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MONTHLY FACTLY

EXCLUSIVE CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR

PRELIMS FEBRUARY 2018

What is common between

Saumya Pandey, Abhishek

Chaurasiya and Himanshu

Jain?

They have secured Ranks 4, 5( IFS Rank 5, CSE Rank 77 )

and Rank 44 in CSE / IFoS 2016.

They were writing ForumIAS Prelims Simulator Tests last

year.

We help build officers.

We are

Current Issues

(February)

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. RATIONALIZATION OF AUTONOMOUS BODIES

• Recently, government has approved the closure of two autonomous bodies viz., Rashtriya Arogya

Nidhi (RAN) and Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (JSK)

• The functions of these bodies are proposed to be vested in Department of Health & Family Welfare

(DoHFW)

BACKGROUND

• In 2014, government has constituted Expenditure Management Commission (EMC) to suggest

major expenditure reforms that will enable the government to reduce and manage its fiscal deficit at

more sustainable levels.

• The PMO has set up a high-powered committee headed by NITI Aayog vice-chairman to look into the

EMC's recommendations

• NITI Aayog had undertaken, inter alia, a review of the 19 Autonomous Bodies under the DoHFW,

which have been formed under Societies Registration Act, 1860 and recommended to rationalize

them.

RASHTRIYA AROGYA NIDHI (RAN)

• It is a centrally sponsored scheme

• It was set up in 1997 under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

• It provides financial assistance to patients who are living below poverty line and suffering from major

life threatening diseases to receive medical treatment at any of the 12 super specialty Government

hospitals / institutes or other Government hospitals.

• The states are needed to create their own State illness funds in which central government provides

funding to the extent of 50% of contribution made by State Govt/Union Territories.

• Assistance in RAN is not directly provided to the Patient but is given to the Superintendent of the hospital

• Central Government/State Government/PSU employees are not eligible.

JANSANKHYA STHIRATA KOSH (JSK)

• The National Population Stabilisation Fund has been set up as an autonomous body registered as

a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.

• It was set up in 2005 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with an aim to achieve population

stabilization

• The JSKs Annual Report and Accounts are tabled in Parliament and its accounts can be audited by the

Comptroller and Auditor General of India

• All State governments are members of JSK.

• The Union Health Minister is the chairperson of the General Body.

• The Governing Board is the principle policy forming body of JSK and is chaired by the Secretary of

Health and Family Welfare

• The governing board is responsible for approving various projects and programmes.

• JSK implements two schemes, namely, Santushti and Prerna

SANTHUSHTI

• It is a strategy of JSK for the highly populated states of India.

ForumIAS Offline Guidance Centre, 1st Floor, IAPL House, Opposite Metro Pillar 95-96, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110005 Email: [email protected], Ph: 011-49878625/9821711605

• Those states are Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and

Odisha.

• Under this strategy, JSK, invites private sector gynaecologists and vasectomy surgeons to conduct

sterilization operations in Public Private Partnership mode

PRERNA

• It is a Responsible Parenthood Strategy, launched in seven focus states viz. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,

Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Rajasthan.

• To recognizes and awards couples who have broken the stereotype of early marriage, early childbirth

and repeated child birth and have helped change the mind-sets of the community.

• The scheme is meant only for BPL families

2. E-WAY BILL

• The GST Council at its recent meeting has agreed to implement the national e-way bill system for

intra-state movement of goods from April 1.

ABOUT

• The E-way bill (Electronic way bill) is a document to be generated online under the GST system,

when goods of the value of more than ₹50,000 are shipped inter-State or intra-State.

• If a consignment is found without an E-way bill, a penalty of ₹10,000 or tax sought to be evaded,

whichever is greater, can be levied.

• Transporter liability: If neither the consignor nor the consignee has generated the E-way Bill, the

transporter of the goods becomes liable to generate it

• When the consignor or transporter generates the E-way bill, the recipient for the consignment has to

either accept or reject it on the portal. If no action is taken by the recipient in 72 hours, it shall be

taken as accepted

• The E-way bill must be raised before the goods are shipped and should include details of the goods,

their consignor, recipient and transporter.

• Both the GST levy and the E-way bill were expected to root out such transit delays, while at the same

time plugging tax evasion.

3. VILLAGE RESOURCE CENTRE (VRC)

• These are being set up by ISRO with the help of selected NGOs, Trusts and State Government

Departments.

• So far, the ISRO has set up 473 Village Resource Centres (VRCs), on a pilot scale.

ABOUT

• It is a unique initiative that uses Satellite Communication (SATCOM) network and Earth

Observation (EO) satellite data to address the needs of the rural villages

• The VRCs have provided various space technology enabled services such as tele-healthcare, tele-

education, natural resources information etc.

• The major benefits of the VRC programme include,

o Advisories related to agriculture like crop pest and diseases, fertilizer/pesticides, organic

farming, crop insurance etc.; livestock/poultry,

o Career guidance to rural students,

o Skill development and vocational training etc.to the rural population.

4. PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (KARNATAKA AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE, 2017

• It was promulgated by Government of Karnataka and it recently received assent of the President.


• It seeks to exempt kambala and bullock-cart racing from the ambit of the Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals (PCA) Act, 1960.

ABOUT KAMBALA

• It is traditional buffalo slush track race in Karnataka similar to Jallikattu.

• This annual event starts in November and lasts till March every year.

• The festival is dedicated to Kadri's Lord Manjunatha, an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

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

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

5. MAHANADI WATER DISPUTE

• The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has constituted

Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal for adjudication of longstanding disputes between Odisha and

Chhattisgarh over sharing of Mahanadi river water.

• The tribunal was formed under Section 4 of Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 following

directives of Supreme Court.

MAHANADI RIVER

• It is a major river in East Central India.

• It is bounded on the north by the Central India Hills, on the south and east by the Eastern Ghats

and on the west by the Maikala range.

• It has a total course of 851 km.

• The river majorly flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and smaller portions of river

basin falls in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh

• It originates from the highlands of Chhattisgarh through collection of an array of streams and

reaches Bay of Bengal


• Amongst peninsular rivers, in water potential and flood producing capacity, it ranks second to the

Godavari.

• It is one of the most-active silt depositing streams in the Indian subcontinent

• The Hirakud Dam built on the river has formed a man-made lake 55 km long. The Debrigarh wildlife

sanctuary is also located near the dam.

• Puri, at one of its mouths, is a famous pilgrimage site.

• Major tributaries:

o Right bank: Ong, Parry river, Jonk, Tel

o Left bank: Seonath, Mand, Ib, Hasdeo, Kelo

• Six other small streams between the Mahanadi and the Rushikulya draining directly into the Chilka

Lake also forms the part of the basin

• The basin is subject to severe flooding occasionally in the delta area due to inadequate carrying

capacity of the channels

• Kelo irrigation project is being implemented Chhattisgarh on Kelo River, a tributary of Mahanadi

River.

OTHER FACTS

• Water is a state subject, inter-state river and river valleys are placed in Union List in the 7th

schedule of the constitution

• Article 262, empowers the parliament to provide by law that neither the Supreme Court nor any other

court shall exercise jurisdiction in respect of inter-state water disputes

• The Inter-State Water Dispute Act (1956), constituted under this article to adjudicate the disputes

• This act empowers Central government to set up an ad hoc tribunal for the adjudication of a dispute

between two or more states

• The decision of tribunal would be final and binding on the parties of the dispute

• Neither Supreme Court not any other court have jurisdiction with respect to disputes referred to

such tribunal under this act

• However, Supreme Court still allows these matters through “Special Leave Petition” under article

136

6. COMMITTEE ON INSTITUTES OF EMINENCE

• Recently, government has constituted an Empowered Expert Committee (EEC) to select 20

Institutions of Eminence.

