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Contents 1. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES ....................................................... 7

1.1 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ....................................................................... 7

Control and resolution of NPAs ...................................................................... 7

National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) .................................................... 8

Safeguard duty on solar cells .......................................................................... 8

NPCI unveils ‘more secure’ UPI with overdraft facility ................................... 9

CAD to widen to 2.5% of GDP ......................................................................... 9

Share buyback ............................................................................................... 10

Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and Science (O-SMART) .................................................................................................... 10

1.2 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ................................................................... 10

Motivating & Attracting Youth in Agriculture (MAYA) ................................. 10

Soil Health Card ............................................................................................. 11

New policy to promote electric vehicles ....................................................... 11

The non-compliance with CSR provisions ..................................................... 13

Pitch to MOVE ............................................................................................... 13

International Year of Millets ......................................................................... 14

New gold micro crystallites ........................................................................... 14

UDAN International ...................................................................................... 14

BIS to set standards for the services sector .................................................. 14

Green process in textile industry .................................................................. 15

1.3 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................... 15

Innovation Cell and Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) ........................................................................................................... 15

World’s Biggest Open Innovation Model – ‘Smart India Hackathon- 2019’ . 16

Startup India Yatra ........................................................................................ 16

IMPRINT-2 ..................................................................................................... 17


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Schemes for North-Eastern region ................................................................ 17

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) ................................................. 17

Ease of Living Index ....................................................................................... 18

Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Abhiyan (PMJAA)/Ayushman Bharat ............. 18

India Wage Report ........................................................................................ 18

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana .......................................................... 19

Mental Healthcare Act .................................................................................. 19

2. ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................... 20

2.1 ENERGY.................................................................................................... 20

National policy on biofuels-2018 .................................................................. 20

Policy Framework for exploration and exploitation of Unconventional Hydrocarbons ................................................................................................ 22

Discovered Small Field Policy ........................................................................ 22

Power grid Digitalization ............................................................................... 23

TAPI pipeline ................................................................................................. 23

Online portal for pipelines ............................................................................ 24

2.2 ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................ 24

Solutions for a future of water scarcity ........................................................ 24

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) forest produce for livelihood development ................................................................................................. 24

PARIVESH ...................................................................................................... 25

World Elephant Day ...................................................................................... 26

The Nilgiri tahr climbs population charts ...................................................... 27

India’s National Redd+ Strategy .................................................................... 27

Tracking groundwater pollutants in real-time .............................................. 28

NGT asks for action plan on e-waste............................................................. 28

Cheetah reintroduction project .................................................................... 29

Electric Propulsion System ............................................................................ 29


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3. ICT AND APPLICATIONS ............................................................................. 29

TRAI gives nod for sale of 5G spectrum ........................................................ 29

Reusable Launch Vehicle ............................................................................... 30

National Mission on GeM ............................................................................. 30

National Digital Library ................................................................................. 30

Bidder Information Management System (BIMS), Bhoomi Rashi PFMS linkage ...................................................................................................................... 31

Launching of state of art satellites ................................................................ 32

Project “SWAYAM” of HRD Ministry ............................................................. 33

Small launcher - SSLV .................................................................................... 34

Iris Scan Authentication feature for Aadhaar-based transactions ................ 34

Project Navlekha ........................................................................................... 35

The Parker Solar Probe ................................................................................. 35

UIDAI’s additional mode of authentication. ................................................. 35

Cyclone Warning Centre ............................................................................... 36

Data Localization ........................................................................................... 36

Clamp down the spread on “sinister” messages ........................................... 37

Applications to Facilitate Litigants and Lawyers ........................................... 37

CERT-In report on cyber attacks .................................................................... 37

The DNA Technology ..................................................................................... 38

CBSE to provide digital certificates to students ............................................ 38

India’s first Indian human mission- Gaganyaan ............................................ 39

4. KEY INITIATIVES OF GOVERNMENT .............................................................. 39

National Action Plan on Climate Change ...................................................... 39

Minimum Government – Maximum Governance ......................................... 40

Focus North East ........................................................................................... 41

National Programme on use of Space Technology for Agriculture (NPSTA) . 41

Blue Revolution ............................................................................................. 41


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Neem Coated Urea ........................................................................................ 42

Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana ........................................................... 42

Project Shaksham .......................................................................................... 43

Saubhagya scheme ........................................................................................ 43

Swavalamban Scheme .................................................................................. 44

PAHAL ............................................................................................................ 45

Setu Bharatam .............................................................................................. 45

Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana ............................................................................ 45

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) ........... 45

HRIDAY .......................................................................................................... 46

Gold Monetization Scheme ........................................................................... 47

Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme ....................................................................... 47

5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ................................................................................ 47

Land for LIGO ................................................................................................ 47

SC scraps NOTA option for RS polls ............................................................... 48

Chandrayaan-1 data confirms presence of ice on Moon .............................. 48

Indus water treaty talks to begin .................................................................. 49

Government forms Technology and Innovation Advisory council ................ 50

First-Ever Observation of Higgs Boson Decay ............................................... 50


August 2018




August 2018



1. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1.1 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Control and resolution of NPAs As per RBI inputs, the primary reasons for spurt in stressed assets have been observed to be among others

1. aggressive lending practices, 2. willful default /loan frauds/corruption in some cases, 3. and economic slowdown.

Asset Quality Review (AQR) initiated in 2015 for clean and fully provisioned bank balance-sheets revealed high incidence of non-performing assets (NPAs). As per AQR stressed accounts were reclassified as NPAs.

Steps taken to resolve NPAs


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● The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) has been enacted ○ to create a unified framework for resolving insolvency and bankruptcy

matters. ○ Under this, the interim resolution professional takes over

management of affairs of corporate debtor. ○ Debarment of willful defaulters and persons associated with NPA

accounts from the resolution process ● The Banking Regulation Act, 1949 has been amended to provide for

authorization to RBI to issue directions to banks to initiate the insolvency resolution process under IBC.

● The Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 has been amended to make it more effective.

● Debts Recovery Tribunals have been established to expedite recovery. ● Under the Public Sector Banks (PSBs) Reforms Agenda, PSBs have created

stressed asset management verticals for stringent recovery

National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) The Government has approved the constitution of a National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) – the institutional mechanism under the GST law.

