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Art and Culture, Society, Social and National Issues Anglo Kuki War Monument of National Importance Satnami Rebellion

Polity & Governance, Social Justice, Social Development BCCI Electors Verification Programme Full Court Reference , Recussal Jeevan Kaushal Kant Committee Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship NIA Oxfam Report on Tea Estates Parliament Committees Sahayatri App Swachh Survekshan 2019

International Relations, India & the World and International Affairs C40 Summit Global Competitiveness Index FATF OECD Syria Location UN Human Rights Council on Post War Accountability and Reconcilitation Vanilla Islands World Economic Outlook World Vision Report

Indian Economy and Economic Development Fastags IRCTC Metrolite

Environment and Ecology, Geography, Disaster Managment Annual Ganges River Dolphin Census Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) Graded Response Action Plan (GRAR) Livestock Census National Green Tribunal Tasmania & Tasmanian Tiger The Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control Authority) Typhoon Hagibis

Science and Technology, Defense, Health, Education Assistive Technologies Cataract Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey Cyber Police Stations DHRUV

INDEX

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Gemini System HIV/AIDS Interconnect Usage Charges & Zero Termination Charge Regimes LCROSS (Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite ) Milasen – Personalised Drug National Blindness Survey National Medical Commission National Milk Safety & Quality Survey 2018 Negative Lists of Don’t for video streaming services Project Beehive Solar System & Saturn Uterine Transplant World Obesity Federation’s Atlas of Childhood Obesity

More News Aarogyasri Programme Gravitas 2019 Mamapullaram Missing Person’s App Mount Paektu Petroleum & Explosive Safety Org (PESO) Tangdhar, Macchil, Gurez, Uri

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1. Anglo Kuki WarWhy in News?

The centenary commemoration of the Anglo-Kuki War, as the Kuki tribe refers to the community’s rebellionagainst British colonial forces from 1917-’19, has run into trouble with Tangkhul Naga groups raising objectionto Kukis erecting memorial stones that say: “In defence of our ancestral land and freedom.”

About

The Kuki uprising, which took place during World War I, began when Kuki chiefs refused to join the ImperialArmy’s Labour Corps, a unit meant to provide logistical support to British soldiers, and instead turned againstthe empire.

2. Monument of National ImportanceWhy in News?

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently declared that it has added six structures to the list of monumentsof national importance, taking the total number to 3,693.

About

With 506 monuments under its belt, Karnataka continues to top the list in South India, followed by Tamil Nadu(413). Nationally too, Karnataka is in the second place after Uttar Pradesh, which has 745 such monuments.

The six monuments declared as Monuments of national importance in 2018 are :

1. Old High Court Building in Nagpur, Maharashtra.2. Haveli of Agha Khan in Agra.3. Haveli of Hathi Khana in Agra.4. Neemrana Baori in Rajasthan’s Alwar district.5. Group of Temples at Ranipur Jharail in Odisha’s Bolangir district.6. Vishnu Temple in Kotali, Pithoragarh district, Uttarkhand.

What is an Ancient Monument? According to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, any structure, sculpture,

inscription, etc., which is in existence for not less than 100 years is termed ancient.About ASI : The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the

archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. Functions: Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance is

the prime concern of the ASI. Besides it regulate all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisionsof the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. It also regulates Antiquities and ArtTreasure Act, 1972.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was formed in 1861 by a statute passed into law by Canning, withAlexander Cunningham as its first Archaeological Surveyor, to excavate and conserve India’s ancient built heritage.

Art and Culture , Society, Social and National Issues

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3. Satnami RebellionAbout The Satnami sect was founded by a saint named “Birbhan” in 1657 in Narnaul in Haryana. The major religious

activity of this sect is to chant and meditate the true names {Sat-Nam} of God specially Rama and Krishna. This sect is thought to be an offshoot of Ravidasi sect and comprised of lower strata of the Hindu society, particularly,

leather workers, sweepers, carpenters, Goldsmiths etc. The followers of this sect kept their heads shaven {thuscalled Mundiyas} and abstained from liquor and meat. Today, there are at least 1.5 million followers of Satnamisect spread in Rajasthan, UP, MP, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Birbhan was monotheist and described God by the name of Satnam or Truth. Thought this sect revered Ram,Krishna and Hanuman yet the idol worship was not practiced. The religious granth of the Satnamis is called Pothi,which the followers revered like the Guru Granth Sahib of the Sikhs.

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4. BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was elected unopposed as the 39th president of BCCI at the apex body’s

AGMAbout The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the national governing body for cricket in India.The board was

formed in December 1928 as a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act. It is a consortiumof state cricket associations and the state associations select their representatives who in turn elect the BCCIChief. Its headquarters are in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Grant Govan was its first president and Anthony DeMello its first secretary

5. Electors Verification ProgrammeWhy in News?

The Election Commission’s new mega Electors Verification Programme (EVP), which seeks to update electoralrolls through crowd sourcing, is set be to launched

About Under the programme, a voter from each family will get a username and password, allowing a person to upload all

documents related to electoral registration and tag similar details about his or her family members. These details will then be verified by block level officers (BLOs) and therefore, it will save a lot of time. The idea

is also to empower voters to assess electoral roll details, self-authenticate and then get mistakes rectified, if any, The ‘mega million’ launch will take place in all states and Union territories. It will be done by 36 CEOs at the state

headquarters level, by 740 district electoral officers at the district level and by BLOs and electoral registrationofficers in around one million polling stations

The purpose is to improve the health of electoral rolls and augment enrolment of all eligible citizens duringspecial summary revision of the electoral rolls

6. Full Court Reference , RecusalFull Court Reference A session of a court which is attended by all the judges or justices composing it.

Recussal Judicial disqualification, also referred to as recusal, is the act of abstaining from participation in an official action

such as a legal proceeding due to a conflict of interest of the presiding court official or administrative officer.

