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1 1. Election Commissioners Election commission is multi member body and currently has three members including Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). They all are appointed by the President for a term which is fixed by the President. Tenure: The service conditions and tenure of office of CEC and Election Commissioners are determined by Act of parliament titled The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Conditions of Service) Act, This act has fixed their term for 6 years or till age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. Power/salary: The CEC and election commissioners have equal power and receive equal salary, allowances and other perquisites, which are similar to judge of Supreme Court. In case of difference of opinion amongst the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner, the matter is decided by the Commission by majority. Note:- Sunil Arora appointed as Election Commissioner. 2. Core sectors Core sectors or industry can be defined as the main industry of the economy. In most countries, particular industry qualifying to be the core industry are said to be the backbone of all other industries. In India, there are eight core sectors comprising of coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity. The electricity has maximum weight of 10.32% followed by Steel (6.68%), Petroleum Refinery (5.94%), Crude Oil production (5.22 %), Coal production (4.38 %), Cement (2.41%), Natural Gas production (1.71 %) and Fertilizer production (1.25%). These eight Core Industries comprise nearly 40.27% of weight of items The growth of eight core sectors slowed to 2.4% in July 2017 due to contraction in output of crude oil, refinery products, fertiliser and cement. These eight sectors had witnessed 3.1% growth in July Cumulatively, these eight core sectors recorded a growth of 2.5% in April-July 2017 period as against 6% in same period in In June, these eight sectors had recorded growth rate of 0.8%. Slow growth in key core sectors will have implications on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) as these sectors account for about 40.27% to the total factory output. 3. Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India CAG is constitutional office under article 148 and is appointed by President of India by warrant under his hand for period of 6 years or up to age of 65 years, whichever earlier. The conditions and services of CAG are prescribed by Parliament via CAG (conditions and services) Act, 1953 as amended in Allowances and pensions payable to or in respect of persons in that office are charged upon the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI). 1 P a g e

2 Removal of CAG is as difficult and similar to removal of a Supreme Court Judge. CAG is not be eligible for any office under GOI post-retirement. It is because of these conditions of independence given to CAG s office, the report of CAG are given due respect and made as reference. Functions of CAG CAG suggests the account keeping of union and state with the approval of president. It exercises power in relation to account of union and state or any other enterprise funded by GOI as may be prescribed by law made by parliament. The CAG reports to the president and governors regarding the accounts of union and state respectively. The president presents report to the parliament. In 1976 the accounting was separated from auditing form the CAG s duty. Now accounting is done by other agencies. Note:-Rajiv mehrishi appointed as CAG of India. 4. The Union Ministry of Science and Technology is planning to create FarmerZone, a collective opensource data platform for smart agriculture by using biological research and data to improve lives of small and marginal farmers. It was announced by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) at recently convened Smart Agriculture Conclave in New Delhi. The objective of conclave was to set stage for FarmerZone. It was organised by DBT in partnership with UK s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Research Councils UK (RCUK) India. FarmerZone platform FarmerZone envisioned by the DBT aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi s call for effective decisionmaking in agriculture by integrating science, technology, innovation and farm ecosystem. This platform aims to cater all needs of farmer from dealing with climate change, weather predictions and soil, water and seed requirements. It will connect farmers and scientists, government officials, economists and representatives from global companies who work in the big-data and e-commerce space to bring about technology-based localised agrisolutions. This platform will work to collect relevant quality data related to agriculture into the cloud and also develop sites to help link with farmers and evolve PPP based enterprises for data delivery. 5. Noted economist Rajiv Kumar took over as the Vice-Chairman of government National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog. NITI Aayog is the premier policy Think Tank of the Union Government, providing both directional and policy inputs. It is non-constitutional and non-statutory body established formed through resolution of Union Cabinet on January 1, It had replaced had replaced the 65-year old Planning Commission established in The National Nutrition Week will be observed throughout the country from 1st to 7th September. The theme of for year 2017 is Optimal Infant & Young Child Feeding Practices: Better Child Health. 2 P a g e

3 The objective of this event is to intensify awareness generation on importance of nutrition for health which has an overall impact on development, productivity, economic growth and ultimately National development. Key Facts During this week, Food and Nutrition Board of Ministry of Women & Child Development will coordinate with concerned Department of the State/UT Governments, NGOs, National Institutions and organize State/UT Level Workshops, Functionaries, Orientation Training of Fields Awareness Generation Camps, Community meetings. 7. The world s largest and powerful X-ray laser- European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) was unveiled in Hamburg, Germany. The first beams from XFEL were accelerated in April 2017 and first x-ray beams were produced in May It will help scientists penetrate the inner workings of atoms, viruses and chemical reactions. European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) The XFEL is lodged in series of 3.4-kilometer tunnels up to 38 metres underground near city of Hamburg. It took 8 years to build 1.5-billion-euro ($1.7 billion) facility with funding from 11 countries. It has been hailed as one of largest and most ambitious European research projects ever. Its centrepiece boasts world s longest 1.7 kilometres superconducting linear accelerator, designed to provide energy needed to generate X-ray flashes billion times brighter than best conventional radiation sources. It has capacity to generate extremely intense laser flashes, at rate of 27,000 per second generated by Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE). It generates high-intensity electromagnetic radiation by accelerating electrons to relativistic speeds and directing them through special magnetic structures. Applications XFEL is like a camera and a microscope that will make it possible to observe tiny details and processes in the nano-world than ever before. It will help to reveal and capture in images at the sub-atomic level, promising breakthroughs and revealing secrets in medicine, biology, energy, information technology and chemistry. It will help scientists to map the atomic details of viruses, take 3-D images of the molecular make-up of cells or film chemical reactions inside them. This will help to understand and treat illnesses. The light beams produced by the XFEL can also be bundled together to create extreme pressure and temperatures to study process inside Earth s core. 3 P a g e

