Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology(ROAM)

A tool called the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM) is

being used in 40 countries to find the best methods for landscape restoration
. The tool includes rigorous analysis of spatial, legal and socio-economic data and
draws on consultations with key stakeholders to determine the right type of
interventions. In India, this tool is being piloted in Uttarakhand and Madhya
Pradesh.

Project CHAMAN
In order to provide strategic development to the horticulture sector, so as to
increase farmers income, a pioneer project called CHAMAN, has been launched
three years back by the Government.
This project is being implemented by Mahalanobis is National Crop Forecast
Centre (MNCFC) using remote sensing technology
The Post-Harvest damages of farmers would be significantly reduced by creation of
desired Post Harvest Infrastructures like cold storages
The Geo-Spatial Studies like crop intensification, orchard rejuvenation and aqua-
horticulture would further help the farmers to grow

Hunar Haats:
Hunar Haats are organised by Ministry of Minority Affairs under USTTAD
(Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development)
scheme.
The USTTAD scheme aims at preserving & promoting the rich heritage of the
traditional arts & crafts of the Minority communities. This is one of the flagship
programmes of the Ministry.

About Accessible India Campaign:

Accessible India Campaign (AIC) is the nationwide flagship campaign of the
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment.
Accessible India Campaign is in line with the Article 9 of UNCRPD(UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) to which India is a signatory
since 2007.
Aim:
The aim of the Campaign is to make a barrier free and conducive environment for
Divyangjans all over the country

APCERT:
APCERT (Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team) is a coalition of
CSIRTs (Computer Security Incident Response Teams), from 13 economies across
the Asia Pacific region. APCERT organizes an annual meeting called APSIRC
conference, and the first conference was held in March 2002, Tokyo, Japan.
Membership: Any CSIRT from Asia Pacific Region, who is interested to furthering
the objectives of APCERT, will be allowed to join as APCERT members after
meeting all member accreditation requirements.

CERT-In:
CERT-In (the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) is a government-
mandated information technology (IT) security organization. CERT-In was created
by the Indian Department of Information Technology in 2004 and operates under
the auspices of that department.
The purpose of CERT-In is to respond to computer security incidents,

What is a JPC?
A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is an ad-hoc body. It is set up for a specific
object and duration. Joint committees are set up by a motion passed in one house of
Parliament and agreed to by the other.
The details regarding membership and subjects are also decided by Parliament.o
Banglar Rasogolla of West Bengal and Mamallapuram stone sculptures of Tamil
Nadu.

Sagar Kavach
What is it? It is a joint security exercise organized jointly by the governments of
Odisha and neighbouring West Bengal.
Aim: It aims to further tighten the existing coastal security mechanism along the
630 km long coastline.

Jal Marg Vikas Project:

The Jal Marg Vikas Project seeks to facilitate plying of vessels with capacity of
1,500-2,000 tonnes in the Haldia- Varanasi stretch of the River Ganga.
The major works being taken up under JMVP are development of fairway, Multi-
Modal Terminals, strengthening of river navigation system, conservancy works,
modern River Information System (RIS), Digital Global Positioning System
(DGPS), night navigation facilities, modern methods of channel marking etc.

Cobots:
A cobot is intended to work hand-in-hand with humans in a shared workspace. This
is in contrast with full-fledged robots that are designed to operate autonomously or
with limited guidance. They support and relieve the human operator of his excess
work.

Fish Tourism circuit:

A typical tour will consist of a two days-one night package, with fish as the focal
theme be it food or sightseeing. And fish dishes to be served will comprise the
traditional favourites of Bengalis as well as newly-introduced varieties in the state.
The circuit will centre around the hotels run by SFDC in places like Digha,
Udaypur, Henry Island, Bishnupur, Jamunadighi and Siliguri.
National Rural Drinking Water Programme
NRDWP:
The NRDWP was started in 2009, with a major emphasis on ensuring sustainability
(source) of water availability in terms of potability, adequacy, convenience,
affordability and equity. NRDWP is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with 50: 50
fund sharing between the Centre and the States.

Prime Ministers Ladakh Renewable Energy Initiative:

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing the project. It aims to
minimize dependence on diesel in the Ladakh region and meet power requirement
through local renewable sources

Air Dispensary
Northeast is all set to get Indias first-ever Air Dispensary based in a helicopter
and the Union Ministry of Development of Northeast (DONER) has already
contributed Rs. 25 crore as part of the initial funding for this initiative

The Bonn challenge seeks to bring 150 million hectares of the worlds deforested
and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030.
Underlying it is the forest landscape restoration (FLR) approach, which aims to
restore ecological integrity at the same time as improving human well-being
through multifunctional landscape
including the CBD Aichi Target 15, the UNFCCC REDD+ goal, and the Rio+20
land degradation neutrality goal

CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research,

headquartered in France) is a global partnership that unites organizations engaged
in research for a food-secured future.
IRRI is a member of the CGIAR consortium; it also is the lead centre on the
CGIAR research program on rice

Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation:(SMAM:)

scheme will be implemented in all the states, to promote the usage of farm
mechanization and increase the ratio of farm power to cultivable unit area up to 2
kW/ha.
Under Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization shall be used for demonstration
of straw management machinery at farmers fields
Promoting Custom Hiring Centres to offset the adverse economies of scale arising
due to small landholding and high cost of individual ownership;
[Farm Power: Humans, animals and machines are all used as sources of power in
agriculture production

Joint Interpretative Statements in general play an important supplementary role

in strengthening the investment treaty regime. With increasing Bilateral Investment
Treaty (BIT) disputes, issuance of such statements is likely to have strong
persuasive value before tribunals.

What is a 'Blockchain'
A blockchain is a digitized, decentralized, public ledger of all cryptocurrency
transactions. Constantly growing as completed blocks (the most recent
transactions) are recorded and added to it in chronological order, it allows market
participants to keep track of digital currency transactions without central
recordkeeping.
Each node (a computer connected to the network) gets a copy of the blockchain,
which is downloaded automatically.

Bharat Net Project:

1.It will provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats
2.The project is being funded through the Universal Service Obligation Fund

National Water Quality Sub-Mission (NWQSM) which has been started by the
Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in February 2017 will address the urgent
need for providing clean drinking water in already identified Arsenic & Fluoride
affected habitations.

The Youth Development Index (YDI),

The Youth Development Index (YDI), developed by the Commonwealth
Secretariat, measures the status of young people in 183 countries around the world.
In the latest available report (2016), India ranked 133r
The index is a comprehensive measure across five domains that are critical to youth
development education, health, employment, and civic and political participation
and builds on an earlier version created by the #Commonwealth in 2013.
The Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports recently released the
India Youth Development Index and Report 2017

E. coli AntiMicrobial Satellite (EcAMSat)

The E. coli AntiMicrobial Satellite (EcAMSat) mission will investigate space
microgravity effects on the antibiotic resistance of E. coli, a bacterial pathogen
responsible for urinary tract infection in humans and animals.
EcAMSat will investigate spaceflight effects on bacterial antibiotic resistance and
its geneticbasis.
Scientists believe that the results of this experiment could help design effective
countermeasures to protect astronauts health during longduration human space
missions

DALY (Disability Adjusted Life Years)

It is an internationally recognized metric to rate a disease or health condition
It is calculated as the sum of years of life lost due to premature mortality and the
years lost due to disability in people living with a health condition or suffering its
consequences
A higher DALY metric indicates a severe disease burden
The report assessed DALY for various diseases and its trend across states in India

The Geographical Indication (GI) Registry and Intellectual Property India has
presented the Geographical Indication Tag status to Banglar Rasogolla of West
Bengal and Mamallapuram stone sculptures of Tamil Nadu.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the aegis of
Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology organizing the Asia Pacific
Computer Emergency Response Team (APCERT)

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing the Joint Interpretative
Declaration (JID) between India and Colombia

JID:

The JID would impart clarity to the interpretation of the existing Agreement as it
includes interpretative notes to be jointly adopted for many clauses, including, the
definition of investor,

definition of investment, Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET), National Treatment

(NT) and Most Favoured Nation (MFN) treatment, expropriation, Investor State
Dispute Settlement provision and Denial of Benefits.

National Power Portal(NPP)- a Centralized Platform for Collation and

Dissemination of Indian Power Sector Information, has been launched by the
government.

NPP is a centralised system for Indian Power Sector which facilitates online data
capture/ input (daily, monthly, annually) from generation, transmission and
distribution utilities in the country and disseminate Power Sector Information

A rice field laboratory named after Prime Minister Modi was recently
inaugurated by Prime Minister himself at IRRI in Los Banos in Philippines.

IRRI:

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international

agricultural research and training organization known for its work in
developing rice varieties that contributed to the Green Revolution in the
1960s.
The Institute, established in 1960 aims to reduce poverty and hunger, improve
the health of rice farmers and consumers, and ensure environmental
sustainability of rice farming.

Project Saksham
It is the countrys largest time-bound upskilling exercise for government
employees launched by the Indian Railways.
What it does?
It aims to upgrade the skillsets of its 13 lakh-strong workforce with a single
drive spanning nine months.

Measles kills an estimated 49,000 children in India each year, which is about
37% of the global deaths due to this disease. India has set an ambitious goal to
eliminate measles from the country.

Land Acquisition Bill creates five special categories of land use: 1. defence,
2. rural infrastructure, 3. affordable housing, 4. industrial corridors, and 5.
infrastructure projects including Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects
where the central government owns the land.

India has been ranked 133rd out of 183 countries in the 2016 Global Youth
Development Index (YDI).

south Asia Economic Summit (SAES) has begun at Kathmandu.

The theme of the summit is Deepening Economic Integration for Inclusive
and Sustainable Development in South Asia

Urdu as second official language of Telangana:

Telangana government has declared Urdu as the states second official
language. The state government will appoint Urdu officers in all the offices
over the next 60 days to receive petitions from public and reply them in Urdu.

Islamic banking
Islamic banking could bring more Muslims into the banking system, and help
in the inflow of institutional wealth from entities operating in the Islamic
world to the Indian economy
. Sharia banking is not restricted to Muslims alone, and other communities
who are interested in other forms of banking like ethical banking could be
allowed to participate.

National Testing Agency (NTA)

The Union Cabinet has approved creation of National Testing Agency (NTA)
as a Society registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860, and
as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organization to conduct
entrance examinations for higher educational institutions.

People FirsST
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has planned
to conduct State specific Atal Pension Yojana (APY) mobilization Campaigns
under the title People First.

The People First campaign will be a series of campaigns conducted at various

states across the country to increase APY outreach.

The Atal Pension Yojana became operational from June 1, 2015 and is
available to all the citizens of India in the age group of 18-40 years.

1.5 MW Small Hydro Power Plant in Biaras Drass, Kargil (J&K) has become
the first project to be commissioned under Prime Ministers Ladakh
Renewable Energy Initiative.

40 LPCD of drinking water is the minimum or lifeline supply that has to be

provided to a habitation for considering it as Fully Covered under the
NRDWP.

We have moved up 32 places in the last two years in the Global

Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum;

We have also moved up 21 places on the Global Innovation Index of WIPO

in two years.

We have moved 19 places on the Logistics Performance Index of 2016 of

World Bank;
.Different kinds of handwriting could make the reading of Persian and Arabic
difficult. The nastaliq style is cursive and easy to read, the shikaste is denser
and more difficult.

Verses ascribed to Kabir have been compiled in three distinct but

overlapping traditions. The Kabir Bijak is preserved by the Kabirpanth (the
path or sect of Kabir) in Varanasi and elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh;

the Kabir Granthavali is associated with the Dadupanth in Rajasthan, and

many of his compositions are found in the Adi Granth Sahib

Historically a prime example of an oligopoly has been the Organization of the

Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) where a limited number of countries
have dictated oil
production and prices to the global economy.
This has changed significantly over time as more and more countries become
oil producers, but OPEC still has a major role on the global economy.

Clouded Leopard
1. It is only found in Asia
2. It is the state animal of Meghalaya
3. Clouded leopard is the mascot for
2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup
IUCN Status Vulnerable

Aflatoxins
1. They are carcinogenic
2. They cause frameshift mutations
3. They are sometimes found in beer

Gene silencing
Gene silencing is the regulation of gene expression in a cell to prevent the
expression of a certain gene.. In particular, methods used to silence genes are
being increasingly used to
produce therapeutics to combat cancer and diseases, such as infectious
diseases and neurodegenerative disorders.
DNA methylation is a method for gene silencing through short RNAs.
siRNAs are short interfering RNAs. The process of RNA inactivation by use
of these is called as RNA interference (RNAi).

Bonnet macaque
M. r. radiata
It occurs in peninsular India (Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka,
Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu). It is found in the major portion of the
species range south to the Palni Hills and southeast as far as Timbale, inland
of Pondicherry.

M. r. diluta
It occurs in southeastern coastal India (Kerala and Tamil Nadu). It is found
from the south tip and southeastern coast of India, north to Kambam in the
Western Ghats, at
the southwestern foot of the Palni Hills in the centre and Pondicherry in the
east

Indias first Tribal Entrepreneurship Summit has organised by NITI Aayog

in partnership with the US government at Dantewada in the Bastar
region of Chhattisgarh

Empowered Action Group (EAG)

In India, the eight socioeconomically backward states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh,

Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh
are referred to as the Empowered Action Group (EAG) states

They lag behind in the demographic transition and have the highest infant
mortality rates in the country
They receive special attention from the central government

Indias GHG Emissions

 Indias greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and industrial use was
likely to be 2.5 gigatons (Gt) of carbon dioxide equivalent

Though Indias emissions in 2017 are also projected to rise, this increase is
likely to be only 2 percent over last year

In the last one decade, Indias greenhouse gas emissions have increased by an
average of almost six percent every year

EU and Pre 2020 actions

A defensive European Union played down an ongoing confrontation with

developing countries over pre-2020 actionson climate change and a
compromise solution was nowhere in sight yet,

India and China comprehensively rejected initial proposals to address their

demands

Farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) systems

where farmers protect and manage the growth of trees and shrubs that
regenerate naturally in their fields from rootstock or from seeds dispersed
through animal manure can deliver several economic and ecosystem benefits

SHe- Box:
It is an online complaint Management System for women working in both public
and private organizations to lodge complaints of sexual harassment at workplace.
How it operates?
Once a complaint is submitted to the portal, it will be directly sent to the ICC/LCC
of the concerned employer.

Blue Flag aerial training exercise:

Blue Flag is a bi-annual multilateral exercise which aims to strengthen military
cooperation amongst participating nations.
The exercise is designed to strengthen Israels military cooperation
internationally.
This is the first time India is participating in the drill, along with the US, France,
Germany, Italy, Greece and Poland.

Olive Ridley turtles have started arriving at Gahirmatha beach in Odishas

Kendrapara district, known as worlds largest rookery of this endangered species.
The olive ridley is classified as Vulnerable according to the International Union
for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), and is listed in
Appendix I of CITES.

Chennai has been included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its rich
musical tradition. Including Chennai, a total of 64 cities from 44 countries have
joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Jaipur and Varanasi are the other
Indian cities that feature on the list.
About Creative Cities Network:
What is it?
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote
cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic
factor for sustainable urban development.

Composition scheme:
What is it?
The composition scheme is an alternative method of levy of tax designed for small
taxpayers whose turnover is up to Rs 1 crore Rs 50 lakh in the case of eight
north-eastern states and the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh.
The objective behind it is to bring simplicity and reduce the compliance cost for
small taxpayers.

The 2017 IEA Ministerial Meeting was recently held in Paris. The focus of the
meeting was on global energy challenges and how they can be overcome.
The IEA examines the full spectrum of energy issues including oil, gas and coal
supply and demand, renewable energy technologies, electricity markets, energy
efficiency, access to energy, demand side management and much more.
Indias first Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) will come up at
Patent Information Centre, Punjab
These centres will be set up under WIPOs Technology and Innovation Support
Centers (TISC) program.
The objective of the TISC
is to stimulate a dynamic, vibrant and balanced Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)
system in India to foster creativity
Key facts:
The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) is designated as the
National Focal point for the TISC national network.
As the national focal point, CIPAM will identify potential host institutions, assess
their capacities and support them in joining the TISC project.

CIPAM will also act as the main intermediary between WIPO and TISC host
institutions and coordinate all the activities of the national TISC network.

Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran App

The government has launched Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran App benefitting
customers of Coal India Limited (CIL) lifting coal through road mode.
What is it?
The app is for the benefit of customers lifting coal through road mode. It is a step
towards transparency in the system of loading programme and despatch.

NIRBHAY missile:
What is it?
It is Indias first indigenously designed and developed Long Range Sub-Sonic
Cruise Missile which can be deployed from multiple platforms.
Key features:
Nirbhay is an all-weather low-cost long-range cruise missile with stealth and high
accuracy. The missile has a range of more than 1000 km.
The missile has the capability to loiter and cruise at 0.7 Mach, at altitudes as low as
100 m.
Musa paramjitiana:
What is it?
It is a species of wild banana discovered recently in the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.
Key facts:
The plant grows to a height of nine metres and bears an edible, sweet-and-sour
tasting fruit that is boat-shaped and has numerous bulb-shaped seeds.
Its conservation status has been declared as Critically Endangered as it has so far
been spotted in only two locations on the islands, each with 6 to 18 plants in a
clump.

New ant species discovered in the Western Ghats:

tyrannomyrmex alii (or T. alii). The ant is named after eminent myrmecologist
Musthak Ali, who is regarded as the countrys ant man.
The new species was found in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. It belongs to
Tyrannomyrmex, a rare tropical genus of ants.

WMO:
What is it?
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the
United Nations dedicated to meteorology (weather), climatology (climate),
operational hydrology (water) and other related geophysical sciences such as
oceanography and atmospheric chemistry.

The UNFCCC was adopted in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, which marked the
beginning of the international communitys first concerted effort to confront the
problem of climate change. Known also as the Rio Convention, the UNFCCC
established a framework for action to stabilise concentrations of greenhouse gases
in the earths atmosphere.

ALMA telescope:
What is it?
ALMA -the largest astronomical project in existence- is a single telescope of
revolutionary design, composed of 66 high precision antennas located on the
Chajnantor plateau, 5000 meters altitude in northern Chile.

The 12th edition of East Asia Summit (EAS) will be held in Angeles, Philippines
The membership of EAS consists of ten ASEAN Member States , Australia, China,
India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and the USA.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been named
as the recipient of the Harmony Foundations 2017 Mother Teresa Memorial
Award for Social Justice as an acknowledgement of its exceptional work
worldwide.

Haryana has become the Indias first state to treat Hepatitis-C patients of all
categories through oral medicine. This drug will be provided free of cost for
permanent residents of all categories at the district level.

India International Cherry Blossom festival, which is the Worlds only autumn
cherry blossom festival, in Shillong, Meghalaya. The 4-day festival is being
organized by Government of Meghalaya

The Maharashtra government will soon set up village climate resilient

committees for adopting different agricultural practices in over 5,000 village
Organic World Congress (OWC- 2017) will be held at India Expo Centre in Greater
NoidA
Indo-Bangladesh joint military exercise Sampriti-7 has started in its
northeastern states of Meghalaya and Mizoram

Himachal Pradesh will be the first state to use EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper
Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines on all booths during assembly elections.
Assams female one-horned rhino Guppy has been unveiled as the official mascot
of the 2017 AIBA Youth Womens World Boxing Championship in Guwahati,

The Union Power Ministry has constituted a 4-member committee to investigate

into the causes of the recent accident that occurred on 1st November 2017 at
NTPCs Unchahar Thermal Power Plant in Uttar Pradeshs Rae Bareli district.
The committee, headed by PD Siwal, Member of Central Electricity Authority

India has signed $119 million of financial agreement with the World Bank (WB)
for Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence and Equity (OHEPEE)
project.

The annual Bali Jatra festival was started in the city of Cuttack at Gadagadia
Ghata of the Mahanadi river
The fest is celebrated to mark the day when ancient traders of Odisha would set sail
to distant lands of Bali, as well as Java, Sumatra, Borneo (all in Indonesia

The 2017 World Youth Forum has started in Egypt o

From India, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Col Rajyavardhan
Rathore is participating in the forum. The Forum aims to provide a platform to the
youth from all over the globe to engage with the key global policy maker

the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has released a

global investigation
The Paradise Papers that reveals the offshore interests and activities of some of
the worlds most powerful people and companies, including information about at
least 31,000 persons or parties.
India ranked 19th out of the 180 countries represented in the data in terms of the
number of names.

Quadrilateral grouping:
India has accepted an invitation to join the Japan-proposed, U.S.-endorsed plan for
a Quadrilateral grouping including Australia.
What is it for?
The quadrilateral arrangement, including US, Japan, Australia and India, aims to
be a grouping of countries all looking to balance China, using an international
rules-based order to counter Chinas aggressive power play.
The grouping also aims to provide alternative debt financing for countries in the
Indo-Pacific.
Principle of Non-refoulement
The principle of non-refoulement is incorporated in 1951 UN Refugee Convention
It is a fundamental principle of international law which forbids a country receiving
asylum seekers from returning them to a country in which they would be in likely
danger of persecution based on "race, religion, nationality, membership of a
particular social group or political opinion".

Green Climate Fund (GCF)

It is a fund established within the framework of the UNFCCC to assist developing
countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change.
The Copenhagen Accord established during the 2009 United Nations Climate
Change Conference (COP-15) in Copenhagen mentioned the "Copenhagen Green
Climate Fund". The
fund was formally established during the 2010 United Nations Climate Change
Conference in Cancun as a fund within the UNFCCC framework.

InsuResilience,
InsuResilience the initiative was adopted at the G7 Summit in
Elmau/Germany in June 2015 and is to be implemented in close
partnershipbetween the G7 states, developing countries and emerging economies.
The overall objective of the initiative is to stimulate the creation of effective
climaterisk insurance markets
The G7 Initiative on Climate Risk Insurance aims to increase access to direct or
indirect insurance coverage against the impacts of climate change for up to 400
million of the most vulnerable people in developing countries by 2020.

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six
principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic,
social, and related work of 15 UN specialised agencies, their functional
commissions and five regional commissions.
The ECOSOC has 54 members.
ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and
social issues and formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states
and the United
Nations system

National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA)

1. The Companies Act 2013 provides for setting up NFRA
2. NFRA will set accounting and auditing standards, monitor and enforce
compliance with the standards, and oversee the accounting professions record of
ensuring compliance

The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC)
The first COP meeting was held in Berlin, Germany in March, 1995

Tholpavakoothu
Tholpavakoothu a form of shadow puppetry that is practiced in Kerala, India. It is
performed using leather puppets as a ritual dedicated to Bhadrakali and is
performed in Devi temples in specially built theatres called koothumadams.
This art form is especially popular in the Palakkad, Thrissur and Malappuram
districts of Kerala.

Recently, a species of wild banana named Musa paramjitiana was discovered that
grows to a height of nine metres and bears an edible, sweet-and-sour tasting fruit
that is boat-shaped and has numerous bulb-shaped seeds. it discovered in Andaman
and Nicobar Islands ,,. Its conservation status has been
declared as Critically Endangered

Mansabdar
Mansabdar implies the generic term for the military-kind grading of all royal
functionaries of the Mughal Empire. The Mansabdari system introduced by Akbar
was borrowed from the
system followed in Mongolia

Trade bloc
A trade bloc is a type of intergovernmental agreement, often part of a regional
intergovernmental organization, where barriers to trade (tariffs and others) are
reduced or
eliminated among the participating states

What is an XPRIZE?
An XPRIZE is a highly leveraged, incentivized prize competition that pushes the
limits of whats possible to change the world for the better.
It captures the worlds imagination and inspires others to reach for similar goals,
spurring innovation and accelerating the rate of positive change.

nitrate time bomb.

over time the nitrate will inevitably slowly seep into the aquifers. Water quality will
be impacted for decades, even where controls on fertiliser use have been put in
place
punjab regions of India is it most likely that you will find a nitrate time bomb

The NGO-DARPAN platform was earlier maintained by erstwhile Planning

Commission. It now is being maintained under the aegis of NITI Aayog.

It is a free facility offered by the NITI Aayog in association with National

Informatics Centre to bring about greater partnership between government &
voluntary sector and foster better transparency, efficiency and accountability.

The Organic World Congress (OWC) is organized once every three years in a
different country and this time it is being organised in India. \
The last edition of the Organic World Congress took place in Istanbul, Turkey, in
2014. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
and OAFI are organizing the event.

The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) is designated as the
National Focal point for the TISC network in India. As the national focal point,
CIPAM shall identify potential host institutions, assess their capacities and support
them in joining the TISC project.
India must prepare itself for moving towards Disaster Risk Management (DRM)
and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) from an approach of traditional Disaster
Management

India Disaster Response Summit, organised jointly by the National Disaster

Management Authority (NDMA) and Facebook, on how best to leverage social
media platforms to prepare, respond and recover for, during and after a disaster.

Digital Geneva Convention

Microsofts proposal for a Digital Geneva Convention
Geneva Convention has long protected civilians in times of war, we now need a
Digital Geneva Convention that will commit governments to protecting civilians
from nation-state attacks in times of peace.

Crab Nebula
: It the result of a supernova noted by Earth-bound chroniclers in 1054 A.D., is
filled with mysterious filaments that are are not only tremendously complex, but
appear to have less mass than expelled in the original supernova and
a higher speed than expected from a free explosion.
The Crab Nebula spans about 10 light-years

A supernova is the explosion of a star. It is the largest explosion that takes place in
space.
Crab Pulsar:
In the crab nebulas very centre lies a pulsar: a neutron star as massive as the Sun
but with only the size of a small town (such objects are known as compact
objects). The Crab Pulsar rotates about 30 times each second.
AstroSats recent achievement
AstroSat, Indias first dedicated multi-wavelength space telescope, has successfully
accomplished the extremely difficult task of measuring X-ray polarisation of the
Crab Pulsar,
which rotates about 30 times each second. This landmark measurement puts up a
strong challenge to prevailing theories of high energy X-ray emission from pulsars.
The Doha amendment to the Kyoto Protocol refers to the second commitment
period (2013-2020). India ratified the Doha amendment in August this year (2017).
India is a part of the LMDC Group on Climate Change.

The multidimensional Gender Vulnerability Index, released by child development

NGO Plan India
Goa ranked top and Bihar featured at the lowest in Gender Vulnerability Index
(GVI).
The GVI is aimed at comprehensively understanding the dimensions of various
problems affecting children, particularly girls, in difficult circumstances.

Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country to enact a Food and Nutrition
Security Act. Its food security law has been praised for reducing the amount of
grain lost to pilferage and through corrupt practices

A Chawal Utsav (Rice Festival) is organised at each ration shop during the first
week of every month, which helps to ensure that all food items are adequately
stocked in each shop by the last day of the previous month

National Mental Health Survey 2016, one in twenty Indians has depression
1 in 20 Indians is grappling with depression
There are 3 psychiatrists for every 1 lakh people in the country, on an average,
says the World Health Organization

Global Clubfoot Conference was recently held in India for the first time.Clubfoot
is one of the most common orthopaedic birth defects. It can cause permanent
disability if not treated
early. This affects the childs mobility and confidence.
(Ponseti method )
A relatively recent method the Ponseti method (developed in USA) has been
developed to treat and correct clubfoot without surgery.

General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organisation (UNESCO) was held in Paris, France. In it, India has been re-elected
as the member of the UNESCOs executive board, its top decision-making body.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) will celebrate the Child
Rights Week Hausla 2017
General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO) was held in Paris, France. In it, India has been re-elected
as the member of the UNESCOs executive board, its top decision-making body.

The Union Environment ministry has constituted a 7-member committee to

continuously monitor the short-term and long-term solutions to air pollution.
It will be headed by C.K Mishra, the Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The committee will meet at regular, short
intervals to draw up a plan and ensure enforcement.

FIPSPHYSIOCON 2017
Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Science (DIPAS) of DRDO is
organizing the International Conference on Human Physiology VII Congress of
Federation of Indian Physiological Societies (FIPS) FIPSPHYSIOCON 2017
The purpose of the conference is to update the scientific community about most
recent advances in human Physiology in extreme environments, Neuroscience,
Yoga, Sport Physiology and translational research.

Tamil Nadus historic Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam has won the
UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit 2017 for cultural heritage conservation.
The Pan India scholarship program for school children Deen Dayal SPARSH
Yojana has launched by Union Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha to
increase the reach of Philately
The 2017 World Youth Forum has started at Sharam El Shiekh in Egypt
The 14-day joint training exercise PRABAL DOSTYK 2017 has started
between the Indian Army and the Kazakhstan Army at Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has increased
the maximum age of joining National Pension Scheme (NPS) Private Sector from
the 60 to 65 years of age to increase the pension coverage in the country. Now, any
Indian citizen, resident or non-resident, of 60-65 years of age can join the NPS and
continue up to the age of 70 years.
The Haryana government has recently announced lifetime monthly pension of Rs
10,000 for Hindi Satyagrahis and those from the state who were jailed during
the Emergency
The worlds first hybrid electric tram powered by hydrogen fuel cells has started
running in China to give big boost to green energy in public transport
The 21st World Congress of Mental Health has started in New Delhi with theme
Partnerships for Mental Health which is organised by the World Federation for
Mental Health in partnership with Caring Foundation and other institutions.
the Department of Biotechnology has signed a trilateral Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Nobel Media AB and the Goa government to host the
Nobel Prize Series India

India slipped 21 places on the 2017 World Economic Forums (WEF) Global
Gender Gap index to rank 108th among 144 countries, primarily due to less
participation of women in the economy and low wages. According to the WEF
Global Gender Gap Report 2017, India has closed 67% of its gender gap
The Rajasthan assembly has become the first in India to call attention and
adjournment motions and proposals online from legislators to send them to the state
government.

The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India has signed
an investment agreement worth $1 billion with a wholly owned unit of the Abu
Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI)s revised guidelines on interest
subvention scheme, banks will provide funds to women Self Help Groups (SHGs)
in rural areas at 7% under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural
Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) in the current fiscal FY18.
Madhya Pradesh, has launched the ambitious Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojna for the
farmers of the state at the Krishi Upaj Mandi in Khurai, Sagar. The scheme has
launched as a guarantee to ensure reasonable prices to the farmers for their
agriculture produces.

WHO report 2017 on Indias TB burden

With 1.7 million new cases in 2016, India still continues to be the largest
contributor to the global burden with up to a quarter of the 6.3 million new cases of
TB (up from 6.1 million in 2015).
Funding Source: 74% domestic funding and 26% international funding.
More men above the age of 15 suffer from TB than women.

Governments intervention
The government has committed to achieve a 90-90-90 target by 2035 (90%
reductions in incidence, mortality and catastrophic health expenditures due to TB).
This is premised on improved diagnostics, shorter treatment courses, a better
vaccine and comprehensive preventive strategies.

#Etikoppaka toys get GI tag, artisans cheer

The Etikoppaka toys are not only popular in Andhra Pradesh
but also gained their popularity all over the country and
abroad over the years.
A 14 days joint training exercise PRABAL DOSTYK 2017 between the Indian
Army and the Kazakhstan Army commenced at Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.

Hindi literature Krishna Sobti will be conferred with the countrys highest literary
honour, Jnanpith Award this year in 2017.
The Jnanpith Award is one of the prestigious literary honours in the country. The
award was instituted in 1961.
Over 800 kg khichdi will be prepared live on November 4 at the World Food India
event in a bid to create world record and popularise it as brand India food globally.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) cleared the continuation

of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-
RAFTAAR) for three years till 2019-20

A wildlife conservation reserve dedicated exclusively to the blackbuck is coming

up over 126 hectares in the trans-Yamuna region of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
The State cabinet has approved a Blackbuck Conservation Reserve in the Meja
forest division that is known for its rocky, undulating and arid terrain
Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC):
The Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC) was inaugurated at the Tarang Auditorium of
INS Mandovi, Goa. The conclave was aimed at Addressing Regional Maritime
Challenges
PAN Indian Army Release of Integrated Quarter Master Package (IQMP) Software
Application

The Indian pitcher plant (Nepenthes khasiana) uses the gas, both to attract prey
and to aid the digestive process. The open Nepenthes pitchers were found to emit
CO2 constantly. CO2 inside the pitchers was produced by the respiration of tissues
within the cavity.
Nepenthes pitchers have the potential to be used as natural models mimicking an
anticipated elevated CO2 scenario on earth

Govt gave ex-post facto clearance to implementation of the Special Banking

Arrangement (SBA) of Rs10,000 crore for payment of outstanding claims of
fertiliser companies towards fertiliser subsidy in 2016-17.

PowerGrid completes extending grid connectivity to

Leh-Ladakh region
This is the first time in the country that any 220kV voltage level substation is built
at such a high altitude of over 11,500 feet.
It is a prestigious project of Indian government to extend grid connectivity to
difficult geographical areas of Leh- Ladhakh Region in Jammu and Kashmir.

Hadley cell circulates between 0 and 30 latitudes.

Ferrel Cell circulates between 30 and 60 latitudes.
Polar Cell circulates between 60 and 90 latitudes.
Under the Sovereign Gold Bonds scheme, the bonds are denominated in units of
one gram of gold and multiples thereof. Minimum investment in the bonds is one
gram, with a maximum limit of 500 grams per person, per fiscal year (April to
March).

India slipped 21 places on Global Gender Gap index to a lowly 108.

The index is prepared by World economic Forum
President of India inaugurates Global Clubfoot Conference
Clubfoot
Clubfoot is one of the most common orthopaedic birth defects.
It can cause permanent disability if not treated early.
Clubfoot is a birth defect where one or both feet are rotated inwards and
downwards.
This affects the childs mobility and confidence. Inevitably, education and
schooling suffer and the child cannot fulfil his or her potential.

Initial Coin Offerings (ICO)

An ICO, like an equity initial public offer (IPO), is an issuance of digital tokens
that can be converted into crypto currencies and are mostly used to raise funds by
start-up firms dealing in block chain technology and virtual currencies like bitcoins
and ethereum.
Unlike an IPO, which is governed by SEBI regulations, there is no regulatory body
for ICOs in India.

UNSC 1267 Committee:

The UNSC 1267 Committee was established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). It
is also known as the AlQaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee.
It was established for the purpose of overseeing the implementation of sanctions
measures imposed on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan for its support of Osama bin
Laden.

ICRISAT:
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is
an international organization which conducts agricultural research for rural
development, headquartered in Patancheru, Hyderabad.
Its charter was signed by the FAOand the UNDP.

What is linxiu?
The term, a honorific for a leader, was once used for Mao
The term lingxiu has not been used since the time of Maos successor Hua
Guofeng.
But it has begun to pop up again in state media and in government meetings.

MSME Delayed Payment Portal MSME Samadhaan

Delayed Payment Portal MSME Samadhaan was lanched for empowering micro
and small entrepreneurs across the country to directly register their cases relating to
delayed payments by Central Ministries/Departments/CPSEs/State Governments

INSTC:
International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the Chabahar-Zahedan-
Zaranj corridor would connect South Asia on one hand and Europe on the other,
INSTC is an ambitious multimodal transport system established in 2000 by Iran,
Russia and India to promote transportation cooperation. It is planned to connect the
Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea through Iran and then onwards to
St. Petersburg and northern Europe through Russia.

Valve annuloplasty
Valve annuloplasty is a new heart implant that is expandable and stretches out as
the child grows.This will stop children requiring more surgeries to repair or replace
heart valves as they grow up.

THE INDIA-BRAZIL-SOUTH AFRICA DIALOGUE FORUM:

Established in June 2003, IBSA is a coordinating mechanism amongst three
emerging countries, three multi ethnic and multicultural democracies, which are
determined to:
Contribute to the construction of a new international architecture.
Bring their voice together on global issues.
Deepen their ties in various area
intelligence and security organisations exempted from disclosing information to
the public under section 24 of the Right to Information Act. CBI is only an
investigating agency and not a security or intelligence organisation.

