Civil Services Chronicle January 2021
Agriculture
+ Draft Model Act on Land Titles
NITI Aayog has released the draft model act and rules for states for regulation on conclusive land titling with an aim to reduce litigations and ease the land acquisition process for infrastructure projects.
Salient Features
It provides state governments power to order for establishment, administration and management of a system of title .... Read More
+ Saffron Cultivation in Northeast
A pilot project by North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous body under the DST has yielded successful results in Yangyang village of South Sikkim, which produced its first crop of saffron.
In India, Saffron cultivation has been restricted to a limited geographical area in J&K, mainly .... Read More
+ World Fisheries Day
World Fisheries Day is celebrated on 21st November every year to demonstrate solidarity with all fisherfolk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders throughout the world.
It started in 1997 where “World Forum of Fish Harvesters & Fish Workers” met at New Delhi leading to formation of “World Fisheries Forum” with representatives from .... Read More
Banking And Finance
+ First Technical Recession in India
In its latest monthly bulletin for November 2020, the Reserve Bank of India has dedicated a chapter on the “State of the economy”. The idea is to provide a monthly snapshot of some of the key indicators of India’s economic health.
As part of the exercise, the RBI has started .... Read More
+ Lakshmi Vilas Bank Crisis
The recent collapse of Chennai-based Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) marks the failure of the fifth financial institution in recent time.India’s bad bank problem has aggravated over the past few years and the economic slowdown triggered by the pandemic could make matters worse, with defaults on the rise.
Earlier, Infrastructure Leasing .... Read More
Government Policy
+ Bulk Drug Parks Scheme
Recently, Himachal Pradesh government has sent a proposal to the Centre seeking grant to set up abulk drug parkin Una. It has identified around 1,400 acres in Una district and vying for the allotment of a bulk drug park under a central government scheme announced earlier this year for setting .... Read More
In Focus
+ Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0
On 12th November 2020, Government launched Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 to boost Covid-hit economy.
It seeks to boost job creation, provide liquidity support to stressed sectors and encourage economic activity in housing and infrastructure areas.
Key Measures under AatmaNirbhar Bharat 3.0
1.Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana
It aims to incentivise the creation of new employment opportunities .... Read More
Industry
+ DIPAM Signs Agreement with World Bank on Asset Monetisation
On 16 November, 2020, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) signed an agreement with the World Bank to provide advisory services for asset monetization.
The project aims at supporting the development of operational guidelines and capacity building for its implementation.
Key Highlights
The central government has set a target .... Read More
Infrastructure
+ Revamping of Scheme for Financial Support to PPP in Infrastructure
On 11th November, 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Continuation and Revamping of the Scheme for Financial Support to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Infrastructure Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme till 2024-25.It seeks to mainstream private participation in social infrastructure.
The earlier VGF scheme was limited to projects .... Read More
+ Gujarat Maritime Cluster
Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) is in the process to develop Gujarat Maritime Cluster at GIFT City in the state capital Gandhinagar in order to address logistics of ports and seaways.
This cluster will initially consist of Gujarat-based shipping lines, freight forwarders, shipping agents, bunker suppliers, stevedores, and ship brokers with chartering .... Read More
+ Luhri Hydropower Project
On 4th November, 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved 210 MW Luhri Stage-I hydro-electric project in Himachal Pradesh.
The project is located on River Satluj in Shimla and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh.
It is being implemented by state-run Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL) on Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (BOOM) basis with active .... Read More
News Bytes
+ Innovation Hub for Financial Sector
On 17th November, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set up an Innovation Hub for the financial sector and appointed Senapathy (Kris) Gopalakrishnan, co-founder and former co-chairman of Infosys, as the chairperson of the governing council for the entity.
The hub aims to promote innovation across the financial sector by .... Read More
+ Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor
Rajasthan government has planned two special investment regions along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) to generate developmental opportunities for the State.
The move is set to give a boost to investments, employment generation and development of the State with its construction work being expedited.
About Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor(DMIC)
It is one of the .... Read More
+ Sahakar Pragya
On 24th November, 2020, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched the Sahakar Pragya initiative, which will train the primary cooperative societies in the country.
It is expected to enhance the training capacity of NCDC through a network of eighteen regional training centres.
The initiative holds 45 new training .... Read More
+ Open Acreage Licensing Policy
A total of 11 blocks in 8 sedimentary basins covering a total acreage of 19,789.04 sq km has been awarded under OALP Bid Round 5.
The OALP, a critical part of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy(HELP), provides uniform licences for exploration and production of all forms of hydrocarbons, enabling contractors .... Read More
+ Negative-Yield Bonds
China recently sold negative-yield debt for the first time, and this saw high demand from investors across Europe.At a time when the world is battling the Covid-19 pandemic and interest rates in developed markets across Europe are much lower.
A negative bond yield is when an investor receives less money at .... Read More
+ Frontier Highway Project
The Government has been pushing for the ambitious Frontier Highway project along the “India-Tibet border” for facilitating faster movement of troops, along the border area.
