7.december 2019

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SUNYA NOTES (December)

⚫ COVERAGE
➢ The Hindu( Page 2 till Page 23)
➢ Vision monthly(Page 24 till Page 36)
➢ PIB and Other Monthly(Page 37 till Page 44)
⚫ ‘The Hindu’Coverage is unique feature of our notes which is generally ignored
by Coaching Institutes and is targeted most by UPSC. We search and add every
important ‘term’ mentioned in the newspaper so as to save your time
⚫ To subscribe, Visit www.sunyaias.com .Mail us your concern at
sunyaias2020@gmail.com or Whatsapp/telegram on 8279688595
⚫ We will provide a segregated Hard copy, in month of February
⚫ Some reviews/Feedbacks o s
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➢ Wildlife Institute of India (WII) = autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of
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Environment Forest and Climate Change + based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand + conducts
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specialised research in areas of study like Endangered Species, Biodiversity etc
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➢ Operation ‘Clean Art’ = 2019 + It was the first pan India operation to crackdown on the
smuggling of mongoose hair in the country + Operation Clean Art was conceived by
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WCCB with the singular aim of ensuring that the mongoose hair brush trade be closed
down across the country + mongoose is listed in Schedule II Part 2 of the Wildlife
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Protection Act and any smuggling or possession of its body part is a non-bailable offence
+ IUCN Status is Least Vulnerable + listed on CITES Appendix III + There are six
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species of mongoose found in India- Indian grey mongoose, Small Indian mongoose,
Ruddy mongoose, Crab-eating mongoose, Stripe-necked mongoose and Brown
most hunted
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mongoose + The Indian grey mongoose is the most commonly found species and also the
➢ Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) = statutory(WPA,1972) + under MoEFCC

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combat wildlife crime in India
➢ Opeartion Save Kurma = 2016 + By WCCB + to save certain species of turtles
➢ Operation thunderbird = 2017 + Operation Thunderbird is the code-name for
INTERPOL’s multi-national and multi-species enforcement operation + coordinated by
WCCB in India
➢ Disinvestment Commission = was established in 1996 + under DIPAM + to carefully
evaluate the withdrawal of public sector from non-core, non-strategic areas and assure
workers of job security and opportunities for retraining and re-employment. It
recommended the sale of equities or outright sale of several PSE’s, including Air India
➢ European Union related Organisations = EU’s precursor, the European Economic
Community (EEC), was established in 1957, following the Treaty of Rome + Treaty of
Maastricht, signed in 1992 helped create the Euro and, later, also pushed the eastward
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expansion of the EU + The Treaty of Lisbon in 2007 marked another political evolution,
giving the EU a stronger legal character by introducing a permanent President of the
European Council and strengthening the position of the High Representative for the
Common Foreign and Security Policy + Eurozone consists of 19 (out of the 28) EU
members while the Schengen common visa area covers 26 European countries + There is
the 31-member European Economic Area, composed of the EU-28 and Iceland,
Liechtenstein and Norway + there is the 57-member Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, established originally to promote confidence and security
building measures, which now also has the mandate of free elections, open media and
human rights [Important as BREXIT in news, UPSC generally avoids direct questions]
➢ “16+1 format” = Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European
Countries (China-CEE, China-CEEC, also 17+1, formerly 16+1
➢ Global Action Plan on AMR = Inter-country development agencies (WHO, FAO, and
World Organisation for Animal Health) developed a Global Action Plan on AMR + India
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developed its National Action Plan on AMR (NAP) in 2017 + It is based on the One
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sectors have equal responsibilities and strategic actions in combating AMR
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➢ Tipeshwar tiger reserve, Melghat Tiger reserve and Dhyanganga Sanctuary =
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Health approach, which means that human health, animal health and the environment
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Maharashtra
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➢ Papikonda National Park = Andhra Pradesh
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➢ Who is a farmer? = there is a clear and comprehensive definition available in the
National Policy for Farmers drafted by the National Commission of Farmers headed by
M.S. Swaminathan and officially approved by the Centre in 2007 + It says, “For the
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purpose of this Policy, the term ‘FARMER’ will refer to a person actively engaged in the
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economic and/or livelihood activity of growing crops and producing other primary
agricultural commodities and will include all agricultural operational holders, cultivators,
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agricultural labourers, sharecroppers, tenants, poultry and livestock rearers, fishers,
beekeepers, gardeners, pastoralists, non-corporate planters and planting labourers, as well
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as persons engaged in various farming related occupations such as sericulture,
vermiculture and agro-forestry. The term will also include tribal families/persons
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engaged in shifting cultivation and in the collection, use and sale of minor and nontimber
forest produce.”
➢ Cooperation in Polar Science Agreement = India and Sweden are likely to sign their
first maritime cooperation agreement + It is for both both Arctic and Antarctic region +
In the past few years, India has signed a series of maritime information exchange as well
as military logistics support agreements, extending the reach of its armed forces. The pact
with Russia, in advanced stages of discussion, will give India access to Russian bases in
the Arctic for logistics and operational turnaround. However, the agreement with Sweden
is scientific in nature
➢ INSTEX barter mechanism(Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX))
= which is designed to circumvent U.S. sanctions against trade with Iran by avoiding use
of the dollar + based in paris and functions as a clearing house allowing Iran to continue
to sell oil and import other products or services in exchange + It is Initiative of France,
Germany and the United Kingdom (E3) + Recently 6 new European nations joined it
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➢ Tanbo Art or rice paddy art = originated in Japan + huge replicas of famous paintings,
including Mona Lisa, by growing rice with fronds of different colours
➢ Krishna Kamod, Karuvachi(indigenous rice variety of Wayanad), Gandhakasala
and Jeerakasala = Rice varieties found in India, especially Kerala
➢ “90-90-90” target = set by UNAIDS, the lead UN agency that coordinates the battle
against HIV + The “90-90-90” target stated that by 2020, 90% of those living with HIV
will know their HIV status, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive
sustained anti-retroviral therapy and 90% of all people on such therapy will have viral
suppression + (The theme of the World AIDS day this year (“Ending the HIV/AIDS
Epidemic: Community by Community”))
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➢ ‘Power of Siberia’ = gas pipeline — a massive cross-border undertaking between China
and Russia + Gas is being sourced from Chayandinskoye and Kovytka fields in eastern
Siberia, and is then piped to Blagoveshchensk-Russia + pipeline is tunneled under the
Amur river
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➢ Makran subduction zone = physiographic expression of a subduction zone along the
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northeastern margin of the Gulf of Oman adjacent to the southwestern coast of
Balochistan of Pakistan and the southeastern coast of Iran. In this region the oceanic crust
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of the Arabian Plate is being subducted beneath the continental crust of the Eurasian Plate
+ Tsunamis generated at Makran coast in Iran and Pakistan could reach India according
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to INCOIS + It is for the reason INCOIS hosted “Development of probabilistic Tsunami
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Hazard Assessment(PTHA) for the Makran Coast”
➢ Lodha committee = on BCCI reforms + recommended legalisation of betting
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➢ “Green Line” = the 1949 armistice line that separates Israel from the West Bank +
Zionist movement succeeded in expelling half the Palestinian population in 1948 and
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since 1967 led to departure of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from all over
historical Palestine (the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Israel) + (“march of return” — the
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weekly peaceful demonstrations by thousands of Palestinians on the fence between the
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Gaza Strip and Israel)
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➢ Indo – Pacific Strategy = Put forward by USA + which aims to underscore a vision for
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Asia that facilitates more freedom and prosperity than that espoused by Beijing
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➢ MILAN = Indian Navy is scheduled to host its largest multilateral exercise, MILAN off
the coast of Visakhapatnam in March 2020, for which 41 countries have been invited +
China has not been invited
➢ “Deemed forest” = Deemed forests, which comprise about 1% of India’s forest land,
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a controversial subject as they refer to land tracts that appear to be a “forest”, but have
not been notified so by the government or in historical records
➢ PM-AASHA scheme = Centrally-funded scheme + PM-AASHA or Pradhan Mantri
Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan, announced in 2018, as an effort to ensure that
farmers growing pulses, oilseeds and copra actually get the minimum support prices they
are promised for their crops each year + Apart from initiatives to allow cash payment to
farmers or procurement by private traders, PM-AASHA’s main feature was a price
support scheme whereby Central agencies would procure pulses and oilseeds directly
from farmers
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➢ India Skills Report 2019-20 = 7th edition + It is a joint initiative by PeopleStrong, a

Global Talent Assessment Company, in collaboration with Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) along with partners like UNDP, AICTE, and AIU + The report consists of
an in-depth study of employability amongst the fresh candidates joining the workforce
➢ Global Climate Risk Index = published by environmental think-tank Germanwatch +
rated Japan as the most-affected country in 2018 + India — in fifth position(India’s rank
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has worsened from 14th spot in 2017) — which suffered water shortages, crop failures
and worst flooding
➢ Climate Change performance Index 2019 = measures the emissions, renewable energy
share and climate policies of 57 countries and the European Union + issued by
Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute and the Climate Action Network + India ranks
11th in this year’s CCPI, improving its standing by 3 places compared to previous edition
➢ Bharat Bond ETF = Union cabinet approved India’s first corporate bond ETF in the
country + to create an additional source of funding for Central Public Sector
Undertakings (CPSUs) + ETF will comprise a basket of bonds issued by the CPSEs,
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CPSUs, CPFIs, and other government organisations and all will be initially AAA-rated
bonds + Each ETF will have a fixed maturity date + lowest unit of it is Rs1000 + Bond
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ETF will provide safety (underlying bonds are issued by CPSEs and other governmentowned
entities), liquidity (tradability on exchange) and predictable tax efficient returns
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➢ Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018 = was prepared by a high-level expert committee
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headed by former Supreme Court judge B.N. Srikrishna + Bill deals with the broad
guidelines on the collection, storage, and processing of personal data, the consent of
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individuals, penalties and compensation, and a code of conduct + The draft Bill classifies
‘sensitive personal data’ as including passwords, financial data, health data, sex life,
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sexual orientation, biometric data, genetic data, transgender status, intersex status, caste
or tribe, and religious or political belief or affiliation. The draft Bill says that such
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sensitive personal data can be processed only with the explicit consent of the person, and
this consent needs to be informed, clear, and specific, as defined by the Bill itself + draft
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bill also has a provision for the right to be forgotten, where the person “shall have the
right to restrict or prevent continuing disclosure of personal data” + There is also a
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provision for the central government to notify categories of personal data as critical
personal data, which will then be only processed in a server or data centre located in
India + Personal data is to be stored in India, but can be processed outside with the
consent of the person
➢ Crop Wild relatives Project = by Crop Trust(officially known as the Global Crop
Diversity Trust, is an international nonprofit organization which works to preserve crop
diversity in order to protect global food security + HeadQuartered at Bonn,Germany) +
Crop Trust has embarked on a long-term effort to collect, conserve and initiate the use of
the wild relatives of crops. It aims at identifying those wild crop varieties that are missing
from existing crop collections, are most likely to contain diversity of value to making
agriculture more productive, and are most endangered
➢ Akash Missiles = Indigenously developed + SRSAM(hort range surface to air missile) +
include the seeker technology and posses a 360 degree coverage + Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) developed Akash as part of the Integrated
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Guided Missile Development Programme initiated in 1984 + It is made by Bharat

