PIB Compilation Board Dr. M.K Laxman, Prof. Vinod Jain, Shri Vijay Pal, IPS, Manish Singh (EG...

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PIB Compilation

Feb 2018 ₹ 50

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Contents

1) Coach Factory in Marathwada, Maharashtra ........................................................................ 3

2) Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) .......................................... 3

3) Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 through Finance Act, 2018................................. 4

4) Launch of Gobar-Dhan Scheme ............................................................................................ 5

5) Major initiatives in health sector ............................................................................................ 6

6) The first ever International Kala Mela .................................................................................... 6

7) Laghu Udyog Bharati............................................................................................................. 7

8) Fifth South Asia Region Public Procurement Conference ..................................................... 7

9) India Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) ...................................................................... 8

10) Tool for ranking of startups .................................................................................................... 9

11) “Development of Solar Cities” scheme ................................................................................ 10

12) Mahamastakabhisheka ....................................................................................................... 11

13) Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) ....................................................... 12

14) Rationalization of Autonomous Bodies under Department of Health & Family Welfare ...... 13

15) Village Resource Centres .................................................................................................... 14

16) New Instrument adopted by International Labour Organization (ILO) ................................. 15

17) Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury .......................................................... 16

18) Change in the basis of classifying Micro, Small and Medium enterprises ........................... 17

19) 559 Swadhar Greh presently functional in the country with 17231 beneficiaries ................. 18

20) National Women Entrepreneurship Council ........................................................................ 18

21) “Healthy States, Progressive India” Report ......................................................................... 19

22) ASH TRACK Mobile App ..................................................................................................... 20

23) Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological Systems (IAAMS) ........................................ 21

24) India Health Fund to boost-research on TB, malaria ........................................................... 22

25) National Deworming initiative .............................................................................................. 22

26) India Among Top Ten Nations in the World in Terms of Forest Area .................................. 24

27) World Radio Day ................................................................................................................. 25

28) ‘India Pharma & India Medical Device 2018’: Affordable and Quality Healthcare ............... 25

29) Botanical Survey of India ..................................................................................................... 25

30) Central Geological Programming Board .............................................................................. 26

31) New Bill to ban Unregulated Deposit Schemes and Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2018 ... 27

32) Six new user-friendly features of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Platform ................ 27

33) International Mother Language Day: 21 February ............................................................... 28

34) Indian scientists develop next generation technology loop to generate clean energy ......... 29

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PIB Compilation Volume 14: February 2018

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

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35) “Andaman & Nicobar Command to Host Milan 2018”.......................................................... 29

36) International Conference on Sustainable Biofuels 2018 ...................................................... 30

37) Operation Greens ................................................................................................................ 31

38) NITI Forum for Northeast .................................................................................................... 31

39) Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana ....................................................................................... 32

40) Chardham Pariyojana .......................................................................................................... 32

41) Heavy Water Board signed an agreement with M/s Clearsynth .......................................... 33

42) 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers .................................................... 33

43) National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts at IIT Chennai ................... 34

44) Project Swajal ..................................................................................................................... 35

45) National e-Governance Awards .......................................................................................... 35

46) National Science Day 2018 ................................................................................................. 36

47) AIIB approves infra loans worth $1.5 billion to India ............................................................ 37

48) Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre (MSDC) ................................................................ 37

49) Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam based on PIB ................................................. 38

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Coach Factory in Marathwada, Maharashtra

{Infrastructure}

In news

A massive rail coach factory will be set up in Latur, Maharashtra by Indian Railways. This plant would manufacture Electric Multiple Units for suburban trains and coaches for metros.

Significance of the project

✓ Marathwada, the region where Latur lies, is amongst the most backward areas of Maharashtra.

✓ There have been few central government projects in this region. This will massively benefit ‘Make in

India’, and bring employment to a large number of people. In addition, it will create an industrial

ecosystem in the drought prone region boosting shift from agriculture to industry.

✓ It may be noted that the region suffers from heavy migration to other parts of the country.

Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP)

{Education}

In news

In a move to improve technical education in backward areas of the country, the Union Minister for Human

Resources and Development Prakash Javadekar informed with a tweet that more than 1200 graduates

from IITs and NITs will teach in engineering colleges in poor districts for three years.

Significance

There are a lot of vacancies for teachers in engineering colleges in backward states and quality teachers are not willing to go there to teach. Therefore, this initiative aims to address the problem of dearth of well qualified faculty in the country.

About TEQIP

TEQIP or Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme is an initiative of the National Project Implementation Unit (NPIU) which implements World Bank Assisted Projects in Technical Education. The initiative is aimed at improving the quality of engineering graduates.

Under this project, all the Government engineering colleges are selected for direct intervention, and all private engineering colleges are selected for indirect intervention. The focus is on the most-backward states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, North-East, Rajasthan, MP etc.

Objectives

Strengthening Institutions to produce high quality engineers for better employability, Scaling-up postgraduate

education and demand-driven Research & Development and Innovation, Establishing Centers of Excellence

for focused applicable research, Training of faculty for effective Teaching, and Enhancing Institutional and

System Management effectiveness.

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The measures include

Institution based: accreditation of the courses through NBA, governance reforms, improving the processes, digital initiatives, securing autonomy for the colleges.

Student based: improving the quality of teaching, teacher training, equipping the class rooms, revision of syllabus, industry interaction, compulsory internships for students, training the students in industry-relevant skills, preparing them for the GATE exam etc.

Way forward

Technical education of our country is in the threshold of having to undergo major reforms for building a credible professional workforce which has to build the nation for the welfare of our future generations.

Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 through Finance Act, 2018

{Governance}

The Amendments aim at further enhancing the effectiveness of the Act, widen its scope and take care of

certain procedural difficulties faced by the Enforcement Directorate in prosecution of PMLA cases.

Major amendments Amendment in definition of “proceeds of crime”: The definition of "proceeds of crime" in PMLA was

amended in 2015 to include "property equivalent held within the country" in case proceeds of crime is

taken out or held "outside the country". The present amendment shall allow to proceed against property

equivalent to proceeds to crime held outside the country also.

Amendment in bail provisions Amendment proposed in Section 45(1) would make the applicability of bail conditions uniform to all the

offences under PMLA, instead of only those offences under the schedule which are liable to imprisonment

of more than 3 years. This will be a significant step forward in delinking the proceedings against

scheduled offences and Money laundering offences under PMLA.

Corporate frauds included as Scheduled offence: Section 447 of Companies Act is being included as

scheduled offence under PMLA so that Registrar of Companies in suitable cases would be able to report

such cases for action by Enforcement Directorate under the PMLA provisions. This provision shall

strengthen the PMLA with respect to Corporate frauds.

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Launch of Gobar-Dhan Scheme

{Public Policy}

In news

In an effort to make the villages open defecation free and improving the lives of villagers, the Finance

Minister in his budget speech today announced the launch of Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources

Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN).

Key Features Dung Fuel: - The government has announced that it shall be making best use of solid waste excreted by

the cattle. The dung can be transformed into a type of biofertilizer that can be used by the villagers for by

filling up their stoves at the homes. The fuel can be used as subsidy for CNG and LPG

Villagers Advantage: - Life of villagers must be better. This will also educate the people not to defecate in

the open place. This helps in maintaining hygiene factor.

Income generation: - In present time farmers are merely dependent on their crop yield for generating the

income. With implementation of this scheme the farmers will be able to generate better way for income.

Infrastructure development: - Under this scheme the government aims at improving the available

infrastructure to help to set up their own compost plants.

Power generation: - Under this scheme government has ensured to generate fuel in the form of Biogas.

Husbandry: - Government will offer people with opportunity to generate income by selling dungs to

authorities.

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Major initiatives in health sector

{Health Policy}

Why In news

The Government announced two major initiatives in health sector , as part of Ayushman Bharat

programme.

Health and Wellness Centre The National Health Policy, 2017 has envisioned Health and Wellness Centres as the foundation of

India’s health system.

Under this 1.5 lakh centres will bring health care system closer to the homes of people. These

centres will provide comprehensive health care, including for non-communicable diseases and

maternal and child health services.

These centres will also provide free essential drugs and diagnostic services. The Budget has

allocated Rs.1200 crore for this flagship programme. Contribution of private sector through CSR

and philanthropic institutions in adopting these centres is also envisaged.

National Health Protection Scheme The second flagship programme under Ayushman Bharat is National Health Protection Scheme, which will

cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) providing coverage

upto 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

This will be the world’s largest government funded health care programme. Adequate funds will be provided

for smooth implementation of this programme.

The first ever International Kala Mela

{Art & Culture}

In news

The First ever International Kala Mela was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi.

Objective

To focus on direct interaction between the artist and the connoisseur and also educating and raising awareness about art, which has been the mandate of Lalit Kala Akademi.

About the festival

This comprehensive outreach shall include the participation of National, International level Artists/ Art Critics of repute from all over the Globe. More than 800 artists from across the world are taking part in the Festival. The festival serves as a platform for artists to showcase their art works.

