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1. MITRA SHAKTI- 2019 

 

• The seventh edition of Exercise MITRA SHAKTI- 2019 aimed at enhancing interoperability and operational efficiency amongst the armies of both India and Sri Lanka when deployed as part of United Nations peace keeping forces commenced on 01 December at Aundh Military Station, Pune.

 

2. Independent Director’s Databank

• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, with the objective of strengthening the institution of Independent Directors under the Companies Act
• the various e-learning capsules and videos available in the system will enable Individual users to easily acquire knowledge from diverse resources, develop distinct skills and assess their understanding on company operations, regulations and compliances

 

3. National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) 

    Why in news

• the Government has decided to set up a bench of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) at Chennai
• what uas NCLT
• National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) was constituted under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013 for hearing appeals against the orders of National Company Law Tribunal(s) (NCLT),
• Estd in 2016
• In NCLAT appeal can be filled for decision of NCLT,DRT ,IBBI.CCI

 

4. Azad Hind Fauj

• Founded on:21st October, 1943
• An important development in the struggle for freedom during the Second World Warwas the formation and activities of the Azad Hind Fauj, also known as the Indian National Army, or INA.
• Rash Behari Bose (supreme advisor), an Indian revolutionary who had escaped from India and had been living in Japan for many years, set up the Indian independence league with the support of Indians living in the countries of south-east Asia.
• When Japan defeated the British armies and occupied almost all the countries of south-East Asia, the league formed the Indian National Army from among the Indian prisoners of war with the aim of liberating India from the British rule.

5.     Tiger corridors in Country

Why in News

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India has published a document titled “Connecting Tiger Populations for Long-term Conservation”, which has mapped out 32 major corridors across the country,

Sl. No.	Landscape	Corridor	States/ Country
1.	Shivalik Hills & Gangetic Plains	Rajaji-Corbett	Uttarakhand
		(ii) Corbett-Dudhwa	Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal
		(iii) Dudhwa-Kishanpur-Katerniaghat	Uttar Pradesh, Nepal
2.	Central India & Eastern Ghats	(i) Ranthambhore-Kuno-Madhav	Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan
		(ii) Bandhavgarh-Achanakmar	Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
		(iii) Bandhavgarh-Sanjay Dubri-Guru Ghasidas	Madhya Pradesh
		(iv) Guru Ghasidas-Palamau-Lawalong	Chhattisgarh & Jharkhand
		(v) Kanha-Achanakmar	Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
		(vi) Kanha-Pench	Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
		(vii) Pench-Satpura-Melghat	Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
		(viii) Kanha-Navegaon Nagzira-Tadoba-Indravati	Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh
		(ix) Indravati-Udanti Sitanadi-Sunabeda	Chhattisgarh, Odisha
		(x) Similipal-Satkosia	Odisha
		(xi) Nagarjunasagar-Sri Venkateshwara National Park	Andhra Pradesh
3.	Western Ghats	(i) Sahyadri-Radhanagari-Goa	Maharashtra, Goa
		(ii) Dandeli Anshi-Shravathi Valley	Karnataka
		(iii) Kudremukh-Bhadra	Karnataka
		(iv) Nagarahole-Pusphagiri-Talakavery	Karnataka
		(v) Nagarahole-Bandipur-Mudumalai-Wayanad	Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
		(vi) Nagarahole-Mudumalai-Wayanad	Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
		(vii) Parambikulam-Eranikulam-Indira Gandhi	Kerala, Tamil Nadu
		(viii) Kalakad Mundanthurai-Periyar	Kerala, Tamil Nadu
4.	North East	(i) Kaziranga-Itanagar WLS	Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
		(ii) Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong	Assam
		(iii) Kaziranga-Nameri	Assam
		(iv) Kaziranga-Orang	Assam
		(v) Kaziranga-Papum Pane	Assam
		(vi) Manas-Buxa	Assam, West Bengal, Bhutan
		(vii) Pakke-Nameri-Sonai Rupai-Manas	Arunachal Pradesh, Assam
		(viii) Dibru Saikhowa-D’Ering-Mehaong	Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
		(ix) Kamlang-Kane-Tale Valley	Arunachal Pradesh
		(x) Buxa-Jaldapara	West Bengal

6. Beach & Blue Flag Certification

• Blue flag certification is issued for sustainable coastal activities by FEE(Foundation for Enviornment Education)
• Started in 1985 in France and since 2001 implimented in whole world
• 33 parameter certification.
• About FEE
• An enviornemntal NGO
• 13 pilot beaches that have been identified for the certification, in consultation with concerned coastal States/UTs, are Ghoghala Beach (Diu), Shivrajpur beach (Gujarat), Bhogave (Maharashtra), Padubidri and Kasarkod (Karnagaka), Kappad beach (Kerala), Kovalam beach (Tamil Nadu), Eden beach (Puducherry), Rushikonda beach (Andhra Pradesh), Miramar beach (Goa), Golden beach (Odisha), Radhanagar beach (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) and Bangaram beach (Lakshadweep).