4 8. According to study conducted by researchers from University of Southampton, UK, extreme global warming event 56 million years ago was driven by massive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from volcanoes, during formation of North Atlantic Ocean. They had used combination of new geochemical measurements and novel global climate modelling to show that Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was associated with rapid doubling of atmospheric CO2 in less than 25 thousand years because of CO2 emissions from volcanoes. Key Facts The PETM was most rapid and extreme natural global warming event of last 66 million years. It had lasted for around 150 thousand years and increased global temperatures by at least 5 degrees Celsius. Its period coincided with the formation of massive flood basalts large stretches of ocean floor coated in lava, resulting from of a series of huge eruptions. Earlier it was suggested that PETM event was caused by injection of CO2 into ocean and atmosphere, but ultimate trigger source of CO2 was not known. Now researchers believe that, the CO2 was released during land drifts, separating Greenland from north-western Europe, thereby creating North Atlantic Ocean. During this time, more than 10,000 petagrammes of CO2 was released predominantly from volcanic source. This is a vast amount of CO2, 30 times larger than all fossil fuels burned to date and equivalent to all current conventional and unconventional fossil fuel reserves. 9. The walled city of Ahmedabad is first city in India to get World Heritage City status and third in Asia after Bhaktapur (Nepal) and Galle (Sri Lanka). India now has total 36 World Heritage Inscriptions 28 cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed site. India is second after China in terms of number of world heritage properties in Asia and Pacific (ASPAC) region, and overall seventh in world. World Heritage Cities Programme It is one of six thematic programmes formally approved and monitored by World Heritage Committee (WHC) of UNESCO. It aims to assist state parties in the challenges of protecting and managing their urban heritage sites. 10. The 2017 Rajaswa Gyan Sangam, a two-day annual conference of senior tax administrators was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. It was inaugurated Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The conference was jointly organised by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC). 11. European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 4 P a g e

5 EFTA is regional trade organisation and free trade area consisting of four European states, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It operates in parallel with European Union (EU), and all four member states participate in the European single market. It was established in May 1960 thorough Stockholm Convention to serve as an alternative trade bloc for those European states that were unable or unwilling to join then European Economic Community (EEC) (which subsequently became European Union). EFTA is not a customs union and member states have full rights to enter into bilateral trade arrangements with third-country. Moreover, it does not envisage for political integration nor issue legislation. Its secretariat is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. 12. TRAPPIST-1 The seven Earth-sized planets (named TRAPPIST-1b, c, d, e, f, g and h) orbiting ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 were discovered by astronomers in February The TRAPPIST-1 planetary system is 40 light-years away from Earth. Its dwarf star Trappist-1 is at least 500 million years old and is marginally larger than Jupiter. It has temperature of 2550K and shines with a feeble light about 2,000 times fainter than Earth s sun. They had used Hubble Space Telescope (HST), a joint project of European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA to estimate whether there is water on seven planets orbiting in TRAPPIST-1 planetary system. Key Facts Astronomers had examined amount of ultraviolet radiation (UV) received by individual planets of system to detect presence of water. UV radiation is important factor in atmospheric evolution of planets as it can break water vapour in atmospheres of planets into hydrogen and oxygen in process called photodissociation. UV rays with more energy and X-rays heat upper atmosphere of planet, which allows hydrogen and oxygen, products of photodissociation to escape. Hydrogen gas escaped from exoplanets atmospheres was dectected by HST indicating it as a possible indicator of atmospheric water vapour. The results suggest that outer planets of TRAPPIST-1 planetary system may harbour substantial amounts of water. This includes three planets within habitable zone (Goldilocks zone) of star, lending further weight to the possibility that they may indeed be habitable and support alien life. The observed amount of UV radiation emitted by TRAPPIST-1 suggests that planets could have lost gigantic amounts of water over course of their history. The inner planets (TRAPPIST-1b, 1c, 1d) could have lost water worth more than 20 Earth- oceans- during the last eight billion years. However, outer planets of system (e, f and g) which are in habitable zone might have lost much less water, suggesting that they could have retained some on their surfaces. 5 P a g e

6 13. BUSINESS & CLIMATE SUMMIT 2017 is being held in New Delhi. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is organizing the third edition of BCS. -annual forum for businesses, investors and policymakers on climate action -Theme of BCS is that the businesses hold the key to meeting global carbon reduction targets; and collaboration between business and government is critical to success 14. India and China in view of the ongoing negotiations for the ministerial conference of the WTO to be held in Buenos Aires in December. What s the issue? India and China have raised objections over developed countries, including the US, the EU and Canada, that have been consistently providing trade-distorting subsidies to their farmers at levels much higher than the ceiling applicable to developing countries. In WTO parlance, these subsidies are called as Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) or Amber Box support. The subsidies by the developed countries amount to about USD 160 billion. On the other hand, countries like India provide a subsistence amount of about USD 260 per farmer annually. Most of the developing countries, including India and China, do not have AMS entitlements. Besides, developed members of the WTO have access to huge amount of AMS beyond their de minimis the minimal amount of domestic support that are allowed even though they distort trade up to 5% of the value of production for developed countries, 10% for developing. In contrast, most developing members have access only to de minimis resulting in a major asymmetry in the rules on agricultural trade. 6 P a g e How are subsidies categorised?

7 The WTO divides subsidies into amber, blue and green box subsidies. Amber box are trade-distorting subsidies. blue box are subsidies with restrictions designed to reduce distortion. green box subsidies are non-trade distorting subsidies.direct cash transfers, coupons and subsidies that do not impact production are not considered tradedistorting subsidies and categorised as green box. The Green Box applies to both developed and developing country Members but in the case of developing countries special treatment is provided in respect of governmental stockholding programmes for food security purposes and subsidized food prices for urban and rural poor. Way ahead: Elimination of this support, India and China believe, should be the starting point of reforms rather than seeking reduction of subsidies by developing countries. 15. Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is facilitating the rehabilitation of about 198 large dam projects in seven States, in addition to the institutional strengthening of the implementing agencies for sustainable dam safety initiatives. About DRIP: DRIP is a project involving 9 implementing agencies (IAs) across seven states of India (Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand) and targets rehabilitation of about 225 dam projects across the country. 16. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, PMMVY is implemented by the Ministry of Women & Child Development in collaboration with State Governments. 7 P a g e

8 About PMMVY: Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), previously Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY), is a maternity benefit program run by the government of India. It is a conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women of 19 years of age or above for first two live births. It provides a partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss during childbirth and childcare and to provide conditions for safe delivery and good nutrition and feeding practices. 17. SC to hear Rohingya plea for help:- As per the petitioners, The proposed deportation is contrary to the constitutional protections of Article 14 (equality), Article 21 (right to life) and Article 51(c) (respect for international law and treaty obligations) of the Constitution. 18. About Hortinet: Hortinet is an integrated traceability system developed by APEDA for providing Internet based electronic services to the stakeholders for facilitating farm registration, testing and certification of Grape, Pomegranate and Vegetables for export from India to the European Union in compliance with standards. A mobile app- Hortinet- to allow farmers to apply on-line to facilitate their farm registration, tracking the status of application & approvals by State Government and Lab sampling by authorized Laboratories. About APEDA: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act The Authority replaced the Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC). 8 P a g e