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Dynamics Limited (BDL) + Akash has a range of 25 km and can engage multiple targets
at a time in all-weather conditions
➢ National Gene fund = In 2007, the National Gene Fund was constituted under the
PPV&FR Act 2001 + It started with an initial amount of Rs 50 lakh from the Central
government and gets a contribution from the money paid by plant breeders as registration
and annual fee
➢ Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001 = PPV&FRA was
enacted in 2001 to comply with the World Trade Organisation’s Agreement on Trade-
Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights + Over the last decade, more than 3,600
plant varieties have been registered under the Act, with more than half of the
registration certificates going to farmers themselves.
➢ Indian farmers and International treaties = In 1994, India signed the agreement on Trade-
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Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) + In 2002, India also joined the
International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) Convention.
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Both TRIPS and UPOV led to the introduction of some form of Intellectual Property
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Rights (IPR) over plant varieties + In 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity
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(CBD) provided for “prior informed consent” of farmers before the use of genetic
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resources and “fair and equitable sharing of benefits” arising out of their use + In 2001,
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the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
(ITPGRFA) recognised farmers’ rights as the rights to save, use, exchange and sell
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seeds. National governments had the responsibility to protect such farmers’ rights
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➢ Canary Islands = a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa
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➢ India State Level Disease Burden Initiative (ISLDBI) = launched at 2015 + which
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consists of at least 100 health professionals and is joint initiative between the Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and
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Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in collaboration with the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare + studies are funded by Ministry of Health + studies under
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this have been part of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 + (Tamil Nadu, Kerala,
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Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh account for a higher prevalence of mental
disorders that manifest primarily during adulthood in depression and anxiety, according
to the first comprehensive estimates of disease burden attributable to mental health from
1990 prepared by the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative)
➢ “UDAN International” scheme = on same lines of UDAN + Ministry of civil aviation +
The key difference between this scheme and the regional connectivity scheme (RCS) for
domestic routes is that there is no capping of fares + Recently Government launched
UDAN-4 to focus on Hill states
➢ ‘Big Four’ = Existing antivenom therapy for snakebite inefficient according to recent
IISc study and the treatment fails to work against poison of species other than the ‘big
four’ + India is the snakebite capital of the world + In India, a polyvalent antivenom is
produced against the so-called ‘big four’ snakes: the spectacled cobra, the common krait,
Russell’s viper, and the saw-scaled viper.”
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➢ SERPENTS App = Wildlife Trust of India, has along with other experts developed a
web application called SERPENTS providing real time help to victims of snakebites,
location of hospitals and related information
➢ Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) = is an Indian nature conservation organization + 1998
founded + Non profit Organisation and registered charity in India
➢ Article 6 of the Paris Agreement = to commodify carbon emissions cuts, and to make it
financially attractive to reduce emissions + aims at promoting integrated, holistic and
balanced approaches that will assist governments in implementing their NDCs through
voluntary international cooperation, In other words, by paying a price on carbon, states
exceeding their NDCs would bear the costs of global warming + contains three separate
mechanisms for “voluntary cooperation” towards climate goals: two based on markets
and a third based on “non-market approaches + Market Mechanism 1 (Article 6.2) – It
sets up a carbon market which allows countries to sell any extra emission reductions
known as Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMO) achieved compared
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to their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) target + This is a voluntary direct
bilateral cooperation between the countries + Market Mechanism 2 (Article 6.4) - The
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second mechanism would create a new international carbon market for the trading of
emissions by the public or private sector + The non-Market Approach - no trade is
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involved(E.g., a country could support a renewable energy scheme overseas via
concessional loan finance, but there would be no trading of any emissions cuts + It might
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also overlap with other parts of Paris deal on climate finance, capacity building)
➢ Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) = permanent,
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intergovernmental Organization + founded in 1960 in baghdad + first five members
(Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela) + Hq at Vienna + principle of
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unanimity, and one member, one vote + Gabon and Ecuador have rejoined + Republic of
Congo latest to join in 2018 + Indonesia left OPEC in November 2016 + Sudan has
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submitted a application but is yet NOT A MEMBER + 15 countries(Algeria, Qatar, UAE,
Angola, Venezuela, Ecuador Iran, Libya, Saudi arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Nigeria, Gabon
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,Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo )(AQUA VEIL SKIN GEC to remember names)
+ Qatar withdrawn from OPEC recently(citing that it has potential in gas and not in oil)--
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->>14 NOW IN OPEC + Venezuela has the most oil reserves but Saudi arabia produces
the most crude per day
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➢ Cotton research bodies in India, Uganda to develop new seed variety = 18-month
project will look at technology exchange between the two countries to develop a cotton
seed variety that will give higher yield and ginning out turn + Uganda grows 100%
organic cotton and cotton grown by the farmers in Uganda gives higher ginning out turn
compared with Indian cotton. However, the yield from the varieties developed by India
are higher compared with the Ugandan cotton seed
➢ Rabindra Sarobar lake = artificial lake in the Indian state of West Bengal
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➢ Civil Human Rights Front or CHRF = is an organisation that focuses on the issues of
Hong Kong politics and livelihood, affiliated with almost all pan-democratic camps in
Hong Kong
➢ 2019 Human Development Index (HDI) = India ranks 129 out of 189 countries on the
2019 Human Development Index (HDI) — up one slot from the 130th position last year
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— according to the Human Development Report (HDR) released by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) + HDI measures average achievement in three basic
dimensions of human development — life expectancy, education and per capita income +
Norway, Switzerland and Ireland occupied the top three positions + Among India’s
neighbours, Sri Lanka (71) and China (85) are higher up the rank + for Inequalityadjusted
HDI (IHDI), India’s position drops by one position to 130 + In the Gender
Inequality Index (GII), India is at 122 out of 162 countries + The report notes that the
world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030 as per the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals + Title of the report is “Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond
today: Inequalities in human development in the 21st century” + Human Development
Report Office releases five composite indices each year: Human Development Index
(HDI), the Inequality-Adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI), the Gender
Development Index (GDI), the Gender Inequality Index (GII), and the Multidimensional
Poverty Index (MPI)
➢ Global Gender Gap Index 2020 = by World Economic Forum(WEF) + India has
dropped four points from 2018, to take the 112th rank on the Index + Index was
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introduced in 2006 + The Index measures the extent of gender-based gaps on four keys
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parameters — economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and
survival, and political empowerment + India in economic gender gap, with a score of
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35.4%, at the 149th place, among 153 countries + India’s position (150th rank) on the
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and political empowerment (18th rank)
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very bottom of the Health and Survival subindex + educational attainment (112th rank)
➢ White Island/Whakaari = NewZealand

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➢ Mission Parivar Vikas = Launched by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare + To deliver
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improved family planning services in 145 High Focus districts in seven states + These
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districts are located in the seven high focus states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Assam + The target of the government is
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to reach the replacement level fertility goals of 2.1 by the year 2025 + Cash incentives are
there for both man and women sterilisation
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➢ World Habitat awards 2019 = Recently, Odisha has won the 'World Habitat Award' for
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its ambitious initiative- Jaga Mission(It aims at transforming the slums into liveable
habitat with all necessary civic infrastructure and services at par with the better off areas
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within the same urban local body) + This award is given by World Habitat, in partnership
with United Nations Habitat, every year, in recognition of innovative programmes from
across the world in the field of housing
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➢ World Habitat = It is an international not-for-profit organisation/foundation established
in the United Kingdom + It works internationally to help bring the best housing to the
people who need it the most
➢ United Nations Habitat/United Nations Human Settlements Programme = It is the
United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General
Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the
goal of providing adequate shelter for all + 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 is headquartered at the
United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya
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➢ RISAT-2BR1 and PSLV = will be used for national security + RISAT-2BR1 will be
used for agriculture, forestry, disaster management support and national security +
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV- C48) marked its ‘Golden Jubilee’
launch(50th Launch) by injecting India’s advanced radar imaging satellite RISAT-2BR1
and nine other customer satellites from Japan, Italy, Israel and the U.S. into their intended
orbits + RISAT-2BR1 is the second radar imaging satellite in the RISAT-2B series and
along with the CARTOSAT-3 is part of a group of satellites that will boost India's earth
imaging capabilities from space + RISAT satellites are equipped with a Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SAR) that can take pictures of the earth during day and night and also
under cloudy conditions + satellite has a mission life of 5 years
➢ PSLV = which has a history of successful launches of payloads that include
Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission and the space recovery mission + Initially, the
PSLV had a carrying capacity of 850 kg, and over the years it has been enhanced to 1.9
tonnes + PSLV had helped take payloads into almost all the orbits in space, including the
the Geo-Stationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), the moon and mars, and would soon be
launching a mission to the Sun + out of 50 launch, PSLV has 2 failed launches +
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Successor to the SLV and the ASLV, the PSLV is the ISRO’s third-gen launch vehicle,
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capable of placing payloads in different orbits, including the Geosynchronous Transfer
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Orbit (GTO) + PSLV- C48 is of ‘QL’ Variant with 4 strap on boosters(overall 2nd flight
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of PSLV-QL) + C 37 mission of PSLV has credit of putting 104 satellites in orbit +
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Chandrayaan-1 and Mars Orbiter Mission were through PSLV-XL
➢ INDRA 2019 = Indian Navy and the Russian Navy participate in the second edition of a
joint tri-services exercise
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➢ International Financial Services Centres (IFSC) Authority Bill, 2019 = which
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provides for the establishment of an authority to develop and regulate the financial
services market + There would be no limit on number of IFSC to be set up + The first
Gandhinagar, Gujarat
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IFSC in India was set up at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City(GIFT) in
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➢ Bougainville = votes to become world’s newest country + voters back independence
from Papua New Guinea [LOCATE ON MAP]
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➢ Jangubai Cave Temple and the Kaplai Caves = considered as a pilgrimage site by
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aboriginal tribes like Gond, Pradhan and Kolam. These caves are located at Maharashtra -
Telangana border + (Kolam are a designated Scheduled Tribe in the Indian states of
Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra)
➢ Accessible India Campaign (AIC) = nationwide flagship campaign of the Department
of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment + aim of the Campaign is to make a barrier free and conducive
environment for Divyangjans all over the country + 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
➢ Tarun Ramadorai committee = Constituted by RBI in 2015 + to study various facets of
household finance in India
➢ Global Wealth report 2019 = by Credit Suisse
➢ Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana = 2015 + saving scheme was launched by the Government
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of India as a part of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign + to encourage parents of a girlchild
to stock a fund for their education and marriage + People can open the Sukanya
Samridhi account at any India Post office or branch of authorised commercial banks. The
parents or the legal guardian can open the account for a girl child before she attains the
age of 10 years. After turning 10, a girl can manage her account. The scheme allows one
account per child and two accounts in a family. However, there is an exception for twins
and triplets
➢ Madrid Conference/ Conference of the Parties 25 (COP 25) = concluded in Madrid,
under the presidency of chile + As the Paris Agreement comes into force from January
1st, 2020 the COP 25 was important to finalize the “rulebook” for the Paris Agreement +
leadership dubbed this year’s event the “blue COP”, laying out its intention to focus on
oceans + COP adopted the “Chile Madrid Time for Action” document + no clear timeline
for nations to enhance their NDCs in 2020 were adopted + Santiago Network was
established, as part of the Warsaw International Mechanism(WIM), to catalyse the
technical assistance required by the most vulnerable countries + Decision was made on a
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gender-related decisions and mandates in the UNFCCC process + COP is the supreme s
new five-year gender action plan (GAP), intended to “support the implementation of
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decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
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(UNFCCC) + All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP +
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prime objective of the conference was to complete the rule-book to the 2015 Paris
Agreement
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➢ Araku valley = Andhra pradesh +Araku Valley coffee has won the gold medal for the
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best coffee pod in the Prix Epicures OR 2018 Award in Paris
➢ “Green Deal” = announced by the European Commission, with binding targets for
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member nations to cut emissions by at least 50% by 2030 and go net zero by 2050 +
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(PLEASE NOTE: Green New Deal is a proposed package of United States legislation
that aims to address climate change and economic inequality #DON’T_CONFUSE)
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➢ ‘Index of Economic Freedom’ ranking = published by by The Heritage Foundation +
ranked India 129th out of 180 countries + ranking, which measures the degree to which an
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economy is market-oriented, also classifies India as a “mostly unfree” economy
➢ Operation Twist = by RBI + operation has been launched to increase the long term
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investment in the country + operation that involves the purchase and sale of bonds + In
simple words, 'Operation Twist' means that the government or the country's Monetary
Authority; sells the short term securities and buys long term securities simultaneously
through Open Market Operations (OMO) + (the US Federal Reserve had used 'Operation
Twist' between 2011 and 2012 to bring down long term interest rates in the country’s
money market)
➢ Panna-Mukta and Tapti fields = offshore oil fields in Mumbai at Gulf of Khambat
➢ Hunar Haats = organised by Minority Affairs Ministry under 'USTTAD' scheme + to
provide employment & income generation opportunities with platforms for marketing the
products of master artisans, craftsmen to the minority communities + USTTAD scheme
aims at preserving & promoting the rich heritage of the traditional arts & crafts of the
Minority communities
➢ Jallikattu = bull-taming sport + held as part of the Pongal festival, in Madurai district of
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Tamil Nadu
➢ Kambala = annual buffalo race + Karnataka
➢ Hori habba = bull catching sport + Karnataka
➢ WTO Appellate Body = established in 1995 + It is a standing body of seven persons that
hears appeals from reports issued by panels in disputes brought by WTO Members +
Appellate Body was set up in 1995 as a “safety valve” against erroneous panel reports
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return for the membership agreeing to adopt reports using the “reverse consensus” rule
in
lieu of the “positive consensus” rule. Under the erstwhile positive consensus rule,
reports
issued by panels composed to hear disputes under GATT, could be adopted only if each
of the contracting states favoured its adoption. This effectively handed a veto to the
losing state. However under the reverse consensus rule, the report would be automatically
adopted, unless each member objected to the adoption of a report.
o s
➢ Monetary Policy Committee(MPC) = Targeting inflation is to be the core objective +
committee was mooted by the Urjit Patel committee + MPC will be a 6 member
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committee:3 by Govt and 3 by RBI(Governor don’t have a veto power but enjoy a
i
casting
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vote in case of a tie) + MPC will meet four times in 1 year + CRR(Cash reserve ratio) is
l
not in ambit of MPC + term of present MPC is till 2021
u
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➢ Headline inflation = a measure of the total inflation within an economy, including
commodities such as food and energy prices (e.g., oil and gas), which tend to be much
inflation
e m
more volatile and prone to inflationary spikes + monetary policy is based on headline
12
a d
➢ Core inflation = Core inflation represents the long run trend in the price level. In
a c
measuring long run inflation, transitory price changes should be excluded. One way of
accomplishing this is by excluding items frequently subject to volatile prices, like food
and energy
u n
➢ Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation = DICGC came into existence
@
in 1978 after passing of the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act,
1961 + serves as a deposit insurance and credit guarantee for banks in India + fully
owned subsidiary of and is governed by the Reserve Bank of India + Currently, in case of
a bank collapse, a depositor can claim an amount up to a maximum of ₹ 1 lakh per
account as the insurance cover (even if the deposit in their account is greater than ₹ 1
lakh). This amount is termed ‘deposit insurance’- the insurance cover against the deposits
of an individual in banks.The insurance cover is provided by the Deposit Insurance and
Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) + Damodaran Committee on ‘Customer Services
in Banks’ (2011) had recommended a five-time increase in the cap to ₹5 lakh due to
rising income levels and increasing size of individual bank deposits
➢ Bar-headed goose(Anser Indicus) = reportedly sighted first time in Karingali Puncha
Wetlands , Kerala + Bar-headed geese are found in central China and Mangolia and they
breed there. They start migration to the Indian sub-continent during the winter and stay
here till the end of the season + They are one of the birds which can fly even at very high
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altitude. They come to India and return to their homes by crossing the Himalayan ranges
+ capacity of bar-headed geese to transport and consume oxygen at high rates in hypoxia
distinguishes this species from similar lowland waterfowl + Least Concern
➢ Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) = international programme that focuses on
monitoring
the status of waterbirds and wetlands + AWC is co-coordinated by Wetlands
International- as part of global programme, the “International Waterbird Census” + The
census is carried out each January as a voluntary activity at national and local level. + In
India, the AWC is jointly coordinated by the Bombay Natural History Society(BNHS)
and Wetlands International
➢ Sarvatra Kavach = Army Design Bureau (ADB) excellence award for indigenously
developing Sarvatra bulletproof jacket that can provide protection against various
ammunition including that of sniper rifles + project started in 2017 + it provides
protection from neck to ankle and upper arms
➢ Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) = cabinet approved the creation of post + It will function
o s
as the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister and also as the Permanent
i d e
Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC)(CDS will be military advisor to the
Nuclear command authority, member of Defence acquisition council(DAC)) + CDS will
s v
also head the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), to be created in the Ministry of
Defence, and function as its Secretary(Department of military affairs will deal with
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Territorial army, Procurement(EXCEPT Capital acquisitions), Armed forces etc) + He
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will head the Chiefs of Staff Committee meetings + Various committees such as
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the Kargil Review committee led by K Subramaniam, the Naresh Chandra committee of
m
2011 and Shekatkar committee recommended a permanent chairman + will be a four-star
e
d
military officer + 65 set as maximum age of CDS
➢ Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) = mix of EPC(Engineering, procurement and
c a
Construction) and BOT(Build, operate and transfer) models + Here, hybrid annuity
n a
means the first 40% payment is made as fixed amount in five equal installments whereas
the remaining 60% is paid as variable annuity amount after the completion of the project
u
depending upon the value of assets created
➢ Bhima Koregaon battle = 1818 + battle was fought in Bhima Koregaon,( a district in
@
Pune) with a strong historical Dalit connection, 'between the Peshwa forces and the
British'(comprised mainly of Dalit soldiers)
➢ Yakshagana = classical folk art form of the state of Karnataka + performance usually
depicts a story from the Hindu epics and puranas
➢ Incremental capital output ratio (ICOR) = frequently used tool that explains the
relationship between the level of investment made in the economy and the consequent
increase in GDP. ICOR indicates the additional unit of capital or investment needed to
produce an additional unit of output
➢ “Limits to growth” Report = published by Club of Rome + report painted a doomsday
scenario of acute food and water scarcity in 2000
➢ National Committee on Science and Technology (NCST) = set up in 1973 + mandate
is to “study the outlook for India in 2000 A.D” + (“Futurology” is the use of computer
models for forecasting scenarios)
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➢ Night Work Convention, 1990 = of the International Labour Organization(ILO) +