Seven- point strategy: ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE

The strategy includes developing methods for human machine interactions;
ensuring safety and security of AI systems; creating a competent workforce in line
with AI and R&D needs, understanding and addressing the ethical, legal and
societal implications of AI, measuring and evaluating AI technologies through
standards and benchmarks, among others\

Dawn mission:
NASAs Dawn mission will study the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres,
celestial bodies believed to have accreted early in the history of the solar system.
The mission will characterize the early solar system and the processes that
dominated its formation.
NASA has authorized a second extension of the Dawn mission at Ceres, the largest
object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

69 species of Butterflies were recorded in a study by the Zoological Survey of India

in the Singur, a rural block in West Bengals Hooghly district. Five of the species
found in Singur are rare and to be protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972.

To highlight tribal way of agriculture in Janjatiya Kisan Swaraj Yatra in south

Rajasthan laid focus on sustainable farming through rain-fed agriculture and
indigenous tribal practices

Indias first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) has been set up under
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana by National Skill Development Corporation
(NSDC) in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council

INSV Tarini:
INSV Tarini is a 56 foot sailing vessel built in India by M/s Aquarius Shipyard Pvt
Ltd, Goa
It was inducted into the Indian Navy recently in February 2017
It has #Raymarine navigation suite and an array of satellite communication systems
for perfect navigation anywhere in the world
It showcases the Make in India initiative on the International forum.

Nanoparticle formulation of a chlorophyll-rich biomolecular extract of an Indian

medicinal plant Anthocephalus cadamba combined with a near-infrared dye has
been found to selectively kill skin cancer cells.
The plant extract is toxic to cancer cells as there is enhanced generation of reactive
oxygen species (ROS) while the dye aids in the destruction of cancer cells through
photothermal therapy..

Gram Samridhi Evam Swacchata Pakhwada

It is an effort to prepare the Gram Panchayat Development Plan through extensive
community participation especially of women and youth.
The recommendations of this plan will be given top most priority in finalization of
Annual Action Plan across schemes and programmes of various Ministries and
Departments.

In line with the broader strategy and emphasis on preventive vigilance, the Central
Vigilance Commission (CVC) believes that the next level of systemic change can
be through the tool of Integrity Index.
The CVC has therefore decided to go in for development of the Integrity Index-
based on bench-marking of internal processes and controls within an organisation
as well as management of relationships and expectations of outside stakeholders.

The Centre unveiled an ambitious plan to infuse 2.11 lakh crore capital over the
next two years into public sector banks (PSBs).
Steps Taken:
Govt has taken massive step to capitalise PSBs in a frontloaded manner, to support
credit growth and job creation.
Govt plans to fund through budgetary provisions of 18,139 crore and the sale of
recapitalisation bonds worth 1.35 lakh crore.
The balance would be raised by the banks themselves by diluting the governments
equity share.
Cabinet also approved 5.35 lakh crore for massive road infrastructure investment
under Bharat Mala Programme.

CORPAT:
CORPAT is a bilateral maritime exercise between India and Indonesia. Both
countries have been carrying out maritime exercise twice a year since 2002.INS
Sukanya at Indonesia for Coordinated Patrol of IMBL

Thumri:
-Thumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music.
-The term thumri is derived from the Hindi verb thumakna which means to walk
with dancing steps so as to make the ankle-bells tinkle.
-The form is, thus, connected with dance, dramatic gestures, mild eroticism,
evocative love poetry and folk songs of Uttar Pradesh, though there are regional
variations.

Astrolabe
Worlds oldest astrolabe that guided ships to India found in shipwreck of a ship
called the Esmeralda. Navigation tool may have been used in Vasco da Gama
expedition. Astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers
and navigators to measure the inclined position in the sky of a celestial body, day or
night.

International Conference on Green Initiatives & Railway Electrification

green initiative railways
Indian Railways shall lead the world by achieving 100 % electrification with an
incentive cum penalty framework scheme to transform Indian Railways truly into
a world class, safe and modern transporter

Bharat Net project, which aims to deploy high-speed optical fibre cables across
rural areas, will be completed by December this year, thus providing internet access
to 100,000 gram panchayats,
Context:
i-Bharat 2017 conference held in the New Delhi, based on the theme of ICT
Elucidations for Unserved and Unsolved, organised by industry body FICCI in
association with the ministry of electronics and information technology

Heritage Scheme (Apni Dharohar Apni Pehchan Project):

Significance:
------------------------
The project primarily focuses on development and maintenance of world-class
tourist infrastructure and amenities like Cleanliness, Public Conveniences, Ease of
access, secure environment, illumination and night viewing facilities for an overall
inclusive tourist experience that will result in more footfall from both domestic and
foreign tourists.

public Finance Management System (PFMS)

Mandatory use of Public Finance Management System (PFMS) will help monitor
the flow of funds to beneficiaries of different government welfare schemes.
Advantages:
PFMS will progress towards a Government wide Integrated Financial Management
System (GIFMIS) as a comprehensive Payment, Receipt and Accounting System

National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) set up under the administrative control
of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) at Gwalpahari Village, Distt.
Gurgaon (Haryana).

Arctic sea ice, a key indicator of climate change, could be dwindling faster than
predicted.
Salty snow formed when brine is expelled upward from the ice surface does not
allow radar waves from satellites to penetrate, leading to skewed measurements.

Kala-azar:
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, black fever, and Dumdum
fever, is the most severe form of leishmaniasis and, without proper diagnosis and
treatment, is associated with high fatality.
Caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus
Parasite Leishmania donovani is believed to be responsible for the dreaded
infection.
This disease is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world

The first-ever meeting of BIMSTEC Task Force on Traditional Medicine

(BITFM) was held at Parvasi Bhartiya Kendra in New Delhi
Key Features:
It was organized by Union Ministry of AYUSH
India being a major stakeholder in the field of Traditional Medicine plays an
important role in influencing the policies and strategies related to the Traditional
Medicine in the BIMSTEC Forum

Bi-annual Naval Commanders Conference

Achievements mentioned:
Deter piracy attempts off the Gulf of Aden.
Participation in a number of bilateral exercises
Success of the Exercise MALABAR with the US and the Japanese Navy.
Engagement with the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)

India has to spend 50 lakh crore on infra CRISIL

Infrastructure investment in India is estimated to have risen to Rs 37 lakh crore or
5.6% of GDP between fiscals 2013 and 2017.
President of India launched the Technocity project in Thiruvananthapuram

Burundi on Friday became the First ever nation to leave the International Criminal
Court(ICC), the worlds only permanent war crimes tribunal. International Criminal
Court, set up in July 2002, headquartered at Hague, Netherlands
The first ever All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) is set up in New Delhi along
the lines of AIIMS. As an apex institute under the Ministry of AYUSH, the AIIA
will bring synergy between the traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern
diagnostic tools and technology.
The Jaipur and Srinagar Airport got First and Second rank respectively in the
category of 2-5 million passengers in ACI-ASQ Survey.
The Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards are the aviation industrys most
prestigious accolades recognizing the airports which have achieved the highest
passenger satisfaction ratings in the ASQ Survey the worlds benchmark measure
of airport excellence.
Sushruta Samhita talks of surgery while Charak describes hundreds of diseases,
their causes and treatment methods.

MAGUDAM AWARDS Awarded to people from Tamil Nadu who have

excelled in the field of Sports, Entertainment, Public Service, Literature,
Technology and Start-Ups.
India has the second highest number of US Food and Drug Administration
(USFDA) approved plants after the USA and is the largest producer of recombinant
Hepatitis B vaccine.
In the field of Science and Technology and Entrepreneurship, Indian women have
had a major presence over the last 100 years
The first women to receive a medical doctorate degree was Anandibai Joshee in
1885
The first Indian women Doctorate in Basic Science was Janaki Ammal in 1931
Indias first woman to get a doctorate of science from an Indian university was
Asima Chatterjee in 1944.
It is the only worldwide programme to survey passengers at the airports on their
day of travel.

INDRA: India and Russias annual military exercise. INDRA-2017 is the first tri-
service bilateral exercise between the two countries.
Under the provisions of Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO), the prices of
only those medicines are fixed which are in the National List of Essential
Medicines (NLEM), numbering about 850 against more than 6,000 medicines
available in the market of various strengths and dosages
. This constitutes approximately 17% of the total pharmaceuticals market, in value
terms. There is an Expert Committee which continuously evaluates the list of
Essential Medicines.
Government makes Revised Quality Standards for Caustic Soda mandatory The
revised quality standards, compliant with Bureau of India Standards (BIS)
specifications, would necessitate the industry to produce caustic soda using the
modern and more energy efficient membrane based technology.
Mandating compliance to revised BIS specifications will allow superior grade
caustic soda to be produced and imported in the country which would be beneficial
to human health
and environment.

ImTeCHO an innovative mobile phone application to improve performance of
ASHAs
Vayoshreshtha Samman a scheme of National Awards for senior citizens
The population of senior citizens in our country was approximately 10.5 crore,
which was about 8.5% of our total population.
The average life expectancy has increased in recent decades due to improvement in
health services and other reasons.
It is estimated that by the year 2050, the number of senior citizens will be
approximately 19% of our total population.

PM Ujjwala Yojana: In the last 15 months, we have already provided LPG

connections to over 30 million households. Secondly, we have set the target to
electrify 40 million un-electrified households in the next 15 months.
Paul H. Appleby Awards: For distinguished services to IIPA and the field of Public
Administration in India
Indias first Sewage Treatment Plant under Hybrid Annuity Mode to come up in:
Haridwar and Varanasi
MITRA SHAKTI 2017: The fifth India-Sri Lanka Joint Training Exercise based on
Counter Terrorist Operations and an Infantry company from both the countries is
participating in the same.
Ayurveda Day: 17th October; The First ever All India Institute of Ayurveda
(AIIA), set up as an apex institute under the Ministry of AYUSH, will be dedicated
to the nation. AIIA will bring synergy between the traditional wisdom of Ayurveda
and modern diagnostic tools and technology.

Nations first Rail coach manufacturing Company: Bharat Earth Movers Limited
(BEML), a Public Sector Company under the Ministry of Defence and the premier
manufacturer of rail products. It is the only Indian Company manufacturing State-
of-the-Art Metro Cars and holds the Market share of about 50% in Metro segment
competing with Global Players and is the sole supplier to Bangalore and Jaipur
Metro Corporations
World Post Day: Celebrated each year on 9th October with the purpose to create
awareness of the role of the postal sector in peoples and businesses everyday lives
and its contribution to the social and economic development of countries.
Launch of International Tracked Packet service: Has been designed specially to
meet the cross border requirements of e-Commerce sector in Asia-Pacific Region
. At the beginning, the service will be available to 12 countries and gradually the
whole world will be covered. This new service has many special features like
Affordable price
Track & trace
Volume discounts
Pick up facility
Compensation for loss or damage and, therefore, high value for money
.
UAE is the first country to invest in National Investment and Infrastructure Fund
(NIIF)
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) is a fund created by the
Government of India for enhancing infrastructure financing in the country.

A distinctly new species of rock dwelling gecko of the #Hemidactylus genus has
been identified by a group of scientists . The species named Hemidactylus
yajurvedi (Kanker Rock Gecko) was discovered from the Kanker district of
Chhattisgarh is the 27th Hemidactylus species known from India.

In a rare gesture, the Kaman #Aman Setu (bridge of #peace) was thrown open. On
Jhelum river it is built
The Aman Setu links Kashmir with PoK and was constructed to facilitate the
launch of the historic bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarnagar. However,
the bridge was completely destroyed in an earthquake. The 210-feet bridge, located
120 km north of Srinagar, was reconstructed.

Advance Healthcare Directive (or simply Advance Directive) also known as

living will, is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be
taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves
because of illness or incapacity.

Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) can provide information of atmospheric

composition, land and ocean properties all at the same time
The OCO is a project by NASA. The observations made by this satellite in 2015-16
(year in which one of the strongest El Nio phenomenon was witnessed) is the first
of its kind
CO2 concentration increased by 50% in that year, the causes for which were
determined with the help of observations made by the OCO.
Europe for instance is planning a constellation of satellites called Sentinel-7 that
will map CO2 over a much wider area, but still at very high precision.

The Cabinet has approved two new World Bank supported schemes Skills
Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) and
Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE).
The Justice J.S. Verma committee recommended removal of exemptions in the
Indian Penal Code granted to the offence of marital rape

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged cooperatives to venture into areas like
beekeeping and seaweed farming to help farmers double their income by 2022 and
boost the rural economy. He noted that cooperatives were mainly present in the
sugar and dairy sectors, and there was a need now to explore new avenues like
beekeeping through which farmers could bring a #Sweet Revolution to the
cooperative movement.

The IP Code (Ingress Protection Rating or International Protection Rating)

consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter. The standard
has been established by the International Electro Technical Commission.
The code classifies the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid
objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and
water in electrical enclosures.

Universal social security plan

In an attempt to improve the life of the extremely poor people of India, the
government has drafted a Rs 1.2 lakh crore plan to
''provide universal social security coverage for the poorest people of the country.''
About the scheme:
This broader programme envisages three categories the poorest 20%, who will
get a government payout

Campaign on women for women: #IamThatWoman

In an attempt to end Gender bias in women against women, the Ministry of Women
and Child Development is undertaking an online campaign #IamThatWoman.
Key facts:
Through the campaign, the Ministry seeks to highlight the various aspects of
women standing by and for women.
Ministry of WCD has urged people to shun stereotypes associated with women
harming other women

Every toilet constructed across the country under the Swachh Bharat
Mission could now be called #Izzat Ghar, or something equivalent in a local
language that means house of dignity, following a directive from the Centre to the
states.
IMFs observations on the idea of providing a UBI:
IMF estimates India could provide a universal basic income (UBI) of Rs 2,600 a
year to every person if it eliminates food and energy subsidies.
Even such a modest level of UBI will incur a fiscal cost of about 3% of GDP, but
would outperform the public food distribution and fuel subsidies on three counts.
It will address the under coverage of the near 20% lower income groups in the
PDS,

Union Cabinet has given its approval for International Association of Marine Aids
to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) to change its status from Non-
Governmental Organization (NGO) to Inter-Governmental Organization (IGO)

The IALA council consists of 24 National Members and India is one of the council
members represented through the Directorate General of Lighthouses and
Lightships (DGLL), Ministry of Shipping.

Indias first Sewage Treatment Plants under Hybrid Annuity mode, at Haridwar and
Varanasi
Hybrid Annuity Model
the development, operation and maintenance of the sewage treatment STPs will be
undertaken by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be created by the winning bidder
at the local level. As per this model, 40% of the Capital cost quoted would be paid
on completion of construction while the remaining 60% of the cost will be paid
over the life of the project as annuities along with operation and maintenance cost
(O&M) expenses.

Three marine species, the Pondicherry Shark, the Red Sea Torpedo and the
Tentacled Butterfly Ray might have become possibly extinct in the oceanic waters
of the Arabian Seas Region (ASR) since no evidence of its existence has surfaced
in the last three decades.

The sawfish today may be the most endangered fish species in India. Anecdotal
evidence suggested they were once common along the Indian coast.
Key facts:
The sawfish has been included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act
1972 enacted to save them from exploitation.

World Food Day is a chance to show our commitment to Sustainable Development

Goal (SDG) 2 to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030.
Its also a day for us to celebrate the progress we have already made towards
reaching #ZeroHunger.

INS Kiltan (P30), third Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes built
under Project 28 (Kamorta Class) was recently commissioned into the Indian Navy
The sleek and magnificent ship is propelled by Combination of Diesel and Diesel
(CODAD) propulsion system of four diesel engines to achieve speeds in excess of
25 knots and has an endurance of around 3,500 Nautical Miles.

Bharatmala project:
Bharatmala envisions 44 economic corridors across the country at a cost of at least
Rs 5 lakh crore. The programme, along with the proposal to enhance NHAIs
powers, is likely to get Cabinet clearance soon.

In S.R. Bommai v/s Union of India (Supreme Court 1994) case, the Supreme Court
has declared that federalism is a basic feature of the Constitution and States are
supreme in their sphere. This being the Constitutional position, there is no
prohibition in the Constitution for the State to have its own flag.

What is bottom trawling?

Bottom trawling is a destructive fishing practice which affects the marine
ecosystem. The practice, which involves trawlers dragging weighted nets along the
sea floor, is known to cause great depletion of fishery resources, and curbing it is in
the interest of sustainable fishing.
Measures taken by India:
The launch of a programme on diversification of bottom trawlers into deep-sea
fishing vessels for tuna long lining under the Blue Revolution Scheme.
Construction of Mookaiyur and Poompuhar fishing harbours, and capacity-building
programmes for fishermen of the Palk Bay area in deep sea tuna long lining.

India has embarked on the implementation of the BBIN motor pact with
Bangladesh and Nepal
BBIN MVA:
The four SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries
had in June 2015 signed the Motor Vehicle Agreement.
The pact aims at allowing motor vehicles of all categories registered in three
countries to move freely in the region.

The first-ever road map to combat animal tuberculosis (bovine TB) and its
transmission to humans, referred to as zoonotic TB, was recently launched at the
48th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Guadalajara, Mexico. The
roadmap has been built on a One Health Approach
Zoonotic TB:
It is a type of TB in people caused by mycobacterium bovis. The disease can affect
many other species surrounding cattle and become established in wildlife
reservoirs.
There is no cure for bovine TB and it threatens animal welfare and those with
livelihoods based on livestock.

National e-Governance Services Ltd (NeSL) has become Indias first information
utility (IU) for bankruptcy cases under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.
NeSL is owned by State Bank of India and Life Insurance Corporation Ltd.
Project Jeevamritham in Kollam district of Kerala to provide the filtration
system for cleaning drinking water to 5000 villages across India, in Kollam district
in Kerala
World Government Summit (WHS) is scheduled to be held from February 11th
13th, 2018 in Dubai, UAE. India will be the guest of honour in this summit. The
summit is the largest movement to review and share the best experiences, and the
first global forum for governments, countries, organizations and private sector
leaders interested in the industry of the future

The Ganges River dolphin, or susu, inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna

and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
The World Mental Health Day (WMHD) is observed every year on 10 October, to
raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in
support of mental health. The 2017 theme is Mental health in the workplace.

The World Bank (WB), in its biannual economic update South Asia Economic
Focus (Fall 2017), has reduced Indias GDP growth forecast to 7.0% for 2017-18
from 7.2% estimated earlier
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recently released its October 2017
World Economic Outlook. In it, IMF slashed Indias growth forecast by 0.5%
points to 6.7% in FY 18 due to the lingering effects of disruption caused by
demonetisation and transition costs of GST

The Bori Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) is located in in Hoshangabad District of

Madhya Pradesh and covers an area of 518 square kilometers. It is an
important transition zone between the forests of western and eastern India.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2017 has awarded jointly to Jeffrey C.
Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young for their discoveries on how plants,
animals and humans adapt their biological rhythm so that it is synchronised with
the Earths revolutions.
In Libya, the Port of Benghazi has officially reopened for the first time in three
years on September 30, 2017 after being forced to cease operations because of
clashes in the cradle of the 2011 revolution.

The Karnataka government has launched Mathru Poorna scheme to meet the
nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating women in rural areas. Under the
programme, pregnant and lactating women in rural areas will get one nutritious
meal daily for 25 days in a month.

NASAs Black Marble is

A global map of Earth at night
When I look at the NASA night map of India, I see an India that needs more light in
the East. Development and energy have reached the West of our country more
quickly and effectively than the East

#ImTeCHO (Innovative Mobile-phone Technology for Community Health

Operations) mobile and web application is a platform based on mobile phone
technology to improve coverage of proven community based maternal, newborn
and child health (MNCH) services through improving performance of ASHAs
(Accredited Social Health Activists) and PHC (Primary Health Care) staff by
providing support, supervision and motivation

India and EU in 2016 endorsed the EU-India Agenda for Action-2020 as a

common roadmap to jointly guide and strengthen the India-EU Strategic
Partnership in the next five years. Broadly, matters that it deals with include:
Foreign Policy and Security Cooperation
Trade and Investment, Business and Economy
Global Issues/Sector Policy Cooperation
People-to-people
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak was the most deserving person for an award named after
Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri as he has contributed immensely in the direction of getting
rid of the practice of manual scavenging.

Examples of maximum and minimum yield in 2013-14 of some major crops across
states in India:
Rice: Punjab 3952 kg/ha; MP 1474 kg/ha;
Wheat: Punjab 5017 kg/ha; Andhra 500 kg/ha;
Tur: Bihar 1667 kg/ha; Andhra 542 kg/ha
India is represented at the IMF Executive Board by an Executive Director, currently
Subir Vithal Gokarn, who also represents three other countries, viz. Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka and Bhutan

India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) is a public private non-partisan initiative of the
Ministry of Power (MoP), Government of India for accelerated development of
smart grid technologies in the Indian power sector
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) include
1. Lower energy consumption by households
2. Enabling faster service restoration after faults
the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United
States), the European Union (EU), and Iran reached a Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA) to ensure that Irans nuclear program will be exclusively peaceful.

The Plurality System is also known as the First-Past-The-Post system the

election method we have adopted for elections to the Parliament and State
Legislative Assemblies.
Israel and Netherlands employ the PR (Proportional Representation) election
method.

Fridtjof Nansen:
1. He was the first High Commissioner for Refugees at the League of Nations
2. The Nansen Passport is recognised as the first legal instrument for the
international protection of refugees
The Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) is
affiliated to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
2. The UN Paris Principles provide the international benchmarks against which
National Human Rights Institutions can be accredited

Mahatma Ayyankali (1863-1941):

He was a social reformer his own experiences and the presence of a virulent
form of untouchability in Kerala motivated him to undertake the task of liverating
his brethren from untouchability and casteism

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN):

1. It is a coalition of hundreds of NGOs from around a hundred countries across the
world
2. ICANs formation was inspired by the International Campaign to Ban
Landmines a Nobel Peace Prize laureate
ICANs founders were inspired by the tremendous success of the International
Campaign to Ban Landmines, which a decade earlier had played an instrumental
role in the negotiation of the anti-personnel mine ban convention, or Ottawa treaty

The Geneva-based International Road Federation (IRF) is a nongovernmental,

not-for-profit organisation with the mission to encourage and promote development
and maintenance of better, safer and more sustainable roads and road networks
. It helps put in place technological solutions and management practices that
provide maximum economic and social returns from national road investments.
NITI Aayog recently has signed an agreement with the Geneva-based International
Road Federation for designing a policy framework for intelligent transportation
systems (ITS) in the country.

The Government has constituted a high-level committee for proper management of

the water resources in the North Eastern Region (NER) under the Chairmanship of
Vice-Chairman, Niti Aayog
an online marketplace brings buyers and sellers on a single platform to transact,
P2P lending marketplaces bring borrowers and lenders together. It is important to
note that this is unsecured lending and hence carries high risk. P2P platforms look
to attract those people who may not get a loan at a bank or a traditional non-
banking finance company (NBFC).
US economist Richard Thaler won the 2017 Nobel Economics Prize for his
contributions in the field of behavioural economics.
behavioral economics blends insights of psychology and economics, and provides
some valuable insights that individuals are not behaving in their own best interests.
Behavioral economics provides a framework to understand when and how people
make errors.

What is a Living Will?
A living will is a document prepared by a person in a healthy state of mind
specifying that if s/he slides into a vegetative state because of an irreversible
terminal illness, the debilitated existence should not be prolonged with the help of
life support systems or other medical interventions.

The issue of euthanasia was first examined by the health ministry in consultation
with the experts in 2006, based on the 196th Law Commission of India report.
However, it was decided to not make any laws on euthanasia.

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the International Campaign to
Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Ican). Ican has been chosen for its groundbreaking
efforts to achieve a treaty prohibition on nuclear weapons.
About Ican:
Ican, a coalition of hundreds of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), is 10
years old and is based in Geneva, Switzerland

In a bid to conserve indigenous breed of cattle, the government has undertaken a

Mass Embryo Transfer programme in Indigenous Breeds under the scheme,
National Mission on Bovine Productivity
About ETT:
Embryo transfer technology (ETT) has revolutionized the breeding strategies in
bovines as a tool to optimise the genetic improvement in cattle.
About Rashtriya Gokul Mission:
To conserve and develop indigenous bovine breeds, government has launched
Rashtriya Gokul Mission under the National Programme for Bovine Breeding and
Dairy Development (NPBBD)
Community Conserved Area (CCA)?
In 2004, WWF-India introduced the concept of CCAs in the State to empower local
communities to become active decision-makers and implement conservation
initiatives.
Local communities in these CCAs form committees to undertake wildlife
monitoring, patrolling and community-based tourism activities.

Laws prohibiting practice:

The practice of Devadasi system in any form is in total contravention of the
provisions of Section 370 and 370A as amended through Criminal Law
(Amendment) Act, 2013 as well as Section 372 of Indian Penal Code. It is also
against Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

India is all set to hold the first BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise-
2017. BIMSTEC DMEx-2017 will be conducted by the National Disaster
Response Force (NDRF) as the lead agency.

What is Paryatan Parv?

The Paryatan Parv will showcase the cultural diversity of the country, with cultural
performances, crafts bazaar, food court showcasing folk and classical dance &
music, handicrafts & handlooms and cuisine from all regions and States of the
country

What you need to know about UN Peacekeeping?

United Nations Peacekeeping was created in 1948. Its first mission involved the
establishment of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), which served
to observe and maintain ceasefire during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

The government is considering the levy of an inheritance tax on high net worth
individuals, some of whom are already preparing to insulate themselves from such
a liability by forming family trusts. The tax could range from 5% to 10% and would
apply only to families with a certain net worth
In order to protect the rich aquatic biodiversity of river Ganga from escalating
anthropogenic pressures, development of a Turtle sanctuary in Allahabad along
with a River Biodiversity Park at Sangam have been approved under Namami
Gange programme.

The 2017 Nobel prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Jacques Dubochet
(University of Lausanne, Switzerland) Joachim Frank (Columbia University, New
York) and Richard Henderson (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology,
Cambridge, U.K.) for developing cryo-electron microscopy for the high-resolution
structure determination of biomolecules in solution.
What is cryo-electron microscopy?
Cryo, short for cryogenic refers to very low temperatures. Though the actual
temperature is not well defined, it is below minus 150C. In the context of electron
microscopy, it refers to the fact that the object to be imaged is frozen to such low
temperatures to facilitate being studied under the beam of the electron microscope.
This method is so effective that even in recent times, it has been used to image the
elusive Zika virus:

The Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India is all set to launch

#Deep Ocean Mission
,confirmed the participation of seven premier science agencies including NIO,
ISRO and DRDO in the venture.
Deep Ocean Research will include, for instance, exploration and exploitation of
polymetallic nodules in the Central Indian Ocean Basin, upto depths of around
5,000-6,000 metres.

Base editing is an advance on a form of #gene-editing known as #Crispr, that is

already revolutionising science.
Crispr breaks DNA. When the body tries to repair the break, it deactivates a set of
instructions called a gene. This presents an opportunity to insert new genetic
information.
Base editing works on the DNA bases themselves to convert one into another.

India and the United States have launched a Defence Technology and Trade
Initiative (DTTI) aimed at simplifying technology transfer policies and exploring
possibilities of co-development and co-production to invest the defence relationship
with strategic value.

For 2017-18, the government has allocated 13,948 crore for the Swachh Bharat
Mission-Gramin (SBM-G) project; for the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U)
project, the allocation was merely 2,300 crore.
This has to be seen in the light of the 2011 Census, according to which 31.16% of
the total population lives in urban areas. Also, the growth of population in urban
areas is 32% over a decade and rural is 12%. The fact that the urban population is
growing at a much more rapid rate has been ignored by the government.

India has avoided about 1 million (10 lakh) deaths of children under age five since
2005, owing to the significant reductions in mortality from pneumonia, diarrhoea,
neonatal infections and birth asphyxia/trauma, measles and tetanus, according to a
study published in the latest issue of The Lancet journal.
The Indias Million Death Study, implemented by the Registrar General of India,
is the first study to directly quantify changes in cause-specific child deaths in India,
nationally and sub-nationally, from 2000-15 among randomly selected homes.

ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a concept of

weekly or fortnightly virtual clinics that use teleconferencing to bridge the gap in
healthcare resources by using the best specialists to reach out to underserved areas
Indias first ECHO clinic began in 2008 as a collaboration between the National
Aids Control Organisation (NACO) and Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC)
on managing HIV AIDS patients.

Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) points

There are five BPM points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Bum La and
Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, #Daulat Beg Oldi and #Chushul in Ladakh,
and #Nathu La in Sikkim.

#Gypsum is used as a fertiliser; it is a moderately soluble source of the essential

plant nutrients, calcium and sulphur, and can improve overall plant growth.
Gypsum amendments can also improve the physical and chemical properties of
soils, thus reducing erosion losses of soils and nutrient concentrations (especially
phosphorus) in surface water runoffs

European Union and European Space Agencys Copernicus programme is

associated with
An Earth Observation programme, it will provide information to improve the
management of the environment
A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a massive, irregularly-shaped slab
of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere.
Plates move horizontally over the asthenosphere as rigid units.

In discovering the molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm in living

organisms the internal biological clock, this years Nobel laureates in
Physiology/Medicine had studied a particular gene belonging to #Fruit flies

The #trios ( Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young) breakthroughs
were on fruit flies, but their findings explain how the molecular clock works to
keep time in all animals.

The Keynesian multiplier showed that any government spending brought about
cycles of spending that increased employment and prosperity regardless of the form
of the spending

Eight Empowered Action Group States: Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh,

Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Rajasthan; often, the
mention of EAG States is followed by a mention of Assam. These nine States,
which account for about 48 percent of the total population in the country, are the
high focus States in view of their relatively higher fertility and mortality indicators.

The Centre has launched a six-year project- called #SECURE Himalaya to ensure
conservation of locally and globally significant biodiversity, land and forest
resources in the high Himalayan ecosystem spread over four states in India.
The project called SECURE Himalaya was launched by the Union environment
ministry in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
A fourth gravitational wave has been detected this time with help from Italy-
based equipment after two black holes collided, sending ripples through the
fabric of space and time.
Virgo detector:
The Virgo collaboration includes more than 280 physicists and engineers belonging
to 20 different European research groups.
The Virgo detector an underground L-shaped instrument that tracks gravitational
waves using the physics of laser light and spac

Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai has been adjudged the cleanest
iconic place in the country under Swachhta Hi Seva

The Leading Asias Private Sector Infrastructure Fund (LEAP) was established in
March 2016. The fund is an infrastructure co-financing fund, expected to leverage
and complement ADBs existing nonsovereign platform to fill financing gaps and
increase access to finance for infrastructure projects in the region.

The United Nations designated the first Monday of October of every year as World
Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of
all to adequate shelter.

DRIP:
The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), Government of India, with assistance
from the World Bank, is implementing the DAM REHABILITATION AND
IMPROVEMENT PROJECT (DRIP), which would be a six-year project.
The project originally envisaged the rehabilitation and improvement of about 223
dams

For the first time, Nepal and India will undertake a joint tiger census next month in
their national parks, forests and protected areas adjoining the two countries using a
globally-recognised method.
Tiger is an endangered animal listed in the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES). According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF),
tigers have lost 93% of their historical range.
The Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) is under Department Of
Defence Production, Ministry of Defence. This organisation is more than hundred
years old and provides Quality Assurance (QA) cover for the entire range of Arms,
Ammunitions, Equipments and Stores supplied to Armed Forces.
The Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) is under Department Of
Defence Production, Ministry of Defence. This organisation is more than hundred
years old and provides Quality Assurance (QA) cover for the entire range of Arms,
Ammunitions, Equipments and Stores supplied to Armed Forces.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) recently celebrated its 13th
formation day. The theme of this years Formation Day is School Safety.
About NDMA:
On 23 December 2005, the Government of India enacted the Disaster Management
Act, which envisaged the creation of National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister, and State Disaster Management
Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief Minister

High Level Forum on 5G India 2020

The Government has constituted High Level 5G India 2020 Forum with three
Secretaries of key Ministries/Departments namely Telecom, Meity and DST, and
also comprising of renowned experts.
As per the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)
Committee on Digital Economic Policy, 5G technologies rollout will help in
a) Increasing GDP
b) Creating Employment
c) Digitizing the economy.
KRG-administered territory: It borders Syria to the west, Iran to the east, and
Turkey to the north, lying where fertile plains meet the Zagros mountains.

#Bakshali manuscript consists of 70 leaves of birch bark and contains hundreds

of zeros in the form of dots. The manuscript cannot claim to contain the earliest use
of zero other ancient civilisations too used symbols to denote zero as a
placeholder, including the Babylonians 5,000 years ago, millennia before the
Bakhshali Manuscript
ZerOrigIndia Foundation, or the Zero Project, based in Netherlands, is a
crowdsourced project with the aim of determining the origin of the zero digit as the
numeral we know today.
The first text to discuss zero in the numerical sense is the Indian astronomer
Brahmaguptas work Brahmasphutasiddhanta, which was written in A.D. 628
.
Global RE-Invest 2017 is being organised in partnership with the International
Solar Alliance (ISA). It will deliberate upon and evolve strategies for financing
renewable energy and also showcase the Government of Indias commitment to the
development and scaling up of renewable energy
Global Renewable Energy Investors Meet & Expo is organised by the Ministry of
New and Renewable Energy

The Quality Council of India (QCI) is a pioneering experiment of the

Government of India in setting up organizations in partnership with the Indian
industry.
QCI is governed by a Council comprising of 38 members including the Chairman
and Secretary General where the Chairman is nominated by Prime Minister of
India.

Gravitational Waves (GW),

Gravitational waves are ripples in space and time caused by cataclysmic events in
the Universe such as the collision of two black holes or the explosion of a giant
star.
1. Massive GW, such as those caused by black hole mergers, momentarily cause
the Earth to stretch and squeeze
2. More the distance between facilities that can sense GW, greater is the accuracy
with which the source area of waves can be identified

#BNDES, CDS, VEB are foreign institutions, each belonging to different

members of the BRICS grouping. Which one of the following Indian institutions is
their counterpart?
a) Export-Import Bank of India

#Great Green Wall

Eleven countries joined hands in 2007 to combat land degradation and restore
native plant life to the landscape the #Sahel-Sahara region. The project has since
expanded to include countries in both northern and western Africa. The green wall,
when completed, will stretch across the entire width of the continent
(approximately 8,000kms).

India signed the treaty (Convention Against Torture) 20 years ago, but never
ratified it. In 2010, the Bill was sent to a Parliamentary Committee whose
recommendations were never accepted, and the Bill lapsed in 2014

#Hyper-spectral Imaging:
1. It can be used to analyse soil health without requiring physical collection of soil
samples
2. Currently no Indian satellite has the capability to shoot hyper-spectral images
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) says it plans to launch a full-
fledged niche Earth observation (EO) satellite called the Hyperspectral Imaging
Satellite or HySIS using a critical chip it has developed

4th Northeast Connectivity Summit in Kohima from September 22 to 23, a

representative of the Embassy of Japan said Tokyo would invest in the regions
infrastructure, education and people-to-people sectors.

India has also offered its expertise and capabilities in DRR such as the South Asia
satellite, #GSAT-9, and the Tsunami Early Warning Centre to other countries.
The 1st Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction AFTER the
introduction of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030)
was hosted by the Government of India. Beijing hosted the first AMCDRR
conference in 2005, followed by India in 2007.

The First #BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017 (BIMSTEC DMEx-

2017) will be conducted by the National Disaster Response Force as the lead
agency in October, 2017 in the National Capital Region.