Functions of the Authority

● To ensure that the benefits of the reduction in GST rates on goods or services is passed on to the ultimate consumers by way of a reduction in prices by traders.

● To ensure that traders are not realizing unfair profit by charging high price from the consumers in the name of GST.

● The responsibility of the NAA is to examine and check such profiteering activities and recommend punitive actions including cancellation of licenses.

Safeguard duty on solar cells ● India had imposed safeguard duty on solar cells imports from China and

Malaysia for two years. ● The move is aimed at helping domestic solar cell manufacturing sector

About safeguard duty:

● The safeguard duty is a tariff ● to ensure that imports in excessive quantities do not harm the domestic

industry.


August 2018



NPCI unveils ‘more secure’ UPI with overdraft facility The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has upgraded the unified payments interface (UPI) with enhanced security features and overdraft facilities.

UPI:

● Its high volume, low cost and highly scalable architecture built on an open source platform is key to India’s transformation to a digital payment economy

● In addition to current and savings accounts, customers can now link their overdraft account (that allows drawing more money than the account holds) to UPI

● The interface is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India

CAD to widen to 2.5% of GDP

Reasons:

● The rupee depreciation against dollar ● The higher oil prices ● The strong non-oil import demand ● A number of economic crises in large emerging markets including

Argentina, Venezuela and Turkey have made global investors more cautious about emerging markets’ currencies and equities

About CAD:

● The current account deficit is a measurement of a country’s trade ● Deficit occurs when the value of the goods and services it imports

exceeds the value of the goods and services it exports. ● The current account includes net income, such as interest and dividends,

and transfers, such as foreign aid. Depreciation of rupee causes

● Imports become more expensive ● Increase the oil import bill ● Higher inflation ● Affects infrastructural projects


August 2018



Share buyback ● A buyback is a mechanism through which a listed company buys back

shares from the market ● Buybacks are typically done when a company has a significant cash

reserve and feels that the shares are not fairly valued at the current market price

Open market mechanism:

● The company buys back the shares from the secondary market

Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and Science (O-SMART) The scheme encompasses a total of 16 sub-projects addressing ocean development activities such as Services, Technology, Resources, Observations and Science. Features • Implementation of O-SMART will help in addressing issues relating to

Sustainable Development Goal-14 • Aims to conserve use of oceans, marine resources for sustainable

development. • 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 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.

1.2 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

Motivating & Attracting Youth in Agriculture (MAYA) • ICAR had initiated a program on “Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture

(ARYA) during 2015-16. • Under this scheme, special efforts are being taken up to attract the rural youth

under the age of 35 years in agriculture so that the increase in the migration of rural youth towards cities is controlled.


August 2018



• A two-day conference on Motivating and Attracting Youth in Agriculture (MAYA) was conducted by ICAR.

Soil Health Card Launched to take care of Soil Health in a uniform manner.

● Soil Health Card contains the status of soils with respect to 12 parameters, namely – N, P, K (Macro-nutrients), S (Secondary-nutrients), Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, B (Micro-nutrients) and pH, EC, OC (Physical Parameters).

● It provides crop wise fertilizer recommendations. ● Soil Health Card helps farmers to improve productivity by maintaining soil

health. ● It enables farmers to apply recommended dosages of fertilizers ● Under these schemes financial assistance is provided to State Governments

and not farmers directly.

New policy to promote electric vehicles The government is preparing a fresh policy for promotion of electric vehicles.

Highlights:

● The policy advocates minimal subsidies ● The government will first begin creating favorable ecosystems in nine

polluted cities with a population of over four million, and gradually move to cities with populations of one million-plus

● A 100-day global challenge to automakers for setting up manufacturing facilities for e-vehicles, batteries and charging infrastructure in India

● The second phase of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (Fame India) scheme

● The non-fiscal incentives to electric vehicle firms for five years Fame India scheme:


August 2018



● To support hybrid/electric vehicles market development and Manufacturing eco-system.

● The scheme has 4 focus areas i.e. Technology development, Demand Creation, Pilot Projects and Charging Infrastructure.

● The FAME India Scheme is aimed at incentivising all vehicle. ● The scheme covers Hybrid & Electric technologies like Mild Hybrid, Strong

Hybrid, Plug in Hybrid & Battery Electric Vehicles. FAME India II

● It will envisage setting up massive charging infrastructure to support electric vehicles

● Under the scheme, depending on technology, battery-operated scooters and motorcycles also are eligible for incentives


August 2018



The non-compliance with CSR provisions The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has issued preliminary notices to 272 companies for alleged non-compliance with CSR provisions under the companies’ law.

Corporate Social Responsibility

● Under the Companies Act, 2013, certain class of entities are required to spend at least two per cent of their three-year average net profit towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.

● Act provides the threshold limit for applicability of the CSR ● CSR are also applicable to branch and project offices of a foreign company in

India. ● The activities include eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, promotion of

education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality and improving maternal health etc.

● The ministry has established Centralized Scrutiny and Prosecution Mechanism (CSPM) on pilot basis for enforcement of CSR provisions.

Pitch to MOVE Pitch to MOVE is organised by NITI Aayog in collaboration with Invest India and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM)

● It aims to identify and incentivise the startups, which will help the Government realize its vision of Shared, Connected, Intermodal and Environment Friendly Mobility for India


August 2018



International Year of Millets ● India is celebrating 2018 as the National Year of Millets ● It is promoting cultivation by amending cropping pattern of areas which are

especially susceptible to climate change ● Millets are highly nutritious and useful in various lifestyle diseases

New gold micro crystallites Researchers have developed a new type of gold in the form of very small crystals

● 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 microcystallites were synthesised by decomposing an organic complex containing gold and other ions under controlled conditions.

● Normal gold has a (face-centered) cubic structure, while the new ones exhibit deformed cubic structure — tetragonal and orthorhombic cells.

UDAN International

The draft scheme is designed for State governments that are keen to promote air connectivity on international routes identified by them

● Offering subsidy to domestic airlines for a period of three year. ● The key difference between this scheme and the regional connectivity

scheme (RCS) for domestic routes is that there is no capping of fares About UDAN:

● UDAN-RCS, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) is a regional airport development and “Regional Connectivity Scheme” (RCS) of Government of India.

