SUNYA NOTES (June)

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INDEX
TOPIC Page Number
1) Environment 2
2) Schemes 11
3) International Relations 15
4) S&T 22
5) Polity and Governance 29
6) Economy 34
7) Defence 39
8) Health 41
9) Indices and Reports 46
10) Art and Culture 48
11) Miscellaneous 52

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1) ENVIRONMENT
Ø Himalayan Brown Bears = One of the largest carnivores in the highlands of the Himalayas +
Range: North-western and central Himalaya, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Tibetan
Autonomous Region of China and Bhutan + In India, this species exists in small isolated
populations in the fragmented alpine and subalpine habitats of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, and Uttarakhand + They are found above the timberline, between 3,000 and 5,500
meters (9,800 and 18,000 feet) above sea level + Critically endangered + Wildlife (Protection)
Act of 1972: Schedule I + CITES - Appendix I.
Ø Golden Jackal = The golden jackal, also known as the common jackal, is a medium-sized
wolf-like canid + They are small compared to their close relatives, wolves, and wild dogs +
They are widely distributed from North and East Africa to southeastern Europe and South Asia,
including Burma + They are quite widespread across India. Right from the Himalayan foothills,
down to the Western Ghats, the Golden Jackal has a wide distribution + IUCN: Least Concern
+ Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule II.
Ø Hyenas = Hyenas are doglike carnivores found in Asia and Africa and are noted for their
scavenging habits + There are three hyena species — spotted (Crocuta Crocuta), brown
(Arahyaena brunnea), and striped (Hyaena hyaena). Spotted hyenas are the largest of the three
+ Found in Forest edges, grasslands, savannas, sub-deserts, and even mountains + These
animals live throughout Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia + According to IUCN,
Spotted Hyena populations are of least concern. However, brown and striped hyenas are
classified as near threatened.
Ø Mexican Giant Turtle = also called the Red Eared Slider + Invasive turtle species + Native
Indian turtles face U.S. slider threat across Northeast + It derives its name from red stripes
around part where its ears would be and from its ability to slide quickly off any surface into
the water + Native to the U.S. and northern Mexico + these turtles can impact human health as
they may accumulate toxins in their tissues which pass on with the food chain upto humans +
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) releases the world’s 100 most invasive
species, and the Red-Eared Slider Turtle is included in this list + IUCN: Least Concern.
Ø White-Rumped Vulture = It is a medium-sized Old-World vulture + It is also known as Indian
White-backed Vulture or Oriental White-backed Vulture + Distribution: Pakistan, India,
Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and southern
Vietnam + Found mostly in plains and less frequently in hilly It can also be seen in villages
and cities near to cultivation + It is a typical, medium-sized vulture, with an unfeathered head
and neck, very broad wings, and short tail feathers + IUCN: Critically Endangered + Wildlife
Protection Act 1972: Schedule-1.
Ø Whale Shark = The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and the largest fish known to
have lived on this planet + They feed on plankton and travel large distances to find enough
food to sustain their huge size, and to reproduce + They are one of only three species of filter
feeding sharks + They can be found in all temperate and tropical oceans around the world,
except the Mediterranean Sea + IUCN: Endangered.
Ø Sea Lion = It is a marine mammal that belongs to the family Otariidae + These are known for
their semi-aquatic lifestyle, spending a significant amount of time both on land and in the water
+ They inhabit rocky shorelines, islands, and sandy beaches + They can be found in various
regions, including the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and parts of the Indian Ocean + Sea
lions are carnivorous and primarily feed on fish, such as herring, anchovies, sardines, and squid
+ Sea lions comprise a total of six extant species. Three sea lion species are endangered by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and one is endangered under the
United States' Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Ø Sal Tree = It is a large sub-deciduous tree which is seldom completely leafless + It is
indigenous to India and occurs in two main regions separated by Gangetic plain namely the
northern and central Indian regions + It requires well-drained, moist and sandy loam soil + It

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 survives upto a maximum temperature of 36°C to 44°C and minimum temperature of 11°C to
17°C and it needs an average rainfall of 1000 mm to 3500 mm per annum + The resin of this
tree is used in the indigenous system of medicine + The state of Odisha has a rich depository
of sal seeds accounting for 25 per cent of the country’s production. Other major Sal seeds
producing states include Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
Ø Mahua Tree = It is mainly cultivated or harvested in the wild in Southern Asia for its edible
flowers and oil seeds + It is commonly known as madhūka, madkam, mahuwa, Butter Tree,
mahua, mahwa, mohulo, Iluppai , Mee or vippa chettu + It is a frost resistant species that can
grow in marginal areas of dry tropical and subtropical forests up to an altitude of 1200-1800
m + It can be found scattered in pastures, in crop fields in central India, and on rivers banks in
semi-evergreen forests + It grows well where annual rainfall is between 500 mm to 1500 mm,
and where temperatures are in the range of 2-46°C + It requires loamy or sandy-loam soils
with good drainage and also occurs on shallow stony, clayey and calcareous soils.
Ø Sea Lettuce = Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) is commonly referred to as seaweed + It is a genus
of green algae usually found growing on rocky shores of seas and oceans around the world +
Some species of Sea lettuce also grow in brackish water rich in organic matter or sewage and
can accumulate heavy metals + It usually grows attached by a small discoid holdfast to rocks
and shells, but it can also grow in a free-floating, non-attached form, sometimes in prolific
masses + It needs a lot of sunlight to flourish + It is perennial, and grows all year, although the
largest blooms occur during the summer + Large masses of sea lettuce are often an indicator
of nutrient pollution in the water + In some parts of the world, people eat sea lettuce in soups
and salads + Researchers have recently discovered 20 new species of Sea lettuce along the
Baltic and Scandinavian coasts.
Ø Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt = It is a 5,000 mile-wide thicket of seaweed in the Atlantic
Ocean, and is the largest macroalgae bloom in the world + This floating habitat provides food
and protection for fishes, mammals, marine birds, crabs, and more + When the Sargassum
piling up on beaches and decomposes it releases hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas + Recently, A
new study revealed that the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt could become overrun with species
of Vibrio bacteria.
• Vibrio Bacteria = Vibrios are aquatic microorganisms + Some species of which cause
serious diseases in humans and other animals + Vibrios are microbiologically characterized
as gram-negative, highly motile, facultative anaerobes (not requiring oxygen) + People can
get infected by Vibrio by eating raw or uncooked seafood + Contact with an open wound
could cause necrotizing fasciitis, the flesh-eating bacteria infection. The infection can lead
to amputation or death.
Ø Mizoram Parachute Gecko = New Species discovered in Mizoram + It is species of gliding
geckos + The Mizoram parachute gecko, or Gekko mizoramensis, is one of the 14 geckos
known to take to the air + Unlike other gliding reptiles, which use the bone to form their flying
surfaces, these geckos have flaps of skin.
Ø Hasarius Mumbai = It is a newly discovered species of jumping spider + These are spiders
who, instead of trapping their prey in a web, stalk and hunt them by pouncing + It has multiple
eyes that give a 360-degree view of its surroundings and a bulbous body covered in hair + The
word ‘Hasarius’ refers to a genus that ranks the species — of ‘jumping spiders’ in the
‘salticidae’ family + In India, there are only two other Hasarius species which have been
documented, namely H. Adansoni, which is found across the country, including in urban areas,
and kjellerupi, which was documented from the Nicobar Islands.
Ø Protosterol Biota = These ancient organisms inhabited the underwater world over 1.6 billion
years ago and are the source of the evolution of life on Earth + It is the microscopic organism,
belongs to the family of organisms called eukaryotes. These are discovered inside a rock at the
bottom of the ocean near what is now the Northern Territory in Australia. They have a complex
structure combining mitochondria.

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 Ø Homo Naledi = Homo naledi is a previously-unknown species of extinct hominin + Fossil of
Homo Naledi were first discovered in the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system in
South Africa during an expedition led by Lee Berger beginning October 2013 +This excavation
remains the largest collection of a single hominin species that has been found in Africa + Where
Lived: South Africa + When Lived: 335,000 - 236,000 years ago + Homo naledi appears to
have lived near the same time as early ancestors of modern humans.
Ø Duck-billed Dinosaur = It is a species of herbivorous dinosaur previously unknown in the
southern hemisphere + These were slender-looking dinosaurs, which could easily adopt a
bipedal and quadrupedal posture to reach the vegetation at height and ground level + This type
of duck-billed dinosaur was common in North America, Asia and Europe during the Cretaceous
period + The Cretaceous Period, in geologic time, is the last of the three periods of the
Mesozoic Era. The Cretaceous began 145.0 million years ago and ended 66 million years ago.
It followed the Jurassic Period and was succeeded by the Paleogene Period.
Ø Pink Bollworm = It is one of the most destructive pests of cotton + Scientific name:
Pectinophora gossypiella + Originally native to India, it is now recorded in nearly all the
cotton-growing countries of the world.
Ø Depsang Plains and Demchok = Demchok is a village and military encampment in the Indian-
administered Demchok sector that is disputed between India and China. It is located in Eastern
Ladakh + The Depsang Plains represent a high-altitude gravelly plain at the northwest portion
of the disputed Aksai Chin region of Kashmir, divided into Indian and Chinese administered
portions across a Line of Actual Control. India controls the western portion of the plains as
part of Ladakh, whereas the eastern portion is controlled by China and claimed by India +
Since, Galwan clash of 2020, India and China have undertaken disengagement at Galwan,
north and south banks of Pangong Tso, Patrolling Point (PP) 17 and PP15. However, Depsang
Plains and Demchok, there are fundamental disagreements and hence remains the friction
points between the 2 countries [Mark on Map]
Ø Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) = which includes the Himalayas spanning across Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan + India Meteorological Department (IMD) will collaborate with
meteorological agencies in China and Pakistan, among others, to provide climate forecast
services to countries in the region + The Hindu-Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region is considered
the Third Pole [after the North and South Poles] + Recently, A report titled ‘Water, Ice, Society,
and Ecosystems (WISE)’ was recently released by International Centre for Integrated
Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
• ICIMOD = CIMOD is an intergovernmental knowledge and development organization
(established in 1983) that focuses on climate and environmental risks, green economies,
and sustainable action + Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar,
Nepal, and Pakistan are its members.
Ø Myristica Swamps = These are a type of freshwater swamp forest predominantly composed
of species of Myristica + In India these are mainly located in the Western Ghats states of
Karnataka State (Uttara Kannada district), in the southern parts of Kerala and in in Maharashtra
(Sindhudurga district) + Also, a smaller distribution exists in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
+ These swamps harbour endemic and endangered plant species which are valuable for their
medicinal properties + Myristica swamps are remnants of forest vegetation + Species of
Myristica has stilt roots/ knee roots to breathe.
Ø Gira Waterfall = It is a seasonal waterfall in the Western Ghats of India + Gujarat + It is a 75
ft fall that emerges from the Kapri Tributary and drops into the Ambika River + Ambika River
is a major westward flowing river that has a huge catchment area in two states, namely Gujarat
and Maharashtra. The river has its origins in the Saputara Hills.
Ø Cauvery River = River rises on Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats in south-western
Karnataka state + The river basin covers three states and a Union Territory: Tamil Nadu >

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 Karnataka > Kerala > Puducherry + Key tributaries: Hemavati, Lakshmantirtha, Kabini,
Amaravati, Noyil, and Bhavani rivers + Falls along the way: Upon entering Tamil Nadu, the
Kaveri continues through a series of twisted wild gorges until it reaches Hogenakal Falls + The
Nilgiris, an offshore of western Ghats, extend Eastwards to the eastern ghats and divide the
basin into two natural and political regions I.e , Karnataka Plateau in the North and the Tamil
Nadu Plateau in the south + There are a number of dams built along the meandering path of
this river with the popular ones being the Krishna Raja Sagar dam(KN), Amaravathi dam(TN),
Mettur dam(TN), Upper Anicut(TN) and the Kallanai dam(TN).
Ø Mettur Dam = Tamil Nadu + over Cauvery River + It provides irrigation facilities to parts of
Salem, the length of Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappali and Thanjavur districts.
Ø Anamalai Tiger Reserve = Tamil Nadu + It lies South of the Palakkad gap in the Southern
Western Ghats + It is surrounded by Parambikulum Tiger Reserve on the East, Chinnar Wildlife
Sanctuary and Eravikulum National Park on the South Western side + It was declared a Tiger
reserve in the year 2007 + An elephant image shot at Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) has
emerged as the winner in the Wildlife category of the Siena Drone Photo Awards 2023,
announced recently + (Siena Drone Photo Awards 2023 = It is the most important worldwide
competition in aerial photography and video + It’s a project of Siena Awards, dedicated to a
different photographic genre deliberately separated from being compared to traditional
photography)
Ø Kalasa Banduri Project/ Kalsa-Bhanduri drinking water project = On Mahadayi River +
Karnataka + It involves building across Kalasa and Banduri, two tributaries of the Mahadayi
river to divert water to the Malaprabha river (a tributary of Krishna river)
Ø Amrabad Tiger Reserve = Amrabad Tiger Reserve lies in Nallamala hills of Telangana + It
is India’s second-largest tiger reserve, next only to Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve
(Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) + It has a large presence of the Chenchu tribe + It contains
ruins of the ancient Nagarjuna Viswa Vidyalayam run by the great Buddhist scholar
Nagarjunacharya (150 AD) + The reserve was notified as a sanctuary in the year 1983 and after
the bifurcation of Telugu States in 2014, it was declared as Amrabad Tiger Reserve + It lies in
the three forest divisions of Amarabad, Achampet in Nagarkurnool district, and Nagarjuna
Sagar division in Nalgonda district + Major reservoirs like the Srisailam Dam and Nagarjuna
Sagar Dam are fed by the river Krishna and its several perennial streams that originate in the
Tiger Reserve + (Chenchu Tribe = The Chenchus are a Scheduled Tribe in the Indian states
of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Odisha. Many Chenchus live in the dense
Nallamala forest of Andhra Pradesh + They are an aboriginal tribe whose traditional way of
life has been based on hunting and gathering + The Chenchus speak the Chenchu language, a
member of the Dravidian language family + Chenchu's relationship with non-tribal people has
been largely symbiotic)
Ø Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary = Madhya Pradesh + It runs parallel to the northern side of the
Narmada River. Kolar River forms the western boundary of the Sanctuary + The Sanctuary has
Bhimbetika, "a group of rock shelters and rock paintings," which is one of the '' World Heritage
Sites'' declared by UNESCO.
Ø Nauradehi and Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuaries = ‘Tiger State’ Madhya Pradesh is poised to
get its 7th tiger reserve with the state government going forward with the notification of
Nauradehi and Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuaries as a combined protected area + It is the largest
wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh + The Sanctuary is classified under Deccan peninsula
biogeographic region + Three fourth of sanctuary falls in the Yamuna, and one-fourth of the
sanctuary falls in the Naramada basin.
Ø Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve = Chhattisgarh + The Udanti river flow through the Reserve
+ There is few perennial springs including the famous Deodhara and Godene falls + All the
representative faunal species of Central India are found in both the Core areas of

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 UdantiSitanadi Tiger reserve. Asiatic Wild Buffalo is the key endangered species found in the
Core Area.
Ø Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) = largest national park of Madhya Pradesh + It is nestled in the
Maikal range of Satpuras, the heart of India that forms the central Indian highlands + It is also
the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot, "Bhoorsingh the Barasingha" +
The highland forests are tropical moist dry deciduous type and of a completely different nature
with bamboo on slopes (Dendrocalamus strictus) + The park has a significant population of
Royal Bengal Tiger, leopards, the sloth bear and Indian wild dog.
Ø Dudhwa Tiger Reserve = It is located on the Indo-Nepal border in the district Lakhimpur-
Kheri in Uttar Pradesh + It includes the Dudhwa National Park, and two nearby Sanctuaries,
viz. Kishanpur and Katerniaghat + The Sharda River flows by the Kishanpur WL Sanctuary,
the Geruwa River flows through the Katerniaghat WL Sanctuary and the Suheli and Mohana
streams flow in the Dudhwa National Park, all of which are tributaries of the mighty Ghagra
River + The vegetation is of the North Indian Moist Deciduous type, containing some of the
finest examples of Sal forests (Shorea robusta) in India.
Ø Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary = Punjab + The entire area of Sanctuary is private or community-
owned land of 13 Bishnoi villages.
Ø Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve = It was notified as tiger reserve in 2022 + Bundi District,
Rajasthan + It is in continuation with the buffer area of Ranthambore tiger reserve on the North-
eastern side and Mukundara Hills tiger reserve on the southern side + Mez, a tributary of the
Chambal River, passes through the tiger reserve + Vegetation: Dry Deciduous Forest.
Ø Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary = Assam + It comprises three Reserve forests-Khanapara,
Amchang, and South Amchang + It stretches from the Brahmaputra River in the north to the
hilly forests of Meghalaya in the south, forming a continuous forest belt through Meghalaya's
Maradakdola Reserve Forests + Please Note: Tree yellow butterflies (gancana harina) are
found at the Amchang wildlife sanctuary which is indigenous to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore
and northeast India.
Ø Kaziranga National Park = Assam + World Heritage Site + Kaziranga has become the first
in the country to use satellite phones, which are generally used by the law-enforcing agencies
+ It is declared National park, Tiger reserve and recognized as An Important Bird Area + It is
the home of the world's most one-horned rhinos + Diphlu River flows through this park +
Please Note: Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest density of one-horned rhinos in the
world and second highest number of Rhinos in Assam after Kaziranga National Park
• Greater One-Horned Rhinos = Also known as Indian rhino, it is the largest of the rhino
species + Vulnerable + The species is restricted to small habitats in Indo-Nepal terai and
northern West Bengal and Assam + In India, rhinos are mainly found in Assam, West
Bengal and Uttar Pradesh + Assam has an estimated 2,640 rhinos in four protected areas,
i.e. Pabitora Wildlife Reserve, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Kaziranga National
Park, and Manas National Park + Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest density of
one-horned rhinos in the world and second highest number of Rhinos in Assam after
Kaziranga National Park.
• Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV 2020) = Launched in 2005 + ambitious effort to attain a
wild population of at least 3,000 greater one horned rhinos spread over seven protected
areas in the Indian state of Assam by the year 2020 + Kaziranga National Park in Assam,
India, holds about 70% of the world population + IRV 2020 aims to translocate Rhinos
from Kaziranga National Park and Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary to five other protected areas
namely Manas, Laokhowa, Buracharpori-Kochmora, Dibrusaikhowa and Orang +
Translocations of Rhinos are being done in order to avert the risks associated with having
an entire rhino population concentrated in one specific area.
Ø Cyclone Biparjoy = Arabian Ocean + Cyclone Biparjoy, earlier headed towards Pakistan
coastline, is now predicted to move towards northern Gujarat coast + Cyclones in Arabian Sea

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 usually do not move towards Indian coast + Most of them, more than 75%, move northwards
or north-westwards with trajectory directed towards Pakistan, Iran or Oman + Cyclones
increasing in Arabian Ocean because of Warming of both the sea surface temperature and
deeper waters in Arabian Sea. Another reason is the El Niño Modoki.
Ø LEED Certification = Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is the world's most
widely used green building rating system in the world + It is available for virtually all building
types + This certification provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving
green buildings, which offer environmental, social and governance benefits + It is a globally
recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership + To achieve LEED
certification, a project earns points by adhering to prerequisites and credits that address carbon,
energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality +This
rating system is developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) + India
ranks first globally in LEED Zero certified green building projects surpassing the US and
China, according to USGBC and GBCI.
Ø Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty = Recently adopted + It was
adopted at the 5th United Nations Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of
Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction + It has been adopted under the framework of the United
Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) + It is also known as the ‘Paris Agreement
for the Ocean.’ + Recently, the UN (United Nations) members agreed on a High Seas Treaty
to ensure the protection and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national
jurisdiction + It is legally binding in nature. It will only enter into force once 60 countries have
ratified it + It aims to place 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030 (a pledge made by
countries at the UN biodiversity conference in 2022) + It will provide a legal framework for
establishing vast marine protected areas (MPAs) to protect against the loss of wildlife and share
out the genetic resources of the high seas + High Ambition Coalition played a key role in the
adoption of the treaty.
• High Seas = It is the area beyond a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (that extends up
to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coastline) and till where a nation has jurisdiction
over living and non-living resources + No country is responsible for the management and
protection of resources on the high seas + In 1982, the United Nations Convention on the
Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), was adopted, which delineated rules to govern the oceans and
the use of its resources. However, there was no comprehensive legal framework that
covered the high seas)
• High Ambition Coalition (HAS) = or High Ambition Coalition (HAS) for Nature and
People + The coalition is aiming to ensure that a new global framework to protect the
Earth's natural systems, plants and animals be adopted at COP15 + Formed in 2019 + High
Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People is an intergovernmental group of more
than 100 countries co-chaired by Costa Rica and France and by the United Kingdom as
Ocean co-chair + India became a member in October in 202 + 30x30 approach: is the key
goals of HAC and aim increased spatial targets to protect or effectively conserve at least
30% of the planet (land and sea) by 2030, i.e., 30x30 approach.
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) = It was adopted in 1982
and came into force in 1994 + Also known as Law of the Sea divides marine areas into five
main zones namely- Internal Waters, Territorial Sea(12 nautical Miles(nm) from baseline),
Contiguous Zone(24 nm from baseline), Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)(upto 200 nm
from baseline) and the High Seas(beyond 200 nm) + It has been ratified by 168 parties +
India is a member + It established the International court of the law of the sea, competent
to hear disputes relating to the interpretation and application of that treaty.
Ø Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) = CDRI was announced by India’s
PM at the UN Climate Action Summit 2019 held in USA + Since its launch, 31 Countries, 6
International Organizations and 2 private sector organizations have joined CDRI as members

