PIB Febuary 2018

PIB Compilation
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Feb 2018 ₹ 50
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PIB Compilation Volume 14: February 2018
Contents
1) Coach Factory in Marathwada, Maharashtra ........................................................................ 3

2) Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) .......................................... 3
3) Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 through Finance Act, 2018................................. 4
)
4) Launch of Gobar-Dhan Scheme ............................................................................................ 5
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5) Major initiatives in health sector ............................................................................................ 6
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6) The first ever International Kala Mela .................................................................................... 6
7) Laghu Udyog Bharati............................................................................................................. 7
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8) Fifth South Asia Region Public Procurement Conference ..................................................... 7
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9) India Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) ...................................................................... 8
10) Tool for ranking of startups.................................................................................................... 9
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11) “Development of Solar Cities” scheme ................................................................................ 10
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12) Mahamastakabhisheka ....................................................................................................... 11
13) Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) ....................................................... 12
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14) Rationalization of Autonomous Bodies under Department of Health & Family Welfare ...... 13
15) Village Resource Centres.................................................................................................... 14
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16) New Instrument adopted by International Labour Organization (ILO) ................................. 15

17) Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury .......................................................... 16
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18) Change in the basis of classifying Micro, Small and Medium enterprises ........................... 17
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19) 559 Swadhar Greh presently functional in the country with 17231 beneficiaries ................. 18
20) National Women Entrepreneurship Council ........................................................................ 18
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21) “Healthy States, Progressive India” Report ......................................................................... 19

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22) ASH TRACK Mobile App ..................................................................................................... 20

23) Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological Systems (IAAMS) ........................................ 21
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24) India Health Fund to boost-research on TB, malaria ........................................................... 22

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25) National Deworming initiative .............................................................................................. 22

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26) India Among Top Ten Nations in the World in Terms of Forest Area .................................. 24
27) World Radio Day ................................................................................................................. 25
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28) ‘India Pharma & India Medical Device 2018’: Affordable and Quality Healthcare ............... 25
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29) Botanical Survey of India..................................................................................................... 25

30) Central Geological Programming Board .............................................................................. 26
31) New Bill to ban Unregulated Deposit Schemes and Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2018 ... 27
32) Six new user-friendly features of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Platform ................ 27
33) International Mother Language Day: 21 February ............................................................... 28
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34) Indian scientists develop next generation technology loop to generate clean energy ......... 29
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https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

35) “Andaman & Nicobar Command to Host Milan 2018”.......................................................... 29

36) International Conference on Sustainable Biofuels 2018 ...................................................... 30
37) Operation Greens ................................................................................................................ 31
38) NITI Forum for Northeast .................................................................................................... 31
39) Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana ....................................................................................... 32
40) Chardham Pariyojana.......................................................................................................... 32
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41) Heavy Water Board signed an agreement with M/s Clearsynth .......................................... 33
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42) 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers .................................................... 33
43) National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts at IIT Chennai ................... 34
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44) Project Swajal ..................................................................................................................... 35
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45) National e-Governance Awards .......................................................................................... 35
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46) National Science Day 2018 ................................................................................................. 36
47) AIIB approves infra loans worth $1.5 billion to India ............................................................ 37
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48) Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre (MSDC) ................................................................ 37
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49) Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam based on PIB................................................. 38
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Coach Factory in Marathwada, Maharashtra

{Infrastructure}
In news
A massive rail coach factory will be set up in Latur, Maharashtra by Indian Railways. This plant would
manufacture Electric Multiple Units for suburban trains and coaches for metros.
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Significance of the project
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✓ Marathwada, the region where Latur lies, is amongst the most backward areas of Maharashtra.
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✓ There have been few central government projects in this region. This will massively benefit ‘Make in
India’, and bring employment to a large number of people. In addition, it will create an industrial
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ecosystem in the drought prone region boosting shift from agriculture to industry.
✓ It may be noted that the region suffers from heavy migration to other parts of the country.
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Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP)
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In news
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In a move to improve technical education in backward areas of the country, the Union Minister for Human
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Resources and Development Prakash Javadekar informed with a tweet that more than 1200 graduates
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from IITs and NITs will teach in engineering colleges in poor districts for three years.
Significance
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There are a lot of vacancies for teachers in engineering colleges in backward states and quality teachers
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are not willing to go there to teach. Therefore, this initiative aims to address the problem of dearth of well
qualified faculty in the country.
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About TEQIP
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TEQIP or Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme is an initiative of the National Project
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Implementation Unit (NPIU) which implements World Bank Assisted Projects in Technical Education. The
initiative is aimed at improving the quality of engineering graduates.
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Under this project, all the Government engineering colleges are selected for direct intervention, and all
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private engineering colleges are selected for indirect intervention. The focus is on the most-backward
states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, North-East, Rajasthan, MP etc.
Objectives
Strengthening Institutions to produce high quality engineers for better employability, Scaling-up postgraduate
education and demand-driven Research & Development and Innovation, Establishing Centers of Excellence
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for focused applicable research, Training of faculty for effective Teaching, and Enhancing Institutional and
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System Management effectiveness.

The measures include
Institution based: accreditation of the

courses through NBA, governance
reforms, improving the processes,
digital initiatives, securing autonomy
for the colleges.
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Student based: improving the quality
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of teaching, teacher training,
equipping the class rooms, revision of
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syllabus, industry interaction,
compulsory internships for students,
training the students in industry-
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relevant skills, preparing them for the GATE exam etc.
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Way forward
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Technical education of our country is in the threshold of having to undergo major reforms for building a
credible professional workforce which has to build the nation for the welfare of our future generations.
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Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 through Finance Act, 2018
{Governance}
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The Amendments aim at further enhancing the effectiveness of the Act, widen its scope and take care of
certain procedural difficulties faced by the Enforcement Directorate in prosecution of PMLA cases.
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Major amendments
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Amendment in definition of “proceeds of crime”: The definition of "proceeds of crime" in PMLA was
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amended in 2015 to include "property equivalent held within the country" in case proceeds of crime is
taken out or held "outside the country". The present amendment shall allow to proceed against property
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equivalent to proceeds to crime held outside the country also.
Amendment in bail provisions

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Amendment proposed in Section 45(1) would make the applicability of bail conditions uniform to all the
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offences under PMLA, instead of only those offences under the schedule which are liable to imprisonment
of more than 3 years. This will be a significant step forward in delinking the proceedings against
scheduled offences and Money laundering offences under PMLA.
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Corporate frauds included as Scheduled offence: Section 447 of Companies Act is being included as
scheduled offence under PMLA so that Registrar of Companies in suitable cases would be able to report
such cases for action by Enforcement Directorate under the PMLA provisions. This provision shall
strengthen the PMLA with respect to Corporate frauds.
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Launch of Gobar-Dhan Scheme

{Public Policy}
In news
In an effort to make the villages open defecation free and improving the lives of villagers, the Finance
Minister in his budget speech today announced the launch of Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources
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Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN).
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Key Features
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Dung Fuel: - The government has announced that it shall be making best use of solid waste excreted by
the cattle. The dung can be transformed into a type of biofertilizer that can be used by the villagers for by
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filling up their stoves at the homes. The fuel can be used as subsidy for CNG and LPG
Villagers Advantage: - Life of villagers must be better. This will also educate the people not to defecate in
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the open place. This helps in maintaining hygiene factor.

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Income generation: - In present time farmers are merely dependent on their crop yield for generating the
income. With implementation of this scheme the farmers will be able to generate better way for income.
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Infrastructure development: - Under this scheme the government aims at improving the available
infrastructure to help to set up their own compost plants.
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Power generation: - Under this scheme government has ensured to generate fuel in the form of Biogas.
Husbandry: - Government will offer people with opportunity to generate income by selling dungs to
authorities.
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Major initiatives in health sector

{Health Policy}
Why In news
The Government announced two major initiatives in health sector , as part of Ayushman Bharat
programme.
)
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Health and Wellness Centre
The National Health Policy, 2017 has envisioned Health and Wellness Centres as the foundation of
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India’s health system.
Under this 1.5 lakh centres will bring health care system closer to the homes of people. These
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centres will provide comprehensive health care, including for non-communicable diseases and
maternal and child health services.
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These centres will also provide free essential drugs and diagnostic services. The Budget has
allocated Rs.1200 crore for this flagship programme. Contribution of private sector through CSR
and philanthropic institutions in adopting these centres is also envisaged.
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National Health Protection Scheme
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The second flagship programme under Ayushman Bharat is National Health Protection Scheme, which will
cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) providing coverage
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upto 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
This will be the world’s largest government funded health care programme. Adequate funds will be provided
for smooth implementation of this programme.
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The first ever International Kala Mela

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{Art & Culture}

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In news
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The First ever International Kala Mela was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah
Naidu in New Delhi.
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Objective
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To focus on direct interaction between the artist and the connoisseur and also educating and raising
awareness about art, which has been the mandate of Lalit Kala Akademi.
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About the festival

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This comprehensive outreach shall include the participation of National, International level Artists/ Art
Critics of repute from all over the Globe. More than 800 artists from across the world are taking part in the
Festival. The festival serves as a platform for artists to showcase their art works.
Lalit Kala Akademi

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The Lalit Kala Akademi or National Academy of Art is India’s National Academy of Fine Arts. It is an
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autonomous organization, established at New Delhi in 1954 to promote and propagate understanding of

Indian art, both within and outside the country. It does so through providing scholarships, a fellow program,
and sponsoring and organizing numerous exhibitions in India and overseas.
Laghu Udyog Bharati

{Business & Economy}
)
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In news
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India Industrial Fair is one of the largest industrial trade show in Rajasthan. IIF offers participating
companies unique, never before platform to exhibit products & services.
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A national level meeting was recently convened by the Government of India with the members of Laghu
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Udyog Bharati.
IIF 2018 was organized by Department of Industries (Govt. of Rajasthan) and Laghu Udyog Bharti.
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About Laghu Udyog Bharati
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Laghu Udyog Bharati is a registered all India organization of Micro and Small Industries in India since 1994.
Today, Laghu Udyog Bharati has its membership spread over the length and breadth of the country. It has
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membership in more than 400 Districts with 250 Branches all over the Country. In a genuine effort to
organise MSE sector Laghu Udyog Bharati is fighting the various ills plaguing the sector and to remove
impediments coming in the way to MSEs.
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Laghu Udyog Bharati render assistance to small scale industries as follows

✓
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Removal of inspector raj & simplification procedures.

