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MONTHLY FACTLY

EXCLUSIVE CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR

PRELIMS MAY 2017

ForumIAS

Monthly Factly for Prelims by ForumIAS 1st Floor, IAPL House, #19, Pusa Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi – 110005 | [email protected]

Current Issues (May)

POLITY AND GOVERNACE

1. PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ACT (PCA), 1960

It was enacted, under Article 48 of the constitution, to prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain and

suffering on animals

It deals with captive and domestic animals.

Chapter IV of the act deals with the regulation of experimentation

Chapter V requires mandatory registration of performing animals

It regulates animal markets, dog breeders, aquarium and pet fish shop owner

As per PCA Act, it is an offence against a person who incites any animal to fight with a view to provide

entertainment.

The act also deals with restrictions on exhibition and training of performing animals

It has also established Animal Welfare Board of India as a statutory body

It extends to whole of India except J&K

ARTICLE 48 OF THE DPSP

State shall “organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in

particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows

and calves and other milch and draught cattle.”

ANIMAL WELFARE BOARD OF INDIA

Established in 1962 as a statutory body under PCA Act, 1960

Comes under the jurisdiction of MoEFCC

It consists of 28 Members, who serve for a period of 3 years

Headquarters: Chennai

Functions:

Providing advice to the union government on matters relating to the promotion of animal

welfare and animal welfare laws

Recognition of animal welfare organizations and providing financial assistance to them

Prescribes changes to animal welfare laws and rules

Working to raise awareness among the public

2. INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON PROGRAM

It is a worldwide statistical initiative led by the World Bank under the auspices of the United Nations

Statistical Commission

The main objective of it is to providing comparable price and volume measures of gross domestic

product (GDP) and its expenditure aggregates among countries within and across regions.

Through a partnership with international, regional, sub-regional and national agencies, the ICP collects

and compares price data and GDP expenditures to estimate and publish purchasing power parities

(PPPs) of the world’s economies

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*This study material is a part of ForumIAS Current Affairs Classes

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The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MOSPI) is undertaking the data collection

of prices in rural and urban areas in India

3. FUGITIVE ECONOMIC OFFENDERS BILL, 2017

The Union Law ministry has approved Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2017 to empower

government to confiscate property of economic offenders and defaulters who flee India

FEATURES

It defines fugitive economic offender (FEO) as any individual against whom warrant for arrest in

relation to economic offence has been issued and person has left the country and refuses to return to

India to face criminal prosecution.

The burden of proof for establishing that an individual is a FEO will be on authorities

It is applicable in cases where the value of offences is over Rs.100 crore.

It will allow Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), to file an application for declaration of FEO, for

confiscation of their assets

The bill entrusts responsibility to try such cases to the courts under Prevention of Money Laundering

Act, 2002 (PMLA).

The bill has provision for appointment of an administrator to dispose off property of FEO to pay off

the creditors.

Besides, it has provisions to override provisions of other existing laws

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

4. AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (AFDB)

Prime Minister of India has inaugurated the 52nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the African

Development Bank (AfDB) in Gandhinagar.

This is the first time that India is hosting the annual meetings of the AfDB

ABOUT AFDB

It is also known as Banque Africaine de Developpment (BAD)

Founded in 1964

Headquarters: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Mission: To fight poverty and improve living conditions of the people of African continent by

promoting investment in government and private capital in development projects.

The bank is made of three entities viz. African Development Bank, African Development Fund, and

Nigeria Trust Fund.

The motto of the bank: “Building today, a better Africa tomorrow”

Members: 78

India had joined this bank in 1983

5. SOUTH ASIA SATELLITE

Launched by India for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region

All SAARC countries viz., Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives except

Pakistan joined to use its services

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The total cost of launching the satellite met by the Government of India

SALIENT FEATURES

The satellite called GSAT-09 has been built and launched by ISRO, using GSLV MK-II launch vehicle

It weighs 2,230 kg and is cuboid in shape, built around a central cylinder

It has 12 Ku-band transponders

It will have a mission life of over 12 years.

Also, the launch is GSLV’s fourth consecutive flight with the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS)

engine

The satellite will provide a full range of applications and services in the fields of telecommunication

and broadcasting applications, namely, Television, Direct-to-Home (DTH), Very Small Aperture

Terminals (VSATs), Tele-education, Telemedicine and Disaster Management Support

6. UN-HABITAT

India has been unanimously elected as the President of the UN-Habitat

ABOUT

UN-Habitat, also known as United Nations Human Settlements Program

It is a UN agency responsible for sustainable urban development and human settlements.