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 . Its other founding members include: Australia, Bhutan, Fiji, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Maldives,
Mexico, Mongolia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and the UK + It is a voluntary international grouping,
linking governments, UN agencies, banks, private sector groups, and academia to develop the
resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks + It is second major coalition
launched by India outside the UN, after the International Solar Alliance + Its secretariat is in
New Delhi + UK was confirmed as the first co-chair of the Governing Council on the India-
led global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) + CDRI is co-chaired by India
and a representative of another national government nominated by rotation every two years +
Recently, Cabinet approved Ratification of the Headquarters Agreement (HQA) between India
and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) for granting CDRI exemptions,
immunities and privileges as contemplated under Section- 3 of United Nations (Privileges &
Immunities) Act, 1947 + Signing of HQA will provide CDRI an independent and international
legal persona, so that it can carry out its functions internationally, more efficiently + HQA will
allow CDRI to depute experts, deploying funds globally, providing technical assistance to
member countries and Leveraging international engagement to foster disaster resilient
infrastructure at home.
Ø Debt for Nature Swap or Debt for Climate Swaps = Debt-for-climate swaps can incentivize
debtor countries to take meaningful action on climate while reducing their debt burdens. These
swaps involve reducing debt in exchange for policy commitments or spending by debtor
countries + In the past decade, debt-for-climate swaps have become relatively popular among
low- and middle-income countries + Multilateral development banks and multilateral
organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have been
advocating this instrument as a debt-relief measure.
Ø Paris Finance Meet or Paris Global Climate Financing Summit = The Summit for a New
Global Financing Pact was recently held in Paris with an objective of tackling the lack of
financial support for developing countries + The Summit was announced at the 27th
Conference of Parties (COP27) of the UNFCCC + The summit was also attended by India's
Finance Minister + The Summit announced the unlocking of an additional USD 200 billion
lending capacity for emerging economies + Also, World Bank announced disaster clauses for
debt deals that would suspend debt payment in case of extreme weather events + $100bn is to
be provided to poorer countries through SDRs (form of currency provided by IMF).
Ø Asia Pacific Plant Protection Commission (APPPC) = APPPC convened for the first time in
1956 + It administers Regional Plant Protection Agreement for Asia and the Pacific, approved
in 1956 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Council + A total of 25 countries
(including India) are members and APPPC meets at least once every two years + Objectives
are: promoting development of regional plant protection systems, Assistance to develop
effective plant protection regimes, Setting standards for phytosanitary measures etc + Recently,
APPPC unanimously elected India as chair of Standing Committee on Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) for biennium 2023-24.
Ø Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) = JETP is a financing mechanism that aims to
support developing countries in their transition from fossil fuel-based energy systems to clean
and renewable energy sources + Senegal has joined the Just Energy Transition Partnership
(JETP) deal, becoming the fourth country to sign after South Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
The deal aims to mobilize 5 billion euros in new financing for Senegal + JETP funding can be
provided through grants, loans, or investments. The International Partners Group (IPG) and the
Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) Working Group are key contributors + The
IPG includes countries such as Japan, the USA, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy,
Norway, the EU, and the UK + The GFANZ Working Group comprises multilateral and
national development banks and finance agencies.
Ø Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) = Approved by GEF at 64th GEF council
meeting which was held in Brazil + It aims to finance the implementation of Kunming-

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 Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) + The approved GBFF will be launched
at the next GEF Assembly in Canada by August 2023 + GBFF will draw in capital from
governments, private sector, and philanthropic organisations and will focus on eight thematic
Action Areas namely Biodiversity conservation, restoration, land/sea-use and spatial planning,
etc.
• Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) = KMGBF was
adopted by COP15 (Montreal) of UN Convention on Biological Diversity + It has set 23
targets to be achieved by 2030, which include 30% conservation of land and sea, 30%
restoration of degraded ecosystems and halving the introduction of invasive species + The
Global Environment Facility has been requested to establish a Special Trust Fund to
support the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework (“GBF Fund”)
• Global Environment Facility (GEF) = It is a financial mechanism established under the
1992 Rio Earth Summit to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems
+ It is managed by World Bank + The GEF Secretariat is based in Washington, D.C +
Presently, it involves an international partnership of 183 countries, international
institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector(NOT ONLY PUBLIC
SECTOR) that addresses global environmental issues + The Council is the GEF's main
governing body, comprises 32 Members appointed by and from among GEF member
countries (14 from developed countries, 16 from developing countries and 2 from
economies in transition) + The GEF Assembly is composed of all 183 member countries
which meets every four years to review general policies, GEF’s operation and the
membership of the Facility + GEF funding is provided by participating donor countries and
is mobilized through a replenishment process every four years + Environmental
Conventions under GEF financial mechanism are : Convention on Bio diversity (CBD),
Convention to combat desertification (UNCCD), Framework convention on climate
change (UNFCCC), Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Minamata
Convention And Montreal Protocol (provides support)
Ø World Environment Day (WED) 2023 = WED is observed on 5th June every year since 1973
as part of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to build awareness to save life
on planet Earth + World Environment Day 2023 marks the completion of 50 years of its
establishment on 5th June, 2023 + Every year World Environment Day has a specific host
country and a theme + This year host is the West African country of Côte d’Ivoire, in
partnership with the Netherlands with theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution.’ + 45th World
Environment Day with the same theme was held under the leadership of India + Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change on occasion of WED 2023 launched two schemes
named Amrit Dharohar and MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible
Incomes)
• UN Environment Programme(UNEP) = established in 1972 as an outcome from the
United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference, 1972) +
It works under the umbrella of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development + It sets
the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation and serves as an
authoritative advocate for the global environment + Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya +
UNEP depends on voluntary contributions for 95% of its income + It administers, or
provides secretariat functions for many multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs)
and other entities: CITES (1973), Bonn Convention (1973), Vienna Convention (1985),
Basel Convention (1989), CBD (1992), Rotterdam Convention (1998), Stockholm
Convention (2001) and Minamata Convention (2013) + Reports: Global Environment
Outlook (GEO) Report, Adaptation Gap Report, Triple Emergency and Cooling Emissions
And Policy Synthesis Report.
Ø Desiccation-Tolerant Vascular (DT) Plants = New study discovered 62 desiccation-tolerant
vascular plant species in India's Western Ghats, having applications in agriculture + DT Plants

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 are plants that are capable to withstand extreme dehydration, losing up to 95% of their water
content, and they revive themselves once water is available again + Plants resistant to
desiccation are commonly known as “resurrection plants” (vascular and nonvascular plants) +
In tropical regions, they are the predominant occupants of rock outcrops + Rock outcrops are
visible exposures of bedrock or other geologic formations at the surface of the Earth.
Ø River Sand Mining = Sand mining is extraction of sand, mainly through an open pit but
sometimes mined from inland dunes from oceans, riverbeds and beaches + It is classified as a
‘minor mineral’ under section 3(e) of Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) i.e.,
MMDR Act 1957 and administrative control vests with State Governments + Recently,
National Green Tribunal (NGT) has made it mandatory to obtain consent from concerned
SPCBs for river sand mining + Please Note: Sand Mining Framework, 2018, prepared by
Ministry of Mines, envisages alternative sources of sand in form of Manufactured -Sand from
crushed rock fines (crusher dust), etc.
Ø Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) = also referred to as the Indian Niño + condition when the SST
of the western region of Indian Ocean alternately becomes abnormally colder and then
abnormally hotter than the eastern region + Indian Niño can neutralise or worsen the impact of
El Niño/La Niña depending on which phase it is in + ‘positive’ IOD phase, which means
higher-than-usual temperatures in the western Indian Ocean, brings more rain to India than the
‘neutral’ or ‘negative’ (cooling) phase + While the El Nino is already firmly established in the
Pacific Ocean this year, a positive IOD development is also being forecasted by different
meteorological agencies.
Ø Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) = MJO wave is a global band of low-pressure area moving
periodically from West to East and determines the initiation and intensity of low-pressure
areas/depressions/cyclones and also oversees monsoon onsets under its footprint + It is
disturbance of clouds, rainfall, winds, and pressure that traverses the planet in the tropics
(between 30º N and 30ºS) and returns to its initial starting point in 30 to 60 days, on average +
There can be multiple MJO events within a season, and so the MJO is best described as intra-
seasonal tropical climate variability (i.e. varies on a week-to-week basis) + MJO influences
the ENSO cycle. It does not cause El Nino or La Nina, but can contribute to the speed of
development and intensity of El Nino and La Nina episodes + When MJO is over the Indian
Ocean during the Monsoon season, it generally brings good rainfall over the Indian
subcontinent. On the other hand, when it witnesses a longer cycle and stays over the Pacific
Ocean, MJO brings bad news for the Indian Monsoon.
Ø El Niño Modoki = El Niño Modoki is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon in the tropical
Pacific + It is different from another coupled phenomenon in the tropical Pacific namely, El
Niño + Conventional El Niño is characterized by strong anomalous warming in the eastern
equatorial Pacific + Whereas, El Niño Modoki is associated with strong anomalous warming
in the central tropical Pacific and cooling in the eastern and western tropical Pacific + El Nino
Modoki causes warm moist conditions in Central Pacific and dry cold conditions in Eastern
and western pacific + This phenomenon is leading to increase in frequency of cyclones in the
arabian ocean.
Ø Short-Lived Halogens (SLH) = SLH (lifetime of less than six months) are gases that contain
the halogen elements chlorine, bromine, or iodine + Source: Marine phytoplankton and algae,
as well as abiotic sources from ocean and tropospheric chemistry + SLH from oceans reduces
warming by depleting ozone and reduce the formation of cooling aerosols + SLH increase
methane’s lifetime in the atmosphere and increase the levels of water vapour.
Ø Arctic Sea Ice = A recent study in the Nature journal says that the loss of Arctic sea ice is
inevitable in the decades ahead, even if the world somehow gets its act together and sharply
reduces carbon emissions + “Sea ice is light-coloured and therefore reflects more sunlight back
to space than liquid water, thus playing a vital role in keeping polar regions cool and
maintaining the earth’s energy balance + Sea ice also keeps the air cool by forming a barrier

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 between the cold air above and the relatively warmer water below + As the amount of sea ice
decreases, the Arctic region’s cooling effect is reduced, and this may initiate a ‘feedback loop’
whereby ocean warming caused by more absorption of solar energy leads to an even greater
loss of sea ice and further warming + The reduction in ice cover also affects the traditional
subsistence hunting lifestyle of indigenous Arctic populations such as the Yup’ik, Iñupiat, and
Inuit.
Ø Cloud Seeding = Cloud seeding is a kind of a weather modification technology to create
artificial rainfall + Cloud seeding aims to facilitate and accelerate that process by making
available chemical ‘nuclei’ around which condensation can take place + It works only when
there is enough pre-existing clouds in the atmosphere + Mainly 8 Chemicals are used in Cloud
seeding: Silver iodide, dry ice, Potassium Iodide, Propane, Calcium Carbide, Ammonium
Nitrate, Sodium Chloride, Urea + Recently, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has
successfully conducted a test flight for cloud seeding.
Ø Draft Green Credit Programme (GCP) Implementation Rules 2023 = Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) notified Draft GCP Implementation
Rules 2023 + Green Credit (GC) means a singular unit of an incentive provided for a specified
activity, delivering a positive impact on the environment + GCs will be tradable outcomes and
will be made available for trading on a domestic market platform + Objectives of GCP: Create
a market-based mechanism for providing GCs to individuals, organizations, local bodies, gram
panchayats, private sectors etc. for environment positive actions.

2) SCHEMES
Ø NANDI Portal = NANDI (NOC Approval for New Drug and Inoculation System) Portal + It
will streamline the regulatory approval process for veterinary products + It will be more
streamlined through seamless integration with the SUGAM portal of the Central Drugs
Standard Control Organization + It is developed by the Department of Animal Husbandry and
Dairying (DAHD) in collaboration with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization
(CDSCO) through the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC).
Ø SIGHT Programme = Strategic Interventions For Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT)
Programme + SIGHT is a sub-component of the National Green Hydrogen Mission + SIGHT
aims to establish electrolyser manufacturing base (Component I) and green hydrogen
producing facilities (Component II).
Ø Modified Semicon India Programme = Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
(MeitY) + Launched for the development of a sustainable semiconductor and display
ecosystem in 2021 + It aims to provide attractive incentive support to companies/consortia that
are engaged in Silicon Semiconductor Fabs, Display Fabs, Compound Semiconductors,
Semiconductor Design etc + Support under the scheme will be provided for 6 years + India
Semiconductor Mission, within Digital India Corporation, MeitY is the designated nodal
agency for implementing the programme.
• Semiconductor = Semiconductors are materials which have a conductivity between
conductors and insulators + Semiconductors can be pure elements, such as silicon or
germanium, or compounds such as gallium arsenide or cadmium selenide + A
semiconductor chip is a network of semiconductors, also called integrated circuits or
microchips + End-use industries dependent on semiconductors include mobile devices,
telecom equipment, industrial machinery, computing devices, automobiles etc.
• Semiconductor Chips = Semiconductors — also known as integrated circuits (ICs), or
microchips — are most often made of silicon or germanium, or a compound like gallium
arsenide. It’s the thing that makes electronic items smart and faster + Made from a material,
usually silicon, that “semi-conducts” electricity, the chip performs a variety of functions +
India currently imports all chips and the market is estimated to touch $100 billion by 2025
from $24 billion now + They are the basic building blocks that serve as the heart and brain

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 of all modern electronics and information and communications technology products. These
chips are now an integral part of contemporary automobiles, household gadgets and
essential medical devices such as ECG machines + Recently, India has launched the
Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors
(SPECS) under which a budget outlay of Rs 3,285 crore is spread over a period of eight
years for manufacturing of electronics components and semiconductors.
• India’s Semiconductor Mission(ISM) = Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology + The mission has been set up with the objective of building a vibrant
semiconductor besides displaying ecosystem in order for India to emergence as a global
hub in electronics manufacturing and design + Under the scheme, interested companies
which seeks to tap the Rs 76,000-crore incentives earmarked by Central government for
developing semiconductors and displaying manufacturing ecosystem in India will be able
to start applying for it from January 1, 2022 + Ministry has approved a fiscal support of up
to 50 per cent of the project cost, in order to set up certain variants of silicon-based
semiconductor fab across India. Financial support will be provided for six years from the
date of approval.
Ø Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research (MAHIR) = Ministry of Power and the
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy have jointly launched the Mission on Advanced and
High-Impact Research (MAHIR) to leverage Emerging Technologies in the Power Sector +
Duration: 5 years from 2023-24 to 2027-28 + The proposals for outcome-linked funding will
be invited from companies / organizations across the globe + MAHIR aims to facilitate
indigenous research, development and demonstration of the latest and emerging technologies
in the power sector.
Ø Sagar Samriddhi = Recently, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) has
launched 'Sagar Samriddhi,' an online dredging monitoring system to accelerate the 'Waste to
Wealth' initiative of the Government + Dredging is the removal of sediments and debris from
the bottom of lakes, rivers, harbors, and other water bodies + This system has been developed
by National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC), the
technological arm of MoPSW.
Ø EIACP Programme = Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and
Livelihood Programme (EIACP) + Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEF&CC) + It is one of the Central Sector sub-scheme being implemented in alignment
with Mission LiFE + The Environmental Information System (ENVIS) is renamed EIACP +
ENVIS came into existence as a planned programme in 1983. It has been subsumed within the
revamped scheme of Environment Education, Awareness, Research and Skill Development +
ENVIS or EIACP serves as a one-stop platform for the dissemination of environmental
information, informed policy formulation on various facets of the environment and facilitation
of alternate livelihoods through green skilling.
Ø Project Akashteer = Automated Air Defence Control & Reporting System ‘Project Akashteer’
to automate the air defence systems was launched recently + It will build a comprehensive air
defence picture for the monitoring, tracking and shooting down of air defence assets. This will
link all the radars and control centres of AAD and consolidate the air defence picture, removing
duplications or overlaps and also integrate all the weapon + Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)
and Ministry of Defence had signed a contract for the procurement of Automated Air Defence
Control & Reporting System ‘Project Akashteer’ worth Rs 1,982 crore for the Indian Army in
April 2023.
Ø Exploration of Coal and Lignite Scheme = Recently, the union government of India
approved the continuation of the central sector plan 'Exploration of Coal and Lignite scheme'
from 2021-22 to 2025-26 + This scheme is required to prove and estimate coal resources
available in the country, which helps in preparing detailed project reports to start coal mining
+ Under this scheme, exploration for coal and lignite is conducted in two broad stages: (i)

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 Promotional (Regional) Exploration and (ii) Detailed Exploration in non-Coal India Limited
blocks + Types of Coal are:
• Anthracite: It contains the highest amount of carbon out of all coal ranks (86%-97%) and
it is used mostly in industrial settings and the metals industry due to its high heat value.
• Lignite: it is lighter in colour than the higher ranks of coal. It has the lowest carbon content
out of all the coal ranks (25%-35%) and it has a high moisture content and crumbly texture.
• Bituminous: It has slightly lower carbon content than anthracite (45%-86%). The wide
range of carbon content in bituminous coal warrants uses for both electricity and steel
production.
• Peat: It is the starting stage of a coal formation which has low calorific value and low
carbon content.
Ø JATAN Virtual Museum Builder = It is a digital collection management system for Indian
museums + It has been designed and developed by the Human Centres Design and Computing
Group, Centre for Development of Smart Computing, Pune + It is a client-server application
with features such as image cropping, watermarking, unique numbering, and management of
digital objects with multimedia representations + It can create 3D virtual galleries and provide
public access through web, mobile or touchscreen kiosks.
Ø Digi Yatra App = Launched by Ministry of Civil Aviation, Digi Yatra is conceived to achieve
contactless, seamless processing of passengers at airports + It facilitates paperless travel and
avoids identity checks at multiple points in an airport + Recently, Digi Yatra app, based on
Facial Recognition Technology, user base crosses the one million marks.
• Face Authentication Process = It is used to uniquely identify a person based on facial
features like distance between eyes, shape of cheekbones etc + It is a part of a larger
biometric security tool which includes iris scan, fingerprints etc + Advantages: Based on
facial uniqueness enhances security, Faster process of identification etc.
Ø CoWIN Platform = Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) + CoWIN is a
digitalised real time platform to be used to effectively roll out and scale up the mechanism for
COVID Vaccine Distribution System + CoWIN system, on a real-time basis, tracks not only
the beneficiaries but also the vaccines at the national, State and district levels. It monitors the
utilisation, wastage and coverage of vaccination. Moreover, every detail, from the sites where
vaccinations are carried out to the number of beneficiaries and even the batch number, doses
per vial and schedule of the vaccine, are uploaded on it + CoWIN is an extension of an
electronic vaccine intelligence network, eVIN, which is used to collect real-time feedback of
the vaccination programmes. It is a cloud-based IT solution for planning, implementing,
monitoring and evaluating COVID-19 vaccination in the country + Till now, Universal
Immunisation Programme has been using a vaccine intelligence system called eVIN (electronic
vaccine intelligence network) and CoWIN is essentially an extension of eVIN+ Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology.
Ø UTPRERAK = Ministry of Power established UTPRERAK, a Centre of Excellence to
Accelerate Adoption of Energy Efficient Technologies in Indian Industry + It has been set up
by the Bureau of Energy efficiency (BEE) + Centre would implement and support projects in
areas such as training/capacity building, showcase for energy efficient technologies,
information centre and knowledge repository etc.
Ø Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education Project
= The Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education Project
will support improving student skills and employability by focusing on better research,
entrepreneurship, and innovation; and improve governance in technical institutions + The
World Bank has approved a USD 255.5 million loan for improving the quality of technical
education in government-run institutions in India + Over the next five years, the project will
support around 275 government-run technical institutions in selected states across the country,
benefitting more than 350,000 students each year.