✓ Availability & distribution of power.
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✓ Guidance for improving productivity.

✓ Quality & technological upgradation & modernisation.
✓ Sales promotion & marketing assistance.
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✓ Encouraging women entrepreneurs.

✓ Creating congenial environment for better entrepreneur, worker and customer relations.
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✓ Making various panels for better representation.

✓ Participation in Trade-Fairs and Exhibitions for better product exposure.
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Fifth South Asia Region Public Procurement Conference

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{International}
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In news
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The Fifth edition of South Asia Region Public Procurement Conference was held in New Delhi. It was
hosted by Public Procurement Division (PPD) of Ministry of Finance and All India Management Association
(AIMA).
It was held under auspices of South Asia Region Public Procurement Network (SARPPN), which is
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sponsored and facilitated by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank
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The theme of the Fifth Conference is: “Public Procurement and Service Delivery”.

Objective
To enable the Heads of Public Procurement and other key stakeholders in the eight South Asian countries
to meet and learn from one another and from experts in the field of public procurement.
Key points
✓ The knowledge thus acquired would help various South Asian Governments to consider
enhancements and innovations in their public procurement systems, enabling efficient utilization of
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public resources, ensuring quality and timeliness in delivery of services.
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✓ It will help to avoid elements of nepotism and corruption in public procurement.
✓ The Conference is held under the auspices of the South Asia Region Public Procurement Network
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(SARPPN), which is sponsored and facilitated by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and
Islamic Development Bank.
✓ The First Conference was held in Kathmandu in 2010, the second in Islamabad in 2014, the third in
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Dhaka 2015 and the fourth in Sri Lanka 2017.
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Way ahead
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All eight SAR countries spend approximately US$550 billion equivalent on public procurement of goods,
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works and services, which eventually convert to public services. The Fifth Conference will deliberate upon
key aspects of public procurement that help ensure delivery of these services; and identify and address
areas that need improvement.
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India Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC)

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{Disaster Management}
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IN news
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The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has the mandate of detecting
tsunamigenic earthquakes occurring in the Indian Ocean as well as in the Global Oceans within 10 minutes
of the occurrence of the earthquake and disseminating the tsunami related advisories to the concerned
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authorities through email, fax, SMS, GTS and website.

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About ITEWC
The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) established at Indian National Centre for Ocean
Information Sciences, (INCOIS – ESSO) Hyderabad, is an autonomous body under Ministry of Earth
Sciences.
Indian Tsunami Early Warning System comprises a real-time seismic monitoring network of broadband
seismic stations. ITEWC receives data in real time from 350 seismic stations, 50 tsunami buoys and 300
tide gauges established in the Indian as well as the other oceans by other countries and international
agencies.
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Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO has designated ITEWC as the Tsunami
Service Provider (TSP) for the entire Indian Ocean Region. Since 2012, ITEWC is providing tsunami
advisories and related services to about 25 countries”.
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Tool for ranking of startups
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{Development}
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In news
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Three new tools for States and Union Territories for ranking of startups in the country was launched by
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry at a function in New Delhi
The tools are

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The State and Union Territory Start-up Ranking Framework.

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

The Start-up India Kit.
These will act as catalysts to help the Startup India initiative to drive India’s economic growth.
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About the Ranking Framework

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Objective
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To encourage States and UTs to take proactive steps towards strengthening the Startup ecosystems at the
local level.
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Highlights
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✓ The Ranking Framework will measure the impact of each step initiated at the local level for building a
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strong Startup ecosystem.

✓ The Ranking Framework will also enable contnuous learning through the dissemination of good
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practices.
✓ The Ranking Framework is based on the feedback collected from Startup ecosystem stakeholders,
which include startups, mentors, investors, accelerators, incubators and the government bodies.
✓ Areas which should be given greater thrust like seed funding support, women entrepreneurship are
given more score.
Start-up India Compendium of Good Practises for promoting Start-ups in India
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It focuses on enriching the Startup ecosystem through ethical behaviours and is currently followed by 18
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States and UTs. It covers 95 good practises across 7 areas of intervention. These are distilled into 38

action points including Incubation Support, Seed Funding, Angel & Venture Funding, Startup Policy &
Implementation, Simplified Regulations, Easing Public Procurement, Awareness & Outreach.
The Startup India Kit

It is primarily a one-stop guide on all Startup India offerings. It offers vital information, advice and
assistance through website links, statistics, tools, templates, events, competitions and a glossary on startup
terms. All the benefits available to startups from the Startup India initiative can be found in the kit.
Way ahead
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The Govt has to align its strategies to tap into the infinite potential of young entrepreneurial minds. Startups
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need help in the journey from idea to business and business to success. States will also have to take
proactive steps to enable startup ecosystems at the local level.
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“Development of Solar Cities” scheme
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{Infrastructure}
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In news
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under its scheme “Development of Solar Cities” has
approved/sanctioned 60 Cities including 13 Pilot and 5 Model Cities up to 12th Five-year Plan period.
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About Development of Solar Cities scheme

✓ The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing a programme on ‘Development of Solar
Cities’ which aims to reduce a minimum of 10% of the projected demand of conventional energy of the
city through renewable energy installations and energy efficiency measures.
✓ The Ministry provides Central Financial support up to Rs.5 lakh for preparing Master Plan for
development of green campus in the educational institutions, office complexes, residential and
commercial complexes etc.
✓ Sixty Cities are proposed to be developed as Solar Cities during the Eleventh Plan period including four
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Model Solar Cities and 10 Pilot Solar Cities.
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✓ The Master plan for each Solar City is being prepared to assess and utilize various renewable sources
including Solar, Wind, Municipal Waste etc.
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Need for Solar Cities
Urbanization and economic development are leading to a rapid rise in energy demand in urban areas in our
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country leading to enhanced Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.
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Many cities around the world are setting targets and introducing polices for promoting renewable energy
and reducing GHG emissions and the countries like Australia and USA are developing the solar cities.
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Several Indian cities and towns are experiencing rapid growth in the peak electricity demand. The local
governments and the electricity utilities are finding it difficult to cope with this rapid rise in demand and as a
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result most of the cities/towns are facing electricity shortages.
In this context, the “Development of Solar Cities” programme is designed to support/encourage Urban
Local Bodies to prepare a Road Map to guide their cities in becoming ‘renewable energy cities’ or ‘solar
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cities’.
Objective of Solar City programme

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To enable and empower Urban Local Governments to address energy challenges at City – level.
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To provide a framework and support to prepare a Master Plan including assessment of current energy
situation, future demand and action plans.
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To build capacity in the Urban Local Bodies and create awareness among all sections of civil society.
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To involve various stakeholders in the planning process.

To oversee the implementation of sustainable energy options through public – private partnerships.
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Mahamastakabhisheka
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{Art & Culture}

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In news
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Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony is widely known to be a mark of Jain religiosity, it is also historically

believed to be a moment when political leadership has been involved in the event and also when social
reforms were carried out in Karnataka.
About Mahamastakabhisheka
✓ The mastakabhisheka is held once in 12 years. One of the biggest festivals for the Jain community, it
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honors Lord Bahubali, a revered Jain icon. According to Jain texts, Bahubali attained liberation from the
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cycle of births and deaths (moksha) at Mount Kailash and is revered as a liberated soul (Siddha) by the
Jains.
✓ Bahubali is also called Gommateshwara because of the Gommateshwara statue dedicated to him and
as lord “Kammateswara” from an inscription.
✓ The Gommateshwara statue was built by the Ganga dynasty minister and commander Chavundaraya; it
is a 57-foot monolith situated above a hill in Shravanabelagola in the Hassan district, Karnataka state,
India. It was built in around 981 A.D.
and is one of the largest free-standing
statues in the world.
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Who is Bahubali?
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The son of the first Tirthankara of Jainism,
Bahubali is a revered figure among the
Jains. Jain mythology holds up Bahubali as
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the one who succeeded in attaining liberty
from worldly desires through a long period
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of sustained meditation.
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The story of Bahubali, though varied in
details, is that of a ruler who won against
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his brother and was filled with grief over his
actions and therefore abandoned his
possessions and kingdom in search for
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omniscience.
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Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)

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{Agriculture Policy}
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In news
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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given
its approval for increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of "Milling
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Copra" to Rs.7500/- per quintal for 2018 season from Rs. 6500/-per quintal in 2017.
The MSP of copra is expected to ensure appropriate minimum prices to the farmers and step up investment
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in coconut cultivation and thereby production and productivity in the country.

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About CACP
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✓ The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) is an attached office of the Ministry of
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Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. It came into existence in January 1965.
Currently, the Commission comprises a Chairman, Member Secretary, one Member (Official) and two
Members (Non-Official). The non-official members are representatives of the farming community and
usually have an active association with the farming community.
✓ It is mandated to recommend minimum support prices (MSPs) to incentivize the cultivators to adopt
modern technology and raise productivity and overall grain production in line with the emerging demand
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patterns in the country. However, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of the Union
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government takes a final decision on the level of MSPs and other recommendations made by CACP.

