PIB: 16TH to 31ST JANUARY, 2023 www.iasscore.

in

01 Thiruvalluvar

CONTEXT:
 Prime Minister paid homage to Thiruvalluvar on Thiruvalluvar Day

Who was Thiruvalluvar?

 Thiruvalluvar, commonly known as Valluvar, was a well-known Tamil philosopher and poet.

Sangam Age

 Sangam Age is the period from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD in south India.
 There were 3 Sangams held in the ancient South India popularly called Muchchangam. These
Sangams flourished under the royal patronage of the Pandya kings of Madurai.
 First Sangam- Madurai
 Second Sangam- Kapadapuram
 Third Sangam-Madurai

 Thiruvalluvar was born sometime in the 1st century CE in a village near modern-day Tiruchirappalli,
Tamil Nadu, India.
 He lived during the time of the Tamil classical age, the Sangam period.
 His most famous work, the Tirukkuṟaḷ, is a collection of couplets addressing morality, politics, the
economy, and love.
 The book is regarded as a unique and highly esteemed piece of Tamil literature.

Thiruvalluvarism Philosophy

 Thiruvalluvarism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Tamil poet and philosopher,
Thiruvalluvar.
 His work, the Tirukkuṟaḷ, is revered as an exceptional and widely cherished work of Tamil
literature.
 The philosophy stresses the importance of ethics and places a strong emphasis on self-discipline,
honesty, and equality.

02 Purana Qila

CONTEXT:
 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) began excavation at Purana Qila again.

About Purana Qila

 Purana Qilla, the 16th-century fort, was built by Sher Shah Suri and second Mughal emperor
Humayun.
 The fort is standing on a site with thousands of years of history.

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 It is thought by many to be located on the site of the ancient city of Indraprastha. The fort formed
the inner citadel of the city of Dinpanah.
 Padma Vibhushana Prof. BB Lal also carried out excavation works inside the fort and its premises in
the year 1954 and 1969 -73.

03 Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

CONTEXT:
 Military Tattoo & Tribal Dance Festival was held in New Delhi to celebrate Parakram Diwas on the
birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

About Subhas Chandra Bose

 Birth: Subhas Chandra Bose was born on 23rd January 1897, in Cuttack, Orissa Division, Bengal
Province
 Education: In 1919, he had cleared the Indian Civil Services (ICS) examination. However, le later
resigned from the post to serve the country.
 Influence:Vivekananda’s teachings had a significant impact on him, and he regarded him as his
spiritual teacher. Chittaranjan Das served as his political advisor.
 Role in Indian National movement:
 He opposed the Motilal Nehru Report, which advocated for India to have a dominion status,
and stood for unqualified swaraj (independence).
 He actively participated in the 1930 Salt Satyagraha and vehemently opposed the Gandhi-
Irwin Pact’s signing in 1931 as well as the suspension of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
 Along with Jawaharlal Nehru and M.N. Roy, he was closely associated with left-wing politics in
Congress during the 1930s.
 In 1938, Bose prevailed in the Haripura congress presidential elections.
 He defeated Gandhi’s nominee Pattabhi Sitarammayya in the presidential elections in Tripuri
again in 1939.
 Gandhi and Bose had different ideologies, so Bose resigned from congress and left. In his place,
Rajendra Prasad was appointed.
 He founded a new party, ‘the Forward Bloc’. The purpose was to consolidate the political left
and major support base in his home state Bengal.
 Indian National Army:
 In July 1943, he travelled from Germany to Singapore, which was ruled by the Japanese. From
Singapore, he made the famous “Delhi Chalo” call, and announced the creation of the Azad Hind
Government and the Indian National Army.
 The INA was first formed under Mohan Singh and Japanese Major Iwaichi Fujiwara and comprised
Indian prisoners of war of the British-Indian Army captured by Japan
 Both Indian civilians in South-East Asia and Indian prisoners of war from Singapore were included
in the INA. Its strength increased to 50,000.

