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CONTENTS
POLITY
1. Appointment of Governor……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4
2. Interlinking of rivers…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
3. NOTA in RS elections…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...6
4. TRIFED…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….6
5. WHAT IS NATIONAL DISASTER – LAWS & CONVENTIONS……………………………………………………………………..7
6. Proxy voting…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7
7. Article 35 A…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8
8. Finance Commission …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….9
ECONOMY
1. Public credit registry……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………11
2. Bailout………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...11
3. Rcep…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….12
4. Trade between India and Pakistan……………………………………………………………………………………………………….13
5. World Bank issues Blockchain Bonds………………………………………………………………………………………………..….13
ENVIRONMENT
1. Zero budget Natural Farming……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….15
2. Air pollution…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……15
3. Ban on petcoke……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..15
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
1. Microcrystal gold………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17
2. Curb on fake news………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………17
3. Chandrayaan – 1……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………….17
4. 3D-Printed reefs………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………..……..18
5. Osiris REx……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………..…..19
6. Data Localization………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………19
DEFENCE
1. HELINA…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………21
2. SAAW…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………..…21
3. MAITREE 2018………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………….….21
4. EXERCISE PITCH BLACK…………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………….…..21
5. SCO peace mission 2018…………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………….…..22
MISCELLANEOUS
1. MoveHack……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..23
2. Cyclone warning centre……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..23
3. International Buddha conclave………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…23
4. PM Awas Yojana……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….24
5. E-court………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…....25
6. Poshan Abhiyan……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…..25
7. NABARD Study………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..….26
8. BIMSTEC……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…....26
9. ILO’s India wage report…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….…..27
10. UDAN (international) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..….28
11. BRU people of Mizoram…..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...….29
12. Earthquake swarm…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….…..30
KURUKSHETRA – Creating efficient transport infrastructure for inclusive growth……………………………………31
YOJANA – Social change among SCs & STs…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….32
MOCK TEST……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….32-36
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POLITY
1. APPOINTMENT OF GOVERNOR
CONTEXT : President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed seven new governors.
ABOUT GOVERNOR :
The Governor is the nominal head of a state, while the Chief Minister is the executive head. All executive actions of
the state are taken in the name of the Governor. The Governor is dismissed by the President, at whose pleasure he
holds the office.
Unlike the President, the Governor does not have any diplomatic or military powers.
EXECUTIVE POWERS
A. The Governor has the power to appoint the Council of Ministers including the Chief Minister of the state, the
Advocate General and the members of the State Public Service Commission.
B. The Governor is consulted by the President in the appointment of the Judges of the state High Court. The
Governor appoints Judges of the District Courts.
C. In case the Governor feels that the Anglo-Indian community has not been adequately represented in the
Vidhan Sabha, he can nominate one member of the community to the Legislative Assembly of the state.
LEGISLATIVE POWERS
A. He has the right of addressing and sending messages, summoning, deferring and dissolving the State
Legislature.
B. The Governor inaugurates the state legislature and the first session of each year, by addressing the
Assembly, outlining the new administrative policies of the ruling government.
C. The Governor lays before the State Legislature, the annual financial statement and also makes demands for
grants and recommendation of ‘Money Bills’.
D. The Governor constitutes the State Finance Commission. He also holds the power to make advances out of
the Contingency Fund of the State in the case of any unforeseen circumstances.
E. The Governor has the power to promulgate an ordinance when the Legislative Assembly is not in session.
JUDICIAL
F. The Governor can grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remission of punishments. He can also suspend,
remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of an offence against the law.
EMERGENCY POWERS
A. In case no political party bags a majority in the Vidhan Sabha of the state, the Governor holds the power to
use his discretion to select the Chief Minister.
B. The Governor informs the President in an official report, of a particular emergency arisen in the state, and
imposes ‘President’s Rule’ on the behalf of the President. The Governor, in such circumstances, overrides the
advice or functions of the Council of Ministers, and directs upon himself, the workings of the state.
2. INTERLINKING OF RIVERS (ILR)
CONTEXT : Union Minister for Water Resources has stressed on the need to develop consensus amongst the
concerned states on interlinking of rivers.
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WHAT’S THE VISION :
A. The river interlinking projects envisage that the surplus water available in Himalayan Rivers be transferred to
the areas where water supply is not adequate in the Peninsular India.
B. As per the National Water Development Agency (NWDA), the Brahmaputra and the Ganga, particularly their
northern tributaries; the Mahanadi, the Godavari, and the west-flowing rivers originating from the Western
Ghats are found to be surplus in water resources.
INTERLINKING OF RIVER (ILR) PROGRAMME :
- The project is being managed by India's National Water Development Agency (NWDA), under the Union
Ministry of Water Resources.
- The overall implementation of ILR program under National Perspective Plan (NPP) would give benefits of 35
million hectares of irrigation, raising the ultimate irrigation potential from 140 million hectare to 175 million
hectare and generation of 34,000 megawatt of power, apart from the incidental benefits of flood control,
navigation, water supply, fisheries, salinity and pollution control etc.
- The project has plans to interlink more than 60 rivers across India, including the Ganges, aiming to reduce
floods in some parts and water shortages in other parts of the country.
- It includes 5 projects namely :
a) Ken-Betwa link project
b) Damanganga-Pinjal link project
c) Par-Tapi-Narmada link project
d) Godavari-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link project
e) Parvati-Kali Sindhu-Chambal link
NWDA:
- NWDA, a Registered Society under the Ministry of Water Resources, was set up in the year 1982.
- It carries out detailed survey about the quantum of water in various Peninsular River Systems and
Himalayan River Systems which can be transferred to other basins/States after meeting the reasonable
needs of the basin/States in the foreseeable future.
- It implements the projects either of its own or through an appointed agency or Company.
BENEFITS :
A) Huge quantities of water from several Peninsular rivers drain unutilized into the sea, and river interlinking
projects are seriously looking at transfer of this water to water deficit areas of Peninsular India.
B) If water from surplus areas can be transferred to deficit areas, drought in those areas can be mitigated,
agricultural production could be increased, resulting in the upliftment of socio-economic profile of the
society.
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C) It will also result into reduction in disaster during floods, improved irrigation facilities, employment
generation in rural agriculture, and increase in exports and decrease in migration from villages.
D) River interlinking projects are very important for enhancing water and food security of the country. It is one
of the most effective ways to increase the irrigation potential.
CONCERNS :
A) Displacement and rehabilitation concerns - those who were evicted for the construction of the Bhakra and
the Pong dams, two of the oldest in India, have still not been fully rehabilitated.
B) Massive civil works will be involved, therefore vast sums of money will be required.
C) Environmentalists, hydrologists and economists around the world have expressed deep concerns at the
irreversible damage that this sort of a mega project can do to the country’s environment.
3. NOTA IN RAJYA SABHA ELECTIONS
CONTEXT : The Supreme Court criticised the Election Commission for introducing NOTA in Rajya Sabha elections.
