ID for all types of clearances
required for a particular project.
• A single Window interface for the
proponent to submit applications for
getting all types of clearances (i.e.
Environment, Forests, Wildlife and
CRZ clearances).
• Facilities for citizens to view, track
and interact with scrutiny officers,
generate online clearance letters,
online mailers and alerts to state
functionaries in case of delays beyond
stipulated time for processing of
applications.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their
design and implementation.
Source- PIB
5. Lok Sabha passes Arbitration &
Conciliation (Amendment) Bill,
2018.
The Lok Sabha has passed the Arbitration
and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018. It
will amend the Arbitration and Conciliation
Act, 1996.
Highlights:
• The Bill seeks to establish an
independent body called the
Arbitration Council of India
(ACI) for the promotion of
arbitration, mediation, conciliation
and other alternative dispute
redressal mechanisms.
• The ACI will consist of either Judge of
Supreme Court or Judge of High
Court or Chief Justice of High
Court or eminent person with
expert knowledge in the conduct
of arbitration as the Chairperson.
• Its other members will include
eminent arbitration practitioner, the
academician with experience in
arbitration and government
appointees.
• A confidentiality clause has been
added in the Bill so that confidentiality
can be maintained with respect to
arbitration institution, arbitrators and
parties.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their
design and implementation.
Source- AIR
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6. CSIR’s new patented Clot buster,
PEGylated Streptokinase set to
revolutionize the treatment of
Strokes.
• A new Clot buster, PEGylated
Streptokinase - a Novel Biological
Entity developed by CSIR-Institute of
Microbial Technology (CSIR-IMTECH),
Chandigarh is all set to revolutionize
the treatment of ischemic strokes.
• Epygen is the first company in India
with an exclusive license of this Novel
Biological Entity (NBE) thrombolytic
protein for ischemic stroke.
Related Information
Ischemic stroke
• Ischemic stroke is a condition caused
by a dysfunction in the supply of blood
to the brain due to emboli, thrombus
or atherosclerosis occurring in
cerebral arteries.
• Brain strokes are the second leading
cause of death in the world.
PEGylated Streptokinase
• PEGylated Streptokinase is a novel
recombinant protein.
• It has been developed to enhance
proteolytic stability and extended
plasma half-life.
• For reducing the probability of
haemorrhage by the current treatment for
acute stroke and for immunoreactivity.
Topic-GS- 3- Science
Source- PIB
7. Parliament passes Insolvency &
Bankruptcy Code (Second
Amendment) Bill,2018.
• Parliament passed a bill to amend the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
(IBC) 2016, allowing home buyers to
be treated as financial creditors and
seeking to set up a special
dispensation for small sector
enterprises.
Highlights:
• The Bill seeks to clarify that allottees
under a real estate project should be
treated as financial creditors.
• As per the bill, home buyers will get
due representation in the Committee
of Creditors that takes a call on
resolution proposals, making them an
integral part of the decision making
process.
• The Bill allows the withdrawal of a
resolution application submitted to
the National Company Law Tribunal
under the Code.
• This decision can be taken with the
approval of 90 per cent of the
committee of creditors.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their
design and implementation.
Source- AIR
8. Genetic ‘barcodes’ reveal three
frogs unreported in India.
• Scientists from Delhi University (DU)
and the Wildlife Institute of India
found that the ornate narrow-
mouthed frog, thought to be widely
distributed in Asia, is seen only in
peninsular India and Sri Lanka.
• The study reveals that the ornate
narrow-mouthed frog is present only
in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka,
Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Related Information
DNA Barcoding
• DNA barcoding is a method which
uses a short genetic marker in an
organism's DNA to identify it as
belonging to a particular species.
• The main goal is to determine the
patterns of relationship.
• Barcodes are sometimes used in an
effort to identify unknown species or
assess whether species should be
combined or separated.
Topic-GS-3-Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu
14.08.2018
1. Quality Council of India Report on
Station Cleanliness
• The Third Party Survey has Been
Conducted by Quality Council of
India.
• This is the third such audit cum survey
which has been conducted by
Railways to increase the level of
cleanliness by identifying unclean
spots/gaps, to improve cleanliness
standards and to propel healthy
competition among railway stations.
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• The parameters adopted for
conducting the survey were:
(i) Evaluation of Process of cleanliness
in Parking, main entry area, main
platform, waiting room (33.33%)
(ii) Direct observation by QCI
assessors of cleanliness in these areas
(33.33%).
(iii) Passenger feedback (33.33%).
• The top scorers were:
1. A1 category stations (out of 75)
• Jodhpur/North-Western Railway
• Jaipur/North-Western Railway
• Tirupati/South-Central Railway
2. A category stations (out of a total
of 332)
• Marwar/North Western Railway
• Phulera/North -Western Railway
• Warangal/South-Central Railway
3. Zonal Railway rankings are:
• North Western Railway
• South Central Railway
• East Coast Railway
Related Information
• The first survey was conducted
by IRCTC in 2016 by conducting
interviews of passengers at the
stations on various parameters of
cleanliness and rating them on these
bases.
• The second survey in 2017 was
conducted by Quality Council of
India.
Quality Council of India
• Quality Council of India (QCI) is
an autonomous body that works to
assure quality standards across all
spheres of economic and social
activities.
• Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion, along with other key
industry associations, i.e. Associated
Chambers of Commerce and Industry
of India, Confederation of Indian
Industry and Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry,
formed QCI in 1997.
• It was formed to provide accreditation
services in the fields of education,
healthcare, industries, institutions,
professionals, quality promotion and
quality assessment.
• The council is independent and works
under the directions of its governing
body having equal representation of
government, industry and industry
associations.
• It is neither funded nor controlled
by the government and is a non-
profit organization with its own
Memorandum of Association.
Topic-GS-2- Governance
Source-PIB
2. The water level in the
Mullaiperiyar dam rising
Related Information
The Mullaperiyar Dam
• The Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry
gravity dam in Kerala.
• The dam is located in Kerala on
the river Periyar but is operated and
maintained by Tamil Nadu state.
• It is located above mean sea level, on
the Cardamom Hills of the Western
Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District of
Kerala, South India.
• The Periyar National Park is located
around the dam's reservoir.
Topic-GS-1- Indian physical geography
Source- The Hindu
3. Ease of living index
• By the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs (MoHUA).
• The index captures the quality of life
based on the data collected from the
urban local bodies on four
parameters.
• The four parameters include:
(i) Institutional (governance)
(ii) Social (identity, education, health,
security) (iii) Economic (economy, employment) (iv) Physical factors (wastewater and
solid waste management, pollution,
housing/ inclusiveness, mixed land
use, power and water supply,
transport, public open spaces).
• The best performing states were:
(i) Pune
(ii) Navi Mumbai
(iii)Greater Mumbai
• Rampur in Uttar Pradesh has ranked
the worst on the scale with Kohima
and Patna on the bottom two and
three ranks while Varanasi stands at
33.
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• West Bengal refused to participate in
the Centre’s rankings. Thus, Kolkata
was excluded from the index.
Topic-GS-2- Governance
Source- Indian Express
4. China Uighurs: One million held in
political camps
• A UN human rights committee has
heard there are credible reports that
China is holding a million Uighurs in
"counter-extremism centres".
• Human rights groups including
Amnesty International and Human
Rights Watch have submitted reports
to the UN committee documenting
claims of mass imprisonment, in
camps where inmates are forced to
swear loyalty to China's President Xi
Jinping.
• The World Uyghur Congress said in its
report that detainees are held
indefinitely without charge, and
forced to shout Communist Party
slogans.
• It said they are poorly fed, and reports
of torture are widespread.
• Most inmates have never been
charged with a crime, it is claimed,
and do not receive legal
representation.
• China is said to carry out the
detentions under the guise of
combating religious extremism.
Note
• Xinjiang is officially designated as an
autonomous region within China, like
Tibet to its south.
• It shares borders with Mongolia,
Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and
India.
Related Information
Uighurs
• The Uighurs are a Muslim ethnic
minority mostly based in China's
Xinjiang province.
• They make up around 45% of the
population in China.
Topic-GS-2- India and its
neighbourhood- relations
Source- The Hindu
5. Delhi Police gets India's first all-
women SWAT team.
• Delhi will be the first police force in
the country to have an all-
woman Special Weapons and
Tactics (SWAT) team for anti-
terrorist operations.
• Trained by specialists from India and
abroad, 36 women constables from
northeastern states have been
inducted into the squad after rigorous,
15-month training. It is the brainchild
of police commissioner Amulya
Patnaik.
• The members of this all-women SWAT
team received better ratings at the
Police Training College in Jharoda
Kalan than their male counterparts.
• The maximum numbers of members
(13) are from Assam and five each
from Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and
Manipur.
• Armed with MP5 submachine guns
and Glock 21 pistols, all the
members of the force are also well-
versed in Israeli Krav Maga, an
unarmed combat style.
• These commandos will be stationed at
strategic locations in central and
south Delhi.
Topic-GS-1- Women Empowerment
GS-3- Defence
Source- Economic Times
6. 20 Ghats inaugurated in Kanpur
and Bithoor
• Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated 20
newly constructed/ restored Ghats on
river Ganga in Kanpur and Bithoor.
• The Minister also announced projects
to tackle pollution from two of
Kanpur’s biggest pollution hotspots:
(i) Jajmau- a source of industrial
effluents.
(ii) Sisamau – a source of domestic
sewage.
Related Information
Namami Gange Programme
• Namami Gange Programme, an
integrated conservation mission.
• It was approved as the flagship
programme by the government in
June
• Its aim is to accomplish the twin
objectives of effective abatement of
pollution, conservation, and
rejuvenation of the Ganga.
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The National Mission for Clean
Ganga (NMCG)
• The National Mission for Clean
Ganga(NMCG) is the implementation
wing of National Ganga Council which
was set up in October 2016 under the
River Ganga (Rejuvenation,
Protection and Management)
Authorities order 2016.
• The aim is to clean the Ganga and its
tributaries in a comprehensive
manner.
Topic-GS-3-Conservation
Source-PIB
7. Santhali becomes India’s first
tribal language to get own
Wikipedia edition.
• Santhali has become the first Indian
tribal language to get a Wikipedia
edition in its own script.
• The Santhali Wikipedia got approval
from the language committee of the
Wikimedia Foundation on June 28.
• Among the 22 scheduled languages in
India, Dogri, Bodo and Manipuri have
no version of Wikipedia in their own
language.
• The Assamese version of Wikipedia,
which is live since 2002, is in the
Bengali script.
Related Information
• Santhali is written in Ol Chiki script
and spoken by 6.4 million people.
• Its speakers live mostly in Jharkhand,
West Bengal, Odisha and Assam.
• It is also spoken in Bangladesh and
Nepal.
Topic-GS-1- Art and Culture
Source- Hindustan Times
16.08.2018
1. Global Liveability Index 2018
• For the first time in this survey's
history, a European city has topped
rankings.
• Previously, Melbourne, Australia, had
been ranked by the EIU as the world's
most liveable city for seven years in a
row, from 2011 to 2017.
• The five most liveable cities in
2018
1. Vienna, Austria
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Osaka, Japan
4. Calgary, Canada
5. Sydney, Australia
• The five least liveable cities 2018
1. Damascus, Syria
2. Dhaka, Bangladesh
3. Lagos, Nigeria
4. Karachi, Pakistan
5. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Related Information
• The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
publishes an annual Global Liveability
Ranking since 2011.
• It ranks 140 cities for their urban
quality of life based on assessments of
stability, healthcare, culture and
environment, education and
infrastructure.
• The EIU also publishes a Worldwide
Cost of Living Survey that
compares the cost of living in a range
of global cities.
Topic-GS-2-International Institutions
Source- BBC
2. Mahadayi water dispute
• Ending a 50-year-old dispute, the
tribunal allowed Karnataka access to
13.4 tmc of water for its consumptive
use (5.4 tmc) and power generation
(8.02 tmc).
Related Information
Mahadayi River
• The Mahadayi/Mandovi River is
described as the lifeline of the Indian
state of Goa.
• It originates from Bhimgad in the
Western Ghats in the Belagavi
district of Karnataka.
• The Mandovi and the Zuari are the
two primary rivers in the state of Goa.
• It pours to the Arabian Sea.
• Panaji, the state capital and Old
Goa, the former capital of Goa, are
both situated on the left bank of the
Mandovi.
• The river Mapusa is a tributary of the
Mandovi.
Topic-GS-1-Indian Physical Geography
Source- The Hindu
3. Postal Highway
• The Indian Government released
additional NPR 470 million for the
Postal Highway being constructed in
Southern Plains of Nepal.
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• The Package 1 of the Project
comprising two road sections
Dhangadhi-Bhajaniya-Satti road
and Lamki-Tikapur-Khakraula
have already been completed with
Government of India’s grant
assistance worth Rs 1.02 billion.
• The two roads opened for service
on January 19, 2017.
• India provides financial assistance to
Nepal since 1950 for infrastructure
development as part of its multi-
sectoral India-Nepal Economic Co-
operation Programme.
Related Information
Postal Highway
• Postal Highway also called Hulaki Rajmarg runs across the Terai region of Nepal.
• From Bhadrapur in the east to
Dodhara in the west.
• It is the Oldest highway in Nepal
constructed by Juddha Shumsher
Jung Bahadur Rana & Padma
Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana to aid
transportation and facilitate postal
services throughout the nation.
Topic-GS-2-India and its neighbourhood
Source- AIR
4. Indian, Singapore navies to
commemorate the 25th anniversary of
maritime bilateral exercise "SIMBEX"
• The navies of India and Singapore will
conduct joint exercises next month to
commemorate the 25th anniversary
of the maritime bilateral relations
between the two countries • The bilateral naval exercise will be the
longest uninterrupted naval exercise that
India has with any country in the world. Related Information
SIMBEX
• Singapore India Maritime Bilateral
Exercise (SIMBEX) is an annual
bilateral naval exercise conducted
by the Indian Navy and the Republic
of Singapore Navy (RSN).
• The exercise has been held annually
since 1994.
• Over the years, SIMBEX has
progressed beyond its original
emphasis on anti-submarine warfare
to include elements of maritime
security, anti-air and anti-surface
warfare.
Topic-GS-2-India and its relation with
other countries
Source- AIR
5. NITI Aayog launched “Pitch to MOVE”
• NITI Aayog has launched “Pitch to
MOVE” - a mobility pitch competition
that aims to provide budding
entrepreneurs of India a unique
opportunity to pitch their business
ideas to a distinguished jury.
• Pitch to MOVE” is organised by NITI
Aayog in collaboration with Invest
India and Society of Indian
Automobile Manufacturers
(SIAM).
• The competition aims to identify and
reward the start-ups offering
innovative solutions for shared,
connected, and environment-friendly
mobility.
Topic-GS-2-Government policies
Source-PIB
6. Uttarakhand High Court Declares
Itself Legal Guardian of Cows in State.
• Invoking the parens patriae
doctrine, the Uttarakhand high court
has appointed itself as the legal
guardian of cows in the state, issuing
31 directives to the state, including
setting up cow shelters and
registering cases against those found
to have abandoned their cattle.
• This is the first time in India that a
court has had invoked the ‘parens
patriae’ doctrine for cow protection.
Related Information
• Parens patriae in Latin means
‘parent of the nation’. The doctrine
grants the court inherent power and
authority to act as guardian for those
who are unable to take care of
themselves.
• Uttarakhand high court appointing
itself as the legal guardian of cows
and cattle in the state has come after
the country last year got its very first
cow protection sanctuary, in
Madhya Pradesh’s Agar Malwa
district.
Topic-GS-2- Separation of powers
between various organs dispute
redressal mechanisms and institutions.
Source-The Hindu
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36
7. Gaganyaan
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi
announced that India will send an
astronaut to space in the year 2022.
• It will be the fourth nation to do so
after the United States, Russia and
China.
GSLV Mk-III
• One of the most important
requirements is the development of a
launch vehicle that can carry heavy
payloads into space.
• The spacecraft carrying human
beings, called crew module, is likely to
weigh in excess of 5 to 6 tonnes.
• ISRO’s main launch vehicle, the PSLV
(Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), which
carried the Chandrayaan and
Mangalyaan missions too, can carry
payloads that are barely up to 2
tonnes, and that too only to orbits at
about 600 km altitude from the
Earth’s surface.
• That is why the development of GSLV
Mk-III, a launch vehicle with
capabilities to deliver much heavier
payloads much deeper into space,
was necessary.
What is Gaganyaan?
• ISRO successfully tested GSLV Mk-III,
now called LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle
Mark-3), in an experimental flight in
December 2014.
• The LVM-3 is the declared launch
vehicle for taking the manned crew
module into space.
• Over the next few years, many more
flights of GSLV are scheduled.
• These will help ISRO in perfecting the
cryogenic technology for sending up
heavier and heavier payloads.
Related Information
Crew Escape System
• The ‘pad abort’ test or Crew
Escape System is an emergency
escape measure that helps pull the
crew away from the launch vehicle
when a mission has to be aborted.