04 Tribal dances

CONTEXT:
 Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with Indian Coast Guard, Ministry of Defence presented
Adi Shaurya -Parv Parakram Ka, Military Tattoo and Tribal Dance at JLN Stadium in New Delhi

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Some of the tribal dances are

State Folk/Tribal Dance Form

Assam Bagurumba, Bihu, Bhortal, Jhumur

Arunachal Pradesh Bardo Chham

Chhaƫsgarh Raut Nacha

Goa Fugdi

Gujarat Dandiya Raas, Garba

Himachal Pradesh Na

Haryana Ras Leela

Jammu and Kashmir Dumhal

Chakyar Koothu, Duffmu u, Margamkali, Oppana, Padyani,

Kerala
Theyyam, Thiraya am

Karnataka Hulivesha, Pata Kunitha

Madhya Pradesh Grida, Maanch, Matki, Phulpa

Nagaland Chang Lo

Mizoram Cheraw

Maharashtra Lavani, Parvi Nach

Punjab Bhangra, Giddha, Kikkli

Chhau, Go Pua, Baagh Naach, Dalkhai, Dhap, Gumra, Karma

Odisha
Naach, Keisabadi

Puducherry Garadi

Rajasthan Ghoomar, Kalbelia, Kachchhi Ghodi

Parai A am, Kaaraga am, Kola am, Mayil A am, Paampu A am,
Tamil Nadu
Oyila am, Puliya am, Poikal Kudirai A am, Theru Koothu

Tripura Hojagiri

UƩar Pradesh Mayur Nritya, Charukala

West Bengal Gambhira, Alkap, Domni

Sikkim Singhi Chaam

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05 Andaman and Nicrobar islands

CONTEXT:
 Government has been decided to name the 21 largest unnamed islands of the island group after 21
Param Vir Chakra awardees.

Abut renaming
 Ross Islands was renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep by the Prime Minister during his
visit to the Island in 2018.
 Neil Island and Havelock Island were also renamed as Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep.
 Government has now been decided to name the 21 largest unnamed islands of the island group
after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees.
 The largest unnamed island will be named after the first Param Vir Chakra awardee, the second
largest unnamed island will be named after the second Param Vir Chakra awardee, and so on.
 These islands have been named after the 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees, viz. Major Somnath Sharma;
Subedar and Hony Captain (then Lance Naik) Karam Singh, MM etc.

About Andaman and Nicovar

 This archipelago is composed of 265 big and small islands
 The Andaman islands are divided into three main islands i.e. North, Middle and South.
 Duncan passage separates Little Andaman from South Andaman.
 The Great Andaman group of islands in the north is separated by the Ten Degree Channel from the
Nicobar group in the south [Prelims 2014].
 Port Blair, the capital of Andaman Nicobar Islands lies in the South Andaman.
 THE BARREN AND NARCONDAM ISLANDS, north of Port Blair, are volcanic islands. These are
the only active volcanoes in India.

India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

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(CEPA)

CONTEXT:
 Prime Minister Modi lauded the utilisation of India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement (CEPA) by Indian Exporters.

India-UAE CEPA
 India-UAE CEPA was signed in 2022, during the India-UAE Virtual Summit.
 India-UAE CEPA is the first bilateral trade accord concluded by the UAE and India’s first bilateral
trade agreement in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region.
 Coverage: It is a wide-ranging agreement, covering all aspects of India’s economic engagement
with the UAE including Trade, Investments, Healthcare, Digital Trade Government Procurement,
IPR etc.
 CEPA provides for an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two
countries.
 Bilateral trade between India and the UAE has increased 30 per cent in the last months since the
countries implemented the CEPA.

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India-UAE
 The UAE is India’s third largest trading partner after the United States and China, and also one of
the country’s most important strategic partners in West Asia
 The emirates are home to 3.5 million Indians, one of the largest concentrations of expatriates in
the region.

About CEPA
 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is a kind of free trade pact that covers
negotiation on the trade in services and investment, and other areas of economic partnership.

Other forms of trade agreements

 Free Trade Agreement (FTA): It is an agreement in which two or more countries agree to provide
preferential trade terms, tariff concession etc. to the partner country.
 Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA): In this type of agreement, two or more partners give
preferential right of entry to certain products. This is done by reducing duties on an agreed
number of tariff lines.
 Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA): CECA generally covers negotiation
on trade tariff and TRQ (Tariff Rate Quotas) rates only. It is not as comprehensive as CEPA.