Karnataka government issued a notification allowing women to work night shifts (7 p.m.
to 6 a.m.) in all factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948. States that already
allow this are Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and
Maharashtra + In line with this convention, these States amended the Factories Act to
remove both sex-based discrimination in night work and restrictions on the fundamental
right to practise any profession, occupation, trade, or business of one’s choice
➢ Atal bhujal yojana = central sector scheme for 5 years from 2020-2021 + Ministry of
water resources + 6000 crore outlay + World Bank to help in execution and 50% loan +
aims to improve ground water management in priority areas in the country through
community participation + 7 states(25% of over exploited region) + Raj, Haryana ,UP
,MP ,Gujarat, Maharashtra, karnataka
➢ ‘Atal tunnel’ = tunnel being built under the Rohtang Pass being renamed as Atal tunnel
+ tunnel, being constructed from Manali to Leh + strategic tunnel is 8.8 km long, making
Pradesh)
o s
it the longest above the altitude of 3,000 metres in the world + (Solang valley = Himachal
i d e
➢ National Population Register (NPR) data = NPR data was first collected in 2010 and
West Bengal was one of the five States that used the requisite information for planning
14
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various beneficiary schemes + NPR was updated in 2015 by seeding it with biometric
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details of Aadhaar + data under NPR was collected through door-to-door enumeration
yp
under various categories like age, marital status, place of birth, nationality (as declared),
present and permanent residential address, occupation, activity and educational
m
qualification + Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) is based on the NPR data +
d e
Household wise NPR data was used in better targeting of schemes such as Ayushman
Bharat, Jan Dhan Yojana, Prime Minister Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, Saubhagya etc
c a
+ (2011 caste data collected as part of SECC along with the Census data, is yet to be
released by the Centre due to errors) + (NPR already covered in earlier editions)
n a
➢ Archaeological Survey of India has discovered the earliest epigraphic evidence so far for
the Saptamatrika cult in Andhra Pradesh + It is also the earliest Sanskrit inscription to
u
have been discovered in South India as on date + Saptamatrikas are a group of seven
@
female deities worshipped in Hinduism as personifying the energy of their respective
consorts. The inscription is in Sanskrit and in Brahmi characters and was issued by
Satavahana king Vijaya in 207 A.D
➢ “History of Growing burden of Cancer in India: From Antiquity to 21st century”
Study = The paper was published in the Journal of Global Oncology which is promoted
by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The study has stated that while cancerlike
diseases were documented since antiquity, recording of cancer in India began in the
19th century when the Western practices of biopsy and pathological examination came to
India during the colonial British regime + India's cancer burden will continue to increase
+ Cancer is primarily a disease of older people, hence, as life expectancy went up, cancer
incidences too went up + No evidence of Cancer in Indus valley sites
➢ Transgenders Vs Intersex people = Individuals who identify as transgender or
transexual have a gender that is different from the one traditionally associated with the
sex they were assigned at birth, while intersex refers to people born with biological or
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physical characteristics that are more diverse than stereotypical male or female bodies +
Intersex people are demanding ban on mormative surgeries (demand for a nation-wide
ban comes months after the Tamil Nadu government banned normative surgeries on
infants and children except in life-threatening situations) + If adopted nationally, India
could become only the third country after Malta and Taiwan, to have a legal regime
which protects the rights of intersex children + Recently passed, Transagender Act didn’t
distinguished between Transgenders and Intersex people
➢ Typhoon Phanfone = struck central Philippines
➢ Cyclone Sarai = Fiji
➢ Recycling of Ships Act, 2019 = India aims to garner at least 60% of the global ship
recycling business and emerge as a key destination for recycling warships and other ships
+ Currently, India recycles around 300 of the 1,000 ships which are demolished per
annum globally. However, the likes of Japan, the United States and Europe were not
sending their ships for recycling to India in the absence of ratification of a global
15
o s
convention. That scenario is set to change with the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019 + The
e
Act ratifies the Hong Kong convention and would facilitate an environment-friendly
d
process of recycling ships and adequate safety for yard workers + (Gujarat’s Alang is the
world’s biggest shipyard)
i
s v
➢ MSCI Emerging market Index = index of emerging markets + help investors + includes
India,China and South Africa(24 countries in total)
l u
yp
➢ Kalsa-Bhanduri drinking water project = Mahadayi river + Karnataka
➢ Belum caves = Andhra Pradesh
back to the 3rd century B.C

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➢ Kalaripayattu = one of the oldest martial art forms that originated in Kerala and dates
a d
➢ Flamingo festival = held at Pulicat lake and Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh
➢ Pulicat lake = Andhra pradesh + second largest brackish water eco-system in the
country
a c
u n
+ flamingos, storks and pelicans + primary inflows are Arani river, Kalangi River
and Swarnamukhi River + flamingo festival + on AP-TN border + It has been observed
that the migratory bords come in larger number just after the cyclone
@
➢ Bandhavgarh tiger reserve = Madhya Pradesh + (Madhya Pradesh is called as Tiger
state of India)
➢ Operation Dolphin’s Nose = conducted by the Andhra Pradesh State, Naval and Central
intelligence agencies launched Operation Dolphin's Nose and unearthed the espionage
racket + importance of the Eastern Naval Command (HQ at Vishakapatnam, AP) has
grown with the presence of the Ship Building Centre, which builds the Arihant-class
nuclear submarines
➢ ‘Santusht’ Portal = Labour Ministry + for speedy redressal of worker as well as
employer grievances and ensuring implementation of labour laws at the grassroot level +
Initially, it would monitor all services provided by retirement fund body EPFO and health
insurance and services provider ESIC. Later, the portal would cover other wings of the
Ministry as well
➢ Poshan Abhiyaan, or the National Nutrition Mission = was launched in 2017 + aimed
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at improving nutritional outcomes among pregnant women, lactating mothers and

children by reducing the level of stunting, underweight, anaemia and low birth weight by
2022 + It is meant to benefit more than 10 crore people + 50% of funding is through
budgetary support, which is further divided into 60:40 between the Centre and the States,
90:10 for the north-eastern region and the Himalayan States and 100% for the Union
Territories without legislature + remaining 50% is from the World Bank or other
multilateral development banks + scheme also include the Integrated Child Development
Services-Common Application Software meant to monitor anganwadis
➢ Good Governance Index (GGI) = nation-wide comparative study of States on
governance + Different agencies including NITI Aayog, the government’s policy thinktank,
are evaluating the States on different parameters + Tamil Nadu has ranked first in
this index among big states + Shortcoming of the Index is that Some indicators —
16
farmers’ income, prevalence of micro irrigation or water conservation systems and inflow
of industrial investment — have been left out + It is launched by Ministry of Personnel,
Public Grievances & Pensions
o s
➢ SDG India Index = 2nd Edition + developed by NITI Aayog(in collaboration with the
d e
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Global Green Growth
i
Institute and United Nations in India) + tracks progress of all States and UTs on 62
s v
Priority Indicators selected by NITI Aayog + SDG India Index spans across 16 out of 17
SDGs this year + Kerala tops the recent edition
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➢ Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) = a treaty-based international, intergovernmental
yp
organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and
sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies + India is
m
not yet a member country of the GGGI but is recognised as a partner
e
➢ India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2019 = biennial exercise of Forest Survey of India
d
c a
(FSI), an organization under the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change +
which assesses the forest and tree cover, bamboo resources, carbon stock and forest fires
n a
+ forest cover in the country increased by 3,976 square kilometres (sqkm) but with the
sharpest declines in the northeastern States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram
u
+ At 7,12,249 sqkm, the forest cover constituted 21.67% of the nation’s geographical
area or 0.12% more than last year + top three States showing an increase in forest cover
@
are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala + Tree cover, defined as patches of trees less
than 1 hectare and occurring outside the recorded forest area, grew by 1,212 sqkm + Tree
and forest cover together made up 25.56% of India’s area. In the last assessment it was
24.39% + The nation’s tree and forest cover has largely hovered from 21-25% and is
short of the National Forest Policy, 1988, which envisages 33% to be under such cover +
Forest Cover of India Forest Cover refers to all lands more than one hectare in area, with
a tree canopy density of more than 10 percent irrespective of ownership and legal status +
Very Dense Forest: All lands, with a forest cover with canopy density of 70% and above
+ Moderately Dense Forest: All lands, with a forest cover with canopy density of 40-
70 % + Open Forest: All lands, with forest cover with canopy density of 10 to 40%
➢ Laws on rape and sexual crimes = ‘Rape’ as a clearly defined offence was first
introduced in the Indian Penal Code(IPC) in 1860 + Section 376 of IPC provided for
seven years of jail term to life imprisonment to whoever commits the offence of rape + A
new Section 114A in the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 was inserted which presumed that
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there is absence of consent in certain prosecutions of rape if the victim says so + rape law
in India even today remains gender specific, as the perpetrator of the offence can only be
a ‘man’ + passing of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act in 2013 which widened the
definition of rape and made punishment more stringent. Parliament made the
amendments on the recommendation of the Justice J.S. Verma Committee, which was
constituted to re-look the criminal laws in the country and recommend changes +
Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 which for the first time put death penalty as a
17
possible punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years; the minimum punishment is 20
years in jail
➢ Typbar TCV = manufactured by India based company, Bharat Biotech. It became the
world’s first conjugate vaccine prequalified by the WHO + offers 82% protection + The
trial was carried out in Nepal in over 10,000 children who received the vaccine +
Typhoid fever is caused by highly contagious Salmonella Typhi bacteria + A conjugate
vaccine is one in which the antigen (which is a polysaccharide in this case) is chemically
linked to a carrier protein + Two other typhoid vaccines — polysaccharide typhoid
o
vaccine and live, weakened typhoid vaccine — are already used commercially. But the s
d e
efficacy of these vaccines to protect against typhoid is lower than the conjugate vaccine +
i
While typhoid bacteria can be treated with antibiotics, the microbes have developed
v
resistance against multiple antibiotics. Multidrug-resistant typhoid bacteria are seen in
s
south Asia including India
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➢ Measles in India = India have second highest, next only to Nigeria + Measles can be
yp
prevented through two doses of vaccination + The first dose of measles vaccine was
introduced as part of the national immunisation programme in the 1990s + Based on the
m
WHO’s recommendation to administer a second dose to prevent infection and death in
d e
90-95% of vaccinated children, India introduced the second dose from 2010 onwards.
India was one of the last countries to add a second dose of measles vaccine as
recommended by the WHO
c a
➢ Mahanadi river and Birds = Mahanadi bird population took a hit due to Cyclone Fani,
n a
says study + highest decline was observed in the case of Glareola lacteal (little pratincole)
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+ Among all the eight species of birds that breed along the Mahanadi, five are globally
threatened, including Rynchops albicollis (Indian skimmer), classified as Vulnerable as
@
per the IUCN Red list; Sterna aurantia (river tern), classified as Near Threatened;
Vanellus duvaucelii (river lapwing), classified as Near Threatened; and Esacus
recurvirostris (great thick-knee), also classified as Near Threatened + (Mahanadi River
= major river in East Central India + flows through Chhattisgarh and Odisha + originates
from highlands of Chhattisgarh through collection of array of streams and reaches Bay of
Bengal + Its left bank tributaries are Shivnath, Mand, Ib, Hasdeo and right bank are Ong,
parry river, Jonk, Telen + Hirakud Dam across the river is longest major earthen dam in
India)
➢ National Ganga Council = 1st meeting recently held + constituted in 2016 to oversee the
cleaning of the Ganga and is supposed to meet at least once a year with the Prime
Minister chairing the session + The work of coordinating, supervising and deliberating on
funding Namami Ganga projects is carried out by an executive committee of the National
Mission for Clean Ganga that meets every month
➢ Osiris-Rex = by NASA + to study asteroid Bennu + to study material from the carbonrich
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asteroid, which could hold evidence dating back to the beginning of our solar system
4.5 billion years ago + Water traces found on asteroid Bennu(found traces of hydrogen
18
and oxygen molecules — part of the recipe for water and thus the potential for life —
embedded in the asteroid’s rocky surface) + Bennu orbits the Sun at roughly the same
distance as the earth(Every 6 years,Bennu’s orbit brings it within 200,000 miles of the
Earth,which means it has a high probability of impacting Earth in the late 22nd Century)
+ site located near North pole of Asteroid BENNU is designated as ‘Nightingale’ has
been selected for sample collection by mission known as OSIRIS-Rex by NASA +
OSIRIS-Rex mission also selected ‘Osprey’ as a backup sample collection site
➢ National Company Law Appellate Tribunal or NCLAT = As part of a comprehensive
revamp of the adjudication of corporate law disputes, the NCLAT was constituted with
effect from June 1, 2016, for hearing appeals against the orders of the NCLT, which, in
turn, simultaneously replaced the erstwhile Company Law Board + Constituted under
Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013 + Besides deciding on prayers against the
o s
NCLT’s rulings, including in matters relating to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
(IBC), the NCLAT also serves as the appellate body for those aggrieved by decisions
d e
made by the Competition Commission of India or orders passed by the Insolvency and
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Bankruptcy Board of India under Sections 202 and 211 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy
v
Code (IBC) + Established in New Delhi + NCLAT initially comprised five members but
s
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now has strength of 9 members + member (Judicial) of the NCLAT has to have been a
judge of a High Court or a judicial member of the NCLT for five years, a technical
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member ought to possess proven ability and standing with domain knowledge and
experience of not less than 25 years in areas such as law, industrial finance etc + A party
against
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aggrieved by a ruling by any of the NCLT’s numerous benches can file an appeal
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it within 45 days of receipt of a copy of the order, with a further 45 days allowed if the
NCLAT is satisfied that the appellant had sufficient cause that prevented the filing of the
c
appeal within the stipulated period + NCLAT’s verdicts can in turn be challenged on a
a
n
question of law in the Supreme Court, within a 60-day window
➢ Recommended dietary allowance (RDA) = a daily ceiling on the amount of salt, fat,
u
carbohydrate and trans-fat + The RDA is based on scientific consensus and has been
@
agreed upon by expert bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the
National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad (in India) + It says that, ideally, an adult
should consume no more than 5g of salt, 60g of fat, 300g carbohydrate and 2.2 g of
transfat every day + Current Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling)
Regulations, 2011 only require companies to disclose energy (kilo calories), protein,
carbohydrates, total fat, trans-fat and saturated fat(no disclosures on high salt content and
added sugar, and no compulsion on companies to disclose nutritional information on the
front of the pack) + Food safety and standards(labeling and display) regulations,2018
suggested a packet should have clear information on how much nutrient, such as salt,
sugar, contributed to recommended dietary allowance
19
➢ e-Bkraya = launched by Ministry of Finance + a common e-auction platform to sell 1.73
lakh properties, worth ₹2.3 lakh crore, that have been attached by PSBs over the last
three
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years
➢ Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 = under sub section 6B, says that “nothing in this
section shall apply to tribal area of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripura as included
in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution and the area covered under ‘The Inner Line’
notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873” + [REFER EARLIER
Editions]
➢ Barak valley(Assam + Dominated by Bengalis) + Bharamaputra valley(Assam +
Dominated by Assamese)
➢ Detention cenres = Assam has 6 detention centres + they are run by Assam’s home
department with approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs
➢ Foreigner Detention Centre (FDC) = is all set to become functional from January 1,
2020, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Karnataka + FDC coming up in the State is
nationality-neutral and will act as a temporary detention home for foreign nationals
illegally staying here and detained by police, till they are deported
➢ Methaqualone = CSIR developed India's synthetic drug – Methaqualone in 1950
o s
➢ indianculture.gov.in Portal = Culture Ministry launched an online portal to showcase
project was a part of the Digital India initiative