In association with Mahatma Gandhi, Lakshman Rao Inamdar established

#Sahakar Bharati
2.To form a cooperative society is a fundamental righT

The Phyto-#Pharma Plant Mission is aimed at a) conservation and cultivation of

endangered and threatened #endemic medicinal plants, and b) discovery of
new #botanical drugs for unmet medical needs using the rich traditional ethno-
#botanical knowledge and biodiversity of these states.
Brahmaputra Biodiversity and Biology Boat (B4): On the Brahmaputra River, a
major ecology #hotspot, in NER, in collaboration with DoNER. B4 will establish a
large barge on the river with a well-equipped laboratory for analysis of all
components of the entire #ecosystem of the river and surroundings. B4 will be
linkEd with all the local research institutions along the river, as well as national and
international laboratories.
#Frugal Microscopy through the Foldscope: a frugal microscope assembled from
simple components, including a sheet of paper and a lens, is acting as a tool
connecting students and science from the region, with the rest of the country

The strategic partnership model is expected to help build a domestic defence

manufacturing base. It will give a boost to the Make in India policy in the defence
sector and set Indian industry on the path to acquiring cutting-edge capabilities
which will contribute to building of self-reliance in the vital sector.
The new model has four segments submarines, single-engine fighter aircraft,
helicopters and armoured carriers/main battle tanks. Additional segments may be
added in the future.
The model was proposed by the Dhirendra Singh Committee in July, 2015.
Under it, foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can hold up to a 49%
stake in a joint venture with an Indian private firm which will hold the majority of
shares

The two-plus-two dialogue comprising Indias defence and foreign secretaries and
their Japanese counterparts takes place annually before the interaction of the two
prime ministers.
The two-plus-two dialogue comprising ministries of defence and foreign affairs
discusses issues of bilateral cooperation threadbare and identifies new areas of
cooperation, which are generally finalised later at the summit level interactions
between the political leadership of the two states.
Indias National Steel Policy 2017
Coking coal is an essential raw material for steel production. The policy envisages
increasing per capita steel consumption to 160 kg by 2030, from the present levels
of 61 kg
Reduction on the dependence of imported coking coal

Tripura has become the Indias first state to set up family welfare district
committees to examine the complaints of women against their husbands, in-laws
and relatives of the husband and to find an amicable solution through negotiation
The first ever National Conference on Mission Mode to address Under-Nutrition
was successfully held in New Delhi

The Jharkhand Government has launched the Shaheed Gram Vikas Yojana at
Ulihatu in Khunti district of Jharkhand.
The Union government has constituted a GST Committee on Exports headed by
revenue secretary Dr Hasmukh Adhia to look into issues of export sector and to
recommend suitable strategy for helping the export sector in the post-GST scenario
to the GST Council
Googles UPI-based digital payment service Tez in New Delhi. The app that will
let users link their phones to their bank accounts to pay for goods in physical stores
and online

Indias first Centre for Animal Law has been established at the NALSAR
University of Law in Hyderabad
Halimah binti Yacob, the former Speaker of Parliament, has been declared the
President-elect of Singapore, after her nomination papers were found to be in or
The Union Finance Ministry has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi to monitor and resolve the IT
challenges faced in the implementation of GST.

Thomas Bach, the President of International Olympic Committee (IOC), has

officially announced that Paris will host 2024 and Los Angeles will host 2028
Summer Olympics.
The Karnataka government has recently approved Electric Vehicle and Energy
Storage Policy 2017 to help the state become a hub for production of alternative
fuel vehicles, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, bring down pollution levels and
push the Make In Karnataka initiative.

Mercedes Araoz, who is also a lawmaker and one of Perus two Vice Presidents,
has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Peru
Indias first lithium-ion battery facility will be set up by Japanese automobile giant
Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) at Hansalpur in Gujarat. The new plant will
make lithium-ion batteries for hybrid car models to be sold in domestic and
international markets.

The joint military exercise Iron Union 5 will start between United States and
United Arab Emirates (UAE) exercise in Abu Dhabi

Three districts Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Koraput in Odisha and Thane in

Maharashtra will initiate Indias ambitious #Zero Hunger programme through
interventions in farm sector on October 16 (World Food Day).
Though many more districts will eventually be covered under this dedicated farm-
based programme in sync with Indias Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to
end hunger by 2030
The Programme will be initiated by the the Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAR) in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Promoting ease of doing business is essential for unhindered growth of the

telecom sector.
It is the independent regulator of the telecommunications business in India.
It was established in 1997 by an Act of Parliament to regulate telecom services and
tariffs in India.

Ministry of Rural Development has organized Bharat ke #Kaushalzaade, an event

honouring beneficiaries of its key skilling programmes, on the eve of Antyodaya
Diwas 2017.
The event aims to celebrate and honour beneficiaries from both of MoRDs
flagship skill development programmes i.e. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen
Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Rural Self Employment Training Institutes
(RSETI).

#Kaushal Panjee:
The event also witnessed the mobilization platform launch, branded Kaushal
Panjee (Skill Register).
It aims to be citizen centric end-to-end solution to aid mobilization of candidates
for RSETIs and DDU-GKY.
#Kaushal Panjee is connected to the Social Economic Caste Census (SECC 2011)
which will help the States plan and target their mobilizations based on the socio-
economic profile of households in their State.

LPG #Panchayat:
The LPG Panchayat is an interactive communication platform aimed at educating
rural LPG users about proper safety precautions to be taken while using LPG, its
benefit to the environment, its effect on women empowerment and health.
the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Rs.8,000 crore has been earmarked for
providing 50 million LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections to poor
households

Essential Services Maintenance Act (#ESMA) is an act of Parliament of India. It is

a central law.
It was established to ensure the delivery of certain services, which if obstructed
would affect the normal life of the people. These include services like public
transport (bus services), #health services (doctors and hospitals).

What is the Graded Surveillance Measure?

SEBI introduced the measure to keep a tab on securities that witness an abnormal
price rise that is not commensurate with financial health and fundamentals of the
company such as earnings, book value, price to earnings ratio among others.

Pralay Sahayam
A multi-agency exercise was recently conducted on the banks of Hussain Sagar
Lake as the final event of Pralay Sahayam in Hyderabad.
The event demonstrated efforts of all central and state agencies, National Disaster
Relief Force (NDRF) and the Armed Forces towards jointly tackling an urban
flooding scenario in Hyderabad.

SATH- Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital, a joint initiative of

Government of Assam and NITI Aayog, has been launched.
Aim of the programme: The programme aims to provide structured support to
Assam in identifying key health priorities and implement the solutions towards
transforming the health and improving the well-being of people of Assam.
SATH programme:
Furthering the agenda for cooperative federalism, NITI Aayog has launched SATH,
a program providing Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital with the
State Governments. The vision of the program is to initiate transformation in the
education and health sectors. The program addresses the need expressed by many
states for technical support from NITI.
The government is planning to facilitate greater investments from South Korea and
would strengthen the Korea Plus cell in this regard.

About Korea Plus:

Korea Plus is a strategic initiative between the Governments of India and South
Korea to promote, facilitate and retain Korean investments in India.

Deen Dayal Upadhayay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana which will experiment
and endeavour to formulate and implement appropriate S&T Interventions for
Sustainable Development through cluster approach in Uttarakhand.

The Russian army, navy and air force are holding bilateral exercises separately but
this is for the first time, both the countries will carry out a tri-services exercise. The
exercise Indra will primarily focus on achieving coordination between forces of
the two countries in a tri- services integrated theatre command scenario.

VASTRA fair:
VASTRA, an all-encompassing trade fair and conference on Textiles and Apparel,
presents a fusion of the finest and the latest in textile products from fibre to
fashion, services and technology.
Deendayal Hastkala Sankul a trade facilitation centre for handicrafts was
recently inaugurated at Varanasi.

About deendayal Hastkala Sankul:

The Sankul will facilitate the weavers/artisans/exporters in promotion of
handlooms/handicrafts in both domestic and international markets. The Crafts
Museum in the Sankul will preserve the traditional handloom/handicrafts products
of Varanasi

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) and the International
Road Federation, Geneva (IRF Geneva) have, today, signed a Statement of Intent
(SoI) to cooperate in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).
international Road federation:
The International Road Federation (IRF) is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit
organisation with the mission to encourage and promote development and
maintenance of better, safer and more sustainable roads and road networks.

Udaan:
Udaan provides exposure to the youth of J&K to the best of corporate India and
corporate India to the rich talent pool available in the State. Udaan is a national
integration scheme with the goal to mainstream J&K youth with rest of the country.
The scheme not only provides skill enhancement and job opportunity

The First BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017 (BIMSTEC DMEx-

2017) will be conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the
lead agency from October 10-13, 2017 in Delhi and the National Capital Region
(NCR).
The BIMSTEC region is home to around 1.5 billion people, constituting around
22% of the global population with a combined GDP of US $2.7 trillion economy

Indian astrophysicist and Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar predicted

that rapidly rotating stars would emit polarised light, scientists in Australia have
observed the phenomenon for the first time.
An inter-ministerial process is under way to discuss the repercussions of the
Hague convention on India. The government had in November 2016 announced
that it would not sign the convention.

PENCIL Portal On Child Labour Elimination

The government has launched a web portal called #PENCIL for effective
implementation of the National Child Labour Project, (NCLP).
About PENCIL portal:
PENCIL (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour) an
electronic platform for no child labour in the country is being developed by the
Labour Ministry.
PENCIL portal has five components Child Tracking System, Complaint Corner,
State Government, National Child Labour Project and Convergence.

Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana #Saubhagya has been launched
to ensure electrification of all willing households in the country in rural as well as
urban areas.
The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) will remain the nodal agency
for the operationalisation of the scheme throughout the country.

The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) of the Ministry of Women &
Child Development has started a monthly #Jan Sampark program to enable the
public to have interaction with its officials and staff for seeking information related
to Adoption as well as flagging their concerns.

(SEBI) has relaxed the guidelines for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and
Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) in order to broaden the scope of fund
raising by such instruments.
It has been decided to allow REITs and InvITs to raise capital by issuing debt
securities. REITs have also been allowed to lend to an underlying holding company
or a special purpose vehicle (SPV).

Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) which will be

deployed along the International Border with Pakistan.
The concept of CIBMS is the integration of manpower, sensors and command and
control to improve situational awareness and facilitate quick response to emerging
situations

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is a paramilitary police force under the Ministry of
Home affairs responsible for guarding Indias international borders with Nepal and
Bhutan.
The Karnataka Cabinet has cleared the much-delayed and debated Karnataka
Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017,
popularly known as the anti-superstition Bill.

The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the signing of the (i) Interbank Local
Currency Credit Line Agreement and (ii) Cooperation Memorandum Relating to
Credit Ratings by Exim Bank with participating member banks under BRICS
Interbank Cooperation Mechanism.

Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) will go a long way to boost the capability
and efficiency of Central and State Police Forces by modernizing them.

The Aquatic Rhabdops is found only in the laterite plateaus of the northern Western
Ghats in Goa, southern Maharashtra and northern Karnataka, in areas facing severe
human pressures.

The Centre has decided to adopt the so-called challenge method for awarding all
projects to states so as to bring in speed, efficiency and transparency, besides
putting an end to allocation of big projects on political consideration

Divyang SarathiThe accessible and comprehensive mobile application for

easy dissemination of information to Divyangjans. According to the Census 2011,
there are over 2.68 crore Divyangjans in India which constitute more than 2.2% of
the population.

Fiji, Niger and Tuvalu have deposited instrument of ratification of the Framework
Agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in the recently held 5th
meeting of International Steering Committee (ISC) of the ISA.
Till date 40 countries have signed and 11 countries have ratified the Framework
Agreement of the ISA. With ratifications by 15 countries, the ISA will become a
treaty based inter-governmental international organization.

India has offered a contribution of Rs 175 crore for creating ISA corpus fund and
for meeting the cost of ISA secretariat for initial five years.

WEF said the private sector still considers corruption to be the most problematic
factor for doing business in India. The second biggest bottleneck is access to
financing, followed by tax rates, inadequate supply of infrastructure, poor
work ethics in national labour force and inadequately educated work force,
among others.
Another big concern for India is the disconnect between its innovative strength (29)
and its technological readiness (up 3 to 107): as long as this gap remains large,
India will not be able to fully leverage its technological strengths across the wider
economy.

first time, the Centre is planning to conduct a break analysis of 5,247 large dams
across the country, and put in place an emergency action plan, especially for the
196 that are over 100 years old.
What is Break Analysis?
Break analysis is the examination of dams to identify potential failures that may
result in an uncontrolled release of water. It involves the characterisation of threats
to public safety that a dam poses.

INS Tarasa, a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft was recently commissioned into the
Indian Navy.
Key facts:
INS Tarasa is the fourth and last of the follow-on Water Jet FACs built by the
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. The first two ships of
the class i.e. IN ships Tarmugli and Tihayu were commissioned in 2016 and the
third ship INS Tillanchang was commissioned earlier this year.

Rajiv Mehrishi has taken charge as the 13th Comptroller and Auditor General of
India (CAG). He has a three-year tenure till August 2020.Removal: CAG is
appointed by the President of India
The CAG can be removed only on an address from both house of parliament on the
ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity
Rural Skills Division, Ministry of Rural Development has organized Bharat ke
Kaushalzaade, an event honouring beneficiaries of its key skilling programmes, on
the eve of Antyodaya Diwas 2017.

The Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) is an act of Parliament of

India. It is a central law.
It was established to ensure the delivery of certain services, which if obstructed
would affect the normal life of the people. These include services like public
transport

What is the Graded #Surveillance Measure?

SEBI introduced the measure to keep a tab on securities that witness an abnormal
price rise that is not commensurate with financial health and fundamentals of the
company such as earnings, book value, price to earnings ratio among other
A multi-agency exercise was recently conducted on the banks of Hussain Sagar
Lake as the final event of Pralay Sahayam in Hyderabad.
The event demonstrated efforts of all central and state agencies, National Disaster
Relief Force (NDRF) and the Armed Forces towards jointly tackling an urban
flooding scenario in Hyderabad.

#Ahar-pyne system of irrigation

Ahar-pyne
It is an indigenous irrigation technology. This system has evolved from an
understanding of the particular agro-climatic conditions of the South Bihar plains of
India.
selected for the national award for excellence in the Mahatma Gandhi national rural
employment guarantee programme (MGNREGP), by the ministry of rural
development.

South Asia Growth Quadrangle (SAGQ

It was launched in 1997 by the Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and
Nepal (BBIN).
The goals of SAGQ are:
to create an enabling environment for accelerating economic growth;

The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program, set up in

2001, brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and
Sri Lanka in a project-based partnership to promote regional prosperity by
improving cross-border connectivity, boosting trade

Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM)

It is a set of technical standards for e-learning software products.
SCORM tells programmers how to write their code so that it can play well with
other e-learning software.
It is the de facto industry standard for e-learning interoperability.

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

It is one of the largest animal welfare and conservation charities in the world.
The groups declared mission is to rescue and protect animals around the world.
IFAW was founded by a small group of people in 1969,

Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 2010 provides
for the preservation of ancient and historical monuments, archaeological sites
General cleaning of monuments, mud pack cleaning, removal of calcareous
deposits and accretions, bio-cide treatment, consolidation and water repellent
treatment, are some of the known ways of chemical treatment.
Other methods of cleaning: Mud Pack Cleaning is used for the cleaning of plain
and decorated marble surface.
This method is being used successfully for the conservation of Taj Mahal and other
marble structures.

Kanchi was also the home of the famous 6th century CE poet Bharavi who wrote
the Kiratarjuniya and the famous 11th to 12th century CE Hindu philosopher
Ramanuja.
It is also noted for its production of fine silk saris.

endangered language in india

What?
It is an initiative of MHRD.
Under this Scheme, the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore works
on protection, preservation and documentation of all the mother tongues

Castor Seed Plants

It is one of the sturdiest plants that can grow in areas where the soil is highly
polluted, including in areas where mining is carried out.

Common Rail Electronic Direct Injection Fuel System (CReDI)

common-rail
Indian Railways (IR) plans to procure several loco sets of Common Rail Electronic
Direct Injection Fuel System (CReDI).
CReDI is a two-stage fuel distribution system which offers greater flexibility than a
normal engine

E-GRAINS
It is the IISFM (Integrated Information System for Foodgrains Management for
Food Corporation of India).
It provides the online Stock Position of buffer and procurement by FCI.

#haplobank refers to a specially maintained collection of embryonic cells that

can, in theory, be directed to become any kind of cell and thus progenitor of
replacement organs.

Smart Streets Lab

The Government of Telangana and WRI India have jointly organized the Smart
Streets Lab Telangana to pilot innovative road-safety and women-safety solutions
by leveraging new developments in technology and IT to transform Hyderabads
streets. The programme will largely be data-driven.

Chakma and Hajong people appears in the news, the cause for their migration to
India is mentioned. They were originally residents of the #Chittagong Hill Tracts in
erstwhile East Pakistan who left their homeland when it was submerged by
the #Kaptai dam project in the 1960s. The Chakmas, who are Buddhists, and
Hajongs, who are Hindus, also allegedly faced religious persecution. They entered
India through the then #LushaiHills district of Assam

The indigenous developed #Trawl System is employed for breaching of land mines
and creating a vehicle safe lane, through a minefield for the advancing columns of
mechanized forces in combat zone.

Rajesh Sharma &. Ors. Vs State of UP in which the court mandated that a
#Family Welfare Committee shall be constituted in each district by the District
Legal Services authority, which shall look into complaints under Section 498A of
the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Recurving tropical cyclones in Western Pacific

1. Can result in drying up of monsoon rains across India
2. Is a phenomenon that happens frequently in El Nio years
3. Move toward the east with a poleward component

A gravity dam is made from concrete or masonry, or sometimes both. It is called a

gravity dam because gravity holds it down to the ground stopping the water in the
reservoir pushing it over.
The basic shape of a concrete gravity dam is triangular in section (Figure 1a), with
the top crest often widened to provide a roadway

two guides policy involving shaping of the new world order and safeguarding
international security was recently announced by #China

an inter-country comparison based on International Debt Statistics 2017 of the

World Bank, which presents the debt data for 2015, shows that India continues to
be among the less vulnerable countrie
Government (sovereign) external debt increased constituted 20.3 per cent of the
total external debt at end-March 2017.

It caters to the need of all types of mines usually encountered by the battle tank in
such a scenario. The Trawl System developed by DRDO is capable of breaching a
variety of land mines including passive and active influence mines.
Inclusive India Initiative is
A mass awareness campaign of the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with
Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities...ligned with
the goals of the United Nations Convention for the Rights of People with
Disabilities (UNCRPD)

Mature or specialised cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent (viz., stem

cells)
Induced pluripotent stem cells were first developed by the Japanese
There are different types of stem cells. One comes from the tissue of embryos,
another from adult organs and the third refers to induced pluripotent stem cells
this method was developed in 2006 by Shinya Yamanaka from Japan

Operation #Insaaniyat
Operation Insaaniyat has been launched by the government of India to assist
Bangladesh in managing crisis caused due to heavy influx of refugees from
neighbouring Bangladesh.
As part of this programme, the Indian government is sending relief material. The
Indian Air Force has been tasked to airlift the relief material from India to
Bangladesh

The Global Human Capital Index for the year 2017 has been released by WEF.
four key areas of human capital development; #Capacity (determined by past
investment in formal #education), #Deployment (accumulation of #skillsthrough
work), #Development (continued upskilling and #reskilling of existing workers)
and Know-how (specialised skills-use at work).
India has been placed at a low 103 rank, the lowest among BRICS economies. India
also ranks among the lowest in the world when it comes to the employment
gender gap

Fiat cryptocurrency and non- fiat cryptocurrency:

A non-fiat cryptocurrency is Bitcoins for example. Thats a private
cryptocurrency. Whereas, the fiat cryptocurrency is a digital currency which
would be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in place of the physical one at
present.

India and Japan have agreed to an open sky arrangement under which the airlines of
both countries can operate an unlimited number of flights.
Open sky agreement:
The agreement was signed in accordance with the National Civil Aviation Policy
(NACP), 2016. The NACP permits the government to enter into an open sky air
services agreement on a reciprocal basis with SAARC nations as well as countries
with territory located entirely beyond a 5,000 kilometre radius from New Delhi.
Last year, India signed an open sky agreement with Greece, Jamaica, Guyana,
Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and Sri Lanka.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated worlds second biggest dam Sardar
Sarovar, 56 years after its foundation stone was laid by former PM Jawaharlal
Nehru.
Sardar Sarovar project is the second biggest dam in the world after the Grand
Coulee Dam in the United States.

Montreal protocol and 23rd World Ozone Day was celebrated on September 16th
across the country.
Theme Caring for all life under the Sun.

What are shell companies?

The Companies Act, 2013 has not defined what a shell company is and as to what
kind of activities would lead to a company being termed a shell.
Shell companies are typically corporate entities which do not have any active
business operations or significant assets in their possession.
some laws help, to an extent, in curbing illegal activities such as money laundering
and can indirectly be used to target shell companies Benami Transaction
(Prohibition) Amendment Act 2016; The Prevention of Money Laundering Act
2002 and The Companies Act, 2013.

NHRC figures show that prisoners cut off from family and friends had a 50% more
chance of committing suicide than those outside. The average suicide rate among
the general public for this period is 11 (per 100,000) whereas the average suicide
rate in prison is 16.9 (per 100,000). In other words, the average suicide rate in
prisons is over 50% more than in normal conditions.

A memorandum of understanding to set up India Japan Act East Forum with an aim
to marry Indias Act East Policy with Japans Free and Open Asia-Pacific strategy
in the backdrop of Chinas One Belt One Road initiative
Japan will extend a loan of Rs 2,239 crore to India for North East Road Network
Connectivity Improvement Project to improve the National Highway 40 (NH-40)
and construct a bypass on NH-54 in the Northeast

Assam legislative assembly has passed a government resolution for adopting a

Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam.
Highlights of the policy:
The policy has a strict two-child policy for government servants and
elected/nominated representatives of panchayat

Swachhta Hi Seva

About the campaign:

The campaign is being coordinated by the Ministry of Drinking Water and
Sanitation, the convening Ministry for the Swachh Bharat Mission.
The objective of the campaign is to mobilise people and reinforce the Jan
Aandolan for sanitation to contribute to Mahatma Gandhis dream of a Clean
India.

The final Development Flight Trials of Astra Beyond Visual Range Air to Air
Missile (BVRAAM) was conducted recently over the Bay of Bengal, Off the Coast
of Chandipur, Odisha.
The 60-km plus range missile possesses Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) making it one
of the most reliable in its class of weapon systems.
The missile could be launched at different altitudes from sea level to 20 km for
engaging aerial targets at various ranges.
The conservation status of snow leopard has been improved from endangered to
vulnerable. The decision was announced by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the global standard for assessing extinction risk

Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), is running a nation-wide campaign SAIL

steel #Gaon ki ore which is aimed at boosting steel consumption in country.

Indias first bullet train project

The 508km-long Mumbai to Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) is scheduled
for completion in December 2023.
The train will have a top speeds of 320-350 km per hour and it is expected to
reduce travel time between the two cities to around 2 hours from the existing 7-8
hours.
Japan is a pioneer in high-speed rail networks, and its Shinkansen bullet train is
among the fastest in the world. India will also get the safe Shinkansen technology
but it would manufacture parts in the country under Make in India.
Shinkansen, meaning new trunk line

Scientists, using data from an instrument which flew aboard Indias Chandrayaan-1
spacecraft, have created the first map of water trapped in the uppermost layer of the
moons soil. The study builds on the initial discovery in 2009 of water and a related
molecule hydroxyl, which consists of one atom each of hydrogen and oxygen
in the lunar soil.

Cryptocurrencies have gained popularity in the last few years. Currently, they are
neither illegal nor legal in many countries including India. The market cap for all
crypto-currencies has just crossed $100 billion, with most of the increase coming in
the past few months. On April 1, 2017, the total market cap was just over $25
billion, representing a 300% rise in just over 60 days. One bitcoin today is worth as
much as 60 grams of gold.

#Telangana State Forest Department has re-introduced the endangered mouse

deer into the forests of Nallamalla in Amrabad Tiger Reserve.
#Mouse deer:
Also called spotted Chevrotain, it is one of the endangered species usually found
in deciduous and evergreen forests of the country. It has its own family called
Tragulidae.
These animals are nocturnal in habitat and because of their small size they are
called smallest ungulates too.

india govt is contemplating to put in place a major connectivity initiative direct

shipping link between Chennai and Vladivostok amid Chinas ambitious Maritime
Silk Route (MSR) connecting Asia with Africa.
India was the first country to establish a resident Consulate in Vladivostok in 1992.
Current engagement of India with the region is limited to isolated pockets

Wood is Good Campaign under the Partnership for Land Use Science (Forest-
Plus), a partnership between USAID and Indias environment ministry.
The idea is to promote wood as a climate-friendly resource and a substitute to
materials like plastic and steel because it is carbon neutral unlike the others while
leave a carbon footprint in their production.

cassini mission a cooperation between NASA, the European Space Agency and
the Italian Space Agency has sent back thousands of stunning images and made
numerous discoveries about the ringed planet and its moons.
NASAs Cassini has completed a final, distant flyby of Saturnss giant moon Titan.
This distant encounter is referred to informally as the goodbye kiss by mission
engineers
CassiniHuygens is an unmanned spacecraft sent to the planet Saturn. Cassini is the
fourth space probe to visit Saturn and the first to enter orbit. Its design includes a
Saturn orbiter and a lander for the moon Titan. The lander, called Huygens, landed
on Tita

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for introduction of the Payment of
Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in the Parliament.
The move aims at providing social security to workmen after retirement, whether it
is because of rules of superannuation, or physical disablement or impairment of
vital parts of the body.
Maharashtra state cabinet approved the Mangrove Protection and
Employment Generation Scheme for 2017-18 and has made Rs 15 crore budgetary
provision for it.
Mangroves are salt tolerant trees, also called halophytes, and are adapted to life in
harsh coastal conditions
The Nungthaang Tampak village in Manipur has become North-East (NE)s first
100% computer literacy village.

Post-demonetisation, India has become one of the fastest growing markets for
digital currencies like bitcoin, according to Nicolas Cary, co-founder and president
of Blockchain, the largest software provider for crypto-currencies in the world.
Cutting edge operational technology.
The Shinkansen technology is renowned for its reliability and safety.
The train delay record of Shinkansen is less than a minute with zero fatalities.
The technology regarding disaster predictions and preventions will also be acquired
as part of the project.
A dedicated High Speed Rail Training Institute is being developed at Vadodara.
This institute will be fully equipped with equipment and facilities, such as a
simulator, as exist in the training institute at Japan.
Telangana Forest Department for first time has re-introduced mouse deer in the
forests of Nallamalla in Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR)
Mouse deer (also known as Spotted Chevrotain) is one of the endangered species. It
looks like weird mash-up of a deer, mouse and pig.
ZSI is Indias apex organization on animal taxonomy. It was established in 1916.
Its objective is to promote the survey, exploration, research Zoological Survey of
India (ZSI) has published first of its kind compendium titled Fauna of Sundarban
Biosphere Reserve in Indian Sundarbans

The traditional Bonderam festival has started in Divar Island of Goa on September
9, 2017 . The word Bonderam originated from the involvement of flags. It is
stated that during the Portuguese rule in Goa there were frequent disputes between
two sections of the Divar village over property issues
Ajay Bhushan Pandey, the CEO of Unique Identification Authority of Indias
(UIDAI) has been appointed as interim chairman of the Goods and Services Tax
Network (GSTN)
The Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) has started at Russky Island, which is part of
Russias city of Vladivostok
NITI Aayog has recently launched the National Nutrition Strategy in New Delhi
with an aimed at Kuposhan Mukt Bharat. It was launched by Leader of the Green
Revolution, Dr M S Swaminatha

The Assam government has recently set up a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Cell
for implementation of DBT across schemes in the Country and to coordinate efforts
at the State Level in taking the DBT initiative forward with immediate effect
The researchers at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-
National Chemical Laboratory in Pune have developed an artificial leaf that absorbs
sunlight to generate hydrogen fuel from water, an advance that may provide clean
energy for powering eco-friendly cars in the future.

The Orion Mission will be the first man mission to Mars, which is on track to take
place in 2030. The candidates were selected from around the world.
India and Germany has recently signed pact on technical cooperation under the
Indo-German Energy Programme Green Energy Corridors (IGEN-GEC). The
main purpose of this programme component is to improve the sector framework
and conditions for grid integration of renewable energy.
The Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX) has become the worlds first derivatives
exchange to launch diamond futures contract.
The Government Nepal has launched the worlds first climate-smart snow-leopard
management plan to safeguard this endangered species of snow leopard and its
habitat.

Justice Dipak Misra has been sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of India (CJI) and
will have tenure of nearly 13 months. He succeeded Chief Justice J S Kheha
The Kerala government has recently launched a new E-Waste Disposal scheme in
its state schools with an aim to process the electronic waste in the IT labs, offices
and stores
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed committee on Household Finance has
recently recommended that banks should link their home loan rates to the RBIs
repo rate
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricanes
sustained wind speed. This scale estimates potential property damage

Catalonia encompasses the northeastern provinces of Spain. It is an autonomous

region, with Barcelona as its capital.
Why many Catalans want independence:
Catalonia, which makes up 16% of Spains population, accounts for almost 19%
of Spanish GDP but there is a widespread feeling that the central government takes
much more than it gives back.
Spain has challenged its status as the first language of instruction in schools.

The Phillips curve is an economic concept developed by A. W. Phillips showing

that inflation and unemployment have a stable and inverse relationship. The theory
states that with economic growth comes inflation, which in turn should lead to
more jobs and less unemployment.

Dutch disease, named after the impact that discovery of natural gas in the North
Sea had on the domestic economy in the Netherlands. This windfall cause the real
exchange rate to appreciate as the extra income was spent domestically, pushing up
the price of nontradeables such as services geared to the local economy.

The DGCA has revised the relevant sections of the Civil Aviation Requirement on
Handling of Unruly Passengers to bring in a deterrent for passengers who engage
in unruly behaviour o board aircrafts. The revision has been done in accordance
with the provisions of Tokyo Convention 1963.

safety in train operations

1. Elimination of unmanned level crossings
2. Manufacture and procurement of only Linke Hoffman Busch coaches
3. Anti-fog LED lights installed on all locomotives

Single Engine fighter acquisition for the IAF:

F-16: Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, USA
Gripen: Manufactured by Saab, Sweden
Twin Engine fighter acquisition for the Indian Navy:
 Rafale: Manufactured by Dassault Aviation, France
F-18: Manufactured by Boeing, USA

UN Declaration of Human Rights No one shall be subjected to arbitrary

interference with his privacy, family, home, or correspondence.

Mosses have been used for decades to monitor air quality.
Mosses lack a root system, so they rely on deposition from the atmosphere for
their mineral nutrition. They are especially well-suited for air-quality assessment as
they are very effective at trapping pollutants, both particulate and gaseous

Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL) within the Framework of Lifelong Learning:
1. It is a multi-stakeholder partnership
2. India is a part of this initiative
3. It is a UNESCO-led initiative

The National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA) is the nodal agency for overall
planning, management and funding of adult education programmes and institutions.
It is an autonomous wing of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

UK and USA have recently introduced measures to reduce the use of farm
antibiotics, and so has China. Netherlands however has made rapid progress in this
respect since 2009, and where farmers willingly adopted practices to reduce usage
of farm antibiotics.

The only difference between a hurricane, a cyclone, and a typhoon is the location
where the storm occurs. In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, the term hurricane
is used. The same type of disturbance in the Northwest Pacific is called a typhoon
and cyclones occur in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) Tag

1. It serves the same purpose as a barcode
2. It can be read from up to a few metres away
3. It does not need to be within direct line-of-sight of the reader to be read/tracked

DIKSHA Portal is an initiative of HRD ministry for providing a digital platform to

teacher to make their lifestyle more digital.
Diksha portal launched with a tagline National Digital Infrastructures for Our
Teacher Our Teacher

A 1,300-km undersea pipeline from Iran, avoiding Pakistani waters, has been
proposed to port cheap gas. It is said that this pipeline can bring natural gas from
the Persian Gulf to India at rates less than the price of LNG available in the spot
market.

Uninhabited Lakshadweep island Parali I vanishes, 4 others shrinking fast: study

The study said the complete erosion and inundation of Parali I was pointing to the
gravity of issues associated with coastal erosion within the atoll

Mission Parivar Vikas:

The main objective of the Mission Parivar Vikas family planning initiative is to
bring down the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to 2.1, which is when the population
starts stabilizing, by the year 2025.
Two new contraceptives launched by Health Ministry to aid family planning
The two new contraceptives, an injectable contraceptive MPA under the #Antara
programme and a contraceptive pill, #Chhaya, in the public health system will
expand the basket of contraceptive choices to meet the emerging needs of couples.
The contraceptives are being launched under the governments Mission Parivar
Vikas, a central family planning initiative.
The contraceptives are safe and highly effective, the Antara injectable being
effective for three months and the Chayya pill for one week, and will help meet
the changing needs of couples and help women plan and space their pregnancies

International Organization for Migration:

Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the
field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and
non-governmental partners.
Indias zero-subsidy UJALA programme has paved the way for a brighter future
and has now travelled to Malaysia. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL),
under Ministry of Power, Government of India has launched UJALA (Unnat Jyoti
by Affordable Lighting for All) Scheme in the State of Melaka, Malaysia

In order to facilitate the smooth roll-out of machine-to-machine (M2M)

communications utilising licence exempt airwaves, sectoral regulator Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has recommended delicensing of a chunk of
spectrum in a few bands.
What is M2M?
M2M is the basis for automated information exchange between machines and can
impact various industry verticals like smart city, smart grid, smart water, smart
transportation, smart health etc. The government has also recognized the potential
of M2M and emphasized the same in National Telecom Policy 2012.

Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018

Some of the premier Indian institutes such as IIT Delhi and IISc Bangalore have
slide down in the rankings to lower bands. Not a single Indian institute was able to
made it to the top 100 list.

Bali declaration:
The Bali Declaration, adopted at the World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable
Development in Indonesia, called on all parties to contribute to restoring stability
and security in the region.
Why India refused to sign the declaration?
India has maintained that the Bali Declaration was not in line with the agreed
principles of sustainable development.

Credit guarantee fund:

The fund was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the Startup
India action plan in January 2016
The fund managed by the DIPP has a corpus of Rs 2,000 crore and will enable
greater financial support to startups.
Andhra Pradesh to get Indias first Hyperloop
The government of Andhra Pradesh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with California-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) to
develop Indias first Hyperloop route in the state.
The proposed route for the Hyperloop between the city centers of Vijaywada and
Amaravati could potentially turn a trip of more than one hour into a 6 minute ride.

To bring in transparency in food safety inspection and sampling, food regulator

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has put in place a
nationwide online platform called FoSCoRIS
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been established
under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which consolidates various acts &
orders that have hitherto handled food related issues in various Ministries and
Departments

The Security Council has 15 members, including five permanent. The five
permanent members, each with the power of veto, are China, France, Russia, the
United Kingdom and the United States.
The Councils 10 non-permanent seats are allocated according to a rotation pattern
set by the Assembly in 1963, to ensure a proportionate representation over time
from the different parts of the world: five from African and Asian States; one from
Eastern Europe; two from Latin American States; and two from Western European
and Other States.

ultra-thin spacecraft that can remove space debris which potentially threaten
satellites or astronauts by enveloping junk in the Earths orbit and dragging it
through the atmosphere, causing it to burn up. The Brane Craft, being developed by
US-based Aerospace Corporation, is a flexible and less than half the thickness of a
human hair.
Japan sent H-II Transfer Vehicle Kounotori 6 (HTV6) into space to deliver supplies
to the ISS.

What is Sir Creek?

Sir Creek is a 96-km strip of water disputed between India and Pakistan in the Rann
of Kutch marshlands. Originally named Ban Ganga, Sir Creek is named after a
British representative. The Creek opens up in the Arabian Sea and roughly divides
the Kutch region of Gujarat from the Sindh Province of Pakistan.

Navika Sagar Parikrama at the INS Mandovi naval training base near Panaji. The
crew of the Sagar Parikrama comprises of six-member all women team on board
the sailing vessel INSV Tarini and will circumnavigate the globe in approximately
165 days.

What is CARB X?
CARB-X, or Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical
Accelerator, is a public-private international partnership, which was set up in 2016
to focus on innovations to improve diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant
infections

What are Gram-negative bacteria?

Bacteria are classified as Gram-positive and Gram-negative, based on a structural
difference in their cell walls that is detectable through a staining technique
developed in 1884 by the Danish bacteriologist Hans Christian Gram. Gram-
negative bacteria are responsible for 20-25% of infections, and are multi drug
resistant which is the ability of bacteria to defend themselves against drugs that
try to kill them.

