About:

 Geography:

• It is located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. It is a part of the Aravalli Range and the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests' ecoregion.
  
  
• The topography of the protected area comprises scrub-thorn arid forests, rocky landscapes, dry deciduous forests, rocks, grasses and hilly cliffs.
  
  

• Conservation status:
  • It was declared a wildlife reserve in 1955.
    
    
  • It was given the status of a tiger reserve making it a part of India's Project Tiger in 1978.
    
    
  • The reserve was declared a national park in 1990.
    
    
  
  
  
• It is the first reserve in the world to have successfully relocated tigers.
  
  
• It is rich in mineral resources, such as copper.
  
  

About:

• Timberlines is the uppermost limit of canopy forests that gradually gives way to the treeline (beyond which trees do not grow).
  
  
• Timberlines are limited by climate: factors including low temperatures and high winds on mountain tops prevent woody tree growth higher up. Timberlines, therefore, serve as indicators of climate change.
  
  
• The recent study in Sikkim suggests that though the timberline is unlikely to shift in Sikkim, it could get denser in the near future. i.e. Sikkim's highest forest zone could get denser.
  
  

About:

• On December 19-20, a baseline survey of the waterfowl was conducted in the wetlands of Kaziranga National Park.
  
  
• Key findings:
  • A total of 10,412 birds were counted in the sanctuary, covering a total of 80 species, belonging to 21 families.
    
    
  • Out of the total of 10,412 counted birds, 8,074 were ducks and geese belonging to the Anatidae family.
    
    
  • Out of these, Bar-headed Geese accounted for more than 3,000 of the total count.
    
    
  • The populations of garganeys, the critically endangered Baer’s pochards, tufted ducks, common pygmy geese, and falcated ducks were the lowest in geese and duck’s category.
    
    
  • The bulk of the waterfowl population was found in the eastern range mainly because of the expansive Sohola beel that is formed by six shallow bodies.
    
    
  
  
  
• Comment: This is for the first time in a while, that the focus of attention has shifted from the “big four”- rhinos, elephants, Bengal tigers and Asiatic water buffalos, in the 113-year-old Kaziranga National Park.
  
  

Key decisions taken by GST Council:

• The GST Council today cut rates on 23 commonly used goods and services, including TV screens, movie tickets and power banks. The new GST rates will be effective from 1st January next year.
  
  
• Monitors and TV screens up to 32-inches and power banks will attract 18 per cent GST, as against 28 per cent earlier.
  
  
• GST on movie tickets costing up to 100 rupees was cut to 12 per cent from 18 per cent, while tickets over 100 rupees will attract 18 per cent tax, against 28 per cent earlier. The Film industry has welcomed the decision to reduce GST on cinema tickets.
  
  
• Accessories for carriages for specially abled persons have been brought down to 5 per cent.
  
  
• Services supplied by banks to basics saving banks deposit accounts and holders of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts will be exempted from any GST transactions.
  
  
• 28 percent slab rate is applicable on cement and auto parts and luxury items like Air Conditioner and dishwasher.
  
  

Other decisions:

• A Centralised Advance Ruling Authority (CARA) will be setup to review conflicting verdicts of state-level advance ruling authorities (SARAs).
  
  
• Deadline of filing GST Annual return has been postponed to June 30, 2019.
  
  

About:

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is the regulator of the telecommunications sector in India to regulate telecom services and tariffs in India.
  
  
• Background: It was established in 1997.
  
  
• Status: It is a statutory body set up by the Government of India under section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
  
  
• Composition: It consists of a Chairperson and not more than two full-time members and not more than two part-time members.
  
  
• HQ: New Delhi.
  
  

About:

• Cultivation area: Pokkali is a rice variety cultivated in the water-logged coastal regions, in Alappuzha, Thrissur and Ernakulam districts of Kerala.
  
  
• Properties:
  • It has unique saline tolerant property. Its resistance to salinity is remarkable.
    
    
  • In order to survive in the water-logged field, the rice plants grow up to 2 m.
    