• The test was conducted at the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
Missions conducted by ISRO earlier were
1. Chandrayaan-1
• India’s first lunar probe.
• It was launched on October 2008.
2. Mangalyaan
• Space probe orbiting Mars.
• It was launched on 5 November 2013.
• It is India's first interplanetary
mission
• ISRO became the fourth space agency
to reach Mars, after the Soviet space
program, NASA, and the European
Space Agency.
• It is the first Asian nation to reach
Mars orbit, and the first nation in the
world to do so in its first attempt.
Topic-GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu
8. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan
(Ayushman Bharat)
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi
announced that his government will
launch an ambitious healthcare
scheme on September 25 this year
which will benefit 50 crore citizens of
the country.
• It will be launched on the birth
anniversary of Pandit Deendayal
Upadhyay.
Related Information
Ayushman Bharat-National Health
Protection Mission (AB-NHPM)
• It is the world's largest government-
funded healthcare programme.
• The ambitious Ayushman Bharat-
National Health Protection Mission
(AB-NHPM) aims to provide a
coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family
annually, benefiting more than 10
crore poor families.
• The scheme aims to target the poor,
deprived rural families and identified
the occupational category of urban
workers’ families.
• It will be as per the latest Socio-
Economic Caste Census (SECC) data.
• The first 'health and wellness centre'
has been inaugurated in Bijapur
district in Chhattisgarh.
• Initially, it will be launched on a pilot
basis in some states.
Topic-GS-2-Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their
design and implementation.
Source-PIB
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9. Swadesh Darshan Scheme
• The first project under the central
government's Swadesh Darshan
Scheme, 'North East Circuit: Imphal
and Khongjom', will be inaugurated.
• Under this project, the ministry has
carried out works such as restoration
and improvement of the outer and
inner moat of the old Govindajee
Temple and rejuvenation of sacred
ponds, reconstruction of the old
rampart, among others.
Related Information
Swadesh Darshan
• Swadesh Darshan (tour of the
country) is a flagship scheme of the
Ministry of Tourism for the
development of thematic circuits in
the country in a planned and
prioritised manner.
• The scheme was launched in 2014-
15.
• The project covers two sites - Kangla
Fort and Khongjom.
• It is 100% centrally funded
scheme.
• It has provision for voluntary funding
under Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR).
• Funding of projects varies from state
to state.
Kangla Fort
• Kangla Fort is one of the most
important historic and archaeological
sites of Manipur located in the heart
of Imphal.
• It was situated on both sides (western
and eastern) of the bank of the
Imphal River. But now it remains only
on the western side of the bank.
• It served as the seat of Manipur's
power till 1891.
Topic-GS-1-Culture
Source-PIB
10. Transparent heat-resistant gel:
Aerogel
• Scientists have developed a
transparent heat-resistant gel using
beer waste that may one day be used
to build greenhouse-like habitats for
human colonised on Mars.
• The scientists have developed it as a
thin, flexible film that is roughly 100
times lighter than glass.
• It is very resistant to heat.
• The material is mostly see-through.
• Sunlight can be harvested through
that thermally-insulating material and
store the energy.
• The group's gel is also cheaper to
produce because it comes from beer
waste.
Related Information
Aerogels
• Aerogels are at least 90 percent gas
by weight, but their defining feature is
air.
• Their thin films are made up of crisscrossing patterns of solid material
that trap air inside billions of tiny pores, similar to the bubbles in bubble wrap.
• It is that trapping capacity that makes
them such good insulators.
• The aerogel, which looks like a
flattened plastic contact lens, could
also be used on buildings on Earth to
help make huge savings on energy.
Topic-GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu
11. 'Kanyashree' scheme
• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee lifted the ceiling on annual
family income for the beneficiaries of
her government's flagship women
welfare scheme 'Kanyashree' that
aims to ensure girls stay in school and
delay their marriages till at least the
age of 18.
Related Information
• Kanyashree was launched in 2013 to
prevent the early marriage of girl
children of socio-economically
disadvantaged families whose annual
income is Rs 120,000 or less.
• Close to 50 lakh beneficiaries are
enrolled under the scheme so far in
Bengal.
Topic-GS-2-Government Schemes
Source- Business Standard
17.08.2018
1. Scientists to test land for LIGO
• The Environment Ministry has allowed
scientists to test the suitability of land
in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district to
host the India wing of the ambitious
Laser Interferometer Gravitational
Wave Observatory (LIGO) project.
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• The project involves constructing a
network of L-shaped arms, each four
kilometres long, which can detect
even the faintest ripples from cosmic
explosions millions of light years
away.
• The LIGO-India consortium, made up
of physicists from several institutes,
had submitted a proposal to
“prospect” 121 hectares of forest land
in Dudhala village, Hingoli.
Network of detectors
• The LIGO project operates three
gravitational-wave (GW) detectors.
• Two are at Hanford in the State of
Washington, north-western USA, and
one is at Livingston in Louisiana,
south-eastern USA.
• Currently, these observatories are
being upgraded to their advanced
configurations.
• The proposed LIGO-India project aims
to move one Advanced LIGO detector
from Hanford to India.
• The LIGO-India project is an
international collaboration between
the LIGO Laboratory and three lead
institutions in the LIGO-India
consortium: Institute of Plasma
Research, Gandhinagar; IUCAA,
Pune; and Raja Ramanna Centre for
Advanced Technology, Indore.
• The project, piloted by the
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)
and Department of Science and
Technology (DST), reportedly costs
₹1,200 crore and is expected to be
ready by 2025.
2. Cosmos Bank ATM hack: NPCI says
cyber fraud due to the malware attack
on the bank's IT system.
• A day after Pune-based Cosmos Bank
said it was hit by a cyber attack in
which miscreants allegedly hacked the
server and transferred over Rs 94
crore to overseas accounts.
• The National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI) said that its systems are
"fully secure" and the cyber fraud
happened due to a malware-based
attack on the Cosmos Bank's IT
system.
What are Virus, Worm, Malware and
Trojan?
1. Malware - A malware is a malicious
software which intends to harm and
poison your device. It can enter your
device through any source like
internet or external storage devices.
Malware can enter your device if
you’re using pirated movies/games,
or click on the malicious ads which
pop up frequently or you’re using
pirated software and many others.
Virus, Worm and Trojan are the types
of Malware.
2. Virus - A virus is a malware that
makes a particular file in your device
junk and corrupt. It can enter in any
form like audio, video, pictures or any
other form. Once attacked by the
virus, it becomes difficult to access
the same file. (File junk maker)
3. Worm – Worm is a malware which
multiplies itself rapidly and makes
your device to run slower and slower.
If a file is attacked by a worm, it will
make similar other files and multiply
itself. If your device is lagging, there
are high chances that your device is
having worms. (Device laggards)
4. Trojan – Trojan is a type of software
that appears very genuine but once
the software is installed, it starts
showing its original colours. It makes
your device run slower and chances
are there to corrupt your files. Many
speed boosters, memory cleaners and
other software which actually claim to
improve your device but actually end
up in engulfing your memory. It will
make the way easier for other virus
and worms to attack your device.
(Memory consumers)
National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI)
• National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI) is the umbrella
organisation for all retail payment
systems in India, which aims to allow
all Indian citizens to have unrestricted
access to e-payment services.
• Founded in 2008, NPCI is a not-for-
profit organisation registered under
section 8 of the Companies Act 2013.
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39
• The organisation is owned by a
consortium of major banks and has
been promoted by the country’s
central bank, the Reserve Bank of
India.
• Its recent work of developing Unified
Payments Interface aims to move
India to a cashless society with only
digital transactions.
Topic-GS- 3- Internal Security
Source- The Hindu
3. FSSAI unveiled the initiative
"RUCO" to collect, convert used cooking
oil into biofuel
• The Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI)
launched RUCO (Repurpose Used
Cooking Oil), an initiative that will
enable collection and conversion of
used cooking oil to bio-diesel.
• The initiative has been launched
nearly a month after the food safety
regulator notified standards for used
cooking oil.
• FSSAI may also look at introducing
regulations to ensure that companies
that use large quantities of cooking oil
hand it over to registered collecting
agencies to convert it into biofuel.
• According to FSSAI regulations, the
maximum permissible limits for Total
Polar Compounds (TPC) have been set
at 25 per cent, beyond which the
cooking oil is unsafe for consumption.
Related Information
Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI)
• Food Safety and Standards Authority
of India (FSSAI)is an autonomous
body established under the Ministry of
Health & Family Welfare, Government
of India.
• The FSSAI has been established under
the Food Safety and Standards Act,
2006which is a consolidating statute
related to food safety and regulation
in India.
• FSSAI is responsible for protecting
and promoting public health through
the regulation and supervision of food
safety.
• The FSSAI has its headquarters
at New Delhi.
• The authority also has 6 regional
offices located in Delhi, Guwahati,
Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, and
Chennai.
Topic-GS-3- Conservation related
issues.
Source- The Hindu
4. West Bengal sees highest coastal
erosion since 1990
• A national survey of India’s coastline
from 1990 to 2016 shows West
Bengal saw the biggest coastal
erosion followed by Puducherry,
Kerala & Tamil Nadu.
• A state-wise analysis shows that the
maximum proportion of eroded
coastline was in West Bengal where
up to 63 per cent of the 534 km long
coastline was eroded.
• Apart from Kerala, the west coast is
relatively stable compared to the east.
• Unfortunately, in both Odisha and
Andhra Pradesh where rates of
accretion are the highest, deltas are
the chief geomorphic features and
changes in coastlines could affect
these regions adversely.
• Coastlines are not static and undergo
long-term and gradual changes.
Related Information
• Erosion describes the negative
changes in the coastline.
• Accretion refers to an expansion of
coastal area through an increase in
width or length of the coastline.
Topic-GS-1-Indian Physical geography
Source- Downtoearth
5. Ministry of Railways launches
“Digital Screens” to spread awareness
about Indian Railways Heritage.
• For creating digital museums at
stations using QR code, Ministry of
Railway has made “digital screens”
operational at 22 stations on this
Independence Day as an innovative
low-cost solution to spread awareness
among the public about the opulent
heritage of Indian Railways.
Initiated on a pilot basis.
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• It aims at showcasing the legacy of
Indian Railways through one to two-
minute-long movie clips on digital LED
screens at the entrance gate of
railway stations and also at different
comfort areas.
• For now, the digital screens have
been set up at New Delhi, Hazrat
Nizamuddin, Howrah,
Sealdah, Jaipur, Agra Cantonment,
Coimbatore, Lucknow, Varanasi and
other railway stations.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their
design and implementation.
Source-PIB
6. Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana • Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
launched Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, a
health for all scheme, on the occasion of the 72nd Independence Day.
• The scheme provides health
assurance coverage to 70 lakh
families, covering more than 70% of
the State’s population.
• The government has been focusing on
the welfare of all, particularly farmers,
women and youth, these sections are
being provided the loan at 1%
interest.
Topic-GS-2- Issues related to health.
Source- The Hindu
18.08.2018
1. Indian scientist-academician, N
Raghuram, has been elected Chair of the
International Nitrogen Initiative (INI)
• Indian scientist-academician, N
Raghuram, has been elected Chair of
the International Nitrogen Initiative
(INI), a global policy-making
initiative.
• A professor at the GGS Indraprastha
University, New Delhi, Raghuram is
the first Indian and Asian to be elected
to the Chair.
• Raghuram specialises in the biological
determinants of nitrogen use
efficiency in crops. He has been the
President of the Indian Nitrogen
Group and a Steering Committee
member of the UNEP Global
Partnership on Nutrient Management.
• The new chairs will formally take up
their roles on January 1, 2019.
Related Information
The International Nitrogen Initiative
• The International Nitrogen Initiative
(INI) is an international program, set
up in 2003 under the sponsorship of
the Scientific Committee on Problems
of the Environment (SCOPE) and from
the International Geosphere-
Biosphere Program (IGBP).
• The key aims of the INI are to:
(i) Optimize nitrogen’s beneficial role
in sustainable food production, and
(ii) Minimize nitrogen’s negative
effects on human health and the
environment resulting from food and
energy production.
• The program is currently a sustained
partner of Future Earth.
• It is coordinated by a Steering
Committee, led by a chair and six
regional centre directors
representing, Africa, Europe, Latin
America, North America, South Asia
and East Asia.
• The INI holds a conference once in
every three years.
• The next INI conference will be held
in Berlin, Germany, in 2020
Topic-GS-2-International Organizations
Source- The Hindu
2. Hajj 'nap pods' being introduced for
pilgrims to Saudi Arabia
• Saudi Arabia plans to introduce sleep
pods, reminiscent of Japan’s famed
capsule hotels, in the western city of
Mina in the coming days, as an
estimated two million Muslims gather
for the six-day hajj, one of the five
pillars of Islam.
Related Information
Nap Pod
• Each fibreglass pod – less than three
metres long and just over one metre
high – features a mattress, clean
sheets, air conditioning and a large,
well-lit mirror.
• The pods can be lined up horizontally
or stacked vertically to save on space.
Topic-GS-Infrastructure
Source- The Hindu
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3. India In Talks With Fiji For Broader
Security Support
• Indian naval ship Sahyadri, which was
on a visit to the island nation, entered
the Port of Suva.
• Sahyadri is the third and latest ship
among the Shivalik Class of
indigenously built stealth frigates and
forms a part of the Eastern Fleet of the
Indian Navy.
Related Information
INS Sahyadri
• INS Sahyadri was built at the
Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) located
in Mumbai.
• It was launched on 27 May 2005.
• It was commissioned on 21 July 2012
into the Eastern Naval Command
headquartered at Visakhapatnam.
• It is a Shivalik-class stealth multi-role
frigate built for the Indian Navy.
• This class features improved stealth
and land attack capabilities over the
preceding Talwar-class frigates.
RIMPAC (The Rim of the Pacific
Exercise)
• RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific
Exercise, is the world's largest
international maritime warfare
exercise.
• RIMPAC is held biennially during
June and July of even-numbered
years from Honolulu, Hawaii.
• It is hosted and administered by the
United States Navy's Pacific Fleet,
headquartered at Pearl Harbor, in
conjunction with the Marine Corps,
the Coast Guard, and Hawaii National
Guard forces under the control of the
Governor of Hawaii.
• The first RIMPAC, held in 1971.
• RIMPAC 2018 is the 26th exercise in a
series that began in 1971.
• The Indian Navy was an observer for
the 2006, 2010 and 2012 editions of
the exercise.
• In 2014, INS Sahyadri was deployed
for the 24th edition of the exercise
and in 2018 also, while INS Satpura
took part in 2016.
Topic-GS-3-Defence
Source- The Hindu
4. China to expand energy footprint in
Iran
• Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA
has reported that China National
Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the
world’s third-largest oil and gas firm,
has replaced Total, the French energy
giant, in the South Pars 11 project.
Related Information
South Pars/North Dome field
• The South Pars/North Dome field is a
natural gas condensate field located in
the Persian Gulf.
• It is by far the world's largest natural
gas field, with ownership of the field
shared between Iran and Qatar.
• On the list of natural gas fields, it has
almost as much recoverable reserves
than all the other fields combined.
• It has significant geostrategic
influence.
Topic-GS-2- International Relations
Source- The Hindu
5. NPCI launched UPI 2.0
• UPI 2.0, an upgraded version of
National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI)’s Unified Payment
Interface, has been announced with
several new features.
New features:
• With the initial version of UPI,
customers could only connect their
saving and current accounts to the
payment interface.
• Customers now can link their
overdraft (OD) account to UPI in its
latest version. Customers will be able
to transact instantly and all benefits
associated with OD account will be
made available to the users.
• UPI 2.0 has a feature whereby
customers can check the invoice sent
by merchant prior to making
payment.
• Customers can pre-authorise a
transaction and pay at a later date.
• A quick response (QR) code feature
has been introduced for customers to
check the authenticity of merchants
while scanning the code. It notifies
the user with information to ascertain
whether the merchant has verified
UPI merchant or not.
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42
Related Information
United payment Interface
• UPI is a system that powers multiple
bank accounts into a single mobile
application (of any participating
bank), merging several banking
features, seamless fund routing &
merchant payments into one hood.
• It also caters to the “Peer to Peer”
collect request which can be
scheduled and paid as per
requirement and convenience.
• UPI version 1 was launched in April
2016.
NPCI
• NPCI is an umbrella organization
for all retail payments in India.
• It aims to allow all Indian citizens to
have unrestricted access to e-
payment services.
• Founded in 2008, NPCI is a not-for-
profit organisation registered under
section 8 of the Companies Act 2013.
• The organisation is owned by a
consortium of major banks and has
been promoted by the country’s
central bank, the Reserve Bank of
India.
Topic-GS-3- Banking
Source- The Hindu
6. Country’s first penguin born on
Independence Day at Byculla Zoo
• The baby penguin was born to Flipper
and Mr Molt, two of the seven
Humboldt penguins brought to Byculla
Zoo from South Korea in July 2016.
Related Information
Humboldt penguins
• The Humboldt penguin (also termed
Peruvian penguin, or patranca) is a
South American penguin that breeds
in coastal Chile and Peru.
