About:

• The 50,000 sq. ft. UAV complex is the first such manufacturing facility in India and the first outside Israel to manufacture the Hermes 900 medium altitude long endurance UAV.
  
  
• The first aero-structure from the complex will be rolled out in March 2019.
  
  
• Plans:
  • While the initial focus would be on exports, the objective of the 51:49 joint venture (JV) between Adani Defence and Aerospace and Elbit Systems is to become UAV supplier to the Indian armed forces.
    
    
  • The facility would begin operations by manufacturing complete carbon composite aero-structures for the Hermes 900 UAV of Elbit Systems used by customers in several countries. This would be followed by the manufacture of aero-structures for Hermes 450.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Mahila Kisan Awards is a reality show to be telecast from 17th December, that will see participation of women farmers from across the India.
  
  
• Format of show:
  • The selection of contestants for the show has been done by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
    
    
  • The format of the show will include two woman farmers talking about their achievements in each episode. Judges will score these contestants based on their assessment.
    
    
  • The five contestants who get the highest scores during the show will reach the finals, where one of them will be declared the winner.
    
    
  
  
  
• Significance:
  • Through the show, each participant will have an opportunity to learn from the experiences of other participants.
    
    
  • The show is also expected to act as a source of inspiration for lakhs of women across the country watching the show.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• J&K Governor approved the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018, to incorporate the new Section.
  
  
• Under Section 354E of the RPC, the new law explicitly bans sexual exploitation of women by those in positions of authority, having a fiduciary relationship, or a public servant
  
  
• Terming the offence as “Sextortion”, the amendments will “bring sextortion at par with similar offences prescribed under Ranbir Penal Code and amendment is being made in Prevention of Corruption Act to provide that demand for sexual favours would also constitute misconduct within the meaning of Section 5.”
  
  
• With this, J&K has become the first State in the country to bring a law to prevent people in power from exploiting subordinates sexually.
  
  

Amitav Ghosh:

• Amitav Ghosh, one of the most prominent contemporary Indian writers, is known for a series of novels such as Shadow Lines, The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide and Ibis Trilogy "Sea of Poppies.
  
  

Bharatiya Jnanpith:

• It is a literary and research organization.
  
  
• It was founded in 1944 by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain of the Sahu Jain family (who owns the Times Group) with the objective of undertaking research & publication of Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali and Apabhramsha texts.
  
  
• It is based in
  
  
• Literary Awards presented:
  
  

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB):

• Background: NCRB was set-up in 1986, based on the recommendations of the National Police Commission (1977-1981) and the MHA’s Task force (1985).
  
  
• Mandate: To function as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators.
  
  
• Functions:
  • In 2009, NCRB was entrusted with the responsibility for implementing the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) project.
    
    
  • It launched the National Digital Police Portal in 2017.
    
    
  • It maintains the National Database of Sexual Offenders (NDSO).
    
    
  • It has been designated as the Central Nodal Agency to manage technical and operational functions of the ‘Online Cyber-Crime Reporting Portal’ and associated work of Cyber Crime Prevention against Women & Children (CCPWC) of Ministry of Home Affairs.
    
    
  • It compiles and publishes National Crime Statistics i.e. Crime in India, Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India and Prison Statistics India.
    
    
  • It maintains Counterfeit Currency Information and Management System (FICN) and Integrated Monitoring on Terrorism (iMoT).
    
    
  • It has also floated various IT based Public Services like, Vahan Samanvay (online matching for Stolen/Recovered vehicles), Talash (matching of missing persons and dead bodies).
    
    
  
  
  
• HQ: New Delhi.
  
  
• Parent agency: It is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.
  
  

About:

• Timeline: Meghdoot awards were instituted in 1984. This year, the awards were revived after 2011.
  
  
• Objective: Meghdoot awards were instituted to encourage Gramin Dak Sewak (GDS) and employees of the Department of Posts by recognising performance of high standard.
  
  
• Categories: The awards are conferred in eight categories.
  