    
  • Pokkali is famed for its peculiar taste, extra-large grains size and its high protein content.
    
    
  
  
  
• Cultivation season: The rice is cultivated from June to early November when the salinity level of the water in the fields is low. From mid-November to mid-April, when the salinity is high, prawn farming takes over.
  
  
• Cultivation method: It is organically-grown. The rice crop doesn’t require other fertilizer or manure as the tidal flows make the fields highly fertile and it draw nutrients from the prawns’ excrement and other remnants.
  
  
• Recognition: The brand Pokkali has received a GI tag from the Geographical Indications Registry Office, Chennai.
  
  

Sickle Cell Anaemia:

• It is characterized by a modification in the shape of the red blood cell from a smooth, donut-shape into a crescent or half-moon shape.
  
  
• These cells lack plasticity and can block small blood vessels, impairing blood flow. This condition leads to shortened red blood cell survival, and subsequent anaemia, often called sickle-cell anaemia.
  
  
• this leads to chronic acute pain syndromes, severe bacterial infections, and necrosis (tissue death).
  
  
• Regions where it more common:
  
  
• Treatment: it can be managed by simple procedures including:
  • high fluid intake
    
    
  • healthy diet
    
    
  • folic acid/Iron supplementation
    
    
  • pain medication
    
    
  • vaccination and antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of infections
    
    
  • a number of other therapeutic measures.
    
    
  
  
  

Thalassemia:

• People with thalassaemia are not able to make enough haemoglobin due to which oxygen cannot get to all parts of the body, thereby organs are unable to function properly.
  
  
• There are two major types of thalassaemia, alpha and beta, which are named for the two protein chains that make up normal haemoglobin.
  
  
• Religions where it is more common: Asia, Mediterranean basin, and Middle East.
  
  
• Treatment:
  • Blood transfusion: Thalassaemia major requires regular blood transfusions to maintain an adequate supply of haemoglobin and sustain life. As a result of multiple transfusions, organs become severely overloaded with iron and a specific treatment is needed to manage this condition.
    
    
  • Bone marrow transplant: It can be cured by a successful bone-marrow transplant; however, this procedure is expensive and not readily available in most settings. Recently, gene therapy has been successfully applied to a patient with thalassaemia.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Region: Pavakathakali (glove puppet kathakali) is a Traditional glove puppet theatre from Kerala in south-west India.
  
  
• Origin: It was probably born in the 18th century, one hundred years after the blossoming of kathakali (lit. “story play”).
  
  
• Performers: Pavakathakali performers from the Andipandaram community belong to a small number of families from the Paruthippuly village in the Palghat (Palakkad) region.
  
  
• Features: The pavakathakali puppets measure between 40 and 60 centimetres in height. The finely sculpted head and arms are attached by thick cotton knots on a small bag.
  
  
• Theme: Local puppeteers to dress their puppets in kathakali costumes and adopt the themes of the attakatha, the stage interpretations of this drama.
  
  
• Musical instruments: The musical instruments – the same as used for kathakali – are comprised of a chenda, chengila, illetalam and shankh and accompany one or two singers. The minimum number of puppeteers to perform a show is six.
  
  
• Stage: When the nilavilaku (copper lamp) is lit in the courtyard, the puppeteers sit on the ground and start the performance. There is no barrier between them and the spectators.
  
  

About:

• Nomenclature: Golkonda, also known as Golconda, Gol konda ("Round shaped hill"), or Golla konda, (Shepherd's Hill). Golkonda was originally known as Mankal.
  
  
• Location: Golconda is a citadel and fort situated near Hyderabad. It is also a tehsil of Hyderabad district, Telangana, India.
  
  
• History: It was the capital of the medieval sultanate of the Qutb Shahi dynasty (c.1512–1687). The fort finally fell into ruin in 1687, after an eight-month-long siege led to its fall at the hands of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
  
  
• Mines and Minerals: The region is known for the mines that have produced some of the world's most famous gems, including the Koh-i-Noor.
  