• It will be headed by former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N Gopalaswami.

• Total 104 institutions (public or private) have applied for the status.

ABOUT INSTITUTES OF EMINENCE

• The scheme was started by University Grants Commission (UGC).

• It aims to help 20 higher education (10 public and 10 private) institutions from country break into

top 500 global rankings in 10 years, and then eventually break into top 100 over time.

• These selected institutions are proposed to have greater autonomy compared to other higher

education institutions

o They will be free to decide their fee for domestic and foreign students and have flexible

course duration and structure.

o The selected institutions will have the liberty to enrol up to 30% foreign students

o They will be able to recruit up to 25% foreign faculty, while there will be no such limit for

selected private institutions

o They will be exempted from approvals of government or UGC for academic

collaborations with foreign institutions, except institutions in MEA and MHA’s list of

negative countries.


• The 10 state-run institutions will have an additional benefit — provision of ₹10,000 crore over a

period of 10 years, over and above the regular grants.

• There will be no financial assistance to the private institutions.

• Eligibility to apply: Top 50 universities of the National Institute Ranking Framework or those who

have secured ranking among top 500 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS

University Rankings or Shanghai’s Academic Ranking of World Universities

o The private Institutions of Eminence can also come up as Greenfield ventures provided

sponsoring organisation submits convincing perspective plan for 15 years.

NOTE

• The Constitution has not prescribed the qualifications (legal, educational, administrative or judicial)

of the members of the Election Commission.

• The Constitution has not specified the term of the members of the Election Commission.

• The Constitution has not debarred the retiring election commissioners from any further appointment

by the government.

7. CAUVERY WATER DISPUTE

• The Supreme Court has recently delivered its verdict on Cauvery water dispute.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Supreme Court reduced Tamil Nadu’s quota of water by 14.75 tmcft and increased

Karnataka’s share to 284.75 tmcft to meet Bengaluru’s drinking water needs

• Tamil Nadu will get 404.25 tmcft, which will be 14.75 tmcft less than what was allotted by the tribunal

in 2007

• The 2007 tribunal award of 30 tmcft to Kerala and 7 tmcft water to Puducherry will remain unchanged.

• It said its order on Cauvery water allocation will continue for the next 15 years.

• SC highlighted that no state can claim exclusive right to a river passing through different states and

kept drinking water on the highest pedestal.

CAUVERY RIVER

• The river originates in Karnataka’s Kodagu district, flows into Tamil Nadu and reaches the Bay of

Bengal at Poompuhar

• River basin covers Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Puducherry

• The total length of the river from origin to outfall is 800 km

• It is bounded by the Western Ghats on the west, by the Eastern Ghats on the east and the south and

by the ridges separating it from Krishna basin and Pennar basin on the north.

• The Nilgiris extend Eastwards to the Eastern ghats and divide the basin into two natural and political

regions i.e., Karnataka plateau in the North and the Tamil Nadu plateau in the South

• The city of Bangalore is situated just outside this basin.

• Important industries in the basin include cotton textile industry in Coimbatore and Mysore, cement

factories in Coimbatore and Trichinapally and industries based on mineral and metals.

• Soils: The principal soil types found in the basin are black soils, red soils, laterites, alluvial soils,

forest soils and mixed soils.

• Red soils occupy large areas in the basin.

• Alluvial soils are found in the delta areas

• The river descends from the South Karnataka Plateau to the Tamil Nadu Plains through the

Sivasamudram waterfalls (101 m high).

• Other waterfalls: Hogennekkal Falls

Cauvery Left Bank Right Bank

Tributaries

Harangi, Hemavati, Shimsha and Arkavathy. Lakshmantirtha, Kabini, Suvarnavati,

Bhavani, Noyil and Amaravati


MAJOR PROJECTS IN CAUVERY BASIN

• Krishnarajasagar (Karnataka)

• Mettur dam

• Cauvery delta system

• Bhavani

• Hemavati

• Harangi

• Kabini

MEKEDATU PROJECT

• It is being constructed across Cauvery River at Mekedatu, Karnataka

• It has become a matter dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

8. NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (NHRC)

• The NHRC has retained its ‘A’ status of accreditation of Global Alliance of National Human Rights

Institutions (GANHRI) for fourth consecutive term.

• The accreditation is given to those human rights institutions, which after rigorous process of review

every five years are found fully compliant with UN-mandated Paris Principles.

• ‘A’ status accreditation also grants participation in the work and decision-making of the GANHRI, as

well as the work of the Human Rights Council and other UN mechanisms

• NHRC was awarded ‘A’ status for first time in 1999 which it retained in 2006 and 2011 reviews.

ABOUT GANHRI

• It is formerly known as the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights

Institutions

• It is a global network of national human rights institutions (NHRIs)

• It coordinates the relationship between NHRIs and the United Nations human rights system

• It is unique as the only non-UN body whose internal accreditation system, based on compliance with

the 1993 Paris Principles, grants access to UN committees.

PARIS PRINCIPLES

• These were adopted by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1993.

• It requires human right commissions to protect human rights, including by receiving, investigating and

resolving complaints, mediating conflicts and monitoring activities.

• It also promotes human rights, through education, outreach, media, publications, training and capacity

building, as well as advising and assisting government.

• According to Paris Principles, human right commissions should have autonomy from government,

independence guaranteed by statute or constitution, pluralism, adequate resources and adequate

powers of investigation.

• It also provide the international benchmarks against which NHRIs can be accredited by the GANHRI.

About NHRC

• NHRC is apex statutory watchdog of human rights in the country

• Formed as per the statutory provisions of Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993

• It is multimember body consisting of Chairman and four members

• It has the powers of a civil court

• Its orders on compensation are only recommendatory in nature

• It cannot take up the cases older than 1 year

• The chairman should be a retired chief justice of India


• President appoints the Chairman and members of the NHRC on the recommendation of the high-

powered committee headed by the Prime Minister. The committee includes,

o Prime Minister (Head),

o Lok Sabha Speaker,

o Union Home Minister,

o Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha,

o Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

• Term of Chairman and members : 5 years or until attain the age of 70 years

• The salaries, allowances and other conditions of service of the chairman or a member are determined

by the Central government.

• The Chairman and members can be removed by the President according due process

9. HEALTHY STATES, PROGRESSIVE INDIA REPORT

• The report has been released by NITI Aayog.

• It ranks states and union territories based on their year-on-year incremental change in health

outcomes and compare their overall performance with respect to each other.

• The Health Index is a weighted composite Index of indicators in three domains:

• Health Outcomes (70%);

• Governance and Information (12%) and

• Key Inputs and Processes (18%)

HIGHLIGHTS

• States and UTs have been ranked in three categories.

• Among Larger States:

o Top in overall performance: Kerala, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu

o Top in annual incremental performance: Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh

• Among Smaller States:

o Top in overall performance: Mizoram, Manipur

o Top in annual incremental performance: Manipur, Goa

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

incremental performance.

• The report highlights the need for almost all Larger States to focus on improving the Sex Ratio at

Birth.

• It also notes that while States and UTs that start at lower levels of development are generally at an

advantage in notching up incremental progress over States with high Health Index scores, it is a

challenge for States with high Index scores to even maintain their performance levels

10. CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX (CPI) 2017

• It is released by NGO Transparency International.

• India was ranked 81st among 180 countries in Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2017.

• India has dropped by two ranks from 79th slot in CPI 2016.