  
• Cash Prize: Each of the eight awards carries a cash award of Rs 21,000, a gold medallion and a citation.
  
  

About:

• The portal will provide an e-market place to sellers especially to rural artisans, SHGs, women entrepreneurs, PSUs and autonomous bodies to sell their products to buyers across the country.
  
  
• The small and local sellers, who have been left behind in e-commerce space will now, by leveraging the vast physical and lT network of DoP, be able to maximise their reach.
  
  
• The buyers can access the products of their choice displayed by sellers on the portal and place online orders by making digital payments. The products will be shipped through Speed Post.
  
  

About:

• National Energy Conservation Day is celebrated every year on 14^th December by Ministry of Power in association with Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
  
  
• In order to recognise the efforts of industry and other establishments towards promoting energy efficiency, on this Day, Ministry of Power organizes National Energy Conservation Awards event every year.
  
  
• On this occasion 26 industrial units from various sectors were given awards for their excellent performance in energy efficiency.
  
  

About:

• Initially, Part-I of the Code has been launched which prescribes minimum standards for building envelope designs with the purpose of designing energy efficient residential buildings.
  
  
• The Code is expected to assist large number of architects and builders who are involved in design and construction of new residential complexes in different parts of the country.
  
  
• Significance: Implementation of this Code is expected to save 125 Billion Units of electricity per year by 2030, which is equivalent to 100 million ton of CO2 emission.
  
  
• Background: ECBC for commercial buildings was already in place and revised and updated version of ECBC for commercial buildings was launched in June 2017. Now, ECBC for Residential Buildings has been launched.
  
  

About:

• Composition:
  • The Council will be headed by Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). Apart from the concerned departments of Government of India, it will also have representatives from health care industry and quality control institutions.
    
    
  • Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone, Visakhapatnam, will provide technical support to the Council.
    
    
  
  
  
• Objectives: The Council will have the following objectives and activities –
  • Act as a facilitating and promotion & developmental body for the Indian Medical Devices Industry (MDI).
    
    
  • Make recommendations to government based on industry feedback and global practices on policy and process interventions to strengthen the medical technology sector
    
    
  • Support documentation of international norms and standards for medical devices.
    
    
  • Drive a robust and dynamic Preferential Market Access (PMA) policy, by identifying the strengths of the Indian manufacturers and discouraging unfair trade practices in imports.
    
    
  
  
  

Film and Television Institute of India (FTII):

• FTII is India's premier film and television institute, with its alumni becoming technicians, actors and directors in the film and television industry.
  
  
• Status: It is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India.
  
  
• Location: It is situated in Pune.
  
  
• Established in:
  
  

B P Singh:

• Brijendra Pal Singh is an FTII alumnus (1970-73) who specialised in film cinematography.
  
  
• He has earned repute as Producer- Director of popular TV serial CID which recently completed a record 21 years unbroken run on SONY TV. In 2004 he made it to the Limca Book of Records for taking a single continuous shot of 111 minutes to mark the completion of six years of CID.
  
  
• He is former Chairperson of FTII Academic Council (2014-2017) and current Vice Chairman of FTII Governing Council.
  
  
• Under his vision, FTII launched countrywide film education outreach initiative SKIFT (Skilling India in Film and Television) in 2017.
  
  

About:

• Objective of revised guidelines: To ensure a more robust ground water regulatory mechanism in the country.
  
  
• Need of guidelines: To comply with various directions of the NGT and to address various shortcomings in the existing guidelines of ground water extraction.
  
  

Key Features of Guidelines:

• introduces the concept of Water Conservation Fee (WCF) for the First Time (The WCF payable varies with the category of the area, type of industry and the quantum of ground water extraction. This is expected to deter large scale ground water extraction by industries),
  
  
• encouraging the use of recycled and treated sewage water by industries,
  
  
• provision of action against polluting industries,
  
  
• mandatory requirement of digital flow meters, piezometers and digital water level recorders
  
  
• mandatory water audit by specified industries abstracting ground water,
  
  
• mandatory roof top rain water harvesting except for specified industries and
  
  
• measures to be adopted to ensure prevention of ground water contamination in premises of polluting industries/ projects,
  
  
• Exemption from requirement of No Objection Certificates (NOC) has been given to –
  • agricultural users,
    
    
  • users employing non-energised means to extract water,
    
    
  • individual households (using less than 1-inch diameter delivery pipe) and
    
    
  • Armed Forces Establishments during operational deployment or during mobilization in forward locations.
    