Lalit Kala Akademi

The Lalit Kala Akademi or National Academy of Art is India’s National Academy of Fine Arts. It is an autonomous organization, established at New Delhi in 1954 to promote and propagate understanding of

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Indian art, both within and outside the country. It does so through providing scholarships, a fellow program, and sponsoring and organizing numerous exhibitions in India and overseas.

Laghu Udyog Bharati

{Business & Economy}

In news

India Industrial Fair is one of the largest industrial trade show in Rajasthan. IIF offers participating

companies unique, never before platform to exhibit products & services.

A national level meeting was recently convened by the Government of India with the members of Laghu

Udyog Bharati.

IIF 2018 was organized by Department of Industries (Govt. of Rajasthan) and Laghu Udyog Bharti.

About Laghu Udyog Bharati Laghu Udyog Bharati is a registered all India organization of Micro and Small Industries in India since 1994.

Today, Laghu Udyog Bharati has its membership spread over the length and breadth of the country. It has

membership in more than 400 Districts with 250 Branches all over the Country. In a genuine effort to

organise MSE sector Laghu Udyog Bharati is fighting the various ills plaguing the sector and to remove

impediments coming in the way to MSEs.

Laghu Udyog Bharati render assistance to small scale industries as follows ✓ Removal of inspector raj & simplification procedures.

✓ Availability & distribution of power.

✓ Guidance for improving productivity.

✓ Quality & technological upgradation & modernisation.

✓ Sales promotion & marketing assistance.

✓ Encouraging women entrepreneurs.

✓ Creating congenial environment for better entrepreneur, worker and customer relations.

✓ Making various panels for better representation.

✓ Participation in Trade-Fairs and Exhibitions for better product exposure.

Fifth South Asia Region Public Procurement Conference

{International}

In news

The Fifth edition of South Asia Region Public Procurement Conference was held in New Delhi. It was

hosted by Public Procurement Division (PPD) of Ministry of Finance and All India Management Association

(AIMA).

It was held under auspices of South Asia Region Public Procurement Network (SARPPN), which is

sponsored and facilitated by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank

The theme of the Fifth Conference is: “Public Procurement and Service Delivery”.

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Objective To enable the Heads of Public Procurement and other key stakeholders in the eight South Asian countries

to meet and learn from one another and from experts in the field of public procurement.

Key points

✓ The knowledge thus acquired would help various South Asian Governments to consider

enhancements and innovations in their public procurement systems, enabling efficient utilization of

public resources, ensuring quality and timeliness in delivery of services.

✓ It will help to avoid elements of nepotism and corruption in public procurement.

✓ The Conference is held under the auspices of the South Asia Region Public Procurement Network

(SARPPN), which is sponsored and facilitated by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and

Islamic Development Bank.

✓ The First Conference was held in Kathmandu in 2010, the second in Islamabad in 2014, the third in

Dhaka 2015 and the fourth in Sri Lanka 2017.

Way ahead All eight SAR countries spend approximately US$550 billion equivalent on public procurement of goods,

works and services, which eventually convert to public services. The Fifth Conference will deliberate upon

key aspects of public procurement that help ensure delivery of these services; and identify and address

areas that need improvement.

India Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC)

{Disaster Management}

IN news The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has the mandate of detecting

tsunamigenic earthquakes occurring in the Indian Ocean as well as in the Global Oceans within 10 minutes

of the occurrence of the earthquake and disseminating the tsunami related advisories to the concerned

authorities through email, fax, SMS, GTS and website.

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About ITEWC The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) established at Indian National Centre for Ocean

Information Sciences, (INCOIS – ESSO) Hyderabad, is an autonomous body under Ministry of Earth

Sciences.

Indian Tsunami Early Warning System comprises a real-time seismic monitoring network of broadband

seismic stations. ITEWC receives data in real time from 350 seismic stations, 50 tsunami buoys and 300

tide gauges established in the Indian as well as the other oceans by other countries and international

agencies.

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO has designated ITEWC as the Tsunami

Service Provider (TSP) for the entire Indian Ocean Region. Since 2012, ITEWC is providing tsunami

advisories and related services to about 25 countries”.

Tool for ranking of startups

{Development}

In news

Three new tools for States and Union Territories for ranking of startups in the country was launched by

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry at a function in New Delhi

The tools are

The State and Union Territory Start-up Ranking Framework.

The Compendium of Good Practices for Promoting Start-ups in India.

The Start-up India Kit.

These will act as catalysts to help the Startup India initiative to drive India’s economic growth.

About the Ranking Framework Objective To encourage States and UTs to take proactive steps towards strengthening the Startup ecosystems at the

local level.

Highlights ✓ The Ranking Framework will measure the impact of each step initiated at the local level for building a

strong Startup ecosystem.

✓ The Ranking Framework will also enable contnuous learning through the dissemination of good

practices.

✓ The Ranking Framework is based on the feedback collected from Startup ecosystem stakeholders,

which include startups, mentors, investors, accelerators, incubators and the government bodies.

✓ Areas which should be given greater thrust like seed funding support, women entrepreneurship are

given more score.

Start-up India Compendium of Good Practises for promoting Start-ups in India

It focuses on enriching the Startup ecosystem through ethical behaviours and is currently followed by 18

States and UTs. It covers 95 good practises across 7 areas of intervention. These are distilled into 38

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action points including Incubation Support, Seed Funding, Angel & Venture Funding, Startup Policy &

Implementation, Simplified Regulations, Easing Public Procurement, Awareness & Outreach.

The Startup India Kit It is primarily a one-stop guide on all Startup India offerings. It offers vital information, advice and

assistance through website links, statistics, tools, templates, events, competitions and a glossary on startup

terms. All the benefits available to startups from the Startup India initiative can be found in the kit.

Way ahead The Govt has to align its strategies to tap into the infinite potential of young entrepreneurial minds. Startups

need help in the journey from idea to business and business to success. States will also have to take

proactive steps to enable startup ecosystems at the local level.

“Development of Solar Cities” scheme

{Infrastructure}

In news

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under its scheme “Development of Solar Cities” has

approved/sanctioned 60 Cities including 13 Pilot and 5 Model Cities up to 12th Five-year Plan period.

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About Development of Solar Cities scheme ✓ The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing a programme on ‘Development of Solar

Cities’ which aims to reduce a minimum of 10% of the projected demand of conventional energy of the

city through renewable energy installations and energy efficiency measures.

✓ The Ministry provides Central Financial support up to Rs.5 lakh for preparing Master Plan for

development of green campus in the educational institutions, office complexes, residential and

commercial complexes etc.

✓ Sixty Cities are proposed to be developed as Solar Cities during the Eleventh Plan period including four

Model Solar Cities and 10 Pilot Solar Cities.

✓ The Master plan for each Solar City is being prepared to assess and utilize various renewable sources

including Solar, Wind, Municipal Waste etc.

Need for Solar Cities Urbanization and economic development are leading to a rapid rise in energy demand in urban areas in our

country leading to enhanced Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.

Many cities around the world are setting targets and introducing polices for promoting renewable energy

and reducing GHG emissions and the countries like Australia and USA are developing the solar cities.

Several Indian cities and towns are experiencing rapid growth in the peak electricity demand. The local

governments and the electricity utilities are finding it difficult to cope with this rapid rise in demand and as a

result most of the cities/towns are facing electricity shortages.

In this context, the “Development of Solar Cities” programme is designed to support/encourage Urban

Local Bodies to prepare a Road Map to guide their cities in becoming ‘renewable energy cities’ or ‘solar

cities’.

Objective of Solar City programme To enable and empower Urban Local Governments to address energy challenges at City – level.

To provide a framework and support to prepare a Master Plan including assessment of current energy

situation, future demand and action plans.

To build capacity in the Urban Local Bodies and create awareness among all sections of civil society.

To involve various stakeholders in the planning process.

To oversee the implementation of sustainable energy options through public – private partnerships.

Mahamastakabhisheka

{Art & Culture}

In news

Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony is widely known to be a mark of Jain religiosity, it is also historically

believed to be a moment when political leadership has been involved in the event and also when social

reforms were carried out in Karnataka.

About Mahamastakabhisheka ✓ The mastakabhisheka is held once in 12 years. One of the biggest festivals for the Jain community, it

honors Lord Bahubali, a revered Jain icon. According to Jain texts, Bahubali attained liberation from the

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cycle of births and deaths (moksha) at Mount Kailash and is revered as a liberated soul (Siddha) by the

Jains.

✓ Bahubali is also called Gommateshwara because of the Gommateshwara statue dedicated to him and

as lord “Kammateswara” from an inscription.

✓ The Gommateshwara statue was built by the Ganga dynasty minister and commander Chavundaraya; it

is a 57-foot monolith situated above a hill in Shravanabelagola in the Hassan district, Karnataka state,

India. It was built in around 981 A.D.

and is one of the largest free-standing

statues in the world.

Who is Bahubali?

The son of the first Tirthankara of Jainism, Bahubali is a revered figure among the Jains. Jain mythology holds up Bahubali as the one who succeeded in attaining liberty from worldly desires through a long period of sustained meditation.

