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hyperloop 2020

MARCH 2019

Monthly Current Affairs for ESE 2020

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Current affairs – ESE 2020 March 2019

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Contents 1.1 Social development ............................................................................................................................................... 5

Women get a special focus under Skill India Mission .............................................................................................. 5

The World Happiness Report- 2019 ......................................................................................................................... 5

Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2018 ................................................................................................ 5

1.2 Industrial Development ......................................................................................................................................... 6

National Mineral Policy, 2019 .................................................................................................................................. 6

Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) ............................................................................................................ 7

Cabinet approves proposal to align with global trademark system ......................................................................... 8

FINE-2019 ................................................................................................................................................................ 9

FAME-II ...................................................................................................................................................................10



New Delhi International Arbitration Centre, 2019 ..................................................................................................10

STI council and the 9 mission mode projects ..........................................................................................................11

National Policy on Software Products - 2019 ..........................................................................................................12

1.3 Economic Development ........................................................................................................................................13

Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme ...........................................................................................13

Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications(SWIFT)...............................................................13

New Interest Rate Strategy.....................................................................................................................................15

Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) ...................................................................................................................................16

Sovereign Patent Fund (SPF) ...................................................................................................................................17

RBI re-categorises banks .........................................................................................................................................17

SBI YONO Cash........................................................................................................................................................18

Trade Receivables e-Discounting System (TReDS) ..................................................................................................18

Electoral bond scheme ...........................................................................................................................................18

2. ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................................................................19

2.1 Environment .........................................................................................................................................................19

Ban on import of solid plastic waste .......................................................................................................................19

Sundarban wetlands designated as Ramsar site .....................................................................................................20

Global Environmental Outlook 2019.......................................................................................................................21

The Global Chemicals Outlook II .............................................................................................................................22

Fourth Session of the UN Environment Assembly...................................................................................................23

Forest-certification scheme ....................................................................................................................................24

Waterless chrome tanning technology ...................................................................................................................24

Bio-Digester technology .........................................................................................................................................25

2.2 Energy ...................................................................................................................................................................25

India Cooling Action Plan ........................................................................................................................................25

Pradhan Mantri Jl-VAN yojana ...............................................................................................................................26

Government modifies solar park scheme ...............................................................................................................27

STAR Rating Program ..............................................................................................................................................28

New hydro policy ....................................................................................................................................................29

3. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ................................................................................................30

National Common Mobility Card ............................................................................................................................30

National Knowledge Network extension ................................................................................................................31



AI to predict wind energy output............................................................................................................................32

BOLD–QIT project ...................................................................................................................................................32

National Supercomputing Mission..........................................................................................................................32

EMISAT Mission ......................................................................................................................................................34

PRACTICE QUESTIONS .....................................................................................................................................................35

Social development ....................................................................................................................................................35

Industrial development ..............................................................................................................................................36

Economic development ..............................................................................................................................................37

Environment ...............................................................................................................................................................39

Energy ........................................................................................................................................................................40

Information and Communication Technology ............................................................................................................41



1. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1.1 Social development

Women get a special focus under Skill India Mission

The Skill India mission is equipping women with market relevant skills. The initiatives:

Long Term Skill Development Training via Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)

Short Term Skill Development Training

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Apprenticeship Training

Policy Interventions-The National Skill Development Policy focuses on inclusive skill development, with the objective of increased women participation for better economic productivity.

Special Women-Centric Projects

Partnerships with Private & Non-Government Organizations to boost skill development

Projects in Pradhan Mantri Mahila Kaushal Kendra (PMMKK)

Future jobs and industry-oriented courses

Entrepreneurial Initiatives

The World Happiness Report- 2019

The United Nations has released the World Happiness Report- 2019. Key facts:

The list is topped by Finland for the second year in a row. India slips 7 spots, ranks 140th People in war-torn South Sudan are the unhappy with their lives. The report ranks countries on six key variables that support well-being: income, freedom, trust,

healthy life expectancy, social support and generosity. About World Happiness Report:

The World Happiness Report is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness that ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be.

It is released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations by the UN General Assembly.

It ranks the countries of the world on the basis of questions primarily from the Gallup World Poll.

Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2018

The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). Key Findings:



India reduced its poverty rate sharply from 55 per cent to 28 per cent in ten years between 2005-06 and 2015-16. In India, a total of 271 million (27.10 crore) people moved out of poverty during these ten years.

In India, poverty reduction among children, the poorest states, Scheduled Tribes, and Muslims was fastest.

Although Muslims and STs reduced poverty the most over the 10 years, these two groups still had the highest rates of poverty.

Bihar was the poorest state in 2015-16, with more than half its population in poverty. Jharkhand had the greatest improvement, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,

and Nagaland. Definition of MPI poor:

The report measures multidimensional poverty index, which it says can be broken down to show “who is poor” and “how they are poor”. These factors in two measures, poverty rate as a percentage of the population, and intensity as the average share of deprivations that poor people experience. The product of these two is MPI. If someone is deprived in a third or more of 10 weighted indicators, the global index identifies them as “MPI poor”.

Context: The report, covering 105 countries, dedicates a chapter to India because of this remarkable progress. However, India still had 364 million poor in 2015-16, the largest for any country.

1.2 Industrial Development

National Mineral Policy, 2019

The Union Cabinet has approved National Mineral Policy 2019. Aims:

It will ensure more effective regulation. It will lead to sustainable mining sector development in future while addressing the issues of

project affected persons especially those residing in tribal areas Provisions of policy:

introduction of Right of First Refusal for reconnaissance permit and prospecting license (RP/PL) holders

encouraging the private sector to take up exploration, auctioning in virgin areas for composite RP cum PL cum ML on revenue share basis, encouragement of merger and acquisition of mining entities Transfer of mining leases and creation of dedicated mineral corridors to boost private sector

mining areas. The 2019 Policy proposes to grant status of industry to mining activity to boost financing of

mining for private sector and for acquisitions of mineral assets in other countries by private sector

It also mentions that Long term import export policy for mineral will help private sector in better planning and stability in business



The Policy also mentions rationalize reserved areas given to PSUs which have not been used and to put these areas to auction, which will give more opportunity to private sector for participation

The Policy also mentions to make efforts to harmonize taxes, levies & royalty with world benchmarks to help private sector

Significance of the policy: It focuses on make in India initiative and Gender sensitivity in terms of the vision. E-Governance, IT enabled systems, awareness and Information campaigns have been

incorporated. Regarding the role of state in mineral development online public portal with provision for

generating triggers at higher level in the event of delay of clearances has been put in place. It aims to attract private investment through incentives while the efforts would be made to

maintain a database of mineral resources and tenements under mining tenement systems. It focuses on use coastal waterways and inland shipping for evacuation and transportation of

minerals and encourages dedicated mineral corridors to facilitate the transportation of minerals.

The utilization of the district mineral fund for equitable development of project affected persons and areas.

It proposes a long term export import policy for the mineral sector to provide stability and as an incentive for investing in large scale commercial mining activity.

It introduces the concept of Inter-Generational Equity that deals with the well-being not only of the present generation but also of the generations to come

It proposes to constitute an inter-ministerial body to institutionalize the mechanism for ensuring sustainable development in mining

Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA)

Department of Commerce of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry has notified a scheme for Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products. Objectives:

To provide assistance for the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce.

To mitigate disadvantage of higher cost of transportation of export of specified agriculture products due to trans-shipment.

To promote brand recognition for Indian agricultural products in the specified overseas markets.

