About:

• A NBFC is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares/stocks/bonds/debentures/securities issued by Government or local authority or other marketable securities of a like nature.
  
  
• RBI, under the RBI Act 1934 has the power to register, lay down policy, issue directions, inspect, regulate, supervise and exercise surveillance over NBFCs that meet the 50-50 criteria of principal business.
  
  

Banks vs NBFCs:

NBFCs lend and make investments and hence their activities are akin to that of banks; however, there are a few differences as given below:

1. NBFC cannot accept demand deposits;
   
   
2. NBFCs do not form part of the payment and settlement system and cannot issue cheques drawn on itself;
   
   
3. deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike in case of banks.
   
   

Systemically important NBFCs:

• NBFCs whose asset size is of ₹ 500 cr or more as per last audited balance sheet are considered as systemically important NBFCs.
  
  
• The rationale for such classification is that the activities of such NBFCs will have a bearing on the financial stability of the overall economy.
  
  

About: 

• Type of Body: Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) is a statutory body established under the provisions of Section 15K of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992.
  
  
• Mandate: To hear and dispose of appeals against orders passed by the
  • Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI),
    
    
  • Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and
    
    
  • Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
    
    
  
  
  
• Composition:
  • SAT consists of a Presiding Officer & Two other members.
    
    
  • The Presiding officer of SAT shall be appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India or his nominee.
    
    
  
  
  
• Location of Tribunal: Mumbai. 
  
  

About: 

• While the full report is yet to be released to lawmakers or the public, Attorney-General William Barr released a summary of the report to Congress on March 24 summarizing the special counsel's findings regarding Russian interference and obstruction of justice.
  
  
• Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election:
  • The special counsel "did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its effort to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election."
    
    
  • There were two main Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election: "disinformation and social media operations" and "computer hacking designed to gather and disseminate information to influence the election."
    
    
  • The report also pointed out that many Russians were indicted for their activities.
    
    
  
  
  
• Whether Trump obstructed justice: Mueller laid out evidence for and against the obstruction of justice charge but reached no conclusion. While the report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."
  
  
• Way ahead: The President has claimed moral victory. However, The Democrats have indicated that they will not give up the issue. So while Mr. Trump will try to use the report for his political benefits, other legal troubles could be awaiting him.
  
  

About:

• Benzoic acid (or C₆H₅COOH), is a colourless crystalline solid and a simple aromatic carboxylic acid. Benzoic acid is used as a food preservative and medicine for fungal/bacterial infection.
  
  
• Toluene is converted into benzoic acid through selective and controlled oxidation in the presence of a catalyst — binaphthyl-stabilised platinum nanoparticles (Pt-BNP).
  
  
• Generally, organic reactions are carried out using organic solvents, which makes it expensive and also generates toxic waste. So in a departure from current practice, the team has used water as solvent to make it environment-friendly.
  
  
• Also, a green oxidant (70% aqueous tert-butyl hydroperoxide or TBHP) is used for converting toluene into benzoic acid.
  
  

About:

• The objective of the project, expected to cost upto Rs 60,000 crore, was to make good use of about 1100 tmc ft of Godavari water that currently drained into the sea. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are locked in a dispute over sharing of the Cauvery river water for decades.
  
  
• Thus it has been proposed by the government of India that Godavari water would thus be taken to the tail end of Tamil Nadu.
  
  
• The detailed project report for linking rivers Godavari-Krishna-Pennar-Cauvery is ready which will be soon presented to the Cabinet for approval.
  
  

About:

• Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is, a perennial herbaceous plant of the ginger family. The plant’s underground stems or rhizomes have been used as spice, dye, medicine and religious maker since antiquity.
  
  
• The spice’s colour comes mainly from curcumin, a bright yellow phenolic compound that has been in the news for its ostensible potential to fight cancer. As a result, the demand for turmeric with high curcumin content has risen.
  
  
• India is the world’s largest producer of Turmeric. Tamil Nadu is the third largest grower of turmeric in the country (behind Telangana and Maharashtra), with 132.4 tonnes produced in 2015-16.
  
  
• The Erode GI tag may be applied to any turmeric that’s grown in the entire Erode district of Tamil Nadu, as well as to the crop grown in Annur and Thondamuthur taluks of Coimbatore district and Kangeyam taluk of Tirupur district. 
  
  

About: 

• Names: Ramappa Temple is also known as the Ramalingeswara temple. The temple is named after the sculptor Ramappa, who built it, and is perhaps the only temple in India to be named after a craftsman who built it, rather than the king who commissioned it or its presiding deity. 
  