In the light of the recent Indo-China face-off in Ladakh(Galwan Valley), there is now an acute urgency to focus on border infrastructure. From a policy perspective, .... Read More
+ Arunachal Kiwi
Arunachal Pradesh kiwis are the only kiwis in the country to have obtained organic certification.
Arunachal Pradesh has the most suitable agro-climatic conditions for Kiwi Production.In particular, the Ziro Valley (located at 1,500-2,000 metres above sea level) is the ideal location for cultivation of Kiwi.
Prelims Facts
Organic Certification
An agricultural practise/product is considered .... Read More
PIB CORNER
+ PIB Corner
RBI Selects 2 Startups as a Part of its Regulatory Sandbox Programme
The Reserve Bank of India has selected two startups as a part of its regulatory sandbox programme.
The two companies are Jaipur based Natural Support Consultancy Services Private Limited and New Delhi based Nucleus Software Exports Limited.
While the .... Read More
Reports & Indices
+ RBI’s Internal Working Group Report
On 20th November, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the report of the Internal Working Group (IWG).
IWG was constituted by the RBI to review extant ownership guidelines and corporate structure for Indian private sector banks.
The Terms of Reference of the IWG inter alia included review of the .... Read More
+ World Trade Report 2020
On 23rd November 2020, WTO released the world trade report 2020 online under the title- ‘Government policies to promote innovation in the digital age’.
The World Trade Report is an annual publication that aims to deepen understanding about trends in trade, trade policy issues and the multilateral trading system.
TheWorld Trade Report .... Read More
Art And Culture
+ Char-chapori culture
A proposed “Miya museum” reflecting the culture and heritage of the people living in char-chapouris has stirred up a controversy in Assam.
Char Chapori Culture
Char-chaporis are shifting riverine islands of the Brahmaputra and are primarily inhabited by the Muslims of Bengali-origin (pejoratively referred to as ‘Miyas’).
A char is a floating .... Read More
+ Sarna Religion of Jharkhand
Recently Jharkhand government convened a special session and passed a resolution to send the Centre a letter to recognise Sarna religion and include it as a separate code in the Census of 2021.
Currently, the census classifies people under six religions - Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist - while .... Read More
+ Ancient Vishnu Temple Discovered in Northwest Pakistan
A Hindu temple, believed to have been constructed 1,300 years ago, has been discovered by Pakistani and Italian archaeological experts at a mountain in northwest Pakistan’s Swat district. The discovery was made during an excavation at Barikot Ghundai.
Highlights
The discovered temple is of Lord Vishnu. It was built by the Hindus .... Read More
+ Lachit Borphukan: The Great Military Commander of Ahom Army
On November 24, Assam celebrated Lachit Diwas in remembrance of the valour and heroism of Lachit Borphukan, one of the symbols of resistance to the Mughal rule.
Lachit Borphukan
Originally named as Lachit Deca, Lachit Borphukan, the fierce and indefatigable Ahom Commander, was born during the early 17th century on 24th November .... Read More
Executive
+ Arbitration and Conciliation Amendment (Ordinance) 2020
The government recently brought the Arbitration and Conciliation Amendment (Ordinance) 2020 to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 and ensure that stakeholder parties can seek an unconditional stay on enforcement of arbitral awards in cases where the arbitration agreement or contract is induced by fraud or corruption.
Need for the .... Read More
+ Government Sets Up Committee to Review TV Ratings Norms
Recently Ministry of Information and Broad casting constituted a four member committee to review “Guidelines on Television Rating Agencies in India” notified by the Ministry in 2014.This comes after the Mumbai police investigations into an alleged fake Television Rating Points (TRP) scam by a few news channels.
The present guidelines on .... Read More
In Focus
+ Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2020
The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, promulgated on November 27 has now become a law.
Key Provisions of the Act
Section 3 of the act makes religious conversion a cognisable and non-bailable offence, inviting penalties of up to 10 years in prison if found to be effected .... Read More
+ One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance
In the wake of rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a global group called ‘One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance’ has been launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The group was created in response to a recommendation .... Read More
Judiciary
+ SC Asks Trial Courts to Consider Witness Protection in Cases Against MPs, MLAs
The Supreme Court has asked trial courts hearing criminal cases against sitting and former legislators to consider providing protection to witnesses under the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018 even without making any specific application for the same, keeping in mind their vulnerability.
The three-judge bench of the supreme court issued the directive .... Read More
+ Contempt of Court and the Role of Attorney General
Recently the role of Attorney General has come into focus with a spate of contempt cases seeking his approval under the Contempt law of India.
Procedure to Initiate Contempt of Court Provisions
The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, lays down the law on contempt of court. Section 15 of the legislation describes .... Read More
Legislative
+ Haryana Reserves 75% Private Jobs for State’s Residents
The Haryana Assembly recently passed a bill to give 75% reservation in the private sector to job seekers from the state.
Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2020
It aims to provide 75 % of the new employment to local candidates for jobs having salary of less than Rs 50,000 per .... Read More
News Bytes
+ Right to Recall Panchayat Member
The Haryana Assembly recently passed a Bill which provides the right to recall members of Panchayati Raj institutions to those who elected them and gives women 50% reservation in these rural bodies.
Haryana Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020
The Bill allows the people of rural areas to recall village sarpanches and .... Read More
+ Kerala Police Act 2011 Amendment
Kerala Governor recently signed an ordinance amending the Kerala Police Act purportedly to give the law enforcement more teeth to prosecute persons who exploit social media to target women and children.
Reason to Introduce Changes
The government had mooted the revision against the high-profile instance of a group of women activists taking .... Read More
+ Indian Medicine Central Council (Post Graduate Ayurveda Education) Amendment Regulations, 2020
Postgraduate students in Ayurveda will now be trained and allowed to perform a variety of general surgery, ENT, ophthalmology, and dental procedures.
The decision has come after the Central Council of Indian Medicine amended Indian Medicine Central Council (Post Graduate Ayurveda Education) Regulations, 2016, to include the regulation to allow the .... Read More
+ E-Lok Adalat
To facilitate access to justice amidst the constraints placed by Covid-19 and various public health guidelines, the Legal Services Authorities have ingeniously integrated technology into its conventional methods of justice delivery.
Online Lok Adalat popularly known as E -Lok Adalat is one such innovation of Legal Services Institutions where technology has .... Read More
+ Goddess Annapurna Idol
On November 29, Prime Minister announced that an ancient idol of the goddess Annapurna, stolen from India about a century ago, is being brought back from Canada.
This idol was stolen from a temple on the river banks of Varanasi and smuggled out of the country around 100 years ago .... Read More
PIB CORNER
+ PIB Corner
“Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau (SPFB)”: Policy Unit of Ministry of AYUSH
The Ministry of AYUSH and M/s Invest India will form a collaboration to set up a strategic policy unit called “Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau (SPFB)” to facilitate planned and systematic growth of the Ayush Sector and to make .... Read More
Social Issues
+ UN Launches Food Coalitionto Prevent Food Crisis
Taking cognisance of the catastrophic food crisis precipitated by the novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) and the urgency to tackle it, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations launched a Food Coalition on November 5, 2020.
Reason to Form the Form Coalition
Threat to Food Security: The COVID-19 pandemic has .... Read More
+ NITI Aayog’s Third Progress Report on Poshan Abhiyan
NITI Aayog’s third progress report(October 2019-April 2020) “Accelerating Progress On Nutrition In India: What Will It Take” warns that the National Nutrition Mission or the Poshan Abhiyaan, the world’s largest nutrition programme for children and mothers — must be stepped up in order to meet the targets set by the .... Read More
+ Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) Ministry recently launched the ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’ for cities to develop and implement initiatives to improve the quality of life of young children, caregivers and families.
Key Features of the Challenge
The Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge is a 3-year initiative and it will support cities to .... Read More
In Focus
+ UN Adopts India Sponsored Resolutions on Nuclear Disarmament
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted two India-sponsored resolutions on nuclear disarmament which aim to reduce risk of nuclear accidents and call for a prohibition on the use of nuclear weapons.
The First Committee of UN General Assembly on November 03, 2020 adopted two resolutions which were sponsored by .... Read More
India And Its Bilateral Relations
+ India to build Shahtoot dam in Afghanistan
Recently, at the Geneva Donors Conference on November 24, 2020, the External Minister of India proclaimed that India will construct the Shahtoot Dam across the River Maidan. River Maidan is a tributary of River Kabul in Afghanistan. The Shahtoot Dam is proposed to be built in the Chahar Asiab district .... Read More
+ India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit
Recently, India and Luxembourg held the first of its kind virtual summit in two decades, on November 19, 2020.
Both the nations have committed for strengthening India-Luxembourg relationship in the post-Covid-19 world, especially in the areas of financial technology, green financing, space applications, digital innovations and start-ups.
In the meet, India welcomed .... Read More
+ Agreements between India and Maldives
India and Maldives on November 09, 2020 have signed four Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) including on the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP). During the bilateral meet, the Indian foreign secretary appreciated the "India First" policy of Maldives and said that it is strongly reciprocated by India through "Neighbourhood First" policy.
Four .... Read More
International Organisations
+ Malaysia hosted APEC Summit 2020
Recently, a virtual meeting of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum was held on November 20, 2020. This was the first time that all 21 APEC Economic Leaders met virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second time Malaysia hosted an APEC meeting, having hosted one .... Read More
+ G20 Summit 2020 held at Saudi Arabia
Recently, the G20 summit concluded on November 22, 2020hosted by Saudi Arabia.The theme of the summit was “Realising opportunities of the 21st century for all”, which mainly focuses on empowering people, safeguarding the planet, and shaping new frontiers.
Special Focus on COVID - 19
The main focus of the Summit was on .... Read More
+ BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy
During the 12th BRICS Summit, on November 17, 2020, the member countries of BRICS have adopted Counter Terrorism Strategy.
