1.

Census 2011 facts and figures:

- Indias Muslim population is growing slower than it had in the previous decades, and its growth
rate has slowed more sharply than that of the Hindu population, new Census data show. The
decadal Muslim rate of growth is the lowest it has ever been in Indias history, as it is for all
religions.
- The Muslim population still grows at a faster rate than the Hindu population, but the gap
between the two growth rates is narrowing fast.
- Census 2011 Data shows
Hindu: 79.8%, Muslim: 14.23%, Christian: 2.3%, Sikh: 2.16%.
- The Registrar-General and Census Commissioner released the data on Population by
Religious Communities of Census 2011.
- The distribution of data is of the population by six major religious communities Hindu,
Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain and Other religions and persuasions and
Religion not stated.
- Muslim fertility rates in India are falling faster than among Hindus.
- Between 2001 and 2011, Muslims (24.65%) remained the group with the fastest population
growth, followed closely by Scheduled Tribes (23.66%) and Scheduled Castes (20.85%). All three
groups have historically had poor education indicators, especially for women, and restricted access
to health care.
2. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is using the GSLV- D6 to send the 2,117-kg
GSAT-6 communication satellite into space.
- GSLV D6 is a three-stage heavy weight rocket which integrates the indigenous cryogenic
upper stage (CUS). The core of first stage is fired with solid fuel while the four strap-on motors by
liquid fuel. The second is the liquid fuel and the third is the cryogenic engine.
- The GSLV-D6 is the second successful consecutive launch of the GSLV series with an
indigenous cryogenic upper stage after GSLV- D5 in Jan 2014.
- GSAT-6 will provide S-band communication services in the country. This system also
includes a first-of-its-kind S-Band unfurlable antenna with a diameter of six metre. This is the
largest antenna ISRO has ever made for a satellite.
- The S band is used by weather radar, surface ship radar, and some communications satellites.
3. Special Category States (SCS) & General Category States (GCS):
- Under the D.R. Gadgil formula for the distribution of central plan assistance, which became
operational during the 4th Five Year Plan. At the time of the formulation of the 5th Five Year Plan,
it was decided to include Himachal Pradesh, other North-eastern States and Sikkim in the above
category.
- For the first time, these 10 States were categorised as SCS to distinguish them from others.
Later on, Uttarakhand was accorded the Special Category.

Situation before Union Budget 2015-16:

- 30% of the normal central assistance was earmarked for SCS and the remaining
70% to GCS. SCS were entitled to get such assistance in the grant-loan ratio of 90:10 as
compared with 30:70 ratio for other States.
- In addition to their earmarked share in normal central assistance, special plan assistance for
projects (90% grant) and untied special central assistance (100% grant) were being given only to
SCS.
- Other benefits to Special Category States include assistance for externally-aided projects in
the grant-loan ratio of 90:10, whereas such assistance to other States is on back-to-back basis.
- Under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), Special Category States
get 90% of the project cost as grant as compared with 25% grant for others. The matching
contribution in respect of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) is usually lower for SCS, more
particularly, for those in the Northeastern region.
Situation after Union Budget 2015-16:
- Several changes over the years, more particularly those introduced in the Union Budget 2015-16,
have resulted in considerable dilution of benefits to the Special Category States.
- The loan component of normal plan assistance was dispensed with in 2005-06 and since then
such assistance is being given only in the form of grants to all States, including those in the
general category.
- Following this, the share of Special Category States in total normal central assistance has
been around 56% from 2005-06 onwards. But the share of normal central assistance in total plan
assistance, which was the predominant channel of central plan assistance to States, had come
down to about 15% with the proliferation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), with resultant
dilution of the benefit of untied grants to States.
- Following the increase in tax devolution to States from 32 to 42% of divisible pool of central
taxes, the Centre has dispensed with normal plan assistance, special central assistance and special
plan assistance from 2015-16 onwards.
- There are very few externally aided projects in the Special Category States. The Union
Budget 2015-16 has drastically reduced the allocations under AIBP from Rs.8,992 crore in
2014-15 to just Rs.1,000 crore.
- AIBP is now included in the list of schemes to be run with higher matching contribution by
States.
- The 14th Finance Commission has not made any distinction between special and general
category States in the recommendation of horizontal distribution among the States.
- The decision to grant special category status to States lie with the National Development
Council.
4. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF):
- Union Cabinet had approved NIIF. It will make equity investments of Rs. 20,000 crore every
year in commercially viable long gestation projects which will help to kick-start the economy.

- The Centre will own 49% of this new Mumbai-based fund, which wont be answerable to
Parliament nor audited by the CAG.
5. Blue Moon:
- The appearance of a second full moon in a calendar month is known as Blue Moon. The
saying once in a blue moon is said to have originated from this phenomenon.
6. Cotton Industry in India is mainly flourished in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & parts of
Maharashtra.
7. Inner Line Permit:
- Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the Government of India to
allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period. It is
obligatory for Indian citizens from outside those states to obtain permit for entering into the
protected state.
- The states which require the permit are: Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram & Nagaland.
- There are also ongoing demands for the introduction of ILP in Assam and Manipur to regulate
entry of outsiders into the state.
- Initially, the British colonial government had introduced the system to protect its commercial
interests, particularly in oil and tea.
- It was continued to protect the tribal peoples and their cultures. The ILP, which remained in force
until 1950, was revoked by the then Commissioner of Assam, whose jurisdiction also covered
Manipur. Since Manipur, which attained Statehood in 1972, is not officially a tribal State. So,
there are constitutional challenges to implementing the ILP system in Manipur.
8. IAEA:
- The IAEA is the worlds centre of cooperation in the nuclear field. It was set up as the worlds
Atoms for Peace organization in 1957 within the United Nations family. It also seeks to
promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose,
including nuclear weapons.
- It is not under direct control of the UN. Though established independently of the United
Nations through its own international treaty, the IAEA Statute, the IAEA reports to both the United
Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
- The Agency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe,
secure and peaceful nuclear technologies.
- The IAEA Secretariat is headquartered at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna,
Austria. The IAEA has 164 member states.
- Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
9. Urban development minister Mr. Naidu unveiled a list of 98 cities with Uttar Pradesh taking the
largest share of developing 13 smart cities followed by Tamil Nadu, which qualified to develop
12.

What is a Smart City?

- A smart city is one that uses Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) to enhance
the quality of living. It's a neo-vision that seeks to improve urban services delivery & engage
effectively & actively with its citizens. Such a city is likely to be more adept to understand to
present day challenges.
10. Nalanda University was the entry from India for the nomination under UNESCO tag for the
year 2015. The ancient seat of learning, said to be one of the worlds oldest universities,
construction of which began in 6th century AD, flourished under the Gupta Empire (mainly
Kumaragupta).
- Its end came in 12th century when it was ransacked, looted and burnt in 1193 AD by the
invading Turk Army led by its commander Bakhtiar Khilji.
11. Recently, the decision to include Jats in the OBC list was overturned by the Supreme
Court, which ruled that the perception of a self-proclaimed socially backward class of citizens
cannot be a constitutionally permissible yardstick for determination of backwardness.
- Indeed, the court specifically warned against a caste-centric definition of backwardness, and
called for new practices, methods and yardsticks to be evolved to identify socially disadvantaged
groups for extending the benefits of reservation.
12. Kadar tribes: Kerala
- They are the ancient inhabitants of Nelliyampathi hill ranges in Palakkad district.
13. Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) :
- was set up under Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 to adjudicate upon the water
dispute regarding the Inter-State river Krishna and the river valley thereof.
- The Krishna River is the second biggest river in peninsular India. It originates near
Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra from the statue of a cow in a temple. It then runs for a distance
of 303 km in Maharashtra, 480 km through the breadth of North Karnataka and the rest of its
1300 km journey in Andhra Pradesh before it empties into the Bay of Bengal.

14. India has successfully eliminated maternal and newborn tetanus (MNT). Tetanus is
mainly caused by infection. It is an another health milestone for India after the eradication of Polio
last year. In addition to this, small pox has also been eradicated comprehensively from India.
15. Aerial Seeding:
- Aerial seeding is a technique of sowing seeds using helicopters and aeroplanes to scatter
them over a designated area. Aerial reforestation has been in vogue since the 1930s to
repopulate forest land after disasters.
- The seeds are pre-germinated and pelletised (coated with a clayey substance). The coating would
provide the seed protection and the substratum for germination initially.

16. Alzheimers disease:

- Alzheimers disease is a progressive form of dementia that is characterised by loss of
short-term memory, deterioration in behaviour and intellectual performance, besides
slowness of thought. It may occur in middle age or in old age, and while a lot of research is on for
drug treatments, none has been successful.
- While it is widely accepted that a specific form of the Amyloid beta molecule is a major player in
causing Alzheimers, the shape and form of this remained elusive, experts say.
17. Noted Indian agriculture scientist Modadugu Vijay Gupta, who has done pioneering work
in aquaculture in India and several other countries, was awarded the first Sunhak Peace Prize,
billed as an alternative to the Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with the President of Kiribati
Islands.
- The Sunhak Peace Prize (presented in Seoul, South Korea) annually awards individuals or
organizations that contributed to the peace of our future generations, inheriting the will of the
late Rev. Sun Myung Moon to awaken respect and love for humanity, reconcile all conflicts
undermining peace with love, and create a world where humanity and nature may coexist in
beautiful harmony.
18. Centre unveils list of 98 smart cities; U.P. (13) & T.N.(12) strike it rich.
- The prime objective is to enhance the quality of urban life by addressing deficiencies in core
infrastructure required for better living in our context.
- The Smart City Mission promotes integrated city planning, where the governments policies
such as Swachh Bharat Mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
complement each other.
- It will attract investment to boost the economy.
- A Smart City would ensure core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to the
citizens and enable a clean and sustainable environment and application of smart solutions.
- The core infrastructure elements in the Smart City context have been identified as adequate
water supply, assured electricity supply, sanitation including solid waste management,
efficient urban mobility and public transport, affordable housing, especially for the poor.
- Robust IT connectivity and digitization, good governance, especially e-governance and
citizen participation, sustainable environment, safety and security of citizens and health and
education are also core infrastructure elements.
- UD Ministry will provide Rs. 100 crore per city per year over the next five years.
19. National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP):
- The National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP), enacted in 1999, envisages State support to
ensure:
(i) financial and food security
(ii) healthcare
(iii) shelter and other needs of older persons
(iv) equitable share in development
(v) protection against abuse and exploitation

(vi) availability of services to improve the quality of their lives.

- It also provides state support on issues like social security, inter-generational bonding, family as
the primary caretaker, role of NGOs, training of manpower and research.
- As per Census 2011, the population of senior citizens in the country is 10.38 crore, which is
about 8.6% of the total population of the country.
20. Algae cultivation has proved beneficial for many SHG women in Andhra Pradesh. Since,
Andhra Pradesh has a coastline of 974 km, algae cultivation is an opportunity to improve the
living conditions of lakhs of fishermen there and also earn foreign currency.
Algae and their uses:
- Algae, popularly known as seaweeds, can be cultivated in seawater, including shallow and
brackish waters.
- Substances of the seaweeds are being used as additives in food products and drugs to give them a
smooth texture and help them retain moisture.
- They are also used in lipsticks, soaps, film, paint, varnish and buttons and of huge demand in the
domestic and international markets.
- Algae is a highly subsidised crop in Andhra Pradesh, as the farmers would get 50% of
subsidy on input costs. The crop duration is just 45 days and there has been a steady increase in
the demand for the produce in the international.
21. Santhara: a Jain ritual of fasting unto death.
- The Supreme Court restored the Jain religious practice of a ritualistic fast unto death by staying
an order of the Rajasthan High Court, which compared it to an act of suicide.
- It is also known as Sallekhana, a fundamental component of the Jain principle of ahimsa
(non-violence).
- In Jainism, the concept of choosing the manner and time of ones death is a centuries-old ritual.
The devout Jains believe that Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankar, allowed Santhara, or
Sallekhana, as the ultimate test of spirituality, will power, whose ultimate goal is purifying
body and mind and facing death voluntarily.
- According to the ritual, which Jains believe has been prevalent for thousands of years, a person
voluntarily gives up food and water, either because of an incurable illness or due to the belief
that the end is near. It is reserved only for the old and the invalid (person with disability &
illness) and is practised rarely.
- Tivihara form of Santhara: prohibits consumption of everything but water;
Chauvihara form of Santhara: giving up of food as well as water.
Basic Difference b/w concept of Suicide & Santhara; imp for Sociology point of view- It is difficult to argue that Santhara is different from suicide or euthanasia. In the end, the
objective of all these concepts is death, the destruction of life and mortal body. But, the Jains
believe the difference is in the motivation for both the acts.

- Suicide is a desperate measure, triggered by failure and setbacks in life; it is an act of cowardice,
a surrender to the circumstance because of lack of will power. It is a decision forced upon the
person by external circumstances. According to the Jains, Santhara is the exact opposite of this.
22. Law Commission Chairperson Justice A.P. Shah presented the commissions 262nd Report,
titled The death penalty, to Law Minister Sadananda Gowda.
23 Project Mausam & Spice Route:
- The Mausam project envisages the re-establishment of Indias ancient maritime routes with
its traditional trade partners along the Indian Ocean. It was launched in June 2014.
- Project Mausam is a Ministry of Culture project with Archaeological Society of India
(ASI), New Delhi as the nodal agency and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA),
New Delhi as its Research Unit.
- The Spice Route of India visualises the India-centered link-up of historic sea routes in Asia,
Europe and Africa. The 5 main goals of the Spice Route Initiative are to:
a. Connect all 31 countries of Asia, Far East, Africa and Europe
b. Work for Protection and Promotion of Heritage Cities/Sites in Spice Route Countries
c. Create One Destination to trigger voyages and excursions for the traveler
d. Use Spice Route as a platform to work for Peace in and around the regions of the Route
e. Partner with UNWTO Silk Road Programme to create a synergy between the two concepts for
marketing and promotion, destination management and travel facilitation
24. Chicken's Neck of India:
- The Siliguri Corridor, or Chicken's Neck, is a narrow stretch of land, located in the Indian
state of West Bengal, that connects India's northeastern states to the rest of India, with the
countries of Nepal and Bangladesh lying on either side of the corridor. The kingdom of Bhutan
lies on the northern side of the corridor.
- The Siliguri Corridor was created in 1947 after the partition of Bengal between India and
Pakistan (former state of East Bengal, now independent Bangladesh).
25. Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary:
- Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary lies at the far southern edge of the city of Delhi in the region of
Aravalli Hills. It was declared a notified wildlife snctuary in 1991.
- It acts as a crucial groundwater recharge zone.
26. Swine Flu:
- Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza
viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. H1N1 is a flu virus.
- When it was first detected in 2009, it was called swine flu because the virus was similar to
those found in pigs. In 2009, H1N1 was spreading fast around the world, so the World Health
Organization called it a pandemic.
- Swine flu is contagious, and it spreads in the same way as the seasonal flu.

27. The Union Ministry of Tourism would initiate steps to include Sabarimala in the national
pilgrim tourism circuit by bringing it under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality
Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme.
28. The official languages of the United Nations are the 6 languages that are used in UN
meetings, and in which all official UN documents are written when budget allows. They are:
Arabic
Chinese
English
French
Russian
Spanish
29. Defence Acquisition Council:
- It was set up in October 2001 following recommendations from Group of Ministers (GoMs) on
Reforming the National Security System. The need for DAC was felt post-Kargil conflict.
- The council is chaired by the Defence Minister.
- Other members include: MoS for Defence, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of
Air Staff, Defence Secretary, Secretary of Defence Research & Development, Secretary of
Defence Production, Chief of Integrated Staff Committees (HQ IDS), Director General
(Acquisition) and Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.
- Main aim of the DAC : to fast-track procurement process of the armed forces by optimally
utilising the available budget.
30. The UNESCO Award of Excellence is the top prize in the Asia Pacific Heritage Award
for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
- India has won the top UNESCO Award of Excellence2015 for the remarkable conservation
efforts of the majestic Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple in Kerala.
- Mural paintings depicting various episodes from Mahabharata can be seen inside the temple.
The temple, along with the mural paintings, has been declared as a National Monument
under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (or AMASR Act).
31. Justice A.P. Shah Committee on applicability of Minimum Alternative Tax (MAT) to
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs):
- Govt. has accepted Justice AP Shah Panels recommendations on not levying MAT (Minimum
Alternative Tax) retrospectively on Foreign Institutional Investors. Now, the government will not
impose levy on FIIs prior to 1st April, 2015. This decision has come as a big relief to Foreign
Institutional Investors (FIIs).
- MAT has been levied on all companies except those in infrastructure and power sectors,
since late 1980s.
- Historically, foreign investors have not paid this tax because it was believed that only Indian
companies were subject to it. In 2010, a tax tribunal ruled that MAT was not applicable to
companies that dont have a permanent establishment in India.

- This move will help promote India as a favourable investment destination.

32. What is monetary transmission?
- Monetary transmission is the process through which changes in a central banks monetary policy
gets reflected in the real economy.
- So, for instance, if a central bank reduces interest rates it charges borrowing banks, it would
expect that reduction to be passed on to eventual customers as a result of the monetary
transmission process.
- Usually, there is a lag between the actions of the central bank and those of the commercial banks.
The lag is less when central banks raise interest rates.
33. Cancellation of Registration of Greenpeace India :
- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cited 9 reasons for cancelling the registration of
Greenpeace India under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
- The cancellation of FCRA permit of Greenpeace India effectively means that the NGO can no
longer receive foreign funds and would have to depend on domestic contributions for its
operations.
Why the registration was cancelled?
- The decision came in the wake of prejudicially affecting the public interest and economic
interest of the state, which violates the conditions of grant of registration. The government has
also alleged that Greenpeace India has violated the law by funding political activities.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs is mandated to administer the Foreign Contribution
(Regulation) Act, 2010, for regulating the receipt and utilization of foreign contribution by the
associations/NGOs.
34. Road Transport and Safety Bill:
- It is a Bill which aims to provide a framework for safer, faster, cost effective and inclusive
movement of passengers and freight in the country thus enabling the mission of Make in
India.
- The Bill proposes to introduce an independent agency called the National Road Safety
Authority of India (NRSAI), which will be an independent, legally empowered and accountable
expert lead agency. It shall be accountable to the Parliament and Central Government.
- The Bill also includes the setting up of a Highway Traffic Regulation and Protection Force
(HTRPF).
35. What are Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs)?
- Ecologically Sensitive Areas are areas under human use, sometimes quite intense human
use such as generation of thermal power.
- ESAs are areas where human activities will continue, but be prudently regulated under the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- ESAs are not meant to stop development in ways that would hurt local people, but to ensure that
development is environment friendly and people oriented, as well as serve to preserve the

ecological heritage on a long-term basis.

- Kasturirangan panel had suggested that 90% of the natural forests left in the Western
Ghats complex adding upto 60,000 sq km and constituting 37% of the entire hilly belt be
conserved under the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) provisions of the green law.
- The Kasturirangan panel was set up to study the Gadgil committee report on the Western
Ghats. The Gadgil panel report had faced unanimous opposition from state governments, sharing
Western Ghats, for recommending that almost 3/4th of the hills, including plantations, cultivated
lands and large habitations, be turned into a restricted development zone with an over-arching
authority to regulate the region superseding the elected authorities role.
36. APEC:
- The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum established in
1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific. APEC has 21 members.
- Aim: to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive,
sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration.
- India could be a member of this group in near future.

37. Travancore Scimitar Babbler- a small species of bird found in the dense jungles of the
southern Western Ghats.
38. Spring tides:
- These are especially strong high tides that occur during the full moon and new moon when
the sun and moon are aligned with the earth, resulting in a collective gravitational pull on the
earths water.
- A perigean spring tide, also known as King tide, occurs during a Supermoon when the moon is
closest to the earth (less than 3,60,000 km) during its orbit.

39. P-notes:
- P-Notes are overseas derivative instruments (ODIs) issued by FPIs (earlier Foreign
Institutional Investors) to overseas investors, who wish to invest in the domestic stock market
without registering themselves with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
40.
- The

G20:
Group of
Twenty is

an

international forum for the governments and Central Bank Governors from 20 major
economies. The members include 19 individual countries and the European Union (EU). The EU
is represented by the European Commission and by the European Central Bank.
- Collectively, the G-20 economies account for around 85% of the gross world product (GWP),
80% of world trade, and two-third of the world population.
- The G20 started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the
aftermath of the Asian financial crisis.
- G20 leaders meet annually. In addition, Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meet
regularly during the year to discuss ways to strengthen the global economy, reform international
financial institutions, improve financial regulation and implement the key economic reforms that
are needed in each member economy.
- The G20 is supported by international organisations, including the Financial Stability Board,

the ILO, IMF, OECD, U.N., the World Bank and WTO.
Members :
- Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan,
Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, U.K, USA and the
European Union.
41. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) :
- It is a statutory body established in 1993. It consists of a Chairman and 4 members.
- Chairman should be a retired Chief Justice of India. The NHRC (National Human Rights
Commission) consists of:
a. A Chairperson , retired Chief Justice of India
b. One Member who is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court of India
c. One Member who is, or has been, the Chief Justice of a High Court
d. Two Members to be appointed from among persons having knowledge of, or practical
experience in, matters relating to human rights
e. In addition, Ex officio members are the chairmen of National Commission for Scheduled Caste,
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Minorities and National
Commission for Women.
Appoitment of Chairman & Members :
- on the recommendation of a 6 member committee consisting of PM, Speaker of the Lok Sabha,
Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, leaders of opposition in both the houses of parliament and
Union Home Minister.
- Term of the chairman and members is 5 years or 70 years whichever is earlier. After retirement
they are not eligible for further reappointment.
Removal:
- President has to refer the matter to Supreme Court and if after enquiry Supreme Court holds it
right then they can be removed by the President.
- The commission is not empowered to enquire into matters which were committed one year
before. Its recommendations are just advisory and not binding in nature.
- It submits Annual report to the Central govt. & to the concerned state governments.
42. In a rare archaeological find, the Department of Archaeology and Museums officials have
found about 200 megalithic burial sites on the Nagarjunasagar reservoir bed.
- The officials said people lived there between 1,000 BC and 2nd Century AD and they could have
used the area located exactly under Nagarjunasagar reservoir bed as their community burial site.
Their conclusion was based on finding a large number of stone circle burials at one spot.
- Nagarjuna Sagar Dam was built across the Krishna river at Nagarjuna Sagar where the river is
forming boundary between Nalgonda district of Telangana state and Guntur district of
Andhra Pradesh.
43. Burial Culture in Parsis:

- Unlike in other religions where a deceased persons body is cremated or buried, when a Parsi
dies, his or her body is left in the Tower of Silence for vultures. Though there are two such
towers in Hyderabad, it has been more than 20 years since a vulture swooped down on a dead
body, as the scavenging birds have almost become extinct in the city and its surrounding areas.
- Due to the disappearance of vultures, members of the Parsi community have installed solar
concentrators as an alternative. The machines desiccate the bodies, though perhaps not as
quickly as the scavenging birds.
- Zoroastrian teachings consider dead bodies impure. Burning a corpse is also not allowed, as it
would contaminate fire, which Parsis worship. It is basically like a Sky burial.
Arangah:
- A prayer offered by Parsis, meaning rest in peace, for the deceased for four continuous days.
When a person is cremated or buried in a city where there is a Tower of Silence, prayers are not
offered for him, as it is considered taboo.
44. GAGAN :
- The GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation or GPS and geo-augmented navigation system
(GAGAN) is an implementation of a regional satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) by the
Indian government.
- It is a system to improve the accuracy of a GNSS receiver by providing reference signals.
The AAIs (Airport Authority of India) efforts towards implementation of operational SBAS
can be viewed as the first step towards introduction of modern communication, navigation,
surveillance/Air Traffic Management system over Indian airspace.
- Augmentation of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is a method of improving the
navigation system's attributes, such as accuracy, reliability, and availability, through the
integration of external information into the calculation process.
Geo-fencing:
- Geo-fencing (geofencing) is a feature in a software program that uses the global positioning
system (GPS) or radio frequency identification (RFID) to define geographical boundaries. A
geofence is a virtual barrier.
45. Union Government to develop Bodhgaya as Spiritual Capital
- Union Government is going to develop Bodhgaya in Gaya district of Bihar as Spiritual Capital
of the country in order to serve the civilisational bond between India and the Buddhist world.
- Bodhgaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple
Complex in Gaya district of Bihar.
- Significance: It is famous because it is the place where Gautama Buddha (Founder of
Buddhism) is said to have obtained Enlightenment (Bodhimandala) under the peepal tree which
is known as the Bodhi Tree.
- For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important place and one of the main four pilgrimage sites
related to the life of Gautama Buddha.