The scheme would be suitably included in the Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20). The scheme shall be admissible for exports made through EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

ports only. The scheme covers freight and marketing assistance for export by air as well as by sea.



The assistance is available for most agricultural product exports with some exceptions such as live animals, products of animal origin, milk, cream, curd, butter, buttermilk, whey, rice, wheat, tobacco and garlic.

India gets first TIR shipment via Chabahar Port The first shipment under the United Nations ‘Transports Internationaux Routiers’ (TIR) convention arrived in India from Afghanistan through Iran’s Chabahar Port. The consignments arrived at port of Nhava Sheva, Mumbai and Mundra. What is TIR?

TIR is ‘Transports Internationaux Routiers’ which is a UN convention that allows goods to be sealed in compartments and requires no need for physical checking of the contents.

Customs clearance can take place at internal Customs locations thereby avoiding clearances at Border Crossing Points and ports that may often be congested.

Movement under the TIR can be allowed by checking only the seals and the external conditions of the load compartment or the container thereby reducing border delays, transport and transaction costs thereby leading to increased competitiveness and growth for the trade and transport sectors.

What is TIR Convention? The Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under cover of TIR Carnets, 1975

(TIR Convention), is an international transit system under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

It will facilitate the seamless movement of goods within and amongst the Parties to the Convention.

At present there are 70 parties to the Convention, including the European Union and India. India had joined the TIR Convention on June 15, 2017.

What are the benefits? The traders will have access to fast, easy, reliable and hassle free international system for

movement of goods by road or multi- modal means across the territories of other contracting parties under this convention.

The convention will help boost India’s exports and enable greater participation in the global value chains.

Improving ease of doing business It pave the way for smoother and safer transport of goods across international borders and will

help boost trade between India, Central Asia, Europe and Russia

Cabinet approves proposal to align with global trademark system

The Cabinet approved the proposal for India’s Accession to the Nice, Vienna and Locarno Agreements. The Nice Agreement

The Nice Agreement on the International classification of goods and services for the purposes of registration of marks.

It establishes a classification of goods and services for the purposes of registering trademarks and service marks (the Nice Classification).



The Vienna Agreement The Vienna Agreement for setting up an International classification of the figurative elements

of marks. It establishes a classification (the Vienna Classification) for marks that consist of, or contain,

figurative elements. The Locarno Agreement

The Locarno Agreement for establishing an International classification for industrial designs. It establishes a classification for industrial designs (the Locarno Classification).

Significance: All three agreements are administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization. The agreements would harmonise the classification systems for examination of trademark and

design applications, in line with the systems followed globally. The accession is expected to instil confidence in foreign investors in relation to protection of

IPs in India. The accession will facilitate in exercising rights in decision-making processes regarding review

and revision of the classifications under the agreement. It will give an opportunity to include Indian designs, figurative elements and goods in the

international classification systems. About WIPO:

World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the oldest specialized agencies of the United Nations.

It aims to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world.

It currently administers 26 international treaties. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

About Intellectual Property: Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the

human intellect, and primarily encompasses copyrights, patents, and trademarks. It also includes other types of rights, such as trade secrets, publicity rights, moral rights, and

rights against unfair competition.

FINE-2019

Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) is a unique initiative of the Office of the President of India to recognise, respect and reward grassroots innovations and foster a supportive ecosystem. Highlights:

It was started in 2015. It was organised by National Innovation Foundation (NIF) and the Department of Science and

Technology, Government of India. Objectives:



It would provide an excellent platform to the innovators for building the linkages with potential stakeholders whose support can improve their prospects in coming years for the larger social good.

It promotes lateral learning and linkages among the innovators to enrich the ecosystem for new India.

About National Innovation Foundation: It was established in year 2000, with the assistance of Department of Science and Technology,

Government of India. It aims to strengthen the grassroots technological innovations and outstanding traditional

knowledge in the country. It has created a huge database of ideas, innovations and traditional knowledge practices from

all over the country.

FAME-II

The government has constituted an inter-ministerial panel for monitoring, sanctioning and implementation of projects under FAME-II programme. Highlights:

The Project Implementation and Sanctioning Committee will be chaired by the secretary in the Department of Heavy Industries.

The panel's terms of reference includes: 1. Modifying coverage parameters for various components and sub-components of the

scheme 2. Reviewing demand incentives annually or earlier based on price and technology trends 3. Modifying limits of fund allocations among different segments and types of vehicles 4. Reviewing the cap for maximum incentive per vehicle 5. Deciding other scheme parameters for its smooth roll out.

About the scheme: The Rs 10,000-crore programme under the second phase of the FAME India scheme will be

implemented over a period of three years with effect from April 1, 2019. Under phase-II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME-II)

scheme, 10 lakh registered electric two-wheelers with a maximum ex-factory price will be eligible to avail incentive of Rs 20,000 each.

It will cover buses with EV technology; electric, plug-in hybrid and strong hybrid four wheelers; electric three-wheelers including e-rickshaws and electric two-wheelers.

It proposes support for setting up of charging infrastructure whereby about 2,700 charging stations will be set up in metropolitan cities, other million-plus cities, smart cities and cities of hilly states across India.

New Delhi International Arbitration Centre, 2019

The Union Cabinet has approved promulgation of an Ordinance for establishing the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) for the purpose of creating an independent and autonomous regime for institutionalised arbitration.



Objectives: To bring targeted reforms to develop itself as a flagship institution for conducting

international and domestic arbitration. provide facilities and administrative assistance for conciliation mediation and arbitral

proceedings maintain panels of accredited arbitrators, conciliators and mediators both at national and

international level or specialists such as surveyors and investigators; facilitate conducting of international and domestic arbitrations and conciliation in the most

professional manner; provide cost effective and timely services for the conduct of arbitrations and conciliations at

Domestic and International level; promote studies in the field of alternative dispute resolution and related matters, and to

promote reforms in the system of settlement of disputes; and Co-operate with other societies, institutions and organisations, national or international for

promoting alternative dispute resolution. Constitution of NDIAC:

New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) will be headed by a chairperson who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court or a Judge of a High Court or an eminent person, having special knowledge and experience in the conduct or administration of arbitration law or management, to be appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.

There will be two Full time or Part time Members from amongst eminent persons having substantial knowledge and experience in institutional arbitration, both domestic and international.

Also, one representative of a recognised body of commerce and industry shall be chosen on rotational basis as Part time Member.

Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Financial Adviser nominated by the Department of Expenditure and Chief Executive Officer, NDIAC shall be ex-officio Members.

About Arbitration:

Arbitration is a procedure in which a dispute is submitted, by agreement of the parties, to one or more arbitrators who make a binding decision on the dispute. In choosing arbitration, the parties opt for a private dispute resolution procedure instead of going to court.

An institutional arbitration is one in which a specialised institution intervenes and takes on the role of administering the arbitration process. Each institution has its own set of rules which provide a framework for the arbitration, and its own form of administration to assist in the process.

STI council and the 9 mission mode projects

The Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council has taken up mission mode projects in areas ranging from biodiversity to artificial intelligence (AI). The mission mode projects include:



1. The national biodiversity mission is working on comprehensive documentation of the country’s biodiversity and development of professionals to handle environmental data for management and monitoring of biodiversity.

2. The goal of the mission on waste-to-wealth is to identify, develop and deploy technologies for better use of waste. It is designed to assist the Swachh Bharat and Smart Cities projects by leveraging science, technology and innovation to create circular economic models.

