About: 

• The assembly passed the Andhra Pradesh Employment of Local Candidates in Industries/Factories Act, 2019. 
  
  
• Key features:
  • It reserves 75% private jobs across all categories in industrial units, factories, joint ventures and projects in public-private partnership mode.
    
    
  • If locals with necessary skills are not available, then companies must train them in association with the state government and hire them.
    
    
  • Only those units that are listed in the first schedule of the Factories Act will be exempted from the Act, after the government approval. These are mostly hazardous industries like petroleum, pharmaceuticals, coal, fertilisers and cement, among others.
    
    
  • Companies will have to comply with these provisions within three years of the commencement of the Act.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• On this day in 1927, the first ever radio broadcast in the country went on the air from the Bombay Station under a private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company.
  
  
• On 8th of June, 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service became All India Radio (AIR). Currently, AIR is one of the largest public broadcasting organisations in the world.
  
  
• Since 1927, radio has been an important part in people's life in India.
  
  

About: 

• Meaning: Paid news is defined as any news or analysis appearing in print or electronic media for consideration in cash or kind. Manifestations of paid news are: 
  • Advertisements camouflaged as news, 
    
    
  • Denial of coverage to select electoral candidates, 
    
    
  • exchanging of advertisement space for equity stakes between media houses and corporate. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Recent trend in Paid News: 
  • The Press Council of India has received 58 cases of paid news during 2018-19 from the Election Commission and others. 
    
    
  • No specific instance of paid news in electronic media (Private Satellite TV Channels) has been brought to the notice of his ministry. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Steps recommended to counter paid news:
  • The Press Council of India has recommended amendment to the Representation of the People Act, 1951 in order to make the incidence of paid news a punishable electoral malpractice.
    
    
  • The Election Commission has also recommended for including paid news in the category of corrupt practices or electoral offences.
    
    
  
  
  

इसके बारे में:

पूरा नाम: प्लाट्फ़ोर्म फ़ोर इफ़ेक्टिव एन्फ़ॉर्स्मेंट फ़ोर नो चाइल्ड लेबर (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour- PENCIL)

इसे 2017 में लॉन्च किया गया था।

उद्देश्य: यह बाल श्रम अधिनियम के प्रावधानों के प्रभावी प्रवर्तन और राष्ट्रीय बाल श्रम परियोजना (National Child Labour Project-एनसीएलपी) योजना के सुचारू कार्यान्वयन को सुनिश्चित करने के लिए एक ऑनलाइन पोर्टल है।

घटक: पेंसिलपोर्टल (pencil.gov.in) में विभिन्न घटक हैं: बाल ट्रैकिंग प्रणाली, शिकायत कॉर्नर, राज्य सरकार, राष्ट्रीय बाल श्रम परियोजना और अभिसरण।

विशेषताएं:

पोर्टल केंद्र सरकार को राज्य सरकारों, जिलो और सभी परियोजना समितियों एवं आम जनता से जोड़ता है।

पेंसिल पोर्टल पर किसी के द्वारा भी बाल श्रम के संबंध में ऑनलाइन शिकायतें दर्ज की जा सकती हैं। इस शिकायत को आगे की कार्रवाई के लिए संबंधित नोडल अधिकारी को सिस्टम द्वारा स्वचालित रूप से सौंपा जाता है।

कार्यान्वयन की स्थिति: PENCIL पर प्राप्त बाल श्रम की 1010 शिकायतों में से जिला नोडल अधिकारियों ने 361 शिकायतें हल की हैं।

राष्ट्रीय बाल श्रम परियोजना (National Child Labour Project-NCLP)

राष्ट्रीय बाल श्रम परियोजना (NCLP) बाल श्रम के पुनर्वास के लिए एक केंद्रीय क्षेत्र योजना है।

इस योजना के तहत, जिला मजिस्ट्रेट / कलेक्टर / डिप्टी कमिश्नर की अध्यक्षता में जिला परियोजना समितियों को सीधे धनराशि प्रदान की जाती है। यह राशि विशेष प्रशिक्षण केंद्रों को चलाने के लिए गैर-सरकारी संगठनों / स्वैच्छिक एजेंसियों आदि को आवंटित कर दी जाती है।

About: 

• Scientific name : Gavialis Gangeticu. 
  