Corps of Military Police (CMP) is the military police of the Indian Army. In
addition, the CMP is trained to handle prisoners of war and to regulate traffic, as
well as to handle basic telecommunication equipment such as telephone exchanges

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has unveiled rules to tackle on-board disruptive and
unruly behaviour by passengers.
The Tokyo Convention, which took effect in 1969, governs criminal offenses and
other acts committed on board aircraft that jeopardize the safety of flights

Two mountain ranges on Pluto have been named after Tenzing Norgay and
Edmund Hillary respectively by the International Astronomical Union
NASAs New Horizons team proposed the names to the IAU following the first
reconnaissance of Pluto and its moons by the New Horizons spacecraft.

A new project named Sahara Forest Project has been launched in Jordan. It aims
to turn Jordans sand dunes into farming land to produce food using sun and sea
water

Methanol was produced using nanoparticles of gold to initiate a chemical reaction

between methane, oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. It can be done in one stage and
at temperatures no higher than 50C (122F).
produce methanol an important chemical often used as fuel in vehicles using
oxygen in the air
methanol is created by converting methane into hydrogen and carbon monoxide at
high temperatures, then reassembling them in a different order in a second highly
pressurised process.

The 51st International Literacy Day is being celebrated on 8th September, 2017 and
the theme announced by UNESCO is `Literacy in a digital world
Hurricane Harvey, the most powerful to hit the United States in 13 years, left a trail
of destruction as it swept across Texas on Sunday, pummelling the region with
heavy rains and claiming at least two lives since making landfall on the US Gulf
Coast.
With winds topping 130 mph, Harvey is the first Category 4 storm to make landfall
in the US since Hurricane Charley struck Florida in 2004

India recently signed International Expedited Traveler Initiative Programme with

the United States. Also called as Global Entry Programme, this scheme will allow
expedited entry into the US to low-risk travellers from India., with India making a
formal entry into an American initiative.
The move would facilitate closer business and educational ties between the citizens
of India and the U.S.

Indias first-ever railways disaster management centre is expected to come up near

Bengaluru, Karnataka by 2018 and will be used to replicate train accidents to
improve rescue operation efforts.
Minocycline an antibiotic typically used to treat severe acne surprisingly
seemed to cure rats infected with the JE virus.
The Makran Trench is the physiographic expression of a subduction zone along the
northeastern margin of the Gulf of Oman

Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) are also called white scavenger vulture
or pharaohs chicken and are the smallest among all vultures. They are a globally
endangered species on the IUCN Red List.

Pentavalent vaccine- The pentavalent vaccine is a combination of DPT (diphtheria,

Pertussis/whooping cough and tetanus), Hepatitis B and Hib vaccines. DPT and
Hepatitis B vaccines are already a part of the immunisation programme. They are
being replaced by pentavalent vaccine in a phased manner in the country.

IAS stands for International Aids Society

A nine-year-old infected with HIV at birth
udgements are related to section 377 of IPC?
Naz Foundation v. Government of NCT of Delhi (2009)
Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation (2013) case

Cash crops like cotton and Sugarcane were known as Jins-i-Kamil or Jins-i-Ala.
Cotton was produced mostly in Khandesh and Bengal.
Nuakhai is the chief festival of Western Odisha. It is the harvest festival of Odisha
wherein farmers are in possession of new rice of the season. They offer the first
produce of their respective lands to Goddess Samaleswari and then consume it
personally.
The most common chemicals used for cloud seeding include silver iodide,
potassium iodide and dry ice (solid carbon dioxide). Liquid propane, which
expands into a gas, has also been used.

The countrys first technology-driven Mysuru public transport system has become
smart, safe, efficient and beneficial to lakhs of people across the city, the World
Bank has said in its latest newsletter.
Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC)
It is an apex-level body constituted by the government of India.
FSDC has replaced the High Level Coordination Committee on Financial Markets
(HLCCFM), which was facilitating regulatory coordination, though informally,
prior to the setting up of FSDC. It is not a statutory body.
Chairperson: The Union Finance Minister of India

Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES):

The summit will promote economic growth, inclusion and opportunities among
entrepreneurs from across the world, with a special focus on emerging nations from
Africa and Asia. The GES is a personal initiative of US President Barack Obama to
bring entrepreneurs from across the globe on one platform.
The 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) will be hosted by India

Nitaqat (or Saudisation) scheme

Saudization or Saudisation of the workforcethe replacement of foreign workers
with Saudi nationals in the private sectoris the official national policy of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Genexpert can run molecular test

It can diagnose TB and HIV infections
The device size is equivalent to that of a microwave oven
Gasification is a process that converts organic or fossil fuel based carbonaceous
materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
It produces a gas known as Syngas.

The white-bellied heron, also known as the imperial heron or great white-bellied
heron, is a species of large heron found in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas in
India, northeastern Bangladesh, Burma and Bhutan.
IUCN classification: Critically Endangered

Researchers have found that the common bonnet monkey of South India may soon
become an endangered species.
They say the distributional range of this monkey is shrinking in eastern
Maharashtra, northern parts of Karnataka, and western Telangana because of the
slow incursion of the larger, more aggressive rhesus monkey from the northern
region.
India has voted against Sri Lanka for its role in violating human rights of its ethnic
Tamil population.

solar mamas
These solar mamas come from across Africa (and now from other regions too
Latin America, West Asia) and are trained at the Barefoot College in Rajasthans
Tilonia village. In recent years, the Barefoot college has opened up branches in
other countries (ex: Tanzania).
The Barefoot College is an actual centre for learning, and can also be regarded as a
movement supporting women empowerment with its impact felt across the world.

The main objective of the Mission Parivar Vikas family planning initiative is to
bring down the Total Fertility Rate to 2.1 by the year 2025.
The projected population of India is sought to be restricted to 1.5 billion by 2050

A thermonuclear bomb colloquially known as a hydrogen bomb is essentially a

two-stage explosion: one a nuclear fission reaction, the other a nuclear fusion
reaction. The primary explosion is the fission reaction think, a conventional
nuclear bomb that emits x-rays that cause the secondary explosion, triggered by
the fusion of tritium and deuterium, two hydrogen isotopes.-
------- These two isotopes naturally repel each other, but the x-rays weaken this
repellent force, causing the pair to fuse together. It is the fusion of these two
isotopes that triggers the enormous energy release that makes thermonuclear
explosions so destructive.

The Cell for IPR Promotions & Management (CIPAM) under the aegis of
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and
Industry, has launched a social media campaign to promote Indian Geographical
Indications (GIs) with #LetsTalkIP which is an ongoing movement initiated by
CIPAM to make more people aware about the importance of Intellectual Property
Rights.
In the recent past, the government had launched similar initiatives such
as #IWearHandloom and #CottonIsCool to promote and revive traditional
handwoven textiles.

It is called the European X-ray Free Electron Laser. India is not a member, neither
is the USA.
A Sherpa is a personal representative of the leader of a member country at an
international Summit meeting such as the G8, G20 or the Nuclear Security Summit.
The term is derived from the Nepalese Sherpa people, who serve as guides for
mountaineers in the Himalayas
Sherpas are career diplomats or senior government officials appointed by the
leaders of their countries. There is only one Sherpa per Summit for each member
country; he/she is assisted by several sous Sherpas.

Earth Overshoot Day is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network, an

international think tank that coordinates research, develops methodological
standards and provides decision-makers with a menu of tools to help the human
economy operate within Earths ecological limits. It was earlier known as
Ecological Debt Day.
The IGF is a forum for MULTI-STAKEHOLDER dialogue (and not just
intergovernmental) on public policy issues related to key elements of Internet
governance issues, such as the Internets sustainability, robustness, security,
stability and development.

IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and

works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental
partners. It was founded in the wake of the Second World War to resettle refugees
from Europe.

Article 340 of the Indian Constitution, The President may appoint a commission to
investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes and to
recommend the steps to improve their condition. The report of the commission is to
be placed before the Parliament, along with action taken memorandum.

The China-Maldives friendship bridge will link Male with Hulhule island, but it
wont be across the One and a Half Degree Channel. The One and a Half Degree
Channel is well south of Male.
individual and social justice through John Rawls views/theory of justice: John
Rawls, an American ethical philosopher, defends a conception of justice as
fairness. In his view, Soviet-style communism (linked purely to social justice) is
considered unjust because it is incompatible with most basic liberties and because it
does not provide everyone with a fair and equal opportunity to obtain desirable
offices and positions.
Pure #laissez-faire capitalism is also unjust (linked purely to individual justice),
because it tends to produce an unjust distribution of wealth and income
(concentrated in the hands of a few

The IGF is a forum for MULTI-STAKEHOLDER dialogue (and not just

intergovernmental) on public policy issues related to key elements of Internet
governance issues, such as the Internets sustainability, robustness, security,
stability and development.

India has not ratified The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International
Child Abduction, 1980 despite the Law Commission recommending otherwise
The Indian Penal Code makes an exception for marital rape

Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Assistance Programme (ITEC)

1. It is essentially a bilateral programme of assistance of the Government of India
2. Its activities are also associated with regional and multilateral organisations like
ASEAN and AARDO

The National Nutrition Week will be observed throughout the country from 1st to
7th September.
Theme: The theme of the National Nutrition Week for 2017 is Optimal Infant &
Young Child Feeding Practices: Better Child Health.
As per NFHS-4 the level of underweight has decreased by 6.8% and is stunting by
9.6%. Level of anaemia has decreased by 11% as compared to NNHS-3 figures.

Terming farm loan waivers a quick-fix, the RBI has again voiced its concern,
saying they will lead to a lasting adverse impact on farm productivity.
According to the Economic Survey 2016-17 (Volume 2), the burden of farm loan
waivers could be as much as `2.2-2.7 lakh crore if all states start offering the relief
and would stoke short-term deflationary shock in the economy
loan waivers by all states could reduce aggregate demand by as much as 0.7% of
GDP

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science and
Technology, had recently convened the Smart Agriculture Conclave in New Delhi,
in partnership with the UK
FarmerZone?
It is a collective open-source data platform for smart agriculture which will use
biological research and data to improve the lives of small and marginal farmers.

The worlds largest X-ray laser- European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL)- is all
set to open in Germany, promising to shed new light onto very small things by
letting scientists penetrate the inner workings of atoms, viruses and chemical
reactions.
The mega-project will generate extremely intense laser flashes, at a mind-boggling
rate of 27,000 per second

Ahmedabad, has been formally accorded the status of Indias first World Heritage
City by UNESCO
The honour makes the walled city of Ahmedabad the first city in India, and the
third in Asia, to be on the list. The other two cities are- Bhaktpur in Nepal and
Galle in Sri Lanka.
India is second after China in terms of number of world heritage properties in
ASPAC (Asia and Pacific) region, and overall seventh in the world.
India now has a total of 36 World Heritage Inscriptions 28 cultural, 7 natural
and 1 mixed site.

Asia-Africa Corridor
India and Japan with the active support of the African Development Bank and
several African countries including South Africa who wish to reduce their
dependence on Beijing
It primarily focuses on Development Cooperation Projects, Quality Infrastructure
and Institutional Connectivity, Enhancing Skills, and People-to-People Partnership.

Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal has been identified for the tiger augmentation
programme by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
Where will tigers come from?
Tigers from the forest reserves of Assam, which have a similar flora and fauna, will
be introduced in Buxa. The reserve is located very close to Assams Manas Tiger
Reserve, and some experts believe that animals from Manas often come to Buxa
using Bhutan as a corridor
Northern boundary of Buxa Tiger Reserve runs along the international border with
Bhutan. The Sinchula hill range lies all along the northern side of BTR and the
eastern boundary touches that of the Assam state.

Astronomers working for Stephen Hawkings Breakthrough Listen (BL) project
detected a mysterious signal in a distant galaxy and termed it a possible extra-
terrestrial communication which sparked a controversy.
Breakthrough Listen is a program to search for intelligent extraterrestrial
communications in the Universe
The project uses radio wave observations from the Green Bank Observatory and the
Parkes Observatory, and visible light observations from the Automated Planet
Finder. Targets for the project include one million nearby stars and the centers of
100 galaxies.
In radio astronomy, a fast radio burst (FRB) is a high-energy astrophysical
phenomenon of unknown origin manifested as a transient radio pulse lasting only a
few milliseconds.

India ranks third globally with 5254 large dams in operation and 447 large dams
under construction. About 4% of these large dams (209) are over 100 years old and
about 17% (876 dams) are more than 50 years old
DRIP is a project involving 9 implementing agencies (IAs) across seven states of
India

PMMVY is implemented by the Ministry of Women & Child Development in
collaboration with State Governments.
The government has released the Guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana
Yojana
It is a conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women of 19
years of age or above for first two live births.
It provides a partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss during childbirth
In 2013, the scheme was brought under the National Food Security Act, 2013 to
implement the provision of cash maternity benefit of 6,000 stated in the Act

Hortinet:
Hortinet is an integrated traceability system developed by APEDA for
providing #Internet based electronic services to the stakeholders for facilitating
farm registration, testing and certification of Grape, Pomegranate and Vegetables
for export from India to the European Union in compliance with standards.
APEDA:
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA) was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act 1985. The Authority
replaced the Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC

The West Bengal government will distribute identity cards issued by the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to Rohigya children lodged in
the juvenile justice homes of the State.
UNHCR cards:
The UNHCR issues ID cards to registered refugees and documents to asylum-
seekers which help to prevent arbitrary arrests, detention and deportation.

The WTO divides subsidies into amber, blue and green box subsidies. Amber box
are trade-distorting subsidies, blue box are subsidies with restrictions designed to
reduce distortion and green box subsidies are non-trade distorting subsidies.
---- Direct cash transfers, coupons and subsidies that do not impact production are
not considered trade-distorting subsidies and categorised as green box.

Gobindobhog rice, a speciality from Burdwan district of West Bengal, has got the
geographical indication (GI) status.
Gobindobhog is a rice cultivar from West Bengal. It is a short grain, white,
aromatic, sticky rice having a sweet buttery flavor.
GI is covered under the Intellectual Property Rights and the Trade Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property Rights.

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) through its
One Nation One Pension Mobilization Campaign has sourced approximately 3.07
lakh APY accounts which led to a total of 62 lakh enrolments under the Atal
Pension Yojana (APY) as on date.
The Atal Pension Yojana became operational from June 1, 2015 and is available to
all the citizens of India in the age group of 18-40 years.

(IIT) Guwahati have successfully created an implantable bioartificial pancreas

model grown within a 3D silk scaffold. The pancreas encapsulates insulin-
producing cells and is capable of naturally producing insulin in a sustained manner.
Scientists coated the scaffold containing beta cells with a semi-permeable
membrane barrier. The membrane allows insulin produced to be released into the
blood stream but does not allow the immune cells to cross the membrane and kill
the islet cells.
The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
between India and Myanmar for the conservation of earthquake-damaged pagodas
at Bagan, Myanmar.Bagan in central Burma is one of the worlds greatest
archeological sites... During the kingdoms height between the 11th and 13th
centuries, over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were
constructed in the Bagan plains alone.

The Union Cabinet was recently apprised of Memorandum of Understanding

(MoU) signed between India and Brazil for cooperation in the fields of #ZebuCattle
Genomics and Assisted Reproductive Technologies
About Zebu cattle:
Zebu, sometimes known as indicine cattle or humped cattle, is a species or
subspecies of domestic cattle originating in the Indian subcontinent. Zebu are
characterised by a fatty hump on their shoulders, a large dewlap, and sometimes
drooping ears. They are well adapted to withstanding high temperatures, and are
farmed throughout the tropical countries,

India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F)

India and Israel will make an contribution of four million US Dollars each for the
Fund, both equivalent amount, annually for five years.
The Innovation Fund will be governed by a joint Board which will consist of four
members from each country.
It would provide a comprehensive set of support tools to encourage joint projects
that convert know-how into show-how.

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) provides two types of
services:
Standard Positioning Service: Available to all users.
Restricted service: Encrypted service available only to authorised users such as for
defence forces.

Hybrid Annuity based PPP model has been adopted for the first time in the country
in sewage management sector. Such a model has earlier been adopted successfully
in highway sector only.
What you need to know about the Hybrid Annuity Model?
The Government of India had accorded Cabinet approval to Hybrid Annuity-PPP
model in January 2016 with 100% central sector funding.
Under this model, the development, operation and maintenance of the sewage
treatment STPs will be undertaken by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be
created by the winning bidder at the local level. As per this model, 40% of the
Capital cost quoted would be paid on completion of construction while the
remaining 60% of the cost will be paid over the life of the project as annuities along
with operation and maintenance cost (O&M) expenses.
One of the most important features of this model is that both the Annuity and O&M
payments are linked to the performance of the STP. This will ensure continued
performance of the assets created due to better accountability, ownership and
optimal performance.
The first edition of Rural Games or Grameen Khel Mahotsav will kick-start from
Delhi
About Grameen Khel Mahotsav:
The Rural Games will aim at popularising the indigenous games like wrestling,
athletics etc. and will also have fun games like Matka Race, Tug of War for senior
citizens to add the fun element in the games.

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the apex body

constituted in the Ministry of Environment and Forests under Rules for
Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous
Microorganisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells 1989, under the
Environment Protection Act, 1986.
The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is a fraud investigating agency. It is
under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.
The SFIO is involved in major fraud probes and is the co-ordinating agency with
the Income Tax and CBI.
The Government approved setting up of this organization on 9 January 2003 on the
basis of the recommendations made by the Naresh Chandra Committee
The provision under the Companies Act, 2013 which provides powers of arrest to
the SFIO has been notified. The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) now has
powers to arrest people for violations of companies law.

Uttar Pradesh has joined central Governments e-Market portal. It will now be
making all its procurements of goods and services through the central portal.
About GeM:
It aims to ensure that public procurement of goods and services in India worth more
than Rs. 5 lakh crore annually is carried out through the online platform for
transparency and to eliminate corruption.

the Constitution caps the number of members in the union and state cabinet. Article
164(1A) specifies that the number of ministers including the Chief Minister has to
be within 15% of the total number of members of the Assembly (10% in the case of
Delhi, which is not a full state).
Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD) is planning to form a national
registry of skilled people to help upgrade the large number of unskilled population
in the country
ISTD has been designated as the National Nodal Agency to `Testing and
Certification of Skilled Workers in the organized and unorganized sectors.

The IAEA is the worlds centre of cooperation in the nuclear field. It was set up as
the worlds Atoms for Peace organization in 1957 within the United Nations
family. It also seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its
use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.

Spice Digital Limited (SDL) has received the final licence from the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI), allowing the company to process bill payments as a Bharat Bill
Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) in the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).
The Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is an RBI conceptualised system driven
by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It is a one-stop payment
platform for all bills

The banking sector is saddled with non-performing assets (NPAs) of over Rs. 8
lakh crore, of which Rs. 6 lakh crore is with public sector banks (PSBs). To deal
with this, Parliament had approved the Act, which replaced an ordinance in this
regard.

NITI Aayog has pitched for completely removing agriculture commodities from the
Essential Commodities Act, and a shift towards organised trading wherein lower
number of traders with enough capital will dominate the market.
Benefits of this move:
This will reduce handling costs, bring economies of scale, reduce prices and
increase returns for farmers.
This will also lead to organised trading, improve scale and logistics benefit and
bring about more capital into trade with handful of big traders competing with each
other.
NITI Aayog has suggested setting up an authority which will take up installation of
waste to energy plants in public-private partnership (PPP) mode to clean up
municipal solid waste
Such an authority can be called Waste to Energy Corporation of India (WECI) and
placed under the housing and urban affairs ministry.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) of the
Ministry of Earth Sciences inaugurated the Ocean Forecasting System for Comoros,
Madagascar, and Mozambique at the third Ministerial Meeting of Regional
Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Asia and Africa (RIMES), held
recently at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
The Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia
(RIMES) is an international and intergovernmental institution, owned and managed
by its Member States, for the generation and application of early warning
information.

Formulation of a new Industrial Policy

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and
Industry initiated the process of formulation of a new Industrial Policy in May 2017
The six thematic areas include
Manufacturing and MSME;
Technology and Innovation;
Ease of Doing Business;
Infrastructure, Investment, Trade and Fiscal policy;
and Skills and employability for the future.
A Task Force on Artificial Intelligence for Indias Economic Transformation has
also been constituted which will provide inputs for the policy.

100 years of Excellence In Sugarcane Research and New India Manthan Sankal
Se Siddhi events organise by ICAR
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), statutory organisation, was
constituted in September, 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of
Pollution) Act, 1974. Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions
under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

YUVA is Delhi Police initiative under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
These kind of initiatives improve the image of the police among common man. It is
a big task that Delhi Police has opened skill development training centres in the
police stations.

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting of the
Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Home Affairs on LWE related issues.
A new initiative SAMADHAN (S-Smart Policing and Leadership; A Aggressive
Strategy, M-Motivation and Training, A-Actionable Intelligence; D-Dashboard for
Development and Key Performance Indicators, H-Harnessing Technology for
Development and Security, A-Action Plan for each Theatre and N-No access to
Financing) has also been introduced to control the situation in the LWE affected
states.

The Union Cabinet approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between

India and Israel on India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation
Fund (I4F)

According to NSSO (National Sample Survey Office) survey, a decline in both

male and female labour force in agriculture has been observed in the last three
decades.
The number of men in agriculture has decreased from 81 percent to 63 percent, and
women from 88 percent to 79 percent.

C-DOTs latest innovation, WiDHWAN, the minister said that, it has been
exclusively designed to cater to the recurring call drop issues in no-signal and low-
signal network scenarios in places such as offices and homes.

Bangladesh Navy is also the present Chair of the Indian Ocean Symposium (IONS),
which is a Multilateral Maritime Cooperation platform launched by the Indian
Navy.
Bangladesh Navy is also scheduled to conduct an International Multilateral
Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise titled IMMSAREX in November 2017,
which is being held under the IONS construct.
South Asian Littorals - Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Seychelles and Sri
Lanka
West Asian Littorals - Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
UAE and Yemen
East African Littorals - Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eriteria, France, Kenya,
Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan and Tanzania
South East Asian and Australian Littorals - Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Timor Leste
1st Edition in New Delhi
Principal Objectives for the IONS Construct
To promote a shared understanding of the maritime issues facing the littoral nation-
states of the Indian Ocean and the formulation of a common set of strategies
designed to enhance regional maritime security.

Secure Email Service to Government of India

This service will increase the productivity and become a step towards the Green
Government as all official communication will be done using eMail.

Indo-German Energy Programme Green Energy Corridors (IGEN-GEC) here

today .
The main objective of this programme component is to improve the sector
framework and conditions for grid integration of renewable energies.

Government to hold Pan India Handloom and Handicraft Camps

Hastkala Sahyog Shivir to cover more than 200 Handloom clusters and 200
Handicraft Clusters.
The Ministry of Textiles proposes to organize Pan India camps in handlooms and
handicrafts clusters, under the initiative Hastkala Sahyog Shivir.
This initiative is dedicated to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Garib Kalyan Varsh, the
birth centenary year of Pandit Deendayal Upadhayay.
PM's third interaction with Additional Secretaries and Joint Secretaries
During the interaction, officers shared their experiences on subjects such as
agriculture, drinking water, citizen-centric governance, innovation and teamwork in
governance, project implementation, education, manufacturing, internal security,
and solar energy.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare addresses at Banaras Hindu
University, Varanasi.
Some achievements are as follows:
Indias first zinc fortified variety WB2 was developed in the year 2016.
Production of breeder seeds and capacity building of farmers to produce seeds.
The draft sequence of Karnal Bunt Fungus has been a big achievement.
Development of large plots for phenotyping, which are now available as a nodal
centre.
To fulfil our objective of Per Drop More Crop, development work on deep-rooted
wheat variety has started to ensure judicious use of water.

The genotype is the set of genes in our DNA which is responsible for a particular
trait. The phenotype is the physical expression, or characteristics, of that trait. For
example, two organisms that have even the minutest difference in their genes are
said to have different genotypes.

JAM, a term coined, and a vision conceptualized, by our Chief Economic Adviser,
is nothing short of a social revolution because it has brought together financial
inclusion (PMJDY), biometric identification (Aadhaar) and mobile
telecommunications. Today, about 52.4 crore unique Aadhaar numbers are linked
to 73.62 crore accounts in India.

Kshamavani Parva Jain community

The Jain community celebrated the Samvatsari Parva yesterday. In the month of
Bhadra, Paryushan Parva is celebrated by the Jain Community. The last day of
Paryushan Parva is observed as Samvatsari.
This is indeed a remarkable tradition. The festival of Samvatsari is symbolic of
forgiveness, non-violence and brotherhood. It is also known as the Kshamavani
Parva,
Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav
Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav, that is, community celebrations of the Ganesh Festival.
This tradition was established by Bal Gangadhar Tilak 125 years ago, and it was
125 years ago that Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav became a symbol of Indias struggle for
freedom.

Classic example of communal harmony and cleanliness
Gujarat saw devastating floods recently. Many people lost their lives. When the
waters receded, there was so much filth everywhere.
That is when, in Dhanera in the Banaskantha District of Gujarat, volunteers of
Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind cleaned twenty-two affected temples and two mosques in a
phased manner. They came together and toiled collectively.
The volunteers of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind set a fine, inspiring example of unity for
cleanliness.

Commerce and Industry Minister Sets up Task Force on Artificial Intelligence

for Economic Transformation
Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has constituted a Task
Force on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Indias Economic Transformation.
With rapid development in the fields of information technology and hardware, the
world is about to witness a fourth industrial revolution.
Driven by the power of big data, high computing capacity, artificial intelligence
and analytics, Industry 4.0 aims to digitize the manufacturing sector.

Dr Jitendra Singh releases DARPG Grievance Study Analysis of 20 Ministries

Some key reforms undertaken by the Ministries/Departments are
e.g. in Ministry of Petroleum, delay in obtaining LPG connections has been reduced
due to introduction of online LPG registration on mylpg.in.
In Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, sub-optimal CGHS services due to
unavailability of doctors and staff has been addressed by introducing Aadhaar
linked biometric in all CGHS units.
In Ministry of Urban Development, delay in construction plan approval due to
manual process has been reduced by introducing online process to obtain clearance
mechanism and
In Ministry of Railways, delay in ticket refunds has been reduced by introducing
automatic refunds for confirmed/waitlisted e-tickets on cancellation of trains,
among others.

Mission 11 Million to trophy tours, various programmes being conducted to

popularize Football across the nation.
Mission 11 Million programme
Aims to take football to 11 million kids across the country through 15, 000 schools.

Over the period 1996 to 2015, the SCO countries have lost 300,000 lives to natural
disasters.
The economic losses from disasters are also extremely high and cascading.
The Pink Whale Challenge, recently in the news, is
This challenge is diametrically opposite to the Blue Whale Challenge which has
been linked to many deaths.
--- The Pink Whale Challenge (AKA Baleia Rosa) encourages positive and
generous acts and attempts to bring happiness in the participants daily life-

The Asian Highway network is a network of 141,000kms of standardized roadways

crisscrossing 32 Asian countries with linkages to Europe.
It became one of the three pillars of Asian Land Transport Infrastructure
Development (ALTID) project, endorsed by the UNESCAP Commission in 1992,
comprising Asian Highway, Trans-Asian Railway and facilitation of land transport
projects.

CSC programme is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY),

Government of India. CSCs are the access points for delivery of various electronic
services to villages in India, thereby contributing to a digitally and financially
inclusive society.

Chushul approach, is sometimes seen in the news with reference to

By itself, the lake (Pangong Tso) does not have major tactical significance. But it
lies in the path of the Chushul approach, one of the main approaches that China can
use for an offensive into Indian-held territory. Indian assessments show that a major
Chinese offensive, if it comes, will flow across both the north and south of the lake.
The induction of coaches with anti-climbing features, such as the Linke Hofmann
Busch coaches, that could minimise fatalities in incidents like Khatauli, remains
far too sluggish.
They are considered to be anti-telescopic, which means they do not get turned
over or flip in case of a collision (chiefly head-on).
These coaches are made of stainless steel and the interiors are made of aluminium
which make them lighter as compared to conventional rakes.
Each coach also has an advanced pneumatic disc brake system for efficient
braking at higher speeds.

Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative is

1. A global South-based Nongovernmental Organisation
2. Headquartered in India
3. Accredited to The Commonwealth

Article 13 of the Indian Constitution declares that
1. All laws that are inconsistent with or in derogation of any of the fundamental
rights shall be void
2. The doctrine of judicial review shall be applicable to personal laws
3. A constitutional amendment is not a law

A class action suit allows a number of claimants, who have a common grouse, to
be represented by an individual in a lawsuit against a company
The Companies Act, 2013 provides such an option filing class action suits for
Indian investors

CESSI aims to explore the Suns activity, generate the understanding necessary for
space weather forecasting, hunt for gravitational waves, support national space
science initiatives, participate in international capacity building activities and
pursue public-private partnerships in space science research.

The element Helium the second most abundant element in the entire universe
was discovered during a solar eclipse
Einsteins theory of general relativity was proven during a solar eclipse
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited, Ministry
of Tribal Affairs
Honey, being an important Minor Forest Produce, TRIFED is playing and lead role
in protecting, promoting and multiplication of Honey Bees by Scientific, Non-
destructive collection
practices, thereby increasing the livelihood of tribal people living in various forest
areas of the country, contributing to the growth of Honey Bees population and
reducing the mortality rate of Honey Bees drastically.

CEA Arvind Subramanian said that India should not be influenced by coal
imperialism, where developed countries try to influence developing countries to
reduce their fossil fuel consumption at a rate not in keeping with historical factors
and equity. This, thus, refers to the efforts of developed countries to dilute the
CBDR (Common-But-Differentiated-Responsibilities) principle.

The Asian premium is often in the news in the context of which one of the
following issues?
Indian Oil Corporation placed Indias first ever shale oil order two days ago with
the U.S. The prices from the U.S. are very competitive even when compared with
those from Gulf nations.
Diversification of oil imports, including from countries like the U.S., as it would
put pressure on the OPEC countries to do away with the Asian premium, something
India has been arguing for.

NITI Aayog to launch Mentor India Campaign

NITI Aayog is all set to launch the Mentor India Campaign, a strategic nation
building initiative to engage leaders who can guide and mentor students at more
than 900 Atal Tinkering Labs, established across the country as a part of the Atal
Innovation Mission.
Mentor India is aimed at maximizing the impact of Atal Tinkering Labs, possibly
the biggest disruption in formal education globally
NITI Aayogs Atal Innovation Mission is among one of the flagship programs of
the Government of India to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the country
to set up the Atal Tinkering Labs across the country.
Atal Tinkering Labs are dedicated works spaces where students from Class 6th to
Class 12th

A new Bridge over Mechi River at Indo-Nepal border

Mechi Bridge is the ending point of Asian Highway 02 in India leading to Nepal
and provides critical connectivity to Nepal.
About Mechi river:
The Mechi River is a trans-boundary river flowing through Nepal and India. It is a
tributary of the Mahananda River. The Mechi originates in the Mahabharat Range
in Nepal.

The Union Cabinet has given in-principle approval for Public Sector Banks to
amalgamate through an Alternative Mechanism (AM). The decision would
facilitate consolidation among the Nationalised Banks to create strong and
competitive banks

As per the latest research by scientists from Japan, delicate mosses found on rocks
and trees in cities around the world can be used to measure the impact of
atmospheric change and could prove a low-cost way to monitor urban pollution.
Researchers found that moss- the bioindicator- responds to pollution or drought-
stress
Mosses are small flowerless plants that typically grow in dense green clumps or
mats, often in damp or shady locations. Mosses do not have seeds

Microsoft launches Project Brainwave for real-time AI

The Project Brainwave uses the massive field-programmable gate array (FPGA)
infrastructure that Microsoft has been deploying over the past few years.

Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) was recently held in New
Delhi under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister of Finance
The Council deals, inter-alia, with issues relating to financial stability, financial
sector development, interregulatory coordination, financial literacy, financial
inclusion and macro prudential supervision of the economy including the
functioning of large financial conglomerates. No funds are separately allocated to
the Council for undertaking its activities.
A new species of the endemic frog genus Nasikabatrachus has been discovered
from the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.
The newly discovered frog is named Nasikabatrachus bhupathi.
The discovery is significant as it constitutes additional evidence in favour of the
theory of continental drift
Scientists have discovered two new primitive species of earthworm in the Western
Ghats mountain ranges in Kerala. They have named the new earthworm species
Drawida polydiverticulata and Drawida thomasi.
Automation threatens 69% of the jobs in India, while its 77% in China, according
to a World Bank research. The transition is expected to happen in a decade,
according to experts. Therefore, if automation is not planned well and addressed
holistically, it is a disaster in the making.

Scientists have developed stretchable fuel cells that extract energy from sweat, and
could power a range of wearable devices such as LEDs and Bluetooth radios. The
new cells were developed using lithography and screen-printing to make 3D carbon
nanotube-based cathode and anode arrays.
How it operates?
The biofuel cells are equipped with an enzyme that oxidises the lactic acid present
in human sweat to generate current.
To be compatible with wearable devices, the biofuel cell needs to be flexible and
stretchable. So engineers decided to use what they call a bridge and island.

Swasth Bachche, Swasth Bharat Programme, an initiative of Kendriya Vidyalaya

Sangathan to prepare a physical Health and Fitness Profile Card
Swasth Bachche, Swasth Bharat programme will provide a comprehensive and
inclusive report card for children covering all age groups and children of different
abilities.
Objective of the programme: Making students, teachers and parents aware about
the importance of good health and fitness and encouraging 60 minutes of play each
day is an objective of the programme
Indias exclusive rights to explore polymetallic nodules from seabed in Central
Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) have been extended by five years. This has been
approved unanimously in the 23rd session of International Seabed Authority (ISA)
India is the first country to have received the statu
What are PMN?
Polymetallic nodules (also known as manganese nodules) are potato-shaped,
largely porous nodules found in abundance carpeting the sea floor of world oceans
in deep sea

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has signed an MoU with the
International Vaccine Institute (IVI) for collaborating on vaccine research and
development. India will commit $5,00,000 (3.20 crore) annually for a stake in IVI
International Vaccine Institute (IVI), Seoul, South Korea, established in 1997 on
the initiatives of the UNDP, is an international organization devoted to developing
and introducing new and improved vaccines to protect the peop

Cloud-seeding project of Karnataka takes off at Jakkur Airfield

Karnataka has launched the much-touted cloud seeding project- named
Varshadhare
By introducing impurities such as Silver Iodide, Potassium Chloride and others, the
objective is to ensure that the size of the droplets is large enough to fall down as
rain.

IN LCU L52 is the second Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk-IV class to be inducted
into the Indian Navy.
The ship has been indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders
and Engineers, Kolkata.
LCU MK-IV ship is an amphibious ship with the primary role to transport and
deploy Main Battle Tanks, Armoured Vehicles, troops and equipment from ship to
shore.

Union Home Minister launches the Digital Police Portal under CCTNS project
The CCTNS project will interconnect about 15,398 police stations and additional
5,000 offices of supervisory police officers across the country and digitise data
related to FIR registration, investigation and charge-sheets in all police stations.
This would lead to development of a national database of crimes and criminals.
CCTNS is a Mission Mode Project (MMP) under the National e-Governance Plan
of Govt. of India.

70-ft Buddha statue to adorn tourist project in Ghantasala

To develop Ghantasala village in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh as one of the
prime Buddhist tourist spots in the State,
Ghantasala, known as Katakasila in the ancient times, was a renowned Buddhist
centre located near the coast. Ptolemy, the Greek geographer, had made a specific
mention of an emporium of Kontakossyla in the region of Misolia (present
Machilipatnam).

The Ministry of Defence has decided to delegate administrative and financial

powers to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) right upto the level of Chief
Engineer and Task Force Commander, so as to avoid delays.
About BRO:
Functioning under the control of the Ministry of Defence since 2015, the BRO is
engaged in road construction to provide connectivity to difficult and inaccessible
regions in the border areas of the country

What is FASTag?
It is a device that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for
making toll payments directly from the prepaid account linked to

New state of matter discovered

Scientists have discovered a potential new state of matter that may help explain
phenomena like superconductivity.
About the new state- electronic nematic state:
The high-magnetic-field state of the heavy fermion
superconductor #CeRhIn5 revealed a so-called electronic nematic state.
In the new state, the materials electrons are aligned in a way to reduce the
symmetry of the original crystal, something that now appears to be universal among
unconventional superconductor
Scientists in the UK have developed the worlds smallest surgical robot with low-
cost technology used in mobile phones and space industries. The robot is
called #Versius. The robot is controlled by a surgeon at a console guided by a 3D
screen in the operating theatre.