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Rationalization of Autonomous Bodies under Department of Health & Family

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Welfare
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{Health Issue}
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In news
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for closure of Autonomous Bodies, namely, Rashtriya Arogya
Nidhi (RAN) and Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (JSK) and the functions are proposed to be vested in Department
of Health & Family Welfare (DoHFW).
Background
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Based on the recommendations of Expenditure Management Commission, NITI Aayog had undertaken a
review of the 19 Autonomous Bodies, under the DoHFW, that have been formed under Societies Registration
Act, 1860 (SRA).
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The aim is to improve their outcomes, effectiveness and efficiency, utilisation of financial and human resources,
synergy, governance and relevance in current policy and programme context, with improved monitoring and
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oversight.
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Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN)
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Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi was set up under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in 1997. The scheme
(E
provides for financial assistance to patients, living below poverty line who is suffering from major life threatening
diseases, to receive medical treatment at any of the super specialty hospitals/institutes or other Govt. hospitals.
The financial assistance to such patients is released in the form of "one time grant" to the Medical Superintendent
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of the hospital in which the treatment is being received.
Thus, An advance is placed with the Medical Superintendents of such hospitals who then provide assistance on
a case to case basis.
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Since the DoHFW provides funds to the hospitals, the grants can be given from the Department to the hospital
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directly.
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RAN functions can, therefore, be vested in DoHFW.
Jansankhya JSK
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Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (JSK) was set up in the year 2003 to raise awareness for population stabilization
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strategies.
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There has been no continuous funding to JSK from the Ministry.

Population stabilization strategies require private and corporate funding, which can be accessed through JSK.
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Although, JSK will continue to play a significant role in population stabilization strategies, its existence as an
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Autonomous Body is not necessary.

Hence, JSK as an Autonomous Body can be closed as it can be administered by the Department as a fund.
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Village Resource Centres

{Science & Tech}
In news
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To demonstrate the potential of satellite technology for development of rural areas, ISRO established
Village Resource Centres (VRCs) on a pilot scale, in association with selected NGOs, Trusts and State
Government Departments.
About Village Resource Centres program

Objective
To provide the space-based services directly to
)
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the rural areas, ISRO/ DOS has launched the
Village Resource Centres (VRCs) programme
in association with NGOs/ Trusts and state/
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central agencies.
Highlights
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✓ This is one of the unique initiatives that
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uses Satellite Communication (SATCOM)
network and Earth Observation (EO)
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satellite data in a judicious combination to
address the needs of the local people in
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villages.
✓ VRCs use a combination of SATCOM and
EO to reach out to the villages and provides wide varieties of services, like, agricultural advisories, non-
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formal education, computer education, skill development and so on.
✓ Tele-medicine concept connects the sick people in villages, through VSAT network, to the doctors, who
located in cities/urban areas or the Super-speciality hospitals, for providing health services.
✓ The Tele-education uses SATCOM to provide a virtual classroom facility to far-flung villages or remote
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areas in the country and helps in imparting education to the needy.

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New Instrument adopted by International Labour Organization (ILO)

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Why in News?
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The Union Cabinet has approved placing the new Instrument adopted by International Labour Organization
(ILO) Recommendation concerning “The Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience (No.-
205)” before the Parliament.
af
Background
nt
re
Each member state of ILO is required to submit the instruments so adopted before the competent authority
(the Parliament in case of India).
ur
The adoption and placing of the Instrument for the information of the Parliament does not create any
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immediate obligation. An ILO Recommendations is a non-binding instrument which seeks to serve as a

guiding principle for national policy process.
The Recommendation provides guidance to member States on the measures to be taken to generate
employment and decent work for the purposes of prevention, recovery, peace and resilience with respect to
crisis situations arising from conflicts and disasters.
15
The Recommendation No. 205 is applicable to all workers and job seekers, and to all employers, in all
sectors of the economy affected by crisis situations arising from conflicts and disasters and to workers
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engaged in crisis response, including in the immediate response.

International Labour Organization (ILO)
The ILO was founded in 1919, in the wake of a destructive war. It became the first specialized agency of
the UN in 1946.
The main aims of the ILO are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities,
enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.
The unique tripartite structure of the ILO gives an equal voice to workers, employers and governments.
)
es
Way ahead
ss
Each member state of ILO is required to submit the instruments so adopted before the competent authority
la
(the Parliament in case of India). The adoption and placing of the Instrument for the information of the
Parliament does not create any immediate obligation. An ILO Recommendations is a non-binding
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instrument which seeks to serve as a guiding principle for national policy process.
G
Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury
(E {Energy}
om
In news
.c
The Union cabinet has approved a proposal for ratification of the Minamata Convention, a global treaty to
ly
protect human health and the environment from adverse effects of mercury. After joining the Convention, it
on
will now be easier for India to get technological or financial assistance to address issues related to mercury.
Minamata convention
irs
The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a multilateral environmental agreement that addresses specific
fa
human activities which are contributing to widespread mercury pollution. Implementation of this agreement
will help reduce global mercury pollution over the coming decades.
af
The Minamata Convention is named after the Japanese city of Minamata, which experienced a severe,
nt
decades-long incidence of mercury poisoning after industrial wastewater from a chemical factory was
discharged into Minamata Bay. The wastewater contained methylmercury, which bioaccumulated in fish
re
and shellfish in the bay. Local people who consumed seafood from Minamata Bay became very sick, and
many died or were left severely disabled.
ur
Highlights
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Ban on new mercury mines, the phase-out of existing ones, the phase out and phase down of mercury use
in a number of products and processes, control measures on emissions to air and on releases to land and
water, and the regulation of the informal sector of artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
The Convention also addresses interim storage of mercury and its disposal once it becomes waste, sites
contaminated by mercury as well as health issues.
16
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Background
Till now, the convention has 88 ratifications and 144 signatories including India, which signed it on 30
September 2014. India had actively participated in the negotiating process, making significant contributions
in finalizing the treaty text but had not ratified it till now. India’s neighbours – Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal
and Pakistan – are also signatories to the convention. But only Sri Lanka has ratified it.
Way forward
)
The Minamata Convention on Mercury will further urge enterprises to move to mercury-free alternatives in
es
products and non-mercury technologies in manufacturing processes. This will drive research &
development and promote innovation.
ss
la
Change in the basis of classifying Micro, Small and Medium enterprises
C
G
In news
(E
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved change in the basis of
om
classifying Micro, Small and Medium enterprises from ‘investment in plant & machinery/equipment’ to
‘annual turnover’.
This will encourage ease of doing business, make the norms of classification growth oriented and align
.c
them to the new tax regime revolving around GST (Goods & Services Tax).
ly
Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 will accordingly
on
be amended to define units producing goods and rendering services in terms of annual turnover as follows:
irs
fa
af
nt
re
ur
C
A micro enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover does not exceed five crore rupees;
A small enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover is more than five crore rupees but
does not exceed Rs 75 crore;
A medium enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover is more than seventy five crore
17
rupees but does not exceed Rs 250 crore.

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Additionally, the Central Government may, by notification, vary turnover limits, which shall not exceed thrice
the limits specified in Section 7 of the MSMED Act.
Background
At present the MSMED Act (Section 7) classifies the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on the
basis of investment in plant and machinery for manufacturing units, and investment in equipment for
service enterprises. The criterion of investment in plant and machinery stipulates self-declaration which in
turn entails verification if deemed necessary and leads to transaction costs.
)
Significance
es
The change in the norms of classification will enhance the ease of doing business. The consequent growth
and will pave the way for increased direct and indirect employment in the MSME sector of the country.
ss
This will also encourage ease of doing business, make the norms of classification growth oriented and align
them to the new tax regime revolving around GST (Goods & Services Tax).
la
C
559 Swadhar Greh presently functional in the country with 17231 beneficiaries
G
{Women Empowerment}
In news
(E
om
The Ministry of Women and Child Development is administering Swadhar Greh Scheme for relief and
.c
rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances including the victims of sexual harassment. Similarly, a
centrally sponsored scheme namely Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) is being implemented for
ly
care, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in difficult circumstances including sexually
harassed children.
on
Swadhar Greh Scheme

The Swadhar scheme was launched by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2002 for
irs
rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances.
Highlights
fa
af
✓ The scheme provides shelter, food, clothing and care to the marginalized women/girls who are in need.
✓ The beneficiaries include widows deserted by their families and relatives, women prisoners released
nt
from jail and without family support, women survivors of natural disasters, women victims of
re
terrorist/extremist violence etc.

✓ The implementing agencies are mainly NGOs. An Evaluation Study conducted through Centre for
Market Research and Social Development to assess the performance of the scheme observed that the
ur
scheme is successful for which it was formulated/implemented.

C
National Women Entrepreneurship Council

{Women Empowerment}
In news
18
Page
The Ministry of Women and Child Development is considering to establish National Women

Entrepreneurship Council (NWEC). NWEC will promote entrepreneurship as it would be the umbrella
organization for socio-economic gender parity, financial inclusion and economic empowerment of women in
India.
The National Women Entrepreneur Council (NWEC), a parastatal body operating under the aegis of the
Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare has been set up in 1999. It is the main
organization that provides support and assistance to both potential and existing women entrepreneurs in
Mauritius.
Mission
)
es
The mission of NWEC is to be a reference for promoting entrepreneurship inculcating the right business
culture for women in Mauritius.
ss
Vision
The NWEC acts as a driver and facilitator in empowering women entrepreneurs.
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Objectives
C
The main objectives of the Council are to:
G
• Ensure effective communication between the Council and its members;
• Identify actions and projects which will promote entrepreneurial activities of Women;
(E
• Evaluate and assess the needs of Women Entrepreneurs;
• Establish Training Programs, aimed at improving the skills and management aptitudes of Women
Entrepreneurs;
om
• Develop working links and affiliation with other bodies, whether in Mauritius or abroad, having same
objectives;
• Examine and evaluate the contribution of Women Entrepreneurs to the various sectors of development in
.c
the light of national needs and priorities.
Challenges
ly
on
India presents lower opportunities for women to assume leadership roles, participation in the workforce or
engagement in entrepreneurial activities. Lack of education, technological know-how and cultural bias
irs
coupled with stringent business and government regulations are some key impediments that happen to
undermine women’s ability to rise to positions of leadership and take advantage of entrepreneurial
fa
opportunities in India.
af
“Healthy States, Progressive India” Report

nt
re
{Health Issue}
ur
"Healthy States, Progressive India" is a comprehensive Health Index report released by the NITI Aayog.
The report ranks states and Union territories innovatively on their year-on-year incremental change in
C
health outcomes, as well as, their overall performance with respect to each other. The report has been
developed by NITI Aayog, with technical assistance from the World Bank, and in consultation with the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
Salient features
19
States and UTs have been ranked in three categories namely, Larger States (21), Smaller States (8), and
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Union Territories (UTs)(8), to ensure comparison among similar entities.