7. Jeevan KaushalWhy in News?

Union Minister of State for Human Resource DevelopmentShri Sanjay Dhotre, launched the Curriculum for LifeSkills (JeevanKaushal) designed by University Grants Commission (UGC), in New Delhi

Polity & Governance, Social Justice, Social Development

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About UGC constituted Expert Committee prepared a Curriculum for Life Skills (JeevanKaushal) for Under Graduate

Programme. The curriculum is designed to impart and strengthen the knowledge,skills and dispositions believedto be the best requisites of the current Industry and thereby empower the talent inherent in each learner. Life Skillslike communication skill, interpersonal skill, time management, problem solving ability, decision making capacity,leadership ability and integrity play a crucial role in boosting the employability of the students.

Life skills (JeevanKaushal) curriculum cover the set of human talents acquired by an individual via classroomlearning or life experience that can help them to deal with problems encountered in day to day life. This includesthe core skills each individual must possess internally as well as externally for the betterment of self and thesociety as a whole. Adoption of life skills is the key to success and quality in life.

8. Kant CommitteeAbout The government is in the process of forming a task force to draw a blueprint for handing over operations of 150

trains and 50 railway stations to private operators in a “time-bound manner”.

9. Mahatma Gandhi National FellowshipWhy in News? The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)announced its partnership with Indian Institute

of Management (IIM)- Bangalore to launch a new programme ‘Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship’.About The two-year Fellowship programme will be delivered by IIMB’s Centre of Public Policy (CPP), an independent

public interest-oriented policy think-tank engaged in research, teaching, training, and capacity-building. The programme will be launched on a pilot basis in Gujarat, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and

Uttarakhand. Those who have a graduate degree from a recognised university and are citizens of India in the age group of 21-30

years will be eligible to apply for it. The MSDE for their skill components would support a total of 75 districts. “The Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship programme is aimed to identify and train a group of young, committed

and dynamic individuals, who will leverage the IIMB ecosystem in management, entrepreneurship and public policyand work with the district administration in strengthening the process of skilling to create a vibrant local districteconomy,”

Its unique design will allow the Fellows to take academic learning at IIM Bangalore and use it in the field underfaculty mentorship to understand challenges and barriers that the district ecosystem faces in fostering growth anddevelopment

10. NIA (National Investigation Agency)Why in News? Recently NIA organised national conference of chiefs of Anti-Terrorism Squad/Special Task Force in New Delhi

About The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is a central agency established by the Indian Government to combat

terror in India. It acts as the Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency. The agency is empowered to deal with terror

related crimes across states without special permission from the states.

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The Agency came into existence with the enactment of the National Investigation Agency Act 2008 by the Parliamentof India on 31 December 2008

Headquartered in New Delhi, the NIA has branches in Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata,Raipur and Jammu

It maintains NIA Most Wanted list.Vision Agency aims to be a thoroughly professional investigative agency matching the best international standards. It

aims to set the standards of excellence in counter terrorism and other national security related investigations atthe national level by developing into a highly trained, partnership oriented workforce. It also aims at creatingdeterrence for existing and potential terrorist groups/individuals. It aims to develop as a storehouse of all terroristrelated information

Jurisdiction The Agency has been empowered to conduct investigation and prosecution of offences under the Acts specified in

the Schedule of the NIA Act. A State Government may request the Central Government to hand over the investigation of a case to the NIA,

provided the case has been registered for the offences as contained in the schedule to the NIA Act. CentralGovernment can also order NIA to take over investigation of any scheduled offense anywhere in the India. Officersof the NIA who are drawn from the Indian Police Service and Indian Revenue Service, have all powers, privilegesand liabilities which the police officers have in connection with investigation of any offense

On 2016 Home minister Rajnath Singh wanted to end the central agency’s dependence on approval from statepolice chiefs before confiscating or attaching assets of people accused of crime

11. Oxfam Report on Tea EstatesWhy in News? A report by Oxfam, a confederation of independent charitable organisations focussing on the alleviation of global

poverty, has flagged violation of labour rights in the tea estates of Assam.Key Findings Oxfam research on working and living conditions of the tea plantation workers finds no toilets, crumbling houses,

poor wages, lack of quality health and education entitlements Oxfam calls consumers, supermarkets and brands to support government’s commitment to provide living wages to

workers Many women tea pickers regularly clock up 13 hours of backbreaking work a day receiving between Rs 110 and Rs

130 a day. This wage is so low that half the workers interviewed, receive ‘Below Poverty Line’ ration cards fromthe government;

Indian tea estates are legally obliged under the Plantation Labour Act to provide decent working conditions, housing,healthcare and education. The condition of housing and sanitation is very poor with dilapidated or non-existentfacilities. Around 45% of workers interviewed reported suffering from water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea,typhoid and jaundice, among others;

It is predominantly women who carry out the labour-intensive job of harvesting tea and end up beingconcentrated in these low-paid jobs. Women tea workers including unpaid domestic work, undertake up to13 hours of physical labour per day after just six hours’ rest. Despite their large numbers, they remainunder-represented in trade unions.

Some of key issues that women tea workers face include inaccessible toilets, inadequate maternal and childcarefacilities, inadequate maternity benefits and domestic violence;

A 200 gms. packet of branded Assam tea is sold in India for Rs. 68. Of this, less than Rs. 5 is left for workers(using plucking costs as a proxy indicator) while tea brands and supermarkets retain around Rs. 40

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12. Sahayatri AppWhy in News? Union minister Nityanand Rai launched a website and a mobile application on Thursday to facilitate the railway

police in addressing complaints of passengers from across India and crime detection by integrating the criminaldatabase online.

About The minister of state of home affairs launched the website www.railways.delhipolice.gov.in and the mobile app

Sahyatri The database of criminals, including their photographs, active in railways’ jurisdiction all over India would be

uploaded on the website Apart from sharing information among GRP, railway passengers will certainly benefit as citizen services have also

been provided on the website.