It was established in 1978

Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.

It is mandated by the UNGA to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities

with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.

It is also a member of UNDP.

UN-Habitat works in more than 70 countries in five continents focusing on seven areas: Urban

Legislation, Land and Governance; Urban Planning and Design; Urban Economy; Urban Basic Services;

Housing and Slum Upgrading; Risk Reduction and Rehabilitation; Urban Research and Capacity

Development

The Governing Council of UN-Habitat is an inter-governmental policy making and decision making

body

NEW URBAN AGENDA

It was adopted by the world community at HABITAT III conference held in Quito, Ecuador

It would focus on inclusive, sustainable and adequate housing for a better future and sustainable

urbanization and integrated human settlements

MOST CROWDED CITIES

Named by World Economic Forum citing UN-Habitat data

Top 9: Dhaka, Mumbai, Medellin, Manila, Casablanca, Lagos, Kota, Singapore, Jakarta

It has been estimated that more than half of the world’s population resides in urban areas

UN expects this to increase to 66% by 2050 with around 90% increase concentrated in Asia and Africa

7. GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (GPDRR)

The 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) summit was held in Cancun, Mexico

from May 22- 26, 2017

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ABOUT GPDRR

GPDRR is a biennial global forum for strategic advice, coordination, partnership development and

review of progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

(SFDRR) 2015-2030

It will also provide a platform for all stakeholders to galvanize their efforts in sustainable development

and climate change adaptation, sharing of experiences, discussing innovative solutions, and charting

out the course for an integrated approach at the international, regional, national and local levels

SENDAI FRAMEWORK FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (SFDRR) 2015-2030

It was adopted during the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai,

Japan in March 2015

It is a 15-year non-binding agreement

Its adaptation involves adopting integrated and inclusive institutional measures in order to work

towards preventing vulnerability to disaster.

It also seeks to increase preparedness for response and recovery and strengthen resilience in case of

disaster.

It says that state has the primary role to reduce disaster risk but that responsibility should be shared

with other stakeholders including local government and the private sector

It is improved version of the existing Hyogo Framework

8. FORUM FOR INDIA PACIFIC ISLANDS CO-OPERATION (FIPIC)

It is a multinational grouping developed in 2014 for cooperation between India and 14 Pacific

Islands nations

The first meet of these countries was held in Suva, Fiji in November 2014

FIPIC-II summit held in August 2015, in Jaipur, India

9. BBIN

Recently, Bhutan, opts out of BBIN

ABOUT BBIN

It is an initiative of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal with the aim to facilitate movement of

vehicles in each other’s territory

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been providing technical, advisory, and financial support to

it as part of its assistance to the south Asia sub-regional economic cooperation (SASEC) programme

SASEC is a projects-based economic cooperation initiative that brings together the BBIN countries,

Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

10. G-7 MEETING

The Group of Seven (G7) annual meeting took place at Taormina, Italy.

This was the sixth time that Italy has taken over the rotating G7 Presidency.

ABOUT G-7

It is an informal bloc of industrialized democracies - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the

United Kingdom, and the United States

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It meets annually to discuss issues such as global economic governance, international security and

energy policy

Its current members make up nearly 50 percent of the world economy and represent more than 60

percent of net global wealth.

The first summit in 1975 was attended by France, Germany, the US, Britain, Japan and Italy.

Canada, Russia joined later and Russia was suspended due to Crimean crisis

11. MILITARY EXERCISES

SIMBEX

It is an annual bilateral naval exercise conducted by the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore

Navy (RSN)

Started in 1994

Recently, both countries conducted the 24th Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in

the South China Sea

CORPAT

The Indonesian Navy and the Indian Navy have been participating in coordinated patrol (CORPAT)

twice a year since 2002

Its objective is to keep the vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial

shipping and international trade

Recently, the 29th

series of CORPAT has begun at Port Blair

INDO-THAILAND/SIAM BHARAT

This is the second such exercise to be held between the Indian Air Force and the Royal Thailand Air

Force

It was Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Table Top Exercise 2017 held in Chiang

Mai, Thailand.

The aim of the bilateral exercise is to evolve SOPs for planning and executing relief missions during

unforeseen natural calamities like Tsunami, earthquakes, cyclones, floods etc.