WHAT IS NOTA : The Supreme Court, in September last year, upheld the right of voters to reject all candidates
contesting the elections, saying it would go a long way in cleansing the political system of the country. The apex
court directed the Election Commission to have an option of 'None Of The Above' (NOTA) on the electronic voting
machines (EVMs) and ballot papers in a major electoral reform.
HOW IS A NOTA VOTE CAST : The EVMs have the NOTA option at the end of the candidates' list.
SUPREME COURT’S VERDICT:
A. SC held that the NOTA option is meant only for universal adult suffrage and direct elections and not polls
held by the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote as done in the
Rajya Sabha.
B. The idea behind having an open ballot voting system in polls for the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Councils
was to restrain cross-voting due to corrupt practices, SC held.
C. The bench also said that a lawmaker has to vote according to the directions of his or her party in such polls
where preferences have to be disclosed on party lines and the voter cannot say that he would give first
preference to a candidate and then give NOTA.
D. Whether to vote and not to vote falls under the domain of the member of the house and the Election
Commission cannot issue notification giving NOTA option.
E. Fundamental right of freedom of speech and expressions can be curtailed on the ground of morality, SC said,
adding that MLAs are bound by the decisions of their respective parties.
4. TRIFED
CONTEXT : TRIFED makes record procurement and sale of tribal products in July.
ABOUT TRIFED : Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) is a national-level
apex organization functioning, since 1987, under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
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WHAT ARE ITS OBJECTIVES : It is striving to promote the economic development of the Tribal communities of the
country through marketing development and sustained upgradation of their skills and products. TRIFED’s sole
objective is to bring about a multi-dimensional transformation of the tribal society and a shift in the perception of
their existing image.
WHAT DOES IT DO : It is involved in capacity building, imparting need-based trainings, exploring marketing
possibilities for products in national as well as international markets, brand building & creating opportunities for
marketing on sustainable basis.
5. NATIONAL DISASTER
CONTEXT : The devastation caused by the floods in Kerala has led to calls from political leaders in Kerala that the
floods be declared a national calamity.
WHAT IS A DISASTER : As per the Disaster Management Act, 2005, “disaster” means a catastrophe, mishap, calamity
or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or man-made causes, or by accident or negligence which results
in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of, property, or damage to, or
degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the
community of the affected area.
WHAT IS A NATURAL DISASTER : A natural disaster includes earthquake, flood, landslide, cyclone, tsunami, urban
flood, heatwave; a man-made disaster can be nuclear, biological and chemical.
HOW CAN ANY OF THESE BE CLASSIFIED AS A NATIONAL DISASTER : There is no provision, executive or legal, to
declare a natural calamity as a national calamity.
HOW, THEN, DOES THE GOVERNMENT CLASSIFY DISASTERS/CALAMITIES : The 10th Finance Commission (1995-
2000) examined a proposal that a disaster be termed “a national calamity of rarest severity” if it affects one-third of
the population of a state.
The panel did not define a “calamity of rare severity” but stated that a calamity of rare severity would necessarily
have to be adjudged on a case-to-case basis.
The flash floods in Uttarakhand and Cyclone Hudhud were later classified as calamities of “severe nature”.
WHAT HAPPENS IF A CALAMITY IS SO DECLARED : When a calamity is declared to be of “rare severity”/”severe
nature”, support to the state government is provided at the national level.
The Centre also considers additional assistance from the NDRF.
A Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) is set up, with the corpus shared 3:1 between Centre and state. When resources in the
CRF are inadequate, additional assistance is considered from the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF), funded
100% by the Centre.
6. PROXY VOTING
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CONTEXT : During the recent monsoon session, Lok Sabha passed a Bill that proposes to allow non-resident Indians
to use proxies to cast votes on their behalf in Indian elections.
CURRENT SCENARIO : Voting in an Indian election can be done in three ways — in person, by post and through a
proxy. Under proxy voting, a registered elector can delegate his voting power to a representative.
WHAT’S IN THE BILL : The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2017, proposes to amend Section 60 and
extend the facility of proxy voting to Indian voters living abroad.
According to a UN report of 2015, India’s diaspora population is the largest in the world at 16 million.
NOMINATION OF PROXIES : It is not clear yet how NRIs will nominate their proxies. The Election Commission will lay
down the procedure by amending the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, after the Bill is passed by both Houses of
Parliament.
DO OTHER COUNTRIES ALLOW EXPATRIATES TO VOTE : Many countries allow expatriates to vote, with different
rules. American expatriates can vote for federal office candidates in primary and general elections, irrespective of
how long they have been living abroad.
7. ARTICLE 35A
WHAT IS ARTICLE 35A : It is a constitutional provision that allows the Jammu-Kashmir assembly to define
permanent residents of the state.
According to the Jammu-Kashmir constitution, a Permanent Resident is defined as a person who was a state subject
on May 14, 1954, or who has been residing in the state for a period of 10 years, and has “lawfully acquired
immovable property in the state”.
WHEN WAS ARTICLE 35A INTRODUCED : It was brought in by a presidential order in 1954 in order to safeguard the
rights and guarantee the unique identity of the people of Jammu-Kashmir.
Only the Jammu-Kashmir assembly can change the definition of PR through a law ratified by a two-thirds majority.
VIEWS/COUNTER VIEWS : The view from the Right is that by striking down Article 35A, it would allow people from
outside Jammu-Kashmir to settle in the state and acquire land and property, and the right to vote, thus altering the
demography of the Muslim-majority state.
The state’s two main political parties contend that there would be no J&K left if this provision is tampered with, and
have vowed to fight the battle together.
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8. 15th FINANCE COMMISSION
CONTEXT : The need to resolve intra-State inequalities, and an orderly fashion of urbanization were among the
many issues touched upon during the 15th Finance Commission’s second consultation with leading economists and
experts in the city.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MEETING
1. There is urgent need to increase funds and resources to Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and strengthening
Panchayati Raj Institutions.
2. Stressed on the importance of encouraging urbanisation in an orderly manner to facilitate balanced socio-
economic development.
3. Contemporary population data would be useful for the purpose of devolution.
4. It emphasized on the need to balance equity with efficiency, noting that the taxation capacity of states and
any formula on devolution needs to be formed by equity, justice and uniformity.
FINANCE COMMISSION : The Finance Commission is a constitutional body formed every five years to give
suggestions on centre-state financial relations. Each Finance Commission is required to make recommendations on:
(i) sharing of central taxes with states, (ii) distribution of central grants to states,(iii) measures to improve the
finances of states to supplement the resources of panchayats and municipalities, and (iv) any other matter referred
to it.
15TH FINANCE COMMISSION : The 15th Finance Commission constituted in November 2017 will recommend central
transfers to states. It has also been mandated to:
(i) review the impact of the 14th Finance Commission recommendations on the fiscal position of the
centre.
(ii) review the debt level of the centre and states, and recommend a roadmap.