13. Swachh Survekshan 2019Why in News?

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has initiated an inquiry into alleged irregularities duringthe Swachh Survekshan 2019 for Madhya Pradesh — declared the best in solid waste management, and boastingeight cities in the top 25, the most for any State — that helped upstage certain cities, while downplayingperformances of others.

About 2019About

Swachh Survekshan is a ranking exercisetaken up by the Government of India toassess rural and urban areas for their levelsof cleanliness and active implementation ofSwachhata mission initiatives in a timely andinnovative manner.

The objective of the survey is to encouragelarge scale citizen participation and createawareness amongst all sections of societyabout the importance of working togethertowards making towns and cities a better placeto live in. Additionally, the survey also intendsto foster a spirit of healthy competition amongtowns and cities to improve their servicedelivery to citizens, towards creating cleanercities and towns.

The Ministry of Urban Development,Government of India takes up the SwachhSurvekshan in urban areas and the Ministry ofDrinking Water and Sanitation in rural areas.The Quality Council of India (QCI) has beencommissioned the responsibility of carryingout the assessment

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14. C40 SummitWhy in News? Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would have been among 20 leaders from megacities around the world to launch

the ‘Clean Air Cities Declaration’, a set of short and long-term commitments towards cleaning the air, during theC40 Summit in Copenhagen.

About The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) is a group of 94 cities around the world that represents one

twelfth of the world’s population and one quarter of the global economy. Created and led by cities, C40 is focused on tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces greenhouse

gas emissions and climate risks, while increasing the health, wellbeing and economic opportunities of urban citizens. C40’s work is made possible by three strategic funders: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children’s Investment Fund

Foundation and Realdania. Working across multiple sectors and initiative areas, C40 convenes networks of cities providing a suite of services

in support of their efforts, including: direct technical assistance; facilitation of peer-to-peer exchange; and research,knowledge management & communications. C40 is also positioning cities as a leading force for climate actionaround the world, defining and amplifying their call to national governments for greater support and autonomy increating a sustainable future.

15. Global Competitiveness IndexWhy in News? India has moved down 10 places to rank 68th on an annual global competitiveness index, largely due to

improvements witnessed by several other economies, while Singapore has replaced the US as the world’s mostcompetitive economy.

About Global Competitiveness Index compiled by Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF) The Global Competitiveness Index ranks 140 nations on the basis of 98 indicators organised into 12 pillars including

infrastructure, institution, ICT adoption, macroeconomic stability, health, skills, product market, labour market,financial system, market size, business dynamism, and innovation capability.

2019 Highlights India slipped down ten places to be ranked 68th in the annual Global Competitiveness Index 2019. India was

ranked at the 58th position in the 2018 edition. Singapore topped the index this year, toppling the United Statesand pushing it to the second place.

Despite its low rank, India performed better in certain indicators like renewable energy regulation, airportconnectivity, inflation, research institutions prominence. However, it performed poorly in other indicators includingsecurity, where it was ranked near bottom at the 124th rank with its terrorism incidence and organised crime ratebeing extremely high.

India also ranked relatively low in the skills of future workforce indicator, student-teacher ratio in primary education,electricity access, electricity supply quality and exposure to unsafe drinking water.

The top-five economies in the Global Competitiveness Index 2019 included Singapore, US, Hong Kong, Netherlandsand Switzerland.

International Relations, India & the World and International Affairs

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China was ranked at the 28th spot, while Hong Kong was ranked 3rd and Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory,also ranked higher at the 12th spot.

ScoreGlobal Competitiveness Index 2019 : Top 10 countries

Rank Economy Score1 Singapore 842 United States 83.73 Hong Kong 83.14 Netherlands 82.45 Switzerland 82.36 Japan 82.37 Germany 81.88 Sweden 81.29 United Kingdom 81.210 Denmark 81.2

16. FATFWhy in News? FATF regional Asia Pacific Group (APG) places Pakistan on Dark Grey for failing to combat terrorism, money

laundering and meeting the required global standards.About

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 by the Ministers of itsMember Jurisdictions

The FATF currently comprises 35 member jurisdictions and 2 regional organizations (GCC and EuropeanCommission), representing most major financial centres in all parts of the globe

The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory andoperational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrityof the international financial system

The FATF is, therefore, a “policy-making body” which works to generate the necessary political will to bring aboutnational legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas

The FATF’s decision-making body, the FATF Plenary, meets three times per year The FATF has developed a series of Recommendations that are recognized as the international standard for combating

of money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction Meaning of Black List: Only those countries are included in this list that FATF considers as unco-operative

tax havens for terror funding. These countries are known as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs).In other words; countries which are supporting terror funding and money laundering activities are placed inthe Black list.

Meaning of Grey List: Those countries which are not considered as the safe heaven for supporting terror fundingand money laundering; included in this list. The inclusion in this list is not as severe as black listed.

When a country comes in the Grey list, it faces many problems like;o Economic sanctions from international institutions (IMF, World Bank, ADB etc.) and countrieso Problem in getting loans from international institutions (IMF, World Bank, ADB etc.) and countrieso Overall Reduction in its international tradeo International boycott

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17. OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)Why in News? The Organisation of Economic Co-operation

and Development (OECD) has proposed anoverhaul in the taxation system formultinational companies. This move couldforce entities, including digital giantsGoogle, Netflix, Facebook, and Amazon, toshell out taxes in countries where they donot have physical presence.

About The Organisation for Economic Co-

operation and Development (OECD) is aninternational organisation that works to buildbetter policies for better lives. Our goal isto shape policies that foster prosperity,equality, opportunity and well-being for all. We draw on almost 60 years of experience and insights to betterprepare the world of tomorrow.

18. Syria Location

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19. Vanilla IslandsWhy in News? Vice President

Venkaiah Naidudeparted for afive day visit tothe Comorosand SierraLeone with thegoal ofdeepening tieswith the Africansubcontinent.

About The Comoros

island is a partof ‘VanillaIslands’, withwhom India isseeking toincrease itsengagement.