The story of Bahubali, though varied in details, is that of a ruler who won against his brother and was filled with grief over his actions and therefore abandoned his possessions and kingdom in search for omniscience.

Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)

{Agriculture Policy}

In news

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given

its approval for increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of "Milling

Copra" to Rs.7500/- per quintal for 2018 season from Rs. 6500/-per quintal in 2017.

The MSP of copra is expected to ensure appropriate minimum prices to the farmers and step up investment

in coconut cultivation and thereby production and productivity in the country.

About CACP ✓ The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) is an attached office of the Ministry of

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. It came into existence in January 1965.

Currently, the Commission comprises a Chairman, Member Secretary, one Member (Official) and two

Members (Non-Official). The non-official members are representatives of the farming community and

usually have an active association with the farming community.

✓ It is mandated to recommend minimum support prices (MSPs) to incentivize the cultivators to adopt

modern technology and raise productivity and overall grain production in line with the emerging demand

patterns in the country. However, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of the Union

government takes a final decision on the level of MSPs and other recommendations made by CACP.

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Rationalization of Autonomous Bodies under Department of Health & Family

Welfare

{Health Issue}

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In news

The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for closure of Autonomous Bodies, namely, Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) and Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (JSK) and the functions are proposed to be vested in Department of Health & Family Welfare (DoHFW).

Background Based on the recommendations of Expenditure Management Commission, NITI Aayog had undertaken a

review of the 19 Autonomous Bodies, under the DoHFW, that have been formed under Societies Registration

Act, 1860 (SRA).

The aim is to improve their outcomes, effectiveness and efficiency, utilisation of financial and human resources,

synergy, governance and relevance in current policy and programme context, with improved monitoring and

oversight.

Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi was set up under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in 1997. The scheme

provides for financial assistance to patients, living below poverty line who is suffering from major life threatening

diseases, to receive medical treatment at any of the super specialty hospitals/institutes or other Govt. hospitals.

The financial assistance to such patients is released in the form of "one time grant" to the Medical Superintendent

of the hospital in which the treatment is being received.

Thus, An advance is placed with the Medical Superintendents of such hospitals who then provide assistance on

a case to case basis.

Since the DoHFW provides funds to the hospitals, the grants can be given from the Department to the hospital

directly.

RAN functions can, therefore, be vested in DoHFW.

Jansankhya JSK Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (JSK) was set up in the year 2003 to raise awareness for population stabilization

strategies.

There has been no continuous funding to JSK from the Ministry.

Population stabilization strategies require private and corporate funding, which can be accessed through JSK.

Although, JSK will continue to play a significant role in population stabilization strategies, its existence as an

Autonomous Body is not necessary.

Hence, JSK as an Autonomous Body can be closed as it can be administered by the Department as a fund.

Village Resource Centres

{Science & Tech}

In news

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To demonstrate the potential of satellite technology for development of rural areas, ISRO established

Village Resource Centres (VRCs) on a pilot scale, in association with selected NGOs, Trusts and State

Government Departments.

About Village Resource Centres program Objective

To provide the space-based services directly to

the rural areas, ISRO/ DOS has launched the

Village Resource Centres (VRCs) programme

in association with NGOs/ Trusts and state/

central agencies.

Highlights ✓ This is one of the unique initiatives that

uses Satellite Communication (SATCOM)

network and Earth Observation (EO)

satellite data in a judicious combination to

address the needs of the local people in

villages.

✓ VRCs use a combination of SATCOM and

EO to reach out to the villages and provides wide varieties of services, like, agricultural advisories, non-

formal education, computer education, skill development and so on.

✓ Tele-medicine concept connects the sick people in villages, through VSAT network, to the doctors, who

located in cities/urban areas or the Super-speciality hospitals, for providing health services.

✓ The Tele-education uses SATCOM to provide a virtual classroom facility to far-flung villages or remote

areas in the country and helps in imparting education to the needy.

New Instrument adopted by International Labour Organization (ILO)

Why in News?

The Union Cabinet has approved placing the new Instrument adopted by International Labour Organization (ILO) Recommendation concerning “The Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience (No.-205)” before the Parliament.

Background

Each member state of ILO is required to submit the instruments so adopted before the competent authority (the Parliament in case of India).

The adoption and placing of the Instrument for the information of the Parliament does not create any immediate obligation. An ILO Recommendations is a non-binding instrument which seeks to serve as a guiding principle for national policy process.

The Recommendation provides guidance to member States on the measures to be taken to generate employment and decent work for the purposes of prevention, recovery, peace and resilience with respect to crisis situations arising from conflicts and disasters.

The Recommendation No. 205 is applicable to all workers and job seekers, and to all employers, in all sectors of the economy affected by crisis situations arising from conflicts and disasters and to workers engaged in crisis response, including in the immediate response.

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International Labour Organization (ILO)

The ILO was founded in 1919, in the wake of a destructive war. It became the first specialized agency of the UN in 1946.

The main aims of the ILO are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.

The unique tripartite structure of the ILO gives an equal voice to workers, employers and governments.

Way ahead

Each member state of ILO is required to submit the instruments so adopted before the competent authority

(the Parliament in case of India). The adoption and placing of the Instrument for the information of the

Parliament does not create any immediate obligation. An ILO Recommendations is a non-binding

instrument which seeks to serve as a guiding principle for national policy process.

Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury

{Energy}

In news

The Union cabinet has approved a proposal for ratification of the Minamata Convention, a global treaty to

protect human health and the environment from adverse effects of mercury. After joining the Convention, it

will now be easier for India to get technological or financial assistance to address issues related to mercury.

Minamata convention The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a multilateral environmental agreement that addresses specific

human activities which are contributing to widespread mercury pollution. Implementation of this agreement

will help reduce global mercury pollution over the coming decades.

The Minamata Convention is named after the Japanese city of Minamata, which experienced a severe,

decades-long incidence of mercury poisoning after industrial wastewater from a chemical factory was

discharged into Minamata Bay. The wastewater contained methylmercury, which bioaccumulated in fish

and shellfish in the bay. Local people who consumed seafood from Minamata Bay became very sick, and

many died or were left severely disabled.

Highlights Ban on new mercury mines, the phase-out of existing ones, the phase out and phase down of mercury use

in a number of products and processes, control measures on emissions to air and on releases to land and

water, and the regulation of the informal sector of artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

The Convention also addresses interim storage of mercury and its disposal once it becomes waste, sites

contaminated by mercury as well as health issues.

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Background Till now, the convention has 88 ratifications and 144 signatories including India, which signed it on 30

September 2014. India had actively participated in the negotiating process, making significant contributions

in finalizing the treaty text but had not ratified it till now. India’s neighbours – Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal

and Pakistan – are also signatories to the convention. But only Sri Lanka has ratified it.

Way forward The Minamata Convention on Mercury will further urge enterprises to move to mercury-free alternatives in

products and non-mercury technologies in manufacturing processes. This will drive research &

development and promote innovation.

Change in the basis of classifying Micro, Small and Medium enterprises


In news

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved change in the basis of

classifying Micro, Small and Medium enterprises from ‘investment in plant & machinery/equipment’ to

‘annual turnover’.

This will encourage ease of doing business, make the norms of classification growth oriented and align

them to the new tax regime revolving around GST (Goods & Services Tax).

Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 will accordingly

be amended to define units producing goods and rendering services in terms of annual turnover as follows:

A micro enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover does not exceed five crore rupees;

A small enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover is more than five crore rupees but

does not exceed Rs 75 crore;

A medium enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover is more than seventy five crore

rupees but does not exceed Rs 250 crore.

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Additionally, the Central Government may, by notification, vary turnover limits, which shall not exceed thrice

the limits specified in Section 7 of the MSMED Act.

Background At present the MSMED Act (Section 7) classifies the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on the

basis of investment in plant and machinery for manufacturing units, and investment in equipment for

service enterprises. The criterion of investment in plant and machinery stipulates self-declaration which in

turn entails verification if deemed necessary and leads to transaction costs.

Significance The change in the norms of classification will enhance the ease of doing business. The consequent growth

and will pave the way for increased direct and indirect employment in the MSME sector of the country.

This will also encourage ease of doing business, make the norms of classification growth oriented and align

them to the new tax regime revolving around GST (Goods & Services Tax).

559 Swadhar Greh presently functional in the country with 17231 beneficiaries

{Women Empowerment}

In news

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is administering Swadhar Greh Scheme for relief and

rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances including the victims of sexual harassment. Similarly, a

centrally sponsored scheme namely Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) is being implemented for

care, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in difficult circumstances including sexually

harassed children.

Swadhar Greh Scheme The Swadhar scheme was launched by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2002 for

rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances.

Highlights ✓ The scheme provides shelter, food, clothing and care to the marginalized women/girls who are in need.

✓ The beneficiaries include widows deserted by their families and relatives, women prisoners released

from jail and without family support, women survivors of natural disasters, women victims of

terrorist/extremist violence etc.

✓ The implementing agencies are mainly NGOs. An Evaluation Study conducted through Centre for

Market Research and Social Development to assess the performance of the scheme observed that the

scheme is successful for which it was formulated/implemented.