9 Administrative set up: Chairman Appointed by the Central Government. Director Appointed by APEDA. Secretary Appointed by the Central Government. Other Officers and Staff Appointed by the Authority. 19. The West Bengal government will distribute identity cards issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to Rohigya children lodged in the juvenile justice homes of the State. पय वरण म लय पय वरण ज गकत पहल श कर ग, जसक तहत र य तर पर पय वरण वज तय गत क त ख ज न म स आय जत क ज एग यह वज 5 सत बर क शक दवस क अवसर पर श क ज रह ह यह य व ओ म पय वरण स र और स रण क त स व दनश लत बढ़ न क लए मज द र तरक स एक-द सर स स खन क जरय य व ओ तक पह चन क आदश म यम ह ग स व स थ य और परव र कल य ण 1 सतम बर स 7 सतम बर, 2017 तक र ष य प षण सप त ह मन रह ह इस वष र ष य प षण सप त ह क वषय ह नवज त शश एव ब ल आह र थ ए (आईब ईस एफ): ब हतर ब ल स व स थ य इस अवध क द र न बच च क स व स थ य क र और उनक ब हतर म उचत प षण क महत व क ब र म जन ज गकत प द करन क लए एक सप त ह क अभय न चल य ज रह ह नवज त शश एव ब ल आह र थ ओ क अधकतम बढ़ व द न क लए म लय न म - म क अस म ममत क यम श कय ह त क द श म स तनप न क द यर बढ़ य ज सक म क यम क अ तगत स तनप न क बढ़ व द न क लए जल और ब ल क स तर पर क यम ब धक सहत ड क टर, नस और एएनएम क स थ करब 3.7 ल ख आश और करब 82,000 स व स थ य क यकत ओ क स व दनश ल बन य गय ह व र णस और हरव र म ह ईड व षक म ड क अ तगत स वर ज टमट ल ट (एसटप ) क नम ण ह ग र य वछ ग ग मशन (एनएमस ज ) न ग ग नद ब सन क द बड़ शहर व र णस और हरव र म ह ईड व षक म ड आध रत स वजनक-नज स झ द र (प प प ) म डल क अ तगत स वर ज टमट ल ट क नम ण और मरमत क क म नज क द न कय ह 9 P a g e

10 भ रत सरक र क ह ईड व षक म ड आध रत स वजनक-नज स झ द र (प प प ) म डल क लए क सरक र व र 100 तशत वत प षण क स थ जनवर 2016 म क बन ट क अन म दन मल गय इस म डल क अ तगत स वर ज टमट ल ट (एसटप ) क नम ण, परच लन और मरमत क क म एक वश ष उ य व हन (एसप व ) क सह यत स कय ज एग इस म डल क सबस महवप ण वश षत यह ह क व षक और परच लन और मरमत (ओए डएम) भ गत न द न स वर ज टमट ल ट (एसटप ) क दशन स ज ड़ ह ए ह ब हतर जव बद ह, व मव और सवतम दशन स परस प तय क ब हतर दशन स न चत ह ग द श म पहल ब र ह ईड व षक म ड आध रत स वजनक-नज स झ द र (प प प ) म डल क स वर ज ब धन म अपन य गय ह पहल भ इस तरह क म डल क ह इव म सफलत प वक अपन य गय ह इस म डल क अन स र 40 तशत ल गत उ त र श क भ गत न नम ण क य प र ह न पर कय ज एग जबक बक य 60 तशत ल गत र श क भ गत न व षक परच लन और मरमत ल गत (ओए डएम) खच, परय जन क अवध क अन स र कय ज एग HAM s a hybrid a mix of the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) and BOT (build, operate, transfer) models. Under the EPC model, NHAI pays private players to lay roads. The private player has no role in the road s ownership, toll collection or maintenance (it is taken care of by the government). Under the BOT model though, private players have an active role they build, operate and maintain the road for a specified number of years say years before transferring the asset back to the government. 4 th Sep News Facts for Prelims: 1. 1 st full time and overall 2 nd woman to become defence minister: Sitharaman is the second woman to take charge of the crucial ministry as Indira Gandhi, as the prime minister, had also held the portfolio in the 70s. Members of the Cabinet Committee on Security include the prime minister, home minister, external affairs minister and the finance minister. 2. About Asia- Africa Corridor: The Asia Africa Growth Corridor project was planned by India and Japan with the active support of the African Development Bank and several African countries including South Africa who wish to reduce their dependence on Beijing. The idea is to create a free and open Indo-Pacific region by rediscovering ancient sea-routes and creating new sea corridors by integrating the economies of South, Southeast, and East Asia with Oceania and Africa. It primarily focuses on Development 10 P a g e

11 Cooperation Projects, Quality Infrastructure and Institutional Connectivity, Enhancing Skills, and People-to-People Partnership. 3. Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal has been identified for the tiger augmentation programme by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Notified as a tiger reserve in 1983, Buxa consists of moist, deciduous and evergreen forests. It stretches to a length of 50 km from west to east and 35 km from north to south. Northern boundary of Buxa Tiger Reserve runs along the international border with Bhutan. The Sinchula hill range lies all along the northern side of BTR and the eastern boundary touches that of the Assam state. The Phipsu Wildlife Sanctuary of Bhutan is contiguous to the north of BTR. Manas National Park lies on east of BTR. BTR, thus, serves as international corridor for Asian elephant migration between India and Bhutan. 4. Astronomers working for Stephen Hawking s Breakthrough Listen (BL) project detected a mysterious signal in a distant galaxy and termed it a possible extraterrestrial communication which sparked a controversy. They reportedly picked up 15 fast radio bursts (FRBs) from a source unknown and are not sure if they came from neutron stars, black holes or extraterrestrial lives across the universe. What is a fast radio burst? In radio astronomy, a fast radio burst (FRB) is a high-energy astrophysical phenomenon of unknown origin manifested as a transient radio pulse lasting 11 P a g e

12 only a few milliseconds. Fast radio bursts are bright, unresolved (pointsource-like), broadband (spanning a large range of radio frequencies), millisecond flashes found in parts of the sky outside the Milky Way. Unlike many radio sources the signal from a burst is detected in a short period of time with enough strength to stand out from the noise floor. About Breakthrough Listen Project: Breakthrough Listen is a program to search for intelligent extraterrestrial communications in the Universe. With $100 million in funding and thousands of hours of dedicated telescope time on state-of-the-art facilities, it is the most comprehensive search for alien communications to date. The project uses radio wave observations from the Green Bank Observatory and the Parkes Observatory in Australia, and visible light observations from the Automated Planet Finder. Targets for the project include one million nearby stars and the centers of 100 galaxies. 5. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has entered into four more Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs), pertaining to sectors like telecom, banking, manufacturing and education in August Out of these four agreements, three were unilateral and one was bilateral. The bilateral APA was for international transactions between an Indian company and UK-based company. With this, total number of APAs entered into by CBDT has reached 175. This includes 162 unilateral APAs and 13 bilateral APAs Advance Pricing Agreements (APA) The APA scheme of CBDT aims to provide certainty to taxpayers in domain of transfer pricing by specifying methods of pricing and setting prices of international transactions in advance. The APA provisions were introduced in Income Tax Act in 2012 and `rollback` provision to pull out was introduced in The APA scheme s objective is to strengthen government`s resolve of fostering non-adversarial tax regime. Moreover, Indian APA programme has been appreciated nationally and internationally for being able to address complex transfer pricing issues in fair and transparent manner. It endeavours to provide certainty to taxpayers in domain of transfer pricing by specifying methods of pricing and setting prices of international transactions in advance. Under BAPA, certainty in tax treatment is provided for next 5 years while rollback provides dispute redressal for maximum of four past years preceding APA years. 12 P a g e

