CSE Prelims 2025

September 2024
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PREFACE
Current Affairs UPSC CSE

Prelims 2025
This high-quality monthly compilation of Current Affairs for Civil Services Exam Prelims
2025 is designed to help Civil Services Exam aspirants by:
1. Saving preparation time: Consolidates key current affairs from multiple sources for
CSE Prelims.
2. Reinforcing static concepts: Links static concepts with current affairs
3. Enhancing revision: Combines important current affairs and static concepts
foreffective revision.
After reading this Current affairs magazine , you can test your concepts by taking our
Current Affairs Test Series in Multiple Choice Question format which helps in the
following ways:
• Aligns with the CSE prelims exam pattern.

• Aids understanding and recall by offering multiple perspectives on current affairs.
• Saves time, consolidates and aids quick revision
Details of our Current Affairs Test Series are on the back cover and inside this
magazine.
Our team of content developers have worked rigorously to create this high-quality
compilation, and we hope that all Civil Services and other competitive exam aspirants
willmake the best use of it. All the Best!
R. C. Reddy IAS Study

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R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593

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Table of Contents
1. POLITY (Page 1)
2. ECONOMY (Page 8)
3. GEOGRAPHY (Page 21)
4. ENVIRONMENT (Page 32)
5. SCIENCE & TECHNOGOLY (Page 45)
6. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (Page 63)
7. ART AND CULTURE (Page 67)
8. MISCELLANEOUS (Page 71)

POLITY
1. Zero
FIR FIR 2. Law Commission of India
Context: Context:
Recently, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has directed President Droupadi Murmu has sanctioned the
constitution of the 23rd Law Commission of India,
Union Territories to ensure that ‘zero FIRs’ recorded in
local languages carry a translated copy if forwarded to which will serve from September 1, 2024, to August 31,
states where different languages are used. 2027.
Law Commission of India:
About: • Law Commission of India is a non-statutory
body.
• An FIR that can be registered at any police station
• It is constituted by a notification of the
irrespective of jurisdiction or the area where the
Government of India, Ministry of Law & Justice,
crime was committed, in case of cognisable
Department of Legal Affairs.
offenses.
• It is constituted with definite terms of reference
• The provision of Zero FIR was established based to carry out research in the field of law.
on the recommendation on the report of the • The Commission makes recommendations to
Justice Verma Committee. the Government in the form of Reports as per its
terms of reference.
• The Justice Verma Committee was formed after
• However, these recommendations are not
the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case.
binding on the Government.
• Purpose of Zero FIR: To provide speedy redressal Origin:
to the victim so that timely action can be taken • Pre- independence: The first Law Commission
after the filing of the FIR. was established during colonial rule in India by
the East India Company under the Charter Act
Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS),
of 1833 and was presided over by Lord
which replaced the CrPC, police are now bound to
Macaulay.
register a ‘zero FIR’.
• The First Law Commission drafted the Penal
• The term FIR is not defined in the Indian Penal Code in 1837, the Limitation Law in 1842 and the
Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), Scheme of Pleading and Procedure in 1848.
1973, or in any other law, but in police regulations • After that, three more commissions were
or rules, information recorded under Section 154 established in pre-independent India. (Total 4
of CrPC is known as FIR. before independence)
• Post-independence: The first law commission in
independent India was established in 1955,
with its chairman M.C. Setalvad.
Constitution of the 23nd Law Commission

The Commission will consist of;
• A full-time Chairperson;
• four full-time Members (including Member-
Secretary);
• Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs as ex
officio Member;
• Secretary, Legislative Department as ex officio
Member; and not more than five part-time
Members.
R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 1

3. Review Petition While a judgment is the final decision in a case, an
Context: order is an interim ruling that is subject to its final
verdict.
A group of medical students recently filed a review petition
challenging the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss their • The petition should clearly outline the grounds
writ petition, which sought to cancel the NEET UG 2024 for review and include legal arguments and
examination. supporting precedents.
About Review Petition:
• In general, review petitions in court are
• When a judgment is passed by a court, the doctrine
typically considered without oral arguments
of functus officio applies to it.
from lawyers. Instead, they are reviewed
• This Latin doctrine means that if the judgment in a
"through circulation" by the judges in their
case has been pronounced or an order has been
chambers. There are exceptional cases where
made following due process of law, in such
an oral hearing may be permitted.
circumstances, the case cannot be reopened.
• The right to file a review petition is an exception to • The review petition should be circulated to the
this doctrine. same bench that delivered the judgment.
• The word “review” means to examine again.
• However, if a Judge or bench is not available
• Article 137 of the Constitution gives the Supreme
who delivered the original order/ judgment due
Court the power to review any of its judgments or
to various reasons, any other competent Court is
orders.
authorized and empowered to deal with the
• The court has the power to review its rulings to
review application.
correct a “patent error” and not “minor mistakes of
inconsequential import”. • The Supreme Court will assess the petition to
• Similarly, High Courts have also been given the determine if it qualifies for review. In cases
power to review its judgments under Article 226 of where the arguments lack substantial merit, the
the Constitution. However, it can only be invoked petition may be rejected.
when there is a breach of law or violation of the
Constitution. • If the review petition has been dismissed by
the Court, then the aggrieved person is
Grounds for review petition: In a 2013 ruling, the Supreme provided with a relief of Curative Petition.
Court itself laid down three grounds for seeking a review of
a verdict it has delivered. 4. Public Accounts Committee
• the discovery of new and important matter or
evidence which was not within the knowledge of Context:
the petitioner or could not be produced by him; The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hold a
• mistake or error apparent on the face of the record; performance review of “regulatory bodies established
or by Act of Parliament”, such as the Securities and
• any other sufficient reason, which means a reason Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
that is analogous to the other two grounds.
About:
Procedure: • The Committee on Public Accounts is constituted
• Who can file a review petition? It is not necessary by Parliament each year for examination of
that only parties to a case can seek a review of the accounts showing the appropriation of sums
judgment on it. Any person aggrieved by a ruling granted by Parliament for expenditure of
can seek a review. Government of India, the annual Finance
• Time frame: As per 1996 rules framed by the Accounts of Government of India, and such other
Supreme Court, a review petition must be filed Accounts laid before Parliament as the Committee
within 30 days of the date of judgment or order. may deem fit, such as accounts of autonomous
and semi-autonomous bodies.
• The Committee is one of the oldest Parliamentary • Select Committees are a category of ad hoc or
Committees in India. It was first constituted in temporary committees established with the
1921. specific purpose of examining and scrutinizing
particular Bills.
• The Committee consists of not more than 22
Members; comprising 15 Members elected by Lok • Its membership is limited to MPs from one House.
Sabha every year from amongst its members
• These committees are dissolved once their
according to the principle of proportional
designated task has been fulfilled.
representation by means of single transferable
vote and not more than 7 Members of Rajya Some of the power and functions of the Parliamentary
Sabha elected by that House in like manner are committees:
associated with the Committee.
• Reviewing and scrutinising the work of the
government.
5. Parliamentary committee • Power to summon ministers and officials.
Context: • Examination of bills.
Context: Department-related Standing Committees of • To make recommendations.
Parliament are likely to be finalised by September 20.
About Parliamentary committee:

6. Parliamentary Committee on Official Language
• A Parliamentary committee is a committee of
Members of Parliament (MPs) who are elected or Context:
appointed from amongst the members of the Recently, the union home minister chaired the 38th
house or nominated by the Speaker or Chairman. meeting of the Committee of Parliament on Official
• Constitutional Provision: India’s parliamentary Language.
committees derive their authority from the Indian About Parliamentary Committee on Official Language:
Constitution under Article 105 (powers and
privileges) and Article 118 (regulation of The Parliamentary Committee on Official Language was
business). constituted under the provisions of Section 4 of the
Official Languages Act, 1963, in 1976.
• A Parliamentary Committee can either be a
Standing Committees or an Ad hoc Committee. • Section 4 of the Act says “there shall be
constituted a Committee on Official language, on
Standing Committees are of permanent nature and are a resolution to that effect being moved in either
constituted for a fixed tenure. House of Parliament with the previous sanction of
• Public Accounts Committee, Estimates Committee, the President and passed by both Houses”.
Committee on Public Undertakings, Business The Committee is chaired by the union home minister, and
Advisory Committee, Rules Committee are the has, in accordance with the provisions of the 1963 Act.
examples of standing committees.
Under the provisions of the 1963 Act, the panel submits
Ad hoc Committees are of temporary nature and its report to the President, who “shall [then] cause the
constituted for specific purposes and cease to exist after report to be laid before each House of Parliament, and
the completion of tasks assigned to them. sent to all the State Governments”.
• Advisory Committees and Inquiry Committees are Purpose of the committee
an example of these committees. • To review the progress made in the use of Hindi
for official purposes, and to make
recommendations to increase the use of Hindi in
official communications.

• Page | 3
Members: It comprises 30 members of Parliament, of • Propagation, expansion and critical review of
which 20 are from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya terms coined and defined through
Sabha. training/orientation programmes, workshops,
seminars etc.
• Providing necessary terminology to the National

7. Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology
Translation Mission.
Context:
Recent initiative of Commission for Scientific and
Recently, the Commission for Scientific and Technical Technical Terminology:
Terminology (CSTT) has launched a unique website which
• It has launched the web portal
provides technical terms in all 22 official Indian languages.
‘shabd.education.gov.in’ aims to be a central
About Commission for Scientific and Technical repository for all the terminologies prepared for
Terminology: Indian languages.
• It was set up in December 1960, with the objective • Besides all the glossaries of CSTT, other
to evolve and define scientific and technical terms institutions or agencies having such dictionaries
in Hindi and all Indian languages. are also able to host their work in digital form on
this platform.
• It was established under clause (4) of Article 344
of the Constitution of India.
• It is functioning under the Department of Higher 8. Gram Nyayalayas

Education, Ministry of Education, Government of
Context:
India with its headquarters at New Delhi.
The Supreme Court recently said the establishment of
• Primary Function: Evolve standard terminology,
Gram Nyayalayas across the country would help
propagate its use and distribute it widely.
improve access to justice.
Other functions:
About Gram Nyayalayas:
• Preparation and Publication of Bilingual and
• Gram Nyayalayas, or village courts, are
Trilingual Glossaries involving English/Hindi and
established under the Gram Nyayalayas Act,
other Indian Languages.
2008, for speedy and easy access to the justice
• Preparation and Publication of National system in the rural areas of India.
terminology.
• The Act extends to the whole of India, except to
• Identification and Publication of School Level the States of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh,
Terminology and Departmental Glossaries. and Sikkim and to the tribal areas specified in
the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India.
• Identification of Pan Indian Terms.
• Gram Nyayalayas are aimed at providing
• Preparation of Definitional Dictionaries and inexpensive justice to people in rural areas at
Encyclopaedias. their doorsteps.
• Preparation of University level textbooks,
monographs and journals.
• Grant-in-Aid to Granth Academies, Textbook Boards

and University Cells for University level books in
regional languages.

Constitution: Appeals:
• The State governments have been vested with the • Criminal matters: An appeal against the decision
authority of setting up one or more nyayalayas, of the Nyayalaya in a criminal matter can be filed
after proper consultation with the respective High in the Sessions Court of that jurisdiction.
Court, in every Panchayat at the intermediate
• Civil matters: an appeal against any verdict of the
level or group of adjacent Panchayats at the
gram Nyayalaya concerning a civil matter can be
intermediate level of a district.
filed in a District Court of the concerned
• However, the Act does not make setting up of jurisdiction.
Gram Nyayalayas mandatory.
• Section 4 of the Act provides for the headquarters

9. Inner Line Permit
of the gram nyayalaya to be situated in the
respective Panchayat or some other place notified Context:
by the state government.
The Nagaland State Government has approved the
• Presiding Officer: The Gram Nyayalayas are implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in
presided over by a Nyayadhikari (appointed by the Chumoukedima, Niuland, and Dimapur districts
State Government in consultation with the
About Inner Line Permit (ILP)
respective High Court), who will have the same
power, enjoy the same salary and benefits as a • The Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel
Judicial Magistrate of First Class. document required for Indian citizens from
outside certain protected states to enter these
• Act as Mobile Court: The Nyayadhikari shall
areas for a limited period.
periodically visit villages and may hear the parties
and dispose of the cases at the place other than its • Established under the Bengal Eastern Frontier
headquarters. Regulations, 1873, initially to protect British
commercial interests, the ILP now aims to
• Territorial Jurisdiction: The State governments are
safeguard tribal cultures in northeastern India.
also sanctioned to control and alter the territorial
jurisdiction of the Gram Nyayalayas from time to • The system was updated post-independence to
time, depending upon the requirement or use “Citizen of India” instead of “British subjects.”
circumstance.
There are various types of ILPs, including those for
• The Gram Nyayalayas will try criminal cases, civil tourism and long-term stays.
suits, claims, or disputes which are specified in the
First Schedule and the Second Schedule to the Act. • Tourist ILPs are typically issued routinely.
• They are to follow summary procedure in a criminal The states which require the permit are:
trial. • Arunachal Pradesh
• Disputes are to be settled as far as possible by • Mizoram
bringing about conciliation between the parties,
and for this purpose, the Gram Nyayalayas will • Nagaland
make use of the conciliators to be appointed for
• Manipur.
this purpose.
• The Gram Nyayalaya shall not be bound by the

rules of evidence provided in the Bharatiya
Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, but shall be guided by
the principles of natural justice, subject to any rule
made by the High Court.

10. Central Bureau of Investigation • However, the term of the Delhi Assembly ends
only on February 23, 2025.
Context:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in its ongoing Early Elections
Operation CHAKRA-III has taken action to successfully Under Article 324 of the Constitution, the powers of
dismantle a sophisticated cyber-enabled financial crime superintendence, direction, and control of elections are
network.
vested in the Election Commission of India (ECI).
About:
• The ECI works backwards from the date on which
• This operation was executed with cooperation the five-year term of the existing House ends,
from other international law enforcement ensuring that the election process is completed
agencies including the FBI (USA) and INTERPOL. before then.
• The network has been targeting victims in foreign Section 15(2) of The Representation of the People Act,
countries since 2022, with their operations 1951, says the election cannot be notified less than six
involving cryptocurrencies and bullion. months before the end of the term of the Assembly —
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) unless the Assembly is dissolved before it completes its
term.
• CBI, functioning under the Ministry of Personnel,
Pension & Public Grievances, Government of Article 174(2)(b) of the Constitution says the Governor
India, is the premier investigating police agency in “may from time to time” dissolve the Legislative
India. Assembly.
• CBI derives power to investigate from the Delhi • The Council of Ministers can recommend
Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. dissolution of the House to the Governor before
• History: It was established by a resolution of the the end of its term, forcing a decision.
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, in
• Once the Assembly has been dissolved, the ECI
1963.
has to conduct fresh elections within six months.
• The Santhanam Committee on Prevention of
Delhi’s Scenario:
Corruption recommended the establishment of
the CBI. • In Delhi, the Government of National Capital
• Functions: CBI was established with a view to Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, applies.
investigate serious crimes related to the defence of
• Section 6(2)(b) of the Act says the Lieutenant
India, corruption in high places, serious fraud,
Governor may from time to time dissolve the
cheating, and embezzlement and social crime,
Assembly, even if a Chief Minister of Delhi
particularly hoarding, black marketing, and
profiteering in essential commodities, having all- recommends the dissolution of the Assembly, the
India and inter-state ramifications. final say is the Centre’s (through the LG).
• It is also the nodal police agency in India that

coordinates investigations on behalf of Interpol
12. ASOSAI
member countries.
Context:
11. Early Elections President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate the 16th
Assembly of ASOSAI in New Delhi on September 24,
Context: 2024.
• Delhi’s Chief Minister has asked for Assembly
elections to be held in Delhi along with
Maharashtra, where a new House must be
elected before November 26.
• R.C. Reddy
However, the IAS
termStudy Circle
of the  9346882593
Delhi Assembly ends Page | 6
only on February 23, 2025.
About ASOSAI (Asian Organization of Supreme Audit About Doctrine of ‘Constructive Possession’:
Institutions):
• It is a legal doctrine that attributes possession of
• ASOSAI is one of the regional groups of the an item or substance to an individual, even if
International Organization of Supreme Audit they do not have physical control or immediate
Institutions (INTOSAI). possession of it.
• It focuses on fostering cooperation and improving • In criminal law, constructive possession arises
public audit standards in Asia.
when a person has the intention and ability to
• Founded: Established in 1979, with 11-member exercise control over the item or substance, either
SAIs; membership has since grown to 48 SAIs. individually or jointly with others.
• Proposal: First proposed by Mr. Tantuico, Chairman • Unlike actual possession, which involves physical
of the SAI of the Philippines, during the 9th custody or control, constructive possession is
INTOSAI Congress (October 1977, Lima, Peru). based on the concept that an individual can still
• Charter Signing: In September 1978, 9 Asian SAIs be held responsible for items they have the power
signed the ASOSAI Charter in Berlin, West to control, even if those items are not physically
Germany. on their person.
• First Assembly: Held in May 1979 in New Delhi, • The key element is the intent and capability to
India, where the rules and regulations were exercise dominion or control over the object or
approved. substance.
Vision of ASOSAI: • Constructive possession allows a person who
• Promote understanding and cooperation among does not actually have personal possession of
member institutions through exchange of ideas something, yet still controls it, to be charged with
and experiences in public audit. a crime for possessing it.
• Provide training and continuing education for • Constructive possession often arises in cases
government auditors to enhance quality and involving illegal drugs, firearms, or stolen
performance. property, where the defendant may not have
direct physical possession but has control or
• Serve as a center of information and as a regional
access to the item.
link with other global audit institutions.
For a successful prosecution of constructive possession,
• Foster closer collaboration and brotherhood
among auditors in member institutions and certain criteria must be met. These include:
regional groups. • Knowledge of the Item’s Presence: The individual
ASOSAI’s mission includes promoting research, education, must be aware that the item exists. Mere
and collaboration, but not providing financial aid to proximity to an item without knowledge does not
members. constitute constructive possession.
• Ability to Exercise Control: The person must have

13. Doctrine of ‘Constructive Possession’ the capability to maintain dominion over the
item. This means having the power and intention
Context: to control its use.
Invoking the doctrine of “constructive possession”, • Intent to Possess: There must be an intent to
Supreme Court recently ruled that watching child possess the item. This can often be inferred from
pornography over the Internet without downloading
circumstances, such as the location of the item
would also amount to “possession”, in terms of Section 15
and the individual’s actions or statements.
of the POCSO Act, provided the person had a degree of
control over such material.

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ECONOMY
1. Anti-Dumping Duty What is Countervailing duty (CVD)?
Context: • It is a specific form of duty that the government
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently imposes to protect domestic producers by
recommended imposing an anti-dumping duty on countering the negative impact of import
aluminium foil imported from China. subsidies.
About Anti-Dumping Duty: • CVD is thus an import tax by the importing

country on imported products.
• It is a protectionist tariff that a domestic
government imposes on foreign imports that it Why is CVD imposed?
believes are priced below fair market value.
• Foreign governments sometimes provide
• Dumping is a process wherein a company exports a subsidies to their producers to make their
product at a price that is significantly lower than the products cheaper and boost their demand in
price it normally charges in its home (or its other countries.
domestic) market.
• To avoid flooding the market in the importing
• The duty is priced in an amount that equals the
country with these goods, the government of
difference between the normal costs of the
the importing country imposes CVD, charging a
products in the importing country and the market
value of similar goods in the exporting country or specific amount on the import of such goods.
other countries that produce similar products.
• It is imposed to protect local businesses and 2. Unified Lending Interface
markets from unfair competition by foreign imports.
Context:
• Thus, the purpose of anti-dumping duty is to rectify
the trade distortive effect of dumping and re- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as part of its strategy
establish fair trade. to create digital public infrastructure in the country, has
The use of anti-dumping measures as an instrument of fair announced a new technology platform called the
competition is permitted by the World Trade Organization Unified Lending Interface (ULI).
(WTO). About:
• The WTO allows the government of the affected
• ULI is a platform that facilitates the seamless
country to take legal action against the dumping
flow of a customer’s digitised financial and non-
country as long as there is evidence of genuine
material injury to industries in the domestic market. financial data from multiple data service
providers to lenders, making credit underwriting
• The government must show that dumping took seamless and customer journeys frictionless for
place, the extent of the dumping in terms of costs, a diverse range of borrowers.
and the injury or threat to cause injury to the
domestic market. • This platform facilitates seamless and consent-
based flow of digital information, including
While the intention of anti-dumping duties is to protect
even land records of various States.
local businesses and markets, these tariffs can also lead to
higher prices for domestic consumers. • The ULI architecture has common and
In India, the Ministry of Finance makes the final decision standardised Application Programming
on whether to impose anti-dumping duties. Interfaces (APIs) designed for a ‘plug and play’
approach to ensure digital access to
information from diverse sources.