    
  
  
  

Do You Know?

• India is the largest user of ground water in the world, extracting ground water to the tune of 253 BCM per year, which is about 25% of the global ground water extraction.
  
  
• Ground water extraction in India is primarily for irrigation in agricultural activities, accounting for 90% of the annual ground water extraction. The remaining 10% is for drinking & domestic as well as industrial uses.
  
  
• Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 has the mandate of regulating ground water development through issue of advisories, public notices, grant of No Objection Certificates (NOC) for ground water withdrawal.
  
  

About:

• According to the traditional theory of predatory pricing, the predator, already a dominant firm, sets its prices so low for a sufficient period of time that its competitors leave the market and others are deterred from entering.
  
  
• This implies that the predator as well as its victims has incurred losses and that these losses are significant. For the predation to be rational, there must be some expectation that these present losses (or foregone profits), like any investment, will be made up by future gains.
  
  
• This practise of Predatory pricing is criticized for breaking anti-trust laws and making markets more vulnerable to a monopoly. Companies that participate in predatory pricing might also engage in unethical production methods to minimize costs.
  
  

About:

• The Punganur cow is considered to be one of the world’s smallest breeds of cattle.
  
  
• It has a height of 70 cm to 90 cm and weighing around 115 to 200 kg. In comparison, the famous Ongole bull stands tall at 1.70 metres and weighs 500 kg. Both breeds trace their origins to Andhra Pradesh.
  
  
• Cultural Significance:
  • The Punganur cow has become a status symbol in recent years as wealthy livestock farmers began buying it, believing it brings good luck.
    
    
  • The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) also has several Punganur cows, whose milk is used to prepare ghee which is offered as ‘archana’ to Lord Venkateswara.
    
    
  
  
  
• Vulnerability:
  • The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) lists the breed as facing extinction.
    
    
  • According to livestock journals, it is on the verge of extinction due to cross-breeding being conducted by farmers.
    
    
  
  
  
• Conservation Action: The Livestock Research Station (LRS) at Palamaner in Chittoor district is said to be the last bastion of the breed. LRS has instituted a programme to conserve the breed.
  
  

About:

• Background:
  • It was conceived in the early 1960s when a resolution was passed at the first Ministerial Conference on Asian Economic Cooperation held by the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East in 1963.
    
    
  • The institution was opened in 1966 at Manila (Philippines capital) with 31 initial members.
    
    
  
  
  
• Members: It has 67 members—of which 48 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside. India is one of the founding members.
  
  
• Objective:
  • It was conceived as a financial institution that would be Asian in character and foster economic growth and cooperation in one of the poorest regions in the world.
    
    
  • As a multilateral development finance institution, ADB provides loans, technical assistance and grants.
    
    
  
  
  
• Working:
  • The ADB was modelled closely on the World Bank, and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members' capital subscriptions.
    
    
  • As of 31 December 2016, Japan and United States hold the largest proportion of shares at 15.607%. China holds 6.444%, India holds 6.331%, and Australia holds 5.786%
    
    
  
  
  
• ADB is an official United Nations Observer.
  
  

Interpol notices:

• Interpol is an international organization facilitating international police cooperation against cross-border terrorism, trafficking, and other crime.
  
  
• It issues 8 type of notices (7 of which are colour-coded) which are in the form of alert/requests allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.
  
  

About:

• The Youth Exchange Programme is conducted by Department of Youth Affairs.
  
  
• Under it, Youth from India are sent to a few friendly countries and vice-versa under the for promoting exchange of ideas, values and culture amongst the youth.
  