  
• Location: It lies in a valley at Palampet village, near Warangal, Telangana. 
  
  
• History: An inscription in the temple dates it to the year 1213 AD, during the period of the Kakatiya Dynasty rule. 
  
  
• Features: 
  • The temple is a Shivalaya, where Lord Ramalingeswara is worshipped. 
    
    
  • It stands on a 6 ft high star-shaped platform. 
    
    
  • The main structure is in a reddish sandstone. 
    
    
  • The temple columns are made of black basalt and are carved as mythical animals or female dancers or musicians, and are the masterpieces of Kakatiya art, notable for their delicate carving, sensuous postures and elongated bodies and heads. 
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Shyamji Krishna Varma (1857 – 1930) was an Indian freedom fighter, lawyer and journalist.
  
  
• Indian Home Rule Society (IHRS): It was an Indian organisation founded in London in 1905 that sought to promote the cause of self-rule in British India. The organisation was founded by Shyamji Krishna Varma, with support from Bhikaji Cama, Dadabhai Naoroji and S.R. Rana.
  
  
• India House: He founded India House in London. It was a student residence that existed between 1905 and 1910 which was opened to promote nationalist views among Indian students in Britain.
  
  
• Indian Sociologist: He founded Indian Sociologist in London. The monthly Indian Sociologist became an outlet for nationalist ideas.
  
  

These 5 varieties of Indian Coffee are: 

1. Coorg Arabica coffee is grown specifically in the region of Kodagu district in Karnataka. 
   
   
2. Wayanaad Robusta coffee is grown specifically in the region of Wayanad district in Kerala. 
   
   
3. Chikmagalur Arabica coffee is grown specifically in the region of Chikmagalur district in Karnataka. 
   
   
4. Araku Valley Arabica coffee can be described as coffee from the hilly tracks of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha region at an elevation of 900-1100 Mt MSL. 
   
   
5. Bababudangiris Arabica coffee is grown specifically in the birthplace of coffee in India and the region is situated in the central portion of Chikmagalur district in Karnataka. This coffee is also called high grown coffee which slowly ripens in the mild climate and thereby the bean acquires a special taste and aroma. 
   
   

The Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee, a unique specialty coffee from India, was given GI certification earlier. 

About:

• Launched by: Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and Social Welfare Department.
  
  
• Objective: Enajori is a special initiative for persons with disabilities with an aim that 'No Voter to be Left behind'. Its objective is to make Lok Sabha Elections accessible to Persons with Disability (PwD) voters.
  
  
• Features: Under this initiative comprehensive mapping of PwDs will be done in consultation with Booth Level Officers, Divyang Sarothis and a woman mascot-Chandraprabha, to facilitate the PwD voters for barrier-free and inclusive accessible elections.
  
  

About: 

• Meaning: In an 'earthquake swarms', numerous earthquakes occur locally over an extended period without a clear sequence of foreshocks, main quakes and aftershocks. 
  
  
• Duration: The length of time used to define the swarm itself varies, but may be of the order of days, weeks, or months. Swarms usually end after a few days or months. 
  
  
• Cause: How an earthquake swarm develops over time is just as difficult to predict as earthquakes are in general. Many earthquake swarms occur in regions with complex contiguous fracture systems. They are related to the movement of fluid gases and liquids in the Earth’s crust. 
  
  
• Impact: Only seldom does the strength and number of earthquakes increase over time or do occur single, damaging events.
  
  

About: 

• The phenomenon is so widespread in Japan it even has its own name — hikikomori. 
  
  
• Meaning: Hikikomori is defined as someone who does not go to school or work for six months and does not interact with anyone outside his family during that time. 
  
  
• Key findings of recent government survey: 
  • There were 6,13,000 hikikomori aged between 40 and 64. 
    
    
  • Nearly 75% of hikikomori were male. 
    
    
  • Until recently, it was thought to be an issue mainly affecting teenagers and people in their 20s but ageing Japan is seeing a growing number of middle aged hikikomori isolating themselves away for longer periods of time. 
    
    
  • Around half of those included in the survey had been reclusive for more than 7 years. 
    
    
  • Many of the hikikomori are thought to be financially dependent on their ageing parents. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Comment: High-pressure, conformist and workaholic Japan, places a huge amount of pressure on individuals. It shows that Japanese society is tough to live in. 
  
  

The study is co-authored by Alok Kumar, adviser, NITI Aayog, and Seema Bansal, director, social impact, Boston Consulting Group. 