• This will reduce the complexity of multiple technical • The fund would encourage entrepreneurship
integrations besides enabling borrowers to get the through IT-based solutions and machinery
benefit of seamless delivery of credit and quicker rental services for farmers, driving sustainable
turnaround time without requiring extensive and growth and development in the agricultural
time-consuming documentation. sector.
• This will also bring down the time taken for credit • NABVENTURES a fully owned subsidiary of
appraisal, especially for smaller and rural borrowers NABARD will act as the fund manager.
without any credit history.
• It can facilitate customer’s digitised financial and

4. Poshan Tracker initiative
non-financial data from multiple data service
providers to lenders. Context:
• It will not eliminate the need for collateral for Recently, the Ministry of Women and Child
smaller and rural borrowers. Development has received the National Award for e-
Governance 2024 (Gold) for the Poshan Tracker
initiative.
3. AgriSURE Scheme
About:
Context:
• The Poshan Tracker program identifies and
Recently, the union minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ addresses growth issues among children aged
Welfare and Rural Development launched the AgriSURE 0-6 years, utilizing real-time monitoring and
Scheme in New Delhi. WHO growth charts to ensure optimal
nutritional outcomes.
About:
• Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) play a crucial role
• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
in evaluating children’s health status and
Development (NABARD) has introduced a new agri
implementing timely interventions when
fund named Agri-SURE, targeting Start-Ups and Rural
deviations from expected growth patterns are
Enterprises.
detected.
• This initiative is designed to bolster innovation and
• The Poshan Tracker employs advanced ICT
technological advancements in the agricultural
tools and Growth Measuring Devices (GMD) at
sector, with an initial corpus of ₹750 crore.
each Anganwadi Centre (AWC) to facilitate
• Agri Fund for Start-ups & Rural Enterprises (AgriSURE) accurate data collection and regular
is an innovative fund which is a pioneering step monitoring.
toward revolutionizing the agricultural landscape in
• The program’s real-time growth monitoring has
India.
significantly improved child health outcomes in
• Focus area: It mainly focuses on technology-driven, India, covering millions of children under
high-risk, high-impact ventures. Mission Poshan 2.0.
• Funding Pattern: A Blended capital fund of ₹750 crore

with SEBI Registered Category II, Alternative
Investment Fund (AIF), contribution from the
Government of India is ₹250 crore, NABARD is ₹250
crore, and ₹250 crore is being mobilized from banks,
insurance companies, and private investors.

4. Semiconductor • It was conceived and established at NIFT Delhi
(Creative Lab) and NIFT Chennai (Insights Lab)
Context:
with the support of the Ministry of Textiles,
India and Singapore inked agreements on semiconductor Government of India, in 2018.
and digital technology recently.
• The initiative, now centralized in Chennai, focuses
About: on delivering trend insights and forecasting for
• Semiconductors, sometimes referred to as the Indian fashion and retail market.
integrated circuits (ICs) or microchips, are made
• It also offers various trend related consultancy
from pure elements, typically silicon or
services, academic courses, workshops etc.
germanium, or compounds such as gallium
arsenide. • Its mission is to identify, map, and analyse geo-
• In a process called doping, small amounts of specific trends, reflecting the positive plurality,
impurities are added to these pure elements, cultural diversity, and socio-economic nuances
causing large changes in the conductivity of the of India while collating comprehensive trends
material. and insights.
• They are an essential component of electronic • It combines AI and EI to generate fashion trend
devices, enabling advances in communications, insights and forecasts.
computing, healthcare, military systems,
Significance:
transportation, clean energy, and countless other
applications. • India's entry into the forecasting space offers
• Due to their role in the fabrication of electronic multiple advantages: it reduces dependence on
devices, semiconductors are an important part of global forecasting agencies, provides unique
our lives. insights into Indian fashion consumers, integrates
India’s strength in information technology with
• Properties – At zero Kelvin, a semiconductor
textiles, and combines artificial and human
serves as an insulator and it functions as a
intelligence.
conductor as the temperature increases.
• They have higher resistivity than conductors but a

lower resistivity than insulators. 6. Financialisation
• As the temperature increases, the resistance of Context:
semiconductor materials decreases, and vice
versa. Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) recently cautioned that
financialisation might distort India’s macroeconomic
outcomes.
5. VisioNxt Initiative
About Financialisation:
Context:
• It refers to the increase in size and importance of
Recently, the union Minister of Textiles launched the a country’s financial sector relative to its overall
‘VisioNxt Fashion Forecasting Initiative’ of National economy.
Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).
• It is a process whereby financial markets,
About VisioNxt Initiative: financial institutions, and financial elites gain
• It is India’s first ever trend insights and greater influence over economic policy and
forecasting Initiative. economic outcomes.

• It represents the shift from traditional industrial or 8. International Cooperative Alliance
productive activities (like manufacturing) to
financial activities that involve the trading, Context:
management, and speculation of financial assets. India will host the International Cooperative Alliance’s
general assembly and global conference for the first time
• The term also describes the increasing diversity of
in November this year, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
transactions and market players as well as their
intersection with all parts of the economy and About:
society.
• The theme for this year’s conference is
• It has occurred as countries shifted away from “Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All,” which is in
industrial capitalism. line with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’.
• It impacts both the macroeconomy and the
microeconomy by changing how financial markets • The Conference will also mark the official launch
are structured and operated, and by influencing of the UN International Year of Cooperatives –
corporate behaviour and economic policy. 2025.
• Financialisation has also caused incomes to • A commemorative stamp celebrating the
increase more in the financial sector than in other International Year of Cooperatives – 2025 will be
sectors of the economy. launched during the event.
• The Conference will be used to showcase Indian
Cooperatives’ products and services in the ‘Haat’
setup with the theme of Indian Villages.
7. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana
• India is home to one-fourth of the world’s
Context: cooperatives, both in terms of numbers and
membership, and this move will further
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY) has
strengthen the cooperative movement in the
completed 5 years of implementation.
country.
About:
International Cooperative Alliance (ICA):
• Launched in 2019, the PM-KMY has been
• It is the premier body for the Global Cooperative
providing social security to all land-holding Small
movement.
and Marginal Farmers (SMFs) across the country.
• It was established in 1895 as a non-profit
It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme.
international association to advance the
• Eligible small and marginal farmers are given a cooperative social enterprise model.
fixed monthly pension of Rs. 3,000 after attaining
• The ICA’s General Assembly meets every year
the age of sixty.
whereas global conferences happen every two
• Farmers aged between 18 and 40 years need to years.
contribute between Rs. 55 to Rs. 200 per month
until they turn 60.
9. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin
• The Central Government, through the Department
of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Context:
also contributes an equal amount as contributed by
the eligible subscriber, to the pension Fund. The union government has announced a relaxation of
the “automatic exclusion” criteria under the Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), expanding
The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) manages the pension eligibility for the rural housing scheme.
fund, and beneficiary registration is facilitated through
Common Service Centres (CSCs) and State Governments.

About: • The platform, developed in collaboration with key
partners including the Ministry of MSME, EXIM
• As per this relaxation, families earning up to Rs
Bank, Department of Financial Services (DFS), and
15,000 per month and owning two-wheelers,
the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
motorized fishing boats, refrigerators, landline
can now avail the Centre’s rural housing scheme.
• Previously, families meeting these parameters 11. Nano DAP
were ineligible to purchase a house under this
Context:
scheme.
The Government of India is pushing nano DAP as a cost-
The parameters that will continue to result in automatic
effective indigenous alternative to the imported granular
exclusion are;
form of the fertiliser.
• (Owning) motorized three/four-wheelers;
About Nano DAP:
mechanized three/ four-wheeler agricultural
equipment, • In March 2023, IFFCO also made nano DAP (liquid)
available to farmers to reduce the use of DAP
• Kisan Credit Card with credit limit of Rs 50,000 or
fertilizer.
above,
• It is a unique liquid fertiliser product that contains
• Household with any member as a government
nanoparticles of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP).
employee,
• It is a source of nitrogen and phosphorus – 2 key
• Household with non-agricultural enterprises
primary nutrients essential for the growth of crops.
registered with Government,
• It contains 8% Nitrogen and 16% Phosphorus by
• Any member of the family paying income tax,
volume.
Paying professional tax, Land ownership ceiling of
2.5 acres or more of irrigated land. • Di-ammonium Phosphate popularly known as DAP
(46% P, 18% Nitrogen)
The updated criteria align with the Centre’s goal to
construct two crore additional houses under the scheme by • Unlike conventional DAP, which comes in granular
2028-29. form, IFFCO’s Nano DAP is in liquid form.
• It has an advantage in terms of surface area to

10. Trade Connect e-platform volume, as its particle size is less than 100
Nanometre (nm).
Context:
The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry launched
the Trade Connect e-platform. 12. Gopalpur Port
About: Context:
• Trade Connect e-Platform is a new digital The Odisha government recently approved a proposal to
initiative aimed at transforming the landscape of transfer 95 percent of the equity shares of Gopalpur Port
international trade for Indian exporters, to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited
especially MSMEs (Medium, Small and Medium (APSEZ).
Enterprises).
Ports Located in
• It will connect Indian Exporters, MSMEs and
1. Gopalpur Port Odisha
Entrepreneurs with various stakeholders
including Indian Missions Abroad, Export 2. Jafrabad Port Gujarat
Promotion Councils, and other Partner 3. Kundapur Port Karnataka
Government Agencies. 4. Dighi Port Maharashtra

About Gopalpur Port: Its membership includes:
• It is a deep-draft, multi-cargo port located on the • Chairperson: Union Finance Minister
east coast of India in the mineral-rich state of
Odisha. • Member: Union Minister of State in charge of
Revenue or finance
• It has the capacity to handle 20 million metric tonne
per annum of cargo. • Members nominated by each State
Government, typically in charge of finance or
• It lies between Paradip Port in the north and taxation
Visakhapatnam Port in the south, at almost equal
distance from each. • Vice-Chairperson elected from among the
Council members (Article 279A (3))
• The hinterland of the port are the states of Odisha,
Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, thus providing access The GST rates are jointly determined by the states and
to a mix of minerals, steel, aluminium, cement, and the central government during GST Council meetings.
power plants. • The GST Council requires at least half of its
• The coal fields of IB and Talcher, which account for total members to be present to conduct a
approximately 25% of India’s coal reserves, form part meeting.
of the hinterland of the port. • Decisions are made based on a majority of no
Connectivity: less than three-fourths of the weighted votes
of members present and voting.
• The broad-gauge Howrah-Visakhapatnam-Chennai
east coast trunk route, which runs parallel to the east • The central government’s vote carries a weight
coastline, is just 6 km away from Gopalpur port site. of one-third of the total votes cast, while all
states collectively hold the remaining two-
• Close proximity to NH5 (Kolkata-Chennai) provides thirds weightage.
excellent road connectivity to and from Gopalpur.
14. Nidhi Companies

13. GST Council
Context:
Context:
Recently, the Registrar of Companies (RoC) under the
The GST Council constituted a 13-member Group of corporate affairs ministry has penalised over two
Ministers (GoM) to suggest a GST rate on premiums of dozen Nidhi companies in about a fortnight for alleged
various health and life insurance products and submit its violations of Companies Act provisions.
report by October 30.
About Nidhi Companies:
About GST Council
• A NIDHI Company is recognised under Section
• It is a constitutional body formed under Article 279A 406 of the Companies Act2013 and typically
(1), enacted by the 101st Constitutional Amendment operates in the Non-Banking Financing Sector
Act. of India.
• According to Article 279A (4), the GST Council • It is formed to borrow and lend money to its
recommends the GST rates for the Union and the members. It inculcates the habit of saving
States. among its members and works on the principle
of mutual benefit.
• It isn’t required to receive the license from
Composition of GST Council (Article 279A (2)): The GST
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as these are
Council brings together representatives from the Centre and
registered with the companies act.
the States to oversee the nationwide implementation of GST.

• Members: Minimum of seven members is • MSDC also monitors the development of minor
required to start a Nidhi Company out of which ports, captive ports and private ports in the
three members must be the directors of the Maritime States.
company.
• It also ensures their integrated development with
Activities Prohibited in a Nidhi Company: Major Ports and to assess the requirements of
other infrastructure requirements like
• It can’t deal with chit funds, hire-purchase roads/rail/IWT.
finance, leasing finance, insurance or securities
business.
• It is strictly prohibited from accepting deposits 16. National Start-up Advisory Council
from or lending funds to, any other person
Context:
except members.
The Commerce and Industry Minister recently
• Nidhi companies should not issue preference
announced the Centre’s Start-up India initiative will be
shares, debentures or any other debt instrument
moved out of the aegis of Invest India to a new non-
in any manner, name or form.
profit company that could also house the National Start-
• Nidhi companies should not open current up Advisory Council.
accounts with their members.
Key Facts about National Start-up Advisory Council:
• It was constituted by the DPIIT under the Union
15. Maritime State Development Council Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Context: • Objective: To advise the Government on

measures needed to build a strong ecosystem
The 20th Maritime State Development Council (MSDC), for nurturing innovation and startups in the
was concluded in Goa recently. country to drive sustainable economic growth
About and generate large-scale employment
opportunities.
• It saw the resolution of over 80 critical issues
between the Central Government, States, and Composition:
Union Territories, focused on port infrastructure • Chairman: Minister for Commerce & Industry.
modernization, connectivity, statutory
compliances, maritime tourism, navigation • Ex-officio Members: Nominees of the concerned
projects, sustainability, and port security. Ministries/Departments/Organisations not below
the rank of Joint Secretary.
• The MSDC has been instrumental in aligning
policies and initiatives like the Indian Ports Bill • Besides the ex-officio members, the council has
and the Sagarmala program. non-official members, representing various
stakeholders such as founders of successful
startups and veterans who have grown and scaled
Maritime State Development Council: companies in India.
• MSDC is an apex advisory body for the It is a one of its kind congregations wherein the policy
development of the Maritime sector and aims to making process is driven as part of collaboration between
ensure integrated development of Major and all the key stakeholders of the startup ecosystem.
non-Major Ports. NSAC is playing an important role in identifying areas of
• It was constituted in 1997 to assess in intervention for the expansion of the startup ecosystem
consultation with State Governments, the future and ideating and nurturing national programs under the
development of existing and new Minor Ports by Startup India initiative.
the respective Maritime States either directly or
through captive users and private participation.

About Invest India: • These trusts own and oversee a portfolio of
income-generating properties, such as office
• It is the National Investment Promotion and buildings, hotels, shopping malls, etc.
Facilitation Agency of India and acts as the first
point of reference for investors in India. • Unlike other real estate companies, a REIT does
not develop real estate properties to resell them.
• It was set up as a non-profit venture under the Instead, a REIT buys and develops properties
aegis of the Department for Promotion of Industry primarily to operate them as part of its own
and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce investment portfolio.
and Industry, Government of India.
• When investors invest in a REIT, they become
• It facilitates and empowers all investors under the fractional owners of the property equivalent to
‘Make in India’ initiative to establish, operate, and the amount they’ve invested, giving them access
expand their businesses in India. to the benefits of owning real estate assets in
• The agency aims at sector-specific investor targeting small ticket sizes.
and development of partnerships, thereby • Most REITs are publicly traded like stocks, which
channelising sustainable investments in the makes them highly liquid, unlike traditional real
country. estate investments.
• It is also engaged in developing partnerships with REITs in India:
investment promotion agencies and multilateral
organisations. • In India, REITs were introduced in 2014 and are
regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board
• Its domain and functional experts provide sector- of India (SEBI).
and state-specific inputs and hand-holding support
to investors through the entire investment cycle, For a company to qualify as a REIT, the following criteria
from pre-investment and decision-making to after- must be satisfied:
care.
• 90% of the income must be distributed to the
• It provides multiple forms of support, such as investors in the form of dividends.
market entry strategies, deep dive industry analysis,
partner search and location assessment, and policy • 80% of the investment must be made in
advocacy with decision makers. properties that are capable of generating
revenues.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Only 10% of the total investment must be made
in real estate under-construction properties.
17. Real Estate Investment Trusts • The company must have an asset base of at
least Rs 500 crores.
Context:
• REITs cannot invest in agriculture land, vacant
The Indian REITs Association (IRA) recently launched Data
land.
Benchmarking Institutions (DBIs) to provide investors with
detailed information on real estate investment trusts
(REITs).
About Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs):
• REITs are companies that own or finance income-
producing real estate across a range of property
sectors.
• It allows investors to pool their funds and invest in
various real estate projects.
• Essentially, it functions like a mutual fund for real
estate investments.

18. NPS Vatsalya scheme • Under White Revolution 2.0, the government
aims to increase milk procurement by dairy
Context:
cooperative societies by 50 per cent over the
The finance minister has launched the NPS Vatsalya next five years.
scheme.
• The plan involves setting up and strengthening
About: 100,000 new and existing district cooperative
• Introduced in the Union Budget 2024-25, NPS societies, multi-purpose district cooperative
Vatsalya is a new initiative under the National societies, and multi-purpose PACS, which will be
Pension System designed for long-term linked to milk routes with necessary
investments by parents and guardians on behalf infrastructure.
of their minor children.
• Initially, the National Dairy Development Board
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the (NDDB) will fund the initiative from its own
Ministry of Women and Child Development. resources, providing Rs 40,000 per M-PACS to
• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development 1,000 M-PACS.
Authority (PFRDA) manages the scheme.
Key attributes of the Vatsalya NPS account: 20. United States Federal Reserve cut Federal Funds
• Eligibility criteria: Any minor, having PAN card and Rate by 50 basis points
Aadhar card, who is under the age of 18 is eligible.
Context:
• Minimum contribution: A minimum of Rs 1,000
The United States Federal Reserve announced that it will
per year can be contributed with no limit on
maximum contribution. cut the benchmark interest rate, the Federal Funds Rate,
by 50 basis points, or half a percentage point.
• Contributors to the scheme: Parents/guardians
can contribute on behalf of their children. About:
• Transition after the age of 18: The minor’s NPS • A cut in interest rate typically incentivises
account will transition to a standard NPS account, economic activity, promotes growth, and
post the submission of required KYC documents. increases job creation by making it cheaper for
people to borrow money.
• Partial withdrawals allowed after 3 years for
education, health, and disability up to 25% of • Conversely, a hike in interest rates or persistently
corpus. high interest rates tend to drag down economic
growth and employment generation.
19. White Revolution 2.0 Impact on Indian economy:
Context: • India is a capital-scarce economy, and lower

interest rates in the US will likely incentivise
In a major push to transform India’s dairy cooperative
global investors to borrow in the US and invest
sector, the Union Minister Amit Shah recently unveiled
in India, in stocks, debt, or in the form of foreign
‘White Revolution 2.0’, a comprehensive initiative aimed
at empowering women farmers and creating job direct investment (FDI).
opportunities. • Repeated lowering of interest rates in the US will
About ‘White Revolution 2.0’: also lead to some weakening in the US dollar’s
exchange rate with other currencies such as the
• The programme focuses on four key areas – Indian rupee.
empowering women farmers, enhancing local milk
production, strengthening dairy infrastructure, and • This, in turn, will impact India’s exporters
boosting dairy exports. (adversely) and importers (positively).

21. Credit Default Swaps • In the case of loan recovery, it is the difference
between the actual dues from a borrower and
About Credit Default Swaps: the amount he settles with the bank.
• It is a financial derivative that allows an investor • The size of the haircut is largely based on the risk
to swap or offset their credit risk with that of of the underlying asset. Riskier assets receive
another investor. larger haircuts.
• In a credit default swap contract, the buyer pays
an ongoing premium similar to the payments on
23. Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Phases
an insurance policy. In exchange, the seller agrees
to pay the security’s value and interest payments Context:
if a default occurs.
According to the dashboard of the Swachh Bharat
• It can be used for speculation, hedging, or as a Mission’s website, out of the 2,424 dumpsites having
form of arbitrage. more than 1,000 tonnes of legacy waste identified
across the country, remediation has been completed in
• Credit default swaps played a role in both the 2008 only 470.
Great Recession and the 2010 European Sovereign
Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Phases:
Debt Crisis.
SBM Phase I (2014-2019):
What are Mutual Funds?
• Goal: Eliminate open defecation by constructing
• A mutual fund is a pool of money managed by a 100 million toilets.
professional Fund Manager.
• Achieved ODF (Open Defecation Free) status by
• It is a trust that collects money from a number of October 2, 2019.
investors who share a common investment
SBM-U 2.0 (Urban Phase II) (2021-2026):
objective and invests the same in equities, bonds,
money market instruments and/or other • Aims to make all cities garbage-free by 2026.
securities.
• Continued focus on sustaining ODF status and
• The income / gains generated from this collective solid waste management.
investment is distributed proportionately amongst
SBM (Urban) is being implemented by the Ministry of
the investors after deducting applicable expenses Housing and Urban Affairs (MHUA).
and levies.
SBM-G Phase II (Grameen – Rural):
• Targets ODF Plus status by 2024-25.
22. Haircut in banking
• Focus on sustaining ODF and managing solid and
Context: liquid waste.
After taking a substantial haircut in a debt restructuring • Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) is
proposal of Supreme Infrastructure India Ltd (SIIL), State implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Bank of India (SBI) has proposed to invest in the
preferential share issue of the defaulting company.
24. Final Estimates of production of Major Agricultural
About: Crops
• Haircut in banking refers to the lower-than- Context:
market value placed on an asset when it is being
used as collateral for a loan. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has
released Final Estimates of production of Major
Agricultural Crops for the year 2023-24.