For the first time, the bloc of five emerging economies have approved a counter-terrorism strategy aimed at strengthening linkages on combatting terrorism and sharing of “timely” information.
The summit was attended by .... Read More
+ India Attended 20th SCO Summit
The 20th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State was held recently on November 10, 2020. The Meeting was chaired by Russia as it holds the SCO’s rotating presidency for 2019-2020.The Republic of Tajikistan assumed chairmanship of SCO for 2021-22.
This was the first SCO Summit .... Read More
+ First India-Nordic-Baltic Conclave
On November 5, 2020, the first tri-group- India-Nordic-Baltic Conclave was held virtually. The title of the summit was‘India-Nordic Summit: Shared Values, Mutual Prosperity’.
The Conclave focused on clean technologies and renewable energies, Artificial Intelligence, supply chain logistics and block chain led transformation.
This Tri-Conclave was jointly hosted by Foreign Affairs Ministry and .... Read More
News Bytes
+ MoU between India-Kazakhstan
India and Kazakhstan held 7thround of foreign office consultations virtually on November 17, 2020. Both countries have signed a Memorandum of understanding on “Indian Grant Assistance for Implementation of High Impact Community Projects in Kazakhstan”.
During the consultations, the countries reviewed their bilateral cooperation within the framework of their strategic partnership. .... Read More
PIB CORNER
+ PIB Corner
‘Mission Sagar-II’
As part of ‘Mission Sagar-II’, Indian Naval Ship Airavat is engaged to supply food aid to Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea.
It follows the first ‘Mission Sagar’ undertaken in May-June 2020, wherein India reached out to Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros, and provided food aid and medicines.
Mauritius, .... Read More
World Issues
+ New Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Armenia and Azerbaijan have signed a peace deal on November 10, 2020, to end the ongoing conflict between both countries. According to the deal, the countries will maintain positions in the areas where they currently hold.
Russia intervened and negotiated a new peace deal between the two countries as they have .... Read More
+ Governance Reforms Approved by Russia
Russia has adopted new governance reforms on November 17, 2020. The new Reforms are to begin from 1 January 2021 and proposed to be completed by April 1, 2021.
Major Reforms
A. Administrative Office
According to the reforms, the staff within the central administrative office is to be reduced by 5%.
The staff within .... Read More
+ Defence Pact: Japan and Australia
Japan and Australia have signed a landmark defence deal on November 17, 2020 in an attempt to counter China's growing influence in the South China and Indo Pacific region. The deal is named as Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA).
Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA)
RAA will allow Japanese and Australian troops to visit each .... Read More
+ Civil War in Ethiopian
The Ethiopian government has declared war on the country’s Tigray region, which is ruled by the powerful Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), in response to its attack on a federal military base in Tigray.The conflict escalated when Tigrayan forces in northern Ethiopia fired rockets across the border into Eritrea.
Background of .... Read More
+ CARAT: Naval Exercise between Bangladesh and USA
The USA and Bangladesh navies have conducted a joint naval exerciseCARAT (Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training), which began on 4 November, 2020 to expand relationships and broaden maritime cooperation between the two nations.
The exercise demonstrates US’s continuing commitment to work with the Bangladesh military to address shared maritime security concerns .... Read More
Astronomy
+ Hayabusa 2: Samples from Asteroid Ryugu
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency or JAXA’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft is all set to land on Earth. The craft is bringing soil samples from an asteroid called Ryugu and is expected to land in a remote location in Australia by 5th December.
Hayabusa 2
Hayabusa 2 is a Japanese mission launched in December .... Read More
+ Change-5 Lunar Mission
On 24th November 2020, China successfully landed a probe Chang’e-5on the moon.Chang’e-5 lunar mission will become the first probe in over four decades to bring back samples of lunar rock from a previously unexplored portion of the Moon. It will collect the first lunar samples gathered since the Soviet Union’s .... Read More
Bio Science
+ Desalination: A Panacea for Water Scarcity
Recently,the government decided to set up a desalination plant in Mumbai. The plant is being set up to overcome the problem of water shortage faced by the city in summer.
The proposed plant will come up at Manori and is expected to process 200 million litres of water daily (MLD).
The .... Read More
+ mRNA Vaccines for COVID-19
Recently, a rush of interim analyses from pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech has spurred optimism that a novel type of vaccine made from messenger RNA, known as mRNA, can offer high levels of protection by preventing COVID-19 among people who are vaccinated.
Moderna’s new mRNA vaccine is almost 94.5% effective in .... Read More
Defence
+ QRSAM Tested Successfully
Recently, a second consecutive successful trial of the indigenously developed Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) was conducted by the DRDO, proving the performance parameters of the accuracy of missile system and capability of missile warhead.The successful tests have paved the way for induction of QRSAM Weapon Systems into .... Read More
+ Sea Guardian Drones for Indian Navy
Recently, the Indian Navy has inducted two MQ-9B Sea Guardian unarmed drones procured from the U.S. on lease,under the emergency procurement in the backdrop of tensions with China in Ladakh.