• CPI ranks countries on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean) based on their perceived

levels of corruption in the public sector.

• The index is compiled by using data of World Bank, World Economic Forum (WEF) and other

institutions

HIGHLIGHTS

• Top 5: New Zealand-1, Denmark-2, Finland-3, Norway-4, Switzerland-5.

• Bottom 6: Sudan-175, Yemen-176, Afghanistan-177, Syria-178, South Sudan-179, and Somalia-180.

• Among BRICS: South Africa-71, China-77, India-81, Brazil-96, Russia-135


• India’s neighbours: Bhutan-26, China-77, India-81, Sri Lanka-91, Pakistan-117, Nepal-122,

Myanmar-130, Bangladesh-143

11. GLOBAL DEMOCRACY INDEX (GDI) 2017

• India was ranked 42nd among 165 independent states on annual 2017 Global Democracy Index

(GDI)

• It was released by UK-based, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

• India’s rank has slipped from 32nd in 2016 GDI

• It also classified India as a flawed democracy in 2017 GDI

ABOUT GLOBAL DEMOCRACY INDEX (GDI)

• The index ranks 165 independent states and 2 territories on basis of 60 indicators grouped in five

different categories

• Those categories include electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, the functioning of

government, political participation and political culture.

• It categories countries into four broad categories viz. full democracy, flawed democracy, hybrid

regime and authoritarian regime based on their score on a scale from 0 to 10.

• The index was first produced in 2006

HIGHLIGHTS

• Top 10: Norway, Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Finland and

Switzerland.

• Bottom 5: Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Chad, Syria (166), North Korea

(167)

• Full democracies: Top 19 countries have been included in this category.

• Major Flawed democracies: US, Japan, Italy, India, France, Israel, Singapore, and Hong Kong

• Major Hybrid regimes: Pakistan (110th), Bangladesh (92nd), Nepal (94th) and Bhutan (99th).

• Major Authoritarian regimes: China (139th), Myanmar (120th), Russia (135th) and Vietnam (140th).

• Worst-performing nation: Indonesia, placed at 68th position in 2017 from 48th place in 2016.

• According to the index, Asia (5.63) lagged behind North America (8.56), Western Europe (8.38) and

Latin America (6.26).

ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT (EIU)

• It is a British business within the Economist Group providing forecasting and advisory services

through research and analysis.

• It was created in 1946.

EIU-MAJOR REPORTS

• Government Broadband Index

• China Going Global Investment Index

• Global Food Security Index

• Inclusive Growth Opportunities Index

• Worldwide Cost of Living

• Global Liveability Report

GOVT SCHEMES AND PROGAMMES

12. ATAL BHOOJAL YOJANA


• It is a water conservation scheme to tackle the crisis of depleting groundwater level.

• The scheme is to be launched by the Union Government and yet to receive the cabinet nod.

ABOUT

• It will be implemented by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga

Rejuvenation

• Estimated cost: Rs.6,000-crore

• Centre will support half of the total project cost and rest of the budgetary cost will be shared by the

World Bank

• Objective:

o Recharge ground water and create sufficient water storage for agricultural purposes.

o Revival of surface water bodies so that ground water level can be increased, especially in

the rural areas.

• It will be first launched in water-stressed states: Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar

Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

• Its focus is primarily on involvement of communities and convergence with different water

schemes

13. BAL AADHAAR

• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched a blue coloured Aadhaar

Card/Baal Aadhaar for children below five years.

• It will not include child’s biometric information.

• The first biometric update is required at the age of 5 while the second biometric update is required at

the age of 15 and it will be linked to the parents’ UID.

• However, it is not mandatory for children below 5 years to get an Aadhaar.

14. PRIME MINISTER'S EMPLOYMENT GENERATION PROGRAMME (PMEGP)

• Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved continuation of

PMEGP beyond 12th Plan for 3 years from 2017-18 to 2019-20

• The scheme has been extended with total outlay of Rs. 5,500 crore to create sustainable estimated

employment opportunities for 15 lakh persons in three financial years.

MODIFICATION IN THE SCHEME

• Targets under the continuation period has been fixed taking into account extent of backwardness of

states, unemployment, fulfilment of previous year targets and population of States/UTs and availability

of traditional skills and raw material.

• Minimum target of 75 projects per district will be awarded to all districts across country to achieve

Inclusive Growth.

• Higher rate of subsidy (25% to 35%) will be applicable for women, SC/ST, OBC, Physically

Disabled, NER applicants in rural areas.

• A second loan of up to Rs.1 crore to existing and better performing PMEGP units for upgrading with

subsidy of 15%.

• The entire process of application flow and fund flow will be online

• Merger of Coir Udyami Yojana, a credit linked subsidy scheme to establish coir units, in PMEGP

• Mandatory Aadhaar and Pan card and Geotagging of units

• Dispensing with the ratio of 30:30:40 for KVIC/KVIB/DIC

• Negative list (which contains list of activities not permitted under PMEGP for setting up of micro

enterprises/ projects /units) has been amended, allowing serving/selling non-vegetarian food at

Hotels/Dhabas and Off Farm/Farm Linked activities

• Cap the working capital component for manufacturing units to 40% of the project cost and for

service/trading sector to 60% of the project cost


ABOUT PMEGP

• PMEGP is major credit-linked subsidy programme

• It is being implemented by Ministry of MSME since 2008-09.

• It formed after merging Prime Minister's Rojgar Yojana (PMRY) and Rural Employment

Generation Programme.

• It is aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in

non-farm sector by helping traditional artisans and unemployed youth in rural as well as urban

areas.

• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is nodal implementation agency at national level.

• At State and district level, State offices of KVIC, Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs) and

District Industry Centres (DIC) are the implementing agencies.

SCHEMES ANNOUNCED IN UNION BUDGET 2018-19

15. NATIONAL HEALTH PROTECTION SCHEME (AYUSHMAN BHARAT)

• The scheme will integrate two ongoing centrally sponsored schemes viz. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima

Yojana (RSBY) and Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS).

• It aims to target over 10 crore families belonging to poor and vulnerable population based on Socio

Economic and Caste Census 2011 (SECC) database.

• Under it, up to Rs.5 lakh insurance cover will be provided to each family per year in secondary

and tertiary care institutions.

• There will be no cap on family size and age in the scheme.

• It includes pre and post-hospitalisation expenses.

• It will cover all pre-existing conditions from beginning of the policy.

• It will also pay defined transport allowance per hospitalization to the beneficiary

• States will be allowed to expand the scheme both horizontally and vertically. They will be free to

choose modalities for implementation.

• States will be required to form State Health Agency (SHA) to implement scheme and at district level

also, a structure for implementation of the scheme will be set up.

• The scheme will work in partnership with NITI Aayog to operationalise a robust, modular and

interoperable IT platform which will involve a paperless and cashless transaction.

• For giving policy directions and fostering coordination between Centre and States, AB-NHPMC will be

set up at apex level.

• It will be chaired by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister.

16. OPERATION GREEN

• It is a 500 crore project on the lines of Operation Flood for enhancing production & reducing price

volatility of fruits & vegetables

• Government has decided to start focusing on three basic vegetables namely tomatoes, onions and

potatoes (TOP) initially. They form almost half of vegetable production in the country

• It also aims to promote farmer producers organisations, processing facilities, agri-logistics and

professional management.

• It is essentially price fixation scheme that aims to ensure farmers are given the right price for their

produce.

17. EKLAVYA SCHOOL

• Eklavya schools will be established for scheduled caste (SC) and schedule tribe (ST) students by

2022 on the lines of Navodaya schools.

• They will be model residential schools set up in each Block.