About Final Estimates of production of Major Agricultural • The RBI periodically updates the sectors that
Crops: are eligible for PSL, as well as the loan limits.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has • The sectors that are eligible for PSL include:
released Final Estimates of production of Major Agriculture, Micro, Small, and Medium
Agricultural Crops for the year 2023-24. Enterprises (MSMEs), Export Credit, Education,
Housing, Social Infrastructure, Renewable
These estimates have been primarily prepared on the basis Energy.
of information received from States/ UTs.
• In case, banks fail to meet their PSL targets,
Total Foodgrain production: Increased by 26.11 LMT than they have to deposit the allocated amount to
2022-23 the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund
(RIDF) established with NABARD and to other
Food grain production witnessed record increase: Due to funds as decided by the RBI.
good production of Rice, Wheat and Shree Anna.
• Rice production: Increased by 20.7 LT than the

26. Central Silk Board
previous year
Context:
• Wheat production: Increased by 27.38 LT than the
previous year’s Union Minister of Textiles, Shri Giriraj Singh, unveiled a
commemorative coin celebrating the Platinum Jubilee
• Millet’s production: Increased by 2.51 LT than the of the Central Silk Board (CSB) at Mysuru.
previous year
About Central Silk Board:
• Maize: Decreased than the previous year
• The Central Silk Board (CSB) is a statutory body
• Jowar: Increased than the previous year established in 1948 under an Act of Parliament.
• Bajra: Decreased than the previous year. • It operates under the Ministry of Textiles and
plays a crucial role in the development of
• Ragi: Decreased than the previous year India’s silk industry.
Total Production: Rice (1378.25 LT) > Wheat (1132.92) > • The CSB advises the Government of India on all
Maize (376.65) matters concerning sericulture (silk farming) and
the silk industry.
Millets: Bajra (107.16) > Jowar (47.37) > Ragi (16.70)
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
25. Priority sector lending
Context: Silk Production in India:
A study by RBI economists reveals that priority sector • India is the 2nd largest producer of Silk in the
lending (PSL) improves banks’ asset quality. World.
What is Priority sector lending? • India is the only country in the world that
produces all four major varieties of silk –
• Priority Sector Lending (PSL) is a Reserve Bank of
Mulberry, Eri, Tassar, and Muga.
India (RBI) initiative that requires banks to lend a
certain percentage of their funds to sectors that • South India is the leading silk producing area of
may not otherwise receive enough credit. the country and is also known for its famous silk
weaving enclaves like Kancheepuram,
• The goal of PSL is to support the all-round Dharmavaram, Arni, etc.
development of the economy by providing credit to
sectors that are important for development or have
difficulty getting loans

27. Extended Fund Facility (EFF) 28. GST Compensation Cess
Context: Context:
The International Monetary Fund’s board (IMF) approved The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council recently set up
a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Pakistan, a 10-member GoM to decide on the taxation of luxury,
providing a critical boost to the country’s struggling sin, and demerit goods once the compensation cess
economy. ends in March 2026.
About GST Compensation Cess:
About:
• It is levied under Section 8 of The Goods and
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides
Services Tax (Compensation to State) Act, 2017.
financial assistance to countries facing economic
crises, primarily through different lending Why is GST Cess Levied?
mechanisms.
• As GST is a consumption-based tax, the state in
• In return, the recipient countries have to which the consumption of goods and supply
implement specific economic reforms. happen would be eligible for the indirect tax
revenue.
IMF Lending Mechanisms:
• Hence, after GST comes into effect, some states
Stand-By Arrangements (SBA): This is intended to address that are net exporters of goods and/or services
short-term balance of payments problems. are expected to experience a decrease in indirect
tax revenue.
• Typically lasts 12 to 24 months and involves
conditions such as fiscal consolidation, monetary • To compensate the States for the loss in tax
tightening, and structural reforms. revenue, the GST Compensation Cess has been
declared by the Central Government.
Extended Fund Facility (EFF): This is used for countries with
Usage of GST Cess:
prolonged structural imbalances or deeper economic
problems, as in the case of Pakistan. • All the proceeds received from the GST
compensation cess would be credited to a non-
• It typically covers a longer time horizon (up to four lapsable fund known as the GST Compensation
years) and focuses on medium- to long-term Fund.
reforms.
• The funds would then be used for compensating
• The conditions focus on structural reforms, fiscal tax revenue loss to States on account of GST
policies, and debt sustainability. implementation.
Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI): It is used for urgent • If any funds are unutilized, then at the end of the
balance of payments needs due to economic shocks, transition period, it would be shared in half by
natural disasters, or conflict without the need for a fully- the Central Government and all State
fledged economic program. Governments.
Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT): Concessional • The State government’s share would be
lending aimed at low-income countries to support poverty distributed in the ratio of their total revenues
from the State tax or the Union territory goods
reduction and growth programs.
and services tax, in the last year of the transition
Flexible Credit Line (FCL) and Precautionary Liquidity Line period.
(PLL): These are aimed at countries with relatively strong Applicability:
economic fundamentals but in need of precautionary
funding to guard against external shocks. • GST Cess would be applicable to both the supply
of goods or services that have been notified by
the Central Government.

• Also, both intrastate supplies of goods or services National Health Protection Mission (AB-PMJAY):
and interstate supplies of goods or services would
• It provides a defined benefit cover of Rs. 5 lakh
attract GST cess.
per family per year.
• All taxable persons under GST, except taxpayers • This cover will take care of almost all secondary
registered under the GST composition scheme is care and most of tertiary care procedures.
expected to collect and remit GST cess.
• To ensure that nobody is left out (especially
• In the GST regime, compensation cess at varied women, children and elderly) there will be no cap
rates is levied on luxury, sin, and demerit goods on family size and age in the scheme.
(cigarettes, pan masala, gutkha, and other tobacco
• The benefit cover will include pre- and post-
products, soft drinks, cars, etc.).
hospitalisation expenses.
• In 2022, the GST Council decided to extend the levy
till March 2026 to repay the interest and the
principal amount of the Rs 2.69 lakh crore worth 30. Non-Basmati White Rice
loan taken in the 2021 and 2022 fiscal years to make Context:
good states' revenue loss during Covid years.
• The Union Government has lifted the ban on
export of Non-Basmati White Rice.
29. National Health Accounts estimates
• The export ban had come amid a marginal dip in
Context: rice production and the looming threat of an
erratic monsoon last year.
India has recorded a decline in out-of-pocket expenditure
(OOPE), or expenditures directly made by households at Key Facts
the point of receiving health care, according to National
• China is the largest producer of rice in the world,
Health Accounts estimates released by the Ministry of
followed by India, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
Health and Family Welfare for 2021-22.
• India, along with China, accounts for over half of
National Health Accounts estimates: the world’s rice production.
• Released by the Ministry of Health and Family • China, however, is also the biggest consumer of
Welfare for 2021-22. rice, leaving little for exports.
• The per capita health expenditure has nearly • India is the world’s largest exporter of rice,
doubled from Rs 1,753 to Rs 3,169 from 2017-18 to accounting for 33 percent of the world’s total
2021-22. rice exports during 2023.
• As a percentage of the gross domestic product • Two east Asian countries—Thailand and
(GDP), government health expenditure rose Vietnam—are the two main competitors of
marginally from 1.35 per cent in 2017-18 to 1.84 India in the global rice market.
per cent in 2021-22. • In 2023, the combined rice export of these two
countries was almost equal to Indian exports.
• The rise comes in line with the government’s target
of raising health expenditure to 2.5 percent of GDP
by 2025.
Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana

(AB-PMJAY):
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 2018

under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(MoHFW).


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PLAN – 2024-25
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GEOGRAPHY
1. Laos
Context:
At least 47 Indians who were trapped in ‘cyber scam

centres’, have been rescued from Bokeo province in Laos
recently.
About Laos:
• It is located in the Indo-chinese Peninsula in

Southeast Asia.
• It is the only landlocked country in Southeast

Asia.
• Bordering Countries: It is bounded to the north by

China, to the northeast and east by Vietnam, to
the south by Cambodia, to the west by Thailand,
and to the northwest by Myanmar (Burma).
2. Uri-I Hydroelectric Project
Drainage:
Context:
All the major rivers—the Tha, Beng, Ou, Ngum, Kading, The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union
Bangfai, Banghiang, and Kong—are tributaries of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has
Mekong River, Southeast Asia's most significant river. deferred the proposal for grant of Environmental
Clearance (EC) to the Stage-II of Uri-I Hydroelectric
The Mekong flows generally southeast and south along
Project.
and through western Laos and forms its boundary with
Myanmar and most of the border with Thailand. Hydroelectric Power Plant Associated River
• Climate: It has the typical tropical monsoon(wet- 1. Uri Hydro Electric Power Jhelum
dry) climate of the region. plant
• Vegetation: Laos has tropical rainforests of broad- 2. Nathpa Jhakri Hydroelectric Sutlej
leaved evergreens in the north and monsoon Power plant
forests of mixed evergreens and deciduous trees in
3. Salal Hydro Electric Power Chenab
the south.
plant
• Capital: Vientiane
4. Dehar Hydroelectric Power Beas
Form of Government: plant
• It is one of the world's few openly communist

states. About Uri-I Hydroelectric Project:
• It is a one-party state, and the general secretary • It is an operating hydroelectric power plant
of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party holds located in the Jhelum River of Uri town in the
ultimate power and authority over the state and Baramulla district of Jammu & Kashmir.
government. • It is located very near the Line of Control (LOC),
the de facto border between India and Pakistan.

• The power project was commissioned in 1997 with 3. Namibia
a total installed capacity of 480 MW.
Context:
• It is owned by the Central Government, and the Namibia is experiencing its worst drought in a century,
operating company of the plant is National exacerbated by El Niño.
Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC).
• The unit size of the power plant is 480 MW, having

4 units of 120 MW each.
Key Facts about Jhelum River:
• It is a river that flows in India and Pakistan.
• It is a tributary of the Indus River.
• It is the main waterway of the Kashmir valley.
• It is the largest and most western of the five rivers

of Punjab and passes through the Jhelum District in
the north of Punjab province, Pakistan.
Course:
• Origin: It originates at the Verinag Spring at

Anantnag, at the foot of the Pir Panjal range in the
Kashmir Valley. Status:
• It then flows via Srinagar and Wular Lake prior to • Food availability is critically low; staple crops and
entering Pakistan. livestock have perished.
• The river makes a deep, narrow gorge on its way to • Approximately 1.2 million people face high levels
Pakistan. of acute food insecurity.
• It joins the Chenab River near Trimmu, Pakistan. • Therefore, the government plans to cull 723 wild
animals (including elephants, hippos, buffaloes,
Major Tributaries: impalas, blue wildebeests, zebras, and elands) to
provide meat.
• The largest tributary of the Jhelum is the
Kishenganga (Neelum) River, which joins near Namibia:
Muzaffarabad and enters the Punjab province,
• The Republic of Namibia is situated on the
Pakistan.
southwestern coast of Africa and borders Angola
• Kunhar River is the second largest tributary of the and Zambia in the north, the Republic of South
river, which connects Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Africa in the south and Botswana in the east.
(PoK) and Pakistan on the Kohala Bridge of • The Namibian landscape consists generally of
Kanghan valley. five geographical areas, each with characteristic
abiotic conditions and vegetation with some
• Other tributaries include the Sandran River, Bringi
variation within and overlap between them: the
River, Arapath River, Watlara River, Lidder River,
Central Plateau, the Namib Desert, the
and Veshaw River. Escarpment, the Bushveld, and the Kalahari
Desert.

• Mountains – Brandberg (with the height of 2,573 • The Arabian Sea is also providing conducive wind
m), Spitzkoppe, Molteblick, Gamsberg. shear for cyclones. For instance, a higher-level
easterly wind drove the depression of Cyclone
• Rivers – Orange, Kunene, Okavango, Zambezi. Ockhi from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea.
4. Cyclone Asna 5. Cocoa Tree

Context: Context:
Cyclone Asna recently moved past Gujarat without Scientists and entrepreneurs are working on ways to
making any serious impact on the prone regions, said make more cocoa that stretch well beyond the tropics.
officials.
About Cocoa Tree:
Reasons for more tropical cyclone originate in Bay of
Bengal: • It is an important plantation crop grown for
chocolates around the world. It is known as a
• Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal can be attributed to crop of humid tropics and is native to the
the vast low pressure created by the warm water Amazon basin of South America.
of the ocean.
• Cocoa trees grow about 20-degree north and
• The Bay of Bengal shaped like a trough that south of the equator in regions with warm
makes it more hospitable for storms to gain force. weather and abundant rain, including West
• The high sea surface temperature makes matters Africa and South America.
worse in the Bay triggering the intensity of the Required climatic conditions:
storms.
• It can be grown up to 300 m above mean sea level.
• Bay of Bengal gets more rainfall with sluggish winds
and warm air currents around it that keep • Rainfall: It requires an annual rainfall of 1500-
temperatures relatively high all year. 2000 mm.
• The constant inflow of fresh warm water from the • Temperature: The temperature range of 15°-39°C
perennial rivers like Brahmaputra, Ganga makes with optimum of 25°C is considered ideal.
it further impossible to mix with the cooler water
below. • Soil: It requires deep and well drained soils.
Majority of area under Cocoa cultivation is on
• The absence of air movements from north- clay loam and sandy loam soil.
western India towards the Bay in the post-
monsoon phase is also another reason for the • It grows well in the pH range of 6.5 to 7.0.
chances of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal.
Reasons for high cyclonic activity in Arabian Sea in recent Shade requirement: It was evolved as an under-storey
times: crop in the Amazonian forests. Thus, commercial
cultivation of cocoa can be taken up in plantations where
• Surface temperatures in the Arabian Sea have
50 per cent of light is ideally available.
increased rapidly during the past century due to
global warming. Temp. Now is 1.2–1.4 °C higher
than the temperature witnessed four decades ago. Major producing regions in the world: About 70 percent
These warmer temperatures support active of the world’s cocoa beans come from four West African
convection, heavy rainfall, and intense cyclones. countries: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon.
• The rising temperature is also enabling the Arabian
Sea to supply ample energy for the intensification In India, it is mainly cultivated in Karnataka, Kerala and
of cyclones. Tamil Nadu mainly as intercrop with Arecanut and
Coconut.

6. Krishna River River Located in
Context: 1. Madeira River South America
The recent surge in the Krishna River has resulted in boats 2. Vistula River Europe
being washed downstream, with some colliding with the
gates of the Prakasam Barrage. 3. Murray River Australia
About Krishna River: 4. Orange river Africa
• It is a river in south-central India.

About Madeira River:
• In terms of water inflows and river basin, Krishna
is the fourth biggest river after Ganga, Godavari, • It is a major tributary of the Amazon River.
and Brahmaputra.
• It is formed by the junction of the Mamoré and
Course: Beni rivers at Villa Bella, Bolivia, and flows
northward.
• Origin: It rises in western Maharashtra state in the
Western Ghats rangenear the town of • It forms the border between Bolivia and Brazil for
Mahabaleshwar, about 64 km from the Arabian approximately 60 miles (100 km).
Sea. • The Madeira River is part of the larger Madeira
• It passes through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Basin, which covers about 19% of the entire
Amazon Basin.
Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh and meets the
Bay of Bengal at Hamasaladeevi in Andhra • The basin extends across Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru,
Pradesh, on the east coast. with roughly 50% of its area in Bolivia, 40% in
Brazil, and 10% in Peru.
• Total Length: 1300 km
Significance of the river:
• The Krishna River Basin extends over an area of
about 258,948 sq. km, which is nearly 8 percent of • The Madeira River is a significant waterway in
the total geographical area of the country. South America, playing a crucial role in the
hydrology of the Amazon Basin.
• It is bounded by the Balaghat range on the north,
• As the largest tributary of the Amazon River, it is
by the Eastern Ghats on the south and the east,
a vital component of the region's ecosystem,
and by the Western Ghats on the west.
spanning Bolivia and Brazil and supporting
Tributaries: Its principal tributaries joining from right are diverse flora and fauna.
the Ghatprabha, the Malprabha, and the Tungabhadra,
whereas those joining from left are the Bhima, the Musi,
and the Munneru. 8. Galathea Bay
Context:
Recently, the central government of India has notified the
international trans-shipment hub at Galathea Bay in the
7. Madeira River Andaman & Nicobar Islands as a 'Major Port'.
Context: Bays Geographic Location

1. False Bay Atlantic Ocean
Residents near the Madeira River in the Amazon are 2. Bay of Campeche Gulf of Mexico
facing unprecedented challenges as water levels drop to
3. Bothnian Bay Baltic Sea
historic lows amid a severe drought.
4. Bay of Biscay North Atlantic Ocean

About Galathea Bay: 10. Bolivia
• Location: It is located in the Great Nicobar Island of Context:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India.
• Bolivia declared a national emergency due to
• It is being developed as an International Container raging forest fires.
Transshipment Port (ICTP).
• Bolivia has seen the largest number of wildfires
• It is also eligible for central funding and will be since 2010 with at least 3 million hectares (7.5
developed under the public-private partnership
million acres) burned this year.
model.
About Bolivia:
• The proposed facility is envisaged to be developed in
four phases with Phase 1 is proposed to be • Bolivia is a landlocked country located in
commissioned in the year 2028 with handling western-central South America.
capacity of ~ 4 million TEUs, increasing to 16 million
TEUs in the ultimate stage of development by 2058. • It is named after independence fighter Simon
Bolivar.
• Once operational, the Galathea Bay project will help
capture a large share of transhipped cargo which is • Location: The country is located in the rugged
handled at ports outside India. Andes Mountain, with a highland plateau and
lowland plains in the Amazon basin.
9. Brunei • One-third of the country is within the Andean

Mountain range.
Context:
• Bordering Countries: It borders the countries of
Modi, 1st Indian Prime Minister to travel to Brunei on a
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru.
bilateral visit recently said that he was looking forward to
strong ties with Brunei. • Capital: The constitutional capital is Sucre, while
About: the seat of government and executive capital is
La Paz.
• The country of Brunei is located along the northern
coast of the Borneo Island in Southeast Asia. • Bolivia shares control of Lake Titicaca, the
world’s highest lake navigable to large vessels,
• Capital - Bandar Seri Begawan. at 12,500 feet above sea level.
• It is situated both in the Northern and Eastern
hemispheres of the Earth.
• Bordered by - The South China Sea in the north and
on all other sides by Malaysia.
• Brunei is divided into 2 non-contiguous parts by a

portion of the Malaysian State of Sarawak.
• Brunei shares its maritime borders with China and
Malaysia.
• Bukit Pagon is the highest point in the country along
the border with Malaysia in the eastern mountainous
region.
• Rivers - Belait, Pandaruan, and Tutong.
• It is a major oil producer in Southeast Asia.

11. Ukai Dam The basin of Tapi is surrounded by the Satpura mountain
range in the north, the Ajanta and Satmala mountain
Context: ranges in the south, and the Mahadeva mountain range in
Following rainfall in its upper catchment areas, the the east.
authorities recently discharged 1.19 lakh cusecs of water The Tapti flows roughly parallel to the longer Narmada
from the Ukai Dam, bringing the water level in the dam River to the north, from which it is separated by the main
just five feet below the danger mark of 345 feet. part of the Satpura Range.
About Ukai Dam: The two river valleys and the intervening range from the
natural barrier between northern and peninsular India.
• The Ukai Dam, constructed across the Tapti River,
is the second largest reservoir in Gujarat after the Major Tributaries: The important tributaries of the river
Sardar Sarovar. are Purna River, Girna River, Panzara River, Waghur
River, Bori River, and Aner River.
• It is also known as Vallabh Sagar.
• Constructed in 1972, the dam is meant for 12. Subarnarekha River

irrigation, power generation, and flood control.
Context:
• The storage capacity of Ukai dam is almost 46% of
the total capacity of all the other existing dams in A large python was recently rescued from the
Gujarat if put together. Subarnarekha River at Jhargram in West Bengal, causing
a stir in the area.
• Having a catchment area of about 62,255 km2 and
About Subarnarekha River:
a water spread of about 52,000 hectares, its
capacity is almost the same as that of the Bhakra • It is one of the longest east-flowing interstate
Nangal Dam. rivers.
• Ukai dam is an earth-cum-masonry dam, the • ‘Subarnarekha’ means ‘Streak of Gold.’ The river
embankment wall of which is almost 4,927 meters is known as the storehouse of gold.
long. • It flows through the states of Jharkhand, West
Key Facts about Tapti River: Bengal, and Odisha.
Course:
• It is one of the major rivers in peninsular India.
• Origin: It rises near Nagri village in the Ranchi
• It is one of the three major rivers (the other two
District of Jharkhand at an elevation of 600 m.
being the Narmada River and Mahi River), which
flows in east-to-west direction. • It flows east through a copper-mining region and
leaves the Chota Nagpur plateau by the
Course: Hundrugbagh waterfall.
• Origin: It rises in the Gawilgarh Hills of the central • Continuing eastward, it flows across West Bengal
Deccan plateau in south-central Madhya Pradesh state.
state.
• It runs through some major industrial towns and
• It flows westward between two spurs of the cities, i.e., Jamshedpur, Chaibasa, Ranchi, and
Satpura Range, across the Jalgaon plateau region in Bhadrak, before joining the Bay of Bengal at
Maharashtra state, and through the plain of Surat Kirtania port in Odisha.
in Gujarat state to the Gulf of Khambhat (an inlet The basin is bounded on the north-west by the
of the Arabian Sea). Chhotnagpur Plateau, in the south-west by the Brahmani
basin, in the south by the Burhabalang basin and in the
Its total catchment area is around 65145 sq. km., out of
south-east by the Bay of Bengal.
which 80% lies in the Maharashtra region.

The principal tributaries of the river are Kanchi, Kharkai, Uses:
and Karkari.
• Known as the “golden fibre”, jute is used to
make gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets,
13. Jute Crop and various other artefacts.
Context:
14. Typhoon Yagi
• Jute production to be 20% lower this year on
Context:
floods as per the National Jute Board.
India has launched Operation Sadbhav to provide
• The National Jute Board (NJB) was established humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) to
under the National Jute Board Act, 2008. It Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
functions under the Ministry of Textiles.
About:
About Jute sector in India:
• Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam have been hit by
Jute Crop Conditions: severe flooding caused by Typhoon Yagi.
• Temperature: Ideal range between 25-35°C. • Operation Sadbhav is part of India’s broader
effort to contribute to HADR within the ASEAN
• Rainfall: Requires 150-250 cm of rainfall. (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region,
• Soil Type: Grows well in well-drained alluvial soil. in line with its longstanding ‘Act East Policy’.
Typhoon Yagi has been termed the strongest tropical
Global Production:
cyclone that has hit Asia in 2024.
• India is the largest producer of jute, followed by
• It started as a tropical storm in the western
Bangladesh and China. Philippine Sea and turned into a Category 5
• However, Bangladesh leads in acreage and trade, typhoon and made landfall in China’s Hainan
province with winds of 223 kmph.
contributing to three-fourths of global jute
exports. • It has displaced millions across South East Asia
and caused widespread devastation.
Geographical Concentration:
• Jute cultivation is primarily concentrated in 15. Polar Vortex

eastern India, particularly in the Ganga-
Brahmaputra delta. Context:
• Major producing states: West Bengal, Bihar, Antarctic ozone hole formation begins late due to the
weak polar vortex.
Odisha, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya,
Tripura. About Polar Vortex:
• West Bengal alone houses approximately 73% of • The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure
India’s jute industries. and cold air surrounding both of the Earth’s
poles.
Production and Employment:
• India produces 70% of the world’s jute, and 90% of

this production is consumed domestically.
• The sector employs over 3 lakh workers in jute

manufacturing and related industries.