Findings of the study: 

1. Number of schools: Because of an emphasis on enrolment, India adopted the strategy of building schools near every habitation, resulting in a proliferation of schools with tiny populations and inadequate resources. India has almost 3-4 times the number of schools (15 lakh) than China (nearly 5 lakh) despite a similar population. 
   
   
2. Teacher shortage: India has a shortage of more than 10 lakh teachers. The teachers that exist are inadequately distributed. Apart from academic work, teachers are also engaged in managing midday meals, conducting surveys and in administrative and election duties. 
   
   
3. Learning levels: Annual Status of Education Reports (ASER) found that nearly half of class 5 children cannot read a class 2 text. Dropout rates increase as children move up. Around 30% enrolled in class 1 graduate from class 12. 
   
   

Recommendations made in the study: 

1. Consolidate several such schools within a short distance of one another, and provide transport and allowances. School consolidation, pioneered in states like Rajasthan and Jharkhand, has reaped rich dividends. 
   
   
2. Move teachers from surplus to deficit schools, restructure complicated teacher cadres, and increase investment in teacher recruitment. Madhya Pradesh has undertaken an online teacher rationalisation process, moving nearly 10,000 teachers from surplus to deficit schools. 
   
   
3. Shift from syllabus completion to focus on what competencies students have mastered. Dedicated time should be carved out in the school day to bridge learning gaps, and students should be taught based on their learning levels rather than grades. 
   
   

Key findings of the report: 

• Regressive social norms alongwith lack of investment in social security and infrastructure continue to hamper women’s participation in the workforce. 
  
  
• On an average, women are paid 34% less than similarly qualified male workers for performing the same tasks. 
  
  
• The largest number of jobs were generated in the unorganised sector. 
  
  
• Job generation was adversely impacted after demonetisation, and hit the women workforce most. Post-demonetisation also saw a drop-in household with two or more persons employed. 
  
  
• Even within the public education system, there are inequalities in educational investment. Government sponsored Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) spend Rs 27,000 per student whereas non KV government schools spend a mere Rs 3000 per student. 
  
  
• In rural India, traditional occupations continue to be determined by castes. Women belonging to the Mahadalit community, for example, assist with child-birth, while richer Baniyas own shops. 
  
  

Recommendations: 

• Focus towards labour intensive sectors to create more jobs. 
  
  
• Create better work conditions to make jobs more inclusive. 
  
  
• Increase investments in health and education to improve productivity. 
  
  

About: 

• Full name: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). 
  
  
• Mandate: It is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that acts before, during and after disasters and health emergencies to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people. 
  
  
• Established in: 1919. 
  
  
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland. 
  
  

About: 

• Composition: The ADGP CID of JK Police will head the MDTMG. The MDTMG will have representatives from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Intelligence Bureau, CBI, NIA, and Income Tax Department. 
  
  
• Mandate: 
  • The monitoring group will have to investigate networks of various channels being used to fund terror and terror-related activities and take coordinated action to stop flow of such funds.
    
    
  • It will also take action against hardcore sympathisers among government employees, including teachers, who are providing covert or overt support to terror activities.
    
    
  
  
  
• The MDTMG which will meet on a weekly basis and submit their action taken report regularly. 
  
  

About:

• Background:
  • Article 35A stems from Article 370. It was not passed as per the amending process given in Article 368, but was inserted on the recommendation of J&K’s Constituent Assembly through a Presidential Order in 1954.
    
    
  • Article 35A is unique in the sense that it does not appear in the main body of the Constitution — Article 35 is immediately followed by Article 36 — but comes up in Appendix I.
    
    
  
  
  
• Salient features:
  • It empowers the J&K legislature to define permanent residents (PRs) of the state.
    
    
  • The J&K Constitution defines a PR as a person who was a state subject on May 14, 1954, or who has been a resident of the state for 10 years, and has “lawfully acquired immovable property in the state”.
    
    
  • The definition of PR can be altered when a law is passed for the same by a two-thirds majority of J&K legislature.
    
    
  
  
  
• Opposition to it: In 2014, an NGO We the Citizens filed a writ petition seeking the striking down of Article 35A on the ground that
  • It bars non-state subjects from settling and buying property in J&K and encourages a separate identity.
    
    
  • Some believe that the only way to permanently end the Kashmir dispute is to alter its demography by settling people from outside the state, with the right to acquire land and property, and vote in the assembly elections.
    