• The penguin is named after the cold
water current it swims in.
• The species is listed
as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
• Humboldt penguins are medium-sized
penguins.
• They have a black head with a white
border that runs from behind the eye,
around the black ear-coverts and
chin, and joins at the throat.
• They have spines on their tongue
which they use to hold their prey.
Topic-GS-3- Conservation
Source- The Hindu
7. Odisha to showcase its biodiversity
• The Odisha government is setting up
a world-class interpretation centre at
Dangamal near Bhitarkanika National
Park to showcase its efforts in
protecting crocodiles and preserving
its rich mangrove diversity.
• The project, which has been approved
under the Integrated Coastal Zone
Management Project.
Related Information
Bhitarkanika National Park
• Bhitarkanika National Park is a
national park located in Kendrapara
district of Odisha in eastern India.
• It was designated as the national park
on 16 September 1998 and as a
Ramsar site on 19 August 2002.
• Gahirmatha Beach and Marine
Sanctuary lies to the east and
separates swamp region cover with
the canopy of mangroves from the
Bay of Bengal.
• The national park is home to
Saltwater crocodile, Indian python,
King cobra, black ibis, darters and
many other species of flora and fauna.
• It hosts a large number of mangrove
species and is the second largest
mangrove ecosystem in India.
• The national park and wildlife sanctuary is inundated by the rivers Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, Pathsala.
Gharial
• Native to the northern part of the
Indian subcontinent.
• The gharial is one of the longest of all
living crocodilians.
• The male gharial has a distinctive boss
at the end of the snout, which
resembles an earthenware pot known
in Hindi as Hence the name.
• It is critically endangered under
IUCN Red List.
• It is under Schedule-I of the Indian
wildlife act, 1972.
Project Crocodile
• Project Crocodile began in 1975 under the auspices of the Government of India with the aid of the United Nations Development Fund and Food and Agriculture Organization.
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43
• The project included an intensive
captive breeding and rearing program
intended to restock habitats with low
numbers of gharials.
'BAULA' Project at Dangamal
• ‘Baula’ is the Oriya term for Saltwater
Crocodile.
• At Dangmal in Bhitarkanika
sanctuary, salt-water crocodile eggs
have been collected locally and young
crocodiles have been released in the
creeks and the estuaries.
• This operation has been reasonably
successful and the crocodile
population in the Bhitarkanika river
system has gradually been built up.
Topic-GS-3- Conservation
Source- The Hindu
8. FSSAI sets up the panel to review red-
labelling draft.
• The government has put on hold the
draft that proposes red-labelling of
packaged food products containing
high levels of fat, sugar and salt.
• The expert panel will be headed by B
Sesikeran, former director of the
National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).
• In April, food safety regulator FSSAI
had come out with the draft of Food
Safety and Standards (Labelling and
Display) Regulations 2018 that
proposed mandatory red-label
marking on such packaged food
products.
Related Information
Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI)
• Food Safety and Standards Authority
of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous
body established under the Ministry
of Health & Family Welfare,
Government of India.
• The FSSAI has been established under
the Food Safety and Standards
Act, 2006 which is a consolidating
statute related to food safety and
regulation in India.
• FSSAI is responsible for protecting
and promoting public health through
the regulation and supervision of food
safety.
• The FSSAI is headed by a non-
executive Chairperson, appointed by
the Central Government, either
holding or has held the position of not
below the rank of Secretary to the
Government of India.
• The FSSAI has its headquarters
at New Delhi.
• The authority also has 6 regional
offices located in Delhi, Guwahati,
Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, and
Chennai.
Topic-GS-2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors
Source- The Hindu
20.08.2018
1. 11th World Hindi Conference to begin
in Mauritius
• 11th World Hindi Conference was held
in Port Louis, Mauritius.
• Theme: “Vaishvik Hindi Aur
Bharatiy Sanskriti“.
• In the Conference, Mauritius
Prime Minister announced
Mauritius's cyber tower to be
named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Related Information
World Hindi Conference
• World Hindi Conference was started in
1975 to make the Hindi language a
medium of service and knowledge and
enable it to move forward with the
time.
• The first World Hindi Conference was
held in 1975 in Nagpur, India.
NOTE
• Ministry of External Affairs has set up
the World Hindi Secretariat in
Mauritius. The objectives are the
promotion of Hindi as an international
language and further the cause for
recognition at the United Nations as
an Official Language.
• Panini language laboratory was
recently inaugurated at Mahatma
Gandhi institute in Mauritius to
promote reading and writing Hindi
amongst young and its further
development.
Topic-GS- 1- Indian culture
Source- The Hindu
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44
2. Scientists for first time decode
complex wheat genome.
• A team of international researchers,
including 18 from India decoded the
wheat genome.
• This project was financially supported
by the Department of
Biotechnology, Ministry of
Science and Technology.
• The information generated is
considered as a breakthrough which
will help to identify genes controlling
complex agronomic traits such as
yield, grain quality, resistance to
diseases and pests, as well as
tolerance to drought, heat, water
logging and salinity.
• The research shows that bread wheat
has the complex hexaploid genome
which is 40 times larger than that of
the rice genome and 5 times larger
than the human genome.
• This would help further to accelerate
the breeding of climate-resilient
wheat varieties to help address global
food security.
Related Information
Genome
• A genome is the complete set of
genetic information in an organism.
• It provides all of the information the
organism requires to function.
• In living organisms, the genome is
stored in long molecules of DNA called
chromosomes.
• Small sections of DNA, called genes,
code for the RNA and protein
molecules required by the organism.
• The full range of RNA molecules
expressed by a genome is known as
its transcriptome, and the full
assortment of proteins produced by
the genome is called its proteome.
Genomics
• Genomics is the study of the full
genetic complement of an organism
(the genome).
Topic-GS-3- Biotechnology
Source- Science Daily
3. Telangana govt launched Disaster
Response Force in Hyderabad
• The government of Telangana
launched for the first time Disaster
Response Force (DRF) vehicles in the
Hyderabad city.
• The main aim to start this DRF is that
a state should have its own Disaster
force.
• The personals have been trained in
tackling of flooding, tree falls,
structural collapses and any other site
of normal emergencies.
• The Disaster personal will be available
on the field for 24/7.
Related Information
National Disaster Response Force
• The National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF) is a specialised force
constituted "for the purpose of
specialist response to a threatening
disaster situation or disaster"
under the Disaster Management
Act, 2005.
• Headquarters in New Delhi.
• The apex body for disaster
management in India is the National
Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA).
• The Chairman of the NDMA is the
Prime Minister.
• The responsibility for disaster
management in India’s federal system
is that of the State Government.
• The ‘nodal Ministry’ in the central
government for the management of
natural disasters is the Ministry of
Home Affairs (MHA).
• National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF) is under the National Disaster
Management Authority.
• The head of the NDRF is designated as
Director General.
Topic-GS-3-Disaster and disaster
management
Source- Economic Times
4. India building new fighter jet
• The Advanced Medium Combat
Aircraft (AMCA), India’s next
indigenous fighter, is expected to
make its first flight by 2032.
• The AMCA will feature geometric
stealth and will initially fly with
two GE-414 engines.
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45
• The GE-414 produces 98kN thrust
compared to the 84 kN thrust of the
GE-404 engine which is on the LCA
Mk1.
• The Indian Air Force has given land to
the Defence Research and
Development Organisation to set up
facilities for the project.
• The plan is to build on the capabilities
and expertise developed during the
development of the light combat
aircraft (LCA) and produce a medium
fifth generation fighter aircraft.
• This is India’s only fifth-generation
aircraft programme following the
decision not to go ahead with the fifth
generation project with Russia.
Related Information
• There are two major ways of making
a military platform stealthier. One is
geometric stealth and other is
material stealth.
(a) In geometric stealth, the shape of
the aircraft is designed at such angles
so as to deflect away maximum radar
waves thereby minimising its radar
cross section.
(b) In material stealth, radar-
absorbing materials are used in
making the aircraft which will absorb
the radio waves thus reducing the
radar footprint.
Topic-GS-3- Defence
Source- The Hindu
5. India successfully tests indigenously
Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ in
Pokhran
• India has successfully flight tested the
indigenously developed helicopter
launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile
‘HELINA’ from Pokhran in Rajasthan.
• The missile is guided by an Infrared
Imaging Seeker (IIR) operating in the
Lock on Before Launch mode. It is
one of the most advanced Anti-
Tank Weapons in the world.
• The weapon system was integrated
with the live warhead and has
destroyed the targets with high
precision.
Related Information
Nag Missile System
• It is a third generation "fire-and-
forget" anti-tank missile developed in
India.
• It is one of five missile systems
developed by the Defence Research
and Development Organisation
(DRDO) under the Integrated Guided
Missile Development Program
(IGMDP).
NAMICA Version of the missile
• It is a 'lock-on before launch' system,
where the target is identified and
designated before the missile is
launched.
• As the targeting system is based on
visual identification, the range is
limited.
HELINA (Helicopter-launched Nag)
Version
• The HELINA version, on the other
hand, will use a 'lock-on after launch'
system extending its range to 7 km.
• In this scenario, the missile is
launched in the general direction of
the target.
• As it approaches the target, images of
the area ahead are sent back to the
operator who will be able to identify
enemy tanks.
• It is manufactured by state-
owned Bharat Dynamics Limited.
Topic-GS-3- Achievements of Indians in
science & technology
6. The indigenously designed and
developed guided bombs Smart Anti
Airfield Weapon (SAAW) successfully
flight tested
• The indigenously designed and
developed guided bombs Smart Anti
Airfield Weapon (SAAW) was
successfully flight tested from IAF
aircraft at Chandan range in
Jaisalmer.
• It reached the targets at greater than
70 km range, with high accuracies.
Related Information
Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW)
• The DRDO Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon
(SAAW) is a long-range precision-
guided anti-airfield weapon.
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• The SAAW is being developed by the
Research Centre Imarat (RCI), and
other DRDO laboratories in
collaboration with the Indian Air Force
(IAF).
• It is designed to be capable of
engaging ground targets with high
precision up to a range of 100
kilometres.
• It is a lightweight high precision-
guided bomb designed to destroy
ground targets, such as runways,
bunkers, aircraft hangers and other
reinforced structures.
• Weighing 120 kg, it has deep
penetration capabilities.
• It is India's first fully indigenous
anti-airfield weapon, being
designed and developed wholly by
DRDO.
Topic-GS-3- GS-3 Defence
Source- AIR
7. Chinese rover set to explore the far
side of Moon
• China’s space agency has revealed
images of the exploration vehicle with
which it hopes to reach the far side of
the Moon by the end of this year, a
feat no country has ever
accomplished.
• The vehicle will travel aboard the
unmanned lunar probe Chang’e 4,
which is expected to land in the Aitken
basin on the far side of the Moon, not
visible from the Earth.
• The vehicle is similar to Yutu,
China’s first lunar rover launched
in 2013 along with Chang’e 3, which
continues to traverse the visible side
of the Moon.
• The rover was also the lightest of its
kind in the world, weighing only 140
kg (309 pounds), much less than its
predecessors.
Related Information
Yutu
• Yutu is an unmanned lunar rover that
formed part of the Chinese Chang'e 3
mission to the Moon.
• It was launched on 1st December
2013 and reached the Moon's surface
on 14 December 2013.
• In October 2015, Yutu set the record
for the longest operational period for
a rover on the Moon.
• On 31 July 2016, Yutu ceased to
operate after a total of 31 months,
well beyond its original expected
lifespan of three months.
Chang'e 3
• Chang'e 3 is an unmanned lunar
exploration mission operated by
the China National Space
Administration (CNSA), incorporating
a robotic lander and China's first lunar
rover.
• It was launched in December 2013 as
part of the second phase of the
Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.
• Chang'e 3 landed on 14 December
2013, becoming the first spacecraft
to soft-land on the Moon since
the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976.
• Chang'e 3 discovered a new type
of basaltic rock, rich in ilmenite, a
black mineral
Chang'e 4
• Chang'e 4 is a planned Chinese lunar
exploration mission, to be launched in
December 2018, that will incorporate
an orbiter, a robotic lander and rover.
• Chang'e 4 will be China's second lunar
lander and rover.
Topic-GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu
8. India, Thailand conclude 'Maitree'
military exercise
• The Indian and Royal Thai armed
forces concluded a two-week long
platoon level military exercise
called 'Exercise Maitree 2018' in
Jammu & Kashmir.
• The exercise was an annual
event designed to strengthen the
partnership between armies of the
two countries.
Topic-GS-3- Security
Source- The Hindu
9. Delhi government official bags WHO
award
• Delhi government’s additional director
of health S.K. Arora has been awarded
the prestigious WHO World No
Tobacco Day 2018 Award for his
extraordinary contribution towards
tobacco control.
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• The National Health Policy 2017 has
set targets for the relative reduction
in tobacco prevalence by 15% by
2020 and 30% by 2025.
• Delhi has already achieved these
targets before 2017.
Related Information
World No Tobacco Day (WNTD)
• World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is
observed around the world every year
on 31 May.
• It is intended to encourage a 24-hour
period of abstinence from all forms of
tobacco consumption around the
globe.
• The member states of the World
Health Organization (WHO) created
World No Tobacco Day in 1987.
Topic-GS-2- Issues relating to
development and management of Social
Sector/Services relating to Health,
Education, Human Resources.
Source- The Hindu
21.08.2018
1. NABARD All India Rural Financial
Inclusion Survey 2016-17
• More than half the agricultural
households in the country have
outstanding debt, and their average
outstanding debt is almost as high as
the average annual income of all
agricultural households, according to
a recent survey by the National Bank
for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD).
• Only 48% of these are defined as
agricultural households, which
have at least one member self-
employed in agriculture and which
received more than ₹5,000 as the
value of produce from agricultural
activities over the past year, whether
they possessed any land or not.
Highlights of the survey
Debts which are outstanding
• NABARD found that 52.5% of the
agricultural households had an
outstanding loan on the date of the
survey, and thus were considered
indebted. For non-agricultural
households in rural India, that figure
was 10 percentage points lower, at
only 42.8%.
• Agricultural households reporting any
outstanding debt also had a higher
debt liability compared with non-
agricultural ones.
• The average debt of an indebted
agricultural household stood at
₹1,04,602 in comparison to ₹76,731
for indebted non-agricultural
households.
• According to the survey, the average
annual income of an agricultural
household is ₹1.07 lakh. That is barely
₹2,500 more than the average
outstanding debt of indebted farm
households.
Kisan Credit Cards
• The survey found that only 10.5% of
agricultural households were found to
have a valid Kisan Credit Card at the
time of the survey.
• The scheme aims to give farmers
credit from the banks with a simplified
and flexible single-window procedure.
Households who had the card utilised
66% of the sanctioned credit limit.
Reasons for taking loans
• The biggest reason for
taking loans among agricultural
households was capital expenditure
for agricultural purposes, with a
quarter of all loans taken for this
purpose.
• While 19% of loans were taken for
meeting running expenses for
agricultural purposes, another 19%
were taken for sundry domestic
needs. Loans for housing and medical
expenses stood at 11% and 12%,
respectively.
Loan takers
• While all classes of farmers had debt,
the highest incidence of indebtedness
came from those owning more than
two hectares of land. In that category,
60% of households are in debt.
• Among small and marginal farmers
owning less than 0.4 hectares, slightly
less than 50% of the households were
in debt. Those with more land were
more likely to have multiple loans.
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Loan Lenders
• The survey found that farm
households took less than half their
loans from commercial banks. While
46% of the loans were taken from
commercial banks, and another 10%
from self-help groups, almost 40%
were taken from non-institutional
sources such as relatives, friends,
moneylenders and landlords.
• The persons resorting to local
moneylenders often include either the
illiterate or extremely poor ones which
are not eligible for loans from formal
institutions, or the households that do
not have social networks that can help
them in times of need.
State figures
• The southern States of Telangana
(79%), Andhra Pradesh (77%), and
Karnataka (74%) showed the highest
levels of indebtedness among
agricultural households, followed by
Arunachal Pradesh (69%), Manipur
(61%), Tamil Nadu (60%), Kerala
(56%), and Odisha (54%).
Topic-GS- 3- Inclusive growth and
issues arising from it
Source- The Hindu
2. World's first 4D printing for ceramics
developed
• Scientists have successfully
developed the world's first 4D printing
for ceramics, that can be used to
create complex, shape-changing
objects.
• Researchers from the City University
of Hong Kong made use of the elastic
energy stored in the stretched
precursors for shape morphing.
• When the stretched ceramic
precursors are released, they undergo
self-reshaping.
• After heat treatment, the precursors
turn into ceramics. Ceramic has a high
melting point, so it is difficult to use
conventional laser printing to make
ceramics.
• Exiting 3D is difficult to deform so the
researchers have developed a novel
ceramic ink, which is a mixture of
polymers and ceramic nanoparticles.
• The resultant elastomer-derived
ceramics are mechanically robust.