  
• The nominations are sought from reputed institutions viz.
  • IITs, IIMs, NITs through Ministry of Human Resource Development; AIIMS;
    
    
  • Youth Organizations of Ministry viz. NSS (National Service Scheme), NYKS (Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan), RGNIYD (Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development);
    
    
  • National Youth Awardees etc.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Kaaba, the ‘House of God’, in the holiest city for Muslims i.e. Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
  
  
• It is one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside Shahadah, Salat, Zakat and Sawm.
  
  
• It is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking it.
  
  
• The rites of Hajj are performed over five or six days, beginning on the eighth and ending on the thirteenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.
  
  

Hajj 2018 and 2019: Key Highlights

• The agreement has been signed to ensure safety and better facilities, medical facilities for the pilgrims during Hajj 2019.
  
  
• A large number of Muslim women are likely to go to Hajj 2019 without “Mehram” (male companion). In 2017, Govt of India lifted ban on women going to Haj without Mehram, which resulted into about 1300 Indian Muslim women went on Haj 2018 without any male companion.
  
  
• For the first time after the Independence, a record number of Muslims from India performed Hajj 2018 and that too without any subsidy. Record 1,75,025 Muslims from India performed Haj 2018 which include about 48 % women.
  
  

Vipassana vs Samatha:

• Buddhism addresses two major types of meditation called Vipassana and Samatha. They are different mental skills, modes of functioning or qualities of consciousness.
  
  
• Vipassana can be translated as “Insight,” a clear awareness of exactly what is happening as it happens.
  
  
• Samatha can be translated as “concentration” or “tranquillity.” It is a state in which the mind is brought to rest, focused only on one item and not allowed to wander.
  
  

Background:

• Vipassana is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. It was preserved by Myanmarese monks and practitioners and has come back to India from Myanmar.
  
  
• Although Indian by descent, the current teacher in this chain, Mr. S.N. Goenka, was born and raised in Burma (Myanmar).
  
  
• After receiving training from his teacher, Sayagyi U Ba Khin, for fourteen years, Mr. Goenka settled in India and began teaching Vipassana in 1969.
  
  

About:

• Objective: The Bill provides for proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all specified dams in the country to ensure their safe functioning.
  
  
• Institutional framework: The Bill provides for the constitution of following bodies –
  • National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS): To evolve dam safety policies and recommend necessary regulations as may be required for the purpose.
    
    
  • National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA): It will be a regulatory body to implement the policy for dam safety in the country. It will also maintain liaison with the State Dam Safety Organisations and the owners of dams for standardisation of dam safety related data and practices.
    
    
  • State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS): It will be established by every State Government to ensure proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all specified dams in that State and ensure their safe functioning.
    
    
  • State Dam Safety Organization (SDSO): It will be established by every State Government. it will be manned by officials with sufficient experience in the field of dam safety.
    
    
  
  
  
• Emergency action plan: Every owner in respect of each dam to is required to Prepare emergency action plan within 5 years; and for new dams, before the initial filling.
  
  
• Comprehensive dam safety evaluation: It has to be carried out by independent panel of expert at regular intervals specified by NCDS.
  
  
• Offences and Penalties: The Bill provides for punishment / penalty if the dam safety provisions are not followed.
  
  

About:

• The National Security Guard (NSG) is an Indian special forces unit for combating terrorist activities with a view to protect states against internal disturbances.
  
  
• Units: It is a task-oriented Force and has two complementary elements in the form of the Special Action Group (SAG) comprising Army personnel and the Special Ranger Groups (SRG), comprising personnel drawn from the Central Armed Police Forces / State Police Forces.
  
  
• Parent agency: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
  
  
• Establishment: It was raised in 1984, following Operation Blue Star and the assassination of Indira Gandhi.
  
  
• Status: It has been formed under the National Security Guard Act, 1986. According to Ministry of Home Affairs website, it is one of the 7 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
  
  
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
  
  
• The NSG was modelled on the pattern of the SAS of the UK and GSG-9 of Germany.
  
  
• Motto: Sarvatra Sarvottama Suraksa.
  