07 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

CONTEXT:
 The Shanghai Cooperation Organization festival commenced with the world premiere the Tamil film
“Appatha”.

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About SCO
 SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization.
 It’s a Eurasian political, economic and military organization aiming to maintain peace, security and
stability in the region.
 It was created in 2001.
 The SCO Charter was signed in 2002, and entered into force in 2003.
 Member:
 Prior to the creation of SCO in 2001, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan
were members of the Shanghai Five.
 Following the accession of Uzbekistan to the organization in 2001, The Shanghai Five was
renamed the SCO.
 India and Pakistan became members in 2017.

08 Varuna exercise

CONTEXT:
 The 21st Edition of the Bilateral Naval Exercise between India and France concluded.

About
 Bilateral exercise between the two navies were initiated in 1993
 This major annual aero-naval event witnessed participation of indigenous guided missile stealth
destroyer INS Chennai, guided missile frigate INS Teg etc.
 The annually held Varuna naval exercise is an integral part of France–India strategic
relationship.
 The exercise facilitates operational level interaction between the two navies to foster mutual
cooperation for good order at sea, underscoring the shared commitment of both nations to security,
safety and freedom of the global maritime commons.

09 National Commission for Women

CONTEXT:
 The President of India addressed the 31st Foundation Day of the National Commission for Women
in Delhi.
 The theme of the programme is ‘Sashakt Nari Sashakt Bharat’ aimed at acknowledging and
celebrating the stories of women who have excelled and paved their journey to leave a mark.

About National Commission for Women (NCW)

 NCW was founded in January 1992 as a statutory body under the National Commission for
Women Act, 1990.
 Its functions are to:
 Review the constitutional and legal safeguards for women.
 Recommend remedial legislative measures.
 Facilitate redressal of grievances.

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 Advise the Government on all policy matters affecting women.

 It took up the issue of child marriage, sponsored legal awareness programmes, Parivarik Mahila
Lok Adalats and reviewed laws such as:
 Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961,
 Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act 1994,
 Indian Penal Code 1860.

10 Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme

CONTEXT:
 The government released margin money subsidy to 5046 beneficiaries under Prime Minister’s
Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) at Hubli, Karnataka.

About
 PMEGP is a credit linked subsidy Scheme for generation of employment opportunities through
establishment of micro enterprises in rural as well as urban areas.
 Objectives
 To generate maximum employment opportunities which are sustainable at the rural and urban
level.
 Support a wide range of non-farming sector artisans by establishing small and Micro
Enterprises.
 Encourage Financial Institutions to invest and enhance a smooth credit flow in these Micro
Sectors.
 It is a central sector scheme being administered by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MoMSME).
 Implementing Agency at the National Level: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) - a
statutory organization under the administrative control of the Ministry of MSME.
 Eligibility:
 Any individual, above 18 years of age.
 Only new projects/units are considered for sanction of loans.
 Self-help groups that have not availed benefits under any other public scheme, societies,
production co-operative societies, and charitable trusts.

11 Re-Hab Project

CONTEXT:
 Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman distributed 300 Bee-boxes under the Re-
Hab Project at Malavalli District, Karnataka.

About Re-Hab Project (Reducing Human Attacks using Honey Bees)

 Launched by: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises, Government of India)
 Project RE-HAB is a sub-mission of KVIC’s National Honey Mission.

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 While the Honey Mission is a programme to increase the bee population, honey production and
beekeepers’ income by setting up apiaries, Project RE-HAB uses bee boxes as a fence to prevent
the elephant attacks.
 Under this project fencing of bee boxes is installed in such areas from where elephants move
towards the human settlements and farmers’ agriculture.
 Fencing of Bee-boxes on the routes of movement of elephants blocks the path of wild
elephants.
 In this way, through honey-bees, elephants can be prevented from attacking humans and destroying
farmers’ crops.

Honey Mission:
 The government launched the 'Honey Mission' as part of 'Sweet Revolution' in 2017.
 The aim of the project is project to promote apiculture which is called as beekeeping.