They can have a high compressive
strength-to-density ratio, and they
can come in large sizes with high
strength compared to other printed
ceramics.
Related Information
4D Printing
• 4D printing is conventional 3D
printing combined with the additional
element of time as the fourth
dimension, where the printed objects
can re-shape or self-assemble
themselves over time with external
stimuli, such as mechanical force,
temperature, or a magnetic field.
Topic-GS- 3- Science and Technology-
developments and their applications and
effects in everyday life.
Source- AIR
3. National Nutrition Month
• Every year September would be
celebrated as the National Nutrition
Month to mark the country's fight
against malnutrition.
• The decision to celebrate September
as the National Nutrition Month was
taken during the second meeting
of National Council on India's
Nutrition Challenges under the
Poshan Abhiyaan.
• Under the Poshan Abhiyan, it was also
decided that through the use of
technology, a targeted approach and
convergence would be used to reduce
the level of stunting, under-nutrition
and anaemia in children.
Related Information
National Nutrition Month
• The ministry would, in the month,
organise programmes to spread
awareness on the issues related
to malnutrition like stunting, under-
nutrition, anaemia and low birth
weight in children and focus on
adolescent girls, pregnant women and
lactating mothers.
• The aim is to reach the message of
‘har ghar poshan tyohar’ (every
house a celebration of nutrition).
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• It will be jointly organised by NITI
Ayog, Ministries of Women and Child
Development (WCD), Health and
Family Welfare, Panchayati Raj, Rural
Development and Drinking Water and
Sanitation, Housing and Urban Affairs,
Human Resources Development
(HRD), Information and Broadcasting,
Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution, Tribal Affairs, Minority
Affairs and AYUSH.
Poshan Abhiyan
• Under the Ministry of Women and
Child Development
• POSHAN stands for Prime Minister’s
Overarching Scheme for Holistic
Nutrition.
• It aims to ensure holistic development
and adequate nutrition for pregnant
women, mothers and children.
• POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in
Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan in March 2018.
• The scheme targets to reduce the
level of under-nutrition and other
related problems by ensuring
convergence of various nutrition-
related schemes.
• It also targets to reduce stunting,
under-nutrition, anaemia (among
young children, women and
adolescent girls) and low birth rate.
• It will monitor and review the
implementation of all such schemes
and utilize existing structural
arrangements of line ministries
wherever available.
• The main aspect of the scheme is
gradual scaling-up of interventions
supported by ongoing World Bank
assisted Integrated Child
Development Services (ICDS)
Systems Strengthening and
Nutrition Improvement Project
(ISSNIP) to all districts in the
country by 2022.
National Council on Nutrition
• National Nutrition Mission (NNM) was
instituted to address the problem of
malnutrition in the country.
• There is a provision for setting up of a
National Council on India’s Nutritional
Challenges under the Chairmanship of
Vice-Chairman NITI Aayog.
• The Council which has been set up
under POSHAN Abhiyaan is the apex
body to formulate overall policies,
guide and monitor all nutrition based
schemes.
• The Council will submit its report
to the Prime Minister every six
months.
• The mandate of the Council are :
1. To provide policy directions to
address India’s Nutrition Challenges
through coordinated inter-sectoral
action
2. To coordinate and review
convergence among ministries
• To review programmes for nutrition
on a quarterly basis
Topic-GS- 2- Issues relating to
development and management of Social
Sector/Services relating to
Health, Education, Human Resources.
Source-PTI
4. Venezuela launched crypto-pegged
forex rate
• Venezuela’s president announced a
single exchange rate and pegged it to
his socialist government’s Petro
cryptocurrency.
• The President has effectively
devaluated the Petro currency by 96
per cent.
• It has led to hyperinflation situation
and rendered the bolivar currency
near worthless.
• The International Monetary Fund has
predicted that inflation in Venezuela
would hit 1 million Percent this year.
Related Information
What is crypto-pegged forex rate?
• It is a cryptocurrency whose value is
pegged to that of another asset, such
as the US Dollar or gold.
• They have 100% or more of their
value backed by other currency.
• They can be converted at any time at
an exchange rate set by a trustworthy
price feed.
• Like any other cryptocurrency, they
are fungible, divisible, and free from
any restrictions.
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Cryptocurrency
• A cryptocurrency refers to currencies
whose exchange rate changes when
the exchange rate of another currency
changes.
• Cryptocurrency is a kind of digital
currency, virtual currency or
alternative currency.
• Cryptocurrencies use decentralized
control as opposed to centralized
electronic money and central banking • The decentralized control of each
cryptocurrency works through distributed
ledger technology, typically a blockchain, that serves as a public financial
transaction database. • Bitcoin is currently the
largest blockchain network, followed
by Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin
Cash, Litecoin, and EOS.
Countries to launch their own
cryptocurrency
1. Marshall Islands
• The Marshall Islands, a tiny Pacific
island nation became the first country
in the world to recognize a
cryptocurrency as its legal tender.
• The digital currency was
“Sovereign,” or SOV.
2. Venezuela
• Venezuela became the first country to
launch its own cryptocurrency.
• It launched the virtual Petro, backed
by crude oil reserves.
Topic-GS- 3- Internal Security
Source- Money Control
5. JNCASR: A new, robust form of gold
• Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru
Centre for Advanced Scientific
Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, have
developed a new type of gold in the
form of very small crystals —
microcystallites.
• The microcystallites were synthesised
by decomposing an organic complex
containing gold and other ions under
controlled conditions.
• Gold in itself is not a catalyst but the
new gold microcystallites have very
active surfaces.
• Compared with other catalysts like
palladium and ruthenium, gold is
cheaper and it can also be easily
recovered.
Related Information
Microcystallites
• The microcrystal gold has been found
to be nobler than gold, it does not
dissolve in mercury and Aqua regia (a
mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric
acid), and showed the least
interaction with copper.
• The newly formed microcystallites,
about 3 micrometres in length were
found to be of a different crystal
structure.
• Normal gold has a (face-centred)
cubic structure, while the new ones
exhibit deformed cubic structure —
tetragonal and orthorhombic cells.
• While normal gold disappeared in a
matter of minutes when immersed in
mercury and also in aqua regia, the
gold crystallites remained intact.
Topic-GS- 3- Science and Technology-
developments and their applications and
effects in everyday life.
Source- The Hindu
6. S. tech giants plan to fight India’s
data localisation plans.
Related Information
Data Localization
• Data localization is the act of storing
data on any device that is physically
present within the borders of a
specific country where the data was
generated.
• Data localization builds upon the
concept of data sovereignty that
regulates certain data types by the
laws applicable to the data subject or
processor.
Topic-GS-3- Cybersecurity related
issues.
Source- The Hindu
7. Chandrayaan-1 data confirm the
presence of ice on Moon
• Scientists have found frozen water
deposits in the darkest and coldest
parts of the Moon’s polar regions
using data from the Chandrayaan-
1 spacecraft, that was launched by
India 10 years ago.
• The ice deposits are patchily
distributed and could possibly be
ancient.
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• At the southern pole, most of the ice
is concentrated at lunar craters, while
the north pole’s ice is more widely, but
sparsely spread.
• Scientists used data from NASA’s
Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3)
instrument to identify three specific
signatures that definitively prove
there is water ice at the surface of the
Moon.
• Most of the new-found water ice lies
in the shadows of craters near the
poles, where the warmest
temperatures never reach above
minus 156 degrees Celsius.
• Due to the very small tilt of the Moon’s
rotation axis, sunlight never reaches
these regions.
Related Information
NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3)
• The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) is
one of two instruments that NASA
contributed to India's first mission to
the Moon, Chandrayaan-1, launched
October 22, 2008
• M3 is an imaging spectrometer that
has provided the first high-resolution
spatial and spectral map of the entire
lunar surface, revealing the minerals
of which it is made.
• This information will both provide
clues to the early development of the
solar system and guide future
astronauts to stores of precious
resources.
Chandrayaan-1
• Chandrayaan-1 was India's first lunar
probe.
• It was launched by the Indian Space
Research Organisation in October
2008, and operated until August
2009.
• The mission included a lunar orbiter
and an impactor.
• India launched the spacecraft using a
PSLV-XL rocket.
• The mission was a major boost to
India's space program, as India
researched and developed its own
technology in order to explore the
Moon.
• The vehicle was inserted into lunar
orbit on 8 November 2008.
Topic-GS-3- Achievements of Indians in
science & technology
Source- The Hindu
22.08.2018
1. ‘Calamity of a severe nature’
• The Union government has declared
the Kerala floods a “calamity of severe
nature”.
Related Information
How does the law define a disaster?
• As per the Disaster Management Act,
2005, “disaster” means a
catastrophe, mishap, calamity or
grave occurrence in any area, arising
from natural or man-made causes, or
by accident or negligence which
results in substantial loss of life or
human suffering or damage to, and
destruction of, property, or damage
to, or degradation of, environment,
and is of such a nature or magnitude
as to be beyond the coping capacity of
the community of the affected area.
• A natural disaster includes
earthquake, flood, landslide, cyclone,
tsunami, urban flood, heatwave; a
man-made disaster can be nuclear,
biological and chemical.
What are the classifications of disasters
and how does this affect funding?
• According to the National Disaster
Management Policy, the State
governments have to provide disaster
relief from their respective State
Disaster Response Funds (SDRFs),
and only for a “calamity of severe
nature”, will additional assistance be
provided from the National Disaster
Response Fund (NDRF).
• There is, however, no provision in the
law or rules for the government to
designate a disaster a “national
calamity”.
• Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju
informed Parliament recently that the
guidelines of the NDRF and SDRFs did
not contemplate declaring a disaster a
national calamity.
How, then, does the government classify
disasters/calamities?
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• The 10th Finance Commission (1995-
2000) examined a proposal that a
disaster be termed “a national
calamity of rarest severity” if it
affects one-third of the population
of a state.
• The panel did not define a “calamity of
rare severity” but stated that a
calamity of rare severity would
necessarily have to be adjudged on a
case-to-case basis taking into
account, inter-alia, the intensity and
magnitude of the calamity, level of
assistance needed, the capacity of the
state to tackle the problem, the
alternatives and flexibility available
within the plans to provide succour
and relief, etc.
• The flash floods in Uttarakhand and
Cyclone Hudhud were later classified
as calamities of “severe nature”.
How are the NDRF and the SDRFs
funded?
• The NDRF is funded through a
National Calamity Contingent Duty
levied on pan masala, chewing tobacco
and cigarettes, and with budgetary
provisions as and when needed.
• A provision exists to encourage any
person or institution to make a
contribution to the NDRF. However,
this source of funding has not been
tapped so far, according to the
government.
• The 14th Finance Commission
recommended changes to this
structure once the cess was
discontinued or subsumed within the
Goods and Services Tax. However,
the government, instead, decided to
continue with the National Calamity
Contingent Duty even in the GST
regime.
• The SDRF corpus is contributed by
the Union government and the
respective State governments in a
75:25 ratio for general category
States and 90:10 for Special Category
States.
• The allocation of the SDRF for each
State is done by the Finance
Commission, and the Centre
contributes its specified share each
financial year.
• The Central share of SDRF is released
in two equal instalments, in June and
then in December.
National Calamity Contingent Duty
(NCCD)
• In the case of goods specified in the
Seventh Schedule, being goods
manufactured or produced, there
shall be levied and collected for the
purposes of the Union, by the
surcharge, a duty of excise, to be
called the National Calamity
Contingent duty (hereinafter referred
to as the National Calamity duty).
Topic-GS-3- Disaster and disaster
management.
Source- The Hindu
2. NextGen Airports for Bharat (NABH
Nirman)
• The new policy is part of Arun Jaitley's
Union budget proposal this year to
expand the capacity of airports by five
times to have a billion air trips a year
under the government initiative of
NextGen Airports for Bharat (NABH
Nirman).
• He said that the three key aspects of
NABH Nirman are:
(1) Fair and equitable land acquisition
(2) Long-term master plan for the
airport and regional development
(3) Balanced economics for all
stakeholders.
• This scheme constitutes investments
to be made in airport upgrade by both
the private sector and the state-
owned Airports Authority of India
(AAI) in the due course of time.
• The initiative will help to connect
smaller towns and cities and increase
tourism and economic activity.
• The government had moved
amendments to the Airport Economic
Regulatory Authority (AERA). These
amendments paved the path for
having a new structure for airport
tariffs and change the definition of
major airports.
Related Information
The Airports Economic Regulatory
Authority of India (Amendment) Bill,
2018
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• The Airports Economic Regulatory
Authority of India (Amendment) Bill,
2018 was introduced in Lok Sabha on
July 18, 2018.
• It amends the Airports Economic
Regulatory Authority of India Act,
2008.
• The Act established the Airports
Economic Regulatory Authority of
India (AERA).
• The AERA regulates tariffs and other
charges for aeronautical services
provided at civilian airports with
annual traffic above 15 lakh
passengers.
• It also monitors the performance
standard of services across these
airports.
• Definition of major airports: The Act
defines a major airport as one with
annual passenger traffic over 15 lakh,
or any other airports as notified by the
central government. The Bill
increases the threshold of annual
passenger traffic for major airports to
over 35 lakh.
• The Bill provides that the AERA will
not determine the tariff, tariff
structures, or the development fees,
in certain cases.
• These cases will include those where
such tariff amounts were a part of the
bid document on the basis of which
the airport operations were awarded.
Topic-GS-3- Infrastructure: Energy, Ports,
Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Source- The Hindu
3. World's largest 3D-printed reef
installed in the Maldives to help save
corals
• The world’s largest 3-D printed reef
has been submerged at Summer
Island Maldives.
• The theory for the new technology-
driven method to help coral reefs
survive a warming climate.
• Developed using computer modelling
and a 3D printer at a lab in Melbourne,
Australia, the artificial reef was
designed to resemble reef structures
typically found in the Maldives.
• Printing the 3D moulds took 24 hours.
They were then cast in ceramic, an
inert material similar to the calcium
carbonate found in coral reefs.
• The artificial reef, assembled with
hundreds of ceramic and concrete
modules, was submerged seven
meters below the surface at Summer
Island’s ‘Blue Lagoon’ — a sandy
part of the lagoon, where the resort
hopes to create a new coral reef
ecosystem.
Topic-GS-3- Conservation related
issues.
Source –Times of India
4. NASA Spacecraft Begins Final
Approach to Big Asteroid Bennu
• The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft began its
final approach toward the big near-
Earth asteroid Bennu.
• The milestone also marks the official
start of OSIRIS-REx's "asteroid
operations" mission phase.
• OSIRIS-REx will also spiral down to
snag a sizable sample of asteroid
material before leaving Bennu in
March 2021.
Related Information
OSIRIS-REx
• The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral
Interpretation, Resource
Identification, Security, Regolith
Explorer) is a NASA asteroid study
and sample-return mission.
• Launched on 8 September 2016, its
mission is to study asteroid 101955
Bennu, a carbonaceous asteroid, and
return a sample to Earth on 24
September 2023 for detailed
analysis.
• The material returned is expected to
enable scientists to learn more about
the formation and evolution of the
Solar System, its initial stages of
planet formation, and the source of
organic compounds that led to the
formation of life on Earth.
• If successful, OSIRIS-REx will be the
first U.S. spacecraft to return
samples from an asteroid.
• It is the third planetary science
mission selected in the New Frontiers
program, after Juno and New
Horizons.
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Topic-GS-3- Awareness in space.
Source- Times of India
5. NASA's InSight completes halfway to
Mars.
• NASA's InSight spacecraft, en route to
land on Mars this November, has
passed the halfway mark, covering
277 million kilometres since its launch
107 days ago.
• In another 98 days, it will travel
another 208 million kilometres and a
touchdown in Mars' Elysium Planitia
region, where it will be the first
mission to study the Red Planet's deep
interior.
• InSight's seismometer, which will be
used to detect quakes on Mars,
received a clean bill of health on July
19.
• It will use the seismic waves
generated by marsquakes to develop
a map of the planet’s deep interiors.
Related Information
InSight
• InSight stands for Interior
Exploration using Seismic
Investigations, Geodesy and Heat
Transport.
• InSight is a robotic lander designed to
study the interior of the planet Mars.
• Launched on 5th , May 2018.
• Where it will deploy a seismometer
and burrow a heat probe. It will also
perform a radio science experiment to
study the internal structure of Mars.
• InSight's objective is to place a
stationary lander equipped with a
seismometer and heat transfer probe
on the surface of Mars to study the
planet's early geological evolution.
SEIS instrument
• The SEIS instrument (Seismic
Experiment for Interior Structure) is a
six-sensor seismometer combining
two types of sensors to measure
ground motions over a wide range of
frequencies. It will give scientists a
window into Mars' internal activity.
Topic-GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu
6. Government designates NCRB to curb
online child pornography and sexual
violence
• It was decided in the high- level meeting that the National Crime Records Bureau
(NCRB) would be the designated nodal
agency for monitoring the complaints
received on a government portal that
records child pornography and sexual
violence videos.
• The NCRB would coordinate with service providers such as Facebook, YouTube
and WhatsApp and ask them to block
malicious videos and contents.