    
  
  
  
• However, political parties in J&K oppose it on the following grounds:
  • It is a part of series of moves to breach the state’s special status and going ahead with it will have dangerous ramifications.
    
    
  • Like Article 370, Article 35A was negotiated between the princely state of J&K and the government of India and it is the bedrock of accession.
    
    
  
  
  
• Present status: The Supreme Court will examine whether it is unconstitutional or violates the basic structure of the Constitution.
  
  

About: 

• Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. 
  
  
• Virus species: The virus family Filoviridae includes three genera: Cuevavirus, Marburgvirus, and Ebolavirus. Within the genus Ebolavirus, five species have been identified: Zaire, Bundibugyo, Sudan, Reston and Tai Forest.
  
  
• Transmission:
  • The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats) and then spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
    
    
  • It is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts.
    
    
  • People can get the virus through sexual contact as well.
    
    
  
  
  
• Health impact: The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks.
  
  
• Treatment: Early supportive care with rehydration, symptomatic treatment improves survival. There is as yet no licensed treatment proven to neutralize the virus but a range of blood, immunological and drug therapies are under development.
  
  

About:

• Types of Bills: There are four types of Bills, namely (i) Constitution Amendment Bills; (ii) Money Bills; (iii) Financial Bills; and (iv) Ordinary Bills.
  
  
• Money Bills:
  • Under Article 110(1), a Bill is said to be a Money Bill if it only contains provisions related to taxation, borrowing of money by the government, expenditure from or receipt to the Consolidated Fund of India.
    
    
  • Bills that only contain provisions that are incidental to these matters would also be regarded as Money Bills.
    
    
  
  
  
• Who decides if a Bill is a Money Bill? The Speaker certifies a Bill as a Money Bill, and the Speaker’s decision is final.
  
  
• Passage of Money Bills:
  • A Money Bill may only be introduced in Lok Sabha, on the recommendation of the President.
    
    
  • It must be passed in Lok Sabha by a simple majority of all members present and voting.
    
    
  • Following this, it may be sent to the Rajya Sabha for its recommendations, which Lok Sabha may reject if it chooses to. If such recommendations are not given within 14 days, it will deemed to be passed by Parliament.
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Indian coffee is highly valued in the world market and sold as premium coffees. India is the only country in the world where entire coffee is grown under shade, handpicked and sun dried. The share of farmers in the final returns from coffee is very meagre. 
  
  
• The Blockchain based market place app will help integrate the farmers with markets in a transparent manner and lead to realisation of fair price for the coffee producer. 
  
  
• It will also reduce the number of layers between coffee growers and buyers and help farmers double their income. 
  
  
• The underlying technology in cryptocurrencies is blockchain technology. 
  
  

Initiatives by Government:

• In 2009, 2013 and 2014, the Home Ministry had issued advisories to all state governments to increase representation of women in police to 33%.
  
  
• For the Union Territories, the Cabinet had in 2015 approved 33% reservation for women in non-gazetted posts from constable to sub-inspector.
  
  

Findings of the Model Policy on Women in Police in India, prepared by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI):

• Targets set: Apart from the UTs, Bihar has adopted 38% reservation while nine states have adopted 33%. Ten states have set smaller targets while nine have not set a target at all. However, Targets remain very much on paper.
  
  
• Overall women representation: Women comprise only 7.28% of India’s police force.
  
  
• Scenario in states/UTs: Among the states, Tamil Nadu (16%) has the highest representation of policewomen while Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa are the only others with over 10%. Among the Union Territories, Chandigarh police have 18% women while Delhi police have 8.64%.
  
  
• Positions held: Less than 1% of policewomen in India occupy senior ranks. Over 90% of them remain constables — the lowest possible rank — which is the position they enter the force and eventually retire from.
  
  

About: 

• The resolution notes that terrorists may abuse legitimate businesses and non-profit organisations for their activities, and make use of emerging payment methods, such as prepaid cards and mobile payments or virtual assets. 
  
  
• UNSC’s resolution demands all states to "ensure that their domestic laws and regulations establish serious criminal offenses" to collect funds or financial resources to terrorist groups or individual criminals. It also calls on members to create financial intelligence units. 
  
  
• Resolution 2462 also affirms the Resolution 1373 that all countries shall prevent and suppress the financing of terrorist acts and refrain from providing any of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts. 
  
  
• Nations that fail to carry out the resolution would face U.N. sanctions. 
  
  

About: 

• The government in September last year had announced merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda. The merger would be effective from 1st April. 
  