● The objective is “Let the common citizen of the country fly” ● It aimed at making air travel affordable and widespread

BIS to set standards for the services sector The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has started the process to set new standards to measure quality of services offered to consumers across different sectors, including telecom, aviation, e-commerce and healthcare.

● The initial focus will be the 12 champion services sectors identified by the government.


August 2018



● These include IT, tourism and hospitality, transport and logistics, accounting and finance services, legal services, communication services and construction

About BIS:

● The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the national Standards Body of India working under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India

● The BIS, which sets the quality regulations for various products from gold to bottled water

Green process in textile industry A completely green method can potentially do away with using water for sizing and desizing cotton and polyster yarn in Textile industry.

How?

● By using liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide instead of water, and sucrose octaacetate in place of starch.

● Sizing removes or smoothens the projecting microfibres. Benefits:

● Zero-pollution ● Zero-waste as both carbon dioxide and the sizing agent ● The cane sugar, can be recycled endlessly ● Minimize water wastage

1.3 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Innovation Cell and Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) Innovation cell is MHRD’s initiative and has been established at AICTE premises with a purpose to systematically foster the culture of Innovation in all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country. MHRD Innovation Cell (MIC) The major programs are 1. Network of Innovation Clubs (NIC) 2. Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 3. Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2019


August 2018



4. National Student Startup Policy (NSSP) Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) • to systematically rank education institutions and universities primarily on

innovation related indicators. • ARIIA considers all major indicators which are commonly used globally. • More than quantity, ARIIA will focus on quality of innovations and will try to

measure the real impact created by these innovations nationally and internationally.

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 by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development. • SIH-2019 is a nationwide initiative to provide students a platform to solve some

of pressing problems we face in our daily lives • And for the 1st time, it will also include problem statements from industry as

well as NGOs. • Smart India Hackathon- 2019 would also have 2 sub-editions – Software edition

(a 36-hour software product development competition) and Hardware edition (a 5 days long hardware product development competition).

Startup India Yatra Startup India organizes the Startup India Yatra in one state every month.

Highlights:

● To promote job creation in tier 2 and tier 3 towns and cities ● The Yatra conducts boot camps where students are taught lessons in

business planning followed by a pitch fest where ideas are invited. ● Shortlisted business ideas get incubated in State run incubators

About Startup India:

● The Startup India initiative of the Government of India envisages to build a robust startup ecosystem in the country

● It will facilitate nurturing innovation and providing opportunities to budding entrepreneurs


August 2018



IMPRINT-2

IMPRINT is a Pan-IIT + IISc joint initiative to address the major science and engineering challenges that India must address.

● For advancing research in the high education institutions ● The government has approved 122 new research projects under IMPRINT-2 ● Of the 122, 81 are sponsored by industry ● IMPRINT-2 is open for other higher education institutions including private

institutions

Schemes for North-Eastern region

The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has made the following schemes for the development of North-Eastern region during the last three years: -

i. North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) ● It is a 100% Central Sector Scheme. ● for funding physical infrastructure relating to connectivity, power,

water supply enhancing tourism and social Infrastructure relating to education and health

i. Schemes of North Eastern Council (NEC) and North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS)

i. North East Venture Fund (NEVF) i. Science & Technology Interventions in the North East Region (STINER)

STINER aims to bring relevant technologies developed by the academic, scientific and research institutions to the artisans and farmers especially women.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs)

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) are residential schools at upper primary level for girls belonging to disadvantaged groups such as SC, ST, OBC, Minority and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

● Under the newly launched Integrated Scheme of School Education-Samagra Shiksha, provision has been made to upgrade the existing KGBVs at upper primary level to up to senior secondary level


August 2018



● ensuring the facility of at-least one residential school for girls from classes VI-XII in every Educationally Backward Blocks

Ease of Living Index The first Ease of Living Index brought out by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

● Three cities in Maharashtra - Pune, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai top the Index

● New Delhi is ranked 65 among 111 cities ● The three cities at the bottom of the rankings are Rampur, Kohima and Patna.

About Index:

● The Ease of Living Index is structured according to four pillars institutional, social, economic and physical

● The core indicators measure those aspects which are considered essential ● The supporting indicators are used to measure the adoption of innovative

practices which are considered desirable for enhancing ease of living

Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Abhiyan (PMJAA)/Ayushman Bharat Key Facts:

● It aims to provide a cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family annually ● It will benefit more than 10 crore poor families. ● To ensure that universal healthcare reached the weaker sections of society ● It could raise the ratio of people availing primary and secondary healthcare. ● To ensure transparency and effective implementation

India Wage Report

The International Labour Organization warned India about low pay and wage inequality in its India Wage Report.

Key Facts:

● In 2011-12, the average wage in India was about Rs. 247 rupees a day. ● An average labour productivity (as measured by GDP per worker)

increased more rapidly than real average wages. ● India’s labour share of national income has declined.

Suggestions:


August 2018



● To combat persistent low pay in some sectors ● To bridge the wage gaps between rural and urban, male and female, and

regular and casual workers. ● Stronger implementation of minimum wage laws

About ILO:

● The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency dealing with labour problems, particularly international labour standards, social protection, and work opportunities for all.

● It Headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland ● The ILO has 187-member states ● It registers complaints against entities that are violating international

rules

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana It is an outcome-based skill certification scheme implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

● The objective is to enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training

● Individuals with prior learning experience or skills will also be assessed and certified under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

● Training and Assessment fees are completely paid by the Government.

Mental Healthcare Act For the first time in India, universal mental health care is a justiciable right following the enforcement of the Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA), 2017.

Key Facts:

● It mandates the government to provide accessible, affordable, acceptable and high-quality mental health care

● Establishing mental health facilities in proportion to the population in each State

● Providing free mental health-care to socio-economically deprived sections of the population.


August 2018



● The government is duty-bound to design and implement mental health promotion and preventive programs to create awareness about the MHCA using public media

2. ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

2.1 ENERGY

National policy on biofuels-2018 Objectives:

● It primarily tries to address supply-side issues that have discouraged the production of biofuels within the country.

● It allows for a wider variety of raw materials to be used as inputs to produce ethanol.