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 Ø Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN) = 2018 + Central Sector
Scheme + It allows land-owning eligible farmer families to receive ₹6,000 per year in three
equal instalments of ₹ 2,000 each, every four months + The instalment is transferred directly
to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts + Under the PM-KISAN Scheme, funds are not allocated
and sanctioned State-wise + Process of Self-registration of beneficiaries has been made simple
and easy through mobile app, PM KISAN portal and walk-ins via Common Service Centers +
To maintain the authenticity and validity of the scheme, a mandatory physical verification of
5% beneficiary every year is being done as per the provisions laid down in the scheme + Aadhar
validation has been made compulsory to make whole process more transparent + All PM-
KISAN beneficiaries will be given the Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) so that farmers can take easy
loans from the banks + Recently, PM-Kisan Mobile App was launched.
• PM-Kisan Mobile App = Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW)
launched PM-Kisan Mobile App with Face Authentication Feature + PM- KISAN scheme
has become the first scheme of government to do e-KYC through facial authentication
mobile app + App will enable farmers to complete their e-KYC process by scanning their
face on mobile phones instead of using OTPs or fingerprints
Ø Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM) = It is
being implemented since 2014-15 + It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme being implemented by
the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs + It aims to uplift urban poor by enhancing
sustainable livelihood opportunities through skill development + Aims at universal coverage
of urban poor for skill development and credit facilities + Mission extends its coverage to all
the statutory cities and towns + NULM comprises the following sub-scheme to uplift urban
poor- Social Mobilization and Institution Development – SM&ID Employment through Skills
Training and Placement – EST&P; Capacity Building and Training – CBT; Self-Employment
Programme – SEP; Scheme of Shelter for Urban Homeless – SUH; Support to Urban Street
Vendors – SUSV and; Innovative and Special project – ISP + Recently, the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban
Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) have joined hands to empower women entrepreneurs in
India. The project will cover eight cities in the initial phase and will span over three years, with
the possibility of extension beyond 2025.
Ø Jal Jeevan Mission = Nodal Ministry: Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under
the Jal Shakti Ministry + It is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through
individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India + It is based on
a community approach to water and will include extensive Information, Education and
communication as a key component of the mission + The Mission will converge with other
Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply
management across the country + Funding Pattern: 50:50 between Centre and States; 90:10 for
Himalayan and North-Eastern States. In case of UTs, 100% funding is provided by the Central
government.
Ø Smart Cities Mission = 2015 + Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs + Centrally Sponsored
Scheme + The main objective of the Mission is to promote cities that provide core
infrastructure, clean and sustainable environment and give a decent quality of life to their
citizens through the application of ‘smart solutions’ + 100 cities have been selected to be
developed as Smart Cities + The Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) is created by each city to
implement the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) at the city level + ICCCs (Integrated Command
and Control Centers) have been operationalized in all the 100 Smart Cities, which have been
envisaged to act as the brain and nerve center of the enabling cities with a decision support
system for enhancing quality of life for its citizen. These ICCCs are playing important role in
ensuring better monitoring and efficiency in areas like traffic management, solid waste
management, water distribution management + Recently, The Government has decided to
extend the Smart Cities Mission deadline by one year from June 2023 to June 2024.

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 Ø Justice Clocks = Electronic signage systems called Justice Clocks have been installed in the
court complexes of High Courts + These clocks aim to inform stakeholders about key court-
related parameters and provide a bird’s eye view of court-related data + The initiative is
expected to increase awareness among the public about the judicial process + Ministry of Law
and Justice.
Ø Nyaya Vikas Portal = It has been created by Ministry of Law and Justice for monitoring the
implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) + Department of Justice has been
implementing scheme for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Districts and
Subordinate Judiciary since 1993-94 + Central assistance is provided to the State Government
/ UT Administrations for construction of court halls and residential units for Judicial Officers
/ Judges of District, etc + Funding: Northeastern and Himalayan States (90:10); Union
Territories (100%), remaining states (60:40).
Ø Fair And Remunerative Price (FRP) = Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) is the cane price
announced by the Central Government on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission
for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) after consulting the State Governments and
associations of sugar industry + FRP is minimum price paid by mills to farmers + The pricing
of sugarcane is governed by the statutory provisions of the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966
issued under the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955.
• State Advised Price (SAP): Citing differences in cost of production, productivity levels
and also as a result of pressure from farmers' groups, some states declare state specific
sugarcane prices called State Advised Prices (SAP), usually higher than the FRP.
Ø Electronics Repair Services Outsourcing (ERSO) Initiative = It aims to promote India as a
hub for repairing electronic goods and to assess the feasibility and potential of capturing 20%
of the global repair service market within five years + The pilot is being held in Bengaluru and
will be run for three months + India’s e-waste policy will be modified to enable repair
companies to domestically recycle 5% of imported goods by weight on a trial basis + The
repaired goods will not be permitted to be sold in the domestic market + New provisions will
be made to allow their exportation to regions other than their country of origin + Nodal
Ministry: Ministry of Electronics & IT.

3) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Ø International Labour Organization (ILO) = is a tripartite U.N. agency, formed in 1919 that
brings together governments, employers and workers of its member states + India is a founder
member of the ILO + India has ratified 6 out of 8 of these conventions (all except convention
number 87 and 98) + Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland + Received the Nobel Peace Prize in
1969 + ILO Publications are Social Dialogue Report; World Employment and Social Outlook
and World Social Protection Report
Ø International Criminal Court (ICC) = first permanent, treaty-based + jurisdiction to
prosecute individuals for international crimes of genocide, crimes against Humanity, war
crimes and crimes of aggression + Established in 2002 and governed by the Rome Statute,
which was adopted in 1998 + It has territorial jurisdiction over nations that are party to the
Rome Statute or have accepted the court’s jurisdiction + It is an independent judicial body
distinct from the UN + It works in cooperation with UN, Reports annually to the UNGA and
also hear cases referred to by UNSC + It is located in The Hague, The Netherlands + India is
NOT a member of ICC (neither signed nor ratified) + Please Note: Russia is also not a member
of the ICC. Earlier, ICC issued a arrest warrant against Russian president as the subject of a
war crime (Russia – Ukraine war) + As per recent developments, upcoming BRICS summit
would be held in South Africa and since South Africa is state party to Rome statue, hence,
theoretically, South Africa is required to arrest Russian President if he attended.

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 Ø Universal Postal Union(UPU) = It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that
coordinates postal policies among member nations + Established by the Treaty of Bern of 1874
+ Any member country of the United Nations may become a member of the UPU +
Headquartered at Bern, Switzerland + Any non-member country of the United Nations may
become a UPU member provided that its request is approved by at least two-thirds of the
member countries of the UPU + It presently has 192 members; India joined the UPU in 1876
+ Recently, Indian Cabinet has approved establishment of a Regional Office of UPU in New
Delhi.
• Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) = Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) is an
intergovernmental organization of 32-member countries of the Asian-Pacific region + It
was formed by International treaty through an Asian-Pacific Postal Convention signed in
Yogyakarta on 27 March 1981 + HQ- Bangkok, Thailand + APPU is the only Restricted
Union of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in the region, which is a specialized agency of
the United Nations + India last year took over leadership of the Asian Pacific Postal Union
for a term of 4 years after successful elections held during the 13th Congress held in
Bangkok in 2022.
Ø United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) = It is a UN Refugee Agency
and a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting the rights and building a better
future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people + It was created in
1950 to help millions of Europeans who had fled or lost their homes + It is headquartered at
Geneva, Switzerland + The UNHCR has also won the Nobel Prize for Peace twice (1954 and
1981) + The chief legal document that governs the work of the UNHCR is the 1951 Refugee
Convention. Its parent organisation is the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The
1951 Refugee Convention is a UN treaty that defines who a refugee is and establishes the rights
of such persons and also of those who are granted asylum.
Ø UN Peacekeeping = It deploys troops and police from around the world, integrating them with
civilian peacekeepers to address a range of mandates set by the UN Security Council (UNSC)
and the General Assembly + The financial resources of UN Peacekeeping operations are the
collective responsibility of UN Member States + According to the UN Charter, every Member
State is legally obligated to pay their respective share for peacekeeping + India is a major
contributing nation to UN peacekeeping activities, 2nd highest amongst troop-contributing
countries. In 2007, India became the first country to deploy an all-women contingent to a UN
peacekeeping mission.
• 75 years of United Nations Peacekeeping = Recently, the 75th anniversary of the
beginning of UN Peacekeeping was celebrated + The theme of the 75th anniversary “Peace
begins with me” + A ceremony was held to posthumously award the Dag Hammarskjold
medal to peacekeepers who died in 2022 + The Peace Begins with Me campaign recognizes
the service and sacrifice of United Nations peacekeepers, past and present, and the
resilience of the communities they serve. This campaign also calls on everyone to join the
global movement for peace. For 75 years, more than two million peacekeepers have worked
to save and change lives in the world’s most fragile political and security situations.
• Action for Peace (A4P) = The A4P initiative aims to strengthen peacekeeping by spurring
collective action by all peacekeeping stakeholders, including all Member States, the
Security Council, the General Assembly, financial contributors, troop and police
contributing countries, host countries, intergovernmental and regional organizations and
the UN Secretariat + Action for peace (A4P) was declared in 2018 as a set of mutually-
agreed principles and commitments to create peacekeeping operations fit for the future +
It is centred on eight priority commitment areas + A4P+ is the implementing strategy (with
7 priorities) for A4P for 2021-23.
Ø United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) = UNAIDS is an innovative joint
venture of the United Nations family established in 1996, which brings together the efforts and

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 resources of 11 UN system organizations to unite the world against AIDS + It collects data on
HIV epidemiology, programme coverage, and finance issues, and releases authoritative reports
on the HIV epidemic + Founded in 1994, it is headquartered in Geneva + UNAIDS was
established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which is considered as the parent
organization of UNAIDS + UNAIDS is the only co-sponsored Joint Programme in the United
Nations system. It brings together the action of 11 organisations of the United Nations:
UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, UNFPA, UNDP, UNODC, UNESCO, UN Women, ILO, the World
Bank and WHO.
• Dar-Es-Salaam Declaration = It is a declaration on ending AIDS in children by 2030 +
The Declaration was announced at the first ministerial meeting of the Global Alliance to
end AIDS in Children, which brings together the 12 African countries with UNAIDS and
other health agencies.
Ø OPEC+ = also known as Vienna group + OPEC Plus was created in 2016 when OPEC
countries decided to ally with other oil-producing countries outside the group to cut down the
global output of oil + Under the pact, called the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC), the
countries have worked together to influence global energy prices + The non-OPEC countries
which export crude oil along with the 14 OPECs are termed as OPEC plus countries. OPEC
plus countries include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman,
Russia, South Sudan and Sudan.
• OPEC = OPEC stands for Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries + It is a
permanent, intergovernmental organization, created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960,
by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela + It aims to manage the supply of oil
in an effort to set the price of oil in the world market, in order to avoid fluctuations that
might affect the economies of both producing and purchasing countries + It is
headquartered in Vienna, Austria + OPEC membership is open to any country that is a
substantial exporter of oil and which shares the ideals of the organization + OPEC has a
total of 13 Member Countries viz. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates(UAE), Saudi
Arabia, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Angola
and Venezuela are members of OPEC + Indonesia, Ecuador and Qatar were members
earlier but they are no longer members of OPEC.
• Output Pact = OPEC+ group of countries had, in April 2020, entered into a two-year
agreement (Output Pact), which entailed steep cuts in crude production to deal with a sharp
fall in the price of oil as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic
Ø Bangkok Vision 2030 = Thailand presented “BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030” aiming to
build a Prosperous, Resilient, and Open (PRO) BIMSTEC by 2030 + The Vision sets a clear
direction and priorities as well as a goal for BIMSTEC collaboration to tackle challenges and
seize opportunities for the coming decade + The document aims to further promote BIMSTEC
as a region of peace, stability, and economic sustainability + The goals found in the vision are
also in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and Thailand’s bio-
circular-green economic model.
Ø Hiroshima AI Process (HAP) = It is an effort by the G7 bloc to determine a way forward to
regulate artificial intelligence (AI) + It also encourages international organisations such as the
OECD to consider the analysis of the impact of policy developments and the Global
Partnership on AI (GPAI) to conduct practical projects + (Global Partnership on AI (GPAI)
= It is a multi-stakeholder initiative which aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice
on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities +
Launched in June 2020 with 15 members, GPAI is the fruition of an idea developed within the
G7 + At present, it has 29 members and India is also a member of this initiative + Its secretariat
is at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD))
Ø Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) = multilateral development bank with a
mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia and beyond + The Parties (57

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 founding members) to agreement comprise the Membership of the Bank. There are more than
100 members now + HQ: Beijing + China is the largest shareholder with 26.58 % voting shares
in the bank followed by India (7.6%), Russia (6.01%) and Germany (4.2 %). The regional
members hold 75% of the total voting power in the Bank.
Ø St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) = The SPIEF is an international
economic forum held annually in St. Petersburg, Russia + It brings together leaders from the
global business community, government officials, and experts + The forum serves as a platform
for discussions, negotiations, and the signing of agreements on economic and geopolitical
matters + Recently 26th edition took place.
Ø Intergovernmental Negotiations Framework (IGN) = IGN is a group of nation-states
working within the UN to further reform the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) + The
IGN is composed of several different international organisations, namely: The African Union;
The G4 nations (India, along with Brazil, Japan and Germany are pressing for a permanent seat
in the reformed UNSC); The Uniting for Consensus Group (UfC), also known as the "Coffee
Club"; The L.69 Group of Developing Countries; The Arab League; and The Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) + Each group represents a different set of positions vis-a-vis
reforming the UNSC + The group's conversations are considered "informal" in nature due to
the lack of single text, and thus, UNGA rules of procedure don't apply.
Ø Mineral Security Partnership (MSP) = India was recently inducted into the Mineral Security
Partnership (MSP) + It is a US-led global alliance to secure supply chains of critical minerals,
aimed at reducing dependency on China + Earlier, it was a 11 members group i.e. US, Australia,
Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Sweden, the
United Kingdom, and the European Commission + The alliance wants to make sure that
essential minerals are produced, processed, and recycled in a way that promotes nations' ability
to realise the maximum economic development advantage of their geological endowments +
The focus would be on the supply chains of minerals such as Cobalt, Nickel, Lithium and also
the 17 “rare earth” minerals + There is no global definition of critical minerals, but essentially,
they are mineral deposits with high economic vulnerability and high global supply chain risk.
• Critical Mineral = They are mineral deposits with high economic vulnerability and high
global supply chain risk + Rare earth (RE) comprises seventeen elements and are classified
as Light RE elements (LREE) and Heavy RE elements (HREE) + The major critical
minerals are Graphite, Lithium and Cobalt + Uses: In manufacturing of EV batteries,
semiconductors, fighter jets, drones, radio sets etc + Major producer: Chile, Indonesia,
Congo, China, Australia and South Africa + Rare earth elements available in India are:
Lanthanum, Cerium, Neodymium, Praseodymium and Samarium + India has the world’s
fifth-largest reserves of rare earth elements, nearly twice as much as Australia.
Ø South African Customs Union (SACU) = It is the world’s oldest customs union which was
established in 1910 + Member countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and
Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) + Head Quarter: Windhoek (Namibia) + It was administered
by South Africa through the 1910 and 1969 Agreements + The Economic structure of the Union
links the Member states by a single tariff and no customs duties between them.
Ø C+C5 Summit = China recently hosted the “C+C5 summit”, in the city of Xi’an (the first of
its kind), with the leaders of five Central Asian countries + ‘Xi’an Declaration’ was signed
which issued a blueprint for the future development of China-Central Asia relations + The first
C+C5(China + 5 Central Asian countries) summit was held in virtual format last year + China
has been investing heavily in Central Asia through its BRI and the relationship with the region
was institutionalized through Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) + Please Note: 3
Central Asian Countries like Tajikistan, Kyrgystan and Kazakhstan share borders with China.

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 Ø India US Strategic Partnership = The Indian Prime Minister was on a significant visit to the
United States of America + This is the 31st Visit of an Indian PM to the US and only the 3rd
Official State Visit (the earlier two state visits happened during 1969 and 2009) + Important
• Innovation Handshake = The US-India Commercial Dialogue will launch an "Innovation
Handshake" to connect the startup ecosystems of both countries, supporting the US-India
Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) + iCET was set up in Jan 2023, to
strengthen and broaden the defence industrial cooperation and strategic technological
partnership between the companies, and academic institutions of the two nations. It is
headed by the National Security Council Secretariat in India and the US National Security
Council.
• GE-414 Jet Engine = An agreement to Co-produce the GE F414 jet engine was signed
between General Electric (GE) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) + t is a turbofan
engine produced by the GE and has been used in the US Navy for more than 30 years +
Eight nations have the F414-powered jets in operation and is used in superior jets like
Boeing Super Hornet and EA18G Growler.
• MQ-9B Drones = India has agreed to procure 31 High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE)
Unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAV) named General Atomics(GA) MQ-9B drones from the
US + The drone has two variants the Sky Guardian and the Sea Guardian + The drone can
fly over the horizon via satellite for up to 40 hours, in all types of weather + The drone can
reach a maximum speed of 388 km/hr and its flying range is around 11,112 km.
• INDUS-X = U.S.-India Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) was launched by
U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) + It will
facilitate joint defence technology innovation, and co-production of advanced defence
technologies between the two countries.
• Artemis Accord = India signed the US led ‘Artemis Accord’ as its 27th Member, which
aims to establish a common vision via a set of principles, guidelines, and best practices to
enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer space + Also, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) will collaborate to send Indian astronauts, trained at the Johnson Space Center in
Houston, Texas, to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024 + It builds upon the
foundation of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 + Main Missions under the Artemis Program:
§ Artemis-I: Unmanned Mission to the Moon + Artemis program began with the
launch of the spacecraft named "Orion" on the Space Launch System (SLS) from
NASA's Kennedy Space Center on November 16, 2022
§ Artemis-II: Crewed Lunar Flyby Mission + Scheduled for 2024
§ Artemis-III: Human Return to the Moon + Set for 2025

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 Ø Human Rights 75 Initiative = To mark the 75 anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights(UDHR), the UN Human Rights Office has launched a year-long initiative that
will culminate in a high-level event in December 2023. It will announce global pledges and
ideas for a new vision for the future of human rights + 2023 Theme: Dignity, Freedom, and
Justice for All.
• Human rights and UNDR = These universal rights are inherent to us all, regardless of
nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status +
They range from the most fundamental - the right to life - to those that make life worth
living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health, and liberty + The Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, was
the first legal document to set out the fundamental human rights to be universally protected
+ It is not legally binding. The Declaration outlines 30 rights and freedoms that belong to
all + UDHR, together with the 2 covenants - the International Covenant for Civil and
Political Rights, and the International Covenant for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- make up the International Bill of Rights.
Ø Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) = Recently 30th Anniversary
celebrated + It is a human rights declaration adopted by consensus at the World Conference on
Human Rights in 1993 in Vienna, Austria + It paved a common plan for the strengthening of
human rights work, as well as the establishment of the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights + It affirmed the universality, indivisibility, and interdependency of human
rights + The declaration reaffirms the principles of the UDHR.
Ø India-UN SDG Cooperation Framework = NITI Aayog and UN have signed Government
of India - United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (GoI- UNSDCF)
2023-27 + GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 is built on four strategic pillars derived from the 2030
Agenda – People, Prosperity, Planet and Participation + GoI-UNSDCF represents UN
development system’s collective offer to India for achievement of Sustainable Development
Goals + UNSDCF has been designated as principal planning and implementation instrument
for UN Development System at country level.
Ø National Indicator Framework (NIF) = National Indicator Framework (NIF) is the backbone
of monitoring of SDGs at the national level and gives appropriate direction to the policy makers
and the implementers of various schemes and programmes + A High-Level Steering
Committee – chaired by Chief Statistician of India and Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation (MoSPI), with the Secretaries of data source Ministries and NITI
Aayog as members and Secretaries of other related Ministries as special invitees – functions
to review and revise the National Indicator Framework + Recently, Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
National Indicator Framework (NIF) Progress Report 2023.
• Interagency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEGSDGs) = For monitoring SDG
Goals and targets, a Global Indicator Framework (GIF) was framed by the Interagency and

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 Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEGSDGs) + IAEG-SDGs composed of Member
States and including regional and international agencies as observers. o It was set up by the
UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) + India, through MoSPI, represented Southern Asia
in IAEG-SDGs for the term 2021-2023 + India was also a member of IAEG-SDGs during
2015-2017 and 2017-2019 for two consecutive terms + At present, the GIF includes 248
indicators, with 231 unique indicators. National statistical agencies and other relevant
institutions are responsible for collecting data and reporting on the indicators. Towards this
endeavor the MoSPI developed a National Indicator Framework (NIF) in 2018.
Ø Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) = CMF is a multinational maritime partnership (India
also a member), that focuses on counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy,
training etc + CMF is Commanded by a U.S. Navy Vice Admiral + Headquartered in Bahrain
+ Combined task forces of CMF include Maritime Security Operations outside Arabian Gulf,
Maritime Security Operations inside Arabian Gulf, Red Sea maritime security etc + Recently,
UAE withdrew its participation in CMF.
Ø Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) = 2021 + India, Japan, and Australia unveiled
SCRI to enhance the resilience of supply chains in Indo-Pacific Region and reliance on China
+ SCRI aims to create a virtuous cycle of enhancing supply chain resilience with a view to
eventually attaining strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth in the Indo-Pacific
region.
Ø Centralized Laboratory Network (CLN) = CLN is a part of the Coalition for Epidemic
Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and is largest global group which has standardised methods
and materials for testing + Recently, Indian Council of Medical Research National Institute of
Virology (ICMR NIV) has joined CLN that works to test vaccines which can be used during
pandemic, epidemic disease outbreak + As CLN members, each institution will support the
rapid development of novel vaccines against a future Disease X – a newly identified pathogen
with epidemic or pandemic potential.
Ø Centre for AI Safety (CAIS) = CAIS is a not-for-profit based out of San Francisco, California
+ The organisation is largely funded by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz’s Open
Philanthropy, a grant-making foundation + CAIS aims to mitigate existential risks arising from
AI systems that could affect society at large. The organisation does research and publishes
papers on AI safety, and also provides researchers to run and train their LLMs in the field of
AI safety.
Ø International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) = It is an
autonomous, independent and non-political organization + It operates as an umbrella
organization for the external government audit community + It has special consultative status
with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations + It works to promote
auditing standards, good governance of SAIs, and SAI independence, among other work +
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is India’s SAI.
Ø Order of the Nile Award = It is Egypt’s highest state honour + Instituted in 1915, the ‘Order
of the Nile’ is conferred upon Heads of state, Crown Princes, and Vice-Presidents who offer
Egypt or humanity invaluable services + The ‘Order of the Nile’ is a pure gold collar consisting
of three-square gold units comprising Pharaonic symbols + Recently, the Egyptian President
conferred the country’s highest state honour “Order of the Nile” award to the Prime Minister
of India on his visit to Egypt + Other related information on PM’s Egypt visit:
• ‘Strategic Partnership’ Agreement: India and Egypt signed it
• Heliopolis Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery = Visited by Indian PM + It
commemorates the sacrifices of nearly 4300 Indian soldiers who fought for Egypt and
Palestine; and Aden respectively in World War I + This Cemetery in Cairo comprises of
the Heliopolis Memorial (Port Tewfik, now called Port Suez) and the Heliopolis (Aden)
Memorial.