(iii) study the impact of GST on the economy; and
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(iv) recommend performance-based incentives for states based on their efforts to control population,
promote ease of doing business, and control expenditure on populist measures, among others.
ROLE OF FC: The centre collects majority of the tax revenue as it enjoys scale economies in the collection of certain
taxes. States have the responsibility of delivering public goods in their areas due to their proximity to local issues and
needs.
Sometimes, this leads to states incurring expenditures higher than the revenue generated by them. Further, due to
vast regional disparities some states are unable to raise adequate resources as compared to others. To address these
imbalances, the Finance Commission recommends the extent of central funds to be shared with states.
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ECONOMY
1. PUBLIC CREDIT REGISTRY
ABOUT : RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya said the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, may need to be amended to
facilitate the setting of a public credit registry (PCR).
WHAT IS PCR : the PCR is planned as an extensive database of credit information for all credit products in the
country from point of origination of credit to its termination.
BENEFITS OF PCR :
A. To provide lenders with a 360 degree view of the borrower’s outstanding credits and past performance.
B. Allow better screening at the time of providing credit and superior monitoring during the life of the
borrowing.
ISSUES ASSOCIATED : The RBI as a statutory corporation can only engage in those activities that are permitted by
the RBI Act, or other relevant legislation, creates complications. Since no financing activity is contemplated for the
proposed PCR, it might be difficult to label PCR as a ‘financial institution’.
2. BAILOUT
CONTEXT : Greece exits its third bailout.
BAILOUT EXPLAINED : Bailout is a general term for extending financial support to a company or a country facing a
potential bankruptcy threat. It can take the form of loans, cash, bonds, or stock purchases.
A bailout may or may not require reimbursement and is often accompanied by greater government oversee and
regulations. The reason for bailout is to support an industry that may be affecting millions of people internationally
and could be on the verge of bankruptcy due to prolonged financial crises.
BAILOUTS HAVE SEVERAL ADVANTAGES :
A) They ensure continued survival of the entity being rescued under difficult economic circumstances.
B) A complete collapse of the financial system can be avoided, when industries too big to fail start to crumble.
C) The government in these cases steps in to avoid the insolvency of institutions that are needed for the
smooth functioning of the overall markets.
BAILOUTS ALSO HAVE THEIR DISADVANTAGES :
Anticipated bailouts encourage a moral hazard by allowing not only promoters but also other stakeholders
(customers, lenders, suppliers) to take higher-than-recommended risks in financial transactions. This happens
because they start counting on a bailout when things go wrong.
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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BAILOUT & BAIL-IN : A bail-in occurs when the borrower's creditors are forced to bear some
of the burden by having a portion of their debt written off.This approach eliminates some of the risk for taxpayers by
forcing other creditors to share in the pain and suffering.
Bail-ins are ideal in situations where bail-outs are politically difficult or impossible, and creditors aren't keen on the
idea of a liquidation event.
3. RCEP
CONTEXT : India may need to take a view on whether it wants to remain a part of the RCEP that is being negotiated
among 16 countries, including China, before Prime Minister attends the RCEP Summit in Singapore in November
(THE HINDU).
WHAT IS FTA : A free trade agreement (FTA) is a treaty between two or more countries to facilitate trade and
eliminate trade barriers. It aims at eliminating tariffs completely from day one or over a certain number of years.
ABOUT RCEP : Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a free trade deal involving the 10 members
of ASEAN plus its six dialogue partners(India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand).
If it succeeds, RCEP will become the world’s largest trading bloc, accounting for 3.4 billion people with a total Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) of $49.5 trillion.
ROADBLOCKS :
A. In terms of issues, among others, access to generic medicine, ensuring mining profits remain in-country, and
opposition to privatization – particularly in key sectors such as water, energy, transport, and telecoms – are
weighing on negotiators.
B. Another general concern is regarding fears that too many people will be left behind amid an already
established and ever widening wealth gap. That concern is very real too, and one which leaders are taking
more seriously given the populist wave that has been sweeping across some key capitals, including in
Southeast Asia.
INDIA’S CONCERNS :
A. While it would be an important strategic move for India to be part of the world’s largest free trade area, the
high ambitions of its members, including China, and the impact it could have on the Indian industry holds
negotiators back.
B. Agreeing to dismantle tariff barriers for Chinese goods could be disastrous for the industry beyond a limit.
C. ASEAN’s aggressive push to dismantle tariffs on about 90-92 per cent items and reduce tariffs to below 5 per
cent on an additional 7 per cent of items is equally worrying for India; it would expose sensitive items,
including farm and dairy goods, automobiles and steel products, to tariff cuts.
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D. In the investment chapter, too, there are contentious areas such as liberalising based on a negative list
(wherein all items are to be included except those specifically mentioned in a list) and the inclusion of an
Investor State Dispute Settlement mechanism.
This could lead to India getting involved in costly legal suits filed against it by corporates.
A recent NITI Aayog “note” on Free Trade Agreements and their “costs” points out that India’s trade deficit with the
RCEP group (it already has FTAs with the ASEAN, South Korea and Japan) has risen from $9 billion in 2004-05 to over
$80 billion today.
4. TRADE BETWEEN INDIA & PAKISTAN
CONTEXT : Pakistan’s new Prime Minister recently said that “the best way to alleviate poverty and uplift the people
of the subcontinent is to resolve our differences through dialogue and start trading”.
CURRENT STATUS : In FY17, India-Pakistan trade was a mere $2.29 billion, or about 0.35% of India’s overall trade.
India’s trade with much smaller Bhutan is over half that with Pakistan.
POTENTIAL : The Icrier study had identified export potential of $2.2 billion from Pakistan to India, and $9.5 billion
from India to Pakistan per annum.
BOTTLENECKS :
a. Article 1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), 1994, requires every WTO member country
to accord Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to all other member countries. India accorded Pakistan MFN
status in 1996; a Pakistani cabinet decision of November 2, 2011 to reciprocate this, however, remains
unimplemented.
b. In March 2012, Pakistan substituted a “Positive List” of a more than 1,950 tariff lines permitted for import
from India, by a “Negative List” of 1,209 lines that could not be imported.
c. At the Commerce Secretary-level talks in Islamabad, a roadmap was established to move towards full
normalisation of bilateral trade.
However Pakistan’s failure to take the first step of permitting all importable items through the Wagah-Attari
land route (only 137 items are allowed currently), the roadmap has remained unimplemented.
5. WORLD BANK ISSUES BLOCKCHAIN BOND
CONTEXT : The World Bank has launched the first bond on a blockchain with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
MOTIVE : The World Bank has priced the world’s first public bond created and managed using only blockchain in a
A$100 million ($73.16 million) deal designed to test how the technology might improve decades-old bond sales
practices.
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The World Bank, whose bonds carry an AAA rating, regularly uses its borrowing power to help develop new bond
markets as well as pioneering new means for selling and trading the securities.