- Other three are Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple located in
Bodh Gaya was accorded with UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
46. The Delhi High Court has allowed women to be granted permanent commission in the
Navy, ensuring that women naval officers enjoyed rights similar to their counterparts in the Army
and the Air Force.
47. Yellow-throated bulbul :
- The yellow-throated bulbul (Pycnonotus xantholaemus) is one among the 22 bulbul species of
India, and has not got much attention from many quarters.
- It is known from less than 100 observations spread over peninsular India, with less than 10 nests
reported in the past century. The bird is not cosmopolitan in nature.
- Affording protection of scrubland after identifying crucial sites for the species is the best way to
preserve the bird. This bird is categorised as vulnerable under the IUCN Red List.
- Yellow-throated bulbul is not threatened by poaching or capturing, but by habitat
destruction over decades, especially owing to granite mining, agricultural expansion and cattle
grazing.
48. Govt. bans import of Ammonium Nitrate (NH4NO3) in loose form. It has to be imported in
bagged form only irrespective of the quantity.
- The ammonium salt of nitric acid, NH4NO3 is used in fertilizers and explosives (notably in
improvised explosive devices). It is an extremely dangerous explosive substance.
- It is a basic raw material for producing civil explosives used in mining & infrastructure industry.
49. Banjara tribe- originally from Rjasthan; now spreaded to all over India
Lambada tribe- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Kokam tribe- Andhra Pradesh, M.P., Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra.
50. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued directions under the
provisions of the Water Act and the Air Act to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to ensure
better implementation of Public Liability Insurance (PLI) Act, 1991.
What does PLI Act say?
- The Public Liability Insurance (PLI) Act, 1991 makes it obligatory upon the user industries
handling 179 types of chemicals and compounds and other classes of flammable substances to
subscribe a special insurance policy to cover the liabilities likely to arise on account of any
chemical (industrial) disaster/accident and payable to those affected people who are not the
workers on no fault basis/ absolute liability.
-The Act establishes an Environment Relief Fund (ERF), which is subscribed by all such user
industries by an amount equal to the annual premium amount of such insurance policies. PLI Act
is administered by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
51. Central Pollution Control Board :
- Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is a statutory organization under the Ministry of

Environment and Forests (MoEF).

- It was established in 1974 under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The board is led by its chairman, who is nominated by the Central Government.
- It is an apex organization in country in the field of pollution control, as technical wing of
MoEF.
- It also Co-ordinates the activities of the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) by providing
technical assistance and guidance and resolve disputes among them.
52. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has come up with an initiative which
aims at turning National Highways (NH) stretches into Green Corridors by planting trees,
landscaping, and laying grass turfs and ornamental shrubs.
- It is a part of the green highways policy to tree-line 96,000 km of NHs across the country. A
Green Highways Fund would be set apart for the purpose. The National Highways Authority of
India (NHAI) will act as Fund Manager.
- NHAI is an autonomous agency of the Government of India, responsible for the development,
maintenance, management and operation of National Highways.
53. Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has the authority to issue arrest warrants and order
attachment of property and salary if a person disobeys its summons, under the Delhi Commission
for Women Act,1994.
- The Act lays down the powers and functions of the DCW. Under the Act, the commission is
given the powers of a civil court in matters of trying a suit along with the powers of issuing
summons and calling for documents.

54. India & the Millenium Developmemt Goals :

- India is not on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals, the deadline for which expires
this year (2015).
- The Statistical Year Book, brought out by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation (MoSPI) that is overseeing progress on the MDGs, shows that only six of the 18
targets adopted as part of the eight goals in 2000 have been fully met.
Key Targets:
- halving poverty, ensuring universal primary school enrolment, attaining gender parity, cutting
maternal mortality rates by three-fourths, cutting child mortality by two-thirds, reducing incidence
of HIV/AIDS, achieve a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers
by 2020, environmental sustainability and partnerships for development with other countries,
among others.
- As per the official figures, India has managed to halve poverty rates from the 1990 levels, ensure
gender parity in primary school enrolment, reversed incidence of HIV/ AIDS, and reduced malaria
and TB deaths.
- However, India continues to lag behind in checking maternal mortality and child mortality

to expected levels. It has failed to address prevalence of hunger as well.

- The failure to improve access to sanitation, with half of the countrys households lacking a
latrine, remains a major concern as well.
MDGs: What are they?
- These are 8 international development goals that were established following the Millennium
Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium
Declaration. They were set to be achieved by 2015.
The eight millennium development goals are:
(i) Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty
(ii) Achieve Universal Primary Education
(iii) Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
(iv) Reduce Child Mortality
(v) Improve Maternal Health
(vi) Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases
(vii) Ensure Environmental Sustainability
(viii) Develop a Global Partnership for Development.
55. The Black-tailed godwit and the River lapwing are red-listed under the Near Threatened
(NT) category by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
- The Black-tailed godwit is a winter visitor that breeds in North and East Asia, and migrates
during non-breeding periods in winter to South and South-East Asia (incuding Okhla Bird
Sanctuary in Delhi).
- On the other hand, the River lapwing is a resident of South-East Asia and South Asia that
migrates locally during winters, especially to the northern Indian sub-continent.
- Other migratory birds to Okhla bird sanctuary are- Ruff, Common redshank, Wood sandpiper
and White wagtail.
- Saman Bird Sanctuary- in Mainpuri district of western Uttar Pradesh;
Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary- in Meerut, U.P.
56. The Delhi Government approved the long-pending Victim Compensation Scheme
enhancing the upper limit of compensation to rape victims to Rs.5 lakh from existing Rs.3 lakh
and to the victims of acid attack to Rs.7 lakh from Rs.3 lakh.
57. Rapid Survey on Children (RSOC), 2013-14 :
- It can be regarded as some sort of substitute for a 4th National Family Health Survey (NFHS). It
may be recalled that the third NFHS was conducted almost ten years ago, in 2005-06. Prolonged
delays in the completion of the fourth NFHS have created a huge gap in Indias social statistics.
- Overall, the RSOC findings look like relatively good news. They suggest a marked improvement
in many aspects of maternal and child nutrition between 2005-06 and 2013-14. But the progress is
uneven fairly rapid in some fields, slow in others.

- The biggest change relates to safe delivery. The proportion of institutional deliveries among
recent births shot up from 39% in 2005-06 to 79% in 2013-14, and the proportion attended by a
skilled provider rose from 47% to 81%. At least part of this trend is likely to reflect the impact of
Janani Suraksha Yojana, including cash incentives for institutional delivery.
- Another area of substantial progress is vaccination. The proportion of children with a vaccination
card rose from 38% in 2005-06 to 84% in 2013-14, and vaccination coverage rose from 59 to 79%
for measles, 55 to 75% for DPT3, and 44 to 65% for full immunisation.
- Even with these improved figures, India has some of the lowest child vaccination rates in the
world, and lags far behind Bangladesh and even Nepal.
- Till date a total of 3 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) had been conducted.
NFHS 3, conducted in 2005-06, was the last one.
- But at least there is a hint of accelerated progress. As with institutional deliveries, this pattern
can be plausibly attributed to recent health policy initiatives, such as the appointment of
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), who are now actively involved in immunisation
programmes along with Anganwadi workers and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs).
- The proportion of undernourished children declined from 48 to 39% based on height-for-age
criteria and from 43 to 29% based on weight-for-age criteria. This is a significant improvement
over the preceding period, when child undernutrition was declining at a glacial pace.
- Finally, there are worrying signs of stagnation in some important fields. One of them is access to
safe drinking water: 88% in 2005-06 and 91% in 2013-14. No less alarming is the slow progress
of sanitation.
- Practicing open defecation declined from 55% in 2005-06 to 46% in 2013-14, or barely one%age
point per year.
- The Central government is going in the opposite direction. Financial allocations for the
Integrated Child Development Services were slashed by 50% or so in the last Union budget,
sending a disastrous signal about policy priorities (no matter what compensation State
governments may be receiving in the form of higher tax revenue).
58. Pattiseema Project :
- for bringing the waters of the Godavari to the Krishna in Andhra Pradesh. It is an ambitious
project of A.P. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
Main Aim :
- to release the Godavaris flood waters into the Polavaram Right Main Canal which would
carry it to the Krishna at a point called Ferry on the banks of the Krishna.
- The confluence spot at Ferry has been named the Godavari-Krishna Pavitra Sangam.
59. The Union Cabinet gave ex post facto approval to provide an additional 50 days of work to
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) beneficiaries
during the current financial year wherever drought or natural calamities have been notified. The
scheme guarantees 100 days of work.

- The decision will enable the States to provide additional wage employment to the rural poor in
drought-affected areas. The poorest rural households will benefit from this, as it will help in
immediate absorption of rural seasonal unemployment and reduce rural distress.
Kadar Community- from Kerala
60. Kawal Tiger Reserve- at Adilabad in Telangana.
- Govt of India declared Kawal wildlife sanctuary as Tiger Reserve in 2012. Kawal was declared
a tiger reserve without the presence of even a single wild cat, only because it had the
potential of regaining its past glory.
- It was assumed, which now seems to have been done rightly, that given proper conservation of
the place there is a huge possibility of tigers migrating from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR)
in Chandrapur adjoining Sirpur (T) forest in Adilabad district to their once glorious habitat of
Kawal.
61. Aerobic Rice Cultivation :
- It is the method of growing rice plant as irrigated crop, like cultivating maize and wheat, in
aerobic condition, where oxygen is plenty in soil.
- Aerobic rice cultivation reduces water use in rice production and increases the water use
efficiency.
Suitable areas :
- irrigated lowlands, where rainfall is insufficient to sustain rice production, delta regions where
there is delay in water release from reservoir, irrigated system of rice cultivation, where pumping
from deep bore well has become so expensive and favourable upland system has access to
supplementary irrigation.
- aerobic rice cultivation needs suitable rice varieties having the characteristics of both upland
and high yielding lowland varieties to get good yield under the new unconventional system of
cultivation.
- Throughout the growing season, aerobic rice field is kept under unsaturated condition and field
is irrigated by surface or sprinkler system to keep soil wet. Therefore, water productivity is
reported to be higher in aerobic rice.
- involves mechanised way of sowing with no puddling, transplanting and no need of frequent
irrigation, which reduce labour usage more than 50%, compared to irrigated rice.
Disadvantages :
- increased weed growth, poor crop stand, crop lodging, high%age of panicle sterility and
root-knot nematode infestation.
62. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) :
- It is an autonomous apex statutory body which regulates and develops the insurance industry
in India.
- It was constituted by an act of parliament called Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority Act, 1999.

63. World Bank ranks Gujarat as most investor-friendly State :

- The focus of the study is on 8 key areas: The setting up of a business, allotment of land and
obtaining construction permit, complying with environment procedures, complying with labour
regulations, obtaining infrastructure-related utilities, registering and complying with tax
procedures, carrying out inspections and enforcing contracts.
- Gujarat implemented 71.14% of the reforms.
Andhra Pradesh has come second with a score of 70.12%, Jharkhand third at 63.09%,
Chhattisgarh fourth with 62.45% and Madhya Pradesh fifth with 62%.
64. The Centre has constituted a seven-member committee to restructure the Central Water
Commission (CWC) and the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) the two key central
bodies that manage water resources in India.
- While the CWC is working for managing/monitoring surface water, the role of the CGWB is
to look after the ground water situation in the country.
- Why restructuring of these water bodies is necessary?
(i) to optimally develop water resources in India so that all river basins and resources can be
managed keeping in mind the increasing unpredictability of the monsoon and other climate
factors.
(ii) Decreasing per capita availability of water and the huge projected demand of this natural
resources by 2050 are also triggers for such a move.
65. Sports Ministry Grants Recognition to Indian Kalarippayattu Federation as Regional
Sports Federation (RSF) for promotion and development of Kalarippayattu sport in India.
- Kalaripayattu is a Martial art which originated as a style in Kerala during 3nd century BC to the
2nd century AD.
- The word kalari first appears in Sangam literature to describe both a battlefield and combat
arena.
- It is also considered to be one of the oldest fighting systems in existence. It is now practiced in
Kerala, in contiguous parts of Tamil Nadu.
66. Amogha-1 :
- It is an indigenously-developed 2nd generation, Anti-Tank Guided Missile. It has a range of
2.8 km.
- This is the first-ever design and developmental effort in respect of missiles by Bharat Dynamics
Limited (BDL), Hyderabad.
67. What is Crowdsourcing ?
- It is the process of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a
large group of people, and especially from an online community, rather than from traditional
employees or suppliers.
- Crowdsourcing combines the efforts of numerous self-identified volunteers or part-time workers,
where each contributor, acting on their own initiative, adds a small contribution that combines

with those of others to achieve a greater result.

68. NGT :
- NGT has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and
expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests
and other natural resources.
Sanctioned strength:
- currently, 10 expert members and 10 judicial members (although the act allows for up to 20 of
each).
Chairman:
- Administrative head of the tribunal, also serves as a judicial member and is required to be a
serving or retired Chief Justice of a High Court or a judge of the Supreme Court of India.
69. What is M-Sand ?
- M-Sand is manufactured sand. It is crushed aggregates produced from hard granite stone which
is cubically shaped with grounded edges, washed and graded with consistency to be used as a
substitute of river sand. Manufactured sand is an alternative for river sand.
Its significance :
- Due to fast growing construction industry, the demand for sand has increased tremendously,
causing deficiency of suitable river sand in most part of the world.
70. The Karnataka High Court has declared that information technology service providing
companies are not liable to pay Value Added Tax (VAT) for software implementation process,
which happens after installation of customized software.
71. Both West Bengal & Odisha are in race for claiming rasgulla as their Geographical
Indicator (GI). Both states are claiming the ownership of rasgulla.
72. India is the 2nd largest sugarcane producing country in the world after Brazil, and
followed by China.
- In India, UP is the leading producer of sugarcane, followed by Maharashtra and then
Karnataka.
73. The Union Cabinet has approved Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission with an outlay
of Rs 5142.08 crore.
- Aim of the mission: to spur economic, social and infrastructure development in rural areas.
74. After the interlinking of the Godavari and Krishna rivers, the Andhra Pradesh government
seems to have set its sights on the integration of the Krishna and Penna river systems to help a
vast majority of farmers.
75. Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (know as Panchsheel Treaty in India) :
- Their first formal codification in treaty form was in an agreement between China and India in

1954.
- a set of principles to govern relations b/w states. They were enunciated in the preamble to the
"Agreement (with exchange of notes) on trade and intercourse between Tibet Region of China
and India", which was signed at Peking on 29 April 1954.
- This agreement stated the 5 principles as:
(i) Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
(ii) Mutual non-aggression.
(iii) Mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
(iv) Equality and cooperation for mutual benefit.
(v) Peaceful Co-existence.
76. DRDO sought a hike in its budget, saying China was spending close to 20% of its defence
outlay on R&D as compared to a mere 5-6% in India which was inadequate to meet growing
defence needs.
77. The Union Ministry of Mines is planning to use remote sensing satellite data to curb illegal
mining across States.
- Satellite imageries taken regularly would help to keep an eye on legal boundaries of mined
areas. The Ministry plans to sign a memorandum of understanding with the ISRO on using
satellite data for mining.
- The Indian Bureau of Mines would be the nodal agency to implement the measures, which
would form part of the reforms taking place in the mining sector.
- The other plan is to use the GPS (Global Positioning System) to track major minerals that have
been mined.
78. What is geo tagging ?
- Geotagging is the process of adding geographical information to various media in the form
of metadata. The data usually consists of coordinates like latitude and longitude, but may even
include bearing, altitude, distance and place names.
- Andhra Pradesh government has decided to geo-tag every piece of land in the State and hand
over 13,000 computer tablets to revenue officers to ensure better and scientific management of
land issues.
79. Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) launched:
- to provide for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining related operations, using the
funds generated by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).
Objectives of the scheme :
(i) to implement various developmental and welfare projects/programs in mining affected areas
that complement the existing ongoing schemes/projects of State and Central Government
(ii) to minimize/mitigate the adverse impacts, during and after mining, on the environment, health
and socio-economics of people in mining districts
(iii) to ensure long-term sustainable livelihoods for the affected people in mining areas

Areas of focus :
- High priority areas like drinking water supply, health care, sanitation, education, skill
development, women and child care, welfare of aged and disabled people, skill development and
environment conservation will get at least 60% share of the funds.
- funds will be spent on making roads, bridges, railways, waterways projects, irrigation and
alternative energy sources.
80. Conference of Parties (COP) :
- It is the supreme body of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change). It currently meets once a year to review the Convention's progress and establish the
rules of its implementation.
- The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention.

81. Nuakhai :
- Nuakhai is an agricultural festival mainly observed by people of Western Odisha in India. The
word nua means new and khai means food, so the name means the farmers are in possession of
the newly harvested rice.
- It is observed to welcome the new rice of the season.
82. Hybrid Vacuum Toilet :
- Development Cell of the Railway Board has come up with a design that combines the advantages
of Vacuum toilets and those of Biotoilets to create a new design of Hybrid Vacuum Toilet.
Hybrid Vacuum Toilet = Advantages of Vacuum toilets + Biotoilets
- It is a first ever system of its kind to have been developed and built by any railway system in the
world.
- The prototype consists of a custom designed Vacuum toilet adapted from a commercially
available vacuum toilet that is used in aircrafts which evacuates its discharge into a biodigester
tank which is now successfully proven in the biotoilets of Indian Railways.
- The biodigester tank is fitted underneath the coach and contains anaerobic bacteria that
converts human fecal matter into water and small amount of gases before discharging the
same on the ground/track.
83. Astrosat :
- Astrosat is the countrys first astronomy observatory to study distant celestial objects.
- Astrosat is India's first dedicated astronomy satellite and was launched on 28 Sept 2015 on
board the PSLV-C30.
- Orbit period- 5 years
Wavelength- Multi-wavelength
- Instruments
UVIT UltraViolet Imaging Telescope
SXT
Soft X-ray telescope

LAXPC X-ray timing and low-resolution spectral studies

CZTI
Hard X-ray imager.
- Six tiny satellites of three foreign customers, weighing 118 kg, are being put in space on the
same flight. Significantly, for the first time, the PSLV launcher has a U.S. customer using it to
put four small satellites in space. The other customers are from Canada and Indonesia.
- Moving in a near Equatorial orbit 650 km above Earth, Astrosat will study black holes, scan the
distant universe, star birth regions beyond our galaxy, binary and neutron starts over at least five
years.
- It will simultaneously observe the sky in multiple light bands or wavelengths of ultraviolet,
optical, low and high energy X-ray. The satellite can perform simultaneous multiwavelength
observations of various astronomical objects. The sun and star sensors, besides the gyroscopes,
would provide orientation reference to the satellite, which has a mission life of five years.
- For the light-lift workhorse PSLV vehicle, this will be the 31st flight with 30 successes in its belt.
- ISROs PSLV C-30 rocket successfully placed in orbit ASTROSAT. A few minutes later,
Canadas NLS-14 nano satellite, Indonesias LAPAN-A2 microsatellite and four identical
LEMUR nano satellites for the U.S. were also put in orbit. With this launch, ISRO has
successfully crossed the half century-mark as for foreign satellites. ISRO has launched 51
satellites for foreign countries so far.
84. The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology (SSB) is a science award
in India given annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for notable
and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in 7 different streams.
- It is given in biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine
and Physics. The purpose of the prize is to recognize outstanding Indian work (according to the
view of CSIR awarding committee) in science and technology.
- It is the most coveted award in multidisciplinary science in India.
- The award is named after the founder Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research,
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. It was first awarded in 1958.
85. FMC merges with SEBI :
- In the first ever merger of two regulators, over 60 year-old FMC (Forward Markets Commission)
will merge on 28 Sept. 2015 with the younger but much bigger capital markets watchdog the
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to create a unified regulatory body.
SEBI :
- SEBI was set up in 1988 as a non-statutory body for regulating the securities markets, while it
became an autonomous body in 1992 with fully independent powers.
FMC :
- FMC, on the other hand, has been regulating commodities markets since 1953, but lack of
powers has led to wild fluctuations and alleged irregularities remaining untamed in this market
segment.