• They will be established in areas with more than 50% tribal areas and 20,000 tribal people.

• These schools will be part of Navodaya Vidyalayas.

• It will provide training in sports and skill development.

• It has special facilities for preserving local art and culture.

18. KISAN URJA SURAKSHA EVAM UTTHAAN MAHAABHIYAN (KUSUM)

• The scheme was announced in Budget 2018-19.

• It is Rs.1.4 lakh-crore initiative to promote decentralised solar power production of up to 28,250 MW

to help farmers.

• In the Union Budget 2018- 19, the Centre has allocated Rs.48,000 crore on the 10-year KUSUM

scheme

ABOUT KUSUM

• It aims to incentivise farmers to run solar farm water pumps and use barren land for generating solar

power to have extra income.

• Implemented by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

COMPONENTS

• Utilisation of barren land by farmers to generate 10,000 MW of solar energy and sell it to grid.

• Providing incentives to DISCOMS to purchase the electricity produced

• Subsidy to farmers for buying 17.5 lakh off grid solar farm pumps.

• Solarisation of grid-connected farm pumps involving 7,250 MW capacity

• Solarisation of government departments' grid connected water pumps involving 8250 MW capacity

19. REVITALISING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SYSTEMS IN EDUCATION (RISE) SCHEME

• It aims to lend low-cost funds to government higher educational institutions.

• Under it, all centrally-funded institutes (CFIs), including central universities, IITs, IIMs, NITs and

IISERs can borrow from a Rs.1 lakh crore corpus over next 4 years to expand and build new

infrastructure

• It will be financed via restructured higher education financing agency (HEFA), a non-banking financial

company

20. PRIME MINISTER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP SCHEME

• It is aimed at facilitating cutting edge research by provide high fellowship amounts to B.Tech students

to pursue PhD in IITs and IISc.

• It will be implemented for period of seven years beginning 2018-19 at total cost of Rs.1650 crore.

• Under it, best students who have completed or are in final year of B. Tech/Integrated M.Tech/M.Sc.

courses in Science and Technology streams from IISc/IITs/IISERs/ NITs/IIITs will be offered direct

admission in PhD programme in IITs/IISc.

• Maximum of 3000 Fellows would be selected in three year period, beginning 2018-19.

• Monthly fellowship: Rs.70,000 for first two years, Rs.75,000 for 3rd year and Rs.80,000 in 4th and

5th years

• Research grant: Rs.2.00 lakh for period of 5 years to cover their foreign travel expenses for

presenting research papers in international conferences and seminars.

21. KISAN CREDIT CARD TO FISHERMEN AND CATTLE OWNERS

• Kisan Credit Card was extended to fishermen and cattle owners.

• It will enable them to avail the easier loans.


• It will help people associated with milk production business in rural areas by providing financial

assistance and also to fisheries.

22. AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND (AHF)

• Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) will be created under National Housing Bank (NHB).

• It will be funded from priority sector lending shortfall and fully serviced bonds authorised by Central

Government.

• It will be used to construct one crore households in the rural areas Pradhanmantri Awas Yojana.

23. GOBAR-DHAN YOJNA

• Gobar-Dhan Yojana (also known as Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resource Fund scheme) aims

to improve lives of the villagers.

• The scheme focuses on managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste in farms to useful

compost, biogas and bio-CNG.

• It will also help in keeping the village clean while increasing income of farmers and cattle herders.

• Under it, villagers will be mobilized to create self-help groups (SHGs) and creative societies that will

help in clean energy and green jobs initiative.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

24. GREY LIST OF FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE (FATF)

• Recently, Pakistan has confirmed that it will be added on ‘grey list’ of the Financial Action Task

Force (FATF) in June 2018

• Earlier, Pakistan was on the FATF grey-list from 2012 to 2015

• The list featured nine other countries Ethiopia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and

Tobago, Vanuatu and Tunisia

• Bosnia and Herzegovina has been moved to the white list.

ABOUT GREY LIST

• It could limit Pakistan’s banking links to the outside world.

• It could squeeze Pakistan’s economy and make it harder to meet its mounting foreign financing

needs, including potential future borrowings from International Monetary Fund (IMF).

• It could lead to downgrading of Pakistan’s debt ratings by international banking and credit rating

agencies

• It could also lead to suspension of international funds and aid to Pakistan such as Coalition Support

Funds (CSF), money which US owes to Pakistan for military operations.

ABOUT FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE (FATF)

• It is an inter‐governmental policy making body

• It aims to establish international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

• It was established in 1989 during the G7 Summit in Paris

• Headquarters: At OECD headquarters in Paris

• It comprises over 37 members (including European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council)

• India is also a member

• Functions:

o Set international standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

o Assess and monitor compliance with the FATF standards.


o Conduct studies of money laundering and terrorist financing methods, trends and techniques.

o Respond to new and emerging threats, such as proliferation financing used for promoting

proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

• The FATF's decision making body, the FATF Plenary, meets three times per year.

25. KAFALA SYSTEM

• It is a system used to monitor migrant labourers, working primarily in the construction and domestic

sectors, in Lebanon, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

• The system requires all unskilled labourers to have an in-country sponsor usually their employer who

is responsible for their visa and legal status

• The migrant workers’ visas are tied to the employers so that they cannot change jobs without the

consent of their employers

• This practice has been criticised by human rights organizations for creating easy opportunities for the

exploitation of workers, as many employers take away passports and abuse their workers with little

chance of legal repercussions.

• Qatar abolished the system in 2016

26. GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC)

• Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) became first countries of Gulf Cooperation

Council (GCC) to introduce Value Added Tax (VAT) for the first time to increase their revenue away

from oil reserves.

• The other members of GCC have also committed to introduce VAT.

ABOUT GCC

• It is a political and economic alliance of six countries in Arabian Peninsula: Kuwait, Oman,

Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.

• Established in 1981

• Headquarters: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

• It promotes economic, security, cultural and social cooperation between the six states

• It holds annual summit to discuss cooperation and regional affairs.

• All current member states of GCC are monarchies

o Constitutional monarchies - Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain

o Absolute monarchies - Oman and Saudi Arabia

o Federal monarchy - UAE (which is composed of seven member states, each of which is

absolute monarchy with its own emir)

27. WORLD GOVERNMENT SUMMIT 2018

• Recently, the sixth edition of World Government Summit (WGS) 2018 was held at Madinat

Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

• The Prime Minister of India was the chief guest of this summit.

ABOUT WORLD GOVERNMENT SUMMIT (WGS)

• It is a global platform dedicated to shaping the future of governments worldwide.

• It is an annual event held in Dubai, UAE since 2013.

• It brings together leaders in government for a global dialogue about governmental process and

policies with a focus on the issues of futurism, technology and innovation, as well as other topics.


• It also functions as a thought leadership platform and networking hub for policymakers, business and

civil society in human development.

• The Summit sets agenda for next generation of governments with focus on how they can harness

innovation and technology to solve universal challenges facing humanity.

• India’s Umang App and Aadhaar have won awards in Best m-Government Service Award for

Accessible Government Category and Best Government Emerging Technologies Award respectively

28. WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME (WFP)

• Recently, Sweden has signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with United Nations for

committing record $370 million dollars to UN World Food Programme.

• It is the biggest ever contribution made by donor within a WFP Strategic Partnership Agreement

ABOUT WFP

• It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security.

• It is part of the United Nations system and is voluntarily funded.

• It was established in 1961

• Headquarters: Rome (Italy)

• It provides food assistance to an average of 80 million people in 75 countries each year.