TRIFED:
TRIFED is an apex organisation at National Level and functioning under the
administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs. TRIFED is serving the interests
of Tribals, who are engaged in collection of NTFP and making of Tribal Art &
Handicraft Products for their livelihood

NASAs third and final in a series of next generation communications satellites has
successfully been placed into orbit. The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-M
(TDRS-M) was launched aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket.
The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, or TDRSS, is a fleet of
geosynchronous communications satellites that form part of NASAs Space
Network

Karnataka intends to build a reservoir across river Cauvery near Mekedatu in

Kanakapura taluk. It was first proposed along with Shivanasamudra hydro power
project at Shimsa in 2003 with an intention to use the water for a hydro power
station and supply drinking water to Bengaluru city.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched the Harit
Diwali, Swasth Diwali campaign.

India signs Global Environment Facility (GEF) Grant Agreement

Ecosystem Service Improvement Project:
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) will implement
the Project in the States of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh through Indian
Council of Forestry Research & Education under the National Mission for Green
India.
The objective of the Project is to strengthen the institutional capacity of the
Departments of Forestry and Community Organisations to enhance forest
ecosystem services and improve the livelihoods of forest dependent communities in
Central Indian Highlands.

North Koel Reservoir Project:

The project is situated on North Koel river which is a tributary of Sone river finally
joining the river Ganga. The North Koel Reservoir is located in the most backward
tribal areas in Palamau and Garhwa districts of Jharkhand State.
North Koel river rises on Ranchi plateau and flows through Jharkhand. It joins the
Sone a few miles north-west of Haidarnagar.

Corpus fund for Secondary and Higher education

The Union Cabinet has accorded its approval for creation of a non-lapsable pool in
the Public Account for secondary and higher, education known as Madhyamik and
Uchchtar Shiksha Kosh (MUSK) into which all proceeds of Secondary and
Higher Education Cess will be credited.
Key facts:
Administration and maintenance of the above pool will be done by Ministry of
Human Resource Development.
The MUSK would be maintained as a Reserve Fund in the non-interest bearing
section of the Public Accounts of India.

Researchers have discovered a new tectonic plate off the coast of Ecuador. There
were 56 plates; now, there are 57 and researchers think there could be one more
to find.
About the new plate- Malpelo:
Scientists discovered the microplate which theyve dubbed Malpelo while
analyzing the movements of what they believed to be the convergence of a trio of
plates
Malpelo plate came with the researchers identification of a diffuse plate boundary
that runs from the Panama Transform Fault eastward to where the diffuse plate

Melbourne has been named The Worlds Most Liveable City for the seventh
consecutive year by the annual Economist Intelligence Units (EIU) Global
Liveability Index
What is Japanese Encephalitis?
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a flavivirus related to dengue, yellow fever and
West Nile viruses. It is spread by mosquitoes.
JEV is transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes of the Culex
species

Ipsos MORI poll, Canada has topped the list of countries that most positively
influence the globe with a whooping 81 per cent rating. Interestingly, India, with 53
per cent rating, surpasses the USA (40 per cent) and China (49 per cent) in having
the most positive influence on global affairs.

climate researchers from multiple institutions in the country has identified Black
Carbon (BC), which is ejected by aeroplanes in significant amount, as responsible
for affecting monsoon, depleting the ozone layer and quickening glacier melt.
BC existing up to 18 km into the stratosphere and there are about 10,000 of them in
every cubic centimetre

Blockchain Technology
Blockchain is the technology behind crypto-currency such as Bitcoin, which is a
purely electronic currency that can also be traded on exchanges.
It is a continuously growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked and
secured using cryptography.

Sex Semen Technology

A bulls/cows sperm has 30 chromosomes, including one which is either an X- or a
Y-chromosome whose genes code for sex
When a sperm and egg unite, and the sperm carries the X-chromosome, the
resultant offspring is female (XX)
And, when a Y-chromosome-bearing sperm fertilises an egg, the result is a male
calf (XY)

Mandal Commission
The Mandal Commission was established in India in 1979 by the Janata Party
government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai with a mandate to identify the
socially or educationally backward.

Why Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code?

It was enacted to improve the ease of doing business in India
It aims to overhaul laws relating to reorganisation and insolvency resolution of
corporate persons, partnership firms, and individuals
Attempts to ease the process of recovery of money by operational and financial
creditors in a timely manner.

How does the goldfish produce alcohol?

The research team has shown that muscles of goldfish and crucian carp contain not
just the usual one, but two sets of the proteins normally used to channel
carbohydrates towards their breakdown within a cells mitochondria -- a key step for
energy production
While one set of these proteins appears very similar to that in other species, the
second set is strongly activated by the absence of oxygen and shows a mutation that
allows channelling of metabolic substrates to ethanol formation outside the
mitochondria.

AngioChip:
It is a tiny patch of heart tissue with its own blood vessels and heart cells beating
with a regular rhythm
It is smaller than a postage stamp
The scaffold is built out of the biocompatible, biodegradable polymer, which will
over time naturally breakdown leaving behind the new tissue

What is Neuroblastoma (NB)?

NB is a type of cancer that forms in certain types of nerve tissue
It most frequently starts from one of the adrenal glands normally near the kidneys
The cancer can also develop in the neck, abdomen, chest or spine

Cabinet approves procedure and mechanism for Strategic Disinvestment

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of Department of Investment and public
Asset Management (DIPAM) for the strategic disinvestment of the following:
For setting up an Alternative Mechanism (AM) consisting of the Finance Minister,
Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Minister of Administrative
Department, to decide on the matters relating to terms and conditions of the sale
from the stage of inviting of Express of Interests (Eols) till inviting of financial bid;
and
For empowering the Core Group of Secretaries (CGD) to take policy decisions with
regard to procedural issues and to consider deviations as necessary from time to
time for effective implementation of decisions of CCEA.
The approval will help in speedy completion of strategic disinvestment transactioN

Union Cabinet approves new Metro Rail Policy; Focus on compact urban
development, cost reduction and multi-modal integration .
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved
a new Metro Rail Policy that seeks to enable realization of growing metro rail
aspirations of a large number of cities but in a responsible manner.

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has
given its approval to the proposal to complete the balance works of the North Koel
Reservoir Project in Jharkhand and Bihar
The Cabinet also approved storage of water in dam restricted at lower level than
envisaged earlier to reduce the submergence and to protect Betla National Park and
Palamau Tiger Reserve.

Six women officers of the Indian Navy, who are due to circumnavigate the globe on
the sailing vessel, INSV Tarini, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.
The expedition has been titled Navika Sagar Parikrama. The Parikrama will be
covered in five legs, with stop-overs at 4 ports: Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton
(New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa).

Sankalp Parva-Sankalp se siddhi (Attainment through Resolve), a major cultural

event was organized by the Ministry of Culture. . The event began with the
rendering of Gandhi and Nirgun bhajans

NHAI takes steps to facilitate availability of FASTags for Electronic Toll

Collection.
Common Services Centre to set up sale points at Toll Plazas.
FASTags can also be purchased online.
Exclusive lane for FASTag vehicles to be operational at all toll plazas.
In order to facilitate the availability of FASTags for Electronic Toll Collection,
NHAI has taken two revolutionary steps in consultation with RBI and NPCI .
includes both Online sale of FASTags and offline sale through Common Services
Centre (CSC) near toll plazas

Samvad- Global Initiative on Conflict Avoidance and Environment

Consciousness Second edition of conference is being held at Yangon, Myanmar.
Societies across the world are facing several questions today, such as:
How to avoid conflict?
How to address a global challenge like climate change?

Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)

Ministry : Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers,
Government of India.
Mission
Make quality medicines accessible to all citizens of the country at affordable prices.
Mission 3000
MoU was signed with the objective to setup 1000 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya
Janaushadhi Kendras in both urban and rural places of the country, as a part of
Mission 3000 kendras by March 2017.
give an impetus to the Make in India mission in the pharma sector.

A new Food Index is compiled to capture the inflation in food items.

Seasonality of fruits and vegetables has been updated to account for more months
as they are now available for longer duration.
Item level aggregates for new WPI are compiled using Geometric Mean (GM)
instead of Arithmetic Mean.
Under the DAY-NRLM, over 30 lakh women farmers have been supported
under Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) to promote sustainable
agricultural practices.
Women SHG led Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) for agricultural implements,
power tillers etc have come up in some States.
Vermi Compost/NADEP pits have also come up through the efforts of these
women SHG farmers besides the promotion of pesticide free agriculture and multi-
tier cropping in rain-fed regions for fodder, food, forest, fruits and fibre.
As per latest data, IMR has reduced by 58% in India during the period of 1990-
2015 which is more than to Global decline of 49% during the same period.
Strengthening of delivery points for providing comprehensive and quality
Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A)
Services, ensuring essential newborn care at all delivery points, establishment of
Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU).\

The Ministry of Drinking water and Sanitation, MDWS is organizing Swachhathon

1.0- the Swachh Bharat Hackathon, to crowd source solutions for the pressing
issues pertaining to Sanitation.
NITI Aayog recommendation
NITI Aayog in the Three Year Action Agenda for 2017-2020 has recommended for
inducting specialists into the system through lateral entry in policy making areas on
fixed term contract.

Trade Related Entrepreneurship Development Assistance Scheme (TREAD)

women entrepreneurship programme
Trade Related Entrepreneurship Development Assistance Scheme (TREAD)
envisages economic empowerment of women.
The focus of the scheme is to promote self-employment and income generation
activities for women mostly from SHG groups in non-farm sector.
Currently four Border Haats are operational along India-Bangladesh border.
Two Border Haats are located in Meghalaya at Kalaichar and Balat and two are
located in Tripura at Srinagar and Kamalasagar.

Industry-Academia mission to accelerate biopharmaceutical development in India

that has been approved by the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs.
Mission
Innovate in India (i3) Empowering biotech entrepreneurs & accelerating
inclusive innovation

Cloud Observatory
A high altitude cloud physics observatory has been established at Munnar (Kerala),
in Western Ghats, the region which is gateway for the monsoon of India.
Application
High altitude cloud physics observatory at Munnar is used to observe cloud and
rain processes over that region with state of the art observations.

The key objectives of ATMA scheme include setting up of autonomous institutions

at the State/District/Block level, encouraging multi-agency and broad-based
extension strategies adopting group approach to extension and facilitating
convergence of programmes in planning, executing and implementation.
This Ministry is also implementing various crop development schemes for
increasing production and productivity of the crops in the country viz.
National Food Security Mission (NFSM) on rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and
Commercial Crops (cotton, jute & sugarcane);
Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI) anD Crop
Diversification Programme (CDP).
The Slum Yuva Daud is part of the Adopt Slum Campaign initiated by the Ministry
of Youth Affairs and Sports and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan which aims at
highlighting the governments pro-people schemes among masses.

Indias first micro forest will be built in Raipur, Chattisgarh. Approximately, 19

acres of land which housed around 70 government office buildings will be
converted into micro forest in order to create an oxy-zone.
Bihar, has recently flagged off mobile therapy vans which would provide basic
medical assistance to elderly people, widows and other section who requires social
security

Dr Ruth Pfau (87), a German doctor and nun who dedicated her life to eradicating
leprosy in Pakistan, has passed in Karachi, Pakistan on August 10, 2017. She was
hailed as Pakistans Mother Teresa after her work towards helping people
displaced by the 2010 Pakistan floods
Uttar Pradesh, has launched a new awareness drive called Namami Gange Jagriti
Yatra from his official residence in state capital Lucknow
Gujarat will become the Indias first state to implement coal utilisation between
power units. The move is in line with the initiatives of the central government to
ensure fuel availability to stressed power plants

The Parliamentary Panel headed by Maj. General (Retired) B C Khanduri has

recently tabled its report in Parliament. In the report, the panel has recommended
the 100% pension to widow of deceased soldier so that she can take care of her
family.

The Mandla Plant Fossils National Park (MPNP) is located in Mandla district of
Madhya Pradesh and covers an area of 274,100 square metres
#Rayichapalu has been officially declared as one of the rarest species of fish in the
world by the researchers from the Marine Living Resources Department of Andhra
University. The fish is a regular catch for fishermen in Visakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh.
he International Youth Day (IYD) is observed every year on August 12 to draw
attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth. The 2017
theme is Youth Building Peace
---------------------------------
cruise tourism in India, a special event The dawn of cruise tourism in India has
inaugurated in Mumbai
Indias first helicopter-taxi (heli-taxi) service will be started in Bengaluru,
Karnataka for those who cannot afford to spend time battling traffic to travel across
the city. The Kempegowda International Airport will become the first airport in
India to have this facility.
----
The Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) is an organization under the
Ministry of Environment and Forests (India) to impart knowledge and skills to the
professional foresters and help them to develop competence for managing the
country forest and wildlife resources on a sustainable basis.
---
nanometre-scale carbon monoxide sensor by employing an innovative fabrication
technique. It is known that Carbon Monoxide (CO) can have adverse effects on the
health of people exposed to it. Thus, it becomes necessary to have good, low-cost
carbon-monoxide sensors---IISC
Dr. Rajiv Kumar will be the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, which is a think-
tank that replaced the Planning Commission.
The high level committee under the Chairmanship of Justice BN Srikrishna has
recently submitted its on review of the Institutionalization of Arbitration
Mechanism in India.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently constituted a
committee on fair market conduct, which will be headed by former Lok Sabha
secretary and law secretary T K Viswanatha-
The Maharashtra Government has launched two online portals MahaDBT and
MahaVASTU to streamline the process of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and to
bring in more transparency in construction sector. With this, Maharashtra has
become the first state in India to launch such a system that will provide direct
benefits with Aadhaar authentication.
amil Nadu, the Aadi Perukku festival is celebrated with traditional gaiety to pay
tribute to waters life-sustaining propertiesThe Indian Army has developed a
mobile application Humraaz through which serving soldiers can track details like
postings and promotions. Through the #Humraaz app, soldiers can also view their
monthly salary slips and the Form 16 and also download them.

the Union government has recently launched a portal e-Rashtriya Kisan Agri Mandi
(e-RaKAM) which will provide a platform to sell agricultural produce. The e-
RaKAM is a first of its kind initiative that leverages technology to connect farmers
of the smallest villages to the biggest markets of the world through internet.
The worlds longest pedestrian suspension bridge Europaweg (or Europe Bridge)
has recently opened in Randa, Switzerland
India has been ranked 53rd among 60 countries in the 2017 Digital Evolution Index
(DEI). The list is topped by Norway, followed by Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark
and Finland
The Punjab government has recently launched its flagship Apni Gaddi Apna
Rozgar scheme for jobless youth by flagging off over 100 uberMOTO bikes.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recently announced that the 2024
Summer Olympics will be hosted by Paris in France, which is scheduled to be held
from August 8-18
The Punjab government has launched its flagship health scheme Care Companion
Programme (CCP) to educate family members of patient about taking better care
of patients.
Government has prepared an action plan to eliminate Kala-Azar and Filariasis by
2017, Leprosy by 2018, Measles by 2020 and Tuberculosis by 2025 is also
targeted.
UIP: JE vaccine vaccine has now been incorporated under the Routine
Immunisation Programme, and is available in districts where JE is endemic.

Section 4 deals with voluntary disclosure by public authorities. In April this year
(2017), the Commission directed the Environment Ministry that all biosafety data
pertaining to GM Mustard and all other GMOs in pipeline be released as that is part
of voluntary disclosure under Section 4 of the Right to Information Act. The other
sections mentioned in the options deal with:
Exceptions to disclosure (Section 8)
Constitution of CIC (Section 12)
Authorities exempted from the act to be listed in second schedule of the act
(Section 24)

Social determinants of health refer to

1. The circumstances in which people are born
2. The circumstances in people grow up
3. The systems put in place to deal with illness

The Government of India has decided to launch a new sub-scheme named

Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY) as part of the Deendayal
Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
The Self Help Groups under DAY-NRLM will operate road transport services in
backward areas.
This will help to provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural
transport services to connect remote villages with key services and amenities (such
as access to markets, education and health) for the overall economic development
of backward rural areas.
This will also provide an additional avenue of livelihood for SHGs.

Tsutsugamushi Triangle?
1. Dandakaranya
2. Assam Valley
3. Tamil Nadu
4. Himachal Pradesh
Scrub typhus is endemic to a part of the world known as the tsutsugamushi
triangle, which extends from northern Japan and far-eastern Russia in the north, to
northern Australia in the south, and to Pakistan in the west.

Indias effort is to tap Turkmenistans Galkynysh gasfields, which are the fourth
largest in the world.
The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
(CCAC) was launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
and six countriesBangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden, and the United
Statesin 2012.
Statement 2: The Coalitions initial focus is on methane, black carbon, and HFCs.
About CCACoalition;

two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court heard a petition on the constitutionality of

the marital rape exception in the IPC (Exception 2 to Section 375).
The petitioners pointed to the contradictions between the Protection of Children
from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), which defines child as a person
below 18 years, and the marital rape exception in the IPC, which states that sexual
intercourse between a man and his wife (who is not under 15 years) is not rape.
The technicality is easily answered because the POCSO Act does not carve out
any exception in favour of marriage. The legislative intention is also evident from
Section 42A of the POCSO Act, which provides that in case of inconsistency with
the provisions of any other law, the POCSO Act will override.

India has expressed interest to operate Sri Lankas second international airport
situated in Mattala, about 40 km from the southern town of Hambantota, where
China has majority stake in a strategic port it built.

Tadoba (Maharashtra) and Pilibhit (UP), the two reserves that saw the bulk of
the recent deadly attacks? Traditionally, tigers have killed more people in the
Sunderbans than anywhere else. Areas in and around the Tadoba and Pilibhit tiger
reserves are more recent examples of chronic conflict. Corbett in Uttarakhand also
sees tiger attacks fairly frequently
The Logistics Data Bank (LDB) project, unveiled in July 2016 to make Indias
logistics sector more efficient through the use of Information Technology, will soon
expand operations to the countrys southern region. So far, it had covered only the
western logistics corridor.
The facility where every container is attached to a Radio Frequency
Identification Tag (RFID) tag and then tracked through RFID readers aids
importers and exporters in tracking their goods in transit.

Recent amendments to the Indian Penal Code proposed by the Union Home
Ministry involve Sections 153A and 509A. These proposed amendments are based
on recommendations made by Bezbaruah Committee

The Governments mass immunisation drives are meant to achieve the phenomenon
called herd immunity.
Efficacious vaccines not only protect the immunized, but can also reduce disease
among unimmunized individuals in the community through indirect effects or
herd protection.
The coverage rate necessary to stop transmission depends on the basic
reproduction number of a disease (R0). Diseases with high R0 (e.g. measles)
require higher coverage to attain herd protection than a disease with a lower R0
(e.g. rubella, polio and Hib). Because of herd protection, some diseases can be
eliminated without 100% immunization coverage

Scientists have uncovered the largest volcanic region on Earth

Where is it located? These active peaks are concentrated in a region known as the
west Antarctic rift system, which stretches 3,500 km from An
What you need to know about Article 35A?
Article 35A protects certain provisions of the J&K Constitution which denies
property rights to native women who marry from outside the State. The denial of
these rights extend to her children also.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Uttar
Pradesh government, seeking a detailed report on the death of children at BRD
Medical College in Gorakhpur in four weeks.
NHRC:
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India is an autonomous
public body constituted on 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights
Ordinance of 28 September 1993. It was given a statutory basis by the Protection of
Human Rights Act, 1993 (TPHRA).

UN principles of non-refoulement:
UN principles of non-refoulement applies in this case. According the these
principles, no nation shall expel or return a refugee in any manner to territories
where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion,
nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

Pashu Sanjivni:
Pashu Sanjivni component under National Mission on Bovine Productivity scheme
was initiated by the Government in November 2016. Under the scheme, as on date
85 lakh milk producing animals have been identified and their data has been
uploaded on INAPH data base.
About the scheme:
Under the scheme, 88 million milk producing animals out of 300 million cattle and
buffaloes are being identified using polyurethane tags with 12 digit unique
identification (UID) number.
'' improve both breeding and milk production.
The Pashu Sanjivni is crucial for control and spread of animal diseases, scientific
management of animals, enhanced production ''''

The term shell company is not defined under the Companies Act, 2013. The Act
requires that a company may be set up for any lawful purpose only. Subsequent to
incorporation, if a company is found to be formed for fraudulent or unlawful
purpose, it is liable for penal action, including for winding up under Section 271 of
the Act.

Indian Navy will be joining the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in a maiden
maritime search and rescue exercise to be chaired by Bangladesh at the Indian
Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in November this year.
Bangladesh, the current Chair, is scheduling a maiden International Maritime
Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) in November in the Bay of Bengal to
be attended by ships and aircraft of the members and observers of the IONS.

India, Russia to hold mega war games in October

The exercise Indra, which will be held in Russia in October, will primarily focus on
achieving coordination between forces of the two countries in a tri-services
integrated theatre command scenario.
It will be for the first time India will participate in a tri-services exercise with a
foreign country with such a large scale participation by the Navy, the Army and the
Air Force.

GIS-enabled portal maps land-related information

The database is being developed by the Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion (DIPP) and the National e-Governance Division in the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology as well as the BISAG an institute for
space applications and geo-informatics under the Gujarat Government.

Gaj Yatra, a nationwide campaign to protect elephants, was launched on the

occasion of World Elephant Day. The campaign is planned to cover 12 elephant
range states.
The 15 months campaign will be led by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
African elephants are listed as vulnerable and Asian elephants as endangered in
the IUCN Red List of threatened species. As per the available population estimates,
there are about 400,000 African elephants and 40,000 Asian elephants

the Central Government has reconstituted the existing Central Board of Film
Certification for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The new board will be headed by Sh. Prasoon Joshi.
About CBFC:
Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory body under Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting, regulating the public exhibition of films under the
provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952
Authorised joint secretary can order suspension of telecom services
The Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency and Public
Safety) Rules, 2017 have been notified by the government.
Important guidelines:
It authorises Union and state home secretary to order suspension of telecom
services in a given area in case of emergency.
Under unavoidable circumstances, where obtaining of prior direction is not
feasible, such order may be issued by an officer, not below the rank of a joint
secretary to the Government of India, who has been duly authorised by the Union
home secretary or the state home secretary.

Indian Coast Guard ship Shaurya, the fifth in the series of six 105-metre offshore
patrol vessels (OPVs), was recently commissioned in Goa.
Push for law to ensure transparency rules
The Economic Survey has proposed Transparency of Rules Act (TORA), a
legislation to end any asymmetry of information regarding rules and regulations
faced by an average citizen.
What you need to know about TORA?
The TORA is an attempt to change in some ways the relationship between the
average normal citizen and the State.
TORA will require all departments to mandatorily place all citizen-facing rules on
their website. Officials will not be able to impose any rule not mentioned
beforehand.
All laws will have to be updated by the department while providing access to
history of the same webpage.
Once a department has shifted to the platform, it can be deemed TORA
compliant and citizens can be sure that the information is authentic and updated.

Odisha government has launched She Means Business programme of Facebook

for women entrepreneurs. Odisha governments partnership with Facebook aimed
to reduce the digital divide and empower nearly 25,000 women entrepreneurs and
SHGs.
The Law Ministry has approved a revised Cabinet proposal on the creation of the
Financial Data Management Centre (FDMC) that would subsequently collect raw
data directly.
Key facts:
FDMC will collect data in electronic format from the (financial) regulators. Over
time, it will gradually build capacity to collect data from the regulated entities i.e.
Financial Service Providers.
FDMC and the regulators can also enter into agreement for flow of data,
stringent confidentiality norms.

What is 360- degree approach?

The 360-degree approach is a new multi-source feedback system for performance
appraisal of bureaucrats started by the current government for future postings. The
system seeks to look beyond the ratings received in appraisal reports written by
their bosses. It relies on feedback of juniors and other colleagues for an all-round
view.

Recently Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has been made responsible for
BioFuel Policy. Both the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas will be working towards more utilisation of biofuels.

The first phase of National Cyber Coordination Centre, set up to scan the countrys
web traffic to detect cyber security threats, has been made operational now.
About NCCC:
NCCC, a multi-stakeholder body, will be implemented by Indian Computer
Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) at Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology.
NCCC scans internet traffic coming into the country to detect real-time cyber threat
and alert various organisations as well as internet service providers for timely
action.
The Centre derives necessary powers as per provisions of section 69B of the
Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Rules notified thereunder.
Engineers from US have designed and tested a micropropulsion system that uses
liquid water as the propellant for orbital maneuvering of tiny satellites called
CubeSats.
CubeSats:
With rapid developments in miniaturisation of technologies CubeSats which
typically weigh about two kilograms are poised to take over the sky in the future
to carry out tasks like imaging and remote-sensing
Film-Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array, or FEMTA thruster, it uses capillaries
thinner than human hair through which the propellant water can flow. Small heaters
located near the ends of the capillaries turn the water into vapor, which, on escape
from these tiny tubes, provides the thrust.

quantum key distribution (QKD). Typical encryption relies on traditional

mathematics and while for now it is more or less adequate and safe from hacking,
the development of quantum computing threatens that. Quantum computing refers
to a new era of faster and more powerful computers, and the theory goes that they
would be able to break current levels of encryption. QKD works by using photons
the particles which transmit light to transfer data.

Intestinal parasitic worms:

They are large multicellular organisms, which when mature can generally be seen
with the naked eye. They are also known as Helminths. They are often referred to
as intestinal worms even though not all helminths reside in the intestines
the Global Retirement Index:
The index created by French asset management company Natixis Global, ranks
countries on the basis of four factors the material means to live comfortably in
retirement; access to quality financial services to help preserve savings value and
maximize income; access to quality health services; and a clean and safe
environment.
India ranks 43rd in this years GRI and has the same score compared to last year.
Its sub-indices all rank in the bottom five

Anti-dumping duty?
Anti dumping is a measure to rectify the situation arising out of the dumping of
goods and its trade distortive effect.
Purpose: The purpose of anti dumping duty is to rectify the trade distortive effect of
dumping and re-establish fair trade.
Is it permitted? The use of anti dumping measure as an instrument of fair
competition is permitted by the WTO.

Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under Ministry of

Commerce and Industry has approved two projects under Modified Industrial
Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (MIIUS) for development of industrial clusters
at Hindupur and Bobbili in the respective districts of Ananatapur and Vizianagaram
of Andhra Pradesh.
The Salient features of MIIUS are as under:
Central assistance upto 50% (for North Eastern Region upto 80%) of project cost
with ceiling of Rs. 50 crore, limiting sanction upto two projects per State.
Project implementation by State Implementation Agency (SIA) such as, State
Industrial Development Corporation with minimum mandatory contribution of 25%
of the project cost (10% in case of North Eastern Region).

U.K. government to build self-sufficient solar-powered buildings in remote Indian

villages. The grant is part of a new solar project called #SUNRISE.
Key facts:
The programme is aimed at developing printed photovoltaic cells and new
manufacturing processes which can be used to make solar energy products in India.
These will then be integrated into buildings in at least five villages of India,
allowing them to harness solar power to provide their own energy and go off-grid.

ISRO to develop full-fledged Earth observation satellite

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) says it plans to launch a full-
fledged niche Earth observation (EO) satellite called the Hyperspectral Imaging
Satellite or HySIS using a critical chip it has developed. With this satellite, it can
see in 55 spectral or colour bands from 630 km above ground.
What is Hyspex imaging?
Hyspex imaging is said to enable distinct identification of objects, materials or
processes on Earth by reading the spectrum for each pixel of a scene from space.

Nine High Courts oppose all-India judicial service

Nine High Courts have opposed a proposal to have an all-India service for the
lower judiciary, eight have sought changes in the proposed framework and only two
have supported the idea. However, most of the High Courts want the administrative
control over the subordinate judiciary to remain with the respective High Courts.

The government has merged the National Crimes Records Bureau (NCRB)
which, over the years, has been the principal source of reference by policy makers,
police, criminologists, researchers and media both in India and abroad, with the
Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).
NCRBs functions will now be placed under the Director General of BPR&D, who
will oversee all the data collection related to Crime in India, Accidental Deaths and
Suicides, Prison Statistics and Fingerprints.

About NCRB:
The NCRB was established in 1986 with a mandate to empower Indian police with
information technology solutions and criminal intelligence to enable them to
enforce the law effectively

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) is a cause of public health concern. CRS is

characterized by congenital anomalies in the foetus and newborns affecting the eyes
(glaucoma, cataract), ears (hearing loss), brain (microcephaly, mental retardation)
and heart defects, causing a huge socio-economic burden on the families in
particular and society in general.

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has launched a third party
verification survey report to take stock of the progress already made by the Mission
in rural India. It also launched Swachh Survekshan Gramin 2017.
Key facts:
The Quality Council of India (QCI) has conducted a transparent third-party
assessment of the present status of rural sanitation in all States and UTs, called
Swachh Survekshan Gramin 2017.
Under the Swachh Survekshan Gramin 2017, QCI surveyed 1.4 lakh rural
households across 4626 villages, and found the overall toilet coverage to be
62.45%.
Kerala and Haryana have topped the survey.
Quality Council of India (QCI) was set up in 1997 as an autonomous body jointly
by the Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by the three
premier industry associations i.e. (ASSOCHAM), (CII) and FICCI), to establish
and operate national accreditation structure and promote quality through National
Quality Campaign.
The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce &
Industry, is the nodal ministry for QCI.
Chairman of QCI is appointed by the Prime Minister on recommendation of the
industry to the government

NITI Aayog selects 3 States for transformative change in Health & Education
sectors
NITI Aayog has selected Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Karnataka to improve
healthcare delivery and key outcomes in these States.
In Education, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand have been selected for
support to better learning outcomes.
Background:
This three-way partnership between NITI, State Governments and a knowledge
partner for each of the sectors is part of the Sustainable Action for Transforming
Human Capital (SATH) initiative of NITI Aayog.
About SATH programme:
Furthering the agenda for cooperative federalism, NITI Aayog has launched SATH,
a program providing Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital with the
State Governments. The vision of the program is to initiate transformation in the
education and health sectors. The program addresses the need expressed by many
states for technical support from NITI.

Whats the issue?

The petitioner had contended that Article 370 was a temporary provision that had
lapsed with the dissolution of the states Constituent Assembly in 1957.
The commerce ministry has started the process of shutting down over 100-year-old
government procurement arm Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals
(DGS&D)- in this fiscal.
Key facts:
The public procurement of goods and services is being managed by the ministrys e-
market platform (GeM) since last year.
DGS&D has its origin in the India Stores Department, which was established in
1860 in London for purchase of imported stores

About e- Shakti:
e-Shakti is a pilot project of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(#NABARD) for digitisation of Self Help Groups (#SHGs). It was initiated to
address certain concerns like improving the quality of book keeping of SHGs and to
enable banks to take informed credit decisions about the group through a
Management Information System (MIS).

The Government of India has entrusted the responsibility of organizing the First
BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017 to the NDRF.
This Exercise will provide a platform to share the Best Practices on comprehensive
aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), strengthening regional response and
coordination for Disaster Management among the BIMSTEC nations.
Zinc fingers, Talens and Crispr all share the same general concept they act as a
type of satnav (satellite navigation) that finds its way to specific sites in our DNA
and a pair of molecular scissors that can edit the DNA.

The India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB) has been set up under the
patronage of the Ministry of Tourism to promote India as a venue for International
Conferences and Exhibitions.
India is also being promoted as a preferred Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and
Exhibitions (MICE) destination through the Global Incredible India media
campaign and through Road Shows and Seminars conducted by the Indiatourism
offices overseas.

About the National Handloom Day:

August 7 was declared as the National Handloom Day in 2015 to mark the 1905
Swadeshi movement.
The Supreme Court ban on the use of antimony, lithium, mercury, arsenic and lead
in the manufacture of firecrackers to prevent air pollution has turned the focus on
what chemicals are used to produce spectacular visual effects and noise
What gives colour to the firecrackers?
Red: Strontium salts (Nitrates, carbonates and sulphates of strontium).
Orange: Calcium salts (Carbonates, chlorides and sulphates of calcium).
Yellow: Sodium salts ( Nitrates and oxalates of sodium).
Green: Barium salts (Nitrates, carbonates, chlorides and chlorates of barium).
Blue: Copper salts (Carbonates and oxides of copper).
Purple: A combination of copper and strontium compounds.
White: The burning of metals like magnesium, aluminium and titanium).

50 pieces of bone ornaments that date to 4,000 years ago have been found in a
hamlet of Narmetta, an agricultural village on the outskirts of Hyderabad in
Telangana. According to Historian Prof. K.P. Rao, who led the 2005 Gachibowli
megalithic excavation that dated the earliest megalithic site to 2200 BC, Bone
ornaments have not been found till date in India

Ahmedabad, the first city to develop a heat wave response system in 2013
following its dreadful experience with heat in 2010, offered a model.

By 2010, it was the developing countries which accounted for 70% of the global
nitrogen consumption. India is no exception to this. India is the second-highest
consumer of nitrogen in the world after China.

The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of the ISARC at campus of
National Seed Research and Training Center (NSRTC) in Varanasi.
Under the proposal, a Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA) will
be set up in Varanasi.

Swaminathan Report
. Some recommendations are:
Major causes of the agrarian crisis are: unfinished agenda in land reform, quantity
and quality of water, technology fatigue, access, adequacy and timeliness of
institutional credit etc

Land reforms: to distribute ceiling-surplus and waste lands; prevent diversion of

agricultural land & forest to corporate sector for non-agricultural purposes; ensure
grazing rights & seasonal access to forests to tribals and pastoralist etc.

Credit supply- expand the outreach of Credit facilities System; issue Kisan Credit
Cards to women farmers; establish an Agriculture Risk Fund to provide relief to
farmers in the aftermath of successive natural calamities, etc.

Improving competitiveness of small farmers improvement in implementation of

Minimum Support Price (MSP); MSP should be at least 50% more than the
weighted average cost of production etc.
Development of measures to reserve traditional rights of access to biodiversity and
conservation, enhancement and improvement of crops, farm animals & fish stocks
through breeding, etc.
Create employment: relatively more labour intensive sectors and inducing a faster
growth of these sectors and ensuring that the net take home income of farmers
should be comparable to those of civil servants
The government had constituted a ten Member, High Level Committee under the
Chairmanship of Justice B.N.Srikrishna, Retired Judge, Supreme Court of India to
review the institutionalization of arbitration mechanism and suggest reforms
thereto.

Justice B N Srikrishna, former judge of the Supreme Court of India will head a
Committee of experts which has been formed to deliberate on a data protection
framework for the country.
Key facts:
The government led ten-member committee will identify key data protection
issues in India and recommend methods of addressing them.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has said in an audit report on the
Food Corporation of India (FCI) that more than 4.72 lakh tonnes of wheat valued at
Rs700.30 crore got damaged in Punjab till March 2016 due to delay in
implementation of the private entrepreneur scheme
What is no detention policy?
The no-detention policy was introduced as a part of the Continuous and
Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) under the Right to Education Act (RTE) in 2010.
Under this policy, students up to class 8 are automatically promoted to the next
class without being held back even if they do not get a passing grade.
TSR Subramanian committee for formulation of the National Policy on Education
has also suggested that no detention policy should be discontinued after Class V.
It had recommended restoration of detention provision, remedial coaching and two
extra chances to each student such to move to a higher class.

A new Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) by the name BHARAT 22 was recently
launched.
bharat 22
What you need to know about BHARAT 22?
Bharat 22 consists of 22 stocks of CPSEs, PSBs & strategic holding of SUUTI.
Bharat 22 is a well Diversified portfolio with 6 sectors (Basic Materials, Energy,
Finance, FMCG, Industrials & Utilities).

In an attempt to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture, the

government is launching a new AGRI-UDAAN programme that will mentor
startups and help them connect with potential investors.
Key facts:
The programme will help convert innovative ideas from Indias rural youth into
viable businesses. The idea is to attract the youth from rural India and elsewhere,
and train them so they can add value to the farmers produce.

The Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission is a joint project

between NASA and ISRO to co-develop and launch a dual frequency synthetic
aperture radar satellite.
The satellite will be the first radar imaging satellite to use dual frequency and it is
planned to be used for remote sensing to observe and understand natural processes
of the Earth.
It is also designed to observe and take measurements of some of the planets most
complex processes, including ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, and
natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides.

About NavIC:
NAVIC is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide
position information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland.
It provides two types of services, namely Standard Positioning Services available to
all users and Restricted Services provided to authorised users.

How proxy voting takes place?

The Union Cabinets approval for proxy voting by NRIs carries a caveat: they
cannot nominate one proxy for all polls. Overseas electors will have to appoint a
nominee afresh for each election one person can act as proxy for only one
overseas voter. The proxy voter should be an ordinary resident of the constituency
one is voting in.

BRICS Agriculture Research Platform (BRICS-ARP).

BRICS-ARP will be the natural global platform for science-led agriculture-based
sustainable development for addressing the issues of world hunger, under-nutrition,
poverty and inequality, particularly between farmers and non-farmers income, and
enhancing agricultural trade, bio-security and climate resilient agriculture.

What you need to know about the RAISE Act?

The RAISE Act would scrap the current lottery system to get into the US and
instead institute a points-based system for earning a green card. Factors that would
be taken into account include English language skills, education, high- paying job
offers and age.

Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC):

Aiming to strengthen the growth and connectivity between Asia and Africa, India
and Japan initiated the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), which primarily
focuses on Development Cooperation Projects, Quality Infrastructure and
Institutional Connectivity, Enhancing Skills, and People-to-People Partnership.
----Reportedly, China is Africas largest economic partner with a trade growth rate
of 20% per year since 2002 and AAGC initiative by Chinas two Asian rivals is key
for the trans-continent relation between the Asian and African countries.
Is AAGC a counter to OBOR?
Unlike OBOR which entails development of a land corridor, AAGC will
essentially be a sea corridor linking Africa with India and other countries of
South-East Asia and Oceania

RBI plans to set up public credit registry

RBI has announced the creation of a panel to consider creation of a Public Credit
Registry (PCR) operated by the regulator.
What you need to know about the PCR?
The PCR will be an extensive database of credit information for India that is
accessible to all stakeholders. The idea is to capture all relevant information in one
large database on the borrower and, in particular, the borrowers entire set of
borrowing contracts and outcomes.

Israel launches first environmental research satellite Vens

The technological mission of the satellite will test the operation of an innovative
electric propulsion system based on the Israeli-designed Hall Effect Thrusters. A
Hall-effect thruster (HET) is a relatively low power device used to propel a
spacecraft after entering orbit or farther out into space.

Coconut palm declared State tree of Goa:

The Goa state government has decided to include coconut palm as a tree in the Goa,
Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984, to regulate felling of coconut trees
under the act. The cabinet has also resolved to declare the coconut tree as the state
tree.

The government has launched a portal, e-RaKAM, to provide a platform to sell

agricultural produce.
Key facts:
E-RaKAM is a first-of-its-kind initiative that leverages technology to connect
farmers of the smallest villages to the biggest markets of the world through internet
and e-RaKAM centres.
The portal is a joint initiative by state-run-auctioneer MSTC and Central
Warehousing Corporation arm CRWC.

According to a research report from the University of California, Climate change

may have led to over 59,000 farmer suicides over the last 30 years in India.
The study tested the link between climate change, crop yields and suicide by
comparing the number of suicides across India between 1967 and 2013 with crop
yield and climate data. Data on suicides were collected from the National Crime
Records Bureau

india, China home to 39% of young Internet users: UN report

The ICT Facts and Figures 2017 report released by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency for
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), shows that of the 830
million young people online worldwide, 320 million, or 39%, are in China and
India.
ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication
technologies ICTs.
It allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develops the technical
standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and
strives to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities worldwide.

About the Public Financial Management System:

The PFMS, also known as Central Plan Scheme Monitoring System (CPSMS),
tracks fund disbursement and ensures that state treasuries are integrated with the
Centre to ensure money is send as and when required.
PFMS, administered by the department of expenditure, is an end-to-end solution for
processing payments, tracking, monitoring, accounting, reconciliation and
reporting. It is a web based application.
The PFMS platform compiles, collates and makes available in real-time,
information regarding all government schemes, and, significantly, provides the
government real-time information on resource availability and utilisation across
schemes.
In addition, the platform will allow government expenditure to adopt a Just-in-
Time (JIT) approach, with payments made only when they are needed.
National Campaign Against Mob Lynching (NCAML)
It has initiated a campaign for a law against mob lynching.
Also known as #Masuka, short for Manav Suraksha Kanoon (law to protect
humans)
A draft of the proposed legislation is currently up on the Internet, awaiting
suggestions from the public.

What is a Parliamentary Budget Office(PBO)?

A PBO is an independent and impartial body linked directly to Parliament
A PBO is comprised of independent and specialised staff, such as Budget analysts,
economists, public finance experts
It provides technical and objective analysis of Budgets and public finance to the
House and its committees
Its core functions include Budget approval, scrutiny of its implementation
The PBO must be non-partisan, independent and mandated to serve all
parliamentarians
Its output, and the methods by which those outputs are prepared must be
transparent, accessible and understandable

ED Scheme for MSMEs

The Government has launched a new scheme namely Financial Support to
MSMEs in ZED Certification Scheme.
The objective of the scheme for promotion of Zero Defect and Zero Effect (ZED)
manufacturing amongst micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)

The Slum Yuva Daud is part of the Adopt Slum Campaign initiated by the Ministry
of Youth Affairs and Sports and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan which aims at
highlighting the governments pro-people schemes among masses.

Insurance Schemes for unorganized sector persons/people living below the poverty
line
The Social Security Scheme to be specific, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY)
takes into account unorganised segment people under 48 different vocational
groups such Beedi Workers, Brick Kiln Workers, Rickshaw Pullers/Auto Drivers
and so forth.

Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20

FTP2015-20 presents two new plans, to be specific Merchandise Exports from
India Scheme (MEIS) for fare of indicated merchandise to determined markets and
Services Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) for expanding fares of advised
administrations, set up of a plenty of plans prior, with various conditions for
qualification and utilization

The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India has

constituted a National Steering Committee to initiate a National Programme on
Scientific Validation and Research on Panchgavya (SVAROP). This multi-
disciplinary programme will cover the following five thematic areas: Scientific
validation of
Uniqueness of Indian cows
Panchagavya for medicine and health
Panchagavya and its products for agriculture applications
Panchagavya for food nutrition
Panchagavya based utility products.

National technical advisory bodies to guide immunization policies are often

referred to as National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs).
A NITAG is a technical resource providing guidance to national policy-makers and
programme managers to enable them to make evidence-based immunization-related
policy and programme decisions.
The Global Vaccine Action Plan calls for all country to establish or have access to
such a NITAG by 2020
Indias NTAGI (Click HERE for source; no need to go through it): The National
Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) was established in August
2001 by the Department of Family Welfare.
. The Ministry introduces new vaccines only when NTAGI recommendations are
subsequently approved by the empowered programme committee and Mission
Steering Group.
Family Welfare Committees: The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the setting
up of family welfare committees in all districts under the aegis of the National
Legal Services Authority.
The three-member family welfare committees will be set up by the district legal
services authorities. Members can be appointed from para legal volunteers, social
workers, retired persons, wives of working officers and other citizens.
Their role: They will sift the genuine cases from the trivial ones. No suspect shall
be arrested in a dowry case immediately after a complaint is registered.

Keezhadi excavation is to the southeast of Madurai. Historians suggest that the

antiquity of Madura
The Tamil Brahmi letters found on pottery is all names of individuals such as,
Thisan, Aadhan and Udhiran. They are typical Sangam Age Tamil names.
The second locality has more of graffiti on pottery, bone tools and iron weapons.

India Newborn Action Plan (INAP) aims at attaining single digit neonatal mortality
rate by 2030 (five years ahead of the global target) and addresses prime
interventions like pre-conception and antenatal care; care during labour/child birth;
immediate new-born care;
care of healthy and the small/sick new-borns as well as care beyond new-born
survival. It is targeting at raising the rate of breastfeeding initiation (within 1st hour
of birth) to 90% by 2025.

India Quake
India Quake is a mobile app launched recently on the occasion of Foundation
Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
india-quake
About India Quake:
To overcome the delay in dissemination of the information during earthquakes,
India Quake Mobile App has been developed by the National Centre for
Seismology (NCS) for automatic dissemination of earthquake parameter (location,
time and magnitude) after the occurrence of earthqua

Sagar Vani
Sagar Vani, a mobile app, was launched recently on the occasion of Foundation
Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The Sagar Vani is a software platform where various dissemination modes will be
integrated on a single central server

states cant enact law on parliamentary secretaries: SC

Whats the issue?

The question posed before the court was whether Article 194(3) and Entry 39 of
List II of the 7th Schedule authorised the state legislature to make the impugned
Act. Entry 39 indicates the field of legislation regarding the powers, privileges, and
immunities of the house of legislatures.

Union Cabinet clears minimum wage code bill

The Union Cabinet has approved the new wage code bill which will ensure a
minimum wage across all sectors by integrating four labour related law Labour is
on the concurrent list
Centre and states are applicable to workers getting up to Rs 18,000 pay monthly

the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) has adopted three Codex standards
for black, white and green pepper, cumin and thyme, paving the way for universal
agreement on identifying quality spices in various countries
Codex Alimentarius Commission:
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an intergovernmental body
It was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), with the purpose of protecting
the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade

What are Metrino, Podtaxi and Hyperloop?

#Metrino: Fully automatic, driverless small pods travel independently suspended
over an overhead network which is usually 5-10 meters above the ground.
#Podtaxi: Small automated vehicles/podcars/cable cars which carry a small number
of passengers. The ropeway-like system runs on electricity and driverless pods and
comes down at designated stations, thus removing the traffic burden from crowded
roads.
#Hyperloop: A hyperloop comprises a sealed tube or series of tubes through which
a pod may travel free of air resistance or friction conveying people or objects at
speeds matching that of an aircraft.

Govt will investigate restaurants serving foods with liquid nitrogen---

What is Liquid Nitrogen?
It is scientifically known as LN2 and is a coloured, odourless, non-inflammable
gas. It is a cryogen, which means it is used to create extremely low temperatures. It
has a low boiling point of -196 degree Celsius. The gas is so cold that it is capable
of rapid freezing any living tissue coming in contact with it.

China has successfully produced natural gas from methane hydrate, also known as
flammable ice, in an experimental project in the South China Sea.
What you need to know about the flammable ice?
Flammable ice consists of methane trapped within water crystals,
Officially known as methane clathrates or hydrates, they are formed at very low
temperatures and under high pressure. They can be found in sediments under the
ocean floor as well as underneath permafrost on land. Despite the low temperature,
these hydrates are flammable.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released Operational Guidelines for
Planning and Implementation of Family Participatory Care (#FPC) for improving
newborn health. --
The new guidelines have been released by the government for improving health of
babies in special units across the country.

About the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child

Abduction:
It is a multilateral treaty on custodial issues of children. The Convention seeks to
protect children from the harmful effects of abduction and retention across
international boundaries by providing a procedure to ensure their prompt return.The
convention shall apply to any child, up to the age of 16 years who is a habitual
resident of any of the contacting states.
The Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is an RBI conceptualised system driven
by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It is a one-stop payment
platform for all bills, providing an interoperable and accessible Anytime
Anywhere bill payment service to customers across the country with certainty,
reliability and safety of transactions.

Constitution caps the number of members in the union and state cabinet. Article
164(1A) specifies that the number of ministers including the Chief Minister has to
be within 15% of the total number of members of the Assembly. (10% in the case
of Delhi, which is not a full state)

In a landmark judgment, aimed at putting an end to misuse of section 498A of the

IPC that is dowry-related offences, the Supreme Court has proposed a slew of
measures. They aim to put an end to the automatic arrest of the husband and his
family members.

The FAME-India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (hybrid &) Electric

vehicles in India) scheme is proposed to be implemented over a period of 6 years,
till 2020, --
wherein it is intended to support the hybrid/electric vehicles market development
and its manufacturing eco-system to achieve self-sustenance at the end of the
stipulated period.
It is being administered by the Heavy Industries Ministry.

NABARD takes first step to access Green Climate Fund

About GCF:
The GCF was set up in 2010 under the UNFCCCs financial mechanism to channel
funding from developed countries to developing countries to allow them to mitigate
climate change and also adapt to disruptions arising from a changing climate.
It was central to the Paris climate agreement signed in 2015, that the worlds largest
historical emitter.
The Fund is accountable to, and functions under the guidance of, the COP.

Pakistan yet to transition fully to MFN status for India

What is Most Favoured Nation status?
Most Favoured Nation is a treatment accorded to a trade partner to ensure non-
discriminatory trade between two countries vis-a-vis other trade partners.----- The
importance of MFN is shown in the fact that it is the first clause in the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).----- Under WTO rules, a member
country cannot discriminate between its trade partners. If a special status is granted
to a trade partner, it must be extended to all members of the WTO

5 lakh businesses opt for composition scheme under GST

What you need to know about the Composition scheme?
The composition scheme is an alternative method of levy of tax designed for small
taxpayers whose turnover is up to Rs 75 lakh Rs 50 lakh in the case of eight
north-eastern states and the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh. The objective behind it
is to bring simplicity and reduce the compliance cost for small taxpayers.
As per the Central GST Act, businesses are eligible to opt for the composition
scheme if a person is not engaged in any inter-state outward supplies of goods and
not into making any supply of goods through an electronic commerce operator who
is required to collect tax at source.
While a regular taxpayer has to pay taxes on a monthly basis,--- a composition
supplier is required to file only one return and pay taxes on a quarterly basis. Also,
a composition taxpayer is not required to keep detailed records that a normal
taxpayer is supposed to maintain

About National Mission for Clean Ganga:

National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG) acted as implementation arm of
National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA) which was constituted under the
provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
NGRBA was dissolved with the constitution of National Council for Rejuvenation,
Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council)
in 2016.
NMCG has a two tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council
and Executive Committee. Both of them are headed by Director General, NMCG

Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2 was recently launched by the government. The
scheme aims to fulfil the objective of inclusive growth of the government.
The main objective of the Jiyo Parsi scheme is to reverse the declining trend of
Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol

National Company Law Tribunal:

National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) is a quasi-judicial body that will govern
the companies in India. It was established under the Companies Act, 2013 and is a
successor body of the Company Law Board.
.
The setting up of NCLT as a specialized institution for corporate justice is based on
the recommendations of the Justice Eradi Committee on Law Relating to
Insolvency and Winding up of Companies---
once the NCLT admits a case for initiating corporate insolvency resolution process
under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of 2016, the case cannot be withdrawn
even if the parties have decided to settle.

Flexible bio-glue for wound healing developed

The new material is a double- layered hydrogel consisting of an alginate-
polyacrylamide matrix supporting an adhesive layer that has positively- charged
polymers protruding from its surface. Project Dantak refers to
'''The construction of road and telecommunications network by Indias Border
Roads Organisation, in Bhutan''
Aarambh app for Road maintenance
The government has launched a mobile app- Aarambh- for road maintenance.
This Mobile Phone App aims at use of GIS based mapping for making road
inventories, condition surveys, and producing cost estimates and other relevant data
for preparation and monitoring of annual road maintenance plans.

Islands Development Agency (IDA

The meetings of the agency are chaired by the Union Home Minister.
Members of the IDA include cabinet secretary, home secretary, secretary
(environment, forests and climate change), secretary (tourism) and secretary (tribal
welfare).

sexual Harassment electronic-Box (SHe-Box)

What is it?
It is an online complaint management system for registering complaints related to
sexual harassment at workplace. It was launched by the Ministry of Women and
Child Development.

Karnataka had sought the CWCs permission to start work on Mekedatu project,
which has been opposed by Tamil Nadu alleging that it violates the Cauvery Water
Disputes Tribunal order.
What is Mekedatu dispute all about?
Karnataka intends to build a reservoir across river Cauvery near Mekedatu in
Kanakapura taluk. It was first proposed along with Shivanasamudra hydro power
project at Shimsa in 2003 with an intention to use the water for a hydro power
station and supply drinking water to Bengaluru city

About Nai Roshni scheme:

The scheme aims to empower and instill confidence among minority women by
providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government
systems, Banks and other institutions at all levels.

National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill:

The National Medical Commission Bill, 2016 was introduced by the NITI Aayog.
It extends to the whole country. It aims to create world class educational system.
The Bill aims to:
Ensure adequate supply of high quality medical professionals at both undergraduate
and postgraduate levels.
Encourage medical professionals to incorporate the latest medical research in their
work and to contribute to such research.

The government hopes to trigger a citizen movement around the theme I stand by
my country as part of a twin celebration to commemorate the 75th anniversary of
the Quit India movement and the 70th Independence Day.

the Bhopal Declaration that called for liberalisation of capital for Dalits was
adopted in 2002
The Bengaluru Declaration was recently adopted by the Karnataka State
government sponsored Dr. B.R. Ambedkar International Conference 2017. The
theme of the conference: Quest for Equity.

Debug Fresno
The goal is to cut the numbers of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes the species
responsible for spreading zika, dengue and chikungunya.
The worlds first full-scale floating wind farm is being built off the coast of
Scotland. The wind farm, known as Hywind, is a trial project which will bring
power to 20,000 homes.
The main objective of the SGB scheme was to develop a financial asset as an
alternative to purchasing metal gold.
The target was to shift part of the estimated 300 tons of physical bars and coins
purchased every year for Investment into demat gold bonds.
The Codex Alimentarius, or Food Code is a collection of standards, guidelines
and codes of practice adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The
Commission, also known as CAC, is the central part of the Joint FAO/WHO Food
Standards Programme and was established by FAO and WHO to protect consumer
health and promote fair practices in food trade.

Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2017:

new Bill, High Courts of all the coastal states shall exercise admiralty jurisdiction
over maritime claims which include several aspects not limited to goods imported
and chattel as earlier, but also other claims such as payment of wages of seamen,
loss of life, salvages, mortgage, loss or damage, services and repairs, insurance
The Outer Space Treaty, which laid the foundation for an international space law,
came into force in October 1967, following a feverish, decade-long space race
between the Cold War rivals, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.

Gavkis, a term recently in the news, refers to

A panchayat, which acts like a Khap or Jat panchayat, existing in the interior parts
of Maharashtra
---------------------------------------------------
MPOWER, related to the affairs of the World Health Organisation, refer/s to
Measures under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control intended to assist
countries to implement and manage tobacco control

The head of the Indian State is the President, whereas the head of the Indian
Government is the Prime Minister.
The President has no constitutional discretion, but s/he has some situational
discretion

The #Huvadhu atoll is a relatively isolated atoll with the 97 km wide Huvadhu
Kandu (One and a Half Degree Channel) to its north.
Abdulla Yameen has allowed Beijing to build a port at Gaadhoo island in Laamu
atoll, which sits at the entrance to the so-called One and a Half Degree Channel, a
major international shipping passage.

The #Dolam plateau is in the Doklam area,

The Dolam plateau is different from Doklam plateau (which is a disputed area
between Bhutan and China, but has no contiguity with India).
The Doklam plateau lies around 30 km to the north east of Dolam plateau.
Doklam is called Donglang in Mandarin.

Drugs under Schedule X require three copies of prescription for the doctor, patient
and chemist, and can be sold by a chemist who holds a special Schedule X licence.
Also, the chemist has to preserve the prescription copy for up to three years.
In Schedule H1, only one copy of the prescription is required, and drugs in this
category can be sold by all chemists.

The California strain and Michigan strain, terms that sometimes appear in the
news, are associated with Swine Flu
Regarding Statement 2: Cold air can carry less water vapour before it reaches the
dew point and falls as rain. So while the weather outside may seem wetter, the air
itself is drier as it loses the moisture.

WTO and WCO cooperate on certain issues such as trade facilitation.

The WCO, established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) is an
independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness
and efficiency of customs administrations.
The CCC was intially a Customs Committee set up by a group of a few European
Governments based on the principles of the GATT. The name WCO was adopted
in 1994 to reflect its status as a truly global intergovernmental institution.

The Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) is the legal instrument of the WCO that
aims to simplify and harmonize international customs procedures globally, in order
to achieve faster, more predictable and efficient customs clearances.

NITI Aayogs Meeting on Resource Efficiency (RE) Strategy

Resource Efficiency is a key element of Sustainable Development. This is reflected
in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 12 which aims to Ensure Sustainable
Consumption and Production Patterns. Eight other SDG goals (2, 6, 7,8,9,11,14 and
15) also have a bearing on resource efficiency.
There is a global commitment to achieving resource efficiency in order to establish
sustainable consumption and production patterns. It is also a priority for the
Government of India, and is reflected in various policies/programme
announcements like Make in India, Zero Effect-Zero Defect Scheme, Smart Cities,
Swach Bharat, and Ganga Rejuvenation Mission.

the idea behind the 90-90-90 target is to diagnose 90% of people who are HIV
positive; get 90% of the diagnosed HIV+ people on antiretroviral treatment, and
90% of those on antiretrovirals should be virally suppressed.

The Institution of Permanent Way Engineers (India) is a technical body set up

under the auspices of Railway Ministry for sharing knowledge and experience of
various Railway Engineers connected with Permanent Way (Railway track),
bridges and other structures.

The Calling Attention motion, unlike the zero hour, is mentioned in the rules of
procedure. But like the zero hour, it also an Indian innovation in parliamentary
procedure and has been in existence since 1954.
Microbeads is the term given to the little bits of plastic that are sometimes added to
products for their abrasive properties.
Manufacturers use them because the beads can be made with uniform size and
hardness.

the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United
States), the European Union (EU), and Iran reached a Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA) to ensure that Irans nuclear program will be exclusively peaceful.
The JITSIC brings together 37 of the worlds national tax administrations that have
committed to more effective and efficient ways to deal with tax avoidance.

Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) of Israel, that are absent in the Indian BIT
The Israeli model gives an investor the choice to submit any investment dispute
with a state to international arbitration if not resolved within six months through
negotiations.

The Indian model imposes many procedural and jurisdictional restrictions on an

investors right to bring an ISDS claim. These include a foreign investor having to
litigate in domestic courts for five years before pursuing a claim under international
law. These requirements make it very difficult for a foreign investor to make
efficient use of the ISDS provision.

While hearing the challenge to the Aadhaar Act recently, the Supreme Court
decided that it must first consider the question of whether the right to privacy is a
fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution.
The judges noted that two earlier judgements of the court M P #Sharmas case in
1954 and #Kharak Singhs case in 1962 had held that privacy was not a
fundamental right.

Strategic Partnership Model released recently by the Ministry of Defence, consider

the following statements:
The Government will select only #one strategic partner for manufacture of each
category of defence equipment
To be eligible for a strategic partnership, the organisation must be an Indian
company, owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens
WHOs World Malaria Report 2016, India contributed 89% of the incidence of
malaria in the South-East Asia region. The Indian record stands in sharp contrast to
some of its neighbours the #Maldives was certified malaria-free in 2015, and Sri
Lanka followed last year.
Indonesia has named waters in its exclusive economic zone that overlap with
Chinas expansive claim to the South China Sea as the North #NatunaSea, an
assertion of sovereignty that has angered Beijing.

#Euratom regulates the nuclear industry across Europe, safeguarding the transport
of nuclear materials, disposing of waste, and carrying out research. It was set up in
1957 alongside the European Economic Community (EEC), which eventually
morphed into the EU.

The Ocean #Conveyor Belt: The movement of the worlds major ocean gyres helps
drive the ocean conveyor belt. The ocean conveyor belt circulates ocean water
around the entire planet. Also known as thermohaline circulation, the ocean
conveyor belt is essential for regulating temperature, salinity and nutrient flow
throughout the ocean.
#Garbage Patches: Ocean gyres circle large areas of stationary, calm water. Debris
drifts into these areas and, due to the regions lack of movement, can accumulate
for years. These regions are called garbage patches. The Indian Ocean, North
Atlantic Ocean, and North Pacific Ocean all have significant garbage patches.

European Union (EU) and India on Friday announced the establishment of an

Investment Facilitation Mechanism (IFM) for EU investments in India

#FASTag is a device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

technology for making toll payments directly from the prepaid account linked to it.
It is affixed on the windscreen of your vehicle and enables you to drive through toll
plazas.
---FASTag has a validity of 5 years and after purchasing it, you only need to
recharge/ top up the FASTag as per your requirement.

The Ganga Avahan was a pioneering and historic exploratory open-water swim
expedition on the Ganga River.
The expedition, a nine-member team of three swimmers and the rest rafters from
the three Services of the Indian Armed Forces

India is the first non-member of the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) to have signed
such a deal with Japan. The deal will help India access Japans nuclear market.
***********************************************
The government is very seriously considering the recommendations of
the #Chandrababu Naidu committee on digital payment security, including
insurance cover for the victims of fraudulent digital transactions.
------
The report suggests that in order to address the apprehension of the general public
in adopting digital payments, the scheme should target low-ticket transactions to
cover the vulnerable sections like small merchants, farmers etc.

The index and the inequality report was recently released by the international NGO
Oxfam and Development Finance International.
India has been ranked 132 out of 152 countries.
OECD countries headed by Sweden ranked the highest while Nigeria was at the
bottom.

What you need to know about the NTFAP?

The Action Plan aims to transform cross-border clearance ecosystem through
efficient, transparent, risk-based, co-ordinated, digital, seamless and technology
driven procedures which are supported by advanced sea ports, airports, and land
borders.

The government has launched a low-cost indigenously developed hearing screening

device for newborns called #Sohum to cater to nearly 26 million babies born every
year in India
Telangana State is planning to construct eco-friendly bridges over a canal cutting
across the tiger corridor linking the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in the
Chandrapur district of Maharashtra with the forests in Telanganas Kumram Bheem
Asifabad district-
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What is this plan to eradicate malaria?
The NSP divides the country into four categories, from 0 to 3. Zero, the first
category, has 75 districts that have not reported any case of malaria for the last
three years.
The plan is to eliminate malaria (zero indigenous cases) by 2022 in all Category 1
and 2 districts. The remaining districts are to be brought under a pre-elimination
and elimination programme.
Components of the plan:
The plan has four components, based on WHO
recommendations: diagnosis and case management; surveillance and epidemic
response; prevention integrated vector management; cross-cutting
interventions, which include advocacy, communication, research and development,
and other initiatives.
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The government has given the project the acronym SVAROP, which stands for
Scientific Validation and Research on Panchagavya, and says it is a national
programme thats being conducted by the Department of Science and Technology,
Department of Biotechnology, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR) of the Ministry of Science and Technology in collaboration with
IIT-Delhi.
Indonesia has renamed the northern reaches of its exclusive economic zone in the
South China Sea as the North Natuna Sea
. The part of the renamed sea is claimed by China under its contentious maritime
boundary, known as the nine-dash line, that encompasses most of the resource-
rich sea.
The Maharashtra Prohibition of People from Social Boycott (Prevention Prohibition
and Redressal) Act prescribes a maximum punishment of 3 year in jail and a fine of
Rs 1 lakh

The 2017 Family Planning Summit (FPS) has started in London

to discuss efforts to reach Family Planning 2020 goals and ensure that more women
and girls around the world are able to plan their families and their futures. The
summit has been organized by the UNFPA
The Indian Railways has recently launched a virtual server RailCloud with an
inbuilt security system to optimise server usage and faster connectivity. the first IT
application on RailCloud Nivaran-Grievance Portal was also launched. Nivaran
is a platform for resolution of service-related grievances of serving and former
railway employees.

Maharashtra has become the first Indian state to provide women an injectable
contraceptive for free. The states public health department launched a programme
Antara
Dr Mukul Sangma, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, has recently launched a
flagship programme Livelihood Intervention and Facilitation of Entrepreneurship
(LIFE) at Songsak in East Garo Hills
LIFE is a programme of the State Rural Livelihood Society, an agency of the
Community and Rural Development Department, which is implementing the
Centres flagship programme National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).
NRLM promotes livelihood through women Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their
Federations.

Rajasthan has become the Indias first State to lay down the minimum educational
qualifications for contesting elections to village cooperative societies and various
other cooperative bodies.
According to latest report by the UN and OECD, India will become the worlds
largest milk producer by 2026 and will account for the biggest increase in wheat
production globally. As per report title OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2017-
2026, the worlds population will increase from 7.3 to 8.2 billion over the course
of the next decade with India and Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 56% of total
population growth.

Indias population will grow from 1.3 billion to 1.5 billion, an increase of almost
150 million. India will overtake China and is projected to be the most populous
country in the world by 2026.
The worlds first centre for breeding Saola, a critically endangered hoofed
mammal, will be constructed at Bach Ma National Park in Thua Thien Hue
province, Vietnam.
Indias first Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) will be set up at
Patent Information Centre in Punjab under the World Intellectual Property
Organizations (WIPO) TISC program.

Indias first university only for Dalit students will come up in Hyderabad
The First edition of WINGS 2017 Sab Uden, Sab Juden- Expanding Regional
Connectivity was hosted in New Delhi on by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. special
packages to the airlines other than the support offered by Government of India
under RCS- UDAN. Tourism Departments and Tour Operators as a Group
representing airline consumers to facilitate interaction with various airlines, airport
operators, cargo operators and other ecosystem players at a common forum.
The DRI is the major intelligence agency that works to secure Indias national and
economic security by preventing the outright smuggling of contraband such as
firearms, gold, narcotics, Fake Indian Currency notes, antiques, wildlife and
environmental products.

The global food fair World Food India 2017 will be organised by the Union Food
Processing ministry in New Delhi
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Government of West Bengal to formalize its support to
set up a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Transfusion Medicine, also known
as Metro Blood Bank, at Kolkata
The World Population Day (WPD) is observed every year on July 11 to increase
the awareness of the people towards the worldwide population issues. The 2017
theme is Family Planning- Empowering People, Developing Nations
Danfoss India, the Climate and energy efficiency solutions company, has been
conferred with the Golden Peacock Award for Environment Management at the
19th World Congress on Environment Management in Hyderabad

Dr John Joseph, a 1983 batch officer of Indian Revenue Service (Customs and
Central Excise), has been appointed Director General of Goods and Services Tax
Intelligence (DG GSTI)
The Karnataka government will organize the 2017 International conference
Reclaiming Social Justice, Revisiting Ambedkar from July 21 at the University
of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Bengaluru
The National conference on crowd management has successfully held at
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
The Biggest Theatre Celebration of the World will be hosted by India from
February which is being organised by National School of Drama, under the aegis of
Ministry of Culture. The Theatre Olympics 2018 will feature maximum number of
Indian & International theatre groups, invitee eminent theatre personalities along
with their performances

#Jigyasa, a student- scientist connect programme has officially been launched in

Delhi.
About JIGYASA:
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has joined hands with
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) to implement this programme. ------The
focus is on connecting school students and scientists so as to extend students
classroom learning with that of a very well planned research laboratory based
learning.
What you need to know about Government e-Marketplace (GeM).?
It aims to ensure that public procurement of goods and services in India worth more
than Rs. 5 lakh crore annually is carried out through the online platform for
transparency and to eliminate corruption.

The two-day G-20 summit that took place in Germanys Hamburg city ended with
the leaders proposing the Hamburg Action Plan to address major global challenges,
including climate change, harnessing digitalisation, and to contribute to prosperity
and well-being.
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Programme 17 for 17:
It is a 17 point action plan for 2017 for building digital campuses and high quality
education.
The action plan covers measures like universal adoption of digital education, digital
financial transactions in the campuses from the current academic year.
The 606-year-old walled city of Ahmedabad, which was founded by Sultan Ahmed
Shah, has become Indias first World Heritage City. The World Heritage
Committee (WHC) of UNESCO announced this.
only two were hitherto on the Indian subcontinent: Bhaktpur in Nepal and Galle in
Sri Lanka. The Unesco tag will add immense brand value to the city and boost
tourism.
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Saint Mother Teresas blue-bordered sari an Intellectual Property:
The famous blue-bordered sari of Mother Teresa, who has been canonised as Saint
Teresa of Calcutta by the Vatican, has been recognised as an Intellectual Property
of the Missionaries of Charity.
Penalty provisions for promoting tourism through advertisement relating to
aboriginal tribes has also been made in the year 2012.------jarwas---andaman----
Whoever enters these areas in contravention of the notification under section 7
(which prohibits entry into reserve areas) for taking photographs or making videos
shall be punishable with imprisonment up to three years.
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components of NSG are the Special Action Group (SAG), which consists entirely
of Indian Army personnel; and the Special Ranger Groups (SRG), which comprises
personnel drawn from Central Armed Police Forces and State Police Forces.
Scheme for IPR Awareness Creative India; Innovative India has been launched
by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) under the aegis of the
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.
12th G20 Summit was recently held at the German city of Hamburg.
The theme chosen for this years G20 Summit is Shaping an Inter-connected
World.
Issues like free and open trade, migration, sustainable development and global
stability came up during the discussions.
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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may consider setting up a Public Credit Registry
(PCR), which will be an extensive database of credit information for India that is
accessible to all stakeholders.
First Maize based Mega Food Park was recently laid in Kapurthala, Punjab.
Kapurthala has been declared as a Dark Zone district where slow desertification is
happening because of overexploitation of water due to cash crops
Mode of operation:
The Scheme has a cluster based approach based on a hub and spokes model. It
includes creation of infrastructure for primary processing and storage near the farm
in the form of Primary Processing Centres (PPCs) and Collection Centres (CCs)
and common facilities and enabling infrastructure at Central Processing Centre
(CPC).
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UNESCO puts Hebron on endangered heritage list, outraging Israel:
The U.N. cultural agency has declared the old city in the West Bank town of
Hebron as a Palestinian world heritage site
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India has declared itself free from Bird Flu (highly pathogenic Avian Influenza
H5N1 and H5N8) and notified it to the World Organisation for Animal
Health. The move will help it resume export of poultry products to the
countries which had banned trade in such items early this year.
Know about World Organization for Animal Health:
The World Organisation for Animal Health is recognised as a reference body by the
World Trade Organization
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India to celebrate Falun Gong:
Falun Gong, the ancient Chinese holistic system that is banned in China, will be
celebrated in India
Falun Gong is a Chinese spiritual practice that combines meditation and qigong
exercises with a moral philosophy centered on the tenets of truthfulness,
compassion, and forbearance.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The government has merged the urban development and housing and urban poverty
alleviation ministries. Now this will be known as Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs (MoHUA).
Indian Railways Organization for Alternate Fuel (IROAF) has won the Golden
Peacock Award for Eco Innovation for the year 2017 for Eco-Innovation for
substitution of fossil fuels (Diesel) by environment friendly CNG in DEMU
passenger train services.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The 22nd World Petroleum Congress (WPC) International Conference has
begun at Istanbul, Turkey. India is also taking part in the conference.
The tri-annual WPC Conference is widely recognized as the `Olympics` of the oil
and gas industry.
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Gonorrhea, also called the clap, is a disease caused by bacteria. Untreated, it can
cause painful pelvic inflammation in women, and infertility in both genders. In
extreme cases, the bacteria can spread in the blood to cause life-threatening
infections in other parts of the body.
New drugs needed against hard-to-treat gonorrhoea: UN

Aaykar Setu:
It is an app launched by the CBDT that allows entities track TDS, pay taxes and
apply for permanent account number (PAN)
---------------------------------------------------------------
India will soon get a seat on the Global Foreign Exchange Committee (GFXC), a
newly-constituted forum of central bankers and experts working towards promotion
of a robust and transparent forex market.The committee has been set up under the
guidance of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS),

Rajasthan has become the countrys first State to lay down the minimum
educational qualifications for contesting elections to village cooperative societies
and various other cooperative bodies.
the educational qualifications will range from Class V to Class VIII for election as
members of governing boards of dairy societies

The UNESCO World Heritage List Committee designated Britains Lake District,
the Baden-Wuerttemberg caves in Germany, and the modernist architecture in
Asmara the capital city of Eritrea to the roster of places with special
recognition.
new sites on the UNESCO list are: the underground mines in Tarnowskie Gory in
Poland, the historic city of Yazd, in Iran; Japans sacred and restricted-access island
of Okinoshima, and Los Alerces National Park in Argentina.
Turkeys 3rd century B.C. Aphrodisias temple and the Valongo Wharf
Archeological Site in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Israeli flower named after PM Modi As a special gesture, a new fast growing Israeli
Crysanthumun flower was named MODI after Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
during the Indian Premiers visit to the Danziger flower farm

Beijing Declaration on Education:

According to the declaration, members states Brazil, Russia, India, China and
South Africa are committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4)-
Education 2030 which aims to Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education
and promote life-long learning opportunities for all that was set within The 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Karnataka Government has recently launched the Elevate 100 scheme to
identify and nurture innovative start-ups. The purpose of the scheme is to identify
100 most innovative start-ups in the state to elevate them to the next level of
success
Israel India Innovation Initiative Fund (I4F) The $40 million Israel India Innovation
Initiative Fund has been launched as a five-year technology fund with an aim at
growing the business relationship between both the countries. The similar type of
fund had boosted Israels ties with that of the US in the past 40 years.

Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 It is a partnership the Assam Forest Department,
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Bodoland Territorial Council, International
Rhino Foundation (IRF) and US Fish and Wildlife Service. Its goal is to attain a
wild rhino population of at least 3,000 in the Indian state of Assam by the year
2020.

Employee Provident Fund (EPF) The Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is a

retirement benefit applicable only to salaried employees. It is a fund to which both
the employee and employer contribute fixed amount (percent) of the formers basic
salary amount each month.
This percentage is pre-set by the government. At present, the entire EPF amount is
tax-free at the time of withdrawal if the employee has completed five years of
continuous service.
EPFO is a statutory body of Union Government that comes under the aegis of
Ministry of Labour and Employment. It is one of the largest social security
organisations in India in terms volume of financial transactions undertaken and the
number of covered beneficiaries.

Union Minister of State for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines,
Piyush Goyal has launched the MERIT app (Merit Order Despatch of Electricity
for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency) and the e-bidding portal for
offering an e-Bidding solution to States.

The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) has been ranked 2nd among best climate
think tank in the world. The rankings were released by the International Centre for
Climate Governance (ICCG), which focuses on the design of climate policy and
related governance issues. The New Delhi-based think tank TERI

In Arunachal Pradesh, the most popular Dree festival of Apatani community has
celebrated across the State with traditional pomp == Traditional songs and dances
are part of main attraction of the Dree.
the post of parliamentary secretary is in contradiction to Article 164 (1A) of the
Constitution which provides for limiting the number of Ministers in the State
Cabinets to 15% of the total number of members of the State Legislative Assembly.
But, the number of Cabinet Ministers in Delhi cannot exceed 10% of the total 70
seats that is seven as per Article 239AA of Constitution.

The 15-day long annual joint military training exercise Ex-Maitree-2017 between
the Indian and Thai army has started from July 3, 2017 at Bakloh in Himachal
Pradesh

What is MDR TB?

Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR TB) is a specific form of TB that does not respond
to ordinary TB treatment. As a result it is difficult to treat and needs specialised
treatment.
What Causes MDR TB?
MDR TB is caused by the development of TB bacteria, which have become
resistant to ordinary TB drugs.
Van Mahotsav
Van Mahotsav is usually observed in the first week of July every year and is
celebrated on different days in different parts of India.
The objective behind celebrating Van Mahotsav is to keep local people involved in
plantation drives and spread environmental awareness.

What is section 139AA is about?

The newly introduced section 139AA of the Income Tax Act states that every
person who has been allotted PAN as on July 1, 2017 and who is eligible to obtain
Aadhaar Number shall intimate the same to the tax authorities. The PAN of those
who fail to do so will become invalid on a date to be notified later by the
department.

Swasth Saarthi Abhiyaan (SSA)

What you need to know about Swasth Saarthi Abhiyaan (SSA)?
The SSA event is a unique initiative to address the major issues being faced by
public transport drivers, with almost all of them being users of CNG.
It is a two month long mega campaign focusing on providing preventive healthcare
to the auto, taxi and bus drivers of the region.
----It will provide free health checkup which includes blood test, sugar test, eye
test.
SSA is an initiative of Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL).

GeneXpert:
It is a device released recently by the WHO which can be used to diagnose TB and
HIV infections, and quantitatively measure HIV and hepatitis C viral loads.
The WHO is recommending use of these state-of-the-art portable machines the size
of a microwave oven, which can run molecular tests.
*************************************************************
Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM)
An objective to promote agricultural mechanisation among small and marginal
farmers and in the areas where the level of mechanisation is very low
It includes the traditional component of training, testing, demonstration of
agricultural machinery and procurement subsidy
It also includes-Farm Machinery Banks for Custom Hiring, Hi-Tech High
Productive Equipments Centres on custom hiring model, and Farm Mechanisation
in selected villages for enhancing productivity and creating ownership of
appropriate farm equipments among small & marginal farmers
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APEDA refutes rumours about plastic rice
Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Agency (APEDA) has
refuted rumours about plastic rice
Why do they bounce then?
According to APEDA, the buoyancy of rice balls dropping on a hard surface is its
natural property and it depends on the amylose content. Rice starch consists of two
main components amylose and amylopectine generally in a proportion of
25:75.

QueSST:
NASA has completed the preliminary design review of its Quiet Supersonic
Transport or QueSST aircraft design. QueSST is the initial design stage of the
agencys planned Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) experimental airplane,
otherwise known as an X-plane.

Comprehensive Online Modified Modules on Induction Training (COMMIT) for

State Government officials has been launched.
--
The objective of this training programme is to improve the #public service delivery
mechanism and provide citizen centric administration through capacity building of
officials who interact with the citizens on day-to-day basis.
--
The programme will be implemented through State Administrative Training
Institutes (ATIs).
What you need to know about COMMIT?
The COMMIT programme, developed by DoPT in collaboration with United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP),

National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has launched a Web Application for
free Legal Services to Prisoners and the Legal Services Management System
developed through the NIC......
NALSA has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, to
provide free legal services to weaker sections of society......
.NALSA organises Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the filling of Aji Dam near Rajkot under Sauni
Yojana
What is the SAUNI Yojana?
The project is not a part of the Narmada project but is based on it. 1 MAFT (million
acre feet) flood water has been allotted to Saurashtra by the state government and
this water will be pumped to major reservoirs in the region under the SAUNI Yojna

Know about APAs:

The APA Scheme endeavours to provide certainty to taxpayers in the domain of
transfer pricing by specifying the methods of pricing and determining the arms
length price of international transactions in advance for the maximum
of #five future years.
Further, the taxpayer has the option to rollback the APA for four preceding years

The Finance Ministrys former Chief Economic Advisor Kaushik Basu has taken
over as President of the International Economic Association (IEA). He will hold the
office for a term of three years.----
The IEA was founded in 1950 as a Non-Governmental Organization, at the
instigation of the Social Sciences Department of UNESCO.

NASAs Voyager 2 spacecraft has discovered that Uranus magnetosphere the

region defined by the icy planets magnetic field and the material trapped inside it
 gets flipped on and off like a light switch every day as it rotates along with the
planet.
What causes light switch effect?
The finding showed that magnetosphere is open in one orientation, allowing solar
wind to flow into it. It is later closed, forming a shield against the solar wind and
deflecting it away from the planet

NATHU-LA-PASS
It connects the Indian state of Sikkim with Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region.
It is also one of the four officially agreed BPM (Border Personnel Meeting) points
between the Indian Army and Peoples Liberation Army of China for regular
consultations and interactions between the two armies, which helps in defusing
stand-offs.
The four BPM are: #Chushul in Ladakh, Nathu La in Sikkim, #Bum La Pass in
Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, and #Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand.

What is Purchasing Managers Index(PMI)?

The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is an indicator of the economic health of
the manufacturing sector.
The PMI is based on five major indicators: new orders, inventory levels,
production, supplier deliveries and the employment environment
the PMI Data is published by Japanese firm Nikkei but compiled and constructed
by Markit Economics

Mizo peace accord?

MizoRam celebrates 31st anniversary of Mizo peace accord
Under the Accord, the government agreed to grant full statehood to Mizoram, along
with its own High Court. A university was proposed. The Accord promised
constitutional protection for Mizo religious and social customs
The signatories were Laldenga, leader of the movement, R. D. Pradha

India has contributed $100,000 to a UN fund to help developing countries actively

participate in the discussion of tax issues, becoming the first country to make the
contribution.
What you need to know about the UN Tax Fund?
The UN Tax Trust Fund aims to support the work of the Committee of Experts on
International Cooperation in Tax Matters (the UN Tax Committee).
The UN Tax Committee, a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social
Council (ESOSOC), has provided guidance on current issues such as double
taxation treaties, transfer pricing (profit shifting) taxation of the extractive
industries and taxation of services.

DART The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)would be NASAs first

mission to demonstrate whats known as the kinetic impactor technique striking
the asteroid to shift its orbit to defend against a potential future asteroid impact.
The asteroid is called Didymos Greek for twin -because it is an asteroid binary
system that consists of two bodies: Didymos A,b

Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) of the Telangana government has

gained much attention in recent times.---The Kaleshwaram project is an off-shoot
of the original Pranahitha-Chevella Lift Irrigation Scheme taken up by the Congress
government in 2007 when Andhra Pradesh was not divided.

New ransomware going by the name #Petya has had a major impact on the
operations in India
Petya relies on the same NSA-leaked EternalBlue exploit that was used by
WannaCry, but thats only one of its strategies to burrow itself across computers.
How is Petya different from #Wannacry?
Unlike Wannacry, Petya does not #encrypt individual files, but overwrites the
master boot record and encrypts the master file table, thus rendering the system
inoperable until the ransom has been paid.

Addis Agenda:
The Addis Agenda provides a global framework to ensure the effective
mobilisation of resources at the national and international level for sustainable
development.
Implementation of the Addis Agenda supports the implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development, the historic and transformational agenda that
countries unanimously adopted in 2015.
PM Modi recently inaugurated Textiles India 2017 In Gandhinagar. This is
Indias first-ever mega trade event for the textiles sector, showcasing the nation as a
global sourcing hub and investment destination for manufacturers world-wide.
SIERRA ODC building in Coimbatore gets worlds second highest green rating

Times when the Parliament convened for a session at midnight:

The midnight session of Parliament to launch the goods and services tax (GST)
marked a first in Indias history

Midnight sessions in the past:

August 14-15, 1947: The Constituent Assembly of India met in the Constitution
Hall (now the Central Hall of Parliament) on the eve of the countrys
Independence. It started at 11 p.m. and went on till after midnight.
August 14-15, 1972: To celebrate the silver jubilee of Indias Independence.
August 9, 1992: To mark 50th anniversary of Quit India Movement.
August 14-15, 1997: To celebrate the golden jubilee of Indias Independence.

India has been ranked 93rd out of 128 countries in the 2017 Social Progress Index
(SPI). The list is topped by Denmark
-----. The SPI is an aggregate index of social and environmental indicators that
capture three dimensions of social progress: Basic Human Needs, Foundations of
Wellbeing, and Opportunity. ------- The index is published by the nonprofit Social
Progress Imperative, and is based on the writings of Amartya Sen,-------
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Sharjah, the city of United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been designated as the
UNESCO World Book Capital
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has collaborated with Facebook to launch
first Nationwide Voter Registration Reminder

The National Multi Commodity Exchange (NMCE) will merge with Indian
Commodity Exchange (ICEX) to create Indias third largest commodities
exchange.The NMCE is the Indias first demutualised online national multi-
commodities exchange
Delhi Dialogue has started with theme ASEAN-India Relations: Charting the
Course for the Next 25 Years

Kerala, has launched G-Ride, a digital ride sharing app for techies. The app is
specially designed and deployed for the IT industry by the Group of Technology
Companies (Gtech), the industry body of IT companies in the state

Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), a Pune-based NGO, has won the 2017 United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP)s Equator Prize for its women led
climate resilient agro-ecological farming model and innovative solutions in climate
resilient farming in the Marathwada region of India

The National Doctors Day (NDD) is celebrated every year in India on July 1 to
honour the legendary physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr
Bidhan Chandra Roy.
Indias biggest Global Skill Park will be set up in Bhopal
Carrie Lam has become the first woman chief executive of Hong Kong
Indias tallest Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower has installed at Indira Gandhi
International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi.

RBIs Financial Stability Report (FSR) June 2017, Indias economic growth rate
has forecasted at 7.3% in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) in the current fiscal
year FY 2017-18. The report projected CPI inflation to be in the range of 2-3.5% in
the first half of the year and 3.5-4.5% in the second half.

China has officially started building the worlds first forest city in the north of
Liuzhou, Guangxi Province to fight against pollution and climate change
Odisha will become the Indias first state to set up blood bank for cattle. The first of
its kind blood bank would be established on the premises of Odisha University of
Agriculture and Technology (OUAT)
The 12th edition of G20 summit will be held on July 78, 2017 in Hamburg,
Germany

India re-elected to UN body on economic, social issues; Pakistan loses out

What you need to know about ECOSOC?
ECOSOC, one of the six main organs of the United Nations, is the principal body
for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on
economic, social and environmental issues, as well as for implementation of the
internationally agreed development goals.

The Maharashtra government will launch a mobile app My Plant on July 1, 2017,
which would help in recording data about tree plantations in the state
India has been re-elected to the United Nations ECOSOC for another 3-year term.
India was among 18 nations to win election to the Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC).
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six principal organs of
the United Nations for coordinating the economic, social and environmental issues,
as well as for implementing internationally agreed development goals.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has recently approved the
membership of Argentina, the Republic of Madagascar and the Kingdom of Tonga
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has successfully
launched the worlds smallest and lightest satellite Kalamsat built by Indian
students into the space from its facility in Wallops Island

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has appointed Bollywood
megastar Amitabh Bachchan as new brand ambassador for Goods and Services Tax
(GST)
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has launched
digital enrollment process APY@eNPS for Atal Pension Yojana (APY) to
expand the outreach of the scheme.

Indore has become the Indias first city where robot is being used on an
experimental basis to control its ever growing and unruly traffic
The Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI), Pune has been selected
as the first recipient of the Prime Ministers Award for outstanding contribution to
promotion and development of Yoga.
The Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal has launched Energy Conservation
Building Code (ECBC) 2017 in New Delhi to prescribe the energy performance
standards for new commercial buildings to be constructed across India
Bengaluru has become the Indias first city where one can have fuel delivered at
ones doorstep just like milk and newspapers

The World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Forum-2017 has held in

Geneva
India has been ranked 60th out of 130 nations on the Global Innovation Index (GII)
2017
The index is co-authored by Cornell University, INSEAD and World Intellectual
Property Organisation (WIPO).
India has topped the global remittance-receiving list of 2016, as per the latest
United Nations report One Family at a Time.
According to the latest Child Rights and You (CRY) report, over 8 lakh children in
India between the age group 5 and 6 years are engaged in child labour.

India has signed a pact with Mauritius to institutionalize cooperation between

Parliaments of the two countries.
The Union Government has launched a video conferencing aided legal service
Tele Law for the people living in rural areas.

5 year Bologna Roadmap

which focuses on important issues such as resource efficiency indicators, citizen
involvement, awareness on food waste and economic analysis of the efficient use of
resources.
The 2017 G7 Environment Ministers Meetings was held in Bologna.............
The Sikkim government has signed MoU with the British Council to increase
quality of education in the state.
NTPC has commissioned a150 KW Indias first canal top solar PV System on
Cooling Water (CW) channel at its 2320 MW Mouda Thermal Power Project, near
Nagpur in Maharashtra.

The Telangana government has launched Pashu Bazar website for online cattle sale.
The Nalanda University has signed MoU with South Koreas Academy of Korean
Studies for academic linkages and collaborations in Patna, Bihar.
NITI Aayog has launched a program Sustainable Action for Transforming Human
capital (SATH) with the State Governments for cooperative federalism.
The Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu has inaugurated the first-
ever Indian Railways Human Resources Round Table Conference in New Delhi
Indias first freight village will be developed by the Inland Waterways Authority
of India (IWAI) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Indias first-ever Rural LED Street Lighting Project will be implemented by the
Government of India (GoI) in Andhra Pradesh (AP). The Energy Efficiency
Services Limited (EESL) under the Ministry of Power
India has been ranked 37th out of 103 nations in the 2017 global Multi-dimensional
Poverty Index (MPI), according to a new report by the Oxford Poverty & Human
Development Initiative
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has formed committee to
improve standards of corporate governance of listed companie

The TATA Projects has launched unique Green Thumb initiative in India to
promote green cover and to protect the environment on 2017 World Environment
Day (WED)
Indias first smartcard-based Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) initiative Trin Trin
has launched in Mysuru
The World Bank (WB) in its latest report Global Economic Prospects (GEP) has
projected Indias GDP growth rate at 7.5% in 2018 and 7.7% in 2019.

India has acquired the top position among 30 developing countries on ease of doing
business at the 2017 A.T. Kearney Global Retail Development Index (GRDI). The
2017 GRDI titled The Age of Focus
The researchers at IIT Kharagpur has developed a wireless technology AmbuSens
for remote monitoring of patients condition ferried in ambulances.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its 3136
kg GSAT-19 communication satellite with its brand new and heaviest
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III D-1 (GSLV-Mk III D-1)
satellite into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, has launched Skill for Life, Save a
Life initiative in New Delhi to promote skill development in the health sector
Sachin Tendulkar has joined UNICEFs Super Dads campaign that highlights the
critical role played by fathers in childrens early development.
Montenegro has officially become the 29th member of North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) at a ceremony in Washington,

The Kerala government has implemented Green Protocol for making weddings
more naturally in the state. The purpose of the initiative is to reduce the use of
plastic in daily life.
17th summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit has started in
Astana, Kazakhstan
The Vijaya Bank will set up 100 digital villages in various States of the country as
part of its initiative to promote digital banking among the rural population.

The Union Home Ministry has constituted an expert committee to examine methods
to curb the misuse of free movement along the Myanmar border.
The 2nd edition of bilateral maritime exercise AUSINDEX-17 has started
between Indian Navy and Royal Australian Navy in Fremantle, Australia

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has inaugurated the 16th North East Region
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA) Conference at Imphal in
Manipur ... The theme of the Conference is North East and Look East Policy

Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Costa recently launched a unique startup
Portal the India-Portugal International StartUp Hub (IPISH) in Lisbon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NASA is launching a sounding rocket CHESS to study vast interstellar clouds and
know about the earliest stages of star formation.CHESS will train its eye at Beta
Scorpii a hot, brightly shining star in the Scorpius constellation well-positioned
for the instrument to probe the material between the star and our own solar system.

kanyashree Scheme For Girls In Bengal Wins UN Award

The West Bengal government is among the winners to receive the prestigious UN
Public Service Award for its initiative to combat child marriage and ensure
education to the girl child in the state
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) has completed the construction of
Indias first set of underwater transportation tunnels

The Yettinahole project envisages to pump about 24 tmc ft of water from

Yettinahole, a tributary of River Netravathi.
It involves construction of dams and reservoir, pumping of water, flowing of water
with gravitational force and finally filling of lakes.

The Ministry of Urban Development has launched the City Liveability Index for
measuring the quality of life in 116 major cities including smart cities, capital cities
and cities with a population of above one million each.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Government launches VAJRA scheme
In a bid to bring together the Indian scientists abroad and India-based researchers
for conducting joint researches in India, the Department of Science and Technology
(DST) has launched a scheme named Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty
(VAJRA).
Under this scheme, scientists or senior researchers abroad of Indian origin or
otherwise can collaborate with faculties here.
Under the scheme, foreign researchers would receive endowments at par with those
in their own countries
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A web portal- MERIT (Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of
Income and Transparency) was recently launched by the Ministry of Power.
Key facts:
The portal has been developed by Ministry of Power in association with POSOCO
and Central Electricity Authority.
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Carnegie Medal:
Wipro Chairman Azim Premji is among the recepients of this years Carnegie
Medal, considered the most prestigious prize in philanthropy, for his efforts to
reform Indias public school system.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Organic foods will have to comply with the provisions under the National
Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) administered by the government or the
Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India) run by the Agriculture
Ministry or any other standards notified by the food authority.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DeployBot, the robot is assembled from eight modules: four for the body and one
for each of the four legs. In their folded state, the modules lie flat, and after they are
deployed they pop up into roughly a square shape.
Project Jal Sanchay:
Project jal sanchay was launched under MGRNREGP, to offer farmers a wide
spectrum of solutions to water crisis. Under this, check dams were created and
traditional Aahar-Pyne irrigation system and traditional water bodies were desilted
and renovated, accompanied by campaigns to create awareness about rainwater
harvesting.
PANGLONG PEACE CONFERENCE
The Union Peace Conference - 21st Century Panglong is a peace conference which
began on 31 Aug 2016 in Myanmar Convention Centre 2 of Naypyidaw, Myanmar.

The World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, published by the UN

Department of Economic and Social Affairs, was recently released. -----The 2017
Revision of World Population Prospects is the 25th round of official UN population
estimates and projections.-----
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Indias position
in the 2017 Global Innovation Index has moved up six ranks from last year to 60
NASA has signed an agreement with Italian Space Agency for the launch of the
Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission that will provide important
clues about the origins of cosmic X-rays, their interactions with matter and gravity
as they travel through space.

The Railway Ministry is to launch Operation Swarn to improve services in

Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains.
What is Slum Daud?
The Slum Yuva Daud is part of the Adopt Slum Campaign initiated by the Ministry
of Youth Affairs & Sports and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan.

The Slum Yuva Daud & Adopt Slum campaigns aim at highlighting the
governments pro-people schemes among masses.
China has unveiled the worlds first train that runs on virtual tracks............Instead
of railway tracks, the train runs on rubber tyres. The train can move at a maximum
speed of 70 km/hoUR

NASAs new compact high-power solar array-the Roll Out Solar Array (ROSA)
has made its debut on the International Space Station.......The Roll Out Solar Array
(ROSA) is one of the options eyed by NASA that could power an advanced solar
electric propulsion spacecraft that makes possible such endeavors as the agencys
Asteroid Redirect Mission.........
ROSA has the potential to replace solar arrays on future satellites, making them
more compact and lighter weight

India has become the 71st country to ratify the United Nations TIR (Transports
Internationaux Routiers) Convention, a move that will help boost trade through
smoother movement of goods across territories.

NASAs Kepler mission team has released a survey of 219 potential exoplanets
planets outside of our solar system that had been detected by the space
observatory launched in 2009 to scan the Milky Way galaxy.
The UN General Assembly has approved the establishment of a new office to
coordinate counter-terrorism efforts, a move welcomed by India as a much
awaited first step that will align the world body with needs of the global
community in the fight against the menace.

China has offered to make a dam (Diamer-Bhasha Dam) project on the Indus River
that India objects to, a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).Why
is India concerned-----
Gilgit-Baltistan is treated as a separate geographical entity by Pakistan. It has a
regional Assembly and an elected Chief MinisteR
The countrys first indigenously built floating dock FDN-2 for the Indian Navy was
recently launched at the L&T Shipbuilding Yard at Kattupalli near Chennai
India has re-nominated Justice Dalveer #Bhandari as its candidate for another term
as judge at the International Court of Justice or ICJ, the principal judicial organ of
the United Nations or UN.--------Judges are chosen on the basis of their
qualifications, not their nationality, but no two judges can be from the same
nationality----Its judgments have binding force and are without appeal for the
parties concerned.---
Government, RBI in talks to postpone Basel-III norms for banks
#Basel III (or the Third Basel Accord) is a global, voluntary regulatory framework
on bank capital adequacy, stress testing, and market liquidity risk. It was agreed
upon by the members of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in 201011.
Basel III is intended to strengthen bank capital requirements by increasing bank
liquidity and decreasing bank leverage.
National Mission on Cultural Mapping of India was recently launched at
Goverdhan Block, Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh. This Mission is part of the
#Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat umbrella. Ministry of Culture launched it in the year
of commemoration of the birth centenary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay,
The mission aims at converting the vast and widespread cultural canvas of India
into an objective cultural map,
NASAs Orion spacecraft is built to take humans farther than theyve ever gone
before.

The report of the One Family at a Time study by the UN International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD) has been released. It talks about the foreign
remittances. The study is the first-ever of a 10-year trend in migration and
remittance flows over the period 2007-2016.
a five-member anti-profiteering authority will be set up to decide on levying
penalty if businesses do not pass on the benefit of price reduction to consumers
under the goods and services tax regime.

India has signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Participation in the

ANUGA Exhibition
ANUGA Background:germany
ANUGA an acronym for Allgemeine Nahrungs Und Genumittel Ausstellung
(General Food and Non- essential Provisions Exhibition) is the worlds biggest and
most important trade fair for Food and beverage trade

A model of water conservation adopted successfully by the authorities in Nalanda

district of south central Bihar, has been selected for the national award for
excellence in the Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee
programme (MGNREGP), by the ministry of rural development
The government has approved the Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS) for farmers for
the year 2017-18. This will help farmers getting short term crop loan up to Rs. 3
lakh payable within one year at only 4% per annum. The Government has
earmarked a sum of Rs. 20,339 crore for this purpose.
What you need to know?
The Interest Subvention Scheme will continue for one year and it will be
implemented by NABARD and RBI.

India, UNOSSC launch partnership fund to promote sustainable development

The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) was
established to promote, coordinate and support South-South and triangular
cooperation globally and within the United Nations system.

Grossi process:
Switzerland may resort to Grossi process in a bid to support India. The Grossi
process mandates the former NSG chairperson and diplomat Rafael Grossi to build
a consensus among all 48 countries of the NSG
We Wear Culture:
It is a global digital platform fashion project launched by Google. Working with
183 renowned cultural institutions from around the world, including India,
Googles project We Wear Culture lets people explore the history of clothes
dating as early as 3,000 years ago from the ancient Silk Road

SATH program launched by NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog has launched SATH, a program providing Sustainable Action for
Transforming Human capital with the State Governments. The vision of the
program is to initiate transformation in the education and health sectors.
The Vatsalya Maatri Amrit Kosh, a National Human Milk Bank and Lactation
Counselling Centre was recently inaugurated at the Lady Hardinge Medical College
(LHMC).

Keratitis is the inflammation of the eye, which starts with redness and itching and
might eventually lead to blindness.
Oldest Homo sapiens fossils discovered:
The oldest fossil remains of Homo sapiens, dating back to 300,000 years, have been
found at a site in Jebel Irhoud, Morocco. This is 100,000 years older than
previously discovered fossils of Homo sapiens that have been securely dated.

Mission Innovation:
MI was announced on November 30, 2015 by the leaders of 20 countries that have
a shared desire to accelerate global clean energy innovation during COPE 21 in
Paris. The Mission Innovation (MI) is an effort to accelerate public and private
global clean energy innovation
A Handbook along with Module & Guidelines on protection of Child Rights at
Gram Panchayat level was recently released jointly by National Commission for
Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Ministry of Panchayati Raj and UNICEF.
The National Trust under Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in
collaboration with key partners recently organised the conference Inclusive India
Initiative:

What you need to know about NCPCR?

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in
March 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act,
2005........1TO 18 YEARS
The GSAT-19, with a lifespan of 10 years, is a multi-beam satellite that will carry
Ka and Ku-band payload along with a Geostationary Radiation Spectrometer
(GRASP) payload to monitor and study the nature of the charged particles and
influence of space radiation on spacecraft and electronic components.

India is the third largest export destination for Qatar (behind Japan and South
Korea) and ranks at 10th position for Qatars imports.
Mazaalai:
It is the first university satellite of Mongolia named after the Mongolian
endangered Gobi bear Mazaalai. The satellite has been designed by students.

Indias first Rural LED Street Lighting Project in Andhra Pradesh:

Government of India, through the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)
under the Ministry of Power, would be retrofitting 10 lakh conventional street lights
with LED lights in Gram Panchayats of 7 districts in Andhra Pradesh.
Backyard Worlds project:
The Backyard Worlds project lets anyone with a computer and an Internet
connection flip through images taken by NASAs Wide Field Infrared Survey
Explorer (WISE) spacecraft.

Clean Energy:-USA
The Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) is a high-level global forum to share lessons
learnt and best practices, and to encourage the transition to a global clean energy
economy.

Sowa Rigpa -------commonly known as the Amchi system of medicine is one of

the oldest, living, and well-documented medical traditions of the world. It is
practised
in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan and some parts of China, Nepal and Himalayan regions
of India. The majority of theory and practice of Sowa Rigpa is similar to Ayurveda.
It is a recent addition to the existing family of AYUSH systems in India.

Hope spots declared by the Mission Blue organisation and the IUCN are
underwater habitats in oceans rich in biodiversity and are critical to health of
oceans
Cholas who ruled in Tamil Nadu refer to more than 400 terms for different kinds of
taxes. The most frequently mentioned tax is vetti, taken not in cash but in the form
of forced labour, and kadamai, or land revenue.

-----
Large quantities of ostrich egg shells found here gives the evidence that Ostriches
lived in India during the Palaeolithic period. Designs were engraved on some
pieces, while beads were also made out of these eggs.
#Lord Hastings, Governor General of India between 1813 1823, initiated a new
policy of #paramountcy. Now the Company claimed that its authority was
paramount or supreme, hence its power was greater than that of Indian states.
when the British tried to annex the small state of Kitoor (in Karnataka
today), #Rani Channamma took to arms and led an anti-British resistance
movement
. She was arrested in 1824 and died in prison in 1829. But #Rayanna, a poor
chowkidar of Sangoli in Kitoor, carried on the resistance. With popular support he
destroyed many British camps and records. He was caught and hanged by the
British in 1830.

There were two main systems of indigo cultivation nij and ryoti. Within the
system of nij cultivation, the planter produced indigo in lands that he directly
controlled. He either bought the land or rented it from other zamindars and
produced indigo by directly employing hired labourers.

Palampur this Assembly Constituency of Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh

became the first e-assembly constituency of the country
Tamil Nadu - the State where world's first Genetic Garden of Halophytes (naturally
occurring salt-tolerant plants) was inaugurated at the coastal town of Vedaranyam.

Colombo Declaration - the declaration to counter Drug Trafficking which was

adopted recently by Interior Ministers of Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in a high level
meeting held in Colombo. All countries agreed to work towards making the region
a "Drug Free Zone".
Netherlands - this country performed the first-ever brain implant on a 58-year-old
woman paralysed by Lou Gehrig's disease (also known as amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis-ALS)
India - this country will host the 2018 International Competition Network (ICN)
Conference. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) will host the Conference.

Palmyra - the world heritage site of Syria which was in the news recently after the
militants destroyed the Tetrapylon, an iconic monument in this ancient city.
Tetraplyon was a second-century theatre
Tembhli - the village in north Maharashtra, which is known as India's first
Aadhaar village.
Lalmatia - the place in Godda district of Jharkhand where mines of Eastern
Coalfields Limited (ECL) collapsed recently in which many persons died.
Hawaii - the place where atop a remote volcano six scientists have entered a dome
where they will spend the next eight months in isolation to stimulate life for
astronauts travelling to Mars
Egyptthe country where a three-month emergency was declared recently following
twin church bombings that killed dozens of people in two cities recently.

Delhi, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu - they are the top 3 states that get most of the
internal migration. The Economic Survey 2017 points to a dramatic spike in
internal migration with Delhi being the top destination.
Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu & Kashmir - the states except which the Food
Security Scheme will now be mandatory be linked with Aadhaar.
Bill English - he was recently appointed as the new Prime Minister of New Zealan
Indonesia - it is the country with which India entered into agreement to
expand their defence and maritime security ties and resolved to effectively deal
with terrorism, calling for "zero tolerance" towards it.
Japan they launched a next generation geostationary meteorological satellite
Himawari-9 recently, aiming to further improve weather services in the Asia-
Pacific region.
Patalganga - the place in Raigad district of Maharashtra where the new campus of
National Institute of Securities Market (NiSM) was inaugurated by Prime Minister
recently
Ispra - the place in Italy is the location of the European Commission's Joint
Research Centre whose scientists in association with Google engineers used
millions of satellite images to show how rivers, lakes and other water bodies have
changed over three decades

. Archaeologists from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden have begun

exploring a previously unknown ancient city at a village called Vlochos, five hours
north of Athens.
Chile - the country whose researchers are seeking special UNESCO world heritage
status for Chinchorro mummies, which researchers say are the most ancient in the
world
Maui - the place in Hawaii from where the astronomers and cosmologists used a 1.8
metre telescope at the summit of Haleakala to repeatedly image three quarters of
the visible sky over four years making it the world's largest digital survey of the
visible universe, mapping billions of stars and galaxies which was released
recently. The data was released by the international Pan-STARRS project,
Kerala - the state where the government has made a saving of Rs 300 crore through
introduction and adoption of Free & Open Source Software (FOSS) in the school
education sector. I

Londonthis has become the first city in the world to announce an ultra-low
emission zone to tackle rising levels of air pollution, under which the drivers of the
most polluting cars will have to pay an extra charge
Mizoram this state topped the list of state for the first time in providing jobs under
the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) --
a staggering 88.43 person days per household
NuvvuagittuqSupracrustal Belt (NSB) in Queber, Canada. The NSB contains some
of the oldest sedimentary rocks known on Earth that provided a habitat for Earth's
first life forms between 3,770 and 4,300 million years ago
South Korea - this country with 347 robots for every 10,000 people is having the
highest robot density in the world followed by Japan at 339 robots per 10,000
people and Germany with 261 robots per 10,000 people
Japan - the country which recently joined hands with India to fructify their
partnership for development of the Chabahar port in Iran with Tokyo committing
investment to help improve Afghanistan's access to the port
Mumbai - it became the first Indian city to have Wi-Fi connections in public places.
Finland - this has become the first country in Europe to pay its unemployed citizens
a basic monthly income amounting to 560 Euros ($587) i
Norway - it became the first nation to start switching off its FM radio network next
week in a leap to digital technology. The shutdown of the FM (Frequency
Modulation) network, introduced in 1950s, began in the northern city of Bodoe.
France - they recently pressed for "decisive action" against Pakistan-based terror
groups like LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen which are "targeting" India and
vowed to work with New Delhi to get terrorist Masood Azhar proscribed by the UN
Security Council.
Hawaii - the place where atop a remote volcano six scientists have entered a dome
where they will spend the next eight months in isolation to stimulate life for
astronauts travelling to Mars

Quetta - the capital of Balochistan province of Pakistan which recently faced one of
the deadliest terror attacks in Pakistan when many people,
Switzerland this country recently signed a Joint Declaration with India for
implementation of Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) in respect of
accounts of Indians held abroad.
Goa - the first state in India which will go cashless
Israel - the country from which has created the world's first 'water-wave laser' that
emits a beam through the interaction of light and water waves
Russia - the country whose scientists have developed a new unique, low-cost
method for producing high-quality nuclear fuel using electricity.
USA - the country which recently commissioned Zumwalt which is considered to
be the most advanced stealth destroyer ship
Greenland - the place where the Australian scientists have found fossils dating back
to staggering 3.7 billion years ago which is much older than the previous record
holders. The tiny structures called 'Stromatolites' were found in ancient rocks along
the edge of Greenland's ice cap

Russia - the country with which India recently signed an agreement to acquire a
second Russian Akula-2 class nuclear-powered attack submarine for the Indian
Navy.
Sikkim - the state which is having highest representation percentage (50%) of
women in high courts with one woman judge for every male judge
Pazardzhik - the town in southern Bulgaria where the Bulgarian archaeologists are
believed to have found the world's oldest gold artefact
Czech Republic - the country whose scientists have developed a model of a
functioning human lung using 3D printing and other technologies
Jordan - the country where scientists have discovered what could be the world's
first polluted river, contaminated about 7,000 years ago by Stone Age humans who
may have been producing copper metals from ores.
Germany - the country which recently switched on 'the world's largest artificial
sun'. The giant honeycomb-like setup of 149 spotlights-officially known as
"Synlight"in Juelich
Morocco - this country returned to the African Union (AU) recently, which is likely
to strengthen dialogue and cooperation among African countries.
Barcelona - the Spain's northeastern city, which recently hosted the Mobile World
Congress (MWC

Maharashtra - the state which will receive the highest investment by World Bank in
any state. The World Bank recently agreed to invest more than one billion
dollars(more than Rs.7,000 crore) in the Mumbai Urban Transport Project(MUTP)-
III and Climate Resilient Agriculture Project
Portugal - the country where fisherman recently found unexploded WWW II bomb
Jammu and Kashmir - the state from which the government will now be able to
collect collect data, including demographics. The Union Cabinet recently approved
a proposed amendment to the Statistics Act
The Westgate Park - the lake in Melbourne, Australia that has turned vivid pink due
to extreme salt levels exacerbated by hot weather and low rainfall. This
phenomenon is the of result of green algae at the bottom of the lake responding to
high levels of salt and changing colours.
Tirunelveli - the town of Tamil Nadu which recently became the first town to
achieve 100% segregation of waste at source across households and establishments.
Maharashtra it became the first state to enact the bill to protect the journalists.
Both houses of legislature recently passed the landmark Maharashtra Media
persons and Media Institutions Bill to protect the journalists from attack.