National Women Entrepreneurship Council

{Women Empowerment}

In news

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is considering to establish National Women

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Entrepreneurship Council (NWEC). NWEC will promote entrepreneurship as it would be the umbrella

organization for socio-economic gender parity, financial inclusion and economic empowerment of women in

India.

The National Women Entrepreneur Council (NWEC), a parastatal body operating under the aegis of the

Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare has been set up in 1999. It is the main

organization that provides support and assistance to both potential and existing women entrepreneurs in

Mauritius.

Mission

The mission of NWEC is to be a reference for promoting entrepreneurship inculcating the right business

culture for women in Mauritius.

Vision The NWEC acts as a driver and facilitator in empowering women entrepreneurs.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Council are to:

• Ensure effective communication between the Council and its members;

• Identify actions and projects which will promote entrepreneurial activities of Women;

• Evaluate and assess the needs of Women Entrepreneurs;

• Establish Training Programs, aimed at improving the skills and management aptitudes of Women

Entrepreneurs;

• Develop working links and affiliation with other bodies, whether in Mauritius or abroad, having same

objectives;

• Examine and evaluate the contribution of Women Entrepreneurs to the various sectors of development in

the light of national needs and priorities.

Challenges India presents lower opportunities for women to assume leadership roles, participation in the workforce or

engagement in entrepreneurial activities. Lack of education, technological know-how and cultural bias

coupled with stringent business and government regulations are some key impediments that happen to

undermine women’s ability to rise to positions of leadership and take advantage of entrepreneurial

opportunities in India.

“Healthy States, Progressive India” Report

{Health Issue}

"Healthy States, Progressive India" is a comprehensive Health Index report released by the NITI Aayog. The report ranks states and Union territories innovatively on their year-on-year incremental change in health outcomes, as well as, their overall performance with respect to each other. The report has been developed by NITI Aayog, with technical assistance from the World Bank, and in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

Salient features States and UTs have been ranked in three categories namely, Larger States (21), Smaller States (8), and

Union Territories (UTs)(8), to ensure comparison among similar entities.

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The Health Index is a weighted composite Index, which for the larger States, is based on indicators in three

domains: (a) Health Outcomes (70%); (b) Governance and Information (12%); and (c) Key Inputs and

Processes (18%), with each domain assigned a weight based on its importance. The Index includes 23

indicators which are used to calculate the composite index score and generate overall performance ranks

and incremental ranks.

Indicators selected based on importance and availability of reliable data from existing data sources (at least

annually)

The composite index score is calculated for a Base Year , which largely covers the 2014 - 15 period and a

Reference year, which largely covers the 2015 - 16 period. The process of index refinement involved inputs

from the States and UTs, national and international sector experts, and development partners.

Key results Among the Larger States, Kerala, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu ranked on top in terms of overall performance,

while Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh are the top three ranking States in terms of annual

incremental performance. Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh showed the maximum gains in

improvement of health outcomes from base to reference year in indicators such as Neonatal Mortality Rate

(NMR), Under-five Mortality Rate (U5MR), full immunization coverage, institutional deliveries, and People

Living with HIV (PLHIV) on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART).

Among Smaller States, Mizoram ranked first followed by Manipur on overall performance, while

Manipur followed by Goa were the top ranked States in terms of annual incremental performance.

Among UTs, Lakshadweep showed both the best overall performance as well as the highest annual

incremental performance. Lakshadweep showed the highest improvement in indicators such as institutional

deliveries, tuberculosis (TB) treatment success rate, and transfer of National Health Mission (NHM) funds

from State Treasury to implementation agency.

Utility

Health Index has been developed as a tool to leverage co-operative and competitive federalism to accelerate the pace of achieving health outcomes. It would also serve as an instrument for “nudging” States & Union Territories (UTs) and the Central Ministries to a much greater focus on output and outcome based measurement of annual performance than is currently the practice. With the annual publication of the Index and its availability on public domain on a dynamic basis, it is expected to keep every stakeholder alert to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal number 3.

ASH TRACK Mobile App

{Digitalization}

In news

ASH TRACK Mobile App has been launched by the Ministry of Power for better management of fly ash produced by thermal power plants by providing an interface between fly ash producers (Thermal Power Plants) and potential ash users such as – road contractors, cement plants etc..

The need

Fly ash, the end product of combustion during the process of power generation in the coal based thermal power plants, is a proven resource material for many applications of construction industries and currently is

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being utilized in manufacturing of Portland Cement, bricks/blocks/tiles manufacturing, road embankment construction and low-lying area development, etc.

Proper management of fly ash is important not only for the environment but for us also as the ash produced by the power plants occupies a lot of land space. At present, only 63 per cent of the fly ash is being utilised. Quality-wise Indian coal has much more ash content than other countries.

Features of ASH TRACK

The ASH TRACK App would be managing 200 million tonnes of fly ash by tracking coal based power plants situated within 100 km and 300 km from given location and availability of fly ash, along with prospective users within the same radius.

The App gives plant-wise, utility-wise and State-wise ash utilization status in the country. The thermal plants would regularly update fly ash generation, utilization and stock on the web portal and the app. This would allow effective monitoring and reviewing for increasing ash utilization. This would also help in protecting environment in terms of reduction in fugitive emissions, saving of precious top soil and conservation of land for sustainable development.

The ASH TRACK Mobile App has following features

For Consumers ✓ App shows coal-based power plants situated within the radius of 100 km and 300 km from a given

location

✓ User can select power station from where he wants to take fly ash

✓ Ash availability, distance from user’s location, details of contact person will be displayed

✓ User can apply online for allocation of ash

✓ SMS will be sent to the applicant and the respective power plant instantly

For Power Stations ✓ App shows perspective users within the radius of 100 km and 300 km of power plants

✓ Power station can see the location of prospective ash users surrounding the power plant like – cement

plants, NHAI, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) projects, brick producers, etc.

✓ Power plants can contact the prospective users for supply of ash

Ash Utilisation Data App gives plant wise, utility wise and state wise ash utilization status in the country Shows details of real

time ash generation and utilization

Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological Systems (IAAMS)

{Defence}

In news

‘Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological System (IAAMS)’ was recently inaugurated at INS Garuda.

INS Garuda is the fourth air station to have been installed with this integrated system.

INS Garuda is the fourth air station to have been installed with this integrated system.

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About IAAMS ✓ IAAMS is an ambitious project of the Indian Navy to modernise the Meteorological infrastructure of the

nine Naval Air Stations. The IAAMS project at INS Garuda will give a major fillip to aviation safety

through automation of weather monitoring process.

✓ Equipped with the state of the art Meteorological Sensors viz., Radar Vertical Wind Profiler,

Transmissometer, Ceilometer and Automatic Weather Observation System, IAAMS undertakes

automatic and continuous recording of relevant weather parameters that are vital for accurate weather

forecasting.

✓ It has a special alarm feature that alerts the duty staff about any abnormal change of weather

parameters that may affect safe flying operations. The system can also provide automatic dissemination

of routine weather reports of the air station as per World Meteorological Organization (WMO) standards

to other Air Stations and to ATC tower without human intervention.

India Health Fund to boost-research on TB, malaria

In news

The India Health Fund (IHF), an initiative by Tata Trusts, in collaboration with the Global Fund has come

forward to financially support innovations and technologies designed to combat tuberculosis and malaria.

Aim To support individuals and organisations with already germinated innovative strategies, services, products,

such that they become sustainable and scalable solutions in addressing TB and malaria.

About India Health Fund The IHF looks at catalysing agility and innovation within large scaled programmes of The Global Fund and

the Government of India.

Addressing infectious diseases like TB and malaria, the India Health Fund plans to support programs and

projects that develop new products or strategies for innovative business models and innovative

partnerships or financing mechanisms that significantly scale existing effective solutions.

The investments made by the IHF will be aligned to national strategies and link to clear pathways of scale

including government platforms, private health networks, open source technology or sustainable

organization growth.

Facts TB and malaria pose long-standing health challenges for India. The two diseases account for over 4.23

lakh deaths and around 15 million lab-confirmed cases every year.

National Deworming initiative

{Health Issue}

In news

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The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) launched National Deworming Initiative on the

occasion of National Deworming Day (observed on 10 February). It aims to reach more than 32.2 crore

children aged between 1 to 19 years to combat parasitic worm infections. This year it is fourth edition of

National Deworming Day after it was launched in 2015

About the National Deworming Day To combat the situation of worm infection in India, Indian government (Ministry of Health and Family

Welfare) launched the National Deworming Day (NDD) in February 2015 as part of the National Health

Mission.

The aim of this programme is to deworm all the children from 1 to 19 years and improve their well-being.

All the children are provided deworming tablet in schools and anganwadis. Besides the deworming tablet,

various health promotion activities related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) are organised in

schools and anganwadis.

Deworming (sometimes known as worming or drenching) is the giving of an anthelmintic drug (a wormer,

dewormer, or drench) to a human or animal to rid them of helminths parasites, such as roundworm, flukes

and tapeworm. Purge dewormers for use in livestock can be formulated as a feed supplement that is eaten,

a paste or gel that is deposited at the back of the animal's mouth, a liquid drench given orally, an injectable,

or as a pour-on which can be applied to the animal's topline.