7. FAME

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8. Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System” (PPRTMS) 

• the Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System is that the applicant (who is applying for party registration from 1st January, 2020 onwards) will be able to track the progress of his / her application and will get status update through SMS and email. 
• The Registration of Political Parties is governed by the provisions of section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951

9.     Ratna Status to CPSEs

 The criteria laid down by the Government for grant of Maharatna, Navratna and Miniratna status to Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)

Criteria for grant of Maharatna status to CPSEs

• The CPSEs meeting the following criteria are eligible to be considered for grant of Maharatna status.
• Having Navratna status
• Listed on Indian stock exchange with minimum prescribed public shareholding under SEBI regulations
• An average annual turnover of more than Rs. 25,000 crore during the last 3 years
• An average annual net worth of more than Rs. 15,000 crore during the last 3 years
• An average annual net profit after tax of more than Rs. 5,000 crore during the last 3 years
• Should have significant global presence/international operations.
• Miniratna Category-I status: – The CPSEs which have made profit in the last three years continuously, pre-tax profit is Rs.30 crores or more in at least one of the three years and have a positive net worth are eligible to be considered for grant of Miniratna-I status.
• Miniratna Category-II status: – The CPSEs which have made profit for the last three years continuously and have a positive net worth are eligible to be considered for grant of Miniratna-II status.
• Miniratna CPSEs should have not defaulted in the repayment of loans/interest payment on any loans due to the Government.
• Miniratna CPSEs shall not depend upon budgetary support or Government guarantees.

 

10. Parliament passed the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019

 

11. In 2016, India enacted and implemented the Equalisation Levy, which is a flat rate tax of 6% on the revenue derived by a non-resident MNE providing digital advertising services to Indian customers, without having a physical presence in India. The Levy is not a corporate income-tax and is not subject to any limitations under India’s tax treaties.

12.                     Neutrino Observatory in Tamil Nadu

• The India based Neutrino Observatory is being planned in the Theni district in Tamil Nadu.

Ø Neutrino

 

• The neutrino is also a tiny elementary particle, but it is not part of the atom. Such particles are also found to exist in nature.
• Neutrino has a very tiny mass and no charge. It interacts very weakly with other matter particles. So weakly that every second trillionsof neutrinos fall on us and pass through our bodies unnoticed.
• Neutrinos come from the sun (solar neutrinos) and other stars, cosmic rays that come from beyond the solar system, and from the Big Bang from which our Universe originated. They can also be produced in the lab.

 

13. Bharat Bond ETF:

• Bharat Bond ETF would be the first corporate Bond ETF in the country.
• Features of Bharat Bond ETF:
• ETF will be a basket of bonds issued by CPSE/CPSU/CPFI/any other Government organization Bonds (Initially, all AAA rated bonds)
• Tradable on exchange
• Small unit size Rs 1,000    
• Transparent NAV (Periodic live NAV during the day)
• Transparent Portfolio (Daily disclosure on website)
• Low cost (0.0005%)
• Each ETF will have a fixed maturity date
• he ETF will track the underlying Index on risk replication basis, i.e. matching Credit Quality and Average Maturity of the Index
• Will invest in a portfolio of bonds of CPSE, CPSU, CPFI or any other Government organizations that matures on or before the maturity date of the ETF
• As of now, it will have 2 maturity series – 3 and 10 years. Each series will have a separate index of the same maturity series.

 

14. Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA)

•  
• The Central Government shall establish a Fund to be called the Investor Education and Protection Fund (herein referred to as the Fund).
• The Fund shall be utilised for
• the refund in respect of unclaimed dividends, matured deposits, matured debentures, the application money due for refund and interest thereon;
• promotion of investorsҠeducation, awareness and protection;
• distribution of any disgorged amount among eligible and identifiable applicants for shares or debentures, shareholders, debenture-holders or depositors who have suffered losses due to wrong actions by any person, in accordance with the orders made by the Court which had ordered disgorgement;
• reimbursement of legal expenses incurred in pursuing class action suits under sections 37 and 245 by members, debenture-holders or depositors as may be sanctioned by the Tribunal;
• any other purpose incidental thereto, in accordance with such rules as may be prescribed:

15. The National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC) is the only Public Sector Undertaking under the administrative control of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The details of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects/activities of NSIC 

16. Green Express Way

• Expresswaysare the highest class of roads in the Indian road network. They are six or eight-lane controlled-access highways where entrance and exit is controlled by the use of slip roads. … Bharatmala Pariyojana will have all the new expressways developed as greenfield Eight-lane access-controlled expressways.