3. The mission on deep-ocean exploration focuses on better understanding of deeper parts of the seas around the country with a view to harness living and non-living resources that still remain untapped.

4. A mission that focussed on genomic study to identify and unravel genetic basis and prevalence of rare and inherited diseases with a view to stimulate better diagnosis and treatment.

5. A mission to take research in the area of electric vehicles to a new level. 6. A mission to enable access to teaching and researching materials in different areas of science

and technology in various Indian languages through a combination of machine and human translation.

7. A mission that will give a thrust to development of quantum computers, quantum chemistry, quantum communication and quantum sensors and another to create new knowledge and develop and deploy applications in the area of artificial intelligence.

National Policy on Software Products - 2019

The Union Cabinet has approved the National Policy on Software Products - 2019 to develop India as a Software Product Nation. Implementation strategy and targets The Policy will lead to the formulation of several schemes, initiatives, projects and measures for the development of Software products sector in the country as per the roadmap envisaged therein. Missions:

1. To promote the creation of a sustainable Indian software product industry, driven by intellectual property (IP), leading to a ten-fold increase in India share of the Global Software product market by 2025.

2. To nurture 10,000 technology startups in software product industry, including 1000 such technology startups in Tier-II and Tier-III towns & cities and generating direct and in-direct employment for 3.5 million people by 2025.

3. To create a talent pool for software product industry through 1. up-skilling of 1,000,000 IT professionals, 2. motivating 100,000 school and college students and 3. Generating 10,000 specialized professionals that can provide leadership. 4. To build a cluster-based innovation driven ecosystem by developing 20 sectoral and

strategically located software product development clusters having integrated ICT infrastructure, marketing, incubation, R&D/testbeds and mentoring support.



5. In order to evolve and monitor scheme & programmes for the implementation of this policy, National Software Products Mission will be set up with participation from Government, Academia and Industry.

1.3 Economic Development

Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme

U.S. President has announced that he intends to end preferential trade terms for India under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme. What is GSP programme?

The GSP programme sets zero tariffs for certain goods from a set of 121 developing countries to foster their trade and economic development.

It accounts for some $5.6 billion of India’s exports to the U.S., making India the largest GSP beneficiary.

Chemicals, gems and jewellery, engineering and textiles are among the Indian industrial sectors that benefit from the GSP.

Challenges faced by U.S.A: India’s new e-commerce rules — which have impacted American companies like Amazon and

Walmart. Price controls on medical devices (cardiac stents) Tariffs on ICT products like smart watches and high-end mobile phones Lack of greater market access for the U.S. dairy industry

Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications(SWIFT)

Half a dozen public and private sector banks have been slapped with monetary penalties by the Reserve Bank of India for non-compliance of directions in the Swift (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications) messaging system used by banks worldwide for foreign currency transfers. Reason:

The penalty has been levied for delay in compliance to RBI’s directives on Time-bound implementation & strengthening of SWIFT-related controls.

What is SWIFT?



It is a messaging network that financial institutions use to securely transmit information and

instructions through a standardized system of codes. Under SWIFT, each financial organization has a unique code which is used to send and receive

payments. SWIFT neither holds funds on its own nor manages external client accounts. SWIFT is headquartered in Belgium.

Why does it matter? Messages sent by SWIFT’s customers are authenticated using its specialised security and

identification technology. Encryption is added as the messages leave the customer environment and enter the SWIFT

Environment. Messages remain in the protected SWIFT environment, subject to all its confidentiality and

integrity commitments, throughout the transmission process while they are transmitted to the operating centres (OPCs) where they are processed — until they are safely delivered to the receiver.



New Interest Rate Strategy

State Bank of India has become the first domestic lender to link the interest rate offered on savings bank deposits over Rs 1 lakh to the Reserve Bank of India’s repo rate. Key facts:

By linking savings bank accounts to repo rate, the Marginal Cost Lending Rate will also get adjusted automatically with the change in repo rate.

Every 25 basis point change in the repo rate will impact MCLR linked loans by 7-8 basis points. Interest rates on cash credit and overdraft will also be linked to the repo rate. An additional spread based on a borrower’s credit quality will also be added to arrive at the

final interest rate. It will mark an important shift in the pricing of deposits and loans in the Indian banking system.

Will It Improve Transmission In The Economy? The external benchmarking system will allow transmission of changes in the benchmark

monetary policy rate in a commensurate manner. The other lenders will slowly move towards external benchmarking, thereby improving

transmission. What is MCLR?

It refers to the minimum interest rate of a bank below which it cannot lend, except in some cases allowed by the RBI.

It is an internal benchmark or reference rate for the bank. MCLR actually describes the method by which the minimum interest rate for loans is

determined by a bank - on the basis of marginal cost or the additional or incremental cost of arranging one more rupee to the prospective borrower.

Reasons for introducing MCLR To improve the transmission of policy rates into the lending rates of banks. To bring transparency in the methodology followed by banks for determining interest rates on

advances. To ensure availability of bank credit at interest rates which are fair to borrowers as well as

banks. To enable banks to become more competitive and enhance their long run value and

contribution to economic growth. Consumer Price Index Numbers

The Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has revised the Base Year of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from 2010=100 to 2012=100 with effect from the release of indices for the month of January 2015. What is the Consumer Price Index - CPI? The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services, such as transportation, food and medical care. It is calculated by taking price changes for each item in the predetermined basket of goods and averaging them. How CPI is used?



CPI is widely used as an economic indicator. It is the most widely used measure of inflation and, by proxy, of the effectiveness of the government’s economic policy.

The CPI gives the government, businesses and citizens an idea about prices changes in the economy and can act as a guide in order to make informed decisions about the economy.

The CPI and the components that make it up can also be used as a deflator for other economic factors, including retail sales, hourly/weekly earnings and the value of a consumer’s dollar to find its purchasing power

The index can also be used to adjust people’s eligibility levels for certain types of government assistance including Social Security and it automatically provides the cost-of-living wage adjustments to domestic worker.

What are the types of CPI? 1. CPI for Industrial Workers released monthly by Labour Bureau of the Labour Ministry. 2. CPI for Agricultural Labourers/Rural Labourers released monthly by Labour Bureau of the

Labour Ministry. 3. CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined) is compiled and released by Central Statistics Office (CSO) of the

Statistics Ministry.

Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)

The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) is slated to launch a fresh tranche of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) to raise Rs 4,000-5,000 crore in disinvestment. What is ETF?

ETFs are index funds that are listed and traded on stock exchanges just like regular shares. They are a basket of stocks with assigned weights. The ETFs trading value is based on the net asset value of the underlying stocks that it

represents. They enable investors to gain broad exposure to entire stock markets in different countries and

specific sectors with relative ease, on a real-time basis and at a lower cost than many other forms of investing.

The ETF is aimed at helping speed up the government’s disinvestment programme. What is Bharat 22 ETF?

Bharat 22 ETF comprises of stocks of 22 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India (SUUTI).

Bharat 22 ETF is managed by ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund. The foundation of Bharat 22 ETF was laid by the government in the Union Budget 2017.

What is Disinvestment? Disinvestment means selling of assets. In the case of Public Sector Undertakings, disinvestment means Government selling/ diluting its

stake (share) in PSUs in which it has a majority holding. Disinvestment is carried out as a budgetary exercise, under which the government announces

yearly targets for disinvestment for selected PSUs.



In April 2016, the Department of Disinvestment (under Ministry of Finance) was renamed as Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).