Status of worm infestation in India India carries the highest burden of worm infestation and 64% of Indian population less than 14 years of age

are at risk of Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) or worms’ infestation (WHO). Soil Transmitted Helminths

(STH) interfere with nutrients uptake in children; can lead to anaemia, malnourishment and impaired mental

and physical development. The situation of undernutrition and anaemia which is linked to STH ranges from

40% to 70% in different population groups across the country (WHO). They also pose a serious threat to

children’s education and productivity later in life.

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Why this is a cause for concern?

✓ Parasitic worms in children interfere with nutrient uptake, and can contribute to anaemia,

malnourishment, and impaired mental and physical development. Parasitic worms have also

debilitating consequences on the health and education of children, and on their long-term earning

potential.

✓ According to the 2012 report ‘Children in India’, published by the Ministry of Statistics and

Programme Implementation, 48% of children under the age of 5 years are stunted and 19.8% are

wasted, indicating that half of the country’s children are malnourished.

India Among Top Ten Nations in the World in Terms of Forest Area

{Environment}

In news

India has shown an increasing trend in the forest and tree cover, in comparison to the global trend of

decreasing forest cover during the last decade

This report was found in State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017

Highlights India is ranked 10th in the world, with 24.4% of land area under forest and tree cover, even though it

accounts for 2.4 % of the world surface area and sustains the needs of 17 % of human and 18 % livestock

population.

As per the ISFR 2017, the total mangrove cover stands at 4,921 sq km and has shown an increase of 181

sq km. All the 12 mangrove states have shown a positive change in the mangrove cover, as compared to

the last assessment. Mangrove ecosystem is rich in biodiversity and provides a number of ecological

services.

India State of Forest Report 2017 (ISFR) It is a biennial publication of Forest survey of India (FSI), an organization under the Ministry of Environment

Forest, & Climate Change, Government of India, engaged in the assessment of the country’s forest

resources. The rst State of Forest Report was brought out in 1987. Since then, FSI has published 14 such

reports and the ISFR 2017 is the 15th Report in the series.

The report provides state/district wise forest cover of the country and changes thereon with respect to the

previous assessment. It also provides the estimates of growing stock within and outside the forest areas,

forest cover in hill, tribal and north eastern states, carbon and other important aspects such as tree,

bamboo and mangrove cover.

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World Radio Day

It is an observance day held annually on 13 February. World Radio Day is about celebrating radio, why we

love it and why we need it today more than ever.

Radio is the mass media reaching the widest audience in the world. It is also recognized as a powerful

communication tool and a low-cost medium.

Radio is specifically suited to reach remote communities and vulnerable people: the illiterate, the disabled,

women, youth and the poor, while offering a platform to intervene in the public debate, irrespective of

people’s educational level. Furthermore, radio has a strong and specific role in emergency communication

and disaster relief.

The first World Radio Day

In honour of the first edition of World Radio Day in 2012, Lifeline Energy, FrontlineSMS, SOAS Radio and Empowerhouse hosted a seminar in London. A variety of practitioners, academics and tools providers joined at the School of Oriental and African Studies to explore ways in which radio reaches even the most remote and vulnerable communities.

‘India Pharma & India Medical Device 2018’: Affordable and Quality Healthcare

{Public Policy}

In news

The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, along with Federation of

Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), is organizing ‘India Pharma & India Medical Device

2018’,

Theme - ‘Affordable and Quality Healthcare’

The 3rd International exhibition and conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Device sector from 15th-

17th February, 2018 in Bengaluru.

Theme- ‘Driving NextGen Pharmaceuticals’.

The event would be a positive step towards the development of Future Drugs i.e. Biologics and will catalyze

the overall growth of the Pharmaceuticals Sector in India”.

Botanical Survey of India

In news

Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Natural History Museum (NHM), UK have signed a Memorandum of

Understanding for cooperation in the field of genetic/taxonomic studies, research and training, conservation

in India, including species and habitat conservation assessments.

Significance The MoU will pave the way for BSI staff to work in Natural History Museum, London and vice-versa and

they will share fairly and equitably the benefits that may arise from the collection, study and conservation of

the plant materials such as seeds, herbarium specimens and tissue samples and exchange associated

data and images.

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NHM will help BSI in capacity building in areas of systematic botany and long-term conservation of plant

genetic resources in India.

About BSI ✓ The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) was established in 1890 with the objectives of exploring the plant

resources of the country and identifying plant species with economic virtue. In 1954, the Government

reorganised the BSI with the objectives of:

✓ Undertaking intensive floristic surveys and collecting accurate and detailed information on the

occurrence, distribution, ecology and economic utility of plants in the country.

✓ Collecting, identifying and distributing materials that may be of use to educational and research

institutions.

✓ Acting as the custodian of authentic collections in well planned herbaria and documenting plant

resources in the form of local, district, state and national flora.

Central Geological Programming Board

In news

The 57th Meeting of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) was recently held.

Representatives of State Departments, Central Ministries/ organizations, PSUs, academic institutes and

private entrepreneurs attended the 57th CGPB meeting.

Apart from discussion on achievements of GSI (Geological Survey of India) during the current year, the

proposed Annual Programme for ensuing 2018-19 was presented before all Board members.

The Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) ✓ It is the apex body at the national level to overview the programme of geoscientific activities including

mineral exploration in the country. It was established through Government of India Resolution in 1966,

and subsequently revamped in 2009 with the constitution of 12 theme-based committees. CGPB

meetings are held twice in a year.

✓ The Secretary (Mines) is the chairman of CGPB. Geological Survey of India is the nodal department

(Member Secretary) and the State Geology and Mining departments and Central Government

institutions, permanent and special invitees are its participating members.

✓ CGPB coordinates activities on geological mapping, mineral prospecting, exploration and exploitation

in the country.

✓ It is responsible for providing the general strategic direction of geosciences activity; effecting

programmatic coordination among agencies; enabling better interaction between central agencies and

state level organizations; human resource, and research capability; identifying new areas and new

technologies for geoscientific activities; advising on geosciences partnerships between GSI, and State

and Central – level agencies; actively promoting use of information technology; and approving five-

year detailed sub-sectoral targets on a rolling plan basis.

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New Bill to ban Unregulated Deposit Schemes and Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill,

2018

{Governance}

In news

Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to introduce the

following bills in the Parliament: -

(a) Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 in parliament &

(b) Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2018

The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given approval to introduce

the banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 in Parliament. The bill is aimed at tackling the

menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country. Companies/ institutions running such schemes

exploit existing regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people

of their hard-earned savings.

The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2018 The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to introduce

the Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2018 in Parliament. In order to facilitate orderly growth of the Chit Funds

sector and remove bottlenecks being faced by the Chit Funds industry, thereby enabling greater financial

access of people to other financial products, the following amendments to the Chit Funds Act, 1982 have

been proposed.

Six new user-friendly features of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Platform

{Digitalization}

In news

The Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh today launched six new

features of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Platform to make it more users friendly.

e-NAM Mobile App Mobile app is being enhanced in multi-dimension so that the entire operation for farmers and traders can be

user friendly. Mobile app has been made multilingual. Now the Mandi operators can carry out one of the

critical operation of Gate Entry directly from e-NAM Mobile App.

This will also facilitate the farmers to do advance Gate Entry on Mobile app which in turn will reduce a lot of

time for farmers coming in the Mandi and will bring huge efficiency and facilitate smooth arrival recording at

the Gate. A new feature has been introduced for farmers where they can see the progress of their lot being

traded and also real time bidding progress of price will be visible to farmers on Mobile App.

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BHIM payment facility Currently e-NAM portal facilitates direct online payment to farmers through RTGS/NEFT, Debit Card and

Internet Banking. Facilitation of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) through BHIM is another milestone in

easing out payment to farmers which will also reduce the payment realization time from buyers’ account to

the pool account and in turn disbursal to farmers.

New and improved Website with eLearning Module A new website has been developed with improved and more informative features like live status of markets

of e-NAM based on gate entry, latest information on events, dynamic training calendar etc. Also e-Learning

module in Hindi language has been designed and incorporated in the website so that various stake holders

can learn online about how to operate the system and continuously get trained on the system at their

convenience. Currently the module is available in Hindi.

MIS Dashboard MIS Dashboard based on Business intelligence will provide a greater insight into the performance of each

Mandi in terms of arrival and trade. This will help the Mandi Board officials and APMC Secretary to

compare the performance of each Mandi on daily, weekly, monthly/quarterly and Year-on-Year Basis. This

will also enable officials and Mandi Secretary in doing actual trade analysis from commodity level to State

level operation. This will also be beneficial for the Mandi Board and Mandi Secretary in planning and

coordinating their operation post historical analysis.

Grievance Redressal Management System for Mandi Secretaries This system will help Mandi Secretary to raise technology issues related to portal/ software and its

operation and also track the status of redressal of their query online.