August 2018



Salient Features

● The Policy categorises biofuels as ○ Basic Biofuels viz. First Generation (1G) bioethanol & biodiesel ○ Advanced Biofuels – Second Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid

Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels and Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG etc

● The Policy expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing 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.

● The Policy encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, Used Cooking Oil, short gestation crops.

● The Policy indicates a viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries.

● The new policy will also benefit farmers, who will be able to sell various types of agricultural waste to industry at remunerative prices.

Why Biofuels? ● Biofuels can help reduce import dependency on crude oil. ● They can contribute to a cleaner environment.

Efforts

● government is targeting ten per cent ethanol blending in petrol by 2022 and 20 per cent by 2030

● Working to make BioCNG from farm waste. ● Rajasthan has become the first to implement the national policy ● New Bio-ATF policy to promote the use of clean biofuel in aviation.

India's first biofuel plane

India's first biofuel plane flies from Dehradun to Delhi by Spicejet Operator. A blend of oil from jatropha seeds and aviation turbine fuel propelled the bio jet

Restrictions on export and import of biofuels ● Export policy of biofuels is revised from free to restricted as per the

national policy on biofuels 2018


August 2018



Policy Framework for exploration and exploitation of Unconventional Hydrocarbons The Union Cabinet has approved the policy to permit exploration and exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbons such as Shale oil/gas, Coal Bed Methane (CBM) etc.

● It will be carried out under the existing Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs). ● The policy envisages new investment in Exploration and Production (E&P)

activities. Production Sharing Contract (PSC):

● Production Sharing Contract (PSC) is an agreement between Contractor and Government whereby Contractor bears all exploration risks, production and development costs

● Contractor gets a share of (profit from) production. ● The costs incurred by the contractor are recoverable in case of commercial

discovery. ● Production Sharing Contracts encouraged as part of the New Exploration and

Licensing Policy (NELP) launched by the Government in 1997 Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP)

● Adopted by Government of India on 2016 ● HELP is applicable for all future contracts to be awarded.

Discovered Small Field Policy

● Launched in 2016 ● The motive is extracting the Oil, Natural gas from the un-monetized small

oil/gas discoveries that are available in the country. ● It provides an easy investment option for new and existing players with

minimal risk.


August 2018



Power grid Digitalization Benefits:

● To enhance grid reliability through access to real time information and remote management.

● The utilities stand to increase savings through operational efficiency and earn income through new revenue streams

● It transforms the grid from uni-directional to multi-directional ● Enabling distributed generation and encouraging the integration and

consumption of renewable energy. ● The transparency across the value chain ● More information is now available on assets, behavior, and demand

TAPI pipeline

India has sought re-negotiation of the natural gas price.

Highlights:

● The four nations pipeline project ● The project has not moved forward because of unresolved issues like the

economic viability of the project, security of supply and tie-up of debt and equity.


August 2018



● Turkmenistan’s Turkmengas is the consortium leader. ● State gas utility GAIL India Ltd represents India on the consortium.

Online portal for pipelines

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched an online portal for natural gas transmission services under GAIL’s pipelines.

● The portal is a transparent, market-friendly component in the gas trading system

● It will enable the new entities to utilize the GAIL’s infrastructure ● Is the first of its kind in the natural gas sector of the country

2.2 ENVIRONMENT

Solutions for a future of water scarcity The concerns:

● High densities of cities do not allow for water harvesting ● The schemes like dams have caused extreme ecological devastation.

Solutions:

● Conserve and use the floodplain, it can be a self-sustaining aquifer wherein every year.

● The farmers can be encouraged to grow orchards/food forests. ● The small, community-driven projects of check dams, water harvesting and

lakes ● Afforestation on river beds

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) forest produce for livelihood development Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED & National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) cooperates to promote Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) forest produce.

● To identify potential Medicinal plant species of the tribal areas. ● To support training and awareness program on Good Agricultural Practices

(GAP) & Good Field Collection Practices (GFCP). ● Support skill upgradation and capacity building.


August 2018



● Facilitate and render financial assistance for plantations and nursery development for MAPs through the Van Dhan Vikas Kendra SHGs.

Minor Forest Produce (MFP)

● MFP are a major source of livelihood for tribal living in forest areas.

PARIVESH Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub is a single window hub for Environment, Forest, Wildlife and CRZ clearances.

Highlights:

● Single-Window Integrated Environmental Management System ● “PARIVESH” is a workflow-based application, based on the concept of web

architecture.


August 2018



● It has been rolled out for online submission, monitoring and management of proposals submitted by Project Proponents to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), as well as to the State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA).

● It seeks to give various types of clearances (e.g. Environment, Forest, Wildlife and Coastal Regulation Zone Clearances) from Central, State and district-level authorities.

● The system has been designed, developed and hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with technical support from National Informatics Centre, (NIC).

● The facility of Geographic Information System (GIS) interface for the Appraisal Committee will help them in analyzing the proposal efficiently

World Elephant Day Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, along with Wildlife Trust of India, kicked off the celebrations of ‘Gaj Mahotsav’ on the occasion of world elephant day.

Significance of Elephants

● elephants keep walking and eating for 18 hours in a day and defecate half-digested food over a wide area, giving rise to another chain of events.

● If elephants are confined to one place, nature’s linkage is broken.

● So, there is need to protect the elephant corridors.

Efforts

● 101 elephant corridors are identified to be protected. ● Elephant is declared as a National Heritage Animal. ● The Project Elephant started in 1992, with the objectives of

○ conservation and protection of viable population of wild elephants in their natural habitats in the country


August 2018



○ restoration of natural habitats and traditional corridors/migratory routes or movement paths used by the elephants, wherever necessary, through eco-restoration, acquisition etc

○ ensuring safeguards against poaching and other threats ○ mitigation and control of human elephant conflicts ○ welfare and management of captive elephants ○ creating a viable mechanism to ensure inter-state and regional and

national level coordination in protecting and conserving the elephant and its ranges.

The Nilgiri tahr climbs population charts A recent census has revealed that the population of the Nilgiri has grown by an impressive 18% in the last two years. But the population also faces several threats.

• The continuing spread of invasive species of flora, such as wattle and pine, and exotic weeds like scotch broom (Cystisus scoparius) and gorse, which end up diminishing grazing land.