- It is headquartered in Mumbai and this financial regulatory agency is overseen by the

Ministry of Finance. The Commission allows commodity trading in 22 exchanges in India, of
which 6 are national. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced its merger with Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in his Budget speech of 2015.
- The commodities market has been known to be more prone to speculative activities compared to
the better regulated stock market, while illegal activities like dabba trading have also been
more frequent in this segment.
- Besides, the high-profile NSEL scam has rocked this market in the recent past and the
subsequent regulatory and government interventions in this case eventually led to the government
announcing FMCs merger with SEBI.
- FMCs merger with the market regulator was aimed at streamlining the regulations and curb
wild speculations in commodities market, while facilitating further growth of the market.
- It will also facilitate participation of domestic and Foreign Institutional Investors (FII)
- At present, there are three national and six regional bourses for commodity futures in the
country.
86. Payment Bank :
- Payments Bank licence will allow companies to collect deposits (initially up to Rs.1 lakh per
individual), offer Internet banking, facilitate money transfers and sell insurance and mutual
funds.
- Besides, they can issue ATM or debit cards, but not credit cards. The Department expects
revenue of over Rs.550 crore from PBI in first 5 years.
- The Department of Posts (DoP) is expected to seek Cabinet nod to set-up Payments Bank, for
which it has already got the RBI approval.
- The postal department had earlier tried for Rs.632 crore fund approval from government for full
fledged banking services but it was not cleared by PIB.
- Government has in-principle agreed to the entry of Postal Department in banking service through
payments bank route. The DoP expects to roll out Payment Bank services by March 2017. There
are no major infrastructure issue with the department.
87. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said his company would take low-cost broadband technology
to some five lakh villages across the country.
- Google CEO Sundar Pichai said- Google will help India set up base for free wi-fi at 500
railway stations.
88. The Indian Grey Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) is the worlds smallest species of wolf.
89. The overall level of employment and prices in the economy depends upon the level of
aggregate demand which is a function of the spending decisions of millions of private economic
agents apart from the government.

90. Article 324 of the Constitution fully empowers the Election Commission of India (ECI) to
superintend, direct and control the election of the President, the Vice-President and the
legislatures, both at the Centre and in the States.
- Articles 148 to 151 of the Constitution provide the requisite enabling constitutional framework
regarding CAG. Under extreme circumstances, when the CAG does not function in consonance
with his or her constitutional role or violates it, a provision for his or her impeachment has been
made under Article 148.
91. Hydroponics :
- It is a subset of hydroculture and is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient
solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral
nutrient solution only, or in an inert medium, such as perlite or gravel.
- Hydroponic fodder cannot substitute green fodder and hay completely, as it lacks in fibre
content.
92. India to hold G20 Chair in 2018, Delhi may play host :
- The Chair rotates among the groups, and one country from a group is selected for a specific year.
Group 1 comprises Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.
Group 2 consists of India, Russia, South Africa and Turkey.
Group 3 has Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
Group 4 has France, Germany, Italy and the U.K.
Group 5 has China, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.
- Each member of G20 is represented by its head of state at the Leaders Summit. Leaders are
assisted by their Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, and Sherpas.
- India recently announced the appointment of NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya as
G20 Sherpa.
- Specific G20 ministerial meetings, like those of G20 Agriculture Ministers, Labour Ministers
and Trade Ministers, are organised on specific themes of importance as identified by the G20
leaders or the G20 presidency. The outcomes of these meetings feed into the Sherpas track and
subsequently to the leaders declaration.
93. Cassini-Huygens & Ocean on Enceladus (Saturn's 6th largest moon) :
- Cassini-Huygens is an unmanned spacecraft sent to Saturn in 2004. It is the 4th space probe
to visit Saturn & the 1st to enter its orbit. The mission is still underway.
- It has studied the planet & its many natural satellites since arriving there in 2004. Loaded with
array of powerful instruments and cameras, the spacecraft is capable of taking accurate
measurements and detailed images in a variety of atmosphec conditions and light spectra .
Global Ocean on Saturn's moon Enceladus :
- Enceladus is one of the prime prospects in the solar system as far harbouring life goes. At about
500 km in diameter, it is the 6th largest moon of Saturn. It is mostly covered in fresh and clean
ice, which means that most of the sunrise that hits it is reflected off it.
- Over100 geysers were identified by scientists in 2005.

- Cassini had earlier found water vapour, icy particles and simple organic molecules being
sprayed out into the abyss from fractures located on the moon's south pole.
- The new findings suggest that this mist of ice and water is being fed by the underground ocean.

94. Ground zero :

- The Arctic polar ice melt is often seen as the ground zero of climate change debate. It is a
region where climate change can be physically quantified through graphs, pictures and visible data,
all of which give life to scientific jargon.
- Both China and India are also observing members of the Arctic Council, which has its
secretariat in Troms, Norway.
Generic Definition of Ground Zero :
- In terms of nuclear explosions and other large bombs, the term ground zero (sometimes also
known as surface zero as distinguished from zero point) describes the point on the Earth's
surface closest to a detonation.
- In the case of an explosion above the ground, ground zero refers to the point on the ground
directly below the nuclear detonation and is sometimes called the hypocenter. - Generally, it is
also used in relation to earthquakes, epidemics, and other disasters to mark the point of the
most severe damage or destruction.
95. Finger Millet :
- figured among the six small millets in research portfolio of the International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). It has now been formally made its mandate
crop.
- This is an important recognition for a crop which has been an integral part of the ICRISATs
research portfolio.
- The other mandate crops of ICRISAT are sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea, pigeonpea and
groundnut.
96. Tea and climatic impact on Tea production :
- Tea is a rain-fed perennial crop. It supports livelihoods across the humid regions of south and
southeast Asia and east Africa.
- The physiology of tea plants is closely linked to external environmental and climatic factors
(elevation, precipitation, soil moisture, temperature and fertility, light duration and intensity,
humidity, shelter, shade and CO2 concentration) and any adversity in these conditions can
significantly impact yield, revenue and livelihood security.
- Rainfall has traditionally been plentiful for growing tea, especially in India but with recent
changes in the climate, surface and ground water are becoming important irrigation systems.
- Climate-risk is high in Assam, ranging from annual flooding of the Brahmaputra river due to
intense monsoon rains and soil water-logging, to winter precipitation deficits with seasonal
droughts. Assam contributes 50% of Indias 1,200- odd million kg.
- Due to climate change, there has been crop loss during seasons when some of the best teas are

harvested (spring and early monsoon). However, broad-scale climate-landscape modelling predicts
that tea yields in north-east India are expected to decline by up to 40% by 2050.
97. The Coal-Climate Equation :
- Ahead of the Paris climate summit, India announced on October 2 its Intended Nationally
Determined Contributions (INDCs) for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- India intends to reduce its carbon emissions intensity by 33-35% by 2030, from its 2005
levels.
Lifeline energy : amount of energy needed to meet development objectives.
- The research states that 2000-W per capita (fixed as lifeline energy) is a basic level of energy
which accounts for housing, mobility, food, consumption (manufactured goods) and infrastructure.
- What has caused concern in the developed world is that while they have reduced per capita coal
consumption relative to pre-financial crisis levels, India, alongwith other developing economies,
has increased consumption over the same period.
- While developed countries have been cutting coal consumption faster than primary energy
consumption, developing countries have increased coal consumption faster than primary
energy consumption.
- Many financial institutions such as the U.S. Exim Bank have stopped funding coal-based power
generation projects. The World Bank also seems to be following in this direction even though coal
consumption has been increasing in developing countries and coal-based energy remains the most
practical option of scale.
- India is neither in the same basket of per capita coal consumption as developed countries
nor comparable to China. In fact, we have shown that India will meet a larger proportion of
the 2000-W benchmark through clean fuels' than developed countries.
- Therefore, there is enough room for India to grow its coal consumption while continuing to
accelerate its renewable energy thrust. And this is precisely what the Indian INDCs reflect.
- India has set a target of renewable energy capacity of 175 gigawatts by 2022; and has
promised to achieve 63 GW of nuclear energy if supply of fuels is ensured. It will be among
a handful of countries to source a large proportion of its lifeline energy needs from
non-conventional sources, across the developing and developed worlds.
- India will continue to consume coal to grow its industrial base, improve HDI and develop its
economy. This in turn will allow it the financial capacity to invest heavily in non-conventional
sources. The Indian INDCs reflect this enduring paradox; India will need to grow its coal
capacity if it is to successfully go green.
98. Nobel for Physics- 2015 :
- Takaaki Kajita (Japan) and Arthur McDonald s (Canada) who discovered the
phenomenon called neutrino oscillation won the 2015 Nobel Prize for Physics for: discovering
that elusive subatomic particles called neutrinos have mass, opening a new window onto the
fundamental nature of the universe.
- Neutrinos are the 2nd most bountiful particles after photons, which carry light, with trillions

of them streaming through our bodies every second, but their true nature has been poorly
understood.
99. INS Astradharini commissioned :
- Addressing a long felt need of the Indian Navy for a torpedo launch and recovery vessel
(TLRV), India s first totally indigenously designed and built INS Astradharini was
commissioned and added to the Eastern Fleet.
- The unique design is a collaborative effort of Naval Science and Technological Laboratory
(NSTL), IIT Kharagpur and Shoft Shipyard.
- INS Astradharini will be used to carry out the technical trials of underwater weapons and
systems developed by the city-based NSTL. It is an advanced replacement for Astravahini
which was decommissioned on July 17 this year.
100. Aurora :
- An atmospheric phenomenon created by charged particles from the sun striking the upper
atmosphere, creating coloured lights in the sky. It is usually named australis or borealis based
on whether it is in the southern or northern hemispheres respectively.
- The 'aurora borealis', or the northern lights, are the result of collisions b/w gaseous particles
in the Earths atmosphere in the northern hemisphere with charged particles released from
the sun. Similar is the case with 'aurora australis' in the southern hemisphere.
101. Agro-forestry :
- Agro forestry is defined as a land use system which integrates trees and shrubs on farmlands
and rural landscapes to enhance productivity, profitability, diversity and ecosystem
sustainability.
- It is practised in both irrigated and rain-fed conditions and is an important component for
bringing about resilience in agriculture to face up to climatic changes.
- Agro forestry requires an integrated approacha convergence programmes that integrates
trees, crops, water use, livestock, fodder and other livelihood initiatives.
102. ISRO has unveiled plans to gradually make its regional satellite navigation system global
akin to powerful position telling systems such as the U.S. GPS and the Russian GLONASS.
- four of the seven Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) satellites are in orbit and
the last three spacecraft would be added in orbit by March 2016. The IRNSS would provide
self-reliance in the strategically important area of position-related information.
- The focus now was on completing the regional constellation and extending it to SAARC
countries.
- After that ISRO will look at taking it gradually over the entire globe, may be in less than a
decade. It could be done by adding a set of regional satellites over adjoining countries. ISRO is
working towards this with other countries like [South] Korea and the Gulf nations.
- ISRO and the Airports Authority of India also completed GAGAN, focussed on airlines,
airports and the civil aviation sector but applicable to land and sea-based services.
- GAGAN enhances the GPS-derived details of location and time of objects or persons.

103. AFSPA :
- The act was passed on 11 Sept 1958 by the parliament of India to provide special legal security
to the armed forces carrying out operations in the troubled areas of Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura (seven sisters).
- In 1990 the act was extended to J&K to confront the rising insurgency in the area.
- In Manipur, despite opposition from the Central government, state government withdrew the Act
in some parts in Aug, 2004.
- The decision of the government to declare a particular area disturbed cannot be
challenged in a court of law.
104. 3 key articles related to NJAC :
(a) Article 124-A, created the NJAC, which would comprise
(i) the CJI,
(ii) 2 senior-most Judges of SC,
(iii) the Law Minister, and
(iv) 2 eminent persons, who would be jointly appointed by the PM, the Leader of the
Opposition and the CJI.
(b) Article 124-B, vested in this NJAC the power to make appointments to both the Supreme
Court and the various High Courts.
(c) Article 124-C, accorded express authority to Parliament to make laws regulating the manner of
the NJACs functioning.
105. Article 368 grants Parliament a virtual plenary power to amend the Constitution. However,
in 1973, in Kesavananda Bharati vs. State of Kerala, a 13-judge bench of the Supreme Court
read certain implied limitations into this power.
- The Constitution, the Court held through the slimmest of majorities could not be read in
a manner that destroyed or infracted the documents basic structure.
106. Project 75 I :
- The project 75 I-class submarine is a follow on of the project 75 Kalvari-class submarine for
the Indian navy.
- Under this project Indian Navy intends to acquire 6 diesel-electric submarines.
- Submarines in this class will also feature advanced Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System
which will enable them to stay submerged for longer duration and increasing its operational
range substantially.
- In October 2014, the project got clearance from Defence Acquisition Council. All six submarines
are expected to be constructed in Indian shipyards.
107. UNHRC :
- It is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations, responsible for strengthening the
promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human
rights violations and make recommendations on them.
- It meets at the UN Office at Geneva.

- The Council is made up of 47 UN Member States elected by the UNGA.

- The term of each seat is 3 years, and no member may occupy a seat for more than two
consecutive terms.
108. White Cane Day :
- Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is organizing White Cane Day on Oct 15 to
sensitize the common man about the challenges being faced by visually challenged people.
World Sight Day- 8 Oct.
* Shompen tribe:- a habitant of Andaman & Nicobar Island. The tribe is heterogeneous with even
diferences in their dialect (the spoken language is known as Shompenese).
109. Maharashtra is the largest kharif pulses producer in the country followed by Karnataka,
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and UP. The respective shares of these major states in total kharif
pulse production are 24.9, 13.5, 13.2, 10 and 8.4% respectively. These five States together account
for about 70% of the countrys total kharif pulse production.
110. Pulses Buffer Stock :
- The Agriculture Ministry has moved a proposal to create a buffer stock of 3.5 lakh tonnes of
lentils during the current 2015-16 crop year through domestic purchase or imports to prevent a
further price rise in pulses.
- These pulses will be purchased locally or through imports using the Rs.500 crore Price
Stabilisation Fund and a scheme that supports MSP operations. Pulses will be procured both
at the MSP as well as market rates.
- The State-owned Food Corporation of India (FCI), Small Farmers Agriculture Business
Consortium (SFAC) and Nafed will be engaged in the pulses procurement.
- Assured procurement of lentils at MSP will attract more farmers to take up pulses
cultivation, which in turn would boost domestic supply and help control prices.
- The need for creating the buffer stock arose as retail prices have gone through the roof due to a
fall in domestic output by two million tonnes in 2014-15 crop year (July-June) and a global
shortage.
- Despite a higher MSP, the pulses cultivation has not scaled up to meet the growing demand
because of
(i) inadequate supply of pulses seeds in the country.
(ii) Pulses are more prone to pest attacks unlike other crops and
(iii) Pulses are mostly grown in rain-fed areas.
111. Through the Universal Immunisation Programme, India has achieved the elimination of
Polio, Small Pox & Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus.
112. Social Issue :
- New Census data indicate that two processes around the preference for a male child are going on
simultaneously in India (a) prenatal sex determination and (b) repeated pregnancies.
- Data on family sizes and sex ratios released show that at every family size, there were more boys

born than girls. However as family sizes got bigger, the sex ratio within the family got much less
skewed, indicating that families with fewer or no sons were the ones choosing to have repeated
pregnancies.
113. India to press for equity at climate talks :
- Indias strategy at the Paris Climate Change summit will be to work with emerging economies
and press the developed world to concede that responsibility for cutting carbon emissions after
2020 cannot be shared equally by rich and poor nations.
- 2 major issues that New Delhi will focus on at the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the
UNFCCC are :
(a) failed ambitions on transferring low carbon technologies to the developing world,
(b) the lack of support for a plan to fund mitigation and adaptation efforts.
- The UN Convention on Climate Change has followed the principle of common but
diferentiated responsibilities (CBDR), reflected in the Kyoto Protocol and reinforced last year
at Lima.
- Under the CBDR Principle, poor countries were not required to cut emissions. India is
emphasising this again, and demanding that developing nations be allowed greater room in
cutting emissions beyond 2020, as they seek to eliminate poverty through fast-paced economic
growth.
114. INDC :
- Leading up to the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris, France in
2015, countries have been asked to publicly declare what actions they intend to take under a new
global agreement, by March 2015.
- The country commitments, known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions or INDCs,
are expected to indicate through their form and strength what shape any 2015 agreement might
take.
115. What is the difference in Green Field Projects and Brownfield Projects ?
- The Greenfield project means that a work which is not following a prior work. In infrastructure
the projects on the unused lands where there is no need to remodel or demolish an existing
structure are called Green Field Projects. The projects which are modified or upgraded are called
brownfield projects.
116. The U.N. weather agency has said that 2015 will be the hottest year on record and 2016 could
be even hotter.
Why ?
- Due to a combination of a strong El Nino and human-induced global warming.
- The El Nino weather pattern, marked by warming sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean,
also causes extremes such as scorching weather and flooding.
- Meteorologists expect El Nino to peak between October and January and to be one of the
strongest on record.
- Global average surface temperatures in 2015 are likely to reach the symbolic and significant

milestone of 1 Celsius above the pre-industrial era.

- A preliminary estimate based on data from January to October showed that the global average
surface temperature for 2015 was around 0.73 C above the 1961-1990 average of 14.0C,
and approximately 1C above the pre-industrial 1880-1899 period.
117. The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) was formulated under the National Sports
Development Fund (NSDF) with the objective of identifying and supporting potential medal
prospects for 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games.
- Under this scheme, the focused disciplines will be Athletics, Archery, Badminton, Boxing,
Wrestling and Shooting.

118. The words 'socialist, 'secular' & 'integrity' were incorporatd in the Preamble through
42nd Amendment.
119. A ban on the sale and consumption of liquor would be imposed in Bihar from the next
fiscal year, beginning April 1, 2016.
WHITE PAPER- It is an authoritative report or guide that informs readers concisely about a
complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers
understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision.
120. Darwin was a natural scientist who tried to explain the creation of plants and animals
through the concept of evolution and natural selection.
- Herbert Spencer later added the idea of survival of the fittest. A/c to this idea, only those
species survived on earth that could adapt themselves to changing climatic conditions.
121. Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra, Churdhar ranges in Sirmaur and Chansel, Saach and
Kunzam pass - all are in Himachal Pradesh.
122. Commercial surrogacy, largely an unregulated grey area, has been allowed in India since
2002. The Supreme Court (2008) called surrogacy a medical procedure legal in several countries
including India.
- Through the introduction of the proposed Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Bill, the
Central Government now seeks to narrow surrogacy services to Indian couples or foreigners
married to Indian citizens.
123. After nearly five polio-free years, and with the launch of the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV)
injection in the national immunisation programme (November 30), India will be pushing for
endgame polio.
- The injectable vaccine, which uses killed polio viruses, will be used alongside the oral polio
vaccine (OPV).
- For now, immunisation using IPV will be restricted to Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, MP, UP
and West Bengal. In the first quarter of 2016, it will be expanded to the other Northern and

Northeastern States and in the second quarter, will encompass the four southern States and
Maharashtra.
What is IPV ?
- IPV) was developed in 1955 by Dr Jonas Salk. Also called the Salk vaccine, IPV consists of
inactivated (killed) poliovirus strains of all three poliovirus types. IPV is given by intramuscular
injection and needs to be administered by a trained health worker.
Its Working- The inactivated polio vaccine produces antibodies in the blood to all three types
of poliovirus. In the event of infection, these antibodies prevent the spread of the virus to the
central nervous system and protect against paralysis.
124. NALSA :
What it is ?
- National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA) was formed on 5 December 1995 under the
authority of the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987.
Aim :
- Its purpose is to provide free legal services to eligible candidates (defined in Sec. 12 of the Act),
and to organize Lok Adalats for speedy resolution of cases.
- Its prime objective is speedy disposal of cases and reducing the burden of judiciary.
Structure :
-NALSA is headed by the Chief Justice of India. There is a provision for similar mechanism at
state and district level also headed by Chief Justice of High Courts and Chief Judges of District
courts respectively.
125. Section 377 of Indian Penal Code :
Text: Unnatural offences: Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of
nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with
imprisonment of either description for term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable
to fine.
- The section was declared unconstitutional with respect to sex between consenting adults by the
High Court of Delhi on 2 July 2009. That judgement was overturned by the Supreme Court of
India on 11 December 2013, with the Court holding that amending or repealing Section 377
should be a matter left to Parliament, not the judiciary.
- On 11 December 2013, the Supreme Court of India ruled homosexuality to be a criminal offence
setting aside the 2009 judgement given by the Delhi High Court. In its judgment the Supreme
court bench of justices G. S. Singhvi and S. J. Mukhopadhaya stated
"In view of the above discussion, we hold that Section 377 IPC does not suffer from the vice of
unconstitutionality and the declaration made by the Division Bench of the High court is legally
unsustainable.
126. Indigenously developed Prithvi-II missile was successfully test fired recently by the army.
- Prithvi-II is indigenously developed nuclear capable surface-to-surface missile with a strike

range of 350 km.

- The missile is thrusted by liquid propulsion twine engines.
- It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvering trajectory.
- It is the 1st missile to be developed by DRDO under Indias prestigious IGMDP (Integrated
Guided Missile Development Program).
- It was inducted into Indias armed forces in 2003.
127. INS Kadmatt :
- It is 2nd of the 4 indigenously built stealth Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Corvette.
- It has been formally handed over to the Navy.
- The Corvette is named after an island in the Lakshwadeep archipelago.
- It is indigenously developed with special grade high-tensile. The hull of the ship has bulk of
sensors and weapon system.
- It has advanced stealth features and is likely to be commissioned with the Navy in January.
- The first ship of the series, INS Kamorta was inducted into the Navy in August 2014.
- The 2nd one is Kadmatt. Two remaining corvettes of the series, Kiltan and Kavaratti will be
delivered to the Navy in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
- So, the 4 ships of ASW series are :
(i) INS Kamorta
(ii) INS Kadmatt
(iii) INS Kiltan
(iv) INS Kavaratti
128. India has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organization
(IMO).
- India was elected to the IMO council under Category B at the 29th session of the Assembly
of the IMO held recently in London.
About IMO :
- The IMO is the U.N.'s specialised agency with responsibility for the safety and security of
shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.
- It has 171 Member States and three Associate Members.
- The IMOs primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework
for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical
co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping.
- IMOs structure comprises : the Assembly, the Council, the Maritime Safety Committee, the
Marine Environment Protection Committee, the Legal Committee, the Technical Cooperation
Committee, and the secretariat, headed by a Secretary-General.
IMO council :
- The IMO Council acts as the IMOs Governing Body. It has a crucial role to play in deciding
various matters in relation to the global shipping industry, including its work programme strategy
and budget.
- Members of the Council consist of 40 member states. India has been one of the earliest

members of the IMO, having ratified its Convention and joined it as a member-state in the
year 1959.
129. About CAG :
- The CAG of India is an authority established by the Constitution of India under Article 148.
- CAG audits all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state
governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government.
- The CAG is also the external auditor of Government-owned corporations and conducts
supplementary audit of government companies.
- The reports of the CAG are taken into consideration by the Public Accounts Committees
(PACs) and Committees on Public Undertakings (COPUs), which are special committees in
the Parliament of India and the state legislatures.
- The CAG enjoys the same status as a judge of Supreme Court of India in Indian order of
precedence.
- Appointment : CAG is appointed by the President of India following a recommendation by the
Prime Minister.
- Removal : The CAG can be removed only on an address from both house of parliament on the
ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity in the same way as the Judge of a SC/HC. The
CAG vacates the office on attaining the age of 65 years age even without completing the 6 years
term.
130. About IRDAI :
- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is an autonomous body
which regulates and develops the insurance industry in India.
- It was constituted by an act of parliament called Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority Act, 1999.
- The IRDA Act allows private players to enter the insurance sector in India.
131. India launched an International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the CoP21 Climate Conference.
The new body, which has invited all countries located fully or partly between the tropics of
Cancer and Capricorn to join, is to function from the National Institute of Solar Energy in India,
Gurgaon.
- Among the tasks that the Alliance would pursue are, cooperation in training, building institutions,
regulatory issues, common standards, and investment including joint ventures.
**132. President Pranab Mukherjee has given assent to the contentious Labour Laws Bill of
Gujarat, which has provisions to ban strikes in public utility services for up to one year.
- The Bill was sent for the Presidents approval alongwith the controversial Gujarat Control of
Terrorism and Organised Crime (GCTOC) Bill,2015, which is yet to be given the green light.
- Mr. Mukherjee has received representations against both Bills from the Opposition in Gujarat.
Another Bill of Sikkim
- The Sikkim Promotion of Local Employment Bill was rejected because it violated Sections14,
15 and 19 of the Constitution.