Related Information
NCRB(National Crime Records Bureau)
• The National Crime Records Bureau is
an Indian government agency
responsible for collecting and
analysing crime data.
• NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi
and is part of the Ministry of Home
Affairs (MHA).
• NCRB was set-up in 1986.
• It functions as a repository of
information on crime and criminals so
as to assist the investigators in linking
crime to the perpetrators.
• It was set up based on the
recommendation of the Taskforce and
National Police Commission.
Topic-GS- 2- Government policies and
interventions for development in various
sectors and issues arising out of their
design and implementation.
Source- The Hindu
23.08.2018
1. ICOMOS launches the initiative to
save cultural heritage damaged in flood-
hit Kerala
The ICOMOS, a global monument
conservation body, has launched an initiative
to assess the damage to the rich cultural and
built heritage in flood-devastated Kerala and
set up an emergency response platform.
Related Information
The International Council on Monuments
and Sites (ICOMOS)
• The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is a
prestigious non-government
organisation dedicated to promoting the
application of theory, methodology and
scientific techniques for conservation of architectural and archaeological
heritage across the world.
• Now headquartered in Paris, France.
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• ICOMOS was founded in 1965 in
Warsaw.
• ICOMOS is a partner in the
International Committee of the Blue
Shield (ICBS), which works to protect
the world's cultural heritage
threatened by wars and natural
disasters.
Topic-GS-1- Culture
Source- The Hindu
2. One of the three newly designated
geological ages of the Holocene Epoch
was named after Meghalaya
Related Information
The International Commission on
Stratigraphy (ICS)
• The International Commission on
Stratigraphy (ICS), a body of
geological timekeepers.
• Formed in 1974.
• It is the largest and oldest
constituent scientific body in the
International Union of Geological
Sciences (IUGS).
• It had divided the Holocene Epoch,
which began 11,700 years ago
• At the 8,200-year and 4,200-year
points, thereby creating the
Greenlandian, the Northgrippian and
the Meghalayan Ages.
Holocene Epoch
• The Holocene Epoch is the current
period of geologic time.
• Another term that is sometimes used
is the Anthropocene Epoch because
its primary characteristic is the global
changes caused by human activity.
• It began approximately 11,650 cal
years before present, after the last
glacial period.
• The Holocene and the preceding
Pleistocene together form the
Quaternary period.
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Source- NCERT
Topic-GS- 3- Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu
3. President Kovind to inaugurate
International Buddhist Conclave in New
Delhi
Related information
International Buddhist Conclave
• The theme of the conclave is Buddha
Path - The Living Heritage.
• The Conclave is being organized by
the Ministry of Tourism in
collaboration with the State
Governments of Maharashtra, Bihar
and Uttar Pradesh from 23rd – 26th
August, 2018 at New Delhi and Ajanta
(Maharashtra), followed by site visits
to Rajgir, Nalanda and Bodhgaya
(Bihar) and Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh).
• The aim of the Conclave is to
showcase and project the Buddhist
Heritage in India and boost tourism to
the Buddhist sites in the country and
cultivate friendly ties with countries
and communities interested in
Buddhism.
NOTE-
• Union Ministry of Tourism has been
organizing International Buddhist
Conclave
• The earlier International Buddhist
Conclaves were organized in:
(a) New Delhi and Bodhgaya
(February 2004)
(b) Nalanda and Bodhgaya (February
2010)
(c) Varanasi and Bodhgaya
(September 2012)
(d) Bodhgaya and Varanasi
(September 2014)
(e) Sarnath/Varanasi and Bodhgaya
(October 2016)
Topic-GS-1-Culture
Source-PIB
4. HAL becomes first PSU to transact on
TReDS
• The Receivables Exchange of India
(RXIL) said Hindustan Aeronautics
(HAL) has become the first public
sector enterprise to make a
transaction on the "TReDS platform".
TReDS
• TReDS is an online electronic
institutional mechanism for facilitating
the financing of trade receivables of
micro, small and medium enterprises
(MSME) through multiple financiers.
RXIL
• RXIL is India’s first TReDS
platform.
• Operating since January 2017.
• Promoted by the National Stock
Exchange, Small Industries
Development Bank of India, State
Bank of India, ICICI Bank and Yes
Bank.
Topic-GS- 3- Indian Economy
Source- Economic Times.
5. TRIFED makes record procurement
and sale of tribal products in the month
of July 2018
Related Information
Tribal Cooperative Marketing
Development Federation of India
Limited (TRIFED)
• Tribal Cooperative Marketing
Development Federation of India
Limited (TRIFED) is a national-level
apex organization functioning.
• Since 1987.
• Under the administrative control
of Ministry of Tribal Affairs,
Government of India.
• Striving to promote the economic
development of the Tribal
communities of the country through
marketing development and
sustained upgradation of their skills
and products.
• The approach involves capacity
building, imparting need-based
training, exploring marketing
possibilities for products in national as
well as international markets, brand
building & creating opportunities for
marketing on the sustainable basis.
• TRIFED’s sole objective is to bring
about a multi-dimensional
transformation of the tribal society
and a shift in the perception of their
existing image.
Topic-GS-2- Statutory, regulatory and
various quasi-judicial bodies.
Source-PIB
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6. Kerala to get cyclone warning centre
• The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences
has announced it will set up a cyclone
warning centre in Kerala and boost
weather forecasting in the state with
another Doppler radar.
• The new centre will be set up in
Thiruvananthapuram.
• At present, India Meteorological
Centre (IMD) has six cyclone warning
centres, four along the east coast at
Chennai, Visakhapatnam,
Bhubaneswar and Kolkata, and
two along the west coast at
Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
• The ministry has also proposed
setting up another C-band Doppler
weather radar at Mangalore to
provide “nowcast” alerts for severe
weather, including thunderstorms
triggered by heavy rain for the next 2-
3 hours.
Related Information
Doppler radar
• A Doppler radar is a specialized radar
that uses the Doppler effect to
produce velocity data about objects at
a distance.
• It does this by bouncing a microwave
signal off the desired target and
analyzing how the object's motion has
altered the frequency of the returned
signal.
This variation gives direct and highly
accurate measurements of the radial
component of a target's velocity
relative to the radar.
Doppler radars are used in aviation,
sounding satellites, meteorology,
radar guns, radiology and healthcare,
nursing or clinic purpose, and bistatic
radar (surface-to-air missiles).
Topic-GS- 1- Important Geophysical
phenomena such as earthquakes,
Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone
etc., geographical features and their
location- changes in critical
geographical features (including
waterbodies and ice-caps) and in flora
and fauna and the effects of such
changes.
Source- The Hindu
7. ILO report flags wage inequality in
India
• Real average daily wages in India
almost doubled in the first two
decades after economic reforms, but
low pay and wage inequality remain a
serious challenge to inclusive growth,
the International Labour
Organization.
• The gender wage gap decreased
from 48% in 1993-94 to 34% in
2011-12 but still remains high by
international standards.
• Of all worker groups, the average
wages of casual rural female workers
was the lowest, at just ₹104 a day.
Related Information
International Labour Organization
• The International Labour Organization
(ILO) is a United Nations agency
dealing with labour problems.
• Formed in 29th October 1919; 98
years ago.
• Headquarters in Geneva,
Switzerland.
• It is particularly for international
labour standards, social protection,
and work opportunities for all.
• The ILO has 187 member states: 186
of the 193 UN member states plus
the Cook Islands are members of
the ILO.
• The ILO registers complaints against
entities that are violating international
rules; however, it does not impose
sanctions on governments.
• In 1969, the organisation
received the Nobel Peace Prize.
Topic-GS- 2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora- their
structure, mandate.
Source- The Hindu
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8. Iran unveils first domestic fighter jet
• Iran has unveiled first domestically
manufactured fighter jet nicknamed
Kowsar.
• It is a fourth-generation fighter, with
"advanced avionics" and multi-
purpose radar.
Related Information
Kowsar
• Kowsar (or Kosar) is a medium-range,
land-based anti-ship missile made by
Iran.
• It can defeat electronic jamming
systems and "cannot be thrown off
course".
• The Kowsar designation apparently
(Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance
2006) is used to refer to two different
missiles: Iranian-produced versions of
the PRC C-701 and the TL-10A.
Topic-GS- 3-Science and Technology.
Source- The Hindu
24.08.2018
1. Hurricane Lane
• Hurricane Lane is a hurricane which is
currently heading towards the
Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific
Ocean.
• The hurricane being category 5 is
expected to reach at a wind speed
above 157 miles per hour and pass
within 350 miles
• It is known to cause catastrophic
damages in the island.
• Lane is only the second hurricane
to reach Category 5 strength.
• The other was John, in August of
1994.
Related Information
Topic-GS-1- Important Geophysical
phenomena
Source- New York times
2. Fourth BIMSTEC summit
Related Information
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-
Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
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• BIMSTEC is an international
organization of seven nations
of South Asia and South East Asia.
• The BIMSTEC member states—
Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal
(areas of Bay of Bengal).
• The permanent secretariat is
in Dhaka.
• The current chair is under Nepal.
• Established on 6th June 1997.
• 1st BIMSTEC Summit was held
in Bangkok, Thailand in the year.
• 4th BIMSETC Summit is being held
in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Topic-GS- 2- Important International
institutions, agencies and fora- their
structure, mandate.
Source- AIR
3. Sustainable Development in Indian
Himalayan Region report
• By NITI Aayog
• The themes include Inventory and
Revival of Springs in the Himalayas
for Water Security, Sustainable
Tourism, Transformative Approach to
Shifting Cultivation, Strengthening
Skill and Entrepreneurship Landscape
in the Himalayas.
Key Highlights
• Nearly 30 per cent of springs crucial
to water security of people is drying.
• 50 percent have reported reduced
discharge.
• Himalayan Tourism which is growing
annually at 6.8 per cent has created a
huge challenge related to solid waste,
water, traffic, loss of bio-cultural
diversity.
• Setting up of a Himalayan Authority.
• Launching of Himalaya Calling: An
Awareness to Action Campaign as
people’s movement.
Topic-GS-2- Statutory, regulatory and
various quasi-judicial bodies.
Source- AIR
4. FSSAI notifies standards for honey &
its products to curb adulteration
• At present, there are no separate
quality standards for honey and its
products.
NOTE:
• Bees-wax is obtained from the
honeycombs of bees of Apidae family
after the honey has been removed by
draining or centrifuging.
• The combs are melted with hot water,
steam or solar heat and the melted
product is filtered and cast into cakes
of yellow bees-wax.
• White bees-wax is obtained by
bleaching the yellow bees-wax with
oxidising agents. Beeswax consists of
a mixture of esters of fatty acids and
fatty alcohols, hydrocarbons and free
fatty acids. Minor amounts of free
fatty alcohols are also present
• Royal jelly is the mixture of
secretions from hypopharyngeal and
mandibular glands of worker bees,
free from any additive. It is the food
of larval and adult queens.
Related Information
Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI)
• Food Safety and Standards Authority
of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous
body established under the Ministry
of Health & Family Welfare.
• The FSSAI has been established under
the Food Safety and Standards
Act, 2006.
• FSSAI is responsible for protecting
and promoting public health through
the regulation and supervision of food
safety.
• The FSSAI has its headquarters
at New Delhi.
• The authority also has 6 regional
offices located in Delhi, Guwahati,
Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, and
Chennai.
Topic-GS-2- Issues relating to Health
Source- Business Standards.
5. Quad countries discuss ocean security
Related information
Quadrilateral security dialogue or quad
• Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD)
is the strategic dialogue between four
countries.
• The grouping of four democracies –
India, Australia, the US and Japan.
• It was first mooted by Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in
2007.
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• With the aim to counter China’s
aggressive behaviour in the Indo-
Pacific region, India, Australia, US and
Japan, formed the “quadrilateral”
coalition on November 12, 2017.
Topic-GS- 2- Bilateral, regional and
global groupings and agreements
Source- The Hindu
6. 35% of cyber attacks on Indian sites
from China: official report
• “The cyber attacks from China made
up 35% of the total number of cyber
attacks on official Indian websites,
followed by US (17%), Russia (15%),
Pakistan (9%), Canada (7%) and
Germany (5%)”.
• The report, prepared by the Indian
Computer Emergency Response
Team (CERT-In), analysed cyber
attacks from April-June 2018.
Related information
CERT-In
• CERT-In is the nodal agency which
deals with cybersecurity threats like
hacking and phishing.
• Under the Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology.
• Formed on 19th January 2004.
• It collects, analyses and disseminates
information on “cyber incidents”, and
also issues alerts on “cyber security
incidents”.
Topic-GS- 3- Cyber Security
Source- Indian Express
7. Pyramid-size asteroid zooming past
Earth
Related Information
Near-Earth objects (NEO)
• Near-Earth objects (NEO) are
asteroids, comets and large
meteoroids whose orbit intersects
Earth's orbit.
• They pose a collision danger.
• An asteroid is termed as a Near Earth
Asteroid (NEA) when its trajectory
brings it within 1.3 Astronomical Units
(AU) from the Sun and within 0.3 AU
of the Earth's orbit.
• The largest known Near-Earth
asteroid is Ganymed.
Topic-GS-3- Awareness in the fields
Space.
Source- The Hindu
8. NASA satellite captures intense
monsoon rains in Kerala
• The first band appeared much broader
and extends across the northern part
of the peninsula.
• The second band appeared more
concentrated with the southwest
coast of India and the Western Ghats.
• NASA said another contributing factor
to the heavy rains along the
southwest coast of India is the
Western Ghats.
Related Information
• IMERG (Integrated Multi-satellitE
Retrievals for GPM) is used to
estimate precipitation from a
combination of passive microwave
sensors, including GPM’s GMI
microwave sensor and geostationary
IR (infrared) data.
• GPM is the Global Precipitation
Measurement mission core
satellite.
• GPM is a joint mission between NASA
and the Japan Aerospace Agency,
JAXA.
Topic-GS- 1- Important Geophysical
phenomena
Source- Indian Express
9. Supreme Court scraps NOTA option
for Rajya Sabha polls
• As per the SC, NOTA option is meant
only for universal adult suffrage and
direct elections and not polls in the
Rajya Sabha.
Related Information
• India became the 14th country to
institute negative voting.
• The NOTA option was first used in
the 2013 assembly elections held in
four states -- Chhattisgarh, Mizoram,
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and
the Union Territory, Delhi.
• First origin of NOTA option in Nevada,
United States.
Topic-GS- 2-Issues and challenges
pertaining to the federal structure.
Source- The Hindu
10. National Logistics Portal
Related Information
National Logistics Portal (NLP)
• National Logistics Portal (NLP) — a
digital platform.
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• To bring all stakeholders in the
logistics sector on board to cut down
transaction cost and time for
businesses.
• Developed by the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry.
• Single window online marketplace for
trade and connecting business.
• Mentioned in Budget 2017-18.
Topic-GS- 3- Indian Economy.
Source- The Hindu
11. Maharashtra govt succeeds in
efficiently implementing MUDRA scheme
Maharashtra stands at the fourth position in
terms of availing and utilizing the ‘Mudra’
loan scheme in the country.
Related Information
Micro Units Development and Refinance
Agency Bank (MUDRA)
• MUDRA Bank is a public sector
financial institution in India.
• It provides loans at low rates to
micro-finance institutions and non-
banking financial institutions which
then provide credit to MSMEs.
• It was launched on 8 April 2015.
• Headquarters in Mumbai.
• The bank will classify its clients into
three categories and the maximum
allowed loan sums will be based on
the category:
(a) Shishu (शििु): Allowed loans up
to ₹50,000.
(b) Kishore (कििोर): Allowed loans up
to ₹5 lakh.
(c) Tarun (तरुण): Allowed loans up
to ₹10 lakh.
Topic-GS- 3- Indian Economy
Source- AIR
25.08.2018
1. World Bank launches a world-first
blockchain bond.
• ‘Bond-i’, which stands for
Blockchain Operated New Debt
Instrument, was created, allocated
and transferred using blockchain
technology.
• It is launched by World Bank and the
Commonwealth Bank of Australia is
the sole manager of the deal.
• The World Bank has priced the world’s
first public bond created and managed
using the only blockchain in a $100
million
• This World Bank bonds hold an AAA
rating.
• It will be the first time that capital is
raised from public investors through a
legally valid bond issuance that uses
blockchain from start to finish.
• The bank’s blockchain push comes as
the Australian Securities Exchange
plans to switch to using distributed
ledger (blockchain) technology to
clear and settle equities trades from
2020 to help cut costs.
Related Information
• Kangaroo bonds are bonds issued in
Australian dollars by foreign
institutions.
• Russia’s MTS, a telecoms operator,
and Sberbank claimed a world-first
blockchain bond.
Blockchains
• Blockchains are a new data structure
that is secure, cryptography-based,
and distributed across a network.
• The technology supports
cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
• Transfer of any data or digital asset.
Topic-GS-3- Basics of cybersecurity
Source- Livemint
2. Aeolus satellite launched in
'world-first' space mission to map
Earth's winds.