The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 has introduced an option for leasing military platforms.Similarly, at the 2+2 dialogue with the U.S., .... Read More
+ Varunastra
First Production unit of Heavy Weight Torpedo (HWT), Varunastra, being produced by BDL Vishakhapatnam for Indian Navy was flagged off on 21 November 2020 giving a major boost to AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
It has been inducted by the Indian Navy in 2016.
DRDO’s Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL) has designed and developed .... Read More
In Focus
+ First Observation of Fast Radio Burst in Galaxy
After more than a decade of detective work, astronomers have found the source and genesis of fast radio bursts, or FRBs. NASA has observed a mix of X-ray and radio signals, never observed before in the Milky Way. Therefore, it is the first fast radio burst (FRB) seen within the .... Read More
New Initiatives
+ Centre Launches Initiativesfor Data Ecosystem of Cities
On 4th November 2020, government has launched two new initiatives, namely, the Data Maturity Assessment Framework to evaluate data ecosystems of cities; and an on-line training programme for City Data Officers (CDOs) of 100 Smart Cities.
Data Maturity Assessment Framework
The Data Maturity Assessment Framework (DMAF) - cycle-2 will support cities .... Read More
News Bytes
+ Extended Range Version of BrahMos Missile
Recently, DRDO has planned for the development of an extended range version of BrahMos missile. The successful testing of the 400-km range of BrahMos was conducted in September 2020.
A hypersonic version of the missile which flies at over five times the speed of sound is under progress and the target .... Read More
+ Crew 1 Mission
Satellite to Detect Cannabis Cultivation The Odisha Space Application Centre (OSAC) has proposed to help law enforcement agencies detect the illicit cannabis cultivation in remote areas of the state, using remote sensing and artificial intelligence technologies. High resolution satellite imagery will be used for detecting .... Read More
+ nOPV 2 Vaccine
Recently WHO has listed the nOPV2 vaccine (manufactured by Bio Farma, Indonesia) for emergency use to address the rising cases of a vaccine-derived polio strain in a number of African and East Mediterranean countries. Countries in WHO’s Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions are also affected by these outbreaks.
It is .... Read More
+ Dry Swab RT-PCR Test
CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has got the permission of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to commercially use the ‘game changing technology’ of dry swab RNA-extraction free testing method for the COVID-19 virus. It will help public health authorities to scale up the testing at .... Read More
+ Microwave Weapon
Recently, there was a misinformation campaign that China had used microwave weapons in eastern Ladakh, where Indian and Chinese soldiers are locked in a border standoff for the last six months. But Indian Army has dismissed these reports and termed them fake and baseless. Microwave weapons are electromagnetic weapons .... Read More
PIB CORNER
+ PIB Corner
IMO Recognizes Indian Navigation System
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has recognized Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) as a part of the World Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS).
Now India has become the fourth country in the world to have its independent regional navigation satellite system recognised by IMO.
The other three .... Read More
Security
+ 43 New Chinese Apps Banned in India
On 24th November 2020,the government of India has blocked 43 new Chinese mobile apps in the country, including shopping website Ali Express, over privacy concerns. The order was issued based on comprehensive reports received from Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center, Ministry of Home Affairs.
Highlights of the Order
The Ministry of Electronics .... Read More
+ Conference on Criminal Finance and Cryptography
Recently, the 4th virtual Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies was organized by the Interpol, Europol and the Basel Institute on Governance.
The conference is an initiative of the Working group on Crypto-currencies and Cash Laundering and it was established in 2016 by the three organizations for strengthening best practices .... Read More
Space Organisations
+ Sentinel-6A Satellite
Recently, the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite was launched from the Vandenberg Air Force base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It has been named after Dr. Michael Freilich, who was the Director of NASA’s Earth Science Division from 2006-2019 and passed away in August 2020.
It is designed .... Read More
+ Ariel Space Mission
Recently, the ARIEL (Atmospheric Remote-sensing Exoplanet Large-survey) mission was announced by the European Space Agency (ESA) for its next science mission due for launch in 2028.
Key Points
The goal of the ARIEL mission is to investigate the atmospheres of several hundreds of planets orbiting distant stars in order to address the .... Read More
Climate Change
+ Brown Carbon ‘Tarballs’ Detectedin Himalayan Atmosphere
Recently a team of scientists from Zhejiang University detected tarballs in the air samples taken at a remote, high-altitude research station in the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau on the northern slope of the Himalayas.
Key Findings
The researchers found that nearly 28 per cent of the particles collected from the air samples were tarballs.
The .... Read More
+ Government Constitutes Apex Committee For Implementation of Paris Agreement
The Government of India has constituted the Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA) on November 27, 2020, through a gazette notification.