- Not all State laws are sent to the President for assent. It is done only when a law runs counter to
the Central government laws, deviates from the national policies and its legal and constitutional
validity can be challenged.
133. Issue of CBDR in the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris Summit 2015 :
- Growing campaign by policy influencers and opinion-makers in parts of Europe and the U.S. is
putting pressure on India to dilute or abandon Article 3 of the Convention, which refers to
common but diferentiated responsibilities (CBDR).
- Along with other developing countries, India has historically given voice to the philosophy of
CBDR, which states that Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present
and future generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their
common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
- Accordingly, the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and
the adverse effects thereof.
134. The current global climate regime operates as if all countries are uniformly responsible for
the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and that every effort is equally significant.
This is against the Principle of CBDR.
- Thus, the United States, which is accountable for roughly one quarter of the rise in average
temperature of atmosphere since preindustrial times, and continues as the worlds second largest
annual emitter after China, has made the smallest commitments of any industrialised country.
- In contrast, Brazil & South Africa have more ambitious targets than the U.S., even though they
are responsible for less than 2% of global anthropogenic CO2 in the atmos.
India's stand :
- Similarly, Indias renewable energy and energy efficiency goals represent some of the most
challenging system-wide changes any country has ever yet undertaken.
- The phrase "dynamic diferentiation, predicated on periodic review", is now being used by
some experts in the U.S. and in the European Union as a reinterpretation of CBDR. - - However,
this is a dilution of the importance of historical obligations of rich countries which have
contributed to more than half of the current greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
135. Green climate fund :
- At the Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP-16) meeting in Cancun, Mexico, a
financial mechanism was set up whose aim was to support developing countries on projects
related to climate change, primarily for mitigation and adaptation.
- The Green Climate Fund (GCF), which is supposed to amount to $100 billion annually by 2020,
is widely understood as an obligation of rich countries and part of the process through which
they would pay for and support developing countries to reduce their emissions and adapt to
climate change.
- The GCF secretariats functions and activities are guided by and remain accountable to the
UNFCCC. The GCF, if it works well, could become the largest fund dedicated to climate
change, but there are also others that are part of the overall climate finance architecture such as

the Global Investment Fund and the Global Environment Facility for specific climate-related
projects.
136. The IMF has admitted Chinas yuan into its benchmark currency basket :
- The decision to add the yuan, also known as the renminbi, to the Special Drawing Rights (SDR)
basket alongside the dollar, euro, pound sterling and yen, is an important milestone in Chinas
integration into global finances and a nod to the progress it has made with reforms.
- The new SDR formula gives more weightage to financial variables and less to exports,
reflecting long-standing criticism of the methodology but also cutting the euros share to 30.93%,
from 37.4%.
- The yuan will have a 10.92% share.
- The weightage of sterling and yen will drop to 8.09% and 8.33% respectively. The dollar remains
broadly unchanged at 41.73%.
- The addition is likely to fuel demand for Chinas currency and for renminbi-denominated assets.
SDR :
- IMF created the SDR in 1969 to boost global liquidity as the Bretton Woods system of fixed
exchange rates unraveled.
- SDR is not technically a currency. It gives IMF member countries the right to obtain any of
the currencies in the basket to meet balance-of-payments needs.
- In addition to its role as a supplementary reserve asset, the SDR serves as the unit of account of
the IMF and some other international organizations.
- The basket composition is reviewed every five years by the Executive Board of the IMF to
ensure that it reflects the relative importance of currencies in the worlds trading and financial
systems.
137. OPEC :
Formation :
- The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent,
intergovernmental Organization, created at the Baghdad Conference on September 1014,
1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
- It is an international organization headquartered in Vienna, Austria. The formation of OPEC
represented a collective act of sovereignty by oil exporting nations, and marked a turning point in
state control over natural resources.
Aim :
(i) to "coordinate and unify the petroleum policies" of its members and
(ii) to "ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and
regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers, and a fair return on
capital for those investing in the petroleum industry."
Members :
- OPEC has 13 members: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia (South-east Asia), Iran, Iraq,
Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela (South

America).
- OPEC welcomed back returning member Indonesia, its 13th member. The cartel accounts for
about 1/3rd of world oil output and does not include Russia or the United States, which rival
Saudi Arabia as the worlds biggest producers.
Global Influence :
- OPEC crude oil production is an important factor affecting global oil prices. OPEC sets
production targets for its member nations and generally, when OPEC production targets are
reduced, oil prices increase.
Decision making :
- The OPEC Conference is the supreme authority of the Organization, and consists of delegations
normally headed by the Ministers of Oil, Mines and Energy of member Countries. The Conference
usually meets twice a year (in March and September) and in extraordinary sessions whenever
required. It operates on the principle of unanimity, and one member, one vote.
Oil Price decline 20142015 :
- the oil-drilling boom in the United States has increased oil production by over 70% since 2008
and has reduced the United States oil imports from OPEC by 50%.
- United States oil inventory has increased because of this new production and surplus oil. The
price of oil has been influenced by market participants shorting crude oil in the United States
which cannot be exported.
- In June 2014, crude oil prices abruptly dropped by about a third as U.S. shale oil production
increased and China and Europe's demand for oil decreased.
- Petroleum with less than 0.42% sulfur is called as sweet oil, e.g. Brent Crude & WTI.
Nigeria is the largest producer of sweet oil in OPEC. By July 2014, as the US stopped importing
light sweet crude, more crude oil became available to refineries in China, India, Japan and South
Korea.
Factors responsible for the declining Oil Prices since 2014 :
(a) Decline in the global demand of oil due to the global economic slowdown.
(b) U.S is one of the largest consumer of energy & a shift in the paradigm of energy consumption
of U.S towards shale gas and other non-conventional energies has aggravated this problem.
(c) U.S stopped its oil import from OPEC countries as it already has large reserve of oil.
(d) Status quo maintained by the OPEC countries in the production of Oil due to the failure in
attainment of consensus among OPEC leaders over production cut.
(e) Political crisis in the Middle East.
138. As rice is the major food crop and staple food of the State, Andhra Pradesh is also known
as Rice Bowl of India. The state is also a largest producer of eggs in the country and hence, it is
nicknamed as "Egg Bowl of Asia".
139. Amur Falcon : Current IUCN Red List category: Least concern

- Today, the world has recognized Pangti village in Nagaland as the worlds Amur Falcon
capital.
- Amur falcons are the longest travelling raptors in the world and come to Doyang Lake in
Nagaland every year in millions.
- Until recently, Naga tribesmen used to hunt thousands of Amur falcons for meat. But last year,
after a vigorous campaign by wildlife activists, they pledged to protect the bird and since then, not
a single bird has been hunted in the area.
140. INDIA & TFA :
- India is likely to ratify the WTO's TFA, aimed at easing customs rules to expedite trade flows,
during the Nairobi meeting of the global trade body from December 15 to 18.
- In November last year, WTO member countries had adopted a protocol of amendment to
make the TFA a part of the overall WTO Agreement. However, the TFA will become
operational only after 2/3rd of the members ratify it. So far, only 53 of the 162 member countries
have done so.
- New Delhi is planning to ratify the TFA as part of the governments initiatives to attract
more investment by improving Indias ranking in the World Banks ease of doing
business report, the sources said.
- The government wants India to leapfrog its position from 130th this year (out of 189
countries) to the top 100 next year and then in the top 50 soon.
141. India enjoys a unique distinction of producing all 5 major silk varieties Mulberry, Eri,
Tropical Tasar, Temperate Tasar, and Muga.
142. India announced a programme to open 8 more long-term ecological observatories to study
the effects of climate change.
- The new facilities under the Indian Long Term Ecological Observatories (ILTEO) would
assess the health of 8 different biomes (types of habitat) and come up with long-term research
findings on the changes there that were happening due to climate change.
- It will cover the Western Himalayas to Western Ghats, Eastern Himalayas to Andaman and
Nicobar islands, central India to the Sundarbans, and from Jammu and Kashmir to Rajasthan and
Gujarat.
Working :
- The I-LTEO would scientifically monitor flora and fauna to assess how climate change is
affecting natural and closely associated human systems in agriculture and pastoralism.
143. INDRA NAVY :
- It is a bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian and Russian Navies and epitomises the
strategic relationship between the two countries.
- The 8th edition of INDRA NAVY has begun in the Bay of Bengal in Visakapathnam, Andhra
Pradesh.
- The primary aim of this exercise is to increase interoperability b/w the two navies & develop
common understanding of procedures for maritime security operations.

144. Rajasthan Government has conveyed its in-principle approval to Ministry of Power (MoP)
for joining UDAY Scheme (Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana) .
ABOUT UDAY SCHEME :
- The Scheme UDAY (Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana) has been launched to improve
financial and operational efficiencies of power distribution companies (DISCOMs).
- It envisages to reduce interest burden, cost of power and AT&C losses. Consequently,
DISCOM would become sustainable to supply adequate and reliable power enabling 247 power
supply.
- So far, 10 states, namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, H.P, J&K, Jharkhand, M.P,
Punjab, Rajasthan & Uttarakhand have joined the UDAY Scheme.
145. A/c to the latest report of the Forest Survey of India (FSI), India has recorded a net
increase of 112 sq. km. of mangroves forest.
- According to the latest report, the overall mangrove cover in the country stands at 4,740 sq. km.,
which is 0.14% of Indias overall geographical area.
- There are only 12 States and Union Territories along the countrys coastline that can boast of
mangroves.
- West Bengal, which has a total mangrove cover of 2,106 sq. km., accounts for 44.5%, the
highest in the country. It is followed by Gujarat with about 1,107 sq. km. Andaman and Nicobar
islands also has a considerable mangrove forest cover with 617 sq. km. of it.
- Mangroves are crucial to the survival of the coastal ecosystem, which is very vulnerable to
climate change.
146. The latest data show that 39% of children under five in India are short for their age
(stunted). The two States that had the worst stunting rates in 2005-06 U.P & Bihar have
made the least progress over the 2005-2014 period, noted the Global Nutrition Report. The global
rate is 24%.
# Global Nutrition Report is published by International Food Policy Research Institute.
- If the population of stunted children in India were a single country, it would be the 9th largest
country in the world. Even more worrisome, the problem of under-nutrition in India now coexists
with the problem of over-nutrition and associated non-communicable diseases for a diferent
segment of the population.
- The GNR notes an increase in the number of countries on track to meet global nutrition targets,
and encourages countries to establish specific and time-bound targets for malnutrition
reduction that are consistent with the new Sustainable Development Goals.
- While the GNR points to Indias improved performance in reducing its high burden of
malnutrition, both reports conclude that this improvement should be much more rapid.
147. National Waterways Bill, 2015 :
- The bill seeks to declare 106 additional inland waterways as national waterways.
- After the inclusion of 106 additional inlands waterways to the existing five national waterways,

the total number of national waterways goes upto 111.

- Inland waterways, comprising rivers, lakes, canals, creeks and backwaters, extend about 14,500
km across the country. However, potential of this mode of transport has not been fully exploited so
far. Thus, the central government has come up with this policy.
148. Advantages of Inland Waterways :
a. Fuel efficient.
b. Cost effective and Environment friendly mode of transport, especially for bulk goods,
hazardous goods and over dimensional cargos.
c. Reduces time.
d. Reduces cost of transportation of goods and cargos.
e. Reduces congestion and accidents on highways.
149. States will have more room to borrow this financial year with the Ministry of Finance
expected to soon approve relaxation of their borrowing limits beyond 3% of Gross State Domestic
Product (GSDP), subject to following 3 conditions that are in line with the recommendations of
14th Finance Commission :
i) States should have had no revenue deficit (difference of revenue rceipt & revenue expenditure
by states) this year & in the preceding year.
ii) States will be eligible for flexibility of 0.25% over & above the fiscal deficit limit of 3% of
GSDP if their debt-GSDP ratio is less than or equal to 25% in the preceding year.
Special note:- FRBM act attempts to bring down the fiscal deficit to 3% of GDP.
iii) States will be further eligible for an additional borrowing limit of 0.25% of GSDP this year if
the interest payments are less than or equal to 10% of the revenue receipts in the preceding year.
(i.e. limit of 3% is extendable upto max of 3.5% subject to fulfilment of conditions).
- The move is an attempt to de-link the fiscal relaxations granted to states under the ongoing
scheme of UDAY (Ujwal Discom Assurance Scheme), with the Finance Ministry even looking at
relaxing borrowing limits of states which have not yet participated in the UDAY scheme.
150. Trade Openness :
- The share of Indias trade (exports + imports) to its gross domestic product (GDP) referred
to as trade openness in economic parlance.
- It is a measure of economic policies that either restrict or invite trade between countries.
- For e.g. if a country sets a policy of high trade tariffs, thus restricting the desirability of
international trade, this restrictive policy will inhibit other countries from sending exports and
accepting imports from that country.
- A/c to dominating economic theory, this restrictiveness, this lack of trade openness, will have an
economic effect of slowing economic development/growth. Conversely, a/c to economic theory,
trade openness will have an economic effect of increasing economic development and
growth.

151. Atomic Energy Bill 2015 :

- It empowers the Central Government to produce, develop, use and dispose of atomic
energy either by itself or through any authority or corporation established by it or by a
Government company and carry out research in any matters connected therewith.
- Presently, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut
Nigam Limited (BHAVINI), are the only two PSU's operating nuclear power plants in the
country.
152. In an extraordinary step, SC appoints U.P. Lokayukta :
- Annoyed with the lack of consensus among constitutional authorities in U.P. the Supreme Court
invoked its extraordinary powers to assume authority and appoint the States Lokayukta.
- In a rare display of flexing its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution
to enforce its own orders in order to do complete justice, the Supreme Court for the first
time in its history appointed a Lokayukta after slamming the "failure of the constitutional
authorities of the State to comply with its orders.
- However, later on, on the objection and opinion of Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, SC
retracted its decision.
153. India, at the WTOs Nairobi meet, called for a balanced outcome in negotiations on
agriculture including an agreement on Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM).
What is SSM ?
- SSM is a trade remedy that will allow developing countries to temporarily increase duties
to address import surges and price dips due to heavily subsidised imports of agricultural
products from developed countries.
- SSM is meant to protect the interests of resource-poor and subsistence farmers in the
developing nations.
- India had earlier called for a drastic reduction of farm subsidies in the rich countries.
154. Project Loon by Google :
- Project Loon is a network of balloons traveling approx 20 km above the Earth's surface in
the stratosphere. It aims to serve the following purposes:
a) Connecting people in rural and remote areas.
b) Filling coverage gaps.
c) Bringing people back online after disasters.
Reasons behind choosing Stratosphere :
i) Minimal turbulence
ii) Stratification of Wind Layers with each layer varying in speed & direction
iii) Wind speeds being comparatively low.
iv) Modelling seasonal, longitudinal, and latitudinal variations in wind speeds within the 1825
km stratospheric layer is possible.

155. Genome of the Asian elephant sequenced for the first time in India :
- A team of scientists from the city-based Centre for Ecological Science at the Indian Institute of
Science (IISc) and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, have not
only sequenced the entire genome of the Asian Elephant, but have also for the first time mapped
the transcriptome that is, a section of genes active in a particular cell for the blood
cells of the species.
156. A group of 58 Rajya Sabha MPs moved an impeachment notice against Justice J.B. Pardiwala
of the Gujarat High Court for his objectionable remarks on the issue of reservation.
- Objectionable opinion of the Judge- If I am asked by anyone to name two things which have
destroyed this country or rather have not allowed the country to progress in the right direction,
then the same is, (i) Reservation and (ii) Corruption. It is very shameful for any citizen of this
country to ask for reservation after 65 years of Independence.
When our Constitution was framed, it was understood that reservation would remain for a period
of 10 years, but unfortunately, it has continued even after 65 years of Independence,.
- If the presiding officer (in this case Vice-President Hamid Ansari) accepts the notice, he will
have to constitute a three-member committee to probe whether the charge is serious enough
to warrant removal under Article 124(4) of the Constitution.
- In the past, Parliament has taken up impeachment motions only twice:
1) in 1993 against Justice V. Ramaswami, which failed, and
2) in 2011 against Justice Soumitra Sen, who resigned after the Rajya Sabha adopted the motion
for his removal and sent it to the Lok Sabha to complete the process.
157. Meghalaya government on Dec 18, 2015 signed a peace pact with yet another militant outfit,
the United Achik Liberation Army (UALA) which was active in the Garo Hills region of the
state.
- This is the third peace pact by the state government after the ones signed with ANVC and its
breakaway faction, the ANVC-B, last year.
158. Similarity b/w Counter-vailing duty & Anti-dumping duty :
- both are imposed on foreign manufactured products by any importing or hosting country to
mitigate the hardship of domestic prodcers of same product.
Differences b/w them :
-Lets understand through an example ...related to China
1. Suppose China exports electronics products to india. If Chinese govt subsidises the export of
Chinese electronic products to a great extent, then those products vl becum much cheaper in the
Indian market vis-a-vis Chinese ones.
To do away with this situation Indian govt may impose Counter-vailing duties on those Chinese
imported electronics products. This is the case of CVD.

2. Now, suppose if a Chinese electronic company sells electronic products in the Indian market at
very cheap rates, with an intention to harm the domestic market by affecting the products of
domesic prodcers through market price mechanism.
- Then, in this case, Indian govt can impose anti-dumping duty on those products to provide a
safeguard to the domestic producers. This is the case of anti-dumping duty.
159. What is Demographic Dividend ?
- Demographic dividend, as defined by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) means,
the economic growth potential that can result from shifts in a populations age structure,
mainly when the share of the working-age population (15 to 64) is larger than the
non-working-age share of the population (14 and younger, and 65 and older).
- In other words, it is a boost in economic productivity that occurs when there are growing
numbers of people in the workforce relative to the no of dependents.
160. Zhengzhou and Hamburg are emerging as the major centres of the Silk Road Economic Belt
(SREB), a trans-Eurasia connectivity project.
- The China-led initiative will connect Asia with Europe along a land corridor interlinked by rail,
roads, industrial parks and smart cities.
161. Nairobi Package :
- India negotiated hard to ensure that the WTO continues to place the interests of developing
countries and LDCs at the centre of its agenda.
What Nairobi Package contains ?
(i) Ministerial Decisions on public stockholding for food security purposes,
(ii) a Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) for developing countries,
(iii) a commitment to abolish export subsidies for farm exports particularly from the
developed countries.
What is SSM ?
- SSM is a tool that will allow developing countries to temporarily hike import duties to
counter import surges and price falls of farm items.
- To ensure that the issue of SSM remains on the agenda of future discussion in the WTO,
India negotiated a Ministerial Decision, which recognises that developing countries will have the
right to have recourse to an SSM as envisaged in the mandate.
- Ministerial Conference is the WTOs highest decision making body.
- The WTO General Council has been mandated to regularly review progress of these
negotiations.
Point of Agreement b/w all Nations :
- All countries agreed to the elimination of agricultural export subsidies subject to the preservation
of Special and Diferential Treatment (S&DT) for developing countries such as a longer
phase-out period for transportation and marketing export subsidies for exporting agricultural

products.
- Developed countries have committed to removing export subsidies immediately, except for a
few agricultural products, and developing countries will do so by 2018.
- Developing countries, including India, will keep the flexibility to cover marketing and transport
subsidies for agriculture exports until the end of 2023.
- The Ministerial Decision contains disciplines to ensure that other export policies are not used as
a disguised form of subsidies. Developing countries, such as India, are given longer time to
implement these rules.
India's stand on 'New Issues' and Negotiations of 14 yrs old Doha Round Conference :
- India took the stand that the Development Agenda of the Round (to boost the trade prospects of
developing and poor nations) must continue after the Nairobi Conference and no 'new issues'
must be introduced into the WTO agenda until the Development Agenda has been completed.
- Though India's position had the support of many countries from the developing and the poor
world, a few developed countries, including the U.S., opposed the continuation of the Doha
Round.
S&DT
- S&DT, among other things, accords longer time periods to developing countries & LDCs for
implementing WTO agreements and commitments in addition to provisions safeguarding their
trade interests.
Conclusion of Nairobi Ministerial Conference :
- The Nairobi Ministerial Declaration acknowledges that members have diferent views on
how to address the future of the Doha Round negotiations but noted the "strong
commitment of all Members to advance negotiations on the remaining Doha issues.
- The Ministerial Declaration records that WTO work would maintain development at its centre &
the provisions for S&DT would remain integral.
162. GDP growth in the first half of financial year (April-September 2015) slowed to 7.2% from
7.4% in the corresponding period last year.
- This is in contrast to the boom years, from 2004-05 to 2011-12, when exports were one of the 4
components (others being private consumption, investments and government expenditure) that
powered Indias GDP growth.
163. With Telangana setting up a 15-member Zoroastrian jury to aid the settlement of marriage
and divorce, the Parsis in the State can decide on such matters within the community.
- Telangana becomes the second State after Maharashtra to setup the Zoroastrian jury.
164. Cross subsidization
- Cross subsidization in any field (like power, travel etc.) is the practice of charging higher prices
to one group of consumers in order to subsidize lower prices for another group.

165. Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries - a Central Sector Scheme on Blue
Revolution
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the PM, has given its approval
for implementation of an umbrella scheme for integrated development and management of
fisheries at an outlay of Rs.3,000 crore, for a period of five years.
- The Central Sector Scheme covers
(i) development and management of inland fisheries, aquaculture, marine fisheries including deep
sea fishing, mariculture and
(ii) all activities undertaken by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) towards
realizing Blue Revolution.
- The scheme has the following six broad components:
(a) National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and its activities,
(b) Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture,
(c) Development of Marine Fisheries, Infrastructure and Post Harvest Operations,
(d) Strengthening of Database & Geographical Information System of the Fisheries Sector,
(e) Institutional Arrangement for Fisheries Sector and
(f) Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) and other need-based Interventions.
- The scheme provides for suitable linkages and convergence with the "Sagarmala Project" of the
Ministry of Shipping, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(MGNAREGA), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Rural Livelihoods Mission
(NRLM) etc.
Other Aims :
- Besides providing a major impetus to the fishery sector, the scheme provides to encourage
economically weaker sections such as Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Women
and their co-operatives to take up fishing and fisheries related activities.
Other Benefits :
- The scheme would also encourage
(i) increasing private investment,
(ii) entrepreneurship development,
(iii) more Public Private Partnership (PPP) and
(iv) better leveraging of institutional finance.
- Besides, the scheme encompasses skill development and capacity building in fisheries and allied
activities; and creation of post-harvest and cold chain infrastructure facilities.
Background:
- Fisheries is a sunrise sector with varied resources and potential, engaging over 14.50 million

people at the primary level and many more along the value chain.
- Transformation of the fisheries sector from traditional to commercial scale has led to an increase
in fish production from 7.5 lakh tonne in 1950-51 to 100.70 lakh tonne during 2014-15.
166. AGAMAS ISSUE :
- The Supreme Court ruled that appointment of archakas (priests) in Tamil Nadu temples should
be done as per the restrictions prescribed by the age-old Agamas (treatises), upturning the
amendments to the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious Endowments Act put in place by the then DMK
government in Tamil Nadu in 1971.
- The court also further reiterated that the fundamental right to freedom of religion was not
confined to doctrines and beliefs but extended to essential practices done in pursuance of that
faith.
What are the Agamas ?
- Agamas in Sanskrit mean that which has come to us.
- There are two kinds of Agama texts,
(a) Agama- practised in Saivite and Vaishnavite temples, and
(b) Tantra- practised in Sakthi temples.
- Agamas expound a variety of subjects and they are really the stylebook, on which Hindu rituals
are based.
Who can be priests?
- According to Mr. Parthasarathy, head priest of Sri Parthasarathy Temple in Triplicane, Chennai,
anybody who did not wish for material wealth, and sacrificed his life for the purpose of the
Agamas could be a priest.
- But priests practising Vaikhanasa Agamas got the right by birth.
- Not all Brahmins could be priests or were allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum of temples.
167. ASTRA MISSILE :
- It is an active radar homing beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by the
DRDO, India. It is set to be inducted into the Air Force next year.
- Astra is designed to be capable of engaging targets at varying range and altitudes allowing for
engagement of both short-range targets (up to 20 km) and long-range targets (up to 80 km) using
alternative propulsion modes.
- Except for a failure in one test, the missile has successfully completed all its tests.
- Astra uses a smokeless propulsion system.
- Technologically, it is more sophisticated than the nuclear capable Agni missile (surface to surface)
series of strategic ballistic missiles.
- The 60-km plus range missile possesses Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) making it one of the most
reliable in its class of weapon systems.

168. India needs a new Parliament building as the current one is in great distress, according to
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in a proposal to the Ministry of Urban Development
(MoUD).
- A/c to her, On account of ageing of the Parliament House building and expansion in activities,
staf etc, the building has shown signs of distress and overutilisation... Under the circumstances,
there is an imperative need for the construction of a new state-of-art Parliament building.
- The Lok Sabha seats are likely to increase after 2026 in accordance with the provisions of
the explanation to clause (3) Article 81 of the Constitution.
- Since the current building has the capacity for 550 members, there is no space left for more
members.
- The number of Lok Sabha seats can only go up if the countrys population increases to a degree
where the Article 81 becomes applicable.
Article 81
- The Article 81 commands balancing the representation of people in Parliament on the basis of
the population recorded by the last census.
169. 1. Justice RM Lodha Committee- on IPL spot fixing & betting scandal and BCCI Reforms.
2. Mudgal Committee- to conduct an independent inquiry into the allegations of corruption in
2013 IPL.
3. Shyam Benegal Committee- to revamp Censor Board.
170. The government, in a move to fight pollution, will implement Bharat Standard (BS)-VI
emission norms by April 1, 2020.
- India will move to BS-VI norms across the country directly from BS-IV norms by April 1, 2020.
This is a revolutionary decision and important to address pollution.
- BS-VI is the Indian equivalent of theEuro-VI norms followed globally.
171. The Centre lifted ban on 'Jallikattu'. Soon after the Union government lifted the ban on
jallikattu and the rekla race, the price of Kangayam bulls, aged between three to four years,
shot up to Rs. 50,000 each. It was just Rs.16,000 till the ban was revoked.
- The lifting of the ban will encourage farmers to breed bulls.
# Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI)- at Mysuru
172. The govt has decided to merge Ministry of Overseas Indian Afairs (MOIA) with
Ministry of External Affairs.
- Earlier MOIA used to host the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD). But now onwards, it will be
hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs.
- January 9 was chosen as the day for PBD as it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi,
the greatest Pravasi, returned home from South Africa to lead Indias freedom struggle.

173. The government has decided to scrap a tax on seed funding provided to start-ups by Indian
angel investors in the upcoming Union Budget, to help domestic financiers bankroll (i.e. to fund a
project) new entrepreneurial ventures under its Start Up India campaign (to be launched on 16 Jan
2016).
Q. What is Seed funding/Seed Money ?
- Here seed funding is not relaed to agriculture. Seed funding/Seed money, in this context, means
Money used to set up a new business venture.
Q. Who is called as an Angel Investor ?
- An investor who provides financial backing for small startups or entrepreneurs. Angel investors
are usually found among an entrepreneur's family and friends.
- The capital they provide can be a one-time injection of seed money or ongoing support to carry
the company through difficult times.
- In current scenario, the tax provision treats infusion of funds by domestic angel investors as
income in the hands of the start-up, making India the only country in the world to penalise local
angel investors in such a manner.
174. Telangana has become the first State to introduce compulsory gender education at the
graduate level; without repeating gender stereotypes in its bilingual textbook titled, Towards a
World of Equals.
- The book introduced on a pilot basis in many engineering colleges & discusses gender in its
composite form without limiting itself to crime against women.
- From information on unacknowledged women writers of Telangana to problems of sex selection
and womens work in politics and economics, the book attempts to cover it all.
175. The Chinese stock market is once again in turmoil. Added to it is the governments decision
to devalue its currency for the second time in less than six months.
- This has raised concerns all over the world. The impact of stock market tumbling in Shanghai
has been felt all over the world.
- The devaluation of Yuan is bound to affect the exports of several major countries across the
world.
- By devaluing its currency, China gains an advantage in global trade. Its exports become cheaper,
and more attractive, to foreign buyers. To stay competitive against China, its trade partners
mostly in Asia devalue as well to maintain a cheaper currency.

176. Major fillip to Make in India in defence purchases :

- Attempting to streamline defence acquisitions and give a big impetus to indigenisation through
the Make in India initiative, the government has approved major changes to the Defence
Procurement Procedure (DPP).
- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister gave its approval to the
changes.

Highlights for new DPP 2016 :

(i) inclusion of a new category (elaborated below) to promote domestic manufacturing,
(ii) government funding for Research & Development (R&D),
(iii) recognition of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in technology development,
and
(iv)Recommendations of the expert committee headed by former Home Secretary Dhirendra
Singh were considered and most of them were approved.
New Category Included :
- The DPP 2016 will have a new category, Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured
(IDDM) platforms, which will be the priority route for procurements.
- Within this two sub-categories have been created :
(A) one with mandatory 40% domestic content for a domestic designed, and
(B) the other mandating 60% local content if the design is not Indian.
177. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has officially expunged the word drought
from its vocabulary.
- If Indias monsoon rainfall were to dip below 10% of the normal and span between 20 and 40%
of the countrys area, it would be called a deficient year instead of an All India Drought
Year as the IMDs older manuals would say.
- A more severe instance, where the deficit exceeds 40% and would have been called an All
India Severe Drought Year, will now be a Large Deficient Year.
178. Foreign exchanges reserves mainly consist of foreign currency assets (FCA), though there is
also gold, special drawing rights (SDR) and reserve tranche position in International Monetary
Fund, in the basket.
- Movements in the FCA occur mainly on account of purchases and sales of foreign exchange by
the RBI, income arising out of the deployment of the foreign exchange reserves, external aid
receipts of the Central Government and the efects of revaluation of the assets.
179. The Supreme Court has imposed a ban on organising cockfights, which take place during
Sankaranti in many districts of Andhra Pradesh, esp. in Krishna, Guntur & Godavari districts.
- People of these regions call the Cockfight game as "Pandems".

180.Short-finned Pilot Whales:

- The short-finned pilot whales are deep water whales, diving upto 1,000 metres, who form stable
matrilineal kinship groups.
- Not much is known about the species. In fact, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
classifies it as data deficient.
- Recently, in an unusual phenomenon, 81 short-finned pilot whales were stranded at a coast in
Thoothukudi distt. of Chennai.
- Out of these 45 were found dead, while 36 whales, part of the group which survived the beaching,

were rescued in a joint operation by several government agencies and pushed back to sea.
- However, the stranding of these whales is rare. They dont swim close to the coast.
- The short-finned pilot whales use call dialects to communicate within the group.
181. Sabarimla Temple Entry Issue :
- The Nair Service Society, the Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sanghom, and Sabarimala Tantris
(chiefp priests) have strongly opposed the idea of permitting women of all age groups entry to the
Sabarimala AyyappaTemple.
- In practice, women of age group 10-50 yrs are barred from entering the temple premises. This is
a centuries old custom of this temple.
- In this regard, the Supreme Court, questioned the logic behind barring women from entering the
temple. Some claim this is the violation of Fundamental Rights under Article 14 (equality b4 law)
& 21 (right to life & personal liberty).
- The Kerala High Court had, in a dramatic judgement in 1983, said women between 10 and 50
years should not enter the temple.
182. Nag (An Anti-Tank Missile) :
- The indigenously-built 3rd generation, fire-and-forget anti-tank missile, Nag, scored a bulls
eye and successfully hit the target 4 km away during a night trial in the Mahajan Field Firing
Range, Rajasthan.
- Using HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) warhead, the top-attack all-weather fire-and-forget
system is capable of destroying modern tanks with armoured protection by nullifying their ERA
(explosive reactive armour).
183. Article 25(1) guarantees to all persons the right to freely profess, practise, and propagate their
religion. Article 26(b) grants to religious denominations the right to manage their own afairs in the
matter of religion.
- Article 25(2) allows state intervention in religious practice, if it is for the purpose ofsocial
welfare or reform or the throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all
classes and sections of Hindus.
184. NHAI has signed MoU with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under ISRO and
North East Centre for Technology Application & Research (NECTAR) for the use of spatial
technology for monitoring and managing National Highways.
185. Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu & Cockfight in Andhra Pradesh are banned under Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals Act, 1986.
186. 5/20 Rule for Indian Airlines :
- According to the 5/20 rule, all airlines in India are permitted to fly abroad only if it has 5
years of domestic flying experience and at least 20 aircraft in its fleet.
- The 5/20 rule' was approved by the Union Cabinet in December 2004 when many decisions
were taken to protect national carrier Air India.
- The Union Govt. is deliberating on abolishing this rule.

187. Waterbirds & Wetlands International :

- Wetlands International (WI) has defined waterbirds as species of bird that are ecologically
dependent on wetlands. Waterbirds are well known indicators of the quality of certain types of
wetlands.
- Any wetland site which regularly holds 1% or more of a waterbird population qualifies as a
wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, according to WI.
Waterbirds as an Health Indicator of Wetlands :
- Of the 1,200 species of birds reported in India, around 600 are wetlands birds. The birds could be
considered as the health indicators of wetlands of a region.
188. A shot in the arm for Vulture Conservation :
- The Central government gazette notification banning the use of multi-vial dose of Diclofenac
comes as a shot in the arm for conservation of vulture population. The ban restricts the
production to single 3 ml dose, thereby stopping production of injectable diclofenac of larger
quantities that were being used for veterinarian purposes.
- Saving Asias Vultures from Extinction (SAVE), formed in 2011 has been battling for the
enforcement of the ban. It campaigned long and hard and urged the pharmaceutical manufacturing
companies to cease production of the larger vials to treat livestock, as 3-ml vials are more than
sufficient for human use.
189. IRNSS-1E launched on 20/01/2016 :
- IRNSS-1E is the 5th of the 7-series Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS),
which India is hoping to put in place by the end of this year (2016).
- The regional navigation satellite system is aimed at providing accurate position information
service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary.
- According to ISRO, the IRNSS would provide 2 types of services(i) StandardPositioning Service (SPS) to all users and
(ii) Restricted Service (RS), an encrypted service provided to authorised users.
- This is ISROs first launch for this year. ISROs workhorse PSLV C-31 rocket lifted the 1,425
kg satellite.
- IRNSS-1E, with a mission life of 12 years, was launched into a sub geosynchronous transfer
orbit with a 284 km perigee (nearest point to Earth) and 20,657 km apogee (farthest point from
Earth) with an inclination of 19.2 degree with reference to the equatorial plane.
190. First Phase of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015-16 :
- Findings for the 13 States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, MP, Meghalaya,
Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and two Union Territories of
Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry show promising improvements in maternal and
child health and nutrition.
- Data collection for the second phase States and Union Territories is currently ongoing.
Decline in Infant & Child Mortality Rate :

- The results from NFHS-4 in 15 States/Union Territories indicate that fewer children are dying in
infancy and early childhood. After the last round of National Family Health Survey in 2005-06,
infant mortality has declined in all first phase States/Union Territories.
Decline in Maternal Mortality Rate :
- Better care for women during pregnancy and childbirth contributes to reduction of maternal
deaths and improved child survival.
- Almost all mothers have received antenatal care for their most recent pregnancy and increasing
numbers of women are receiving the recommended four or more visits by the service providers
(mainly ASHA).
- More and more women now give birth in health care facilities and rates have more than
doubled in some States in the last decade. It means institutional delivery has got a boost.
Replacement Level of Fertility Maintained/Achieved :
- Overall, women in the First Phase States/Union Territories are having fewer children.
- The total fertility rates, or the average number of children per woman, range from 1.2 in
Sikkim to 3.4 in Bihar.
- All First Phase States/Union Territories except Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya have
either achieved or maintained replacement level of fertility a major achievement in the past
decade.
Immunization coverage in Children increased :
- Full immunization coverage among children age 12-23 months varies widely in the First Phase
States/Union Territories. At least 6 out of 10 children have received full immunization in 12 of the
15 States / Union Territories.
Nutrition Level Increased :
- Poor nutrition is less common than reported in the last round of National Family Health Survey.
Fewer children under five years of age are now found to be stunted, showing intake of improved
nutrition.
Improved Water & Sanitation Facilities :
- Indian families in the First Phase households are now more inclined to use improved water
and sanitation facilities.
- Over two-thirds of households in every State/Union Territory have access to an improved source
of drinking water, and more than 90% of households have access to an improved source of
drinking water in nine of the 15 States/Union Territories.
- More than 50% of households have access to improved sanitation facilities in all First Phase
States/Union Territories except Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
Improvement in Use of Cooking Fuel :
- Use of clean cooking fuel, which reduces the risk of respiratory illness and pollution, varies
widely among the First Phase States/Union Territories, ranging from only about 18% of
households in Bihar to more than 70% of households in Tamil Nadu and more than 80% of

households in Puducherry and Goa.

191. NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY (NFHS) :
- All National Family Health Surveys have been conducted under the stewardship of the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
Nodal Agency for NFHS :
- International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, serving as the nodal agency. - ICF
International (formerly Macro International), Maryland, USA, provided technical assistance for
all four surveys.
- NFHS is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households
throughout India.
- Three rounds of the survey have been conducted since the first survey in 1992-93.
Earlier NFHS :
1. In 1992-93
2. In 1998-99
3. In 2005-06
This one is fourth in 2015-16.
192. New class of frogs found in the Northeast :
- A class of frogs that grows in tree holes, and as tadpoles feeds on eggs laid by their mother, has
been discovered in the northeast region, according to an international team of researchers led by a
Delhi University-based scientist.
- In the last two decades, India has reported a rapid rise in the discovery of frog species from the
Western Ghats and, more recently, the Northeastern States.
- The new frog has been christened Frankixalus Jerdoniiand was once considered a species lost to
science.
- This genus remained unnoticed by researchers probably because of its secretive life in tree
holes.
- Frogs of the newly described genus Frankixalus, were relatively large (between3750 mm long)
with big, bulging eyes and blunt snouts.
Found on :
- These are found on forest canopies and inside bamboo slits. Due to insufficient food resources in
tree holes, the mother exhibits remarkable parental care" by laying unfertilised eggs to feed her
tadpoles.
Found in :
- Tree frogs are found across sub-Saharan Africa, China, much of tropical Asia, Japan, the
Philippines and Sulawesi.
# Vikram Sarabhai- Father of Indias Space Programme.

193. Production of Tejas :

-Full-scale production of the indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas would
begin next year and several countries had expressed interest in the aircraft.
- The DRDO which developed the aircraft,is hoping to market the aircraft globally as Tejas made
its international debut at the ongoing Bahrain International Airshow.
- The development of Tejas, a single engine, multi-role supersonic fighter, began in the 1980s to
replace the MiG-21s in service but has been delayed due to a series of technological hurdles.
194. Soon, Annual and Quarterly reports to replace once-in-5-year Job Surveys :
- The governmentcould soon launch a first of its kind Annual Employment Survey, with the ability
to generate quarterly reports on job market trends in certain segments like urban India.
- The plan is to release such employment data soon after the surveys, unlike other official data, by
using modern technology so as to enable policymakers to react faster to labour market movements
and track job creation goals.
195. LOK ADALAT :
- It is a system of alternative dispute resolution developed in India vide Legal Services
Authorities Act, 1987. It roughly means "People's court".
Its Principle :
- It is based on the principles of the Panch Parmeshwar of Gram Panchayats which were also
proposed by Mahatma Gandhi.
- The idea of Lok Adalat was mainly advocated by Justice P.N. Bhagwati, a former CJI.
- Lok Adalat is a non-adversarial system, whereby mock courts (called Lok Adalats) are held by
the State Authority, District Authority, Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, High Court
Local Services Committee, or Taluk Legal Services Committee.
Who Presides it ?
- usually presided over by retired judges, social activists, or other members of the legal
profession. The Lok Adalats can deal with all Civil Cases, Matrimonial Disputes, Land Disputes,
Partition/Property Disputes, Labour Disputes etc., and compoundable criminal Cases. The first
Lok Adalat was held on March 14, 1982 in Gujarat.
- Cases at pre-litigation stage and those pending in courts are being taken up for settlement in
these National Lok Adalats.
Aim :
- The aim is to reduce pendency, by resolving issues wherever settlements are possible to prevent
additional litigation swathing the courts.
196. Rajbhasha Awards :
- These awards have been instituted by the Rajbhasha Vibhag (Department of Official
Language), Ministry of Home Affairs to recognize the excellent contribution of Ministries,

Departments and Nationalized Banks etc. in the field of Hindi.

197. Centre hand-picks 20 smart cities for first phase of plan :
- A new chapter in Indias urban history has started with the Smart Cities Mission finally taking
some material shape. Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu announced the list of 20 cities
that have qualified to build smart infrastructure with Rs. 200 crore each from the Central
governments first phase of funding.
- The Ministry has given top rating to Bhubaneswar for its robust Smart City plan. Urging the
countrys mayors towork hardfor the improvement of their municipalities, Mr. Naidu said the
government would soon introduce the credit rating system for cities so as to attract foreign
investors.
- Every city should follow credit rating. Otherwise no one will come and invest from outside."
- With an aim to achieve inclusive growth, the mission promotes integrated city planning,
where the governments policies such as Swachh Bharat Mission and Atal Mission for
Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation complement each other.
- The Central government has created an outside agency named Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV),
which will be headed by a CEO, and will be given powers to execute the proposed
developments and projects.
- The professionally managed SPV will be empowered to execute the smart city projects in a
timely and cost-effective manner while ensuring that the quality of the outcomes is benchmarked
against global standards."
198. What is meant by Credit Rating ?
- An assessment of the creditworthiness of a borrower in general terms or with respect to a
particular debt or financial obligation.
- A credit rating can be assigned to any entity that seeks to borrow money an individual,
corporation, state or provincial authority, or sovereign government.
- Credit assessment and evaluation for companies and governments is generally done by a credit
rating agency such as Standard & Poors, Moodys or Fitch.
- A loan is essentially a promise, and a credit rating determines the likelihood that the borrower
will pay back a loan within the confines of the loan agreement, without defaulting.
- A high credit rating indicates a high possibility of paying back the loan in its entirety without any
issues; a poor credit rating suggests that the borrower has had trouble paying back loans in the past,
and might follow the same pattern in the future.
- The credit rating affects the entity's chances of being approved for a given loan, or receiving
favorable terms for said loan.
- Credit ratings apply to businesses and government, while credit scores apply only to individuals.
(An individual's credit score is reported as a number, generally ranging from 300 to 850).
199. In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Coast Guard, which has already deployed women officers
to operate its fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, has now trained them for operations on board
hovercraft an amphibious craft that patrols in shallow water to check illegal activities in seas,

especially near international maritime boundary lines.