• It always exists near the poles, but weakens in • Bordering Countries: Mali borders seven other
summer and strengthens in winter. nations: Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, Guinea,
Cote d'Ivoire, Algeria, and Mauritania.
• The term “vortex” refers to the counter-clockwise
flow of air that helps keep the colder air near the Geography:
Poles.
• Approximately 65% of the country is covered by
• Many times, during winter in the northern desert or semi-desert.
hemisphere, the polar vortex will expand, sending
• The Sahara Desert makes up a large portion of
cold air southward with the jet stream.
Mali's total land area.
Impact:
• Mali has a monotonous landscape, with plains
• It develops in late summer as sunlight decreases and plateaus dominating the country's
at the North Pole, causing polar stratospheric air topography.
to become colder than tropical stratospheric air.
• The landscape transitions from the Sahara Desert
• It persists through winter until mid to late spring in the north through the Sahel to the zone of
when the North Pole begins to receive more Sudanian savanna in the south.
sunlight, warming the polar stratosphere.
It is one of the hottest nations on earth with an average
• During winter, the vortex can expand, pushing temperature of 114.8 °F (46 °C) in the summer months.
Arctic air southward, which often leads to cold
The Niger River flows through its interior, serving as its
outbreaks in the Northern Hemisphere, including
main source of water.
the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
17. Mali
Context:
An elaborate attack by an Al Qaeda affiliate in Mali's 18. MAPCIS Crater

capital killed some 70 people recently. Context:
About Mali: Recently, Australian researchers have uncovered
evidence of a massive impact crater which is named as
• It is a landlocked country in West Africa.
MAPCIS, which could revolutionise our understanding of
• Capital: Bamako Earth's geological history.

About MAPCIS Crater: 19. Hot/Cold Desert
• It is classified as a nonconcentric complex crater, Context:

and could provide invaluable insights into
The largest known population of one of Australia’s rarest
Earth's geological and biological evolution.
birds, the night parrot, has been found living in Western
• It spans an astonishing 600 kilometres across Australia’s Great Sandy desert.
central Australia.
Hot/Cold Desert Located in
• The newly discovered structure, named as
1. Great Sandy Desert Australia
Massive Australian Precambrian-Cambrian
Impact Structure (MAPCIS). 2. Great Basin Desert USA
• The impact is believed to have occurred at the 3. Taklamakan Desert China
end of the Ediacaran period.
4. Sonoran Desert USA, Mexico
• It includes massive deposits of pseudotachylite
breccia (melt rock) near the crater's centre,
presence of shocked minerals, including About Great Sandy Desert:
lonsdaleite (shocked diamond), and impact-level
concentrations of iridium. • It is an arid wasteland of northern Western
Australia.
Key facts about the Ediacaran Period
• It is Australia’s second largest desert, after the
• It is an interval of geologic time ranging 635 to Great Victoria Desert, and encompasses an area
541 million years ago. of 284,993 sq.km.
• It is the uppermost division of the Proterozoic • It extends from Eighty Mile Beach on the Indian
Eon of Precambrian time and latest of the three Ocean eastward into the Northern Territory and
periods of the Neoproterozoic Era. from Kimberley Downs southward to the Tropic of
• This period produced some of the earliest known Capricorn and the Gibson Desert.
evidence of the evolution of multicellular • It is typified by longitudinal sand ridges, chains of
animals. large salt lakes, and occasional low rocky hills
• It was a time of immense geological and interlaced with Triodia (Spinifex) grass.
biological change, and records the transition • The Gibson Desert lies to the south, and the
from a planet largely dominated by microscopic Tanami Desert lies to the east of the Great Sandy
organisms, to a Cambrian world swarming with Desert.
animals.
• Climate: It experiences exceptionally high
daytime temperatures and overnight
temperatures, along with far below average
humidity levels.
• The region is not very populated. The main

population is made up of Indigenous Australians.
There are two main tribes; Martu in the west and
Pintupi to the east.

20. Philadelphi corridor
Context:
Israel has been under intense pressure to give up control

of the Philadelphi corridor.
About Philadelphi corridor:
• It is a ribbon of land about 14 kms in length and

100 metres wide along Gaza’s border with Egypt.
• It was designated as a demilitarised border zone

after the withdrawal of Israeli settlements and
troops from Gaza in 2005 and runs from the
Mediterranean to the Kerem Shalom crossing
with Israel.
22. Canary Islands
• The Corridor was originally established under the
Context:
1979 Israel-Egypt peace treaty as a 100-meter-
wide buffer zone. Rescue teams resumed searching for at least 48 migrants
who went missing the day before when their boat
• The zone was later expanded beginning during the overturned just as it was being rescued off Spain's
Second Intifada to be several hundred meters Canary Islands.
wide. It covers the entire 8.7-mile-long border.
About Canary Islands:
• The Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza is
within the Philadelphi Corridor. • It is an archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean.
• In 2005, as part of Israel’s unilateral withdrawal • It is about 1300 km South of mainland Spain and
from Gaza, Egypt and Israel signed an agreement 115 km West of the African coast (Morocco).
by which Egypt would secure the border between
• The Canaries comprise the Spanish provinces of
Egypt and Gaza to prevent the smuggling of
Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
weapons into the Strip.
• These Islands were formed by volcanic eruptions
• Egypt maintains a one-kilometre-wide buffer zone
millions of years ago.
on its side of the border, with plans to expand it.
Climatic condition
• They have a subtropical climate. Temperatures

21. Tunisia
are warm and show little seasonal variation.
Context:
• It has rich volcanic soils and mild temperatures
Tunisia is in news because, the parliament votes on major that support a wide variety of vegetation that
amendment in country’s electoral law in the backdrop of generally follows a zonal arrangement based on
a looming protest. elevation.
Yemen - Socotra: Socotra has been highlighted for its

unique flora and fauna, as well as its strategic location.
Seychelles - Aldabra: Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles has

been in the news due to its status as a UNESCO World
Heritage site and its unique biodiversity.

France - Mayotte: Mayotte has been in the spotlight due • It is named for the Jordan River, which passes on
to immigration and security issues related to its its western border.
proximity to Comoros.
• Bordering Countries: It is bounded to the north
by Syria, to the east by Iraq, to the southeast and
south by Saudi Arabia, and to the west by Israel
23. Nepal
and the West Bank.
Context:
• The capital and largest city in the country is
Recently, Residents of Nepal’s flood-hit capital returned Amman—named for the Ammonites, who
to their mud-caked homes to survey the wreckage of made the city their capital in the 13th century
devastating floods that have killed at least 170 people BCE.
across the Himalayan republic.
• Jordan has 16 miles (26 km) of coastline on the
About Nepal: Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) in the southwest, where
Al-Aqabah, its only port, is located.
• Nepal is located in Southern Asia in the Northern
and eastern hemispheres of the Earth. Jordan has three major physiographic regions (from east
to west): the desert, the uplands east of the Jordan River,
• Nepal shares its borders with the Uttarakhand,
and the Jordan Valley (the northwest portion of the great
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim in
East African Rift System).
the south, east and west; while it is bordered by
China in the north. • The desert region is mostly within the Syrian
Desert—an extension of the Arabian Desert—
• Nepal is separated from Bhutan by Sikkim.
and occupies the eastern and southern parts of
the country, comprising more than four-fifths of
its territory.
• The Jordan Valley region contains the Dead Sea.
24. Jordan
Context:
Jordan becomes the first country in the world to

eliminate leprosy, receiving official verification from the
World Health Organisation (WHO).
About Jordan:
• It is an Arab country of Southwest Asia, in the

rocky desert of the northern Arabian Peninsula.


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ENVIRONMENT
1. Poba Reserve Forest • The forest is also a habitat for about 45 species of
birds and reptiles, and the confluence of the Siang
Context:
and Lohit rivers supports a diverse range of fish
The Poba Reserve Forest in Assam’s Dhemaji district will species.
soon be notified as a wildlife sanctuary.
• The forest is renowned for its variety of orchids.
Reserve Forest Located in
1. Poba Reserve Forest Assam • It serves as an important migratory route for
various animals, particularly elephants, as it
2. Kondapalli Reserve Forest Andhra Pradesh connects the D' Ering Memorial Wildlife
Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh), Kabu Chapri
3. Begur Reserve Forest Kerala
Proposed Reserve Forest, and Dibru-Saikhowa
4. Hanumasagara Reserve Forest Karnataka National Park (Assam).
• This corridor is the second significant elephant

About Poba Reserve Forest: migration route from the north to the south bank
of the Brahmaputra River, the other being the
• It is a rainforest located in the northeastern part
of Assam. Panpur-Kaziranga route.
• The Reserved Forest (RF) was created in the year

1924 and covers an area of 10,221 hectares. 2. Indian Wolf
• Boundaries: Towards the north are the foothills of Context:
the Himalayan range in Arunachal Pradesh;
towards the east and south are the Siang, Dibang, In Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, a series of wolf attacks have
and Lohit River systems confluence into the mighty led to the death of a three-year-old girl and injuries to
Brahmaputra and the Dibru-Saikhowa National two women, despite ongoing efforts under “Operation
Park; and towards the west are the revenue Bhediya.”
villages of the Jonai Sub-division of the Dhemaji
district of Assam. About:
• The peripheral area of the RF is inhabited by a few • The Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) is a
ethnic groups, such as Mising, Bodo, Sonowal subspecies of grey wolf.
Kachari, and Hajong (Rabha).
• They are also relatively less vocal and have rarely
• It is one of the richest rain forests of North-East been known to howl.
India in terms of the flora and fauna found in it.
• Indian wolves are territorial and hunt during the
• It is home to various arboreal species, including
night.
the slow loris and capped langur. Among the most
common mammal species is the wild boar. • One wolf usually is acting as a decoy while the
other attacks from behind.
• Range – Found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan,

Nepal, Bhutan, Israel, Turkey, Iran, and Syria.
• Population – There are approximately 400-1,100

wolves living in the Himalayan Region and 4,000-
6,000 wolves in the Peninsular Region.

• Wolves in the Himalayan Region prefer colder, • Non-economic loss and damage are negative
steeper habitats while those in the Peninsular impacts where it is difficult or infeasible to assign
Region are mostly found in agro-pastoral areas a monetary value. These are things such as
that have less forest density (approximately trauma from experiencing a tropical cyclone, loss
280,400km²). of community due to displacement of people, or
• Indian wolves are carnivores and prey mainly on loss of biodiversity,”
antelopes, rodents, hares, and raccoons.
• It was designed to provide crucial support to
• Indian wolves are monogamous and mate for vulnerable nations facing the brunt of climate-
life. related challenges.
• The gestation period usually lasts around 62-75 • The LDF is overseen by a Governing Board that
days. determines how the fund’s resources are
• Indian wolf is protected under Schedule I of the disbursed, with the World Bank serving as the
Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. interim trustee tasked with hosting the fund for
four years.
• It is listed as endangered under the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red • Financial support will be provided in the form of
List. grants, concessional financing that can be utilized
by any eligible country.
• Main threats to Indian wolves include habitat
loss, unregulated hunting, and loss of prey. • The fund encourages voluntary contributions
from developed countries but invites developing
3. Loss and Damage Fund countries to contribute to it too.
Context:
A crucial conversation has recently emerged around 4. Water Spinach
whether subnational entities can seek compensation
Context:
through the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s Loss and Damage Fund (LDF). According to Taiwan-based research organisation World
About Loss and Damage Fund (LDF): Vegetable Centre, folic acid is only one of the many
• LDF was established at the 2022 UNFCCC nutrients present in the water spinach vegetable.
Conference (COP27) in Egypt. About Water Spinach:
• Purpose: To provide financial support to regions • It is native to tropics and subtropics; this semi-
suffering both economic and non-economic
aquatic perennial plant is believed to have been
losses caused by climate change.
the first domesticated in Southeast Asia.
• Economic loss and damage are negative impacts
that one can assign a monetary value to. These • In Southeast Asian nations like Malaysia, China,
are things such as the costs of rebuilding Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia, the plant
infrastructure that has been damaged due to a is mostly grown commercially, while in the
flood, or the loss of revenue from agricultural United States and India, it grows in the wild as
crops that were destroyed due to drought. weed.
• In India, it grows along the paddy fields, ponds

and rivers, and is available around the monsoon
season in July and August.
• Other names: It is known as kalmi saag in West

Bengal, naari ka saag in Uttar Pradesh, nalichi-
bhaji in Marathi and sarkaraivalli in Tamil.

• The plant is relatively easy to grow because it • Addressing livelihood interests of local people in
requires little care and flourishes naturally in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.
waterways.
NTCA Composition:
• It grows very quickly under optimal conditions,
• Minister in charge of MoEFCC (as Chairperson),
though it has to be ensured that the water used is
not saline or stagnant. • Minister of State in MoEFCC (as Vice-
Chairperson),
• Researchers in India, Pakistan and the US, find
water spinach effective against lead poisoning. • three members of Parliament, the Secretary
(MoEFCC), and other members.
Health benefit:
Powers and Functions:
• The plant also has medium levels of beta carotene,
calcium, vitamin E and iron; and medium-to-high • Approving the tiger conservation plan
levels of ascorbic acid. prepared by the State Government.
• The substantial quantities of Phyto-antioxidants in • Maintaining sustainable ecology and disallow
the leaves may mediate its beneficial function any such use of land within the tiger reserves
against doxorubicin. which is detrimental to the ecology.
• Making rules and guidelines for tourism

5. National Tiger Conservation Authority activity for Project Tiger in the tiger reserves
and also ensure their due compliances.
Context:
• Measures for addressing conflicts between
Conservationist organisations across India have demanded men and animals and emphasize on co-
withdrawal of ‘illegal’ relocation of villagers from tiger existence between the two outside the national
reserves which is ordered by the National Tiger parks, tiger reserves, or sanctuaries.
Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• Providing information to the public on the
About National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA): conservation plans, estimation of population of
tigers, the status of natural habitat, and
• It is a statutory body under the Ministry of
reporting on any untoward incident. TCA
Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
releases the status of tigers in India.
constituted for strengthening tiger conservation.
• Approving coordinates research and
• NCTA was created in 2005 following the
monitoring of tigers.
recommendation of the tiger task force and was
given the status of statutory authority under Section • Facilitating and supporting tiger reserve
38L of the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, management in the State.
2006.
• Ensuring critical support in scientific, IT, and
Objectives: legal support for better conservation of tigers.
• Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger so that • Facilitating capacity-building programmes for
compliance of its directives becomes legal. the officers and staff.
• Fostering accountability of the Center-State in the
management of Tiger Reserves by providing a basis
for MoUs with States within the federal structure.
• Providing for an oversight by Parliament.

6. Teal Carbon About the elongated tortoise:
Context: • The elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) is
India’s first study on ‘teal carbon’, undertaken at also known as Sal Forest Tortoise.
Keoladeo National Park (KNP) in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur • Habitat: It is widely distributed over eastern as
district, has highlighted the significance of wetland well as northern India and Southeast Asia.
conservation to address the challenges of climate
adaptation and resilience. • The tortoise, found in the Sal deciduous and hilly
About Teal Carbon: evergreen forests, is distributed across Southeast
Asia from northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, and
• It refers to carbon stored in non-tidal fresh water Bangladesh in the west, eastward through
wetlands, encompassing carbon sequestered in Myanmar, Thailand, and all of Indochina, north to
vegetation, microbial biomass, and dissolved and Guangxi Province of China and south to Peninsular
particulate organic matter. Malaysia.
• These ecosystems are considered to be more Conservation Status:
effective at carbon capture and storage than
terrestrial forest ecosystems, and can store and • IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
sequester more carbon than any other type of
terrestrial ecosystem. • CITES: Appendix II
• The concept of teal carbon is a recent addition to • Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972: Schedule IV.
the environmental science pertaining to organic
carbon in inland fresh wetlands. Threat: Hunted for food, local use such as decorative
masks and international wildlife trade.
• It is a colour-based terminology that reflects the
classification of the organic carbon based on its
functions and location rather than its physical 8. Mikania micrantha
properties.
Context:
• At the global level, the storage of teal carbon
The weed, Mikania micrantha, is spreading quite fast in
across the ecosystems is estimated to be 500.21
the Bhadra Tiger Reserve and threatening its
petagrams of carbon (PgC), which is a unit to
measure carbon. biodiversity.
• Major sources of Teal carbon: Peatlands, About Mikania micrantha:

freshwater swamps, and natural freshwater • It is a perennial creeping climber known for its
marshes account for a significant amount of this
vigorous and rampant growth.
storage.
• It is a native of Central and South America.
• Threats: Though these wetlands play a crucial role
in regulating greenhouse gases, they are • It is a major invasive species in several parts of
vulnerable to degradation from pollution, land use southeast Asia, India, and the Pacific Islands.
changes, water extraction, and landscape
modifications. • It was introduced in India in the 1940s as ground
cover in tea plantations and is now a serious
threat to several plantation crops as well as forest
7. Elongated tortoise areas all over the country.
Context: • It grows best where fertility, organic matter, soil
In a first, critically endangered elongated tortoise spotted moisture, and humidity are all high.
in Aravallis.
• It damages or kills other plants by cutting out the
light and smothering them.

• It climbs up other plants to reach the canopy for • It was developed in response to a resolution
better sunlight. passed at this year’s United Nations Environment
Assembly to increase regional cooperation and
• Mikania is known to have allelopathic potential by
action on improving air quality globally.
producing biochemicals that can inhibit seed
germination and seedling growth of other plants. Significance of the platform:
• It produces thousands of lightweight seeds that are • It will help to address air quality management
wind-dispersed and also has the ability to capacity gaps, notably with curated guidance
reproduce vegetatively through its roots, resulting across key themes, including on how to go about
in rapid and widespread invasion by this weed in air quality monitoring, inventory development,
any disturbed area. and health impact assessments.
Key Facts about Bhadra Tiger Reserve (BTR): • It will allow decision makers to see a more
complete picture of air pollution’s impact and
• It is situated in the midst of the Western Ghats
leading to policies that accurately reflect public
region of Karnataka.
health needs on a global scale.
• The reserve is unique as it is nestled within several
• The platform will expand to allow regional and
hill ranges. The habitat has a good population of
sub-regional communities to exchange
elephants and is also an Elephant Reserve.
knowledge about air quality management best
• It boasts of a substantial tiger population, and as practices.
such, the sanctuary was declared the 25th Project Key facts about Climate and Clean Air Coalition:
Tiger Reserve of India in 1998.
• It was founded in 2012, and convened within the
• Rivers: It is well drained by the river Bhadra and UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
its tributaries.
• It is a voluntary partnership of more than 160
• Vegetation: It has dry deciduous, moist deciduous, governments, intergovernmental organizations,
shola, and semi-evergreen patches. and non-governmental organizations.
• Flora: Teak, Rosewood, Mathi, Honne, Nandi, and • It works to reduce powerful but short-lived
many medicinal plants. climate pollutants (SLCPs) – methane, black
• Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Leopard cat, Dholes, Indian carbon, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and
Civet, ungulates like Gaur, Sambar, and Barking tropospheric ozone – that drive both climate
Deer are common. change and air pollution.
• It aims to connect ambitious agenda setting with

targeted mitigation action within countries and
9. Air Quality Management Exchange Platform sectors.
Context:
Recently, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) has 10. PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle
developed and launched an Air Quality Management Enhancement
Exchange Platform (AQMx).
Context:
About Air Quality Management Exchange Platform:
The Union Cabinet approved a new scheme called PM
• It is a platform that provides the latest air quality Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle
management guidance and tools proposed to Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) for the promotion of
meet WHO Air Quality Guidelines interim targets. electric vehicles (EV) in India.

About: 11. Salt Pans
• The PM E-DRIVE will replace Faster Adoption and Context:

Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India Phase II
• The Union Government approved the
(FAME India Phase II). transfer of 256 acres of salt pan land in
• The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) will Mumbai to the Dharavi Redevelopment
Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL).
implement the new scheme with a total outlay of
Rs 10,900 crore over a period of two years. • This invited criticism from opposition leaders
and environmentalists due to environmental
• The scheme will focus on promoting electric buses, concerns.
trucks, and ambulances. Electric cars for private or
shared mobility will not be covered under this new Salt Pans
scheme. • They comprise parcels of low-lying lands
• The government has introduced e-vouchers for EV where seawater flows in at certain times, and
buyers to avail of demand incentives under the leaves behind salt and other minerals.
scheme. • Along with mangroves, this ecosystem is
instrumental in protecting the city from
• These vouchers will be generated at the time of
flooding.
purchase and authenticated via Aadhaar, ensuring
transparency in the subsidy process. • According to the Coastal Regulation Zone
(CRZ), the ecologically sensitive salt pans fall
Major components of the scheme: under CRZ-1B category, where no economic
activity is allowed with the exception of salt
• Subsidies/Demand incentives worth Rs.3,679 crore
extraction and natural gas exploration.
have been provided to incentivize electric two-
wheelers, electric three-wheelers, e-ambulances, e- • Nationally, some 60,000 acres have been
trucks and other emerging EVs. demarcated as salt pan lands, spread across
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
• The scheme will support 24.79 lakh e-2Ws, 3.16 lakh Odisha, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
e-3Ws, and 14,028 e-buses.
• Andhra Pradesh boasts the largest expanse
• The scheme allocates Rs.500 crore for the of such land, followed by Tamil Nadu and
deployment of e-ambulances. Maharashtra.
• A sum of Rs.4,391 crore has been provided for

procurement of 14,028 e-buses by STUs/public 12. Onitis bordati
transport agencies.
Context:
• Rs.500 crore has been allocated for incentivising e-
trucks. Recently, researchers have identified a previously
unknown dung beetle species, Onitis bordati, in the
• Incentives will be given to those who have a Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary in Meghalaya.
scrapping certificate from MoRTH approved vehicles
About Onitis bordati:
scrapping centers (RVSF).
• It is a dung beetle species belonging to the
• The scheme proposes the installation of 22,100 fast genus Onitis.
chargers for e-4 Ws, 1800 fast chargers for e-buses
and 48,400 fast chargers for e-2W/3Ws. • Appearance: Males of most species have
distinctive forelegs that are long, slender, and
• The outlay for electric vehicle public charging curved, often with teeth or spines.
stations (EVPCS) will be Rs.2,000 crore.
• Dung beetle species were previously only
found in Vietnam and Thailand.