12 Agnipath Scheme

CONTEXT:
 Prime Minister (PM) addressed the first batch of Agniveers

About Agnipath scheme

 This scheme entails a recruitment process for individuals below the rank of officer, with the goal of
deploying fitter, younger troops on the front lines, many of whom will be on four-year contracts.
 It’s a game-changing project that will give the Army, Navy, and Air Force a more young image.
 Under this scheme both men and women between the ages of 17.5 and 21 will be brought into
the armed forces.
 Only 25% of the cohort will be hired back into their respective services after four years,
for a total of 15 years.

Recent reform initiatives promulgated in defence sector

 appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
 establishment of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA)
 announcement of several domestic industries—friendly procurement measures, particularly the
 positive indigenisation list
 the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factories (OFs) into seven DPSUs

13 Grameen Udyami Program

CONTEXT:
 The Ministry of Tribal Affairs felicitated 200 tribal women who successfully completed their
training under the Grameen Udyami Program in Jharkhand.

About Grameen Udyami Program

 Grameen Udyami Scheme was launched to augment skill training in tribal communities for their
inclusive and sustainable growth.

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 Under the programme, the endeavor is to multi skill India’s youth and impart functional skills to
them for enabling livelihoods.
 It is implemented under the Sansadiya Sankul Pariyojana with an aim to expand the rural/local
economy, enhance employment opportunities, reduce forced migration and also lead to the
conservation of natural resources.

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

 National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is a Public Private Partnership firm set up by
the ministry of finance in 2009 under Section 25 of the Companies Act 1956 (corresponding
to Section 8 of The Companies Act, 2013).
 NSDC works closely with the ministry of skill development & entrepreneurship (MSDE).
 NSDC aims to promote skill development by catalysing creation of large, quality and for-profit
vocational institutions.

14 SVANidhi Yojana

CONTEXT
 PM launched the development works & transfer of approved loans to beneficiaries under PM-
SVANidhi Yojana in Mumbai.

About PM Svanidhi (Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi

Scheme)
 The PM Street Vendor’s Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (SVANidhi) Scheme was launched in June 2020 as a
Micro-Credit facility which aims to empower street vendors to recover losses incurred as a result of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
 It has been established under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
 Key Objectives of the PM SVANidhi Scheme are:
 Facilitating working capital loans upto INR 10,000
 Incentivising regular repayment of loans by offering an interest subsidy of 7% per annum. This
subsidy will be credited back on a quarterly basis.
 Rewarding digital transactions with monthly cash back offers.
 Beneficiaries: The Scheme is available to beneficiaries from States/UTs which have notified rules
and guidelines under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending)
Act, 2014

15 E-courts projects

CONTEXT:
 The Department of Justice organised an award felicitation to honour the award winners of eCourts
Project.

About e-courts project

 The eCourts Mission Mode Project, is a Pan-India Project, monitored and funded by Department of
Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India for the District Courts across the country.

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THE PROJECT ENVISAGES

 To provide efficient & time-bound citizen centric services delivery as detailed in eCourt Project
Litigant’s Charter.
 To develop, install & implement decision support systems in courts.
 To automate the processes to provide transparency in accessibility of information to its
stakeholders.
 To enhance judicial productivity, both qualitatively & quantitatively, to make the justice delivery
system affordable, accessible, cost effective, predictable, reliable and transparent.

12th Session of FAO’s Intergovernmental Technical Working

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Group (ITWG)

CONTEXT:
 In the recently concluded 12th Session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group (ITWG)
on Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) at Rome, India was elected as Vice-Chair and represented
Asia & Pacific region.

About
 The Working Group, established by the FAO’s Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture (CGRFA), functions to review technical issues, advise and make recommendations to
the Commission and further implement the Commission’s programme related to AnGR at global
level.
 In the 12th Session of ITWG, implementation of the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic
Resources, monitoring of AnGR diversity and preparing 3rd Country Report were reviewed.
 Further agenda points on role of microorganisms relevant to ruminant digestion, role of genetic
resources in mitigating and adapting to climate change;
 Also its role in access and benefit-sharing for AnGR; digital sequence information and potential
implications for the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources were discussed.

About FAO
 FAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat
hunger.
 World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16th October. The day is celebrated
to mark the anniversary of the founding of the FAO in 1945.
 It is one of the UN food aid organisations based in Rome (Italy). Its sister bodies are the World
Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
 Publications:
 The State of the World's Forests (SOFO).
 The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI).

