Prelims Exclusive Handouts (PEH)

IASEC

IAS Exam Congress

PEH Series
for
CS (Prelims) - 23

Introduction:
“Prelims Exclusive Handouts’’ (PEH) is a set of 12pdfs compiled by Team IASEC for our PRIME
members but these are now open to all. These 06-10 page documents are just the plain compilation of all the
CSE – prelims relevant affairs/content/events of a given month in the most condensed form possible.
Further, every PEH from November will come with an additional content — THEME EXPLAINER — which
explains one key/core concept/theme often repeated in CS (Prelims).
One may rely completely on these pdfs along with i-Connect series (that gives more contemporary and
thematic coverage) or PT-365 (Vision IAS). Lastly, reading the newspaper should not be discontinued as it has
its own utility especially for mains.
Best wishes 🙏

October-2022

Color code: Terms/texts written in this color font should be additiona y researched and prepared.

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1. Quality Council of India:

IASEC
• QCI was established as a National body for Accreditation in 1996.
• Set up through a PPP model - GOI + (ASSOCHAM) + (CII) + (FICCI)
• Set up as non profit organisation under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
• Nodal Ministry — Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (MoCI)
• Governed by a Council of 38 members with equal representations of government,
industry and consumers.
• Chairman of QCI is appointed by the PrimeMinister on the recommendation of the
industry to the government.

2. Iran Nuclear issue:

• Context: Talks on Iran Nuclear deal.
• In July 2015, Iran and six countries (P5 +
Germany) reached a historic agreement
called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA), popularly known as the
Iran nuclear deal.
• As part of the deal, Iran agreed to reduce
its number of centrifuges - tube-shaped
machines that help enrich uranium - by two-thirds. It also agreed to reduce its
stockpile of enriched uranium by 98% and limit uranium enrichment to 3.67%.
• US withdrew from deal — put up restrictions
• The other powers,in an attempt to keep the deal alive,launched a barter system
known as Instrument in Support of Trade Excahanges (INSTEX) to facilitate
transactions with Iran outside the US banking system. However, INSTEX only covered
food and medicine, which were already exempt from US sanctions.
• Read More: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/072715/dummies-
guide-iran-nuclear-deal.asp

3. Global Innovation Index (GII):

• Context: India ranked 40/132.
• released by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
• Theme for 2022: “What is the future of innovation-driven growth?”.
• WIPO (set up 1967 after WIPO convention) is the global forum for intellectual property
(IP) services, policy, information and cooperation. A self-funding agency of UN.

4. Organic fertilisers:
• Naturally available mineral sources that
contain moderate amount of plant essential
nutrients. (plant-derived materials that range
from fresh or dried plant material to animal
manures and litters to agricultural by-products)
• They gradually release nutrients into the soil
solution and maintain nutrient balance for
healthy growth of crop plants. They also act as
an effective energy source of soil microbes
which in turn improve soil structure and crop
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growth. IASEC
• Slow releasing fertilizers and contain many trace elements.
• Safer alternatives to chemical fertilizers. However, the improper use of organic
fertilizers leads to overfertilization or nutrient deficiency in the soil.
• The nutrient content of organic fertilizers varies greatly among source materials, and
readily biodegradable materials make better nutrient sources.
• Nitrogen and phosphorus content is lower, often substantially lower, in organic
fertilizers compared to chemical fertilizers.
• Moisture content is another factor that reduces or dilutes the nitrogen and phosphorus
concentrations of organic fertilizers. Thus, it can be cost ineffective to transport
high-moisture organic fertilizer long distances.
• Read More: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-
sciences/organic-fertilizer and https://www.allthatgrows.in/blogs/posts/organic-
fertilizers

5. Textile Crafts in news:

• Covered in my AnC notes.

6. SC to review Schedule caste order:

• Context: Petition challenging the Constitution
(Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950, which
allows only members of Hindu, Sikh and
Buddhist religions to be recognised as SCs was
filed.
• When enacted, the Constitution (Scheduled
Castes) Order of 1950, initially provided for
recognising only Hindus as SCs, however, later
with 1956 and 1990 amendments, Dalits who
had converted to Sikhism and who had
converted to Buddhism were also included.
• Further, any amendment in the list of
Scheduled Castes can be made only by an Act
of Parliament, in view of clause (2) of Article 341 of Constitution of India, no time
frame can be assigned in the matter.
• Read More: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/explained-the-process-of-
inclusion-or-exclusion-from-the-scheduled-tribes-list/article65906246.ece
• Earlier news: Allahabad HC held that only parliament can update list of SC, quashing
UP government’s notification to add some OBC communities into SC.
• READ HERE: https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/parliament-include-caste-sc-list-
allahabad-hc-quashes-upgovt-orders-notifying-17obcs-scheduled-castes-208309