The Health Index is a weighted composite Index, which for the larger States, is based on indicators in three
domains: (a) Health Outcomes (70%); (b) Governance and Information (12%); and (c) Key Inputs and
Processes (18%), with each domain assigned a weight based on its importance. The Index includes 23
indicators which are used to calculate the composite index score and generate overall performance ranks
and incremental ranks.
Indicators selected based on importance and availability of reliable data from existing data sources (at least
annually)
The composite index score is calculated for a Base Year , which largely covers the 2014 - 15 period and a
)
Reference year, which largely covers the 2015 - 16 period. The process of index refinement involved inputs
es
from the States and UTs, national and international sector experts, and development partners.
Key results
ss
la
Among the Larger States, Kerala, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu ranked on top in terms of overall performance,
while Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh are the top three ranking States in terms of annual
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incremental performance. Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh showed the maximum gains in
improvement of health outcomes from base to reference year in indicators such as Neonatal Mortality Rate
G
(NMR), Under-five Mortality Rate (U5MR), full immunization coverage, institutional deliveries, and People
Living with HIV (PLHIV) on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART).
(E
Among Smaller States, Mizoram ranked first followed by Manipur on overall performance, while
Manipur followed by Goa were the top ranked States in terms of annual incremental performance.
om
Among UTs, Lakshadweep showed both the best overall performance as well as the highest annual
incremental performance. Lakshadweep showed the highest improvement in indicators such as institutional
deliveries, tuberculosis (TB) treatment success rate, and transfer of National Health Mission (NHM) funds
.c
from State Treasury to implementation agency.
Utility
ly
on
Health Index has been developed as a tool to leverage co-operative and competitive federalism to
accelerate the pace of achieving health outcomes. It would also serve as an instrument for “nudging” States
irs
& Union Territories (UTs) and the Central Ministries to a much greater focus on output and outcome based
measurement of annual performance than is currently the practice. With the annual publication of the Index
and its availability on public domain on a dynamic basis, it is expected to keep every stakeholder alert to
fa
the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal number 3.

af
nt
ASH TRACK Mobile App

re
{Digitalization}
In news
ur
C
ASH TRACK Mobile App has been launched by the Ministry of Power for better management of fly ash
produced by thermal power plants by providing an interface between fly ash producers (Thermal Power
Plants) and potential ash users such as – road contractors, cement plants etc..
The need
20
Fly ash, the end product of combustion during the process of power generation in the coal based thermal
power plants, is a proven resource material for many applications of construction industries and currently is
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being utilized in manufacturing of Portland Cement, bricks/blocks/tiles manufacturing, road embankment

construction and low-lying area development, etc.
Proper management of fly ash is important not only for the environment but for us also as the ash produced
by the power plants occupies a lot of land space. At present, only 63 per cent of the fly ash is being utilised.
Quality-wise Indian coal has much more ash content than other countries.
Features of ASH TRACK
)
The ASH TRACK App would be managing 200 million tonnes of fly ash by tracking coal based power plants
es
situated within 100 km and 300 km from given location and availability of fly ash, along with prospective
users within the same radius.
ss
The App gives plant-wise, utility-wise and State-wise ash utilization status in the country. The thermal
plants would regularly update fly ash generation, utilization and stock on the web portal and the app. This
la
would allow effective monitoring and reviewing for increasing ash utilization. This would also help in
protecting environment in terms of reduction in fugitive emissions, saving of precious top soil and
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conservation of land for sustainable development.
G
The ASH TRACK Mobile App has following features
(E
For Consumers
✓ App shows coal-based power plants situated within the radius of 100 km and 300 km from a given
location
om
✓ User can select power station from where he wants to take fly ash
✓ Ash availability, distance from user’s location, details of contact person will be displayed
✓ User can apply online for allocation of ash
.c
✓ SMS will be sent to the applicant and the respective power plant instantly
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For Power Stations

✓ App shows perspective users within the radius of 100 km and 300 km of power plants
on
✓ Power station can see the location of prospective ash users surrounding the power plant like – cement
plants, NHAI, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) projects, brick producers, etc.
irs
✓ Power plants can contact the prospective users for supply of ash
Ash Utilisation Data

fa
App gives plant wise, utility wise and state wise ash utilization status in the country Shows details of real
af
time ash generation and utilization

nt
Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological Systems (IAAMS)

re
ur
{Defence}
C
In news
‘Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological System (IAAMS)’ was recently inaugurated at INS Garuda.
INS Garuda is the fourth air station to have been installed with this integrated system.
21
INS Garuda is the fourth air station to have been installed with this integrated system.
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About IAAMS
✓ IAAMS is an ambitious project of the Indian Navy to modernise the Meteorological infrastructure of the
nine Naval Air Stations. The IAAMS project at INS Garuda will give a major fillip to aviation safety
through automation of weather monitoring process.
✓ Equipped with the state of the art Meteorological Sensors viz., Radar Vertical Wind Profiler,
Transmissometer, Ceilometer and Automatic Weather Observation System, IAAMS undertakes
automatic and continuous recording of relevant weather parameters that are vital for accurate weather
)
forecasting.
es
✓ It has a special alarm feature that alerts the duty staff about any abnormal change of weather
parameters that may affect safe flying operations. The system can also provide automatic dissemination
ss
of routine weather reports of the air station as per World Meteorological Organization (WMO) standards
to other Air Stations and to ATC tower without human intervention.
la
C
India Health Fund to boost-research on TB, malaria
G
In news
(E
The India Health Fund (IHF), an initiative by Tata Trusts, in collaboration with the Global Fund has come
om
forward to financially support innovations and technologies designed to combat tuberculosis and malaria.
Aim
To support individuals and organisations with already germinated innovative strategies, services, products,
.c
such that they become sustainable and scalable solutions in addressing TB and malaria.
ly
About India Health Fund

on
The IHF looks at catalysing agility and innovation within large scaled programmes of The Global Fund and
the Government of India.
irs
Addressing infectious diseases like TB and malaria, the India Health Fund plans to support programs and
projects that develop new products or strategies for innovative business models and innovative
partnerships or financing mechanisms that significantly scale existing effective solutions.
fa
The investments made by the IHF will be aligned to national strategies and link to clear pathways of scale
af
including government platforms, private health networks, open source technology or sustainable
organization growth.
nt
Facts
re
TB and malaria pose long-standing health challenges for India. The two diseases account for over 4.23
lakh deaths and around 15 million lab-confirmed cases every year.
ur
C
National Deworming initiative

{Health Issue}
In news
22
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The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) launched National Deworming Initiative on the
occasion of National Deworming Day (observed on 10 February). It aims to reach more than 32.2 crore
children aged between 1 to 19 years to combat parasitic worm infections. This year it is fourth edition of
National Deworming Day after it was launched in 2015
)
es
ss
la
C
G
(E
om
.c
About the National Deworming Day

ly
on
To combat the situation of worm infection in India, Indian government (Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare) launched the National Deworming Day (NDD) in February 2015 as part of the National Health
irs
Mission.
The aim of this programme is to deworm all the children from 1 to 19 years and improve their well-being.
fa
All the children are provided deworming tablet in schools and anganwadis. Besides the deworming tablet,
af
various health promotion activities related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) are organised in
schools and anganwadis.
nt
Deworming (sometimes known as worming or drenching) is the giving of an anthelmintic drug (a wormer,
re
dewormer, or drench) to a human or animal to rid them of helminths parasites, such as roundworm, flukes
and tapeworm. Purge dewormers for use in livestock can be formulated as a feed supplement that is eaten,
a paste or gel that is deposited at the back of the animal's mouth, a liquid drench given orally, an injectable,
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or as a pour-on which can be applied to the animal's topline.

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Status of worm infestation in India

India carries the highest burden of worm infestation and 64% of Indian population less than 14 years of age
are at risk of Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) or worms’ infestation (WHO). Soil Transmitted Helminths
(STH) interfere with nutrients uptake in children; can lead to anaemia, malnourishment and impaired mental
and physical development. The situation of undernutrition and anaemia which is linked to STH ranges from
40% to 70% in different population groups across the country (WHO). They also pose a serious threat to
23
children’s education and productivity later in life.