GOVT SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES

12. PRADHAN MANTRI KISAN SAMPADA YOJANA (PMKSY)

The SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing

Clusters) scheme has been renamed as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)

The SAMPADA scheme was approved in May 2017 for the period of 2016-20

The objective of the scheme is to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease

agricultural-waste

ABOUT PMKSY

PMKSY is an umbrella scheme which incorporates all ongoing schemes of the Union Ministry of Food

Processing Industries (MoFPI)

It includes schemes such as Mega Food Parks, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure,

Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, etc.

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It also includes new schemes like Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages, Infrastructure for

Agro-processing Clusters, Creation/Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities

13. PUSA KRISHI APP

It was developed by Indian Agricultural Research Institute

The Pusa Krishi app gives information about

The varieties of products available to farmers

Technology that can be used to yield better crops

Information about produce and the region it is best suited for

Information about animal feed and bio-fertilizers

There is a feedback section which enables the agricultural scientists to have a real time conversation

with the stakeholders.

14. E-KRISHI SAMVAD

It is an online interface to provide direct solution to the problem faced by farmers in the agriculture

sector.

With this facility, farmers can directly connect to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

website and get the appropriate solutions from the experts through web or SMS.

Stakeholders can upload photographs related to diseases of the crops, animals or fishes for

diagnostics and remedial measures instantly from the specialists

15. SHAKTI POLICY

The Scheme to Harness and Allocate Koyla Transparently in India (SHAKTI) is a new coal linkage

policy to ensure adequate supply of the fuel to power plants through reverse auction

16. SEVA APP

The Saral Eindhan Vitaran Application (SEVA) app launched by Union Minister of state for Power,

Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines for power sector consumers

It has been developed by Coal India Limited

It is aimed at increasing the Consumer Connect as well as the transparency and accountability in coal

dispatch

It would initially cover only those coal mines that are associated with power generation.

In later stages non power coal mines would also be added to it.

It would work with SEVA Dashboard which provides summary of quantity of coal dispatched along

with grades for a day, month, and the latest yearly updates as well.

The app also provides information on rake movement including latest status of indents of rake,

allotment and loading.

This would help consumers making advance logistics planning

17. PANDIT DEENDAYAL UPADHYAYA SANCHAR KAUSHAL VIKAS PRATISTHAN SCHEME

It has been launched by the Ministry Of Communications and IT

It a skill development scheme that will train rural youth to maintain mobile towers, repair optical

fibres and fix other communication technologies across India

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Under this Scheme, the ministry will impart training to 10,000 people from 10 States/UTs in the first

phase

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) also plans to establish more than 1,000 Sanchar

Kaushal Vikas Pratisthan in future.

Besides, BSNL’s satellite phone service and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence

Award Scheme were also launched.

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Award has been instituted to recognize achievers

and talents in Telecom sector

18. PHASED MANUFACTURING PROGRAMME (PMP)

The Centre has introduced Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP) to make India a mobile

manufacturing hub of the world in the next few years

The PMP scheme would promote domestic mobile phones production by providing tax relief and

incentives on components and accessories used for the devices

This would be rolled out over a period of time in a phase-wise manner.

ECONOMY

19. CANOLA CROP

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is pushing farmers to adopt Canola farming

The PAU is encouraging farmers to establish Canola Villages which produces canola crop along with

extraction of canola oil through oil extraction units located within the village itself

ABOUT

Canola quality varieties are commonly developed from two species - Brassica napus and Brassica

campestris

It is look similar to rapeseed

It has a relatively shorter duration of crop

It is also a livestock feed and is light cooking oil too

The prevailing agro-ecological condition of India is favourable for several oilseeds, including edible

like canola, groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soybean, sunflower, safflower, sesame and niger and non-

edible oilseeds like castor and linseed

India is the largest producer of castor and sesame and second largest producer of groundnut and

rapeseed-mustard

20. WPI AND IIP

The base year of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and Wholesale Price Index (WPI) has been

changed from 2004-05 to 2011-12 by the CSO and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion

(DIPP) respectively

Previously, the base year of Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and

Gross Value Addition (GVA ) etc. has been changed to 2011-12

The basket of goods and their weightage have also been overhauled

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ABOUT IIP

It is a ratio that measures the growth of various sectors in the economy and shows general level of

Industrial activity in the country

The First IIP was published in 1950 by Office of Economic Advisor, with base year 1937

Currently IIP data is released every month by CSO

It does not show volume of activity

It only shows the magnitude which represents the status of production in the industrial sector for a

given period of time as compared to a reference period of time

The items included in IIP fall into three sectors Viz., Mining, manufacturing and electricity sectors