200. SC recalls order appointing Justice Virendra Singh as U.P. Lokayukta :
- Heeding the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Courts objections, the Supreme Court recalled its
order appointing Justice (retired) Virendra Singh as UP Lokayukta.
- A Bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Prafulla C. Pant then appointed another former High
Court judge, Sanjay Misra, as the States anti-corruption ombudsman.
Rare Display of Extraordinary Constitutional Power of Supreme Court :
- The decision follows a prolonged litigation that saw the Bench, fed up with the lack of
consensus among the States constitutional authorities the Chief Minister, the Opposition
leader and the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court (these three collectively appoint
Lokayukta in a state) went ahead with a rare display of its extraordinary powers vested under
Article 142 of the Constitution to appoint Justice Singh as Lokayukta from a list of 5 names
presented to it by the State govt.
201. Just a few days after ordering Arunachal Pradesh Governor J.P. Rajkhowa to respond why he
recommended Presidents rule in the sensitive border State, the Supreme Court recalled the order
saying it made a mistake by not realising that Governors have complete immunity and are
not answerable to courts for acts done in their official capacity.
- However, such immunity to the Governor under Article 361 does not take away the power of the
Supreme Court to examine the validity of his action on the ground of mala fide.
- This means that though the Governor has opted not to be a party in the litigation challenging the
Presidents rule, recommendations and their relevance to the imposition eventual proclamation of
Presidents rule would be scrutinised by the court.
202. 1980 batch IPS oicer Archana Ramasundaram is the first woman to head a paramilitary force.
- She took charge as the Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). The SSB is entrusted
with guarding the countrys frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan.
- She is the first woman chief in the six-decade-long combined history of the five paramilitary
forces, the CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP and the SSB.
203. Vertical Farming :
- Vertical farming as a component of urban agriculture is the practice of producing food in
vertically stacked layers, vertically inclined surfaces and/or integrated in other structures.
- The modern idea of vertical farming uses Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)
technology, where all environmental factors can be controlled.
- These facilities utilize artificial control of light, environmental control (humidity, temperature,
gases,..) and fertigation.
- Some vertical farms use techniques similar to glass houses, where natural sunlight can be
augmented with artificial lighting and metal reflectors.
204. Kala Committee formulated a Draft National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-2031) :
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been implementing the National

Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016).It was adopted by the Indian Board for Wildlife in 2002.
- In order to review the implementation of the Action Plan and to suggest a new Plan of Action for
Wildlife Conservation, the Ministry has constituted a Committee under the chairmanship of Shri J
C Kala, Ex-DGF and Secretary to the Government of India.
- The Committee had convened several meetings and has drafted the National Wildlife Action Plan
(2017-2031).
Draft NWAP (2017-2031)
- The draft emphasizes on aspects like preservation of genetic diversity and sustainable utilization
of species and ecosystem.
- It envisages on 17 key areas includes new area linking wildlife planning to climate change
and Mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, coastal and marine ecosystem conservation
- It focusses on wildlife health.
National Wildlife Action Plan:
- The first National Wildlife Action Plan was adopted in 1983.
- The 2nd came into effect in 2002 and will remain into effect till the end of 2016.
205. INS Sumitra :
- INS Sumitra is the 4th and last Saryu class patrol vessel of the Indian Navy, designed and
constructed by Goa Shipyard Limited.
- It is the presidential yacht of India. It is designed to undertake fleet support operations, coastal
and offshore patrolling, ocean surveillance and monitoring of sea lines of communications and
offshore assets and escort duties.
206. Why is India Pharmacy of World ?
Two main reasons :(a) India's generic industry has been producing many such life-saving medicines at a fraction of
the global price.
(b) Country's generic medicines are a lifeline for millions not only in low and middle-income
countries but also in the developed world.
Other facts supporting this argument :
- The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech might be the first to come out with a vaccine for the
Zika virus if its efficacy can be proved. If it does succeed, this won't be the first time India has
come to the rescue of the world.
- India's generic industry hit global headlines in 2001 when Cipla offered a three-drug cocktail
for AIDS at less than a dollar a day , a fraction of the price charged by multinationals.
- Today, apart from several HIV AIDS drugs, the industry is producing affordable, high quality
medicines for several diseases including hepatitis B and C, cancers, drug-resistant TB and
asthma.
Credits to India's Patent Law :
This has been credited to India's patent law, often held up as a model one in preventing the

abuse of patent monopolies, and in balancing public interest and the growth of the
pharmaceutical industry .
- Typically, the price of many expensive patented drugs in European countries like France, Spain
or the UK is half of what these cost in the US. In countries like Brazil or South Africa, these are a
third or a fifth of the US price. The Indian price is often 1100th.
207. Fertiliser Industry is best candidate for direct benefit transfer :
- Currently, the subsidy is paid through the fertiliser companies. This is totally unnecessary. If the
farmers are given subsidy directly, this will not only stop leakage but will also avoid unnecessary
paper work and red-tapism.
Some imp suggestions :
- There is a need to increase the urea price by at least 15%. The current selling price of urea which
is highly subsidised is almost 1/4th the world price.
- There is a potential over the next 4 years to increase urea price every year gradually so that the
subsidy levels are reduced.
- Further due to the product being very cheap, there is excessive use of urea and this afects the soil.
By increasing the price this can lead to more balanced fertilization and lower subsidy outgo.
* The current move of the Government to grant support to organic compost is a welcome move as
this ensures replacement of carbon into the soil thereby making it more conducive for farming.
Major Challenge in the farm sector :
- relates to irrigation as the%age of land under irrigation is still less than 20-25% and majority of
Indian farmland is rain-fed or monsoon dependent.
- Investment in linking of rivers and building of canals to systematically increase irrigated area
every year should be part of the budget.
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) is the appropriate fertiliser for the small and marginal farmers.
The current system of subsidy is not conducive to promotion of SSP usage.
208. India flags API issue to U.S. govt. :
* Medicines need to be made in the U.S., or in certain designated countries, as per U.S. trade
rules.
- India has sought clarity from the U.S. govt on the ramifications of a recent adjudication, which
gave rise to apprehensions that the medicines procured by the American government should be
only from companies making even the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) either locally or in
certain designated nations such as European Union (EU) members.
- India and China account for about 80% of the U.S.s requirement of API (drug raw materials).
- The determination of the U.S. Homeland Security Department which seemed to imply
that the drugs that contained APIs imported from India and China are ineligible to be sold to the
U.S. government is likely to directly and indirectly hurt Indias API exports to the U.S.
- The U.S. decision has major implications on generic drugs, afordability of medicines and on
efficient sourcing.
- India has flagged the issue to the U.S. at the highest level.

209. Siachen :
Siachen which means the land of roses has the dubious distinction of being the worlds
highest battlefield. It is located in b/w the Karakoram ranges.
- Indian Army sits at heights of 12,000 feet at the Base Camp to 21,000 feet at Bana post on the
glacier, a triangular bit of land between PoK and the part ceded by Pakistan to the Chinese.
- India occupied the glacier in April 1984, narrowly thwarting Pakistans plans.
Effect of Climate Change on Siachen :
- Glaciers across the globe are melting faster due to a rise in surface temperatures induced by
global warming. The biggest enemy the Indian Army is battling in Siachen today is the weather.
- This has spurred the no of avalanche cases and killed around 2000 soldiers on both sides (India
& Pak).
- Glaciers are not only shrinking, but also shortening and thinning because of which they affect the
local conditions. Glaciers are typically present between mountains, and their shrinking affects
the slope gradient of mountains, which in turn afects their stability."
- This resulted in an increase in landslides and avalanches. This is precisely what is unfolding on
Siachen, which sits between the Karakoram ranges.
Monitoring and Forecasting Mechanisms :
- The Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) based in Leh, an institute under the
DRDO, is responsible for monitoring and forecasting mechanisms that are in place across the
glacier and alerts are sent to troops positioned there on a daily basis.
- Combined with better equipment and refined acclimatisation procedures, this has steeply reduced
the casualty rate on the glacier.
India's Strategic Concern in Siachen and its solution :
- While India cannot demilitarise the glacier for strategic reasons, there is a need to find new ways
of predicting the weather as well as reducing the numbers posted on the glacier.
- However, technology cannot fully replace the soldiers there. For, once they are lost, it is near
impossible to retake the icy peaks.

210. Plan to scrap Income tax :

- The proposal from a Pune-based tax research outfit, Arthakranti, advocates replacing the present
tax system, including Income tax and over 30 local, State and Central taxes with a single 2% levy
per receipt in bank accounts and recommends that just import duties be retained from the present
system.
- Arthakrantis proposal envisages a system that does not tax consumption or income, as is the
case now, but the velocity of money.
211. TRAI backs Net Neutrality, rules against diferential rates :
- TRAI barred telecom service providers from charging diferential rates for data services,
effectively prohibiting Facebooks Free Basics and Airtel Zero platform in their current form.

- No service provider shall offer or charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of
content, the regulator ruled in its Prohibition of Discriminatory Tarifs for Data Services
Regulations, 2016.
- It said the prohibition was necessary to keep the Internet open and non-discriminatory.
212. The Indian govt will closely scrutinise the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations (BMGF)
methods of donations in India after an international report accused the world s biggest
philanthropist of influencing govt policies in favour of multinational pharmaceutical companies.
- Unlike other international donors, the BMGF is not registered under the Foreign Contribution
Regulation Act (FCRA), leaving its funding out of the ambit of the Ministry of Home Afairs
(MHA), which is the regulatory authority for NGOs and associations who receive foreign funds.
213. In a first, IMD to bringout summer forecast :
- For the first time in its history, the India Meteorological Department best known for its
monsoon forecasts will issue a summer forecast for April, May and June.
- Though such a forecast may not be of much help to farmers who rely on IMDs rain
forecasts to make sowing decisions and dont plant their crops in these months the
information would be useful to power companies, several service-sector industries and state
planners whod like a heads-up on possible water shortages.
- In mid-March, the IMD will send out a colour-coded map of India, showing how temperatures in
diferent regions of the country are likely to deviate from whats normal, during summer
months.These numbers would be updated every five days.
- IMD officially expunged the worddroughtfrom its vocabulary, months after it correctly
forecast one of Indias severest monsoon deficits last year.
214. India plans to raise its forest cover to 33% of its land area through a planned
afforestation drive. Having the states on board is crucial in this exercise. Forests fall in the
concurrent list of the Constitution, and are the responsibility of the states as well as the centre.
215. Tibet and the surrounding mountains form the third pole. Tibet is an intermont
plateau, viz. it is surrounded by Fold Mountains. Bolivian Plateau is another example of an
intermont plateau.
216. Scientists spot elusive space-time ripples :
- The highly elusive gravitational waves have finally been detected. Understandably, and
justifiably, there is great elation within the global physics community, astro-physicists and
cosmologists in particular.
- After decades of search for these ripples in space-time, which Albert Einstein predicted exactly
100 years ago, scientists working with the gigantic optical instruments in the U.S. called LIGO
[Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory], have detected signals of gravitational
waves emanating from two merging black holes 1.3 billion light years away arriving at their
instruments on the Earth.
Q. What are gravitational waves ?

- These are ripples in space-time that dash across universe at the speed of light.
217. Plan to eliminate malaria by 2030 :
- The Union Health Ministry announced the plan to eliminate malaria from the country by 2030.
This will be the first time that the govts policy intervention will have deliverables and
time-bound targets.
* Under the new framework :
- India will be divided into 3 categories as per malaria prevalence: (1) low, (2) moderate and (3)
endemic States.
- By 2016 end, all States are expected to include malaria elimination in their broader health
policies;
- by the end of 2017, all States are expected to bring down Annual Parasite Incidence [API] to less
than 1 per thousand population; and
- by the end of 2020, 15 States/UTs under category 1 [elimination phase] are expected to interrupt
transmission of malaria and achieve zero indigenous cases and deaths due to malaria.
- It is also envisaged that in States with relatively good capacity and health infrastructure, namely,
Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra, accelerated efforts may usher malaria elimination sooner
within two to three years.
218. Operation Meghdoot :
- It was the code-name for the Indian Armed Forces operation to capture the Siachen Glacier in the
Kashmir, precipitating the Siachen Conflict.
- Launched on 13 April 1984, this military operation was unique as the first assault launched in the
world's highest battlefield. The military action resulted in Indian troops gaining control of the
entire Siachen Glacier.
- Today, the Indian Army deployment to forward positions along so called Actual Ground Position
Line (AGPL) is also sometimes inaccurately referred to as Operation Meghdoot.
219. Just over half of Karnatakas tigers roam amid the woods and shrubs of Bandipur and
Nagarahole. The tiger census report, released early last year, showed the State topping the charts
with the presence of 406 tigers.
- However, the yet-to-be-released reserve-wise list shows that 1,517 sq km of forest patches of
Bandipur which now houses the second largest population of tigers in the world and
Nagarahole Tiger Reserve have 221 tigers in their confines.
220. INS Viraat, the oldest operational aircraft carrier in the world, is expected to be
decommissioned by the end of this year.
- Commissioned as HMS Hermes as part of the Royal Navy, she was in the thick of action during
the Falklands campaign in 1982. After serving the United Kingdom for almost 28 years since 1959,
the carrier was inducted into the Indian Navy as INS Viraat in 1987.
221. Mysuru city in Karnataka retained the top position in Swachh Bharat Rankings for 2015 that
were release by the Ministry of Urban Development.
- Compared to the 2014 rankings, Chandigarh has replaced Tiruchirapalli of Tamil Nadu in the

second rank while Dhanbad of Jharkhand is reeling at the 73rd slot, the lowest rank.
222. Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) :
- The air-to-surface tactical missile being developed by Defence Research and Development
Laboratory (DRDL) will target the enemys air defence capabilities by attacking radars and
communication facilities.
Range : 100-125 km.
Working :
- It will be mounted on combat aircraft Sukhoi (Su-30) and Tejas Light Combat Aircraft. The
missile picks up the radiation or signals of radars and communication facilities and homes on to
the targets to destroy them.
Global Scenario :
- Only a few countries, including the U.S. and Germany, have ARMs at present.
223. Bharati Research Station :
- It is the name of an Antarctic research station commissioned by India.
- It is India's 3rd Antarctic research facility and one of two active Indian research stations,
alongside Maitri.
- India's first committed research facility, Dakshin Gangotri, is currently being used as a
supply base.
- The research station has been operational since March 18, 2012, though it is still being run on
trial basis and formal launch is awaited.
- Since its completion, India became one of nine nations to have multiple stations within the
Antarctic Circle.
Focus Area :
(i) oceanographic studies and the phenomenon of continental breakup.
(ii) facilitates research to refine the current understanding of the Indian subcontinent's geological
history.
224. IndARC :
- The interaction between the Arctic ice shelf and the deep sea and its influence on climate shift
requires detailed studies over an annual seasonal cycle.
- Therefore, IndARC, the Indias first underwater moored observatory, has been deployed in
the Kongsfjorden fjord, half way between Norway and the North Pole.
- It will collect real-time data on seawater temperature, salinity, ocean currents and other
vital parameters of the fjord.
Himadri Station :
- It is India's first Arctic research station located at Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway. It is located
at the International Arctic Research base, Ny-lesund.

- It was inaugurated on the 1st of July, 2008 by the Minister of Earth Sciences.
- It was set up during India's second Arctic expedition in June 2008. It is located at a distance of
1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from the North Pole.
225. LIGO-India Project :
Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO)
- It is piloted by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Department of Science and Technology
(DST).
Co-ordinating Institutions :
- The LIGO-India project will be jointly coordinated and executed by 3 Indian research
institutions:
(i) the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune and Department
of Atomic Energy organisations:
(ii) Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), Gandhinagar and
(iii) the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore.
- LIGO-India will also bring considerable opportunities in cutting edge technology for the Indian
industry which will be engaged in the construction of an 8 km long beam-tube at ultra-high
vacuum on a levelled terrain.
- Another ambitious mega-science project, the Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO) projecta
proposed, under-ground observatory in Tamil Nadu to detect ephemeral particles called neutrinos
had been cleared by the Centre in 2015, after several years of deliberations.
226. UNODCs recent initiative Networking the Networks
(especially its component on illicit financial flows) targets these two goals :
(a) Connect the existing international and regional law enforcement cooperation centres to enable
fast inter-regional cooperation;
(b) Use the capacities of these networks to disrupt organized crime and the illicit financial flows
related to it through the exchange of intelligence and providing platform for coordination of
joint/parallel operations.
* Labour disputes, under the 7th Schedule in the Indian Constitution is a List III subject.
227. Precursor Trafficking is the trafficking of chemicals used for illegal drug-production.
228. West Bengal tea industrys cup of woes :
(i) The age of the tea-bushes, most over 50 years old, is an issue.
(ii) Same has been the case for factories most are old and have failed to modernise.
(iii) Average price realization of teas have been irregular.
(iv) Employment costs including the cash component of wages account for 60% of the production
cost.
(v) The Plantation Labour Act , 1951 (PLA) under which organised Indian tea industry is required

to provide facilities like housing, electricity, warm clothing, firewood, medical facilities either free
or subsidized, inflates costs.
(vi) The Rs.100 crore welfare fund for the state tea industry is yet to be operationalised.
229. Amendment to the Delimitation Act, 2002 and the Representation of the People
Act, 1950 :
- The Union Cabinet has given its approval to amend section 11 of the Delimitation Act, 2002
and section 9 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Objective behind this Amendment :
- To enable Election Commission to carry out limited delimitation of Assembly and
Parliamentary Constituencies in the Cooch Behar District of West Bengal after the exchange of
51 Bangladeshi enclaves and 111 Indian enclaves respectively between India and Bangladesh
was completed in July, 2015.
- This is in pursuance of the Constitution (One 100th Amendment regarding Land Boundary
Agreement) Act, 2015 and also allows for introduction of a Bill, namely, the Election Laws
(Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Parliament.
230. Light- Fidelity (Li-Fi) :
-It is a new technology that uses light waves, instead of radio frequency wave, as a medium to
carry data.
- An improvised LED bulb functions as a router.
231. Unemployment down in urban centres, but persists in rural areas, says survey :
Q. What is Unemployment Rate ?
- Unemployment rate is defined as the number of persons unemployed as a proportion of the
labour force (persons who are either working or seeking or available for work), not the total
population.
- The unemployment rate in urban areas reduced from 4.5% in 2004-05 to 3.4% in 2011-12, new
data from the National Sample Survey Office show.
- In rural areas, the rate has been stable at around 1.7% during this period.
- A/c to the survey, which was conducted in 2011-12 and released on Feb 19, 2016, the
unemployment rate across all the religious groups in rural areas was on the lower side than those
in urban areas for both males and females.
- Christians have the highest rate of unemployment in both rural (4.5%) and urban (5.9%) areas in
2011-12.
- Unemployment level in India is highest among those people who are richer and more educated.
Reaso: Poor people cant aford to stay unemployed, and hence, opt for any kind of work,
irrespective of the nature of the job.
- The better off have the capacity to be unemployed as they look for the right job. Christians are

the most educated group, hence unemployment rate is higher among them. Data from the report
supports the claim.
- At 3.3%, Hindus have the lowest unemployment rate in urban areas.
232. The West Bengal government is planning to get Geographical Identification (GI) tag for four
traditional sweetmeat delicacies of the State to help protect them from imitations.
- The four sweetmeats are Moa of Jainagar, Sarpuria of Krishnagar, and Sitabhog
and Mihidana of Burdwan.
GI Tag :
- AGI tag is given to products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a
reputation that are due to that origin.
233. To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria:
(i) It must have at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics which is to say, it must have a
high%age of plant life found nowhere else on the planet. A hotspot, in other words, is
irreplaceable.
(ii)It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation. In other words, it must be
threatened.
234. Vijay Kelkar Committee :
- to look into and suggest reforms for the public-private partnership (PPP) model in infrastructure
projects.
235. As coral is degraded, it is replaced by algae and hence the ratio of algae to coral is an
indicator of reef condition in coral islands.
- Coral reefs are home to a quarter of all ocean fish species. They protect shorelines from storms
and provide food for millions of people, yet very little of the world's reef area has been studied
scientifically.
236. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) :
- NIIF is a fund created by the Government of India for enhancing infrastructure financing in the
country. This is different from the National Investment Fund.
Objective:
To maximize economic impact mainly through infrastructure development in commercially viable
projects, both greenfield and brownfield, including stalled projects. It could also consider other
nationally important projects, for example, in manufacturing, if commercially viable.
237. The J. M. Lyngdoh Committee was set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development
(MHRD) in 2006 as per the direction of the Supreme Court to reform students' union elections and
to get rid of money and muscle power in student politics.
238. The government is likely to announce its National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy.

- The policy -- which will be entirely compliant with the WTOs agreement on Trade Related
aspects of IPRs (TRIPS) --will, as per PM's suggestion, have a special thrust on awareness
generation and effective enforcement of IPRs, besides encouragement of IP commercialisation
through various incentives.
- However, the policy will not suggest any changes in the existing Indian IPR laws or other related
policies on the patent-disabling Compulsory Licencing (CL) and the provision-preventing
'ever-greening' of drug patents (done through minor modifications of an existing drug).
- The move to retain the provisions on CLs comes even as the European Union and the US have
been pressing India to make changes in this regard toboost innovation, research and development
(R&D) and foreign investment in India.
- As per Mr. Modi's suggestion, the IPR Policy will focus on creating IPR awareness at
school/college level by making it a part of syllabus/curriculum, and promote organisations such as
the National Research Development Corporation to help commercialise the inventions / patents
developed at the level of educational institutes.
- The policy will also suggest incentives such as tax benefits and fee waivers to encourage R&D
and IP creation to strengthen the Make In India/Start-up/Digital India initiatives.
-To protect 'small inventions' developed especially in the informal / unorganised sectors, the policy
will promote 'utility patents' (with lower compliance burden and shorter period of protection,
when compared to the normal patents) only for mechanical innovations.
- This 'utility patents' may not be extended to the pharmaceutical sector considering the
sensitivities involved in ensuring the efficacy of the drugs.
239. The operating ratio of Railways for year 2016-17 has been projected to 92% in this year's rail
budget.
Q. What is Operating Ratio here ?
Ans- It means, the Railways will spend 92 paisa to earn a rupee. This is operating ratio.
- Operating ratio is a measure of financial performance of the Indian Railways and a lower ratio
means better efficiency.
240. Bank Board Bureau :
- The PM approved the setting up of the Bank Board Bureau with former CAG of India Vinod Rai
as its first Chairman.
- The BBB is a crucial step because once it becomes operational, the government can distance
itself from the process of appointments of chief executives and board members in banks.
- Such a move was originally proposed by the P.J. Nayak Committee which was set up by RBI
governor.
- BBB will be independent of the govt. & RBI both.
Its Role :
- The Bureau is mandated to play a critical role in reforming the troubled public sector banks by
recommending appointments to leadership positions and boards in those banks and advise them on
ways to raise funds and how to go ahead with mergers and acquisitions.
-With a view to improve the governance of public sector banks, the government had decided to

set up an autonomous Bank Board Bureau.