20. World EconomicOutlookWhy in News?

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released its biennial report – World Economic Outlook on October15. The report indicates that over the past year, global growth has fallen sharply. For advanced economies, growthis projected to soften to 1.7 percent in 2019 and 2020. However, India’s GDP growth has been estimated at 6.1percent.

About

A Survey by the IMF staff usually published twice a year. It presents IMF staff economists’ analyses of globaleconomic developments during the near and medium term. Chapters give an overview as well as more detailedanalysis of the world economy; consider issues affecting industrial countries, developing countries, and economiesin transition to market; and address topics of pressing current interest. Annexes, boxes, charts, and an extensivestatistical appendix augment the text.

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Why In News?

More than a quarter of the world’s population — some 2.2 billion people — suffer from vision impairment out ofwhich, one billion cases could have been prevented or have been left unaddressed, according to the first WorldVision Report released by the World Health Organization (WHO)

About

Produced at the request of Member States during a side event to the 70th World Health Assembly, and with thesupport of experts from around the world, the report provides evidence on the magnitude of eye conditions andvision impairment globally, draws attention to effective strategies to address eye care, and offers recommendationsfor action to improve eye care services worldwide. The key proposal of the report is for all countries to provideintegrated people-centred eye care services which will ensure that people receive a continuum of eye care basedon their individual needs throughout their lives.

The World report on vision is directed at ministries of health, development agencies, civil society organizationsand researchers, practitioners and policy-makers from the field of eye care. It is hoped that by shaping the globalagenda on vision, the report will assist Member States and their partners in their efforts to reduce the burden ofeye conditions and vision loss and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG target3.8 on universal health coverage.

21. World Vision Report

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23. IRCTCWhy in News?

IRCTC operates the Lucknow - New Delhi Tejas Express which had its inaugural service on 5 October 2019 and isthe first privately operated long-distance train in India

About Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways that handles the

catering, tourism and online ticketing operations of the latter, with around 5,50,000 to 6,00,000 bookings everyday is the world’s second busiest and highest of 15 to 16 Lakhs tickets every day.

Its tagline is “Lifeline of the nation”. IRCTC held an initial public offering on the National Stock Exchange on 30 September 2019, the IPO got

oversubscription of 112 times Services- Online Ticketing, Tatkal Scheme, Tourism & Train Operations

Indian Economy and Economic Development22. Fastags

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24. MetroliteWhy in News? The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has planned the Kirti Nagar-Dwarka Sector 25 and the Rithala-Narela

sections for setting up the Metrolite corridorsAbout The Metrolite project is basically a smaller metro system with three coaches and has a carrying capacity of 300

passengers. It is a cost-effective project for DMRC as it costs 30-40 per cent less than the Delhi Metro trains.The Metrolite corridors are usually effective in areas where large scale metro lines are not required. The Metrolitecorridors will have a simple fare collection system inside the trains.

The metrorail system being developedat presentis of high capacity which is required for, bigger cities with veryhigh rider shipand Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic (PHPDT). Seeing the success of metrorail in the country,severalother cities with lower projection of rider shipa real so aspiring for rail based mass rapid trans it system,whichcould be fulfilled by Light Urban Rail Transit Systemnamed” Metrolite” with lesser capacity at much less cost.Metrolite would al so act as feeder system to high capacity Metro. In addition to less capital cost, the operationand maintenance cost of Metro lite would also be less making the system more viable.

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25. Annual Ganges River Dolphin CensusWhy in News? The annual Ganges river dolphin census, undertaken by World Wide Fund for Nature-India in collaboration with

the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department along about 250-km-long riverine stretch of Upper Ganga between HastinapurWildlife Sanctuary and Narora Ramsar site began in Bijnor

About It is undertaken by World Wide Fund for Nature-India in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department. It is being held along the 250-km-long riverine stretch of Upper Ganga between Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary and

Narora Ramsar. Unlike previous years, when direct counting method was used, this year the tandem boat survey method is being

used.What is Tandem Boat Survey Method? Here the officials use two inflated boats which move in tandem to count the dolphins. After collating the data, statistical tools are employed to arrive at the final count. The method is developed by the renowned river and marine ecologist Gill Braulik, provides a more accurate count

of the endangered species. This new method is likely to yield more accurate count of the endangered species

Gangetic Dolphin Gangetic river dolphins fall under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act. It has been declared an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Gangetic river species found in India, Bangladesh and Nepal is almost completely blind. It finds its way and prey using echoes with a peculiar ‘su-su’ sound being everything for them to navigate, feed,

escape danger, find mates, breed, nurse babies and play. Like bats, they produce high-frequency sounds which help them ‘see’ objects when the sound waves bounce off

them.

26. Emission Trading Scheme (ETS)Why in News? The Gujarat government has started a novel emissions trading programme aimed to cut particulate air pollution

and facilitate robust economic growth.About Under the programme, the government sets a cap on emissions and allows industries to buy and sell permits to

stay below the cap. As the first market-based approach to regulating pollution emissions in India, it is expected toslash air pollution at lower costs for both the government and industry, and provide best practices for replicatingtrading schemes to other emissions.

Globally, the cap-and-trade system has been used to reduce other forms of emissions such as sulphur dioxide(SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the US. But the Gujarat programme is the first in the world to regulateparticulate air pollution

Green house gas emissions a new commodity– Parties with commitments under the Kyoto Protocol (Annex B Parties) have accepted targets for limiting or

reducing emissions. These targets are expressed as levels of allowed emissions, or assigned amounts,at overthe 2008-2012 commitment period. The allowed emissions are divided into assigned amount units (AAUs).

Environment and Ecology, Geography, Disaster Management

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– Emissions trading, as set out in Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol, allows countries that have emission units tospare - emissions permitted them but not “used” - to sell this excess capacity to countries that are over theirtargets.

– Thus, a new commodity was created in the form of emission reductions or removals. Since carbon dioxide isthe principal greenhouse gas, people speak simply of trading in carbon. Carbon is now tracked and traded likeany other commodity. This is known as the “carbon market.”