Sector wise items and weightages:

o Manufacturing (405 items),

o Mining (1 items)

o Electricity (1 item)

o The weights of the three sectors are 77.63%, 14.37%, 7.9% respectively

The weightage of 8 core Industries have been revised to 40.27% in the IIP

Order of weightage of core industries

o Petroleum Refinery production (weight: 28.04%),

o Electricity generation (19.85%),

o Steel production (17.92 %),

o Coal production (10.33 %),

o Crude Oil production (8.98 %),

o Natural Gas production (6.88 %),

o Fertilizer production (2.63 %)

ABOUT WPI

It is computed by the Office of the Economic Adviser in Ministry of commerce & Industry

It is released monthly

The decreasing order of three groups of items in terms of weightage in WPI is:

o Manufactured products > Primary articles > Fuel & power

Among manufactured products, the highest weightage is of chemicals and chemical products.

WPI does not take into consideration the retail prices or prices of the services

ABOU CPI

It is released at national level into 3 categories

o CPI for Industrial Workers - released by the Labour Bureau, MoLE

o CPI for Agricultural Labourers / Rural Labourers - released by the Labour Bureau, MoLE

o CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined) – released by CSO

RBI uses CPI (combined) released for inflation purpose

CPI basket is broader than WPI basket

The items in CPI are divided into 6 main groups as follows:

o Food and beverages - 54.18%

o Pan, Tobacco and Intoxicants - 3.26%

o Clothing & Footwear - 7.36%

o Fuel & Light - 7.94%

o Miscellaneous - 27.26%

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21. TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION SUPPORT CENTRES (TISC)

These are set up by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the World

Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) TISC program

Their objective is to stimulate dynamic, vibrant and balanced Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)

system in India to foster creativity and innovation

India’s first Technology and Innovation Support Centre (TISC) set to be established at Patent

Information Centre, Punjab

Second TISC will be established at Centre for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR), Anna University,

Chennai

The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) has been designated as the National Focal

Point (NFP) for the TISC national network

CIPAM will identify potential host institutions, assess their capacities and support them in joining the

TISC program.

It will also act as the main intermediary between WIPO and TISC host institutions and

coordinate all the activities of the national TISC network.

Services offered by TISC will include, inter alia, access to online patent and non-patent resources and

IP-related publications; training in database search; monitoring technology and competitors;

technology commercialization and marketing, etc.

ABOUT CIPAM

The CIPAM is nodal professional agency under DIPP, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Its mandate is to effectively implement National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy adopted in

May 2016.

It has been actively involved in activities such as a nationwide IPR awareness campaign,

strengthening IP ecosystem in country etc.

In January, 2018, CIPAM, in collaboration with DIPP, has launched ‘IPrism’ – an intellectual property

competition for college and university students

ABOUT WIPO

It is the global body for promotion and protection of intellectual property rights (IPR)

It was established in 1967

Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

Members: 191 countries

It a specialized and self-funding agency of the United Nations

It publishes the World Intellectual Property Report for every two years

Also publishes Global Innovation Index in collaboration with Cornell University and INSEAD

ABOUT WIPO’S TISC PROGRAM

It provides innovators in developing countries with access to locally based, high quality technology

information and related services.

It helps them to exploit their innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their IPRs

22. NUCLEAR POWER

Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the construction of 10 indigenous Pressurised Heavy

Water Reactors (PHWR)

The reactors will have a capacity of 700 MW

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ABOUT PHWR

It produce electricity and plutonium

It use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water (D2O) as both moderator and coolant

India’s first PHWR was constructed at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan in technical cooperation with the

Atomic Energy Canada Ltd (AECL)

India’s first nuclear power plant with a different design was built at Tarapur in Maharashtra.

PHWR units are in operation in Rawatbhata, Kaiga, Kakrapar, Kalpakkam and Narora

23. BHARTIYA NIRDESHAK DRAVYA

Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201) is India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference

standard

Launched by India Government Mint (IGM) in collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

(BARC) and CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (NPL), National Centre for Compositional

Characterisation of Materials (Hyderabad)

24. DHOLA SADIYA BRIDGE

It is India’s longest river bridge constructed on Lohit river, a tributary of Brahmaputra river, in Assam

It renamed as Bhupen Hazarika Bridge

BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER SYSTEM

It originates from the Angsi Glacier of Tibet as the Yarlung Tsangpo River

It enters India after taking a turn at Namcha Barwa Syntaxial bend and flows in Arunachal Pradesh