  
• Director General (DG): The head of NSG, designated as Director General (DG), is selected by the Home Ministry. All the selected DGs have been officer from Indian Police Service (IPS).
  
  

Report Summary:

• Dedicated Air Wing:
  • Findings: The two Mi-17 helicopters procured by the NSG in 1988-99, were grounded and unavailable; NSG was late in reaching Mumbai during the 26/11 terrorist attacks due to non-availability of dedicated aircraft, hampering its rapid reaction.
    
    
  • Recommendation: should urgently commission a dedicated Air Wing of NSG to strengthen the aviation capability of the force.
    
    
  
  
  
• Personnel Issues:
  • Findings: NSG doesn’t have a cadre of its own or direct recruitment and is instead dependent on personnel sent on deputation from the army and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
    
    
  • Recommendation: Home Ministry should form a working group to suggest changes in the NSG‟s deputation policy.
    
    
  
  
  
• Deployment for routine duties:
  • Findings: NSG, a special task force, is frequently deployed for routine and mundane duties which severely impacts its training and operational preparedness.
    
    
  • Recommendation: It should be deployed strictly in accordance with its mandate.
    
    
  
  
  

Constitutional Background:

• Article 355 of the Constitution of India assigns the Central Government the responsibility of protecting every part of India from external aggression and internal disturbances.
  
  
• Under items 1 to 2A of List I (Union List) of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution, the deployment of naval, military & air forces; and any other armed forces of Union are vested in the Central Government.
  
  

List of CAPFs:

• To fulfil its constitutional responsibilities, the Central Government has raised seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). These are
  • Four Border Guarding Forces (BFGs): Assam Rifles (AR), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Border Security Force (BSF).
    
    
  • Three Non-Border Guarding CAPFs used for internal security: Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and National Security Guard (NSG).
    
    
  
  
  
• CAPFs are deployed to aid the State Governments and UTs in maintaining public order on their request.
  
  

Report Summary:

• Findings: Majority of the higher posts of the top hierarchy in the CAPFs are being filled with officers coming on deputation, especially from the IPS. The DG rank in CAPFs like the CRPF, CISF, BSF, ITBP, SSB and NSG is “100% reserved for IPS officers.”
  
  
• Arguments by Union Home Ministry for present status:
  • Exposure, training and grooming of an IPS officer matches with the job requirements for the senior posts of CAPFs.
    
    
  • The inter-departmental coordination between various CAPFs and State Police becomes smooth and seamless with the presence of IPS officers in every CAPF.
    
    
  
  
  
• Recommendation by committee:
  • The post of Director-General and other senior positions in CAPFs should not be reserved for IPS officers.
    
    
  • The nature of duty of CAPF are more similar to that of the Armed Forces and it would make more sense to bring more officers from the Armed Forces on deputation.
    
    
  • Benefits: It will go a long way to boost the morale of the CAPFs but will also provide a bigger pool of qualified officers.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Features: DSRV is used to rescue crew members stranded in submarines that get disabled. The DSRV can be operated at a depth of 650 meters and can hold around 15 people. It can operate in extreme sea conditions (upto Sea State 6).
  
  
• Coverage: The DSRV would have a global footprint and can be mobilised from the Naval base at Mumbai to the nearest mobilisation port by air/land or sea to provide rapid rescue to the Submarines in distress.
  
  
• Agencies in-charge: It would be operated and deployed by the crew of Indian Navy's newly formed Submarine Rescue Unit (West) from its base in Mumbai.
  
  
• Background: The Indian Navy in 2016 had commissioned two DSRVs. The second will be deployed at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.
  
  
• Significance: With this, the Indian Navy joined a select group of naval forces in the world that boasts of this niche submarine rescue capability.
  
  

Need of DSRV:

• The Indian Navy currently operates submarines of the Sindhughosh, Shishumar, Kalvari Classes as well as nuclear powered submarines. The operations undertaken by submarines expose them to high degree of inherent risk.
  