  
• Status:
  • The Golkonda fort is listed as an archaeological treasure on the official "List of Monuments" prepared by the ASI under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.
    
    
  • The Golconda fort, and other Qutb Shahi dynasty Monuments of Hyderabad were submitted by India to UNESCO in 2010 for consideration as World Heritage Sites. They are currently included on India's "tentative list".
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• The SDG India Index, launched by NITI Aayog, has been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Global Green Growth Institute and United Nations in India.
  
  
• It is a single measurable Index to map progress of States & UTs towards 2030 SDGs.
  
  

Methodology:

• The Index spans 13 out of 17 SDGs. Progress on SDGs 12, 13 & 14 could not be measured as relevant State/UT level data were not available and SDG 17 was left out as it focuses on international partnerships.
  
  
• A composite score was computed between the range of 0-100 for each State/UT based on their aggregate performance towards achieving 13 SDGs & their respective targets. The higher the score of a State/UT, the greater the distance to target achieved.
  
  
• The Index tracks progress of all States/UTs on 62 Priority Indicators selected by NITI Aayog, which in turn is guided by MoSPI’s National Indicator Framework comprising 306 indicators.
  
  

Classification Criteria:

Classification Criteria based on SDG India Index Score is as follows:

Overall Findings:

• The SDG Index Score for Sustainable Development Goals 2030 ranges between 42 and 69 for States and between 57 and 68 for UTs.
  
  
• Among the States, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh are the front runners with an SDG India Index score of 69.
  • Himachal Pradesh ranks high on providing clean water & sanitation, in reducing inequalities & preserving mountain ecosystem
    
    
  • Kerala’s top rank is attributed to its superior performance in providing good health, reducing hunger, achieving gender equality & providing quality education
    
    
  
  
  
• Among the UTs, Chandigarh is a front runner with a score of 68. Chandigarh leads because of its exemplary performance in providing clean water & sanitation, affordable & clean energy, generating decent work & economic growth, & providing quality education.
  
  

About:

• Recent development:The National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) is India’s national accreditation body.
  
  
• Parent Body: NABCB is a constituent Board of the Quality Council of India (QCI). QCI has been established in 1998 through the joint initiatives of the Indian Government and the industries
  
  
• Objective of NABCB: NABCB is responsible for accreditation of certification/inspection bodies as per applicable international standards under an international system of equivalence.
  
  
• Structure of NABCB:
  • Chairman of the Board is nominated by Chairman of Quality Council of India (QCI).
    
    
  • The other members are nominees of Ministry of Commerce, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotions, CII, FICCI & ASSOCHAM (industry associations), Bureau of Indian standards, nominees of Association of Certification Bodies etc.
    
    
  
  
  

• The NABCB has secured equivalence for its accreditation programme for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) Certification Bodies in Asia- Pacific region.
  
  
• 8It has signed the Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) of the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) to this effect on 19 Dec 2018.
  
  
• Now any industry carrying ISO 45001 certificate – applicable for OHSMS – with NABCB logo will be recognized in the Asia Pacific region.
  
  
• NABCB is the third accreditation body in the Asia Pacific Region to become internationally equivalent in the region, the other two being the accreditation bodies of Hong Kong and Mexico.
  
  
• Significance: Now, NABCB can facilitate export of Indian goods into the world market by attesting that these are certified as per international standards by competent certifying bodies.
  
  

About:

• Mandate: The committee was tasked to assess key challenges in logistics development and associated commerce and suggest policy reforms for ease of doing trade in India.
  
  
• Reform Agenda: The committee has prepared a comprehensive logistics reform agenda which –
  • is designed to fundamentally re-engineer the existing business processes of the government;
    
    
  • is intended to facilitate an integrated “whole of the trade value chain” approach in; and
    
    
  • proposes a new institutional framework to leverage co-operation from all stakeholders towards a common shared goal of transforming this space.
    
    
  
  
  
• Present status: The Committee’s report is being submitted to the Government for consideration.
  