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 • Al-Hakim Mosque = Visited by Indian PM + It is the fourth oldest mosque in Egypt (1013
AD) and the second largest after the Mosque of ibn Tulun + People of the Bohra
community, who is settled in India from Egypt renovated the mosque in 1970 and have
been maintaining it since then + The Dawoodi Bohra Muslims are a sect of followers of
Islam who adhere to the Fatimi Ismaili Tayyibi school of thought, which originated from
Egypt. They settled in India in the 11th century and the seat of the sect was moved to
Sidhpur (Gujarat) in 1539 from Yemen.

4) S&T
Ø Enceladus = Enceladus is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn. It is about a tenth of that of Saturn’s
largest moon, Titan + It is rich in dissolved phosphorus, an essential ingredient for life +
Recently scientists have discovered that beneath its icy surface are oceans, or subsurface
oceans as they are called + The spacecraft Cassini, which orbited Saturn for nearly 13 years,
discovered Enceladus's subsurface liquid water + From the cracks of the moon's icy surface,
plumes of ice grains and water vapour erupted into space + Recently, NASA's Cassini
spacecraft discovers ‘phosphorous on Saturn's moon Enceladus + (Phosphorous = Phosphorus
is used for the creation of DNA and RNA, energy-carrying molecules, cell membranes, bones
and teeth in people and animals, and even the sea’s microbiome of plankton + Phosphorus in
the form of phosphates is also vital for all life on Earth).
Ø Betelgeuse = It is a bright red supergiant + It likely underwent an enormous surface mass
ejection (SME) where it ejected 400 billion times more mass than a typical event on other stars
+ It is at a distance of 724 lightyears from the Earth is nearly 50 percent brighter than usual +
Red Giant: is a dying star in the final stages of stellar evolution.
Ø Geminid Meteor Shower = Meteor shower happens when Earth passes through the path of a
comet. When this happens, the bits of comet debris create streaks of light in night sky as they
burn up in Earth's atmosphere + Geminid meteors are created by tiny bits of rocky debris shed
from a small asteroid named 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered in 1983 + Phaethon is
small, only about 3 miles across, and it loops around the Sun every 1.4 years in an orbit that
approaches the Sun closer than any other known asteroid + Recently, Parker Solar Probe
reveals mysterious origin of Geminid meteor shower on Earth.
Ø 2023 FW13 = Astronomers have discovered a new asteroid (dubbed 2023 FW13) along Earth
recently + It is considered a "quasi-moon" or "quasi-satellite," meaning it orbits the sun in a
similar time frame as Earth does, but is only slightly influenced by Earth’s gravitational pull +
Experts believe that it has been orbiting Earth since 100 BC + Earlier, a quasi-satellite known
as Kamo'oalewa was also discovered in 2016.
Ø Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) = CME is a giant cloud of solar plasma drenched with
magnetic field lines that is blown away from Sun often during strong, long-duration solar flares
and filament eruptions + CME contains particle radiation (mostly protons and electrons) and
powerful magnetic fields. They cause disruption of space weather and satellite failures, and
power outages etc + Recenty, Scientists from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational
Sciences (ARIES), Nainital found that core of CME that occurred in 2017 had maintained a
constant temperature.
• Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) = Nainital,
Uttarakhand + It is an autonomous institute under Department of Science and Technology.
Ø SN Zwicky = Supernova + Rare extremely warped image of exploding star captured by
astronomers + The supernova has been named SN Zwicky and it was sported by the Zwicky
Transient Facility (ZTF) at the Palomar Observatory in California + Its image was warped due
to an effect called gravitational lensing. This happens when the gravity of a dense object
distorts and brightens the light of an object behind it + (Gravitational Lensing = It is a
phenomenon, which occurs when a huge amount of matter, such as a massive galaxy or cluster

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 of galaxies, creates a gravitational field that distorts and magnifies the light from objects behind
it, but in the same line of sight + Gravitational lensing is the bending of light by objects of
great mass, first predicted by Albert Einstein in 1915 + objects act as natural, cosmic telescopes
+ As a result, the galaxies appear much, much brighter than they actually are, because they’ve
been highly magnified up to 50 times + Applications of Gravitational Lensing are: Study the
galaxies, Observe invisible things in the Universe, Understand the star formation, understand
the past etc.)
Ø Jellyfish Galaxy (JO206) = Recently, NASA released an image showcasing the jellyfish
galaxy JO206 which was captured by the Hubble telescope + It trails across the universe about
700 million light-years away from our planet + It is in the constellation Aquarius.
Ø Solar Mean Magnetic Field (SMMF) = Recently, scientists from the Indian Institute of
Astrophysics (IIA) through their latest study have given a clearer picture of how the sun’s
magnetic field influences the interplanetary magnetic space + According to the Department of
Science and Technology, scientists are now one step closer to identifying the source of the
Solar Mean Magnetic Field (SMMF) + Solar Mean Magnetic Field is the mean value of the
line-of-sight (LOS) component of the solar vector magnetic field averaged over the visible
hemisphere as well as its relationship with Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) + The sun
contains the corona (the outer shell of the sun’s atmosphere), the photosphere (the visible
surface), and the chromosphere (near-transparent layer, just above the photosphere) with the
magnetic field generated by electrical currents acting as a magnetic dynamo inside the sun +
However, so far, the studies on the SMMF have mostly been confined to the magnetic field
measurements at the photosphere.
Ø Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) = GMRT is an array of thirty fully steerable
parabolic radio telescopes of 45-meter diameter, observing at meter wavelengths + It is a very
versatile instrument for investigating a variety of radio astrophysical problems ranging from
the nearby Solar system to the edge of the observable Universe + It is operated by the National
Center for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research,
Mumbai + Location: Pune + Recently, a radio signal originating from atomic hydrogen in an
extremely distant galaxy was detected by the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) +
(Atomic Hydrogen = Atomic hydrogen is the basic fuel required for star formation in a galaxy
+ When hot ionized gas from the surrounding medium of a galaxy falls onto the universe, the
gas cools and forms atomic hydrogen + This atomic hydrogen then becomes molecular
hydrogen and eventually leads to the formation of stars + Atomic hydrogen emits radio waves
of 21 cm wavelength, which helps in the direct tracing of the atomic gas content in nearby and
distant galaxies)
Ø Project Taara = Alphabet, parent company of Google, under Project Taara is currently
deploying their light beam internet technology in India, Africa, and other locations around the
world + Project Taara utilises Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) technology where
free space acts as a communication channel between transceivers that are in line-of-sight.
• Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) Technology = FSOC is an optical
communication technology that uses light to wirelessly transmit data to telecommunication
and internet applications + FSOC links use beams of light to deliver high-speed, high-
capacity connectivity over long distances but without the cable + FSOC boxes can simply
be placed kilometres apart on roofs or towers, with the signal beamed directly between the
boxes to easily traverse common obstacles like rivers, roads and railways.
Ø Euclid Space Telescope = by European Space Agency(ESA) + It aims to survey billions of
galaxies + This mission is part of ESA’s Cosmic Vision programme, which plans to explore
the origin and components of the Universe and the fundamental laws that govern it.
Ø United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) = It is the
forum for the development of international space law + In 1958, the United Nations General
Assembly established the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) to

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 govern the exploration and use of space for the benefit of all humanity + The UN COPUOS
has been supported in its work by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
(UNOOSA) + The Committee has concluded five international treaties (India is a signatory to
all five of these treaties but has ratified only four. India did not ratify the Moon agreement):
• The "Outer Space Treaty" = which regulates activities of States in the Exploration and
Use of Outer Space + 1982 + India has signed and ratified
• The "Rescue Agreement" = on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and
the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space
• The "Liability Convention" = Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused
by Space Objects + 1972
• The "Registration Convention" = Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into
Outer Space + 1975
• The "Moon Agreement" = which governs the Activities of States on the Moon and Other
Celestial Bodies) + 1979
Ø Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attack = A DDoS attack is a malicious attempt to
disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server, service or network by overwhelming the target
or its surrounding infrastructure with a flood of Internet traffic + Unlike other kinds of
cyberattacks, DDoS assaults don’t attempt to breach your security perimeter. Rather, a DDoS
attack aims to make your website and servers unavailable to legitimate users + DDoS can also
be used as a smokescreen for other malicious activities and to take down security appliances,
breaching the target’s security perimeter.
Ø Large Language Models (LLM) = Large Language Models (LLMs) are advanced AI systems
designed to understand and generate human-like language + They use vast amounts of data to
learn patterns and relationships in language, enabling them to answer questions, create text,
translate languages, and perform various language tasks.
Ø Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature Profiling (BEOSP) = BEOSP, also known Brain
Fingerprinting/Brain mapping/ P-300 test, is a neuro psychological method of interrogation +
It is designed to bring up the information which could be hidden in a person’s brain by sensing
brain wave responses respective to words, phrases, or pictures presented + BEOSP test is
carried out via a process known as electroencephalogram, conducted to study the electrical
behaviour of human brain + Unlike polygraph test, it does not involve a question answer
session with accused. Brain mapping is considered much more credible than polygraph test +
In Selvi versus State of Karnataka case (2010), SC stated that narco analysis, polygraph and
brain mapping tests cannot be forced upon any individual without their consent and test results
cannot be admitted solely as evidence.
Ø Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) = It is a system that determines functional intent - the desire
to change, move, control, or interact with something in our environment - directly from brain
activity + In other words, BCIs allow to control an application or a device using only our mind
+ Recently, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Elon Musk’s Neuralink chip
for human trials. It aims to build a next-generation brain implant with at least 100 times more
brain connections than devices currently approved by FDA.
• Neurons = Brain is made of up millions of cells called neurons, also known as nerve cells
+ These neurons work together in large networks to coordinate and control processes in
body + They use electrical and chemical signals to send information between different
areas of the brain, as well as between the brain, the spinal cord, and the entire body +
neurons work as nerve impulse is transmitted from one neuron to another through junctions
called synapses.
Ø Higgs Boson = It is popularly known as the God particle and is a subatomic particle that was
first theorized in the 1960s by physicist Peter Higgs and others + Its existence was proved in
2012 through the experiments in LHC at CERN + It carries the force that a particle experiences
when it moves through an energy field, called the Higgs field, that is believed to be present

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 throughout the universe + It has a mass of 125.35 giga-electron volts (GeV), which is about
133 times the mass of a proton + It is a scalar particle and has ‘0’ spin, and do not possess
angular momentum + It is detected indirectly by observing the particles it decays into. ✓ It
normally decays into pairs of photons or pairs of W or Z bosons (the recent discovery has found
the Higgs Boson decaying with a photon and Z boson, which is unusual) + Recently, Scientists
at The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) which hosts the Large Hadron
Collider, (LHC) have discovered evidence of the Higgs boson decaying into Z boson and a
photon.
• Large Hadron Collider (LHC) = It is the world’s largest and most powerful particle
accelerator. It first started up in 2008, and remains the latest addition to CERN’s accelerator
complex + It consists of a 27- kilometre ring of superconducting magnets with a number
of accelerating structures to boost the energy of the particles along the way + Inside the
accelerator, two high-energy particle beams travel at close to the speed of light before they
are made to collide + There are four particle detectors to record the tracks left by debris
from the collisions. The detectors (also called experiments) are: ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC
ApparatuS); CMS (the Compact Muon Solenoid); ALICE (A Large Ion Collider
Experiment); LHCb (study of physics in B-meson decays at LHC) + CERN has proposed
to develop a Future circular collider (FCC), a successor to the current LHC. The existing
facility is expected to work through 2040. “FCC is being dreamt to be 100 km
circumference, which will go along the countryside of Switzerland and France”.
• European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) = CERN was established in 1954
+ It has 23 member states + 22 members are European countries. Israel is the only non-
European nation that has full membership in CERN + India is the associate member of
CERN and USA has observer status at CERN + CERN is located in Geneva and it is an
official Observer to the United Nations (UN) + The laboratory is also a major wide area
network (WAN) hub. This is to enable researchers to remotely access the facilities present
at the laboratory. In 1989, World Wide Web (WWW) was invented by a scientist at CERN.
Ø Phonons = Phonons are quasiparticles that represent collective vibrations of atoms or
molecules in a solid material + Scientists have successfully split phonons, demonstrating their
quantum properties and ability to manipulate and control quantum states + Presently, linear
optical quantum computing uses photons, particles of light, as qubits (basic units of
information for quantum computers) + Both photons and phonons are of central interest to
quantum computing research. However, studying phonons is challenging due to their
susceptibility to noise and issues with scalability and detection.
• Photon vs Phonon = Photons are tiny packets of energy for light or electromagnetic waves
while Phonons are packets of energy for sound waves + Photons can travel through empty
space while Phonons need a medium such as air or water + Photons generally don’t interact
at all if they have different wavelengths while Phonons of different wavelengths can
interact and mix when they bump into each other, producing a different wavelength +
Photons exhibit both particle-like and wavelike properties, known as wave-particle duality
while Phonons are purely wavelike entities and do not exhibit particle-like properties.
Ø Chiral Bose-Liquid State = Recent research suggests that the chiral Bose-liquid state could
be a completely new form of matter + Typically, matter exists in solid, liquid, or gas states.
However, at extremely low temperatures or within the quantum realm, matter behaves
differently + The chiral bose-liquid state is formed by bringing two layers of a special material
very close together at very low temperatures (close to absolute Zero). One layer has an
abundance of electrons, while the other layer has “holes” where electrons can go. When these
layers are brought together, a local imbalance is created, causing electrons to not have enough
holes to fill. This imbalance triggers the formation of the chiral bose-liquid state, which has
unique properties and behaviours + The state could be useful for encryption technology in the
future.

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 Ø Petroleum Coke(Pet Coke) = It is a byproduct created when bitumen is found in tar sands +
It is a final carbon-rich solid material and residual waste material extracted from oil refining +
It is a spongy, solid residue from oil distillation that can be burned for fuel similar to coal +
Bitumen contains a higher number of carbon atoms than regular oil and it’s these atoms,
extracted from large hydrocarbon molecules using heat, that go on to form petcoke + It is high
in calorific value and easy to transport and store + It releases toxic gases like carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel, and hydrogen chloride after burning + It is
widely used by power stations and several manufacturing industries including cement, steel
and textile plants in India + In India, as of now, Import of pet coke for fuel purposes is
completely banned + Recently, the Union government of India permitted the import of pet coke
for making graphite anode material for lithium-ion batteries as a feedstock and not for any
other purposes.
Ø Dimethyl Ether = It is a synthetically produced alternative to diesel for use in specially
designed compression ignition diesel engines + It can be produced indigenously, and several
countries, like Japan, USA, China, Sweden, Denmark, and Korea, are already using DME to
power their vehicles + The DME-fuelled engine emitted extremely low particulate and soot
emissions and almost no smoke without using expensive exhaust gas after-treatment devices
and advanced engine technologies + It can be a viable alternative fuel and engine technology
to adapt to conventional diesel engines used in India’s economy’s agricultural and transport
sectors + It is used extensively in the chemical industry and as an aerosol propellant. It is used
in chemical industries and also to produce dyes and plastics + Recently, India’s first 100%
Dimethyl Ether (DME) fuelled tractor/ vehicle for on- and off-road applications has been
developed by IIT Kanpur that exhibited higher thermal efficiency and lower emissions than
the baseline diesel engine.
Ø Lithium = Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and is one of the key components in EV batteries.
It’s a silvery-white metal with a delicate texture. It is the lightest metal and the lightest solid
element under normal circumstances. It must be kept in mineral oil since it is very reactive and
combustible. It is both an alkali and a rare metal + Lithium does not occur as a metal in nature
but is found combined in small amounts in igneous rocks. Lithium is found in brine deposits
and as salts in mineral springs. Its concentration in seawater is 0.1 part per million (ppm) +
Major Reserves: Lithium reserves are concentrated in the lithium triangle in South America –
Argentina, Bolivia & Chile, with 50% of the deposits concentrated in these regions + Currently,
India is import-dependent for many minerals like lithium, nickel and cobalt + According to the
Indian Mines Ministry, the government agencies made the small discovery of lithium resources
at a site in Mandya, Karnataka. It is the country’s first lithium reserve + Now, Lithium inferred
resources have been found in the Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir (UT) + Australia, Chile,
China and Argentina are the world’s top four lithium-producing countries + Australia is by far
the world’s top producer of lithium, with an output of 42,000 tonnes in 2019.
Ø LI-Ion Battery = A Li-ion battery is a family of rechargeable battery types in which lithium
ions move from the negative electrode to positive electrode during discharge and back when
charging + Materials used as electrodes include: lithium cobalt oxide (cathode), most
commonly found in portable electronic devices; lithium manganese oxide (used in electric
automobiles), and lithium iron phosphate + Li-ion batteries typically use ether (a class of
organic compounds) as an electrolyte + Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 was awarded jointly to
Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino for the development of Li-ion
batteries.
Ø Li-ion Battery Recycling Technology = It is the indigenously developed technology that
could process assorted types of discarded Li-ion batteries + It has the capacity of recovering
more than 95 per cent Lithium (Li), Cobalt (Co), Manganese (Mn) and Nickel (Ni) contents in
the form of their corresponding oxides/carbonates of about 98 per cent purity + The recycling
process involves leaching followed by hierarchical selective extraction of metal values through

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 the solvent extraction process + These secondary raw materials could be used for battery
manufacturing or in other potential applications + This technology has been developed under
the Centre of Excellence on E-waste Management.
Ø Titanic Submersible = Titan submersible is operated by the privately owned U.S. company
OceanGate that organizes underwater expeditions for both research and tourism + It was built
with “off-the-shelf” components, is lighter and more cost-efficient than other deep diving
submersibles + Titan is made of carbon fibre and titanium and weighs 10,432 kilograms.
• Matsya-6000 = Scientists are preparing for a Deep See Dive with the Vehicle Matsya-6000
in late 2024 similar to the Titan submersible, which recently went missing + The Matsya-
6000 project under India’s Deep Ocean Mission, scheduled for late 2024, aims to explore
the Indian Ocean at a depth of about 6,000 meters.
• Submarine Vs Submersible = While the two categories can overlap, a submarine refers
to an underwater vehicle that is largely independent and has power reserves to help it depart
from a port or come back to the port after an expedition + Meanwhile, a submersible is
generally smaller in size and has less power, so it needs to work with a ship in order to be
launched and recovered.
• Carbon Fibres and Titanium = Carbon fibre is a polymer that is known to be quite strong
despite being lightweight. It can be as much as five times stronger than steel and twice as
stiff + Titanium is as strong as steel but around 45% lighter. It is twice as strong as
aluminium but only 60% heavier, according to the United States Geological Survey. A
titanium or thick steel pressure vessel is usually a spherical shape that can withstand the
crushing pressures at 3,800m – the depth at which the Titanic wreck lies. Titanium is elastic
and can adapt to an extended range of stresses without any measurable permanent strain
remaining after the return to atmospheric pressure. It shrinks to adjust to pressure forces
and re-expands as these forces are alleviated.
Ø Lab Grown Diamonds = These are environment-friendly diamonds which have optically and
chemically the same properties as natural diamonds + These are diamonds that are produced
using specific technology which mimics the geological processes that grow natural diamonds
+ Differentiating between an LGD and an Earth Mined Diamond is hard, with advanced
equipment required for the purpose + As per recent Budget, The custom duty on seeds for
rough LGDs will be reduced from 5% to nil and a five-year research grant will also be provided
to one of the Indian Institute of Technologies (IITs) for research and development in the field
of LGDs will be provided.
• Natural Diamond = Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance found on Earth
+ Diamonds are formed in mantle. They brought to the earth’s crust due to volcanism. Most
of the diamonds occur in dykes, sill etc + Diamond is the Diamonds are used in ornaments,
polishing the surfaces of metals and in gem cutting. The most important industrial use of
diamonds is in cutting-edges of drills used for exploration and mining of minerals.
• Diamond Stats = The leading producers of natural diamond are Russia, Botswana, Canada,
Australia, South Africa, Russia and Zaire [Congo] + US is the largest producer of synthetic
industrial diamonds + Russia holds what is believed to be the world’s largest and richest
diamond resources + Botswana is the leading diamond-producing country in terms of
value, and the second largest in terms of volume + In India, The Vindhayan system have
diamond bearing regions from which Panna and Golconda diamonds have been mined +
Reserves have been estimated only in Panna belt and Krishna Gravels in Andhra Pradesh.
The new kimberlite fields are discovered recently in Raichur-Gulbarga districts of
Karnataka + India is a global leader in cutting and polishing of natural diamonds,
contributing about three-fourths of the global turnover by value.
Ø Cell-Cultivated Meat = Cellular agriculture is the process by which animal based products
are produced directly from cell cultures rather than from animals + Recently, US has granted
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 approval to make and sell cell cultivated chicken + It comprises two different approaches: cell
cultivation (cellular) and precision fermentation (acellular- contain no cellular or living
material in final product like Milk) + In 2020, Singapore became the first country to approve
the sale of cell-cultivated meat.
Ø Earth’s Spin & Axis = Earth's rotation or Earth's spin is the rotation of planet Earth around its
own axis, as well as changes in the orientation of the rotation axis in space. Earth rotates
eastward, in prograde motion. As viewed from the northern polar star Polaris, Earth turns
counterclockwise + A new study found that Groundwater pumping has tilted the planet nearly
80 centimetres east between 1993 and 2010 alone + Planet’s geographic north and south poles
are where its axis intersects the surface; however, they are not fixed. The axis and hence the
poles fluctuate due to variations in Earth’s mass distribution. Water circulated across the planet
determines how mass is distributed.
Ø Geology of the Himalayas = Geology of the Himalayas, determined largely by the ongoing
collision of Indian tectonic plate with Eurasian plate, makes the region particularly vulnerable
to earthquakes + Indian plate is diving under (subduction) the Eurasian plate in north-northeast
direction + Geology of the Himalayas on its southern side is characterised by three major
tectonic units: Main Central Thrust (MCT); Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) and Himalayan
Frontal Thrust (HFT) or Main Frontal Thrust (MFT) + Highest and oldest of these is MCT,
which is a northdipping fault and marks tectonic contact between higher and lesser Himalayas
+ Lesser and sub-Himalayas are separated by MBT, and HFT constitutes southern-most and
youngest thrust + All these three faults conjoin along basal detachment plane—called
decollément in geophysical language—called Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT).
Ø Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes = Organisms on planet earth are broadly divided into
prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The former are unicellular, do not have any organelles such as
mitochondria, and their DNA is not packaged into a nucleus + Eukaryotes have mitochondria,
their DNA is packaged into a nucleus, and most of them are complex, multicellular beings +
Archaea, a subset of unicellular organisms, were discovered to have a different lineage than
bacteria and are found in extreme environments + Some archaea, known as the Asgard, exhibit
similarities to eukaryotes, leading to insights into the origins of mitochondria and the evolution
of complex life forms + Origins of Mitochondria and Chloroplasts
• Endosymbiotic Theory: Mitochondria and chloroplasts, responsible for energy generation
and photosynthesis, respectively, evolved from free-living bacteria through endosymbiosis.
• Mitochondria’s Origin: Mitochondria evolved from a proteobacteria that was engulfed
by an Asgard archaea, leading to the development of animals, fungi, and plants.
• Plant Evolution: In plants, the Asgard-mitochondrial union was followed by the
incorporation of a photosynthesizing cyanobacterium, which became the chloroplast.
Ø DSR Technique = ‘Direct Seeding of Rice’ (DSR) technique + In transplanting, farmers
prepare nurseries where the paddy seeds are first sown and raised into young plants. In DSR,
there is no nursery preparation or transplantation. The seeds are instead directly drilled into the
field by a tractor-powered machine + The DSR technique is less time consuming and labour
intensive than the conventional practice. The DSR technique called ‘tar-wattar DSR’ has been
developed and successfully tested on a good scale at farmers’ fields. It helps in saving irrigation
water, there’s lesser weed problem, besides there is reduced incidence of nutrient deficiency,
especially iron, owing to lesser leaching of nutrients and deeper root development + With 34%
rise in direct sowing of rice this year, Punjab farmers save Rs 600 cr, 30% ground water.
Ø Saguna Rice Technique (SRT) = Unique new method of cultivation of rice and related
rotation crops without ploughing, puddling and transplanting (rice) on permanent raised beds
+ It is a zero till, Conservation Agriculture (CA) type of cultivation method evolved at Saguna
Baug, District Raigad, Maharashtra + SRT insists that all roots and small portion of stem should
be left in the beds for slow rotting + No ploughing, puddling and hoeing is to be done + Weeds