• The satellite – named Aeolus after the
guardian of wind in Greek mythology.
• It will be placed at an altitude of
320km (200 miles) above the Earth.
• Aeolus is the fifth of the ESA’s planned
Earth Explorer missions.
• It was recently launched from French
Guiana using Vega rocket.
• It is part of the Copernicus project,
a joint initiative of the European
Union and the European Space
Agency (ESA).
• To track environmental damage and
aid disaster relief operations.
• Aeolus is equipped with a single
instrument: a Doppler wind lidar.
Related Information
Doppler wind Lidar
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• It is an advanced laser system
designed to accurately measure
global wind patterns from space.
• The Doppler lidar transmits short,
powerful pulses of laser light toward
Earth in the ultraviolet spectrum.
• Particles in the air – moisture, dust,
gases – scatter a small fraction of that
light energy back to the transceiver,
where it is collected and recorded.
Topic-GS-3-Science and Technology
Source- The Guardian
3. 5G Panel
• The A.J. Paulraj panel was formed last
year to recommend policy initiatives
and action plans for 5G rollout.
• The report suggested the government
should announce its 5G policy by the
end of December, besides setting up
a standing committee to advise on
building the infrastructure for
spectrum technology.
• The committee has revealed that the
advent of next-generation wireless
services may impact the economy by
over 1 trillion dollars.
• 5G technologies will start entering
service globally beginning in 2019 and
advance to the full range of services
by 2024.
• The panel expects the commercial
rollout in India of 5G by 2020.
Related Information
5G(Fifth-generation wireless)
• 5G is the latest iteration of cellular
technology, engineered to greatly
increase the speed and
responsiveness of wireless networks.
• It is next generation mobile networks
technology after 4G LTE networks.
• It could travel at rates as high as 20
Gbps by some estimates -- exceeding
wireline network speeds.
Topic-GS- 3-Infrastructure
Source- Livemint
4. Indian-American scientist finds
the simple way to predict IBD.
• An Indian-American scientist has
identified as many as 50 protein
biomarkers that can non-invasively
detect inflammatory bowel disease
(IBD).
Related Information
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• It is a gut disorder that leads to
diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and
weight loss.
• IBD occurs when the body's immune
system fights its intestinal cells.
• Two of the most common types
are Crohn's disease and ulcerative
colitis, both of which cause
inflammation in the digestive tract.
Topic-GS-2- Issues relating to health.
Source- AIR
5. TRIFED
Related Information
Tribal Cooperative Marketing
Development Federation of India
Limited (TRIFED)
• TRIFED is a national-level apex
organization functioning.
• Since 1987.
• Under the administrative control of
Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government
of India.
• TRIFED’s sole objective is to bring
about a multi-dimensional
transformation of the tribal society
and a shift in the perception of their
existing image.
Topic-GS-2- Statutory Bodies
Source-PIB
6. CJI Launches Applications to
Facilitate Litigants and Lawyers
• Three applications of e-filing, e-pay,
and NSTEP (National Service and
Tracking of Electronic Processes)
created under the eCourts project
were launched during the occasion.
Related Information
NSTEP - National Service and Tracking
of Electronic Processes
• It is another innovative application
launched as part of the eCourts
Project.
• In the collaboration between Case
Information Software (CIS), Web
portal and Mobile Application.
• It is a transparent and secure system
for transmission of the process from
one location to another and shall
address delays in process serving
particularly for processes beyond
jurisdiction.
• It will lead to the secured auto-
generation of processes with unique
QR Code through CIS.
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e-Pay application
• It is a unified portal wherein facility to
pay online court fees is provided.
• The platform is user-friendly which
can be used with very little self-help.
• At present, the facility will be made
operational in two states –
Maharashtra and Haryana.
e-courts project
• The eCourts Mission Mode Project
(Phase I 2010-15; Phase II 2015-19)
is a national eGovernance project for
ICT enablement of the district and
subordinate courts of the country.
• The major objectives of the Project
are to make whole judicial system ICT
enabled by putting in place adequate
and modern hardware and
connectivity.
Topic-GS-2- Important aspects of
governance, transparency, and
accountability.
Source-PIB
7. ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and land
Elevation Satellite 2).
Related Information
ICESat-2
• ICESat-2 is a part of NASA's Earth
Observing System.
• It is a planned satellite mission for
measuring ice sheet elevation and sea
ice freeboard.
• It will be launched on 15 September
2018 from Vandenberg Air Force
Base in California, into a near-circular,
near-polar orbit with an altitude of
approximately 496 km.
• Mission Duration for three years and
will carry enough propellant for seven
years.
• It will provide topography
measurements of cities, lakes and
reservoirs, oceans and land
surfaces around the globe.
• The ICESat-2 project is being
managed by NASA Goddard Space
Flight Center.
• The satellite will launch on a Delta II
rocket provided by United Launch
Alliance.
Topic-GS-3-Science and Technology
Source- Times of India
27.08.2018
1. Prime Minister to launch FAME India
II on Sept 7
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will
launch on September 7 the second
phase of the FAME India.
• In this phase, the government is
targeting a fully (100%) electric fleet
for public transport, including buses,
taxis and auto-rickshaws.
• The panel decided to offer the subsidy
to all categories of electric vehicles,
including two-wheelers, three-
wheelers and four-wheelers.
Related information
FAME India Scheme (Faster Adoption
and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric
Vehicles in India)
• FAME was launched in 2015.
• The objective of the scheme is to
support the hybrid / electric vehicles
market development and
Manufacturing eco-system.
• The Scheme is aimed at incentivising
all vehicle segments i.e. 2 Wheeler, 3
Wheeler Auto, Passenger 4 Wheeler
Vehicle, Light Commercial Vehicles
and Buses.
• It has 4 focus areas i.e.
(a) Technology development
(b) Demand Creation
(c) Pilot Projects and
(d) Charging Infrastructure.
• The phase I of the scheme expired on
March 31, 2018.
• The scheme is a part of the National
Electric Mobility Mission Plan by
Government of India.
Topic-GS-3- Infrastructure
Source- Economic Times
2. BNHS to open its first regional centre
• The Bombay Natural History Society
(BNHS), will start operating its
regional centre on the campus of
Wetland Research and Training Centre
near Chilika Lake.
Related Information
The Bombay Natural History Society
• Founded on 15 September 1883.
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• It is one of the largest non-
governmental organisations in India
engaged in conservation and
biodiversity research.
• It is one of India’s premier avian
research institutes.
• BNHS is the partner of BirdLife
International in India.
• Headquarters in Mumbai.
Birdlife International
• Formerly the International Council for
Bird Preservation.
• Founded in 1922.
• Headquarters in Cambridge, United
Kingdom.
• India is a partner of Birdlife
International.
• It is the world's largest partnership of
conservation organizations.
• BirdLife International is the official
Red List authority for birds, for the
International Union for Conservation
of Nature.
Chilika Lake
• Chilika Lake is a brackish water
lagoon.
• Spread over Odisha, at the mouth of
the Daya River, flowing into the Bay
of Bengal.
It is the largest coastal lagoon in India
and the second largest coastal lagoon
in the world after The New Caledonian
barrier reef in New Caledonia.
It is the largest wintering ground for
migratory birds on the Indian sub-
continent.
In 1981, Chilika Lake has designated
the first Indian wetland of
international importance under the
Ramsar Convention.
It was put under Montreux Record but
later removed.
Topic-GS-1-Flora and Fauna
Source- The Hindu
3. India’s first biofuel flight
• SpiceJet Q-400 will operate a
demonstration flight powered by
biofuel from Dehradun to Delhi.
• The biofuel has been developed
by Indian Institute of Petroleum,
Dehradun.
• India will be the first developing
nation to experiment biofuel test
flight.
• The first-ever flight using biofuel was
flown ten years ago by the Virgin
Atlantic airlines between London
and Amsterdam.
Related information
• Biofuels are combustible fuels created
from biomass
• In other words, fuels created from
recently living plant matter as
opposed to ancient plant matter in
hydrocarbons.
• Biofuels are produced from Vegetable
oils, Recycled grease, Algae and
Animal fat.
Topic-Infrastructure
Source- Business Standards
4. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft
catches the first glimpse of its target
Bennu asteroid
• OSIRIS-REx obtained the image of the
asteroid from a distance of 2.1 million
kilometres using its PolyCam camera.
• OSIRIS-REx is NASA's first mission to
visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey the
surface, collect a sample and deliver it
safely back to Earth.
• The spacecraft has travelled
approximately 1.8 billion kilometres
and is scheduled to arrive at Bennu on
December 3 this year.
Related Information
The Origins, Spectral Interpretation,
Resource Identification, Security-
Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx)
• Launched on 8 September 2016, its
mission is to study asteroid 101955
Bennu.
• If successful, OSIRIS-REx will be the
first U.S. spacecraft to return samples
from an asteroid.
• It is the third planetary science
mission, after Juno and New
Horizons.
NOTE-
1. Juno- Mission to study Jupiter.
2. New Horizon – Mission to study Pluto.
Bennu
• Near Earth, carbonaceous asteroid.
• Discovered in 1999.
• It is the potentially hazardous
asteroid.
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• There is a very slight chance it could
strike into Earth in the late 22nd
century.
Topic- GS-3-Awareness about Space
Source- NASA
5. Aeolus
• The European Space Agency (ESA)
has launched wind-sensing satellite
“Aeolus” from French Guiana.
• It is the first satellite in the world to
perform global wind-component-
profile observation on a daily basis in
near real-time.
Related Information
Aeolus
• Name derived from Greek mythology.
• Built by Airbus.
• Rocket: Vega rocket launcher.
• Altitude of 320 km.
• Equipped with Doppler wind lidar
known as Aladin.
• It is part of the Copernicus project, a
joint initiative of European Union (EU)
and European Space Agency (ESA).
• It is the fifth of ESA’s planned Earth
Explorer missions.
Topic-GS-3- Awareness of Space
Source- Economic times
6. SCO Peace Mission Exercise
• The Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) Peace Mission
exercise started in Chebarkul, Russia.
• It involved military contingents of all
eight member nations.
• First time ever, India, Pak soldiers
set to participate together in a
military exercise.
Related information
SCO (Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation or Shanghai Pact)
• It is a Eurasian political, economic,
and security alliance.
• Created on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai,
China.
• By the leaders of China, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan.
• On 9 June 2017, at Astana summit,
India and Pakistan officially joined
SCO as full-fledged members.
• 1st SCO -2001-Shanghai, China
• 2018- Qingdao, China.
Topic-GS-2-Important international
institutions.
Source- Times of India
7. International Day for the
Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its
Abolition.
• International Day for the
Remembrance of the Slave Trade and
its Abolition, on August 23 of each
year.
• Designated by UNESCO to
memorialize the transatlantic slave
trade.
• The International Day for the
Remembrance of the Slave Trade and
its Abolition was first celebrated in
many countries, in particular in Haiti,
on August 23, 1998, and in Senegal
on August 23, 1999.
Related information
The Haitian revolution:
• During the night of August 22 to
August 23, 1791, on the island of
Saint Domingue (now known as
Haiti), an uprising began which set
forth events which were a major
factor in the abolition of the
transatlantic slave trade.
• The Haitian Revolution which lasted
13 years was a large and well-
organized uprising.
• It ended with the independent nation
of Haiti.
• Nearly 85 years later, Brazil became
the last nation in America to abolish
slavery in 1888.
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• UNESCO is a specialized agency of
the United Nations (UN).
• Formed on 4th November 1946.
• Headquarters in Place de Fontenoy,
Paris, France
• It is the successor of the League of
Nations' International Committee on
Intellectual Cooperation.
• UNESCO has 195 member statesand
ten associate members
Topic-GS- 2- Important Institutions.
Source- The Hindu
8. Biodiversity Heritage Sites
• Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) are
well-defined areas that are unique
with ecologically fragile ecosystems.
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• It covers terrestrial, coastal and
inland waters and, marine ecosystems
having rich biodiversity.
• Under the Biological Diversity Act,
2002 (BDA).
• The State Government in consultation
with the Central Government may
frame rules for the management and
conservation of BHS.
• The National Biodiversity Authority
(NBA) issues the guidelines for
selection and management of the
BHS.
• Ameenpur lake in Telangana is the
first water body in the country to be
declared as a BHS.
Topic-GS-3- Conservation
Source- The Hindu
9. INS Vikramaditya
• INS Vikramaditya, India's only aircraft
carrier, is going to be fitted with the
marine hydraulic system
• For the first time, it will give an edge
to the air-capable wing of the ship.
• The systems would be fitted by
Russia’s Rostec State Corporation
through its subsidiary,
Technodinamika.
• The upgradation would take place in
India only and would include
installation supervision,
commissioning and sea trials of the
ship.
Related Information
The GS-1MF and GS-3 marine hydraulic
systems
• The GS-1MF and GS-3 marine
hydraulic systems are used for
refuelling, cleaning and pressurization
of hydraulic systems of aircraft and
helicopters which form part of the air-
capable wing of INS Vikramaditya.
• GS-1MF hydraulic system is used for
helicopters while GS-3 are used for
aircraft.
INS Vikramaditya
• INS Vikramaditya is a modified Kiev-
class aircraft carrier which entered
into service with the Indian Navy in
2013.
• Originally built as Baku and
commissioned in 1987.
• The carrier was purchased by India on
20 January 2004 after years of
negotiations.
• On 14 June 2014, she was formally
inducted INS Vikramaditya into the
Indian Navy.
Topic-GS-3-Defence
Source- Hindustan Times
10. Lithium-ion batteries
• Scientists have developed novel
lithium-ion batteries with components
that harden on impact, preventing
them from catching fire and causing
injuries to users.
• The researchers solved this by putting
the silica in place before adding the
electrolyte.
Related information
• Lithium-ion batteries are a type of
rechargeable battery in which lithium
ions move from the negative
electrode to the positive electrode
during discharge and back when
charging.
• They are more reliable than older
technologies such as nickel-cadmium.
• It has high energy density i.e. it stores
more energy per unit of weight when
compared to another kind of
batteries.
Topic-GS-3-Science
Source- Indian Express
11. Compulsory genetic screening of
pregnant women to curb genetic
disorders
• The Centre has prepared a draft policy
to prevent inherited disorders such as
thalassemia and sickle cell
anaemia.
• The policy advocates for the provision
of medicines, including iron chelating
agents, leukocyte filters and infusion
pumps free of cost to the poor
patients.
• For sickle cell disease, the policy
recommended newborn screening to
be initiated in areas of high
prevalence.
NOTE
• Thalassemia and sickle cell diseases
are two common genetic disorders
that are chronic, life-restricting and
require long and specialized
treatment.
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Topic-GS-2- Impact of Health
Source- The Hindu
12. India’s first interstate connected
wind power project commissioned in
Bhuj
• 126 MW wind power capacity, part of
India’s first inter-state transmission
system (ISTS) auction, was
commissioned in Bhuj, Gujarat.
• State-run Solar Energy Corporation of
India Ltd (SECI) had conducted
India's first auction of wind power
projects in February 2017.
• It is in line with the Government’s plan
of having 175 GW renewable energy
by 2022.
Topic-GS-3- Infrastructure
Source- Money control
13. A mobile app launched to rate,
review your 'Neta'
• Former President Pranab Mukherjee
has launched ‘Neta App’ that allows
voters to rate and review their
political representatives.
• The objective of the app to foster
political accountability and
transparency among leaders.
• The App uses a combination of
Artificial Intelligence, one-time
password and Aadhaar numbers to
ensure that the voters who rate
leaders are genuine.
Topic- GS-2- E-Governance
Source- Indian Express
28.08.2018
1. Commute-related pollution
• The report was compiled by the
Centre for Science and Environment
(CSE).
• Six megacities (Delhi, Mumbai,
Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and
Hyderabad) and eight metropolitan
cities (Bhopal, Lucknow, Jaipur,
Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kochi
and Vijayawada) were evaluated.
• Kolkata as the top-performing
megacity.
• Bhopal leads the list on the lowest
overall emissions.
• Delhi and Hyderabad are the two
cities that fare at the bottom of the
table in terms of pollution and energy
use.
• According to the report, though
metropolitan cities scored better than
megacities, they were at risk due to a
much higher share of personal vehicle
trips.
Note-
• Chennai was the first city to adopt a
non-motorised transport (NMT) policy
in 2004 that aims to arrest the decline
of walking or cycling by creating a
network of footpaths, bicycle tracks
and greenways.
Topic-GS-3- Environment pollution and
degradation
Source- The Hindu
2. India’s first biofuel flight was
powered by jatropha seeds
• A blend of oil from jatropha seeds and
aviation turbine fuel propelled the
country’s first ever bio jet fuel-
powered flight between Dehradun and
Delhi.
• A blend of 25% of bio jet fuel and 75%
of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) was
carried in one of the two engines of
the plane.
• While the other engine carried only
ATF.
• International standards permit a
blended rate of up to 50% biofuel with
ATF.
• It has the potential to reduce fuel
costs by 15-20%.