  
• Features: Compared to alligators and crocodiles, a gharial has a very long and narrow snout (instead of a broad snout). 
  
  
• Habitat: They are a fresh-water crocodile. They live in deep fast-flowing rivers. 
  
  
• Distribution: Globally Gharial is found only in India and Nepal. In India too, the major ‘breeding’ populations are confined to two rivers only: 
  • Girwa : The Girwa River originates in Nepal and runs through Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. 
    
    
  • Chambal : Chambal supports the largest population of Gharials in the wild. 
    
    
  
  
  
• IUCN Conversation status : critically endangered. 
  
  
• Significance in Hindu Culture: To some, it is the vahana or vehicle of the River Goddess Ma Ganga, while others revere it as the vahana of varuna, the god of water. 
  
  

About: 

• Bodies involved: The bullet-proof jacket has been developed jointly by the Ordnance Factories Board and the public sector metals and metal alloys manufacturer MIDHANI. 
  
  
• Weight: The Kavach weighs 9.2 kg, a half kilogram less than the weight for a bullet-proof jacket prescribed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). 
  
  
• Features: 
  • It can withstand bullets from an AK-47 assault rifle (7.62 mm hard steel core bullets), and the 5.56 mm INSAS rifle. 
    
    
  • The jacket “is powered with nano technology from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre”, and has a five-year warranty. 
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Full Name: Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL).
  
  
• Launched in: 2017. 
  
  
• Objective: It is a separate online portal to ensure effective enforcement of the provisions of the Child Labour Act and smooth implementation of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme. 
  
  
• Components: The PENCIL Portal (pencil.gov.in) has various components, namely Child Tracking System, Complaint Corner, State Government, National Child Labour Project and Convergence. 
  
  
• Features: 
  • The Portal connects Central Government to State Government(s), District(s), all Project Societies and the General public. 
    
    
  • Further, online complaints regarding child labour can also be filed by anybody on the Pencil Portal. The complaint gets assigned to the concerned Nodal Officer automatically by the system for further necessary action. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Implementation status: Of the 1010 complaints of child labour received on PENCIL, the District Nodal Officers have updated the status in respect of 361 complaints as resolved. 
  
  

Timeline: 

• The Government of India had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) in 2017 under the Chairmanship of Secy (EA), with Secy (MeiTY), Chairman (SEBI) and Dy. Governor, RBI as Members, to study the issues related to virtual currencies. 
  
  
• The Committee has submitted its Report along with Draft Bill ‘Banning of Cryptocurrency & Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2019’ to the government which will now examine it before the Government takes a final decision. 
  
  

Key highlights of the report: 

• The Group has highlighted the positive aspect of distributed-ledger technology (DLT) and suggested various applications, especially in financial services, for use of DLT in India. 
  
  
• Given the risks associated with private cryptocurrencies and volatility in their prices, the Group has recommended banning of the cryptocurrencies in India and imposing fines and penalties for carrying on of any activities connected with cryptocurrencies in India. 
  
  
• It has also proposed that the Government keeps an open mind on official digital currency. 
  
  
• As virtual currencies and its underlying technology are still evolving, the Government may establish a Standing Committee to revisit the issues addressed in the Report as and when required. 
  
  

About: 

• What is it? Chandrayaan-2 is India's second mission to the moon. 
  
  
• Components: It comprises a fully indigenous Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan). The Rover Pragyan is housed inside Vikram lander. 
  
  
• Mission Objective: To demonstrate the key technologies for end-to-end lunar mission capability, including soft-landing and roving on the lunar surface. It will also carry detailed study of moon’s topography and atmosphere leading to a better understanding of the Moon. 
  