Japan - the country which has proposed to use small drones coated with horsehair
and sticky gel to help pollinate crops to help offset the costly loss of bee population
worldwide
Qinhuangdao - the place in China's northern Hebei province where trial run for the
unique transport system, TEB-1 was started recently
Iceland - the country which recently raised the alarm that its largest volcano Katla
set to erupt after its largest volcano was hit by the biggest tremors since 1977.
The Manipur government has recently declared Dailong village of Tamenglong
district as a Biodiversity Heritage Site of the state under Section 37(1) of Biological
Diversity Act, 2002
The World Environment Day (WED) is observed every year on June 5 to raise
awareness about forests and wider issues of environmental protection. The 2017
theme is Connecting People to Nature.
The GSLV-Mk III is popularly known as fat boy and is developed for 15 years at
a cost of around Rs 300 crore. The rocket is capable of carrying payloads of up to
4,000 kg into the GTO and 10,000 kg into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The GSLV-
Mk III is a three stage rocket
India has been ranked 37th out of 103 nations in the 2017 global Multi-dimensional
Poverty Index (MPI), according to a new report by the Oxford Poverty & Human
Development Initiative
The researchers at IIT Kharagpur has developed a wireless technology AmbuSens
for remote monitoring of patients condition ferried in ambulances.

Indias first automatic coastal warning for disasters will come up in Odisha from
July 2017. Through alert system, Odisha will be able to warn its coastal population
by pressing a single button from
The Punjab government has decided to collaborate with the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as part of its efforts to root out the drug menace in
the State
Indias first freight village will be developed by the Inland Waterways Authority
of India (IWAI) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The freight village, a one-of-its-kind
infrastructure platform, will attract companies
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis has recently launched a web
portal Mahaswayam for job seekers, employers, entrepreneurs and training
institutes
India has been ranked 120th among 131 countries in women workforce, as per
recently released World Bank (WB)s India Development Report (IDR).

The Maharashtra government has decided to form Good Morning squads to curb
open defecation in all villages and districts across the State.
The Haryana state government has recently launched e-textbook portal for school
students. Now, students can download school books instantly from the e-textbook
portal of the Haryana
latest Lancet report titled Global Burden of Disease (GBD), India has been ranked
154th among 195 countries in the 2017 Healthcare Access and Quality Index
(HAQI)
China has been ranked first among 40 nations in the 2017 Renewable Energy
Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) released by Ernst and Young (EY). India
has been ranked 2nd

Indias first Aquatic Rainbow Technology Park (ARTP) will be set up in Chennai,
Tamil Nadu. The park will have an ultra-modern exclusive facility for ornamental
fish equipped with multi-species hatchery and live feed culture units.
The Ghughua Fossil National Park is located near Shahpura in Madhya Pradesh in
which plant fossils belonging to 31 genera of 18 families have been identified
The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) has organized the first-ever
Ozone2Climate technology road show along with the UN Environment
OzonActions Compliance Assistance Programme in Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Nauru, the worlds smallest republic, has become the sixth country to ratify the
International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework pact initiated by the Indian and
French Governments at the climate
The capital of Bangladesh Dhaka is the worlds most crowded city with a
population density of 44,500 people per square kilometre, released by World
Economic Forum (WEF), citing UN Habitat data
The Indo-Thailand Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Siam
Bharat 17 table top exercise has held at Chiang Mai, Thailand
The boring of Indias first underwater rail tunnel under the Hooghly River for
establishing metro link between Howrah and Kolkata

The Union Government has recently launched online verification portal e-Sanad
to make the document verification process easier for students who are planning to
study aboard.
UPSC-MOST IMP- #PRILIMS -2018
When was the first conference on climate change?
It also led to the creation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) by WMO and UNEP in 1988.
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also
known as the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit , Rio Summit, Rio Conference, and
Earth Summit

In 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development was also held
in Rio, and is also commonly called Rio+20 or Rio Earth Summit 2012.
The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature at the Earth
Summit, and made a start towards redefinition of measures that did not inherently
encourage destruction of natural ecoregions and so-called uneconomic growth.

Development and evolution

The full text of Agenda 21 was made public at the UN Conference on Environment
and Development (Earth Summit), held in Rio de Janeiro on June 13, 1992, where
178 governments voted to adopt the program.
Rio+5 (1997)
In 1997, the UN General Assembly held a special session to appraise the status of
Agenda 21 (Rio +5). The Assembly recognized progress as "uneven" and identified
key trends, including increasing #globalization, widening #inequalities in income,
and continued deterioration of the global environment
Rio+10 (2002)
Main article: World Summit on Sustainable Development
The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, agreed to at the World Summit on
Sustainable Development (Earth Summit 2002), affirmed UN commitment to "full
implementation" of Agenda 21, alongside achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals and other international agreements.

Agenda 21 for culture (2002)

Main article: Agenda 21 for culture
The first World Public Meeting on Culture, held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2002,
came up with the idea to establish guidelines for local cultural policies, something
comparable to what Agenda 21 was for the environment.
Rio+20 (2012)
Main article: United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
In 2012, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development the
attending members reaffirmed their commitment to Agenda 21 in their outcome
document called "The #Future We Want". 180 leaders from nations participated.

The implementation of Agenda 21 was intended to involve action at international,

national, regional and local levels. Some national and state governments have
legislated or advised that local authorities take steps to implement the plan locally,
as recommended in Chapter 28 of the document. These programs are often known
as "Local Agenda 21"
The group, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, formed in 1990; today its
members come from over 1,000 cities, towns, and counties in 88 countries and is
widely regarded as a paragon of Agenda 21 implementation.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety of the Convention, also known as the
Biosafety Protocol, was adopted in January 2000. The Biosafety Protocol seeks to
protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified
organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.
Secretariat: The CBD Secretariat, based in Montreal, operates under the United
Nations Environment Programme.

Subsidiary body for Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA):

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
(SBSTTA). The SBSTTA is a committee composed of experts from member
governments competent in relevant fields. It plays a key role in making
recommendations to the COP on scientific and technical issues.
The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable
Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological
Diversit is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of
the three objectives of the CBD:
the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic
resources. The Protocol was adopted on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Aichi
Province,

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 183 countries in partnership with
international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector
to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable
development initiatives.
Today the GEF is the largest public funder of projects to improve the global
environment. An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides
grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land
degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.
The GEF also serves as financial mechanism for the following conventions:
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Minamata Convention on Mercury
The GEF, although not linked formally to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that
Deplete the Ozone Layer (MP), supports implementation of the Protocol in
countries with economies in transition.The GEF Secretariat is based in Washington,
D.C. and reports directly to the GEF Council and Assembl

----The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international

organization headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The organization aims to
promote green growth, a growth paradigm characterized by a balance of economic
growth and environmental sustainability.
INDIA ISNOTAFOUNDINGMEMEBER--
----GGGI provides research and stakeholder engagement for green growth plans,
especially in developing countries, aiming to replace the more typical paradigm
based on industrial development.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF)---2010--KORIA--

IT is a fund established within the framework of the UNFCCC to assist developing
countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change.
The objective of the Green Climate Fund is to "support projects, programmes,
policies and other activities in developing country Parties using thematic funding
windows". It is intended that the Green Climate Fund be the centrepiece of efforts
to raise Climate Finance under the UNFCCC, and raise $100 billion a year by 2020
The Copenhagen Accord, established during the 2009 United Nations Climate
Change Conference (COP-15) in Copenhagen mentioned the "Copenhagen Green
Climate Fund".
The fund was formally established during the 2010 United Nations Climate Change
Conference in Cancun as a fund within the UNFCCC framework.
Its governing instrument was adopted at the 2011 United Nations Climate Change
Conference (COP 17) in Durban, South Africa.
The GCF finances activities to both enable and support adaptation, mitigation
(including REDD+), technology development and transfer (including CCS),
capacity-building and the preparation of national reports

India has moved forward in this regard by selecting the Ministry of Environment,
Forests and Climate Change as Indias Nationally Designated Authority (NDA) for
the GCF, which will recommend to the Board of the GCF funding proposals in the
context of national climate strategies.
Further NABARD has been accredited by Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board as
one of the National Implementing Entity (NIE) for GCF in India
--
Compulsory licensing is when a government allows someone else to produce the
patented product or process without the consent of the patent owner.

TRIPS-FLEXIBILITIES :
It is one of the flexibilities on patent protection included in the WTOs agreement
on intellectual property the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights) Agreement.
TRIPS flexibility, as highlighted in the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public
Health (the Doha Declaration),18 is the right of WTO Member States to include in
their patent legislation a provision for use without authorization of the patent
holder, as provided in Article 31.
The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
is an international agreement administered by the World Trade Organization
(WTO) that sets down minimum standards for many forms of intellectual property
(IP) regulation as applied to nationals of other WTO Members
The Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMs) are rules that
apply to the domestic regulations a country applies to foreign investors, often as
part of an industrial policy. The agreement was agreed upon by all members of the
World Trade Organization.
The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is the first set of
multilateral rules covering international trade in services. It came into effect in
1995 and is being negotiated under the auspices of World Trade Organization
(WTO).

A compulsory license provides that the owner of a patent or copyright licenses the
use of their rights against payment either set by law or determined through some
form of adjudication or arbitration.
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was implemented to further
regulate world trade to aide in the economic recovery following the war. GATT's
main objective was to reduce the barriers of international trade through the
reduction of tariffs, quotas and subsidies.
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was a multilateral agreement
regulating international trade. ... It lasted until the signature by 123 nations in
Marrakesh on April 14, 1994 of the Uruguay Round Agreements, which established
the World Trade Organization (WTO) on January 1, 1995.
Mode 4 refers to the presence of persons of one WTO member in the territory of
another for the purpose of providing a service.

The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, usually
known as the Berne Convention, is an international agreement governing copyright,
which was first accepted in Berne, Switzerland, in 1886.
regional trade agreements (RTAs) are defined as reciprocal trade agreements
between two or more partners. They include free trade agreements and customs
unions.
December 2013, WTO members concluded negotiations on a Trade Facilitation
Agreement at the Bali Ministerial Conference, as part of a wider Bali Package.
Since then, WTO members have undertaken a legal review of the text. The
resulting final text is available here.
The 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UN Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be organized by Fiji and hosted at the
headquarters of the UNFCCC secretariat in Bonn, Germany
The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the
"SPS Agreement") entered into force with the establishment of the World Trade
Organization on 1 January 1995. It concerns the application of food safety and
animal and plant health regulations.

the President approved the Payment of Wages (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016.

The ordinance empowers the Centre or State governments to specify industries or
establishments where wage payment can be made mandatory through the banking
system
INS Tillanchang, a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) was recently
commissioned into the Indian Navy
Tillanchang is an uninhabited island and has been declared a sanctuary by the
Government of India.
Agni class missiles have a specialised navigation system called Ring Laser
Gyroscope. Why is Ring Laser Gyroscope used?
It ensures ultra accuracy in hitting the target

strongest gravitational waves are produced by catastrophic events such as colliding
black holes, the collapse of stellar cores (supernovae), coalescing neutron stars or
white dwarf stars
PARIS COP 21 SIGN MATTER
The United States will join two other non-signatory nations, Syria and Nicaragua.
Nicaragua refused to sign for the given reason that the Agreement's environmental
demands were not strict enough,

The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) is a 72 million

(US$100 million) initiative, formed in 2010, that links developing countries with
experts on climate change. Funded by the UK's Department for International
Development a, its aim is to help developing nations adapt to the consequences of
climate change and build capacity for a low-carbon economy.

A pulse-Doppler radar is more advanced and is used for advanced forecasting.

Buddha was regarded as a human being who attained enlightenment through his
own efforts. Those who adopted these beliefs were described as Hinayana or
Theravada or the lesser vehicle.
Lezim is a folk dance form of Indian state of Maharashtra and is done along with
jingling cymbals. This dance is quite strenuous.

. Though the conventional radars are able to track and predict cyclones, the DWR
provides detailed information on storms internal wind flow and structure.The
DWR, being the first S-band (operating at 2.7 2.9 GHz) dual polarimetric
Doppler Weather Radar can detect Weather phenomenon upto 500 km.

What is GIAHS?
Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)
Purpose of GIAHS is to create public awareness, safeguard world agricultural
heritage sites.
It was started in 2002 by FAO (Food and agricultural organizatio
GIAHS Sites in India:
Kuttanad:
Kuttanad is a delta region of about 900 sq. km situated in the west coast of Kerala
State, India.
Unique feature: Below sea level rice cultivation site, only such system in India.
Farmers of Kuttanad have developed and mastered the spectacular technique of
below sea level cultivation over 150 year ago
koraput, Odisha State
This region has rich biodiversity, growing several varieties of paddy, millets,
pulses, oilseeds, vegetables.
Region primarily a tribal district inhabited by khonds, bonda tribes practicing
poddhu (shifting) cultivation.
Shifting cultivation loss of forest cover = hurting the biodiversity.
kashmir Valley, Pampore region
#Saffron Heritage Site of Kashmir in India
Grains such as maize, rice, rajmah/lentils, fruit and vegetable crops and pulses.A
set of unique low-tillage traditional agricultural practices are carried
Soppina bettas systems, Western Ghats:
Western Ghats of Karnataka- 16 varieties of rice grown
Compost made from foliage and leaf litter (Soppina Bettas) used as #fertilizer-local
innovation.
#Catamaran Fishing, Tamilnadu:
Catamaran- Two words in Tamil: Kattu-to tie, Maram- Tree;
The Bay of Bengal waters source of unique resources, marine biodiversity.
The Raikas-rajastahn are a pastoral caste Camel herding is their heritage. They live
in groups of 4-20 families on the outskirts of villages and combine crop production
during the #summer rains with pastoral
Korangadu silvo-pastoral system exists in the semiarid tract of the Erode, tamil
Nadu.Innovative fencing mechanism of land by live mullukiluvai (Commiphora
berryi), a thorny drought resistant shrub.No fertilizer or nutrients, use of natural
animal droppings, use of Phaseolus trilobus,

Colombo Declaration signed in November 2016, seeks to

Fight flow of drugs in the Indian Ocean
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a global standard security technology that
enables encrypted communication between a web browser and a web server.

Jharkhand is the largest coal producing state in the country followed by Orissa,
Chhattisgarh,
Tertiary coalfields:
Assam accounts for 63% of the total tertiary coal reserves. Major coal fields in
Assam are the Makum
Lignite coalfields:
Lignite coal is mainly produced in two states Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
Punjab has the least forest cover, whereas Mizoram has the highest. Other
states/UTs with high forest cover are Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh has the highest area of dense forests, whereas Madhya Pradesh
has the highest area of open forests.

Angel funds refers to a money pool created by high networth individuals or

companies (generally called as angel investors), for investing in business start ups.
market economy status (MES) implies accepting that its domestic prices are
largely set by open competition rather than the government.
The Vishakha Guidelines were a set of procedural guidelines for use in India in
cases of sexual harassment at workplace.

The S&P BSE-GREENEX Index is a veritable first step in creating a credible

market based response mechanism in India, whereby both businesses and investors
can rely upon purely quantitative and objective performance based signals, to
assess carbon performance.

What is Islamic banking?

Islamic or Sharia banking is a finance system based on the principles of not
charging interest. The charging of interest is prohibited under Islam
Gasification is a process that converts organic or fossil fuel based carbonaceous
materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This is achieved by
reacting the material at high temperature
#Ecotopes are the smallest ecologically distinct landscape features in a landscape
mapping and classification system.
#edge effects are changes in population or community structures that occur at the
boundary of two habitats. Areas with small habitat fragments exhibit especially
pronounced edge effects that may extend throughout the range.
##ecotype, sometimes called ecospecies, describes a genetically distinct geographic
variety, population or race within a species, which is adapted to specific
environmental conditions.
#ecotone is a transition area between two biomes. It is where two communities
meet and integrate. It may be narrow or wide

Foreign Currency Non-Resident (FCNR) deposits

An FCNR account is a term deposit account that can be maintained by NRIs and
PIOs in foreign currency. Thus, FCNRs are not savings accounts but fixed deposit
accounts.These accounts are exempt from Income Tax in India.

:GAAR provisionsare targeted at arrangement or transactions made specifically to

avoid taxes.
United Nations Secretary-Generals UNiTE
The global vision of the UNiTE campaign is a world free from violence against all
women and girls
Special Category of Punishment. Actual life imprisonment is only 14 years of
imprisonment. The SC in its judicial innovation awarded the convict 25 year jail
term considering it appropriate punishment between death sentence and life
imprisonment in heinous crimes

Crop Trust, formerly known as the Global Crop Diversity Trust.

It is a non-profit organization which works to preserve crop diversity in order to
protect global food security.
It is a part of the funding strategy of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic
Resources for Food and Agriculture.
The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is a 500 MWe fast breeder nuclear
reactor presently being constructed at the Madras Atomic Power Station in
Kalpakkam,
ntiretroviral therapy (ART) consists of the combination of antiretroviral (ARV)
drugs to maximally suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of HIV
disease. ART also prevents onward transmission of HIV
WHO recommends ART for all people with HIV as soon as possible after diagnosis
without any restrictions of CD4 counts
. Formaldehyde is an intermediate in the oxidation (or combustion) of methane, as
well as of other carbon compounds, e.g. in forest fires, automobile exhaust, and
tobacco smoke.

ISDS is a mechanism included in many trade and investment agreements to settle

disputes. Settling these investor disputes relies on arbitration rather than public
courts..The system only provides for foreign companies to sue states, not the other
way around....The TPP contains measures to lower both
non-tariff and tariff barriers to trade, and establish an investor-state dispute
settlement (ISDS) mechanism.
The Portuguese introduced into India the following agricultural products: cashew
nut,tobacco, the custard apple, guava, the pineapple, and the papaya, and an
improved variety
of coconut seeds.
Kabuliyat and Patta as instruments of settlement were introduced by Sher
Shah Suri
The first example of the true arch and true dome is in Alai Darwaja located in
Qutub Complex. It was built by Ala-ud-din Khilji in 1311 A
South Asia is a rapidly growing region that is home to one fifth of the worlds
population. SARTTAC will allow the IMF to meet more of the high demand for
technical assistance and
training from the region.SARTTAC is located in world class facilities in New Delhi
and is financed mainly by its six member countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka

Multidimensional Poverty Index was developed by UNDP and Oxford Poverty &
Human Development Initiative (OPHI)
Import substitution industrialization (ISI) is a theory of economics typically utilized
by developing countries or emerging market nations seeking to decrease
dependence on developed countries and to increase self-sufficiency
The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures sets out
the basic rules for food safety and animal and plant health standards-WTO
.
Spanning 9.15 km, the bridge is built across the Lohit river which is a tributary of
the Brahmaputra river.
Dhola-Sadiya Bridge in Assam, which is India's longest river bridge.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UNHabitat) is the
UnitedNations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It
was established in 1978 as an outcome of the First UN Conference on Human
Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat I) held in Vancouver,
Canada in 1976. UN-Habitat
maintains its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya.
.
NITI Aayogs creation are two hubs Team India Hub and the Knowledge and
Innovation Hub.
The Team India Hub leads the engagement of states with the Central government, -
---
while the Knowledge and Innovation Hub builds NITIs think-tank capabilities.
These hubs reflect the two key tasks of the Aayog.
Waxworm, Galleria mellonella metabolize polyethylene plastic films into
biodegradable compound
Mealworms, Tenebrio molitordegrading polystyrene into usable organic matter
CVC cannot direct CBI to initiate inquiries against any officer of the level of Joint
Secretary and above on its own. Such a permission has to be obtained from the
concerned department.
CVC does not have powers to register criminal case. It deals only with vigilance or
disciplinary cases
The Oceanic Nino Index (ONI) is one of the primary indices used to monitor the El
Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The ONI is calculated by averaging sea surface
temperature anomalies in an area of the eastcentral equatorial Pacific Ocean,-----
Bio-hydrogen can be produced biologically, most commonly by algae, bacteria and
archaea from waste organic materials

Two species of waxworm, Galleria mellonella and Plodia interpunctella have both
been observed eating and digesting polyethylene plastic.
The waxworms metabolize polyethylene plastic films into ethylene glycol, a
compound which biodegrades rapidly
SWIFT assigns each financial organization a unique code that has either eight
characters or 11 characters. The code is called interchangeably the bank identifier
code (BIC).
It is only a messaging systemSWIFT does not hold any funds or securities, nor
does it manage client accounts
The population of India as recorded at each decennial census from 1901 has grown
steadily except for a decrease during 1911-21
----photochemical smog. Photochemical smog occurs in warm, dry and sunny
climate.
---smog.
It is most likely to occur in cold, humid and overcast condition

SARTTAC
It will work to support local member countries of South Asia viz. India,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka to build human and
institutional capacity and implement policies for growth and poverty reduction
is financed mainly by its six member South Asia countries (mentioned above) with
additional support from Australia, South Korea, European Union and United
Kingdom
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
It was set up as a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN).It is dedicated to
eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.
It provides low interest loans and grants to finance innovative agricultural projects.
Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority, India.
It was established in pursuance of broad provisions of the Trade Related Aspects of
the Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
This is done by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and State Biodiversity
authorities

National Urban Information system (NUIS) intends

ISRO, Survey of India under directions of the Ministry of Urban Development
(MoURD)are creating an urban GIS database with the help of satellite images and
aerial photography

UDAAN aims to develop skills of youth in J&K

UDAN is a cheap airfare scheme.
MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge)
It is a renamed version of The INSPIRE Awards (Innovation in Science Pursuit for
Inspired Research)
It is sponsored and managed by the Department of Science & Technology

Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) is a proposed not-for-profit agency

The HEFA will be set up with joint participation by the government and
philanthropic donors. It would be set up under Companies Act and will be
registered with RBI has Non-banking Finance Company (NBFC).
Currently, pension products floated by insurance companies come under the
purview of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) while
those sold by mutual funds are overseen by the SEBI.
eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weather occurs.
large fall in prices would stimulate an economy and create the wealth effect that
will generate full employment?
Pigous Effect.
Credit default swap (CDS
CDS is like insurance, but the buyer pays seller regular fees to insure himself from
any risks.
Appellate jurisdiction is the power of a higher court to review decisions and change
outcomes of decisions of lower courts.
Albendazole It is a broad-spectrum antihelminthic agent
Nominal GDP is gross domestic product (GDP) evaluated at current market prices
Real (GDP) is an inflation-adjusted measure that reflects the value of all goods and
services produced by an economy
sickle cells cant change shape easily, so they tend to burst apart or haemolyze.
Normal red blood cells live about 90 to 120 days, but sickle cells last only 10 to 20
days.
The Economic Freedom of the World: 2016 Annual Report has been released
worldwide by the Centre for Civil Society, a public policy think tank, along with
Canadas Fraser Institute.

MOUs are not legally binding but are viewed as serious documents by the law.
money supply, Indias demonetisation has reduced it. This policy could be
considered a reverse helicopter drop, or perhaps more accurately a helicopter
hoover
Eighth Meeting of SAARCSTAT was held in Delhi in August 2016. This meet was
about Discussion of trade statistics between SAARC countries

The Papahnaumokukea Marine National Monument, which is a UN Heritage site,

which was recently in news, is located in
Its located near Hawaii Islands, the Pacific Ocean.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a key building block of epoxy resins. Epoxy resins are
mainly used as---Inside coating of metal cans

Olympic Dam is worlds largest----It is worlds largest Uranium-copper mine

located in Australia
in vitro fertilisation (IVF),
It involves fertilization of egg and sperm in a liquid medium outside the body ...IVF
is used in gestational surrogacy practice
ICBMs are self guided and follow ballistic trajectory to deliver payload to a
predetermined target

RBI came up with Strategic Debt Restructuring (SDR) in 2015 to

Provide an opportunity to banks to convert debt of companies to equity and sell
them to the highest bidders, subject to authorization by existing shareholders

Phumdi: The floating islands of Loktak lake in Manipur are called Phumdis
Raad: Raad is the local name of floating gardens in Kashmir.
Bet: Bet is the name given to a flood plain when it is flooded with water.
Sometimes the entire flood plain is called Bet land. One of the largest Bet land area
of India is Ganga Kosi Flood plain in Bihar.
Tila: Tila is the local name of soil mounds or small hillocks in North India.

Biological and Toxin weapons Convention

1. The convention entered into force in 1975.
2. It prohibits the development, production, and stockpiling of biological and toxin
weapons.
The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization
headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
The WCO revised Kyoto Convention is sometimes confused with the Kyoto
Protocol, which is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC).India became the member on 15th Feb 1971

current status of Saker Falcon has been changed from Vulnerable to Endangered
this year. Hence a question is probable.Saker falcons (often simply called sakers)
occur in the semi-desert and forest regions from Eastern Europe to central Asia,
where they are the dominant desert falcon.
ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution
It is an environmental agreement signed in 2002 between all ASEAN nations to
reduce haze pollution in Southeast Asia.

Kani is a tribe living in the Western Ghats area of Kerala.

Their use of the forest plant arogyapacha (trichopus zeylanicus) as a key ingredient
in a herbal remedy called Jeevani was noted by visiting scientists in the 1980s
The Sargasso Sea, located entirely within the Atlantic Ocean, is the only sea
without a land boundary. While all other seas in the world are defined at least in
part by land boundaries,
the Sargasso Sea is defined only by ocean currents. It lies within the Northern
Atlantic
Subtropical Gyre.

Elephant Pass, Northern Province, Sri Lanka is located in the gateway of Jaffna
Peninsula. There are about 340km north from capital to here. It has an important
military bas
An isthmus is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse
of water that otherwise separates them.The Kra Isthmus is the narrowest part of the
Malay Peninsula, in southern Thailand and Myanmar
The Humboldt Current System (HCS), also called the Peru Current, is a major
Eastern Boundary Upwelling Ecosystem that flows north along the western coast of
South America.

maximum volume of the marine sediment

Continental Shelves - 15%
Continental Slopes - 41%
Continental Rises - 31%
Deep Ocean Floors 13%
The organic deposits in the ocean are called Oozes.
Oozes are broadly classified as calcareous and siliceous. Calcareous oozes are
found up tothe depth of 4000m.
Calcareous oozes are further classified into Pteropod and Globigerina.Siliceous
oozes are classified as Radiolarian and diatom.

The NITI Aayog has appointed the State-owned Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers
& Chemicals Limited (GNFC) as the nodal agency to facilitate digital transition of
residential
townships across the country.
Deep Web is the area of the Internet which is not accessible through search engines.
What we access through search engines is called Surface Web.
To get into the Deep Web one should know the right address. #Dark Web is part of
the Deep Web. Darknet is another name for Dark Web.

Nuclear Winter----
It refers to a condition of post nuclear war when sky is covered with smoke and
dust and does not allow sunlight to reach the surface. This causes a dip in
temperature.

Sulphur Oxides are not involved in photochemical smog

This fresh water dolphin species are practically blind. They rely on bio-sonar
method to move around and catch their prey.
--
The Tawang Monastery was founded by the #Mera Lama Lodre Gyatso in
accordance to the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama, Nagwang Lobsang Gyatso. The
monastery belongs to the #Gelugpa sect and is the #largest Buddhist monastery in
India. It is associated with Drepung Monastery in Lhasa. The name Tawang means
Chosen Horse. It is also known by another Tibetan name, Galden Namgey Lhatse,
which means a true name within a celestial paradise in a clear night.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a book titled The Birds of Banni
Grassland research work, relating to more than 250 species of birds found in the
Banni area of Kutch, Gujarat.
Sweden inaugurated a test stretch of an electric road in Sandviken to conduct tests
with electric power for hybrid heavy transports on public roads.

Losar" or The New Year festival, is the most important festival of Tawang District
in Arunachal Pradesh. The Monpa Tribe celebrate this as the coming of a new
year.Monpas are a major people of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India.
Currently they are also one of the 56 officially recognized ethnic groups in China.

The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (Association for the Empowerment of

Workers and Peasants) is an Indian social movement and grassroots organisation
best known for its
successful struggle and demand for the Right to Information Act (RTI) which grew
out of the demand for minimum wages for workers.
Vrindavani Vastra is a drape woven by Assamese weavers during 16th century
under the guidance of Srimanta Sankardeva, a Vaishnavite saint and scholar who
lived in present-day Assam.
Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha is one of the oldest pilgrimage
centers of the Mother Goddess and is one of four major ancient Tantra Peetha and
Shakti Peethas in India.odisha

National Family Health Survey-4.

1. This is the first time the government has conducted a survey to find out the
incidence of diabetes and hypertension
2. NFHS-4, for the first time, will provide estimates of most indicators at the
district levelThe NFHS-4 survey interviewed men of 15-54 years age and women
of 15-49 years age.
FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index is published The Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD)

The value of the SDR is based on a basket of five major

currenciesthe US dollar, the euro, the Chinese renminbi (RMB), the Japanese
yen, and the
British pound sterling.

Foreign exchange reserves. It consists of 4 components: Foreign Currency Assets,

Gold, SDRs and Reserve Position in the IMF (Reserve tranche)

a floating exchange rate system in which no official currency value is maintained.

In a floating exchange rate system, a currency's value goes up (or down) if the
demand for it goes up more (or less) than the supply does.

The present situation is that, rupee is fully convertible in Current Account, and is
partially convertible in Capital account
The government of India had appointed two committees to suggest way to
introduce Full Convertibility on capital Account, one in 1996 and another in 2006,
Both were headed by S.S. Tarapore
A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot
get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space.
This can happen when a star is dying

Orbital speed of a satellite is independent of its mass. Hence satellites of different

masses revolving in the orbit of same radius have same orbital speed.
Neutrinos are chargeless elementary particles that travel close to the speed of light.
Neutrinos are created in nuclear reactions of beta decay. Neutrinos have a
negligible, but nonzero mass

Chinas quantum computing machine is 24,000 times faster than its international
counterparts and may dwarf the processing power of existing supercomputers

Anti-dumping duty is recommended by Ministry of Commerce and imposed by

Ministry of Finance.
Isobath is an imaginary line or a line on a map or chart that connects all points
having the same depth below a water surface (as of an ocean, sea, or lake)
Isohel/Isohal is an imaginary line on a map passing through places of same duration
of sunshine.

Isohypse is an imaginary line passing through places having the same height from
the sea level.
Isonephs is an imaginary line passing through places having same mean cloudiness
over a certain period.
Isohaline is a line on a map joining points of equal salinity in an aquatic system.

Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever endemic to

South Asia. Its outbreak then was among monkeys, killing several of them.
Hence, the disease is locally known as 'monkey fever'. It is caused by a virus
belonging to the family Flaviviridae, which also includes yellow fever and dengue
fever.

The Belmont Forum, emerging funders of global environmental change research

and international science
councils. It was primarily created with an aim to identify study and deliver
international environmental research priorities,.Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)
represents India as a member of the Belmont Forum.

The Feni River originates in South Tripura

district and flows through Sabroom town and then enters Bangladesh
The net heat balance of earth is zero. The amount of heat received by the earth is
equal to
the amount radiated back by the earth to the space.

The biennial Thakurani Jatra festival of Berhampur, Odisha showcases the

famous tiger
dance or Bagha Na
When isobars are straight and when there is no friction, the pressure gradient force
is balanced by the Coriolis force and the resultant wind blows parallel to the isobar.
This wind is known as the geostrophic wind

Article 243ZE -Metropolitan Planning Committee- Every metropolitan area shall

have a metropolitan planning committee to prepare a draft development plan. The
state legislature may make provisions with respect to the following:
At present, nine states have Fifth Schedule Areas. These are: Andhra Pradesh,
Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Odisha and
Rajasthan. All the nine states have enacted requisite compliance legislations by
amending the respective Panchayati Raj Acts.

The Council is headed by a Mayor. He is assisted by a Deputy Mayor. He is elected

in a majority of the states for a one-year renewable term.
The municipal commissioner is responsible for the implementation of the decisions
taken by the council and its standing committees. Thus, he is the chief executive
authority of the corporation.

Lord Mayos Resolution of 1870 on financial decentralisation visualised the

development of local self-government institutions. Lord Ripons Resolution of
1882
has been hailed as the Magna Carta of local self-government. He is called as the
father of local-self government in India.
L M Singhvi Committee
The Panchayati Raj institutions should be constitutionally recognised, protected and
preserved. For this purpose, a new chapter should be added in the Constitution of
India.

The worlds smallest republic, the tiny island nation of Nauru has become the
sixth country to ratify the International Solar Alliance (ISA)
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has developed a reader titled
Raising Happy Children and Providing Safe Childhoods.
What you need to know about the reader?
It provides advisory guidelines to parents, teachers and community to protect
children from being involved in delinquent behavior through early detection,
counselling and positive engagement.
The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has been constituted under the
Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free Legal Services to the weaker
sections of the society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of
disputes.
India is no. 2 stainless steel producer in the world:
India has emerged as the second largest stainless steel producer in the world after
China

The Kigali amendments to the Montreal Protocol will, for the first time,
incentivise improvement in energy efficiency in case of use of new refrigerant and
technology. Funding for R&D and servicing sector in developing countries has also
been included in the agreed solutions on finance.
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is legally binding and will come
into force from 1 January 2019.
Developing countries, specifically India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and the Gulf states,
will freeze their use starting in 2028.
Under Kigali Amendment, in all 197 countries, including India have agreed to a
timeline to reduce the use of HFCs by roughly 85% of their baselines by 2045.

PAYMENT BANKS
Customers can deposit only up to Rs 1,00,000.
Payments bank can issue ATM/debit cards but not credit cards.
Initial capital required for a Payments bank is Rs 100 crore.The banks must
maintain CRR, minimum 75% of demand deposits in government bonds of up to
one year and maximum 25% in current and fixed deposits with other scheduled
commercial banks for operational purposes and liquidity management.

Urgyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, may be allowed to visit any
place in the country, except Sikkim, without seeking the governments permission
For over a 1000 years Buddhist Masters (Mahasiddhas) such as Naropa and
Maitripa in India as well as the famous Tibetan Yogis Marpa and Milarepa shaped
the lineage as a practical everyday practice for lay people.

Google Unleashes AlphaGo in China:

AlphaGos algorithm uses a Monte Carlo tree search to find its moves based on
knowledge previously learned by machine learning, specifically by an artificial
neural network (a deep learning method) by extensive training, both from human
and computer play.

Chitale committee on Desiltation of Ganga submitted its report to the

government recently. to prepare guidelines for desiltation of river Ganga from
Bhimgauda (Uttarakhand) to Farakka (West Bengal).
The Nagaland Assembly has endorsed the Greater Nagalim demand
Integration of all Naga-inhabited contiguous areas under one administrative
umbrella

Quasars, also called quasi-stellar radio sources, are the most energetic and distant
members of a class of objects called active galactic nuclei (AGN).Quasars also emit
visible light, ultraviolet rays, infrared waves, X-rays, and gamma-rays.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the setting up of Indian
Agricultural Research Institute (lARI) in Assam.
The 3 stages of our Nuclear Power Programme are :
Stage-I : envisages, construction of Natural Uranium, Heavy Water Moderated and
Cooled Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). Spent fuel from these
reactors is reprocessed to obtain Plutonium
Stage-II : envisages, construction of Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) fuelled by
Plutonium produced in stage-I. These reactors would also breed U-233 from
Thorium.
Stage-III : would comprise power reactors using U-233 / Thorium as fuel.