• Ecological Significance: They are known for their • This includes funding for the construction of
ecological functions, such as seed dispersal, transmission lines, upgrading pooling
nutrient cycling, and pest control, and plant substations, and developing ropeways, railway
growth. sidings, and communication infrastructure.
• Threats: Habitat destruction and climate change • It also supports the strengthening of existing
posing significant threats. roads and bridges leading to project sites.
Key facts about Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary: The scheme is set to support hydro power projects with
a cumulative generation capacity of approximately
• Location: The Sanctuary falls in the Eastern
31,350 MW.
Himalayan Global biodiversity hot spot and is
located in the state of Meghalaya. It applies to all hydro projects over 25 MW, including
private sector projects, and Pumped Storage Projects
• The area consists of undulating plains to low hills, (PSPs).
which are part of the Archaean Meghalaya Plateau.
Budgetary support limits have been revised to Rs. 1 crore
• The area has become broken and rugged, especially per MW for projects up to 200 MW, and Rs. 200 crores
towards west and north, because of continuous plus Rs. 0.75 crore per MW for projects above 200 MW,
erosion by the rivers Umtrew, Umran, Umling, with potential increases up to Rs. 1.5 crore per MW in
Umtasor and other smaller streams. exceptional cases.
• The Umtrew is the main river of the area and the The scheme also incorporates a rigorous approval
rest named above are its tributaries. The Umtrew process, where budgetary support will be granted
also marks the western boundary of the Reserve following cost appraisals by the Department of
Forest and the Sanctuary. Investment and Public Asset Management (DIB) and
• Fauna: It is home to Clouded Leopard, majestic Public Investment Board (PIB), and subsequent approval
Elephants, and the powerful Himalayan Black by the Competent Authority.
Bear. The projects whose Letter of Award of the first major
• Flora: Shorea robusta, Tectona grandis, Terminalia package is issued by June 30, 2028, will be eligible under
myriocarpa, Gmelina arborea etc. the scheme.
13. Enabling Infrastructure for Hydro Electric Projects

14. Central Pollution Control Board
Context:
Context:
The Union Cabinet recently approved the proposal of the
Ministry of Power for modification of the scheme of The National Green Tribunal has directed the Central
budgetary support for the cost of Enabling Infrastructure Pollution Control Board to file a fresh status report on the
for Hydro Electric Projects (HEP) with a total outlay of generation and treatment of electronic waste by all the
Rs.12461 crore. states.
About Scheme of budgetary support for the cost of About Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):
Enabling Infrastructure for Hydro Electric Projects (HEP): • It is a statutory body constituted in September,
• This scheme, set to run from FY 2024-25 to FY 1974, under the Water (Prevention and Control
2031-32, aims to enhance infrastructure and of Pollution) Act, 1974.
support the development of hydro power in India. • Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers
The scheme addresses major challenges such as remote and functions under the Air (Prevention and
locations and inadequate infrastructure by broadening its Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
scope to cover additional costs.

• It serves as a field formation and also provides • Standards for Treatment and Disposal of Bio-
technical services to the Ministry of Environment Medical Waste by Incineration.
and Forests of the provisions of the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986. • Emission standard, Noise limits for Diesel
Engines.
Principal Functions of the CPCB, as spelt out in the Water
(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the • Emission and Noise Limit of LPG and CNG
Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981: Generator Sets.
• to promote cleanliness of streams and wells in CPCB also formulates the Minimal National Standards
different areas of the States by prevention, control, (MINAS) specific for various categories of industries
and abatement of water pollution. with regards to their effluent discharge (water
pollutants), emissions (air pollutants), noise levels, and
• to improve the quality of air and to prevent, solid waste.
control, or abate air pollution in the country
• These standards are required to be adopted by
It advises the Central Government on matters related to State Governments as minimal standards.
control and abatement of air and water pollution.
Standard development activities of CPCB:

15. Bio-decomposer
• CPCB takes up the development/revision of
Context:
Environmental Standards, the upgradation of
Comprehensive Industrial Document (COINDS), Recently, the environment minister said that the Delhi
and guidelines for environmental management in government has started preparations to spray bio-
various industrial sectors. decomposer over 5,000 acres of farmland in New Delhi.
• In consultation with the state government Bio-decomposer:
concerned, CPCB laid down the standard for
stream or well or quality of air and also prepared • It is a microbial liquid spray which, when
manuals, codes, and guidance relating to the sprayed onto paddy stubble, breaks it down in a
treatment and disposal of sewage and trade way that can be easily absorbed into the soil,
effluents, as well as for stacks gas cleaning devices, whereby farmers then have no need to burn the
stacks and ducts; stubble.
CPCB develops Standards for: • It has been developed by the Indian Agricultural
Research Institute (IARI).
• National ambient air quality.
• The government has been spraying the bio-
• Water Quality Criteria from different sources. decomposer solution free of cost since 2020 over
farmlands in outer Delhi.
• Standards for Emission or Discharge of
Environmental Pollutants from various Industries • It has been used by the States of Punjab,
(Issued under Environment Protection Rules, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi.
1986).
Advantages:
• By spraying bio-decomposer, farmers won’t need

to burn their paddy stubble, which will not only
help in reducing pollution but also increase soil
fertility.

• Its use enriches the soil with organic carbon (OC), 17. Rapa Nui
nutrients and soil biological and physical
Context:
properties.
Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, never
• It is an efficient and effective, cheaper, doable, and
experienced a ruinous population collapse, according to
practical technique to stop stubble burning. It is an
an analysis of ancient DNA from 15 former inhabitants
eco-friendly and environmentally useful
of the remote island in the Pacific Ocean.
technology.
About Rapa Nui:
• Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is a
16. Battery Waste Management (BWM) Rules, 2022 Chilean dependency in the southeastern Pacific
Ocean.
Context:
• It is the easternmost outpost of the Polynesian
The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change
island world.
(MoEFCC) has introduced stringent environmental
compensation (EC) guidelines to penalise violations of the • It is situated about 3,540 km to the west of Chile
Battery Waste Management (BWM) Rules, 2022. and about 1,900 km to the east of Pitcairn Island.
Battery Waste Management (BWM) Rules, 2022: • It is a small, triangular-shaped volcanic island. It
is about 24 km in length and has a maximum
• These rules have been notified by the Ministry of
width of about 12 km at its widest point.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• It faces a tropical rainforest climate.
• They are applicable to all types of batteries
regardless of chemistry, shape, volume, weight, • UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage
material composition and use. Site on March 22, 1996, and major parts of the
island have been protected under the Rapa Nui
• Producer (manufacturers, importers) shall have
National Park.
the obligation of Extended Producer
Responsibility for the battery they introduce in What are Moai Statues?
the market and the Producer shall meet the • Rapa Nui is famous for its large statues called
collection and recycling targets. moai.
• Producers, Recyclers, and Refurbishers of Battery • They are shaped like large human heads and
shall register through the online centralized portal erected on stone pedestals.
developed by the Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB). • They are famous for their carved heads and
"Pukao," a hat-like covering made from a soft
• The portal will help in improving accountability, red stone.
traceability and transparency of fulfilment of EPR
Obligations. • Some moai stand 40 feet tall and weigh 75
tonnes.
• This portal would act as the single point data
repository with respect to orders and guidelines • They were carved in volcanic stone at quarries
related to implementation of BWM Rules, 2022. and then moved to their current locations across
the island.
These measures aim to promote proper waste
management practices and enhance environmental • Scholars believe the Rapa Nui people built the
sustainability across the country. moai between the 13th and the 16th centuries
and represented their revered ancestors.
• Over 900 moai have been found on the island to

date.
18. NBWL • The SC-NBWL also makes recommendations on
the setting up of and management of National
Context:
Parks, Sanctuaries, and other PAs and on matters
The standing committee of the NBWL (SC-NBWL) recently relating to restriction of activities in those areas.
cleared projects such as a transmission line in Little Rann
• The SC-NBWL shall ordinarily meet once in three
of Kutch, a controversial transmission line project in Goa’s
months.
Mollem national park, among others.
About:
19. Emu
• It is a statutory board constituted by the Central
Government under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, Context:
1972.
Researchers have uncovered a fascinating mechanism
• It is responsible for guiding the government’s behind the reduction and asymmetry of emu wing bones.
decisions on matters related to wildlife
About Emu:
conservation and issuing approvals for projects in
protected areas (PAs). • It belongs to a group of flightless running birds
known as ratites, the most primitive of the
• The WLPA mandates that without the
modern bird families.
approval/recommendation of the NBWL,
construction of tourist lodges, alteration of the • It is the second-largest living bird in the world
boundaries of PAs, destruction or diversion of (the ostrich is the largest).
wildlife habitat, and de-notification of Tiger
Reserves, cannot be done. Distribution:
• It is a 47-member committee, headed by the • The Emu is found only in Australia.

Prime Minister and the Minister of Environment, • It lives throughout most of the continent, ranging
Forest, and Climate Change (environment from coastal regions to high in the Snowy
minister) as vice chairperson. Mountains.
• In addition to offices and institutions directly Features:
involved in conservation and protection of wildlife,
the NBWL also has the chief of army staff, defence • Emu is more than 1.5 metres (5 feet) tall and may
secretary, and expenditure secretary to weigh more than 45 kg (100 pounds).
Government of India as members.
• Adult female emus are larger and heavier than
• Further, the central government nominates 10 males.
members who are eminent conservationists,
• Both sexes are brownish, with a dark grey head
ecologists, and environmentalists.
and neck.
• In practical terms, many of its tasks are delegated
• Their necks and legs are long, but their wings are
to a standing committee (SC-NBWL), which is
tiny, reduced to less than 8 inches (20
empowered to carry out the same functions.
centimetres).
• While the act envisaged the board and the
• Their feet have three toes and fewer bones and
committee as advisory bodies, their powers and
muscles than those of flying birds.
responsibilities were increased in 2002, after the
Supreme Court ruled that the SC-NBWL had to • Emus can dash away at nearly 50 km (30 miles) per
approve all proposals that sought permission for hour; if cornered, they kick with their big three-
“any activity” within a wildlife sanctuary. toed feet.

• Their strong legs also allow the bird to jump 7 feet 21. Sustainable Aviation Fuels
(2.1 meters) straight up.
Context:
• They are omnivores.
Recently, India and Brazil have decided to collaborate on
• Lifespan: Five to ten years production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
Conservation Status: About Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF):
• IUCN Red List: Least Concern. • It is also known as bio-jet fuel.
• It is made from renewable biomass and waste

resources have the potential to deliver the
20. International Big Cat Alliance
performance of petroleum-based jet fuel.
Context:
• It is a liquid fuel currently used in commercial
After an approval from the Union Cabinet, India has aviation which reduces CO2 emissions by up to
formally joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), 80%.
by signing and ratification of the Framework Agreement
• Production: It can be produced from a number of
of IBCA.
sources (feedstock) including waste oil and fats,
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA): green and municipal waste and non-food crops.
• The alliance was conceived as a multi-country, • It can also be produced synthetically via a process
multi-agency coalition of 96 big cat range that captures carbon directly from the air.
countries and others to establish a common
platform for conservation.
22. Commission for Air Quality Management
• Objective: Focus of the Alliance is to conserve
seven big cats of the world which includes Tiger, Context:
Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and
The Supreme Court recently sought a report from the
Cheetah.
Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on
• In India out of the seven big cats only five — tiger, incidents of stubble-burning and action taken against
lion, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah — are these occurrences.
found.
About Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM):
• Funding: The government also approved a one-
• The CAQM is a statutory body established under
time budgetary support of ₹150 crore for a period
the Commission for Air Quality Management in
of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
National Capital Region (NCR) and Adjoining
• Governance: IBCA governance consists of an Areas, Act 2021.
Assembly of Members, Standing Committee and a
• Mandate: Better coordination, research,
Secretariat with its Head Quarter in India.
identification, and resolution of problems
All UN member countries are eligible for becoming a surrounding the air quality index and for matters
member of IBCA. connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• So far 4 countries have become members of IBCA • It undertakes action for the prevention and
including India, Nicaragua, Eswatini and Somalia. control of Air pollution in Delhi-NCR & Adjoining
Areas which impacts the air quality of the
National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.

• The Commission is required to coordinate its 23. Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement
actions on monitoring of air quality with the
Context:
government of Delhi and the adjoining states,
which includes Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Recently, India Signs Biodiversity Beyond National
Uttar Pradesh. Jurisdiction Agreement (BBNJ) at UNGA.
Powers: About Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction
Agreement (BBNJ):
• Restricting activities influencing air quality.
• It is an international treaty under the United
• Investigating and conducting research related to
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
environmental pollution impacting air quality,
(UNCLOS).
preparing codes and guidelines to prevent and
control air pollution, • It follows an inclusive, integrated, ecosystem-
centric approach based on the precautionary
• Issuing directions on matters including
principle and promotes using traditional
inspections, or regulations, which will be binding
knowledge and the best available scientific
on the concerned person or authority.
knowledge.
• All the directions and orders by the Commission
• Parties cannot claim or exercise sovereign rights
are of binding nature, and any person, officer, or
over marine resources derived from the high
authority shall be bound to comply with the
seas and ensure fair and equitable sharing of
same.
benefits.
• The commission is directly accountable to the
• The BBNJ Agreement was agreed upon in March
parliament.
2023 and is open for signature for two years
Composition: starting September 2023.
• Chairperson: To be chaired by a government • It will be an international legally binding treaty

official of the rank of Secretary or Chief Secretary. after it enters force 120 days after the 60th
He will hold the post for three years or until s/he ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
attains the age of 70 years.
• It will also have five ex officio members who are

24. Peechi wildlife sanctuary
either Chief Secretaries or Secretaries in charge of
the department dealing with environment Context:
protection in the States of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana,
A female elephant recently died due to apparent
Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
electrocution near a tribal colony close to the Peechi
• Three full time technical members. wildlife sanctuary in Kerala's Thrissur district.
• Three members from non-government Wildlife Sanctuary Located in

organisations.
1. Peechi -Vazhani Wildlife Kerala
• Technical members from Central Pollution Sanctuary
Control Board (CPCB), Indian Space Research
2. Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary Telangana
Organisation, and NITI Aayog.
3. Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary Himachal
Pradesh
4. Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary Assam

About Peechi -Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary: 25. Parivesh
• Location: It is located in Thrissur District, Kerala. Context:
• Spread across 125 sq. km, the Peechi-Vazhani The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1958. Change (MoEFCC) received only 32 applications to
register exotic species on the Parivesh 2.0 portal.
• It is situated in the catchment area of the Peechi
and Vazhani Dams. About Parivesh:
• It is part of the Palapilli-Nelliampathy forests and • PARIVESH stands for (Pro-Active Responsive
forms the northern boundary of the Chimmini Facilitation by Interactive and Virtuous
Wildlife Sanctuary. Environmental Singlewindow Hub).
• Vegetation: Forest Types include tropical • Parivesh was originally launched in 2018 to
evergreen forests, tropical semievergreen forests, provide a single window for various
moist deciduous forests, etc. environmental, forest, wildlife, and coastal
regulation zone clearances.
• The terrain is undulating, the altitude varies from
100 to 914 m, with the highest peak being • Parivesh 2.0 is an enhanced version designed to
Ponmudi. improve efficiency, transparency, and
accountability in the approval process.
• Flora: There are more than 50 different kinds of
orchids, innumerable rare medicinal plants, and • It provides a single platform for environmental
trees of high commercial value like teak, clearances, forest clearances, wildlife clearances,
rosewood, and so on. and coastal regulation zone clearances.
• Fauna: The wildlife population includes over 25 • Parivesh 2.0 introduces a mobile app that allows
types of mammals, including carnivores like the project proponents to track their clearance
leopard, the tiger, and the fox, and herbivores like applications and compliance submissions.
the elk, deer, barking deer, spotted deer, the gaur,
Significance of Parivesh 2.0:
and the elephant.
• Improves Ease of Doing Business
• Ensures better environmental governance
• Reduces Delay in Clearances.


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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
1. Copyright Act, 1957 • This is similar to how the Maharashtra
government has made the works of Dr. B.R.
Context:
Ambedkar freely available in the public
The Tamil Nadu government has recently decided to domain.
nationalise Karunanidhi’s works under the Copyright Act,
The goal is to make these important literary and
1957.
intellectual works freely accessible to the public, rather
About: than restricted by private copyright ownership.
• Under the Copyright Act, 1957, an author has This expands public access and use of these culturally
exclusive rights over their work, including the right to significant works.
reproduce, distribute, perform, and adapt their work.
• These rights last for 60 years after the author's

2. Intranasal Vaccines
death.
Context:
Artistic work under the act include:
Recently Indian Immunological Ltd (IIL) in
• a painting, a sculpture, a drawing (including a collaboration with Griffith University has developed a
diagram, map, chart or plan), an engraving or a live-attenuated needle-free intranasal booster vaccine
photograph, whether or not any such work targeting SARS-CoV-2.
possesses artistic quality;
About:
• a 'work of architecture;
• Intranasal Vaccines – These are vaccines that
• any other work of artistic craftsmanship. are administered through nasal pathways.
After the author's death, the copyright ownership transfers Features of Intranasal Vaccine- The nasal route has
to their legal heirs. excellent potential for vaccination due to the
• The heirs can then decide how the work is used, organized immune systems of the nasal mucosa.
including assigning the copyright to others. • Non-invasive, Needle-free.
• The Tamil Nadu government has a scheme through • Ease of administration – does not require
the Tamil Virtual Academy to collaborate with legal trained health care workers.
heirs and have them assign the copyrights of specific
works to the state government. • Elimination of needle-associated risks (injuries
and infections).
• This "nationalisation" of copyrights means the works
will be released into the public domain under a • High compliance.
Creative Commons license.
• Scalable manufacturing – able to meet global
Nationalisation allows anyone to freely copy, modify, demand.
distribute and use the works, even for commercial purposes,
IIL’s Vaccine - It is a live-attenuated booster vaccine
without needing permission.
that utilises codon deoptimization technology.
• The Tamil Nadu government has already
• Codon deoptimization technology – This
nationalised the works of 179 Tamil scholars this
method involves modifying the virus in such a
way, paying royalties to the heirs.
way that it mimics a natural infection without
causing harm.
Features - It involves decreasing the frequency of

underrepresented codon pairs (genetic determinants
for amino acids) without changing the amino acid
sequences.
Features - It involves decreasing the frequency of What is the Legal Admissibility of a Polygraph Test?
underrepresented codon pairs (genetic determinants for
amino acids) without changing the amino acid sequences. Violation of Article 20(3): Polygraph, narco-analysis,
and brain mapping tests conducted without the
• It is an efficient virus attenuation strategy, where the accused's consent violate Article 20(3) of the Indian
degree of attenuation can be regulated as required. Constitution, which protects the right against self-
• It is extremely safe and takes less time than the incrimination.
conventional way of attenuating viruses which
• This article ensures that no person accused of
usually takes several years.
an offence is compelled to be a witness
against themselves.
3. Polygraph Test Necessity of Consent: As these tests involve the
accused providing potentially self-incriminating
Context:
information, obtaining their consent is mandatory to
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently conducted avoid breaching constitutional rights.
a second round of polygraph tests on seven people, in
connection with the rape and murder of a resident doctor at Judicial and Human Rights Concerns: The use of narco-
the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. analysis and similar tests raises significant concerns
about judicial integrity and human rights, particularly
About Polygraph Test (Lie Detector Test):
regarding individual rights and freedoms.
• Polygraph Test: A procedure that measures and
Criticism from Courts: Courts have often criticised
records physiological indicators like blood pressure,
these tests as they can constitute mental torture,
pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a
person answers questions. violating the right to life and privacy guaranteed under
Article 21 of the Constitution.
• Assumption: The test is based on the idea that
physiological responses during lying differ from those
during truthful responses.
4. Drug repurposing
• Evaluation: Responses are numerically scored to
Context:
determine if the person is telling the truth, deceiving,
or uncertain. Researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in
Different From Narco-Analysis Test: Science and Technology (IASST) have found the
repurpose potential of an antidepressant drug for
• A narco-analysis test involves injecting sodium cancer management.
pentothal into the accused, inducing a hypnotic or
sedated state that supposedly neutralises their About:
imagination.
• Drug Repurposing – It is the technique of using
• In this state, the individual is considered incapable an existing drug or drug candidate for a new
of lying and is expected to reveal truthful treatment or medical condition for which it
information. was not indicated before.
• It is also known as drug repositioning or drug

reprofiling.
• Drug repurposing bypasses the pre-clinical

work and facilitate targeted treatment.
• Application – Pharmaceutical companies are

undertaking drug repurposing projects for rare
diseases, oncology, infectious and autoimmune
diseases and more.
• Benefits - Fasten the drug discovery process and find • The Indian government aims to promote the
quicker solutions. manufacturing of technology-agnostic ACCs
within the country, aligning with its
• Helps in quickly identify compounds with an commitment to fostering innovation and self-
established safety profile and known therapeutic reliance in the renewable energy sector.
advantages.
• The scheme envisages setting up of a
• It is particularly useful where traditional drug cumulative ACC manufacturing capacity of fifty
development is not cost-effective. (50) GWh for ACCs and an additional
cumulative capacity of (5) GWh for Niche ACC
Technologies.
• The manufacturing facility as proposed by the
beneficiary firm would have to be
commissioned within a period of 2 years.
• The subsidy will be disbursed thereafter over a
period of 5 years.
• The beneficiary has to ensure achieving a

domestic value addition of at-least 25% and
incur the mandatory investment (₹ 225 crore
/GWh) within 2 Years (at the Mother Unit Level)
and raise it to 60% domestic value addition
within 5 Years, either at Mother Unit, in-case of
an Integrated Unit, or at the Project Level, in-
5. Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage
case of “Hub & Spoke” structure.
Context:
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Heavy Industries.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has selected Reliance
Industries Ltd. as the successful bidder under the Production
Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell 6. Gold nuggets
(ACC) Battery Storage.
Context:
About:
A study explored why gold nuggets accumulate in
• These are the new generation technologies that can orogenic quartz veins found in mountainous areas.
store electric energy either as electrochemical or as
chemical energy and convert it back to electric energy Gold nuggets in orogenic quartz veins:
as and when required. • Gold Nugget Formation- Most nuggets
• ACC battery storage technology is primarily used in originate from the quartz veins formed in
applications like electric vehicles (EVs), grid energy orogenic gold systems found around the
storage systems, portable electronic devices, and for world.
storing energy from renewable sources such as solar • Orogenic refers to mountain formation driven
and wind. by tectonic plate convergence and
• While industrial machinery can use batteries, ACC deformation.
technology is generally not applied for continuous Quartz and Piezoelectric Effect- Quartz, a piezoelectric
large-scale machinery operation. crystal, develops a voltage when squeezed or
PLI scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cells: mechanically distorted.
• The scheme is called the National Programme on • Piezo catalytic chemical reactions -
Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage. Piezoelectric field distorts the electronic
properties of the crystal.