i d e
India’s culture + developed by a team from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay +
v
➢ Fog PASS Device is a Global Positioning System (GPS) based hand held portable
s
device which serves as an aid for the crew
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➢ Railway unveils new signalling system = project to modernise the signalling system,
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which was included in the works programme of 2018-19 + The modernisation of the
signalling system will include implementation of technologies such as the automatic train
m
protection system that helps in adhering to permissible speed limits without driver
used for emergency communications

d e
intervention and the 4G-based mobile train radio communication system, which can be
a
➢ Some facts from History = Jinnah (and the Hindu Mahasabha) did not support the Quit
c
n a
India Movement + Jinnah articulated the idea of Pakistan in the Lahore Resolution of
1940, the British endorsed the essence of it + Congress rejected the recommendations of
u
the Stafford Cripps mission that endorsed the idea of Partition + Jinnah called for “direct
action” to realise the idea of Pakistan in 1946
@
➢ National Institute of Oceanography = Located in Goa
➢ Central Food Technological Research Institute(CFTRI) = is one of the constituent
laboratory under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research + Located
in Mysore, Karnataka
➢ Shape of Sun’s corona accurately predicted = Centre for Excellence in Space
Sciences
(CESSI), IISER Kolkata, have succeeded in predicting the shape of Sun’s corona at the
time of the annular eclipse + second successful prediction, counting the last solar eclipse
20
that was viewed from South America on July 2 this year + This was imaged by NASA
and European Space Agency’s space-based Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
using the LASCO instrument + Predictive Solar Surface Flux Transport model
developed by the CESSI team can predict the shape of the corona well in advance + This
time, since this was an annular eclipse with a ring of bright solar surface visible, the
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corona was not directly observable. The only option was to use a coronagraph with an
occulting disc. “The only functional one in the world is in Hawaii in Mount Mauna Loa
which has been having bad weather. Also it was night in Hawaii when the eclipse
happened
➢ Coffee = originally Ethiopian in origin + it might have been brought to the Malabar Coast
earlier by Arab traders. It is thus that coffee was planted and grown in Karnataka, Kerala
and Tamilnadu. Recently, it is also grown in the Araku Valley of Andhra Pradesh and
more recently in some of the ‘seven sisters’ states of northeast India + most south Indians
drink not pure coffee, but a mixture of coffee and chicory. Chicory, a native plant, is
cultivated and grown the in the Mediterranean regions of Spain, Greece, and Turkey
➢ National Institute for Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding
(NIRDESH) = 2016 started + is India's first centre for research and development in
defence shipbuilding + established at Kozhikode district of Kerala
➢ Ramakrishna beach = Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
➢ Morjim Beach = Goa
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➢ Vandiyur Lake = Lake in Tamil Nadu + facing invasion of fish species like Amazon s
statistically significant compared to the indigenous varieties
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sailfin catfish + reports are there that the biomass of the Amazon sailfin catfish is
s v
➢ Jarnail Singh v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta case, 2018 = related to reservations in
promotions for SC/STs + Supreme Court held that the government need not collect
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quantifiable data to demonstrate backwardness of public employees belonging to the
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Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (SC/STs) to provide reservations for them in
promotions + Supreme court also asked government to examine the possibility of
introducing creamy layer for SCs and STs
e m
➢ 2nd National Commission on Labour (NCL) = set up in 1999 under the chairmanship of
laws into 4 codes

a d
Ravindra Varma + Under its recommendations Ministry of Labour began codifying 44
c
➢ Soangarh, Shamgarh, Battisgarh, Nirmal fort and Bangalpet fort = Telangana + All these
a
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forts formed part of a defence mechanism built by French engineers who were in the
employ of Nizam II + The planning for these forts was done in such a manner that the
typical local topography featuring rocky hills and lakes were used as a natural defence
system
@
➢ Theory of the “descended larynx” = Study pushes back evolution of speech by 20,000
years + according to which the larynx —commonly called the voice box — must be in a
low position to produce differentiated vowels before speech can emerge
21
➢ The Indus valley civilisation which flourished in present day northwestern India and
adjacent Pakistan was the largest and oldest urban civilisation in the world. Nearly twothirds
of the 1,500 archaeological sites of the Harappans occur on the dried up banks of
the Ghaggar river + Today, the Ghaggar is a seasonal, monsoon-fed river originating in
the sub-Himalayas + The Rig veda mentions a mighty, snow-fed river Saraswati on
whose banks the literature was supposed to be derived. Recent studies are analyzing
saraswati river could be the paleo-ghaggar
➢ Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2018-19 = released by RBI
➢ Red sand boa = Rare non-poisonous snake + used for making medicines and cosmetics
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➢ The new wagon — called BLCS (type A & B) = will help boost the cargo carrying
capacity by four times due to increased length of the train, use of double-stack containers
and more payload carrying capability + being tested by Dedicated Freight Corridor
Corporation of India, Ltd. (DFCCIL)
➢ Podesta group, BRG group, Cornerstone = companies hired by India for lobbying
democrats and republican in USA ‘
➢ ‘Monsoon decided history of Indian subcontinent’ = IIT-KGP study throws light on
last 900 yrs + Deficient rainfall led to the collapse of the Mansabdari system, started by
Mughal emperor Akbar, in the late 17th century + Similarly, drought interspersed with
violent monsoon rains sounded the death knell for the Khmer empire of south-east Asia
in the 15th century + Several dynasties, such as the Sena in Bengal, Solanki in Gujarat in
the mid-13th century and Paramara and Yadav in the early to mid-14th century – all of
which flourished during abundant rainfall — declined during the dry phases of Indian
summer monsoon (ISM), suggesting role of the climate in the socio-political crisis
➢ While the census is legally backed by the Census Act, 1948, the NPR is a mechanism
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outlined in a set of rules framed under the Citizenship Act, 1955 + [REFER EARLIER
EDITIONS for more information]
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➢ Srinivasa Ramanujan = December 22nd is celebrated as National Mathematics Day in
i
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the memory of Srinivasa Ramanujan. + The famous British mathematician Godfrey
Harold Hardy recognised his talent in 1913. It was a turning point in his life. Ramanujan
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went to Cambridge, on Godfrey Harold Hardy’s invitation + Ramanujan’s legacy used in
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signal processing, black hole physics
➢ Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) = Annual + by IDMC + Based in
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Geneva, Switzerland, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is the world's
authoritative source of data and analysis on internal displacement
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➢ Devolution Report 2015-16 = put together by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences,
Mumbai, for the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
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➢ Hyperloop in India = Government of the Indian state of Maharashtra has approved Virgin
a
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Hyperloop One's plans to develop a high-speed line between Mumbai and Pune
➢ Meenchil- Meenathara-Kodoor river linking initiative = Kerala
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➢ Kerala Bird Atlas is an ambitious citizen science project, to map the distribution and
abundance of birds of an entire Indian state for the first time
➢ Teachers’ Transfer & Posting Policy, 2020 = by Arunachal Pradesh + all government
schools will be divided into three categories — hard, medium and soft — based on
topography, accessibility and degrees of difficulty in staying at the place of posting
➢ ‘Nirbhay kadi’ (bold bud) programme = Odisha’s Ganjam district administration will
offer a reward of ₹5,000 to anyone who provides information on child marriages
➢ ‘1984 Stores’= to come up at Delhi gurdwaras for anti-Sikh riots’ survivors
➢ Palle Pragati programme = aimed at comprehensive development of rural areas, the
Telangana government
➢ Sarkeguda report = related to encounter took place in Chattishgarh in 2012
➢ Kerala = known as “diabetes capital” of India
➢ Haj Process = India became first country to make the entire process for pilgrims going on
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haj completely digital

➢ Kuenga River = located in eastern Siberia’s Zabaikalsky region(Russia)
➢ Gulf War 1991/ “Mother of all battles”= codenamed Operation Desert Shield for
operations leading to the buildup of troops and defense of Saudi Arabia and Operation
Desert Storm in its combat phase, was a war waged by coalition forces from 35 nations
led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of
Kuwait
➢ Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa[MARK ON MAP]
➢ Gulf of Aden[MARK ON MAP]
➢ Sohae satellite launching site = North korea
➢ TOPICS IN NEWS FROM STATIC
1) V. D. Sarvakar
2) Ajanta Caves
3) Panchayats (Extension of Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996
4) Zero Hour (Polity)
5) Guru Gobind Singh
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6) Structural and Cyclical Slowdown
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➢ Fixed term employment = FTE is a contract in which a company hires an employee for
v
a specific period of time + The employee is not on the payroll of the company + Their
s
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payment is fixed in advance and is not altered till the term expires + Such contracts are
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given out for temporary jobs + It cannot be used to replace existing employees who are
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on a long leave + Such workers are entitled to all statutory benefits (work hours, wages
etc.) available to a permanent worker. However, other benefits such as Provident Fund is
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not available to them + The employers can terminate the contract on certain grounds
(fraud, non-performance, etc.) even before the due date
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➢ Chloroquine – given to prevent malaria + Isoniazid - antibiotic used for the treatment of
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tuberculosis
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➢ Cephalosporins , quinolones = Antibiotics
➢ GSAT-7/ INSAT-4F/Rukmini Satellite = first advanced and full-fledged military
communications satellite + last of ISRO’s seven fourth-generation satellites + was
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Launched from the Kourou space port of French Guiana space in South America +
operational since 2013
➢ Rare diseases = also called “orphan diseases” + called orphans because the
pharmaceutical industry does not find it profitable to develop market products + Orphan
diseases comprise both rare diseases and neglected diseases.
➢ Jaenschwalde Ost mine, Welzow-Sued mine, Lausitz basin = Located in Germany
➢ Jeholbaatar kielanae = extinct rodent-like mammal + Researchers have unearthed
wellpreserved
middle ear bones from a new species of an extinct rodent that lived 145-66
million years ago in what is now northeastern China + Sciences, said the evolution of the
rodent’s bones and muscles involved in hearing may have been driven by specialisation
for hearing. They said the fossil clues provide solid evidence of the morphology and
formation of the inner ear bones + The new fossil reveals a transitional stage in the
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evolution of the surangular — a “reptilian” jawbone