Integration with Farmer Database e-NAM has been integrated with Central Farmer Database so that the registration process becomes easier

and Identification of farmers can be done easily on arrival at the Mandi Gate which will increase the

efficiency and reduce queue time. This will help in managing the load at the Gate more efficiently during

peak time in Rabi and Kharif and reduce waiting time for farmers at the entry gate.

International Mother Language Day: 21 February

{Culture}

In news

On International Mother Language Day 2018, celebrated every year on 21 February, UNESCO reiterates

its commitment to linguistic diversity and invites its Member States to celebrate the day in as many

languages as possible as a reminder that linguistic diversity and multilingualism are essential for

sustainable development.

The theme: ‘linguistic diversity and multilingualism for sustainable development.’

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SDG4 International Mother Language Day also supports target 6 of Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs): “Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve

literacy and numeracy.”

Background There are more than 7,000 languages in the world; India alone has about 22 officially recognised

languages, 1635 rationalised mother tongues, 234 identifiable mother tongues, according to Census 2001.

Indian scientists develop next generation technology loop to generate clean energy

{Science & Tech}

In news

Indian scientists have developed a super critical carbon di oxide Brayton test loop facility that would help

generate clean energy from future power plants including solar thermal. This next generation technology

loop was developed indigenously by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Highlights

This is India’s first test-bed for next generation, efficient, compact, waterless super critical carbon dioxide

Brayton cycle test loop for power generation.

The new generation high efficiency power plants with closed cycle CO2 as the working fluid have the potential to replace steam based nuclear and thermal power plants, thus reducing the carbon foot print significantly.

The facility was inaugurated by Science & Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan at the IISc campus in Bengaluru

Flaws in current power generation system

Today’s thermal power plants use steam to carry heat away from the source and turn a turbine to generate power. However, it could generate more power if, instead of steam, supercritical CO2 (SCO2) is used. The term “supercritical” describes the state of carbon dioxide above its critical temperature of 31°C and critical pressure of 73 atmospheres making it twice as dense as steam.

In order to make this technology a reality, a research group at Interdisciplinary Center for Energy Research at Indian Institute of Science (ICER, IISc.) has been set up - India’s first S-CO2 Brayton Cycle based solar thermal test loop at the laboratory scale.

“Andaman & Nicobar Command to Host Milan 2018”

{Defence}

The second week of March will witness Andaman & Nicobar Command hosting a multinational mega event

MILAN 2018.

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Milan 2018 MILAN 2018 is being held at Port Blair from 06 March to 13 March 2018. With the underlying theme of

'Friendship Across the Seas', MILAN 2018 will witness a diverse mix of professional exercises and

seminars, social events and sporting fixtures.

The interactions during MILAN encompass sharing of views and ideas on maritime good - order and

enhancing regional cooperation for combating unlawful activities at sea.

The theme of this year’s MILAN International Maritime Seminar is ‘In Pursuit of Maritime Good Order -

Need for Comprehensive Information Sharing Apparatus’

MILAN 2018 aims to showcase the rich heritage and pristine natural beauty of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the foreign visitors. The organisers of MILAN 2018 are thankful to the Andaman & Nicobar civil administration for their unflinching support and appeal to the public of Port Blair to reach out to the visiting navies and make their stay a memorable one.

International Conference on Sustainable Biofuels 2018

The two-day international conference on Sustainable Biofuels is jointly being organized by Department of

Biotechnology, Govt. of India and Biofuture platform.

This is the largest Multilateral Platform to promote Research, development and Demonstration in Clean

Energy.

Objective To provide a common platform to Government policy makers, industry, investors and research community

to exchange experiences and challenges related to development and scaling of advance biofuels.

Besides this the conference is focusing on concerns of the private sectors to speed up large scale

production of sustainable biofuels.

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Significance

✓ Use of fossil fuels for transportation contributes significantly to global greenhouse gases (GHG) emission. The sustainable biofuels have ability to reduce the GHG emission load and this consideration led to establishment of Sustainable Biofuel Innovation Challenge (SBIC) under Mission Innovation (MI).

✓ Advanced or second-generation biofuels produced from non-food biomass materials and specially grown high yielding plants or algae, if managed sustainably can contribute to significantly reduce emissions.

✓ However, many of the advanced biofuels still remain in pre- or an early commercial stage of development and need innovations and breakthrough for low cost sustainable production.

✓ The sustainable biofuel innovation challenge aims to accelerate research, development and deployment of low cost, high GHG impacting advanced biofuels.

✓ The sustainable biofuel innovation challenge will build on existing knowledge of individual participating countries and international institutes like IEA, IRENA and in collaboration of Biofuture Platform coordinated by Brazil as program Secretariat. A major aim of this cooperation is to avoid duplication of efforts and define clear areas of collaboration for speeding up of innovations in this area.

Operation Greens

{Environment}

Why in news?

The government recently interacted with the stakeholders including Farmer Producer Organisations and

farmers, to gather input on their concerns and suggestions thereof on the modalities of Operation Greens.

What is Operation greens? The idea behind Operation Greens is to double the income of farmers by end of 2022. Operation is

essentially a price fixation scheme that aims to ensure farmers are given the right price for their produce.

Operation Greens aims to promote farmer producers organisations, agri-logistics, processing facilities and

professional management. The operation aims to aid farmers and help control and limit the erratic

fluctuations in the prices of onions, potatoes and tomatoes. It was announced by Finance Minister Arun

Jaitley in his budget speech.

Significance of Operation greens Operation Green (OG) wants to replicate the success story of Operation Flood, in fruits and vegetables,

starting with three basic vegetables—tomatoes, onions and potatoes (TOP). The main objective of OG is to

reduce price volatility in these commodities, and thereby helping farmers augment incomes on a

sustainable basis, as also provide these basic vegetables to consumers at affordable prices.

NITI Forum for Northeast

In news The Union Government has issued order setting up the ‘Niti Forum for North-East’.

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The NITI Forum for Northeast is tasked to identify various constraints on the way of accelerated, inclusive

and sustainable economic growth in the North East Region of the country and to recommend suitable

interventions for addressing identified constraints. It will also review the development status in the NER.

NITI Forum for Northeast ‘Niti Forum for North-East’ has been set up to identify constraints and recommend suitable interventions for

speedy and sustainable growth in northeast region.

Composition of the Forum Members of the Forum will include Secretaries of Ministries of Road Transport & Highways, Railways,

Power, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, New & Renewable Energy, Health &

Family Welfare, Human Resource Development, Environment, Forest & Climate Change.

Chief Secretaries of Northeastern states of Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura,

Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram will also be members of the Forum. Secretary, North East Council (NEC),

Shillong will be Member Secretary. Joint Secretary (NE), MHA, besides a number of experts from various

fields will also be members of the Forum.

The forum will be co-chaired by the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog and Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of

Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER).

Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana

{Infrastructure}

In news

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to the construction of 4.531 km long 2-Lane Bi-Directional Silkyara Bend - Barkot Tunnel with escape passage including approaches on Dharasu -Yamunotri section between Chainage 25.400 Km. and Chainage 51.000 Km in Uttarakhand.

Facts related to Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel The construction of this tunnel will provide all weather connectivity to Yamunotri, one of the dham on

Chardham Yatra, encouraging regional socio-economic development, trade and tourism within the country.

It will reduce the travel distance from Dharasu to Yamunotri by about 20 km and travel time by about an

hour.

The project will be falling along NH-134 (old NH-94) in the State of Uttarakhand.

The project will be built under Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Mode. This is funded

under NH (O) Scheme of Ministry of RT&H and forms part of ambitious Chardham Plan.

Chardham Pariyojana

Objective To develop around 900 km of national highways. These highways will be built in Uttarakhand at an

approximate cost of Rs 12,000 crore.

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The Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna, or the Chardham highway development project, is an ambitious

initiative to improve connectivity to the Char Dham pilgrimage centres in the Himalayas.

The project will make travel to the Char Dham (Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath) safer

and more convenient.

The project involves widening the existing, geometrically deficient highway that connects the four abodes.

Apart from widening, the road transport and highways ministry plans to improve the stretches to two-lane

carriageway with paved shoulders, protect landslide hazard zones, construct bypasses, long bridges,

tunnels and elevated corridors to ensure safety for the users.

Heavy Water Board signed an agreement with M/s Clearsynth

In news Heavy Water Board has signed a collaborative agreement with M/s Clearsynth, Mumbai for sale of 20

tonnes of Heavy Water in a year for development of deuterium labelled compounds, NMR Solvents, d-

labeled Active Pharma Ingredients (APIs). This marks the beginning of an important era in the annals of

Indian Nuclear industry leading to societal benefits for the masses.

Heavy water board Heavy Water Board (HWB) is a constituent unit under the Department of Atomic Energy.

The organisation is primarily responsible for production of Heavy Water (D2O) which is used as a

‘moderator’ and ‘Coolant’ in nuclear power as well as research reactors. Other than Heavy Water, HWB is

also engaged with production of different types of nuclear grade solvents and extraction of rare materials.