• It is a member of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) and part of its Executive

Committee

29. WORLD CONGRESS ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (WCIT) 2018

• It was hosted by Telangana Government, in association with National Association of Software and

Services Companies (NASSCOM) and World Information Technology and Services Alliance

(WITSA).

• It was held in Hyderabad

• Upcoming venues: 2019 – Yerevan, Armenia, 2020 - Malaysia.

• Theme: 'Future Enterprises’

ABOUT WCIT

• It is the largest and the most reputable international event among worldwide IT leaders.

• It brings together high-level officials from different countries, heads of multinational organizations,

universities and scientific research centres, non-governmental organizations’ representatives.

• The event includes discussions of legal, political and economic trends affecting IT business

processes, presentations of innovative solutions, B2B meetings and so on.

• The WCIT has been held since 1978.

WORLD INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES ALLIANCE (WITSA)

• The WITSA is a consortium of associations from the ICT industry around the world.

• WITSA members represent over 90 percent of the world IT market

• Founded in 1978

• As the leading recognized voice of the global ICT industry, WITSA aims to drive transformation and

grow the industry given that ICT is the key driver of the global economy.

• WITSA's motto is "Fulfilling the Promise of the Digital Age"

• It organizes Global ICT Excellence Awards to recognize outstanding ICT users.

30. WORLD SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT (WSDS) 2018

• It was held in New Delhi, India.

• It has been organized by the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).


• Theme of the Summit: ‘Partnerships for a Resilient Planet’.

• It aims to accelerate action towards sustainable development and especially climate change.

• WSDS is the flagship forum of TERI and seeks to bring together on a common platform, global

leaders and thinkers in the fields of sustainable development, energy and environment sectors.

BACKGROUND

• The TERI's annual event, the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), has been

rebranded to WSDS

• It underscored need for businesses and private sector to take lead in poverty reduction and to ensure

rapid and sustained adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• TERI had been organizing DSDS since 2001.

THE ENERGY AND RESOURCES INSTITUTE (TERI)

• The TERI is a leading think tank dedicated to conducting research for sustainable development of

India and the Global South

• It was established in 1974 as an information centre on energy issues

• Headquarters: New Delhi

• TERI's key focus lies in promoting:

• Clean energy

• Water management

• Pollution management

• Sustainable agriculture

• Climate resilience

31. INDIA ENERGY CONGRESS 2018

• The 7th India Energy Congress (IEC) 2018 was held in New Delhi.

• Theme: Energy 4.0: Energy Transition Towards 2030.

• It was organised by World Energy Council India (WEC India)

• IEC is the flagship event of WEC India and joint event of Ministries of Power, Coal, New &

Renewable Energy, Petroleum & Natural gas, External Affairs and Department of Atomic

Energy.

• They also discussed and debated on five sub-themes: Energy Investments in Uncertain World; Policy

and Energy Environment 2030; Sustainable Mobility; Variable Renewable Energy Integration; and

Reaching Last Mile.

ABOUT WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL

• It is the principal impartial network of leaders and practitioners promoting an affordable, stable and

environmentally sensitive energy system for the greatest benefit of all.

• It formed in 1923.

• The Council is the UN-accredited global energy body, representing the entire energy spectrum.

• It informs global, regional and national energy strategies by hosting high level events, publishing

authoritative studies, and working through its extensive member network to facilitate the world’s

energy policy dialogue.

32. TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP-11 (TPP-11)

• Recently, 11 Pacific Rim countries have formally entered into Comprehensive and Progressive

Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership or CP TPP or TPP11 in Santiago, Chile.

• It is revised version of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) proposed by US, that was finalized after US

withdrew from it


• TPP11 members: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru,

Singapore and Vietnam.

• The combined population of these countries exceeds 500 million people and together their economies

account for 13% of global GDP.

• It will be world’s third largest trade bloc after European Union (EU) and North American Free Trade

Agreement (NAFTA).

• It will come into effect 60 days after six of the 11 member countries ratify the agreement domestically.

• It eliminates some requirements of original TPP demanded by US, including rules to ramp up

intellectual property protection of pharmaceuticals.

33. LOGISTICS PARK

• The Union Government has announced to develop a multimodal logistics park in Jogighopa

(Assam)

• The project is backed by the Asian Development Bank

• The plan is to link Jogighopa with road, rail, waterways and air transport facilities along with container

terminals, warehousing, non-cargo processing, a truck terminal, common facilities, support

infrastructure and equipment.

ECONOMY

34. NATIONAL URBAN HOUSING FUND (NUHF)

• The Union Cabinet has come up recently with the National Urban Housing Fund (NUHF) to finance

its flagship program Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Housing for All (Urban) by 2022.

• An amount of Rs.60,000 crores has been allocated for the Fund.

• The Fund is to be managed and controlled by the Building Materials and Technological Promotion

Council (BMTP)

• The target for creation of this Fund is to build 1.2 crore houses in the urban areas through partial

support from the government under the PMAY

PRADHAN MANTRI AWAS YOJANA (URBAN)

• PMAY(U) provide houses to all poor in urban areas by 2022

• It aims at providing affordable pucca houses with water facility, sanitation and electricity supply

round-the-clock.

• It covers entire urban area consisting of 4041 statutory towns with initial focus on 500 Class I cities.

• Intended beneficiaries of scheme are

o Poor people (BPL)

o People living under Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)

o LIG (Low income Group)

o MIG (middle income Group)

• Government will provide subsidy ranging between 1 lakh to 2.30 lakh to people from above categories

in order to make them secure.

• Central assistance under different verticals:

o In-Situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR) - Private developers will collaborate in transforming

slum areas by building homes. (1 Lakh assistance to EWS)

o Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) - An interest subsidy of 3% (For MIG of loans upto

12 lakh) to 6.5% (For EWS and LIG for loans up to 6 Lakh) for new construction/extension.

o Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) - with States/UTs for EWS (1.5 Lakh assistance)

o Beneficiary Linked Construction (BLC)- Rs.1.5 Lakh direct financial assistance to EWS for

individual house construction/expansion

• Here Credit linked subsidy scheme (CLSS) is a Central Sector Scheme, while the other three are

Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).


• Houses are allotted in the name of female head or jointly with males.

ABOUT BMTP

• BMTPC is an autonomous body under Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

• It is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860

• Its primary task is the mainstreaming of new construction technologies.

• It is responsible to undertake research, development and large scale application of new building

material technologies.

35. THE OMBUDSMAN SCHEME FOR NBFCS

• The RBI has launched Ombudsman Scheme for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) for

redressal of complaints against NBFCs

• The scheme will provide cost-free and expeditious complaint redressal mechanism

ABOUT

• Office: The offices of NBFC Ombudsmen will function at four cities- Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and

New Delhi.

• Coverage:

o To begin with, the scheme will cover all deposit-taking NBFCs.

o Based on the experience gained the RBI will extend the scheme to cover NBFCs having

asset size of Rs.100 crore and above with customer interface

• Complaint mechanism: Only written complaints or those in electronic format will be accepted.

• Appointment: RBI will appoint one or more of its officers in rank of not less than General Manager

(GM) to be known as Ombudsman to carry out functions for period not exceeding three years at

time.

• Appellate mechanism: Complainant/NBFC will have option to appeal against decision of

Ombudsman before Appellate Authority.

• Implementation of the award: It will obligation of NBFC concerned to implement settlement arrived

with complainant or Award passed by Ombudsman when it becomes final and send report in this

regard to RBI within 15 days of award becoming final.

• Penalty for non- implementation: The complainant may represent to RBI and RBI may initiate such

action under provisions of RBI Act, 1934 as it deems fit.