• The indigenously developed fuel has
been nearly eight years in the making
by the Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) lab based
in Dehradun along with the Indian
Institute of Petroleum (IIP).
• The institute started its experiment on
biofuel soon after Virgin Atlantic
carried out the first test flight globally
in 2008.
Related Information
Jatropha
• Jatropha is a flowering plant.
• It is a drought-resistant plant.
• It can be grown in rugged terrain,
marginally poor soil and can survive
with minimum inputs.
• Jatropha also has medicinal properties
and is used for diseases like cancer,
piles, snakebite, paralysis, dropsy etc.
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• It has been tested successfully as fuel
for simple diesel engine.
• Its oil also acts as an insecticide.
Topic-GS-1- Flora and Fauna
Source- The Hindu
3. Relies on Wolbachia to control dengue
• The project was launched in Paderu in
Visakhapatnam.
• The Wolbachia controls the
multiplication of the virus in its host —
Aedes aegypti, which is primarily
responsible for the cause of dengue
fevers.
Related Information
Wolbachia
• Wolbachia is natural bacteria present
in up to 60% of insect species,
including some mosquitoes.
• However, Wolbachia is not usually
found in the Aedes aegypti mosquito,
the primary species responsible for
transmitting human viruses such as
Zika, dengue and chikungunya.
• It is one of the world’s most common
parasitic microbes and the most
common reproductive parasite in the
biosphere.
• Research has shown that when
introduced into the Aedes
aegyptimosquito, Wolbachia can help
to reduce the transmission of these
viruses to people.
• Mosquitoes with Wolbachia have a
reduced ability to transmit viruses to
people, decreasing the risk of Zika,
dengue and chikungunya outbreaks.
• India and several countries are
carrying out experiments to look into
the possibility of breeding Wolbachia
in Aedes aegypti.
Topic-GS-2- Issues relating to health
Source- The Hindu
4. Revised Share buyback regulations
• The Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI) has recently revised the
buyback regulations that stipulate
15% reservation for retail
shareholders in a buyback offer.
Related Information
Buyback
• A buyback is a mechanism through
which a listed company buys back
shares from the market.
• A buyback can be done either through
open market purchases (from the
secondary market) or through the
tender offer route.
Why does a firm go in for a buyback?
Buybacks are done when a company has a
significant cash reserve and feels that the
shares are not fairly valued at the current
market price
What are the benefits?
• The earnings per share (EPS) rise by
default.
• Shareholders get an attractive exit
option, especially when the shares are
thinly traded.
How can a company execute a buyback?
• A company can use a maximum of
25% of the aggregate of its free
reserves and paid-up capital for a
buyback.
• A special resolution needs to be
passed at a general meeting.
• If the company plans to use less than
10% of its reserves then only a board
resolution is required.
Topic-GS-3-Indian Economy
Source- The Hindu
5. BIS to set standards for the services
sector too
Related information
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
is the National Standards Body of
India.
• Under the Ministry of Consumer
Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
• It is established by the Bureau of
Indian Standards Act, 1986.
• Came into effect on 23rd December
1986.
• Its headquarters are in New Delhi.
• With regional offices in Kolkata,
Chennai, Mumbai, Chandigarh and
Delhi and 20 branch offices.
• It also works as WTO-TBT enquiry
point for India.
Topic-GS-2- Issues relating to the social
sector
Source- The Hindu
6. Government announces Regulations
for Drones.
• The regulations will be effective from
the 1st of December this year.
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• The regulations are intended to
enable visual line-of-sight daytime-
only and a maximum of 400 feet
altitude operations.
Key Regulations-
• Airspace has been partitioned into:
1. Red Zone- In which flying is not
permitted.
2. Yellow Zone- That is controlled
airspace.
3. Green Zone- For automatic
permission.
• The Digital Sky Platform is the first-
of-its-kind national unmanned traffic
management (UTM) platform that
implements “no permission, no
takeoff” (NPNT).
• One-time registration of drones is
required.
• For every flight (exempted for the
nano category), users will be required
to ask for permission to fly on a
mobile app and an automated process
permits or denies the request
instantly.
Related Information
Drones
• Drones are a technology platform
which has wide-ranging applications
from photography to agriculture, from
infrastructure asset maintenance to
insurance.
• Drones range in size from very small
and those that can carry multiple
kilograms of payload.
Topic-GS-3- Infrastructure
Source-PIB
7. Galileo
Related information
• Galileo is the global navigation
satellite system (GNSS) that is being
created by the European Union (EU)
through the European GNSS
Agency (GSA).
• It is Headquartered in Prague in
the Czech Republic.
• The €10 billion projects is named after
the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei.
• The aim of Galileo is to provide an
independent high-precision
positioning system so European
nations do not have to rely on any
other system.
• Galileo services will be free and open
to everyone.
• The first Galileo test satellite, the
GIOVE-A, was launched 28 December
2005.
• The complete 30-satellite Galileo
system (24 operational and 6 active
spares) is expected by 2020.
Topic-GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- BBC
8. 4th Asian electoral stakeholders
forum
• 4th Asian Electoral Stakeholders
Forum was held in Colombo, Sri
Lanka.
• This was for the first time AESF was
held in South Asia.
• The theme of AESF-IV was ‘Advancing
Election Transparency and Integrity:
Promoting and Defending Democracy
Together.
Related information
The Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum
(AESF)
• The Asian Electoral Stakeholder
Forum (AESF) is a continuing
engagement between election
management bodies (EMBs) and civil
society organizations (CSOs) in Asia.
• It was first launched in 2012.
• There have already been three
successful gatherings:
1. AESF-1 in Bangkok, Thailand (2012).
2. AESF-2 in Dili, Timor-Leste (2015).
3. AESF-3 in Bali, Indonesia (2016).
Topic-GS- 2-Important international
institutions
Source- AIR
9. G20 Digital Economy Ministerial
Meeting
• The 2018 edition of Digital Economy
ministerial meeting is being held in
Salta, Argentina.
• It took place as part of Sherpa Track
for 2018 G20 Leaders’ Summit, which
is to be hosted by Argentina by end of
2018.
• The theme of the meeting was
‘Building consensus for fair and
sustainable development‘.
• Its three key issues for the agenda
were future of work, infrastructure for
development, and sustainable food
future.
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Related Information
G20
• The G20 (or Group of Twenty) is an
international forum for the
governments and central bank
governors.
• Founded in 1999.
• It aims to discuss policy pertaining to
the promotion of international
financial stability.
• It seeks to address issues that go
beyond the responsibilities of any one
organization.
• The G20 was born out of a meeting of
G7 finance ministers and central bank
governors in 1999.
• It is made up of 19 countries and the
European Union.
• Countries are Argentina, Australia,
Brazil, Canada, China, France,
Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy,
Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
South Africa, South Korea, Turkey,
the United Kingdom and the United
States.
• The work of the G20 is generally
divided into two tracks:
1. The Finance track comprises all
meetings with G20 finance ministers
and central bank governors and their
deputies.
2. The Sherpa track focuses on broader
issues such as political engagement,
anti-corruption, development, trade,
energy and climate change, gender
equality, among others.
Digital Economy Task Force:
• The Digital Economy Task Force
(DETF) was established under the
2017 German presidency, based on
the decision adopted in Hangzhou in
2016 under the Chinese Presidency.
• In Antalya in 2015, G20 leaders
recognized the importance of the
modern era of digital transformation,
the advent of new technologies.
Digital economy
• The “digital economy” is a term for all
of those economic processes,
transactions, interactions and
activities that are based on digital
technologies.
Topic-GS-2- Important international
institutions.
Source- The Hindu
10. 3rd Indian Ocean Conference
• The 3rd edition of Indian Ocean
Conference held at Hanoi, the capital
of Vietnam.
• The theme is ‘Building Regional
Architectures’.
Related Information
Indian Ocean Conference
• IOC is organised by Indian Foundation
along with the partners from
Singapore, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
• It is an initiative to bring the state
leaders, diplomats and bureaucrats
from across the region under one roof
to strengthen the understanding
among each other.
• Earlier, the conference was held:
1. Singapore – 2016.
2. Sri Lanka – 2017.
• Both Conferences were supported by
the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
of India and had seen participation
from over 35 countries.
Topic-GS-2- Bilateral, regional and
global groupings and agreements
involving India and/or affecting India’s
interests.
Source- The Hindu
11. Madhya Pradesh seeks revival of
cheetah reintroduction project
• The Madhya Pradesh forest
department has written to the
National Tiger Conservation Authority
to revive the plan to reintroduce
cheetahs in the State’s Nauradehi
sanctuary.
• The ambitious project, conceived in
2009, had hit a roadblock for want of
funds.
• The country’s last spotted feline died
in Chhattisgarh in 1947.
• Later, the cheetah — which is the
fastest land animal — was declared
extinct in India in 1952.
Related information
Nauradehi sanctuary
• It is the largest wildlife sanctuary
of Madhya Pradesh state in India.
• It is a potential site for the Cheetah
Reintroduction in India.
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• The protected area sits astride two
major river basins of India, namely
the Narmada, flowing west to
the Arabian Sea and the Ganges,
flowing east to the Bay of Bengal.
• 3/4th of the wildlife sanctuary falls in
the basin of Ganges tributary,
the Yamuna River, of which the Ken
River is a tributary.
• 1/4th of the sanctuary falls in the
Narmada basin.
• The north-flowing Kopra River,
Bamner River, Vyarma River and
Bearma River, which are tributaries of
the Ken River, are the major rivers of
this protected area.
• The forest is spread over the southern
area of the Vindhya Range of hills in
which the Bandhavgarh National
Park and Panna National Park are also
located.
National Tiger Conservation Authority
(NTCA)
• The National Tiger Conservation
Authority is a statutory body.
• Under the Ministry of Environment,
Forests and Climate Change.
• Constituted under the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972.
• Amended in 2006, for strengthening
tiger conservation, as per powers and
functions assigned to it under the Act.
Topic-GS- 3- Conservation
Source- The Hindu
29.08.2018
1. Trump Reaches Revised Trade Deal
With Mexico, Threatening to Leave Out
Canada
Related Information
North American Free Trade Agreement
• The North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) is an agreement
signed by Canada, Mexico, and the
United States, creating a trilateral
trade bloc in North America.
• The agreement came into force on
January 1, 1994.
• It superseded the Canada–United
States Free Trade Agreement
between the U.S. and Canada.
• NAFTA has two supplements:
1. The North American Agreement
on Environmental Cooperation
(NAAEC)
2. The North American Agreement
on Labor Cooperation (NAALC).
Topic-GS-2- Important international
institutions
Source- BBC
2. Myanmar genocide report
• The report prepared by the UN Human
Rights Council (UNHRC)-appointed
Independent International Fact-
Finding Mission on Myanmar.
• Myanmar rejects UN accusation of
'genocide' against Rohingya.
• It has also rejected the UN report for
top Burmese military figures to be
investigated for genocide against the
Rohingya Muslim minority.
Key Highlights
• The United Nations has charged
Myanmar of “genocidal intent”, the
strongest condemnation from the
international community so far.
• The UN report has charged Myanmar’s
top military brass of the “gravest
crimes”.
• It blamed the country’s de facto
leader Aung San Suu Kyi for failing to
use her “moral authority” to protect
civilians.
• The report also suggests setting up an
ad hoc tribunal to try suspects or refer
them to the International Criminal
Court in The Hague.
• Impose an arms embargo on
Myanmar and subject its officials to
targeted sanctions and travel bans.
Related information
United Nations Human Rights Council
(UNHRC)
• The United Nations Human Rights
Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations
body whose mission is to promote and
protect human rights around the
world.
• Established by the UN General
Assembly on March 15, 2006.
• The headquarters is in Geneva,
Switzerland.
Topic-GS-1- Social Empowerment
Source- Money Control
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3. ISRO to send first Indian into Space
by 2022 as announced by PM
• The programme will make India the
fourth nation in the world to launch a
Human Spaceflight Mission.
• So far, only the USA, Russia and China have launched human spaceflight missions.
• The total programme is expected to
be completed before 2022 with the
first unmanned flight within 30
months.
• The mission will aim to send a three-
member crew to space for a period of
five to seven days.
• The spacecraft will be placed in a low
earth orbit of 300-400km.
Related Information
Mission Gangayaan
• Gangayan is the third biggest space
mission after Chandrayan and
Mangalayaan.
• It will be sending one Indian to the
Moon by 2022.
• GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle will be
used to launch Gaganyaan.
Chandrayaan-2
• Chandrayaan-2 is scheduled to be
launched in January 2019.
• The Mission will have an orbiter
weighing 2379 kg.
• Lander named Vikram weighing 1471
kg and a rover weighing 27 kg.
Topic-GS- 3- Awareness of Space
Source-PIB
4. Heritage and North East Circuits of
Swadesh Dashan Scheme
• The Ministry of Tourism has
sanctioned two new projects under
Heritage and North East Circuits of
Swadesh Dashan Scheme in Punjab
and Tripura.
NOTE-
• Under Heritage Circuit in the state of
Punjab, the project covers sites of
Anandpur Sahib – Fatehgarh Sahib –
Chamkaur Sahib – Ferozpur –
Amritsar – Khatkar Kalan – Kalanour
– Patiala.
• Under North East Circuit in Tripura,
the sites of Surma Cherra- Unakoti-
Jampui Hills- Gunabati-
Bhunaneshwari- Matabari-
Neermahal- Boxanagar- Chotta khola-
Pilak- Avangchaarra.
Related Information
Swadesh Darshan Scheme
• Ministry of Tourism (MoT) launched
the Swadesh Darshan Scheme in
2014-15.
• It is 100% central sector scheme.
• The objective to develop integrated
theme-based tourist circuits in the
country.
• The project covers two sites both in
Manipur–
1. Kangla Fort
2. Khongjom
NOTE-
• In the first project under Swadesh
Darshan Scheme, North East Circuit-
Imphal and Khongjom were
inaugurated in Manipur.
Tourist Circuit
• Tourist Circuit is defined as a route
having at least three major tourist
destinations which are distinct and
apart.
• Circuits should have well-defined
entry and exit points.
Topic-GS- 3- Infrastructure
Source-PIB
5. Centre and the World Bank sign 300
million dollar loan agreements for India
Energy Efficiency Scale up Programme
• The Central government and the
World Bank have signed 300 million
dollar loan agreements for India
Energy Efficiency Scale up
Programme.
• They signed 220 million dollar Loan
Agreement and an 80 million
Guarantee Agreement for the
Efficiency Scale-Up Program.
• The loan will be provided to EESL by
International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (IBRD).
• It will have a maturity period of 19
years and the 5-year grace period.
Related Information
Energy efficient programs
• The Program will be implemented by
the Energy Efficiency Services Limited
(EESL).
• It will help scale-up the deployment of
energy saving measures in residential
and public sectors, strengthen EESL’s
institutional capacity, and enhance its
access to commercial financing.
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• 219 million LED bulbs and tube lights,
5.8 million ceiling fans, and 7.2 million
street lights, will be supplied under
EESL.
Topic-GS-2-Government interventions in
various sectors.
Source- AIR
6. First SAARC Agri Cooperative
Business Forum begins in Kathmandu
• The First South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Agri
Cooperative Business Forum began in
Kathmandu.
• The theme of three-day Forum is the
'Organizing and Strengthening Family
Farmers’ Cooperatives to attain the
Sustainable-Development-Goals-1
and 2 in South Asia'.
• It is being co-organized by the Food
and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations and Asian
Farmers’ Association with the
support from the International
Fund for Agricultural
Development.
Related Information
Food and Agriculture Organization
• The Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) is a specialized
agency of the United Nations that
leads international efforts to defeat
hunger.
• Formed on 16th October 1945.
• Headquarters in Rome, Italy.
• Serving both developed
and developing countries, FAO acts as
a neutral forum.
• The FAO has 197 member states,
including the European Union(a
"member organization"),
Niue and The Cook Islands (States
in free-association with New
Zealand), and the Faroe Islands and
Tokelau, which are associate
members.
SAARC
• The South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the
regional intergovernmental
organization and geopolitical union of
nations in South Asia.
• Its member states (8 countries)
include Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• SAARC was founded in Dhaka on 8th
December 1985.
• Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu,
Nepal.
• Amjad Hussain B Sial is the current
Secretary General of SAARC.
Topic-GS-2-Bilateral relations
Source- AIR
7. India, EU to develop new influenza
research programme named Horizon
2020
• The Indian government and the
European Union (EU), on Tuesday,
joined hands for Rs 240 crore
research programme to develop a
"Next
Generation Influenza Vaccine" to
protect citizens worldwide.
• The EU and the Indian government's
Department of Biotechnology
(DBT), have also committed €15
million each to fund this joint call for
the program named "Horizon 2020".
• The projects require a minimum of
three applicants from Europe (three
different EU member states) or
countries associated to the EU
programme Horizon 20202) and the
minimum of three applicants from
India.
• The projects are also 'Open to the
World' and thus applicants from other
countries can join the EU-India
consortia.
Related information
Influenza
• Influenza, commonly known as "the
flu", is an infectious disease caused by
an influenza virus.