7. Green steel:
• Context: Recently, India started
focusing on Green steel. To move
towards ‘Green Steel’, the Petroleum
and Natural Gas Ministry launched
Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Project
in Eastern India in 2019 to provide
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gas to all steel plants located in the area. IASEC
• Manufacturing steel without the use of fossil fuels.
(away from coal-fired furnaces to ones powered by
electricity or hydrogen).
• Steel manufacturing produces more CO2 than any
other heavy industry, comprising around 8% of total
global emissions.
• Read More: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/
2022/07/green-steel-emissions-net-zero/ and
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/
mc-explains-what-is-green-steel-and-why-are-
indian-steelmakers-interested-in-it-9091911.html
• Also prepare: Coal Gasi cation.

8. Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn

Convention:
• Signed in 79 and into force since 83, an
international agreement that aims to conserve
migratory species throughout their ranges.
• Signed under UNEP. INDIA::: ✅
• Concerned with conservation of wildlife and
habitats on a global scale.
• India has also launched the National Action Plan for the conservation of migratory
species under the Central Asian Flyway.
• Also prepare: Amur falcons and Black necked cranes.

9. Modhera — solar village:

• Context: Modhera in Mehsana district of Gujarat was declared as the India's first solar-
powered village.

10. Living Planet Report:

• There has been a 69% decline in the wildlife populations of mammals, birds,
amphibians, reptiles and fish, across the globe in the last 50 years, according to the
Living Planet Report 2022 by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

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11. Corbett Tiger Reserve: IASEC
• First National Park to be established in
mainland Asia.
• First set up as Hailey then as Corbett.
It is spreading over three districts of
Uttarakhand viz., Pauri, Nainital and
Almora.
• The park has sub-Himalayan belt
geographical and ecological
characteristics. Dense moist deciduous
forest mainly consists of sal, haldu,
peepal, rohini and mango trees.
• Ram Ganga river crosses the park —
forming Patli Dun valley.

12. Click Chemistry:

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13. Infrastructure Status to Data Centres: IASEC
• Data centre with a minimum capacity of 5 MW of IT load will be eligible for
infrastructure status.
• A data centre is a building, a dedicated space within a building, or a group of buildings
used to house computer systems and associated components.
• Giving ‘Infrastructure status’ enables get easier access to institutional credit at lower
rates and for a longer time.
• Associated concept: Cloud Computing.

14. SALT Project:

• World Bank has provided the loan to Support Andhra’s Learning Transformation (SALT)
project.
• The project aims to transform the state’s
school education system by focusing on
improving foundational learning,
professional development of teachers,
early childhood education etc.

15. Israel in news:

• Two gas fields: Israel and Lebanon’s
competing claims over offshore gas fields
— Karish gas field and Qana, a
prospective gas field.
• The Karish gas field, being developed by
Israel, came under threat from Hezbollah,
Lebanon’s powerful political and militant
group backed by Iran.

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16. Vulture Action Plan 2020-25: IASEC
• Vultures:: one of the 22 species of large carrion-eating birds that live predominantly
in the tropics and subtropics.
• They act an important function as nature’s garbage collectors and help to keep the
environment clean of waste. Vultures also play a valuable role in keeping wildlife
diseases in check.
• A total 9 species are found in India, out of which the Bearded, Long-billed, Slender-
billed, Oriental white-backed are protected in the Schedule-1 of the Wildlife
Protection Act 1972. Rest are protected under ‘Schedule IV’.
• At present, there are nine Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centres (VCBC) in India,
of which three are directly administered by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).

17. Status of India’s Forex:

• Forex are assets held on reserve by
RBI in foreign currencies, which can
include bonds, treasury bills and
other government securities.
• Most foreign exchange reserves are
held in US dollars.
• SDR is an international reserve
asset, created by the IMF in 1969
to supplement its member
countries’ official reserves.
• The SDR is neither a currency nor a
claim on the IMF. Rather, it is a
potential claim on the freely
usable currencies of IMF members.
SDRs can be exchanged for these
currencies.
• The value of the SDR is calculated
from a weighted basket of major
currencies, including the US dollar,
the euro, the Japanese yen, the
Chinese yuan, and the British
pound.
• The interest rate on SDRs or (SDRi)
is the interest paid to members on
their SDR holdings.