Other trading units in the carbon market– More than actual emissions units can be traded and sold under the Kyoto Protocols emissions trading scheme.– The other units which may be transferred under the scheme, each equal to one tonne of CO2, may be in the

form of:– A removal unit (RMU) on the basis of land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) activities such as

reforestation– An emission reduction unit (ERU) generated by a joint implementation project– A certified emission reduction (CER) generated from a clean development mechanism project activity– Transfers and acquisitions of these units are tracked and recorded through the registry systems under the

Kyoto Protocol.– An international transaction log ensures secure transfer of emission reduction units between countries.

27. Graded Response Action Plan (GRAR)Why in News? The Graded Response Action Plan to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR will come into force

About Measures aimed at stopping the use of diesel generator sets will extend beyond Delhi to the NCR, where many

areas see regular power cuts. Measures will be incremental. As pollution rises, and it is expected to as winter approaches, more measures will

come into play depending on the air quality. Approved by the Supreme Court in 2016. It works only as an emergency measure. As such, the plan does not include action by various state governments to be taken throughout the year to tackle

industrial, vehicular and combustion emissions. When the air quality shifts from poor to very poor, the measures listed have to be followed since the plan is

incremental in nature. It has created a step-by-step plan for the entire Delhi-NCR region and getting on board several agencies including

pollution control boards, industrial area authorities, municipal corporations, regional officials of the IndiaMeteorological Department, and others.

It has been successful in fixing accountability and deadlines. For each action to be taken under a particular airquality category, executing agencies are clearly marked.

Coordination among as many as 13 agencies from four states is simplified to a degree because of the cleardemarcation of responsibilities.

Three major policy decisions that can be credited to EPCA and GRAP are the closure of the thermal power plantat Badarpur, bringing BS-VI fuel to Delhi before the deadline set initially, and the ban on Pet coke as a fuel in DelhiNCR.

The plan requires action and coordination among 13 different agencies in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana andRajasthan (NCR areas).

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At the head of the table is the EPCA, mandated by the Supreme Court. Before the imposition of any measures, EPCA holds a meeting with representatives from all NCR states, and a call

is taken on which actions has to be made applicable in which town. Severe+ or Emergency- (PM 2.5 over 300 µg/cubic metre or PM10 over 500 µg/cu. m. for 48+ hours):

– Stop entry of trucks into Delhi (except essential commodities).– Stop construction work.– Introduce odd/even scheme for private vehicles and minimise exemptions.– Task Force to decide any additional steps including shutting of schools.

Severe- (PM 2.5 over 250 µg/cu. m. or PM10 over 430 µg/cu. m.):– Close brick kilns, hot mix plants, stone crushers.– Maximise power generation from natural gas to reduce generation from coal.– Encourage public transport, with differential rates.– More frequent mechanised cleaning of road and sprinkling of water.

Very Poor- (PM2.5 121-250 µg/cu. m. or PM10 351-430 µg/cu. m.):– Stop use of diesel generator sets.– Enhance parking fee by 3-4 times.– Increase bus and Metro services.– Apartment owners to discourage burning fires in winter by providing electric heaters during winter.– Advisories to people with respiratory and cardiac conditions to restrict outdoor movement.Moderate to poor- (PM2.5 61-120 µg/cu. m. or PM10 101-350 µg/cu. m.):

– Heavy fines for garbage burning.– Close/enforce pollution control regulations in brick kilns and industries.– Mechanised sweeping on roads with heavy traffic and water sprinkling.– Strictly enforce ban on firecrackers.

28. Livestock CensusWhy in News? The population of cows in the country has risen by 18 per cent in the last seven years, while that of oxen dipped by

30 per cent, according to the latest census of livestock. The total number for livestock was pegged at around 536million.

About The provisional data of the 20th Livestock Census released by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying The Livestock Census conducted quinquennially is the main source of such data in the country. The livestock

census in the country started in the year 1919-1920. Since then it has been conducted once in every 5 years. Sofar 19 Livestock Censuses had been conducted and the last census was held in the year 2017.

This census conducted forbreed-wise number of animals and poultry (fowls) with their age and sex compositionforvarious species across the country.

29. National Green TribunalWhy in News? The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is currently reeling under vacancies of judges and expert members, making its

four zonal benches across India non-functional.

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About The National Green Tribunal has been established on 18.10.2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for

effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests andother natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief andcompensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. It isa specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues. The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure,1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.

The Tribunal’s dedicated jurisdiction in environmental matters shall provide speedy environmental justice andhelp reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts. The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavour fordisposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same. Initially, the NGT is proposed tobe set up at five places of sittings and will follow circuit procedure for making itself more accessible. New Delhiis the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four placeof sitting of the Tribunal.

30. The Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control Authority)

Why in News? The Centre has reconstituted the Supreme Court-empowered Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control)

Authority or the EPCA, which is tasked with taking various measures to tackle air pollution in the NationalCapital Region.

About Implementing agencies are unanimous that residential parking will have to be regulated and managed. Parking spill over from residential buildings will require management. Multiplicity of responsibility is at the core of the problems of governance in the city and parking regulations must

not add to this. Pricing for residential parking should be determined jointly by the local agency and RWA/shop-keepers association

but it must be based on the principle of charging differential and higher rates for additional cars. The local parking plan must ensure that there is provision for movement of emergency vehicles and green areas,

parks and footpaths may not be allowed to be used for parking. The Delhi Police may be directed to greatly improve enforcement against illegal and unauthorised parking through

state-of-the art equipment, including cameras and automated challans.

About Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) : EPCA was constituted with the objective of ‘protecting and improving’ the quality of the environment and ‘controlling

environmental pollution’ in the National Capital Region. The EPCA also assists the apex court in variousenvironment-related matters in the region.

EPCA is Supreme Court mandated body tasked with taking various measures to tackle air pollution in the NationalCapital Region. It was notified in 1998 by Environment Ministry under Environment Protection Act, 1986.