  

About:

• Background: In May 2018, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) launched ‘Samagra Siksha’ scheme for holistic development of school education.
  
  
• Holistic (Samagra):
  • ‘Samagra’ means a holistic approach to treat education as a whole. The Scheme sees school education holistically without segmenting it into various levels of education (pre-school, primary, upper primary, secondary and senior secondary levels).
    
    
  • Under it, union government will extend support to States from pre-school to senior secondary levels.
    
    
  • This programme subsumes the three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
    
    
  
  
  
• Two Ts: Quality of education will be improved at all levels by integrating the two T’s –
  • Teachers: SCERTs and DIETs will be strengthened to make them the nodal agencies for teacher training. Focus will be on integration of in-service and pre-service training structures in States.
    
    
  • Technology: Technology will be used to widen the access to good quality education.
    • ‘DIKSHA’ – the national digital platform for teachers – would put high quality teaching learning resources for ready use of teachers.
      
      
    • The Scheme will support ‘Operation Digital Board’ in all secondary schools over a period of 5 years, so as to enhance the use of digital technology through smart classrooms, digital boards and DTH channels.
      
      
    
    
    
  • Budgetary Hike: Earlier the budget on the three schemes i.e. SSA, RMSA and Teacher Education was Rs. 28,000 crore in 2017-18. But the budget outlay on the new scheme will be now Rs. 34,000 crore in 2018-19 and to Rs. 41,000 crore in 2019-20.
    
    
  • Promoting libraries: About one million schools will get library grant of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000 to strengthen the libraries to ensure “Padhega Bharat Badhega Bharat”.
    
    
  • Promoting sports: The Centre will give government schools grants for buying sports equipment so as to promote “Khelega India Khilega India”.
    
    
  • Promoting Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: Kasturba Gandhi BalikaVidyalaya (KGBV) to be expanded from Class 6-8 to Class 6-12 to ensure Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Objective: In 2017, Union Cabinet has approved the creation of NTA.
  
  
• Objective: To conduct “all entrance examinations for higher educational institutions” which were being conducted by the CBSE) and AICTE.
  
  
• Status: It is an autonomous and self-sustained organization registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860.
  
  

About:

• Ministry of Women and Child Development has decided that a Pilot on Conditional Cash Transfer is to be carried out in few blocks of two districts each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
  
  
• The decision has been taken based on the direction of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges.
  
  
• In this background, a Committee has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Vinod K. Paul, Member, Health & Nutrition, NITI Aayog for deciding the parameters and operational modalities for Conditional Cash Transfer.
  
  

About:

• NAMASTE – PORTAL is an acronym for “National Ayush Morbidity and Standardized Terminologies Electronic Portal”.
  
  
• Objectives:
  • The portal provides Standardized Terminologies & Morbidity Codes for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of medicine along with W.H.O ICD-10/11 codes meant for dual coding and morbidity reporting for Yoga, Naturopathy and Homoeopathy Systems.
    
    
  • These are meant for unambiguous reporting, electronic data submission through individual institutions and gradually moving towards adopting Electronic Health Records (E.H.R.).
    
    
  
  
  
• Developed by: Ministry of AYUSH.
  
  

Launched in: The portal was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of 2nd Ayurveda Day (17th October 2017).

About:

• Parent agency: NBCFDC is an autonomous corporation under Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
  
  
• Background: NBCFDC, a Govt. of India Undertaking, was incorporated under Section 25 of the Companies Act 1956 in 1992 as a Company not for profit.
  
  
• Mandate: To promote economic and developmental activities for the benefit of Backward Classes and to assist the poorer section of these classes in skill development and self-employment ventures.
  
  
• Working:
  • NBCFDC provides financial assistance through State Channelising Agencies (SCAs) nominated by the State Governments/ UTs. NBCFDC also provides Micro Financing through SCAs/ Self Help Groups (SHGs).
    
    
  • It assist a wide range of income generating activities to assist the poorer section of these classes in skill development and self-employment ventures.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Every Year 24^th December is observed as National Consumer Day with a specific theme in India.
  