What is Heavy Water? Heavy water or deuterium oxide (D2O) is a form of water that contains a large amount of the hydrogen

isotope deuterium which is also known as heavy hydrogen. Deuterium differs from the hydrogen which is

usually found in water.

Heavy water may be deuterium protium oxide (DHO) or deuterium oxide (D2O). The increase in mass due

to the presence of deuterium gives it a different chemical and physical property compared to normal water.

Applications Heavy water is used in certain types of nuclear reactors, where it acts as a neutron moderator to slow down

neutrons.

The different applications and uses of heavy water are: ✓ Nuclear magnetic resonance.

✓ In Organic chemistry.

✓ Fourier transform spectroscopy.

✓ Neutron moderator.

✓ Neutrino detector etc.

20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers

{International}

In February 2018 education ministers will meet in Fiji to discuss solutions to some of the Commonwealth’s

most pressing education challenges, including low enrolment rates in preschool, primary and secondary

schools, low adult literacy and persisting gender disparities in education.

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It will be the first Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) since the global

community adopted the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.

The meeting will give education ministers the opportunity to agree on effective strategies to help individual

countries achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 - inclusive and quality education for all.

Theme: Can Education Deliver?

It includes three subthemes Education for sustainable development: Education as a key enabler for sustainable development- skills

development and transitioning youth to decent work.

Building resilience through education: Climate change and the curriculum – displacement and migration

due to climate change and the challenges faced by small and atoll islands (including the role of education,

traditional knowledge and local culture in building climate resilience).

Education governance & management: Strengthening the teaching profession and school management –

issues of quality and equity; financing of education; societal barriers (including drug abuse and

internet/social media); and advocacy for education strategies across the SDGs.

Key facts The Commonwealth education conference has been taking place every three years since 1959, when the

first meeting was held in Oxford.

It is the second largest meeting organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat after the Commonwealth

Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

2018 conference will be the first Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) since the

global community adopted the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.

The meeting will give education ministers the opportunity to agree on effective strategies to help individual

countries achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 – inclusive and quality education for all.

Kenya has formally undertaken to host the 21st Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers in 2021.

Bahamas hosted the 19th Conference.

National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts at IIT Chennai

In news

The Ministry of Shipping has laid foundation stone for setting up of a National Technology Centre for Ports,

Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) at IIT Chennai to give technological support to ports and maritime

sector. It will be set up under Shipping Ministry’s Øagship Sagarmala programme.

Key Facts NTCPWC’s mandate is to act as technology arm of Ministry of Shipping for providing engineering and

technological inputs and support for Ports, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and other institutions

NTCPWC NTCPWC is being set up under the Shipping Ministry’s flagship programme Sagarmala. Envisioned as a

world class state-of-the – art centre, NTCPWC will be a hub for latest technology tools and reduce our

dependence on foreign institutions. It will also reduce the cost of research drastically and result in cost and

time savings for work in the port and maritime sector.

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Functions It will act as a technology arm of the Ministry of Shipping for providing engineering and technological inputs

and support for Ports, Inland Waterways Authority of India and other institutions.

It will carry on applied research in the areas of 2D and 3D Modelling of ocean, coastal and estuarine flows,

sediment transport and morphodynamics, navigation and maneuvering, dredging and siltation, port and

coastal engineering-structures and breakwaters.

It will provide indigenous software and technology, make technical guidelines and standards and address

port and maritime issues with models and simulations.

The centre will not only help generate new technology and innovations but also work towards their

successful commercialization. It will provide learning opportunities for the people working in Ministry of

Shipping.

Project Swajal

In news

The Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation has launched second project of Swajal Yojana at village

Bhikampura, Karauli, Rajasthan. It was launched by Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma

Bharti. Under this project, four reservoirs will be constructed in village and common tap connection will be

given to almost 300 households.

Swajal pilot project has been launched at Village Bhikampura, Karauli, Rajasthan.

Swajal is a community owned drinking water programme for sustained drinking water supply.

Under the scheme, 90% of the project cost will be taken care by the Government and the remaining 10% of

the project cost will be contributed by the community. The Operations and management of the project will

be taken care by the local villagers.

Besides ensuring the availability of clean drinking water to every household round the year, the project

would also generate employment.

National e-Governance Awards

National e-governance Awards were presented on the occasion of 21st National Conference on e-

Governance.

National Awards on e-Governance are presented every year for exemplary implementation of e-

Governance initiatives to recognize and promote excellence in implementation of e-Governance initiatives.

Purpose of Award

(i) Recognize achievements in the area of e-Governance

(ii) Disseminate knowledge on effective methods of designing and implementing sustainable e-Governance

initiatives

(iii) Encourage incremental innovations in successful e-Governance solutions

(iv) Promote and exchange experiences in solving problems, mitigating risks, resolving issues and planning

for success.

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The conference The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India, along

with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India in association with

Government of Telangana have organized the 21stNational Conference on e-Governance in Hyderabad,

Telangana.

The Conference serves as a forum in which the Secretaries, Administrative Reforms and Secretaries,

Information Technology of State Governments, IT Managers of the Central Governments, Software

Solution providers, industry, etc. participate and interact, exchange opinions, views, discuss issues,

problems and also analyze various solution frameworks.

Theme: Technology for Accelerating Development.

Sub themes ✓ Building User experience.

✓ Universalization and Replication.

✓ Governing e – Governance.

✓ Emerging technologies.

✓ e-Governance good/best practices.

e governance e-Governance is generally understood as the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at

all the level of the Government in order to provide services to the citizens, interaction with business

enterprises and communication and exchange of information between different agencies of the

Government in a speedy, convenient efficient and transparent manner.

National Science Day 2018

{Science & Tech}

The National Science Day is observed every year on 28th February with an objective to spread message of

importance of science and its application among the people.

For his great success in the field of science in India, Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was awarded and

honored with the Nobel Prize in the Physics in the year 1930.

Theme: “Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future”.

Raman Effect The Raman Effect is a change in the wavelength of light that occurs when a light beam is deflected

by molecules. When a beam of light traverses a dust-free, transparent sample of a chemical compound, a

small fraction of the light emerges in directions other than that of the incident (incoming) beam. Most of this

scattered light is of unchanged wavelength. A small part, however, has wavelengths different from that of

the incident light; its presence is a result of the Raman Effect.

Raman’s experiment The violet light of the solar spectrum is isolated with a violet filter and passed through the liquid sample.

Most of the light emerging from the liquid sample is the same color as the incident violet beam: the so-

called Rayleigh scattered light (the scattering of light by particles in a medium, without change in

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wavelength. It accounts, for example, for the blue colour of the sky, since blue light is scattered slightly

more efficiently than red).

However, Raman, along with K S Krishnan was able to show that some of the scattered light was a

different color, which they could isolate by using a green filter placed between the observer and the sample.

AIIB approves infra loans worth $1.5 billion to India


The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved $1.5 billion in loans to India for infrastructure

projects in 2018. The funds are meant for investment in energy, roads and urban development projects. Of

the loans committed by the multilateral bank, around $200 million will be invested under the National

Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) framework.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) The AIIB was established as a new multilateral financial institution aimed at providing “financial support for

infrastructure development and regional connectivity in Asia.” It was founded in October, 2014, and has its

headquarters in Beijing. Its goals are also to boost economic development in the region, create wealth,

prove infrastructure, and promote regional cooperation and partnership.

The value of AIIB’s authorized capital amounts to $100 billion, with almost $30 billion invested by China.

India is not only one of the founding members of AIIB but is also the 2nd largest shareholder in AIIB.

Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre (MSDC)

A first-of-its-kind Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre (MSDC), a CSR initiative of Airports Authority of

India (AAI) was inaugurated in Chandigarh.

Aviation MSDC The Centre has been set up in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and

is supported by the Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council (AASSC) of India.

The course curriculum and assessments of the training have been designed by AASSC in accordance with

the National Skill Qualification Framework. The Centre will train about 2,400 youth and women in 8 aviation

job roles over the next 3 years.

Need of the centre Demand for aviation skilled personnel has been rising commensurately with the boom in the civil aviation

sector witnessed in the last 3-4 years. More than 900 new aircraft are expected to be inducted by Indian

scheduled airlines in the coming few years. Air connectivity for both passenger transport and air freight is

increasing, with new air routes and operationalisation of unserved or underserved airports through the

UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme. MRO and ground-handling demands for skilled personnel are also

rising in tandem.

NSDC The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is a one-of-its-kind, Public Private Partnership (PPP)

model in India, under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). It aims to promote skill

development by catalyzing creation of large, quality and for-profit vocational institutions.

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NSDC provides funding to build scalable and profitable vocational training initiatives. Its mandate is also to

enable support system which focuses on quality assurance, information systems and train the trainer

academies either directly or through partnerships.

NSDC acts as a catalyst in skill development by providing funding to enterprises, companies and

organisations that provide skill training.

It will also develop appropriate models to enhance, support and coordinate private sector initiatives.

Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam based on PIB

1. Consider the following statements

Assertion (A): A massive rail coach factory will be set up in Latur, Maharashtra by Indian Railways.