13 6. Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation Scheme (SAUNI) It aims to fill up 115 major dams in Saurashtra by diverting overflow of water from Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada River. It is an out-and-out irrigation and drinking water project designed solely for Saurashtra peninsula. Its unique feature involves making pipe canals instead of conventional open canals which has led to no acquisition of land and involve less loss of water. It has network of canals comprising 1,125-km network of pipelines that will help to channel water into farms. 7.Geogrphical Indication( GIs ) are covered as element of intellectual property rights (IPRs) under Paris Convention for Protection of Industrial Property (IPRs). At international level, GI is governed by WTO s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). In India, GI registration is governed by Geographical Indications of goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 which came into force in September It is granted by Chennai based Geographical Indications Registry (GIR). Darjeeling tea was first product to accorded with GI tag in India. Importance of GIs to India GIs products are of utmost importance as they are integral part of India s rich culture and collective intellectual heritage. GI tag has accorded protection to number of hand-made and manufactured products, especially in informal sector. Certain GI products benefits rural economy in remote areas, by supplementing incomes of artisans, farmers, weavers and craftsmens who possess unique skills and knowledge of traditional practices and methods, passed down from generation to generation, which need to be protected and promoted. 8. The Locky Ransomware cyberattack is third major ransomware attack this year after Wannacry and Petya which had crippled thousands of computers, including those of multinational corporations. According to an Assocham PWC study, India was third worst affected country in list of over 100 countries hit by Wannacry in May Five banks of BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism (ICM) have agreed to establish local currency credit lines and develop cooperation on credit ratings. In this regard, they have signed agreement ahead of 9th BRICS summit to be held in Xiamen, China. These five banks are Brazilian Development Bank, Russia s Vnesheconombank, Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM), China Development Bank and Development Bank of South Africa. Key Facts The agreement will allow these five banks to establish framework mechanism to extend credit lines in local currencies to BRICS ICM members and BRICS companies against guarantees of signatory banks. The use of local currencies will help to promote mutually beneficial economic cooperation, increase trade, mitigate currency risks and facilitate companies in accessing BRICS markets. 13 P a g e

14 Moreover, the agreement on credit ratings will allow ICM members to share information about internal credit ratings assigned to clients, as well as assignment methodologies and rating assessment. Information under it will be provided at request and on a confidential basis. BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism (ICM) BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations had established the BRICS ICM to enhance trade and economic relations amongst BRICS countries, and enterprises. 10. European X-ray Free Electron Laser. India is not a member, neither is the USA. Germany not only hosts the XFEL, it has provided most of the funding and the technology. The other members are Russia, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland (and soon, UK as well). The facility, which has cost more than a billion euros to build, will be used to study the detailed structure of matter, atom by atom. It is one of the most powerful X-ray machines ever built. Scientists say the way it shines light on targets will permit, for example, chemical bonds to be filmed in the instant that they are made or broken. The researchers anticipate discoveries that lead to new medical treatments and novel materials, just to name two possibilities. 11. A Sherpa is a personal representative of the leader of a member country at an international Summit meeting such as the G8, G20 or the Nuclear Security Summit. The term is derived from the Nepalese Sherpa people, who serve as guides for mountaineers in the Himalayas. The Sherpa engages in planning, negotiation and implementation tasks through the Summit. They coordinate the agenda, seek consensus at the highest political levels, and participate in a series of pre- Summit consultations to help negotiate their leaders positions. Sherpas are career diplomats or senior government officials appointed by the leaders of their countries. There is only one Sherpa per Summit for each member country; he/she is assisted by several sous Sherpas. 12. Proceedings before pending before the (CIC) Commission shall abate on the death of the appellant statement to related Rule 12 of the recently proposed draft rules of the RTI (Right to Information) Act. 13. Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. We maintain this deficit by liquidating stocks of ecological resources and accumulating waste, primarily carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Earth Overshoot Day is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network, an international think tank that coordinates research, develops methodological standards and provides decision-makers with a menu of tools to help the human economy operate within Earth s ecological limits. To determine the date of Earth Overshoot Day for each year, Global Footprint Network calculates the number of days of that year that Earth s biocapacity suffices to provide for humanity s Ecological Footprint. The remainder of the year corresponds to global overshoot. Earth Overshoot Day is 14 P a g e

15 computed by dividing the planet s biocapacity (the amount of ecological resources Earth is able to generate that year), by humanity s Ecological Footprint (humanity s demand for that year), and multiplying by 365, the number of days in 2017: (Planet s Biocapacity / Humanity s Ecological Footprint) x 365 = Earth Overshoot Day History of Earth Overshoot Day: The concept of Earth Overshoot Day was first conceived by Andrew Simms of the UK think tank New Economics Foundation, which partnered with Global Footprint Network in 2006 to launch the first global Earth Overshoot Day campaign. At that time, Earth Overshoot Day fell in October. WWF, the world s largest conservation organization, has participated in Earth Overshoot Day since Wednesday, September 06, The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog launched National Nutrition Strategy aimed at Kuposhan Mukt Bharat. It intends at bringing nutrition to centre-stage of National Development Agenda. National Nutrition Strategy The national nutrition strategy calls for convergence between four proximate determinants of nutrition- uptake of health services, food, drinking water & sanitation and income & livelihoods. It envisages Kuposhan Mukt Bharat linked to Swachh Bharat and Swasth Bharat. 2. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched two new free contraceptives Antara and Chayya in 10 states under Mission ParivarVikas, a central family planning initiative. These 10 states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana, West Bengal, Odisha, Delhi and Goa. Key Facts Antara is injectable contraceptive, effective for three months drug whereas Chayya is contraceptive pill, effective for one week. Both of contraceptives are safe and highly effective. They will be available for free in medical colleges and district hospitals in 10 states Family Planning Logistics Management Information System (FP-LMIS) To help improve the supply and distribution of contraceptives, the health ministry recently had launched Family Planning Logistics Management Information System (FP-LMIS), new software designed to provide robust information on demand and distribution of contraceptives to health facilities and ASHAs. Mission ParivarVikas 15 P a g e