➢ CCMB team uses E. coli to study bacterial cell wall development + cell wall of the
bacteria is made up mostly of one large molecule called peptidoglycan + This consists of
many sugar polymers interconnected by short peptides
➢ Grey mould, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, is a very common disease, causing a
soft decay of plant tissues accompanied by a growth of fuzzy grey-brown mould. It
affects many plants, especially those grown under glass where conditions are humid
➢ Red Tourism = China has stepped up efforts to promote "red tourism" which features
visits to sites with significance of revolutionary history of China
➢ Parivara, Talwara and the Siddi Tribes = Karanataka
➢ IBM GRAF = Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting System (GRAF) +
International technology company IBM plans to make a high-resolution weather forecast
model that will also rely on user-generated data to improve the accuracy of forecasts
available in India + can generate forecasts at a resolution of 3 kilometres. This is a
significantly higher resolution than the 12-kilometre models used by the India
Meteorological Department to generate forecasts
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➢ Pallikaranai wetland = Freshwater marsh in Tamil Nadu
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➢ Section 144 in the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 = which confers upon executive
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officers such as executive magistrates or sub-divisional magistrates, unimaginable powers
for passing orders to tackle any urgent cases of “nuisance” or “apprehended danger” +
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The maximum punishment for such an act is three years + No order under Section 144
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shall remain in force for more than two months but the state government can extent the
validity for two months and maximum up to six months
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➢ Gandhi Citizenship Education Prize = Portugal sets up Gandhi prize + prize would be
inspired by Gandhi’s thoughts and quotes and will be given every year + The first edition
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of the prize would be dedicated to animal welfare
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Vision-December (No Repetition) c
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Topics already covered in The Hindu section are NOT repeated
➢ Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 = amendment provides that illegal migrants
who fulfil four conditions will not be treated as illegal migrants under the Act + (The
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conditions are they are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis or Christians + they are
from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan + they entered India on or before December
31, 2014 + they are not in certain tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, or Tripura
included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution, or areas under the “Inner Line”
permit,
i.e., Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland) + All legal proceedings against above
category of migrants will be closed + period of naturalisation has been reduced from 11
years to 5 years + Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003 provided that ‘illegal migrants’
will not be eligible to apply for citizenship by either registration or naturalisation + Illegal
immigrants are those who are without valid travel documents or stay beyond the
permitted time period + The Act provides that the central government may cancel
registration of OCIs on five grounds including registration through fraud, showing
disaffection to the Constitution, engaging with the enemy during war, necessity in the
interest of sovereignty of India, security of state or public interest, or if within five years
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of registration the OCI has been sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more +
amendment provides that the central government may cancel registration of OCIs, if the
OCI has violated Citizenship Act or any other law so notified by the central government.
Also, the cardholder has to be given an opportunity to be heard
➢ Section 14A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 = inserted by Citizenship (Amendment) Act,
2003 + Central Government may compulsorily register every citizen of India and issue
national identity card to him + Central Government may maintain a National Register of
Indian Citizens (NRIC) and for that purpose establish a National Registration Authority +
Registrar General, India, appointed under Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
shall act as the National Registration Authority + NPR may have foreigners as well
➢ Nehru-Liaquat pact, 1950 = also known as the Delhi Pact + Expiration in 1956 + sought
to provide certain safeguards and rights to religious minorities like unrecognition of
forced conversions, returning of abducted women,looted property etc + signed by
Jawahar Lal Nehru and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan
➢ 126th Constitutional Amendment Bill = Two objectives(Extend reservation for
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Scheduled castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) to Lok Sabha and legislative bodies +
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Remove provision of nominating Anglo Indians to Lok Sabha and legislative bodies) +
The bill has provisions for amending Article 334 and extending reservation only for
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Scheduled castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) to Lok Sabha and legislative bodies till
25th January, 2030 (which was expiring in 2020) + Article 334 originally provided that
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reservation would cease 10 years after the commencement of Constitution. But this was
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extended every 10 years + (Article 330 and 332 provides for the reservation of seats for
SC/STs in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies respectively, on the basis of their
population ratio + Also, there is no bar on SC/STs candidates contesting from general
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seats) + Under Article 331 President can nominate two members of Anglo-Indian
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community in Lok Sabha, if not adequately represented + Idea of such nominations is
traced to Frank Anthony, who headed the All India Anglo-Indian Association (Article
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331 was added in the Constitution following his suggestion to Jawaharlal Nehru) +
Article 333 provides same powers to Governor of a state to nominate one Anglo-Indian
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member + According to the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, Anglo-Indian members of
Lok Sabha and state Assemblies can take the membership of any party within six months
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of their nomination. But, once they do so, they are bound by their party whip + The
Anglo-Indian members enjoy the same powers as other MPs, but they cannot vote in the
Presidential election + (According to Article 366(2), An Anglo-Indian means a person
whose father or any of whose other male progenitors in the male line is or was of
European descent but who is domiciled within the territory of India and is or was born
within such territory of parents habitually resident therein and not established there for
temporary purposes only)
➢ IPC and CrPC = Indian penal code(IPC) determines the definition of crime, while the
Code of criminal procedure(CrPC) informs about the criminal investigations process +
(IPC: It is the official criminal code of India + drafted in 1860 on the recommendations of
first law commission of India established under Lord Macaulay) + (CrPC: It is the main
legislation on procedure for administration of substantive criminal law in India + It was
enacted in 1973, though initially created in 1882)
➢ Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) = will undertake review of the
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laws such as IPC, CrPC, Indian Evidence Act and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances Act + was set up in 1970 under Ministry of Home Affairs in furtherance of
the objective of the Government for the modernisation of police forces
➢ Political parties registration tracking management system (PPRTMS) = launched by
Election Commission of India + It will be implemented through an online portal to
facilitate tracking of status of application + (Registration of Political Parties = Election
Commission registers political parties and grants them recognition as national or state
parties on the basis of their poll performance + The other parties are simply declared as
registered-unrecognised parties + Registration of political parties is governed by the
provisions of section 29A of the RPA, 1951)
➢ Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019 = seeks to amend Arms Act, 1959 + Act reduces the
number of permitted firearms from three to one + It also increases the duration of the
validity of a firearm license from three years to five years + it bans firearms without
license + increase in punishment and addition of new offences + It has also accorded
special status to sportsperson who need firearms for practice and participating in
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tournaments + Tracking of firearms: The central government may make rules to track
firearms
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➢ India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue = 2nd edition took place in Washington D.C., U.S.A
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+ inaugural '2+2' Indo-US dialogue was held in New Delhi in 2018 + Industrial Security
Annex (ISA) was signed + Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) Standard
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Operating Procedure (SOP) was finalised + Both sides have agreed to cooperate for
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exchange of information in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) + Space Situational
Awareness (SSA) refers to keeping track of objects in orbit and predicting where they
26
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will be at any given time + Signing of Water Agreement- to promote technical
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cooperation in water resources management and water technology + Signing of Science
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and Technology (S&T) Agreement- It updates and replaces the 2005 Agreement and
provides a framework for collaboration between the two countries + The Young
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Innovators Internship Programme (YIIP) - it will create short-term internship
opportunities in U.S. for Indian students at post-secondary level/recent graduates
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➢ UN peacekeeping forces = 1st UN peacekeeping mission was established in 1948 to
monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours + decision
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about the peacekeeping operations are taken by the United Nations Security Council +
India has lost the highest number of its peacekeepers in various UN peacekeeping
operations + (Types of Medals given by UN = Dag Hammarskjöld Medal: A posthumous
award to members of peacekeeping operations who lost their lives during service +
Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal: To be awarded to those United Nations personnel and
associated personnel who demonstrate exceptional courage + UN Medal: To be awarded
to military personnel and civilian police who are or have been in the service of the United
Nations)
➢ 'The design of digital financial infrastructure: lessons from India' Study = released
by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
➢ Future Skills Initiative = 2018 + Ministry of Electronics and IT along with NASSCOM
+ to reskill the IT industry workforce in emerging technologies and job roles (like
Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Blockchain, etc) + Now, Future Skills initiative is
extended as PRIME to industry professionals across different segments, higher education
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students and government officials, with the goal to train 4 lakh professionals in next three
years + Through this new initiative, Government aims to create India Digital Talent Stack
+ (Future Skills PRIME = Jointly rolled out by Ministry of Electronics and IT along
with NASSCOM + it will offer diagnostics for learner preference and skill gaps, help in
building digital fluencies, offer online up-skilling and enable certification of learners + In
addition to these each learner will get a Skills Passport where competencies acquired by
the learner will get accumulated and get a Skills Wallet where he/she will have the
opportunity to get upto Rs. 12,000 from the Government of India as an incentive upon
certification + Apart from industry, the existing infrastructure of CDAC and NIELIT
centers will also be leveraged as resource + the data center for this digital platform will
be kept in India)
➢ Mega Food Parks (MFP) = 2008 + one of the component of Pradhan Mantri Kisan
Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) + cluster based approach + operates in “hub and spoke model
+ MoFPI does not establish MFPs on its own but assist Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)
registered under the Companies Act and State Government/State Government
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entities/Cooperatives to establish MFPs + Financial assistance is provided as grant-in-aid
@ 50% of eligible project cost in general areas and @ 75% in NE Region + Government
has so far approved 42 Mega Food Parks. However, only 18 MFPs have been
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operationalized + Recently, Avantee mega Food Park in Dewas (Madhya radish) was
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inaugurated. This is the first food park of central India + (Government has come up with
27
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Draft National Food Processing Policy, 2019 to boost the food processing industry +
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Cold chain and Food Parks have been declared as infrastructure to ensure greater flow of
funds)
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➢ National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) =
registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act,2002 + objective to promote
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Co-operative marketing of agricultural produce to benefit the farmers + founded to
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promote the trade of agricultural produce and forest resources across the nation + nodal
agency to implement price stabilization measures under "Operation Greens + NAFED
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along with FCI with proactive role of state governments also physically procures
oilseeds, pulses and copra under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) which in turn is under
the umbrella scheme of PM-AASHA
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➢ Food corporation of India(FCI) = nodal agency under Ministry of Consumer Affairs,
Food and Public Distribution + responsible for the procurement, storage and movement
of food grains, public distribution and maintenance of buffer stocks + FCI procures food
grains at minimum support price (MSP) from farmers on an open ended basis for quality
matching produce + The procurement is also done by State Government Agencies
(SGAs) and private rice millers on behalf of the FCI + food grains are also disposed by
FCI and State Governments through sale under Open Market Sales Scheme (OMSS) i.e.,
selling food grains at predetermined prices in the open market from time to time + The
economic cost to FCI includes acquisition cost of food grains at MSP, procurement
incidentals (e.g. labour & transport charges, godown rentals) and distribution cost
(freight, handling, storage & interest charges, losses during storage etc) + Difference
between Economic Cost and Central Issue Price (CIP) of food grains under various
schemes (including National Food Security Act, 2013) is the operational loss to FCI and
is reimbursed by Govt as food subsidy
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➢ Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme = formulated in 2008 + in which

storage capacity is created by private parties, CWC and State Government Agencies for
guaranteed hiring by FCI + After a godown is constructed and taken over by FCI, storage
charges are paid to the investor for a guaranteed period of 9/10 years irrespective of the
quantum of food grains stored
➢ Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) scheme = Department of Agriculture
and Cooperation (DAC) under Ministry of Agriculture launched in 2016 by merging the
earlier GrameenBhandaranYojana (GBY) and the Scheme for
Development/Strengthening of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, Grading and
Standardization (AMIGS) + Government is supporting the creation of well-equipped
scientific storage facilities to the farmers in the country
➢ Digitalisation Of Land Records = Recently, Ministry of Rural Development informed
that about 90 per cent of villages in India have computerised the Records of Right(RoR)
+ Telangana and Maharashtra top the list of states with 99% computerisation + Kerala at
43.24% and J&K at 9.32% are lagging behind
➢ Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) = Launched in
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2008 by Ministry of Rural Development + DILRMP has 3 major components - (a)
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Computerization of land record (b) Survey/re-survey (c) Computerization of Registration
+ The District has been taken as the unit of implementation
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➢ Some state governments initiative to digitalise land records = (Bhoomi project = State
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Government of Karnataka + to computerize all the records of the land in Karnataka) +
(Bhudhaar = initiative of Andhra Pradesh + Under this each land parcel will be given an
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11-digit Bhudhaar number. It will help in easy identification of the details of the land
parcel) + (Mahabhulekh: It is initiative of Maharashtra government to issue digitally
signed 7/12 and land record)
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➢ Dedicated freight corridor corporation of India (DFCCIL) = Special Purpose Vehicle
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set up under the administrative control of Ministry of Railways + For development,
mobilization of financial resources and construction, maintenance and operation of the
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DFCs + It has been set up with 100% equity by Ministry of Railways and registered as a
company under the Companies Act 1956 + DFC project was first proposed in 2005 + In
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2006, the Government of India established a dedicated body, the Dedicated Freight
Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL), to develop two corridors- Western Dedicated
Freight Corridor (WDFC) and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) + Four more
Freight Corridors were also announced in 2010 : East-West Corridor (Kolkata-Mumbai),
North-South Corridor (Delhi-Chennai), East Coast Corridor (Kharagpur-Vijaywada) and
Southern Corridor (Chennai-Goa) + (Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC)
connecting Dadri in UP to Mumbai-Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) will traverse through
the states of UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra) + (Eastern Dedicated
Freight Corridor (EDFC) starting from Dankuni in West Bengal will pass through the
States of Jharkhand, Bihar, UP and Haryana to terminate at Ludhiana in Punjab)
➢ Railway Restructuring = Recently, Union Cabinet approved organisational restructuring
of the Indian Railways (IR) + Restructuring of the Railways has been recommended by
various committees including: Prakash Tandon Committee (1994), Rakesh Mohan
Committee (2001), Sam Pitroda Committee (2012), Bibek Debroy Committee (2015)
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➢ Railway Board = apex decision-making body of Indian Railways which reports to the
Parliament via the ministry of railways + organised into various departments like
mechanical, electrical, traffic and finance that are vertically separated + A member of the
board, usually a secretary rank officer, heads each department
➢ National Income, 2019-20 = released by national statistical office (NSO)
➢ Independent Director’s Databank = Launched by Ministry of Corporate Affairs
(MCA) + in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 + databank
seeks to provide an easy to access & navigate platform for the registration of existing IDs
as well as individuals aspiring to become IDs + The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs
(IICA), under the MCA, would be maintaining the databank portal
➢ Independent directors (ID) = director on a board of directors representing minority
shareholders + does not have a pecuniary relationship with the company or related
persons, except for sitting fees + As per the Companies Act, 2013, Independent Director
means any director other than a managing director or whole-time director or a nominee
number of directors as IDs