  
• GSLV Mk III: 
  • it is a three-stage launch vehicle developed by ISRO. The vehicle has two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster and a cryogenic upper stage. 
    
    
  • The vehicle is designed to carry 4 ton class of satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) or about 10 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). 
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Full name: “JATAN: Virtual Museum Builder.” 
  
  
• What is it? JATAN is a Virtual Museum software which is used for creating the digital collections in various museums and digital archival tools that are used in background for managing the National Portal and Digital Repository for Indian Museums. 
  
  
• Bodies involved: It has been developed and hosted by Human Centres Design and Computing (HCDC) Group, C-DAC, Pune, as per the agreement with Ministry of Culture, Government of India. 
  
  
• Present status: There are 48 Archaeological Site Museums under Archaeological Survey of India out of which two Archaeological Site Museums, namely - Velha Goa; and Nagarjunakonda, have been digitised during the first phase through JATAN. 
  
  

About: 

• The Squadron will be operating from Chennai International Airport. 
  
  
• With commissioning of INAS 313, Tamil Nadu will have three naval air bases; which is the highest number for any Coastal State. INS Rajali at Arakkonam and INS Parundu at Ramnad are the other two air bases in Tamil Nadu. 
  
  
• INAS 313 derives its name ‘Sea Eagle’ from the bird of prey family Accipitridae. 
  
  
• The Squadron will operate Dornier aircraft which is a multi-role Short Range Maritime Reconnaissance (SRMR) aircraft manufactured by HAL, under license from RUAG Aerospace. 
  
  
• The aircraft is used for maritime surveillance, Search and Rescue Operations and to provide targeting data to weapon platforms. 
  
  

About: 

• Since 2018, India’s working-age population (people between 15 and 64 years of age) has grown larger than the dependant population — children aged 14 or below as well as people above 65 years of age. 
  
  
• This bulge in the working-age population is going to last till 2055, or 37 years from its beginning. 
  
  
• Many Asian economies — Japan, China, South Korea — were able to use this ‘demographic dividend.’ 
  • Japan was among the first major economies to experience rapid growth because of changing population structure. The country’s demographic-dividend phase lasted from 1964 to 2004. 
    
    
  • In the 16 years between 1978 and 1994 (post-reform, pre-dividend) China saw eight years of double-digit growth. 
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Established in: 2004. 
  
  
• Constitutional Provisions: 
  • It was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003. 
    
    
  • By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions namely- (i) the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), and (ii) the NCST w.e.f. 19 February, 2004. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Composition: 
  • The term of office of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and each member is three years from the date of assumption of charge. 
    
    
  • The Chairperson has been given the rank of Union Cabinet Minister, and the Vice-Chairperson that of a Minister of State and other Members have the ranks of a Secretary to the Government of India. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Functions of the Commission (Under Clause (5) of Art. 338A): 
  • To Monitor safeguards provided for STs under the Constitution or under other laws; 
    
    
  • To inquire into specific complaints relating to Rights & Safeguards of STs; 
    
    
  • To advise in the Planning Process relating to Socio-economic development of STs; 
    
    
  • To submit report to the President annually and other times on welfare Measures required related to Socio-economic development of STs; 
    
    
  • To discharge such other functions in relation to STs as the President may by rule specify; 
    
    
  
  
  

Madras Music Academy (MMA): 

• It plays an important role in promoting the Carnatic Music.
  
  
• History: A music conference was held along with All India Congress Session held in Madras in 1927and during the deliberations, the idea of a Music Academy emerged. Next year MMA was Inaugurated. Thus it’s an offshoot of INC madras session, 1927.
  
  
• It presents the following annual awards:
  
  

Sangeetha Kalanidhi:

• Awarded to one person who has contributed to the field of Carnatic music.
  
  
• Considered as the highest accolade in the field of Carnatic music;
  
  
• Since 2005, the Sangeetha Kalanidhi also receives the MS Subbulakshmi Award instituted by The Hindu.
  