17 Millets

CONTEXT:
 In the wake of the United Nations General Assembly declaring 2023 as the International Year

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of Millets, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries hosted Millets Mahotsav across 20 States
and 30 Districts in the country.

About Millets:
 Millet is a collective term referring to a number of small-seeded annual grasses that are cultivated
as grain crops, primarily on marginal lands in dry areas in temperate, subtropical, and tropical
regions.
 Two groups of millets are grown in India.
 Major millets include sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet
 Minor millets include foxtail, liƩle millet, kodo, proso, and barnyard millet
 Benefits: Millets have
 special nutriƟve properƟes: they are high in protein, dietary fibre, micronutrients and
antioxidants
 special agronomic characterisƟcs: drought-resistant and suitable for semi-arid regions

India, Nigeria and China are the largest producers of millets in the world, accounting for more than
55% of the global production.

18 Electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (e-NWR)

CONTEXT:
 A conference on “Digital financing against e-Negotiable Warehouse Receipts and way forward”
was held at NABARD Head Office in Mumbai.

What is e-Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (e-NWR)?

 The idea of e-NWRs flows from the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority
(WDRA), which was set up under the Warehousing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2007.
 The Act came into force on 26 October 2010.
 The main objective of the WDRA is to implement Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (NWR)/
electronic-Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (e-NWR) system in India so that farmers (as well as
businesses) are encouraged not to sell their produce immediately after harvest when prices tend to
be the lowest in the year.
 They can store their produce in WDRA-registered warehouses that have to issue NWR/e-NWR
to them.
 The farmers can seek loans from banks against their NWR/e-NWR.
 The WDRA regulates negotiability of warehouse receipts so as to improve the trust of depositors
and banks in the newly evolving ecosystem.
 The entire operation is governed by the Warehouse Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA)
under NWR.

19 National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA)

CONTEXT:
 The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) has published draft requirements regarding
preparation and publication of Annual Transparency Report (ATR) by auditors/audit firms.

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About NFRA
 The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) is a body constituted under the provisions of
Section 132 of the Companies Act, 2013.
 The constitution of this authority is effective from 1st October 2018.
 It is the only independent audit regulator in the nation.
 It comes under Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
 Duties and functions:
 recommend that businesses implement accounting and auditing standards for the Central
Government’s approval
 monitoring and enforcing auditing standards and accounting standards
 oversee the level of service provided by the professions involved in assuring adherence to such
standards and make recommendations for ways to raise the level of service
 Powers:
 The NFRA has the same powers as the Civil Court.
 Debarring the member/firm from practice as a member of ICAI between 6 months to 10 years
as may be decided.
 To investigate the matters of professional or other misconduct.

20 Start-Up India program

CONTEXT:
 StartUp Conclave at India International Science Festival (IISF)-2022 at Bhopal showcased 300
DeepTech success stories with tech innovative products and technologies.

About Start Up India Program

 Launched in: 2016
 The Government of India’s flagship programme, Startup India, aims to create a strong ecosystem for
fostering startups and innovation in the nation, which will foster long-term economic growth and
create significant employment opportunities.
 Some of the benefits are
 10,000 crore startup funding pool
 Reduction in patent registration fees
 Improved Bankruptcy Code, to ensure a 90-day exit window
 Freedom from inspections for first 3 years of operation
 Freedom from Capital Gain Tax for first 3 years of operation
 Freedom from tax for first 3 years of operation

21 International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)

CONTEXT:
 With the aim to establish GIFT-IFSC as a hub for various sustainable finance related activities, the
International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has issued a regulatory framework.

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Regulatory frameworks/requirements:
 IFSCA has issued/notified the following regulatory frameworks/requirements:
 Disclosure and listing of Green Bonds, Social Bonds, Sustainability Bonds and Sustainability
Linked Bonds
 Sustainability reporting by listed companies having market capitalization above $50 million
 IBUs and Finance Companies to have board approved framework on sustainable financing and
to have at least 5% of their loan assets towards sustainable sectors
 Sustainability related Disclosures by Fund Management Entities managing corpus / AUM above
$3 Billion.