  
• Benefits: 
  • The envisaged amalgamation will be the First-ever three-way consolidation of banks in India, with a combined business of Rs. 14.82 lakh crore, making it India’s Third Largest Bank after SBI and ICICI Bank. 
    
    
  • Leveraging of networks, low-cost deposits and subsidiaries of the three banks will lead to substantial rise in customer base, market reach, operational efficiency, wider bouquet of products and services, and improved access for customers. 
    
    
  • The consolidation will help create a strong globally competitive bank. Global network strength of Bank of Baroda will be leveraged to enable customers of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank to have global access. 
    
    
  • Dena Bank’s strength in MSME will further augment the strength of the other two to position the amalgamated bank for being an MSME Udyamimitra.  
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Name: The A.M. Turing Award is often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of Computing". 
  
  
• Criteria: It is awarded to an individual making contributions of lasting and major technical importance to the computer science. 
  
  
• Presented by: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ACM is a non-profit professional membership group, headquartered in New York City. 
  
  
• Cash prize: $1 million prize, with financial support provided by Google, Inc. 
  
  
• History: It was first awarded in 1966. 
  
  
• Recipients for 2018: Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton, and Yann LeCun. 
  • They have won it making deep neural networks a critical component of computing. 
    
    
  • In recent years, deep learning methods have been responsible for astonishing breakthroughs in computer vision, speech recognition, natural language processing, and robotics—among other applications. 
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Name: The Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market 2016/0280 (COD) is also known as the EU Copyright Directive.
  
  
• Bodies involved: It is a European Union (EU) directive and is a component of the EU's Digital Single Market project.
  
  
• Features: It extends existing European Union copyright law. Under the reform, European law for the first time would hold platforms legally responsible for enforcing copyright, requiring them to check everything that their users post to prevent infringement.
  
  
• Objectives of directive: Protecting press publications; reducing the "value gap" between the profits made by Internet platforms and by content creators; encouraging collaboration between these two groups, and creating copyright exceptions for text- and data-mining.
  
  
• Arguments in favour: The reform has been backed by media companies and artists, who want to obtain a better return from web platforms that allow users to distribute their content.
  
  
• Arguments against: But it was strongly opposed by Silicon Valley, and especially Google that makes huge profits from the advertising generated on content it hosts. It was criticised also by supporters of a free internet who fear it will result in unprecedented restrictions to web freedom.
  
  
• Way ahead: The measure was approved by on 26 March 2019. In order for the text of the directive to become law in the EU, it must be approved by the European Council (EC) on 9 April 2019.
  
  

About:

• In the last decade, the India-Africa relationship has grown exponentially.
  
  
• India is Africa’s fourth largest trading partner with 21 % of Indian foreign investment directed to the continent between 2008 and 2016.
  
  
• India has also increased its visibility in recent years through high level visits, increased diplomatic ties and the creation of education and skill development programmes such as the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme.
  
  
• More than half of International Solar Alliance (ISA) member states coming from Africa.
  
  
• The India–Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) is the official platform for the African-Indian relations. IAFS will be held once in every three years. It was first held in 2008 in New Delhi.
  
  

What is tribunal? 

• ‘Tribunal’ is an administrative body established for the purpose of discharging quasi-judicial duties. 
  
  
• They are setup to adjudicate disputes related to specified matters. 
  
  
• It is neither a Court nor an executive body. It stands somewhere midway between them. 
  
  

Timeline: 

• Constitution (42^nd Amendment) Act, 1976: Based on the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee, Part XIV-A was added by the Constitution (42^nd Amendment) Act, 1976, titled as ‘Tribunals’ which provided for the establishment of 
  • ‘Administrative Tribunals’ under Article 323-A: It gives exclusive power to the Parliament for establishing tribunals. 
    
    
  • ‘Tribunals for other matters’ under Article 323-B: It gives power to the concerned State Legislature to constitute Tribunals for the respective subjects specified therein.
    
    
  
  
  
• Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985: It provides for the establishment of three kinds of administrative Tribunals: (a) The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), State Administrative Tribunals (SAT) and Joint Administrative Tribunals (JAT). 
  
  
• Tribunalization of India: Now tribunals have replaced high courts for disputes under the Companies Act, Competition Act, SEBI Act, Electricity Act, and Consumer Protection Act among others. The number of tribunals increased to 36, in 2016.
  
  
• The Finance Act, 2017: The Finance Act, 2017 has merged eight tribunals on the ground of functional similarity and has given the power to the Government to appoint and remove the members. 
  