• It makes the charged particles, like electrons, flow What is the National Blockchain Framework?
from the crystal to an aqueous solution on its surface
• The National Blockchain Framework (NBF) has
or vice versa.
been initiated with the vision of creating
• This drives electrochemical reactions at the material- reliable digital platforms.
solution interface and causes gold to be deposited • The NBF is built on a distributed infrastructure
from the solution to the slabs’ surface. and includes key components such as
Distributed Infrastructure, Core Framework
• Earthquake - Seismic activity can repeatedly
Functionality, Smart Contracts & API Gateway,
squeeze quartz crystals, leading to piezo catalytic and Security, Privacy & Interoperability.
reactions and the gradual accumulation of gold in
quartz veins. • The framework currently supports two
permissioned blockchain platforms and is
• Over time, this process results in large gold nuggets. designed to be extensible.
7. Vishvasya-Blockchain Technology Stack. 8. BPaLM regimen
Context: Context:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology The Union Health Ministry approved the introduction
(MeitY) launched a series of blockchain-based solutions of a new treatment regimen (BPaLM regimen) for
including Vishvasya-Blockchain Technology Stack. multi-drug- resistant tuberculosis in India.
About: About:
Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) MDR-TB:
• Vishvasya-Blockchain Technology Stack is designed
It occurs when Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the
to offer Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) with a
bacteria that cause TB, become resistant to at least
geographically distributed setup to support a range isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most potent TB drugs.
of permissioned blockchain applications.
Genetic predisposition is a genetic trait that, in
• The stack is hosted across NIC Data Centers in response to environmental factors, may influence the
Bhubaneswar, Pune, and Hyderabad, ensuring potential phenotypic development of an individual
robust and scalable service delivery. organism within a species or community.
• The government also introduced the NBFLite- • Antibiotic resistance is unrelated to the
Lightweight Blockchain Platform and Praamaanik, a genetic tendency of a small minority of
blockchain-enabled solution for verifying the origin of persons in a society.
mobile apps. The rise of bacterial strains that are resistant to
antibiotics could be caused by the improper usage of
• The Government also unveiled a suite of
antibiotic FDCs.
applications of the Vishvasya BaaS.
Use of ineffective formulations of drugs (such as use of
o e-Stamps Solution, Judiciary Application, IPS single drugs, poor quality medicines or bad storage
officers service level training record conditions).
management, Forensic Application
o Praamaanik – verification of mobile app Premature treatment interruption can cause drug
authenticity resistance, which can then be transmitted, especially
in crowded settings such as prisons and hospitals.
o Consent Management Framework,
o IoT Device Security Management, Using the antibiotics in livestock farming increases, the
o Cotton bale identification and tracking, antibiotic multidrug resistance transfers in microbial
o Domicile Certificate Chain and pathogens.
o document Chain (Caste Certificate chain etc)

9. Agni Missile 10. Helium
Context: About Helium:
India successfully test-fired Agni-4, an Intermediate Range • It is an inert gas and does not react with other
Ballistic Missile, from the Integrated Test Range in substances or combust.
Chandipur off the Odisha coast.
• Its atomic number is 2, making it the second
About Agni Missile: lightest element after hydrogen.
• The Agni missiles are a series of medium to • Helium also has a very low boiling point (-
intercontinental-range ballistic missiles developed 268.9° C), allowing it to remain a gas even in
by India under its Integrated Guided Missile super-cold environments.
Development Programme (IGMDP).
• The gas is non-toxic, but cannot be breathed on
• After its success, the Agni missile program was its own, because it displaces the oxygen
separated from the IGMDP upon realising its strategic humans need for respiration.
importance.
How is it used in Rockets?
• Cruise missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds
throughout their flights, while ballistic missiles are • Helium is used to pressurize fuel tanks,
rocket-powered only in the initial phase, after which ensuring fuel flows to the rocket’s engines
they follow an arcing trajectory to the target. without interruption; and for cooling systems.
Variants of Agni Missiles: • As fuel and oxidiser are burned in the rocket’s
engines, helium fills the resulting empty space
• Agni I: It is a Medium Range Ballistic Missile with a in the tanks, maintaining the overall pressure
Range of 700-800 km. inside.
• Agni II: It is also a Medium Range Ballistic Missile with • Because it is non-reactive, it can safely mingle
a Range more than 2000 km. with the tanks’ residual contents.
• Agni III: It is also an Inter-Medium Range Ballistic Is it prone to leaks?
Missile with Range of more than 2,500 Km
• Helium’s small atomic size and low molecular
Agni IV: It is also an Inter-Medium Range Ballistic Missile with weight mean its atoms can escape through
Range is more than 3,500 km and can fire from a road mobile small gaps or seals in storage tanks and fuel
launcher. systems.
• It is a two-stage solid propellant missile. • But because there is very little helium in the
Earth’s atmosphere, leaks can be easily
• Agni-V: Currently it is the longest of the Agni series,
detected - making the gas important for
an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a
spotting potential faults in a rocket or
range of over 5,000 km.
spacecraft’s fuel systems.
11. NIDHI Programme
Context:
Recently, the union Minister of Science and

Technology virtually inaugurated 8 new NIDHI i-TBIs
across India along with a new DST-NIDHI Website at
IIT Delhi celebrating 8 years of Department of Science
and Technology’s initiative (DST-NIDHI).

About NIDHI Programme: 12. Earth’s third energy field - Polar Wind
• The National Initiative for Developing and Context:

Harnessing innovations (NIDHI) program was
NASA scientists have detected and measured Earth's
launched in 2016.
3rd energy field using a suborbital rocket as part of the
• It is an umbrella programme conceived and Endurance Mission.
developed by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Earth’s third energy field - Polar Wind:
division, Department of Science & Technology.
• Ambipolar Electric Field – It is a weak, planet-
• Aim: To nurture start-ups through scouting,
wide electric field, counteracts gravity and
supporting and scaling innovations.
ejects particles into space as fundamental as
• Key stakeholders: Various departments and Earth’s gravity and magnetic fields.
ministries of the central government, state
• Although the field is weak, it is significant to
governments, academic and R & D institutions,
Earth as it counters gravity and lifts the skies
mentors, financial institutions, angel investors,
up.
venture capitalists and private sectors.
• Any planet with an atmosphere should have
• Funding: It is funded by the National Science &
an ambipolar field.
Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board
(NSTEDB). • Scientists theorized this electric field should
begin at around 250 kilometres altitude,
Key Components of the Program:
where atoms in our atmosphere break apart
• The NIDHI- PRAYAS (Promoting and Accelerating into negatively charged electrons and
Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups) positively charged ions.
program at Proof-of-Concept level provides
• This electric field is bidirectional, or
mentoring and financial support to innovator for
“ambipolar,” because it works in both
converting their ideas into prototypes.
directions.
• NIDHI Entrepreneurs-In-Residence (EIR) Program
• Ions pull the electrons down with them as they
provides fellowships to the students opting for
sink with gravity.
entrepreneurship.
• At the same time, electrons lift ions to greater
• The NIDHI Seed Support Program provisions
heights as they attempt to escape to space.
availability of early-stage seed support funding to
startups and the NIDHI Accelerator program speeds • The net effect of the ambipolar field is to
up the investment readiness of the startups. extend the height of the atmosphere, lifting
some ions high enough to escape with the
• The NIDHI program has been helpful in creating state-
polar wind.
of-the art infrastructure for incubating startups in
technology sectors through Technology Business • First hypothesized more than 60 years ago, the
Incubators (TBIs) and Centres of Excellence (CoE). ambipolar electric field is a key driver of the
“polar wind,” a steady outflow of charged
• NIDHI Accelerator: An accelerator is typically a 3-6
particles into space that occurs above Earth’s
months fast track structured program helping ideas
poles.
get accelerated to the next orbit.
• Polar wind – It was strangely made up of
particles moving at supersonic speeds even
though they remained cold, contrary to
expectations.

• Hydrogen ions, which are in abundance in the polar • This effect enabled the researchers to see blood
wind, are pushed into space by an electric field that vessels, internal organs, and muscle
is 10.06 times stronger than gravity. contractions in real-time.
• It was found to push hydrogen ions into space and Potential Applications:
increase the ionosphere's density by 271%, which
• This technique could simplify blood draws,
helps maintain its density at higher altitudes.
improve laser tattoo removal, and aid in early
• The field acts like a conveyor belt which lifts the cancer detection.
atmospheric particles into space.
14. Nebula
13. Yellow Food Dye
Context:
Context:
NASA recently captivated space enthusiasts with a
Recently, a recent study has demonstrated that tartrazine, breathtaking image of the Red Spider Nebula.
a common food dye, can make the skin of living mice
About Nebula:
temporarily transparent.
• A nebula is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space.
About Yellow Food Dye:
• Some nebulae (more than one nebula) come
• It is also known as tartrazine and is a synthetic food
from the gas and dust thrown out by the
colorant classified as an azo dye.
explosion of a dying star, such as a supernova.
• It is lemon yellow in colour and water soluble.
• Other nebulae are regions where new stars are
• It is used in many dairy products, beverages, desserts beginning to form. For this reason, some nebulae
and confectioneries etc. are called "star nurseries."
Highlight of the study: How do stars form in a nebula?
• This dye absorbs blue light strongly, which yields its • Nebulae are made of dust and gases—mostly
characteristic orange-to-red colour when dissolved hydrogen and helium.
in water.
• The dust and gases in a nebula are very spread
• This happens because the blue part of the light is out, but gravity can slowly begin to pull
absorbed, leaving only the orange-to-red part together clumps of dust and gas.
visible.
• As these clumps get bigger and bigger, their
• Normally, biological tissues scatter light due to their gravity gets stronger and stronger.
diverse composition of proteins, fats, and liquids.
• Eventually, the clump of dust and gas gets so big
• Researchers found that a concentrated tartrazine that it collapses from its own gravity.
solution can match the refractive indices of these
• The collapse causes the material at the centre
components, reducing light scattering and allowing
of the cloud to heat up-and this hot core is the
light to pass through. This makes the skin appear
beginning of a star.
transparent.
Nebulae exist in the space between the stars—also
• When applied, tartrazine absorbs certain
known as interstellar space.
wavelengths of light, especially red light, changing
how light interacts with the tissue. The closest known nebula to Earth is called the Helix
Nebula. It is approximately 700 light-years away from
Earth.

Nebulas come in many shapes and sizes
Pageand
| 51 can be
further divided into several subcategories, including
planetary nebulas, supernova remnants, dark nebulas,
and emission nebulas.
Nebulas come in many shapes and sizes and can be further 16. Neuromorphic Computing Technology
divided into several subcategories, including planetary
nebulas, supernova remnants, dark nebulas, and emission Context:
nebulas. Scientists at the IISc, Bengaluru, are reporting a
Red Spider Nebula: momentous breakthrough in neuromorphic, or brain-
inspired, computing technology that could potentially
• It is a planetary nebula located 3,000 light-years from allow India to play in the global AI race.
Earth and can be found in the constellation of
Sagittarius. About Neuromorphic Computing Technology:
• It harbours one of the hottest stars known, which • It is also known as neuromorphic engineering,
heats the gas around it to form shockwaves 62 billion is an approach to computing that mimics the
miles (100 billion km) high. way the human brain works.
• It entails designing hardware and software

15. Polaris Dawn that simulate the neural and synaptic
structures and functions of the brain to
Context:
process information.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida, carrying
How does it Work?
American billionaire Jared Isaacman and three others into
orbit to attempt the world’s first private spacewalk. • It is modelled in neuromorphic computing
About: systems through spiking neural networks
(SNNs).
• Polaris Dawn is set to be the first privately-funded
mission to conduct a spacewalk, aiming to reach an • A spiking neural network is a type of artificial
altitude of about 700 kilometres above Earth, the neural network composed of spiking neurons
highest altitude for a human space mission to date. and synapses.
• This 700km altitude will surpass the current record • These spiking neurons store and process data
held by NASA’s Gemini 11 mission in 1966. similar to biological neurons, with each
• The Polaris Dawn Mission will involve orbiting neuron having its own charge, delay and
through the Van Allen Belts. threshold values.
Van Allen Belts: • Synapses create pathways between neurons

and also have delay and weight values
• The Van Allen Belts are two zones of charged associated with them.
particles that surround Earth, held in the
magnetosphere. Benefits
• The Van Allen Belts are zones of charged particles, • Adaptability: Neuromorphic devices are
primarily electrons and protons, that are trapped by designed for real-time learning, continuously
Earth's magnetic field. They are critical in protecting adapting to evolving stimuli in the form of
the planet from solar and cosmic radiation, inputs and parameters.
influencing space weather and satellite operations.
• Parallel processing: As SNN’s asynchronous
• These Van Allen Belts are dangerous for humans
nature, individual neurons can perform
because they contain high levels of radiation that can
different operations concurrently. So
pose significant health risks to astronauts.
neuromorphic devices can execute as many
tasks as there are neurons at a given time.

17. Chamran-1 Research Satellite • It weighs around 170 kg and uses solid
propellant. With a maximum speed of Mach
Context:
4.5, the weapon system can reach an altitude
Iran has successfully launched its research satellite, of 16 km.
Chamran-1, into space recently.
• During the mid-course flight, the missile uses
About Chamran-1 Research Satellite: a fibre-optic gyroscope-based inertial
guidance mechanism while the terminal
It is an Iranian research satellite designed and manufactured
phase uses active radar homing.
by Iranian engineers at Iran Electronics Industries (SAIran), a
defence ministry subsidiary, in collaboration with the • It is designed for neutralising various airborne
Aerospace Research Institute and several private firms. threats at close ranges, including aircraft,
helicopters, drones, and incoming missiles.
It was put into orbit at an altitude of 550 kilometres (341
miles) above the Earth’s surface onboard a homegrown
Ghaem-100 space launch vehicle (SLV).
19. Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas
• The Ghaem-100 rocket, which carried the latest
Context:
satellite, is manufactured by the Aerospace Force of
the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Recently, the Indian National Centre for Ocean
Information Services (INCOIS) has announced the
• It is Iran’s first three-stage solid-fuel satellite
development of an ‘Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas’ of
launcher.
the Indian EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).
Weighing approximately 60 kilograms, the primary mission of
About Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas:
the Chamran-1 is to test hardware and software systems for
orbital manoeuvre technology validation. • It showcases the vast potential of ocean
energy resources encompassing marine
The satellite also has secondary tasks, including assessing the
meteorological (solar and wind) and
performance of cold gas propulsion subsystems in space
hydrological (wave, tide, currents, ocean
systems, and performance evaluation of navigation and
thermal, and salinity gradients) energy forms.
attitude control subsystems.
• It identifies areas with high potential for
energy generation and will serve as a
18. Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile reference for policymakers, industry and
researchers for harnessing the rich energy
Context:
resources available in the Indian EEZ.
India successfully test-fired the Vertical Launch Short Range
• INCOIS prepared the annual, monthly, and daily
Surface to Air Missile (VLSRSAM) from the Integrated Test
energy estimates of ocean energy components
Range (ITR) at Chandipur on the Odisha coast.
following standard methods that can be
About: visualised through a WebGIS interface at 5 km
grid resolution.
• It is a ship-borne weapon system designed to
neutralize various aerial threats at close ranges, Key facts about the INCOIS
including sea-skimming targets.
• It was established as an autonomous body in
• It is equipped with advanced guidance systems and 1999 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences
cutting-edge technologies that provide enhanced (MoES) and is a unit of the Earth System
agility and precision in targeting. Science Organization (ESSO).

• Mandate: To provide the best possible ocean 21. Circumnutation
information and advisory services to society, industry,
Context:
government agencies, and the scientific community
through sustained ocean observations and constant The study reveals the role circumnutations could play
improvements through systematic and focussed in plant growth patterns.
research.
• In this study, researchers found that
Activities: sunflowers grown in a dense row naturally
formed a near-perfect zigzag pattern, with
• It provides round-the-clock monitoring and warning
each plant leaning away from the row in
services for the coastal population on tsunamis,
alternating directions.
storm surges, high waves, etc. through the in-house
Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC). About Circumnutation:
• It provides daily advisories to fisher folk to help them • It refers to the slow, repetitive, and often
easily locate areas of abundant fish in the ocean. spiral movement observed in the growing tips
of plants, such as shoots, tendrils, and roots.
• Short-term (3-7 days) Ocean State Forecasts (waves,
currents, sea surface temperature, etc.) are issued • This movement is caused by differential
daily to fisher folk, the shipping industry, the oil and growth rates in different parts of the plant,
natural gas industry, the Navy, the Coast Guard, etc. particularly in the apical meristem, leading to
a helical or circular motion.
Examples:
20. Bhartiya Antriksh Station
• Tendrils of climbing plants exhibit
Context:
circumnutation to locate and coil around
The union cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri supports.
Narendra Modi has approved the building of the first unit of
• Roots may use circumnutation to navigate
the Bhartiya Antriksh Station by extending the scope of
through soil, finding the best path for growth.
Gaganyaan program.
About Bhartiya Antriksh Station (BAS):

22. TRISHNA Mission
• Under Revised Gaganyaan Programme, ISRO will
undertake four missions under ongoing Gaganyaan Context:
Programme by 2026 and development of BAS-1 &
four missions for demonstration & validation of Recently, the President of the French Space Agency,
various technologies for BAS by December, 2028. Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), in an event
spoke on a wide range of topics from celebrating 60
• The BAS will orbit the Earth in low earth orbit at a years of French-India space cooperation to the
height of about 400 kilometres and astronauts will Gaganyaan and the TRISHNA missions.
be able to stay there for 3–6 months.
About TRISHNA Mission:
• The BAS is being constructed in phases by the Indian
• The Thermal Infrared Imaging Satellite for
Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment
• The first module is expected to launch in 2028, and (TRISHNA) mission is a collaborative endeavor
the creation of an operational Bharatiya Antariksh between the Indian Space Research
Station by 2035. Organisation (Isro) and the French Space
Agency CNES.