About IFSCA
 It has been established in 2020 under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act,
2019.
 It is headquartered at GIFT City, Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
 Purpose: It is a unified authority for the development and regulation of financial products,
financial services and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC)
in India.
 IFSCA has obtained membership of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors
(IAIS).
 IFSC caters to the customers outside the domestic economy.

22 Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA)

CONTEXT:
 MNRE Secretary reviewed IREDA’s performance and future roadmap.

About IREDA
 Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) is a Mini Ratna (Category –
I) Government of India Enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy (MNRE).
 IREDA is a Public Limited Government Company established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution
in 1987 engaged in promoting, developing and extending financial assistance for setting up projects
relating to new and renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency/conservation
 Objectives of IREDA:
 To give financial support to specific projects and schemes for generating electricity and/or energy
through new and renewable sources and conserving energy through energy efficiency.
 To maintain its position as a leading organisation to provide efficient and effective financing in
renewable energy and energy efficiency/conservation projects.
 To increase IREDA`s share in the renewable energy sector by way of innovative financing.

23 Biologicals

CONTEXT:
 Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya virtually inaugurated
National Summit on Quality of Biologicals.

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About Biologicals
 Biological therapeutics, also referred to as Biologicals, are those class of medicines which are grown
and then purified from large-scale cell cultures of bacteria or yeast, or plant or animal cells.
 Biologicals are a diverse group of medicines which includes vaccines, growth factors, immune
modulators, monoclonal antibodies, as well as products derived from human blood and plasma.
 What distinguishes biologicals from other medicines is that these are generally proteins purified
from living culture systems or from blood, whereas other medicines are considered as ‘small
molecules’ and are either made synthetically or purified from plants.

24 iNNCOVACC

CONTEXT:
 Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare unveiled the iNNCOVACC COVID19 vaccine

About iNNCOVACC
 iNNCOVACC is the world’s first intranasal COVID19 vaccine to receive approval
 It is developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) in collaboration with Biotechnology
Industry Research Assistance (BIRAC), a PSU under the Dept of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science
and Technology.
 With the vaccine being delivered through a nasal spray, it will do away with the need for needles
and syringes currently required for all the Covid-19 vaccines available.
 It will also reduce dependence on personnel trained to give shots.
 Incovacc is effective for Omicron variants that replicate in the upper respiratory tract before
entering the lungs.
 This is the second heterologous booster to be included in the vaccination programme after
Corbevax.

Artificial synapse developed for brain-like computing with

25
industry-compatible Nitride Semiconductors

CONTEXT:
 Scientists have used scandium nitride (ScN), a semiconducting material with supreme stability
and Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility, to develop brain-like
computing.

About
 This invention can provide a new material for stable, CMOS-compatible optoelectronic synaptic
functionalities at a relatively lower energy cost and hence has the potential to be translated into an
industrial product.
 The traditional computers have physically separated memory storage and processing units.
As a result, it takes enormous energy and time to transfer data between these units during an
operation.
 On the contrary, the human brain is a supreme biological computer that is smaller and more
efficient due to the presence of a synapse (the connection between two neurons) that plays the role
of both processor and memory storage unit.

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 In the current era of artificial intelligence, the brain-like computing approach can help meet
the escalating computational demands. The development of neuromorphic hardware aims
at mimicking a biological synapse that monitors and remembers the signal generated by the
stimuli.
 Scientists have been trying to create an artificial synaptic device that does not suffer from RC delays,
exhibits large bandwidth, consumes low energy, and is stable, scalable, and CMOS-compatible.
 Compared to the existing materials used to demonstrate optoelectronic synapse, ScN is more
stable, CMOS compatible, and can be seamlessly integrated with existing Si technology.
 It can act as a platform for both excitatory and inhibitory functions.
 The industrial processing techniques of ScN are similar to the existing semiconductor
fabrication infrastructure.

26 Vagir

CONTEXT:
 Indian Navy commissioned the fifth Kalvari class submarine Vagir.

About
 Vagir was launched in 2020, under Project 75 (P75) and was delivered to Indian Navy in 2022 post
completion of sea trials.
 Vagir has the distinction of having the lowest build time among all indigenously manufactured
submarines till date.
 The Scorpene Submarines are extremely potent platforms, they have advanced stealth features and
are also equipped with both long range guided torpedoes as well as anti-ship missiles.
 These submarine have a state of the art SONAR suite and sensor suite permitting outstanding
operational capabilities.