AIPA has been constituted with the purpose of ensuring a coordinated response on climate change matters that protects the country’s interests and ensures that India is .... Read More
Disaster Management
+ Typhoon Goni: Asia’s Most Powerful Tropical Storm in 2020
Typhoon Goni, known as Rolly in the Phillipines, made landfall in the eastern Philippines recently almost a week after the Typhoon Molave which barrelled through the same region. Typhoon Goni was the strongest storm to have occurred anywhere in the world so far this year with wind speeds of up .... Read More
+ Cyclone Nivar
Cyclone Nivar originating in Bay of Bengal , barrelled through Tamil Nadu with windspeeds close to 125-145 kmph recently.April-June and October-December are India’s cyclone seasons.
Nivar was named by Iran according to the tropical cyclone naming convention.
Another cyclone named ‘Burevi’ (suggested by Maldives), brewing in the southeast region of the Bay .... Read More
Flora And Fauna
+ Five New Species of Vine Snakes Discovered in Peninsular India
A team of researchers from the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES) of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) recently discovered five new species of vine snakes during their study in various parts of peninsular India.
Key Findings
The team discovered that the common green vine snake (Ahaetullanasuta) in India was a complex .... Read More
+ New Frog Genus Found in Andamans
Scientists and researchers from the University of Delhi and the Zoological Survey of India, Indonesia, Thailand and China have discovered a genus of tree frog found in the Andaman islands and the northeast.
Key Observations
The new genus ‘Rohanixalus’ is named after Sri Lankan taxonomist Rohan Pethiyagoda.
This finding uncovers an interesting .... Read More
In Focus
+ New Research Identifies 'Triple Trouble' for Mangrove Coasts
A study regarding the mangrove coverage was recently published in Environmental Research Letters which revealed that mangroves forests, their large biodiversity and the coastal protection they provide are under pressure from three distinct threats -- sea-level rise, lack of mud and squeezed habitatsbut still there is hope to salvage them.
The .... Read More
News Bytes
+ First Snow Leopard Census Starts in Uttarakhand
India has launched its first ever census of the rare and elusive snow leopard population that mainly inhabits the higher reaches of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand but is also found in Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
The scientific estimate is being carried out by the Uttarakhand Forest department .... Read More
+ Panna Tiger Reserve Declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO
Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradeshhas been included in the global network of biosphere reserves by UNESCO under its Man and Biosphere Programme recently.The UNESCO’s recognition cited PTR as a critical tiger habitat. The area has undergone substantial ecosystem restoration in the buffer zone. With only three urban centres .... Read More
+ India’s First Moss Inaugurated Garden in Uttarakhand
The first ever moss garden in the country, spread across an area of around 10 hectares, was recently inaugurated in Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The garden was approved in July 2019 under the CAMPA (State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) scheme by the Research Advisory Committee of .... Read More
+ Four More Biodiversity Heritage Sites For Karnataka
The Karnataka Biodiversity Board has decided to declare four more areas in the State as biodiversity heritage sites.
Biodiversity heritage sites are considered unique and fragile ecosystems that can be marine ecosystems, coastal and inland waters, or terrestrial areas.
Notifying an area as biodiversity heritage site will help protect the rich and .... Read More
+ National Water Awards 2019
Tamil Nadu was adjudged the best state in water conservation effort by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, at the 2019 National Water Awards.Maharashtrawas the second best state in water conservation efforts, whereas Rajasthan settled for third position. In the same category, .... Read More
+ India Climate Change Knowledge Portal
Minister of Environment,Forest and Climate Change launched the India Climate Change Knowledge Portal on 28th November. The portal will have all the major steps the Government is taking at both national and international levels to address the climate change issues.It will be a single-point information resource that provides information on .... Read More
PIB CORNER
+ PIB Corner
Roridomycesphyllostachydis: A New Species of Bioluminescent Mushrooms
A mushroom documentation project in the forests of Northeast India led to a new discovery: a bioluminescentor light emitting variety of mushroom.
The new species named Roridomycesphyllostachydis was first sighted in August in Meghalaya's Mawlynnong in East Khasi Hills district and later at Krang .... Read More
Sustainable Development
+ State of Food and Agriculture 2020 Report
About 1.2 billion people globally experienced very high levels of water stress, according to a flagship report ‘ State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2020’ published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on November 26, 2020.
Highlights of the Report
Some 520 million of the 1.2 billion people lived in rural .... Read More
+ Sustainable Peatland Management Can Prevent Future Pandemics: Study
Sustainably managing peatlands — peat-swamp forests found around the tropics — can protect humans from future pandemics, according to a new study titled ‘Tropical peatlands and their conservation are important in the context of COVID-19 and potential future (zoonotic) disease pandemics’.
Key Observations
Peatlands are rich in biodiversity, including many potential vertebrate .... Read More
+ MNRE Proposes Scheme for Development of Wind-Solar Hybrid Parks
The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has sought comments and feedback before November 28 on its concept note for the Scheme-Development of Wind Parks/Wind-Solar Hybrid Parks in the country.