  

Sangeetha Kala Acharya:

• Awarded to two senior musicians who have contributed by bringing several disciples to the concert platform.
  
  

Natya Kala Acharya:

• Awarded to a senior dancer at the inauguration of the annual dance festival.
  
  

TTK Award:

• Awarded to two senior musicians who have made a mark in the music field as icons and gurus.
  
  
• It is named after TT Krishnamachari, former Union Minister and industrialist, who was a great patron of the arts and was Vice-President of the Music Academy.
  
  

Papa KS Venkataramiah award:

• Awarded to a Violinist of merit.
  
  
• This award is named after Papa KS Venkataramiah (a great violinist of the past).
  
  

Musicologist Award:

• Awarded to a musicologist.
  
  
• A scholar who participates in musical research is a musicologist.
  
  

Indira Sivasailam endowment concert and medal:

• Awarded during Navaratri each year, it is given to the top-ranking performing artist in the concert organized at that time.
  
  

Key findings: 

• Several of these institutions just about meet the government prescribed criteria for reservation — 15% for SC and 7.5% for ST. 
  
  
• However, posts of scientist and technical grade staff (where reservation rules are not mandatory) see only single-digit representation from the reserved categories (excluding the Other Backward Classes category). 
  
  
• For instance, in the National Institute of Immunology (NII), an organisation funded by the DBT, only two from the SC category were scientists. There was no scientist from the ST category. 
  
  
• In the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, another DBT institute, set up under the auspices of the UNESCO, four of the 44 permanent posts were held by SC/ST candidates. However, none were in the scientist category. 
  
  
• The Pune-based National Centre for Cell Sciences had the highest representation of SCs and STs among scientists — five in the SC category and two from the STs. 
  
  
• The Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) in Faridabad, also an autonomous DBT institute, records just two of its 32 permanent employees from the SC/ST category of whom one was in the scientist grade. 
  
  

About: 

• The AHQ restructuring is the first of the four measures being undertaken as part of the transformation of the force. 
  
  
• The aim is a holistic integration to enhance the operational and functional efficiency, optimise budget expenditure, facilitate force modernisation and address aspirations. 
  
  
• New changes planned: 
  • The entire training function will move under the Army Training Command (ARTRAC), which will be shifted from Shimla to Meerut.
    
    
  • The Director-General, Rashtriya Rifles (RR), now based in Delhi, will be moved to Udhampur, under an Additional Director-General, where the Northern Command is located.
    
    
  • A new post of Additional Director-General (ADG), Vigilance, is being created, and he will report to the Army chief.
    
    
  • There will be a new position of ADG, Human Resources, who “shall take proactive action on HR violations.”
    
    
  • The Army now has two Deputy Chiefs for (1) information systems & training and (2) Planning & Systems. After the restructuring, there will three Deputy Chiefs for (1) Sustenance, (2) Strategy and (3) Information Systems.
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS), is a lake and the dam that creates it. 
  
  
• Type: It is a type of Gravity Dam. 
  
  
• Location: The dam is located below the confluence of river Kaveri with its tributaries Hemavati and Lakshmana Tirtha, in the district of Mandya in Karnataka. 
  
  
• History: the project was conceptualised by Bharat Ratna awardee, Chief Engineer of Mysore M. Visvesvaraya. The construction began in 1911 and it began operations in 1938. 
  
  
• Usage: 
  • The water from the Dam is used for irrigation in Mysore and Mandya, and is the main source of drinking water for Mysore, Mandya and Bengaluru city. 
    
    
  • The water released from this dam flows into the state of Tamil Nadu and is stored in Mettur dam in the Salem district. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Brindavan Gardens, an ornamental garden, is attached to the dam. 
  
  

About: 

• Name: Environmental hormones are also known as endocrine disruptors. 
  
  
• What are they? Environmental hormones are chemical compounds that resembles endocrine hormones. 
  