 

17. Haemoglobinopathies,

• Haemoglobinopathiesare a group of hereditary diseases that result as a consequence of defect(s) in the genes responsible for the synthesis of haemoglobin. Depending on the molecular defect, haemoglobinopathies may be classified as either thalassaemias or structural hemoglobin variants.

 

18. GOAL (Going Online as Leaders)

• GOAL (Going Online as Leaders) is a digitally-enabled mentorship initiative of Facebook for empowering tribal youth to become leaders for tomorrow in the respective fields.
• GOAL Project is stated to aim at identifying and mobilizing renowned people from industry (policy makers and influencers), known for their leadership skills or roles, to digitally empower and personally mentor tribal youth from tribal communities across multiple locations of India.
• NOTE: Ministry of Tribal Affairs was not associated with the pilot project implemented by the Facebook,

 

19.                     Minimum Indicative Export Quotas (MIEQ)

• the export quota for the sugar mills is fixed on the basis of their average production in the last two years and up to February of this marketing year.

 

20. The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) 

• a view to enhancing the ecological sustainability of India’s development path and address climate change in all regions of the country.
• NAPCC comprises, inter alia, of eight National Missions including National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system (NMSHE).

 

NMSHE

• NMSHE is aimed at evolving management measures for sustaining and safeguarding the Himalayan glaciers and mountain ecosystem. The mission includes enhanced monitoring of the Himalayan ecosystem through establishment of the monitoring network, promoting community based management, human resource development and strengthening regional cooperation.

 

21. Governance for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem”, (G-SHE),

• which has been shared with all the State Governments in the Himalayan region. 33 States and Union Territories including all Himalayan States have also prepared their respective State Action Plan on Climate Change to address the state-specific issues.

 

22. In India’s Constitution, Arms, firearms and explosives are in the Union List.

23.                     The Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019

• By Ministry:Chemicals and Fertilizers

24. Aureofungin, Kasugamycin, Validamycin and Streptomycin+ Tetracycline combination 

• antibiotics which are registered under the Insecticide Act 1968 for use as pesticides to combat certain fungal and bacterial diseases in plants.

 

25.                     The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019

26.                     Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019

Ø  impact

27.                     Export of Organic AGRI-Products

Ø  A product is allowed to be exported as organic productonly when accompanied by a Transaction Certificate issued by a Certification Body accredited by National Accreditation Body (NAB) for organic products under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) of the Department of Commerce. 

Ø  Organic products for export will be so certified only if produced, processed and packed as per the standards laid down in NPOP.

Ø  The Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)

ü  an autonomous organization under the administrative control of Department of Commerce,

ü  has been mandated with the export promotion of organic products. 

ü  India Organic’ brand through participation in international trade fairs and exhibitions, organizing Buyer-Seller Meets (BSMs), organizing capacity building and outreach programmes etc.

28.                     The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA

Ø  The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) was set up by an act of Parliament during 1972. 

Ø  MPEDA is given the mandate to promote the marine products industry with special reference to exports from the country.

Ø  the exports of “all varieties of fishery products known commercially as shrimp, prawn, lobster, crab, fish, shell-fish, other aquatic animals or plants or part thereof and any other products which the authority may, by notification in the Gazette of India, declare to be marine products for the purposes of (the) Act”

Ø  MPEDA’s focus is mainly on Market Promotion, Capture Fisheries, Culture Fisheries, Processing Infrastructure & Value addition, Quality Control, Research and Development.

29.                     The Paris Agreement and Article 6

• Under the Paris Agreement, Parties have agreed for the first time that all countries must push forward with legally binding climate change action. All countries are required to draw up national emission reduction targets – called nationally determined contributions (NDCs) – which they must regularly submit to the UNFCCC.
• The Parties have a legal obligation to develop their NDCs and implement measures in order to achieve them. There is, however, no legally binding requirement for the NDCs to actually be achieved. The binding nature of NDCs is to be achieved through the use of a global transparency mechanism,
• . Also, a global stocktake is conducted every five years to verify whether the international community is on the right path to stay below the 2 °C limit and achieve the 1.5 °C target

Ø  Direct bilateral cooperation (Art. 6.2)

• First, Parties can cooperate directly with one another (Article 6.2). This makes it possible for emission reduction measures to be implemented in one country and the resulting emission reductions to be transferred to another and counted towards its NDC.

Ø  New sustainable development mechanism (Art. 6.4)

• A second option involves the use of the newly created mechanism to contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse gases and support sustainable development(Article 6.4)

Ø  Non-market-based approaches (Art. 6.8)

• these non-market-based approaches are to work will be determined in the coming years with the development of a “framework for non-market-based approaches”.