• Fee: The NBFC Ombudsman does not charge any fee for filing and resolving customer’s complaints

• Report: The ombudsman will be required to send an annual report to the RBI governor

ABOUT NBFC

• An NBFC is a company established under the Companies Act, 1956 or 2013

• The NBFCs do the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares, stock, bonds, debentures,

securities issued by Government.

• They also deal in other securities of like marketable nature, leasing, hire-purchase, insurance

business, chit business.

• However, the companies cannot be NBFCs if their primary business is related to agriculture activity,

industrial activity, sale/purchase/construction of immovable property.

• They are also registered with RBI under Section 45-IA of the RBI Act, 1934.

• However, NBFCs which are regulated by other regulators are exempted from the requirement of

registration with RBI but they need to register with respective regulators.

REGULATION OF NBFCs

• RBI regulates the companies which deal in lending, accepting deposits, financial leasing, hire

purchase and acquisition of shares / stocks etc.

• The companies that take up activities like stock broking, merchant banking etc. are regulated by SEBI

• Insurance Companies - IRDA

• Chit fund – Respective State Governments


• Nidhi companies – Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

• Housing finance companies - National Housing Bank.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BANKS & NBFCS

• NBFCs cannot accept demand deposits;

• NBFCs do not form part of the payment and settlement system and cannot issue cheques drawn on

itself;

• Deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available to

depositors of NBFCs, unlike in case of banks.

36. STATE START-UP RANKING 2018

• Recently, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has unveiled Start-up-India

ranking framework to rank states/UTs

• It was launched by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi.

• The framework aims to foster competitiveness and propel states/UTS to act proactively in start-up

matters.

• This ranking will help states to bring progress made in their start-up ecosystem and also make

different states learn and replicate good practices.

• For ranking the states, the framework is spread across 7 areas of intervention along with 38 action

points with an overall score of 100

• The tools for ranking are:

• State and Union Territory Start-up Ranking Framework

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

• Start-up India Kit – It is a one-stop guide on all the benefits available to startups from the

Startup India initiative

37. PORT LOGISTICS: ISSUES & CHALLENGES IN INDIA REPORT

• Recently, Port Logistics: Issues & Challenges in India report was released by advisory firm Dun &

Bradstreet (DNB) on behalf of Niti Aayog.

• Report looked into the issues and challenges pertaining to the ports sector and proposed policy

measures to strengthen it

• Three major findings of the report are

• Processes and operations across the ports are not standardised or uniform.

• Costs and time for key processes are unpredictable and there is an unacceptable level of

variation across ports as well as within port

• Several government initiatives taken need to be followed through to completion

• The study also introduced Port Performance Index

PORT PERFORMANCE INDEX

• It is an attempt to benchmark performance of various ports by combining qualitative perception of

stakeholders with quantitative outcome based data.

• It ranked 13 major ports which handle around 67% of India’s maritime trade, on their performance:

• Good Score: Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Kamarajar port, Visakhapatnam Port

• Average Score: Cochin, Kandla, Paradip, Chennai, Mormugao, New Mangalore and

V.O.Chidambaranar Port

• Poor Score: Haldia, Kolkata and Mumbai Port Trust

38. NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY DAY (NPD)

• It is observed every year in India on February 12.


• Besides, February 12-18 is observed as National Productivity week throughout the country with the

theme ’Industry 4.0 Leapfrog Opportunity for India’.

• It is organised by National Productivity Council (NPC)

NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL (NPC)

• It is an autonomous organization under Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP),

Ministry of Commerce & Industry to promote productivity culture in India.

• It was established as registered society in 1958

• It is a tri-partite non-profit organization (NGO) with equal representation from government,

employers and workers’ organizations.

• It also has representatives from technical and professional institutions including members from local

productivity councils and chamber of commerce on its Governing Body.

• It also implements the productivity promotion schemes of Government and carry out programmes of

Tokyo based Asian Productivity Organization (APO)

• The APO is an inter-governmental body of which the Government of India is a founder member

• It has been appointed as one of the National Monitoring and Implementation Unit (NMIU) for the

implementation of Lean Manufacturing Competitiveness Scheme under National Manufacturing

Competitiveness programme.

39. CRISIDEX

• The CRISIL-SIDBI MSE Sentiment Index (CriSidEx) is India’s first MSE Sentiment Index for micro,

small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)

• It is a composite index, developed jointly by CRISIL & SIDBI, based on a diffusion index of 8

parameters

• It measures MSE business sentiment on a scale of 0 (extremely negative) to 200 (extremely

positive).

• The index will help to indicate the current state and expected outlook on the MSME sector every

quarter

• The parametric feedback for the index will be captured through a survey of 1100 MSEs.

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES FOR MSME

• Udyami Mitra Portal

• Digital MSME Scheme

• MSME Samadhaan

• MSME Sambandh

• Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)

• Revamped Scheme of Fund for Regeneration Of Traditional Industries (SFURTI)

• A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry & Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE)

• National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme (NMCP)

• Micro & Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP)

40. FARMER PRODUCER COMPANIES (FPC)

• Government exempted the profits of Farmer Producer Companies (FPC) from tax for a period of five

years from the next financial year

ABOUT FPC

• It is a hybrid between cooperative societies and private limited companies which provides for

sharing of profits/benefits among the members.

• A Farmer Producer Company can be formed by any 10 or more primary producers or by two or more

producer institutions, or by a contribution of both.


• They can undertake activities related to production, harvesting, procurement, grading, pooling,

marketing, processing, etc., of agricultural produce

• It is a registered body and a legal entity (under Companies Act, 1956);

• Producers are shareholders in the organization;

• Non-producers seeking to invest in these companies as shareholders are precluded.

• The Farmer Producer companies have democratic governance, each producer or member has

equal voting rights irrespective of the number of shares held.

• A part of the profit is shared amongst the producers and rest of the surplus is added to its owned

funds for business expansion.

• NABARD initiated the Producer Organisation Development Fund (PODF)

• Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) has set up nearly 250 FPOs since 2011.

• To strengthen their capital base, SFAC has launched a new Central Sector Scheme “Equity Grant

and Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Farmers Producer Companies

SECURITY AND DEFENCE

41. SECURITY CHECK KIYA CAMPAIGN

• It was launched by Google to create awareness around Internet safety in India.

• It was launched on the occasion of Safer Internet Day (6 February)

• The campaign (#SecurityCheckKiya) aims to protect first-time web users from account hijacking,

safeguard Android devices from malicious apps and secure all their personal data if they lose their

device.

42. ASSISTANCE TO STATES AND UTS FOR NARCOTICS CONTROL SCHEME

• The Centre has extended for three more years a scheme which combats illicit trafficking in drugs and

psychotropic substance

ABOUT THE SCHEME

• The scheme was first launched by the Union Home Ministry in 2004 for a period of 5 years

• Since then it has been extended twice.

• It aims to assist states and Union Territories financially which are contributing in controlling interstate

and cross-border drug trafficking.

• This is achieved through the formulation of strategies that include both supply reduction and demand

reduction.

• Supply reduction would include enforcement activities while demand reduction would involve

rehabilitation and de-addiction measures.

• The implementation of the scheme is monitored by IS- II Division, Ministry of Home Affairs and DG,

Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

NARCOTICS CONTROL BUREAU (NCB)

• NCB is nodal drug law enforcement and intelligence agency of India.

• It is responsible for fighting drug trafficking and the abuse of illegal substances.

• It functions under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)

• Headquarters: New Delhi.

• It was established in 1986 to enable full implementation of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic

Substances Act, 1985 and fight its violation through Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic

Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988.