DIPAM is the nodal agency of Union Finance Ministry mandated to advise the Union Government in the matters of financial restructuring of PSUs and also for attracting investment through capital markets. It will also deal with all matters relating to sale of Union Government’s equity in PSUs through private placement or offer for sale or any other mode in the erstwhile Central PSUs.

Sovereign Patent Fund (SPF)

The National Electronics Policy (NEP) 2019 aims to create a Sovereign Patent Fund (SPF). What is it? It is a State-led investment fund that will acquire Intellectual Property (IP) assets important to national economic objectives. Role of SPF:

The fund can develop a domestic innovation ecosystem. Acquire critical IP and reduce the knowledge gap Generate new businesses based on the IP assets owned by Indian corporates. Supports R&D infrastructure Promote Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (EDSM) sector

RBI re-categorises banks

Debt-ridden Industrial Development Bank of India has been categorised as a private sector bank by the Reserve Bank of India, with effect from January 21, 2019.

The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has acquired a 51 per cent of the total paid-up equity share capital of the bank.

IDBI Bank was earlier categorised under a new sub-group “Other Public Sector Banks”. D-SIBs

Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) means that a bank is 'too big to fail'. The State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank will continue to be identified as D-SIBs. The Reserve Bank had issued the framework for dealing with D-SIBs on July 22, 2014 The framework requires the central bank to disclose the names of banks designated as D-SIBs

starting from 2015 and place these banks in appropriate buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance scores.



SBI YONO Cash

The State Bank of India has launched the YONO Cash service for its customers which will allow them to withdraw cash from ATMs without their debit cards. How does it works?

SBI customers can use the YONO app on their smartphones. Once a request for withdrawing cash is placed, a 6-digit code will be sent to the user’s phone

via SMS, which will then have to be entered into a YONO Cash Point. About YONO: You Only Need One (YONO) is the cardless cash withdrawal service. The initiative will address concern of using debit card at the ATMs for cash withdrawals by eliminating possible risk associated with it. Significance:

It will eliminate the fraudulent use of ATMs It will enhance the financial inclusion initiative of the country It will reduces the cybercrimes with respect to banking sector

Trade Receivables e-Discounting System (TReDS)

The RBI has set up the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDs). What is TReDS?

It is a financing arrangement where technology is leveraged for discounting bills and invoices which assists Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to deal with working capital and cash flow problems due to delayed payments.

For facilitating the financing of trade receivables of MSMEs through multiple financiers. It also enables discounting of invoices of MSME sellers raised against large corporate.

It has been set up under the regulatory framework set up by RBI under Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007.

What are Trade Receivables? Trade Receivables is the accounting entry in the balance sheet of an entity, which arises due to

the selling of the goods and services by the Entity to its customers on credit. Since this is an amount which the Entity has a legal claim over its customer and also the

customer is bound to pay the same to Entity.

Electoral bond scheme

Electoral bonds have been introduced to promote transparency in funding and donation received by political parties. What are electoral bonds? Electoral bonds will allow donors to pay political parties using banks as an intermediary. Key features:

Electoral Bonds may be purchased by only citizen of India. An individual can buy Electoral Bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals. The bonds can only be encashed by an eligible political party only through a bank account with

the authorized bank. Electoral Bonds are valid for fifteen calendar days from the date of issue.



If the Electoral Bond is deposited after expiry of the validity period, no payment is made to any Political Party.

The Electoral Bond deposited by an eligible Political Party in its account is credited on the same day.

The bonds are issued in multiples of 1000, 10000, 1 lakh, 10 lakh, 1 crore. Benefits of Electoral bond:

Transparent political funding. Protecting donors from harassment. No disclosure of information to third parties. Achieving Digital India vision. Bringing donations under tax preview.

2. ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

2.1 Environment

Ban on import of solid plastic waste

The government has plugged a loophole that allowed the import of plastic waste into India for processing.



Highlights: Solid plastic waste has been prohibited from import into the country including in Special

Economic Zones (SEZ) and by Export Oriented Units (EOU). The change in law was part of the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management &

Transboundary Movement) Amendment Rules, 2019. India consumes about 13 million tonnes of plastic and recycles only about 4 million tonnes. The rules were amended keeping in view the huge gap between waste generations and

recycling capacity in the country and also India’s commitment to completely phase out single-use plastic by 2022.

What are the items banned? A ban on plastic waste imports, imported PET bottles from abroad for processing in Special

Economic Zones (SEZ). Reasons:

Lack of an efficient waste collection. Lack of segregation system. No adequate capacity of recycling of plastic waste, causing substantial damage to soil and

water bodies. The provision of partial ban was misused by many companies on the pretext of being in an SEZ.

Significance of the ban: Promote ease of doing business Boosting ‘Make in India’ initiative Upholding the principles of sustainable development Ensuring minimal impact on the environment

Sundarban wetlands designated as Ramsar site

The Indian Sundarban was accorded the status of ‘Wetland of International Importance’ under the Ramsar Convention.

Thus India has 27 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), including the Sundarbans.

The convention entered into force in India on 1 February 1982. About Sundarban wetlands:

The Sundarbans comprises hundreds of islands and a network of rivers, tributaries and creeks in the delta of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal in India and Bangladesh.

Located on the southwestern part of the delta, the Indian Sundarban constitutes over 60% of the country’s total mangrove forest area.

The largest protected wetland in the country. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site, is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. The Indian Sundarban met four of the nine criteria required for the status of ‘Wetland of

International Importance’ — presence of rare species and threatened ecological communities,



biological diversity, significant and representative fish and fish spawning ground and migration path.

What are the threats? Concerns have been raised about natural ecosystems being changed for cultivation of shrimp,

crab, molluscs and fish. Dredging, oil and gas drilling, logging and wood harvesting, hunting and collecting terrestrial

animals. Vulnerable to climate change

Ramsar convention The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, better known as the Ramsar

Convention, is an international agreement promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

Traditionally viewed as a wasteland or breeding ground of disease, wetlands actually provide freshwater and food, and serve as nature’s shock absorber.

Wetlands, critical for biodiversity, are disappearing rapidly, with recent estimates showing that 64% or more of the world’s wetlands have vanished since 1900

Will the status help? It will help to highlight conservation issues of the Sundarbans at the international level. The international cooperation between India and Bangladesh for the protection of this unique

ecosystem will increase. Better conservation strategy for flagship species such as the tiger and the northern river

terrapin. What are the causes of wetlands degradation?

Major changes in land use for agriculture Grazing Water diversion for dams and canals Water diversion for dams and canals

Global Environmental Outlook 2019

The most comprehensive and rigorous assessment on the state of the environment report titled Global Environmental Outlook completed by the UN in the last five years was published. The report:

The report stated drastically scale up environmental protections, or cities and regions in Asia, the Middle East and Africa could see millions of premature deaths by mid-century.

It warns that pollutants in our freshwater systems will see anti-microbial resistance become a major cause of death by 2050 and endocrine disruptors impact male and female fertility, as well as child neurodevelopment.

The report highlights the fact that the world has the science, technology and finance it needs to move towards a more sustainable development pathway, although sufficient support is still missing from the public, business and political leaders who are clinging to out-dated production and development models.



Innovative policy options The green investment of 2 per cent of countries’

GDP would deliver long-term growth as high as we presently projected but with fewer impacts from climate change, water scarcity and loss of ecosystems.

Adopting less-meat intensive diets, and reducing food waste in both developed and developing countries, would reduce the need to increase food production.