 

30. Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA)

• a campaign for water conservation and water security

 

31. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)

• Aims at providing functional household tap connections to every rural household by 2024 
• Centrally sponsored scheam

32.                     GEM launches National Outreach Programme – GEM Samvaad

• Government e Marketplace (GeM) is the national public procurement portal offering end to end solutions for all procurement needs of Central and State Government Departments, PSUs, autonomous institutions and local bodies.
• GeM has more than 15 lakh products and around 20,000 services, more than 3 lakh registered sellers and service providers and more than 40,000 Government buyer organizations. In its short journey of three years, GeM has processed more than 28 lakh orders worth Rs. 40,000 crores in Gross Merchandise Value out of which 50% has been transacted by MSME

33.                     SANKALP-STRIVE

Ø   The main focus of the scheme is to improve the performance of ITIs. 

Ø  31 States have signed MoU i.e. Performance Based Funding Agreement (PBFA) To improve Teaching and Learning techniques, NSQF Trainings are being imparted to training officers, Principals and Instructors across the 36 States and UTs for NSQF.

Ø   NSQF

 

34.                     DRDO successfully flight-tests Pinaka Missile System

Ø  Multibarrel missile launching system

Ø  Developed by DRDO

Ø  Range of 75 km

Ø  Guided missile system using Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System IRNSS.

35.                     EChO Network: 

Ø A national program to provide a template for cross-disciplinary leadership in India with the specific focus of increasing research, knowledge, and awareness of Indian ecology and the environment.

Ø The Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India has brought together multiple stakeholders for this large social innovation partnership. This initiative will catalyze a new generation of Indians across industry, government, private, and academic sectors who can synthesize interdisciplinary concepts and tackle real-world problems in human and environmental ecosystems.

 

36. Hydrogen fuel cell car

• Why in news
• 
  Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan experienced the test drive of Hydrogen Fuel Cell based car manufactured by Toyota Kirloskar 
•  

 

 

 

Topic : Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes

       I.            Diversion of Tribal Land forDevelopment Projects

Ø For the land Land Acquisition and displacement of tribals with certain constitutional provision as follows

ü  Government has enacted the RFCTLARR Act, 2013. The purpose of the said Act is to ensure, in consultation with institutions of local self-government and Gram Sabhas established under the Constitution, a humane, participative, informed and transparent process for land acquisition with the least disturbance to the owners of the land and the other affected families and provide just and fair compensation to the affected families whose land has been acquired or proposed to be acquired.

ü  a National Level Monitoring Committee for Rehabilitation and Resettlement has been constituted in the DoLR 

ü  as per the RECTLARR act the provision of compensation provided and  element of rehabilitation and resettlement for all the affected families (both land owners and the families whose livelihood is primarily dependent on land acquired)  are provided in various schedules of act

ü  The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, also provides that the Gram Sabha or the Panchayats at the appropriate level shall be consulted before making the acquisition of land in the Scheduled Areas or development projects and before resettling or rehabilitating persons affected by such projects in the Scheduled Areas; the actual planning and implementation of the projects in the Scheduled Areas shall be coordinated at the State Level.

ü  Constitutional provisions under Schedule – V also provide for safeguards against displacement of tribal population because of land acquisitions etc. The Governor of the State which has scheduled Areas is empowered to prohibit or restrict transfer of land from tribals and regulate the allotment of land to members of the Scheduled Tribes in such case

    

 

 

 

GS PAPER III

 

    Topic : Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

a)     Para Military Forces now to use Khadi in Uniforms

Topic : Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources,  growth, development and employment

b)    Tax Exemptions to Startups

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GS PAPER IV

 

Some Terms/ Quotation

 

Places in news

 

1. Sweden 

• The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind received His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf and Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Swedenat Rashtrapati Bhavan 

Reports

1. The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate’ by  the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

• released in September 2019
• According to modeling studies, temperatures in the upper Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra basins are projected to increase between 1 to 2°C up until 2050, compared to the baseline period (1998– 2007). Under such conditions, the amount of glacier and snow meltwater will decrease, while the amount of rainfall-runoff will increase, for the upper basins of the Ganges and Brahmaputra. Overall, no significant decrease in runoff is projected until at least 2050 for all of the basins.

 

1. Global Innovation Index :  World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and Confederation of India (CII).

• India ranked 52nd; India became the first developing country to launch the Global Innovation Index (GII) in association with World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and Confederation of India (CII).

 

f)      ‘Good Governance Index’ launched on Good Governance Day –  25th Dec

• A tool to measure the good governance and government intervention
• 10sectors and 50 parameters are used for ranking weightage of indicators are different
• States are divided in 3 categories
• Bigger state
• North eastern and hilly state region
• Union territories

 Person in news

1. Barrister Madhusudan Das, Gopabandhu Das, Nilakantha Das, Godavarish Mishra and Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati,

 

        Why in news : Vice president remembered in news