43. PASCHIM LEHAR


• A tri-Service Maritime Exercise, named ‘Paschim Lehar’ commenced on the Western Seaboard

on 12 February 2018

• The objective of the exercise was to build interoperability between Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian

Air Force and Coast Guard.

• This exercise includes participation of large number of ships, submarines and aircraft from Western

Naval Command of Indian Navy and units from Eastern Naval Command, Indian Army, Air Force and

Coast Guard.

44. MILAN 2018

• The Indian Navy is to host 16 countries for multi-national 2018 MILAN exercise at Port Blair in

Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) islands from March 6 to 13, 2018.

• The eight-day mega naval exercise will be held under aegis of Andaman and Nicobar Command

• Theme: ‘Friendship Across the Seas’.

• Milan 2018 will witness diverse mix of professional exercises and seminars, social events and

sporting fixtures.

• 16 countries : Australia, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Vietnam,

Thailand, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya and Cambodia.

ABOUT MILAN

• MILAN is congregation of littoral navies conducted biennially by Indian Navy under aegis of the

Andaman and Nicobar Command.

• It was first held in 1995.

• It provides effective forum to participating navies to come together to discuss common concerns in the

Indian Ocean Region and forge deeper cooperation among friendly navies.

45. RUSTOM II

• The DRDO has carried out first successful test-flight of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Rustom-2 in

user configuration with higher power engine.

• The flight was conducted at its Aeronautical Test Range at Chitradurga in Karnataka and all its

parameters were normal

ABOUT

• It is medium-altitude long-endurance drone (MALE).

• It can fly up to an altitude of 22,000 feet and has endurance of over 20 hours.

• It is capable of carrying payloads for electronic and signal intelligence missions.

• It is propelled by two 3-bladed NPO saturn engines.

• It can fly at around 280 km/h and carry variety of payloads like

o Long Range Electro Optic (LREO),

o Medium Range Electro Optic (MREO),

o Electronic Intelligence (ELINT),

o Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR),

o Communication Intelligence (COMINT) and

o Situational Awareness Payloads (SAP) for performing missions even during the night.

• Rustom 2 can fly missions on manual as well as autonomous modes.

• Its data link developed by Defence Electronics Application Laboratory (DEAL) transmits the ISR data

to the armed forces’ ground control station in real-time allowing prompt action.

46. LAMITYE EXERCISE

• Recently, 8th joint military joint exercise was conducted between Indian Army and Seychelles

People’s Defence Forces at Mahe Island in Seychelles archipelago.


• The Lamitye exercise is conducted biennially between Indian and Seychelles with aim of enhancing

military cooperation and interoperability between the two countries.

• “Lamitye” means friendship in Creole (local dialect of Seychelles).

• The aim Lamitye 2018 was fighting insurgency, terrorism and piracy threats.

• Indian Army was represented by team comprising of 45 personnel, including four officers, five Junior

Commissioned Officers (JCO) and 36 Other Ranks.

ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

47. STATE OF THE FOREST REPORT, 2017

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has released India State of

Forest Report (ISFR) 2017.

• It has revealed that total forest and tree cover in India has increased of over 8,021 sq.km which is

one percent increase from 2015

• The15th state of forest report has been made using Resource-2 satellite data

FOREST COVER

• All tree strands with canopy density of over 10% having an extant of more than 1 hectare including

bamboo, orchards, coconut, palm etc. within recorded forest, private, community or institutional lands

comes under forest cover.

CLASSIFICATION OF FOREST COVER ACCORDING TO CANOPY DENSITY

• Very dense forest: All lands with tree canopy density of 70% and above.

• Moderately dense forest: All lands with canopy density of 40% and more and less than 70%.

• Open Forest: All lands with tree canopy density of 10% and more but less than 40%.

• Scrub: Degraded forests land with canopy density less than 10%.

• Non forests: The land which is not included in any of the above classes.

2017 REPORT - HIGHLIGHTS

• The total forest cover is 7, 08,273 sq.km which is 21.54% of the geographical area of the country.

• There has been an increase of 1% in forest covers at the national level.

• India is ranked 10th in the world, with 24.4% of land area under forest (21.53%) and tree cover.

• The maximum increase in forest cover has been observed in Very Dense Forest (VDF) followed by

increase in forest cover in open forest (OF).

• The agro-forestry and private forestry has also shown expansion.

• VERY DENSE FOREST (VDF): There is an increase of VDF at national level and total VDF area

comes out to be 2.99% of the total geographical area.

• MODERATELY DENSE FOREST (MDF): This category has seen a decrease in the forest cover and

the total area under MDF is 9.38% of the total geographical area.

• OPEN FOREST (OF): It has also witnessed an increase and the total area comes out to be 9.18% of

total geographical area.

• STATE WISE FOREST COVER:

o In terms of area, Top 5: Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and

Maharashtra.

o In terms of percentage of the total geographical area, Top states: Lakshadweep, Mizoram,

Andaman & Nicobar Island, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Meghalaya, Nagaland and

Tripura

• Top five states with increase in forest cover - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and

Telangana

• Top 5 states with decrease in forest cover - Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, and

Meghalaya


• State and UT having forest cover more than 33% - There are 15 states/UT having above 33% of

the geographical area under forest cover.

• Forest cover in North East

o The region with just 7.98% of the total geographical area of the country accounts for one

fourth of the forest cover.

o Present forest cover in the region is 65.34% of the total geographical area

o 2017 report shows a decrease of forest cover of 630 sq. km in the North Eastern region.

• Forest cover in Hill Districts

o The Hill districts include all the districts of the state of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh,

Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttrakhand.

o The total forest cover is 40.22% of the total geographical area.

o The current assessment shows an increase of 754 sq km of forest cover in all hill districts of

the country

• Forest cover in tribal districts

o The total forest cover is 37.43% of the total geographical area of these districts.

o The current assessment shows an increase of 86.89 sq km in all tribal districts of the country

• Mangrove cover

o The mangrove cover in the country is 0.15% of the total geographical area of the country.

o There has been an increase of 181 sq km as compared to earlier estimates.

o This is due to the plantation and regeneration.

o 7 out of 12 states has shown an increase in the Mangrove cover

o Top 3 gainers - Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat

o None of the states have shown a negative change in the mangrove cover.

• Bamboo Cover:

o There has been an increase of 1.73 million ha in bamboo area.

o The Government has recently taken out bamboo from the tree category, where it is grown

outside forest areas.

• Water bodies inside forests

o The report observes that water bodies inside forest cover have increased by 2,647 sq kms

during the last decade.

o Almost all the states have shown a positive change in water bodies

ABOUT ISFR

• FSI has been assessing the forest and tree resources of our country on a biennial basis since 1987.

• The results of the assessment are published in its biennial report titled “India State of Forest Report

(ISFR)”.

48. FLOATING TREATMENT WETLAND (FTW)

• The Floating Treatment Wetland (FTW) was inaugurated on World Wetlands Day (February 2) in

Neknampur Lake in Hyderabad to clean and purify the polluted waterbody.


• Plants planted on FTW can clean the lake by absorbing nitrates and other pollutants in the water

• It is joint effort of NGO Dhruvansh, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA),

district administration and other organisations.

• It measures around 3,000 sq. ft and comprises four layers viz. floatable bamboo at base, styrofoam

cubicles above it.

• The third layer consists of gunny bags and gravels on final layer to support cleaning agents (plants).

• Cleaning agents planted on FTW include vetivers, cattalis, canna, bulrush, citronella, hibiscus,

fountain grass, flowering herbs, tulsi and ashvagandha.