An opportunity to increase citizens’ well-being while decreasing their environmental footprint through improved governance, land-use planning and green infrastructure in urban areas.

The strategic investment in rural areas would reduce pressure for people to migrate.

The report calls for action to curb the flow of the 8 million tons of plastic pollution going into oceans each year.

Policy interventions that address entire systems – such as energy, food, and waste – rather than individual issues, such as water pollution, can be much more effective

About Global Environment Outlook: It is often referred to as UN Environment’s flagship environmental assessment. It is a consultative and participatory process to prepare an independent assessment of the

state of the environment, the effectiveness of the policy response to address these environmental challenges and the possible pathways to be achieve various internationally agreed environmental goals.

The Global Chemicals Outlook II

The second edition of the Global Chemicals Outlook has been released. The outlook:

The Global Chemicals Outlook II – From Legacies to Innovative Solutions: Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, mandated by the UN Environment Assembly in 2016.

It seeks to alert policymakers and other stakeholders to the critical role of the sound management of chemicals and waste in sustainable development.

It takes stock of global trends as well as progress made and gaps in achieving the global goal to minimize the adverse impacts from chemicals and waste by 2020.

It finds that the global goal to minimize adverse impacts of chemicals and waste will not be achieved by 2020.

Findings of the outlook: Countries will not meet the internationally agreed goal to minimize the adverse impacts of

chemicals and waste by 2020.



The current chemical production capacity of 2.3 billion tonnes, valued at US$5 trillion annually, is projected to double by 2030.

Despite commitments to maximize the benefits and minimize the impacts of this industry, hazardous chemicals continue to be released to the environment in large quantities.

While international treaties and voluntary instruments have reduced the risks of some chemicals and wastes, progress has been uneven and implementation gaps remain.

The World Health Organization estimated the burden of disease from selected chemicals at 1.6 million lives in 2016, which is likely an underestimate.

Driven by economic development, population dynamics and other global megatrends, the chemicals market across a range of industry sectors is growing.

From pharmaceuticals to plant protection, chemicals play an important role in modern society and in achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Meanwhile, chemical production and consumption is shifting to emerging economies, in particular China.

Pesticides have been found to negatively impact pollinators, excess use of phosphorous and nitrogen in agriculture continues to contribute to ocean dead zone and chemicals used in sunscreens put pressure on coral reef ecosystems.

Fourth Session of the UN Environment Assembly

The fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) took place in Nairobi, Kenya. Theme of the fourth Session: Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consumption and Production. Highlights:

The key features of an innovative culture are creativity, openness and participation. The 2019 UN Environment Assembly will address the following three focus areas:

1. Environmental challenges related to poverty and natural resources management, including sustainable food systems, food security and halting biodiversity loss;

2. Life-cycle approaches to resource efficiency, energy, chemicals and waste management; and

3. Innovative sustainable business development at a time of rapid technological change. About the United Nations Environment Assembly:

The United Nations Environment Assembly is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment

It addresses the critical environmental challenges facing the world today. Understanding these challenges and preserving and rehabilitating our environment is at the

heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Environment Assembly meets biennially to set priorities for global environmental policies

and develop international environmental law. Through its resolutions and calls to action, the Assembly provides leadership and catalyses

intergovernmental action on the environment.



Decision-making requires broad participation, which is why the Assembly provides an opportunity for all peoples to help design solutions for our planet’s health.

India pilots resolutions on Single-use Plastics and Sustainable Nitrogen management Highlights:

UNEA adopted both the resolutions with consensus. The global nitrogen use efficiency is low, resulting in pollution by reactive nitrogen which

threatens human health, eco system services, contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion.

A small proportion of the plastics produced globally are recycled with most of it damaging the environment and aquatic bio-diversity.

It was highlighted that climate finance is an important lever for climate action related to both mitigation and adaption in the developing countries.

The contributions to climate finance need to be in consonance with the basic principles of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).

Forest-certification scheme

Geneva-based non-profit decided to endorse the Certification Standard for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) developed by Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF), an Indian non-profit organisation. What is forest-certification? Forest certification, a global movement initiated in 1990s after Rio Earth Summit, is a market-based non-regulatory conservation tool designed to promote sustainable management of forests and trees outside forests by an independent third party. Significance of forest certification:

The NCCF’s forest certification scheme is aimed to improve India’s forest management regime that is often criticised for various issues ailing the sector such as forest rights, forest degradation, biodiversity losses, encroachments, lack of manpower etc.

It will facilitate finding the causes of these chronic problems through the lens of forest certification and third-party monitoring to suggest suitable and sustainable solutions to Indian forest management.

Forest certification has been accepted as an efficient tool for forest management world over. About NCCF: The NCCF was set up in 2015 by representatives of forest-based industries, non-profits, forest auditors and government forest departments with an aim to set standards for certifying India’s forests, their products and their sustainable management.

Waterless chrome tanning technology

CSIR’s “Game changing technology” for enabling the Indian leather sector for making leather processing environmentally sustainable is ready technology transfer. This “Waterless chrome tanning technology” is a first of its kind technology to reduce chromium pollution load. About tanning process:



Tanning process consists of five stages -- liming, de-liming, pickling, basification and chrome tanning. About 20 thousand tons of chrome tanning agent is discharged in the wastewater.

The average uptake (absorption) of chromium by leather pelts during tanning is only 55 per cent out of chrome tanning agent offered.

About 30,000 tonnes of chromium tanning agent remains unabsorbed and gets discharged along with waste water, which is a huge environmental risk.

What is WLTT? In WCTT, the de-limed pelts are subjected to pre-treatment. Basic chromium sulphate will be added to the drum without any water. Pickling and basification need not be done so discharge of water with high salinity and chloride can be avoided. Significance of the technology:

It completely eliminates two processes before and after tanning Eliminates the use of water in tanning Reduces the total dissolved solids in wastewater from this process by 20% Brings down the usage of chromium by 15-20%, resulting in material saving Suitable for both hides and skins

Bio-Digester technology

The bio-digester technology developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will be a game changer in the sanitation sector in the years to come. What is Bio-Digester technology?

The bio-digester consists of a bio-toilet attached with bio-digester tanks. It uses anaerobic microbial inoculum to convert faeces into biogas and water that can be used

for agriculture and gardening purposes. The tanks can be customised based on the requirements of the local conditions, and can

operate in temperatures ranging from minus (-) 20 degrees to 50 degrees. The bio-digester tanks are maintenance-free for the lifetime, as the anaerobic microbial

inoculum is fed only once. It feeds on the faecal matter and multiplies by itself. The technology is now being used in the Indian Railways and by the armed forces.

Significance of the technology: The technology can be used in independent houses, apartment blocks, schools and other

educational institutions and hostels. The bio-digester tanks are maintenance-free for the lifetime. Low installation costs.

2.2 Energy

India Cooling Action Plan

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released the India Cooling Action Plan which has a long term vision to address the cooling requirement across sectors and lists out actions which can help reduce the cooling demand.