HAVE SUCH BONDS ISSUED IN THE PAST : Earlier this year Russia’s MTS, a telecoms operator, and Sberbank claimed
a world-first blockchain bond
WHAT IS BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY : A blockchain is a digitized, decentralized, public ledger of all cryptocurrency
transactions.
Constantly growing as ‘completed’ blocks (the most recent transactions) are recorded and added to it in
chronological order, it allows market participants to keep track of digital currency transactions without central
recordkeeping. Each node (a computer connected to the network) gets a copy of the blockchain, which is
downloaded automatically.
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ENVIRONMENT
1. ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING
CONTEXT : The Vice President visited the farm fields and enquired about the practice of Zero budget natural way of
farming at S.N. Palem village of Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh.
WHAT IS ZBNF’S BACKGROUND : ZBNF is a set of farming methods, and also a grassroots peasant movement, which
has spread to various states in India. It has attained wide success in southern India, especially the southern Indian
state of Karnataka where it first evolved.
WHAT DOES ZBNF MEAN : ‘zero budget’ farming promises to end a reliance on loans and drastically cut production
costs, ending the debt cycle for desperate farmers.
The word ‘budget’ refers to credit and expenses, thus the phrase 'Zero Budget' means without using any credit, and
without spending any money on purchased inputs.
'Natural farming' means farming with Nature and without chemicals.
2. AIR POLLUTION
CONTEXT : In a new study that has found that ambient air pollution shortens human lives by more than one year,
India is placed fourth among 185 countries in terms of average years of life expectancy lost due to exposure to
PM2.5.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STUDY :
A. Bangladesh (1.87 years), Egypt (1.85) and Pakistan (1.56) have been found to be at higher risk than India
(1.53 years).
B. The study also estimated that if PM2.5 in all countries met the World Health Organisation’s guideline for air
quality (10 microgrammes per cubic metre), then life expectancy could increase by 0.6 years.
C. In India, if PM2.5 levels were to be reduced from the current 74.1 mg/cu m to 10 mg/cu m, the study
estimated that the potential increments in life expectancy would be a year.
3. BAN ON PETCOKE
CONTEXT : India has banned the import of petcoke for use as fuel, but allowed select shipments for use as feedstock
in certain industries.
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ABOUT : India has come under global scrutiny over petcoke usage contributing to rising pollution levels in many of
its major cities.
As the world’s largest consumer of petcoke, the country gets over half its annual petcoke imports of around 27
million tonnes from the United States. Local producers include Indian Oil Corp, Reliance Industries and Bharat
Petroleum Corp.
According to the Carnegie–Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, India is the world’s biggest consumer of petcoke – or
petroleum coke – a dark solid carbon material that emits 11 per cent more greenhouse gases than coal.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
1. MICROCRYSTAL GOLD
CONTEXT : Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, have
developed a new type of gold in the form of very small crystals — microcystallites.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM REGULAR GOLD :
A. Electron microscopy images revealed that thick copper got deposited on normal gold within minutes, while
no detectable copper was seen on the central portion of the new crystals even after an hour.
B. While normal gold disappeared in a matter of minutes when immersed in mercury and also in aqua regia,
the gold crystallites remained intact. Microscopy imaging showed that the surface was undamaged.
C. New crystallites is an ideal candidate for catalytic purposes. Gold in itself is not a catalyst but the new gold
microcystallites have very active surfaces.
D. Compared with other catalysts like palladium and ruthenium, gold is cheaper and it can also be easily
recovered.
2. CURB ON FAKE NEWS
CONTEXT : The Union government asked the instant messaging platform to implement three measures in India by
efforts to clamp down on the spread on “sinister” messages through WhatsApp.
WHAT ARE THE MEASURES TO BE FOLLOWED BY WhatsApp :
a) Set up a local corporate entity.
b) Appoint a grievance officer in India.
c) Find a solution to trace the origin of fake messages.
BACKGROUND : We have been facing many incidents of mob lynching because of fake messages spreading through
whatsapp. Government concern was to regulate the spreading of these fake messages. This news has provided basic
guidelines for the social media giant Whatsapp to follow.
3. CHANDRAYAAN – 1
CONTEXT : US space agency NASA said a team of scientists, while studying data generated by an instrument that had
travelled on India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft in 2008, had directly observed “definitive evidence” of water ice on
the Moon’s surface.
WHAT IS MOON MINERALOGY MAPPER : M3 (NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper) aboard the Chandrayaan-1
spacecraft was uniquely equipped to confirm the presence of solid ice on the Moon.
It collected data that not only picked up the reflective properties we’d expect from ice, but was able to directly
measure the distinctive way its molecules absorb infrared light, so it can differentiate between liquid water or
vapour and solid ice.
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IS THIS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE GOT THE EVIDENCE OF WATER ON MOON : this is not the first time that evidence
of water has been found on the Moon. Nor is it the first time that the contribution of Chandrayaan-1 is being
acknowledged in establishing such evidence.
In September 2009, data from the same M3 instrument was used to announce “unambiguous evidence” of presence
of water across the lunar surface.
RECONFIRMATION : After 2009, several studies have pointed to the presence of water, in different forms. Most of
these have used the same data sets as used for the 2009 announcement.
ABOUT CHANDRAYAAN - 1 :
A. Chandrayaan was launched aboard PSLV C-11 on October 22, 2008, which was an XL variant of ISRO's PSLV,
one of world's most reliable launchers. PSLV was later used to launch the Mars Orbiter Mission in 2013.
B. Chandrayaan spacecraft was a cube of side 1.5 m and was based on the I-1-K bus which was used in the IRS
series of satellites.
C. It also carried the Moon Impact Probe which landed on the moon on November 14, 2009.
D. The data provided by Chandrayaan's 11 payloads were used by the scientific community to study the Moon
and its environment and played a significant role in bettering our understanding of the Moon.
4. 3D PRINTED REEFs
CONTEXT : A team of researchers has designed and 3D printed an artificial reef to help promote the growth of a
coral reef ecosystem in Maldives.
ABOUT :
A. An Australian industrial engineer with the Reef Design Lab began the project, using computer modeling to
build a reef that resembled those found in the Maldives region.
B. The molds were cast in ceramic, which is similar to limestone rock, shipped to Maldives, filled with marine
concrete, and assembled and submerged seven meters deep. The coral is now an integral part of the lagoon
where the new coral reef ecosystem will be assembled.
C. The Summer Island Maldives resort is using the artificial reef made from hundreds of ceramic and concrete
modules to build a new coral reef ecosystem.
D. The projects aims to encourage growth and provide a home for marine life, rather than replicate the reef’s
natural aesthetic.
E. Over the coming years, marine biologists will study the 3D printed reef and its benefits. The 3D designs are
open source for use by other researchers free of charge.
WHAT IS 3D PRINTING : 3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three dimensional solid
objects from a digital file. The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In an additive
process an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the object is created.