Nilgiri tahr: • The Nilgiri thar known locally as the Nilgiri ibex or simply ibex, is endemic to the

Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

• It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu

India’s National Redd+ Strategy REDD+ means “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation”, conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries. • The cooperation and involvement of the tribal, other forest dwelling people

and the society as a whole, is crucial for the implementation of the REDD+ strategy.

• The Strategy is in line with India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change, Green India Mission and India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC.

• To enhance efforts for forest conservation and enhance productivity of forest eco-systems.

• REDD+ actions at the State level will be coordinated by the committee headed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) & Head of Forest Force (HOFF) of the States.


August 2018



• Paris agreement on climate change also recognizes role of forests in climate change mitigation and calls upon country Parties to act to implement and support REDD+

Tracking groundwater pollutants in real-time Scientists have developed a low-cost method to monitor groundwater pollutants in real-time.

● The methodology allows continuous monitoring in situ using proxy measurements

● The analysis of the autonomous in situ data can be rapidly analysed remotely using machine learning methods.

● It can act as an early warning system and sudden changes in contaminant levels can be detected

Kalman filter:

● It is a mathematical algorithm that can integrate mixed time-series data to make estimates.

● It is used in various fields, such as traffic prediction and remote sensing

NGT asks for action plan on e-waste The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to submit an action plan on e-waste .

• The electronic waste accounted for 40% of lead and 70% of all heavy metal found in landfills.

• The burning and selling of e-waste and other solid waste resulted in groundwater contamination and air pollution.

• Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices.

National Green Tribunal:

● The NGT was established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 ● It aims to provide; 1. A specialized forum for effective and speedy disposal of cases pertaining to

environment protection 2. Conservation of forests


August 2018



3. Seeking compensation for damages caused to people or property due to violation of environmental laws or conditions specified while granting permissions.

● The NGT is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice

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.

Highlights:

● The cheetah is the fastest land animal ● was declared extinct in India in 1952 ● The Wildlife Institute of India prepared cheetah re-introduction project. ● Nauradehi was found to be the most suitable area for the cheetahs as its

forests are not very dense to restrict the fast movement.

Electric Propulsion System ISRO is working on Electric Propulsion System (EPS) which can reduce the dependence on chemical propellant.

● Electric Propulsion (EP) makes use of electrical power to accelerate a propellant by different possible electrical and/or magnetic means.

● With the help of EPS, satellite weight can be reduced ● The chemical propellants are replaced by electrical system ● Also enhances the propulsive performances of the EP thrusters compared

with conventional chemical thrusters

3. ICT AND APPLICATIONS

TRAI gives nod for sale of 5G spectrum The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended the auction of spectrum for offering 5G services for the first time in the country.

• For the 5G airwaves is the spectrum in 3300-3600 MHz.

About TRAI:


August 2018



● The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is a statutory body set under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.

● It is the regulator of the telecommunications sector in India. Reusable Launch Vehicle

India became the fifth nation to successfully conduct the flight demonstration of a scaled down version of a winged-body reusable launch vehicle.

Progress so far:

● Validating the critical technologies such as autonomous navigation, guidance & control, reusable thermal protection system and re-entry mission management.

● It represented the first baby step towards the realization of a future fully reusable Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) space transportation system

● A fully reusable Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) Launch Vehicle, that can launch payloads to Low Earth Orbit with 15 times reusability

● It is expected to reduce the launch cost by approximately 50 – 60%.

National Mission on GeM

To accelerate the adoption and use of GeM by major central Ministries, State Governments and their agencies. GeM(Government e Market Place) • The aim is to promote inclusiveness, transparency and efficiency in public

procurement • achieve cashless, contactless and paperless transaction. • cost saving on government expenditure in procurement. • The GeM platform provides online, 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.

National Digital Library

● The National Digital library of India (NDLI) is a project under Ministry of Human Resource Development.

● The objective is to integrate several national and international digital libraries in one single web-portal.


http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=181397


August 2018



● The NDLI provides free access to many books in English and the Indian languages ● NDLI has several sub-projects to carry out research for making research data of

specific domains, like Bio-marked Medical Images, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Pedagogy, available in appropriate forms.

● NDLI has become a member of RightsStatements.org to promote proper dissemination of copyrighted and non-copyrighted digital heritage items.

● NDLI has integrated contents from several international sources like OECD -Library, PubMed, WHO and a few leading global publishers.

Bidder Information Management System (BIMS), Bhoomi Rashi PFMS linkage

Bidder Information Management System (BIMS)

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (M/o RT&H) has developed the Bidder Information Management System (BIMS) to streamline the process of pre-qualification of bidders for EPC Mode of contracts for all National Highway works.

● BIMS would work as a data base ● BIMS would be used by all the project implementation agencies of the

Ministry, for maintenance of technical information of civil works ● It is estimated that BIMS portal will significantly reduce the procurement

time for projects Bhoomi Rashi and PFMS linkage

● Bhoomi Rashi, the portal developed by MoRTH and NIC, comprises the entire revenue data of the country, right down to 6.4 lakh villages.

● Bhoomi Rashi portal has been instrumental in reducing the time taken for approval and publication of notifications pertaining to land acquisition

● Integration of Public Financial Management System (PFMS) with Bhoomi Rashi is one of the key functionalities to facilitate payment related to compensation for land acquisition to all the beneficiaries directly through the Bhoomi Rashi system.

The Public Financial Management System (PFMS)




August 2018



● PFMS is a web-based online software application developed and implemented by the Office of Controller General of Accounts (CGA)

● The primary objective of PFMS is to facilitate sound public financial management system for Government of India (GoI)

● establishing an efficient fund flow system as well as a payment cum accounting network

● part of the Digital India initiative

Launching of state of art satellites The state-of-the-art satellites helps to further enhance operational applications and cater to the needs of emerging applications.

