Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Table of Content
India and the Northern Sea Route (NSR) 1
Gene-Edited Mustard 4
Lunar Space Missions 6
Missing Right to Information (RTI) applications 7
India-China Border Dispute in Eastern Ladakh 9
Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs): Background and Achievements 10
NMC hold rules for doctors to prescribe only generic medicines 12
Sodium-ion Battery 13
Facts In News 15
69th National Film Awards 15
Insurance Surety Bonds 15
Next-Generation Photonic Analog to Digital Converters (NG-PADC) Project 16
Mera Bill Mera Adhikaar 17
Mine Developer and Operator Mode 18
SANKALP Programme 18
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting 19
Khanan Prahari App 20
International Conference on Structural Integrity (ICONS) 21
● Ten of the twelve GTR genes in the high-yielding Indian mustard variety
'Varuna' are altered.
● Using the Cas9 enzyme, particular nucleotide sequences in the DNA are changed,
rendering the encoded proteins inactive.
GE (Genome Editing): Involves precise modification of specific genes within an
organism's genome without introducing foreign genes, resulting in targeted genetic
changes.
GM (Genetically Modified): Involves the insertion of foreign genes from unrelated
organisms into an organism's genome to confer specific traits or characteristics.
Regulatory Bodies
● GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee): It is a regulatory
body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEFCC).GEAC is responsible for evaluating and approving genetically
modified organisms (GMOs)
● Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB): Ensures safe handling of GMOs
that may impact biodiversity under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur
● Supplementary Protocol: Establishes liability and redress rules for damage
caused by LMOs (Living Modified Organisms).
● Codex Alimentarius Commission: Develops global food standards, including
GMO guidelines, for consumer health and fair trade.
● WTO SPS Agreement: Regulates food safety and plant health standards in
international trade
Source: IE
Lunar Space Missions
Syllabus: GS3/ Space
In News
● India made history by being the first nation to set foot on the South Pole of the
lunar surface.
About
● A landing in the South Pole is challenging due to the rough terrain, but ice
there could provide fuel, oxygen, and water for upcoming missions.
● Earlier, Luna 25 of ESA suffered a glitch and crashed on the moon’s surface.
● According to ISRO as of July 2023, there are six active lunar orbiters and
currently, the only operating rover is China’s Yutu-2 rover released by Chang’e 4,
which operates on the far side.
Why are nations exploring the Moon?
● To set up bases on the Moon for astronauts to live in.
● The Moon is being used as a stepping stone to places like Mars. It's a great place
to test out deep space technologies.
● It also takes less fuel to launch a spacecraft from the Moon than from Earth to
travel into deep space
● The Moon's southern polar region contains an estimated 600 billion kilograms of
water ice. This could be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen, which could be
used to refuel craft for journeys to Mars and elsewhere.
What other space missions are planned?
● Aditya L1 Mission: It is the first solar mission from India with the capability of
an observatory in space. The probe will be positioned in a halo orbit 1.5 million
kilometres from Earth, at Lagrangian point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system.
● Mission Psyche: It would be launched by NASA to explore an asteroid called
16 Psyche, thought to be the remnant of a planet created in the earliest days of
the solar system.
● JUICE Mission: It is European Space Agency (Esa)’s mission to explore the
Jupter’s moons. It will look for signs of life in the water ice believed to lie under
the surface of three of Jupiter's moons - Ganymede, Callistro and Europa.
● Artemis Mission: NASA is preparing to send humans back to the moon with
the Artemis program. The uncrewed Artemis 1 circled the moon in December
2022. Artemis 2 is expected to go around the moon with a crew of four people in
November 2024. Artemis 3 will attempt a landing at the moon's south pole in
2025.
● The other moon missions include China’s lunar communication and
navigation satellite constellation and Japan’s Smart Lander for
Investigating Moon (SLIM) which is an Orbiter/lander mission.
Source: TH
Missing Right to Information (RTI) applications
Syllabus: GS2/Governance
Context:
● The public records obtained by Right to Information (RTI) applicants over years
had disappeared from the RTIOnline website from many users’ accounts. It
has processed 58.3 lakh applications since 2013.
○ Portal said the public records disappeared because of maintenance
activity.
About:
● The Data prior to 2022 is moved to the archive database for better performance
and manageability.
● RTIOnline portal promised missing RTI applications will be restored, and
Archival Data (before 2022) will be available soon and be plugged into present
provided reports.
○ This is the third time in recent months that the RTIOnline portal has gone
into ‘maintenance’ mode without offering any new features or showing
improvements in performance.
● Appeal Data prior to 2022 will be available on the portal by 26th August 2023.
About RTIOnline portal:
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) administers and
disseminates training and standards for government officials who handle
RTI applications.