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 are to be controlled with weedicides and manual labor. This system will get the crop ready for
harvesting 8 to 10 days earlier.

5) POLITY & GOVERNANCE

Ø Section 124A of IPC = related to sedition which curb freedom of speech and right to
expression + Section 124A was introduced by the British colonial government in 1870 when it
felt the need for a specific section to deal with radical Wahabi movement of the 19th century,
led by Syed Ahmed Barelvi and centred around Patna + Section 124A was drafted by Thomas
Babington Macaulay and included in the IPC in 1870 + It deters people spreading hatred and
contempt against the Govt established by law(But not includes Legislature, Judiciary and the
constitution against which sedition can be tolerated) + After independence, the term “sedition”
was removed from the Constitution in 1948, after debate in the Constituent Assembly + Indira
Gandhi’s government made section 124A a criminal offense for the first time in Indian history.
The new Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which came into effect in 1974 and repealed the
1898 Colonial-Era Code of Criminal Procedure, made sedition a knowable crime + As per this
Section, a person is liable to be punished with imprisonment for life or imprisonment up to
three years with fine + Supreme Court in Kedar Nath Singh vs. State of Bihar upheld Section
124A + Sedition is a non-bailable offence. Punishment under the law varies from imprisonment
up to three years to a life term and fine. A person charged under this law can't apply for a
government job. They have to live without their passport and must present themselves in the
court as and when required.
Ø Livestock Importation Act 1898 = Central Government has the right to regulate, restrict or
prohibit the import of any livestock which may be liable to be infected + The Customs officers
shall have the powers to implement the Govt’s order + The State Government may also make
rules for the imported live-stock within its jurisdiction + The last amendment was done in 2001,
which altered the definition of livestock products and also included the provisions of the
Customs Act 1962 + Recently, The government has withdrawn ‘Livestock Products Bill, 2023’
due to concerns raised by animal activists. As a result the existing Live-stock importation Act,
1898, and Live-stock Importation (Amendment) Act of 2001 will continue to regulate the
livestock.
Ø UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2023 = Released by Ministry of
Education (MoE) + It will supersede UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities)
Regulations 2019 + new regulations will encourage universities to focus on quality &
excellence, strengthen research ecosystem and transform higher education landscape + Earlier,
Regulations was notified in 2010 and revised in 2016 and 2019.
• Deemed to be University (DtbU) = UGC Act 1956 provides for Central Government to
declare any institution other than a University to a status of Institution DtbU under Section
2(f). Upon declaration, such institution shall be deemed to be a university + In broad terms,
it means that the institution has been granted permission to offer its own degree programs,
which are equivalent to those provided by regular universities + There are many benefits
of being a Deemed University, such as increased funding opportunities and attracting better
faculty. Additionally, these institutions often have more flexible admissions policies +
There is some eligibility criteria to apply for this status: In top 100 NIRF ranking for 3
continuous years; in top 50 of any category in NIRF ranking; NAAC ‘A’ grade with atleast
3.01 CGPA for 3 consecutive cycles etc.
Ø Zero FIR = It refers to an FIR that is registered irrespective of the area where the offence is
committed + The police, in such a case, can no longer claim that they have no jurisdiction.
Such an FIR is then later transferred to the police station that has the actual jurisdiction so that
the investigation can begin + It was introduced on the recommendation of the Justice Verma
Committee formed at the backdrop of the brutal Nirbhaya gang rape in Delhi in 2012 + This

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 puts a legal obligation on the police to begin an investigation and take quick action without the
excuse of the absence of jurisdiction.
Ø OTT Platform = OTT or Over The Top Platforms are services that offer viewers access to
movies, TV shows and other media directly through the Internet, bypassing cable or satellite
systems + India’s OTT viewership stands at 43 million people and is projected to rise to 50
million by the end of 2023. Also, increasing mobile broadcasting is going to create a big push
for new content creation + In India’s regulatory parlance, OTT platforms are called ‘publishers
of online curated content’.
• OTT regulation in India = Certain laws such as Information Technology Act 2000, Indian
Penal Code 1861, and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act 1986 have been
made applicable to the content generated on OTT Platforms + Government has also come
up with Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code)
Rules 2021 under section 87 (2) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Ø Pleasure of the Governor = Article 164 of the Constitution, says the Chief Minister shall be
appointed by the Governor and other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the Chief
Minister’s advice, adds that “the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the
Governor” + Nothing in the Article means that the Governor may independently dismiss a
Minister + Pleasure of the Governor: As per the inference, it is not the independent power,
rather it has to be exercised by the Governor only on the advice of the Chief Minister. In other
words, the term ‘pleasure of the Governor’ is used as a euphemism to refer to the Chief
Minister’s power to drop a Minister from the Council of Ministers.
Ø General Consent to CBI = General consent is the approval given by the state government
concerned from time to time to the CBI and other agencies covered under DSPE Act,1946 +
The consent is necessary as the jurisdiction of these agencies is confined to Delhi and UTs
under this act + Withdrawal of consent don’t have any effect on pending enquires(That is,
prospective effect only) + Despite the withdrawal of consent, courts can still order a CBI
Investigation + Withdrawal of consent will only bar the CBI from registering a case within the
jurisdiction of that particular state. Thus, for new cases the CBI could still file cases in Delhi
and continue to probe people inside those particular states + Recently, Tamil Nadu withdrew
general consent accorded to CBI to probe cases in state.
Ø Director General of Police (DGP) Appointment = Appointments of DGPs are made based
on the Supreme Court’s judgment on police reforms in Prakash Singh vs Union of India (2006)
+ As per the judgment, DGP is to be selected by the state government from among the three
seniors most officers empaneled for promotion to that rank. State sends the names of eligible
officers to UPSC, which appoint a three-member panel (representatives of UPSC, central and
state government concerned) to pick the candidate for the post + In 2018 SC order stated that
any conflicting rule/legislation counter to the direction for the appoint of post by state or central
government shall remain in abeyance(suspension) + Recently, Punjab assembly passed Punjab
Police Amendment Bill, 2023. The bill amends the procedure to select Director General of
Police (DGP) and paves the way for the state to appoint him/her. The bill amended the Punjab
Police Act, 2007 to bypass the requirement of the empanelment by UPSC.
Ø Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) Drugs = A FDC drug includes two or more active
pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) combined in a single dosage form, which is manufactured
and distributed in fixed doses + They have been shown to appreciably reduce the risk of
medication non-adherence, which is particularly important in patients with chronic diseases +
However, their rationality for use should be based on sound medical principles as there have
been concerns with their irrationality and utility in several countries + Common examples:
Cough syrups Phensedyl and Corex, Vicks Action 500 + Recently, 14 FDC medicines found
to lack therapeutic relevance have been banned by the Central Government on the
recommendations of the Expert Committee and the Drugs Technical Advisory Board.

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 Ø Drugs Technical Advisory Board(DTAB) = It is the highest statutory decision-making body
on technical matters related to drugs in India + It is established as per the Drugs and Cosmetics
Act, 1940 + It is part of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) + Nodal
Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare + Function: It advises the Central
Government and the State Governments on technical matters arising out of the administration
of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, of 1940 and to carry out the other functions assigned to it by
this Act.
Ø National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) = It is an institute under the Indian Directorate
General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare + The Director, an officer
of the Public Health sub-cadre of Central Health Service, is the administrative and technical
head of the Institute + Headquarters: New Delhi + It functions as the nodal agency in the
country for disease surveillance facilitating prevention and control of communicable diseases.
In coordination with the State Governments, NCDC has the capacity and capability for disease
surveillance, outbreak investigation, and rapid response to contain and combat outbreaks. It
also deals with Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR), an emerging area of concern with far-
reaching consequences. It also provides referral diagnostic support, capacity building and
technical support to States/UTs in the country.
Ø Press Information Bureau (PIB) = Nodal agency of government to disseminate information
to the print and electronic media on government policies, programmes etc + Formed in 1919
and was made as permanent body in 1923 + In 1941, the Bureau was placed under the
Department of Information and Broadcasting. Press Information Bureau acquired its present
name in 1946, and became a department of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting after
1947 + Recently, Press Information Bureau (PIB) marked its centennial anniversary.
Ø Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC) = It is an independent self-
regulatory body for Online Curated Content (OCC) providers + It was set up under the aegis
of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) + DPCGC has been recognised and
registered by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting as Level II Self-Regulatory Body
for publishers of OCC providers, under Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and
Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 + DPCGC has an Online Curated Content Publishers
(OCCP) Council composed of publishers of OCC as members and an independent Grievance
Redressal Board [GRB] consisting of a chairperson and six members + GRB will be chaired
by a retired Supreme Court/High Court judge, and the members will comprise eminent persons
from the media + DPCGC, through the GRB aims to usher in a redressal mechanism which
will ensure a balance between addressing viewer complaints and showcasing content in free-
speech environment without ad-hoc interventions + Please Note: OCC Platforms are
companies that carry on the business which curates and presents a wide variety of content by
means of online video-on-demand platforms. Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hotstar, Zee5, etc, are
examples of OOC Platforms operating in India.
Ø Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB) = It’s a government body set up under the
Department of Financial Services (DFI) by replacing the Bank Board’s Bureau (BBB) + It is
headed by a chairman who is nominated by the central government. The board would comprise
the Secretaries of the DFS, the chairman of IRDAI, and a deputy governor of the RBI.
Additionally, it will have three part-time members who are experts in banking and three more
from the insurance sector + The Primary role of FSIB: Identify manpower capabilities, make
recommendations for the appointment of full-time directors and non-executive chairmen of
state-run financial services institutions etc.
Ø Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) = Statutory body constituted under the
‘Rules for the Manufacture, Use /Import /Export and Storage of Hazardous
Microorganisms/Genetically Engineering Organisms or Cells, 1989’ notified under the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 + It functions under the Ministry of Environment + The
body regulates the use, manufacture, storage, import and export of hazardous microorganisms

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 or genetically-engineered organisms and cells in India + GEAC is chaired by the Special
Secretary/Additional Secretary of MoEF&CC and co-chaired by a representative from the
Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
• NOC for biosafety research trials in States = Since 2011, it has been made mandatory to
obtain 'NOC' from the state governments for conducting field trials + Recently, few states
have refused to give no objection certificates (NOC) of biosafety research trials of
genetically engineered (GE) cotton hybrids, regulated by the Genetic Engineering
Appraisal Committee (GEAC)
• BT Cotton = Bt cotton is the only GM crop that has been approved for commercial
cultivation + BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) Cotton is hybrids/varieties that cotton that contain
‘cry1Ac’ and ‘cry2Ab’ genes, isolated from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
and coding for proteins toxic to bollworm insect pests + Developed by US giant Bayer-
Monsanto.
Ø Central Electricity Authority (CEA) = Statutory body under the Electricity Act, 2003 +
Vision is to ensure reliable 24*7 power supply of adequate quality to all consumers in the
country + One of its objectives is to formulate National Electricity Plan every five years for
optimum utilization of available resources for power generation + It works under the Ministry
of Power and is located in New Delhi + It consists of not more than 14 members including the
Chairperson, who holds office during the pleasure of the central government.
Ø National Electricity Plan (NEP) = Recently Central Electricity Authority has notified the
National Electricity Plan for the period of 2022-32 + As per Electricity Act 2003, CEA is
required to prepare a NEP in accordance with National Electricity Policy and notify such Plan
once in five years + NEP includes the review of last five years (2017- 22), a detailed plan for
next five years (2022-27) and prospective plan for 2027-32 + First NEP was notified in 2007
+ India has witnessed electricity demand increased at CAGR of around 4.1 % during the last
decade and it is projected that electricity demand is likely to grow at CAGR of 7.18 % for next
five years.
Ø Framework for Submarine Cable Landing in India = Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI) released recommendations on ‘Licensing Framework and Regulatory
Mechanism for Submarine Cable Landing in India’ + The framework will ease the rules for
setting up submarine (undersea) cable landing stations (CLS) in India + Submarine Cables
(SMC) are laid on the ocean floor and digitally connect countries typically, connect terrestrial
telecom networks, and the Cable Landing Station (CLS) is the location where they make a
landfall + As per the framework, Essential Services’ and Critical Information Infrastructure
(CII) status can be accorded to CLS and Submarine Cables (SMC) operation and maintenance
services + The clearances related to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Coastal
Region Zone (CRZ) required for SMC and CLS may also be made online as a part of Saral
Sanchar portal.
• Saral Sanchar Portal = ‘SARAL SANCHAR’ (Simplified Application For Registration
and Licenses) + It is a part of the various digital initiatives being undertaken by the Dept
of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications + It is a web-based portal for Issuing
various types of licenses and registration certificates.
Ø Framework for Compromise Settlements and Technical Write-offs = Issued by RBI
recently + It aims is to provide further impetus to resolution of stressed assets as well as to
rationalise instructions across all Regulated Entities (REs) + REs includes all Commercial
Banks, Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, State and Central Cooperative Banks, NBFCs
(including Housing Finance Companies) etc + In 2019, RBI also released Prudential
Framework for Resolution of Stressed Assets regarding compromise settlements + REs shall
put in place Board-approved policies for undertaking compromise settlements and technical
write-off.

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 • Compromise Settlements: Any negotiated arrangement with the borrower to fully settle
claims of RE against borrower in cash.
• Technical Write-offs: Cases where non performing assets remain outstanding at borrowers
loan account level, but are written off by RE only for accounting pourposes.
Ø Drug Price Control in India = Ministry of Health and Family Welfare draws up a National
List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022 for price control + These essential medicines
automatically come under the Drug (Prices Control) Order (DPCO),2013 + The National
Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), which is an independent body in the Ministry of
Chemicals and Fertilisers, enforces these price controls + Recently, NPPA has fixed retail
prices of 23 formulations, including the medications to treat diabetes and high blood pressure.
o It has also revised the ceiling price of 15 scheduled formulations under Drugs (Prices
Control) Order, 2013 (NLEM 2022).
• National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority(NPPA) = It was established to fix and revise
the prices of controlled bulk drugs, and formulations and to enforce prices and availability
of the medicines in the country, under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995 + It is an
attached office of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals and
Fertilisers + It is an independent Regulator for pricing of drugs and to ensure availability
and accessibility of medicines at affordable prices + Recently, the drug price regulator, the
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), fixed the ceiling price of 18
formulations, and the retail price of 23 new drugs by bringing them under price control.
Ø New Parliament House = Recently, new Parliament House was inaugurated + Current project
is part of Central Vista development/redevelopment plan, an infrastructure investment project,
involving multiple projects + Inaugurated in 1931, Central Vista included Rashtrapati Bhavan,
North and South Blocks, Parliament House, Record Office (later named as The National
Archives) along with India Gate monument and civic gardens on either side of Rajpath + The
new Parliament House has more than 150 percent more seating capacity than the previous one
+ (Present Parliament Building = India’s present Parliament House is a colonial-era building
designed by British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, which took 6 years to
construct (1921- 1927) + Building housed the Imperial Legislative Council + It is popularly
believed that the unique circular shape of the Chausath Yogini temple in Morena, (Madhya
Pradesh) had inspired the design of the Council House + The Parliament building witnessed
the addition of two floors in 1956 to address the demand for more space + First elected
Parliament came into existence in April 1952).