ICAP Goals: To provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all while securing environmental and

socio-economic benefits for the society. The India Cooling Action seeks to:

1. Reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38 2. Reduce refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38 3. Reduce cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by 2037-38 4. Recognize "cooling and related areas" as a thrust area of research under national S&T

Programme 5. Training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by 2022-23, synergizing

with Skill India Mission. The Thematic Areas identified are as follows:

1. Space Cooling in Buildings 2. Cold-chain and Refrigeration 3. Transport Air-conditioning 4. Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Servicing Sector 5. Refrigerant Demand and Indigenous Production 6. R&D and Production sector – Alternative Refrigerants

Benefits expected Thermal comfort for all - provision for cooling for Economically weaker sections( EWS) and

Lower Income Group (LIG) housing Sustainable cooling – low GHG emissions related to cooling Doubling Farmers Income – better cold chain infrastructure – better value of produce to

farmers, less wastage of produce Skilled workforce for better livelihoods and environmental protection Make in India – domestic manufacturing of air-conditioning and related cooling equipment’s Robust R&D on alternative cooling technologies – to provide push to innovation in cooling

sector.

Pradhan Mantri Jl-VAN yojana

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the "Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran) Yojana" for providing financial support to Integrated Bioethanol Projects using lignocellulosic biomass and other renewable feedstock. About the yojana: Under this Yojana, 12 Commercial Scale and 10 demonstration scale Second Generation (2G) ethanol Projects will be provided a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support in two phases:

Phase-I (2018-19 to 2022-23): wherein six commercial projects and five demonstration projects will be supported. Phase-II (2020-21 to 2023-24): wherein remaining six commercial projects and five demonstration projects will be supported.



Support this nascent industry by creating a suitable ecosystem for setting up commercial projects and increasing Research & Development in this area. The ethanol produced by the scheme beneficiaries will be mandatorily supplied to Oil

Marketing Companies (OMCs) to further enhance the blending percentage under EBP Programme.

Benefits of the programme: Meeting Government of India vision of reducing import dependence by way of substituting

fossil fuels with Biofuels. Achieving the GHG emissions reduction targets through progressive blending/ substitution of

fossil fuels. Addressing environment concerns caused due to burning of biomass/ crop residues & improve

health of citizens. Improving farmer income by providing them remunerative income for their otherwise waste

agriculture residues. Creating rural & urban employment opportunities in 2G Ethanol projects and Biomass supply

chain. Contributing to Swacch Bharat Mission by supporting the aggregation of nonfood biofuel

feedstocks such as waste biomass and urban waste. Indigenizing of Second Generation Biomass to Ethanol technologies.

Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme: Government of India launched Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme in 2003 for undertaking blending of ethanol in Petrol to address environmental concerns due to fossil fuel burning, provide remuneration to farmers, subsidize crude imports and achieve forex savings.

Government modifies solar park scheme

The government has modified the existing scheme for development of solar parks and ultra mega solar parks in a bid to ease constraints related to availability of land and evacuation infrastructure. Critical elements:

1. Land availability 2. Power evacuation infrastructure for solar parks

The new guidelines-Mode-7: A new mode is being introduced for development of renewable energy parks

(solar/wind/hybrid/other RE parks) through Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). SECI will make both government and private land available for successful bidders for setting up

projects with the assistance of state government. The state government would be paid a facilitation charge of Rs 0.02 per unit of power being

generated in these parks. No fund from Central Financial Assistance (CFA) would be used for the procurement of land. SECI would act as a Solar Power Park Developer (SPPD) and will get the external power

evacuation infrastructure of the parks developed by the External Transmission Development Agency such as transmission utilities.



SECI would also set up a Payment Security Mechanism to make setting up of renewable projects in such parks more attractive.

About Solar Park scheme: Ministry of New and renewable Energy (MNRE) has drawn a scheme to set up number of solar

parks across various states in the country. The Scheme proposes to provide financial support by Government of India to establish solar

parks. The scheme aim to facilitate creation of infrastructure necessary for setting up new solar

power projects in terms of allocation of land, transmission and evacuation lines, access roads, availability of water and others, in a focused manner.

The implementation agency would be Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) on behalf of Government of India (GOI).

The Solar Park is a concentrated zone of development of solar power generation projects The parks will be characterized by well-developed proper infra-structure where the risk &

gestation period of the projects will be minimized. At the state level, the solar park will enable the states to bring in significant investment from

project developers in Solar Power sector, to meet its Solar Purchase Obligation (SPO) mandates and provide employment opportunities to local population.

The state will also be able to reduce its carbon footprint by avoiding emissions equivalent to the solar park’s generated capacity.

STAR Rating Program

The Ministry of Power, Government of India has expanded its ambitious Standards & Labelling (Star Rating) program for Energy Efficient for Appliances to cover the Microwave Ovens and Washing Machines (with revised parameters) in the country. About Star Labelling programme:

The Star Labelling Programs has been formulated by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for improving energy efficiency and lowering energy cost of appliances/equipment for the consumers.

This program is expected to save over 3.0 Billion Units by 2030. This would be equivalent to Green House Gases (GHG) reduction of 2.4 Million-ton of CO2 by the year 2030 through these initiatives.

These Programs will create awareness amongst the domestic consumers to encourage the transition towards energy efficient equipments.

The manufacturers will be able to register products online, on a portal developed by BEE. Any model/brand can avail Star Rating on a scale of 1 to 5 based on test report from National

Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) or equivalent labs subsequent to scrutiny by BEE.

About Bureau of Energy Efficiency: It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.



It assists in developing policies and strategies with the primary objective of reducing the energy intensity of the Indian economy.

BEE coordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies, and other organizations to identify and utilize the existing resources and infrastructure, in performing the functions assigned to it under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.

About NABL: National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is a Constituent

Board of Quality Council of India. NABL has been established with the objective of providing Government, Industry Associations

and Industry in general with a scheme of Conformity Assessment Body’s accreditation which involves third-party assessment of the technical competence of testing including medical and calibration laboratories, proficiency testing providers and reference material producers.

Quality Council of India (QCI) as a non-profit autonomous society registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860.

The aim of QCI is to establish an accreditation structure in the country and to spread quality movement in India by undertaking a National Quality Campaign.

New hydro policy

The government took decision to re-classify large hydroelectric projects as renewable energy.

As per existing practice, only hydropower projects less than 25 MW are categorized as Renewable Energy.

New policy removes this limit.

Hydropower Projects (HPO) as a separate entity within non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligation.

The classification of Hydro Projects based on Installed Capacity: 1. Micro Hydro Projects: upto 100 KW. 2. Mini Hydro Projects: 101KW to 2 MW. 3. Small Hydro Projects: 2 MW to 25 MW. 4. Mega Hydro Projects: Hydro projects with installed capacity >= 500 MW.

Renewable Energy Sector India’s renewable energy sector had an installed capacity of 75,055.92 MW as of February

2019, according to data with the Central Electricity Authority. This made up about 21.4% of the overall energy mix, with the rest coming from thermal,

nuclear and large hydro sources. Renewable energy capacity would now be 1,20,455.14 MW or 34.4% of the overall energy mix.

Change in the renewable energy mix: 1. Before February 2019, the wind energy contributed nearly 50% of all renewable energy

capacity; it will now make up only 29.3%. 2. Solar energy’s share will fall from 34.68% to 21.61%.



3. The hydro sector, however, will see its share grow from just over 6% to over 41%.

Impact of the policy:

Hydroelectric energy provides grid stability which a renewable source like wind and solar do not. The key reasoning seems to be providing grid stability and a better energy mix.

There has been a huge imbalance in the thermal-hydro mix for the last few years because of a sharp growth in thermal and complete stagnation in hydro.

This reclassification will immediately help India achieve its target of 175 GW by 2022. It will help large hydel projects avail cheaper credit and increase demand from distribution

companies for cleaner energy. The projects will not only get the budgetary support for infrastructure, but will also be able to

access “green finance”.

3. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

National Common Mobility Card

The Indigenous Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) System based on One Nation One Card Model i.e. National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is the first of its kind in India. What is National Common Mobility Card?

These are bank issued cards on Debit/Credit/Prepaid card product platform.



The customer may use this single card for payments across all segments including metro, bus, suburban railways, toll, parking, smart city and retail.

The stored value on card supports offline transaction across all travel needs with minimal financial risk to involved stakeholders.

The service area feature of this card supports operator specific applications e.g. monthly passes, season tickets etc.

It is developed by National Payment Corporation of India in association with the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

India’s First Indigenously Developed Payment Eco-system for transport consisting of NCMC Card, SWEEKAR (Swachalit Kiraya: Automatic Fare Collection System) and SWAGAT (Swachalit Gate) is based on NCMC Standards.

National Knowledge Network extension

India has extended its National Knowledge Network (NKN) to Bangladesh. What is NKN? It is a multi-gigabit pan-India network which facilitates the development of India’s communications infrastructure, stimulates research and creates next generation applications and services. Aim: To connect all universities, research institutions, libraries, laboratories, healthcare and agricultural institutions across the country to address such paradigm shift. Role of NKN:

Connecting all higher centres of learning and research by bringing together all stakeholders from science, technology, higher education, healthcare, agriculture and governance to a common platform.

To optimally utilise the potential of institutions engaged in generation and dissemination of knowledge in various areas, such as research laboratories, universities and other institutions of higher learning, including professional institutions, it is important to connect them through a high speed broadband network.

To build quality institutions with requisite research facilities and create a pool of highly trained persons.



AI to predict wind energy output

In collaboration with its Britain-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) subsidiary DeepMind, Google has developed a system to predict wind power output 36 hours ahead of actual generation. How does it work?

Using a neural network trained on widely available weather forecasts and historical turbine data, the researchers configured the DeepMind system to predict wind power output 36 hours ahead of actual generation.

Based on these predictions, our model recommends how to make optimal hourly delivery commitments to the power grid a full day in advance.

This is important, because energy sources that can be scheduled, or can deliver a set amount of electricity at a set time, are often more valuable to the grid.

The machine learning has boosted the value of our wind energy by roughly 20 per cent, compared to the baseline scenario of no time-based commitments to the grid.

Significance: Boost the value of wind energy Strengthen the business case for wind power Drive further adoption of carbon-free energy on electric grids worldwide.

BOLD–QIT project

The Union Home Ministry will inaugurate the project BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) under CIBMS (Comprehensive Integrated Border Management system) on India-Bangladesh border in Dhubri District of Assam. Background: The 61 Kms of Border area in District Dhubri, Assam where River Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh is consisting of vast char lands and innumerable river channels thus making border guarding in this area, a daunting task especially during rainy season. Highlights:

BOLD-QIT is the project to install technical systems under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS).

The entire span of River Brahmaputra has been covered with data network generated by Microwave communication, OFC Cables, DMR Communication, day and night surveillance Cameras and intrusion detection system.

These modern gadgets provide feeds to BSF Control Rooms on the Border and enable BSF Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) to thwart any possibility of Illegal Cross Border Crossing/ Crimes.

Significance of the project: The implementation of this project will not only help BSF to curb all type of cross border crimes but also provide respite to the troops from round the clock human surveillance.

National Supercomputing Mission

The new supercomputing system would be used for specific challenge domains like cryptography, chemistry, molecular dynamics, drug discovery, artificial intelligence and data sciences where the new system would be utilized.



Key Facts: The mission will enable India to leapfrog to the league of world-class computing power nations National Supercomputing Mission to connect national academic and R&D institutions with a

grid of over 70 high-performance computing facilities at an estimated cost of Rs 4,500 crore. The mission would be implemented by the Department of Science and Technology and

Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) through Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.

The mission has been conceptualised and evolved keeping in view the ever increasing computing demand of the scientific and academic community in the country, international technology trends and roadmaps, strategic importance and emergence of supercomputing as a benchmark for scientific and technological advancements, it said.

The Mission supports the government's vision of 'Digital India' and 'Make in India' initiatives. These supercomputers will also be networked on the National Supercomputing grid over the

National Knowledge Network (NKN). Academic and R&D institutions as well as key user departments/ministries would participate by

using these facilities and develop applications of national relevance. The Mission also includes development of highly professional High Performance Computing

(HPC) aware human resource for meeting challenges of development of these applications. Supercomputers in India

India’s first supercomputer called PARAM 8000 was launched in 1991. At present, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology has Pratyush supercomputer, which is the

fastest supercomputer in India, it has a speed of 4.0 Petaflops. National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting has Mihir, which has a speed of 2.8

petaflops. About Unit of Computing Speed:

Teraflops: It is a unit of computing speed equal to one million million (10^12) floating-point operations per second (FLOPS).

Petaflops: It is a unit of computing speed equal to one thousand million million (10^15) floating-point operations per second (FLOPS).

Exaflops: It is a unit of computing speed equal to one billion billion (10^18) floating-point operations per second (FLOPS).



EMISAT Mission

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C45) successfully launched EMISAT and 28

international customer satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR in Sriharikota.

This flight marked the first mission of PSLV-QL, a new variant of PSLV with four strap-on

motors.

EMISAT is a satellite built around ISRO’s Mini Satellite-2 bus weighing about 436 kg. The

satellite is intended for electromagnetic spectrum measurement.

The 28 international customer satellites, together weighing about 220 kg, are from four

countries, namely, Lithuania (2), Spain (1), Switzerland (1) and USA (24).

The payloads carried by PS4 are Automatic Identification System from ISRO, Automatic Packet

Repeating System from AMSAT, India and Advanced Retarding Potential Analyzer for

ionospheric studies from Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology.



PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Social development

Q.1 Consider the below statements with reference to World Happiness Report- 2019: 1. India’s performance has improved from last year ranking to current year ranking 2. It is released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nation 3. The list is topped by Norway

Which of the above statements is/are INCORRECT? a. 1 and 2 b. 1,2 and 3 c. 1 and 3 d. 2 and 3 Q.2 With reference to Multidimensional Poverty Index, consider the following statements:

1. It measures poverty only from the income or monetary terms. 2. It is released every year by World Bank

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 Only



b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2

Industrial development

Q.3 Consider the below statements with reference to National Mineral Policy, 2019: 1. It encourages the private sector to take up exploration activities 2. Encourages merger and acquisition of mining entities 3. It ensures sustainable mining sector development by addressing the issues of project affected

persons especially those residing in tribal areas Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1,2 and 3 b. 2 and 3 c. 1 and 2 d. 1 and 3 Q.4 Consider the below statements with reference to Transport and Marketing Assistance programme:

1. The scheme aims to provide assistance for the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce.

2. It promotes brand recognition for ‘Make in India’ in the specified overseas markets. 3. All exporters of electronic products shall be covered under this scheme

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 only b. 2 and 3 c. 1 and 3 d. 1 and 2 Q.5 Consider the below statements with reference to Transports Internationaux Routiers Convention:

1. It is an international transit system under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

2. It will facilitate the seamless movement of goods within and amongst the Parties to the Convention.

3. India is not the party to the Convention Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1,2 and 3 b. 1 and 2 c. 2 and 3 d. 1 and 3



Q.6 With reference to Nice Agreement, consider the below statements: 1. It is an agreement on the International classification of goods and services for the purposes of

registration of marks. 2. It establishes a classification of goods and services for the purposes of registering trademarks

and service marks 3. It aims for establishing an International classification for industrial designs.