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5. OSIRIS – REx
CONTEXT : Two years after launch, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has snapped its first pictures of asteroid Bennu.
BENNU : Bennu was discovered in 1999 in an orbit that carries it across Earth’s. It is one of the most potentially
hazardous asteroids yet detected with a 1-in-2,700 chance of hitting Earth late in the 22nd century.
OSIRIS-REx : The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is traveling to Bennu, a carbonaceous asteroid whose regolith may record the
earliest history of our solar system.
Bennu may contain the molecular precursors to the origin of life and the Earth’s oceans. Bennu is also one of the
most potentially hazardous asteroids, as it has a relatively high probability of impacting the Earth late in the 22nd
century.
OSIRIS-REx will determine Bennu’s physical and chemical properties, which will be critical to know in the event of an
impact mitigation mission. Finally, asteroids like Bennu contain natural resources such as water, organics, and
precious metals. In the future, these asteroids may one day fuel the exploration of the solar system by robotic and
manned spacecraft.
OBJECTIVES :
A. Return and analyze a sample of Bennu’s surface
B. Map the asteroid
C. Document the sample site
D. Measure the orbit deviation caused by non-gravitational forces (the Yarkovsky effect)
6. DATA LOCALIZATION
CONTEXT : US trade groups, representing companies such as Amazon, American Express and Microsoft, have
opposed India's push to store data locally.
WHAT IS DATA LOCALIZATION : Data localization is the act of storing data on any device that is physically present
within the borders of a specific country where the data was generated.
WHAT’S THE ISSUE : The main government committee (Srikrishna committee) on data privacy last month proposed
a draft law, recommending restrictions on data flows and proposing that all “critical personal data” should be
processed only within the country. It would be left to the government to define what qualifies as such data.
WHY ARE FIRMS OPPOSING IT : it could lead to increased government demands for data access. Technology firms
worry the mandate would hurt their planned investments by raising costs related to setting up new local data
centres.
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ADVANTAGES OF LOCALIZATION OF DATA: Stricter localisation norms would help India get easier access to data
when conducting investigations. Greater use of digital platforms in India for shopping or social networking have
made it a lucrative market for technology companies, but a rising number of data breaches have pushed New Delhi
to develop strong data protection rules.
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DEFENCE
1. HELINA
CONTEXT : Indigenously developed Helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ has been successfully
flight tested in Pokhran.
ABOUT HELINA : It is an Anti-Tank Guided Missile.
The Missile is guided by an Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR) operating in the Lock on Before Launch mode. It is one of
the most advanced Anti-Tank Weapons in the world.
2. SAAW
CONTEXT : Successful Flight Tests of Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) .
ABOUT SAAW : Indigenously designed and developed guided bombs SAAW were successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft. This weapon is capable of destroying variety of ground targets using precision navigation.
3. MAITREE EXERCISE 2018
CONTEXT : Exercise Maitree 2018, a two week long platoon level joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army culminated on 19 August 2018.
ABOUT :
1) The Exercise Maitree is an annual event designed to strengthen the partnership between Royal Thai Army and Indian Army.
2) The exercise began with a cross training period involving familiarization training between two armies to evolve drills and procedures involved in counter insurgency & counter terrorist operations in urban, rural and jungle terrain under UN mandate.
4. PITCH BLACK EXERCISE 2018
CONTEXT: Pitch Black a biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise was hosted by Royal Australian Air Force in Darwin, Australia.
ABOUT : Indian Air Force had earlier participated in the exercise as observers and this was for the first time that IAF participated with air assets in the Exercise Pitch Black (PB-18).
The objectives for the exercise were to foster closer relationship between the participating friendly forces and to promote interoperability through exchange of knowledge and experience.
With participation of 16 nations and more than 140 aircraft, the current edition was the largest Pitch Black ever conducted by Australia.
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5. SCO PEACE MISSION 2018
CONTEXT : Exercise Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Peace Mission 2018 formally started at Chebarkul, Russia.
ABOUT : The SCO Peace Mission Exercise is one of the major defense cooperation initiatives amongst SCO nations and will be a landmark event in the history of SCO defence cooperation.
The scope of the exercise includes professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills & procedures, establishment of joint command and control structures and elimination of terrorist threat in urban counter terrorist scenario.
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MISCELLANEOUS
1. MoveHack
CONTEXT : MoveHack 2018, NITI Aayog’s global mobility hackathon with total prize money of more than INR 2
crores, has received strong interest from across the globe.
ABOUT :
A. MoveHack aims to bring about innovative, dynamic and scalable solutions to problems pertaining to mobility
and transportation.
B. The hackathon has a two-pronged campaign approach: (a) ‘Just Code It’: aimed at solutions through
innovations in technology/product/software and data analysis, and (b) ‘Just Solve It’: innovative business
ideas or sustainable solutions to transform mobility infrastructure through technology.
2. CYCLONE WARNING CENTRE
CONTEXT : the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences is planning to set up a Cyclone Warning Centre in
Thiruvananthapuram within a month.
ABOUT :
A. The decision has been taken in the view of several incidents of tropical cyclones and severe weather events
striking over Kerala and Karnataka coasts in the recent times.
B. At present, IMD has cyclone warning centres only at Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata,
Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
C. The Centre will cater to the needs of Kerala and Karnataka states and will be equipped with all state of the
art infrastructure including forecasting tools to issue weather warnings and coastal bulletins (for
fishermen,etc.).
3. INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST CONCLAVE 2018
CONTEXT : The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 6th international Buddhist conclave in New
Delhi.
ABOUT : The Conclave is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the State Governments of
Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh at New Delhi ), followed by site visits to Ajanta (Maharashtra Rajgir, Nalanda
and Bodhgaya (Bihar) and Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh).
The delegates from the following 29 countries are participating in the International Buddhist Conclave.
The conclave is organized biennially. The International Buddhist Conclave 2018 will have a religious / spiritual
dimension, an academic theme and a diplomatic and business component. The the theme is, “Buddha Path – The
Living Heritage”.
AIM OF CONCLAVE : The aim of the Conclave is to showcase and project the Buddhist Heritage in India and boost
tourism to the Buddhist sites in the country and cultivate friendly ties with countries and communities interested in
Buddhism.
Presently, it is estimated that there are nearly 500 million Buddhists all over the World and majority of them live in
East Asia, South East Asia and Far East countries. However, a very small percentage of them visit the Buddhist sites in
India each year.
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INDIA & BUDDHISM :
A) The most precious gift that the Ancient India has given to the World is, the Buddha and his Path, which is,
the Eight-fold Path, in Pali language, Aṭṭhangiko Maggo.
B) ‘Buddha Path’ on one hand refers to the extraordinary Teachings of the Buddha which is also called the
Middle Path which when practiced brings purity of mind and leads to Peace, Happiness and Harmony within
and also in the Society as well.
C) On the other hand, the ‘Buddha Path’ also refers to the Eight Great Places of Buddhist Heritage, (referred in
Pali as Aṭṭhamahāṭhānāni).