It is called as Dihang River or Siang River when it enters into India

After the confluence of Dihang, Diband and Lohit rivers it called as Brahmaptra river

The waters of the River Brahmaputra are shared by China, India, and Bangladesh

OTHER TRIBUTARIES

SECURITY AND DEFENCE

25. WANNACRY RANSOMWARE

It is a global cyberattack considered as the biggest ransomware attack of its kind infected more than

100000 computers all over the world in May, 2017

Ransomware is a type of malicious software when infected restricts the user access until a ransom is

paid to unlock it

Hackers have spread ransomware known as WannaCry, WanaCrypt0r 2.0, WannaCry and WCry, often

through emails

NORTH BANK TRIBUTARIES SOUTH BANK TRIBUTARIES

Subansiri, Jiandhal, Siang, Kameng,

Dhansiri (North), Puthimari, Pagladiya,

Manas, Champamati, Tista, Raidak,

Saralbhanga, The Aie, The Sankosh,

etc.

Noa Dehing, Buri Dehind, Debang,

Dikhow, Dhansiri (South), Kopili,

Digaru, Dudhanai, Krishnai etc.

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The country most affected by WannaCry is UK, where National Health Service trusts were impacted,

causing widespread disruption to health services

CERT-IN in this context issued a “critical alert” and advised the installation of relevant “patches” to

protect against any data breaches.

PETYA RANSOMWARE

It is similar to the Wannacry ransomware and has infected computer servers across the world in June,

2017

In India, the ransomware has crippled the operations at one of the terminals of the Jawaharlal Nehru

Port Trust

CERT-IN (INDIAN COMPUTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM)

CERT-In was established in January 2004

To enhance the security of India’s Communications and Information Infrastructure through proactive

action and effective collaboration

It functions under Ministry of Information and communication Technology

The main function of CERT-In is to provide early security warning and effective incident response

It is aimed at catering to the needs of critical sectors, law enforcement & judiciary and e-governance

project owners.

In the Information Technology (Amendment) Act 2008, CERT-In has been designated to perform

several functions in the area of cyber security

26. NATIONAL TECHNICAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION (NTRO)

It’s a premier scientific agency under the National Security Adviser

It was set up in 2004.

It was originally known as the National Technical Facilities Organisation (NTFO), is highly specialized

technical intelligence gathering agency.

The agency develops technology capabilities in aviation and remote sensing, data gathering and

processing, cyber security, cryptology systems, strategic hardware and software development and

strategic monitoring

Recently, it listed under the Intelligence Organizations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985 which aim to

prevent leakage of information by intelligence agencies

ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

27. BONN CLIMATE CHANGE COFERENCE - 2017

The 23rd

CoP of UNFCCC was held from November 6 to 17, 2017 at Bonn, Germany

It was presided by Government of Fiji

It concluded with countries putting in place a roadmap for ‘Talanoa Dialogue’, a year-long process to

assess countries’ progress on climate actions

The Conference also made progress on framing rules for implementing 2015 Paris Agreement on

climate change and

It also brought rich nations on board on their pre-2020 commitments as demanded by developing

nations

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TALANOA DIALOGUE

It is a traditional approach used in Fiji and other Pacific islands to engage in an inclusive, participatory

and transparent dialogue to resolve differences without putting any blame on any one.

It is yearlong process which will help parties to UNFCCC review their actions and discuss way forward

in terms of raising ambitions before 2020.

It will consider efforts of Parties on mitigation action and financial and technical support, as

appropriate, as one of its elements, in the pre-2020 period under 1997 Kyoto Protocol

UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC)

It is an international treaty adapted in 1992 during the Earth summit

It’s a legally non-binding agreement and did not contain any enforcement mechanism

Objective: stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in atmosphere at such a level that would

prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

It outlined that after successful negotiations, the specific protocols of this treaty would set legally

binding targets for all the parties to this convention.

The Kyoto protocol was thus later adopted as a legally binding instrument to this treaty

CONFERENCE OF PARTIES (COP)

COP is the supreme decision-making body of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCCC).

All States that are Parties to UNFCCC are represented at COP.

At COP, all parties review implementation of Convention and take decisions necessary to promote the

effective implementation of Convention

First such conference was held in 1995 at Berlin in Germany.