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 and 2 b. 1 and 2 c. 2 and 3 d. 1,2 and 3

Economic development

Q.7 Consider the below statements with reference to Exchange Traded Fund: 1. Bharat 22 ETF are stocks of 22 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), Public Sector Banks 2. EFT is a way of disinvestment adopted by government of India

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2 Q.8 Consider the below statements with reference to Domestic Systemically Important Banks:

1. RBI decides the banks to be designated as D-SIBs 2. These banks have to maintain additional SLR and CLR

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2 Q.9 Consider the below statements with reference to TReDS:

1. It is an online mechanism for facilitating the financing of trade receivables of MSMEs through multiple financiers

2. It is a e-trading system adopted by BSE 3. It is regulated by RBI

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 and 2 b. 1,2 and 3 c. 2 and 3



d. 1 and 3 Q.10 Consider the below statements with reference to MCLR:

1. It is the minimum interest rate of a bank below which it cannot lend 2. It will enable banks to improve the loan recovery 3. It will ensure availability of bank credit at interest rates which are fair to borrowers

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 1,2 and 3 d. 1 and 3 Q.11 Consider the below statements with reference to Consumer Price Index:

1. It is the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services 2. It is the widely used measure of inflation 3. All CPI measures are released by Central Statistics Office

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 1,2 and 3 d. 2 and 3 Q.12 With reference to Sovereign Patent Fund, consider the below statements:

1. It will facilitate in acquiring critical Intellectual Property 2. Promote Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (EDSM) sector 3. It will promote domestic innovation ecosystem

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 1,2 and 3 d. 1 and 3 Q.13 When the price rise is moderate and the annual inflation rate is of a single digit, the inflation is known as: a. Creeping inflation b. Walking inflation c. Galloping inflation d. None of the above



Environment

Q.14 Consider the below statements with reference to Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Amendment Rules, 2019:

1. Solid plastic waste has been prohibited from import into the country including in Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and by Export Oriented Units (EOU).

2. Electrical and electronic assemblies and components manufactured in and exported from India, if found defective can be imported back

Which of the above statements is/are INCORRECT? a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 or 2 Q.15 Consider the below statements with reference to Sundarban wetlands:

1. The Indian Sundarban is in ‘Wetland of International Importance’ under the Ramsar Convention

2. It is the second largest protected wetland in the country. 3. It is an UNESCO world heritage site

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 and 2 b. 1 and 3 c. 1,2 and 3 d. 2 and 3 Q.16 The Global Environmental Outlook released by: a. World Bank b. United Nations Development Fund c. Global Environment Facility d. UN Environment Programme Q.17 Nitrogen pollution is linked to which of the following:

1. Eutrophication 2. Global warming 3. Acid rain

Select the correct answer code: a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 1 and 3 d. 1,2 and 3



Q.18 Consider the below statements with reference to Bio-Digester technology: 1. Bio digesters are the other name of decomposers found naturally 2. The bio-digester tanks can converts human faeces into biogas and reusable water. 3. It uses anaerobic microbial inoculum

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 1,2 and 3 d. 1 and 3

Energy

Q.19 With reference to India Cooling Action Plan, consider the below statements: 1. It aims to provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all while securing environmental

and socio-economic benefits 2. It will increase the refrigerant demand in near future 3. It will facilitate reduction of emissions

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 and 3 b. 1,2 and 3 c. 2 and 3 d. 1 and 2 Q.20 Consider the following statements with reference to Pradhan Mantri Jl-VAN yojana:

1. It aims for providing financial support to Integrated Bioethanol Projects 2. The scheme focuses to improve availability of affordable medicines

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2 Q.21 With reference to STAR Rating Program, consider the below statements:

1. The programs has been formulated by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency 2. It aims for improving energy efficiency and lowering energy cost of appliances/equipment for

the consumers Which of the above statements is/are INCORRECT? a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2



Q.22 Energy triangle of WEF’s Energy Transition index are:

1. Energy security and access 2. Economic development and growth 3. Environmental sustainability 4. Reducing consumption

Select the correct answer code: a. 1 and 2 b. 2, 3 and 4 c. 1,3 and 4 d. 1,2 and 3

Information and Communication Technology

Q.23 Consider the below statements with reference to National Knowledge Network: 1. It is a pan-India network which facilitates the development of India’s communications

infrastructure 2. It is the WAN connecting all government schools in the country

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2 Q.24 Consider the below statements with reference to Unit of Computing Speed:

1. Teraflops is a unit of computing speed equal to one thousand million million floating-point operations per second.

2. Petaflops is a unit of computing speed equal to one million million floating-point operations per second.

3. Exaflops is a unit of computing speed equal to one billion billion floating-point operations per second.

Which of the above statements is/are INCORRECT? a. 1,2 and 3 b. 1 and 2 c. 2 and 3 d. 1 and 3 Q.25 Consider the below statements with reference to Emisat Mission:

1. The satellite is intended for electromagnetic spectrum measurement 2. The satellite used for National Security purposes

Which of the above statements is/are correct?



a. 1 Only b. 2 Only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2

Key

Q1. Answer: c) Explanation: The World Happiness Report- 2019 released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations by the UN General Assembly. India slips 7 spots, ranks 140th in the current rankings. The list is topped by Finland for the second year in a row. Q.2 Answer: d) Explanation: Multidimensional Poverty Index is significant as it recognizes poverty from different dimensions compared to the conventional methodology that measures poverty only from the income or monetary terms. It is released by the UNDP. Q.3 Answer: a)

Q.4 Answer: a)

Q.5 Answer: b) Explanation: India had joined the ‘Transports Internationaux Routiers’ (TIR) convention on June 15, 2017. Q.6 Answer: a) Q.7 Answer: c) Q.8 Answer: a) Explanation: The Domestic Systemically Important Banks have to maintain the normal SLR and CLR ratios as per the RBI guidelines. Q.9 Answer: d) Q.10 Answer: d) Q.11 Answer: a) Explanation: Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers released monthly by Labour Bureau of the Labour Ministry.



Q.12 Answer: c) Q.13 Answer: b) Explanation: Walking inflation: When the price rise is moderate (is in the range of 3 to 7 %) and the annual inflation rate is of a single digit, it is called walking inflation. It is a warning signal for the government to control it before it turns into running inflation. Q.14 Answer: d) Q.15 Answer: b) Explanation: Sundarban wetland is the largest protected wetland in the country. Q.16 Answer: d) Q.17 Answer: d) Q.18 Answer: b) Explanation: The bio-digester technology developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Q.19 Answer: a) Explanation: The overarching goal of India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) is to provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all while securing environmental and socio-economic benefits for the society. It aims for reduction of refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38. Q.20 Answer: a) Q.21 Answer: d) Q.22 Answer: d) Q.23 Answer: a) Q.24 Answer: b) Explanation:

Teraflops is a unit of computing speed equal to one million million (10^12) floating-point operations per second (FLOPS).

Petaflops is a unit of computing speed equal to one thousand million million (10^15) floating-point operations per second (FLOPS).



Exaflops is a unit of computing speed equal to one billion billion (10^18) floating-point operations per second (FLOPS).

Q.25 Answer: c)

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hyperloop 2020 - IES GSiesgeneralstudies.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Hyperloop-March-2019.pdf · India reduced its poverty rate sharply from 55 per cent to 28 per cent in ten years