  
• Source: They may be either of natural origin, such as phytoestrogens, or of synthetic origin. The sewage and wastewater that are inevitably produced at any industrial worksite often contain large quantities of pollutants and environmental hormones. 
  
  
• Impact: 
  • Because environmental hormones do not break down easily, they can have a significant negative effect on not only the environment but also the human body. 
    
    
  • These compounds are able to activate the same endocrine receptors as their natural counterparts and can thus disrupt hormonal activity. 
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• The Juvenile Justice Act of 2000 was amended in 2015 with a provision allowing for Children in Conflict with Law (CCL) to be tried as adults under certain circumstances. 
  
  
• The Act defines a child as someone who is under age 18. For a CCL, age on the date of the offence is the basis for determining whether he or she was a child or an adult. 
  
  
• The amended Act distinguishes children in the age group 16-18 as a category which can be tried as adults if they are alleged to have committed a heinous offence — one that attracts a minimum punishment of seven years. 
  
  
• The Act does not, however, make it mandatory for all children in this age group to be tried as adults. 
  
  

About: 

• Who are involved? The telescope is being built by an international collaboration of government organisations and educational institutions, at a cost of $1.4 billion. 
  
  
• Name: “Thirty Metre” refers to the 30-metre diameter of the mirror, with 492 segments of glass pieced together. 
  
  
• Significance: 
  • Once completed, it would be three times as wide as the world’s largest existing visible-light telescope. The larger the mirror, the more light a telescope can collect, which means, in turn, that it can “see” farther, fainter objects. 
    
    
  • It would be more than 200 times more sensitive than current telescopes, and would be able to resolve objects 12 times better than the Hubble Space Telescope. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Application: One of its key uses will be the study of exoplanets, many of which have been detected in the last few years, and whether their atmospheres contain water vapour or methane — the signatures of possible life. 
  
  
• Opposition against its construction: Already the site of a number of observatories and 13 large telescopes, Mauna Kea is considered sacred by native Hawaiians who believe that such constructions defile the Mauna Kea mountain. 
  
  
• Way ahead: If the Thirty Metre Telescope cannot be built on Mauna Kea mountain in Hawaii, Spain’s Canary Islands is a backup site. 
  
  

About:

• Sheila Dikshit (1938 – 2019), was an Indian politician who served as the chief Minister of Delhi for a period of 15 years from 1998 to 2013.
  
  
• She was one of the longest-serving chief ministers of Delhi and was the longest-serving female chief minister of any Indian state.
  
  
• Her efforts to bring in cleaner public transport, extend the Delhi Metro project and build flyovers in Delhi won wide appreciation. Her largely successful legacy in Delhi was, however, marred by allegations of corruption during the 2010 Common Wealth Games.
  
  
• In 2014, she was sworn in as Governor of Kerala.
  
  

About:

• Under an agreement signed in 2012 among the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Pench tiger reserves, the State Forest Department was supposed to constitute a Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in the reserves within two years of the agreement.
  
  
• However, Madhya Pradesh is yet to constitute the battalion. In its absence 30 tiger deaths due to poaching have been reported between 2012 and 2018 in the Madhya Pradesh, highest among states.
  
  

About: 

• What is it? VSV-EBOV is an Ebola vaccine. Studies suggest that the yet to be licensed vaccine could prevent Ebola infection when used before and also immediately after exposure to the Ebola virus. 
  
  
• Working: The vaccine is based on a virus found in animals called vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) that is combined with a portion of the protein covering of the Ebola virus. When administered, it induces an immune response against the Ebola virus. It does not contain a live Ebola virus. 
  
  
• Bodies involved: VSV-EBOV has been developed by NewLink Genetics and Merck Vaccines USA in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada. 
  
  

About:

• Genome sequencing is figuring out the order of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a genome—the order of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts that make up an organism's DNA.
  
  
• Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) allows parallel Genome sequencing, resulting in the generation of Giga bases of data in a short amount of time.
  