Major COPs - Outcomes

o COP-3 (1997) at Kyoto, Japan - Kyoto Protocol was adopted

o COP-7 (2001) at Marrakech, Morocco - Establishment of Adaptation Fund

o COP-16 (2010) at Cancun, Mexico - Announcement Green Climate Fund

o COP-21 (2015) at Paris, France - Adoption of the Paris Agreement

o COP-24 at Katowice, Poland in December, 2018

PARIS AGREEMENT

The Paris Agreement on climate change is a legally-binding climate deal

It sets out a global action plan to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well

below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature rise to 1.5°C.

It entered into force on 4 November 2016

195 UNFCCC Parties have signed the Agreement and 169 have ratified it so far.

28. WORLD BIODIVERSITY DAY

It is celebrated every year on 22nd

May

The date commemorates the date of Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological

Diversity at UNEP Headquarters, Nairobi on 22 May 1992

Earlier it was celebrated on December 29

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2017 Theme: Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism

29. CYCLONE MORA

Recently Cyclone Mora affected Sri Lanka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bangladesh, Myanmar etc.

This is second cyclone in the Bay of Bengal after Cyclone Maarutha

TROPICAL CYCLONES

A cyclone represents a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over

tropical or subtropical waters

It is characterized by low atmospheric pressure, high winds, and heavy rain

Based on their latitude, the cyclones may be tropical cyclones or temperate cyclones

The tropical cyclones rotate anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere

Conditions for formation of cyclones,

o High ocean surface temperature i.e., 26.5 °C or warmer

o A pre-existing atmospheric circulation must be located near the surface warm layer

o The atmosphere must cool quickly enough with height to support the formation of deep

convective clouds

o The middle atmosphere must be relatively humid at a height of about 5,000 metres above the

surface.

o The developing system must be at least 500 km away from the Equator etc.

30. GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD (GIB)

The Rajasthan government has decided to set up a captive breeding centre for the great Indian

bustard

ABOUT GIB

It is listed as critically endangered in IUCN Red List

It also listed in schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

Once it was found in large number across the grasslands of India and Pakistan

But, now it is restricted to small and isolated fragments in three Indian western states of Rajasthan,

Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Threats: Hunting, destruction of its habitat, lack of policy to protect ‘lekking’ and nesting sites, lack of

awareness and support from local communities

31. INDIAN WILD DOGS (DHOLES)

The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) is the first zoo in India to have a conservation breeding

centre for the endangered wild dog.

ABOUT DHOLE

It is also called as Asiatic wild dog or Indian wild dog

The highly social and cooperative animal lives in large clans which occasionally split up into small

packs to hunt

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Classified as an endangered species by the IUCN

In India, the Dholes are protected under Schedule 2 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Threats: habitat loss, depletion of its prey base, competition from other predators, persecution and

possibly diseases from domestic and feral dogs

WILDLIFE (PROTECTION) ACT, 1972

It is first umbrella act to protect plants and animals

Amended in 2003 and 2006

The act extends to the whole of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir which has its own

wildlife act.

It provides for prohibition on use of animal traps except under certain circumstances

It provides for protection of hunting rights of the Scheduled Tribes in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The act constitutes a National Board for Wildlife

It defines five types of protected areas viz. National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Community

Reserves, Conservation Reserves and Tiger Reserves.

The act has six schedules with varying degrees of protection to different kinds of animals and plants.

SIX SCHEDULES OF THE ACT

Schedule I and part II of Schedule II - provide absolute protection and offences under these are

prescribed the highest penalties.

Schedule III and Schedule IV – Though penalties are less, animals are protected by these schedules.

Schedule V - Includes the animals which may be hunted.

o Viz., Common crow, Fruit bats, Mice & Rats only.

Schedule VI - It contains the following plants, which are prohibited from cultivation and planting.

o Beddomes’ cycad (Critically Endangered)

o Blue Vanda

o Kuth

o Ladies slipper orchids

o Pitcher plant

o Red Vanda

According to National Board of Wild Life guideline only the chief wildlife warden of a state can permit

hunting of man-eaters.

TIGER RESERVES

These are declared and managed by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) via Wild Life

(Protection) Amendment Act, 2006

The 2006 amendment gave statutory status to Project Tiger

To declare an area as Tiger Reserve, the state governments can forward their proposals in this regard

to NTCA.

Central Government via NTCA may also advise the state governments to forward a proposal for

creation of Tiger Reserves.