D) These Eight Places are connected with the important events of the life of the Buddha from the time of his
Birth, Enlightenment, Teaching Dhamma to suffering humanity, till he passed away, Mahāparinirvāna, at the
age of 80 years.
E) After Buddha attained Nirvana these places came to be associated with the Path of Buddhism. This Buddha
Path is the Living Heritage that still continues to inspire millions of people to walk and find out Peace,
Happiness, Harmony and Solace.
4. PM AWAS YOJANA
CONTEXT : The Prime Minister joined thousands of people in witnessing the collective e-Gruhpravesh of
beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin) in Jujwa village of Valsad district in Gujarat.
ABOUT PMAY : PMAY was launched in June 2015. The Government envisages building affordable pucca houses with
water facility, sanitation and electricity supply round-the-clock.
It has two components : Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) (PMAY-U) for the urban poor and Pradhan Mantri
Awaas Yojana (Gramin) (PMAY-G and also PMAY-R) for the rural poor.
PMAY (URBAN) : The Mission will be implemented during 2015-2022 and will provide central assistance to Urban
Local Bodies (ULBs) and other implementing agencies through States/UTs for:
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1. In-situ Rehabilitation of existing slum dwellers using land as a resource through private participation
2. Credit Linked Subsidy
3. Affordable Housing in Partnership
4. Subsidy for Beneficiary-led individual house construction/enhancement.
Credit linked subsidy component will be implemented as a Central Sector Scheme while other three components will
be implemented as Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
PMAY (GRAMIN) : PMAY-G aims at providing a pucca house, with basic amenities, to all houseless householder and
those households living in kutcha and dilapidated house, by 2022.
The immediate the objective is to cover 1.00 crore household living in kutcha house/dilapidated house in three years
from 2016-17 to 2018- 19.
The unit assistance has been increased from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1.20 lakh in plain and from Rs75,000 to Rs 1.30 lakh in
hilly states, difficult areas and IAP district. PMAY-G selects beneficiary using housing deprivation parameters in the
Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011 date which is to be verified by the Gram Sabhas.
5. eCOURT INITIATIVE
CONTEXT : The Chief Justice of India has launched various applications for the benefit of the litigants and lawyers
under ecourt initiative.
ABOUT :
a. The eCourts Mission Mode Project Phase I was implemented during 2011 – 2015 for computerisation of
district and subordinate courts. Video Conferencing facility was operationalised between 488 court
complexes and 342 corresponding jails.
b. Under the Phase II of the Project (2015-19), Computerisation of 16,089 district and subordinate courts has
been completed.
c. The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) for district & subordinate courts has been created as an online
platform which now provides information relating to judicial proceedings/decisions of 16,089 computerized
district and subordinate courts of the country.
d. The Department of Justice is administering a Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity project connecting all
the district and taluka courts through BSNL in a single network grid under the eCourts Project.
e. The eCourts project also plays an important role in enabling Ease of Doing Business in the country through
automation and technology enablement leading to generation of reports, and putting electronic case
management tools in place for use by judges and lawyers to track the status of a given case (future hearings,
deadlines, etc.), access court orders and decisions on a given case as well as automatic generation of a
hearing schedule for all cases on the judge docket.
6. POSHAN ABHIYAN
CONTEXT : The Ministry of Women and Child Development organized an orientation workshop for various
stakeholders participating in the Poshan Maah (National Nutrition Month) being celebrated in the month of
September.
ABOUT POSHAN ABHIYAN :
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a) POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) was launched by the Prime Minister on 8th March, 2018
from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.
b) The programme strives to reduce the level of Stunting, Under-nutrition, Anemia and Low Birth Weight in
Children, as also, focus on Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers through use of
technology, a targeted approach and convergence, thus holistically addressing malnutrition.
c) POSHAN Abhiyaan aims to ensure service delivery and interventions by use of technology, behavioural
change through convergence and lays-down specific targets to be achieved across different monitoring
parameters over the next few years.
d) To ensure a holistic approach, all 36 States/UTs and 718 districts will be covered in a phased manner by the
year 2020.
7. NABARD STUDY
CONTEXT : Agricultural households average outstanding debt is almost as high as the average annual income of all
agricultural households, according to a recent survey by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD).
HIGHLIGHTS OF SURVEY :
A) The income levels for 19 out of 29 states are above all India average.
B) Agricultural households earned 34% of their income from cultivation, followed by salaries (16%), livestock
(8%) and non-farm sector (6%).
C) Non-agricultural households reported average annual income majorly contributed by wages (54%), followed
by salaries (32%) and non-farm sector activities (12%).
D) Agricultural households earned 23% more than non-agricultural households.
E) 88.1 per cent of the households reported having a bank account.
F) 33% households reported more than one savings account
G) Incidence of Indebtedness (IOI), measured as proportion of households reporting outstanding debt on the
date of the survey, is 52.5% for agricultural households and 42.8% non-agricultural households were
reportedly indebted at the time of survey.
H) 43.5% agricultural households reported to have borrowed any money during last year from some source or
the other. 60.4% of them reportedly borrowed from institutional sources exclusively.
ABOUT NABARD :
NABARD came into existence on 12 July 1982 by transferring the agricultural credit functions of RBI and refinance
functions of the then Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation (ARDC). It was dedicated to the service of
the nation by the late Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi on 05 November 1982. Set up with an initial capital of
Rs.100 crore, its’ paid up capital stood at Rs. 5,000 crore as on 31 March 2016. Consequent to the revision in the
composition of share capital between Government of India and RBI, NABARD today is fully owned by Government of
India.
8. BIMSTEC
CONTEXT : Ahead of the Bimstec Summit in Nepal this month-end, envoys of the seven-nation regional bloc
called for early conclusion of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) among member-nations, which is
hanging fire for 13 years.
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ABOUT BIMSTEC :
A) The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) came into
existence on June 6, 1997, through the Bangkok Declaration.nations, which is hanging fire for 13 years.
B) It comprises seven countries lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal -- Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
C) The bloc brings together 1.5 billion people, or 21 per cent of the world's population, and has a combined
GDP of $2.5 trillion.
D) The main objective of Bimstec is technical and economic cooperation among South Asian and Southeast
Asian countries along the rim of the Bay of Bengal.
IMPORTANCE OF BIMSTEC
With the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) virtually rendered ineffective as a bloc, largely
due to non-cooperation on part of Pakistan on issues like connectivity and counterterrorism, India has been giving
more importance to Bimstec in recent times.
INDIA’S ROLE
India is the lead country for cooperation in four priority areas: Counterterrorism and transnational crime, transport
and communication, tourism and environment, and disaster management.
9. ILO’S INDIA WAGE REPORT
CONTEXT : the International Labour Organization warned in its India Wage Report published that real average daily
wages in India almost doubled in the first two decades after economic reforms, but low pay and wage inequality
remains a serious challenge to inclusive growth.