16 The mission aims to accelerate access to high quality family planning choices based on information, reliable services and supplies within a rights-based framework. Its main objective is to bring down Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to 2.1, which is when population of country starts stabilizing by Its strategic focus is on improving access to contraceptives through delivering assured services, ensuring commodity security and accelerating access to high quality family planning services. It will utilise RMNCH+A strategy, FPLMIS and consumer friendly website on family planning. The mission is being implemented in 146 high focus districts that house 44% of country s population, with highest TFR of 3 and more in country. The high focus districts are in 7 states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Assam. गभ नर धक क आप त और वतरण म स ध र ल न क लए म लय न ह ल म ह एक नए स टव यर फ मल ल न ग ल ज टस इ फ मशन सटम (एफप -एलएमआईएस) क श आत क ह, जसम व य स वध ओ तथ गभ नर धक क ब र म प र ज नक र द न क गई ह इसक अतरत म लय न एक क य परव र नय जन पहल- मशन परव र वक स क भ श आत क ह इस पहल क म ख लय ब हतर व य स व ए द न करन तथ गभनर धक तक पह च म स ध र करन, स र स न चत करन और उच ग णवत व ल परव र नय जन स व ओ क ब हतर बन न ह मशन परव र वक स परव र नय जन पहल क म य उ य 2025 तक क ल जनन दर क 2.1 तक न च ल न क ह 3. The 9th BRICS summit was held in Xiamen, China. The theme of the summit was Stronger Partnership for brighter Future. It was for second time the summit was hosted in China after 2011 summit. At the end of summit, BRICS leaders adopted Xiamen declaration. Four documents were signed in presence of BRICS Leaders. They are Strategic Framework of BRICS Customs Cooperation BRICS Action Plan for Innovation Cooperation( ) BRICS Action Agenda on Economic and Trade Cooperation MoU between BRICS Business Council and New Development Bank on Strategic Cooperation Features of Xiamen declaration Strive towards broad partnerships: BRICS countries agreed to strive towards broad partnerships with emerging markets and developing countries and pursue equal-footed and flexible practices and initiatives for dialogue and cooperation with non-brics countries, including through BRICS Plus cooperation (It includes Thailand, Tajikistan, Egypt, Kenya and Mexico). 16 P a g e

17 BRICS local currency bond markets: Member countries resolved to promote development of BRICS local currency bond markets and agreed to jointly establish a BRICS local currency bond fund and facilitate financial market integration. They will also encourage explorations toward the establishment of the BRICS Institute of Future Networks. R&D and innovation in ITC: They agreed to enhance joint research, development and innovation in information and communications technology (ICT), including internet of things (IoT), big data, data analytics, cloud computing, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, 5G and their innovative applications. Cooperation on energy: They agreed to strengthen BRICS cooperation on energy and work to foster open, flexible and transparent markets for energy commodities and technologies. Promote effective use of fossil fuels: They also agreed to work together to promote most effective use of fossil fuels and wider use of gas, hydro and nuclear power to move towards low emission economy, better energy access and sustainable development. BRICS Agriculture Research Platform: It is proposed to be established in India which will serve as virtual network facilitating cooperation in priority areas. Broad counterterrorism coalition: They called upon international community to establish genuinely broad counterterrorism coalition and support UN s central coordinating role in this regard. People-to-People exchanges: It should be promoted for development and enhancing mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation among BRICS countries. BRICS BRICS is acronym for an association of five major emerging national economies viz, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It was established in Originally it was known as BRIC before inclusion of South Africa in The first formal summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia in BRICS countries are distinguished by their large, fast-growing economies and significant influence on regional and global affairs. They are home to 42% of the world s population. Their total share in the global economy has risen from 12% to 23% in the past decade and collectively contribute they more than half of global growth. 4. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has added HDFC Bank, the second largest private sector lender of country in list of Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs). HDFC Bank is third bank in country to be added in list of D-SIBs after State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI Bank which were added in 2016 and continue to be in that category. 17 P a g e

18 Systemically Important Banks SIBs are perceived as certain big banks in country. Since country s economy is dependent upon these banks, they are perceived as Too Big To Fail (TBTF). There are two types of SIBs: Global SIBs, identified by BASEL committee on banking supervision and Domestic SIBs; identified by central Bank of country. Need Following the global financial crisis of 2008, it was observed that problems faced by certain large and highly interconnected financial institutions hampered orderly functioning of financial system, which in turn, negatively impacted real economy. As some of the banks are perceived as TBTF, they can lead to reckless practices on their part like increased risk-taking, reduction in its market discipline, creation of competitive distortions etc. because of expectation of government support them at time of distress. All this can increase probability of distress in future. Therefore, it is required recognition of these banks as SIBs and subjected to additional policy measures to deal with systemic risks and moral hazard issues posed by them. They are forced to have additional capital against financial emergency, so that taxpayer money not wasted in rescuing them during crisis. RBI Framework for dealing with D-SIBs RBI had started listing D-SIBs from August 2015 after it had issued Framework for dealing with D-SIBs in July D-SIB Framework requires RBI to disclose names of banks designated as D-SIBs every year in August starting from August The framework also requires that D-SIBs may be placed in four buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs). Based on bucket in which D-SIB is placed, an additional common equity requirement has to be applied to these listed banks, as mentioned in Framework. The indicators the RBI uses for identifying Domestic-SIBs are: size, interconnectedness, substitutability and complexity. In case foreign bank having branch presence in India is Global-SIB, it has to maintain additional CET1 capital surcharge in India as applicable to it as a G-SIB, proportionate to its Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) in India under the D-SIB Framework. Identification of D-SIBs 18 P a g e