6) ECONOMICS
Ø Greedflation = Greedflation, in basic terms, is the inflation and hike in prices not driven by
economic flow, but by corporate greed + It can be understood as a condition where corporate
desire for excessive profit (greed) is leading to inflation + Companies artificially inflate their
prices not just to cover the input cost but to increase their profit margins.
Ø GIFT Tax = A “gift” can be in the form of money and movable/immovable property that an
individual receives from another individual or organization without making a payment + The
Income Tax Act states that gifts whose value exceeds Rs.50,000 are subject to gift tax in the
hands of the recipient + The gift is exempted from tax if it was given by a relative. The income
tax rule Parent, Spouse, Siblings, Spouse's siblings, Lineal descendants Lineal descendants of
the spouse can be considered as a relative + Some other exceptions are: Gifts received during
weddings are usually exempted from tax. Gifts received as part of the inheritance are exempted
from tax. Cash or rewards received by local authorities or educational institutions based on
merit is exempted from tax + The gift tax is also applicable on certain transfers that are not
considered a gift + Recently, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has exempted buyers
from gift tax when they acquire equity shares in public-sector units (PSUs) through strategic

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 disinvestment. The relaxation will stay as long as the strategic investor retains at least 51 per
cent in the PSU after the takeover.
Ø Open Market Sale Scheme(OMSS) = Food Corporation of India (FCI) sells surplus stocks
of wheat and rice under Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) at predetermined prices through
e-auction in the open market from time to time to enhance the supply of food grains, especially
wheat during the lean season and thereby moderate the open market prices especially in the
deficit regions + It is a scheme of Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of
Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution + The State Governments/ Union Territory
Administrations are also allowed to participate in the e-auction, if they require wheat and rice
outside the Targeted Public Distribution Scheme (TPDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS)
+ The reserve price is fixed by the government. In the tenders floated by the FCI, the bidders
cannot quote less than the reserve price + The Minimum and maximum quantity of wheat per
buyer shall be 50 MT and 5000 MT respectively. The maximum quantity for State Govt.
Agencies in one tender is 40,000 MT + The minimum and maximum quantity of Raw Rice
Grade-A that a bulk consumer/trader can bid in an e-auction conducted by a Region for a
State/UT is 50 MT and 3500 MT respectively + The maximum quantity of rice that a State
Govt. can bid in a single e-auction is 25,000 MT.
Ø Binance and Coinbase = These are Crypto exchanges + These may be asked as terms in news
Ø Co-operative Banks = Co-operative Banks, which are distinct from commercial banks, were
born out of the concept of co-operative credit societies where members from a community
group together to extend loans to each other, at favourable terms + Co-operative Banks are
broadly classified into Urban and Rural co-operative banks based on their region of operation
+ there is no formal restriction on their area of operation, today well maintained UCBs with
deposits of over Rs 50 crore are also allowed to operate in more than one state subject to certain
norms + They are registered under the Co-operative Societies Act of the State concerned or
under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002 + The Department of Cooperative Bank
Regulation (DCBR) regulates State Co- operative Banks (StCBs), District Central Cooperative
Banks (DCCBs) and Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs).+ UCB which are set up under the
Multi State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 are regulated by the Central Registrar of
Cooperative Societies (CRCS) + Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a four-
tiered regulatory framework for the categorization of Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) +
Based on the recommendations of the Expert Committee, Chaired by Shri N. S. Vishwanathan,
RBI had released the Revised Regulatory Framework for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs)
in 2022. The four-tiered regulatory framework, based on the size of deposits of the UCBs, will
come into force with immediate effect. This circular applies to all Primary (Urban) Co-
operative Banks + Recently, Reserve Bank of India has notified these vital measures to
strengthen Urban Co-operative Banks
• One-time settlements: Co-operative banks through board-approved policies may provide
process for technical write-off as well as settlement with borrowers. This has brought
cooperative banks at par with other commercial banks now.
• UCBs can now open new branches up to 10% (max 5 branches) of the number of branches
in the previous financial year without prior approval (i.e., automatic approval) of RBI.
• RBI has decided to extend the timeline for UCBs to achieve Priority Sector Lending (PSL)
targets by two years (i.e., up to March 31, 2026)
• Coordination with RBI: RBI has notified a nodal officer (in RBI) to meet the long pending
demand of the cooperative sector for closer coordination and focused interaction.
• FSWM Criteria: To avail this facility, UCBs have to get the policy approved by their board
and comply with the Financially Sound and Well Managed (FSWM) Norms. RBI terms
select UCBs as FSWM subject to fulfilment of prescribed criteria.
Ø Investor Protection Fund (IPF) and Investor Services Fund (ISF) = Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) came out with the comprehensive guidelines for Investor

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 Protection Fund (IPF) and Investor Services Fund (ISF) maintained by stock exchanges and
depositories
• Investor Protection Fund (IPF) = All stock exchanges and depositories shall establish an
IPF + The objective of establishing an IPF is to protect the interests of participants (like
stockbrokers and investors) of the Exchange + The IPF of the stock exchange and
depository shall be administered through separate trusts created for the purpose.
• Investor Services Fund (ISF) = ISF aims at providing different kinds of services to the
investing public such as investor education and awareness programs, dissemination of
companies’ information etc + The stock exchange shall set aside at least 20% of the listing
fees received for ISF for providing services to the investing public + Supervision of the
ISF will rest with the Regulatory Oversight Committee + Transfer of un-utilized IPF/ISF:
If a stock exchange or a depository is wound up or derecognized or exits, then the balance
in the IPF and/or ISF lying un-utilised with the stock exchange and depository shall be
transferred to Investor Protection and Education Fund (IPEF) of SEBI.
• Investor Protection and Education Fund (IPEF) = IPEF has been established by SEBI
in 2007 and it is regulated under the SEBI (IPEF) Regulations 2009 + It is utilized for the
protection of investors and the promotion of investor education and awareness + It is
funded through contributions made by SEBI, grants and donations by central government
or state governments, security deposits and amounts in IPF/ISF of derecognized stock
exchanges etc.
Ø ANTARDRIHSTI = RBI governor launched a Financial Inclusion Dashboard, named,
ANTARDRIHSTI + It will provide the required insight to assess and monitor the progress of
financial inclusion by capturing relevant parameters + The dashboard is presently intended for
internal use in the RBI.
Ø National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Platform = It is a pan-India electronic trading portal
which networks the existing APMC mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural
commodities + It is completely funded by the Central Government and is implemented by the
Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’
Welfare + Recently, e-NAM is set to cross 1 Trillion Rupees trade in FY24 + Other important
related features are:
• Platform of Platforms (POP) = It has been launched under the National Agriculture
Market(e-NAM) + Aim: to promote trade & marketing of agricultural produce outside their
state borders + It includes Logistics Service Provider, Quality Assurance Service Provider,
Warehousing Facility Service Provider and other services such as e-commerce,
international agri-business platforms, barter, private market platforms among others + This
will increase farmers’ digital access to multiple markets, buyers and service providers.
• e-NWR (electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipt) = NWR system allows transfer of
ownership of a commodity stored in a warehouse without having to deliver it physically +
e-NAM helps to facilitate trade from warehouses based on e-NWR (electronic Negotiable
Warehouse Receipt)
Ø Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023- 24 = Such a scheme was first
instituted by the Ministry of Finance in 2020-21 in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic +
Under the scheme, special assistance is being provided to the State Governments in the form
of a 50-year interest-free loan + Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has approved
capital investment proposals of Rs. 56,415 crores in 16 States in the current financial year
under the scheme entitled ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023-24’.
• Capital Expenditure (Capex) by States = The expenditure by states on subsidies rose at
a faster pace even as their capital spending slowed down in FY23 + The state’s debt-to-
GSDP ratio was the highest in Punjab (48%), followed by Rajasthan and Haryana.
Ø RuPay Card = It is an Indian domestic card scheme + launched by the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI) + It was created to fulfill the Reserve Bank of India’s desire to

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 have a domestic, open loop, and multilateral system of payments in India + RuPay facilitates
electronic payment at all Indian banks and financial institutions, and competes with
MasterCard and Visa in India + Recently, RBI permits banks to issue RuPay prepaid forex
cards in a bid to broaden the scope of RuPay cards and as part of its strategy of
internationalising issuance and acceptance of such cards.
Ø Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited (CIBIL) = It is the leading credit bureau and
Credit Information Company (CIC) licensed by Reserve Bank of India. Primary + Function:
To collect and maintain financial data as provided by the lenders to further generate and
provide credit reports and credit scores for its customers + It maintains credit files on 600
million individuals and 32 million businesses + CIBIL India is part of TransUnion, an
American multinational group. Hence credit scores are known in India as the CIBIL
Transunion score
• CIBIL Score = It is a three-digit numeric summary of your credit history. CIBIL or Credit
Information Bureau (India) Limited maintains and calculates your credit score + The value
of Credit Score may range between 300 to 900 + Lenders can check the CIBIL report and
CIBIL Score/CIBIL Rank to evaluate the risk of lending to applicants and accordingly
approve or reject new loan/credit card applications + The closer a CIBIL Score is to 900,
the higher are the chances of the consumer's credit card or loan application getting
approved.
• CIBIL Report = It is a consolidated credit report that includes the consumer's CIBIL Score
and credit summary, personal information, contact information, employment information,
and loan account information. It is important to note that lenders consider both the CIBIL
Score and Report to assess a person's loan eligibility.
Ø Jeera (Cumin) Cultivation = It is an aromatic seed that adds an extra punch of taste to Indian
dishes + It is believed that Jeera is native to the Mediterranean region, and it was well-known
in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome + It’s oil is reported to have antibacterial activity + It
grows well in both tropical and sub-tropical climates, and it comes up well in all types of soils,
but well-drained sandy loam soils are best suited. It is a highly weather-sensitive crop. It
requires a moderately cool and dry climate without any humidity + It is a Rabi crop and is
cultivated mainly in Gujarat and Rajasthan + India accounts for some 70% of the world’s
production of this seed spice. Other countries such as Syria, Turkey, UAE and Iran make up
the balance 30%.
Ø Basmati Rice = Produced from seven States: J&K, HP, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP and
Uttarakhand + 75% of the Basmati rice is exported to West Asian countries + In 2010, GI Status
was given to basmati grown only in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, HP, Uttarakhand and parts of
western UP and J&K( MP region is NOT included) +Largest area under Basmati rice is in the
state of Haryana (60%) followed by Uttar Pradesh (17.1%) and Punjab (16.1%) + Diseases:
Susceptible to two major diseases: Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) and Blast (leaf and collar)
diseases caused by the fungus Magnaportheoryzae. NOTE: Pesticides and fungicides used
against these diseases increased the residue levels permitted in developed countries + Genetic
Varieties to fight disease: Pusa Basmati 1885, Pusa Basmati 1847 and Pusa Basmati 1886
varieties have two genes to resist BLB and two genes to resist blast disease.
• Rice Cultivation in India: State wise Rank: West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab +
Country wise Rank: China > India(2nd) > Indonesia > Bangladesh > Vietnam + About one-
fourth of the total cropped area in India is under rice cultivation.
Ø Fertilisers Sector in India = India is 2nd largest fertiliser consuming country after China +
India is 3rd largest fertiliser producer + Fertilizers are materials used to provide plants with
nutrients which are deficient in soils. It is a chemical product which is either mined or
manufactured. It is one of the eight core industries + Urea accounts for over 2/3rd of overall
fertiliser consumption + The requirement of potash is met through imports + Fertilizers are
classified as Primary, Secondary and Micronutrients + Primary fertilizers are further classified

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 on the type of nutrients they supply to soil such as nitrogenous (urea), phosphatic (Di-
Ammonium Phosphate (DAP)) and potassic (muriate of potash (MOP)) fertilizers + Secondary
fertilizer includes calcium, magnesium, and Sulphur while micronutrients include iron, zinc,
boron, chloride etc.
Ø Strategic Reserves of Crude Oil = Strategic petroleum reserves (SPRs) are stockpiles of crude
oil maintained by countries ensuring a stable supply of crude oil even during times of
geopolitical uncertainty or supply disruptions. These underground storage facilities play a
crucial role in maintaining a steady flow of energy resources for the nation's growth and
development + Construction of strategic oil reserves facilities is managed by Indian Strategic
Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL), special purpose vehicle, under Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas + India’s SPR have a cumulative capacity of 5.33 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT)
of crude oil, and can meet around 9.5 days of the country’s oil demand + International Energy
Agency (IEA) (India, an associate member) recommends that all countries should hold an
emergency oil stockpile sufficient to provide 90 days of import protection + Presently, India
has three SPRs (made up of excavated rock caverns) at Mangalore 1.5 MMT, Padur 2.5 MMT
(both in Karnataka), and Visakhapatnam 1.33 MMT (Andhra Pradesh) + Another 6.5 MMT of
strategic crude reserves is planned at Chandikhol 4 MMT (Odisha) and Padur 2.5 MMT + As
per recent survey, Rajasthan was recommended as a potential site for strategic reserves of crude
oil in salt caverns to develop salt cavern-based strategic storage facilities.
• Salt cavern-based reserves vs. Rock cavern-based reserves = Unlike underground rock
caverns, which are developed through excavation, salt caverns are developed by process of
solution mining, which involves pumping water into geological formations with large salt
deposits to dissolve the salt + Process is simpler, faster, and less cost-intensive than
developing excavated rock caverns + Unlike rock caverns, salt cavern-based storages can
be created and operated almost entirely from the surface.
Ø Steel Industry = India currently ranks as the World's 2nd Largest Producer of Crude Steel with
the production of crude steel at 133.596 MT. It surpassed Japan in 2018 + China remains the
global leader in crude steel production + Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon containing less
than 2% carbon and 1% manganese and small amounts of silicon, phosphorus, sulphur and
oxygen. Iron is made by removing oxygen and other impurities from iron ore.
• Iron Ore = Iron ores consist mainly of hematite, magnetite, limonite, siderite (FeCO3) +
Key Active Mines: Bailadila, Nuagaon, Gandhamardhan, Joda, Balda, Narayanposhi,
Daitari, and Barsua Mine + In 2021, India exported $4.3B in Iron Ore, making it the 7th
largest exporter of Iron Ore and, imported $177M in Iron Ore, becoming the 41st largest
importer of Iron Ore + Low-grade ores comprised 92% of India's total iron ore exports.
Ø World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector = Aim: To address the shortage
of agricultural storage infrastructure in the country by facilitating the establishment of
godowns at the level of primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) and also enables PACS to
undertake various other activities + It focuses upon convergence of various schemes of the
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution and Ministry of Food Processing Industries + An inter-ministerial committee
(IMC) will be formed under the chairmanship of the Minister of Cooperation, with ministers
of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Food
Processing Industries, and secretaries as members “to modify guidelines/ implementation
methodologies of schemes of the respective ministries as and when the need arises” + Initially,
scheme would run in pilot phase + The Pilot would provide valuable insights into various
regional requirements of the project, learnings from which will be suitably incorporated for
country-wide implementation of the Plan.
Ø Developing Country Status in WTO = Under the WTO system, generally, countries are
designated as developed, developing, and least developed countries (LDCs) + There are no
WTO definitions of “developed” and “developing” countries + Members announce for

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 themselves whether they are “developed” or “developing” countries. However, other members
can challenge the decision of a member to make use of provisions available to developing
countries. Only the ‘least developed country’ (LDC) status is designated by the UN +
Developing country status in the WTO brings certain rights. Developing country status ensures
special and differential treatment (S&DT) or provisions which allow them more time to
implement agreements and commitments, include measures to increase trading opportunities,
safeguard their trade interests, and support to build capacity to handle disputes and implement
technical standards.
Ø Duty-free quota-free (DFQF) Scheme = The decision to provide duty-free quota-free
(DFQF) access for LDCs was first taken at the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting in 2005
+ India became the first developing country to extend this facility to LDCs in 2008, providing
market access to 85 per cent of India’s total tariff lines + The scheme was expanded in 2014
providing preferential market access on about 98.2 per cent of India’s tariff lines to LDCs.

7) DEFENCE
Ø Kavach System = It is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system.
Kavach was developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) under
Indian Railway (IR) in collaboration with Medha Servo Drives Pvt Ltd, HBL Power Systems
Ltd and Kernex Microsystems + It is a set of electronic devices and Radio Frequency
Identification devices installed in locomotives, in the signalling system as well the tracks, that
talk to each other using ultra-high radio frequencies to control the brakes of trains and also
alert drivers, all based on the logic programmed into them + Since 2016, the railways have
been carrying out field tests for Kavach on passenger trains + It has been designed to assist
locomotive pilots in avoiding Signal Passing At Danger (SPAD) and overspeeding. The system
can alert the loco pilot, take control of the brakes and bring the train to a halt automatically
when it notices another train on the same line within a prescribed distance + Other Railway
Safety measures are:
• Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) = It was a dedicated fund created for the
railways in 2017-18 with a corpus of ₹1-lakh crore for five years + In 2022, government
decided to extend the currency of the fund for another five years + The objective of the
fund is to clear the backlog of critical safety and related works of railways, including track
renewals, strengthening of bridges and signalling improvements among others.
• Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches = Introduced by the Indian Railways in 1995,
LHB coaches are considered far safer than the older Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches
+ These coaches are equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as disc brakes, a
hydraulic suspension system, a center buffer coupling system, and side suspension.
• Railway Protection Force (RPF) = RPF is a security force of India entrusted with
protecting railway passengers, passenger area and railway property of the Indian Railways
+ It was established by the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957 + This is only central armed
police force (CAPF, commonly known as Para-Military force) which has power to arrest,
investigate and prosecute criminals + It is under the authority of Ministry of Railways
(India) + All the officers of RPF are members of the Indian Railway Protection Force
Service (IRPFS) and are recruited through UPSC Civil Services Examination + It is headed
by the Director General (DG). However, the post of Director-General of RPF is held on
deputation by a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.
Ø Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) = CRS is a government body that acts as the railway
safety authority in the country + It deals with matters related to safety of rail travel and
operations, among some other statutory functions – inspectorial, investigatory, and advisory –
as laid down in the Railways Act, 1989 + It is Headquartered in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh + It
is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) instead of the

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 Ministry of Railways. The reason behind this is to keep the CRS insulated from the influence
of the country’s railway establishment and prevent conflicts of interest.
Ø Operation Amanat = Conducted by Railway Protection Force (RPF) + initiative to make it
easier for the passengers to get back their lost luggage.
Ø Varunastra = Varunastra torpedo was developed by Naval Science and Technological
Laboratory (NSTL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the
Indian Navy + It is a ship launched, heavy weight, electrically-propelled anti-submarine
torpedo + Varunastra is capable of targeting quiet submarines, both in deep and shallow waters
in an intense countermeasures environment + It can be fired from all ASW ships capable of
firing heavyweight torpedoes + It was inducted by Indian Navy in 2016 + Varun Astra is
considered the only torpedo in the world to have a GPS based locating aid + Torpedo is an
underwater weapon with an explosive warhead that is designed to detonate when in proximity
to the target or on contact with the target.
Ø Zircon Hypersonic Cruise Missile = Recently, Russia successfully tested Zircon hypersonic
cruise missile + A hypersonic missile is a weapon system which flies at least at the speed of
Mach 5 i.e. five times the speed of sound and is maneuverable. The maneuverability of the
hypersonic missile is what sets it apart from a ballistic missile as the latter follows a set course
or a ballistic trajectory + Thus, unlike ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles do not follow a
ballistic trajectory and can be maneuvered to the intended target.
Ø Fattah Missile = Iran + Iran has recently unveiled its first-ever hypersonic missile.
Ø Agni-1 Missile = Recently, a successful training launch of a medium-range ballistic missile,
Agni-1 was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command from APJ Abdul Kalam Island,
Odisha + Agni- 1 ballistic missile is a medium-Range Ballistic Missile having range 700–900
km + It is a single-stage, solid-fuel missile + It is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead with
an estimated payload of 1,000 kg + It was first test-fired in 2002 + The Indian Army’s Strategic
Forces Command first deployed this missile in 2007 + The Agni-I originated from India’s 1983
Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP)
• IGMDP = It was a programme for the R&D of the comprehensive range of missiles in
India, started in 1982–83 under the leadership of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam + It was a Ministry
of Defence programme managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) + Types of missiles under the programme: APJ Abdul Kalam started multiple
projects simultaneously to develop the following types of Indian Guided Missiles:
§ Short Range Surface to Surface Missile (SSM) ‘Prithvi’
§ Long Range Surface to Surface Missile (SSM) ‘Agni’
§ Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (SAM) ‘Akash’
§ Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SAM) ‘Trishul’
§ Anti-tank Guided Missile (ATGM) ‘Nag’
Ø INS Vikramaditya = INS Vikramaditya is the country’s most powerful aircraft carrier. It was
built in 1987 and had served the Soviet navy (named as Baku) + The Indian navy purchased
the vessel in 2004 and commissioned it in November 2013 at Severodvinsk in Russia + It can
carry over 30 aircraft comprising MiG-29Ks, Kamov-28s, Kamov-31s, ALH-Dhruv and
Chetak helicopters + It was retrofitted with a Barak missile system under joint development
with Israel + It is based at its home port at Karwar in Karnataka + INS Vikramaditya has
recently been operationalised after an exhaustive refit lasting nearly two and a half years.
Ø INS Vikrant or IAC-1 = The nation’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-1) + The name
‘INS Vikrant’ originally belonged to India’s first aircraft carrier which was acquired from the
UK, and played a vital role in the 1971 War with Pakistan before it was decommissioned in
1997 + Design & Development: By the Indian Navy's in-house Warship Design Bureau (WDB)
and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, a Public Sector Shipyard under the Ministry of Ports,
Shipping & Waterways. It has been built with state-of-the-art automation features and is the
largest ship ever built-in the maritime history of India + The ship is capable of operating an air

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 wing consisting of 30 aircraft comprising MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31, MH-60R multi-
role helicopters, in addition to indigenously manufactured Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH)
and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) (Navy).
Ø INS Sunayna = It is a Saryu class Offshore Patrol Vessel which was commissioned at Kochi
+ It is based under Southern Naval Command and is built at Goa Shipyard Limited + The
warship is designed to undertake fleet support operations, coastal and offshore patrolling,
ocean surveillance and monitoring of Sea Lines of Communications and offshore assets, and
escort duties.
Ø INS Kirpan = It is an indigenously-built in-service missile + It is a Khukri class missile
corvette commissioned into the Navy + It has a displacement displacing capacity of close to
1,400 tonnes. It is capable of a speed of more than 25 knots + The Khukri class are equipped
with Diesel Engines assembled in India + The ship is fitted with a medium-range gun, 30 mm
close-range guns, chaff launchers, and surface-to-surface missiles + It performs a wide variety
of roles, including coastal and offshore patrol, coastal security, surface warfare, anti-piracy,
and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations + Recently, India gifted
the indigenously built in-service missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam.
Ø MH-60R Romeo Helicopter = Manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation, USA, it is an
all-weather helicopter designed to support multiple missions with state-of-the-art avionics and
sensors + It is a versatile platform known for its exceptional Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW),
surveillance, anti-shipping, and search and rescue capabilities + Recently, The Indian Navy
achieved a unique feat after an MH-60 ‘Romeo’ multi-mission helicopter landed on the
indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
Ø TAPAS Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) = Indigenously developed TAPAS 201 is a Medium
Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV + It is designed and developed by Bengaluru based
Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) + It is capable to carry different
combinations of payloads like Medium Range Electro Optic, Long Range Electro Optic,
Synthetic Aperture Radar etc. to perform missions during day and night + It has an endurance
of more than 18 hours and can operate at altitudes of up to 28,000 feet + It can carry payloads
up to 350 kg.
Ø HMX, also called octogen = is a powerful and relatively insensitive nitroamine high
explosive, chemically related to RDX + a colourless substance suited for demolishing
underwater infrastructure.
Ø Exercise Ekatha = Annual exercise + between the navies of India and Maldives + To enhance
interoperability in diving and special operations
Ø Exercise Ekuverin = It is the 12th edition of a joint military exercise between India and
Maldives + The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability in Counter Insurgency/ Counter
Terrorism Operations under the UN mandate and carrying out joint Humanitarian Assistance
and Disaster Relief operations.
Ø Exercise Khaan Quest 2023 = Recently, the multinational Peacekeeping Joint Exercise “Ex
Khaan Quest 2023” commenced in Mongolia + It features participation from military
contingents and observers from over 20 countries + The exercise is co-sponsored by Mongolian
Armed Forces (MAF) and the United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC).