  
• This year the National Consumer Day is celebrated with the theme “Timely Disposal of Consumer Complaints”.
  
  
• On this day the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 had received the assent of the president.
  • The Act is considered as a historic milestone in the consumer movement in the country.
    
    
  • It aims to provide consumers with effective safeguards against different types of exploitation such as defective goods, deficiency in services and unfair trade practices.
    
    
  
  
  
• On this day, representatives of State Governments, Presidents/Members of the State Commissions, and Members of the Central Consumer Protection Council will deliberate on the various issues and challenges faced by consumers.
  
  

About:

• The objective of the Prime Minister’s Shram Awards is to recognize the outstanding contributions made by workmen as defined in the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 in organizations both in public and private sector employing 500 or more workers.
  
  
• It comprises following four categories of award:
  
  

• The Shram Ratna Award would be common for both the Public and Private Sectors and the remaining 32 awards would be shared equally by both the sectors, i.e. 16 each for Public and Private Sectors.
  
  

2017 Winners:

• This Year, 40 Workers have been selected for Prime Minister Shram Awards for the Year 2017
  
  
• This year, no nomination was found suitable for the prestigious Shram Ratna Award.
  
  
• Three nominations for the Shram Bhushan Award, twelve nominations for Shram Vir/Shram Veerangana and sixteen nominations for Shram Shree/Shram Devi Awards have been selected.
  
  

Background:

• Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) had established an ITCOocean at INCOIS, Hyderabad in 2013 to provide training to scientists/ researchers/government officers/disaster managers/decision makers, etc. from India and abroad.
  
  
• Later, in order to assist UNESCO and its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) in developing new methods of capacity building for the countries bordering the Indian and Atlantic Oceans and small island countries, the Government of India (GoI) offered to establish the ITCOocean as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre.
  
  
• This offer of GoI was approved by the General Conference of UNESCO in November 2017.
  
  

Mission:

• The mission of the Centre is to assist the Member States of IOC/UNESCO in developing oceanographic scientific base and to create a pool of trained ocean scientists, technologists and managers to cater the growing demands of operational oceanographic services.
  
  

About:

• Objective: To protect and conserve the world’s last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem.
  
  
• Strategy: This will be done with the help of state-of-the –art techniques/ instruments, regular scientific research studies, disease management, Modern surveillance/ patrolling techniques.
  
  
• Funding: The total budget of the project for 3 years that amounts to nearly Rs. 9784 lakhs will be funded from the Centrally Sponsored Scheme- Development of Wildlife Habitat (CSS-DWH) with the contributing ratio being 60:40 of Central and State share.
  
  

About:

• Parent scheme: SVEP is a sub-scheme under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
  
  
• Objective: To help rural households including women to set-up enterprises.
  
  
• Features:
  • Skill building support is provided to all the entrepreneurs supported under SVEP through Community Resource Persons for Enterprise Promotion (CRP-EP).
    
    
  • The entrepreneurs have the freedom to identify the sectors in which they want to start businesses based on assessment of market potential.
    
    
  
  
  
• Background:
  • The scheme was approved during 2015-16 and the enterprise formation started in 2017-18.
    
    
  • As on 30th November 2018, a total of 30,352 enterprises were formed across 20 States where the scheme is operational.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Background: DIPP began this exercise from January, 2016.
  
  
• Objective of the exercise: To encourage States and Union Territories to take proactive steps towards strengthening the Start-up ecosystems in their states.
  
  
• Methodology:
  • States have been identified as leaders across various categories such as Start-up policy leaders, incubation hubs, seeding innovation, scaling innovation, regulatory change champions etc.
    
    
  • On the basis of performance in these categories, the States have been recognised as the Best Performer, Top Performers, Leaders, Aspiring Leaders, Emerging States and Beginners.
    