- The bureau will recommend for selection the heads of public sector banks and financial
institutions and help banks in developing strategies and capital raising plans.
- It will constantly engage with the boards of all 22 public sector banks to formulate appropriate
strategies for their growth and development.
- The bureau, led by Mr Rai, will select the heads of public sector banks (even from the private
sector, if need be) and aid them in formulating strategies to raise additional capital.
- It will select and appoint non-executive chairmen and non-official directors.
241. A letter rogatory or letter of request is a formal request from a court to a foreign court for
some type of judicial assistance. The most common remedies sought by letters rogatory are
service of process and taking of evidence.
242. Cattle egrets, a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm
temperate zones.
243. Ocean Acidification & Coral Reefs :
- Ocean acidification arises when nearly 25% of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere and
absorbed by the oceans reacts with water to form carbonic acid.
- The carbonic acid thus produced leads to ocean acidification by decreasing the pH of the ocean,
reducing the concentration of carbonate ion (which is essential for organisms such as corals and
clams to build their shells and skeletons) and a decreased aragonite mineral saturation state (a
measure of the availability of dissolved carbonate and calcium ions).
- Coral reefs, which provide marine ecosystems comparable to tropical rain forests, are most
vulnerable to ocean acidification.
- todays oceans are already 30% more acidic than they were before the Industrial Revolution.
Increasing the pH of the ocean to make it more alkaline than acidic will provide an ideal condition
for coral reefs to grow.
- The reduction in calcification as a result of acidification is projected to shift coral reefs from a
state of net accretion to one of net dissolution this century.
Effect of Global Warming :
- Global warming has not only increased the acidity of the oceans but has also elevated the sea
surface temperature.
- While a warming ocean would have initially favoured coral reefs and led to more growth, the
continued increase has proved harmful.
- Hence, coral reefs suffer from the combined onslaught of both acidification and elevated sea
surface temperature.
244. The rate of rise of sea level globally has lessened by 20% during the last decade, according to
a new study.
- This is becauseof 3.2 trillion tons of excess liquid water storage on land in aquifers, lakes and

other water bodies. Though glaciers and ice bergs have been steadily melting, the earth has been
behaving like a sponge and absorbing the water which should otherwise have flowed back to the
oceans from the land, thus closing the hydrological cycle.
# Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) :
- twin satellites orbiting the earth to calculate the amounts of water stored in the continents
globally and the changes in these water quantities.
- By measuring the distance between the two GRACE satellites to within the width of a strand of
human hair as they orbit the Earth, researchers can detect changes in Earths gravitational pull that
result from regional changes in the amount of water across Earths surface.
245. Constitution Bench to decide if MPs, MLAs can be disqualified upon framing of charges :
- Opening its 3rd chapter against corruption in politics, the Supreme Court decided to lay down
the law on whether the country should even wait until a corrupt legislator is convicted to have him
disqualified from Parliament or Assembly.
- The question is :- Whether a legislator facing criminal trial should be disqualified at the very
stage of framing of charges against him by the trial court or should his disqualification be kept in
abeyance till he is convicted?
246. Mystery behind Mercurys darkness solved :
- Mercury appears to be dark due to the abundance of carbon that originated deep below the
surface of our solar systems innermost planet, a new study has found.
- The planet reflects much less sunlight than the Moon, on which surface darkness is controlled by
the abundance of ironrich minerals that are known to be rare on Mercury's surface.
MESSENGER :
- The researchers obtained data from NASA s MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space
ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft, the first space mission designed to orbit
Mercury.
247. Opposition sees amendment through in Rajya Sabha, again :
- In what is a major embarrassment to the govt in the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition got an
amendment passed to the Presidents address, the 2nd time in a row for the govt and the 5th time
in independent Indias parliamentary history.
- This despite PM Narendra Modi appealing to the Opposition not to move the amendment, when
he began his speech, responding to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President for his
address.
248. Even after a curb on the use of Diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug acknowledged to have
caused the decimation of vultures in the Indian subcontinent, the nests of vultures are dwindling in
the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS), a safe habitat for diferent species of the birds in
Wayanad, Kerala.
249. India closer to having its own GPS system :
- ISRO successfully put into orbit Indias 6th dedicated navigation satellite, the IRNSS-1F, from

Sriharikota.
- The satellite was launched on-board Indias workhorse launch vehicle, the Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle (PSLV). PSLV C-32 lifted off the satellite.
- IRNSS is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in India and the
region extending up to 1,500 km from the border.
- The IRNSS-1F carried two payloads the navigation payload and ranging payload.
- We have only one more satellite in this constellation to complete our sequence of seven satellites
for the regional navigation system which we expect to do sometime next month, i.e. April 2016.
The signals will be available in one month, i.e. by May 2016.
- With this launch, India inches closer to having its own navigation system (like a GPS).
250. A Human Rights Issue :
- South Sudan has encouraged fighters to rape women in place of wages, while children have been
burnt alive, the UN said, calling it one of the worlds most horrendous human rights
situations.
- These grotesque rights violations could amount to war crimes in the worlds youngest country
(South Sudan).
Genesis of Civil War :
- After gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan erupted into civil war in
December 2013, setting of a cycle of retaliatory killings that have split the poverty-stricken,
landlocked country along ethnic lines.
Remedy :
- The UN urged the rapid creation of a hybrid court, as called for in an August 2015 peace
agreement, to try the perpetrators of grave violations. If that fails, it called on the UN Security
Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
251. Kalvari class Submarine :
- It is a class of submarines based on the Scorpne-class submarine being built for the Indian
Navy.
- It is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine which is designed by French naval defence and
energy company DCNS and being manufactured at Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.
252. Minimum Import Price (MIP) on Steel :
- On February 5, 2016 the government had imposed the MIP ranging from $341 to $752 per tonne
on 173 steel products aimed at providing relief to the domestic steelmakers from unfairly low
priced imports of the items.
- MIP conditions were valid for six months from the date of the notification or until further orders,
whichever is earlier. The landed unit cost of these items must not be below the specified MIP.
- The MIP is a form of quantitative restriction not seen as compliant with the World Trade
Organisation norms.

253. Mitigating Arctic Warming :

- In these days of global warming and climate change leading to melting icebergs and glaciers in
the Arctic and Antarctic regions, here comes some cheer in the form of a study that finds that
warming in the Arctic region can be reduced by 0.2 degrees C by 2050 by cutting down emissions
of short-lived climate forcers black carbon, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile
organic compounds, organic carbon and tropospheric ozone.
Short-lived climate forcers :
- These are particulate matter of various kinds emitted into the atmosphere by natural and
anthropogenic sources and which stay in the atmosphere for at most a period of one month.
- Cutting down their emissions can bring in results quickly. They are unlike carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases which stay in the atmosphere for years.
- Black carbon and ozone precursors lead to warming, while sulphur-rich and organic carbon-rich
emissions form sunlight-scattering aerosols that have a cooling effect, or negative radiative
forcing.
- Ozone precursors (CO, NOx and VOCs) affect climate through the formation of ozone, a potent
greenhouse gas and cause warming.
254. Geographical Indications :
- GIs support and protect local production (as opposed to global production), generate local
employment and are mostly untouched by industrialisation, originating in villages or small towns.
- Since consistent quality is a must in GI-branded goods, and often cements itself as a consumer
recollection point, producers are expected to diligently follow specific production methods.
GI in India :
- Complying with WTO obligations, India enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods
(Registration & Protection) Act, 1999 (GI Act) and has set up a registry in Chennai to register such
names.
- Covering agricultural goods, manufactured and natural goods, textiles, handicrafts and foodstufs,
the GI Registrys website lists 238 registered names as of March 2016.
- While the list has popular GIs like Basmati rice, Darjeeling tea and Pashmina shawls, many
names on the list are lesser known or never heard of, despite being in existence for decades.
GI & Make in India :
- Despite the gradual rise in GI registrations, the role and scope of GIs in the Make in India
programme has perhaps remained unnoticed in discussions.
- Considering that GI-branded goods can be made 100% in India without the need for any FDI and
that they can promote socio-economic development of the respective regions, GIs are perhaps the
most ideal IP rights to foster and realise a programme like Make in India.
# Indias GI Act does not lay much emphasis on inspection and monitoring mechanisms for GI
protection in terms of quality of products.
255. Tax regime of NPS :
- Under the NPS framework, at the time of retirement, 40% (of corpus) is mandatorily annuitised

and that is tax free.

- Now, as per Budget 2016-17, 40% of the rest that may be withdrawn as a lump sum is also tax
free.
-So if one annuitises 60% of his balance (instead of 40%), technically, yes, its tax-free
(entirely), the PFRDA chairman explained.
- If one dont buy an annuity beyond the mandatory 40%, then 20% of his NPS balance would
be taxable, he added.
256. Justice A.P. Shah Committee :
- A Committee on Direct Tax matters chaired by Justice A.P. Shah was constituted with the
initial mandate to examine the matter relating to levy of MAT on FIIs/FPIs for the period
prior to 01.04.2015.
- The Government has accepted the recommendation of the Committee to clarify the
inapplicability of MAT to FIIs/FPIs and has decided that an appropriate amendment to the
Income-tax Act will be carried out. Through the amendment the Government proposes to clarify
that MAT provisions will not be applicable to FIIs/FPIs not having a place of business/
permanent establishment in India, for the period prior to 01.04.2015.
257. Indusry 4.0 :
- It is the 4th stage of Industrial revolution of the world. It involves the use of computer +
Networking. All stages are as follows :
Industry 1.0 = Mechanization was introduced in factories using hydel & steam power.
Industry 2.0 = Electricity came into use to operationalize mass prodution, assembly line
production.
Inustry 3.0 = Computer and Automation through the use of computers introduced.
Industry 4.0 = Use of cyber - physical processes introduced.
What is a Cyber-Physial process ?
- Any process involving Computation + Networking + Physical Processes.
e.g. =
(a) Robots:- Various computers are assembled in a line, networking is used to send signals and
then robot does physical processes.
- If similar mechanism is introduced in factories or introduced widely, then it is an example of
Industrial Revolution 4.0
(b) Use of drones for studying weather, terrorist activities etc.
(c) Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) doing physical experiments to understand the geomorphology
and atmosphere of Mars. etc............
Few basic principles of this Industry 4.0 :
(i) Interoperability:- cyber-physical process, humans and smart factories are interconnected and
they work together.

(ii) Virtualization:- devices like drones, robots or such, creates an environment of virtual factory
which is further used to further simplify the processes.
(iii) Decentralisation:- These cyber physical systems work and decides on their own.
e.g.= robot will decide what to do next. It will take its own decision. Drone will decide how to
strike, how to study, how to take action etc.
258. The 45-km Palakkad gap in the Western Ghats is facing serious environmental destruction
largely owing to indiscriminate sand and granite mining.
- Massive deforestation is killing the Bharathapuzha and its tributaries, which flow through the
area, and its highly fragile eco-systems.
- Palakkad gap in the Westetn ghats in Kerala region is also called as Palghat gap.
- Major gaps in the range are the Goa Gap, between the Maharashtra and Karnataka sections, and
the Palghat Gap on the Tamil Nadu and Kerala border between the Nilgiri Hills and the Anaimalai
Hills.
259. Palni Hills - Tamil Nadu
Nilgiri Hills- situated in the western part of Tamil Nadu at the junction of Karnataka
and Kerala.
Anaimalai Hills- in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Kawal Tiger Reserve- Adilabad distt. of Telangana.
# Bedaquiline a new drug for Drug Resistant TB.
World Tuberculosis Day - 22 March.
260. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs cleared doubling of railway lines in many parts
of India.
261. Safeguard Duty on few Steel imports :
- The govt will soon decide whether or not to extend the safeguard duty on certain items of steel
imports till March 2018.
Q. What is Safeguard Duty ?
- The safeguard duty is a trade remedy recognised by the WTO. It is a temporary measure to
counter the adverse impact caused to the domestic industry (local steel producers in this case) due
to a sudden and unforeseen surge in (low-priced) imports of the item (largely hot-rolled coils in
the case under review).
- The govt had on Sept 14, 2015, imposed a 20% provisional safeguard duty on several
hot-rolled products of steel for up to 200 days following an order from the Directorate General
(DG) of Safeguards. The DG Safeguards had recently recommended the extension of this duty till
March 13, 2018.
Concerns of user industries :

- Industries that are users of these steel items including the engineering (automobile, industrial
machinery and defence components) sectorhave sent representations to the govt stating that
measures including the Minimum Import Price (MIP) as well as the provisional safeguard duty
have already increased their raw material costs and are hurting their competitiveness, including in
markets overseas.
262. India's Rotavirus Vaccine Launched :
- Inching a step closer to universal immunisation, the Health Ministry launched the countrys first,
indigenous rotavirus vaccine to combat diarrhoeal deaths.
- It is an historic moment for the country. The launch of Rotavac is a new milestone towards
expanding the coverage of full immunisation in the country aimed at reducing child mortality".
- Diarrhoea caused by Rotavirus is one of the leading causes of severe diarrhoea and death among
children less than 5 years of age. In India, between 80,000 to 1 lakh children die due to Rotavirus
diarrhoea annually.
- The vaccine was being introduced initially in 4 States Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh and Odisha and would be expanded to the entire country in a phased manner.
Benefits of this Rotavac :
- It will not only improve the health of our children but also reduce hospitalisation and other
conditions associated with diarrhoea due to Rotavirus such as malnutrition, delayed physical and
mental development among children.
- Reduced hospitalisation lower the economic burden on the family and the health cost burden on
the country.
Its Development :
- The Rotavirus vaccine was developed indigenously, under a public-private partnership b/w the
Ministry of Science & Technology and the Health Ministry.
Now a total of 4 new vaccines under Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) :
- The Rotavac is in addition to 3 new vaccines that have been introduced in India's UIP including
Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), Measles Rubella (MR) vaccine, and Adult Japanese Encephalitis
(JE) vaccine.
- With these new vaccines, India's UIP will provide free vaccines against 12 life threatening
diseases, to 27 million children annually, the largest birth cohort in the world. - The IPV was
introduced in six States from Nov. 30, 2015 for double protection against polio.
Japanese Encephalitis- It is a viral disease prevalent in south-east Asia, caused by Japanese
encephalitis virus transmitted by mosquito.
# Madras Atomic Power Station - at Kalpakkam.
263. The Defence Ministry unveiled the new Defence Procurement Policy, intended primarily to
improve indigenous procurement.
- The new policy would give top priority to speedy procurement, focus on indigenous design and
development and lay emphasis on Make in India.

What is new in DPP- 2016 ?

- Under the new DPP, the govt has introduced a newly incorporated procurement class called
Buy (Indian-IDDM) , where IDDM stands for Indigenous Designed Developed and
Manufactured.
- This would be the first preference in all acquisitions starting April 2016, when the DPP will go
into effect. The category refers to procurement from an Indian vendor, products that are
indigenously designed, developed and manufactured with a minimum of 40% local content, or
products having 60% indigenous content if not designed and developed within the country.
- The policy has also significantly liberalised the offset liability for foreign vendors, which makes
it compulsory for companies to invest, or source, at least 30% of the contract value in India.
264. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, on March 23, announced that the subsidy rates
for nitrogen and phosphatic nutrients would be cut by Rs.5 a kg and Rs.5.4 a kg, respectively,
amounting to a 25-30% reduction. The subsidy rate for potassic nutrients was kept largely
unchanged.
265. 100% FDI in e-commerce retail :
- The govt. allowed 100% FDI through the automatic route in the market-place model of
e-commercer retailing, bringing in long overdue clarity on FDI policy for the sector as well as
definition of marketplace format.
- As per the guidelines issued by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) on
FDI in e-commerce, FDI has not been permitted in inventory-based model.
- At present, 100% FDI is permitted in B2B (business-to-business) transactions under the
automatic route.
- The marketplace model has been defined as providing aninformation technology platform by an
e-commerce entity on a digital and electronic network to act as a facilitator between buyer and
seller.
266. Decline of pollinators threatens food supply :
- Most of our staple food crops such as wheat, rice, sorghum, barley and maize do not require
animals for their pollination. However, wild pollinators play a very important role in the
production of other crops such as some pulses, sunflower seeds, cardamom, cofee, cashew nuts,
oranges, mangoes and apples.
- The wild pollinators are declining, and their loss will imperil our food supply, warns a recent
United Nations report.
- The large scientific panel was brought together by the Intergovernmental Platform on
Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES) to study on this issue.
IPBES :
- The IPBES, with its secretariat in Germany, is administered by the UN, including the United
Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP).
- Created in 2012 by more than 100 governments, the IPBES seeks to provide scientific

information about biodiversity and ecosystem services to policymakers of the member countries.
- It was was established as an intergovernmental body akin to the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC). Reports of the IPCC have become the basis of policies on climate change.
It is assumed that the IPBES will have the same impact on policymaking as the IPCC.
Efforts made by India :
- The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has recently launched a programme
to establish a network of Indian Long Term Ecological Observatories (I-LTEO) to monitor the
countrys ecosystems. The ILTEO network ofers tremendous opportunities to monitor wild
pollinators.
267. Budget sets priorities for govt spending :
- Budget 2016-17 has introduced a new classification system for the Centres spending.
- The new system divides Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) into 3 categories:
(i) Core of the Core :- expenditure allocation formula is 75:25 (Centre:States).
(ii) Core :- expenditure allocation formula is 60:40 (Centre:States).
(iii) Optional Schemes :- expenditure allocation formula is 50:50 (Centre:States).
- This system is based on the recommendations of a sub-committee of chief ministers formed by
Niti Aayog for the rationalisation of the CSS.
- Under the new classification, 8 schemes will be classified as Core of the Core. including
MGNREGA and all the umbrella schemes for the upliftment of minorities, SCs & STs.
- The Core schemes, 33 in number, include schemes as far-ranging as the Krishi Unnati Yojana,
the Smart Cities Programme, and the modernisation of the police force.
268. Variation of Insolation at the surfaces of the Earth :
- During its revolution around the sun, the earth is farthest from the sun (152 million km) on
4th July. This position of the earth is called aphelion. On 3rd January, the earth is the
nearest to the sun (147 million km). This position is called perihelion. Therefore, the annual
insolation received by the earth on 3rd January is slightly more than the amount received on 4th
July.
- However, the effect of this variation in the solar output is masked by other factors like the
distribution of land and sea and the atmospheric circulation. Hence, this variation in the solar
output does not have great effect on daily weather changes on the surface of the earth.
- The fact that the earths axis makes an angle of 66.5 deg with the plane of its orbit round the
sun has a greater influence on the amount of insolation received at different latitudes.
- Maximum insolation is received over the subtropical deserts, where the cloudiness is the
least. Equator receives comparatively less insolation than the tropics. Generally, at the same
latitude the insolation is more over the continent than over the oceans. In winter, the middle
and higher latitudes receive less radiation than in summer.
269. GM- Mustard :
- GM mustard is likely to be the first transgenic seed, to be available in farmer fields. It has had a
tumultuous history in India with activist groups claiming that it will be a gateway to several other

GM food crops tomato, rice, brinjal, etc. and that these may pose health and ecological
risks. Currently, GM cotton is the only transgenic crop commercially available in farmer fields.
- Hybrids varieties are generally known to produce greater yields but they necessitate farmers to
keep going to seed companies every year to buy fresh seed.
270. States with Bicameral Legislature blow trumpet of Death :
i.e. MAUT Ka BaJa :
M- Maharashtra
A- Andhra Pradesh (not Arunachal)
U- Uttar Pradesh (not Uttarakhand)
T- Telangana
Ka- Karnataka
Ba- Bihar
Ja- Jammu & Kashmir
271. Gyan Chakra :
- The purpose of the recently launched Gyan Chakra of Indian Armys Western Command is
to work as a think tank on strategic and national security issues.
- It will provide a platform to army veterans and thinkers to pursue research on strategic and
national security issues. It has been established as an extension of the Khetarpal Oicers Institute
(KOI), Chandimandir.
272. Olive Ridley :
- The olive ridley is a sea turtle, also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a medium-sized
species of sea turtle found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian
Oceans.
In India :
- Wildlife authorities have launched a massive exercise to conserve Olive Ridley turtles in the
Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) in Andhra Pradesh.
- An unprecedented number of over 10,500 eggs of the turtles have been collected since early
March. They are being conserved in the rookeries set up within the KWS limits.
273. The Crested serpent Eagle & Other Summer Migratory Birds in Delhi :
- The crested serpent eagle has been spotted in the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Delhi.
- The crested serpent eagle is one of the raptor species, which is mostly found in Bangladesh,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and India. In India, only one among the four species of serpent
eagles is found. But, it is extremely uncommon in Delhi.
- The Asian koel and rosy starling, which is a passage migrant, and the common rosefinch have
come in good numbers.

- Among the summer water birds, only two species have arrived Blyths reed warbler, which
is also a passage migrant, and the black-bellied tern.
- Other summer terrestrial and water birds which generally fly to the sanctuary around summer,
include the greenish warbler, Indian cuckoo, Asian paradise flycatcher, streaked weaver, jacobin
cuckoo, Indian golden oriole, ashy drongo, lesser whistling duck, pheasant-tailed jacana, cotton
pygmy goose, wiretailed swallow, little tern and cinnamon bittern.
274. Over 80% ofIndias population is not covered under any health insurance scheme, says the
latest National Sample Survey (NSS).
- The data reveals that despite seven years of the Centre-run Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana
(RSBY), only 12% of the urban and 13% of the rural population had access to insurance cover.
- Around 86% of the rural population and 82% of the urban population were not covered under
any scheme of health expenditure support.
275. 3rd Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation- in New Delhi.
- The number of wild tigers has gone up globally by 22% to 3,890, from the 2010 estimate of
3,200, based on the best available data, according to the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger
Forum (GTF).
- 2nd Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation was held at Thimphu, Bhutan.
- 1st Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation was held at Hua Hin, Thailand.
276. Indias official weather forecasting agency has said that the monsoon is likely to be above
normal and likely to be 106 per cent of the average of 89 cm.
- Monsoon rains within 96 per cent and 104 per cent of this average are considered normal in
the terminology of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
- Several reasons underlie the IMDs optimism. Most importantly, it hinges on a waning El Nino
a global, meteorological phenomenon thats associated with a warming of the waters of
Central Pacific and correlated with droughts in India and the historical observation that 7 out
of 10 years, in the last century, that followed an El Nino saw normal or above normal monsoon
rains in India.
- The years 2014 and 2015 were among the strongest El Nino years in meteorological history and
were blamed for the successive drought years. Though Pacific temperatures havent cooled
enough, El Nino neutral conditions are expected to set in between June and July.
277. Haryana Government decided to rename Gurgaon as Gurugram. The decision to change
the name of Gurgaon was taken on the basis of several representations recommending
Gurugram as the appropriate name for the city.
- Its neighbouring district Mewat has been renamed Nuh. Haryana was a historic land of the
Mahabharata period and Gurgaon was a great centre of learning where Guru Dronacharya taught
the Pandavas and Kauravas.
- The town derived its name from Guru Dronacharya, who was gifted the village as
gurudakshina by his students, the Pandavas. It came to be known as Gurugram, which in
the course of time got distorted to Gurgaon.

278. Compulsory licensing :

- Compulsory licensing is when a government allows someone else to produce the patented
product or process without the consent of the patent owner.
- A compulsory license provides that the owner of a patent or copyright licenses the use of their
rights against payment either set by law or determined through some form of adjudication or
arbitration.
- In essence, under a compulsory license, an individual or company seeking to use another's
intellectual property can do so without seeking the rights holder's consent, and pays the
rights holder a set fee for the license.
In terms of Generic drug making Indian Pharmaceutical Companies :- Compulsory licensing overrides patents and allows generics firms in India to launch cheap
copies of medicines manufactured by big Western drugmakers.
- India first issued a compulsory license for a medicine in 2012, allowing Natco Pharma to sell a
copy of German drugmaker Bayer's cancer drug Nexavar at a tenth of the original price. The move
was criticized by large multinationals.
279. Blue Baby Syndrome :
- It is widely believed to be caused by nitrate contamination in groundwater resulting in
decreased oxygen carrying capacity of hemoglobin in babies leading to death.
- The groundwater can be contaminated by leaching of nitrate generated from fertilizer and
chemicals used in agricultural lands, waste dumps or pit latrines.
- Cases of blue baby syndrome have for example been reported in villages in Romania and
Bulgaria where the groundwater has been polluted with nitrate leaching from pit latrines.
# The ideal N:P:K ratio in fertilizer is 4:2:1.
# The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in 1974 to provide for the
prevention and control of water pollution, and for the maintaining or restoring of wholesomeness
of water in the country. The Act was amended in 1988.
# The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act was enacted in 1977 to reduce
pollution.
# The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
# The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
# The Environment (Protection) Acct was enacted in 1986.
# The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991.
# The Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
- These all above #-marked acts and related issues come under the purview and jurisdiction of
National Green Tribunal. NGT has is headquartered at New Delhi. It has 4 other regional
benches:
(a) Pune (Western Bench)
(b) Bhopal (Central Bench)
(c) Kolkata (Eastern Bench)
(d) Chennai (Southern Bench).