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Why this is a cause for concern?
✓ Parasitic worms in children interfere with nutrient uptake, and can contribute to anaemia,
malnourishment, and impaired mental and physical development. Parasitic worms have also
debilitating consequences on the health and education of children, and on their long-term earning
potential.
✓ According to the 2012 report ‘Children in India’, published by the Ministry of Statistics and
)
Programme Implementation, 48% of children under the age of 5 years are stunted and 19.8% are
es
wasted, indicating that half of the country’s children are malnourished.
ss
India Among Top Ten Nations in the World in Terms of Forest Area
la
C
{Environment}
G
In news
(E
India has shown an increasing trend in the forest and tree cover, in comparison to the global trend of
decreasing forest cover during the last decade
om
This report was found in State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017
Highlights
.c
ly
India is ranked 10th in the world, with 24.4% of land area under forest and tree cover, even though it
accounts for 2.4 % of the world surface area and sustains the needs of 17 % of human and 18 % livestock
on
population.
As per the ISFR 2017, the total mangrove cover stands at 4,921 sq km and has shown an increase of 181
irs
sq km. All the 12 mangrove states have shown a positive change in the mangrove cover, as compared to
the last assessment. Mangrove ecosystem is rich in biodiversity and provides a number of ecological
fa
services.
India State of Forest Report 2017 (ISFR)

af
nt
It is a biennial publication of Forest survey of India (FSI), an organization under the Ministry of Environment
Forest, & Climate Change, Government of India, engaged in the assessment of the country’s forest
re
resources. The rst State of Forest Report was brought out in 1987. Since then, FSI has published 14 such
reports and the ISFR 2017 is the 15th Report in the series.
ur
The report provides state/district wise forest cover of the country and changes thereon with respect to the
C
previous assessment. It also provides the estimates of growing stock within and outside the forest areas,
forest cover in hill, tribal and north eastern states, carbon and other important aspects such as tree,
bamboo and mangrove cover.
24
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World Radio Day

It is an observance day held annually on 13 February. World Radio Day is about celebrating radio, why we
love it and why we need it today more than ever.
Radio is the mass media reaching the widest audience in the world. It is also recognized as a powerful
communication tool and a low-cost medium.
Radio is specifically suited to reach remote communities and vulnerable people: the illiterate, the disabled,
)
women, youth and the poor, while offering a platform to intervene in the public debate, irrespective of
es
people’s educational level. Furthermore, radio has a strong and specific role in emergency communication
and disaster relief.
ss
The first World Radio Day
la
In honour of the first edition of World Radio Day in 2012, Lifeline Energy, FrontlineSMS, SOAS
Radio and Empowerhouse hosted a seminar in London. A variety of practitioners, academics and tools
C
providers joined at the School of Oriental and African Studies to explore ways in which radio reaches even
the most remote and vulnerable communities.
G
(E
‘India Pharma & India Medical Device 2018’: Affordable and Quality Healthcare
{Public Policy}
om
In news
.c
The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, along with Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), is organizing ‘India Pharma & India Medical Device
ly
2018’,
on
Theme - ‘Affordable and Quality Healthcare’

The 3rd International exhibition and conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Device sector from 15th-
irs
17th February, 2018 in Bengaluru.

Theme- ‘Driving NextGen Pharmaceuticals’.
fa
The event would be a positive step towards the development of Future Drugs i.e. Biologics and will catalyze
the overall growth of the Pharmaceuticals Sector in India”.
af
nt
Botanical Survey of India

re
In news
ur
C
Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Natural History Museum (NHM), UK have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for cooperation in the field of genetic/taxonomic studies, research and training, conservation
in India, including species and habitat conservation assessments.
Significance
The MoU will pave the way for BSI staff to work in Natural History Museum, London and vice-versa and
25
they will share fairly and equitably the benefits that may arise from the collection, study and conservation of
the plant materials such as seeds, herbarium specimens and tissue samples and exchange associated
Page
data and images.

NHM will help BSI in capacity building in areas of systematic botany and long-term conservation of plant
genetic resources in India.
About BSI
✓ The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) was established in 1890 with the objectives of exploring the plant
resources of the country and identifying plant species with economic virtue. In 1954, the Government
reorganised the BSI with the objectives of:
✓ Undertaking intensive floristic surveys and collecting accurate and detailed information on the
)
es
occurrence, distribution, ecology and economic utility of plants in the country.
✓ Collecting, identifying and distributing materials that may be of use to educational and research
institutions.
ss
✓ Acting as the custodian of authentic collections in well planned herbaria and documenting plant
resources in the form of local, district, state and national flora.
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C
Central Geological Programming Board
G
In news
(E
The 57th Meeting of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) was recently held.
om
Representatives of State Departments, Central Ministries/ organizations, PSUs, academic institutes and
private entrepreneurs attended the 57th CGPB meeting.
Apart from discussion on achievements of GSI (Geological Survey of India) during the current year, the
.c
proposed Annual Programme for ensuing 2018-19 was presented before all Board members.
The Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB)

ly
on
✓ It is the apex body at the national level to overview the programme of geoscientific activities including
mineral exploration in the country. It was established through Government of India Resolution in 1966,
irs
and subsequently revamped in 2009 with the constitution of 12 theme-based committees. CGPB
meetings are held twice in a year.
fa
✓ The Secretary (Mines) is the chairman of CGPB. Geological Survey of India is the nodal department
af
(Member Secretary) and the State Geology and Mining departments and Central Government
institutions, permanent and special invitees are its participating members.
nt
✓ CGPB coordinates activities on geological mapping, mineral prospecting, exploration and exploitation
re
in the country.
✓
ur
It is responsible for providing the general strategic direction of geosciences activity; effecting
programmatic coordination among agencies; enabling better interaction between central agencies and
state level organizations; human resource, and research capability; identifying new areas and new
C
technologies for geoscientific activities; advising on geosciences partnerships between GSI, and State
and Central – level agencies; actively promoting use of information technology; and approving five-
year detailed sub-sectoral targets on a rolling plan basis.
26
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New Bill to ban Unregulated Deposit Schemes and Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill,
2018
{Governance}
In news
)
es
Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to introduce the
following bills in the Parliament: -
ss
(a) Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 in parliament &
(b) Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2018
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The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018
C
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given approval to introduce
G
the banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 in Parliament. The bill is aimed at tackling the
(E
menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country. Companies/ institutions running such schemes
exploit existing regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people
of their hard-earned savings.
om
The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2018
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to introduce
the Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2018 in Parliament. In order to facilitate orderly growth of the Chit Funds
.c
sector and remove bottlenecks being faced by the Chit Funds industry, thereby enabling greater financial
ly
access of people to other financial products, the following amendments to the Chit Funds Act, 1982 have
been proposed.
on
irs
Six new user-friendly features of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Platform

fa
{Digitalization}
In news
af
nt
The Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh today launched six new
features of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Platform to make it more users friendly.
re
e-NAM Mobile App

ur
C
Mobile app is being enhanced in multi-dimension so that the entire operation for farmers and traders can be
user friendly. Mobile app has been made multilingual. Now the Mandi operators can carry out one of the
critical operation of Gate Entry directly from e-NAM Mobile App.
This will also facilitate the farmers to do advance Gate Entry on Mobile app which in turn will reduce a lot of
time for farmers coming in the Mandi and will bring huge efficiency and facilitate smooth arrival recording at
27
the Gate. A new feature has been introduced for farmers where they can see the progress of their lot being
traded and also real time bidding progress of price will be visible to farmers on Mobile App.
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BHIM payment facility
Currently e-NAM portal facilitates direct online payment to farmers through RTGS/NEFT, Debit Card and
Internet Banking. Facilitation of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) through BHIM is another milestone in
easing out payment to farmers which will also reduce the payment realization time from buyers’ account to
the pool account and in turn disbursal to farmers.
New and improved Website with eLearning Module
)
A new website has been developed with improved and more informative features like live status of markets
es
of e-NAM based on gate entry, latest information on events, dynamic training calendar etc. Also e-Learning
module in Hindi language has been designed and incorporated in the website so that various stake holders
ss
can learn online about how to operate the system and continuously get trained on the system at their
convenience. Currently the module is available in Hindi.
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MIS Dashboard
C
MIS Dashboard based on Business intelligence will provide a greater insight into the performance of each
G
Mandi in terms of arrival and trade. This will help the Mandi Board officials and APMC Secretary to
compare the performance of each Mandi on daily, weekly, monthly/quarterly and Year-on-Year Basis. This
(E
will also enable officials and Mandi Secretary in doing actual trade analysis from commodity level to State
level operation. This will also be beneficial for the Mandi Board and Mandi Secretary in planning and
coordinating their operation post historical analysis.
om
Grievance Redressal Management System for Mandi Secretaries
.c
This system will help Mandi Secretary to raise technology issues related to portal/ software and its
operation and also track the status of redressal of their query online.
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Integration with Farmer Database

on
irs
e-NAM has been integrated with Central Farmer Database so that the registration process becomes easier
and Identification of farmers can be done easily on arrival at the Mandi Gate which will increase the
efficiency and reduce queue time. This will help in managing the load at the Gate more efficiently during
fa
peak time in Rabi and Kharif and reduce waiting time for farmers at the entry gate.
af
nt
International Mother Language Day: 21 February

re
{Culture}
ur
In news
C
On International Mother Language Day 2018, celebrated every year on 21 February, UNESCO reiterates
its commitment to linguistic diversity and invites its Member States to celebrate the day in as many
languages as possible as a reminder that linguistic diversity and multilingualism are essential for
sustainable development.
The theme: ‘linguistic diversity and multilingualism for sustainable development.’
28
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SDG4
International Mother Language Day also supports target 6 of Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs): “Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve
literacy and numeracy.”
Background
There are more than 7,000 languages in the world; India alone has about 22 officially recognised
languages, 1635 rationalised mother tongues, 234 identifiable mother tongues, according to Census 2001.
)
es
Indian scientists develop next generation technology loop to generate clean energy
ss
{Science & Tech}
la
In news
C
Indian scientists have developed a super critical carbon di oxide Brayton test loop facility that would help
G
generate clean energy from future power plants including solar thermal. This next generation technology
loop was developed indigenously by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Highlights
(E
om
This is India’s first test-bed for next generation, efficient, compact, waterless super critical carbon dioxide
Brayton cycle test loop for power generation.
.c
The new generation high efficiency power plants with closed cycle CO2 as the working fluid have the
ly
potential to replace steam based nuclear and thermal power plants, thus reducing the carbon foot print
significantly.
on
The facility was inaugurated by Science & Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan at the IISc campus in
Bengaluru
irs
Flaws in current power generation system

fa
Today’s thermal power plants use steam to carry heat away from the source and turn a turbine to generate
af
power. However, it could generate more power if, instead of steam, supercritical CO2 (SCO2) is used. The
term “supercritical” describes the state of carbon dioxide above its critical temperature of 31°C and critical
nt
pressure of 73 atmospheres making it twice as dense as steam.

re
In order to make this technology a reality, a research group at Interdisciplinary Center for Energy Research
at Indian Institute of Science (ICER, IISc.) has been set up - India’s first S-CO2 Brayton Cycle based solar
ur
thermal test loop at the laboratory scale.