    
  
  
  

Ranking of states:

• Best Performer: Gujarat
  
  
• Top Performers: Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, and Rajasthan
  
  
• Leaders: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana
  
  
• Aspiring Leaders: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal
  
  
• Emerging States: Assam, Delhi, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand
  
  
• Beginners: Chandigarh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Sikkim, and Tripura.
  
  

About:

• Developed by: The Portal has been developed by Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (ISTM), New Delhi.
  
  
• Objective:
  • To provide a learning environment for all stakeholders under which a repository on the landmark cases on the RTI will be available at one place.
    
    
  • The Portal also makes available the gist of the replies given by Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs), First Appellate Authorities as well as the Supreme Court.
    
    
  
  
  
• Significance: It will be helpful in learning the latest trends of implementation of RTI Act as the judgments/orders given by Central Information Commission, High Courts and Supreme Court are always a crucial source to track the developments on this subject.
  
  

About:

• Developed by: Hybrid Course on Administrative Laws has been developed by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions in collaboration with the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru.
  
  
• Objective: It has been launched to offer Long Term Diploma programme and Short-Term Courses in the area of Administrative Laws.
  
  

About:

• Developed by: iGOT has been developed by Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions.
  
  
• Objective: The initiative aims at “Competent Civil Services for Good Governance”.
  
  
• Features:
  • The online training programme through Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC) mechanism would bring together the numerous Government and other training institutions for providing a single platform to access the repository of training resources.
    
    
  • It will augment the existing training mechanism with online module-based training coupled with certification.
    
    
  • This will make training inputs available to government servant on site and on flexitime basis. Furthermore, the training will be focussed and targeted to the requirement of the officials.
    
    
  
  
  
• Background: The National Training Policy-2012 mandates that all civil servants will be provided with training to equip them with the competencies for their current or future jobs.
  
  

About:

• Lalitgiri is one of the earliest Buddhist settlements in Odisha situated about 120 km north of Bhubaneswar in District Cuttack.
  
  
• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has constructed the Site Museum at Lalitgiri for display and protection of retrieved antiquities. The museum has been organized into six galleries.
  
  
• Huge sculptures of the Buddha and various Buddhist deities, architectural fragments of Viharas and Chaityas are arranged period-wise across six galleries.
  
  
• The most important finding of the Lalitgiri are relic caskets found inside the stupa during excavations in the year 1985. Three Khondalite stone caskets were found out of which two have one set of steatite, silver and gold caskets each with the relics inside in the form of charred bones.
  
  

Paika Rebellion:

• it was an armed rebellion against the British East India Company's rule in Odisha in 1817, forty years before the revolt of 1857.
  
  
• The Paiks were the traditional landed militia of Odisha who served as warriors and were charged with policing functions during peacetime.
  
  
• Key events of rebellion
  • In March 1817, The Paiks rose in rebellion under their leader Bakshi Jagabandhu and projected Lord Jagannath as the symbol of Odia unity.
    
    
  • The rebellion quickly spread across most of Odisha before being ruthlessly put down by the company's forces.
    
    
  • By May 1817, the British managed to re-establish their authority over the entire province, but it was a long while before the tranquillity finally returned to it.
    
    
  
  
  
• Recognition:
  • The Ministry of Culture has recognised the Paika Rebellion at the national level.
    
    
  • The decision to commemorate the bi-centenary of the revolution was announced in the 2017-18 Budget Speech.
    
    
  
  
  

Salient Features of Bill:

• The bill bans commercial surrogacy with penal provisions of jail term of up to 10 years and fine of up to ₹10 lakh.
  
  
• It allows only close Indian relatives to be surrogate mothers and purely for “altruistic” reasons, thus the surrogate mother will not be paid any compensation except medical expenses and insurance.
  
  
• It limits the option to only legally married childless couples who have been trying for a child for at least five years. It states an Indian infertile couple, married for five years or more, can go in for ‘altruistic surrogacy’.
  
  
• The Bill now requires all surrogacy clinics to be registered.
  
  
• Clinics can charge for these services but the surrogate mother cannot be paid.
  
  
• The national and state surrogacy boards will be the regulating authorities.
  