No alternation of boundary can be done without the recommendation of National Board for Wild Life

and without the advice of the Tiger Conservation Authority

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WILD LIFE SANCTUARY

It is defined by state Government via a notification and no need of enactment of a law

Fixation and alternation of boundary can be done by state legislature via resolution with prior approval

of NBWL

Limited human activities are permitted in the sanctuary

NATIONAL PARKS

It is defined by state government via notification.

The state government can fix and alter boundaries of the National Parks with prior consultation and

approval with National Board of Wildlife.

No human activities are permitted in a National Park

CONSERVATION RESERVES

The State Government after consultations with local communities can declare any area owned by the

Government

The government constitutes a Conservation Reserve Management Committee to manage and

conserve the conservation reserve.

COMMUNITY RESERVES

The State Government can, in consultation with the community or an individual who have volunteered

to conserve wildlife, declare any private or community land as community reserve

A Community Reserve Management Committee shall be constituted by State Government for

conserving and managing the reserve.

WILDLIFE CRIME CONTROL BUREAU (WCCB)

It is statutory multi-disciplinary body under the MoEFCC to combat organized wildlife crime in the

country

It was established in 2007 by amending the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

Headquarter: New Delhi

NATIONAL BOARD FOR WILDLIFE

It is a statutory body constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The board advises the Central Government on framing policies and measures for conservation of

wildlife in the country.

It serves as apex body to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around

national parks and sanctuaries

Chairman of NBFW: Prime Minister of India

Vice chairman: Minister of Environment.

Primary function of the Board is to promote the conservation and development of wildlife and forests

It has power to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around national parks

and sanctuaries.

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No alternation of boundaries in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries can be done without approval

of the NBWL

32. COBRA LILY

It is a rare species of lily

It was rediscovered in the western Nilgiris after a gap of 84 years

It is scientifically known as Arisaematranslucenshas

One species of the lilies were found in Thia Shola while the other was spotted in the Pennant Valley

forest area of the Nilgiris

The cobra lilies have a distinctive translucent spathe, using bloom of which the indigenous Toda tribe

is capable of predicting the early arrival of monsoon

The Toda tribe has an embroidery motif called ‘podwarshk’ resembling the cobra lilies.

Only a few hundred cobra lily plants are found in the wild in a very small area measuring less than 10

square kilometres in the Nilgiris.

These lilies are found in shola tree patches.

Threat: Disappearance of the Shola tree patches, commercial trade in exotic plants

33. INDIAN STAR TORTOISES

Recently, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) has successfully rehabilitated Indian star tortoises seized

from smugglers

Thus, it become only rehabilitation centre for star tortoises in the country

ABOUT THE INDIAN STAR TORTOISES

It is found in dry areas and scrub forest of India and Sri Lanka.

Treat: Exotic pet trade, habitat destruction

IUCN status: Vulnerable

Included in Appendix II CITES to regulate its trade

In India, they have been included in Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972

CHINNAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

It is a located in the rain shadow region in the eastern slope of Western Ghats in Idukki in Kerala.

The area is diverse in eco systems and rich in ethnic cultural heritage.

It is a well-known repository of medicinal plants.

It supports a population of grizzled giant squirrel, star tortoise, tufted grey langur, gaur, spotted deer,

slender Loris, wild elephant, crocodile, tiger, leopard and many a birds, insects and plants.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

34. TARANG SANCHAR PORTAL

It is launched by the Department of Telecommunications

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It is a web portal that will allow tracking of radiation emitted from mobile towers within their locality

and check for their compliance with the Electromagnetic field (EMF) emission norms

The web portal is aimed at myths and misconceptions about mobile towers and emissions from them

35. MYCOBACTERIUM INDICUS PRANII (MIP)

It is an indigenous vaccine for leprosy, developed by National Institute of Immunology

This vaccine is to be administered to those living in close contact with infected people.

It is also the first vaccine on leprosy and has shown capability to bring down cases by 60% in next

three years.

With the launch of this vaccine, a software called Nikusth was also launched to keep track on leprosy

patients in the country

MIP is now being introduced into the National Leprosy Elimination Programme (NLEP)

LEPROSY

It is caused by a slow-growing type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae

The bacterium has a long incubation period

The disease affects nerve endings and destroys the body’s ability to feel pain and injury.

It mainly affects skin and peripheral nervous system.

It is curable with multidrug therapy (MDT).

The World Leprosy Day is observed internationally every year on last Sunday of January month to

raise global awareness of Leprosy

NATIONAL LEPROSY ERADICATION PROGRAMME

The National Leprosy Control Programme started in 1955 based on “Daps one” immunotherapy.