The details of the state-of-the-art satellites approved for launch till 2019-20 are:

i. Third generation Cartosat series satellite for very high-resolution mapping

ii. Second generation stereo imaging satellite for Digital Elevation Model


August 2018



iii. Geostationary Imaging Satellite (GISAT) for Earth observation from Geostationary Orbit

iv. Third generation Ocean imaging satellite for ocean colour, sea surface temperature mapping and ocean surface wind vector mapping

v. Third generation ResourceSat series of satellite with improved spatial resolution and swath

vi. C-band microwave imaging satellite for all weather and day & night imaging

vii. Constellation of high-resolution imaging satellites for frequent revisit viii. Nanosatellite for Aerosol monitoring ix. Satellite for monitoring chlorophyll fluorescence and radiation

environment

Project “SWAYAM” of HRD Ministry

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. ● Academicians from hundreds of institutions throughout the country are

involved in developing & delivering MOOCs through SWAYAM in almost all disciplines from senior schooling to Post Graduation


August 2018



Small launcher - SSLV The SSLV (small satellite launch vehicle) is being developed at ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

Highlights:

● The SSLV will be an on-demand rocket for small satellites weighing about 500-700 kg.

● It will be autonomous and highly intelligent, versatile ● It is capable of adapting to different launch situations and requirements. ● Its first test launch is planned for mid-2019.

Iris Scan Authentication feature 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.

Highlights:

● Micro ATMs eliminate the requirement of debit cards, passwords, PINs, and user IDs

● Empower consumers to avail banking services using only their Aadhaar numbers and biometrics (iris scan/fingerprint scan).

● It enables easier access to digital banking for consumers especially in the rural parts of the country.

Iris technology:

● Iris scan technology is completely contactless and provides up to 98.2% authentication success rate (as per study conducted by the International Centre for Biometric Research)

● It offers an edge over other prevalent biometric modes. About Micro ATM:

● Micro ATMs are like modified point of sales terminals ● this terminal can connect to banking network via GPRS to perform banking

transactions. ● This machine contains card swipe facility and fingerprint scanner. ● These machines are carried by bank representative at remote/mobile

locations


August 2018



Project Navlekha Google has unveiled Project Navlekha (a new way to write) to make online content relevant for more Indian users especially in local languages. About Project: • It will quickly render any PDF with Indian language content into editable text • The project aims to bring 135,000 local language publishers online by making

web hosting smooth and simple. • It also comprises tool that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to allow publishers to

simply scan documents or PDFs and create instant web pages on the platform.

The Parker Solar Probe NASA has launched the Parker Solar Probe - the space agency’s first mission to the sun that will explore the sun’s atmosphere and its outermost atmosphere, the corona.

● It will travel through the sun’s atmosphere, closer to the surface than any spacecraft before it

● The mains aim of mission is to trace how energy and heat move through the solar corona and to explore what accelerates the solar wind as well as solar energetic particles.

● NASA has billed the mission as the first spacecraft to “touch the Sun.” ● The probe is guarded by an ultra-powerful heat shield that can endure

unprecedented levels of heat, and radiation.

UIDAI’s additional mode of authentication. UIDAI has announced the phased roll-out of face recognition feature as an additional mode of authentication, starting with telecom service providers.

Highlights:

● live face photo capture and its verification with the photo obtained in eKYC will be essential in those cases where Aadhaar is used for issuance of mobile SIMs.

● It aimed at curbing the possibility of fingerprint spoofing or cloning, and seeks to tighten the audit process and security around the issuance and activation of mobile SIMs.

About UIDAI:


August 2018



● The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority under the provisions of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (“Aadhaar Act 2016”)

Cyclone Warning Centre

The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences is proposing to set up a Cyclone Warning Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.

Highlights:

● IMD has cyclone warning centers at Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

C-Band Doppler Weather Radar:

● For monitoring of rainfall and severe weather events, and adequately warn the people well in advance.

● Weather Radars are the basic and most important tool for a Meteorologist for Nowcasting and Forecasting of various severe weather events

● Weather radars detect the motion of rain droplets in addition to the intensity of the precipitation.

● Data is analyzed to determine the structure of storms, wind pattern and their potential to cause severe weather.

● It is used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail) etc.

Data Localization

U.S trade groups, representing companies such as Amazon, American Express and Microsoft, have opposed India’s push to store data locally.

Data Localization:

● It 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.

● The Free flow of digital data is restricted by some governments Concerns:

● It could lead to increased government demands for data access.


August 2018



● raising costs related to setting up new local data centers.

Clamp down the spread on “sinister” messages

The Union government asked the instant messaging platform WhatsApp to implement measures to clamp down on the spread on “sinister” messages. Sinister means threatening or portending evil, harm, or trouble.

Suggested Measures:

● To set up a local corporate entity; ● Appoint a grievance officer in India ● Find a solution to trace the origin of a fake message. ● To comply with Indian laws

Applications to Facilitate Litigants and Lawyers

The Chief Justice of India launched various applications for the benefit of the litigants and lawyers.

● Three applications of e-filing, e-pay, and NSTEP (National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes) created under the eCourts

The eFiling application:

● It will facilitate efficient administration of Judicial System, as it will ease pressure on filing counters and will speed up workflow processing.

The ePay application:

● It is a unified portal wherein facility to pay online court fees is provided. National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes:

● It is a transparent and secure system for transmission of process from one location to another

● It shall address delays in process.

CERT-In report on cyber attacks The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has prepared a report on cyber-attacks in the country.


August 2018



Highlights:

● 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%).

● They are targeting by sending phishing emails with malware attachments ● Phishing attacks are usually in the form of an email from a trusted source

where they ask for personal details such as bank details personal details, passwords.

● The institutions include Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), National Informatics Centre (NIC), Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), Railways, Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and some banks like Punjab National Bank among others are affected.

About CERT-In:

● CERT-In is the nodal agency which deals with cyber security threats. ● It collects, analyses and disseminates information on “cyber incidents”, and

also issues alerts on cyber security incidents ● The purpose of CERT-In is to respond to computer security incidents, report

on vulnerabilities and promote effective IT security practices throughout the country

The DNA Technology The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 was introduced in Lok Sabha.

Highlights:

● The Bill provides for regulation of use of DNA technology for establishing the identity of certain persons.

● Under the Bill, DNA testing is allowed only in respect of matters listed in the schedule to the bill

● The Bill provides for the establishment of a National DNA Data Bank and regional DNA Data Banks, for every state, or two or more states.

CBSE to provide digital certificates to students

• CBSE, in technical collaboration with the National e-Governance Division, developed its own digital academic repository called ‘Parinam Manjusha’.

• This academic repository has been integrated with DigiLocker.