  

Need of Bill:

• India had become a hub of commercial surrogacy and surrogate mothers were being exploited.
  
  
• There have been several reports about the exploitation of surrogate mothers, women who are kept confined in “hostels” during pregnancy and not allowed to meet their families, women who do it repeatedly for a paltry amount thus putting their own bodies at risk.
  
  
• CII figures say surrogacy is a $2.3 billion industry fed by lack of regulation and poverty.
  
  
• The 228^th report of the Law Commission had recommended prohibition of commercial surrogacy.
  
  
• Commercial surrogacy is allowed only in Russia, Ukraine and California.
  
  

About:

• IN LCU L55 is the fifth ship of Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk-IV class to be inducted into the Indian Navy.
  
  
• The ship has been indigenously designed and built by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
  
  
• LCU Mk-IV ship is an amphibious ship with its primary role being transportation and deployment of Main Battle Tanks, Armoured Vehicles, troops and equipment from ship to shore.
  
  
• These ships are based at the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
  
  
• The remaining three ships of the same class are in advanced stages of construction at M/S GRSE, Kolkata and are scheduled to be inducted over the next year and a half.
  
  

About:

• Timeline:
  • Government of India approved the establishment of GCNEP in 2010.
    
    
  • Phase–I of the GCNEP project has been completed.30th September 2020 is the date of Phase –II of the project.
    
    
  
  
  
• Location: At village Jasaur Kheri & Kheri Jasaur, near Bahadurgarh, District Jhajjar, Haryana.
  
  
• Parent agency: GCNEP is the sixth R&D unit under the aegis of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
  
  
• Objectives: GCNEP will help in capacity building, in association with the interested countries and the IAEA, involving technology, human resource development, education & training and giving a momentum to R&D in Nuclear Energy.
  
  
• Schools: The centre will house following 5 schools to carry out its objectives –
  • School of Advanced Nuclear Energy System Studies (SANESS)
    
    
  • School of Nuclear Security Studies (SNSS)
    
    
  • School on Radiological Safety Studies (SRSS)
    
    
  • School of Nuclear Material Characterization Studies (SNMCS)
    
    
  • School for Studies on Applications of Radioisotopes and Radiation Technologies (SARRT).
    
    
  
  
  

GSAT-7A:

• GSAT-7A is the 39th Indian communication satellite of ISRO to provide services to the users in Ku-band over the Indian region. It is an advanced communication satellite with a Gregorian Antenna and many other new technologies.
  
  
• GSAT-7A is the heaviest satellite being launched by GSLV with an indigenously developed cryogenic stage.
  
  

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV):

• GSLV is ISRO’s fourth generation launch vehicle with three stages.
  
  
• The four liquid strap-ons and a solid rocket motor at the core form the first stage.
  
  
• The second stage is equipped with a high thrust engine using liquid fuel.
  
  
• The cryogenic upper stage forms the third and final stage of the vehicle.
  
  

About:

• Meaning:
  • It refers to the income tax payable on capital raised by unlisted companies via issue of shares where the share price is seen in excess of the fair market value of the shares sold.
    
    
  • The excess realisation is treated as income and taxed accordingly.
    
    
  • It has come to be called angel tax since it largely impacts angel investments in startups.
    
    
  
  
  
• Background: The tax was introduced in the 2012 Union Budget by then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to arrest laundering of funds.
  
  
• Recent development: Several start-ups have raised concerns over taxation of angel funds under the Section 56 of the Income Tax Act, which provides for taxation of funds received by an entity. At least 80 startups have received notices to pay angel tax since last year.
  
  

About:

The strategy covers 41 crucial areas, that recognizes the progress already made, identifies binding constraints, and suggests the way forward for achieving the clearly stated objectives. These 41 areas have been categorized under four sections: Drivers, Infrastructure, Inclusion and Governance.

1) Drivers:

Some of the key recommendations in the section on drivers include:

• Accelerate the economy to achieve a GDP growth rate of 8% on average during 2018-23.
  