Objectives: 23. Kleptoparasitism
• It is engineered to deliver high spatial and Context:
temporal resolution observations of Earth's
surface temperature, vegetation health, and water Researchers suggest that kleptoparasitism, or food
cycle dynamics. theft, among seabirds could be a transmission pathway
for the H5N1 avian influenza virus, potentially
• It will also help in a comprehensive assessment of explaining its rapid global spread.
urban heat islands, detection of thermal anomalies
linked to volcanic activity and geothermal About Kleptoparasitism:
resources, and precise monitoring of snow-melt
runoff and glacier dynamics. • The term kleptoparasitism was introduced to
describe the theft of food previously collected or
• The mission will also provide valuable data on processed by some other individual.
aerosol optical depth, atmospheric water vapor, and
cloud cover. • It is a form of feeding where one animal takes
prey from another that has caught, killed, or
Payloads: TRISHNA satellite is equipped with two primary
otherwise prepared, including stored food (as in
payloads.
the case of cuckoo bees, which lay their eggs on
• The Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) Payload: It is provided the pollen masses made by other bees).
by CNES, features a four-channel long-wave infrared
imaging sensor capable of high-resolution surface • Kleptoparasitism is also the 'stealing' nest
temperature and emissivity mapping. material or other inanimate objects from one
animal by another.
• The Visible - Near Infra-Red – Short Wave Infra-Red
(VNIR-SWIR) payload: It is developed by ISRO, • Kleptoparasitism occurs in several groups of
includes seven spectral bands designed for detailed animals, such as birds, insects, and mammals,
mapping of surface reflectance of VSWIR bands for and is considered a form of social parasitism.
generating important biophysical and radiation
budget variables. • The kleptoparasite benefits from the efforts of
other animals to obtain food, without
• The variables retrieved from the combination of expending energy in searching for and
payload data would help in solving surface energy
capturing these resources for itself.
balance to estimate surface heat fluxes.
• Kleptoparasitism may be intraspecific, where
The satellite will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit at an
altitude of 761 km, with a local time of 12:30 PM at the the parasite is the same species as the victim,
equator. or interspecific, where the parasite is a different
species.
This orbit will provide a spatial resolution of 57 meters for
land and coastal areas and 1 km for oceanic and polar • In the latter case, the parasites are commonly
regions. The mission is designed for a 5-year operational life. close relatives of the organisms they parasitize
("Emery's Rule").
24. Europa Clipper Mission
Context:
NASA is set to launch the Europa Clipper mission,

aiming to explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa.
About Europa Clipper Mission:
• It is a NASA mission to study Jupiter's icy moon

Europa.
R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle • The mission will place a spacecraft
 9346882593 Page | 55in orbit
around Jupiter in order to perform a detailed
investigation of Europa.
• The mission will place a spacecraft in orbit Fission is the process of splitting the nuclei of uranium
around Jupiter in order to perform a detailed atoms to release neutrons that in turn split more atoms,
investigation of Europa. releasing more neutrons.
• The first NASA spacecraft dedicated to studying • Fission produces a great deal of energy in the
an ocean world beyond Earth, Europa Clipper form of very high heat and radiation.
aims to find out if the ice-encased moon Europa
could be habitable. • That’s why reactors are housed in structures
sealed under thick metal-reinforced concrete
• Europa shows strong evidence for an ocean of
domes.
liquid water beneath its icy crust.
• Power plants harness this energy and heat to
• The spacecraft extends 100 feet (30.5 meters)
from one end to the other and about 58 feet (17.6 produce steam to drive generators that produce
meters) across. electricity.
• It is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever Criticality means that a reactor is controlling a sustained
developed for a planetary mission. fission chain reaction, where each fission event releases
a sufficient number of neutrons to maintain an ongoing
• Europa Clipper will orbit Jupiter and conduct 49 series of reactions.
close flybys of the moon to gather data needed to
determine whether there are places below its • This is the normal state of nuclear power
thick frozen crust that could support life. generation.
• The spacecraft carries nine science instruments • Fuel rods inside a nuclear reactor are producing
and a gravity experiment that uses the and losing a constant number of neutrons, and
telecommunications system. the nuclear energy system is stable.
• In order to obtain the best science during each
• Nuclear power technicians have procedures in
flyby, all the science instruments will operate
place, some of them automated, in case a
simultaneously on every pass. Scientists will then
layer the data together to paint a full picture of situation arises in which more or fewer neutrons
the moon. are produced and lost.
• The spacecraft has large solar arrays to collect Controlling Criticality:

enough light for its power needs as it operates in
• When a reactor is starting up, the number of
the Jupiter system.
neutrons is increased slowly in a controlled
manner.
25. Criticality in a Nuclear Reactor • Neutron-absorbing control rods in the reactor
Context: core are used to calibrate neutron production.
India's third home-built 700 MWe nuclear power reactor • The control rods are made from neutron-
has achieved criticality and is expected to start absorbing elements such as cadmium, boron, or
commercial electricity generation soon. hafnium.
About Criticality in a Nuclear Reactor: • The deeper the rods are lowered into the
reactor core, the more neutrons the rods absorb
• Nuclear reactors use uranium fuel rods—long,
and the less fission occurs.
slender, zirconium metal tubes containing pellets
of fissionable material to create energy through • Technicians pull up or lower down the control
fission. rods into the reactor core depending on whether
more or less fission, neutron production, and
power are desired.

• Should a malfunction occur, technicians can Key facts about 2024 PT5
remotely plunge control rods into the reactor core
• It is an Apollo-class NEO, which follows an
to quickly soak up neutrons and shut down the
orbit similar to that of previous mini moons
nuclear reaction.
like 2022 NX1.
What Is Supercriticality?
• The asteroid was discovered with the help of
• At start-up, the nuclear reactor is briefly put into a the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact
state that produces more neutrons than are lost. Last Alert System (ATLAS).
• This condition is called the supercritical state, • It is estimated to be just 33 feet long and is
which allows the neutron population to increase too small to be visible to the naked eye or
and more power to be produced. through typical amateur telescopes.
• When the desired power production is reached, • It is within the brightness range of telescopes
adjustments are made to place the reactor into the used by professional astronomers.
critical state that sustains neutron balance and
power production.
27. Pheromones
About Pheromone:
26. Mini Moons
• Pheromones are chemical substances which
Context:
are secreted on the outside by an individual,
According to a new study, the Earth’s gravitational field will and received by another individual of the
temporarily capture a small asteroid named 2024 PT5 same species.
which will behave as a ‘mini moon’.
• These are present in all bodily secretions, and
About: especially in the axillary sweat — can be
detected by the olfactory system.
• Mini-moons are asteroids that fail to escape Earth’s
gravity and end up orbiting the planet for some • Pheromones are ecto-hormones, meaning
time. they are secreted outside the body.
• They are usually very small and hard to detect — Types of Pheromones
only four mini-moons of Earth have ever been
discovered, and none are still orbiting Earth. • Releaser pheromones: They work right away
and elicit a specific response from the other
• These events are relatively frequent, with similar person.
occurrences happening every few decades.
• Signaller pheromones: They give information
How does Earth capture Mini Moons? about the person who releases them. For
example, they help a mother tell her own
• Mini moons are captured from the Near-Earth
baby apart from other babies.
Object (NEO) population, which consists of
asteroids and other celestial bodies that pass close • Modulator pheromones: They affect mood
to Earth. and emotions.
• NASA classifies any space object that comes within • Primer pheromones affect hormones, for
120 million miles (190 million kilometres) of our example during pregnancy or menstrual
planet as a near-Earth object, while objects within cycles.
4.7 million miles (7.5 million kilometres) are
considered potentially hazardous.

Animals, with their heightened senses and vomeronasal • It was developed by Bellatrix Aerospace, a
organ are known to secrete pheromones to trigger many Bengaluru-based space startup.
kinds of behaviours like raising an alarm, signalling a food
trail, warning another animal to back off, and bonding with • Traditionally, satellites have been deployed in
an offspring. orbits at altitudes well above 450 km.
Pheromones are also used by some fungi, slime Molds, and • This altitude choice has been influenced by
algae as attractants in reproduction; organisms of various considerations, such as the desire to
complementary reproductive cell types grow or move minimise the impact of atmospheric
toward each other. interference on satellite operations.
• Though it is known that a satellite’s capabilities

28. Radio Noise improve significantly at 200 km, limitations on
Context: propulsion technology have prevented
satellites from operating at this orbit.
As per a study in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics Elon
Musk’s Starlink satellites are creating radio noise. Project 200 is a technology demonstration mission to
qualify a new unconventional satellite powered by an
About: innovative propulsion system (developed in-house) at
around 200 km.
Radio noise from satellites refers to unwanted radio
frequency signals and interference generated by satellites in • Bellatrix Aerospace stated that their cutting-
orbit. edge propulsion technology enables satellites
to maintain 200 km orbits for years, rather than
• This noise can affect various communication and
deorbiting in a few days.
observational systems, especially in the field of
radio astronomy. According to Bellatrix, at 200 km, a satellite’s
capability would improve significantly since the
• Radio astronomy uses supersensitive antennas to
communication latency is reduced by half and image
detect faint radio signals emitted by stars, black
resolution is improved by three times.
holes and other objects in the universe.
• The cost of the satellite is also less when
SpaceX’s new Starlink satellites produce 32 times more radio
compared to spacecraft placed in 450 km
noise than their predecessors, causing concerns among
orbits.
astronomers about their interference with radio astronomy
observations.
30. Quad Cancer Moonshot Initiative
• Starlink “constellation” comprises more than 6,300
working satellites orbiting Earth at an altitude of Context:
around 550 km.
Recently, the Quad grouping took a ground breaking
• These satellites deliver high-speed internet to places cancer initiative called the Quad Cancer Moonshot
which otherwise would not have access to it. Initiative.
29. Project 200
Context:
Bengaluru-based space startup Bellatrix Aerospace recently

unveiled Project 200 on the inaugural day of the Bengaluru
Space Expo 2024.
About Project 200:

• It is an innovative satellite designed to operate at an
Ultra-Low Earth Orbit (180 km-250 km).
Quad Cancer Moonshot Initiative: • Within the complete set of DNA in a cell (the
• It was launched by the QUAD countries (India, genome), all of the modifications that regulate
United States, Australia and Japan). the activity (expression) of the genes is known
as the epigenome.
• It is aimed at implementing innovative strategies to
prevent, detect, treat and alleviate the impact of • Because epigenetic changes help determine
cancer on patients and their families. whether genes are turned on or off, they
influence the production of proteins in cells.
• It will focus on expanding cervical cancer screening;
increasing vaccinations against the human • This regulation helps ensure that each cell
papillomavirus, or HPV, a common sexually produces only proteins that are necessary for
transmitted infection that is the primary cause of its function. For example, proteins that
cervical cancer; and treating patients. promote bone growth are not produced in
muscle cells.
India’s contribution:
• India will, additionally, offer technical assistance to • Patterns of epigenetic modification vary among
interested countries in the Indo-Pacific region on individuals, in different tissues within an
DPI for cancer screening, care and continuum individual, and even in different cells within a
through its US $10 million contribution to WHO’s- tissue.
Global Initiative on Digital Health.
• Environmental influences, such as a person’s
• India commits to providing HPV sampling kits, diet and exposure to pollutants, can impact the
detection tools and cervical cancer vaccines worth epigenome.
$7.5 million to the Indo-Pacific region.
• Epigenetic modifications can be maintained
• India is working on an AI based treatment protocol from cell to cell as cells divide and, in some
for the disease. cases, can be inherited through the
generations.
• India will provide support for radiotherapy
treatment and capacity building for cancer • Errors in the epigenetic process, such as
prevention in the Indo-Pacific. modification of the wrong gene or failure to
add a chemical group to a particular gene or
32. Epigenetics histone, can lead to abnormal gene activity or
inactivity.
Context:
• Altered gene activity, including that caused by
Epigenetics plays a critical role in human health by
epigenetic errors, is a common cause of genetic
regulating gene expression without the direct modification
disorders.
of DNA sequence.
• Conditions such as cancers, metabolic
About Epigenetics:
disorders, and degenerative disorders have
• Epigenetics is the study of how cells control gene been found to be related to epigenetic errors.
activity without changing the DNA sequence.
• "Epi-"means on or above in Greek, and "epigenetic"

describes factors beyond the genetic code.
• Epigenetic changes are modifications to DNA that

regulate whether genes are turned on or off.
• These Epigenetic modifications are attached to

DNA and do not change the sequence of DNA
building blocks.

33. Infrasound • The CTBTO’s International Monitoring System
(IMS) is building the only global infrasound
Context:
network, with 60 array stations planned across
The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is 35 countries.
hosting a workshop for scientists focused on infrasound
• Each array consists of several elements, a
research and its operational capabilities in global and
meteorological station, a processing facility, and
regional networks.
a communication system for data transmission.
What is Infrasound?
• The CTBTO workshop aims to enhance
• Infrasound refers to low-frequency sound waves, understanding of infrasound, with the goal of
which are the opposite of ultrasound (high- making it as common in usage as ultrasound.
frequency sound waves).
• These waves can be generated by natural

34. FLOPs in computing
phenomena like meteors, storms, auroras,
volcanoes, earthquakes, and nuclear explosions. Context:
• Historical Observation: The first recorded infrasound Prime Minister virtually launched three Param Rudra
observation occurred after the 1883 Krakatoa Super Computing Systems and a High-Performance
volcano eruption, where the waves circled the globe Computing (HPC) system (Named ‘Arka’ and ‘Arunika,)
and caused widespread damage. for weather and climate research.
Applications: Infrasound can be used to check the structural FLOPs in computing:

health of buildings, dams, bridges, and aerospace
• FLOPs, or Floating-Point Operations per
applications like rocket stress detection and aircraft
Second, is a commonly used metric to measure
instability.
the computational performance – processing
• It is also used in mining to check mine shaft integrity power and efficiency – especially in the field of
and for wildlife tracking, such as monitoring whale high-performance computing (HPC) and
movements. artificial intelligence (AI).
• Infrasonic waves cause minute changes in • Floating-point operations are a certain kind of
atmospheric pressure, which can be measured by mathematical calculation using real numbers
micro barometers. with fractional parts.
• These waves travel long distances without losing Unit of Computing Speed:
energy, making them useful for detecting distant
• Teraflops → It is a unit of computing speed equal
nuclear explosions.
to 1 trillion (10^12) FLOPS.
Health Concerns: There are concerns about unknown effects
• Petaflops → It is a unit of computing speed equal
of infrasound on human health, though this remains a topic
to 1000 TFLOPS (10^15).
of ongoing debate.
About CTBTO’s Mandate: • Exaflops → It is a unit of computing speed equal

to one billion (10^18) FLOPS.
• The CTBTO’s main goal is to get more countries,
including India, to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-
35. Spiral Galaxy
Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Context:
• The organization shares its monitoring technologies,
including infrasound, with industries. NASA Hubble Space Telescope recently shared a
stunning video of a spiral galaxy known as Caldwell 45,
or NGC 5248.
About Spiral Galaxy: 36. LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ)
• Spiral galaxies are twisted collections of stars and Context:

gas that often have beautiful shapes and are made
Experiments similar to LZ — such as XENON-nT in Italy,
up of hot, young stars.
PandaX-4T in China, and dozens of others around the
• In a spiral galaxy, the stars, gas, and dust are world — have been turning up empty-handed for
gathered in spiral arms that spread outward from decades now despite heroic efforts.
the galaxy's centre.
• LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) is a highly sensitive
• Most of the galaxies that scientists have discovered experiment to detect dark matter in the
so far are spiral galaxies, as opposed to the other universe.
two main categories of galaxy shapes—elliptical
• Dark matter is made up of particles that do not
and irregular.
have a charge — which means they do not
• Approximately 60% of all galaxies are thought to be interact through electromagnetic interactions.
spiral galaxies.
• Characteristics: These are particles that are
• The Milky Way, the galaxy that includes Earth and “dark”, namely because they do not emit light,
our solar system, is an example of a spiral galaxy. which is an electromagnetic phenomenon, and
“matter” because they possess mass like
Structure: normal matter and hence interact through
• Most spiral galaxies contain a central bulge gravity.
surrounded by a flat, rotating disk of stars.
• The bulge in the centre is made up of older, dimmer 37. Thermobaric Weapons
stars and is thought to contain a supermassive
black hole. Context:
• Approximately two-thirds of spiral galaxies also Russia’s use of ODAB-1500 thermobaric weapons in
contain a bar structure through their centre, as does Ukraine has drawn significant attention due to their
the Milky Way. devastating effects.
• The disk of stars orbiting the bulge separates into What Are Thermobaric Weapons?
arms that circle the galaxy. • Thermobaric weapons, also known as
• These spiral arms contain a wealth of gas and dust “vacuum bombs” or “enhanced blast
and younger stars that shine brightly before their weapons,” rely on the atmosphere’s oxygen to
quick demise. fuel their explosive power.
The majority of spiral galaxies rotate in the sense that the • Unlike conventional explosives that contain
arms trail the direction of the spin. both fuel and oxidizer, thermobaric bombs
release a fuel cloud, which, when ignited,
The visible portion of spiral galaxies contains only a small causes a high-temperature explosion.
fraction of the total mass of the galaxy, and that spiral
galaxies are surrounded by an extensive halo consisting • This explosion generates a blast wave of
mostly of dark matter. immense pressure, followed by a rapid
vacuum effect as the oxygen in the vicinity is
Spiral galaxies are thought to evolve into elliptical galaxies consumed.
as the spirals get older.
• In 2001, the United States deployed these
weapons to target al-Qaeda forces hiding in the
caves of the Tora Bora mountains.

Impact:
• The combination of overpressure and vacuum

makes these weapons destructive in enclosed
spaces such as bunkers, buildings, and tunnels.
• The shockwave produced by thermobaric bombs can

destroy structures, while the blast’s pressure
differential causes catastrophic damage to the
human body, including rupturing organs and lungs.
• There are no international laws specifically banning

their use, but if a country uses them to target civilian
populations in built-up areas, schools or hospitals,
then it could be convicted of a war crime under the
Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907.


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1. Colombo Security Conclave 2. Munich Agreement
Context: Context:
Member states of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) On September 1st, 1939 German troops marched into
recently signed the Charter and the MoU for the Poland, triggering the beginning of World War II, that
establishment of the CSC Secretariat in Colombo. exposed to the world the folly of the Munich
Agreement that was signed less than a year previously.
About Colombo Security Conclave (CSC):
Regions Located in
• It is a regional security grouping comprising India,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Mauritius. 1. Sudentenland Czech Republic
• The CSC’s core objective is to promote regional 2. Yamal Region Russia

security by addressing transnational threats and
3. Kursk Russia
challenges of common concern to the Member
States. 4. Cabo Delgado Mozambique
Origin:
• The CSC, initially known as the Trilateral for Maritime About the Munich Agreement
Security Cooperation, evolved out of trilateral • On September 29-30, 1938, in Munich, an
meetings between National Security Advisors (NSAs) agreement was reached—one that would have
and Deputy NSAs from India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, far-reaching consequences for Europe and the
starting in 2011. world.
• It came to a standstill after 2014 due to rising • It emerged against the backdrop of rising
tensions between India and the Maldives. tensions in Europe.
• Since its revival and re-branding as the CSC in 2020, • Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, had set
Mauritius and more recently, Bangladesh were his sights on the Sudetenland—a region in
added as members of the grouping. Czechoslovakia with a significant German-
• Current members of CSC include India, Bangladesh, speaking population.
Maldives, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka, while the • The Sudeten Germans, who found themselves
Seychelles is an observer nation. part of Czechoslovakia after the collapse of the
• CSC brings together NSAs and Deputy NSAs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World
member countries. War I, yearned to be part of a ‘Greater
Germany’.
Cooperation under the conclave focuses on five pillars:
• The Munich Agreement allowed for the German
• maritime safety and security annexation of the Sudetenland, where over
• countering terrorism and radicalisation three million ethnic Germans lived.
• combating trafficking and transnational organised
crime
• cyber-security and protection of critical
infrastructure
• humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Permanent secretariat: Colombo

3. India & UAE 4. Africa Group
Context: Context:
During the recent Indian visit of Sheikh Khalid bin The African Group considers public stock holding as a
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu crucial food security tool for sustaining production
Dhabi In a first, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and consumption support to meet critical food
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for civil security objectives and is seeking a permanent
nuclear cooperation. solution for the problem at the WTO separate from
the agriculture negotiations.
More about the news:
About Africa Group:
• The deal between the Nuclear Power Corporation of
India Limited (NPCIL) and the ENEC (Emirates Nuclear • The Member States in the United Nations
Energy Company)-led Barakah Nuclear Power Plant General Assembly are divided into various
Operations and Maintenance took place. geographical groupings. These are the
groupings through which elections are
• During the August 2015 visit of Prime Minister conducted into various UN bodies and
Narendra Modi to the UAE, both countries had agencies.
agreed to cooperate in “peaceful use of nuclear
energy”, including in areas of “safety, health, • The Africa Group at the United Nations is
agriculture, and science and technology.” made up of the 54 African Union Member
States at the United Nations.
Alongside the nuclear cooperation MoU, several other key
agreements were signed between India and the UAE. These • The bloc coordinates its efforts on various
include: topics, ranging from health and migration to
issues of peace and security.
• Long-Term LNG Supply: An MoU between Abu Dhabi
National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Indian Oil • Africa is allocated 3 non-permanent members
Corporation Limited for long-term LNG supply. of the Security Council, 14 members on
ECOSOC, 13 Members on the Human Rights
• Strategic Petroleum Reserve: An agreement Council and the President of the General
between ADNOC and India Strategic Petroleum Assembly in years ending 4 and 9.
Reserve Limited (ISPRL).
• The group holds regular meetings to receive
• Production Concession Agreement: Urja Bharat and briefings from guests and UN officials and
ADNOC signed an agreement for Abu Dhabi Onshore discuss UN resolutions and topics so a
Block 1. common African position can be reached.
• Food Parks Development: An MoU between the • The group is chaired by an Ambassador from a
Government of Gujarat and Abu Dhabi Member State, with the position rotating
Developmental Holding Company PJSC (ADQ) for the monthly.
development of food parks in India, seen as an
extension of the I2U2 grouping that includes Israel • The African Union Observer Mission serves as
and the United States. a coordinating secretariat for the group by
arranging meetings, supporting the Chair, and
generally providing logistical and
administrative assistance where necessary.