C
“Andaman & Nicobar Command to Host Milan 2018”

{Defence}
29
The second week of March will witness Andaman & Nicobar Command hosting a multinational mega event
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MILAN 2018.

Milan 2018
MILAN 2018 is being held at Port Blair from 06 March to 13 March 2018. With the underlying theme of
'Friendship Across the Seas', MILAN 2018 will witness a diverse mix of professional exercises and
seminars, social events and sporting fixtures.
The interactions during MILAN encompass sharing of views and ideas on maritime good - order and
enhancing regional cooperation for combating unlawful activities at sea.
)
The theme of this year’s MILAN International Maritime Seminar is ‘In Pursuit of Maritime Good Order -
es
Need for Comprehensive Information Sharing Apparatus’
ss
MILAN 2018 aims to showcase the rich heritage and pristine natural beauty of the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands to the foreign visitors. The organisers of MILAN 2018 are thankful to the Andaman & Nicobar civil
administration for their unflinching support and appeal to the public of Port Blair to reach out to the visiting
la
navies and make their stay a memorable one.
C
G
(E
om
.c
ly
on
irs
fa
af
International Conference on Sustainable Biofuels 2018

nt
The two-day international conference on Sustainable Biofuels is jointly being organized by Department of
Biotechnology, Govt. of India and Biofuture platform.
re
This is the largest Multilateral Platform to promote Research, development and Demonstration in Clean
ur
Energy.
Objective
C
To provide a common platform to Government policy makers, industry, investors and research community
to exchange experiences and challenges related to development and scaling of advance biofuels.
Besides this the conference is focusing on concerns of the private sectors to speed up large scale
production of sustainable biofuels.
30
Page

Significance
✓ Use of fossil fuels for transportation contributes significantly to global greenhouse gases (GHG)
emission. The sustainable biofuels have ability to reduce the GHG emission load and this consideration
led to establishment of Sustainable Biofuel Innovation Challenge (SBIC) under Mission Innovation (MI).
✓ Advanced or second-generation biofuels produced from non-food biomass materials and specially
grown high yielding plants or algae, if managed sustainably can contribute to significantly reduce
emissions.
)
✓ However, many of the advanced biofuels still remain in pre- or an early commercial stage of
es
development and need innovations and breakthrough for low cost sustainable production.
✓ The sustainable biofuel innovation challenge aims to accelerate research, development and deployment
ss
of low cost, high GHG impacting advanced biofuels.
✓ The sustainable biofuel innovation challenge will build on existing knowledge of individual participating
countries and international institutes like IEA, IRENA and in collaboration of Biofuture Platform
la
coordinated by Brazil as program Secretariat. A major aim of this cooperation is to avoid duplication of
efforts and define clear areas of collaboration for speeding up of innovations in this area.
C
G
Operation Greens
(E {Environment}
om
Why in news?
.c
The government recently interacted with the stakeholders including Farmer Producer Organisations and
ly
farmers, to gather input on their concerns and suggestions thereof on the modalities of Operation Greens.
on
What is Operation greens?

irs
The idea behind Operation Greens is to double the income of farmers by end of 2022. Operation is
essentially a price fixation scheme that aims to ensure farmers are given the right price for their produce.
fa
Operation Greens aims to promote farmer producers organisations, agri-logistics, processing facilities and
professional management. The operation aims to aid farmers and help control and limit the erratic
af
fluctuations in the prices of onions, potatoes and tomatoes. It was announced by Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley in his budget speech.
nt
Significance of Operation greens

re
ur
Operation Green (OG) wants to replicate the success story of Operation Flood, in fruits and vegetables,
starting with three basic vegetables—tomatoes, onions and potatoes (TOP). The main objective of OG is to
C
reduce price volatility in these commodities, and thereby helping farmers augment incomes on a
sustainable basis, as also provide these basic vegetables to consumers at affordable prices.
NITI Forum for Northeast

31
In news
Page
The Union Government has issued order setting up the ‘Niti Forum for North-East’.

The NITI Forum for Northeast is tasked to identify various constraints on the way of accelerated, inclusive
and sustainable economic growth in the North East Region of the country and to recommend suitable
interventions for addressing identified constraints. It will also review the development status in the NER.
NITI Forum for Northeast

‘Niti Forum for North-East’ has been set up to identify constraints and recommend suitable interventions for
speedy and sustainable growth in northeast region.
Composition of the Forum
)
Members of the Forum will include Secretaries of Ministries of Road Transport & Highways, Railways,
es
Power, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, New & Renewable Energy, Health &
Family Welfare, Human Resource Development, Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
ss
Chief Secretaries of Northeastern states of Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura,
Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram will also be members of the Forum. Secretary, North East Council (NEC),
la
Shillong will be Member Secretary. Joint Secretary (NE), MHA, besides a number of experts from various
fields will also be members of the Forum.
C
The forum will be co-chaired by the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog and Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of
Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER).
G
Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana
(E
om
{Infrastructure}
.c
In news
ly
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given
on
its approval to the construction of 4.531 km long 2-Lane Bi-Directional Silkyara Bend - Barkot Tunnel with
escape passage including approaches on Dharasu -Yamunotri section between Chainage 25.400 Km. and
Chainage 51.000 Km in Uttarakhand.
irs
Facts related to Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel

fa
af
The construction of this tunnel will provide all weather connectivity to Yamunotri, one of the dham on
Chardham Yatra, encouraging regional socio-economic development, trade and tourism within the country.
nt
It will reduce the travel distance from Dharasu to Yamunotri by about 20 km and travel time by about an
hour.
re
The project will be falling along NH-134 (old NH-94) in the State of Uttarakhand.
ur
The project will be built under Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Mode. This is funded
under NH (O) Scheme of Ministry of RT&H and forms part of ambitious Chardham Plan.
C
Chardham Pariyojana
Objective
To develop around 900 km of national highways. These highways will be built in Uttarakhand at an
32
approximate cost of Rs 12,000 crore.

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The Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna, or the Chardham highway development project, is an ambitious
initiative to improve connectivity to the Char Dham pilgrimage centres in the Himalayas.
The project will make travel to the Char Dham (Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath) safer
and more convenient.
The project involves widening the existing, geometrically deficient highway that connects the four abodes.
Apart from widening, the road transport and highways ministry plans to improve the stretches to two-lane
carriageway with paved shoulders, protect landslide hazard zones, construct bypasses, long bridges,
tunnels and elevated corridors to ensure safety for the users.
)
es
ss
Heavy Water Board signed an agreement with M/s Clearsynth
In news
la
Heavy Water Board has signed a collaborative agreement with M/s Clearsynth, Mumbai for sale of 20
C
tonnes of Heavy Water in a year for development of deuterium labelled compounds, NMR Solvents, d-
labeled Active Pharma Ingredients (APIs). This marks the beginning of an important era in the annals of
G
Indian Nuclear industry leading to societal benefits for the masses.
(E
Heavy water board
Heavy Water Board (HWB) is a constituent unit under the Department of Atomic Energy.
om
The organisation is primarily responsible for production of Heavy Water (D2O) which is used as a
‘moderator’ and ‘Coolant’ in nuclear power as well as research reactors. Other than Heavy Water, HWB is
also engaged with production of different types of nuclear grade solvents and extraction of rare materials.
.c
What is Heavy Water?

ly
Heavy water or deuterium oxide (D2O) is a form of water that contains a large amount of the hydrogen
isotope deuterium which is also known as heavy hydrogen. Deuterium differs from the hydrogen which is
on
usually found in water.

Heavy water may be deuterium protium oxide (DHO) or deuterium oxide (D2O). The increase in mass due
irs
to the presence of deuterium gives it a different chemical and physical property compared to normal water.
Applications
fa
Heavy water is used in certain types of nuclear reactors, where it acts as a neutron moderator to slow down
af
neutrons.
The different applications and uses of heavy water are:

nt
✓ Nuclear magnetic resonance.

re
✓ In Organic chemistry.
✓ Fourier transform spectroscopy.
✓
ur
Neutron moderator.
✓ Neutrino detector etc.
C
20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers

{International}
In February 2018 education ministers will meet in Fiji to discuss solutions to some of the Commonwealth’s
33
most pressing education challenges, including low enrolment rates in preschool, primary and secondary
Page
schools, low adult literacy and persisting gender disparities in education.

It will be the first Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) since the global
community adopted the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
The meeting will give education ministers the opportunity to agree on effective strategies to help individual
countries achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 - inclusive and quality education for all.
Theme: Can Education Deliver?
It includes three subthemes

Education for sustainable development: Education as a key enabler for sustainable development- skills
)
development and transitioning youth to decent work.
es
Building resilience through education: Climate change and the curriculum – displacement and migration
ss
due to climate change and the challenges faced by small and atoll islands (including the role of education,
traditional knowledge and local culture in building climate resilience).
la
Education governance & management: Strengthening the teaching profession and school management –
issues of quality and equity; financing of education; societal barriers (including drug abuse and
C
internet/social media); and advocacy for education strategies across the SDGs.
Key facts
G
The Commonwealth education conference has been taking place every three years since 1959, when the
(E
first meeting was held in Oxford.
It is the second largest meeting organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat after the Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
om
2018 conference will be the first Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) since the
global community adopted the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
.c
The meeting will give education ministers the opportunity to agree on effective strategies to help individual
countries achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 – inclusive and quality education for all.
ly
Kenya has formally undertaken to host the 21st Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers in 2021.
on
Bahamas hosted the 19th Conference.

irs
National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts at IIT Chennai
fa
In news
af
nt
The Ministry of Shipping has laid foundation stone for setting up of a National Technology Centre for Ports,
Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) at IIT Chennai to give technological support to ports and maritime
re
sector. It will be set up under Shipping Ministry’s Øagship Sagarmala programme.

ur
Key Facts
NTCPWC’s mandate is to act as technology arm of Ministry of Shipping for providing engineering and
C
technological inputs and support for Ports, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and other institutions
NTCPWC
NTCPWC is being set up under the Shipping Ministry’s flagship programme Sagarmala. Envisioned as a
world class state-of-the – art centre, NTCPWC will be a hub for latest technology tools and reduce our
dependence on foreign institutions. It will also reduce the cost of research drastically and result in cost and
34
time savings for work in the port and maritime sector.