August 2018



• The digital academic documents being provided through Parinam Manjusha/ DigiLocker are digitally signed by the Controller of Examinations of CBSE which make them legally valid digital document as per the IT Act

• These documents are also having QR codes and such documents can be verified for the authenticity using the DigiLocker mobile app.

About DigiLocker:

● The service is aimed towards reducing the need to carry physical documents.

● 1 GB of storage space is offered to users to store identification card issued by government agencies, education certificates, PAN cards, driving license, vehicle ownership documents and some other documents.

India’s first Indian human mission- Gaganyaan

India’s first Indian human mission will be launched by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) by 2022.

• This is the most ambitious space programme undertaken by ISRO till date

• ISRO has developed some critical technologies like re-entry mission capability, crew escape system, crew module configuration, thermal protection system, deceleration and floatation system, sub-systems of life support system etc. required for this programme.

• GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle, which has the necessary payload capability for this mission, will be used to launch Gaganyaan.

• The mission will aim to send a three-member crew to space for a period of five to seven days

4. KEY INITIATIVES OF GOVERNMENT

National Action Plan on Climate Change ● National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) is a comprehensive action

plan which outlines measures on climate change related adaptation and mitigation.


August 2018



● It effectively pulls together a number of existing national plans on water, renewable energy, energy efficiency, agriculture and others and bundled with additional ones.

● The Prime Minister ‘s Council on Climate Change is in charge of the overall implementation of the plan

Eight core missions of NAPCC:

1. National Solar Mission – It has a goal of increasing production of photo-voltaic energy to 1000 MW/year; and a goal of deploying at least 1000 MW of solar thermal power generation.

2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency 3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat 4. National Water Mission - the plan sets a goal of a 20% improvement in water

use efficiency through pricing and other measures. 5. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem 6. National Mission for a Green India - Goals include the afforestation of 6

million hectares of degraded forest lands and expanding forest cover from 23% to 33% of India ‘s territory

7. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture 8. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change

Minimum Government – Maximum Governance

Bio metric attendance system

Improved work culture in Government offices with emphasis on punctuality

Self-certification

Joining of direct recruits in Central Government has been allowed on the basis of self-certification of antecedents for UPSC

Online Help - Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS)

Online public grievance redressal mechanisms for effective and timely redress / settlement of citizens' grievances.

MyGov


August 2018



A ‘Good Governance’ initiative providing opportunity for citizens and well-wishers from across the world to share their views on key issues directly with the PM.

Focus North East

• Promotion of Organic Agriculture

• Developing North Eastern States as Organic Capitals

• Six new Agriculture Colleges to be set up in North East

• Sikkim becomes the First fully organic state in the country

• Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya on India’s railway map

• IshanUdaya - special scholarship for NE Students for general and professional degree courses, including medical and paramedical courses·

• IshanVikas to provide exposure visits for talented students from the NE region for internship in IITs, NITs, NIFTs

• Setting up of 1st National Sports University in Manipur

National Programme on use of Space Technology for Agriculture (NPSTA) ● NPSTA is a proposed programme which envisages integrated use of Space

and Geospatial Tools for Mapping, Monitoring and Management of Agriculture

● The current running programmes will be subsumed under this. They are: i. Project FASAL (for crop forecasting),

ii. Project NADAMS (for drought assessment),

iii. Project CHAMAN (for horticultural assessment and development),

iv. Project KISAN (for crop insurance) and Crop Intensification planning.

● The programme will have four sub-programmes such as Crop Assessment & Monitoring, Agricultural Resources Management, Disaster Monitoring and Mitigation, Satellite Communication and Navigation Applications.

Blue Revolution Government has restructured the scheme by merging all the ongoing schemes under an umbrella of Blue Revolution

● Integration of all fisheries project ● Increased production of fish ● Insurance cover for fishermen


August 2018



Neem Coated Urea ● Government makes Neem coating of Urea mandatory. ● 100 % of Neem Coating of Indigenous Urea and Imported Urea achieved ● Improvement in soil health. ● Reduction in costs with respect to plant protection chemicals. ● Reduction in pest and disease attack. ● Diversion of highly subsidized urea towards non-agricultural purposes

reduced to negligible. ● Assured availability of Urea. ● Increased Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) by 5 to 10% ● Increase of crop yield

Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana

● It is a direct market intervention scheme of the Department of Pharmaceuticals.

● Its objective is to make available quality generic medicines at affordable prices to all, especially the poor, throughout the country, through outlets known as Jan Aushadhi Stores (JASs).


August 2018



● It also encourages doctors to prescribe generic medicines and reduces unit cost of treatment per person.

● Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is the implementing agency which will provide one-time assistance in furnishing and establishment costs of the outlet.

● It is a self-sustaining business model not dependent on continuous government subsidies or assistance.

Project Shaksham ● The project is for creation of a New Indirect Tax Network (System

Integration) of the Central Board of Excise and Customs ● The project will help in:

1) Implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) 2) Extension of the Indian Customs Single Window Interface for

Facilitating Trade (SWIFT) 3) Other taxpayer-friendly initiatives under Digital India and Ease of

Doing Business of Central Board of Excise and Customs ● It is to ensure readiness of CBEC's IT systems for GST

Saubhagya scheme The Saubhagya Scheme or Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana is a project to provide electricity to all households.

● It the aim to complete the electrification process by December 2018 ● Certain households identified via the Socio-economic and Caste Census

(SECC) of 2011 will be eligible for free electricity connections, while others will be charged Rs.500

● The beneficiary household will get five LED lights, one AC fan, one AC power plug.

● It also includes the Repair and Maintenance (R&M) for 5 years


August 2018



Swavalamban Scheme ● Under the scheme, GOI will contribute Rs.1000 per year to each Nation

Pension Scheme- Swavalamban account opened in the year 2010-2013 for five years

● The scheme is voluntary and open to eligible citizens in the age group of 18-60 years.

● Eligible individuals in the unorganized sector can open an account through their Aggregator and get an Individual subscriber Account.

● The account is regulated by Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authorities (PFRDA).

● There is no minimum amount required per annum or per contribution and subscriber is free to choose the amount he/she wants to invest every year.