● According to the National Informatics Centre (NIC), it requires very little internet
bandwidth to serve users, and maximum data load on RTIOnline was 8Mbps.
● Heavy usage of the portal till 2022: The RTIOnline portal allows citizens to
pay ₹10 through many digital payment options to file an RTI application, a
facility that is far more convenient than the other typical method of mailing an
application through post with a postal cheque.
Government response:
● The Union Government removed the facility of creating an account on the
RTIOnline portal, with the DoPT citing a ‘heavy load’ on the website.
● Existing account holders must file at least one application in a six-month period
if they wish to retain their accounts.
● Public dissatisfaction: RTI appeals were at an all-time high at Union
Government bodies, with 1.62 lakh applications being appealed, which indicates a
very high degree of dissatisfaction with the performance of these public
authorities of their obligations under the RTI Act.
The Right to Information Act, 2005
● It was promulgated to promote transparency and accountability in the
working of every public authority.
● Under the RTI Act, 2005, Public Authorities are required to make disclosures
on various aspects of their structure and functioning, including:
○ disclosure on their organisation, functions, and structure,
○ powers and duties of its officers and employees, and
○ financial information.
● If such information is not made available, citizens have the right to request it
from the Authorities.
○ This may include information in the form of documents, files, or
electronic records under the control of the Public Authority.
● The intent behind the enactment of the Act is to promote transparency and
accountability in the working of Public Authorities.
Changing the law
● The recent amendment of the RTI Act, 2005 prohibits all disclosure of
personal information.
○ Earlier, personal information could be disclosed in public interest.
● In 2019, the RTI Act was amended to give the government more powers
over appointments to the Central Information Commission (CIC), the
body which hears appeals for RTI applications filed with the Union
Government and issues decisions.
TH
Facts In News
69th National Film Awards
Syllabus: GS1/ Miscellaneous
News
● The 69th National Film Awards has been announced for the year 2021.
Overview
● National Film Awards are the most prestigious awards, which are announced
annually to honor the best filmmaking talent across the country. It aims at
encouraging the production of films of aesthetic and technical excellence and
social relevance.
● The awards are given in three sections – Features, Non-Features and Best
Writing on Cinema.
● The winners of the awards are decided by the Jury comprising persons
distinguished in the field of cinema, other allied arts and humanities.
History
● The awards were first presented in 1954 and were known as the ‘State Awards’.
At the time,only best films in different regional languages were recognised and
awarded.
● Separate awards for artists and technicians were instituted in 1968 for the
films of 1967.Nargis Dutt and Uttam Kumar being the first actress and actor
to get the Best Actress and Best Actor ( Awards respectively.
Key Recipient of 2023 Awards
● Best Feature Film: Rocketry
● Best Hindi Film: Sardar Udham
● Best Non-feature film: Ek Tha Gaon
● Best Actor:Allu Arjun , Pushpa
● Best Actress:Alia Bhatt, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Kriti Sanon,Mimi
Source:PIB
Insurance Surety Bonds
Syllabus: GS3/ Infrastructure
In News
● The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is advocating for the
adoption of surety bond insurance products for highway projects.
About
● Insurance surety bonds are instruments where insurance companies act as
‘surety’ and provide the financial guarantee that the contractor will fulfil
its obligation as per the agreed terms.
● The Surety Bonds were introduced with the expectation that construction
companies could utilize the liquidity to complete highway projects on
schedule.
Need & Significance
● Surety bonds act as a viable option to bank guarantees (BGs) and offer
longer maturity terms than the traditional banking products. Surety bonds are
one of the most cost-effective ways to finance contract security options.
● As India aspires to become a US$ 5 trillion economy, instruments like
insurance surety bonds will boost availability of liquidity and capacity of bidders
and concessionaires.
● It will help to strengthen national highway infrastructure development,
which has a cascading positive impact on the Indian economy.
● India is projected to become the world's third-largest construction market. The
infrastructure sector alone may need an estimated Rs 2.70 lakh crore of BGs in
2023, anticipated to grow by 6 to 8 per cent on a year-on-year basis.
● Replacing BGs with surety bonds could offer capital relief of up to Rs 50,000
crore to Indian contractors.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
● NHAI was constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1988 under the
administrative control of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
● The Authority consists of a full time Chairman, and not more than five full
time Members and four part time Members who are appointed by the
Central Government.
Source: BS
Next-Generation Photonic Analog to Digital Converters
(NG-PADC) Project
Syllabus: GS-3/Science and Technology
Context
● Recently, a new prototype in the Next-Generation Photonic
Analog-to-Digital Converters (NG-PADC) project was introduced .