Page

Functions
It will act as a technology arm of the Ministry of Shipping for providing engineering and technological inputs
and support for Ports, Inland Waterways Authority of India and other institutions.
It will carry on applied research in the areas of 2D and 3D Modelling of ocean, coastal and estuarine flows,
sediment transport and morphodynamics, navigation and maneuvering, dredging and siltation, port and
coastal engineering-structures and breakwaters.
It will provide indigenous software and technology, make technical guidelines and standards and address
)
port and maritime issues with models and simulations.
es
The centre will not only help generate new technology and innovations but also work towards their
successful commercialization. It will provide learning opportunities for the people working in Ministry of
ss
Shipping.
la
C
Project Swajal
In news
G
(E
The Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation has launched second project of Swajal Yojana at village
Bhikampura, Karauli, Rajasthan. It was launched by Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma
om
Bharti. Under this project, four reservoirs will be constructed in village and common tap connection will be
given to almost 300 households.
Swajal pilot project has been launched at Village Bhikampura, Karauli, Rajasthan.
.c
Swajal is a community owned drinking water programme for sustained drinking water supply.
ly
Under the scheme, 90% of the project cost will be taken care by the Government and the remaining 10% of
on
the project cost will be contributed by the community. The Operations and management of the project will
be taken care by the local villagers.
irs
Besides ensuring the availability of clean drinking water to every household round the year, the project
would also generate employment.
fa
af
National e-Governance Awards

nt
National e-governance Awards were presented on the occasion of 21st National Conference on e-
Governance.
re
National Awards on e-Governance are presented every year for exemplary implementation of e-
ur
Governance initiatives to recognize and promote excellence in implementation of e-Governance initiatives.

C
Purpose of Award
(i) Recognize achievements in the area of e-Governance

(ii) Disseminate knowledge on effective methods of designing and implementing sustainable e-Governance
initiatives
(iii) Encourage incremental innovations in successful e-Governance solutions
35
(iv) Promote and exchange experiences in solving problems, mitigating risks, resolving issues and planning
Page
for success.

The conference
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India, along
with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India in association with
Government of Telangana have organized the 21stNational Conference on e-Governance in Hyderabad,
Telangana.
The Conference serves as a forum in which the Secretaries, Administrative Reforms and Secretaries,
)
Information Technology of State Governments, IT Managers of the Central Governments, Software
es
Solution providers, industry, etc. participate and interact, exchange opinions, views, discuss issues,
problems and also analyze various solution frameworks.
ss
Theme: Technology for Accelerating Development.
Sub themes
la
C
✓ Building User experience.
✓ Universalization and Replication.
G
✓ Governing e – Governance.
✓ Emerging technologies.
(E
✓ e-Governance good/best practices.
e governance
om
e-Governance is generally understood as the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at
all the level of the Government in order to provide services to the citizens, interaction with business
enterprises and communication and exchange of information between different agencies of the
.c
Government in a speedy, convenient efficient and transparent manner.

ly
on
National Science Day 2018

irs
{Science & Tech}

fa
The National Science Day is observed every year on 28th February with an objective to spread message of
importance of science and its application among the people.
af
For his great success in the field of science in India, Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was awarded and
honored with the Nobel Prize in the Physics in the year 1930.
nt
Theme: “Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future”.

re
Raman Effect
ur
The Raman Effect is a change in the wavelength of light that occurs when a light beam is deflected
by molecules. When a beam of light traverses a dust-free, transparent sample of a chemical compound, a
C
small fraction of the light emerges in directions other than that of the incident (incoming) beam. Most of this
scattered light is of unchanged wavelength. A small part, however, has wavelengths different from that of
the incident light; its presence is a result of the Raman Effect.
Raman’s experiment
The violet light of the solar spectrum is isolated with a violet filter and passed through the liquid sample.
36
Most of the light emerging from the liquid sample is the same color as the incident violet beam: the so-
called Rayleigh scattered light (the scattering of light by particles in a medium, without change in
Page

wavelength. It accounts, for example, for the blue colour of the sky, since blue light is scattered slightly
more efficiently than red).
However, Raman, along with K S Krishnan was able to show that some of the scattered light was a
different color, which they could isolate by using a green filter placed between the observer and the sample.
AIIB approves infra loans worth $1.5 billion to India
)
es
ss
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved $1.5 billion in loans to India for infrastructure
projects in 2018. The funds are meant for investment in energy, roads and urban development projects. Of
la
the loans committed by the multilateral bank, around $200 million will be invested under the National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) framework.
C
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
G
The AIIB was established as a new multilateral financial institution aimed at providing “financial support for
(E
infrastructure development and regional connectivity in Asia.” It was founded in October, 2014, and has its
headquarters in Beijing. Its goals are also to boost economic development in the region, create wealth,
prove infrastructure, and promote regional cooperation and partnership.
om
The value of AIIB’s authorized capital amounts to $100 billion, with almost $30 billion invested by China.
India is not only one of the founding members of AIIB but is also the 2nd largest shareholder in AIIB.
.c
ly
Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre (MSDC)

on
A first-of-its-kind Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre (MSDC), a CSR initiative of Airports Authority of
India (AAI) was inaugurated in Chandigarh.
irs
Aviation MSDC
fa
The Centre has been set up in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and
is supported by the Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council (AASSC) of India.
af
The course curriculum and assessments of the training have been designed by AASSC in accordance with
nt
the National Skill Qualification Framework. The Centre will train about 2,400 youth and women in 8 aviation
job roles over the next 3 years.
re
Need of the centre

ur
Demand for aviation skilled personnel has been rising commensurately with the boom in the civil aviation
sector witnessed in the last 3-4 years. More than 900 new aircraft are expected to be inducted by Indian
C
scheduled airlines in the coming few years. Air connectivity for both passenger transport and air freight is
increasing, with new air routes and operationalisation of unserved or underserved airports through the
UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme. MRO and ground-handling demands for skilled personnel are also
rising in tandem.
NSDC
The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is a one-of-its-kind, Public Private Partnership (PPP)
37
model in India, under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). It aims to promote skill
Page
development by catalyzing creation of large, quality and for-profit vocational institutions.

NSDC provides funding to build scalable and profitable vocational training initiatives. Its mandate is also to
enable support system which focuses on quality assurance, information systems and train the trainer
academies either directly or through partnerships.
NSDC acts as a catalyst in skill development by providing funding to enterprises, companies and
organisations that provide skill training.
It will also develop appropriate models to enhance, support and coordinate private sector initiatives.
)
es
Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam based on PIB
ss
1. Consider the following statements
la
C
Assertion (A): A massive rail coach factory will be set up in Latur, Maharashtra by Indian Railways.
Reason (R): The Marathwada region of Maharashtra suffers from heavy migration to other parts of
G
the country.
In the context of the above, which of these is correct?
(E
(a) A is correct, and R is an appropriate explanation of A.
(b) A is correct, but R is not an appropriate explanation of A.
om
(c) A is incorrect, but R is correct.
(d) Both A and R are incorrect.
.c
2. TEQIP is an initiative of the National Project Implementation Unit; it is aimed at improving the
ly
quality of
on
(a) Technical Education.

(b) Ecological Programmes Implementation.
irs
(c) Environmental Laws Implementation.

(d) Teaching Education Skill.
fa
3. The Finance Minister in his budget speech announced the launch of GOBAR-DHAN scheme for-
af
(a) Providing Bio-Gas supply.

nt
(b) Giving Subsidy for Generating Bio fuel gases.

re
(c) Promoting Organic Farming of Rice and other crops.

(d) Improving the lives of villagers.
ur
C
4. Which of the following major initiative(s) recently announced by government in health sector, as
part of Ayushman Bharat programme?
1. Health and Wellness Centres
2. National Health Protection Scheme
3. ATAL Jan Ausadi Kendras
38
Page
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 2 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 3 only
5. The First ever International Kala Mela was recently organized in-
)
(a) Jaipur
es
(b) New Delhi
(c) Lucknow
ss
(d) Amritsar
la
C
6. India Industrial Fair (Laghu Udyog Bharati) is one of the largest industrial trade show organized
by government of-
G
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(E
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Maharashtra
(d) Punjab
om
7. Consider the following statements about the South Asia Region Public Procurement
.c
Conference.
1. Recently its second edition organized in India.
ly
2. Its recent theme was “Public Procurement and Service Delivery”.

on
3. These conferences held under the auspices of the South Asia Association of Regional
Cooperation.
irs
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3
fa
(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 only
af
(d) 2 and 3 only

nt
re
8. Which is not the new tool for States and Union Territories for ranking of startups in the country
as recently launched by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry?
ur
(a) The State and Union Territory Start-up Ranking Framework.

C
(b) The Compendium of Good Practices for Promoting Start-ups in India.

(c) The Start-up India Kit.
(d) The Startup Index and Young Entrepreneurial Mind Awards.
39
9. Consider the following statements with reference to scheme Development of Solar Cities.
Page
1. It under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

2. It aims to reduce a minimum of 10% of the projected demand of conventional energy of the
city.
3. It aims to reduce conventional energy of the city through renewable energy installations and
energy efficiency measures.