Composition : Besides the chairman, the EPCA has 14 members, some of whom are the environment secretary of the National

Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council, transport commissioner ofthe NCT, the commissioners of various municipal corporations of Delhi and professors at IIT Delhi and JawaharlalNehru University.

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Functions : To protect and improve quality of environment and prevent and control environmental pollution in National Capital

Region. To enforce Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in NCR as per the pollution levels.

31. Typhoon HagibisWhy in News? Tokyo (CNN)Typhoon Hagibis made landfall Saturday night local time, as the country braces for hurricane-force

winds that have killed at least 10 people and injured more than 140.About was a large and powerful tropical cyclone that was considered to be the most devastating typhoon to hit the Kantô

region of Japan since Ida in 1958

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32. Assistive TechnologiesWhy in News? Microsoft India, in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, will host the second edition of

Empower from 14 to 17 October 2019 at I-TEC, IIT Delhi, Sonepat. This conference aims at bringing togetherresearchers, technologists and policymakers to discuss actionable steps in creating and making available assistivetechnologies and highlight the challenges in doing so. Stakeholders from the entire ecosystem, Disabled Persons’Organizations (DPOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) will also participate in the conference.

About Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to

increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities. AT can be low-tech: communication boards made of cardboard or fuzzy felt. AT can be high-tech: special-purpose computers. AT can be hardware: prosthetics, mounting systems, and positioning devices. AT can be computer hardware: special switches, keyboards, and pointing devices. AT can be computer software: screen readers and communication programs. AT can be inclusive or specialized learning materials and curriculum aids. AT can be specialized curricular software. AT can be much more—electronic devices, wheelchairs, walkers, braces, educational software, power lifts, pencil

holders, eye-gaze and head trackers, and much more. Assistive technology helps people who have difficulty speaking, typing, writing, remembering, pointing, seeing,

hearing, learning, walking, and many other things. Different disabilities require different assistive technologies. Some examples of assistive technology are text-to-speech and word prediction. Assistive technology includes low-tech tools, too, like pencil grips.

33. CataractWhy in News? Untreated cataract remains the primary cause of blindness in India,

accounting for 66 per cent of people without vision aged 50 years orolder, according to a nationwide blindness survey

About Inside our eyes, we have a natural lens. The lens bends (refracts) light

rays that come into the eye to help us see. The lens should be clear,like the top lens in the illustration.

If you have a cataract, your lens has become cloudy, like the bottomlens in the illustration. It is like looking through a foggy or dusty carwindshield. Things look blurry, hazy or less colorful with a cataract.

National Blindness Survey The survey was conducted by the AIIMS, Delhi and Union Ministry of

Health and Family Welfare India is the first country to launch National Program for Control of

Blindness in 1976. The aim of the program is currently to reduce theblindness prevalence to 0.3% by 2020.

Science and Technology, Defense, Health , Education

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Key findings of the report Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in people above 50 years. OF these around 93% of blindness cases and

96.2% of visual impairment cases are avoidable The prevalence of blindness in India is 1.99%. Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh has the highest population suffering from

blindness. Around 3.67% of the district are blind and 21.82% suffer visual impairment. Blindness is more pronounced among illiterates as compared to literates. Around 3.23% illiterates are blind and

0.43% literates are blind Also, blindness is more prevalent in rural population (2.14%) as compared to urban (1.8%)

Causes of blindness according to the report The causes included Aphakia – Absence of lens in the eye Untreated non-infectious corneal opacity-scarring of cornea Cataract related surgical complication was the second highest cause for blindness. The outcomes of cataract surgery are not good everywhere. Around 40% of cataract were done in government

facilities. Rest of the surgeries took place in private and non – profit facilities. Of these, only 57.8% saw goodvisual outcome.

Cost was the biggest barrier in accessing cataract surgeries. Around 22.1% of blindness was caused because ofcost as a barrier.

Around 22.1% of blindness were caused due to lack of awareness

34. Cyber Police StationsWhy in News? Tamil Nadu will soon have 40 cyber crime police stations and six cyber labs to tackle the increasing number of

crimes.About The dedicated cyber stations and labs will be equipped with tools to retrieve data, including deleted ones, from

mobile phones, SIM cards, laptops and hard disks, software for hacking and surveillance of computer systems.

35. Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme- ‘DHRUV’Why in News? Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme “DHRUV” Launched 60 students, 30 each from Science and Performing Arts discipline, have been selected for this ambitious programme

in the first batch.About The Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme: DHRUV has been started by Government of India to identify

and encourage talented children to enrich their skills and knowledge. In centres of excellence across the country,gifted children will be mentored and nurtured by renowned experts in different areas, so that they can reach theirfull potential.

About DHRUV : The programme is called DHRUV (after the Pole Star) and every student to be called ‘DHRUV TARA’. 60 students, 30 each from Science and Performing Arts discipline, have been selected for this ambitious programme

in the first batch. The programme begins with a tour at ISRO followed by a stay in Delhi, where the selected students will be mentored

by renowned experts. It is being started to identify and encourage talented children to enrich their skills and knowledge.

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36. Gemini SystemWhy in News?

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) haslaunched a new satellite-based GEMINI system that will alert deep-sea fishermen of upcoming disasters.

About

To avoid communication blackouts that led to 20 fishermen going missing in the aftermath of Cyclone Okchi in2017, a slew of government departments, research agencies and private companies have developed GEMINI, aportable receiver linked to ISRO-satellites, that is “fail-proof” and warn fishermen of danger.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a Hyderabad institute collaborated withAccord, a private company, to develop a box-shaped receiver that has an antenna and in-built battery that can lastthree to four days, according to a brochure describing the device.

GEMINI works on GAGAN, developed by ISRO and the Airports Authority of India and is an India-made globalpositioning system and relies on the positioning system by ISRO’s GSAT satellites.