  
• Benefits: This has reduced the cost per genome significantly, making genomic data more accessible to individual researchers. Decreasing costs are making genomics an attractive and integral part of any successful bioscience research project.
  
  
• Application: The NSG would help prenatal genetic screening and counselling, thereby generating large scale genomic data critical for diagnosis and therapy. It would be of help, especially to patients suffering from rare genetic disorders.
  
  
• Recent development: The recent NSG facility at the CCMB in Hyderabad can sequence 18,000 samples in 8 minutes. With this, the CCMB can now sequence up to 30 human genomes or 384 diagnostic samples in a day.
  
  

About: 

• Name: Colistin is also known as polymyxin E. 
  
  
• What is it? Colistin is a valuable, last-resort antibiotic that saves lives in critical care units. It is effective against most Gram-negative bacilli. 
  
  
• Issues with it: 
  • In recent years, medical professionals have been alarmed by the number of patients who have exhibited resistance to the drug. 
    
    
  • Late last year, researchers from Apollo Cancer Hospital, Chennai claimed that samples of raw food lifted from across Chennai had tested positive for colistin-resistant bacteria. 
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• The President of India made the following appointments/ changes - 
  • Anandiben Patel, Governor of Madhya Pradesh is transferred and appointed as Governor of Uttar Pradesh
    
    
  • Lal Ji Tandon, Governor of Bihar is transferred and appointed as Governor of Madhya Pradesh
    
    
  • Jagdeep Dhankhar as Governor of West Bengal
    
    
  • Ramesh Bais as Governor of Tripura
    
    
  • Phagu Chauhan as Governor of Bihar
    
    
  • N. Ravi as Governor of Nagaland 
    
    
  
  
  
• The reshuffle and choice of Governors is politically significant as they are among the first recommendations from the Home Ministry after BJP president Amit Shah took charge.
  
  
• Though appointed by the President, the Home Ministry is the nodal Ministry for the selection of Governors.
  
  

About:

• National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports. One of them is Arjuna Award.
  
  
• What are arjuna awards? The objective of the Awards is to recognize outstanding achievements of sportspersons in the field of sports at international level.
  
  
• History: It was established in 1961. A total of 53 cricketers have been awarded the Arjuna Award with Saleem Durani, in 1961, the first recipient.
  
  
• Given by: The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
  
  
• Cash prize: The Award consist of a statuette and a cash Award of Rs. 5 lakh.
  
  
• Sports disciplines covered:
  • Olympic Games/Asian Games/Commonwealth Games/World Cup/Word Championship disciplines and cricket or any equivalent recognized international Tournament.
    
    
  • Indigenous Games.
    
    
  • Sports for physically challenged.
    
    
  
  
  
• Eligibility for the Award:
  • A sportsperson should have had not only good performance over the previous four years at the International level, but should also have shown qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.
    
    
  • No Award will be made for a second time to the same person.
    
    
  • The Award may be given posthumously if such an occasion arises.
    
    
  
  
  
• Number Of Arjuna Awards To Be Given In A Year:
  • Ordinarily not more than one award will be given in each discipline in a particular year. But this principle of one award per discipline may be relaxed in case of team sports and across gender.
    
    
  • At least one award is to be given exclusively for sports for physically challenged.
    
    
  • Normally not more than 15 awards could be given in any calendar year. However, keeping in view the performance of Indian sportspersons in the Commonwealth, Asian and Olympic Games during a particular year, more than 15 Awards may be allowed.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• A provision in the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill proposes a common final-year MBBS exam, to be known as National Exit Test (NEXT), for admission to post-graduate medical courses.
  
  
• Arguments by political parties from Tamil Nadu:
  • They favoured NEXT only for candidates who completed their undergraduate medical courses in foreign countries. They also argued that some of the provisions of the NMC Bill were against the principles of federalism and the States’ rights.
    
    
  • The provision of exempting students of medical institutions of national importance from the purview of NEXT was undermining the excellence of Madras Medical College and Stanley Medical College in Chennai.
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Implementing agency: Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) is a Flagship IT Program of Election Commission of India (ECI). 
  