  
• In such an eventuality, traditional methods of search and rescue at sea are ineffective for a disabled submarine. To overcome this capability, gap the Navy has acquired a DSRV.
  
  

About:

• The 15 newly registered breeds include –
  • two cattle breeds - Ladakhi (J&K) and Konkan Kapila (Maharashtra & Goa);
    
    
  • three buffalo breeds - Luit (Assam & Manipur), Bargur (Tamil Nadu), Chhattisgarhi (Chhattisgarh);
    
    
  • one sheep breed – Panchali (Gujarat);
    
    
  • six goat breeds – Kahmi (Gujarat), Rohilkhandi (UP), Assam Hill (Assam & Meghalaya), Bidri (Karnataka), Nandidurga (Karnataka), Bhakarwali (J&K);
    
    
  • one pig breed – Ghurrah (UP);
    
    
  • one donkey breed – Halari (Gujarat) and
    
    
  • one chicken breed – Uttara (Uttarakhand).
    
    
  
  
  
• These native breeds are renowned for heat tolerance and disease resistance and thriving on low input system.
  
  
• The process of identification of animal breeds plays a special role in preserving the biodiversity of the country. India has about 15% of total cattle, 57% of total buffalo, 17% of goat, 7% of sheep and 4.5% of chicken of the world.
  
  

About:

• Legal backing: Under Section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962, the CBIC notifies the Rate of Exchange for the purpose of conversion of foreign exchange to Indian Rupees (INR) and vice versa for the purpose of valuation of imported and exported goods.
  
  
• List of Currencies notified: Currently, CBIC has notified exchange rates for 20 currencies.
  
  
• Recent Decision:
  • Now, it has decided to include 2 more currencies namely Korean Won (WON) & Turkish Lira (TRY) in the list of such currencies.
    
    
  • Notifying them will ease the process of conversion of these currencies into INR and vice versa. This is expected to decrease the transaction cost and enhance the ease of doing business, thereby, benefitting the Indian, Korean and Turkish businesses.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• About 200 academicians, physicians, scientists and researchers from all over country attended the Conference.
  
  
• The minister of Ayush stated that the Ritucharya (Seasonal Regimen) calendar prepared by All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) has elaborate description of Dincharya, Ratrichrya and Ahar-Vihar in a particular weather.
  
  
• Dinacharya means Daily Regimen, Ratricharya means Night Regimen and Ritucharya means Seasonal Regimen.
  
  

About:

Union Government has taken various prominent steps to increase female labour participation rate which includes –

1. Enactment of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 which provides for enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks and provisions for mandatory crèche facility in the establishments having 50 or more employees;
   
   
2. Issue of an advisory to the States under the Factories Act, 1948 for permitting women workers in the night shifts with adequate safety measures.
   
   
3. To enhance the employability of female workers, the Government is providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training institutes.
   
   
4. The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 provides for payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for same work or work of similar nature without any discrimination.
   
   
5. Under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the wages fixed by the appropriate Government are equally applicable to both male and female workers and the Act does not discriminate on the basis of gender.
   
   

About:

• The Bill amends the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999.
  
  
• Features of 1999 Act:
  • It sets up a National Trust to enable persons with disability to live independently by promoting measures for their protection in case of death of their parents, evolving procedures for appointing their guardians and facilitating equal opportunities in society.
    
    
  • The Chairperson and members of the Board of the National Trust can hold office for a term of three years from the date of their appointment or until their successors are appointed, whichever is longer.
    
    
  
  
  
• Features of Amendment Bill, 2018:
  • The Bill fixes the tenure of the Chairperson and members of the Board to three years.
    
    
  • The Union government will initiate the process for appointment of the Chairperson or any member of the Board, at least six months prior to the expiry of his tenure so as to prevent the delay.
    
    
  
  
  
• Need of Bill: to government, the Bill was required as a Chairperson for the trust could not be appointed even after several attempts since 2012 as a suitable candidate meeting the stringent selection criteria could not be found.
  
  
• Timeline: The Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha in July, 2018 and passed by Rajya Sabha on December 12, 2018. It is yet to be introduced in Lok Sabha.
  