When GEMINI is connected to an app, it also lets fishermen know the probability of fish-catch in the surroundingseas. “Even now we provide services such as storm alerts and advisories of potential fish-catch however it’s dependenton the mobile services provided by your phone company,” said Satish Shenoi, director, INCOIS. “With this device,fishermen outside the signal range of their phone companies can also access warnings and alerts.” Mobile phonefrequencies cannot be accessed 10-12 km beyond the coast and with GEMINI this range can increase to 300nautical miles

The device only allows one-way communication — it can’t be used by fishermen to make calls, for instance. At ¹9,000 a device, it’s also relatively expensive for the average fisherman, say officials, but attempts are on to subsidiseit by as much as 90%. “We are in talks to have an agreement with the National Fisheries Development Board tohave the Centre pay 60%, the states 20% and the user 10% of the device cost

37. Interconnect Usage Charges & Zero Termination Charge RegimesWhy in News?

The telecom regulator has issued a discussion paper on deferring the implementation of the zero-interconnectusage charges (IUC) regime that was slated to kick in from January 2020, saying that consumers are yet to migratecompletely to data calls and that the imbalance in voice traffic between operators still exists.

About The term ‘interconnection’ refers to an arrangement under which telecom players connect their equipment, networks

and services with other Telecom Services Providers. The regulator, TRAI, addresses the various issues related tointerconnection arrangements. It also regulates the IUC.

This is a charge payable by a service provider, whose subscriber originates the call, to the service provider inwhose network the call terminates. In a calling-party pays regime (CPP), if you originate a call, you pay youraccess provider, who in turn pays termination charges to the network you placed the call. This is paid to cover thenetwork usage costs as the operator, on whose network the call terminates, carries the call on its network to thecustomers. This requires infrastructure investment. Thus, IUC ensures operators make appropriate investments tocarry voice calls without terminations.

At present, all the hue and cry is on termination charge one of the components of IUC. Other components includeinternational termination charges, transit charges, international settlement rates, carriage charges and originationcharges. TRAI, through telecom IUC charges regulation 2003, established the framework to be adopted by telecomplayers. The CPP regime was also introduced under this regulation.

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38. LCROSS (Lunar CRaterObservation and Sensing Satellite )Why in News? There’s water ice on the South Pole of the moon, and NASA wants to see it up-close. To that end it’s sending a golf-

cart sized robot to the Earth’s sole satellite to investigate further. It’s called the Volatiles Investigating PolarExploration Rover, or VIPER.

Using an instrument developed by NASA, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper, the MIP was able to report that it haddiscovered water ice. In 2009, NASA followed up on the discovery with the Lunar Crater Observation and SensingSatellite (LCROSS), which smashed into the Moon and further confirmed the water ice.

LCROSS The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) was a robotic spacecraft operated by NASA. The

mission was conceived as a low-cost means of determining the nature of hydrogen detected at the polar regions ofthe Moon

Launched immediately after discovery of lunar water by Chandrayaan-1, the main LCROSS mission objective wasto further explore the presence of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater near a lunar polar region.It wassuccessful in confirming water in the southern lunar crater Cabeus.

VIPER NASA is sending a mobile robot to the South Pole of the Moon to get a close-up view of the location and

concentration of water ice in the region and for the first time ever, actually sample the water ice at the same polewhere the first woman and next man will land in 2024 under the Artemis program.

About the size of a golf cart, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, will roam severalmiles, using its four science instruments — including a 1-meter drill — to sample various soil environments.Planned for delivery to the lunar surface in December 2022, VIPER will collect about 100 days of data that will beused to inform the first global water resource maps of the Moon.

39. Milasen – Personalised DrugWhy in News? Eight-year-old Mila Makovec was diagnosed with a rare, usually fatal neurological disorder in 2016, but now—

thanks to a “custom” drug that researchers developed specifically for her—many of Mila’s symptoms have beenhalted or reversed

About

Milasen is believed to be the first drug developed for just one person The team in Boston performed whole-genome sequencing - a detailed interrogation - on Mila’s DNA, her genetic

code, and uncovered a unique mutation that was causing her disease. They designed a drug, tested it on Mila’s cells and on animals in the laboratory and won approval to use it from the

US Food and Drug Administration. Mila was treated with the drug - named Milasen

40. National Medical CommissionWhy in News? National Medical Commission Bill, 2019 was passed by Lok Sabha. It seeks to regulate medical education and

practice in India

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About The 2019 Bill sets up the National Medical Commission (NMC) as an umbrella regulatory body with certain other

bodies under it. The NMC will subsume the MCI and will regulate medical education and practice in India. Underthe Bill, states will establish their respective State Medical Councils within three years. These Councils will havea role similar to the NMC, at the state level.

Functions of the NMC include: (i) laying down policies for regulating medical institutions and medicalprofessionals, (ii) assessing the requirements of human resources and infrastructure in healthcare, (iii) ensuringcompliance by the State Medical Councils with the regulations made under the Bill, and (iv) framing guidelinesfor determination of fee for up to 50% of the seats in the private medical institutions.

The Bill replaces the MCI with the NMC, whose members will be nominated. The NMC will consist of 25 members,including: (i) Director Generals of the Directorate General of Health Services and the Indian Council of MedicalResearch, (ii) Director of any of the AIIMS, (iii) five members (part-time) to be elected by the registered medicalpractitioners, and (iv) six members appointed on rotational basis from amongst the nominees of the states in theMedical Advisory Council.

Of these 25 members, at least 15 (60%) are medical practitioners. The MCI has been noted to be non-diverse andconsists mostly of doctors who look out for their own self-interest over public interest. In order to reduce themonopoly of doctors, it has been recommended by experts that the MCI should include diverse stakeholders suchas public health experts, social scientists, and health economists. For example, in the United Kingdom, the GeneralMedical Council which is responsible for regulating medical education and practice consists of 12 medicalpractitioners and 12 lay members (such as community health members, administrators from local government).

41. National Milk Safety & Quality Survey 2018Why in News? A national level survey carried out by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has found that

adulteration and higher than permissible level of antibiotic residues in milk remain a problem in the country,though the instances could be much fewer than what is generally perceived.