  
• Increase the investment rate as measured by gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) from the present 29% to 36% of GDP by 2022.
  
  
• In agriculture, shift the emphasis to converting farmers to ‘agripreneurs’ by –
  • expanding e-National Agriculture Markets and
    
    
  • replacing the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act with the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act.
    
    
  
  
  
• Give a strong push to ‘Zero Budget Natural Farming’
  
  
• Complete codification of labour laws.
  
  
• Launch a mission “Explore in India” by revamping minerals exploration and licensing policy.
  
  

2) Infrastructure:

Some of the key recommendations in the section on infrastructure include:

• Expedite the establishment of Rail Development Authority (RDA), which is already approved.
  
  
• Double the share of freight transported by coastal shipping and inland waterways.
  
  
• Deliver all government services at the state, district, and gram panchayat level digitally by 2022-23 by leveraging Bharat Net programme.
  
  

3) Inclusion:

Some of the key recommendations in the section on inclusion include:

• Successfully implement the Ayushman Bharat programme including the establishment of 150,000 health and wellness centres across the country.
  
  
• Upgrade the quality of the school education, including the creation of a new innovation ecosystem at the ground level by establishing at least 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs by 2020.
  
  
• Conceptualize an electronic national educational registry for tracking child’s learning outcomes.
  
  
• Give a huge push to affordable housing in urban areas to improve workers’ living conditions.
  
  

4) Governance:

Some of the key recommendations in the section on governance include:

• Implement the recommendations of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission.
  
  
• Set up the Arbitration Council of India to grade arbitral institutions and accredit arbitrators to make the arbitration process cost effective and speedy.
  
  
• Address the backlog of pending cases - shift part of workload out of regular court system.
  
  
• Expand the scope of Swachh Bharat Mission to cover initiatives for landfills, plastic waste and municipal waste and generating wealth from waste.
  
  

About:

• An ‘e-Drishti’ interface has been unveiled for the Union Railway Minister, Minister of State and Board Members.
  
  
• This software includes an interface which provides –
  • summary information on punctuality of trains for the previous day,
    
    
  • information on current train running on the Indian Railway network and
    
    
  • details of freight earning, freight loading and passenger earnings for the previous day & month and cumulative for the year.
    
    
  
  
  

Recent development:

• The State was placed under Governor’s Rule in June 2018 after the BJP withdrew support to the PDP government led by Mehbooba Mufti.
  
  
• Since the State has a separate Constitution, in such cases, six months of Governor’s Rule is compulsory under Article 92 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, with all legislature powers vested with the Governor.
  
  
• The Union Cabinet took the decision after Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik sent a report recommending imposition of President’s Rule in the State. After the proclamation, the powers of the legislature shall be exercisable by or under the authority of Parliament.
  
  
• Difference from other states:
  • In other states, the Centre invokes Article 356 to impose President’s rule.
    
    
  • In J&K, under Section 92 of the J&K Constitution, the Governor can rule for six months with a set of powers, the only requirement being the President’s consent.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) chairman and Supreme Court Judge Justice Madan B. Lokur launched the system for live electronic exchange of data between the courts and the police in Telangana.
  
  
• The project was started on a pilot basis in Subedari police station of Warangal Commissionerate.
  
  
• Under it, FIR and charge-sheet can be transferred electronically in real time. The court can issue the receipt with the reference number online.
  
  
• Significance: Convergence of information between police, courts, prisons, forensics and prosecutions will eventually speed up the process of criminal justice system. The status of each case and its monitoring becomes easier for the police and judicial officers.
  
  

About:

• A pheran is a traditional Kashmiri attire worn by men and women. It resembles a long loose coat or cloak.
  
  
• Traditionally it was made from wool or tweed and worn as protection from the winter. However, it is now also stitched from cotton for summer.
  
  
• The attire dates back to around the 15^th century, when it was traditionally worn in bright colours. It is now, however, found in nearly all colours.
  
  
• Kashmiris consider it an integral part of their culture and identity.