About
● It carries out instant transport of Radio Frequency (RF) through optical
methods to improve digital and satellite communication.
● It is developed by IIT Madras in collaboration with the IMPRINT
programme of Science, Engineering, Research Board (SERB).
Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs):
● A converter that is used to change the analog signal to digital is known as an
analog to digital converter or ADC converter.
● This converter is one kind of integrated circuit that converts the signal directly
from continuous form to discrete form.
● These converters are critical components for developing the next generation of
advanced digital receivers.
● The digital signal is represented with a binary code, which is a combination of
bits 0 and 1.
● The bandwidth of ADC is 12 times higher than Electronic Analog-to-digital
converters (EADC).
IMPacting Research, INnovation and Technology (IMPRINT) Program
● It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Human resource
Development (MHRD) and the Department of Science & Technology
(DST) (steered by Science and Engineering Research Board, SERB).
○ As per the National Education Policy (NEP), 2023, the Science
and Engineering Research Board (SERB), created by an act of
Parliament in 2008, will stand repealed and subsumed into the
National Research Foundation (NRF).
○ Board was vested with the function of research and development in
science and engineering.
● It is a unique technology development initiative for translation of research
knowledge into viable technology.
Source: PIB
Mera Bill Mera Adhikaar
Syllabus: GS2/Governance
In News
● The Government of India, in association with State Governments, is launching an
‘Invoice incentive Scheme’ by the name ‘Mera Bill Mera Adhikaar’.
About
● Objective: To encourage the culture of customers asking for
invoices/bills for all purchases.
● Aim: To bring a cultural and behavioural change in the general public to ‘Ask
for a Bill’ as their right and entitlement.
● The details of the Scheme are as under:
○ The Scheme will be launched on 1st September, 2023.
○ This scheme will initially be launched as a pilot in the States of Assam,
Gujarat & Haryana and UTs of Puducherry, Dadra Nagar Haveli
and Daman & Diu.
○ All B2C invoices issued by GST registered suppliers to consumers will be
eligible for the scheme. All residents of India will be eligible to
participate in this Scheme irrespective of their State/UT.
○ Invoices can be uploaded on Mobile Application ‘Mera Bill Mera
Adhikaar’ available on IOS and Android as well as on web portal
‘web.merabill.gst.gov.in’.
○ Minimum value for invoices to be considered for a lucky draw has been
kept at Rs. 200.
○ Maximum 25 invoices can be uploaded by an individual on App/web
portal in a month to be considered for lucky draw.
○ For each uploaded invoice an Acknowledgement Reference Number (ARN)
will be generated which will be used for the draw of prizes.
○ Winning invoices will be picked by a method of random draw at
regular intervals (monthly/quarterly).
○ This Pilot Scheme will run for a period of 12 months.
Source: PIB
Mine Developer and Operator Mode
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
In News
● SECL’s Pelma mine will become the first opencast mine in Chhattisgarh
under MDO (Mine Developer and Operator) mode.
About
● South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has signed an agreement with Pelma
Collieries to operate the Pelma opencast mine located in the Raigarh area.
● Pelma Collieries will operate the mine for the next 20 years, under which
Pelma Collieries will be responsible for all activities related to designing,
financing, procurement, construction, operation and maintenance of the project.
○ High quality G-12 grade coal will be extracted from the mine.
○ Ketki UG of Bishrampur area has achieved the distinction of
becoming the first coal mine in India to produce coal on MDO
mode.
● SECL Raigarh area is a strategically important coalfield in terms of coal
reserve, it is the third largest coalfield in the country with an estimated coal
reserve of about 1900 million tonnes.
○ Rail corridor is also being developed in this area by SECL for speedy
evacuation of coal.
About MDO Mode
● MDO mode is a novel concept of mine operation under which Government and
private enterprises will work together to fulfil the country's energy needs.
● This will help in expansion of coal production of SECL and will play an
important role in achieving the 1 billion tonne production target of Coal
India.
Source: PIB
SANKALP Programme
Syllabus :GS 3/Growth ,Development and Employment
In News
● The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), in
collaboration with Generation India Foundation (GIF) and Amazon Web Services
India Private Limited (AWS India) is providing ‘cloud’ skills training to 1,500
learners and connecting them to employment opportunities, under project
AMBER (co-funded by MSDE under the SANKALP programme).
Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion
(“SANKALP”)
● SANKALP is a Centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) with loan assistance from the World Bank.
○ SANKALP was launched on 19th January 2018 .
● It aims to improve short term skill training qualitatively and quantitatively
through strengthening institutions, bring in better market connectivity and
inclusion of marginalised sections of the society.
● The outcomes in the project are measured through the Results Framework, and
Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) agreed between MSDE and World Bank.