Reason (R): The Marathwada region of Maharashtra suffers from heavy migration to other parts of the country. In the context of the above, which of these is correct?

(a) A is correct, and R is an appropriate explanation of A.

(b) A is correct, but R is not an appropriate explanation of A.

(c) A is incorrect, but R is correct.

(d) Both A and R are incorrect.

2. TEQIP is an initiative of the National Project Implementation Unit; it is aimed at improving the quality of (a) Technical Education. (b) Ecological Programmes Implementation. (c) Environmental Laws Implementation. (d) Teaching Education Skill.

3. The Finance Minister in his budget speech announced the launch of GOBAR-DHAN scheme for-

(a) Providing Bio-Gas supply.

(b) Giving Subsidy for Generating Bio fuel gases.

(c) Promoting Organic Farming of Rice and other crops.

(d) Improving the lives of villagers.

4. Which of the following major initiative(s) recently announced by government in health sector, as

part of Ayushman Bharat programme?

1. Health and Wellness Centres

2. National Health Protection Scheme

3. ATAL Jan Ausadi Kendras

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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(a) 2 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) 1 and 3 only

5. The First ever International Kala Mela was recently organized in-

(a) Jaipur

(b) New Delhi

(c) Lucknow

(d) Amritsar

6. India Industrial Fair (Laghu Udyog Bharati) is one of the largest industrial trade show organized by government of- (a) Madhya Pradesh (b) Rajasthan (c) Maharashtra (d) Punjab

7. Consider the following statements about the South Asia Region Public Procurement

Conference.

1. Recently its second edition organized in India.

2. Its recent theme was “Public Procurement and Service Delivery”.

3. These conferences held under the auspices of the South Asia Association of Regional

Cooperation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

8. Which is not the new tool for States and Union Territories for ranking of startups in the country

as recently launched by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry?

(a) The State and Union Territory Start-up Ranking Framework. (b) The Compendium of Good Practices for Promoting Start-ups in India. (c) The Start-up India Kit. (d) The Startup Index and Young Entrepreneurial Mind Awards.

9. Consider the following statements with reference to scheme Development of Solar Cities.

1. It under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

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2. It aims to reduce a minimum of 10% of the projected demand of conventional energy of the

city.

3. It aims to reduce conventional energy of the city through renewable energy installations and

energy efficiency measures.


(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 1 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

10. Consider the following statements regarding the Mahamastakabhisheka.

1. It is held once in 12 years.

2. It is one of the biggest festivals for the Jain community.

3. It honors Lord Bahubali.


(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3 only

11. Recently the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for closure of which of the following nidhi/kosh/fund?

1. Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi

2. Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh

3. National Planning Fund

4. Mahila Vikas Nidhi

5. Kreshi Kallyan Kosh


(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 3 and 5 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 3, 4 and 5 only

12. Village Resource Centers is established by-

(a) Indian Railways

(b) NITI Aayoug

(c) Indian Space Research Organization

(d) World Bank

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13. The Government recently approved a proposal for ratification of the Minamata Convention,

consider the followings statement about it.

1. The Minamata Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects of mercury.

2. After joining the Convention, it will now be easier for India to get technological or financial assistance to address issues related to mercury.

Which of the statement given above is/are NOT correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

14. Micro, Small and Medium enterprises are now classified on the basis of the-

(a) Investment in plant & machinery/equipment.

(b) Annual turnover.

(c) Total investment in a Plant.

(d) Employees, investment and annual turnover.

15. "Healthy States, Progressive India" is a comprehensive Health Index report; which of the

following statement(s) is/are correct about it?

1. It is released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with technical assistance from the

World Bank.

2. Among the Larger States, Kerala, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu ranked on top in terms of overall

performance.

3. Among Smaller States, Mizoram ranked first followed by Manipur on overall performance.

4. Among Union Territories, New Delhi showed both the best overall performance.


(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4

(d) 2, 3 and 4 only

16. ASH TRACK Mobile App has been launched by-

(a) The Ministry of Transport

(b) The NITI Aayoug

(c) The Ministry of Power

(d) The Ministry of Statistics

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17. Consider the following statements with reference to INS Garuda

1. Recently an ‘Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological System’ was inaugurated at INS Garua.

2. INS Garuda is the fourth air station to have been installed with integrated system.

Which of the statement given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

18. The India Health Fund (IHF), an initiative by Tata Trusts, in collaboration with the Global Fund has come forward to financially support innovations and technologies designed to combat- 1. tuberculosis 2. malaria 3. cancer 4. blindness


(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 4 only

(d) 3 and 4 only

19. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct with reference to the National Deworming

Day?

1. The fourteenth edition of this day was observed on 10 February.

2. The government launched National Deworming Initiative to combat parasitic worm infections

of children aged between 1 to 19 years.


(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

20. Consider the following statement as per the ‘India State of Forest Report 2017’.

1. India has shown an increasing trend in the forest and tree cover in comparison to the global trend in the last decade.

2. It is the 15th Report in the series publication of Forest survey of India (FSI). 3. India is ranked 10th in the world under forest and tree cover.

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(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 1 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

21. World Radio Day is observed annually on-

(a) 3 February

(b) 13 February

(c) 5 February

(d) 15 February

22. The 3rd International exhibition and conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Device sector from 15th-17th February, 2018; which of the statement(s) is/are INCORRECT about it? 1. It was held in Bengaluru. 2. Its theme was ‘Driving NextGen Pharmaceuticals.


(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

23. Which of the following statement about the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB)

is false?

(a) It is the apex body at the national level to overview the programme of geoscientific activities

including mineral exploration in the country.

(b) The Secretary (Mines) is the chairman of CGPB.

(c) The 57th Meeting of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) was recently held.

(d) CGPB meetings are held once in a year.

24. Recently the banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 introduced in Parliament,

The bill is aimed at/to-

(a) control Companies/ institutions from running sell braches.

(b) Controlling bank administrative rules that exploit existing regulatory gaps.

(c) tackling the menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country

(d) dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned savings.

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25. The United Nations’ (UN) International Mother Language Day annually celebrates language

diversity and variety worldwide on February 21, The theme of 2018 is-

(a) Linguistic diversity and multilingualism for sustainable development. (b) Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion to achieve literacy and numeracy

(c) Mother Language connecting blood to soul.

(d) Vernacular for sustainable development:2030

26. Operation Greens aims to promote-

1. farmer producers organizations

2. agri-logistics

3. processing facilities

4. professional management


(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

27. Recently the Union Government has issued order setting up the NITI Forum for-

(a) Himalayan states

(b) Farmers Welfare

(c) North-East

(d) Mines, Minerals and Manufacturing

28. Recently Government of India has approved the setting up of a tribunal to settle Mahanadi water dispute, consider the following statement with reference to it. 1. It is to settle a row between Odisha and Chhattisgarh on sharing the waters of the river

Mahanadi.

2. It will be formed according to the provisions of the Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD),

1956.

3. It will have a chairperson and four other members.

4. The President of India would nominate the chairperson and members.


(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 and 4 only

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 2 and 3 only

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29. Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel as part of Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana will be constructed

in-

(a) Himachal Pradesh

(b) Uttarkhand

(c) Himachal Pradesh & Uttarkhand

(d) Uttarkhand & Nepal

30. Which of the following statement is correct with reference to the Commonwealth education

conference(CEC)

(a) 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers was recently held in India.

(b) The CEC has been taking place every three years, the first meeting was held in Oxford.

(c) It is the largest meeting organized by the Commonwealth Secretariat.

(d) Bahamas has formally undertaken to the next host for CEC.

31. Consider the following statement regarding the National Technology Centre for Ports,

Waterways and Coasts.

1. It will be set up in Vishakhapatnam.

2. It is being set up under the Shipping Ministry’s flagship programme Sagarmala.

Which of the statement given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

32. Consider the following statement regarding the Swajal pilot project

1. It is launched in Rajasthan.

2. It is launched by NITI Aayoug.

3. The central and state government will share the cost in 90:10 ratios.


(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 1 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

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33. National Science Day is celebrated on 28th of February every year in order to commemorate

the invention of the Raman Effect by the Indian physicist, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman

on the same day in the year 1928, The theme for this day in 2018 was-

(a) Science for Nation Building

(b) Scientific Issues for Development of the Nation

(c) Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future

(d) Fostering Scientific Temper

34. A first-of-its-kind Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre, a CSR initiative of Airports

Authority of India (AAI) was inaugurated in-

(a) Bangalore

(b) New Delhi

(c) Gandhinagar

(d) Chandigarh.

35. Which country has declined New Delhi’s invitation to participate in the biennial naval

exercise Milan.

(a) Pakistan

(b) China

(c) Maldives

(d) Australia

For answers of the above practice questions

visit https://currentaffairsonly.com/

(or)

google it {CAO PIB mcq February 2018}.

Mail us: - [email protected]

WhatsApp: - 7200981752

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CAO Monthly Magazine’shttps://currentaffairsonly.com/

CAO Daily Updates The Hindu Analysis Editorial Analysis Special highlighted articles and more… Weekly important news update

For Instant updates7200981752

For any [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

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