• The virus is spread through the air.
Topic-GS-2- Issues relating to health
Source- Business Standards
8. Namami Gange: PM-led body fails to
meet even once
• The National Ganga Council (NGC),
has never met since it was constituted
in October 2016.
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Related information
National Ganga River Basin Authority
(NGRBA)
• The NGRBA was formed in 2009
• Headed by Prime Minister.
• National Ganga River Basin Authority
(NGRBA) is a financing, planning,
implementing, monitoring and
coordinating authority for the Ganges.
• In 2014, the NGRBA has been
transferred from the Ministry of
Environment and Forests to the
Ministry of Water Resources, River
Development & Ganga Rejuvenation,
formerly Ministry of Water Resources
(India).
• Union government in 2016 took
decision for formation of a new body
named "National Council for River
Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and
Management)".
Topic-GS-3- Conservation
Source- Down to Earth
9. Odisha approves the proposal for the
legislative council
• Earlier, the state government had set
up a committee in 2015 to study the
legislative councils in other states and
recommend for one in Odisha.
• The committee led by transport
minister Nrushingha Charan Sahu had
submitted its report to the chief
minister recommending the formation
of the legislative council in Odisha.
• The proposed legislative council will
have 49 members.
• The members of the proposed council
will get salary and allowance as given
to the members of the Legislative
Assembly.
Related Information
Vidhan Parishad or Legislative Council
• The Vidhan Parishad or Legislative
Council is the upper house in those
states of India that have a bicameral
legislature.
• As of 2017, seven (7) (out of twenty-
nine) states have a Legislative
Council.
• The 7 states are:-
(i) Andhra Pradesh
(ii) Bihar
(iii) Jammu and Kashmir
(iv) Karnataka
(v) Maharashtra
(vi) Telangana
(vii) Uttar Pradesh
• Telangana and Andhra were together
till 2013. So they had a single
legislative council.
• Further, Parliament has also cleared
formation of Legislative Council
Rajasthan and Assam.
Topic-GS-2- Separation of powers
between various organs
Source- The Hindu
30.08.2018
1. Cabinet approves Umbrella scheme
“Ocean Services, Technology,
Observations, Resources Modelling and
Science (O-SMART)” of Ministry of Earth
Sciences
• The Cabinet today approved a scheme
aimed at stepping up ocean research
and setting up early warning weather
systems.
Related Information
'Ocean Services, Technology,
Observations, Resources Modelling and
Science (O-SMART)' scheme
• O-SMART scheme encompasses 16
sub-projects related to ocean
development activities and science for
implementation during 2017-18 and
2019-20.
Key Highlights
• The important deliverables envisaged
in the next two years include
strengthening of ocean observations,
modelling, ocean services for
fishermen, setting up marine coastal
observatories for tracking marine
pollution in 2018, setting up Ocean
Thermal Energy Conversion
Plant (OTEC) in Kavaratti in
Lakshadweep.
• The services rendered will provide
economic benefits to a number of user
communities in the coastal and ocean
sectors, namely, fisheries, offshore
industry, coastal states, Defence,
Shipping, Ports etc.
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• The scheme also includes the
acquisition of two coastal research
vessels, the continuation of ocean
survey and exploration of minerals
and living resources, technology
development for deep ocean mining-
and setting up six desalination Plants
in Lakshadweep
• It will help in reducing the search time
for fishermen resulting in savings in
the fuel cost.
• This scheme also provides necessary
scientific and technological
background required for
implementation of various aspects of
Blue Economy.
• The State of Art Early Warning
Systems established under the O-
SMART Scheme will help in effectively
dealing with ocean disasters like
Tsunami, storm surges.
• The technologies being developed
under this Scheme will help in
harnessing the vast ocean resources
of both living and non-living resources
from the seas around India.
Topic-GS- 1- Disaster
Source-PIB
2. Trade Ministers of 16-member Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) bloc to meet today in Singapore Related information
Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP)
• RCEP is a mega trade pact, which proposes free trade agreement between 10 ASEAN and 6 FTA partners.
• It aims to cover goods, services,
investments, economic and technical
cooperation, competition and
intellectual property rights.
• RCEP is the world's largest economic
bloc, covering nearly half of the global
economy.
• RCEP negotiations were formally
launched in November 2012 at the
ASEAN Summit in Cambodia.
• The bloc comprises 10 ASEAN
members, Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines,
Laos and Vietnam and their six FTA
partners India, China, Japan, South
Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
NOTE-
The first RCEP summit was held on
14th November 2017 in Manila, Philippines.
Topic-GS- 2- Important international
institutions
Source- AIR
3. Assam govt extends Armed Forces
(Special Powers) Act for another 6
months
The AFSPA was clamped in Assam in 1990.
What does the AFSPA mean?
• In simple terms, AFSPA gives armed
forces the power to maintain public
order in “disturbed areas”.
• They have the authority to prohibit a
gathering of five or more persons in
an area, can use force or even open
fire after giving due warning if they
feel a person is in contravention of the
law.
• If reasonable suspicion exists, the
army can also arrest a person without
a warrant; enter or search a premise
without a warrant; and ban the
possession of firearms.
What is a “disturbed area” and who has
the power to declare it?
• An area can be disturbed due to
differences or disputes between
members of different religious, racial,
language or regional groups or castes
or communities.
• The Central Government or the
Governor of the State or administrator
of the Union Territory can declare the
whole or part of the State or Union
Territory as a disturbed area.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs would
usually enforce this Act where
necessary, but there have been
exceptions where the Centre decided
to forego its power and leave the
decision to the State governments.
What’s the origin of AFSPA?
• The Act came into force in the context
of increasing violence in the
Northeastern States decades ago,
which the State governments found
difficult to control.
• The Armed Forces (Special Powers)
Bill was passed and it became known
as the Armed Forces Special Powers
Act, 1958.
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Which States are, or had come under
this Act?
• It is effective in the whole of
Nagaland, Assam, Manipur (excluding
seven assembly constituencies of
Imphal) and parts of Arunachal
Pradesh.
• At present, May 2018, AFSPA is
confined to the following 4 states:
1. Jammu & Kashmir.
2. Assam.
3. Nagaland.
4. Manipur (except Imphal Municipal
Area)
• The Centre revoked it in:
i. Meghalaya.
ii. In a 20 km area along the Assam-
Meghalaya border.
iii. Arunachal Pradesh, in Tirap,
Longding and Changlang districts
bordering Assam.
iv. Tripura.
Topic-GS-3- Internal security
Source- AIR
4. ISRO to outsource production of Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle and Small
Satellite Launch Vehicles to private
Industries.
• With ISRO’s hands full as it wants to
have 22 launches in a year and is also
working on Chandrayaan 2 apart from
carrying out the onerous task of
sending Indian astronaut to space by
2022.
Related information
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
• Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
is the third generation launch vehicle
of India.
• It is the first Indian launch vehicle to
be equipped with liquid stages.
• It is an expendable launch system
developed and operated by the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• It is a Medium-lift launch vehicle.
• PSLV can also launch small size
satellites into geostationary transfer
orbit (GTO).
• Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle was
developed to launch Low Earth Orbit
satellites into Polar and Sun
Synchronous Orbits.
• After its first successful launch in
October 1994, PSLV emerged as the
reliable and versatile workhorse
launch vehicle of India.
NOTE-
• The vehicle successfully launched two
spacecraft – Chandrayaan-1 in 2008
and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013 –
that later travelled to Moon and Mars
respectively.
Topic-GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- Air
5. Union HRD Minister launches the 3rd
edition of World’s Biggest Open
Innovation Model - ‘Smart India
Hackathon- 2019’.
• The third edition of World’s Biggest
Open Innovation Model - Smart India
Hackathon 2019 was launched in New
Delhi.
• Ministry of Human Resources and
Development, All India Council for
Technical Education (AICTE), Persistent
Systems and i4c have joined hands to
make a hat trick with their highly
popular and innovative Smart India
Hackathon initiative (SIH).
• For the 1st time, Private
industry/organisations and NGOs can
also send their problem statements to
students under SIH-2019.
Related Information
Smart Hackathon'
• Smart Hackathon is a national
competition for students to develop
digital solutions for real-life problems.
• Smart India Hackathon, a unique
initiative to identify new and
disruptive digital technology
innovations for solving the challenges
faced by our country.
• The Smart India Hackathon was
Launched on October 16, 2017, in
Pune.
Topic-GS-2- Government interventions
in various sectors.
Source-PIB
6. Health Ministry asks States to ban e-
cigarettes.
• The Health Ministry has instructed all
the States that e-cigarettes and other
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems
(ENDS) should not be sold under their
jurisdiction.
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• Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Mizoram,
Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar have already prohibited the
use of e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn
devices, E-Shisha and e-nicotine-
flavoured hookahs, and have
prohibited the manufacture, import,
sale and distribution of ENDS.
• Thirty countries including Australia,
Singapore and Sri Lanka have already
brought in such bans.
Related information
ENDS
• ENDS are noncombustible tobacco
products.
• These products use a liquid “e-liquid”
that may contain nicotine, as well as
varying compositions of flavourings,
propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin,
and other ingredients.
• The liquid is heated into an aerosol
that the user inhales.
• ENDS may be manufactured to look
like conventional cigarettes, cigars, or
pipes.
• Some resemble pens or other
everyday items.
• Larger devices, such as tank systems
or mods, bear little or no resemblance
to cigarettes.
• Vapes, vaporizers, vape pens, hookah
pens, electronic cigarettes (e-
cigarettes or e-cigs), and e-pipes are
some of the many terms used to
describe electronic nicotine delivery
systems (ENDS).
Topic-GS-2-Issues relating to health
Source- The Hindu
7. New committee formed to advise PM
on science, tech-related policy issues.
• Named as PM-STIAC (Science,
Technology, Innovation Advisory
Committee), is a 21-member
committee.
• It will be chaired by K Vijay Raghavan,
Principal Scientific Advisor to the
Government.
• The committee will advise the Prime
Minister on all matters related to S&T,
innovation and monitor the
implementation of PM’s vision on the
same.
• It will facilitate:
1. Formulation and implementation of
policies and decisions
2. Provide action-oriented and future
preparedness
3. Advise and assist in directing S&T to
solve the socio-economic problems in
the country.
4. Focus on driving innovation in
education, research, industry etc.
NOTE
• PM-STIAC will effectively supersede
the Scientific Advisory Committee to
the Cabinet (SAC-C) and Science
Advisory Council to the Prime Minister
(SAC-PM), which will now stand
dissolved.
Topic-GS-2- Various Bodies
Source- The Hindu
8. NASA’s Spitzer telescope completes
15 years in space.
Related Information
Spitzer telescope
• The Spitzer Space Telescope (SST),
formerly the Space Infrared
Telescope Facility (SIRTF), is an
infrared space telescope.
• Launched into a solar orbit in 2003,
and still operating as of 2018.
• It is the fourth and final of the NASA
Great Observatories program.
• The planned mission period was to be
2.5 years with a pre-launch
expectation that the mission could
extend to five or slightly more years
until the onboard liquid helium supply
was exhausted
• Spitzer has illuminated some of the
oldest galaxies in the universe,
revealed a new ring around Saturn,
and peered through shrouds of dust to
study newborn stars and black holes.
• It assisted in the discovery of planets
beyond our solar system, including
the detection of seven Earth-size
planets orbiting the star TRAPPIST-1,
among other accomplishments.
• Spitzer has logged over 106,000
hours of observation time in the past
15 years.
Topic-GS-3- Awareness in Space
Source- The Hindu
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31.08.2018
1. PM to launch India Post Payments
Bank
• The Prime Minister will launch the
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) at
Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on
September 1st, 2018.
• Under the Department of Posts with
100%, GOI equity and is governed by
the Reserve Bank of India.
Related information
Payments banks
• Conceptualized by the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI).
• These banks can accept a restricted
deposit (which is currently limited to
₹1 lakh per customer)
• These banks cannot issue loans and
credit cards.
• Both current account and savings
accounts can be operated by such
banks.
• Payments banks can issue services
like ATM cards, debit cards, net-
banking and mobile-banking.
NOTE-
Bharti Airtel set up India's first live payments
bank.
Topic-GS-3- Banking
Source-AIR
2. National Scheduled Caste and
Scheduled Tribe Hub (National SC-ST
Hub)
• The National SC/ST Hub is an
initiative of the Government of India
targeted towards developing a
supportive ecosystem towards SC/ST
entrepreneurs.
• Under the Ministry of Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprise(MSME).
• It was launched in 2016 in Ludhiana.
• The Hub operates out of the National
Small Industries Corporation (NSIC)
headquartered in Delhi, supported by
a special cell created for this purpose.
Topic-GS-1-Social Empowerment
Source-PIB
3. Project Navlekha
• Google has launched Project Navlekha
to expand the reach of Indian content.
• The project would allow Indian
vernacular news publishers to get
their content online.
• Currently, the project has publishers
from Delhi and its reach would soon
be expanded across India.
• It helps to make offline content easily
and fully editable and publish online
without expert digital knowledge.
• Navlekha aims to bring 135,000 local
language publishers online.
Topic-GS-3- Role of media and social
networking sites
Source- The Hindu
4. Vostok-2018
• Vostok 2018 is a large-scale
upcoming Russian military exercise.
• To be held from 11 to 15 September
2018.
• The exercise will have more than
300,000 troops, 36,000 tanks,
armoured personnel carriers,
armoured infantry vehicles, over
1,000 military aircraft, two naval
fleets participating.
• It will be held throughout
Siberia and the country's the Far
East.
• The exercise will involve units from
the Army, Air Force and Navy.
• The exercise will be the largest to be
held in Russia since "Zapad-81" held
by the Soviet Union in 1981.
• China and Mongolia are planning to
participate in Vostok 2018.
Topic-GS-3-Internal Security
Source- BBC
5. National Mission on GeM
• National Mission on Government e
Marketplace (GeM) will be launched
on 5th September 2018.
• To accelerate the adoption and use of
GeM by major central Ministries, State
Governments and their agencies.
• The aim of the National Mission is to
promote inclusiveness, transparency
and efficiency in public procurement
and achieve cashless, contactless and
paperless transaction.
• This will increase overall efficiency and lead to cost saving on government expenditure in procurement.
Related information
Government e-Marketplace
• Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is
the National Public Procurement
Portal.
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• The GeM platform provides online, the end to end solution for procurement of
commonly used goods and services for
all Central Government Departments
and State Governments. Public Sector
Units and affiliated bodies.
• The GeM was started on 26th of
August 2018.
Topic-GS-2- Government interventions
Source-PIB
6. Law Commission favours One Nation,
One poll proposal, recommends changes
in Constitution & electoral laws
Key highlights of the report:
• The 'draft' report submitted to the
Law Ministry recommended “holding
of simultaneous elections to House of
the People (Lok Sabha) and the State
Legislative Assemblies (except the
State of Jammu and Kashmir).”
• The Commission said holding
simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha
and state assemblies is a solution to
prevent the country from being in
constant election mode.
• It has recommended changes in the
Constitution and the electoral law to
hold the simultaneous polls.
• It will save public money, help reduce
the burden on administrative setup
and security forces.
• It also added that if simultaneous
polls are held, the administrative
machinery of the country will be
continuously be engaged in
developmental activities, rather than
in electioneering.
• The panel, however, cautioned that
holding simultaneous elections is not
possible within the existing
framework of the Constitution.
Related Information
Law Commission
• Law Commission of India is neither a
constitutional body nor a statutory
body.
• It is truly an ad hoc and advisory body whose work is to do research and make recommendations for law reforms.
• None of these recommendations is
binding upon the Government.
• Retired judge of Supreme Court heads
India’s Law Commission.
• The First Law Commission was
established in 1834 by the British
Government under the Chairmanship
of Lord Macaulay.
Topic-GS-2- Statutory bodies
Source- AIR
7. Global Mobility Summit: Move
• MOVE is a global mobility summit.
• The first of its kind in the country.
• Being organised by the Niti Aayog and
other stakeholder ministries,
including the ministry of road
transport and highways.
Topic-GS-3- Infrastructure
Source-AIR
8. Tiny crystals may lead to more
powerful digital devices
• Scientists have developed a tiny
electrical circuit that may lead to new
digital devices with increasing
amounts of computational power
packed into a smaller space.
• The electrical circuit created by
researchers at Curtin University in
Australia is made from crystals of
copper that are grown and electrically
wired at the nanoscale.
• The researchers used a single
nanoparticle to create an ensemble of
different diodes - a basic electronic
component of most modern electronic
devices, which functions by directing
the flow of electric currents.
Topic-GS-3-Science and Technology
Source- AIR
9. India, ADB sign $346 Million loan
agreement to improve State highways in
Karnataka
Related information
Asian Development Bank
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is
a regional development bank.
• Established on the 19th of December
1966.
• Headquartered in the Ortigas Center
located in the city of Mandaluyong,
Metro Manila, Philippines.
• It has 67 members.
• ADB is an official United Nations
Observer.
Topic-GS-2- Important International
Institutions
Source- AIR