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director + Companies Act requires every listed company to have at least one-third of total
➢ Draft National Statistical Commission (NSC) Bill 2019 = In pursuance of the
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recommendations of Rangarajan Commission, National Statistical Commission was set
29
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up as an interim measure by a Notification dated 1st June 2005 + In the absence of any
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legislative framework, the NSC has faced challenges in implementing its
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recommendations + Draft NSC Bill 2019 proposes to establish a National Statistical
Commission as the nodal and autonomous body for all core statistical activities
➢ Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) = Various committees such as the Kargil Review
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committee,2000 led by K Subramaniam, Naresh Chandra committee of 2011 and
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Shekatkar Committee,2016 recommended a permanent chairman +
➢ Anti-maritime Piracy bill 2019 = Introduced by the Ministry of external Affairs + bill
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defines piracy + Applicability of the Bill: All parts of the sea adjacent to and beyond the
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limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone of India + an act of piracy will be punishable with
imprisonment for life or with death depending on the gravity of the case + Piracy accused
can be transferred to any country for prosecution with which India has signed an
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extradition treaty + designated courts for speedy trial of offences of piracy would be set
up + Piracy is defined in UNCLOS,1982
➢ Shared Awareness and De-confliction (SHADE) = international political platform
based in Bahrain intended to develop structured strategy aimed at coordinating
international naval activities combating piracy and people smuggling + India is a active
participant of the same
➢ International Maritime Bureau (IMB) = IMB is a specialised division of the
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) which is a non-profit making organisation,
established in 1981 to act as a focal point in the fight against all types of maritime crime
and malpractice
➢ International Maritime Organization (IMO) = Established in 1948 + HQ at London,
UK + is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping +
adopted some International Conventions for its member countries to implement +
Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA
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Convention), to prohibit and punish behaviour which may threaten the safety of
maritime navigation + International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLA) +
IMO assist government lacking the technical knowledge and resources needed to operate
a shipping industry safely and efficiently through the Integrated technical cooperation
programme (ITCP) and the Djibouti code of conduct
➢ Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) = under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs and a
part of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), along with six other central security
forces in India (Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force,
Central Reserve Police Force, Indo Tibetan Border Police and National Security Guard) +
established in 1963 in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression in 1962 + currently
deployed at 2450 kms long Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders
➢ 4th India-Nepal coordination meeting = This is for the first time that the joint record of
discussions had a special mention of 'third country' operatives + Recently, Nepal’s
Armed
Police Force (APF) has assured India, cooperation in checking doubtful "third country"
operatives on its soil
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➢ Overall Mitigation in Global Emissions (OMGE) = It is a central and critical new
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element under the Paris Agreement, that takes carbon markets beyond the offsetting
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approaches of the existing markets like the CDM. The primary purpose of OMGE is to
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deliver on cost-effectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions, rather than creating
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carbon markets for their own sake
➢ Double Counting and Corresponding Adjustment = In order to avoid double counting,
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it is of paramount importance that countries make corrections to their reported emissions,
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to show that some of their achieved emission reductions have been used by another
entity. This is called a “corresponding adjustment”
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➢ Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) = was established in 2001 to support the
LDC work programme under the UNFCCC, including the preparation and
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implementation of national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs) + It is operated by
Global Environment Facility (GEF)
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➢ ‘Ocean deoxygenation: Everyone’s problem’ Report = released by the International
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Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) + Warmer ocean water holds less oxygen and
is more buoyant than cooler water + Warmer water also raises oxygen demand from
living organisms (increases the metabolic rates) + Ocean deoxygenation refers to the loss
of oxygen from the oceans + The ocean gains oxygen in the upper layer due to
photosynthesis by autotrophic organisms and oxygen from the atmosphere dissolving in
the under-saturated waters + Volume of areas depleted of oxygen, known as ‘anoxic
waters’ + Among the best known areas subject to low oxygen are the Baltic sea and
black sea
➢ Eastern boundary upwelling systems (EBUS) = are one of the ocean’s most productive
biomes + ocean currents bring nutrient rich but oxygen-poor water to the eastern edges of
the world’s ocean basins + EBUS are key regions for the climate system due to the
complex of oceanic and atmospheric processes that connect the open ocean, troposphere
and land, and the fact that they host Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs), responsible for
the world’s largest fraction of water column denitrification and for the largest estimated
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emission of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide + As naturally oxygen poor systems, EBUS
are especially vulnerable to further changes in global ocean deoxygenation 2019
➢ High-Level Committee (HLC) Recommendation = formed on the Supreme Court orders
in its report to give recommendations on how to control air pollution levels in the
national capital region (NCR) + Suggested Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) technology
and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)(LiDAR is a high-end application of LASERbased
technology for monitoring pollution + technology may be adopted for vertical
monitoring at a few places to track transport of pollutants at higher altitude) +
Photocatalytic paints to be used on roads(paints contain titanium dioxide (TiO2) which
has a good oxidising potential and can remove pollutants such as volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides from the atmosphere in the presence of sunlight
and ultraviolet rays) + Anti-smog gun(device that sprays nebulised water droplets into
the air through high pressure propellers, which help particles to settle down) + Smog
towers(basically structures designed as large-scale air purifiers to reduce pollution
particles from the atmosphere + Supreme court has given the Centre and Delhi
31
o s
government three months to set up a 'smog tower' pilot project at Connaught Place, New
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Delhi + In Delhi, company named Kurin Systems is also developing a 12-metre (40 ft)
tall smog tower, called the Kurin City Cleaner)
i
v
➢ Climate Change Performance Index(CCPI) = Index covers 57 countries and the EU +
s
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The ranking results are defined by a country’s aggregated performance in 14 indicators
within the four categories GHG Emission, Renewable Energy, Energy Use and Climate
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Policy + India’s ranking improved two places, from 11th (CCPI 2019) to 9th (CCPI
2020) entering into top ten rankings for the first time
m
➢ ‘The 2019 Pollution and Health Metrics: Global, Regional and Country Analysis’
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Report = by the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) + (Global Alliance on
c a
Health and Pollution (GAHP) = collaborative body made up of more than 60 members
and observers that advocates for resources and solutions to pollution problems + formed
n a
in 2012 by prominent members like World Bank, UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO, Asian
Development Bank, the European Commission and more than 25 low- and middleincome
u
countries, and non-profit agencies to address pollution and health at scale +
GAHP builds public, political, technical and financial support to address pollution
globally)
@
➢ Jal jeevan Mission = aims at providing Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC)
to every rural household (Har Ghar Nal Se Jal) by 2024 + JJM is an upgraded version of
the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) that waslaunched in 2009 +
(Odisha Chief Minister launched the ‘Jalsathi’ programme in the state + JalSathi aims to
ensure the supply of clean drinking water to consumers through piped water connections)
➢ UN Refugee Convention (1951) = It grants certain rights to people fleeing persecution
because of race, religion, nationality, affiliation to a particular social group, or political
opinion + Cross-border displaced who have migrated due to climate change are not
recognised as refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 protocol, and thus
do not qualify for protection under national or international legal frameworks for refugee
protection
➢ International Conventions on Environmental Migrants = New York Declaration for
Refugees and Migrants, UNHCR (2016): It seeks to protect the human rights of all
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refugees and migrants, regardless of their status + The Global Compact on safe, orderly
and regular migration,2018: It is the first-ever UN global agreement on a common
approach to international migration in all its dimensions. 'Climate refugees', migrants
who move due to natural disasters and climate change, are now recognised under its
Objective + The Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement Within States (2013) +
Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda for Cross-Border Displaced Persons (2015): It’s a
state-led consultative process to build consensus on a protection agenda addressing the
needs of people displaced across borders in the context of disasters and the effects of
climate change + Platform on Disaster Displacement (2016): It was launched to
implement the recommendations of the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda + Climate
Migrants and Refugees Project: It aims to spread the word about this challenge, its
potential impacts, and to seek out solutions
➢ Global Refugee Forum = a gathering of United Nations member states, was held in
Geneva, Switzerland + The GRF is jointly hosted by the United Nations High
32
o s
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, and the government of
Switzerland + The Forum is an occasion for the international community to advance the
objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees
i d e
➢ Fire safety regulations in India = Fire service is a state subject + The Model Building
v
Bye Laws, 2003 where The Chief Fire Officer issues the ‘No Objection Certificate’ from
s
the view point of fire safety
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➢ Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2019 =
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Bill seeks to amend the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act,
2007 + The bill expands the definition of the following: children, parents, relative,
m
maintenance, welfare + Bill removes the upper limit on the maintenance fee which is Rs.
d e
10,000 in the Act + Bill allows children and relatives also to appeal decisions of the
Tribunal
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➢ Schemes by the Government for welfare of Senior Citizens = Integrated Programme
n a
for Older Persons (IPOP) to improve the quality of life of older persons by providing
basic amenities like shelter, food + Government declared the national policy on order
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persons in 1999 + RashtriyaVayoshri Yojana (RVY) under which aids and assistive
living devices are provided to senior citizens belonging to BPL category who suffer from
@
age-related disabilities such as low vision, hearing impairment etc + Indira Gandhi
National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) under which financial assistance is
provided to person of 60 years and above and belonging to BPL family + Varishtha
Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY) to give an assured minimum pension on a guaranteed
minimum return on the subscription amount + Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
is exclusively for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above to provide social security
during old age. This is a simplified version of the VPBY and is implemented by the Life
Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India + Vayoshreshtha Samman conferred as a National
award, and given to eminent senior citizens & institutions categories for their
contributions to older persons
➢ DALY and YLD = one DALY is one lost year of healthy life + DALYs are calculated as
the sum of the Years of Life Lost (YLL) due to premature mortality in the population and
the Years Lived with Disability (YLD)
➢ Mental health related Initiatives = (National Mental Health Programme = 1982 + it has
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3 components: treatment of mentally ill, Rehabilitation, prevention and promotion of

positive mental health) + (National Mental Health Policy = introduced in 2014 + to
promote mental health) + (Mental Healthcare Act = Launched in 2017 + to provide for
mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illness)
➢ EChO Network = launched by Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India +
It is national program to provide a template for cross-disciplinary leadership in India with
the specific focus of increasing research, knowledge, and awareness of Indian ecology
and the environment
➢ National Guidelines for Gene Therapy-Product Development and Clinical Trials =
published by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) + guidelines apply to all
stakeholders in the field of gene therapy + guidelines apply to all stakeholders in the field
of gene therapy + Proposed establishment of Gene Therapy Advisory and Evaluation
33
Committee (GTAEC)- an independent body + It is mandatory for all institutions to
establish an Institutional Bio-safety committee (IBSC) + All clinical trials are mandated
o s
to be registered with Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI) + Gene Therapy refers to the
process of introduction, removal or change in content of an individual’s genetic material
d e
+ The concept of germ-line gene therapy is to introduce gene modified cells into the
i
germline, that can be transmitted vertically across generations + Somatic cell gene
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therapy: It affects the targeted cells/tissue/organs in the patient, and is not passed on to
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subsequent generations. It is legal in India + Germ cells are cells that create reproductive
cells called gametes. They are found only in the reproductive glands (ovaries in females
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and testes in males.) + Retrovirus- family of viruses with RNA as genetic material that
can integrate their genome into the DNA of host cells, they invade + Transgene- a genetic
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material that is artificially introduced into the genome of another organism + A Gene
d e
Therapy Product (GTP) is defined as any biological entity, having the required gene, that
could introduce modifications in the genome for therapeutic benefit
a
➢ Paika Rebellion = 200-years ago in 1817 + a valiant uprising of soldiers led
c
n a
by Buxi Jagabandhu (Bidyadhar Mohapatra) + took place in Khurda of Odisha
➢ Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD) = held in Delhi + 6th + flagship initiative of the Indian
u
Ocean Rim Association (IORA) + It is a Track 1.5 discussion, encouraging an open and
free flowing dialogue by academia and officials on strategic issues of the Indian Ocean
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Region + Track 1.5 diplomacy involves both officials and non-officials.It is seen as
midway between Track I (governmental diplomacy) and Track II (backchannel
diplomacy through non-state actors)
➢ Agreement on Social Security (SSA) = (between India and Brazil) + It is first such
agreement between the BRICS countries + SSA is a bilateral agreement between India
and a foreign country designed to protect the interests of Indian professionals/skilled
workers working abroad for short durations + Detachment: It exempts Indian worker
from making a social security contribution in that foreign country. This exemption is
provided only if Indian worker is covered under social security system of India and
continues to pay his/her contribution during the period of overseas contract +
Exportability: It enables the Indian worker to remit his accumulated social security
contribution made in a foreign country + Totalization: An SSA allows aggregating
residency periods of social security contribution made by the Indian worker/ professional
in India and the foreign country to qualify for retirement benefits + As on date, India has
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signed and operationalized Social Security Agreements (SSAs) with 18 countries such as
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark etc
➢ Palestine-India Techno Park = objective is to establish an environment accessible to
industry, entrepreneurship and bridging the knowledge gap between the private sector
and academia
➢ NEFT payment facility will now be available round the clock, on all days = NEFT is an
electronic funds transfer system maintained by the RBI and has no upper limit to the
transaction amount + NEFT transactions after usual banking hours of banks are expected
to be automated transactions initiated using 'Straight Through Processing (STP)' modes
34
by the banks + RBI has also directed that from January 2020 banks can no longer charge
savings bank account holders for online transactions in the NEFT system
➢ MDR charges = Finance Minister announced that no Merchant Discount Rate (MDR)
charges will be applicable on transactions through home grown RuPay and UPI platforms
o s
from January 1, 2020 + Also, all companies with a turnover of Rs 50 cr or more will be
mandated to provide the facility of payment through RuPay Debit card and UPI QR code
to their customers
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➢ GeM Samvaad = to bring on-board more local sellers + Government e-commerce portal
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GeM has launched a national outreach programme + purchases through GeM by
Government users have been authorised and made mandatory by Ministry of Finance +
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GeM SPV, registered under the companies Act, 2013, builds, operates and maintains the
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GeM platform
➢ Government Instant Messaging System (GIMS) = It is an Indian equivalent of popular
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messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp which will be used by Central and State
government departments and organisations for intra and inter organisation
a d
communications + designed and developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) +
server hosting it is installed with in the country + there are also provisions for documents
and media sharing
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➢ Gold-coated Fungi = It is a naturally occurring strain of the Fusarium oxysporum
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(fungi), discovered recently in Australia
➢ E-commerce Index 2019 = India has ranked 73rd out of 152 countries in a Business-to-
@
Consumer (B2C)(improved its position from 80 in 2018) + The Index has been released
by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
➢ Exercise Hand in Hand = annual + between India and China + held in Meghalaya
➢ Earth Systems Science Partnership (ESSP) = ESSP is a partnership under the auspices
of the International Council for Science (ICSU) for the integrated study of the Earth
system, the ways that it is changing, and the implications
➢ Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) = Recently, Supreme Court lifted the ban on construction,
industrial activities and felling of trees + It is spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad,
Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan + It is
an ‘eco-sensitive area’ having three world heritage sites namely Taj Mahal, Agra Fort
and
Fatehpur Sikri
➢ Ekal Vidyalay abhiyan = a non-profit organization, Ekal Vidyalaya Sangathan reached
the figure of 1 lakh schools across India + It is grassroots level non-governmental
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education movement that operates in the remote villages of India and Nepal + It started
first in 1988 in the interior areas of Jharkhand + main activity in this movement is to run
one-teacher schools (known as Ekal Vidyalayas)
➢ DISHA ACT = Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed ‘Andhra Pradesh Disha
Act Criminal Law (AP Amendment) Act, 2019 and AP Special Courts for Specified
Offences against Women and Children Act 2019 as a tribute to the veterinary doctor
named Disha who was raped and murdered + Introducing Women & Children Offenders
Registry + punishment of death penalty for rape with judgment period to 21 days
35
➢ Fit India School grading system = for schools across the country + level of ranking will
depend on how much importance the school gives to inculcating overall fitness
➢ CHASER = European Space Agency (ESA) is planning to launch a four-armed robot,
Chaser, to clean up Earth’s orbit in 2025 + Chaser is to be developed by a Swiss start-
up
o s
ClearSpace under Clear Space-1 mission + The target is a piece of junk called Vespa,
around 800km above the Earth + More debris could lead to more collisions - a cascade
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effect known as the Kessler syndrome + (RemoveDEBRIS mission = satellite research
project intending to demonstrate various space debris removal technologies + mission is
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led by the Surrey Space Centre from the University of Surrey + Harpoon Capture: Which
will be launched at a target plate made of “representative satellite panel materials)
u
➢ VoWiFi = VoWiFi is a Wi-Fi-based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, which
l
yp
allows users to make high definition (HD) voice calls using Wi-Fi even in places with
poor or no cellular network + provides users with a shorter call connection time along
with superior call quality + Users don’t have to pay extra for these calls as it is using a
m
Wi-Fi network + Bharti Airtel recently introduced India’s first Voice over Wi-Fi
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a d
(VoWiFi). Reliance Jio also followed the suit
➢ COMET 2I/BORISOV = It has become the 2nd interstellar object to be identified till
a c
date to have passed through our solar system(First was 1I/Oumuamua spotted in 2017) +
Objects born in our solar system travel in elliptical orbits around the sun while interstellar
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bodies follow the hyperbolic path (2I/Borisov has a more hyperbolic path than any other
comet which has been studied to date) + Interstellar objects can provide unique data
@
about the star systems of their origin
➢ NAVIC as Allied System of USA = Recently, the US congress has agreed to designate
India’s NavIC as its allied navigational satellite system along with Galileo of European
Union and QZSS of Japan + Also, US designated Russia's GLONASS and Chinese
Beidou as a “non-allied system”. It means that US satellite navigation system will not
cooperate
or exchange data with these satellite navigation systems + designation of NAVIC
as “allied system” is part of American effort to develop a prototype program for Multi-
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver development
➢ Sahitya Akademi Awards = given only to Indian citizens for the most outstanding
books of literary merit published in India in last 5 years in any of the major Indian
languages recognised by the Akademi + Besides the 22 languages enumerated in the
Constitution of India, the Sahitya Akademi has recognised English and Rajasthani
language + Sahitya Akademi award is the second-highest literary honour by the
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Government of India, after Jananpith award