19 The D-SIB Framework specifies a two-step process of identification of D-SIBs. In first step, sample of banks to be assessed for systemic importance has to be decided. The selection of banks in sample for computation of SIS is based on analysis of their size as a percentage of annual GDP. Moreover, additional Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) requirements are also applicable to D-SIBs from April 1, 2016 in phased manner and will be fully effective from April 1, The additional CET1 requirement will be in addition to the capital conservation buffer. 5. The 12th edition of India-Nepal joint military exercise- Surya Kiran XII was held at Nepal Army Battle School (NABS) in Saljhandi, Nepal. The 14 day exercise (from 3 to 16 September 2017) focused on skills required counter-terrorism and counterterror, forest fighting and natural disaster management operations. The Surya Kiran series of bilateral military exercises are conducted bi-annually, alternatively in India and Nepal. It is largest exercise in terms of troop s participation in series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries. It aims at promoting military relations and increasing interoperability armies of neighbouring countries. The 11 edition of the exercise was held in Pithoragarh area of Uttarakhand in March Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on 5 September 1888 in Thiruttani in then Madras Presidency of British India (now in Tamil Nadu). He was Indian philosopher and statesman and one of best known scholars in field of comparative religion and philosophy in India in 20th century. He had tremendously contributed towards new contemporary Hindu identity in eyes of the ill-informed Westeners. He held great respect for teachers and always believed that teachers are real nation builders and thus should always be the best minds in the country. He was the first Vice President of India (in office from ), Second President of India (in office from 1962 to 1967). He was first recipient Bharat Ratna, India s highest civilian award along with politician C. Rajagopalachari, scientist C. V. Raman. He was also awarded British Royal Order of Merit (1963). 7. What are APAs? The APA provisions were introduced in the Income-tax Act in 2012 and the Rollback provisions were introduced in The APA scheme endeavours to provide certainty to taxpayers in the domain of transfer pricing by specifying the methods of pricing and setting the prices of international transactions in advance. 19 P a g e

20 8. भ रत सरक र क प वतर वक स म लय इस वष क अपन प वतर तक पह च क तहत "प वतर क ल ग" क यम क आय जन कर रह ह इस क यम क उ य प वतर भ रत क कल, स क त, वर सत, भ जन, हतशप, यवस य और पयटन क बढ़ व द न ह 9. व णय और औय गक म लय म औय गक न त एव स वन वभ ग- ड आईप प क तव ध न म ब क स पद अधक र (आईप आर) स वन एव ब धन क ठ-स आईप एएम न #ल सट कआईप क स थ मलकर भ रत य भ ग लक स क तक क बढ़ व द न क लए एक स शल म डय अभय न श कय ह द जल ग क च य, मह बल वर ब र, जयप र क ल प टर, बन रस स ड़, और तपत क लड भ ग लक स क तक य ज आई क क छ उद हरण ह ज आई क बढ़ व द न सरक र क म क इन इ डय अभय न क अन प ह भ रत क लए यह त कत और उम द क पहच न ह जसस ज आई हत नमत और वनमत उप द, ख सकर अन पच रक क स र द न कय ह ह ल ह म, सरक र न प र परक ब नकर क प नजवत करन और उह बढ़ व द न क लए #व यर हडल म और #क टनइजक ल ज स पहल श क ह The following constitute Intellectual Property Rights or IPRs? 1. Designs 2. Plant Varieties 3. Semi-Conductors Integrated Circuit Layout Design 4. Trade Secrets 10. Trilateral Highway and the Kaladan Multi-modal Transport and Transit Project both are often in the news with reference to MYANMAR 11. A thermonuclear bomb colloquially known as a hydrogen bomb is essentially a two-stage explosion: one a nuclear fission(न भकय वख डन) reaction, the other a nuclear fusion(न भकय स लयन) reaction. The primary explosion is the fission reaction think, a conventional nuclear bomb that emits x- rays that cause the secondary explosion, triggered by the fusion of tritium and deuterium, two hydrogen isotopes. These two isotopes naturally repel each other, but the x-rays weaken this repellent force, causing the pair to fuse together. It is the fusion of these two isotopes that triggers the enormous energy release that makes thermonuclear explosions so destructive. 12. NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) The main objective of PSLV-C39, the forty first flight of India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, is the launch of IRNSS-1H, the eighth navigation satellite of India into an elliptical Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO). 20 P a g e

21 Application of NavIC Fisheries: The NavIC has many uses for fishermen going to sea. NavIC system, along with satellite based forecast on fish aggregation areas, helps fishermen to reach the potential fishing zones where they would get better fish catch. Using the messaging capabilities of NavIC, fishermen can receive alerts related to bad weather and high waves. Warning messages are also provided to fishermen when they approach international water boundaries preventing them from crossing inadvertently. All these services are provided through a fishermen app on a smart phone. Shipping: NavIC helps the merchant ships to navigate to their destination in the ocean routes. It also aids them for search and rescue in disastrous situations using its current location. Transport: NavIC, with its position service, supports numerous applications in the road transport sector. It helps the travellers to go from one location to the other and enables transport operators to track their vehicles and goods so that they can manage their operations efficiently. NavIC also helps to monitor the movement of school vans and facilitates better traffic management in cities, towns and highways. While IRNSS-1H joins the constellation for providing navigation services, IRNSS-1A will be used formessaging services. IRNSS 1H comes with more flexibility in service and it is compatible with thesatellites which are in orbit.in June 2014, the IRNSS Signal-in-Space Interface Control Document (ICD) for SPS version 1.0 wasreleased in the ISRO website The updated ICD version 1.1, with the inclusion of IRNSS 1H satellite information, is now available on the ISRO website.with the operationalisation of seven satellites in 2016, performance of the independent regional navigation satellite system over India was demonstrated for the targeted position accuracy which is better than20 mtrs over 24 hours of the day.navic ground segment is responsible for navigation parameter generation and transmission, satellite control, ranging and integrity monitoring as well as time keeping. NavIC ground segment is operational 24 x 7. It has a number of Indian Range and Integrity Monitoring Stations, also called IRIMS, which are geographically spread across the country. The ground segment also has IRNSS CDMA Ranging Stations, IRNSS Network Timing Centers, ISRO Navigation Centres and Spacecraft Control Facilities. All of these are interconnected through a robust data communication network. /IRNSS-1H MISSION Railways: NavIC is also very useful for railway operations in tracking trains movement, as well as informing the passengers about the time of arrival and departure. It is also useful in alerting the road users at Unmanned Level Crossings to avoid accidents by closely monitoring the approaching trains. The positions of trains are provided to a central monitoring center using communication links. Resource Management: The position information derived from NavIC helps the Entrepreneurs and the Government Agencies to manage the resources efficiently using Geo-tagging and Geo-fencing techniques. The position of an object is linked with the virtual maps 21 P a g e