18. World Mental Health Day (10th October):

• A joint project by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Qatar on World Mental
Health Day (10th October) was the installation of friendship benches to give
importance to health, from mental to physical health, and the importance of sports in
it.
• The ground-breaking Friendship Benches project was first initiated in Zimbabwe with
the support of WHO.

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19. Digital Banking Units: IASEC
• DBU is a specialised fixed point business unit or hub, set up by scheduled commercial
banks, housing certain minimum digital infrastructure for delivering digital banking
products and services as
well as servicing existing
financial products and
services digitally in self-
service mode at any time.
• DBU will provide banking
services including cash
deposit & withdrawal 24 x
7. Services of DBU shall be
provided digitally.
• People not having connectivity or computing devices can do banking transactions from
DBU in a paperless mode.
• DBUs do not have legal personality and are not licensed under Banking Regulation
Act, 1949.

20. Global Methane Pledge:

• Launched at COP-26 in November 2021 to catalyse action to reduce methane
emissions. Led by US and EU.
• It has 111 country participants who together are responsible for 45% of global human-
caused methane emissions.
• India, which is not a part of the Global Methane Pledge, is among the top five
methane emitters globally. Most emissions can be traced back to agriculture.
• By joining the Pledge,countries
commit to work together in
order to collectively reduce
methane emissions by at least
30% below 2020 levels by
2030.

21. Kamikaze drones:

• Small unmanned aircraft that are
packed with explosives that can
be flown directly at a tank or a
group of troops that are
destroyed when it hits the target
and explodes.
• They are called Switchblade
because their bladelike wings
spring out on launch.
• Capable of going past traditional
defences to strike its targets and
also cost a fraction of what the
larger counterparts do.

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22. EASE Reforms: IASEC
• Associated with banking sector.
• As a part of the Enhanced Access & Service Excellence (EASE) reforms, the government
is planning to leverage Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) to expand their portfolio by adding
new segments.
• Regional Rural Banks (RRBs): set up on the basis of the recommendations of the
Narasimham Working Group (1975) and legislation of the Regional Rural Banks Act,1976
was passed.
• The first RRB “Prathama Grameen Bank” was set up on 2nd October, 1975.
• RRBs are required to provide 75% of their total credit as priority sector lending.
• Stakeholders: equity held by the Central Government, concerned State Government
and the Sponsor Bank in the proportion of 50:15:35.
• Objective: was to provide credit and other facilities to the small and marginal
farmers, agricultural labourers, artisans and small entrepreneurs in rural areas.

23. Homegrown CAR-T cells ‘cure’ 8-year-old’s leukaemia:

• CART-T cell therapy: type
of treatment in which a
patient's T cells (a type
of immune system cell)
are changed in the
laboratory so they will
attack cancer cells.
• T cells are taken from a
patient’s blood. Then the
gene for a special receptor
that binds to a certain
protein on the patient’s
cancer cells is added to the
T cells in the laboratory.
The special receptor is
called a chimeric antigen
receptor (CAR).
• Large numbers of the CAR
T cells are grown in the
laboratory and given to
the patient by infusion.
• CAR T-cell therapy is used to treat certain blood cancers, and it is being studied in the
treatment of other types of cancer. It is also called chimeric antigen receptor T-cell
therapy.
• T-ce and B-ce

24. Turkey-Greece Dispute:

• The Aegean Sea maritime dispute comprises three main issues: the breadth of the
territorial sea; the presence of islands; and the delimitation of the continental shelves
between the two States.

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25. Collective Security Treaty Organisation: IASEC
• Set up in 1992, an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia.
• Consisting six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
and Tajikistan.

26. Blue Flag certification:

• Context: accorded to two new beaches - Minicoy
Thundi Beach and Kadmat Beach- both in
Lakshadweep. Total now = 12.
• Internationally recognised eco-label — clean and
hygienic bathing water, facilities, a safe and
healthy environment and sustainable development
of the area.
• Given by a jury — FEE + UNEP + IUCN + UNWTO.
• On the lines of Blue Flag certification, India has
also launched its own eco-label BEAMS (Beach
Environment & Aesthetics Management Services).

27. Location based news:

• Narmada river in news — tributaries? Dams?
• Iran Nuclear sites —
• Gambia — syrup deaths
• Farzad gas fields — Persian gulf mapping
• Baltic Sea — Nord Stream
• Burkina Faso — Paul-Henri Damiba announced his resignation (military coup)
• GERD dam — Nile river mapping
• 38th parallel — Korea Mapping
• Galapagos Archipelago
• Mindanao Province
• Oromia
x-x
Compiled by Kaptaan Jack Sparrow for @iasexamcongress.

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