  
• What is it? Through this system the service voters cast their vote on an electronically received postal ballot, from anywhere outside their constituency, thus reducing the chances of losing the voting opportunity. 
  
  
• Who are service voters: Persons working in Central Forces under Arms Act and Government officials deployed in Embassies outside the country are classified as Service Voters and are provisioned for online enrolment. 
  
  
• Features: ETPBS is a fully secured system, having two security layers. Secrecy of voting is maintained through the use of OTP and PIN and no duplication of casted ETPB is possible due to the unique QR Code in the portal https://www. etpbs.in. 
  
  
• Significance: With the motto of “no voter to be left behind”, ETPBS has ensured all eligible service electors with their constitutional power to vote while performing their duty for the nation. Service Voter turnout in 2014 was only 4%. 
  
  

About: 

• The One kilometre long Ujh bridge is located in Kathua district of Jammu & Kashmir. The 617 Metre long Basantar bridge is located in Samba district of Jammu & Kashmir. 
  
  
• Both these bridges have been constructed by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under 69 RCC/13 BRTF of Project Sampark. 
  
  
• These bridges will provide smooth connectivity and are vital for the Army for deployment on border areas. 
  
  

About: 

• Main theme of the DefExpo India- 2020 will be ‘India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub’ and focus will be on ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’. 
  
  
• The DefExpo would provide a unique platform for Defence industry Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), exhibitors and private industry to display their latest innovations and capabilities. 
  
  
• The exhibition will also highlight emergence of UP as an attractive destination for investment in the defence sector.  
  • UP has 4 units of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, 9 ordnance factory units and one unit of Bharat Electronics Limited at Ghaziabad. 
    
    
  • One of the two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) of India is planned in Uttar Pradesh. The other DIC is proposed in Tamil Nadu. 
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Governance: Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory. 
  
  
• Location: It is located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. it is bordered to the north by Spain. 
  
  
• Strait of Gibraltar: It is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar and Peninsular Spain in Europe from Morocco and Ceuta (Spain) in Africa. 
  
  
• Topography: The landscape of Gibraltar is dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar (made of Jurassic limestone) at the foot of which is a densely populated town area. 
  
  
• History: In 1704, Anglo-Dutch forces captured Gibraltar from Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession on behalf of the Habsburg claim to the Spanish throne. The territory was ceded to Great Britain in perpetuity under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. 
  
  

About: 

• Parent Body: DIPAS is an Indian defence laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is organised under the Life Sciences Directorate of DRDO. 
  
  
• Mandate: It conducts physiological and biomedical research to improve human performance in extreme and wartime environments. 
  
  
• Located in: Delhi. 
  
  
• Established in: 1962. 
  
  

Timeline:

• Launch: July 16, 1969
  
  
• Moon landing: July 20
  
  
• Earth landing: July 24
  
  

About:

• Significance: Apollo-11 was man’s first landing on the Moon.
  
  
• Launch rocket: Apollo 11 was launched by a Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on July 16, and was the fifth crewed mission of NASA's Apollo program.
  
  
• Crew members: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were taken to the Moon by the Apollo-11 mission in 1969. Their third colleague, Michael Collins, remained in the command module in the lunar orbit.
  
  
• What happened during the landing: Armstrong and Aldrin moved around on the surface of the Moon for over two hours. They collected rock and soil samples, carried out experiments, and planted an American flag. They spent a total of 21 hours, 36 minutes on the Moon’s surface, most of it inside the lunar module.
  
  

About:

• What is it? Pegasus is spyware that can be installed on mobile devices. It is regarded as one of the "most sophisticated" smartphone spyware.
  
  
• Working: Upon clicking on a malicious link on the device, Pegasus is capable of reading text messages, tracking calls, collecting passwords, tracing the location of the phone, accessing the target device's microphone and gathering information from apps.
  