8) HEALTH
Ø Bakanae Disease = also known as Foot rot disease + It is a soil and seed-borne deadly fungus
which is seen only in the Basmati variety of paddy + It is caused by ‘Fusarium verticillioides’
fungi + The infected saplings turn pale yellow and become elongated and later, the saplings
start drying and usually die + Symptoms sometimes appear after transplantation and the
infected plants first grow way taller than the normal plants and die after a few days + Recently,

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 several farmers raised the concern over “foot rot” disease in the saplings of the Basmati variety
of paddy in the nurseries.
Ø Leptospirosis = a bacterial disease that effects humans and animals + Caused by bacteria of
the genus Leptospira + It is also known as Rat fever + emerging tropical infectious disease +
Zoonotic disease + Severe form of leptospirosis is known as Weil’s disease + Transmission
takes place due to exposure to water contaminated by urine from infected animals + Human to
Human transmission is rare + Currently there is no preventive vaccine for humans that are
available in market + Disease is detected in areas which have witnessed excessive rainfall or
flooding.
Ø Norovirus Infection = It is a highly contagious RNA virus belonging to the family
Caliciviridae. It is also sometimes referred to as the ‘stomach flu’ or the ‘ winter vomiting bug’
+ Norovirus is a bug similar to the diarrhoea-inducing rotavirus for which India has included
a vaccine in its universal immunization programme + Norovirus is highly contagious, and can
be transmitted through contaminated food, water, and surfaces. + Group of viruses that leads
to gaestrointestinal illness + The primary route is oral-faecal + One may get infected multiple
times as the virus has different strains + Norovirus is resistant to many disinfectants and heat
up to 60°C + No vaccines are available for the disease.
Ø Anaemia = According to the World Health Organization (WHO), anaemia is a condition in
which the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower
than normal. Haemoglobin is needed to carry oxygen and if there are too few red blood cells,
or not enough haemoglobin, there will be a decreased capacity of the blood to carry oxygen to
the body’s tissues, resulting in symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, dizziness and shortness
of breath among others + The most common nutritional cause of anaemia is iron deficiency +
WHO defines anaemia in children aged under five years and pregnant women as a haemoglobin
concentration <110 g/L at sea level, and anaemia in non-pregnant women as a haemoglobin
concentration <120 g/L + According to the Health Ministry, assessment of anaemia in India is
being shifted to the new Diet and Biomarkers Survey in India (DABS-I), launched last year to
map diet, nutrition and health status and provide the correct estimate of anaemia among the
rural and urban population.
• DABS-I = is a comprehensive national-level dietary survey, which will define food and
nutrient adequacy by collecting individual dietary intake data of different age-groups of
people from all States and UTs across the country + The study provided nutrient
composition data on cooked and uncooked foods from various regions of the country for
the first time + On the other hand, NHFS provides information on population, health, and
nutrition for India and each State/UT. Besides providing evidence for the effectiveness of
ongoing programmes, the data from NFHS helps in identifying the need for new
programmes with an area specific focus.
Ø Sickle Cell Anaemia = It is an inherited blood disease which is most common among people
of African, Arabian and Indian origin + It is a group of disorders that affects hemoglobin, the
molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body + People with
this disease have atypical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin S, which can distort red
blood cells into a sickle, or crescent shape + This blocks blood flow and oxygen from reaching
all parts of the body + Recently, Prime Minister of India has launched the National Sickle Cell
Anaemia Elimination Mission in Madhya Pradesh.
• National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission = The objective of the mission is to
provide affordable and accessible care to all SCD patients, ensure the quality of care and
lower the prevalence of the disease + The vision of the mission is to eliminate SCD as a
public health problem in India before 2047 + Beneficiaries: Covering the entire population
from 0 to 18 years of age and shall incrementally include the entire population up to 40
years as a part of the National Health Mission (NHM).

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 Ø Cannabis = It is the most widely used illicit drug in the world, and 19.5% of those who have
used cannabis develop a Cannabis use disorder (CUD) + CUD is characterised by persistent
impairment, such as failing to attend to work or personal obligations, continuing to use
cannabis despite problems, and an inability to cut down its use. Despite this public health
concern, there are currently no treatments for CUD + Previous research has shown that
activation of the cannabinoid receptor by Tetrahydrocannbinol (THC) - the main psychoactive
component of cannabis - is responsible for the behavioural effects of cannabis.
Ø Captagon Pill = It is a highly addictive amphetamine-type drug, which is produced mainly in
Syria + The original Captagon contained fenetylline, a synthetic drug of the phenethylamine
family to which amphetamine also belongs + It was commercially sold in several countries
until the 1980s and was banned due to fears of its highly addictive nature
Ø Y Chromosome = Recently, researchers have discovered that the Y chromosome possesses
genes linked to ageing and lifespan regulation + The Y chromosome may have to relinquish its
title of “master of maleness” to another chromosome in the times to come + (Chromosome =
It is a thread-like structure located inside the nucleus of animal and plant cells + Each
chromosome is made of protein and a single molecule of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) + It is
passed from parents to offspring + DNA contains the specific instructions that make each type
of living creature unique + In humans, in addition to the 22 pairs of chromosomes in each, we
have a pair of sex chromosomes called X and Y + All biological males have X and Y
chromosomes and all biological females have two X chromosomes + The y chromosome
known as the “master of maleness,” determines the biological male sex and carries genes that
play a role in sex determination)
Ø Influence of Y Chromosome on Cancer Outcomes = Recent studies have provided insights
into the influence of the Y chromosome on cancer outcomes, highlighting the greater
vulnerability of males to certain types of cancer + These studies shed light on the role of the Y
chromosome in colorectal and bladder cancer, revealing key genetic mechanisms that
contribute to tumour progression, immune response, and clinical prognosis.
• Colorectal Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, also known as colon cancer or rectal cancer, refers
to cancer that develops in the colon or rectum, which are parts of the large intestine. It is
one of the most common types of cancer worldwide + It typically begins as small,
noncancerous growths called polyps on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. Over time,
some of these polyps can develop into cancer.
• Bladder Cancer: Bladder cancer refers to the development of cancerous cells in the tissues
of the urinary bladder, the organ responsible for storing urine.
• Chromosome = A chromosome is a thread-like structure of nucleic acids and protein found
in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes +
Chromosomes are composed of DNA molecules that are tightly wound around proteins
called histones. This combination of DNA and proteins helps to compact and organise the
genetic material + There are two main types of chromosomes: autosomes and sex
chromosomes + Autosomes are non-sex chromosomes. In humans, there are 22 pairs of
autosomes, numbered from 1 to 22. Autosomes contain genes responsible for determining
various traits and characteristics, excluding those related to sex determination + Sex
chromosomes determine the sex of an individual and are represented by the letters X and
Y. In humans, females have two X chromosomes (XX), while males have one X and one
Y chromosome (XY).
Ø Tryptophan = Researchers have recently discovered the amino acid tryptophan in interstellar
space, designated as IC 348 + It is an amino acid needed for normal growth in infants and for
the production and maintenance of the body's proteins, muscles, enzymes, and
neurotransmitters + It is an essential amino acid. This means your body cannot produce it, so
you must get it from your diet + The body uses tryptophan to help make melatonin and
serotonin. Melatonin helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, and serotonin is thought to help

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 regulate appetite, sleep, mood, and pain + (IC 348 = It is a 2-million-year-old open star cluster
surrounded by a reflection nebula of about 15 light-years across. It is located 1028 light-years
away from earth in the northern constellation of Perseus, while it is receding from earth at
14km per second. It is embedded in the star-forming region called the Perseus molecular cloud)
Ø Apoptosis = For the first time, scientists have described a special molecular mechanism of the
early phases of programmed cell death, often known as apoptosis, a process that is essential in
the prevention of cancer + It is the process of programmed cell death. It is a mechanism that
allows cells to self-destruct when stimulated by the appropriate trigger + Apoptosis is essential
for human life, and its disruption can cause cancerous cells to grow and not respond to cancer
treatment. In healthy cells, it is regulated by two proteins with opposing roles known as Bax
and Bcl-2 + The soluble Bax protein is responsible for the clearance of old or diseased cells,
and when activated, it perforates the cell mitochondrial membrane to form pores that trigger
programmed cell death. This can be offset by Bcl-2, which is embedded within the
mitochondrial membrane, where it acts to prevent untimely cell death by capturing and
sequestering Bax proteins.
Ø Taurine = It is a naturally occurring sulfur-containing amino acid + It’s particularly
concentrated in your brain, eyes, heart, and muscles + Taurine occurs naturally in foods with
protein, such as meat or fish + Please Note: An amino acid is the fundamental molecule that
serves as the building block for proteins. There are 20 different amino acids. A protein consists
of one or more chains of amino acids (called polypeptides) whose sequence is encoded in a
gene. Some amino acids can be synthesized in the body, but others (essential amino acids)
cannot and must be obtained from a person’s diet.
Ø Cholederm = Recently, an advanced wound care product developed by the Sree Chitra Tirunal
Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), named Cholederm, has won the
approval of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) as a Class D medical
device + It is a wound healing material derived from the extracellular matrix of the de-
cellularised gall bladder of pigs and tissue engineered as membrane forms of a scaffold + It is
the first indigenously developed product to meet all regulatory requirements.
Ø Abaucin = Potential new antibiotic + Recently, researchers have used machine learning to
identify a potential new antibiotic called abaucin, which targets the highly resistant
Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria + It is known to compromise the normal function of a protein
called CCR2. It appears to work by disrupting lipoprotein trafficking in A. baumannii +
Abaucin is also “species-selective”, it only disrupts the growth of A. baumannii, not other
Gram-negative bacteria. [Refer MAY edition for more info on Acinetobacter baumannii
bacteria]
Ø Cefiderocol and Cefepimezidebactam = Cefiderocol, which has already been licensed in
several countries, but not in India, and Cefepimezidebactam, an antibiotic that is currently in
phase 3 development and is being produced by an Indian company + Recently there was
demand to seek emergency use nod for investigational antibiotics + Intensivists and infectious
diseases specialists, faced with a dire situation where effective antibiotics to treat drug-resistant
infections are lacking, have called upon the government to allow emergency use authorisation
(EUA), as successfully done during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ø Ketoprofen, Aceclofenac, Diclofenac and Nimesulide = Ketoprofen, Aceclofenac,
Diclofenac and Nimesulide are Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used in
veterinary practice that have been proven toxic to vultures and other birds of prey + Recently,
Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) recommended ban on two more drugs harmful for
vultures + DTAB agreed to prohibit manufacture, sale and distribution of drugs Ketoprofen
and Aceclofenac for treatment of livestock animals to conserve vultures + Some NSAIDs are
not fully metabolized by vultures and cause damage to the birds’ kidneys.
Ø Smart Bandage = Researchers have developed a smart bandage which can help treat chronic
wounds + It is a soft stretchable polymer that helps the bandage maintain contact with and stick

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 to the skin + The bioelectronics system consists of biosensors that monitor biomarkers in the
wound exudate + Data collected by the bandage is passed to a flexible printed circuit board,
which relays it wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet for review by a physician + A pair of
electrodes control drug release from a hydrogel layer as well as stimulate the wound to
encourage tissue regrowth.
Ø Stem Cell = Stem cells are the body's raw materials — cells from which all other cells with
specialized functions are generated + Under certain conditions in the body or a laboratory, stem
cells divide to form more cells called daughter cells. These daughter cells either become new
stem cells (self-renewal) or become specialized cells (differentiation) with a more specific
function, such as blood cells, brain cells, heart muscle cells or bone cells. No other cell in the
body has the natural ability to generate new cell types + There is no law to regulate the use of
stem cells in India. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued guidelines that
recognize stem cell therapies only for certain treatments and observes that other types of
treatments are unproven and should not be offered as therapy + Categories of stem cells on the
basis of capacity to give different type of cells
• Totipotent stem cells = These Stem Cells can transform into all kinds of cells in the human
body.
• Pluripotent Stem Cells = These Stem Cells can transform themselves into any type of cell
in the human body except those kinds that are required to support and develop a fetus in
the womb. ESC’s and iPSC’s are pluripotent stem cells + Please Note: induced Pluripotent
stem cells (iPS cells) are made in the lab from adult cells.
• Multipotent Stem Cells = These can give rise to only a few distinct types of cells.
• Uniotent Cells = produce only one type of Cells
Ø Phage Therapy = Phage therapy involves using phages to treat bacterial infections +
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and replicate only in bacterial cells +
Bacteriophages were discovered by Frederick Willian Twort in 1915 (Great Britain) and Felix
d'Herelle in 1917 (France) + In contrast to many antibiotics, which remove harmful bacteria,
while simultaneously decimating the microbiota (triggering a new set of problems), each phage
has evolved to more narrowly target bacterial strains or species + Phages are unlikely to
damage human cells due to significant differences in bacterial cells and human cells + Since
Pages can replicate, initial dosage can be relatively small + Inherently nontoxic as Phages are
made up of nucleic acids and proteins + A recent study found out that the Public accepts use
of bacteria-killing viruses (Phage Therapy) as alternative to antibiotics.
Ø Arexvy = Recently, European regulators have approved the region's first vaccine for
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) + The shot, called Arexvy, is made by British drugmaker
GSK and is designed to protect people aged 60 and over + Respiratory syncytial virus is a
common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. It seriously infects
infants and older adults. It is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the
small airways in the lung) and pneumonia in children younger than 1 year of age in the United
States. The complex molecular structure of the virus and safety concerns with previous vaccine
attempts had stymied efforts to successfully develop a shot.
Ø VLA1553 = VLA1553 is a live-attenuated vaccine candidate for active immunisation and
prevention of disease caused by chikungunya virus + According to a recently published
research paper, a human clinical trial of a vaccine candidate to prevent chikungunya has
returned a 99% immune response.
• Chikungunya = It is a viral disease transmitted to humans through the bites of mosquitoes
infected with the chikungunya virus + The word comes from the African Makonde
language and means "bent over in pain." + It is most commonly transmitted by mosquitoes,
Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti and Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus, which can also transmit
dengue and Zika viruses + It was first described during an outbreak in southern Tanzania
in 1952 and has now been identified in nearly 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and the

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 Americas + There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for chikungunya
virus infections.
Ø GEMCOVAC –OM Vaccine = Recently, India’s first indigenous mRNA vaccine for the
Omicron variant, GEMCOVAC-OM was approved under emergency use guidelines by the
Drug Controller General of India + It was developed using the indigenous platform technology
by Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. and supported under the Mission COVID Suraksha,
implemented by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) + It is a
thermo-stable vaccine, which does not require ultra-cold chain infrastructure used for other
approved mRNA-based vaccines, making it easy for deployment pan India + It is delivered
intra-dermally using a needle-free injection device system.
• mRNA Vaccine = It is type of vaccine that use messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules to
provide instructions to the body's cells for producing a protein that triggers an immune
response against a pathogen + Once the mRNA is injected into the body, the cells read the
instructions and produces the protein + This then stimulates the immune system to
recognize and mount a response against the targeted pathogen.

9) INDICES & REPORTS

Ø Global Slavery Index 2023 = 5th edition based on 2022 estimates was released recently + It is
constructed by Walk Free, a human rights organisation and is based on data provided by the
Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, which, in turn, is produced by the International Labour
Organization (ILO), Walk Free, and International Organization for Migration (IOM) + The
worst offenders are countries like North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey,
Tajikistan + Lowest prevalence: Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden +
Maximum number of people living in modern slavery: India, China, North Korea, Pakistan,
Russia Indonesia + Modern slavery is an umbrella term and includes a whole variety of abuses
such as forced labour, forced marriage, debt bondage, sexual exploitation, human trafficking,
slavery-like practices, forced or servile marriage, and the sale and exploitation of children.
Ø Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) 2023 = Recently, the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) released the Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) 2023 + Report is titled
as ‘Breaking Down Gender Biases: Shifting social norms towards gender equality’ + It
quantifies biases against women, capturing people’s attitudes toward women’s roles + The
index, covering 85 per cent of the global population, reveals that close to 9 out of 10 men and
women hold fundamental biases against women.
Ø Global Gender Gap Index 2023 = Global Gender Gap Report is released annually by the
World Economic Forum (WEF) since 2006 + Iceland is the most gender-equal country in the
world for the 14th consecutive year and the only one to have closed more than 90% of its gender
gap + India was ranked at 127 out of 146 countries in terms of gender parity — an improvement
of eight places from last year + It measures gender parity in 146 countries and across four
areas: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival and
political empowerment + According to the report, India had attained parity in enrolment across
all levels of education + At the current rate of progress, it will take 131 years to reach full
parity.
Ø Global Liveability Index 2023 = Released by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) + The index
quantifies the challenges presented to an individual’s lifestyle in 173 cities worldwide + It was
given considering five metrics: healthcare, culture, environment, education, and stability + Top
cities to live: Vienna (Austria), Copenhagen (Denmark), Melbourne and Sydney (Australia) +
Bottom 3 Liveable cities: Algiers (Algeria), Tripoli (Libya) and Damascus (Syria) + From
India, New Delhi and Mumbai are at 141st position.
Ø Grievance Redressal Assessment & Index (GRAI) = GRAI 2022 was conceptualised and
designed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG)

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 under Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions + These reports are part of 10-step
Centralised Public Grievance Redressal and Management System (CPGRAMS) reforms that
were adopted by the DARPG to work on improving the quality of disposal of public grievances
while reducing the time it takes to address these issues + Index is based on 12 Indicators spread
across 4 key dimensions - Efficiency, Feedback, Domain, Organisational commitment + 89
Central Ministries and Departments were assessed and ranked based on a comprehensive
index.
Ø World Competitiveness Index = The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY), was
first published in 1989 + It is a comprehensive annual report and worldwide reference point on
the competitiveness of countries + It analyses and ranks countries according to how they
manage their competencies to achieve long-term value creation + It is based on 336
competitiveness criteria and four factors, namely Economic performance, Government
efficiency, Business efficiency, and Infrastructure + Denmark, Ireland, and Switzerland have
been named the top three among 64 economies measured for their global competitiveness +
India fell three rungs to finish 40th but is still in a better position than it was between 2019-
2021 when it was placed 43rd three years in a row + Please Note: The Global Competitiveness
Report (GCR) is a yearly report published by the World Economic Forum.
Ø Financial Stability Report (FSR) = FSR is a bi-annual report, released by the RBI, that
reflects risks to financial stability and resilience of Indian financial system (Global FSR is
released by IMF) + Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) ratio of Scheduled commercial
banks (SCBs) continued its downtrend and fell to a 10-year low of 3.9% in March 2023 + Net
non-performing assets (NNPA) ratio declined to 1.0% + Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
(IBC) has rescued 72% of the distressed assets since it came into being in 2016.
Ø Global Economic Prospects Report = It is released by World Bank which is issued twice a
year, in January and June + The global economy is projected to “slow substantially” this year,
with a “pronounced deceleration” in advanced economies + GDP growth for FY24 in India is
seen at 6.3% compared with a previous estimate of 6.6% in January.
Ø SIPRI Yearbook 2023 = Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released
its annual assessment of state of Armaments, Disarmament and International Security + SIPRI
is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms
control and disarmament + USA has the largest number of deployed nuclear warheads followed
by Russia, France and UK + Russia has the highest total inventory of nuclear warheads
followed by USA and China + India, China, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel have no deployed
nuclear warheads + India has a total of 164 nuclear warhead stockpiles + Overall, number of
nuclear warheads continues to decline, primarily due to USA and Russia dismantling retired
warheads.
Ø Forced Displacement in 2022 Report = Report was released by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) + Report provides data on Refugees Asylum seekers,
Internally displaced, Stateless persons, and People who have returned to their countries or areas
of origin + 76 % of the world’s refugees are hosted by Low and middle-income countries.
Ø World Drug Report 2023 = Released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) +
There is 23% increase in the previous decade in the number of people using drug + There is
45% increase in the past decade in people suffering from drug use disorder + UNODC is a
global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime headquartered in Vienna.
Ø Energy Transition Index (ETI), 2023 = Released by World Economic Forum (WEF), in
collaboration with Accenture + It was published as part of the “Fostering Effective Energy
Transition 2023” report + It is prepared on the three parameters- equity, security, and
sustainable + Sweden is placed at the first spot, followed by Norway and Denmark. o India has
been ranked at 67th place out of 120 countries + India & Singapore are the only two countries
making advances in all aspects of energy system performance + Please Note: Energy transition
refers to the global energy sector’s shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and

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 consumption (including oil, natural gas, and coal) to renewable energy (RE) sources like wind
and solar.
Ø Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report = It was released through the collaboration
between the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency
(IRENA), United Nations Statistics Division, World Bank, and the WHO + SDG 7 provides
for achieving affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all + The current pace is
not adequate to achieve any of the 2030 targets + Globally, access to electricity between 2010
and 2021, grew from 84% of the world’s population to 91% + India alone accounts for the
largest share of the access deficit (defined as the population lacking access to electricity), with
505 million people lacking access, followed by China.
Ø National Energy Data: Survey And Analysis 2021-22 = It is the maiden report of Energy
Data Management Unit, under Bureau of Energy Efficiency + India’s crude oil production has
declined from 36.01 MT 2016-17 to 29.69 MT in 2021-2022 + From 2016-17 to 2021-22
India’s domestic production of LPG has grown at a CAGR of 2% + In 2016-17, India exported
26% of its domestic production of diesel, while this share increased to 30% in 2021-22.
Ø Food Safety Index = Recently, 5th Edition released + The Index is an annual assessment
released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) + It was started in 2018-
19 and serves as a tool to propel States and Union Territories to enhance their performance and
establish robust food safety ecosystems within their jurisdictions + This index is based on the
performance of the State/ UT on five significant parameters, namely, Human Resources and
Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training &
Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
Ø Panchayat Development Index (PDI) = Released by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj +
It provides a matrix to monitor and evaluate the progress of panchayats through the scores
achieved by them + It ranks panchayats on the basis of scores and categorize them into four
grades + Grades include A (75 to 90%), B (60-75), C (40- 60%) and D (under 40%).
Ø India Rankings of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) = Released by Ministry of
Education (MoE) + 8th Edition + Ranking is based on National Institutional Ranking
Framework (NIRF) + Five broad categories of parameters identified in NIRF includes
Teaching; Learning and Resources; Research and Professional Practice; Graduation Outcome;
Inclusivity and Outreach; and Perception + 2023 ranking introduced a new subject namely
Agriculture & Allied Sectors + IIT Madras topped in Overall Category followed by Indian
Institute of Sciences.
Ø Global Occupier Outlook 2023 = Released by Investment management company Colliers
International + It highlights key takeaways and insights on the evolving global workplace.