About Project 75 (India)-class submarines (P-75I)

 P-75I are a planned class of diesel-electric submarines, which are to be built for the Indian
Navy.
 The P-75I class is a follow-on of the P-75 class submarines of the Indian Navy.
 Under this project, the Indian Navy intends to acquire six conventional, diesel-electric attack
submarines, which will also feature advanced capabilities.

Submarines under project 75I

List of other submarines under Scorpene-class submarines:

 First submarine: INS Kalvari- commissioned on 14 December 2017.
 Second: INS Khanderi – September 2019
 Third: INS Karanj – March 2021
 Fourth: INS Vela – November 2021
 Fifth: INS Vagir- launched in November 2020 and is undergoing sea trials.
 The sixth and last submarine, Vagsheer, is expected to be delivered to the Navy by end 2023

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About INS VAGIR

 It is a Kalvari class diesel-electric attack submarine
 It is a part of the six Kalvari-class submarines being built in India.
 The Kalvari-class submarines have the capability of operating in a wide range of Naval combat
including anti-warship and anti-submarine operations, intelligence gathering and surveillance, and
naval mine laying.

27 Air quality Index

CONTEXT:
 Delhi’s overall air quality suddenly, rapidly and unanticipatedly deteriorated, as per the Air Quality
Index.

About AQI
 Air quality index is the index to measure the quality of the Air
 The higher the AQI, the worse the air.
 Pollutants: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants,
for which national air quality standards have been established to safeguard public health.
 Ground-level ozone
 Particle pollution/particulate matter (PM2.5/pm 10)
 Carbon Monoxide
 Sulfur dioxide
 Nitrogen dioxide
 There are six categories of AQI:
 Good (0-50)
 Satisfactory (50-100)
 Moderately polluted (100-200)
 Poor (200-300)
 Very Poor (300-400)
 Severe (400-500)

28 Importance of lifestyle in climate discourse

CONTEXT:
 As an outcome of COP27 at Egypt, the Sharm El-Sheikh Implementation Plan notes the
importance of transition to sustainable lifestyles and sustainable patterns of consumption and
production to address climate change.
 This is in line with objectives of Mission LiFE launched in 2022.

About Mission LiFE

 Prime Minister Narenda Modi announced Mission LiFE at the UN Climate Change Conference
(UNFCCC COP26) to put individual behaviour at the forefront of the story of global climate action.

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 LiFE envisions replacing the prevalent ‘use-and-dispose’ economy—governed by mindless and

destructive consumption—with a circular economy, which would be defined by mindful and
deliberate utilisation.
 Approach
 Focus on Individual Behaviors: Make life a mass movement (Jan Andolan) by paying attention to
the actions and viewpoints of people in both communities and individuals.
 Global Co-Creation: Crowdsource scalable and empirical ideas from the world’s top thinkers
through eminent universities, global organisations, and think tanks.
 Utilize Regional Cultures: Utilize global cultural differences’ social norms, religious beliefs, and
common household practises to advance the campaign.

29 National Logistics Portal

CONTEXT:
 Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated
The National Logistics Portal (marine) in New Delhi.

About National Logistics portal (marine)

 The National Logistic Portal (marine) (NLP) is a project of national importance, as envisaged by the
Ministry of Ports Shipping Waterways and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
 It is a one-stop platform aimed at connecting all the stakeholders of the logistics community using
IT, to improve efficiency and transparency by reducing costs and time delays
 NLP Is a one stop marketplace where all logistic stakeholders are integrated for easier, speedier
& competitive services thereby promoting trade and growth.
 NLP will be a single window for all trade processes of the logistics sector spread across the
country covering all modes of transport in the waterways, roadways, and airways along with an
E-marketplace to provide a seamless end-to-end logistic service coverage.

30 All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021

CONTEXT:
 The Ministry of Education, Government of India released All India Survey on Higher Education
(AISHE) 2020-2021.