  

About:

• Person of the Year is an annual issue of the United States news magazine Time that features and profiles a person, a group, an idea, or an object that "for better or for worse has done the most to influence the events of the year".
  
  
• The tradition began in 1927.
  
  
• Mahatma Gandhi is the only Indian to be selected as Time Person of year (1930).
  
  

2018 person of the year:

• Killed and imprisoned journalists - "The Guardians" - have been named 2018's "Person of the Year" by Time.
  
  
• The magazine featured four different covers with journalists who have been targeted for their work this year.
  
  
• This includes
  • Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in October at his country’s Istanbul consulate.
    
    
  • Philippine journalist Maria Ressa,
    
    
  • Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo — currently imprisoned in Myanmar — and
    
    
  • the staff of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, including five members killed in a June shooting.
    
    
  
  
  
• Time said they were chosen "for taking great risks in pursuit of greater truths, for the imperfect but essential quest for facts, for speaking up and for speaking out".
  
  

About:

• Shaktikanta Das will have a tenure of three years. His name was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved his name.
  
  
• He has been appointed in the aftermath of Urjit Patel resigning as RBI Governor citing personal reasons.
  
  
• Career:
  • He is a retired 1980 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Tamil Nadu cadre.
    
    
  • During his career as an IAS officer, her served as Economic Affairs Secretary of India, Revenue Secretary of India, Fertilizers Secretary of India.
    
    
  • Post retirement, he was appointed a member of the 15^th Finance Commission. He was also appointed as India's Sherpa to the G20.
    
    
  
  
  

Appointment of RBI Governor:

• Legal backing: Under section 8 of the RBI Act, the central government has powers to appoint the central bank governor.
  
  
• Procedure:
  • The government has constituted a Financial Sector Regulatory Appointment Search Committee (FSRASC) that is responsible for calling vacancies and recommending names for the posts of Chairman/Governor of SEBI/RBI/IRDAI/PFRDA.
    
    
  • FSRASC, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, is mandated to have senior bureaucrats and three outside experts of repute (to be nominated by the central government) in the fields of finance, economics, law, public administration.
    
    
  • FSRASC recommends the names to the appointments committee of cabinet (ACC), which comprises of the Prime Minister and Home Minister. ACC finally approves the appointment.
    
    
  
  
  
• Tenure:
  • The Governor and Deputy Governors hold office for periods not exceeding five years and shall be eligible for re-appointment.
    
    
  • The term of the governor may be fixed by the government at the time of his appointment (Urjit Patel and Raghuram Rajan were appointed for three years).
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• PSC is an acronym for Port Community System.
  
  
• ‘PCS 1x’ (www.indianpcs.gov.in) is a cloud based new generation technology, which seamlessly integrates 8 new stakeholders besides the 19 existing stakeholders from the maritime trade on a single platform.
  
  
• This System offers a database that acts as a single data point to all transactions. It offers value added services such as notification engine, workflow, mobile application, track and trace and improved inclusion by offering dashboard for those with no IT capability.
  
  
• The web-based platform has been developed indigenously and is a part of the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ initiative.
  
  
• The platform has the potential to revolutionize maritime trade in India and pave the way to improve the Ease of Doing Business world ranking and Logistics Performance Index (LPI) ranks.
  
  

About:

• Agencies involved: The portal has been developed by NABARD and operated under the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries.
  
  
• Background:
  • The National Livestock Mission has been conceived by current NDA government for the sustainable development of the livestock sector.
    
    
  • Under the Mission’s component called Entrepreneurship Development and Employment Generation (EDEG), subsidy payment for activities related to poultry, pigs etc. through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) goes directly to the beneficiary’s account.
    
    
  • In order to make it simpler and transparent, the NABARD has developed an online portal “ENSURE” so that the information related to beneficiary and processing of application can be made readily available.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• The 7^th Sino-India joint exercise Hand-in-Hand 2018 is being held from 10 to 23 December 2018 at Chengdu, China. 
  