➢ National Florence Nightingale Award 2019 = instituted in the 1973 by the Govt as a
mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by nurses to the society +
Florence Nightingale, (also called as Lady with the Lamp), was a British nurse,
statistician, and social reformer who was the foundational philosopher of modern nursing
+ WHO has also announced 2020 as the year of the nurse and mid-wife
➢ Mission Antyodaya = (As per the Mission Antyodaya survey 2019, Tamil Nadu’s
Molugamboondi has topped the rankings of Gram Panchayats (GP) in the country, based
on implementation of programmes under Mission Antyodaya) + To address the multiple
36
dimensions of poverty in a time bound manner through a convergence of resources, both
financial and human + Ministry of Rural Development + is a convergence framework
which aims to optimise use of resources allocated by 27 Ministries/ Department of the
Govt of India under various programmes for rural development + It is envisaged as state
led initiative with Gram Panchayats as focal points of convergence efforts + Under the
o s
mission, Department of Rural Development in partnership with States has involved in
ranking 50,000 Gram Panchayats
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➢ Interest Subvention Scheme guidelines for MSMEs = Launched in 2018, the scheme
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provides a 2% interest subvention on fresh or incremental loans for all GST registered
MSMEs having valid Udyog Aadhar Number (UAN) + encouraging both manufacturing
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and service enterprises + It will be in operation for a period of two financial years FY
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2019 and FY 2020 + SIDBI is the nodal implementation agency for the scheme + Recent
Modifications: Trading activities without UAN have also been made eligible for the
scheme
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➢ ISFR 2019 = Forest Cover refers to all lands more than one hectare in area, with a tree
e
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canopy density of more than 10% irrespective of ownership and legal status + Recorded
Forest Area (RFA) refers to all the geographic areas recorded as 'Forests' in government
a c
records. It consists of Reserved Forests and Protected Forests constituted under Indian
Forest Act, 1927 + Green Wash refers to the extent of wooded areas generally shown in
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light green colour on the Survey of India toposheets + Since 1987, 15 such assessments
have been completed and the current assessment is the 16th in the series
• Largest forest cover in the country = Madhya Pradesh > Arunachal Pradesh >
@
Chhattisgarh > Odisha >Maharashtra
• Forest cover as % of total geographical area = Mizoram > Arunachal Pradesh
>Meghalaya > Manipur > Nagaland
• Increase in forest cover = Karnataka > Andhra Pradesh > Kerala > J&K>
Himachal Pradesh
• Maximum loss in forest cover = Manipur >Arunachal Pradesh > Mizoram
• Wetlands = Among the big States, Gujarat has the largest area of the wetlands
within RFA in the country + Among the smaller States/UTs Puducherry
• Mangrove Cover = West Bengal >Gujarat > A&N Islands + There has been a net
increase in the mangrove cover of the country
• Bamboo = total bamboo area increased + Madhya Pradesh> Maharashtra >
Arunachal Pradesh > Odisha
➢ Special features in ISFR 2019 = Quantified estimation of dependence of people living
in the forest fringe villages on forests + Extent of Trees outside the forest(TOF) has been
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derived for the first time in the ISFR 2019 + first ever attempt for assessment of plant
biodiversity in forests + Refined Forest Type Map of India: A new exercise for refining
and updating the forest types as per the latest baseline forest cover was initiated in the
year 2016 and has been completed in 2019 + Mapping of Fire Prone Forest Areas + new
exercise of overlaying spatial layer of wetlands + forest cover on slopes + Information on
important invasive species of each State & UT + A new information has been generated
from the forest inventory data about top 5 Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) species
37
PIB and Other Monthly - December (No Repetition)
Topics already covered in The Hindu and Vision are NOT repeated
➢ Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) = PVTGs are more vulnerable among
the tribal groups + They have declining or stagnant population, low level of literacy,
preagricultural
level of technology and have subsistence level of economy + In 1975, the
Government of India initiated to identify the most vulnerable tribal groups as a separate
o
category called PVTGs + 75 PVTGs exist now + with the highest number are found in
s
Odisha (13), followed by Andhra Pradesh (12)
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➢ ROTAVAC5D = Vice- President has launched the new rotavirus vaccine + The vaccine
i d
has been designed and developed by Bharat Biotech
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➢ International Geological Congress = India is gearing up to host the 36th International
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Geological Congress (IGC) in March, 2020 + India is the only Asian country to host the
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event twice. In 1964, India had hosted it for the first time, which was the 22nd IGC +
Geological Survey of India is the nodal agency for organizing the event + It is a global
m
geoscientific events held once in four years and participated by around 5000-6000
geoscientists from all across the world + Theme: ‘Geosciences: The Basic Science for a
Sustainable Development’
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➢ New definition of kilogram = The prototype of one kilogram (NPK-57) is now available
in India and placed at the National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi + Scientists have
n a
changed the way the kilogram is defined [Currently, it is defined by the weight of a
platinum-based ingot called “Le Grand K”. Le Grand K has been at the forefront of the
u
international system of measuring weights since 1889] + But now, the kilogram will be
defined in terms of a tiny but unchanging value called the ‘Planck constant’
@
➢ National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem(NMSHE) = launched under
the National Action Plan on Climate Change + to develop in a time bound manner a
sustainable national capacity to continuously assess the health status of the Himalayan
Ecosystem + Department of Science and Technology, Government of India has been
given the responsibility to coordinate the implementation of NMSHE
➢ SATAT initiative = Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas + to promote Compressed
Bio-Gas as an alternative, green transport fuel + Sustainable Alternative towards
Affordable Transportation (SATAT)
➢ Green good deeds campaign = MoEFCC + The purpose of the people-oriented
campaign is to sensitise people and students, in particular about climate change and
global warming
➢ National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) = Located in
Chennai to undertake studies and research in the area of Coastal Zone Management
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including coastal resources and environment

➢ Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana(PMKVY) = To provide skilling to one
crore people under Short Term Training (STT), Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and
Special Project (SP) across the country for over four years i.e. 2016-2020 + Pradhan
38
Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (2.0), 2016- 20 has mandatory provisions for placement
tracking
➢ Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) = 2015 + Aspirational Model Training
Centers to be opened in every district
➢ National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme, 2016 = Ministry of Skill Development
And Entrepreneurship (MSDE) + To promote apprenticeship. Consists of Basic Training
and On-the-Job Training/ Practical Training at workplace
➢ STRIVE Scheme = 2017+ Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement
(STRIVE) + Creating awareness through industry clusters, integrating and enhancing
delivery quality of ITIs + World Bank supported + Central sector scheme + MSDE
o
➢ SANKALP Scheme = 2017 + to focus on district-level skilling ecosystem through s
Ministry of Skill Development And Entrepreneurship (MSDE)
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convergence and coordination + World Bank supported + Central sponsored scheme +
for youngsters
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➢ Pradhan Mantri Yuva Yojana = MSDE + To build an ecosystem of entrepreneurship
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➢ Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSSs) = It was under the Ministry of Human Resources
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Development, but transferred to the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship in
2018 + established to provide vocational training to non-literate, neo-literate, as well as
establishment
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school drop outs by identifying skills as would have a market in the region of their
a d
➢ National Skill Development Mission = launched by Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship + 2015 + aims to create convergence across sectors and States in terms
of skill training activities
a c
➢ Project Dolphin = government is planning to launch a programme called “Project
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Dolphin”, along the lines of “Project Tiger” to enhance the population of these dolphins +
Dolphins have been included in Schedule I of the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972,
@
in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
➢ National Broadband Mission (NBM) = Ministry of Communications + mission will
facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services + It also involves laying of
incremental 30 lakh route km of optical fibre cable and increasing tower density from
0.42 to 1 tower per thousand population by 2024 + The mission also envisages increasing
fiberisation of towers to 70% from 30% at present + It will also strive for the creation of a
digital fibre map of the communications infrastructure
➢ Silver Line project = It involves laying of semi high-speed trains between the two
corners of Kerala + Ministry of Railways has granted in-principle approval
➢ Pinaka rocket = by DRDO + a precision-guided missile, enhanced range and accuracy to
hit targets + It is used to neutralize the enemy’s positions that are strategically important
for the enemy + The advanced versions can also be used to conduct surgical strikes even
without entering into the enemy area + The second variant of Pinaka, known as Mark-II,
has a maximum range of 75 km + DRDO is working with Israel’s IMI to
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develop Pinaka Mark-III which will use IMI’s Trajectory Correction System (TCS) that
will enhance the accuracy of the attack
39
➢ Nagpur Resolution = A holistic approach for empowering citizens was adopted at
the conference organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public
Grievances (DARPG), Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of
Maharashtra and the Maharashtra State Commission for Right to Public Services +
Previously, the Shillong Declaration and the Jammu Resolution have been adopted for
good governance
➢ National Green Corps ‘Ecoclub’ = It is a nationwide initiative of Ministry of
Environment + To impart knowledge to school children, through hands-on experience,
about their immediate environment, interactions within it and the problems therein
➢ M.P. gets its first elephant colony = Located in Bandhavgarh forest + Bandhavgarh
Tiger Reserve: In 1968, it was notified as a national park and in 1993 was declared a tiger
reserve- under the Project Tiger Network
➢ Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya = He had served as the President of the INC on four
o s
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occasions + He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2014 + He was the editor
of a Hindi magazine, ‘Hindosthan’ + He became the editor of the ‘Indian Opinion’ in
i
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1889. He also started a Hindi weekly ‘Abhyudaya’, an English daily ‘Leader’, a Hindi
newspaper ‘Maryada’ + Pandit Malaviya was instrumental in founding the Benares
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Hindu University in 1916 + He was opposed to separate electorates to Muslims and the
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Lucknow Pact + He was also against the INC’s participation in the Khilafat Movement +
He was a participant in the Second Round Table Conference in 1931 + He started the
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Ganga Mahasabha to oppose construction of dams in the Ganga + He was also a social
reformer who opposed untouchability + He worked for the temple entry of Dalits at
Kalaram Temple at Nashik, Maharashtra.
a d
➢ Nari Shakti Puraskars = conferred on eminent women and institutions and carries a
a c
cash award of Rs.1 Lakh and certificate + Instituted by Ministry of Women and Child
Development in 1999 + given by the President of India. + not presented posthumously
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➢ Swami Shraddhanand = In the early 1880s, he came into contact with Swami
Dayanand, founder of the Arya Samaj + He wrote book called “Hindu Sangathan” + He
@
called untouchability a “curse” and a “blot” on the reputations of the Hindus.
➢ Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) = Cabinet has approved the merger of its
eight services into one — the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) to ensure that
officers put railways first instead of their service
➢ Pradhan Mantri VayaVandan Yojana (PMVVY) = It is a Pension Scheme exclusively
for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above + Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of
India which has been given the sole privilege to operate this Scheme + Scheme provides
an assured return of 8% p.a. payable monthly (equivalent to 8.30% p.a. effective) for 10
years + The scheme is exempted from Service Tax/ GST + Centre has made Aadhaar (the
unique 12-digit biometric identity number) mandatory for subscribers of Pradhan Mantri
Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY)
40
➢ Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu = Union Government is planning to set up a new
rocket launch pad here + At present, ISRO has two launch pads at Satish Dhawan Space
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Centre (SDCC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh

➢ Administration of Oath in legislature = The Third Schedule requires the taker of the
oath to either “swear in the name of God” or to “solemnly affirm” to “bear true faith and
allegiance to the Constitution” + Art 164 makes it clear that the text of the oath is
sacrosanct, and the person taking the oath has to read it out exactly in the given format
➢ ‘Shamlat land’= term generally used in Punjab side areas + one which does not come
under habitation and cultivation and is considered as Jumla Mushtarka (consolidation
of land holdings for common use)
➢ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance test facility = CSIR-IICT, Hyderabad has announced that
the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) test facility at the institute has passed the US
Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspection with “no observations” + The
USFDA inspected the NMR facility and found the facility in an acceptable state of
compliance with regard to Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP). Accordingly,
it classified the facility as “no action initiated (NAI)” + The NMR spectroscopy is an
o s
important technique for structural characterization of pharmaceutical and other chemical
molecules + The technique is used in quality control and reserach for determining the
content and purity of a sample as well as its molecular structure
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➢ Torrefaction Technology = to reduce stubble burning + India tests Swedish torrefaction
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technology to reduce stubble burning + It is a thermal process used to produce high-grade
solid biofuels from various streams of woody biomass or agro residues + The end product
l u
is a stable, homogeneous, high quality solid biofuel with far greater energy density and
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calorific value than the original feedstock
➢ “Top 100 City Destination” ranking = Released by Euromonitor International, a
UKbased
e m
global market research company + India has emerged as the strongest emerging
a d
destination with seven cities in the top 100 popular cities this year + Delhi is forecast to
be hold the 8th place in 2019 + Despite political unrest and protests in the last few
a c
months, Hong Kong remained No.1 destination this year
➢ International Day of Persons with Disabilities = It was instituted by United Nations
u n
General Assembly (UNGA) in 1992 + 2019 Theme: Promoting the participation of
persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2030 Development
Agenda
@
➢ Centre stops online sale of medicines = Delhi High Court in 2018 had ordered the ban
on sale of illegal or unlicensed online sale of medicines till the government drafts rules to
regulate e-pharmacies to avoid drug epidemic, drug abuse and misuse of habit forming
and addictive drugs + All the e-pharmacies have to be registered compulsorily with the
Central Drugs Standard control organisation + Both state and central drug authorities will
be monitoring the transactions of e pharmacies
➢ Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) = It is a by-product of the sugar industry + Formed from
molasses that are a residue of sugarcane processing+ It is the primary raw material for
41
making alcoholic beverages + It has a neutral smell and taste and typically contains over
95 per cent alcohol by volume
➢ StrandHogg = It is a Malware which allows real-time malware applications to pose as
genuine applications and access user data of all kinds
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➢ World Soil Day = 5th December + Theme 2019: ‘Stop Soil Erosion, Save Our Future’ +
Why December 5: It corresponds with the official birthday of H.M. King Bhumibol
Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, who officially sanctioned the event.
➢ Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium 2019 (PACS 2019) = latest edition is being held at Joint
Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii + Theme: ‘A Collaborative Approach to Regional
Security’ + India participated
➢ 'Iron Union 12' exercise = joint military exercise between UAE and USA
➢ Meteor missiles = They are beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles + Have a range of
150 km and no escape zone of 60 km + India has requested for an early delivery of
Meteor air-to-air missiles from France
➢ IUCN 10th Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) Meeting = held recently in
Malaysia + It is a global network of specialists (both scientists and non-scientists) + Aim:
To promote the long-term conservation of Asia’s elephants and, where possible, the
recovery of their populations to viable levels + It shall provide the best available
of Asian elephant populations in all 13 range states.

o s
scientifically grounded evidence to the abundance, distribution, and demographic status
i d e
➢ KALIA scheme = was launched by Odisha govt + Odisha’s Kalia to be merged with
PM- KISAN + assistance(₹10,000 per family) will be provided to take care of sustenance
of farmers not able to take up cultivation due to any reason
s v
➢ Head on Generation (HOG) technology = It is being adopted by the Indian Railways,
l u
power supply is tapped from overhead power lines and distributed to train coaches +
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HOG-fitted trains do not require power from diesel generators and need only one
emergency generator car attached,instead of two regular generator cars + HOG system is
e m
free of air and noise pollution: It would bring down yearly CO2 and NOx emissions
➢ FrogPhone = It is the world’s first solar-powered remote survey device that can be
d
installed at any frog pond and which receives a 3G or 4G cellular network + Developed
a
a c
by a team from various Australian institutions + These devices also allow for monitoring
of local frog populations more frequently than before
u n
➢ Victoria falls = The flow of Victoria Falls has been reduced + falls are fed by Zambezi
river and define the boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe + falls are also referred to
as “The Smoke that Thunders” and is a UNESCO WHS
@
➢ Rare Earth Elements = The US Army plans to fund the construction of a Rare Earths
processing facility to secure the domestic supply of minerals that are used to make
military weapons and electronics + The decision comes after China threatened to stop
exporting Rare Earth materials to the US amid the ongoing trade war between the
countries + The REMs have unique catalytic, metallurgical, nuclear, electrical, magnetic
and luminescent properties. While named ‘rare earth’, they are in fact not that rare and
are relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust
42
➢ IUCN Red List of Threatened Species = contain plant and animal species + The list
now contains over 30,000 species under threat of disappearing + The IUCN Red List
Categories define the extinction risk of species assessed. Nine categories extend from NE
(Not Evaluated) to EX (Extinct) + Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and
Vulnerable (VU) species are considered to be threatened with extinction
➢ Heavy metals contaminating rivers = Central Water Commission (CWC) has released a
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report on heavy metals contaminating Indian rivers + Iron emerged as the most common
contaminant + Arsenic and zinc are the two toxic metals whose concentration is always
found within the limits
➢ National Financial Reporting Authority = NFRA is a body proposed in Companies Act
2013 for the establishment and enforcement of accounting and auditing standards and
oversight of the work of auditors + It would be an overarching watchdog for auditing
profession and once set up, the current powers of the ICAI to act against erring chartered
accountants will be vested with the new regulator
➢ Drug prices control order(DPCO) = The decision has been taken to ensure that the life
saving essential drugs must remain available to the general public at all times + DPCO
comes under Essential Commodities Act 1955 + aim to regulate the prices of bulk drugs
and their formulations to make them more affordable + National Pharmaceutical Pricing
Policy 2012 put in place a regulatory framework for pricing of drugs to ensure
availability of essential medicines at reasonable prices
➢ UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage = UNESCO has recognised the
o s
“Nuad” Thai massage as part of its List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity +
e
Indian Intangible Cultural Heritages added into this list : Tradition of Vedic chanting,
d
Ramlila (the traditional performance of the Ramayana) , Chhau dance, Kumbh Mela etc
i
➢ Trakea? = It is a unique barcoding software adopted by Haryana Police. Haryana Police
s v
claims it is the country’s first police force to have introduced this unique barcoding for
l
forensic reports so that reports are not tampered with.
u
yp
➢ Privilege motion = It's concerned with the"breach of parliamentary privilege by a
minister" + Motion can moved by any member of either House against those being held
e m
guilty of breach of privilege + privileges committee(LS-15 & RS-10 members)
Lok Sabha Rule Book and Rajya Sabha rulebook governs privilege
a d
➢ Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act,1984 = It punishes anyone “who
commits mischief by doing any act in respect of any public property” with a jail term of
a c
up to five years and a fine or both + SC formed guidelines based on Justice Thomas
Committee recommendations + Prosecution should be required to prove that public
u n
property had been damaged in direct action called by an organisation, and the accused
also participated in such direct action.
@
➢ Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) = a hybrid electric vehicle wherein, the internal
combustion engine is replaced with a fuel-cell stack. The onboard sources of power
include hydrogen as well as an advanced battery system + The fuel cell combines
hydrogen and oxygen to generate an electric current, water being the only byproduct +
43
Fuel cells generate electricity through an electrochemical process + And, there are no
moving parts in the fuel cell, so they are more efficient and reliable by comparison +
Unlike a battery-electricity vehicle, it does not store energy and, instead, relies on a
constant supply of fuel and oxygen — in the same way that an internal combustion
engine relies on a constant supply of petrol or diesel, and oxygen
➢ Biosimilar medicine = It is a biologic medical product that is almost an identical copy of
an original product that is manufactured by a different company + They are officially
approved versions of original “innovator” products and can be manufactured when the
original product’s patent expires(after 20 years) + biosimilars are made from living
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organisms, though, and don’t contain identical ingredients to their name-brand

counterparts, they still require some testing. So, they cost more than generics, but less
than the branded biologic + WHO prequalifies first biosimilar medicine– trastuzumabto
increase worldwide access to life-saving breast cancer treatment.
➢ Exercise ‘Apharan’ = large scale Anti Hijacking Exercise conducted recently by the
Indian Navy in collaboration with Indian Coast Guard + preparedness to thwart any
attempt to hijack a merchant vessel etc + The latest edition was held in Kerala.
➢ Houbara bustard/African houbara = large bustard native to North Africa, Canary
Islands and southwestern Asia, where it lives in arid habitats + Vulnerable
➢ Tripura gets its first SEZ = Ministry of Commerce and Industry has notified setting up
of Tripura’s first ever Special Economic Zone (SEZ)
➢ The Balimela Reservoir = on the river Sileru + Odisha + Sileru (also known as the
Machkund River) rises in the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh state and flows northward
into Jalaput Reservoir on the border with Odisha
➢ West African Nations Rename Common Currency – ECO = Eight West African
o s
countries have agreed to change the name of their common currency to Eco + CFA franc
been linked to euro for about two decades

i d e
was their currency so far. The CFA franc was initially pegged to French franc and has
➢ Chilai-Kalan = The 40-day harshest winter period in Kashmir

s v
➢ Microdots = Microdot technology involves spraying the body and parts of the vehicle or
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any other machine with microscopic dots, which give a unique identification + These
yp
microdot can be read physically with a microscope and identified with ultra violet light
source + Benefits: technology will help check theft of vehicles and use of fake spare parts
e m
➢ “Run Through Files” mechanism = Haryana government has introduced this
mechanism in the Centralised File Movement and Tracking Information System (CFMS)
d
+ To ensure that important government matters don’t get delayed owing to conflicting
a
c
hierarchical and departmental priorities
➢ Tibetan Gazelles = Also known as the Goa (Procaprapicticaudata) + A species of
a
u n
antelope that inhabits the Tibetan plateau + IUCN Status- Near Threatened
➢ Universal Postal Union (UPU) = specialized agency of UN that coordinates postal
policies among member nations, in addition to worldwide postal system + 2nd oldest
@
international organization worldwide (established in 1874) after International
Telecommunication Union (ITU)
➢ “Oxygen Parlour” = At Nashik Railway Station To Combat Air Pollution + To battle
rising air pollution in cities, an ”Oxygen Parlour” has been opened at Nashik railway
44
station + It aims to provide an experience of breathing clean air to the commuters + The
initiative comes with the efforts of the Airo Guard in collaboration with the Indian
Railways + The parlour contains some unique plants that better absorb the five most
harmful pollutants from the air
➢ SnowEx = It is a five year program initiated and funded by NASA + To address the most
important gaps in snow remote sensing knowledge and thus lay the groundwork for a
future snow satellite mission
➢ National Anthem = On December 27, 1911, the National Anthem was first sung at the
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Calcutta session of the Congress + ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was adopted as the country’s
National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly of India on January 24, 1950, the last day
of its last session + Reverence to the National Anthem is a Fundamental duty as per
Article 51A (a) of the Constitution + Originally written in Bengali, it is the first of five
stanzas of a poem written and later set to notations by Rabindranath Tagore.
➢ UN backs Russia on internet convention = United Nations has approved a Russian-led
bid that aims to create a new convention on cybercrime, alarming rights groups and
Western powers that fear a bid to restrict online freedom + The General Assembly
approved the resolution sponsored by Russia and backed by China, which would set up a
committee of international experts in 2020 + India did not participate in the negotiation of
the Convention and thus is worried about it
➢ Longest single spacewalk by a woman = US astronaut Christina Koch has set the record
for the longest single spaceflight by a woman when she reached, and crossed, 289 days in
her current mission + The previous record for women was set by another American,
Peggy Whitson, in 2016-2017
s
➢ Drake Passage = t is the body of water between South America’s Cape Horn and the
o
d e
South Shetland Islands of Antarctica + It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic
Ocean (Scotia Sea) with the south eastern part of the Pacific Ocean and extends into the
i
s v
Southern Ocean + It is the shortest crossing from Antarctica to any other landmass + The
passage is named after Sir Francis Drake, who was the first Englishman to
circumnavigate the globe
l u
➢ 27th National Children’s Science Congress (NCSC) = held in Thiruvananthapuram +
It
m yp
is a platform for children to carry out small research activities at micro-level + The seeds
d e
of this programme were planted(1993) in Madhya Pradesh by an NGO called Gwalior
Science Centre. It was later adopted by the National Council for Science and Technology
c a
Communication (NCSTC), Department of Science and Technology for extending it to the
national level + It is a forum children of the age-group of 10-17 years, both from formal
n a
school system as well as from out of school + Theme: “Science, Technology and
Innovation for a Clean, Green and Healthy Nation”
u
➢ Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) = recently
@
extended by two more years till March 2022 as the set targets are not yet met (initially
planned for 5 years 2015-20) + Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) +
AMRUT is a new avatar of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
(JNNURM) + aimed at transforming 500 cities and towns into efficient urban living
spaces over a period of five years + centrally sponsored scheme

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find

SUNYA NOTES (December)

➢ Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) = statutory(WPA,1972) + under MoEFCC

➢ India Skills Report 2019-20 = 7th edition + It is a joint initiative by PeopleStrong, a

Guided Missile Development Programme initiated in 1984 + It is made by Bharat

➢ White Island/Whakaari = NewZealand

➢ Night Work Convention, 1990 = of the International Labour Organization(ILO) +

back to the 3rd century B.C

at improving nutritional outcomes among pregnant women, lactating mothers and

project was a part of the Digital India initiative

used for emergency communications

laws into 4 codes

haj completely digital

evolution of the surangular — a “reptilian” jawbone

➢ Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme = formulated in 2008 + in which

number of directors as IDs

➢ Draft National Statistical Commission (NSC) Bill 2019 = In pursuance of the

3 components: treatment of mentally ill, Rehabilitation, prevention and promotion of

Government of India, after Jananpith award

including coastal resources and environment

Centre (SDCC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh

of Asian elephant populations in all 13 range states.

organisms, though, and don’t contain identical ingredients to their name-brand

been linked to euro for about two decades

➢ Chilai-Kalan = The 40-day harshest winter period in Kashmir

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