Key-findings of the report

 Enrolment in higher education increases to 4.14 crore, crossing the 4 crore mark for first time. There
is increase of 7.5% from 2019-20 and 21% from 2014-15
 Female enrolment reaches 2 crore mark, increase of 13 Lakh from 2019-20
 Significant increase of 28% in enrolment of SC students and 38% in enrolment of Female SC Students
in 2020-21, compared to 2014-15.
 Substantial increase of 47% in enrolment of ST students and 63.4% increase in the enrolment of
Female ST Students in 2020-21, compared to 2014-15.
 Significant increase of 32% in OBC Student enrolment and 39% in Female OBC Students, since
2014-15.
 Notable increase of 29% in Student Enrolment and 34% in Female Student Enrolment in the North
Eastern Region in 2020-21 since 2014-15.

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All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE)

 To portray the status of higher education in the country, Ministry of Education has endeavoured
to conduct an annual web-based All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) since 2010-
11.
 The survey covers all the Institutions in the country engaged in imparting of higher education.
 Data is being collected on several parameters such as teachers, student enrolment, programmes,
examination results, education finance, infrastructure.
 Indicators of educational development such as Institution Density, Gross Enrolment Ratio, Pupil-
teacher ratio, Gender Parity Index, Per Student Expenditure will also be calculated from the data
collected through AISHE.
 These are useful in making informed policy decisions and research for development of education
sector.

31 Amrita Sher-Gil

CONTEXT
 The National Gallery of Modern Art in association with Liszt Institute, Hungarian Cultural
Centre, celebrates the 110th birth anniversary of Amrita Sher-Gil.

About Amrita Sher Gil (1913-1941)

 Amrita Sher-Gil was a Hungarian-Indian painter who revolutionized modern Indian art with her
realistic and expressive style.

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 She was born in Budapest in 1913 to a scholar father and a singer mother, and grew up with a
passion for art and music.
 She returned to India in 1934, where she was drawn to the lives and struggles of the rural and tribal
people, and painted them with empathy and dignity.
 She is often referred to as India’s Frida Kahlo for aesthetically blending traditional and Western
art forms.
 She was also a rebel and a feminist, who defied social norms and conventions, and had a
turbulent personal life.
 Famous paintings: ‘Brahmacharis’, ‘Bride’s Toilet’, ‘The Bride’, ‘Tahitian’, ‘Red Brick House’
and ‘Hill Scene’ and ‘South Indian Villagers Going to Market’.
 She died tragically at the age of 28, leaving behind a legacy of over 200 paintings that are
considered national treasures and icons of Indian culture.

32 Padma awards

CONTEXT
 Padma Awards are conferred by the President of India usually around March/ April every year. For
the year 2023, the President has approved conferment of 106 Padma Awards.

About Padma Awards

 Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories,
namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

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Padma Vibhushan
 The Padma Vibhushan is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat
Ratna.
 InsƟtuted on: 2 January 1954.
 The award is given for “exceptional and distinguished service”, without distinction of race, occupation,
position, or sex.
 The award criteria include “service in any field including service rendered by Government
servants”.
 It is a circular-shaped bronze toned medallion1 3⁄4 inches (44 mm) in diameter and 1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm)
thick.
 A centrally located lotus flower is embossed on the obverse side of the medal and the text
“Padma” written in Devanagari script is placed above and the text “Vibhushan” is placed below
the lotus.
 The Emblem of India is placed in the centre of the reverse side with the national motto of India,
“Satyameva Jayate” (Truth alone triumphs), in Devanagari Script, inscribed on the lower edge.
 It has also been awarded to some distinguished individuals who were not citizens of India.

Bharat Ratna

 The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India.
 InsƟtuted on: 2 January 1954.
 The award is conferred in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order,
without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex.
 There is no monetary grant associated with the award.
 Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence.
 Order of precedence of these awards is the Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, the
Mahavir Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra
 The first recipients of the Bharat Ratna were: the last Governor-General of the Dominion of India
– Rajagopalachari.

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Padma Bhushan
 The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India.
 The medal is ranked fifth in the order of precedence of wearing of medals.
 It has also been awarded to some distinguished individuals who were not citizens of India.

Padma Shri
 Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award in the Republic of India.
 It has also been awarded to some distinguished individuals who were not citizens of India.



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