Reason for New Proposal
The concept note aims to address a key issue faced by renewable energy projects, in particular .... Read More
+ Lonar lake, Sur Sarovar Declared as Ramsar sites
Lonar Lake, the only crater lake of country in Maharashtra and Sur Sarovar, also known as Keetham Lake, in Agra, have been added to the list of recognised Ramsar sites.
Now India has 41 wetlands, the highest in South Asia.
About the Sites
Lonar Lake is an endorheic or closed basin, almost circular .... Read More
+ WWF Identifies 100 Cities, Including 30 In India, Facing ‘Severe Water Risk’ By 2050
A hundred cities worldwide, including 30 in India, face the risk of ‘severe water scarcity’ by 2050, according to a recent report by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Key Findings
The cities would face a ‘grave water risk’ by 2050 due to a dramatic increase in their population percentage to 51 .... Read More
+ WII Survey Finds High Biodiversity in almost Half of the Ganga Main River
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in the second phase of its survey of the entire main stem of the Ganga river (the main river without its tributaries), has found that 49 per cent of the river has high biodiversity and that biodiversity sightings, including of the Gangetic Dolphin and .... Read More
Parliament Q & A
+ Artificial Intelligence
Question by: Jayant Sinha
The steps taken by the Government to boost the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector in the country;
The objectives that the Global Partnership on AI seeks to achieve; and
The steps taken by the Government to empower the youth with AI skill- set?
Answer by: Minister of State for Electronics and .... Read More
+ Trial by Media
Question by: Manish Tewari
Whether the Government has taken note of increasing spectre of trials by the Media in matters that are still in the process of being investigated under the relevant provisions of the IPC & CRPC and if so, the details thereof;
Whether government has received any complaints/representations .... Read More
+ Informal and Unorganised Sector
Question by: Feroze Varun Gandhi
whether the Government maintains a distinction between ‘informal ‘and ‘unorganised‘ sector;
if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
the total number of unorganised and informal workforce and its proportion to the total workforce and the percentage of working females employed in the unorganised or .... Read More
+ Poverty of Farmers
Question by: Devendrappa Y
whether the reason for poverty of farmers is low productivity (yield per hectare) of all major crops in the country;
if so, the details thereof and the reasons for low productivity of agriculture in the country;
whether the increase in agricultural productivity requires greater investment in farm inputs; and
if .... Read More
Map Study
+ Ethiopia
The recent conflict between Ethiopia and Tigrayans (The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF)), which controls the mountainous region, is now converting in to a civil war in Ethiopia and it has now started impacting the whole Horn of Africa.
Location
Ethiopia is located in the North Eastern part of the African continent .... Read More
On the Hot Seat
Girish Chandra Murmu
The Comptroller & Auditor General of India Girish Chandra Murmu has been elected as External Auditor of Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) for three years.
The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Shashi Shekhar Vempati
The CEO of Prasar Bharti, Shashi Shekhar Vempati has been .... Read More
Faces Only in Memory
Soumitra Chatterjee
Winner of Dadasaheb Phalke award (2012), Padma Bhushan (2004), Soumitra Chatterjee has passed away.
He was the first Indian film personality to be conferred with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France’s highest award for artists established by Napoleon Bonaparte.
‘Apur Sansar’ was the first film of Soumitra Chatterjee .... Read More
States in News
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa - Best governed States: PAI
The Public Affairs Index-2020 report was released on 30th October 2020 by a Bengaluru-based not-for-profit organisation Public Affairs Centre.
The annual report on governance considers three broad parameters — equity, growth and sustainability.
Former ISRO chairman, Dr K Kasturirangan, is the chairman of .... Read More
Places in News
Tristan da Cunha
It is an isolated UK Overseas Territory, which is home to the world's most remote human settlement, has been declared the largest fully protected marine reserves in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara will be the 31st district of Karnataka.
Recently, the Karnataka cabinet has approved this proposal which will be .... Read More
Study/Survey/Report
Arunachal records Best Sex Ratio at Birth: CRS Data
Arunachal Pradesh recorded the Highest Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) in the country with 1,084 females born per thousand males according to a recent release by the office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India - ‘Vital Statistics on India .... Read More
Defence
Vagir: India’s 5th Stealth Submarine
The Indian Navy has launched Scorpene class submarine Vagir.
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vagir is the fifth among the six Kalvari-class submarines being constructed by the public sector shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai.
The other vessels in the class are INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, .... Read More
Summit/Seminar
Asean Summit
The 37th ASEAN Summit was organised through video-conference during November 12 to 15, 2020.
Viet Nam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired ASEAN 2020.
Brunei Darussalam will assume the ASEAN Chairmanship for 2021.
About ASEAN
ASEAN is a regional grouping that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation.
It was founded in Bangkok, .... Read More
Miscellaneous
Nyay Kaushal
It is India’s first-ever e-resource centre that has been inaugurated at Judicial Officers Training Institute in Maharashtra’s Nagpur.
It will facilitate e-filling of cases in Supreme Court, any High court and district courts across the country.