  
• The aim of the exercise is to promote close relations between ‘Armies’ of India and China and to enhance ability of the joint exercise commander to take military contingents of both nations under command. 
  
  
• The annual Hand-in-Hand joint exercise was last held in 2016; it was suspended in 2017 amid tensions between the two countries due to standoff between their armed forces on the Doklam plateau.
  
  

About:

• Objective: Partners’ Forum is a global health partnership with the objective of accelerating efforts to reduce child and maternal mortality. The programme of the Partners’ Forum are framed around the objectives of the Global Strategy of Survive – Thrive – Transform.
  
  
• Members: This partnership is an alliance of more than 1,000 plus members, across 10 constituencies in 92 countries: academic, research institutions; global financing mechanisms; health care professionals; multilateral agencies; NGOs; partner countries; and the private sector.
  
  
• Background:
  • Partners’ Forum was launched in 2005.
    
    
  • The previous chapters were held in Johannesburg, South Africa (2014), New Delhi, India (2010) and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (2007).
    
    
  • This is the second time India is hosting the Partners’ Forum.
    
    
  
  
  
• Fourth Partners’ Forum:
  • The Government of India, in association with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), is hosting fourth Partners’ Forum.
    
    
  • It is a two-day international conference being held on 12th and 13th December 2018, bringing together about 1500 participants from across 85 countries.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Background: Kala Utsav National Competition was launched in 2015.
  
  
• Objective: To promote arts in education by nurturing and show casing the artistic talents of school students. Children with special needs too will have the opportunity to display their talents.
  
  
• Agencies involved: Kala Utsav is an initiative of the Department of School Education and Literacy of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD).
  
  
• Key highlights of 2018 edition:
  • About 370 children from all States/UTs (except Karnataka) will participate in the four-day national level competition.
    
    
  • The competition will be held in (i) Vocal Music (ii) Instrumental Music (iii) Dance and (iv) Painting.
    
    
  • One girl and one boy from each State/UT will compete in each of the competitions. Students representing Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Samiti will also be competing.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Background:
  • In 1978, Government of India, vide an executive order, set up a "Minorities Commission" to safeguard the interests of minorities.
    
    
  • With the enactment of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, the Minorities Commission became a statutory body and was renamed as the "National Commission for Minorities".
    
    
  
  
  
• Functions:
  • To evaluate the progress of the developmental programs and legal & constitutional safeguards for the welfare of minorities.
    
    
  • To Look into specific complaints regarding deprivation of the rights of minorities.
    
    
  • To undertake studies/research on the issues relating to socio economic development of minorities.
    
    
  
  
  
• Composition: It consists of a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson and five Members to be nominated by the Central Government from amongst persons of eminence, ability and integrity.
  
  

About:

• Article 74 provided for the Council of Ministers. It says that “There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President who shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advises.”
  
  
• Article 75 (2) says that” The Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the President”.
  
  
• There are various ways for Removal of council of Ministers –
  • Upon self-resignation.
    
    
  • Upon dismissal by the President.
    
    
  • Upon direction from the Judiciary for committing violation of law.
    
    
  • Upon ceasing eligibility to be a member of Parliament.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Subramania Bharati (1882 – 1921) was a Tamil poet, Indian independence activist and a social reformer from Tamil Nadu.
  
  
• He is also known as ‘Bharathiyar’ and ‘Mahakavi Bharati’.
  
  
• He is considered as one of the pioneers of modern Tamil literature. He used Nondi Chindu in most of his works.
  
  
• His poetry covered political (related to Indian Independence movement), social (women and Dalit empowerment) and spiritual themes.
  
  
• An eternal optimist, his rallying cry was, “Nalla kalam varuguthu!” – “the best of times lies ahead!”
  
  

Background: It was established by Central Institute of Hindi (Kendriya Hindi Sansthan) in 1989 on the name of Tamil writer Subramania Bharathi.Subramania Bharati Award:

• Criteria: It is annually awarded by the President of India to a person for his/her significant services in development of creative/critical areas in Hindi.