  

About: 

• What is it? Artificial wombs are mechanisms that are used to grow an embryo outside of the body of a female. 
  
  
• Potential benefits: This technology could bring hope to parents who before could not have children. It could also open the door for mothers to choose to have their babies outside their bodies, to avoid the stress of childbirth. 
  
  
• Present status: In 2017 researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia published a study showing they had grown premature lamb fetuses for four weeks in an extra-uterine life support system. 
  
  
• Concerns: The development of artificial womb raises bioethical and legal considerations, and also has important implications for reproductive rights. There are also concerns that children who develop in an artificial uterus may lack "some essential bond with their mothers that other children have". 
  
  

 Recent research: 

• The recent research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology showed that the 'artificial womb' or the artificial placenta-based life support platform can maintain lamb foetuses weighing 600 to 700 grams -- equivalent to a human foetus at 24 weeks of pregnancy. 
  
  
• Significance: While the artificial wombs technology have been used to support late preterm foetuses, this is for the first time that it can be used to extend the life of extremely preterm foetuses, which was the ultimate clinical target of this technology. 
  
  

Recent arguments against electoral bonds by the Election Commission of India (ECI): 

• Electoral bonds hit transparency in funding of political parties. Coupled with the removal of cap on foreign funding, they invite foreign corporate powers to interfere in Indian politics. 
  
  
• The ECI also criticized amendments made to the Representation of the People (RP) Act of 1951, the Income Tax Act and the Companies Act and Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act of 2010 through the two consecutive Finance Acts of 2016 and 2017. 
  
  
• It said these amendments would pump in black money for political funding through shell companies and allow “unchecked foreign funding of political parties in India which could lead to Indian politics being influenced by foreign companies.” 
  
  

About: 

• Report name: Changing Business and Opportunities for Employer and Business Organizations. 
  
  
• Released by: The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ACT/EMP) and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE). 
  
  
• The study is based on a detailed survey of hundreds of corporate executives, extensive research, and consultations with Employer and Business Membership Organizations (EBMOs). 
  
  

Survey results:

• Five trends that are radically altering global business models are: technological innovation followed by global economic integration, climate change and sustainability, demographic and generational shifts, and a global shortage of skilled labour.
  
  
• The skills gap is a major issue, with 78% of corporate executives saying schools are failing to meet future employers’ needs.
  
  
• By 2020 there may be a global shortage of 38-40 million highly skilled workers. 66% of Indian businesses say they are looking for quite different skills in new recruits than they were three years ago. 
  
  
• Another emerging challenge is the rise of automation. Informal jobs, typified by low productivity, face the largest threats due to this trend.
  
  

About: 

• Parent legislation: NCLAT was constituted under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013. 
  
  
• HQ: New Delhi. 
  
  
• Mandate: NCLAT is the Appellate Tribunal for hearing appeals against the orders passed by – 
  • National Company Law Tribunal(s) NCLT(s) under Section 61 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC), with effect from 1st December, 2016. 
    
    
  • Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) under Section 202 and Section 211 of IBC. 
    
    
  • Competition Commission of India (CCI) – as per the amendment brought to Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013 by Section 172 of the Finance Act, 2017, with effect from 26th May, 2017. 
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• A DRDO-developed Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Interceptor Missile successfully engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a ‘Hit to Kill’ mode. 
  
  
• The interceptor missile was a three-stage missile with two solid rocket boosters. 
  
  
• Significance of Mission Shakti: 
  • The test has demonstrated the Nation’s capability to defend its assets in outer space. 
    
    
  • India is only the 4th country after the US, Russia and China to acquire such a specialised & modern capability. 
    
    
  • Entire effort is indigenous. 
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the BRCP, and Wellcome Trust (WT) / DBT India Alliance beyond its initial 10-year term to a new five year phase (2019-20 to 2023-24) with Department of Biotechnology (DBT) increasing its commitment to two times that of WT. 
  
  
• The Programme has fulfilled its objectives of building and nurturing talent of highest global standards in cutting-edge biomedical research in India. 
  
  
• In the extending phase, the Programme would continue to build this capacity as also strengthen clinical research and work towards addressing important health challenges for India. 
  
  

About: 

• The decision was taken by the UGC on the ground that a degree programme in agriculture is technical in nature as it requires practicals or laboratory courses. The Union agriculture ministry had referred the matter to the commission.  
  
  
• As per UGC Open and Distance Learning Regulations, 2017, professional programmes such as medicine, engineering, and architecture, are not permitted to be offered in distance mode.