HIGHLIGHTS OF INDIA WAGE REPORT :
A. Wages have seen a faster growth for the most vulnerable categories including workers in rural areas,
informal employment, casual workers, female workers and low-paid occupations.
B. As per the Employment and Unemployment Survey (EUS) of National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), in 2011–
12, the average wage in India was about 247 rupees (INR) per day, and the average wage of casual workers
was an estimated INR 143 per day.
C. India’s economic growth has resulted in fall in poverty, moderate change in employment patterns with a
growing proportion of workers in services and industry. But a substantial proportion of worker (47%)
continued to be employed in the agriculture sector.
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D. More than 51% of the total employed in India, as per 2011–12 data, were self-employed and 62% of wage
earners are employed as casual workers. While the organized sector has seen a rise in employment.
E. The overall wage inequality in India has declined somewhat since 2004–05, it continues to remain high. The
decline in overall wage inequality has been largely due to the doubling of the wages of casual workers
between 1993–94 and 2011–12.
F. The gender wage gap however is still steep, as per international standards, despite having declined from
48% in 1993-94 to 34% in 2011–12. The wage gap exists for all kind of workers – regular and casual, urban
and rural.
G. The women employed as casual workers in the rural economy earn the lowest in India, which is 22% of what
urban regular male workers earn.
RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE REPORT TO IMPROVE CURRENT MINIMUM WAGE SYSTEM :
A) Extending legal coverage to all workers in an employment relationship,
B) Ensuring full consultation with social partners on minimum wage systems,
C) Undertaking regular evidence-based adjustments,
D) Progressively consolidating and simplifying minimum wage structures, and
E) Taking stronger measures to ensure a more effective application of minimum wage law.
F) Report also calls for collection of statistical data on a timely and regular basis.
ABOUT ILO
International Labour Organization (ILO), specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) dedicated to improving labour
conditions and living standards throughout the world. Established in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles as an affiliated
agency of the League of Nations, the ILO became the first affiliated specialized agency of the United Nations in 1946.
In recognition of its activities, the ILO was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1969.
10.UDAN (INTERNATIONAL)
CONTEXT : A draft policy, unveiled recently, extends the subsidized air travel program Ude Desh ke Aam Naagrik
(UDAN) to international circuits.
ABOUT UDAN (INTERNATIONAL) :
A. The objective of the UDAN (International) scheme is to enhance international air connectivity between
Indian states and select international destinations through the provision of financial support to airlines.
It is the next step after the positive domestic impact of UDAN.
B. Under the scheme, the state governments will be responsible for funding the financial benefits. The scheme
envisages providing monetary support, in the form of a subsidy per seat, for the unsold seats from the
number of seats as bid by the airline to make operations viable.
C. India is trying to make flying to international destinations more accessible to our citizens. This will help
improve overall connectivity and spur trade, tourism and economic growth in the country.
D. Under the scheme, the Assam government has committed to fund the subsidy amount of Rs 100 crore per
annum for three years.
11.BRUs of MIZORAM
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CONTEXT : Home Ministry recently announced that a “historic agreement” had been signed among the governments
of Mizoram and Tripura and the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum.
ABOUT BRU PEOPLE : Bru (or Reang) tribals inhabit parts of some Northeastern states. In Mizoram, they are largely
restricted to Mamit and Kolasib districts.
CONFLICT :
A. In 1995, following a clash between Mizos and Brus, the Young Mizo Association and Mizo Students’
Association demanded that Brus be removed from the state’s electoral rolls, contending that the tribe was
not indigenous to Mizoram. This led to an armed movement led by the militant outfit Bru National Liberation
Front (BNLF).
B. On October 21, 1997, BNLF militants killed a forest official in Mizoram, leading to retaliatory ethnic violence.
A large number of Bru families fled to North Tripura.
C. Thousands of families, with some 30,000 members, were given shelter in six relief camps in Kanchanpur and
Panisagar subdivisions.
STEPS TO HELP REPATRIATION :
A. Each family will be given a one-time assistance of Rs 4 lakh and cash assistance of Rs 5,000 per month through
direct benefits transfer, as well as free rations for two years. Rs 1.5 lakh will be provided as house building
assistance, in three instalments.
B. The Home Ministry will sanction funds for setting up the checkposts.
C. The Tripura government will ensure that Aadhaar cards are issued, bank accounts opened and ration cards
updated for each Bru migrant before September 30, 2018.
12.EARTHQUAKE SWARMS
CONTEXT : a series of temblors have hit the Indonesian archipelago since July 29. They have been of similar scale
and, even though the August 5 event extracted the largest death toll, there has not been a discernible ‘main’ shock.
Seismologists describe such a phenomenon as an “earthquake swarm”.
WHAT ARE SWARMS : According to the Swiss Seismological Service, swarms are made up of numerous earthquakes
that occur locally over an extended period, without a clear sequence of high-intensity main quakes, preceded and
succeeded by lower-intensity foreshocks and aftershocks.
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An earthquake swarm can last for weeks, and the pace of subsidence is gradual, relative to aftershocks in normal
earthquakes.
Swarms are observed in volcanic environments, hydrothermal systems, and other active geothermal areas, according
to geophysicists. While the April 2015 Nepal earthquake demonstrated the foreshocks-main shock (7.8)- aftershocks
trend, the seismic activity in Indonesia fits the typology of the swarm.
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KURUKSHETRA
ARTICLE : “Creating efficient transport infrastructure for inclusive growth”
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ARTICLE :
1. An efficient transport infrastructure is one of the biggest enablers for socio-economic growth of a country. It
provides the essential linkage between resources centres of production and the market. It is also a key factor
for promoting balanced regional growth by ensuring the delivery of goods and services to the remotest parts
of the country.
2. HIGHWAYS :
- We have a National Highway (NH) network of 1.2 lakh km.
- We build 27 kms of NH per day.
- Many bridges and tunnels being built to improve connectivity – the BHUPEN HAZARIKA bridge over river
Brahmaputra in Assam and chenani – Nashri tunnel in J&K and kota bridge over Chambal.
- Bharatmala project is going to be a game changer. The program aims to enhance the efficiency of road
transport by building 50 economic corridors, feeder and inter corridors, bordr, coastal and port roads and
expressways.
- A total of around 66,000 kms will be taken up under it. The phase 1 will be completed by 2022.
3. GREENFUEL : Government is promoting the use of ethanol, methanol, bio diesel, bio-CNG, and electricity.
Nagpur is running buses on 100% bio ethanol & bio-CNG.
4. PORTS :
- water transport is cheaper than road/rail transport and also less polluting.
- Sagarmala project has been launched in order to harness the potential of seas/rivers.
12 coastal economic zones will be set up around major ports & Ports will also be mordernized under it. It
includes 577 projects in 19 states/UTs. It is expected that sagarmala will create more than 1 crore jobs
and boost exports by $110 Billion. 70% projects under sagarmala are currently under various stages of
implementation.