• FTW’s working is based on soil-less hydroponics technique.

49. DRYPETES KALAMII

• Recently, scientists from Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have identified new plant species named

Drypetes kalamii from Buxa and Jaldapara National Parks in West Bengal.

• It has been named after former President of India, Dr APJ Kalam.

ABOUT DRYPETES KALAMII

• Drypetes kalamii is small shrub found to be shorter version of its close relative Drypetes ellisii.

• It is found in wet, shaded areas of subtropical, moist semi-evergreen forests, at heights of 50- 100

metres.

• It is 1 metre tall and is unisexual in nature

• It has pale yellow flowers in clusters and bright orange to red fruits.

• Scientists have provisionally assessed plant to be “Critically Endangered” as per IUCN (International

Union for Conservation of Nature) rules.

• It faces threat from forest fires and grazing

50. NEW EEL SPECIES DISCOVERED

• Scientists from Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered three new species of eel along

northern Bay of Bengal coast.

GYMNOTHORAX PSEUDOTILE

• It was discovered at the Digha coast of the Bay of Bengal.

• It has dark brown and white dots on the dorsal side.

GYMNOTHORAX VISAKHAENSIS

• It was discovered from the Visakhapatnam coast of the Bay of Bengal.

• It is uniformly brown.

ENCHELYCORE PROPINQUA

• It was also discovered from Visakhapatnam coast.

• It is reddish brown body mottled with irregular creamy white spots.

• It is the smallest of three measuring less than a foot.

51. GREEN GOOD DEEDS CAMPAIGN

• It has been launched by the MoEFCC

• The purpose of the campaign is to sensitise people and students, in particular about climate change

and global warming.

52. PELICAN FESTIVAL

• The ‘Pelican Bird Festival-2018’ was held for first time in Atapaka Bird Sanctuary on at Kolleru lake in

Andhra Pradesh.


• It was jointly organised by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) and Krishna district

administration.

• During winter season, thousands of pelicans, painted storks and other birds migrate to Kolleru lake.

• During their stay they roost, breed and later fly away with their off springs.

• Recently, Atapaka Bird Sanctuary was recognised as one of the largest pelicanry in the world.

ABOUT KOLLERU LAKE

• Kolleru Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India located in Andhra Pradesh.

• It is located between Krishna and Godavari deltas.

• It was declared as wildlife sanctuary ununder Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and designated wetland

of international importance under Ramsar Convention.

• It is important habitat for resident and migratory birds, including the grey or spot-billed pelican

(Pelecanus philippensis).

• Many birds migrate here in winter, such as Siberian crane, ibis, and painted storks.

53. MINAMATA CONVENTION

• Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved proposal for ratification of Minamata Convention on

Mercury and depositing instrument of ratification enabling India to become Party of Convention.

• The approval entails ratification of convention along with flexibility for continued use of mercury-based

products and processes involving mercury compound up to 2025

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

54. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INDEX 2018

• India was ranked 44th out of 50 countries in the Intellectual Property (IP) Index released by US

Chamber of Commerce.

• Last year, India was ranked 43rd out of 45 countries

• The index was released as part of annual report prepared by the Global Innovation Policy Center

(GIPC) of the US Chambers of Commerce.

• The report analyses IP climate in 50 world economies based on 40 unique indicators that benchmark

activity critical to innovation development surrounding patent, copyright, trademark and trade secrets

protection.

• The US topped this edition of list with total 37.98 points, followed by United Kingdom (37.97) and

Sweden (37.03).

• The index started in 2012 by USGIPC ranks countries based upon 35 parameters each having one

point weightage.

• Some of the parameters are patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and market access,

enforcement, and ratification of international treaties.

55. SUPERCRITICAL CO2-BRAYTON CYCLE

• Scientists from Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru have indigenously developed country’s

first super critical carbon dioxide (SCO2) Brayton Test Loop facility.

• The facility was inaugurated at the IISc campus

• It is first test loop technology coupled with solar heat source in world that will generate clean

energy from power plants, including solar thermal.

• The facility is part of Indo-US consortium- Solar Energy Research Institute for India and United

States (SERIIUS).

• Funding: Department of Science and Technology (DS&T) under Indo-US Joint Clean Energy

Research and Development Centre programme.


• This facility uses supercritical CO2 (SCO2) instead of steam to generate more power.

• Supercritical refers to state of CO2 above its critical temperature of 31oC and critical pressure of 73

atmospheres, which makes it twice as dense as steam.

• S-CO2 operated in closed loop Brayton cycle increases efficiency of energy conversion by as much

as 50% or more.

• Brayton cycle - A thermodynamic cycle using constant pressure, heat addition and rejection to spin

the blades of a turbine, which can be used to generate electricity.

56. THREE PARENTS BABY

• UK became the first country to have officially approved procedures to create “three-parent” babies.

SOCIAL ISSUES

57. INDIA HEALTH FUND

• 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.

58. NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SURVEY

• Recently, National Achievement Survey (NAS) was released by the HRD Ministry.

• It assesses performance of students in five major subjects-English, Mathematics, Science, Social

Science and Modern Indian Languages

• The performance of students declined in environmental science, language and maths as one moves

from class III to class VIII.

• Rural students scored higher than those in cities which is contrary to the perception that the quality of

education in urban areas is superior to that in rural areas.

• Also, in classes V and VIII, OBC students outscored the general category.

• Female students performed better than male students.

59. WORLD CITIES CULTURAL FORUM

• Recently, Mumbai became the first Indian city to be a member of World Cities Cultural Forum

(WCCF).

• World Cities Cultural Forum: It is the biggest forum of global network which provides a platform for 33

cities to share their culture, data-driven research and intelligence while exploring the vital role and

impact of culture in future prosperity.

60. FINANCIAL SECRECY INDEX 2018

• It was unveiled by the Tax Justice Network (an independent international network)

ABOUT THE INDEX

• It is a ranking of countries based on their secrecy score and scale of their offshore financial activities.

• The index is based on twenty secrecy indicators which can be grouped into four broad dimensions

o Ownership registration – includes banking secrecy, trusts and foundations register etc.

o Legal entity transparency – includes public company ownership, public company accounts

etc.


o Integrity of tax and financial regulation – includes tax administration, consistent personal

income tax etc.

o International standards and cooperation – Anti-money Laundering, bilateral treaties etc.

• The list was topped by Switzerland and followed by USA and Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and

Singapore.

• India had scored a low score of 52 and is ranked 32.

61. INDIA’S LANGUAGES IN UNESCO’S ENDANGERED LIST

• According to a list prepared by the UNESCO, 42 languages in India are endangered and are heading

for extinction.

• These languages are spoken by less than 10,000 people.

LIST

STATES

ENDANGERED LANGUAGES

Andaman and Nicobar Islands (11) Great Andamanese, Jarawa, Lamongse,

Luro, Muot, Onge, Pu, Sanenyo,

Sentilese, Shompen and Takahanyilang

Manipur (7) Aimol, Aka, Koiren, Lamgang, Langrong,

Purum and Tarao

Himachal Pradesh (4) Baghati, Handuri, Pangvali and Sirmaudi

Odisha (3) Manda, Parji and Pengo

Karnataka (2) Koraga and Kuruba

Andhra Pradesh (2) Gadaba and Naiki

Tamil Nadu (2) Kota and Toda

Arunachal Pradesh (2) Mra and Na

Assam (2) Tai Nora and Tai Rong

Uttarakhand (1) Bangani

Jharkhand (1) Birhor

Maharashtra (1) Nihali

Meghalaya (1) Ruga

West Bengal (1) Toto


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