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
)
(c) 1 only
es
(d) 2 and 3 only
ss
la
10. Consider the following statements regarding the Mahamastakabhisheka.
1. It is held once in 12 years.
C
2. It is one of the biggest festivals for the Jain community.
3. It honors Lord Bahubali.
G
(E
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
om
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3 only
.c
ly
11. Recently the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for closure of which of the following
nidhi/kosh/fund?
on
1. Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi

2. Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh
irs
3. National Planning Fund

4. Mahila Vikas Nidhi
5.
fa
Kreshi Kallyan Kosh

af

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
nt
(b) 3 and 5 only

(c) 1 and 2 only
re
(d) 3, 4 and 5 only

ur
C
12. Village Resource Centers is established by-

(a) Indian Railways
(b) NITI Aayoug
(c) Indian Space Research Organization
40
(d) World Bank

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13. The Government recently approved a proposal for ratification of the Minamata Convention,
consider the followings statement about it.
1. The Minamata Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment
from adverse effects of mercury.
2. After joining the Convention, it will now be easier for India to get technological or financial
assistance to address issues related to mercury.
Which of the statement given above is/are NOT correct?
)
(a) 1 only
es
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
ss
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
la
C
14. Micro, Small and Medium enterprises are now classified on the basis of the-
(a) Investment in plant & machinery/equipment.
G
(b) Annual turnover.
(E
(c) Total investment in a Plant.
(d) Employees, investment and annual turnover.
om
15.
.c
"Healthy States, Progressive India" is a comprehensive Health Index report; which of the
following statement(s) is/are correct about it?
ly
1. It is released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with technical assistance from the
World Bank.
on
2. Among the Larger States, Kerala, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu ranked on top in terms of overall
performance.
irs
3. Among Smaller States, Mizoram ranked first followed by Manipur on overall performance.
4. Among Union Territories, New Delhi showed both the best overall performance.
fa

af
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
nt
(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only
re
ur
16.
C
ASH TRACK Mobile App has been launched by-

(a) The Ministry of Transport
(b) The NITI Aayoug
(c) The Ministry of Power
(d) The Ministry of Statistics
41
Page

17. Consider the following statements with reference to INS Garuda

1. Recently an ‘Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological System’ was inaugurated at INS
Garua.
2. INS Garuda is the fourth air station to have been installed with integrated system.
Which of the statement given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
)
(c) Both 1 and 2
es
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
ss
18. The India Health Fund (IHF), an initiative by Tata Trusts, in collaboration with the Global
la
Fund has come forward to financially support innovations and technologies designed to
combat-
C
1. tuberculosis
2. malaria
G
3. cancer
4. blindness
(E
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
om
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 4 only
(d) 3 and 4 only
.c
ly
on
19. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct with reference to the National Deworming
Day?
irs
1. The fourteenth edition of this day was observed on 10 February.

2. The government launched National Deworming Initiative to combat parasitic worm infections
fa
of children aged between 1 to 19 years.

af

(a) 1 only
nt
(b) 2 only
re
(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2
ur
C
20. Consider the following statement as per the ‘India State of Forest Report 2017’.
1. India has shown an increasing trend in the forest and tree cover in comparison to the global
trend in the last decade.
42
2. It is the 15th Report in the series publication of Forest survey of India (FSI).
3. India is ranked 10th in the world under forest and tree cover.
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(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 2 and 3 only
)
es
21. World Radio Day is observed annually on-
(a) 3 February
ss
(b) 13 February
(c) 5 February
(d) 15 February
la
C
22. The 3rd International exhibition and conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Device sector
from 15th-17th February, 2018; which of the statement(s) is/are INCORRECT about it?
G
1. It was held in Bengaluru.
2. Its theme was ‘Driving NextGen Pharmaceuticals.
(E
(a) 1 only
om
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
.c
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

ly
on
23. Which of the following statement about the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB)
is false?
irs
(a) It is the apex body at the national level to overview the programme of geoscientific activities
including mineral exploration in the country.
(b) The Secretary (Mines) is the chairman of CGPB.
fa
(c) The 57th Meeting of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) was recently held.
(d) CGPB meetings are held once in a year.
af
nt
re
24. Recently the banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 introduced in Parliament,
The bill is aimed at/to-
ur
(a) control Companies/ institutions from running sell braches.

C
(b) Controlling bank administrative rules that exploit existing regulatory gaps.
(c) tackling the menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country
(d) dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned savings.
43
Page

25. The United Nations’ (UN) International Mother Language Day annually celebrates language
diversity and variety worldwide on February 21, The theme of 2018 is-
(a) Linguistic diversity and multilingualism for sustainable development.
(b) Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion to achieve literacy and numeracy
(c) Mother Language connecting blood to soul.
(d) Vernacular for sustainable development:2030
)
es
26. Operation Greens aims to promote-
ss
1. farmer producers organizations
2. agri-logistics
la
3. processing facilities
4. professional management
C
G
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(E
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
om
.c
27. Recently the Union Government has issued order setting up the NITI Forum for-
(a) Himalayan states
ly
(b) Farmers Welfare

on
(c) North-East
(d) Mines, Minerals and Manufacturing
irs
fa
28. Recently Government of India has approved the setting up of a tribunal to settle Mahanadi
af
water dispute, consider the following statement with reference to it.

1. It is to settle a row between Odisha and Chhattisgarh on sharing the waters of the river
nt
Mahanadi.
2. It will be formed according to the provisions of the Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD),
re
1956.
3. It will have a chairperson and four other members.
ur
4. The President of India would nominate the chairperson and members.

C

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 4 only
(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(d) 1, 2 and 3 only
44
Page

29. Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel as part of Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana will be constructed
in-
(a) Himachal Pradesh
(b) Uttarkhand
(c) Himachal Pradesh & Uttarkhand
)
(d) Uttarkhand & Nepal
es
ss
la
30. Which of the following statement is correct with reference to the Commonwealth education
C
conference(CEC)
(a) 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers was recently held in India.
G
(b) The CEC has been taking place every three years, the first meeting was held in Oxford.
(E
(c) It is the largest meeting organized by the Commonwealth Secretariat.
(d) Bahamas has formally undertaken to the next host for CEC.
om
.c
31. Consider the following statement regarding the National Technology Centre for Ports,
Waterways and Coasts.
ly
1. It will be set up in Vishakhapatnam.

2. It is being set up under the Shipping Ministry’s flagship programme Sagarmala.
on
Which of the statement given above is/are correct?

irs
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
fa
(c) Both 1 and 2

af
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

nt
re
32. Consider the following statement regarding the Swajal pilot project
1. It is launched in Rajasthan.
ur
2. It is launched by NITI Aayoug.

C
3. The central and state government will share the cost in 90:10 ratios.

(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 1 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
45
(d) 2 and 3 only

Page

33. National Science Day is celebrated on 28th of February every year in order to commemorate
the invention of the Raman Effect by the Indian physicist, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman
on the same day in the year 1928, The theme for this day in 2018 was-
(a) Science for Nation Building
(b) Scientific Issues for Development of the Nation
(c) Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future
)
(d) Fostering Scientific Temper
es
ss
la
34. A first-of-its-kind Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre, a CSR initiative of Airports
C
Authority of India (AAI) was inaugurated in-
(a) Bangalore
G
(b) New Delhi
(E
(c) Gandhinagar
(d) Chandigarh.
om
35. Which country has declined New Delhi’s invitation to participate in the biennial naval
.c
exercise Milan.
(a) Pakistan
ly
(b) China
on
(c) Maldives
(d) Australia
irs
fa
af
For answers of the above practice questions

nt
visit https://currentaffairsonly.com/
re
ur
(or)
C
google it {CAO PIB mcq February 2018}.

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WhatsApp: - 7200981752
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PIB Compilation

Current Affairs Only

With Practice MCQ

▪ Editor-in-Chief Sandeep Sajwan

▪ The Information, news and facts published in the magazine have

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1) Coach Factory in Marathwada, Maharashtra ........................................................................ 3

16) New Instrument adopted by International Labour Organization (ILO) ................................. 15

21) “Healthy States, Progressive India” Report ......................................................................... 19

22) ASH TRACK Mobile App ..................................................................................................... 20

24) India Health Fund to boost-research on TB, malaria ........................................................... 22

25) National Deworming initiative .............................................................................................. 22

29) Botanical Survey of India..................................................................................................... 25

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

35) “Andaman & Nicobar Command to Host Milan 2018”.......................................................... 29

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

Coach Factory in Marathwada, Maharashtra

System Management effectiveness.

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

The measures include

Institution based: accreditation of the

equivalent to proceeds to crime held outside the country also.

Amendment in bail provisions

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

Launch of Gobar-Dhan Scheme

the open place. This helps in maintaining hygiene factor.

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

Major initiatives in health sector

The first ever International Kala Mela

{Art & Culture}

About the festival

Lalit Kala Akademi

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

Laghu Udyog Bharati

Laghu Udyog Bharati render assistance to small scale industries as follows

Removal of inspector raj & simplification procedures.

✓ Guidance for improving productivity.

✓ Encouraging women entrepreneurs.

✓ Making various panels for better representation.

Fifth South Asia Region Public Procurement Conference

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

India Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC)

authorities through email, fax, SMS, GTS and website.

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

The tools are

The State and Union Territory Start-up Ranking Framework.

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

About the Ranking Framework

strong Startup ecosystem.

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

The Startup India Kit

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

About Development of Solar Cities scheme

Objective of Solar City programme

To involve various stakeholders in the planning process.

{Art & Culture}

Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony is widely known to be a mark of Jain religiosity, it is also historically

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)

in coconut cultivation and thereby production and productivity in the country.

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

Rationalization of Autonomous Bodies under Department of Health & Family

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)