The Programme was re-designated the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) in 1983

based on Multi Drug Therapy

The programme has been integrated with NRHM

36. DEEP OCEAN MISSION

It is an inter-ministerial and interdisciplinary project aims to explore and harness mineral resources

beneath the ocean floor.

It is set be launched in early 2018 by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)

It will also involve the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Biotechnology.

Major components of the project are deep ocean energy, desalination plant along the Chennai coast,

deep sea science and fisheries, minerals and polymetallic nodules.

The exclusive economic zone allotted to India will be covered under the mission

37. DISARIB

It is a noble small molecule, designed and synthesised by Indian researchers, has shown promise in

targeted killing of cancer cells.

It works by binding itself to a protein called BCL2, which suppresses death of cancerous cells.

While BCL2 protein is produced in excess in cancer cells, its expression is almost undetectable in

normal cells.

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Hence, Disarib targets and kills only cancer cells while sparing normal cells

38. YUEGONG-1

Also, called as Lunar Palace, it is a Chinese research facility for developing a moon base

It is an environmentally closed facility where occupants can simulate a long-duration self-contained

mission with no outside inputs other than power/energy

39. QUASARS

Recently, astronomers have created the first map of the large-scale structure of the universe based

entirely on the positions of quasars.

ABOUT QUASARS

These are the bright and distant points of light powered by super-massive black holes.

Quasars are so bright and can be seen all the way across the universe. This makes them the ideal

objects to use to make the biggest map yet.

The brightness of quasars is due to the supermassive black holes found at their centres.

Visible light, ultraviolet rays, infrared waves, X-rays, and gamma-rays are emitted by these objects.

SOCIAL ISSUES 40. EVIN PROJECT

Electronic vaccine intelligence network (eVIN) is an indigenously developed technology system in

India that digitises vaccine stocks and monitors the temperature of the cold chain through a

smartphone application.

It is a project of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

It is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

By streamlining vaccine flow network, it strengths health systems by easy and timely availability of

vaccines.

41. SWACHH SURVEKSHAN 2017

It was conducted by Quality Council of India in 434 cities and towns to monitor the progress of the

Swachh Bharat Mission

Cleanest city - Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Dirtiest city: Gonda in Uttar Pradesh

Top 10: Indore (1), Bhopal (2), Visakhapatnam (3), Surat (4), Mysuru (5), Tiruchirapally (6), New Delhi

(7), Navi Mumbai (8), Tirupati (9), Vadodara (10)

42. GI TAG

Recently, It has been granted to Banganapalle Mango and Bandar Laddu, both belonging to Andhra

Pradesh

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43. PUBLIC AFFAIRS INDEX

It is released by Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Bengaluru

It is a not for profit think tank which aims to improve the governance in India.

The survey has been based on 10 themes, 26 focus subjects and 82 indicators

Kerala and Tamil Nadu have secured first and second rankings, followed by Gujarat, Karnataka and

Maharashtra in governance indicators

The last four positions among the large states has been occupied by Bihar (18th), Jharkhand (17th),

Odisha (16th) and Assam (15th)

44. INDIAN EXCLUSION REPORT (IXR), 2016

It has been released by the Centre for Equity Studies (CES)

It reviews exclusion with respect to four public goods: pensions for the elderly, digital access,

agricultural land, and legal justice for under trials

It also profiles four highly vulnerable groups in terms of their access to these goods

According to report , in terms of exclusion from access to public goods, Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims

continue to remain the worst-hit communities

45. WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY

Every year, May 31 marks the World No Tobacco Day

It has been designated by the WHO

This day promotes and encourages abstinence from any sort of tobacco products

46. WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX 2017

It was launched on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day (May 3) which is recognised by the

UNGA

India is ranked 136 (133 in 2016)

Norway is at the top and North Korea at the bottom of the 180-strong list of nations.

China has acquired 176th position among 180 nations and is described as the “world’s leading prison

for citizen journalists

The report highlights the danger of a tipping point in the state of media freedom, especially in leading

democratic countries.

The obsession with surveillance and violations of the right to the confidentiality of sources have

contributed to the continuing decline of many countries previously regarded as virtuous

WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX

The Report is published annually by Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontiers) since

2002

The WPFI ranks the performance of countries according to index calculated based upon various

parameters.

These parameters include media pluralism and independence, respect for the safety and freedom of

journalists, and the legislative, institutional and infrastructural environment in which the media

operate.

WPFI aims to promote and defends freedom of information and freedom of the press

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