● Subscriber should not be covered under any other social security schemes. ● The existing subscribers of Swavalamban Scheme would be automatically

migrated to APY, unless they opt out


August 2018



PAHAL ● Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG consumer (DBTL) scheme called, ̀ PAHAL ‘aims

to reduce leakage of subsidy, reduce intermediaries and eliminate duplicate LPG connections by introducing direct cash transfer of subsidies.

● The scheme required the consumer to mandatorily have a bank account linked with Aadhaar number for availing LPG Subsidy

● If they do not possess Aadhaar number, they will have to link their bank account directly with their 17 digit LPG ID.

Setu Bharatam

● It is a program for building bridges for safe and seamless travel on National Highways.

● The aim is to make National Highways free of railway level crossings by 2019

● by building Railway Over Bridges/ Under Passes and old & worn-down bridges to be improved by replacement/widening/strengthening.

Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana

It is launched for the holistic development and welfare of tribal population in India by plugging the infrastructure gaps and lags in human development indices The scheme focuses on

1. Provision for a better standard of living and quality of life 2. Improving access to and quality of education 3. Generating resources for long-term and sustainable growth 4. Bridging infrastructural gaps 5. Protection of tribal culture and heritage

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)

● The focus of the Mission is on infrastructure creation that has a direct link to provision of better services to the citizens.

● It ensures that every household has access to a tap with assured supply of water and a sewerage connection

● It proposes to increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery and well maintained open and reduce pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities.


August 2018



● 500 cities will be covered under the Scheme

1. All Cities and Towns with a population of over 1 lakh with notified Municipalities, including Cantonment Boards (Civilian areas),

2. All Capital Cities/Towns of States/ UTs, not covered in above, 3. All Cities/ Towns classified as Heritage Cities by MoUD under the HRIDAY

Scheme, 4. Thirteen Cities and Towns on the stem of the main rivers with a

population above 75,000 and less than 1 lakh, and 5. Ten Cities from hill states, islands and tourist destinations (not more than

one from each State). ● This scheme is a new avatar of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban

Renewal Mission (JNNURM). ● Unlike JNNURM, AMRUT will not appraise individual projects and

appraise only State Annual Action plans ● It is a centrally Sponsored Scheme and funds will be allocated to states

and Union territories.

HRIDAY

● National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) is focused on holistic development of heritage cities.

● The main objective of HRIDAY is to preserve character of the soul of heritage city and facilitate inclusive heritage linked urban development in partnership with State Government

● It is a central sector scheme with 100 percent funding coming from Central Government.

● The scheme will broadly focus on four theme areas

1. Physical Infrastructure 2. Institutional Infrastructure 3. Economic Infrastructure 4. Social Infrastructure

The projects can be funded directly or through support from other stakeholders including private sector.


August 2018



Gold Monetization Scheme ● It is a gold savings account which will earn interest for the gold that you

deposit in it. ● Deposited gold can be in any physical form – jewelry, coins or bars ● The tenure of gold deposits is likely to be for a minimum of one year. ● The long-term objective is to reduce the country's reliance on the import of

gold to meet domestic demand. ● The scheme will also help in mobilizing the large amount of gold lying as an

idle asset with households.

Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme ● Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) are government securities denominated in

grams of gold. ● The bonds are to be issued by RBI. ● They will be restricted for sale to resident Indian entities including

individuals, HUFs, Trusts, Universities and Charitable Institutions. ● They will be denominated in multiples of gram(s) of gold with a basic unit of

1 gram. ● Bonds can be used as collateral for loans and are eligible for Statutory

Liquidity Ratio purposes in Banks. ● Bonds will be tradable on stock exchanges.

5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

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

About LIGO:

● 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.

● 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


August 2018



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)

SC scraps NOTA option for RS polls

The Supreme Court scrapped the use of NOTA (none of the above) option for Rajya Sabha polls.

Court Observations

● NOTA will not be applicable to elections held by the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote as done in the Rajya Sabha.

● It encourages corruption in RS polls ● It may lead to defection

About NOTA:

None of the above or NOTA is to allow the voter to indicate disapproval of all of the candidates in a voting system. Proportional Representation and STV

● Rajya Sabha elections uses the proportional representation with the single transferable vote (STV) system.

● Each voter ranks the list of candidates in order of preference. In the ballot paper, they place a ‘1’ beside their most preferred candidate, a ‘2’ beside their second most preferred, and so on.

● If the first-choice candidate has enough votes already or no chance of being elected, the vote is transferred to the second choice and so on.

● Proportional representation - n% of the electorate support a particular political party, then roughly n% of seats will be won by that party.

Chandrayaan-1 data confirms 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.


August 2018



● It provides potentially easier to access than the water detected beneath the Moon’s surface.

About Chandrayaan-1:

● Launched in 2008 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) ● It was uniquely equipped to confirm the presence of solid ice on the Moon.

Indus water treaty talks to begin

India and Pakistan will resume their talks on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty in Lahore. About Treaty:

● The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank ● It was signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Pakistan

President Ayub Khan

Pak.’s objections:


August 2018



● The objections over two water-storage and hydroelectric projects being built by India.

● The 1000-MW Pakal Dul and the 48-MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects on the Chenab river.

Government forms Technology and Innovation Advisory council The government has scrapped two Scientific Advisory Committees (SAC) for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, and replaced them with a nine-member, Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).

Highlights:

● Unlike in the earlier SACs, secretaries of various scientific ministries such as education, environment and health would be ‘special invitees’ to the council meetings.

● The PM-STIAC will be chaired by the government’s Principal Scientific Advisor(PSA)

● A separate, dedicated group—involving the Cabinet Secretary and the PSA to focus on driving innovation all the way to commercialization

● The newly constituted body is expected to act as a high-level advisory body to several ministries and execute mission-oriented programmes

First-Ever Observation of Higgs Boson Decay

• The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2012 has found the Higgs boson, the subatomic particle responsible for giving mass to fundamental subatomic particles.


August 2018



• Today, physicists have another exciting announcement: They have made the first unambiguous observation of Higgs bosons decaying into a matter-antimatter pair of bottom quarks.

• Surprisingly, the Higgs bosons decay most often in this way. • The new announcement shows a strong agreement between the theoretical

predictions and the experimental data


August 2018




Documents

HYPERLOOP - IES GSiesgeneralstudies.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/...Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana ... Soil Health Card helps farmers to improve productivity by maintaining soil health