5. BRICS 6. Quad summit
Context: Context:
Turkey has formally applied to join BRICS. The Quad summit in Wilmington also serves as a
prelude to the inaugural Summit of the Future, which
About:
aims to reshape global governance by addressing
BRICS: The BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) leaders first critical issues such as sustainable development,
met in St. Petersburg, Russia, in July 2006 during the G8 international peace and security, technological
Outreach Summit. innovation, and the welfare of future generations.
• The group was formalized as BRIC during the 1st BRIC About:
Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in September 2006, held
• The United Nations Summit of the Future,
alongside the UN General Assembly in New York City.
scheduled for 2024, aims to address pressing
• The inaugural BRIC summit was held in global challenges and reshape international
Yekaterinburg, Russia, on June 16, 2009. governance frameworks to better meet future
needs.
Reason for Turkey’s Joining: Frustrated by its stalled
European Union (EU) accession process, Turkey sees BRICS as • Central to the Summit is the development of
an opportunity to form stronger ties with emerging global the Pact for the Future, a new global
powers like Russia, China, and India. This could help Turkey framework designed to foster sustainable
reduce its dependency on Western alliances and diversify its development, address climate change, and
international partnerships. enhance global cooperation.
• By joining the group, Turkey hopes to access new • The 'New Global Deal' under discussion at the
markets, boost trade relations, and attract Summit of the Future seeks to Address
investments from BRICS members, which could help inequalities and overhaul global governance.
strengthen its economy.
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is
Expansion to BRICS: The group was renamed BRICS after closely aligned with the goals of the United
South Africa joined as a full member in September 2010. Nations Summit of the Future.
• South Africa attended the 3rd BRICS Summit in

Sanya, China, on April 14, 2011.
7. United Nations Security Council
• In January 2024, five new countries—Iran, Saudi
Context:
Arabia, Egypt, UAE, and Ethiopia—were added to
the bloc. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted
a “Pact for the Future”. One of the most notable
aspects of the pact is that it calls for the expansion of
the UNSC, to make the body more representative of the
21st century.
About United Nations Security Council:
The United Nations Security Council, established under

the UN Charter in 1945, constitutes one of the UN’s six
principal organs.
• First Session: It held its first session on 17th

January 1946 in Westminster, London.
• Headquarters: New York City

• Mandate: It has primary responsibility, under the 8. Minerals Security Finance Network
UN Charter, for the maintenance of international
Context:
peace and security.
India has officially joined the US-led Minerals
• Members: Comprising 15 members, it includes 5
Security Finance Network, an initiative aimed at
permanent members (P5) and 10 non-permanent
strengthening global cooperation in securing critical
members elected for two-year terms.
mineral supply chains.
• Permanent members: They are the United States,
About Minerals Security Finance Network:
Russian Federation, France, China, and the United
Kingdom. • India has officially joined the US-led Minerals
Security Finance Network, an initiative aimed
10 non-permanent Members: Seats are distributed on a
at strengthening global cooperation in
regional basis:
securing critical mineral supply chains.
• Five for African and Asian States
• The Minerals Security Finance Network aims
• One for Eastern European States to bring together institutions from the Indo-
Pacific region and Europe, promoting
• Two for the Latin American and Caribbean States cooperation, information exchange, and co-
• Two for Western European and other States financing.
Election of Non-Permanent Members: The partnership includes 13 countries which are:
• Each year the Members of UNGA elects five non- • United States of America, Australia, Canada,
permanent members for a two-year term at the Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, India,
UNSC, with five replaced each year. Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Norway,
Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the
• To be approved, a candidate must receive at least European Union (represented by the
two-thirds of all votes cast for that seat, which can European Commission).
result in deadlock if there are two roughly evenly
matched candidates.
• A retiring member is not eligible for immediate re-

election.


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ART AND CULTURE
1. Thanjavur Veena 2. The Great Stupa of Sanchi
Context: Context:
Thanjavur Veena is the first musical instrument in the Recently, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
country to get the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. stopped by the replica of the East Gate of Sanchi’s
Great Stupa standing in front of Humboldt Forum
About Thanjavur Veena:
Museum in Berlin.
• The Thanjavur veena is an Indian instrument and
About The Great Stupa of Sanchi:
has an interesting construction.
Historical Importance:
• They are of two types viz. the "Ekantha Veena" and
"Sada Veena'. • The Great Stupa of Sanchi is one of the oldest
stone monuments in India.
• Ekantha Veena" is carved from a single block of
wood, while Sada Veena,' has joints and is carved in • It was built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd
three sections namely resonator, neck and head. century BCE.
• The veena has 24 fixed frets (Mettu), so that all ragas • It contains sacred relics of the Buddha and is
can be played. part of a group of Buddhist temples and
stupas.
• It is made of fresh bark from a Jack Fruit Tree. The
tree bark is forced to undergo several rounds of The Sanchi complex was “discovered” by British
testing before being finalized for usage. officer Henry Taylor in 1818.
• The work involves making the resonator (kudam), Alexander Cunningham, who later founded the ASI,
the neck (dandi) and a tuning box — the three led the first formal survey and excavations at Sanchi in
integral parts of a veena. 1851.
• It takes up to 15-20 days to get the finished product. The site was restored to its present condition by ASI
The wood gets cut, intricately carved, shaped, and director-general John Marshall in the 1910s with
assembled. funding from the Sultan Jahan Begum of Bhopal.
Types
• There are four types of veena. While Rudra veena 3. Sri Vijaya Puram
and Vichitra veena are popular in Hindustani
Context:
classical music, Saraswati veena and Chitra veena
are used in Carnatic classical music. The Indian government has decided to rename Port
Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as Sri
Thanjavur is the only place where Saraswati veena is made.
Vijaya Puram to remove colonial imprints and
Saraswathi, the goddess of learning and arts, is portrayed
honour the islands’ role in India’s freedom struggle.
with a veena.
About:
• Port Blair is the capital of Andaman and

Nicobar Islands.
• It was originally named after Archibald Blair,

a British naval surveyor who explored the
area in the late 18th century.

Historical linkages: Blair initially named the natural harbour Literary works:
Port Cornwallis before it was renamed Port Blair.
• The Life Divine, which deals with the
• The East India Company (EIC) used the islands as a philosophical aspect of Integral Yoga.
penal colony and strategic base.
• Synthesis of Yoga, which deals with the
• Port Blair was established as a penal colony after principles and methods of Integral Yoga.
the Revolt of 1857, with a significant cellular jail
• Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol, an epic poem.
(Kaala Paani) built in 1906 housing freedom fighters
like Veer Damodar Savarkar.
Chola Expeditions: The Cholas were one of the longest ruling 4. Oeko-Tex Certification
Tamil dynasties of southern India.
Context:
• They reigned approximately from the 9th to the 13th
century. The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms
Development Corporation (NEHHDC) has recently
• A prominent king of the dynasty, Rajendra Chola, received the Oeko-Tex Certification for its Eri Silk.
maintained the Nicobar Islands as a naval base to
About:
launch attacks on the Srivijaya kingdom based on
the Sumatra islands of present-day Indonesia. • The Oeko-Tex certification is a rigorous
standard that ensures textiles are tested for
• This naval expedition was a unique event in Indian
history and its legacy of peaceful relations with harmful substances and produced in
environment friendly conditions.
Southeast Asia.
• In 1014 AD and 1042 AD, the southern islands of this • Oeko-Tex Certification is provided by the
archipelago were used as a strategic naval base by OEKO-TEX organisation.
the Chola Dynasty • OEKO-TEX consists of independent textile and
Importance: The islands, once a Chola naval base and the leather testing institutes located in Europe and
site of key events like the first Tiranga unfurling by Netaji Japan.
Subhash Chandra Bose and the imprisonment of freedom • The institutes work together to develop test
fighters in the cellular jail, are now seen as crucial for India’s methods and define limit values that form the
strategic and developmental goals. basis of OEKO-TEX standards.
• The testing institutes carry out accredited

testing processes.
• These institutes are active in research and

development and are committed to innovation
in the textile and leather industries.
• They conduct both laboratory tests and

company audits in accordance with global
OEKO-TEX guidelines.
The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms

Development Corporation (NEHHDC) has successfully
obtained the prestigious Oeko-Tex certification for its
Eri Silk.

• NEHHDC works under the aegis of the Ministry of • Language: Their language, Irula, is related to
Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). Tamil and Kannada, which are southern
Dravidian languages.
Significance of Oeko-Tex Certification:
Religious Beliefs:
• This achievement further cements the silk's status
as a Geographical Indication (GI) product of Assam, • The Irula people don’t have a definite god for
highlighting its authenticity and regional them. They are pantheists who make provision
importance. for the presence of spirits in humans and
objects.
• This certification marks a pivotal step in bringing Eri
Silk closer to penetrating the global export market, • Their main deity is a virgin goddess called
expanding its reach, and establishing a strong Kanniamma, who is deeply associated with the
international presence. cobra.
Eri silk – Is one of the most durable and strong fibres. It is Irula houses are built together in small settlements or
cooling in the summer and warming in the winter. villages called mottas. The mottas are usually situated
on the edges of steep hills and are surrounded by a few
• Eri Silk, celebrated as the world’s only vegan silk,
dry fields, gardens, and forests or plantations.
distinguishes itself through an ethical production
process where the silk moth is allowed to naturally Traditionally, they have been skilled hunters, gatherers,
emerge from its cocoon, leaving the silk intact. and honey collectors, relying on the forest for their
sustenance and livelihood.
• This compassionate method sets Eri Silk apart from
other from other silks, aligning with growing global They are specialists in traditional herbal medicine and
demands for sustainable and eco-friendly textiles. healing practices.
• It is mostly found in tribal areas of Assam. Irulas' knowledge of snakes and snake venom is
legendary. Their expertise is often sought after in snake
rescue and rehabilitation projects.
5. Irula Tribe The Irula Snake Catchers' Industrial Cooperative
Context: Society is a major producer of anti-snake venom (ASV)
in the country. It supplies almost 80 percent of the
The Irula Snake Catchers' Industrial Cooperative Society, a venom that goes into making anti-venom in India.
cooperative society of Irula tribals located on Chennai's
outskirts, is facing an uncertain future. They use traditional knowledge and skills to catch
snakes, extract venom, and release the snakes back
Tribe Associated State into the wild without harming them.
1. Sahariya Tribe Madhya Pradesh
2. Konyak Tribe Nagaland
3. Saora Tribe Odisha 6. Adi Shankara
4. Irula Tribe Tamil Nadu
About Irula Tribe: • Recently, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chauhan unveiled the 108-foot-
• Irulas are one of India’s oldest indigenous tall ‘Statue of Oneness’ of Adi
communities. Shankaracharya at Omkareshwar, Madhya
Pradesh.
• They are a particularly vulnerable tribal group
(PVTG). • Adi Shankara, who is believed to have lived
between 788 and 820 A.D. was born in
• They live primarily in the northern districts of
Kerela’s Kaladi, situated on the bank of the
Tamil Nadu, as well as in parts of Kerala and
Periyar River.
Karnataka.
R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle • He studied under his guru Govinda
 9346882593 Page | 69
Bhagavatpada and soon became a proponent
of Advaita Vedanta, challenging prevailing
philosophical traditions – including Buddhism
• He studied under his guru Govinda Bhagavatpada
and soon became a proponent of Advaita Vedanta,
challenging prevailing philosophical traditions –
including Buddhism and Jainism.
7. Koodiyattom
Context:
Cholliyattom is an informal platform for the younger

generation of Koodiyattom artists in Kerala following
different styles to collaborate and to keep alive various
Koodiyattom traditions and styles.
About Koodiyattom:
• It is one of the oldest traditional theatre forms of

Kerala and is based on Sanskrit theatre traditions.
• The prefix “kuti” in Malayalam language primarily

means “combined” or “together”, and “attam”
means “acting”: therefore, the word “kutiyattam or
Koodiyattam” means “combined acting.”
• The characters of this theatre form are: Chakyaar

or actor, Naambiyaar, the instrumentalists and
Naangyaar, those taking on women's roles.
• In its stylized and codified theatrical language,

neta abhinaya (eye expression) and hasta abhinaya
(the language of gestures) are prominent.
• Pakarnattam is an aspect of Kutiyattam that involves

embodying and emoting male and female roles.
Switching between the masculine and feminine and
interpreting multiple roles at the same time is
considered a challenging skill within the repertoire.
• Temple theatres called Kuttambalams are

permanent theatre structures attached to some of
the major temples of Kerala.
• A striking feature of Kutiyattam is that it treats

single Acts from Sanskrit plays as full-fledged
plays. It bases its performance not on the full text
of a Sanskrit play, but on the individual acts from
Sanskrit plays.
• It was recognized as a UNESCO Masterpiece of the

Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001.


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2 CA May 2024 01-09-2024
5 CA August 2024 13-10-2024
6 CA September 2024 27-10-2024

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MISCELLANEOUS
1. Exercise Varuna Key facts about P-8I aircraft:
Context: • P-8I is a long-range, multi-mission maritime
patrol aircraft being manufactured by Boeing
Recently, a P8I aircraft of the Indian Navy has reached
for the Indian Navy.
France to participate in ‘Exercise Varuna’ with the French
Navy. • It replaced the aging fleet of the Indian Navy’s
Tupolev Tu-142 aircraft.
Exercise Associated Type of
Country Exercise
1. Varuna Ex France Naval 2. Silicon Carbide
2. AUSINDEX Australia Naval Context:
3. Cope India US Air Recently, the Odisha Chief Minister graced the
ground-breaking ceremony of India's first silicon
4. Eastern Bridge Oman Air
carbide manufacturing facility to be set up in Odisha
at an investment of Rs 620 crore.
About Exercise Varuna: About Silicon Carbide:
• It is the bilateral Naval Exercise between India and • It was discovered by the American inventor
France. Edward G. Acheson in 1891.
• This bilateral exercise between the two navies was • Its chemical formula is SiC and it is the most
initiated in 1993. widely used non-oxide ceramic.
• It was named ‘VARUNA’ in 2001 and has become a Properties
hallmark of India France strategic bilateral
relationship. • It is an exceedingly hard, synthetically
produced crystalline compound of silicon and
• The 2024 edition of Indo-French bilateral naval carbon.
‘Exercise Varuna’ scheduled in the Mediterranean
Sea. • In addition to hardness, silicon carbide crystals
have fracture characteristics that make them
• It includes advanced tactical exercises underscoring extremely useful in grinding wheels and in
the deepening synergy and interoperability abrasive paper and cloth products.
between the two navies.
• It has high thermal conductivity and high-
• The Indian Navy's P-8I aircraft, renowned for its temperature strength, low thermal
maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare expansion, and resistance to chemical
capabilities, will play a pivotal role in these exercises reaction which makes it valuable in the
and it joins the INS Tabar. manufacture of high-temperature bricks and
• The P-8I’s participation in Exercise Varuna reflects other refractories.
the growing sophistication and complexity of the • It is also classed as a semiconductor, having an
joint operations between the Indian and French electrical conductivity between that of metals
navies. and insulating materials.

• This property, in combination with its thermal 4. Anusandhan National Research Foundation
properties, makes SiC a promising substitute for
Context:
traditional semiconductors such as silicon in high-
temperature applications. Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened the first
meeting of the Governing Board of the Anusandhan
Applications
National Research Foundation (ANRF).
• It is used in refractory linings and heating elements
About:
for industrial furnaces, in wear-resistant parts for
pumps and rocket engines. • The ANRF has been established with the
Anusandhan National Research Foundation
• In semiconducting substrates for light-emitting
(ANRF) Act 2023 and as per recommendations
diodes.
of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• Its primary application is as an abrasive because of
• It will act as an apex body to provide high-level
its high hardness, which is surpassed only by
strategic direction of scientific research in the
diamond, cubic boron nitride, and boron carbide.
country.
• With the establishment of ANRF, the Science

3. Exercise AL NAJAH and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
established by an act of Parliament in 2008 has
About Exercise AL NAJAH: been subsumed into ANRF.
• It is a joint military exercise between India-Oman. The Governing Board of the ANRF:
• The exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 13th • It is headed by the Prime Minister of India to
to 26th September 2024 at Rabkoot Training Area in provide strategic direction to the Foundation
Salalah, Oman. and monitor the implementation.
• Exercise AL NAJAH has been held biennially since Other members of the Board are:
2015, alternating between India and Oman. Last
edition of the same exercise was conducted at • The Union Ministers of Science and Technology,
Mahajan in Rajasthan. Education as Vice Presidents,
• The Indian Army contingent comprising 60 personnel • The Principal Scientific Advisor as Member
is being represented by a Battalion of the Secretary, and
Mechanised Infantry Regiment.
• Secretaries to the Departments of Science and
• Aim of the Joint Exercise is to enhance joint military Technology, Biotechnology, and Scientific and
capability of both sides to undertake counter Industrial Research.
terrorism operations under Chapter VII of the United
Nations Charter. The exercise will focus on operations
in the Desert environment.
• Tactical drills to be rehearsed during the exercise

include Joint Planning, Cordon and Search Operation,
Fighting in Built Up Area, establishment of Mobile
Vehicle Check Post, Counter Drone and Room
Intervention, among others. Combined field training
exercises that simulate real-world counter-terrorism
missions have also been planned.

5. Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya 7. Chess Olympiad
Context: Context:
Engineers’ Day is observed on September 15 each year to India has bagged its first ever gold medal in both the
celebrate the birth anniversary of Mokshagundam men’s and the women’s team categories at the 45th
Visvesvaraya. Chess Olympiad in Budapest.
About Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (1861–1962): Chess Olympiad:
• He was a renowned Indian engineer, statesman, and • It is the world’s most prestigious team event
scholar. He played a pivotal role in modernizing for chess and India has been participating in
India’s infrastructure and is considered one of the the biennial event since 1956 and has played in
nation’s foremost engineers. every Olympiad since 1980.
• He developed a flood protection system for • Now with this win, India also became the third
Hyderabad and designed automatic water country to win gold in both men’s and women’s
floodgates at the Khadakwasla reservoir near Pune. categories in the same edition of Chess
Olympiad after Soviet Union and China.
• Established Bangalore Agricultural University,
University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, etc. Origin of Chess:
• He served as the Diwan (Prime Minister) of the • The history of chess in India can be traced back
princely state of Mysore from 1912 to 1918. to 1600 years ago during the Gupta dynasty.
• He was conferred ‘Knight Commander of the Order • It was called ‘chaturanga’ in earlier times.
of the Indian Empire’ by the British in 1915 and
• Chess, via India, reached many countries of the
conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian
world and became very popular.
award, in 1955.
• Today, chess is being used in schools as an
education tool for children.
6. Global Cybersecurity Index
Context:
8. Global Innovation Index
India has marked a significant milestone in its cybersecurity
efforts by achieving top Tier i.e. Tier 1 status in the Global Context:
Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024.
India has moved up to 39th place among 133 global
About Global Cybersecurity Index: economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024.
• It is a trusted reference that measures the About Global Innovation Index:
commitment of countries to cybersecurity at a
global level. • It is published by the World Intellectual
Property Organization.
• It is to raise awareness of the importance and
different dimensions of the issue. • It is a reliable tool for governments across the
world to assess the innovation-led social and
• Each country’s level of development or engagement economic changes in their respective countries
is assessed along five pillars namely, Legal Measures,
Technical Measures, Organizational Measures, Key Highlights of the Global Innovation Index 2024:
Capacity Development, and Cooperation – and then • India has been ranked first among 10 economies
aggregated into an overall score. in Central and Southern Asia, further
• It is published by the International emphasizing its regional dominance in
Telecommunication Union (ITU). innovation.

• India has also secured the 4th position in the World • Replaced by: The scheme has replaced the Self-
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Science Employment Scheme for the Rehabilitation of
and Technology (S&T) Cluster Ranking. Manual Scavengers (SRMS), which was started
in 2007.
• Major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and
Chennai are listed among the world's top 100 S&T • The scheme is to be implemented in all 4800+
clusters, which are hubs for research, development, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the country,
and technological advancements. during the three years up to 2025-26.
• India has achieved the 7th rank globally in intangible • It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Housing
asset intensity, which measures the strength of non- and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Social
physical assets like patents and trademarks, essential Justice & Empowerment.
for driving innovation.
Key points about the World Intellectual Property

Organisation:
• It works with the vision of encouraging creative

activity and promoting the protection of Intellectual
Property throughout the world.
• WIPO is one of the 15 specialised agencies of the

United Nations.
• Currently, there are 193 members of the World

Intellectual Property Organisation.
• Headquarter: Geneva.
9. NAMASTE SCHEME
Context:
Recently, the government has presented data on sewer and

septic tank workers (SSWs) in Parliament under the
NAMASTE programme by the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment.
NAMASTE SCHEME (National Action for Mechanised

Sanitation Ecosystem):
• Objective: To stop deaths of Sewers and Septic Tank
Workers (SSWs) and to promote mechanization of
cleaning operations with a vision to reduce
hazardous cleaning and ensure the safety of
sanitation workers.
• NAMASTE Scheme was launched in 2022 as a

Central Sector Scheme.


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September 2024

45+ Years Director’s Experience 35+ Years Institute’s History

TOPICS CHOSEN FROM

MAP BASED CURRENT AFFAIRS

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE BY

Current Affairs UPSC CSE

• Aligns with the CSE prelims exam pattern.

R. C. Reddy IAS Study

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593

3. GEOGRAPHY (Page 21)

4. ENVIRONMENT (Page 32)

5. SCIENCE & TECHNOGOLY (Page 45)

6. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (Page 63)

7. ART AND CULTURE (Page 67)

8. MISCELLANEOUS (Page 71)

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593

Constitution of the 23nd Law Commission

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 1

About Parliamentary committee:

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593

• Providing necessary terminology to the National

• It is functioning under the Department of Higher 8. Gram Nyayalayas

• Grant-in-Aid to Granth Academies, Textbook Boards

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 4

• Section 4 of the Act provides for the headquarters

• The Gram Nyayalaya shall not be bound by the

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 5

• It is also the nodal police agency in India that

• Ability to Exercise Control: The person must have

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 7

Current Affairs Test Series

6 CA September 2024 27-10-2024

8 CA November 2024 15-12-2024

Covers Latest MCQ Patterns 11 CA February 2025 16-03-2025

Early bird discount

WHATSAPP YOUR QUERIES TO

About Anti-Dumping Duty: • CVD is thus an import tax by the importing

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 8

• It can facilitate customer’s digitised financial and

• Funding Pattern: A Blended capital fund of ₹750 crore

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 9

• They have higher resistivity than conductors but a

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 10

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 11

• It has an advantage in terms of surface area to

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 12

14. Nidhi Companies

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 13

Context: • Objective: To advise the Government on

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 14

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 15

19. White Revolution 2.0 Impact on Indian economy:

Context: • India is a capital-scarce economy, and lower

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 16

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 17

• Rice production: Increased by 20.7 LT than the

25. Priority sector lending

Context: Silk Production in India:

R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle  9346882593 Page | 18