100 years of All India Trade Union Congress
The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) was .... Read More
World of Awards
Booker Prize for Fiction
Scottish writer Douglas Stuart has won the Booker Prize for Fiction for his first novel ‘Shuggie Bain’.
In 2019, Margaret Atwood won this award for her novel ‘The Testaments’.
The Booker Prize for Fiction, formerly known as the Booker–McConnell Prize (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a .... Read More
World of Sports
Diego Maradona
One of the greatest footballers of all time, Diego Maradona has passed away. He was the captain when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
Maradona along with Pele won the FIFA Player of the Century award created by FIFA to decide the greatest football player of the 20th .... Read More
Gilgit-Baltistan Dispute and Impact on India
Introduction
On November 1, observed as Independence Day in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan’s Prime Minister announced his government’s plan to grant provisional provincial status to the region, in turn making it the fifth province of Pakistan despite India’s contentions and claim over the territory.
Gilgit-Baltistan is an autonomous region and part of .... Read More
Manual Scavengers-India’s Not So Hidden Workers
Sometimes, certain things are so common that people do not flinch a bit even if the law of the land says the act is illegal. People go about their daily routine all too oblivious of the harsh reality of our country, that still thousands of people go to work as .... Read More
Bioterrorism and Related Concerns for India
Covid-19 pandemic has impacted several people across the globe.Some intelligence agencies initially proclaimed that coronavirus occurred naturally from bats but later on, they claimed that the pandemic might have begun from the Wuhan lab in China after the researchers were probably able to figure out how bat coronaviruses could mutate .... Read More
Model Solved Paper Mains 2020
Mains
+ 1.Munich Pact, instead of easing tensions proved to be the last act of appeasement by Imperialist nations towards Fascism. Comment.
Approach of the Answer Introduction:Introduce by stating the parties involved in the agreement and the motive behind signing the agreement. Body:State how the agreement was meant to ease tensions and avoid another war. Conclusion:Illustrate how the agreement acted as last act of appeasement and Conclude appropriately. Munich Pact was signed between Germany’s Hitler, Italy’s Mussolini, Britain’s Chamberlin and France’s Daladier. In the agreement, it was decided to give Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland to Germany as Hitler demanded it saying that it was mostly inhabited by Germans. Munich Pact was expected to ease brewing tensions in Europe –It was conceded on one condition .... Read More
Case Study
+ Case Study
International nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are major players on the world stage. They fund human rights projects, actively participate in issues of global as well as local concern and undertake humanitarian work in foreign lands. They work in cooperative networks with each other, with local NGOs, and with international organizations. They consult and lobby governments and international organizations, sometimes participating in high level negotiations and diplomacy for global policy development. They cooperate and negotiate with economic and political organizations in the field for the implementation of their projects, whether this be monitoring or assistance. In short, they are generating a new .... Read More
Data Protection Framework of India
The 21st century has witnessed such an explosive rise in the number of ways in which we use information, that it is widely referred to as 'the information age'. It is believed that by 2020, the global volume of digital data we create is expected to reach 44 zettabytes. Much .... Read More
Agritech in India: Challenges and Opportunities
India’s digital ecosystem is witnessing healthy tailwinds such as affordability and availability of high speed internet and maturing digital content ecosystem. The confluence of these factors presents an exciting opportunity for innovation in agricultural ecosystem, wherein market players can leverage next generation technology such as data digitization and data platforms, .... Read More
Social Capitalin the Times of Pandemic
Novel coronavirus is one of the greatest healthcare and economic crises of our time that is affecting the lives, health outcomes, and livelihoods of people around the globe. Policymakers and health experts around the world have asked their populations to limit social contacts and follow strict hygiene and distance recommendations, .... Read More
Socio-economic Impact of Recent Scientific Technologies
A.Block Chain Technology
Blockchain is a new data structure that is secure, cryptography-based, and distributed across a network. The technology supports crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin, and the transfer of any data or digital asset.
Blockchain is the basis of bitcoins, it is a digital public ledger that records every transaction. It removes .... Read More
Status of Digital Payments in India
In India's journey towards becoming a cashless economy, two words and their impact played a significant role, 'demonetization' and 'COVID-19'. One laid out the foundation of digital payments and another became the main source to build up the digital payments ecosystem.
As per the recent forecasting done by Accenture and released .... Read More
Government Missions and their Achievements
Health Sector
National Digital Health Mission
On the eve of 74th Independence Day (15th August 2020), Indian Prime Minister launched the National Digital Health Mission(NDHM).
Need
Less Record Keeping: The health records situation in India is as fragmented as its healthcare market. Public and private hospitals often have varying technological capacity. The issue .... Read More
Gig Economy in India
The gig economy is part of a crucial transformation occurring in India’s work landscape, and ride-hailing companies are examples of platforms on which “gigs” can be found. The Indian ride-hailing market was projected to grow by 15.5 percent until 2023; the COVID-19 pandemic, however, has disrupted the trajectory.
Gig Economy
Gig economy .... Read More