22 and alert messages are generated when there is a movement of object beyond permissible limits. Location Based Services: By Linking position information from NavIC with Geo-Informatics Systems where several layers of information are linked on maps and satellite imagery, a host of location based services are offered to the general public. Using such features, one could easily locate a restaurant, shop, college, bus-stop, office, hospital, fuel pump, picnic spot, etc. Survey and Alignment: Improved position accuracy can be obtained using NavIC signals in combination with Navigation constellations (multi-constellation), using both L5 and S channels. The use of NavIC with differential navigation technique provides much better position accuracies. Such accurate position information helps in applications like land survey, port operations, precision agriculture, road and rail alignments, etc. Time Synchronised Services: NavIC, with its position and precise timing, significantly contributes in the areas of efficient telecom operations, power grid operations, disaster management, atmospheric studies, etc. NavIC, when integrated with mobile phones, can bring a major transformation in the delivery of customised applications to the consumer segment. Date 6 Sep The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has constituted Expert Task Force to provide major thrust to job creation by enhancing India s exports. 2. The seventh edition of India-Sri Lanka joint maritime naval exercise SLINEX 2017 was held near Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) in Bay of Bengal. It will be conducted from 7th to 14th September The exercises was held in both Harbour Phase and Sea Phase. In harbour phase, both participant navies engaged in professional, cultural and social interactions. In Sea Phase, both navies jointly conducted complex operations including anti-piracy exercises, cross-deck helicopter operations, gun firings and anti-surface exercises. SLINEX SLINEX series of biennial bilateral maritime exercises between India and Sri Lank, initiated in Its mandate is to enable navies of both countries to rehearse and improve their own capabilities and enhance operational effectiveness required to maintain maritime security in region. SLINEX 2017 focused on fleet work, seamanship, communication, replenishment at sea as well as helicopter operations. Sri Lanka Navy s offshore patrol vessels, SLNS Sayura and Sagara had participated in this edition of biennial exercise. 22 P a g e

23 3. TRAI recommends delicensing of some spectrum for M2M services M2M technologies involve communication between two devices. The technology is basis for automated information exchange between machines. It enables wired and wireless devices to talk to each other using sensors. It is also a key component of the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) revolution. TRAI acknowledged its potential in National Telecom Policy Applications of self-communicating machines using M2M communications can be deployed in new-age infrastructure projects and various industry verticals such as smart cities, smart grids, smart homes, smart transportation and smart heath sectors. TRAI Recommendations TRAI has suggested to Department of Telecom (DoT) that all existing operators should be allowed to provide connectivity for M2M services. Under this technology, devices will be fitted with SIM or universal integrated circuit card (euicc). TRAI has suggests delicensing of 1 MHz of spectrum from MHz frequencies and another six units from the MHz range for M2M communication services. TRAI has suggested that government, through DoT, should identify critical services in M2M sector and these services should be provided only by connectivity providers using licensed spectrum. It also suggested that companies offering M2M services using unlicensed spectrum should be covered under licence through a new permit to be called Unified Licence (M2M). 4. India and Myanmar have signed 11 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in range of sectors, including one on maritime security cooperation. Signed Agreements are MoU on Maritime Security Cooperation Cultural Exchange Programme for year MoU on Cooperation in Medical Products Regulation MoU on cooperation in the field of Health and medicine Technical Agreement for providing Coastal Surveillance System Exchange of Letter for Extension of MoU on the establishment of MIIT MoU for Upgradation of Women s Police Training Centre at Yamethin, Myanmar MoU for Sharing White Shipping Information between Indian Navy and Myanmar Navy MoU in the field of elections between Election Commission of India and Election Commission of Myanmar Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between Press Council of India and Myanmar Press Council 23 P a g e

24 Exchange of Letter for Extension of MoU on establishment of India-Myanmar Centre for Enhancement of IT-Skill 5. The Union Ministry of Human Resource and Development (HRD) has launched Diksha Portal (diksha.gov.in) for providing digital platform to teacher to make their lifestyle more digital. It will serve as National Digital Infrastructure for Teachers. Through this portal, all teachers across nation will be equipped with advanced digital technology. 6. Jharkhand Governor gives assent to Religious Freedom Bill, 2017 Jharkhand, become seventh state in the country to have anti-conversion law. Other six states with similar law are Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. 7. र य र स यनक हथय र समझ त धकरण (एनएस डय स ) NACWC 8. Energy Efficiency Services Limited ( EESL), under Ministry of Power, Government of India has launched UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All(सभ क लए सत उनत य त)) Scheme in the State of Melaka, Malaysia. 9. DIKSHA Portal is an initiative of HRD ministry for providing a digital platform to teacher to make their lifestyle more digital. Diksha portal launched with a tagline National Digital Infrastructures for Our Teacher Our Teacher. The portal will consist the whole teacher s life cycle from the time they were enrolled as student teachers in Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs) to after they retire as teachers. 10. About RCEP? RCEP is between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and the six states with which ASEAN has existing FTAs (Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand). RCEP negotiations were formally launched in November 2012 at the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia. 24 P a g e

25 11. BRICS Meeting Thank you Notes PM Modi point China 2017 भ रत क म ख पहल - भ रत य तकन क एव आथक सहय ग (आईटईस ) क तहत एशय, अक, प व य र प, ल टन अम रक, क र बय ई एव प सपफक आइलड र ज य क 161 सहय ग द श क शण एव क शल वक स क प शकश क गई ह The decision regarding setting up the ITEC programme in 1964 was predicated on the underlying belief that it was necessary to establish relations of mutual concern and inter-dependence based not only on commonly held ideals and aspirations, but also on solid economic foundations. Technical and economic cooperation was considered to be one of the essential functions of an integrated and imaginative foreign policy. The ITEC Programme is essentially bilateral in nature. However, in recent years, ITEC resources have also been used for cooperation programmes conceived in regional and inter-regional context such as Commonwealth Secretariat, Group of 77 and G-15, among others. In more recent years, its activities have also been associated with regional and multilateral organizations and cooperation groupings like Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), Afro- Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) and Caribbean Community (CARICOM), among others. For over half a century, ITEC has offered training and skill development to 161 partner countries from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Caribbean and Pacific Island states. भ रत म शत अक 'स लर मम ज'(solar mamas) अक मह व प म हज र घर क क शत कर रह ह For more than 40 years, The Barefoot College has designed new ways to nurture and support a journey to empowerment, one village at a time, one woman at a time. We demystify and decentralise technology and put new tools in the hands of the rural poor with a singular objective of spreading selfsufficiency and sustainability. With a geographic focus on the Least Developed Countries, we train women worldwide as solar engineers, innovators and educators, who then return to their villages to bring light and learning to their community. Barefoot College, Tilonia (Rajasthan) has been promoting and training rural women solar engineers (solar mamas) from Africa in fabrication, installation, use, repair and maintenance of solar lanterns and household solar lighting under Government of India supported programmes. 7 th September 1. The International Literacy Day (ILD) is being observed every year on 8 September to emphasize the importance of literacy to individuals, society and communities. 25 P a g e