10) ART & CULTURE

Ø Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj = Born on February 19, 1630, at Shivneri Fort in Pune + He
was born to Shahaji Bhonsle, a Maratha general who held the jagirs of Pune and Supe under
the Bijapur Sultanate + Shivaji’s mother was Jijabai, a pious woman whose religious qualities
had a profound influence on him + Shivaji was not named after Lord Shiva. His name was
derived from the name of a regional deity – Goddess Shivai + Shivaji Maharaj carved out an
enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the
Maratha Empire + In June 1665, the Treaty of Purandar was signed between Shivaji and Raja
Jai Singh I (representing Aurangzeb). As per this treaty, many forts were relinquished to the
Mughals and it was agreed that Shivaji would meet Aurangzeb at Agra. Shivaji also agreed to
send his son Sambhaji as well + In 1674, he was formally crowned the Chhatrapati of his realm
at Raigad Fort + Administration: The King was the supreme head of state, assisted by the
'Ashtapradhan,' a group of eight ministers. The Peshwa, also called the mukhya pradhan, was
the original head of the raja Shivaji's advisory council + Revenue Administration: Shivaji

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 changed the position of the hereditary revenue officials known as Deshmukhs, Deshpande,
Patils, and Kulkarni by abolishing the Jagirdari System and replacing it with the Ryotwari
System. The Mirasdars, who had hereditary land rights, were strictly supervised by Shivaji.
The revenue system was based on Malik Amber's Kathi system, in which each piece of land
was measured by the Rod or Kathi + Other sources of income included Chauth and
Sardeshmukhi. Chauth was 1/4 of the standard paid to Marathas as a safeguard against Shivaji's
forces plundering Non-Maratha territories. Sardeshmukhi was a ten percent additional charge
levied on places outside of the kingdom.
Ø Sant Tukaram (1608 – 1650) = He was one of the saints of the Bhakti movement in
Maharashtra and one of the greatest poets in the Marathi language + He was also known as
Tukoba, Tukaram Bolhoba Ambile etc + He composed a Marathi genre of literature called
Abhanga poetry which fused folk stories with spiritual themes. Abhangs had themes on
ecology, equality, brotherhood and love of God + His kirtans aka spiritual songs were devoted
to Vithoba or Vitthala, an avatar of Hindu god Vishnu + He is credited with starting the Wari
pilgrimage + His work is central to the Warkari sect spread across Maharashtra + Sant Tukaram
was socially active against caste system, gender discrimination etc.
Ø Upanishads = Upanishads, also known as Vedanta (signal the end of total Veda) speculate the
ontological connection between humanity and cosmos + Dated to roughly 800-500 BC,
Upanishads discussed about relationship between atman, unchanging self of an individual, and
brahman, ultimate reality in universe + Ten main (or principal) Upanishads: Esha, Kena, Katha,
Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya Brihadaranyaka + Refer static
Notes for More information.
Ø Gilgit Manuscripts = It was written between the 5" -6" centuries CE, which is the oldest
surviving manuscript collection in India + It was written on the birch bark folios documents
written on pieces of inner layer of the bark of birch trees were found in Kashmir region + It
contains both canonical and non-canonical Jain and Buddhist works that throw light on the
evolution of many religious-philosophical literature.
Ø Raja Parba or Mithuna Sankranti = 3-day festival celebrated in Odisha + It celebrates
womanhood + The term Raja has come from Rajaswala (meaning a menstruating woman) + It
became popular during the medieval period as an agricultural holiday remarking the worship
of Bhudevi, who is the wife of Lord Jagannath.
Ø Meira Paibis = Meira Paibi (Women torch bearers) is a women's social movement in the Indian
state of Manipur + Referred to as the "guardians of civil society", Meira Paibi dates to 1977 in
the present Kakching district + It derives its name from the flaming torches which the women
carry while marching through city streets + The Meira Paibis, also known as Imas or Mothers
of Manipur, are Meitei women who come from all sections of society in the Imphal valley +
They are widely respected and represent a powerful moral force.
Ø Kamakhya Temple = Assam + Ambubachi fair is celebrated here. The festival marks the
annual menstruation of the presiding Goddess in the Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam +
Kamakhya Temple is located atop the Nilachal Hill, by the banks of the Brahmaputra river +
Kamakhya is one of 51 shakti peethas or holy sites for the followers of the Shakti cult, each
representing a body part of the Sati, Lord Shiva’s companion + Legends say the temple was
built by the demon king Narakasura. But records are available only from 1565 when Koch king
Naranarayana had the temple rebuilt.
Ø Menhirs, in Mudumal = Heritage enthusiasts of Telangana seek UNESCO tag for Menhirs at
Mudumal village in Telangana + Mudumal village is home to one of South-East Asia’s largest
cluster of Menhirs. They are as old as 3,500 years + Locally they are called ‘Niluvu rallu’-
meaning standing rocks + These are accompanied by nearly 3,000 alignment stones related to
the funerary rights of the ancient community.
Ø Kodumanal Excavation = It is a village located in the Erode district in the southern Indian
state of Tamil Nadu + Kodumanal is located on the northern banks of the Noyyal River +

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 Recently, the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology has declared five ‘menhir’ (single stone)
and megalithic burial sites at Kodumanal in Erode district as protected monuments.
• Menhirs = In India Menhirs are as tall as 20 ft, majestic, monolithic stone slabs often
planted in memory of the dead - that is, memorial stones that mark graves of the Megalithic
period.
• Megaliths = These were constructed either as burial sites or commemorative((non-
sepulchral) memorials + The former are sites with actual burial remains, such as dolmenoid
cists (box-shaped stone burial chambers), cairn circles (stone circles with defined
peripheries) and capstones (distinctive mushroom-shaped burial chambers found mainly in
Kerala) + Non-sepulchral megaliths include memorial sites such as menhirs + In India,
archaeologists trace the majority of the megaliths to the Iron Age (1500 BC to 500 BC) +
In India, these are concentrated in the states of Maharashtra (mainly in Vidarbha),
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Ø India’s Biggest Natural Arch = Sundargarh District, Odisha + A team of the Geological
Survey of India recently discovered India’s biggest natural arch during their survey of coal in
Kenduadihi block in Odisha’s Sundargarh district + The Sundargarh natural arch, present in
the ferruginous sandstone of the Upper Kamthi formation, dates back to about 184 to 160
million years in the lower to middle Jurassic age.
Ø Mesolithic-era rock paintings in Guntur = Recently, a Mesolithic period rock painting
depicting a person tilling a piece of land has been found in Orvakallu village in Guntur district,
Andhra Pradesh + The paintings were made with “natural white kaolin and red ochre pigments”
+ Kaolinite is a soft, earthy, and usually white mineral produced by the chemical weathering
of aluminum silicate minerals like feldspar.
Ø Sengol = Recently, Prime Minister (PM) placed the Sengol or sceptre, presented by head of
Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam (monastery) to India’s first PM, in the new Parliament building +
It was kept in a museum in Allahabad + The word Sengol is derived from the Tamil word
'Semmai', meaning 'righteousness' + It is a civilisational practice from the Chola kingdom,
which was among the leading kingdoms in the Indian sub-continent for centuries + According
to Tamil tradition, a high priest presents a sceptre to a newly crowned king as a symbolic
gesture of power transition + The 'Sengol' was crafted by a renowned jeweller in Madras
Vummidi Bangaru Chetty. This impressive sceptre measures five feet in length and features a
'nandi' bull at the top, representing the concept of justice.
• Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam = Saivaite monastery + Tamil Nadu + Established by
Namasivaya Murthy, a Saivite saint and scholar, in 16th century, this Math had outstanding
scholars in Tamil and Saivite philosophy + Thirumoolar, Siddhar and one of the Saivaite
saints and author of Thirumanthiram, attained enlightenment under a Peepal tree in
Thiruvavaduthurai + Math is on the southern banks of river Cauvery.
• Chola Administration = King was the most powerful individual and he had complete
power, although he was guided by a council of ministers + Top authorities were known as
Peruntaram, while the inferior officials were known as Siruntaram + Chola empire was
divided into mandalams or provinces and these, in turn, were divided into valanadu and
nadu + Chola administration encouraged local selfgovernment in the villages all over their
empire + There is a mention of two assemblies, Ur and the Sabha or Mahasabha, in many
inscriptions (including the Uthiramerur Inscriptions). Ur was a general assembly of village.
Mahasabha was a gathering of adult men in brahmana villages which were called agraharas
+ Cholas paid attention to irrigation. River Kaveri and other rivers were used for this
purpose. Many tanks and wells for irrigation were built + In addition to land tax, Chola
rulers drew their income from tolls on trade, taxes on professions etc + Chola kings gave
some rich landowners titles like muvendavelan (a velan or peasant serving three kings),
araiyar (chief), etc + Brahmanas often received land grants or brahmadeya + Cholas had
an efficient army and navy. The Chola army consisted of elephant, cavalry and infantry +

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 Rajaraja’s son Rajendra I developed a navy for his expeditions in Ganga valley, Sri Lanka
and countries of Southeast Asia + Categories of Land:
§ Vellanvagai: Land of non-Brahmana peasant proprietors.
§ Brahmadeya: Land gifted to Brahmanas
§ Shalabhoga: Land for the maintenance of a school
§ Devadana, tirunamattukkani: Land gifted to temples.
§ Pallichchhandam: Land donated to Jaina institutions
• Uthiramerur Inscriptions = Dated around 920 A.D in reign of Parantaka Chola-I (907-
955 AD) + It is an ancient Chola village once known as Chaturvedimangalam and is located
near Chennai in Tamil Nadu + As per Uthiramerur inscriptions on Chola Kudavolai
Election System, every village was categorised as kudumbu (ward in modern day.
Ø Bagh Print = It is the name of a block printing technique unique to a small village called Bagh
in Madhya Pradesh + The craft, as well as the village, derive their names from the river
‘Baghini’ + It was started by the community of Muslim Khatris (they were converts to Islam
under the influence of a Sufi saint) in 1962 when they migrated from Manawar to Bagh.
Ø Ishad Mango = Kari Ishad mango of Ankola in Uttar Karnataka gets GI tag + It has two
variants — Kari Ishad, which has thin skin, more pulp and is sweeter, and Bili Ishad, which
has thick skin and less pulp and sweetness + The Kari Ishad is accepted as one of the finest
quality mangoes due to its unique aroma, luscious taste, high amount of pulp, shape, and size.
Ø Joha Rice = indigenous rice of Assam + It is unique in aroma and grain characteristics and
distinct from other aromatic rice like Basmati + It is grown in Sali/ Kharif season + Major Joha
varieties included in this are Kola Joha, Keteki Joha, Bokul Joha and Kunkuni Joha + This rice
is also rich in several antioxidants, flavonoids, and phenolics + It has got Geographical
Indication (GI) tag.
Ø GI Tags from Uttar Pradesh = 7 new products from Uttar Pradesh get Geographical
Indication (GI) Tag.
• Amroha Dholak: Musical instrument made of natural wood + Wood from mango and
sheesham trees are used to carve the multiple sized and shaped hollow blocks, which are
later fitted with animal skin, mostly goatskin, to create the instrument.
• Baghpat Home Furnishings: Baghpat and Meerut are famous for their exclusive
handloom home furnishing product + only cotton yarn are used in the handloom weaving
process + Products include cotton handloom bedsheets, curtains, cushions, etc known for
traditional geometric patterns.
• Kalpi Handmade Paper: Manufactured in an eco-friendly manner using various types of
paper scraps and not wood + Munnalal ‘Khaddari,’ a Gandhian, introduced the craft in the
1940s.
• Mahoba Gaura Patthar Hastshilp: It is a stone craft + It is a very unique and soft stone
with scientific name, the ‘Pyro Flight Stone’ + Gaura stone craft is made of radiant white-
coloured stone that is predominantly found in this region.
• Mainpuri Tarkash: Known for its fine inlay work with brass wire, strips and motifs on
dark sheesham + mainly used for khadaous (wooden sandals) + These days it is also done
on center tables, stools, bangle cases, name plates' idols of 'RadhaKrishana' etc.
• Sambhal Horn craft: They are completely hand-made + Handicraft art products are made
from horns procured from dead animals making it environment and animal friendly.
• Barabanki Handloom: The main products are Scarfs, Shawls and stoles + The cluster is
famous for weaving during the nawab's period of Lucknow.
Ø Lavender Festival = It is a flowering plant in the mint family that’s easily identified by its
sweet floral scent. It’s believed to be native to the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and India
+ It is the 2nd year of the lavender revolution. Bhaderwah has emerged as the Lavender capital
of India and an Agri StartUp destination. The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-

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 Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) in supporting farmers in the cultivation
of Lavender in the Bhaderwah, Doda district, J&K under CSIR-Aroma Mission.
• CSIR-Aroma Mission: It is a flagship project of CSIR under which Lavender cultivation
is being promoted in the temperate regions of J&K + It was launched under the Ministry
of Science and Technology + The project aims to increase the income of small and marginal
farmers and develop agriculture-based Startups.

11) MISCELLANEOUS
Ø Guarani Tribe = Majorly live in Brazil + Many others live in neighbouring Paraguay, Bolivia,
and Argentina + These people in Brazil are divided into three groups: Kaiowá, Ñandeva and
M’byá, of which the largest is the Kaiowá which means ‘forest people’ + Recently, protests by
Guarani tribal people have erupted across Brazil as the country’s Chamber of Deputies
approved a new land bill that will restrict the new recognition of ancestral land of indigenous
people.
Ø Huitoto Indigenous Group = Colombia
Ø Kosovo-Serbia Tensions = Kosovo is a mainly ethnic Albanian populated territory that was
formerly a province of Serbia. It declared independence in 2008 + Serbia has refused to
recognize Kosovo’s statehood and still considers it part of Serbia, even though it has no formal
control there + Kosovo’s independence has been recognized by about 100 countries, including
the United States [MARK ON MAP]
Ø Tam Pà Ling Cave = situated high in the Annamite mountain range in Northern Laos + It
revealed that humans were present in the vicinity of Tam Pà Ling Cave for roughly 56,000
years + It also confirmed that, far from reflecting a rapid dump of sediments, the site contains
sediments that accumulated steadily over some 86,000 years + The age of the lowest fossil, a
fragment of a leg bone found seven metres deep, suggests modern humans arrived in this region
between 86,000 and 68,000 years ago + Even researchers found a toothsome 150,000 years old
belonging to a Denisovan.
Ø Kilauea Volcano = In Hawaii Volcanoes National Park + It is the youngest and most active
Hawaiian shield volcano, located on the southern part of the Island of Hawai'i, known as Big
Island + one of world’s most active volcanoes, which has erupted almost continuously between
1983 and 2018 + It spewed large amounts of sulphur dioxide, which formed volcanic smog, or
vog, when got and got mixed with oxygen, sunlight and other gases in air + Recently, it was
erupted.
Ø Mayon Volcano = It is an active volcano in southeastern Luzon, Philippines + It is called the
world’s most perfect volcanic cone because of the symmetry of its shape + It lies in the Pacific
Ring of Fire region, a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
Ø Belize = It is located on the northeast coast of Central America and south of the Yucatán
Peninsula + It has a land of mountains, swamps, and tropical jungle + It is bounded by Mexico
to the north, Guatemala to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east + Recently,
the World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Belize as a malaria-free country.
Ø Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Regions = Ukraine + At the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,
Europe’s largest, which is occupied by Russian forces, nuclear reactors are now in a state of
cold shutdown + The term cold shutdown used to define a reactor coolant system at
atmospheric pressure and at a temperature below 200 degrees Fahrenheit following a reactor
cooldown.
Ø Anak Krakatau = It is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between the Java and Sumatra
islands in Indonesia + Anak Krakatau, meaning child of Kratakau, is the offspring of the
famous Krakatau volcano, whose eruption in 1883 triggered a massive tsunami and a period
of global cooling + Recently, it witnessed a volcanic eruption

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 Ø Diego Garcia Island = It is a coral atoll, the largest and southernmost member of the Chagos
Archipelago, in the central Indian Ocean + It is a part of the British Indian Ocean Territory +
It consists of a V-shaped sand-fringed cay and its lagoon is open at the north end + This island
was discovered by the Portuguese in the early 16th century.
Ø Beki River = The Beki river originates in Bhutan, and it is one of the right bank tributaries of
the Brahmaputra river + This river is also known as the Kurisu river in Bhutan + A large portion
of the Beki river flows in the state of Assam and ultimately mix with Bay of Bengal + It flows
through the Manas National Park.
Ø Kakhovka Dam = It is located on the Dnieper or Dnipro River in southern Ukraine which was
built as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant + The reservoir also supplies water to
the Crimean Peninsula and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant + Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is
Europe’s largest and gets its cooling water from the reservoir which is located on the southern
side, now under Russian control + (Dnieper River = 4th longest river in Europe + It runs a
total length of 1,368 miles extending from the uplands of Russia’s Valdai Hills + It flows in a
southerly direction through western Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine before emptying into the
Black Sea)
Ø Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project = Nepal + Recently, NHPC Limited and Vidhyut
Utpadan Company Limited (VUCL), Nepal signed an MoU for development of Phukot Karnali
Hydro Electric Project (480MW) in Nepal + The project will use the flow from the Karnali
River for power generation and the generated power will be fed into integrated power system
of Nepal.
Ø Gulf of California = The Gulf of California, also called the Sea of Cortez is a large inlet of
the eastern Pacific Ocean along the northwestern coast of Mexico + It separates the
mountainous Lower California Peninsula/Baja California Peninsula in the west from the states
of Sonora and Sinaloa on the mainland of Mexico in the east.
Ø Northern Sea Route = Northern Sea Route (NSR), or the Northeast Passage (NEP), connects
the eastern and western parts of the Arctic Ocean + NSR runs from the Barents Sea, near
Russia’s border with Norway, to the Bering Strait between Siberia and Alaska + Due to Climate
Change, NSR in Russia is becoming more accessible. Usually the route only opens for two
months annually + Recently, Russia has announced to invest $24 bn to develop Northern Sea
Route.
Ø World Hydrography Day = It is marked annually on June 21 + It is officially recognised and
implemented by the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) + It serves as a platform
to highlight the crucial work carried out by hydrographers worldwide and to promote the
significance of hydrography itself + It aims to increase public awareness and understanding of
hydrography’s role in ensuring safe and efficient navigation, sustainable marine resource
management, and coastal zone development + 2023 Theme: “Hydrography - underpinning the
digital twin of the ocean."
• International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) = IHO, one of the oldest
intergovernmental organisations, was established in 1921 as a prominent entity focused on
addressing various aspects of marine life + India is also a member of IHO.
• Hydrography = It is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and
description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well
as with the prediction of their change over time + This is done mainly with specialised
ships and boats operating echo sounders and sonars, but also using survey aircraft fitted
with lasers.
Ø Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 = Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by Government
of India in 1995, on the occasion of 125th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as a tribute
to the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhi + Award is open to all persons regardless of
nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender + Award carries a cash prize of ₹1 crore, a
citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item + Past awardees

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 include organisations such as ISRO and Ramakrishna Mission + Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 will
be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur.
Ø Sahitya Akademi Award = It is a literary honour, conferred annually on writers of most
outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the major Indian languages + Besides
22 languages enumerated in Constitution, English and Rajasthani language are also recognised
+ Award includes a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and an amount of
Rs. 1,00,000/- + Sahitya Akademi functions as an autonomous organisation. It is registered as
a society under Societies Registration Act, 1860.
Ø National Water Awards = President of India conferred 4th National Water Awards, 2022 +
Prominent winners are Madhya Pradesh (Best State), Ganjam in Odisha (Best District) + 1st
launched in 2018 by Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga
Rejuvenation + 2nd and 3rd editions were given for the years 2019 and 2020.
Ø Diamond League = Diamond League is an annual series of top-tier track and field
competitions organised by World Athletics, international governing body for athletics + It was
started in 2010 as a replacement for previous IAAF Golden League and IAAF World Athletics
Final events + Number of meets in a particular season of Diamond League is generally 14. The
meets are held in different cities across the globe + Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar
secured a third place in Paris Diamond League.

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