  
• Developed by: It has been developed by the Israeli cyberarms firm, NSO Group. However, NSO says it does not operate the Pegasus system, only licensing it to closely vetted government users “for the sole purpose of preventing or investigating serious crime including terrorism”.
  
  

Key Amendments by Bill: 

The Bill changes the terms and conditions of service of the CIC and Information Commissioners at the centre and in states.

• Term:
  • RTI Act, 2005: The Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and Information Commissioners (ICs) (at the central and state level) will hold office for a term of five years.
    
    
  • RTI (Amendment) Bill, 2019: The central government will notify the term of office for the CIC and the ICs. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Quantum of Salary:
  • RTI Act, 2005: The salary of the CIC and ICs (at the central level) will be equivalent to the salary paid to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, respectively.
    
    
  • RTI (Amendment) Bill, 2019: The salaries, allowances, and other terms and conditions of service of the central and state CIC and ICs will be determined by the central government.
    
    
  
  
  
• Deductions in Salary:
  • RTI Act, 2005: At the time of the appointment of the CIC and ICs (at the central and state level), if they are receiving pension or any other retirement benefits for previous government service, their salaries will be reduced by an amount equal to the pension.
    
    
  • RTI (Amendment) Bill, 2019: The Bill removes these provisions.
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Launched in: 2016. 
  
  
• Objective: Providing clean-cooking fuel to the poor households, which are otherwise vulnerable to health hazards associated with indoor air pollution. 
  
  
• Present Status: As on 20.06.2019, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have released more than 7.23 crore LPG connections under Pradhan Mantri UjjwalaYojana (PMUY).
  
  
• Coverage: PMUY is under implementation in the all the States/UTs. The scheme was launched with the identification from the Socio Economic and Caste Census, but was subsequently expanded to cover all the poor of the country.
  
  
• Implementation mechanism: It is implemented by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas through its Oil Marketing Companies (i.e., IOC, BPCL and HPCL) and their distributors network.
  
  
• Identification of Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries are identified through Socio-Economic Caste Census List-2011. If names are not covered under SECC list, beneficiaries are identified from 7 categories such as SC/ST households, Most Backward Classes, Forest Dwellers etc.
  
  

The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019: Salient Features

1. A person who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court is also made eligible to be appointed as Chairperson of the Commission in addition to the person who has been the Chief Justice of India;
   
   
2. Increase the Members of the Commission from 2 to 3 of which, one shall be a woman;
   
   
3. Include Chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes, Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities as deemed Members of the Commission;
   
   
4. Reduce the term of the Chairperson and Members of the Commission and the State Commissions from 5 to 3 years and shall be eligible for re-appointment;
   
   
5. A person who has been a Judge of a High Court is also made eligible to be appointed as Chairperson of the State Commission in addition to the person who has been the Chief Justice of the High Court; and,
   
   
6. To confer upon State Commissions, the functions relating to human rights being discharged by the Union territories, other than the UT of Delhi, which will be dealt with by the Commission.
   
   

About: 

• Bodies involved: The pilot project will be soon launched by Telangana Government and the World Economic Forum's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network in partnership with the HealthNet Global Limited. 
  
  
• What is it? It is an innovative project to deliver emergency medical supplies such as blood and vaccines via drones. 
  
  
• Benefits: It will help facilitate decision-making in healthcare supply chains, focus on last-mile deliveries and address issues that affect the medical distribution system. 
  
  

About: 

• What is it? NAG is a third Generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile. 
  
  
• Developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). 
  
  
• Features: 
  • NAG missile has been developed to engage highly fortified enemy tanks in all weather conditions with day and night capabilities and with a minimum range of 500 metres and maximum range of 4 kilometres. 
    
    
  • It is a third-generation fire and forget class missile and uses an imaging infrared seeker in lock-on-before-launch mode. 
    
    
  • The missile is launched from the NAG missile carrier (NAMICA) which is capable of carrying up to six combat missiles.