About According to FSSAI, this is the first time a detailed survey of the presence of Aflatoxin M1 in milk has been done

in the country. Among top three states with highest levels of Aflatoxin M1 residues are Tamil Nadu (88 out of 551samples), Delhi (38 out of 262 samples) and Kerala (37 out of 187 samples). The problem is more dominant inprocessed milk than raw milk.

The milk survey was conducted from May 2018 to October 2018 covering all states and UTs with the objective ofmonitoring safety and quality of liquid milk in the country. A total of 6,432 samples of milk were collected from1,103 towns/cities with population above 50,000, representing both organised (retailers and processors) and non-organised (local dairy farms, milk vendors and milk mandis) sectors. Number of samples collected was linked topopulation at the sampling locations and covered different types of milk (raw and processed of various types).

42. Project BeehiveAbout Project Beehive — helmed by Army’s Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) — that seeks to

achieve greater automation of the corps and connect all its workshops onto an integrated smart network endowedwith real-time data analytics capabilities is expected to be up and running by October next year

The automated platform will make the information on Army equipment available in a hierarchical fashion at theclick of a button

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43. Solar System & SaturnWhy in News?

Twenty new moons have been found to be orbiting Saturn — and scientists want the public’s help in naming them,according to a Carnegie Institution for Science news release. The new discovery brings the total moons around the“jewel of our solar system” to 82.

Refer Elite IAS Notes for Solar System

44. Uterine TransplantWhy in News?

IT IS now one year since India’s first baby was born to a mother with a transplanted uterus (The Indian Express,October 18). Such cases are rare across the world — Radha, whose parents have just celebrated her first birthday,is the 12th such baby worldwide. Now demand has risen, especially at Pune’s Galaxy Care Hospital, where thetransplant had been done on Radha’s mother Meenakshi Valan of Gujarat on May 19, 2017. Since them the hospitalhas got over 1,000 applications.

About The uterine transplant is the surgical procedure whereby a healthy uterus is transplanted into an organism of which

the uterus is absent or diseased. As part of normal mammalian sexual reproduction, a diseased or absent uterusdoes not allow normal embryonic implantation, effectively rendering the female infertile. This phenomenon isknown as absolute uterine factor infertility (AUFI). Uterine transplant is a potential treatment for this form ofinfertility.

45. World Obesity Federation’s Atlas of Childhood ObesityWhy in News?

There are currently 158 million obese children around the world, according to the World Obesity Federation’sfirst Atlas of Childhood Obesity, which calculated a risk score for obesity in the coming decade for 191 countries.

About

The World Obesity Federation represents professional members of the scientific, medical and researchcommunities from over 50 regional and national obesity associations. Through our membership we create a globalcommunity of organisations dedicated to solving the problems of obesity.

The atlas presents data for every country based on their current and predicted levels of obesity in children, the riskfactors and the presence of government policies to tackle obesity, such as restricting marketing of foods to children,encouragement of physical activity and nation guidelines for healthy diets. Based on these factors the Atlas giveseach countries a score for their childhood obesity risk.

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46. MamapullaramWhy in News? Hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for the second informal

summit in the coastal city of Mamallapuram in Tamil NaduAbout An ancient historic town and a bustling seaport in the 1st

millennium CE, now a beachside tourism center with a groupof Hindu monuments declared as UNESCO world heritage site,it is one of the most visited towns in South India.

Mamallapuram was one of two major port cities by the 7th centurywithin the Pallava kingdom. The town was named after Pallava kingNarasimhavarman I, who was also known as Mahamalla

Along with economic prosperity, it became a center of a group ofbattle monuments carved out of rock. These are dated to the 7thand 8th centuries: rathas (temples in the form of chariots),mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air rock reliefs such asthe famous Descent of the Ganges, and the Shore Temple dedicatedto Shiva, Durga, Vishnu, Krishna and others.

47. Missing Person’s AppWhy in News? Pursuant to an order passed by the Delhi High Court in a case pertaining to a mising person, the Delhi Police has

launched a web and mobile application to lodge online reports of missing persons including children on September13, 2019

About The purpose of Missing persons APP is to ensure that cases of missing persons are investigated effectively, and

are supported by appropriate management structures.

48. Petroleum & Explosive Safety Org (PESO)Why in News? Pursuant to an order passed by the Delhi High Court in a case pertaining to a missing person, the Delhi Police has

launched a web and mobile application to lodge online reports of missing persons including children on September13,2019

nearly six crore cartons of green fireworks, manufactured in Sivakasi, are awaiting the nod of the Petroleum andExplosives Safety Organisation (PESO) for being sold commercially.

The crackers developed according to CSIR guidelines were duly validated by the Petroleum and Explosives SafetyOrganization (PESO).

About Petroleum And Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) is a department formed by Government of India under

Department for the Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under Ministry of Commerce and Industry,to administerExplosives Act 1884,Explosive Substance Act, Petroleum Act 1934, Inflammable substance Act 1952 andEnvironment Protection Act 1986 to control import, export, transport, storage and usage of explosive

More News

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materials,flammable materials, pressure vessels, cryogenic vessels, design and installation of all necessary andrelevant infrastructure etc. PESO is a regulatory authority with autonomous status. The Department is headed byChief Controller of Explosives and is headquartered at Nagpur in the State of Maharashtra in India. The authorityframed various rules like Petroleum Rules 2002, Explosive Rules 2008, Gas Cylinder Rules 2002, Static &Mobile Pressure Vessels (Unfired) 2016, Ammonium Nitrate Rules, Calcium Carbide Rules 1987, CinematographicFilms Rules, 1948 etc.

It was established during the British India in 1890s as Department of Explosives and later expanded to various otheractivities. PESO is known for one of the most efficient departments in India. The officers are selected by the UPSC intoIndian Petroleum and Explosives Safety Service (IPESS), a central civil services cadre.

49. Tangdhar, Macchil, Gurez, Uri