26 The day was established in 1966 by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This year it is 51st International Literacy Day. The theme announced by UNESCO for this year is `Literacy in a digital world. In India to observe this day, several functions were organised by the National Literacy Mission Authority. It included distribution of Saakshar Bharat Awards to best performing States, Districts, Gram Panchayats and NGOs. Government uses occasion of ILD for raising public awareness to eradicate illiteracy and create environment in favour of adult education programmes. Background The UNESCO in its 14th Session in November 1966 had declared 8th September as International Literacy Day. Since then, ILD is celebrated every year by most of the member countries. On this day, in year 1965, World Congress of Ministers of Education had met in Tehran for first time to discuss the programme of education at international level. The observance of ILD aims to mobilize public opinion in favour of struggle against illiteracy. It also seeks to disseminate information on literacy and raise the public awareness and the significance of literacy for individual and national development. 2. Parali I island, one of biodiversity-rich uninhabited islands part of Lakshadweep has disappeared due to coastal erosion and another four such islands in Lakshadweep sea are shrinking fast. The researcher had conducted studies on assessment of biodiversity confining to five uninhabited islands Parali I, II and III, Bangaram, Thinnakara in Lakshadweep, an archipelago of 36 islands in Lakshadweep sea. Note: using geospatial techniques such as Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) to confirm the claim. Parali I island, part of Bangaram atoll which was square km in 1968 has been eroded to an extent of 100%, resulting in its inundation. Apart from Parali I, net erosion was higher in Parali II (80%), followed by Thinnakara (14.38%), Parali III (11.42%) and Bangaram (9.968%). The five islets of Bangaram atoll also have undergone coastal erosion. The study has recommended of a bio protection strategy using mangroves, in addition to the conventional physical protection measures from coastal erosion. 3. Press Trust of India PTI is largest news agency in India. It is nonprofit cooperative among more than 500 Indian newspapers and has more than 1,000 full-time employees. It provides news coverage and information of the region in both English and Hindi. It is headquartered in New Delhi. It had taken over operations of Associated Press of India (API) from Reuters after India s independence in It employs over 400 journalists and 500 part-time correspondents located in most of district headquarters in country. 26 P a g e

27 Note: Viveck Goenka, chairman and managing director of Express Group was unanimously elected as Chairman of Press Trust of India (PTI). 4. India s first Hyperloop project will come up in Andhra Pradesh, connecting its city centres, Vijayawada and Amaravati. Use a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with funding primarily from private investors Hyperloop Technology Hyperloop Technology is brainchild idea of technology entrepreneur Elon Musk who dubs it as fifth mode of transportation. It is system of magnetically levitating capsules (pods) that are sent at high speeds through low-pressure tubes. It envisages tube modular transport system that runs free of friction. It uses linear Induction motors in it to control speed of pods. It is still in trial stages in different countries and not been implemented for practical use anywhere in world yet. Advantages Hyperloop is two-to-three times faster than fastest high-speed rail and claimed to have speeds even greater than commercial air travel. It has smaller civil engineering footprint, with no direct emissions or noise compared to railways. Hyperloop system s capital cost per mile is 60% that of high-speed rail, and is less expensive to operate. Furthermore, Hyperloop departures could happen with a low frequency of a pod every 20 seconds which is not possible in railways. Challenges It requires heavy investments and therefore effective public and private sector coordination is prerequisite for implementing it. It consumes high-power compared to railways. Technical challenges and accidents may hamper its progress. 5. CSIR scientists have developed an ultra-thin wireless device that mimics plant leaves to produce energy using water and sunlight. The artificial leaf absorbs sunlight to generate hydrogen fuel from water. In advance, this artificial leaf may provide clean energy for powering eco-friendly cars in the future. It can serve ultimate solution for our energy and environment problems. Need for such technology At present, hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels by steam reforming. In this process large amount of carbon di-oxide (CO2) a greenhouse gas is emitted which promotes global warming. So in view of pressing energy and environmental issues, it is important to produce hydrogen from natural resources such as sunlight and water. India is also blessed with plenty of sunlight throughout year that is not exploited significantly to produce energy or hydrogen. 27 P a g e

28 Key Facts The artificial leaf or the wireless device consists of semiconductors stacked in manner to simulate natural leaf system. The device has an area of 23 square centimetres. When visible light strikes semiconductors, electrons move in one direction and produce electric current. The current almost instantaneously splits water into hydrogen making it one of cleanest forms of fuel as its main byproduct is water. It can produce 6 litres of hydrogen fuel per hour. To improve light-absorbing efficiency of artificial leaf, researchers had used gold nanoparticles, titanium dioxide and quantum dots. Quantum dots are semiconductor crystals of nanometre dimensions with properties that depend on the size of dots. 6. World University Rankings:- These rankings are only global performance tables that judge researchintensive universities across all their core missions viz. teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. Note: World University Rankings 2018: IISc ranked highest from India and Oxford University (1st, UK), Cambridge University (2nd, UK), California institute of Technology (3rd, US), Stanford University (4th, US), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (5th, US) 7. International Organization for Migration Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. With 166 member states, a further 8 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people. 28 P a g e

29 IOM works in the four broad areas of migration management: Migration and development. Facilitating migration. Regulating migration. Forced migration. 8. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under Ministry of Power, Government of India has launched UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All) Scheme in the State of Melaka, Malaysia. The scheme has seen successful implementation in the UK. With a fairly large switch to LED bulbs, Melaka will also be able to reduce carbon emissions by around 19,000 tonnes per year. Key facts: Under the scheme, each household in Melaka will get 10 high quality 9-watt LED bulbs at a cost of only RM 10 (10 Malaysian Ringgit), which is a special price and is almost half of what in being offered in the market. The EESL plans to distribute about 1 million 9W LED bulbs, replacing 18W CFLs in Melaka. The initiative will have the logistical assistance and facilitation support from Green Growth Asia, a non-profit organisation in Malaysia. The price of each bulb will be way lesser than global average price of LED bulbs, which still swings between 3-5 USD. The Malaysian State of Melaka opens out to the Malacca Strait. 29 P a g e

30 About UJALA scheme: The main objective of the scheme is to promote efficient lighting, enhance awareness on using efficient equipment which reduce electricity bills and help preserve environment. The scheme is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Union Ministry of Power. The scheme will not only help reduce consumers their electricity bills but also contribute to the energy security of India. 9. Article 256 in The Constitution Of India (Obligation of States and the Union): The executive power of every State shall be so exercised as to ensure compliance with the laws made by Parliament and any existing laws which apply in that State, and the executive power of the Union shall extend to the giving of such directions to a State as may appear to the Government of India to be necessary for that purpose. 10. The Household Finance Committee chaired by Tarun Ramadorai was constituted in September 2016 to examine various aspects of household finance, and compare India s position with other countries. Recommendations made by it include: Customised products: Indian households require customised financial products based on their unique economic conditions and traditions. Regulation: There is a need for a flexible framework which allows financial technology firms to test their financial products on a small scale, and in a controlled environment. Data privacy: Technological solutions to household finance rely on the households sharing their personal data with financial institutions. A data privacy framework for household finance should be considered. 30 P a g e

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