- The Chairperson of the NGT is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court, Head Quartered in
Delhi. Other Judicial members are retired Judges of High Courts. Each bench of the NGT will
comprise of at least one Judicial Member and one Expert Member. Expert members should have a
professional qualification and a minimum of 15 years experience in the field of environment/forest
conservation and related subjects.
280. Watershed management :
- It basically refers to efficient management and conservation of surface and groundwater
resources.
- It involves prevention of runoff and storage and recharge of groundwater through various
methods like percolation tanks, recharge wells, etc.
- However, in broad sense watershed management includes conservation, regeneration and
judicious use of all resources.
- Watershed management aims at bringing about balance between natural resources on the
one hand and society on the other.
Haryali
- It is a watershed development project sponsored by the Central Government which aims at
enabling the rural population to conserve water for drinking, irrigation, fisheries and
afforestation.
- The Project is being executed by Gram Panchayats with peoples participation.
- Tamil Nadu has made water harvesting structures in the houses compulsory. No building can be
constructed without making structures for water harvesting.
281. S.S. Tarapore Committee :- recommended Capital Account Convertibility (CAC) twice in
1997 & 2007.
282. Rainbow revolution :
- It is an integral development programme of agriculture, horticulture, forestry, sugarcane, fishery,
poultry and animal husbandry.
283. List of Revolutions in the field of Agriculture in India :
Black Revolution Petroleum Production
Blue Revolution Fish Production
Brown Revolution Leather/non-conventional(India)/Cocoa production
Golden Fibre Revolution Jute Production
Golden Revolution Fruits/Overall Horticulture development/Honey Production
Green Revolution Food grains

Grey Revolution Fertilizer

Pink Revolution Onion production/Pharmaceutical(India)/Prawn production
Red Revolution Meat and Tomato Production
Round Revolution Potato
Silver Fiber Revolution Cotton
Silver Revolution Egg/Poultry Production
White Revolution (In India: Operation Flood) Milk/Dairy production
Yellow Revolution Oil Seeds production
Evergreen Revolution Overall development of Agriculture
Rainbow Revolution- agriculture, horticulture, forestry, sugarcane, fishery, poultry and
animal husbandry.
- Mnemonic for 7 different fields of Rainbow Revolution :
AFSPA Fauran Hatao :
A- Agriculture
F- Forestry
S- Sugarcane
P- Poultry
A- Animal Husbandry
F- Fishery
H- Horticulture

(Fauran)
(Hatao)

284. Google, in association with RailTel, the telecom arm of the Indian Railways, announced
the roll out of free WiFi services at nine more stations after Mumbai Central, bringing high-speed
Internet access to about 1.5 million passengers and visitors.The companies are also looking at
making the service, which is currently free for users, financially sustainable.
285. Silent Valley National Park- Kerala
Eravikulam National Park- Kerala
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve- Kerala
Periyar National Park- Kerala
(notable as an elephant & tiger reserve).
Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve- Kerala & Tamil Nadu.

286. National Optical Fibre Network :

- NOFN is a project initiated in 2011 and funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) to
provide broadband connectivity to over two lakh Gram panchayats of India at a cost of Rs.20,000
crore ($3 billion).
- The project provides internet access using existing optical fiber and extending it to the Gram
panchayats. The project was intended to enable the govt to provide e-services and e-applications
nationally.
- A special purpose vehicle (SPBV), Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), was created as
a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Companies Act of 1956 for the execution of the
project.
287. Nilgiri Tahr :
- The Nilgiri tahr, known locally as the Nilgiri ibex or simply ibex, is an ungulate that is endemic
to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and
Kerala in southern India.
- It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu. Despite its local name, it is more closely related to the sheep
of the Ovis genus than the ibex and wild goats of the Capra genus.
- The Nilgiri tahr is a stocky goat with short, coarse fur and a bristly mane. Males are larger than
females and of darker color when mature. Both sexes have curved horns.
- By conservation status, it has been kept in the category of "endangered species".
288. ISRO has lined up a record-making feat towards the end of May 2016. It will put in orbit 21
small and mostly foreign commercial satellites along with a larger Indian spacecraft
Cartosat-2C.
Cartosat-2C :
- The primary passenger on the PSLV-C33 launcher will be the Earth observing,
high-resolution Cartosat-2C, weighing around 700 kg. Offering a resolution of about 60 cm,
Cartosat-2C is touted to be the best Indian eye yet in the sky.
- It will cater to the countrys military requirements. Its camera, among other functions, can spot
objects that are 60 cm wide or long - roughly an arms length, from its orbit of around 600 km.
- Other data from the satellite will be used for detailed mapping as well as applicatons in Land
Informaton System and Geographical Information System
- So, Cartosat- 2C is India's high resolution Earth observing satellite weiging 700 kg.
289. Oil Zapper :
- The new technique of using the bacteria to get rid of oil spill has been called Oil Zapping.
Oil Zapping is a bio-remediation technique involving the use of oil zapping bacteria. It
was recently employed to clean up the Mumbai shoreline affected by the oil spill that occurred in
August 2010.
- Before the spill could be plugged 400 tons of oil had leaked into the sea. The Maharashtra
Pollution Control Board used the services of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) which
has developed the oil zapping bacteria.The Oil Zapping project was supported by the

Department of Biotechnology (Government of India) and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
How does Oil Zapper Work ?
-There are five different bacterial strains that are immobilized and mixed with a carrier material
such as powdered corncob. This mixture of five bacteria is called Oil Zapper.
- Oilzapper feeds on hydrocarbon compounds present in crude oil and the hazardous
hydrocarbon waste generated by oil refineries, known as Oil Sludge and converts them into
harmless CO2 and water.
- The technique was used successfully and 130,000 tons of oily sludge/ oil contaminated soil was
treated.
290. Puducherrys enclaves are geographically discrete and located in three other States.
- Puducherry's 30-member House is made up of elected legislators from 23 constituencies in
Puducherry, five in Karaikal in Tamil Nadu and one each in Mahe in Kerala and Yanam in Andhra
Pradesh.
291. Effect of Tropical Cyclones on Indian Monsoon :
- - Only 7% of the worlds total Tropical Cyclones production, takes place in Indian Region.
There are two major TC seasons: Pre-monsoon (April-May) and Post-monsoon (Oct-Dec).
- Bay of Bengal is 3 times more prone to TC as compared to Arabian Sea. On an average only
ONE TC per year attains Hurricane Intensity in the region.
- Low to moderate intensity tropical cyclones bring much needed rain for agriculture around the
northern Indian Ocean. But, when tropical cyclones strengthen, they can bring great loss of life
and property to the region.
- Lows and depressions are the most frequent systems and produce most of India's annual rainfall
(about 890mm). Indeed, with their lower intensity rainfalls, they form the backbone of South
Asian agriculture.
- But when a long series of deep tropical depressions occur (lasting three to four weeks), the
cumulative rainfall can lead to extensive flooding, dam collapses and landslides.
Effect on Monsoon and Southeast Asia (including India) :
- The tropical cyclones that influence South Asia are part of the regional monsoon wind system.
The South Asian monsoon has moist south-westerly winds blowing from the southern oceans over
the South Asian continental land mass in summer, and dry north-easterly winds blowing in the
opposite direction in winter.
- Most rainfall over the region comes in the summer months (June to September) from relatively
weak but frequent tropical lows and depressions. Driven by monsoon winds, these systems
eventually move over land along the west coast of India, but more frequently affect the eastern

coast of India and Bangladesh.

Breaks in Monsoon :
- Movement of the monsoon trough in the summer towards northen plain of India causes breaks in
the monsoon.
- In the absence of proper low pressure zone, i.e. monsoon trough, there occurs breaks in
monsoon.
Effect of Tropical Cyclones on Breaks in Indian Monsoon over Northern Plain :
- Tropical cyclones are more prone to originate in Bob.
- So, during summer, as monsoon arrives and moves northward towards northern plains, at the
same time lump-sum, the tropical cyclone originates at the head of Bob.
** Head of Bob means very near to north-east India.
- So, the low pr zone shifts there causing shift in the rainfall pattern and north eastern states
receive high rainfall.
- Simultaneusly, due to the absence of low pr zone or so called monsoon trough at the foothills of
Himalaya in the Northern Plain region (from west to east) there ocurs very weak monsoon and
thereby very low or no rainfall. This is called as "break in monsoon" in the Northern plain.
- The absence of monsoon trough caused because of its shifting towards bob where low pr was
created due to tropical cyclone.
- At that time, the people of northeastern states are facing high rainfall while the people of delhi
and other parts of northern plain are facing break in monsoon. This is a paradoxical situation in the
course of Indian Monsoon.
#. Subramanian panel - on Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR) for GST. It recommended 19%
average tax on normal commodities and average tax on energy related commodities to be
50 per cent (an appropriate carbon tax).
292. Tawang Hydro Power Project :- Arunachal Pradesh.
- The project is planned on the Nyamjang Chhu river and is the largest of 13 hydro power projects
to be built in the Tawang basin.
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has suspended the Union Environment Ministrys clearance
for the project granted in 2012. The clearance, the court noted, didnt consider the impact of the
hydro project on the habitat of the black-necked crane.
Black-necked Crane :
- It is a species that breeds on the Tibetan plateau and migrates to Tawang (in Arunachal Pradesh)
for the winter. The bird, most commonly found in China, is legally protected in Bhutan and India
and is considered sacred to certain Buddhist traditions.

- The black-necked crane is rated as vulnerable in the IUCN list of endangered species and is
listed in Indias Wildlife Act as a Schedule 1 species, which gives animals and birds the highest
legal protection.
- Other species that are found in the region include the red panda, the snow leopard and the
Arunachal macaque Macaca munzala.
293. Tax Administration Reforms Commission (TARC) (Chairperson: Dr Parthasarathi
Shome) submitted its First Report on May 30, 2014.
Observations :
(i) The current organisational setup has the Revenue Secretary at the top of the tax administration,
above the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Excise and Customs
(CBEC). The Revenue Secretary is not a tax administration expert, yet he has the final say in
terms of tax administration before it reaches the Finance Minister.
(ii) There is an artificial separation between direct and indirect tax administration, and a lack of
co-operation between CBDT and CBEC.
(iii) India has one of the highest numbers of disputes between tax administration and taxpayers,
with lowest proportion of recovery of tax arrears.
(iv) The selection of CBDT and CBEC members does not consider specialisation, policy
experience, etc. and is based on seniority.
(v) There is pressure on tax officers to meet externally imposed revenue targets. In addition,
there is a lack of protection for tax officers from the large number of anonymous vigilance
complaints.
(vi) There is complete absence of research-based analysis of policy, and lack of impact assessment
studies. The benefits of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems have not been
reaped.
Recommendations :
(i) CBDT and CBEC should be fully integrated in 10 years. Within the next 5 years, they should
move towards a unified management structure under the Central Board of Direct and Indirect
Taxes.
(ii) The post of Revenue Secretary should be abolished and its functions should be assigned to the
two Boards. A Governing Council to oversee the working of the two Boards, and a Tax Council to
suggest policy and legislation should be set up.
(iii) The Permanent Account Number (PAN) should be developed as a Common Business
Identification Number (CBIN), to be used by other departments such as customs, excise, etc.
There are also many others recommendations also which I am not mentioning.
294. Logic of Heat Wave declaration by IMD :
- IMD declares a heat wave when the maximum temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius in the
plains. If the normal maximum temperature of a place is less than or equal to 40 degrees Celsius,
an increase by 5-6 degrees Celsius is needed for heat wave to be declared.
- If the temperature goes up 7 degrees Celsius above normal, it is considered a severe heat wave.

295. The Panama disease :

- The Panama disease caused by a soil-borne fungus is threatening banana crops across Kerala,
posing a potential crisis for farmers, even as global efforts to control the disease gain momentum.
- The Panama disease is a fungal disease of bananas producing yellowing and wilting of the
leaves. The fungus enters the plant through the roots and goes on to colonise the plant through the
vascular system. It causes discoloration and wilting of leaves, and eventually kills the plant.
- Soil treatment with fungicides is recommended for control of the disease.
- It is also called as Fusarium Wilt of banana. Over the years, most probably, it spread from
Panama to neighbouring countries.
- A new virulent strain of the disease known as Tropical Race 4 (TR4) is now also threatening
banana crops in Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East.
#. Zojila Pass- in J&K on Srinagar-Leh Highway.
296. Domahi Festival of Assam (mainly by Karbi tribes of Assam) :
- Domahi or Domasi is popular harvesting festival of Kamrup and eastern Goalpara regions of
Western Assam. Festivals marks the commencement and end of harvesting season, and start
and end of Kamrupi and Goalpariya new years.
297. Maharashtra State Assembly enacted the Maharashtra Protection of People from Social
Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2016.
Objective :
- To prevent and punish the continuing community-driven practice of social boycotts.
- The Act provides 15 examples of social boycott, which include obstructing individuals from
observing religious practices or customs, severing social or commercial ties, causing
intra-community discrimination, expulsion from the community, and so on.
- Persons who directly engage in social boycott, instigate others to do so, or participate in the
deliberations of any meeting organised with the purpose of imposing a boycott may be penalised
under the law.
- The focus of the Act is clear: it is directed against caste panchayats which often function as
community-based parallel forums of justice, and whose diktats are invariably directed against
recalcitrant individuals who have been deemed to transgress the bounds of caste or community
morality.
298. Harsha Vs Pulakeshin II :
- The date of Pulakeshin's great triumph over Harsha in a battle fought primarily with elephants on
the banks of the Narmada, can now be fixed at 618 A.D.
- Pulakeshin, who ruled from the Chalukyan capital of Badami, challenged Harsha's conquests.
The former had established himself as lord paramountof the south, as Harsha had of the
north.

- Unwilling to tolerate the existence of a powerful rival in the south, Harsha had marched from
Kanauj with a huge force. Such was Pulakeshin's efficiency in guarding the passes of the Narmada
that Harsha was compelled to accept the river as the demarcation and retire from the field of battle
after losing a major part of his elephant force.
299. Scatterometer- a microwave radar sensor which measures the scattering effect produced
while scanning the surface of the Earth from an aircraft or a satellite.
300. OSFS under INCOIS :
- The Ocean State Forecast Services (OSFS) under INCOIS (Indian National Centre for Ocean
Information Services) provide advance information on wave height, direction and period (of both
wind waves and swell waves), sea surface currents, sea surface temperature, mixed layer depth
(the well mixed upper layer of the sea), depth of the 20 degree isotherm (a measure of the depth of
the thermocline), astronomical tides, wind speed and direction and oil-spill trajectory.
- The early warnings on the ocean state system serve fishermen, the oil and shipping industries,
ports and harbours, maritime boards, coastal tourism departments, and enforcement and strategic
agencies like marine police, Navy, and Coast Guard alike.
- The forecast services have also been extended to Maldives, Sri Lanka and Seychelles in
collaboration with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and
Asia.
301. Jan Aushadhi Programme across India is being implemented by Bureau of Pharma PSUs of
India (BPPI) which is the nodal agency for its implementation, under Department of
Pharmaceuticals.
- The programme was launched in 2008. The main focus is Accessibility, Affordability &
Availability.
#. Kaziranga has the largest concentration of fresh water turtles in northeast India.
302. BS-IV and BS-VI Emission Standards :
- BS norms are Bharat Stage Norms which define emission standards in India. IV and VI are its
different stages according to the time of its implementation.
- Bharat stage norms basically regulates the air pollutants coming out from the internal
combustion engines of motor vehicles. e.g. = what shud b the concentration of carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons, NOx etc coming out as emission from motor vehicles.
- Currently, BS-IV norms are under play in few major cities of India & by April 2017 India is
planning to implement it countrywide.
- Leaping one step ahead, India has resolved to switch directly from BS-IV to BS-VI emission
standards and implement it by 2020.
- This step of the Central govt is going to put a lot of pressure on the Indian automobile sector as

the vehicle manufacturers have to upgrade their engine specification as per the BS-VI emission
standards and it requires lot of investment.
303. NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) :
- NAVIC is India's own navigation system with 7 satellites in constellation.
- The 7th and final satellite of the constellation IRNSS 1G, was launched into a sub
geosynchronous transfer orbit with a perigree (nearest point to earth) of 284 km and an apogee
(farthest point to earth) of 20,657 km.
- The system will be similar to the Global Positioning System (GPS) operated by the United States
with 24 satellites and the Glonass, Galileo and BeiDou systems of Russia, Europe and China
respectively.
- An area of 1,500 km from Indian boundaries will be covered under the navigational system. The
Prime Minister invited other countries to make use of this system as well. We have seven
neighbours who rely on technology provided by other countries. They can use Indian services if
they want", he said.
- With an accuracy of better than 20 m being claimed by ISRO, the navigation system will be
offered as an open or Standard Positioning Service and a superior, coded military Restricted
Service.
Benefits :
- We are now one of 5 countries with our own navigational system. Today we are free of
dependence on other countries for navigation. Our planes will be able to land with ease and
accuracy, we can plan disaster relief better and with our own technology, a proud Mr. Modi said.
The name NAVIC :
- Explaining the name NAVIC, Mr. Modi said the system was dedicated to Indias mariners and
fishermen who have been navigating using the sun and stars as waypoints for hundreds of years.
They have shown strength and determination in venturing out to sea for so many years. We have
named this system for them, the naviks (mariners), he said.
#. Sepahijala Wildife Sanctuary- near Agartala in Tripura.
304. Yellow Rain :
- Kerala's Idukki district received 'yellow' rain at some places causing apprehension that the
droplets were carrying harmful chemicals. The yellow mist created fears of damage to cardamom
plantations at Moolakkadain the high range Kunchithanny village.
- Such rains leave a foul smell aterwards.
305. Western Ghats under threat: Report
- Many natural and mixed World Heritage Sites, including the Western Ghats, are threatened by
harmful industrial activities such as mining, says a report.
- The harmful industrial activities include oil and gas exploration and extraction, mining, illegal
logging and large-scale constructions, according to the report, Protecting people through

nature, prepared by the World Wildlife Fund and the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN).
- Three of the seven such Indian sites Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Sundarbans, and the serial
sites of Western Ghats have been listed as being under threat. The report highlights that the
Western Ghats support the single largest population of endangered Asian elephants and
vulnerable Indian bison.
- On Western Ghats, the report says the sites are facing extractive threats in the form of oil
and gas concessionsandmines and mining concessions.The Manas Wildlife Sanctuary faces
unsustainable water use whereas Sundarbans has issues related to water management.
- The report concludes that nearly half of all natural World Heritage Sites, including the Grand
Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef, are threatened by industrial activities. The data for the study
was drawn from the IUCNs World Heritage Outlook.
#. World Heritage Outlook is published by IUCN.
#. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary- at Idukki in Kerala.
306. Parkinson's disease- (neurology) A chronic neurological disorder resulting in lack of control
over movement; poor balance and coordination; and similar symptoms.
Alzheimer's disease- (neurology) A disorder involving loss of mental functions resulting from
brain tissue changes; senile dementia of Alzheimer's type.
- Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases occur due to accumulation of abnormal clumps of
proteins in neuronal cells.
307. Global warming brings better weather to U.S. :
- Winter throughout the U.S. has become warmer with increasing temperatures due to global
warming but summer temperature has not risen to levels where it has become markedly
uncomfortable.
- The result is that weather has shifted toward a temperate year-round climate that Americans have
been demonstrated to prefer.
Less alignment of Americans toward efforts against climate change :
- As a result of the favourable weather, there has been low levels of concern about the
problems of climate change in the U.S. and not sufficient reasons to provoke the public to
quickly move to a low-carbon emitting country.
- What is indeed worse is that the favourable changes in weather come despite the country being
one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.
- Countries in the tropics, which have not been the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, have
been facing the brunt of climate change such as drought, heat waves, flooding and changed
rainfall pattern.
- However, favourable weather will not be permanent feature in the U.S. Long-term projections of

temperature changes indicate that weather would becomeless preferable at the end of the 21st
Century.
308. Lycosidae, better known as wolf spiders and with excellent eyesight and agile movements,
were the dominant species in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala.
- Spiders perform important ecological services by functioning as predators in nature. They feed
on other insects and even small vertebrates. The loss of spiders could lead to ecosystem
imbalances. Little has been understood about the spiders of India, especially that of the Western
Ghats.
- There are popular misconceptions that all spiders are poisonous creatures. But, in reality, a very
few spiders are poisonous and harmful to human beings.
309. Amur Falcon :
- The raptor (bird of prey) the size of a pigeon makes its home in Nagaland, flying a
staggering 22,000 km from there to South Africa, then onto Mongolia and back to Nagaland.
- The bird has one of the longest and most fascinating migratory paths in the avian world. The
falcon breeds in southeastern Siberia and north eastern China, where the Amur River divides the
Russian Far East and China.
- Amur falcons typically begin their annual journey from north-eastern Siberia and northern China,
heading to north-east India and roosting in Nagaland, before leaving for Africa, where they spend
their winters.
- The birds roosting in Nagaland made them particularly vulnerable to hunters who
mass-slaughtered them for their tender meat. It was reported that in 2013, nearly 1,20, 000 of these
falcons were trapped and killed at just one location in Nagaland.
- Several green groups, along with concerned locals and the church, joined hands and launched a
conservation and patrolling programme called Friends of the Amur falcon to end the killings.
- Recently (May 2016) it was sighted in Pench Tiger Reserve near Nagpur.
310. The Indian hog deer :
- It is an endangered deer species found in South and South-East Asia. It gets its name from the
hog-like manner in which it runs through the forests, with its head hung low, instead of leaping
like most other deer.
- The Indian hog deer are hunted for their meat, which is used in traditional medicinal products,
and for their trophy antlers.
The Wild Indian Boar :
- It is a subspecies of the wildboar, native to India, Nepal, Burma, western Thailand and Sri Lanka.
- Both animals are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
311. LS clears decks for MPC :
- The Lok Sabha approved the Finance Bill 2016 which included an amendment to the RBI Act
clipping the central bank governor's powers to set monetary policy. The amendment made to the

RBI Act through the Finance Bill removed the governors powers to singularly set monetary
policy vesting them in a six-member Monetary Policy Committee.
Members :
- Of the six members, the government will nominate three. The RBI Governor will chair the
committee and have a second or casting vote in case of a tie.
- The Deputy Governor in-charge of monetary policy and another officer to be nominated by the
central banks board will also be members. Decisions will be taken by majority vote with each
member having a vote.

312.