- 111 waterways have been declared as national waterways.
- The World Bank aided Jal marg vikas project on Ganga is going on at tremendous speed.
- Ro-Ro (Roll on-Roll off) services have been started on several waterways.
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YOJANA
ARTICLE : “Empowerment Through Political Interventions”
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ARTICLE :
1. Empowerment is defined as ‘ the expansion of people’s capabilities and choices, the ability to exercise choice
based on freedom from hunger, want and deprivation; and the opportunity to participate in, or endorse,
decisions that affect their lives’.
2. Empowerment necessarily demand political inclusion in the institutions of decision making and a change in
existing power relations, where certain section of society remain outside the arena of decision making.
3. 7 out of 10 Indians live in rural areas. The economic condition of the poor is inextricably intertwined with the
social dimensions of his well being, equity and social rights.
4. The social fabric is ethnically diverse, socially stratified, and heterogeneous in composition.
5. With low literacy, abject poverty, complex social-ethnic environment, the poor and the vulnerable are mired
in historical suppression and subordination over the generations.
6. The 73rd constitutional amendment Act which came into force on 24 april, 1993, gave constitutional status to
panchayati raj institutions. The Act provided for reservation of seats in panchayats for SCs/STs in proportion
to their population and also 1/3rd seats were to be reserved for women.
7. At present, 17 states have reserved 50% of seats at all levels of Panchayati Raj for women.
8. The elected representatives of SCs/STs are actively participating in decision making and implementation of
different pro-poor programmes at panchayat level.
9. The political empowerment of women through reservation in panchayats has improved their social status.
10. The continued dominance of traditional dominant groups in rural India an the constitutional provisions of
73rd Amendment have intensified the antagonistic or conflict ridden rural situation which result in, more
often than not, the violations of human ights on mass scale including violence, bloodshed and loss of life.
MOCK TEST
1. The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is published by which of the following bodies?
a) World Health Organisation
b) Food and Agriculture Organisation
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c) International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
d) UNICEF
2. Consider the following statements regarding the health indicators in children
1. Wasting in children refers to low weight as required for some specific height.
2. Stunting in children refers to low height as required for some specific weight.
Which of the above statements is/are correct regarding the health indicators in children?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
3. Consider the following statements regarding the stealth techniques for military purposes
1. Geometric stealth is a technique in which the shape of the military aircraft is designed at such angles so as to
deflect away maximum radar waves.
2. Material stealth is a technique in which radar-absorbing material are used in making of aircraft which will
absorb the radio waves thus reducing radar footprint.
Which of the above statements is/are correct regarding the stealth technologies?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
4. Consider the following statements about the operations of the defence forces of India
1. Operation Cactus was an Indian army operation in Sri Lanka
2. Operation Karuna is the Indian Air force operation in Kerala Floods.
3. Operation Trident was an Indian Navy operation during India-Pakistan war in 1971.
Which of the above statements is/are correct regarding the operations?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) All of the above
5. Which of the statements are correct regarding ‘HELINA’
a) HELINA is an indigenously developed Helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile.
b) HELINA is an indigenously developed Aircraft launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile.
c) HELINA is an indigenously developed stealth Aircraft.
d) HELINA is an indigenously developed Tank launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile
6. The Hambantota port is situated in which of the following countries?
a) China
b) Japan
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c) Sri Lanka
d) Myanmar
7. Consider the following statements regarding the devaluation of currency
1. The only reason for devaluation of currency is to increase the exports.
2. India has devalued its currency two times since independence.
Which of the above statement/s is/are correct with regard to devaluation of currency?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
8. Consider the following statements regarding the ODF+ and ODF++ protocols
1. These protocols have been released by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
2. For achieving ODF++status, cities and town need to be free of open defecation and urination in open.
3. For achieving ODF+ status, cities and town need to ensure safe management and treatment of faecal matter,
without discharge in drains, water bodies or open areas.
Which of the above statements is/are correct regarding the ODF+ and ODF++ protocols?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1 only
c) 3 only
d) 2 and 3 only
9.Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Chandrayaan-2?
1. It is mission jointly conducted by India and Russia.
2. This is the first time India will have a rover landing on the moon.
Select the correct answer using the code below:
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
10. Which of the following is the correct meaning of ‘Ischemic stroke’?
a) It is a condition caused by a dysfunction in the supply of blood to the brain.
b) It is a condition caused by a dysfunction in the supply of blood to the heart.
c) It is a condition caused by a dysfunction in the supply of oxygen to the heart.
d) It is a condition caused by a dysfunction in the supply of oxygen to the brain.
11. The Sustainable Goals Report is published by which of the following bodies?
a) Ministry of Environment
b) Intergovernmental panel on climate change(IPCC)
c) United Nations
d) IUCN
12. Which of the following is not a part of the Quad grouping?
a) Australia
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b) New Zealand
c) Japan
d) India
13. Consider the following statements regarding the MUDRA Bank
1. The MUDRA bank is registered both as a company under Companies Act 2013 and as a Non Banking Finance
Institution with the RBI.
2. MUDRA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Small Industries Development bank of India (SIDBI) .
3. MUDRA is responsible for developing and refinancing all MSME sector industries.
Which of the above statements is/are correct regarding the MUDRA bank?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2 only
d) All of the above.
14. The Spitzer Space telescope belongs to which of the following bodies?
a) Russian Space Agency
b) Japanese Space Agency
c) European Space Agency
d) NASA
15. Which of the following can be the traits of the global tariff war?
1. Violation of WTO rules for international trade.
2. Rise in the Protectionist tendencies of countries.
Select the correct answer using the code below:
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
16. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the National Statistical Commission?
1. It is statutory body
2. It was established on the basis of the recommendations of the C.Rangarajan Committee.
Select the correct answer using the code below:
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
17. India has not been declared free from which of the following diseases by the WHO?
a) Yaws
b) Trachoma
c) Polio
d) Malaria
18. Which of the following bodies in India is responsible for issuing health advisories to regions affected by
calamities like floods?
a) National Centre for Disease Control
b) National Disaster Response Force
c) AIIMS
d) Ministry of Home Affairs
19. Consider the following statements regarding the UIDAI
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1. UIDAI is a statutory body
2. UIDAI functions under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
3. The first UID number was issued on 29 September 2010 to a resident of Nandurbar, Maharashtra.
Which of the above statements is/are correct regarding the UIDAI?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 1 only
d) 3 only
20. Consider the following statements regarding TAPI line agreement
1. The four nations engaged in the agreement are Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.
2. It is a pipeline for the supply of natural gas among the countries participating in the TAPI agreement.
Which of the above statements is/are correct regarding the TAPI line agreement?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWERS :
1-C, 2-A, 3-C, 4-B, 5-A, 6-C, 7-B, 8-B, 9-B, 10-A, 11-C, 12-B, 13-A, 14-D, 15-C, 16-C, 17-D, 18-A, 19-B, 20-B
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